rowing up in the country, I was fortunate every spring and summer to spend plenty of time getting my hands dirty, working alongside my mom in our family’s massive garden. We’d harvest huge bowls full of sugar snap peas and sit on the patio together pinching off all the ends. Our fingers became stained red from picking raspberries, and we’d shuck huge ears of sweet corn, fresh off the stalks, for countless summer barbecues. We’d fill up a big chest freezer with leftover produce to enjoy all winter long.
I think back on these sweet memories often, especially while prepping my comparatively tiny, backyard urban garden each spring (often with my mom’s help). Now my list of gardening chores is growing once again as the Inland Northwest’s GARDENING SEASON begins anew. Whether you’re a seasoned green thumb or someone dreaming of enjoying fresh-picked, homegrown fruits and veggies of your own for the first time, this week’s issue has plenty of insight from local experts on how to get started.
— CHEY SCOTT, Editor
energy-safety activities for kids at myavista.com/kids
MAY 1-4
16 -17
May 21 First Interstate Center may 22 one spokane stadium may 31 - Jun 1
June 14 First Interstate Center
COMMENT
STAFF DIRECTORY
PHONE: 509-325-0634
Ted S. McGregor Jr. (tedm@inlander.com) PUBLISHER
Jer McGregor (x224) GENERAL MANAGER EDITORIAL
Chey Scott (x225) EDITOR
Samantha Wohlfeil (x234) NEWS EDITOR
Seth Sommerfeld (x250) MUSIC & SCREEN EDITOR
Madison Pearson (x218)
LISTINGS EDITOR, DIGITAL LEAD
Eliza Billingham (x222), Colton Rasanen (x263), Victor Corral Martinez (x235), Dora Scott (x282) STAFF WRITERS
Chris Frisella COPY CHIEF
Young Kwak, Erick Doxey PHOTOGRAPHERS
Lawrence B.A. Hatter, Chase Hutchinson, Bob Johnson, Will Maupin, Azaria Podplesky, Summer Sandstrom CONTRIBUTORS
PRODUCTION TEAM MANAGER, CREATIVE, DIGITAL & MARKETING
Tom Stover (x265) PRINT PRODUCTION & IT MANAGER
Derrick King (x238)
SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER, EDITORIAL DESIGN LEAD
Leslie Douglas (x231) GRAPHIC DESIGNER OPERATIONS
Dee Ann Cook (x211)
BUSINESS MANAGER
Amanda Bodie (x210)
ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE SPECIALIST
CIRCULATION
Frank DeCaro (x226)
CIRCULATION MANAGER
Travis Beck (x237)
CIRCULATION SUPERVISOR
WHAT’S SOMETHING YOU’D LIKE TO GROW IN A GARDEN?
MATTHEW GRIFFIN
I would say herbs. I cook a lot. Herbs complement seafood, red meats, just proteins in general. So thyme and rosemary would be the top ones. Cabbage as well, and maybe potatoes, because they are very easy.
Can’t go wrong with rosemary potatoes. You get it.
GAIL HECK-SWEENEY
Pomegranates. I’ve never grown them here and I like them. And I’ve seen the trees.
So you must really like pomegranate… Everything! [laughs]
JAKOB PAOLI
Good news is I do have a garden with quite a few plants in there. Strawberries. A little bit of vegetables: some peas, beans, all that jazz. Sunflowers. Stuff to get the bees around.
Is there anything you haven’t grown that you’d want to grow?
Well the last few times I’ve tried to grow basil it didn’t really pan out, but I think I’ll try that next time around.
PEYTON BASNAW
The first thing that came to my mind was basil.
Why basil?
I cook with a lot of basil and it smells really good.
JACKSON WARNOCK
I like raspberries a lot. Every house I’ve ever had always seemingly has had to have raspberries in the backyard. So probably some small fruits and berries and stuff.
INTERVIEWS BY
524 W Main Ave, Downtown Spokane
Sun-Thu 12pm-11pm Fri-Sat 12pm - 12:30am
March 30-May 30
The Ace Hardware match will kick off on Doctor’s Day to celebrate our amazing physicians and care teams.
Every donation, up to $500,000, will be matched dollar for dollar!
providence.org/INWAheart
Thanks to Ace Hardware, donations to the Follow Your Heart campaign will go twice as far!
Follow Your Heart is an ambitious fundraising campaign to modernize Providence Heart Institute – the region’s premier cardiothoracic center.
JOIN OUR WHISKEY CLUB
Kinda Like When We Shut the Ports in 1807?
In the early years of the United States, a trade war launched by Thomas Jefferson ended in disaster
BY LAWRENCE B.A. HATTER
resident Trump plunged the global economy into chaos on April 2 by announcing a wave of tariffs on U.S. imports. In a made-for-TV announcement from the White House’s Rose Garden, the president declared “Liberation Day,” which Trump predicted Americans would celebrate for generations to come as the moment when “American industry was reborn, the day [when] America’s destiny was reclaimed and the day that we began to make America wealthy again.”
The stock market disagreed.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average has gone on a wild ride ever since, as investors try to anticipate the next move in an age of government by presidential fiat. One moment everyone gets a tariff, the next, import duties are temporarily suspended for some nations, but not others. As I write this, I have absolutely no idea what will transpire over the next few days before these words appear in print.
And there’s the rub. To be sure, the stock market is not the economy. But the extreme volatility in global indices reflects deep uncertainty. Market chaos can cause a recession because it
increases the perception of risk for businesses and consumers alike. Who wants to buy a new car when you’re afraid that you might not have a job next month? Why hire more workers when you’re worried that you’re going to have to downsize operations because your products have been taxed out of overseas markets?
Many Americans are justifiably worried about their financial future. Workers watching their retirement accounts crash in real time have questioned the wisdom of the Trump administration’s tariffs. Trump has no time for doubters. He took to social media to ridicule his critics as “PANICANS,” dismissing them as “weak and stupid” people who threatened to undermine his tariff adventure.
Trump is not the first president to stake his political future on economic warfare. And, if the past is any guide, he is in for a rough ride in his second term.
Thomas Jefferson made the same mistake over 200 years ago. After comfortably winning re-election to a second term in 1804, the public backlash that followed the Virginian’s disastrous trade policy embodied by the Embargo and Nonintercourse Acts meant that he couldn’t wait to leave the White House in 1809.
A British cartoon depicting Thomas Jefferson attempting to defend his “grand systom [sic] of shutting ports.” LIBRARY OF CONGRESS IMAGE; PRINTS AND PHOTOGRAPHS DIVISION, CARTOON PRINTS, BRITISH
The Napoleonic Wars (1803-15) created both opportunities and challenges for American businesses. The conflict, which pitted the British Empire against the French Empire under Napoleon, allowed the U.S. merchant marine to rapidly expand in the first decade of the 19th century. As the British and French sought to blockade one another into submission, neutral American merchant ships increased their share of overseas trade. But the French and the British tried to prevent wartime contraband trade that helped to sustain their enemies, putting American ships and sailors in harm’s way.
The French Navy and particularly Britain’s Royal Navy — after its decisive victory at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805 — pursued aggressive policies to board neutral trading vessels to seize contraband goods destined for enemy ports. Moreover, the Royal Navy seized American sailors and forced them to serve aboard British warships in a system called “impressment.” The British government claimed — not without some justification — that Royal Navy deserters often ended up working aboard American merchant ships. But the British Crown also refused to accept that its subjects could voluntarily become naturalized U.S. citizens.
The Jefferson administration hit upon commercial policy as the means of forcing Britain and France to respect the United States’ neutral trading rights. While Jefferson believed that free trade had the power to promote peace and friendship among nations, he also saw restrictive commercial policy as a humane alternative to war. “Peaceable coercion” meant applying economic pressure on the British and French by restricting their access to the American market.
Though the Embargo Act of 1807 was not a tariff, it relied upon the same logic that underpins the Trump administration’s 2025 economic policy: playing chicken with trade to force your adversary to change tack. But neither Britain nor France blinked.
The Embargo Act suspended the operation of the merchant marine and devastated the U.S. economy. The United States was an overwhelmingly agricultural society in the early 19th century. On farms and plantations across the nation, crops spoiled, unable to reach their markets in Europe or the Caribbean. Moreover, American merchant ships did not merely convey produce and goods around the world in the 1800s, they also employed tens of thousands of sailors and countless other workers in related industries like shipbuilding and ropemaking. With the ships tied up in port, ordinary Americans suffered economic hardship. And their sacrifices were for naught.
Jefferson and his Democratic Republican Party soon paid the political price of their misguided policy. The president received numerous letters from distressed Americans, including one desperate sailor from Philadelphia, a father of four, who threatened to cut his own throat, denying the United States “one of the best seamen who ever sailed” if Jefferson did not lift the embargo. Nationally, the Democratic Republican Party’s vice-like grip on Congress began to slip. For the first time in almost a decade, the rival Federalist Party made gains in both the House and Senate, in large part because of the effects of the embargo.
Jefferson gladly retired to Monticello in 1809, leaving a mess for his protégé James Madison to clean up. Madison never did get “peaceable coercion” to work. And with the electoral fortunes of his party sinking further, the Madison administration abandoned economic warfare in favor of the real thing in June 1812 when Congress declared war on Great Britain.
Rather than blithely dismissing the fears of ordinary Americans as unpatriotic and idiotic, President Trump would do well to listen to their genuine concerns if he wants to leave the White House on good terms with the American people. His incoherent tariff policy risks sparking a recession, which ordinary people can ill afford so soon after the devastating economic effects of a global pandemic. And the disastrous consequences of Trump’s tariffs will pale in comparison to the fallout from an armed conflict that could all too easily follow from an all-out trade war. n
Lawrence B.A. Hatter is
NEW Stressless ® Anna A3 Arm s hown in Paloma Taupe/Walnut
DEVELOPMENT
Money Doesn’t Grow on Trees
Why the Department of Natural Resources is trading a Spokane forest for a Bellingham grocery store
BY ELIZA BILLINGHAM
The hundreds of acres just south of Thorpe Road are the largest area of undeveloped land left inside Spokane city limits.
They’re a travel corridor for moose and songbirds, and home to wetlands and unique plant and animal species. The nearby Grandview/Thorpe neighborhood is facing increased risks of wildfire and limited infrastructure.
But the land between Thorpe Road, Highway 195 and the western edge of the city has all been zoned “residential” for decades. And Spokane, which is trying to fight urban sprawl, needs about 34,000 units to catch up to its current housing needs.
For years, the city of Spokane, the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), developers, conservationists and Latah Valley neighbors have all been trying to figure out what to do with the land off Thorpe Road.
The next development steps are about to be announced as soon as the city’s hearing examiner releases its next decision about a complicated parcel there. In addition to a 1,000-unit development that’s underway despite a yearlong building moratorium in Latah Valley, DNR’s Board of
Natural Resources recently decided to exchange nearby undeveloped land with the developer in exchange for a grocery store in Bellingham. Here’s a look at how the area south of Thorpe got to where it is today, and how conservationists think it could have been different.
VICTORY HEIGHTS
Most Latah Valley development is on pause through May. More development would need more infrastructure than the neighborhood currently has — there’s no fire station despite growing wildfire risk near the hundreds of homes there, and the main route in and out of the area is pinched by two narrow, 100-year-old tunnels.
The Spokane City Council enacted two building moratoriums over the past three years to give the city and neighborhood more time to think about how to move forward. The latest yearlong moratorium started in May 2024.
Some development, though, continues. Blue Fern Development LLC is working on a 1,000-unit housing development off Thorpe Road called Victory Heights, on a 177-acre parcel that was annexed by Spokane in 1907 and has been zoned for residential use since 1929.
The project was already under review when the second moratorium took effect, which means it wasn’t subject to the pause.
Blue Fern is close to reaching an agreement with the city and WSDOT on infrastructure improvements the developer needs to fund, including sewer and road updates, to make the new infill viable.
But the city can only place as many restrictions on the property owner as codes allow, city Planning Director Spencer Gardner says. Since the area is zoned residential, its options are limited. While some people would like all new infrastructure to be built before new houses go up, the city is bound by its own codes, he says.
“We are very limited in our ability to say, ‘No, you can’t do that,’” Gardner says.
BEST INTEREST
The Department of Natural Resources owns 192 acres next to Victory Heights — just a few of the 3 million acres that DNR stewards as state trust land.
State trust lands have a long history. The federal
A notice for the Victory Heights development sits on a property off Thorpe Road along the U.S. Highway 195 corridor in Spokane. ERICK DOXEY PHOTO
NEWS | DEVELOPMENT
“MONEY
DOESN’T GROW ON TREES,”
government — after either forcing Native American tribes to sell their land for pennies an acre or seizing it without compensation — gifted trust land to Washington when it became a state and required it be used to build and fund K-12 schools and colleges, plus a few other beneficiaries including the state Capitol and prisons.
DNR is now tasked with making as much revenue as it can from these trust lands for the best interest of the beneficiaries. That often involves signing logging contracts and grazing leases, and other activities that fit the popular imagination for stewarding “natural resources.”
But it doesn’t exclude commercial real estate. Owning and renting commercial property is the third-largest source of income for DNR behind forestry and agricultural leases. To mitigate risk, it’s important to diversify the trust land portfolio, then-Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz said during the Jan. 7 Board of Natural Resources meeting.
“[It’s] similar to, I hope, what people do with their own retirement accounts,” she said. “In addition to that, part of the value of that diversification was also taking some of the pressure off our other lands, like our agriculture and forest lands, especially in the face of climate change, where we may have drought or forest health issues and wildfire.”
A 2021 study by national consulting firm Deloitte found that DNR’s income over the previous 25 years had decreased by about 35%. Since then, the department has been looking for ways to modernize its portfolio.
The department deemed its 192 acres off Thorpe Road to be “underperforming,” meaning that the trees weren’t dense enough to harvest and there was no other way to generate significant revenue from the land. To be better stewards of the trust, Franz stressed the need to ditch the Thorpe asset in favor of a more productive one.
Usually DNR can offload trust lands in one of two ways — transfer the land to a group or municipality that will conserve it, or exchange the land for a better performing asset.
DNR knew the acres next to Victory Heights were of special interest to Blue Fern. Bob Greene, director of real estate advisory solutions and chief appraiser for DNR, said Blue Fern’s planned development drove up the assessment of DNR’s property to $8.25 million, about $5 million more than it would be worth to anyone else.
The department had also identified a commercial property for sale in Bellingham — a Haggen grocery store and its parking lot. When Martin McElliott, a DNR project manager, presented the proposal to the Board of Natural Resources, he said the Haggen property was appraised for $15.4 million.
The store still has seven years left on its lease and pays more than $900,000 annually in rent for the building and parking lot. McElliott said DNR expects the property could contribute $13 million to K-12 education over the next 15 years.
DNR wants to trade the Thorpe site for the Haggen site, but Blue Fern doesn’t own the property in Bellingham, yet. According to an exchange agreement between DNR and Blue Fern, the Haggen property is owned by a limited liability company registered in Delaware.
Per the agreement, the plan is for Blue Fern to buy the Haggen property for $16.22 million and exchange it with DNR, which will give Blue Fern the Thorpe property and about $7 million in cash. The close of the exchange is set for July 15.
DNR gave the city of Spokane and the Spokane Tribe of Indians the opportunity to buy the Thorpe land, but Franz said neither has had the money or willpower to do so.
ANOTHER OPTION?
The proposed exchange between DNR and Blue Fern unleashed major outcry from Latah Valley and Grandview/
Thorpe neighbors and conservationists statewide.
A DNR study says the parcel includes at least four rare plant communities but that they’re not large enough or high quality enough to preserve. The Department of Fish and Wildlife also warned DNR that the land regularly hosts a mule deer herd that’s facing significant habitat loss.
Though it might make sense for the trust’s bottom line, trading community green space and precious habitat for a grocery store and parking lot goes against the broader mission of DNR, some say.
“If you look at DNR’s overall mission, it’s a mission of natural resource stewardship to benefit the citizens of Washington state,” says Dan Bernardo, provost emeritus of Washington State University’s College of Agricultural, Human and Natural Resources, who also served on the Board of Natural Resources from 2005 to 2013 and lives in Latah Valley.
“With respect to the trust lands, there always is and always will be and always has been this conflict, this tension between maximizing income for the trust versus managing the land for multiple use to benefit the citizens of the state,” he continues.
The board usually tries to balance profits and conservation, but in this particular case, Bernardo says, “I thought they didn’t try hard enough.”
There’s a better solution, conservationists say — one that’s a win-win-win for the city, DNR and the neighborhood: a trust land transfer.
A trust land transfer would allow DNR to offload the land to the city and earn money without compromising conservation, says Tom Uniack, executive director of Washington Wild, a nonprofit that advocates for these kinds of deals.
In a trust land transfer, the Legislature would pay the land’s assessed value to DNR, the land would be gifted to the city for conservation, and DNR could use the assessed value payment to buy a higher performing asset for its portfolio.
The city of Spokane applied for a trust land transfer for the Thorpe site in 2021, Uniack says, and the project was added to the state’s list of potential transfers in August 2024. It was found to meet the best interests of the trust.
“Then all of a sudden, an agency that normally we count on operating like a school bus became a Ferrari,” Uniack says.
DNR started pushing for an exchange that results in more development, he says, which is the opposite of a transfer.
The Board of Natural Resources approved the Thorpe
land exchange during the Jan. 7 meeting, the last meeting before Franz was replaced by Commissioner of Public Lands Dave Upthegrove.
Uniack thinks the board didn’t consider a trust land transfer thoroughly enough or take into account strong local opposition.
A trust land transfer would take much longer. There are currently 34 possible trust land transfers across the state, and the Thorpe land is 18th on the priority list. The top eight projects were sent to the Legislature this session with a request for $30 million to fund them all.
But state lawmakers face a severe budget crunch this session, and though both House and Senate Democrats included some trust land transfers in their proposed budgets, neither designates a full $30 million for the transfers.
Uniack guesses that it would only take a couple more legislative sessions to fund a trust land transfer for the Thorpe property. But the window to keep a transfer possible is closing.
The Thorpe land exchange was signed on Feb. 24. It includes a 90-day termination period where either party can exit the agreement if, after any new environmental or feasibility studies, “the property is not suitable for the party’s intended use.”
“We will continue to urge the Board of Natural Resources to terminate the contract,” writes Jeff Lambert, president of local conservation group Friends of the Bluff, in an email to the Inlander. “We will continue to build coalitions of conservation groups, neighborhood councils and elected officials to stop the exchange.”
So far, neither the board nor the new lands commissioner have expressed any interest in revisiting the decision. DNR would not comment for this story, but offered a statement Upthegrove gave on April 1.
“I understand and heard clearly the concerns raised regarding the Thorpe land exchange. I have personally hiked the property with conservation advocates and appreciate the value of the natural features on the landscape. However, the exchange was approved unanimously by the Board of Natural Resources in January prior to me taking office. Regardless of whether or not I would have made a different decision, no member of this board expressed an interest in revisiting the decision,” Upthegrove’s statement reads. “Since taking office, I have respected past decisions of the Board of Natural Resources and have remained focused on the future. I look forward to approaching future decisions with thoughtful conservation values and a commitment to meaningful public engagement.” n elizab@inlander.com
The exchange of Thorpe Road at U.S. 195 is the only way in and out of the proposed neighborhood. ERICK DOXEY PHOTO
Nonprofit News
The Spokesman-Review is going nonprofit. Plus, WA launches an online tariff guide, and an Idaho judge rules women don’t have to actually be dying to get an abortion
BY INLANDER STAFF
On Tuesday, April 15, Spokane’s daily newspaper, the Spokesman-Review, announced it will change its business model in the face of an uncertain media market. The Spokesman-Review’s owners, the Cowles family, will donate the paper to the nonprofit Comma community journalism lab, which was started by the paper’s executive editor, Rob Curley. In addition to transferring ownership, the paper’s publisher, Stacey Cowles, has pledged to make a $2 million matching donation to the nonprofit, if it can raise $2 million on its own. So far, the Spokesman has reported it will maintain its six-day print publishing schedule and keep its current employees on at the same pay and benefits. “We believe a community should own its narrative, and the local newspaper must be created with and for its communities, especially in today’s climate, that starts with putting power back into the hands of readers and citizens,” Curley stated in the Spokesman’s Tuesday story. As it stands, the nonprofit plans to take over the newspaper by midsummer if it has reached its fundraising goals. (COLTON RASANEN)
DUTY DEFERRED?
The Washington Department of Commerce has launched an online guide to address confusion created by tariffs being developed at the federal level. Washington’s “Tariff Information and Resource Guide” includes updates about proposed tariffs, resources for minimizing tariff exposure, and explains how to engage with lawmakers. The guide highlights tariff mitigation options like the 11 foreign trade zones in Washington, including Spokane International Airport, which allow for duty deferral until goods go to U.S. consumption or the tariffs are potentially eliminated. State Commerce Director Joe Nguyễn said in a press release that Washington businesses need all the help they can get navigating the obstacles coming from the federal government. “Washington is one of the most trade-exposed states, and our intent is that this guide will help businesses better understand and respond to the impacts of these tariffs,” Nguyễn said. “Responding to events such as this that have such a specific impact on day-to-day business is just one of the ways we are working to fulfill our mission.” (VICTOR CORRAL MARTINEZ)
SAVING MOTHERS
Idaho’s abortion ban is one of the strictest in the nation. Its near total prohibition has a few exceptions, including if a mother is close to dying. A recent court decision seemed to loosen the restrictions: An Idaho judge ruled doctors may provide an abortion if the mother is likely to die sooner than she would without an abortion, even if her death may not be “imminent nor assured.” Judge Jason D. Scott is a judge for Idaho’s Fourth Judicial District, which covers Ada, Boise, Elmore and Valley counties. The case was filed in Ada County in September 2023 by four women, two physicians and the Idaho Academy of Family Physicians. The ruling provides for an abortion that protects the mother’s life so long as “the risk of her death doesn’t arise from a risk of self-harm, and the manner of pregnancy termination is the one that, without … increasing the risk of her death, best facilitates the unborn child’s survival outside the uterus, if feasible.”
(ELIZA BILLINGHAM)
EDITOR’S NOTE
In the April 10 column “The Urgency of Now,” Gavin Cooley wrote, “the current city administration attempted to block our survey work altogether.” City spokeswoman Erin Hut says that while the city of Spokane did connect with service providers who were concerned about the Spokane Business Alliance count of the homeless population, the administration did not direct any shelter not to participate in the survey. n
With over 50 years of delivering the best in funk and soul music, the Tower of Power live concert experience is unstoppable and unforgettable. Don’t miss your chance to get funky with Tower of Power.
Phones, Flags and Free Speech
New Idaho education laws touch on everything from campus free speech to human sexuality
BY SAMANTHA WOHLFEIL
The Idaho Legislature concluded its 2025 legislative session this month after passing hundreds of bills into law, many of which focused on changes to education systems.
Some received national attention, including House Bill 93, which will provide a “school choice” tax credit for those who send their students to schools outside the public education system, and even received support from President Donald Trump. Idaho Gov. Brad Little signed it into law in February.
But plenty of other education laws passed this year, including Senate Bill 1044, which will bring cursive back into public schools by adding a handwriting proficiency requirement.
Here are several other bills passed into law that will impact education in Idaho.
LIMITING PHONES
Senate Bill 1032 adds a “Distraction-Free Learning” chapter to state law. It passed the Senate 34-0 (one excused) and
the House 65-0 (five members excused). Little signed it on March 13.
It requires all school boards and public charter schools in the state to adopt an electronic communications device policy by Dec. 31. The policies need to “emphasize that student use of electronic communications devices be as limited as possible in school buildings and on school grounds or premises during school hours.” The law doesn’t require districts to ban students from carrying phones at school, but does allow it.
SCHOOL SAFETY
House Bill 224, which was signed into law on March 14 after unanimously passing both chambers (one senator was excused), requires school boards to create and maintain emergency plans for each school. In addition to requiring background checks for anyone who interacts unsupervised with K-12 students, emergency safety plans must be developed with local staff and law enforcement agencies, and reviewed yearly. The law also requires all school district
staff receive yearly training on the plans.
Sponsor Rep. Chris Mathias, D-Boise, told the Senate Education Committee this was a housekeeping measure to clarify existing law.
BANNING ‘POLITICAL’ FLAGS
House Bill 41, which passed on party lines with Republicans in support and Democrats opposed, prohibits public schools from flying specific flags or banners on school property.
The law states that “no flags or banners that represent political, religious, or ideological views, including but not limited to political parties, race, gender, sexual orientation, or political ideologies, may be displayed on public school property such as classrooms, hallways, entryways, or sports fields.”
This means, for example, that schools and teachers cannot display Pride flags. But it’s unclear whether the law also impacts posters that say “Everyone is Welcome Here” and feature hands with different skin tones, such as the one the Idaho Statesman has reported the West Ada School District told a Meridian world civilization teacher to remove from her classroom.
The law specifically allows schools to display the U.S. flag; official U.S. state flags; official flags of other countries “with which the United States is not engaged in hostile action;” those of U.S. military branches, the “official flags of Idaho Indian tribes,” and other flags related to school mascots, colors, and achievements.
IMMUNIZATIONS
House Bill 290 removes most instances of the word “required” from the chapters of state law that describe the immunizations needed for children who attend day care and public school.
However, the law still states “all children require the following” vaccines, including the DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus and a-cellular pertussis), hepatitis A and B, MMR (measles, mumps and rubella), polio and varicella. Those entering seventh grade also require a DTaP booster and meningococcal vaccine, with the second dose of meningococcal vaccine required later.
The law states school authorities shall exclude students who don’t meet those requirements, but includes exemptions: a physician may sign a note stating a student can’t be immunized because it would endanger their life or health, or parents/guardians (or students who are 18 or older) may submit a signed statement objecting to immunization requirements “on religious or other grounds.”
CAMPUS FREE SPEECH
House Bill 240, or the “Protecting Campus Free Speech in Higher Education Act,” adds a chapter to state law emphasizing the importance of the freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, including free speech.
Under the law, public higher education institutions can’t limit free speech to specific outdoor areas or “free speech zones,” but can enforce “reasonable time, place and manner restrictions” as long as they are contentneutral. Schools aren’t allowed to charge security fees to students or student organizations based on the content of or anticipated reaction to the speech. Schools also “shall maintain a policy prohibiting student-on-student harassment.”
Students or student organizations who feel their free speech rights have been violated may file a legal action against the school within one year of an incident, and if the court finds in their favor, they could receive up to $25,000, plus attorney fees and reasonable court costs.
A new Idaho law will not allow schools to display other countries’ flags if the U.S. is “engaged in hostile action” with them.
SEXUAL ORIENTATION AND GENDER IDENTITY
House Bill 352 requires public schools to adopt procedures and policies prohibiting K-12 “classroom instruction” on sexual orientation or gender identity.
The bill, which Little signed into law on March 31, passed the House 58-11 (one excused), and the Senate 29-6.
“This bill ensures that parents can choose when and how to teach their children about these issues,” Sen. Cindy Carlson, RRiggins, told the Senate Education Committee in mid-March.
Sen. Jim Woodward, R-Sagle, asked whether the bill would prohibit a school counselor from speaking to a student about these issues. The bill’s co-sponsor, Rep. Dale Hawkins, R-Fernwood, said he wasn’t sure, since this legislation just deals with classroom instruction.
Chris Parri, with the Idaho Education Association (the state’s teacher’s union), testified against the bill.
“Under this legislation, entire chapters of American history would be scrubbed from public education,” Parri told the committee. “Much like there’s no way to teach about slavery without talking about racism, there’s no way to teach about the Stonewall riots, AIDS epidemic, or the assassination of Harvey Milk without talking about sexual orientation and gender identity.”
Idaho Freedom Foundation’s Samuel Lair testified in favor.
“Quite simply, I believe that these topics just don’t belong in our public education,” Lair told the committee. “I think we need to focus on math, reading, science, social studies — the basic functions of what it takes to be a literate and educated member of society, and leave these contentious topics elsewhere.”
State resident Jeffrey Watkins pointed out in testimony that heterosexual relationships also fall under “sexual orientation,” and asked lawmakers if the legislation opens schools up to complaints about teaching works such as Romeo and Juliet, or lessons on the different societal expectations for men and women during World War II, which could fall under gender identity.
SEX ED VS. HUMAN SEXUALITY
House Bill 239, signed into law on March 31, makes a distinction between “human sexuality” and “sex education” and requires parents receive a two-week notice of any instruction on human sexuality, which they must specifically opt their students in for.
Parents could already opt kids out of sex education, defined as “the study of the anatomy and the physiology of human reproduction.”
The new “opt-in” applies to “human sexuality” instruction, defined as “sexual conduct, sexual pleasure, sexual intimacy, sexual abuse, sexual violence, eroticism, pornography, deviant sexual behavior, sexual attraction, sexual orientation, or any form of sexual identity, gender identity, gender ideology, or gender conversion.”
“This is about consent, not content,” the bill’s sponsor Rep. Barbara Ehardt, R-Idaho Falls, told the Senate Education Committee. “The parent should be informed.”
For example, Ehardt said, if an instructor wants to teach The Kite Runner, which includes a rape scene, they’d need to get parental permission first.
“Would you be able to teach about the signs of sexual abuse or what to do if somebody is being abused, without parental consent?” asked Sen. Janie Ward-Engelking, D-Boise. “Because occasionally, the child’s being abused by the parent.”
“No doubt there’s going to be a child or two, I know there’s bound to be kids that are abused,” Ehardt replied. “But we don’t teach all the kids this and put it in their mind without the consent of the parent, because we might be able to pick up one or two. I don’t think that’s fair to the parents, and the parents whose child is being abused should have a say in what they want that child to hear.”
Public school employees found to have violated the law are “subject to disciplinary action,” and parents or guardians can take legal action against school boards that don’t rectify the situation. n samanthaw@inlander.com
Colton Rasanen contributed to this article.
The Measles Resurgence
to Your List
Idaho
doctor says the measles vaccine may be a victim of its own success as the once-eliminated disease makes a U.S. comeback
BY VICTOR CORRAL MARTINEZ
In 2000, measles was declared eliminated in the United States after 12 months of no reported spread. Thanks to a comprehensive vaccine program and the development of a two-dose measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, it seemed that measles would disappear, similar to the polio virus.
Fast forward to 2025, and there is a significant measles outbreak in Texas, which has reported more than 540 cases. As of April 11, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, has reported 712 cases nationwide and three measlesrelated deaths; 97% of the individuals infected with measles are unvaccinated.
Washington has reported two measles cases in King and Snohomish counties. In February 2024, Spokane Regional Health District, or SRHD, reported a measles case in Deer Park, but there have been no new local cases since then.
Mark Springer, the communicable disease investigation and prevention manager at SRHD, says measles is a highly contagious respiratory illness that can spread through the air, potentially leading to hospitalization and death.
According to the CDC, a common symptom of measles is a blotchy red rash on the face, which
then spreads down the body.
Springer says there is no real treatment for the illness, with medical advice offering only “supportive care” including rest, isolation and addressing fever symptoms.
He says measles can have long-term complications, such as wiping out “memory cells” and creating a condition known as immune amnesia. Memory cells are immune cells that recognize past infections and quickly respond to pathogens.
“This is a killer in developing countries,” Springer says. “It brings your immune system back to [that of] a newborn under 5 years old.”
Kayla Myers, the immunization program coordinator at SRHD, says that to prevent an outbreak like we’re seeing in other parts of the country, the general population’s vaccination rates need to be at 95% or higher. She says that in Spokane County, 86% of children 19 months to 35 months old have received their first dose of MMR vaccine, while 69% of children ages 4 to 6 years old have received the second dose.
Myers acknowledges that some parents worry about the many vaccines their children have to take, but she emphasizes that it’s important not to play “Russian roulette” by opting out and risking
The attenuated virus in the MMR vaccine helps build immunity.
the chance of getting the virus.
Some parents are concerned that the MMR vaccine contains live versions of the virus. However, Myers says it’s an attenuated vaccine, meaning it contains a weakened, harmless version of the measles virus that doesn’t cause the disease, but allows the immune system to learn to recognize and protect against it.
Myers says that getting one MMR dose will provide 93% protection against measles, and a second dose provides 97% protection. She says reaching out to your medical provider about concerns is the best way to decipher misinformation if you’re hesitant about vaccines.
The CDC offers no recommendation about catching up on a second dose of the MMR vaccine for adults born before 1989, but recommends two-dose vaccination for people who do not have evidence of immunity and are in college, traveling internationally, working in health care, or who are members of other sensitive groups. The CDC also advises re-vaccination for the 5% of adults who received the inactivated measles vaccine between 1963 and 1967.
Dr. Noreen Womack is the chair of the Idaho chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics and practices in Meridian, Idaho. She says that eradicating vaccinepreventable diseases has changed people’s mindset about the risks and benefits of vaccinations.
“I think vaccination rates are lower because they’ve been too successful, and they’re a victim of their own success,” Womack says. “People forget they need to weigh risk benefits, and when you truly do that, it is my belief, and the belief of 99.9% of medical providers, that the benefits of vaccines outweigh the risks.”
Womack says for the first 25 years of her career as a medical professional, measles was essentially a theoretical illness in the U.S., but now vaccine hesitancy and misinformation are contributing to its resurgence.
The current U.S. secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has wrongly suggested vitamin A as a cure for measles. In March, the New York Times reported that some parents in the Texas outbreak provided their kids with large doses of vitamin A, which caused liver damage in some cases.
Womack says research has shown children with vitamin A deficiency in developing countries tend to have the worst measles outcomes, but vitamin A is not a prevention tool.
“The studies show that it doesn’t prevent measles, but if you are vitamin A deficient, you tend to have a worse outcome,” Womack says.
The CDC’s most up-to-date reporting from the 2023-24 school year states that Idaho’s kindergarten student population has a 79.6% measles vaccination rate; meanwhile 94.3% of Texas kindergarteners were vaccinated for measles.
Womack says Idaho’s low vaccination rates are due to loose regulations. Laws like the recently signed Idaho Medical Freedom Act, which bans medical mandates in Idaho including vaccine requirements to attend schools, may worsen Idaho’s vaccination rates.
Panhandle Health District spokesperson Kate Hoyer tells the Inlander via email that anyone with questions about communicable diseases should speak to their medical provider.
“There are no measles cases in North Idaho or the state of Idaho currently,” Hoyer writes. “We continue to monitor the situation and will communicate updates to our community if anything changes.”
The consequences for not vaccinating can be tragic, as seen in Texas with the death of two children in this measles outbreak, Womack says.
“I’ve seen other vaccine-preventable diseases that don’t have treatments, and you just watch the kids suffer, and it’s heartbreaking,” Womack says. “Once you’ve seen an unnecessary death, you don’t want to see another one.” n victorc@inlander.com
Cultivating Community Gardening
Some of last year’s bounty grown at the Shadle Park Library’s Discovery Garden.
Spokane boasts a plethora of local resources and passionate gardeners willing to share their expertise
BY DORA SCOTT
Growing your own food is uniquely fulfilling. Tiny seeds carefully sown into the soil soon unfurl to become fresh herbs, vegetables and fruits savored in daily meals. And in an era when food insecurity continues to affect many households, gardening offers more than just a way to stretch the grocery budget. It’s also a powerful tool for fostering resilience, sustainability and community connection. While cultivating your own plot is rewarding, spring is the perfect season to branch out and get involved in Spokane’s vibrant gardening scene. Whether you’re a novice seeking gardening advice or a seasoned grower looking to share that knowledge with others, the following local organizations and programs can provide the tools, space and camaraderie to grow something great together.
...continued on next page
Growing Neighbors encourages people to turn their yards into food gardens. PHOTO COURTESY GROWING NEIGHBORS
Gardening
“CULTIVATING COMMUNITY” CONTINUED...
MEET THE EXPERTS
For over 50 years, Washington State University Extension’s Master Gardener Program has connected the public with research-backed gardening knowledge. The mission began in the early 1970s when WSU horticulturalists David Gibby and Bill Scheer, overwhelmed by gardening inquiries, launched a training initiative to prepare volunteers to serve their communities.
After running ads and speaking with local journalists who wrote about their efforts looking for expert garden volunteers, around 200 applicants were accepted to WSU Extension’s first master gardener class in 1973. The program is one of the oldest in the country and has now helped train more than 900 master gardeners in Spokane County.
“Our job is to give people research-based information about the soil and plants and help them determine what’s wrong with the plant or what’s the best solution for something,” says Julie McElroy, a master gardener who completed her training in 2012.
One of the program’s main requirements is that master gardeners must volunteer at least 40 hours per year. Some of that time is spent assisting community members at the program’s plant clinic and resource center in East Central Spokane, at 222 N. Havana St., which is open from March 1 through Oct. 31.
If you have a pesky weed or insect, your plants aren’t faring well, or maybe you just want to make some gardening community connections, the master gardeners are at hand to share their abundant knowledge.
“When you’re into gardening, it’s just so nice to find a place where you can continually talk about gardening and
people don’t walk away bored,” McElroy says.
This year’s annual Spokane County Master Gardener Foundation Garden Fair is also coming up on April 2526, by appointment only at the Havana Street extension office. There, expect to find thousands of plant starts — many of which are vegetables and herbs — with proceeds benefiting the program.
“It is a fundraiser, but our main objective is to educate people, so we want to have time to talk to you and help you choose the right plant,” McElroy says of the reservation-based event. Sign-ups open on April 22.
MORE THAN BOOKS
At Spokane Public Library’s branches, gardening knowhow goes beyond the bookshelves.
After the 2018 bond-funded renovations of the city library system’s facilities, the Shadle Park Library became a horticultural hub for North Spokane with its Discovery Garden, as well as frequent garden and educational events, seed libraries, and community partnerships.
Juan Juan Moses, a community educator for Spokane Public Library, helps facilitate adult programs related to health and wellness and kickstarted the library’s gardening programs when she came into the role in 2019.
“In planning for this new renovation [at Shadle Park Library], we decided to take my training and my mission and incorporate that and create a garden space,” Moses says. “So that’s how our Discovery Garden was born, to make it a showcase so we can use that as a teaching tool.”
Located along the library’s south-facing side, the Discovery Garden is demarcated by a simple metal fence and has about a half-dozen in-ground beds. Though it’s
currently mostly barren, dotted with the remnants of last year’s plants, in just a few months the garden will be brimming with life.
In 2021, the Shadle Park branch reopened after renovations that nearly doubled its size. Its public programs resumed in April 2022 with a class in the Discovery Garden about how to install a drip irrigation system.
“At first, the garden [existed] for us to show, to teach, right there as a physical prop. But I think the following year, I decided, ‘I’m going to take a different twist,’” Moses says. “I think up a theme for the garden every fall after the harvest for the next year.”
Last year’s theme centered on herbal teas, with a clinical herbalist teaching a series about making tea from plants grown in the Discovery Garden. This year, Spokane Public Library is partnering with the FilipinoAmerican Association of the Inland Empire to grow tropical Asian vegetables.
“We will be talking to the patrons about what those vegetables are and how you grow them, and then our Filipino friends will be taking care of these vegetables,” Moses says.
There will also be a public vegetable planting event in the Discovery Garden on May 22 at 1 pm. This fall, the library plans to host a harvest swap, where the FilipinoAmerican Association will also hold a cooking demonstration featuring vegetables grown in the garden.
Spokane Public Library’s gardening programs extended to the Indian Trail Library in 2024, when an acre of lawn was converted into a bird garden with native berry-bearing trees and shrubs, and a pollina-
tor meadow.
“Even in the winter months and the very early spring months, there are aspects of this garden that provide very good nutrition for the wildlife that lives in the area,” says Alina Murcar, marketing and communications manager for Spokane Public Library.
There are also free seed libraries at the South Hill, Indian Trail, Hillyard and Liberty Park branches.
“You can go to these locations, and you can pick up six seed packets. And it’s not a checkout situation, you just take them,” Murcar says. “Then, we also ask that in the harvest season when you have more seeds — hopefully after having a really successful season — that you then package up some and bring them back.”
The library’s largest garden event, the Spring Plant Swap and Tree Giveaway, happens on Saturday, April 26, from 11 am-1 pm, at the Shadle Park branch. Last year, more than 400 people attended. Patrons can bring excess plant starts to swap or give away, and the City of Spokane’s Urban Forestry department is also giving away hundreds of free saplings. Other library partners like Growing Neighbors, Spokane Audubon Society and the new Garden4You garden club will have information booths.
Attending Garden4You events or meetings is a great place to start if you want to get into gardening, Moses says. The new garden club meets at Shadle Park Library every first Wednesday of the month at 5:30 pm. The first meeting saw 75 attendees.
“There were a lot of people in this town that were looking for a sense of community, a sense of belonging,” Moses says. “We provided that.”
...continued on next page
GETTING STARTED?
CONSIDER THESE MASTER GARDENER TIPS:
START SMALL
“Always start small because it can get very overwhelming,” Master Gardener Julie McElroy says.
THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX
While living in an apartment or rental makes it more difficult to get into gardening, there are still options. Start indoors with windowsill plants (like herbs) or use lamps and plant heating pads for starting seeds. Make a little patio garden using pots, participate in a nearby community garden, or see if your property is suitable for a parking strip garden (check what your local ordinances allow for these sites).
GET YOUR SOIL TESTED
There are a variety of tests and probes to check for chemicals, nutritional value, pH or, more simply, your soil type.
LEARN YOUR SUN EXPOSURE
“The right plant in the right place is really important,” says McElroy, who’s personally spent hours walking around her garden to figure out where to place a new plant.
START WITH EASY-TO-GROW PLANTS
Some easier edible plants, according to McElroy, are leafy greens like lettuce, sugar snap peas (which require a trellis) and tomatoes.
FIGURE OUT YOUR WATERING SYSTEM
While it depends on the scale of your garden, drip irrigation is usually recommended for consistency and accuracy.
PAY ATTENTION TO SOIL TEMPERATURE
While the warmer spring weather may have you itching to get your hands in the soil and start planting, the soil is usually too cold until May. Most seed packets have information about what the soil temperature should be before planting.
BEWARE OF COLD SNAPS
Even if you plant at the right soil temperature, cold snaps and frost can damage plants. Be preemptive and cover your plants ahead of time if temperatures are forecast to dip close to or below freezing.
BE PRESENT!
“You need to be in your garden every day. You need to see what’s going on,” McElroy says. “If you see a pest or something that’s happening, you need to be able to fix it right away.”
Visit mastergardener.wsu.edu to learn more about public workshops, events and more, or email garden-related questions to mastergardener@spokanecounty.org.
DORA SCOTT
The Spokane County Master Gardeners’ Garden Fair returns April 25-26. PHOTO COURTESY SPOKANE COUNTY MASTER GARDENERS
Shadle Park Library’s Discovery Garden helps teach community members how to grow their own food. PHOTO COURTESY SPOKANE PUBLIC LIBRARY
Spokane Public Library community educator Juan Juan Moses, left, leads a program in the Discovery Garden. PHOTO COURTESY SPOKANE PUBLIC LIBRARY
Growing Neighbors helps teach kids how to grow healthy food. PHOTO COURTESY GROWING NEIGHBORS
Gardening
“CULTIVATING
COMMUNITY” CONTINUED...
‘FARMYARD FAMILIES’
One morning in early April, students at Garfield Elementary School chow down on bagels, granola bars and more. What’s otherwise a typical morning of fueling up before class today includes a small group of adults and student helpers lined up in the cafeteria wearing nametags labeled “Waste Reduction Hero.”
Among the group is the founder and director of the local nonprofit Growing Neighbors, Johnny Edmondson, who grabs hold of a microphone to direct the students about how to separate their food waste from trash for compost.
Growing Neighbors and Spokane Zero Waste recently partnered to collect and compost food waste in local schools, and are first testing out the program at Garfield.
That food waste might eventually make its way to the school’s community garden outside, one of nearly 100 such gardens in the Spokane area that Growing Neighbors helps facilitate and maintain.
Growing Neighbors started in 2016 when Edmondson discerned a need for not only localized food systems, but for food systems that also helped foster community.
“Our end vision is that people or every member of the environment is functioning more like family, not like disconnected consumers that are maybe getting their practical needs met but not like a healthy, connected lifestyle,” Edmondson says.
Two local volunteer-run nonprofits that formerly helped manage community gardens, Spokane Community Gardens and Inland Northwest Community Gardens, folded within the last few years, but Growing Neighbors is currently working to add those groups’ plots to its system.
These community gardens range from a couple of small raised beds to plots that span several hundred square feet and can be found across Spokane at schools, churches, libraries, public parks and in private yards. There’s a map listing some of the participating gardens at growingneighbors.org.
The traditional model for community gardens usually involves individuals or households renting a garden bed and coming and going as they please. Growing Neighbors takes a different approach, promoting community interaction as well as permacultural practices that work with nature. For instance, spreading and slowing down
LOCAL SPRING GARDENING EVENTS
Spokane County Master Gardener Foundation Garden Fair
April 25-26 by appointment starting at 9 am, 222 N. Havana St., free, spokane.mastergardenerfoundation.org
Spring Plant Swap and Tree Giveaway
April 26 from 11 am-1 pm, Shadle Park Library, 2111 W. Wellesley Ave., free, spokanelibrary.org
Unleash the Flavor: Growing Peppers in the Inland Northwest
May 7 from 5:30-7 pm, Shadle Park Library, 2111 W. Wellesley Ave., free, spokanelibrary.org
Community Compost Bin Building Party
May 9 and 24 from 10 am-5 pm, 222 N. Havana St., free, growingneighbors.org
Garden Expo
May 10 from 9 am-5 pm, Spokane Community College, 1810 N. Greene St., free, spokanegardenexpo.com
Asian Vegetable Planting at Discovery Garden
May 22 at 1 pm, Shadle Park Library, 2111 W. Wellesley Ave., free, spokanelibrary.org
Indian Trail Garden Open House
June 14 at 11 am, 4909 W. Barnes Rd., free, spokanelibrary.org
irrigation to prevent runoff, planting groups of plants that are mutually beneficial, maximizing use of the space, and not limiting planting to raised beds. However, each garden is co-designed to meet the needs of those involved.
“Our main focus is trying to help people connect with their local garden space. Like, be where you are more intentionally. And if there’s not a great garden space where you are, we’ll help you start,” Edmondson says.
Ideally, though, Edmondson would love to see people start their own community gardens. If you notice gardens in your neighborhood or have land yourself, he suggests reaching out neighbors with the idea of cultivating the space together to create a “farmyard.”
Once it’s harvest season in summer and early fall, he says the goal is that community garden members come together to share their harvest through communal meals. In 2016, Edmondson helped kickstart year-round communal dinners at Shadle Park Presbyterian Church that continue to meet on Tuesdays at 5:30 pm, using food from gardens when available.
To combat food insecurity, Growing Neighbors also started a food bank delivery program during the pandemic for those with mobility challenges. Since the end of 2024, the Spokane Helpers Network has stepped in to manage the program.
“Anywhere that food could be grown I think is a great place to grow food instead of relying on our system of importing,” Edmondson says. “You don’t have to go through me. Start cooking up your own thing in your own neighborhood or connect with a garden you already see or know about.” n
Growing Neighbors also shares its gardens’ bounty with the community.
PHOTO COURTESY GROWING NEIGHBORS
Cannabis 2025
grower tiers page 23
groovy tunes page 26 chill with cbd page 30
Tier Talk
The lesser-known regulations affecting Washington’s cannabis growers, aka “producers”
BY WILL MAUPIN
Purchase any cannabis product through Washington state’s legal market, and you’ll get a decent idea of what the product is and where it came from.
State law requires all packaging to include information on THC content, as that is the chemical responsible for the intoxicating effects of cannabis.
Producers — state lingo for the business behind the product for sale — keen to promote their name will also include some form of branding. Beyond that, there may be a descriptor like “indica” or “sativa” that can help guide consumers toward a product with the effect profile they prefer.
But one thing you will not see on a label is the size of the operation that produced the product in question.
Visit the website of the producer of a product you’ve purchased and you’re likely to see the business refer to itself as “Tier 1,” “Tier 2” or “Tier 3.” Those designations are not grades. They are not earned. They are given, and they are permanent.
The tiers are part of a system conceived when Washingtonians were considering legalizing cannabis with Initiative 502 in 2012.
“Going all the way back to when I-502 was devel-
oped, we were doing projections before it even passed [and] we were required to put together some analysis on how much it would cost to implement,” says Justin Nordhorn, director of policy and external relations for Washington’s Liquor and Cannabis Board, or LCB. “We were estimating that there’d be a hundred producers, a hundred processors and 350 retailers. And we assumed for economies of scale, and the like, that they would be larger-production facilities.”
That assumption that the state’s nascent cannabis market would tilt toward larger producers did not sit well with many Washingtonians who valued the Evergreen State’s culture of small, local and family-owned businesses.
“After the initiative passed we started doing town hall meetings across the state,” Nordhorn recalls. “I think we had over 6,000 attendees total, and what we heard most commonly was, ‘Don’t leave small growers out.’”
That was the genesis of the tier system Washington has to this day.
Large growers would be allowed, as the initial plan anticipated. They would be classified as “Tier 3” and allowed up to 30,000 square feet for growing cannabis.
Small growers would be given a path to market as well, classified as “Tier 1” and given up to 2,000 square feet.
Between those would be “Tier 2,” which could grow between 2,000 and 10,000 square feet.
For regulators in those early days, the thought process was that the tier system would allow for large producers who could supply the projected consumer demand while also guaranteeing a place for smaller growers in the legal marketplace.
The compromise has worked. There are small growers competing with large ones, which cannot be disputed. The sustainability of this arrangement and level of success of this system, however, is up for debate, depending on who you ask.
THE LOOPHOLE
Under the LCB’s initial plan of 2,000-, 10,000- and 30,000-square-foot limits for Tiers 1, 2 and 3, there was an obvious delineation between small, medium and large.
But another regulation has subsequently blown up those clear lines of distinction.
Once awarded a producer or processor license, the licensee can obtain the rights to up to two additional licenses. The state refers to this as “assuming” those other ...continued on next page
Blue Roots Cannabis
COO Seth Shamberg.
YOUNG KWAK PHOTO
BE
AWARE: Marijuana is legal for adults 21 and older under Washington State law (e.g., RCW 69.50, RCW 69.51A, HB0001 Initiative 502 and Senate Bill 5052). State law does not preempt federal law; possessing, using, distributing and selling marijuana remains illegal under federal law. In Washington state, consuming marijuana in public, driving while under the influence of marijuana and transporting marijuana across state lines are all illegal. Marijuana has intoxicating effects; there may be health risks associated with its consumption, and it may be habitforming. It can also impair concentration, coordination and judgment. Do not operate a vehicle or machinery under the influence of this drug. Keep out of reach of children. For more information, consult the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board at www.liq.wa.gov.
“THE LOOPHOLE” CONTINUED...
licenses. In practice, it is one licensee purchasing the rights to another’s license or, in other words, buying out competitors.
“What we would see is folks purchasing other licenses, if you will, or those businesses trying to assume those [licenses] as long as you don’t have more than three producers,” Nordhorn says.
The intention of the tier system was to cap large growers at 30,000 square feet in an effort to promote competition and allow room for the little guy to exist. In reality, because licensees are allowed to control not just the license awarded to them initially but to obtain up to three total, the largest of the large can now operate up to 90,000 square feet of growing space.
That is 45 times the amount of growing space initially allowed for Tier 1 growers. In 2021, the state expanded the Tier 1 limit from 2,000 to 4,000 square feet, but that’s still nowhere near the limit the richest of the rich in Tier 3 have to work with.
Complicating matters, there is no such room for growth on the retail side to match.
With only 476 retailer licenses in the state of Washington as of 2024, there’s only so much shelf space available for cannabis products to be displayed for recreational customers. This is a reality that even Tier 3 growers are aware of.
“The way things are set up is definitely not geared toward elevating smaller grows or making it easier for smaller grows to compete with the others,” says Joe Lima, manager of Novo Dia, a Tier 3 producer in Spokane County. “The overproduction of weed from these other places pretty much just makes it impossible to compete as a smaller grower unless you have that client base, unless you have clientele that are loyal to you.”
Large producers, especially Tier 3 companies with multiple licenses, are able to put out a constant stream of product, making them the most reliable source of inventory for the limited number of retailers in the state.
“There aren’t many Tier 3 indoor facilities in the state of Washington,” says Seth Shamberg, the chief operating officer at Blue Roots Cannabis Co., an indoor producer in Airway Heights with a Tier 3 license. “Generally, I would say they’re closely associated with commercially produced cannabis for the most part.”
Smaller growers simply cannot keep up.
Even large growers are vulnerable to fluctuations in the market. Lima notes that his farm moves between one-third production at times to
nearly full production at others, depending on demand.
“One of the biggest mistakes the LCB made doing this whole thing is they gave out way too many grower licenses and way too few retail licenses,” Lima says.
THE FUTURE
Washington’s tier system has existed almost exactly as it was envisioned since the legal market opened in 2014.
It took thousands of respondents at town hall meetings to push the state away from a bigger-isbetter grower model. It was the vociferous outcry from the public that led the state to include smaller growers and create Tier 1.
“People were telling us that if you only allow big operations in, we’re going to continue to grow and it’s still facilitating illicit market activity,” Nordhorn says of the LCB’s process as they moved toward opening the legal market. “So the board kind of pivoted in that area and said, ‘OK, we’re just going to do small grows, and we’ll have various tiers to accommodate licensees.’”
The illicit market is now all but eliminated in Washington. Other states still struggle with it, notably California, but Washington’s cautious, measured approach has moved almost all cannabis business to the legal side of the market.
There aren’t currently plans to alter the tier structure, though there are far fewer Tier 1 producers in the state, which may indicate it’s more challenging to be one of the little guys.
“We don’t have anything currently scheduled to address any expansions of that nature as it comes to the tiers,” Nordhorn says. “That would be within our scope of rulemaking authority, so we wouldn’t necessarily need a legislative change, but depending on what people were interested in that could change that equation on whether or not legislation would be necessary or not.”
Overall, cannabis businesses are in good shape.
According to the LCB, only 31% of cannabis producers have gone out of business in the past decade, compared to the 65% of all businesses that fail within their first 10 years.
“Obviously nobody wants to lose a business,” Nordhorn says. “But when you’re looking at [the] average business survivability, I think that the cannabis industry is actually doing better on average than others.”
Blue Roots harvest team member Alicia Ealey harvests Drunken Strawberries. YOUNG KWAK PHOTO
Good Vibrations
Get into the groove with these (mostly) ganja-friendly album recommendations
BY COLTON RASANEN
Listening to music. Playing video games. Watching a movie. Finishing a TV series. There are countless ways to enjoy your cannabis consumption out there, but often it’s the simplest activities that hold the most impact.
Personally, I always enjoy listening to full albums after I smoke. The cohesion in an album makes each song feel connected, and in my elevated state of mind it generally can scratch my brain in ways that feel like I have uncovered some sort of hidden meaning. While I would argue that any album you like listening to would sound better after a smoke sesh, here’s a selection of my favorite albums to get you started.
SOLARPOWER , LORDE
I know Lorde’s junior album Solar Power wasn’t as culturally impactful as her previous two, Melodrama and Pure Heroine, but it sure is fun to listen to after smoking a freshly rolled j. Each song is filled with soft instrumentals and soothing ambient sounds, such as cicadas buzzing, which transport the listener to the singer’s sunny summers in New Zealand.
I mean, beyond the album’s aptly titled second single “Stoned at the Nail Salon,” she even told the New York Times in an August 2021 video interview that Solar Power is her “weed album.”
STARF—ER , SLAYYYTER
Even for sober ears, Slayyyter’s second full-length album, Starf—er, is exciting. Inspired by the old Hollywood tropes of drugs, sex and celebrity, this fun amalgamation of electronic and pop music from the 1980s and early 2000s just makes me want to dance around with my friends.
The album takes you through quirky, tongue-in-cheek moments in “I Love Hollywood” and “Purr” and then sinks into more the dramatic pop ballads “Miss Belladonna” and “Rhinestone Heart.” To understand the full hype of this album, take a world-ending dab hit with your friend and put it on. It’ll make you want to get up and dance, even if you’re experiencing that “in the couch” feeling of an indica strain.
PERVERTS , ETHEL CAIN
If you’re a big fan of horror movies or just like being scared, Ethel Cain’s dark, ambient album Perverts is for you. The 90-minute album, which is filled with distorted church hymns and eerie industrial drone sounds, is creepy at best and paranoia-inducing at worst (I know from experience).
For this experience, I recommend taking an edible and beginning the album about 30 minutes later. This allows the album to hit that sweet timeframe between when the edible begins to take effect and when it’s at its most potent.
Just smoke a J and hit play.
THEFRONTBOTTOMS , THE FRONT BOTTOMS
In my opinion, the Front Bottoms make music for stoners. The indie rock duo’s discography isn’t necessarily good, but each song seems to be written under some sort of influence and, in turn, seems like it could be heard in the basement of your buddy’s house after a big bong rip.
I think almost any of the band’s albums could fit into this category, but I’m recommending The Front Bottoms’ self-titled, full-length debut. Each track is its own story that listeners can parse through while they’re at their most creative
CURRENTS , TAME IMPALA
Obviously this list wouldn’t be complete without Tame Impala’s album Currents. While the album has also been described as psychedelic pop, I’d argue that it’s best listened to after smoking your favorite uplifting sativa strain.
Get lost in the groovy disco inspirations and addicting synth sounds as each song pushes your brain to the utmost limits of imagination. Plus, the transition between some songs, such as “Let It Happen” into “Nangs,” makes for a lovely, uninterrupted listening experience. n
The Ultimate Local Shopping Guide
Blazed and Amused
Four TV shows that might be even better with a chemical boost
BY INLANDER STAFF
When the THC or CBD kicks in, it’s time to sit back, relax and enjoy some quality TV. Though there’s an abundance of shows across all genres on every streaming platform these days, we think these four series, a mix of old goodies and newer must-sees, are all apt choices for your next chill night in, whether you partake or not.
DANDADAN
With a full 12-episode first season already wrapped, and a second set to start airing this July, this wacky, manga-based anime series — an instant hit in both its print and digital forms — revolves around aliens, ghosts and a squad of quirky high schoolers who suddenly get sucked into this supernatural spectacle. With tons of trippy animated scenes of said aliens, and even a malicious granny spirit who literally steals protagonist Okarun’s um… balls (I’m serious), your Dan Da Dan viewing experience may well be even more enjoyable after popping a relaxing edible. It’s an action-packed series with wildly creative, vibrantly colorful action scenes, relatable character interactions, a super unique plot and tons of humor. Watch on Crunchyroll, Netflix, Hulu, and Apple TV (CHEY SCOTT)
ADVENTURETIME
Come along with 12-year-old Finn and his magical dog companion, Jake, as they navigate the post-
apocalyptic, whimsical Land of Ooo in the span of Adventure Times’ 10 seasons. In this cartoon, Finn and Jake battle strange creatures, thwart evil-doers like the Ice King and the Lich, and explore their inner turmoils while questioning their purpose in life. The short episode format, roughly 11 minutes each, makes this bite-sized show perfect for the munchies. Feast your eyes on the vibrant colors and fantastical elements, your ears on the electronic/indie soundtrack, and prepare for some giggles courtesy of the show’s quirky comedy. Watch on Cartoon Network, Hulu, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, Max, Apple TV and YouTube TV (DORA SCOTT)
ITHINKYOUSHOULDLEAVE
There’s no feeling quite like laughing your ass off while high on life and other things. I Think You Should Leave is the perfect show to watch if you’re craving some ab-forming belly laughs. With each episode coming in at under 20 minutes, Tim Robinson’s absurd sketch comedy show is entirely binge-worthy (there are three seasons so far) and impressively unpredictable. Sketches range from hot dog-shaped cars driven by a hot dog costumedonning Robinson crashing through the window of a retail store to bodies floppin’ out of coffins.
The cast and, of course, Robinson, are basically hosting a cringefest in the best way possible — it’s something you have to experience firsthand to fully understand. And once you do, you’ll never get into a car without your fedora and cigar again. Watch on Netflix (MADISON PEARSON)
CHARMED
Although Charmed finished airing before recreational cannabis was legal in any state, I think it’s one of the best shows to blaze through while baked (and it probably was then, too). The eightseason paranormal drama follows the three Halliwell sisters who come into their powers as witches after their Grams dies. Very quickly the trio learns that their very existence as the “Charmed Ones” makes them the most powerful witches to ever live — and the most targeted. Each episode it feels like a new demon or warlock or creature is after the sisters, even as they attempt to lead average lives. The early 2000s TV magic is also a trip to watch under the influence as it all just feels quite silly. Watch on Peacock, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, Apple TV and Youtube TV. (COLTON RASANEN) n
Tokin’ TV, from left: Dan Da Dan, Adventure Time, I Think You Should Leave
Keep Calm and Carry Balm
You can find a variety of CBD products outside of a dispensary to soothe your mind and body
BY SUMMER SANDSTROM
At this point, many people are familiar with CBD, one of the primary active components of cannabis, known for its soothing, calming and potentially pain-relieving properties.
While its effects are still being studied, it’s suggested as helpful for a variety of health issues, namely reducing anxiety, insomnia and sleep issues, and chronic pain when applied topically.
Many dispensaries carry CBD products, often also containing a small amount of THC. But if you’re looking for something that contains only the nonpsychoactive component CBD, which can be manufactured from hemp, a variety of grocery and retail stores carry robust selections of products like lotions, tinctures, gummies or bath salts that anyone 18 or older can buy.
Bath by Bex is locally owned. YOUNG KWAK PHOTO
ZENTOPIA
The next time you’re looking for a refreshing and relaxing drink to pick up at the grocery store, keep an eye out for Zentopia, a CBD-infused beverage. Zentopia makes two CBD beverages: ZenChill, a sparkling water beverage, and ZenBoost, a CBD tea. Both the teas and sparkling waters have 50 mg of CBD and come in various flavors. ZenChill comes in lime, mango, watermelon or huckleberry lemonade, while ZenBoost offers a peach black tea and a mint or berry yerba mate. Find Zentopia at a variety of grocery stores, including Super 1, Rosauers and Huckleberry’s Natural Market throughout the Spokane-Coeur d’Alene area.
SHIKAI CBD LOTION
When applied topically, CBD can be helpful at relieving pain from inflammation or muscle soreness. ShiKai, a company based out of Santa Rosa, California, was founded in the 1970 by organic chemists Dennis Sepp and Vasant Telang, who started creating lotions and shampoos with natural ingredients instead of harsh chemicals. They produce a variety of CBD lotions with different strengths, including a 2-ounce double-strength cream with 500 mg of CBD. While you can order a variety of different types of CBD lotions from them online, Huckleberry’s Natural Market carries the double-strength cream.
BATH BY BEX
While the market for THC-free CBD products has grown over the past few years, it didn’t used to be as robust when Bex Kolb started making her own CBD products, spurring her to open Bath by Bex in 2017. Located in Spokane Valley (4808 E. Sprague Ave., Suite 201), you can find a variety of products including bath bombs, bath salts, body oils, lip balms, soaps, tinctures and gummies. Whether you’re looking for a product to aid in pain relief or inflammation, or just a soothing experience, Bath by Bex has a variety of options to fit your needs.
WYLD CBD GUMMIES
Founded in 2016, Wyld produces a variety of edibles using real fruit and natural flavors to give their THC and THC-free products a fresh, robust flavor. Their THC free gummies contain 25 mg of hemp-derived CBD per gummy, and they’re vegan and gluten free. Wyld also supports a variety of organizations working on issues like climate change and environmental restoration, social and racial justice issues, and more. You can find Wyld THC-free CBD gummies at Main Market Co-op in pear, raspberry, huckleberry, elderberry and blackberry flavors.
THE SOURCE CBD
Located in East Central, The Source CBD carries numerous CBD products including tinctures, gummies, creams and more. Since 2014, they’ve been working to educate people on the calming and relieving effects of the cannabinoid, offering the chance to experience its soothing properties firsthand. They also have CBD pet products that can help aid your furry friends with reducing anxiety. You can find their products in their store at 953 E. Third Ave., online at thesourcecbd.com, or at various events that the business attends. n
NOTE TO READERS
Be aware of the differences in the law between Idaho and Washington. It is illegal to possess, sell or transport cannabis in the State of Idaho. Possessing up to an ounce is a misdemeanor and can get you a year in jail and up to a $1,000 fine; more than three ounces is a felony that can carry a five-year sentence and fine of up to $10,000. Transporting marijuana across state lines, like from Washington into Idaho, is a felony under federal law.
HHC
CBG
CBN
Cannabinoid Class
Get to know the chemicals at play in cannabis, beyond just THC and CBD
BY WILL MAUPIN
Buy any cannabis product at your neighborhood dispensary, and you’ll be presented with what may seem like a dizzying array of chemicals and percentages.
There’s THC, THC-A, CBD and CBD-A. Those four are cannabinoids — chemicals produced by the cannabis plant responsible for its effects, both recreational and therapeutic — that the state requires all consumers be informed of. But they’re just four of over 100 naturally occurring in cannabis.
Numerous others, some of which are explained below, also play a role in how cannabis impacts the human body and mind.
While they may not be listed on the sticker that comes adhered to every cannabis product legally sold in the state of Washington, these chemicals are in the product that consumers are ingesting. They impact how it makes you feel.
The state might not require them to be listed on a label, but they’re worth knowing nonetheless.
HHC
Hexahydrocannabinol is the name. Getting high is the game.
Discovered in 1940, HHC is a hydrogenated derivative of THC that is found in trace amounts in naturally produced cannabis. Naturally occurring HHC is so rare that it has essentially no value, which is one of the reasons you won’t see it mentioned on any label at a dispensary. Laboratory produced HHC, however, does have val-
ue. Unlike THC, which is illegal federally and regulated at the state level in Washington, HHC falls into a gray area. It can be produced, legally, from hemp.
This has made HHC the latest in a long line of designer drug-style cannabinoids.
HHC and THC have the same chemical recipe — they both contain 32 hydrogen, 21 carbon and two oxygen atoms, arranged in almost the same way. The only difference is where the chemical bonds occur between them, allowing HHC to bind to receptors in the brain much like THC does, and as a result, produce a high much like THC does.
CBG
Without cannabigerol, cannabis would just be an actual weed.
CBG is the chemical from which all other cannabinoids are derived. Cannabis plants first make CBG before sunlight helps convert it into the good stuff like THC, CBD and all the rest.
While the plant converts most of the CBG it contains into other cannabinoids, some CBG remains. Whereas THC concentration can range into the 30% range, CBG is typically at or below 1%.
CBG is legal at the federal level as long as it is produced from hemp. However, since CBG is typically converted by the plant into other molecules, growers need to take specific care to grow plants that produce CBG and not derivative cannabinoids.
Like other cannabinoids, CBG has been used for its anti-inflammatory, anti-anxiety and pain-relieving effects, among many other claimed health benefits.
For consumers, CBG is most commonly found in edible form. It is also available in concentrates, though those tend to have a high THC component as well.
DELTA 8
Cannabis plants create a smorgasbord of chemicals.
CBN
Where there is THC, eventually there will be CBN. Cannabinol, or CBN, is created from THC, the most active ingredient in cannabis, over time. THC naturally degrades into CBN. Cannabis harvested late in its growth process will have higher concentrations of CBN relative to THC, which is why some growers and consumers dismiss those plants as “bad weed.”
Because of its similarity to THC, CBN is psychoactive. It can produce a high, it just takes a lot more of it to do so than THC. Which is why CBN-heavy cannabis is often viewed as a weak version of normal THC-heavy cannabis.
DELTA-8
This is where the law comes into conflict with nature. Delta-8 Tetrahydrocannabinol, also known as delta-8, is almost identical to delta-9 Tetrahydrocannabinol, the active ingredient in cannabis known commonly as “THC.”
The only difference between the two is the location of a single, specific chemical bond on the molecule. Delta-9 (again, known as THC) has a double-bond between carbon molecules at the ninth spot on the uppermost ring of the molecule. Delta-8 has that double-bond on the other side.
That means delta-8 is an isomer of delta-9. It’s the same chemical, it’s just arranged in a slightly different way.
As far as the human brain is concerned, though, that barely matters. Delta-8 binds to the receptors in the brain almost exactly like delta-9 does, which is to say, it gets you stoned.
Therein lies the reason it’s worth discussing.
From a chemical perspective, delta-8 is not delta-9. As such, it is legal. However, it is so close to delta-9 that the brain barely can distinguish between the two.
It’s sold as “legal weed,” for lack of a better phrase, in places that haven’t legalized recreational cannabis. It’s close enough to fool our brains, but different enough to fool our laws. n
Cleaner Greens
Rather than buying disposable cannabis vaporizers, check out these more sustainable options
BY SUMMER SANDSTROM
Discreet, compact and efficient, cannabis vapes and cartridges have been growing in popularity over the years.
While they produce a less intense aroma and are easy to use, they aren’t always the most sustainable option for cannabis consumption, specifically in regards to disposable THC vapes.
And as they often have rechargeable lithium batteries, disposable vapes shouldn’t be thrown directly into the trash, but rather sealed in a plastic bag and dropped off at the Waste to Energy Facility’s household hazardous waste drop-off area.
Cartridges that users attach to a battery are much more environmentally friendly, as they produce less waste, and there are some farms that focus on implementing a variety of sustainable practices in their growing and production processes.
Whether you’re buying your first cart or need to restock, here are four brands that prioritize being environmentally friendly to check out.
PACIFIC AND PINE
Located in the Upper Columbia Basin, Pacific and Pine aims to act as stewards to the land in its cannabis production by using methods such as cover cropping, or growing other plants that aren’t for harvest alongside cannabis to promote soil health and protect from erosion and nutrient loss. The farm also practices companion planting, which means growing plants that have a symbiotic relationship with cannabis to promote growth and help with pest deterrence. Using drip irrigation systems to conserve water, and composting plant and soil waste to redistribute it into the soil, Pacific and Pine’s practices help them produce high-quality products while giving back to the earth that grew them. They produce a variety of cartridge flavors, including Black Gushers, Blueberry Diesel and Orange Fruit Snax, providing an array of sustainably sourced and flavorful options for your enjoyment.
WALDEN CANNABIS
Rather than using high-energy-consuming lights to grow cannabis, Walden Cannabis is a fully sun-grown farm, meaning that all of their plants are grown in the ground or a greenhouse using sunlight as their main energy source for growth, producing a much lower carbon footprint than indoor growing methods. Walden Cannabis also uses drip tape — tubing that distributes water directly to the roots of the plant — and organic mulch to help reduce water evaporation, therefore requiring less water to grow the plants. They also support a variety of projects that help reduce or capture carbon emissions, such as reforestation and renewable energy projects. Walden produces CBD cartridges that have a lower amount of THC, as well as a variety of different types of wax that you can put into a wax pen, providing a less wasteful alternative to disposable cartridges and vapes.
DOCTOR & CROOK
Participating in the Certified With Confidence program, which tests cannabis for things like heavy metals and pesticides to ensure that participating brands meet state quality assurance requirements and are labeled correctly, Doctor & Crook doesn’t use additives or pesticides in its growing or production. They primarily curate small batches, partnering with other farms to provide buyers with a robust assortment of high-quality cartridges. With a wide assortment of strains such as Super Juice, Ghost OG and Go East 542, you can find a great fit for your personal cannabis consumption preferences and know exactly what you’re getting.
SOULSHINE CANNABIS
Located in Renton, Washington, Soulshine Cannabis works to be environmentally friendly in all aspects of their work, growing cannabis plants indoors and implementing hand trimming and hand watering practices in their production process. Additionally, they partner with Emerald City Pet Rescue, providing a portion of their retail sales to support efforts to rescue and rehabilitate animals. With various cartridges such as Huckleberry Milkshake, Garlic Mints and Sweet Lime, Soulshine Cannabis produces an array of unique products while being environmentally conscious and giving back to the community. n
Cartridges are a “greener” alternative.
Color Me Pretty
What season are you? Four Spokane-Coeur d’Alene area color analysts can help you find out
BY DORA SCOTT
While spring cleaning my closet, I cringed at the purchases that I rarely or never wore. A baby blue tank top worn only on laundry days, and a matching vintage khaki pants-and-shirt set that I haven’t donned since I put it on in the dressing room.
Something about them just wasn’t right. At the same time, however, I’ve begun gravitating toward warmer tones, like burnt orange and mustard yellows.
I confirmed these fashion choices are on the right track after getting a personal color analysis done by four local stylists and color analysts working under the international franchise House of Colour.
Spoiler: In the words of Gilmore Girls’ character Richard Gilmore, “I am an autumn.”
While in the show, Richard consults a magazine quiz to determine his most flattering color palette based on each of the four seasons, today the most accurate determination is through an in-person test by a certified color analyst.
“The palettes are named after the seasons of the year because the colors are reflecting what’s happening in nature,” says Haley Zizzi, a House of Colour stylist based out of downtown Coeur d’Alene.
The test, trending on TikTok, involves placing precision-dyed fabric drapes of the seasonal palettes on
the client in natural lighting to see what best complements skin tone, eye and hair color. Personal color applies not only to clothing, but also makeup, hair and nail colors, and jewelry metals.
“It’s based on your undertone, which we can’t even see, but we can see the evidence and the shifts it’s making with the different drape process,” says Sammie Schaefer, a stylist and color analyst based out of North Spokane.
More simply, summer and winter have cool, bluebased undertones, while spring and autumn have warm, yellow-based undertones.
“A lot of people have a hard time looking at themselves objectively,” says stylist and color analyst Meg Martens, who operates her House of Colour franchise on the lower South Hill. “We get to be that objective outsider who wants good things for them, who wants them to feel their best.”
While self tests have also become popular (considering that the price of a professional color analysis averages around $300), they’re not as reliable. These at-home tests might provide a starting point, but without a trained eye and honed techniques, subjectivity, inconsistent lighting and other factors can get in the way.
Though personal color analysis tests were popularized in the 1980s with books like Carole Jackson’s Color Me
Beautiful, according to Zizzi, color analysis as we know it starts with 20th century Swiss artist Johannes Itten.
“When he was painting, he figured out that every single color in the world fits into four different categories,” Zizzi says. “He created this very intricate color wheel demonstrating just that.”
Carolyn Miller later founded House of Colour in the U.K. in 1985, adjusting Itten’s rigid season-based color system to account for skin tones and making it easier to use for personal color analysis.
In 2010, the franchise expanded to the U.S., but it wouldn’t be until 2023 that personal color analysis touched down in the Inland Northwest with Martens becoming a franchisee. Zizzi, along with stylists Schaefer and Sarah Cramer, then followed suit, establishing their businesses in other areas of Spokane and Coeur d’Alene.
Entering Martens’ studio on lower South Hill, there’s a color wheel framed on one wall. Dozens of colorful fabric swatches hang on a rack near the window, and a vanity is decked out with makeup products.
For color analysis appointments, clients are told to arrive with a clean face, free of makeup. The analyst first gives a brief education about House of Colour’s process. Then, the fun part: You’ll be draped with numerous precision-dyed swatches to figure out if you have a warm or cool skin undertone.
As Martens sits me down in the chair, she starts with shades of whites and other neutrals.
...continued on next page
FASHION
Color analyst Meg Martens explains the seasonal color wheel. ERICK DOXEY PHOTO
“The right colors are going to make your skin look more lifted, even, and a healthy color. The wrong colors tend to make people either go jaundiced yellow, like [overly] yellow or gray blue,” Martens says.
Just as she says, certain shades noticeably make my skin glow while others make me look sickly. It’s pretty easy to see that I have a warm undertone, which surprises me since I thought that cooler colors suited pale skin.
The biggest shocker, however, is learning that black doesn’t complement most people, as it’s highly contrasting and tends to drain color from the face. When Martens drapes a moss green swatch across my chest, however, I involuntarily smile and immediately think of a T-shirt I have in the same shade.
“This one’s a super tricky color to pull off if you’re not warm. It tends to be the one that makes people do the most jaundiced yellow, and you’re pulling it off beautifully,” Martens says.
Color analyst Cramer, based out of uptown Coeur d’Alene, steps in to help further narrow down which of the warm-toned seasons, spring or autumn, best match me. With a full session, the analysis goes even deeper to determine what shades within a season are most complementary.
“So you are an autumn,” Cramer says. “What that means is that you really show up your absolute best wearing the colors that are a lot more soft, blended and muted versus the colors that are bright, punchy, splashy.”
While some people might question the objectivity of these color analyses, the four local House of Color stylists emphasize that there’s science behind color theory.
“We’re not making you a season, we’re allowing the drapes to reveal the season that you are,” Cramer says.
The analysis confirms that the colors I love suit me, but Cramer says other clients sometimes walk out with a season they’re not hoping for.
“The whole point being is that everything that we talk about in an appointment is a tool, not a rule,” Cramer says. “You have to give yourself grace to transition your closet out.”
Another common misconception about color analysis is that people think it limits their clothing options.
“You’re investing in a lifetime of knowing your best so that you don’t have to waste a single dollar on something that does not serve you,” Cramer says. n
Cramer became interested in personal color analysis after a friend told her about it. Not realizing that there were three other color analysts nearby, she flew to California to have her colors done.
“There’s nothing that you need to physically change yourself to feel more confident, that you’re already beautiful, but the colors that you wear and the style of your clothing can enhance that beauty,” she says.
MEG MARTENS
South Hill Spokane, Meg.Martens@houseofcolour.com
Martens opened her studio in June 2023, operating out of a private space on the lower South Hill. She first got her own color analysis done in Seattle with her family.
“When we got our colors done, it was sort of mind blowing how helpful it was in all areas, like not just clothes but picking out makeup colors and hair shades. And so I wanted to bring that to Spokane,” she says.
SAMMIE SCHAEFER
North Spokane, Sammie.Schaefer@houseofcolour.com
Schaefer opened her North Spokane studio in September 2023.
“I’ve always had a creative side,” she says. “So seeing how this dovetailed beautifully with working with people oneto-one on a personal level with the color aspect was the perfect fit for me.”
Zizzi started working as a House of Colour franchisee in March 2024 after hearing about a friend’s personal color analysis experience, and booking her own session with Martens.
“It was the perfect rebirth to my new identity as not just a woman, but a woman and a mother,” she says. “It’s like, I just want everybody to feel this way.”
“COLOR ME PRETTY,” CONTINUED...
House of Colour Stylist Sarah Cramer explains why I’m an “autumn.” ERICK DOXEY PHOTO
Mystery Machine
Post Falls’ Crime Scene Entertainment has built a strong following with its interactive, themed murdery mystery parties
BY AZARIA PODPLESKY
On a recent Saturday night in Post Falls, legendary movie star Nutmeg Vant’s glow-in-the-dark party was swinging.
Vant, with the help of her butler, Theodore Winsington III, was celebrating surviving several years stranded on a deserted island with six others and making her return to the spotlight.
The party was hosted by Blissity Lovewell, Vant’s best friend and, as it were, a covert British operative, at Vant’s glamorous Hollywood mansion. There was music playing, balloons on every table, peace signs and flower decorations everywhere, photo backdrops, and blacklights to really make things glow.
The party, for the most part, was running smoothly, save for a few tense interactions between guests.
Farm girl Marilyn Anne, for example, had gotten mud on supermodel Wiggy’s pants. Marilyn Anne claims it was an accident, but Wiggy (twin sister of 1960s model Twiggy) was convinced it was done on purpose.
At other points in the party, professional baseball player Tickey Tantle could be heard raising his voice at those asking about an incident involving a monkey, and many guests were upset when CIA agent Boston Flowers shoved his camera in their face.
Those moments aside, the party was groovy, baby, as Flowers could frequently be heard saying. But an hour into the party, Olive Formathe, a schoolteacher and Vant’s cousin, let out a blood-curdling scream. One guest was lying on the floor dead, taking the party from cool to criminal.
This wasn’t your average party, of course, but one
thrown by Crime Scene Entertainment, a Post Falls-based company that presents themed murder mystery events. The company celebrated its sixth anniversary in March.
The first murder mystery event that owner Jen Cook planned was meant to be a one-off. Cook formerly ran a pin-up photography business and stumbled upon murder mystery events when looking for a way to entice people to come to a birthday party for one of her spokesmodels.
That 1920s-themed murder mystery party drew 120 people. A couple months later, Cook decided to host a 1980s promthemed mystery, which sold out instantly. A few months after that, a circus-themed mystery also sold out.
Participants receive information about the cast of characters when they register, then the event is divided into three rounds. Before each round, guests receive at least one envelope containing objectives, including who to question and about what. Guests also receive information about their own character so they’re prepared when others approach them.
In the first round, guests and actors get to know one another and start establishing potential motives for each character. At the start of round two, the person whose character will be murdered is notified they’re the victim via their clue card. When the time is right, the guest meets their untimely demise.
Other guests can now dig deeper into the case, examining evidence and continuing to question each other. In the final round, guests accuse the person they believe is responsible for the murder before everyone reads their final clue card aloud, revealing whether or not they’re the killer.
While attending the glow-in-the-dark party, I feel the need to tell everyone I’m a real reporter, not part of the mystery. Actor Monica Thomas, playing the part of Vant’s assistant Raquel Welcher, takes me by the hand and says “Too bad, you’re part of it now,” before helping me apply a glow-in-the-dark tattoo.
“I’ve been part of three companies, and Jen is the only one who has done this much to make sure guests have a good time,” Thomas says, referring to bonus elements like tattoos, face paint and mini-flashlights to help read clues in the dark. Crime Scene Entertainment also hands out prizes to guests who correctly identify the murderer and those voted best dressed and best actor.
Participant Yvonne Hoffmann, playing festival organizer Moonbeam Rainbowshine, agrees, saying Cook makes guests feel special. A fan of mysteries, she likens the parties to an escape room without the element of being trapped.
“It’s a real fun time, and you get to meet people,” she says. “You have to like people though unless you want to come and be one of the grumpy characters.”
Actor Lisa Farina, playing Wiggy, likes taking on the mean characters as she says it’s not much of a stretch. But despite what her character card says, Farina, like Thomas, is kind to interact with everyone, even myself and Inlander photographer Erick Doxey, so each guest feels included and important.
While it’s fine to sit and take a break, Cook tells guests that her events aren’t set up like a play where the action unfolds in front of you. Instead, participants get out what they put in and must put themselves in the middle of the action to solve the crime, something emcee/actor Lacey Joseph, who plays Olive, reiterates at the beginning of the event.
“It gives them a place they can pretend to be somebody else for the evening.”
Cook, who’d never participated in a murder mystery event before organizing the 1920s party, realized she might be onto something and created Crime Scene Entertainment. Six years later, she and her team of actors, who bring characters to life and help guests navigate the mystery, host about 50 events per year, plus private parties and corporate events.
“There are people that are very into the theater, renaissance fairs and cosplay, and this gives them an avenue outside of that once-a-year renaissance fair,” Cook says. “For the general public that maybe is not doing those activities, it gives them a place they can pretend to be somebody else for the evening.”
“I really encourage people to step out of their comfort zone and give it a try, whether it’s general admission and you’re checking it out, or if you want to go all out on your character,” Cook says. “There isn’t that pressure you have to perform, but there is that allowance to come and be goofy, and everybody around you is going to be goofy. They’re not going to be judging you. The reason you’re coming to this is to have a good time.” n
Up Next: Family-Friendly Easter Mystery and Dessert • Sat, April 20 at 1 pm • $25-$210 • All ages • Crime Scene Entertainment • 3960 W. Fifth Ave., Suite B2, Post Falls • Find more events at crimesceneentertainment.com
It’s all fun and games until a party guest “dies”... ERICK DOXEY PHOTO
Leap of Faith
sƛ xẹ tkʷ artist in residence Inanna McCarty hopes to use her time at Spokane Falls Community College to showcase her Native heritage
BY COLTON RASANEN
Last December, Inanna McCarty applied and was accepted to Spokane Falls Community College’s sƛ xe tkʷ artist-in-residence program. This new residency focused on showcasing and uplifting Indigenous art is the first of its kind in the region.
The program also marks a few firsts for McCarty, who also goes by her tribal name, kʷaɁowišč tyee. The artist is from the waɁač and Tsawout First Nations village and a descendant of both Nuu-chah-nulth and Coast Salish families who was raised on the homelands of the Makah Tribe in Western Washington. Not only has she never undertaken an art residency before, but McCarty says she’s never even applied for one until this opportunity arose.
“I just figured there’s no hurt in trying, and we’ll see what happens. I definitely was not expecting to be chosen at all,” McCarty says. “I’m really grateful and honored and humbled that I was chosen.”
As part of the residency, which is funded by a Spokane Arts Grant Award (SAGA) and the Spokane Colleges, she will have full access to SFCC’s new fine arts building’s facilities throughout her three-month tenure. She’s also utilizing the building’s Fine Art Gallery through April 30 to show a collection of her work.
Although McCarty had never before applied for a residency, she’s no stranger to the visual arts. When she was growing up, her mom taught her traditional Indigenous arts, such as beading and weaving. Her dad, a master wood carver known for his Northwest Coast art style, taught her his trade, too.
Growing up around all of these artists inspired her to keep growing her craft, so she taught herself how to paint and began working on digital design and photography. While McCarty’s medium may differ on any given day, each piece she creates is rooted deeply in her Native heritage.
Each of her pieces are vivid illustrations often depicting the stories she grew up hearing from her elders. One piece, “The Two Beings Who Changed Things,” depicts a two-headed, red-and-black silhouette reflecting the story of the two beings, the sun and the moon in McCarty’s interpretation, who brought life to all the beings that inhabited the world.
whale saddle. That was inlaid, typically with either wolf or beaver teeth in and on the saddle,” she explains.
Traditionally copper has been seen as a symbol of wealth by the Coast Salish tribes, so making the sculpture out of the material, she says, feels like another way to honor her culture.
While she’s not sure if the project is feasible due to her lack of metalworking experience, McCarty says she’s looking forward to working with other fine artists at the college who are experienced in metalsmithing, such as instructor Peter Jagoda, who’s been teaching the medium at the college since 1998.
“All of the metalsmithing that I have done up to this point has been pretty much self-taught with no guidance whatsoever,” she says. “It’s not that I haven’t been successful with some of the stuff that I have done, but to just get a better idea of what it is that I’m doing that will help make the process smoother or more refined.”
McCarty’s time in Spokane will be filled with
Five generations ago, McCarty’s ancestors signed the Makah Treaty, otherwise known as the Treaty of Neah Bay. Unlike any other tribal treaty, this one secured tribal members’ right to hunt whales.
McCarty says that while whaling is a contentious topic in the world, the practice is often at the forefront of her mind when she’s creating.
“I was about a year old when we had the [1999] whale hunt, and for my dad that’s how he got his start in tribal politics,” she explains. “It’s been a huge cultural identity and … a lot of our visual designs that we have are informed by that background and by that practice.”
One of the projects she hopes to complete during the residency is a copper repoussé sculpture of a whale saddle. Imagine a form-fitting piece of armor laid over the whale’s dorsal fin.
“Back in the day, one of the many items that was a part of a chief or a whaler’s regalia was a wooden carved
personal growth, but she also hopes her art can help cultivate a community that can recognize the symbolism in Indigenous art more readily.
“These things mean something to us as a people, and they mean something greatly to all of the different families and tribes around the area. [This] program is really great, too, because it heals old historical wounds that have been present with tribal nations and our art,” she says. “You know, historically, all of the stuff that you see in museums or galleries that’s not made within this last century was either stolen or bought, and we don’t really have access to that anymore. It’s a healing experience for not just myself, but for that historical mistrust that exists with native peoples and institutions.” n
Inanna McCarty • Through April 30, open Mon-Fri from 8:30 am-3:30 pm • Free • SFCC Fine Arts Gallery • 3410 W. Whistalks Way • sfcc.spokane.edu
THE BUZZ BIN
NINTENDO, OH NO
If you’re like me and have been counting down the days until the Nintendo Switch 2 comes out so you can play as the Moo Moo Meadows cow in the upcoming Mario Kart World, then these last few weeks of global market uncertainty have likely been brutal. Preorders for the console were originally set to go live on April 9, but amid the economic turmoil caused by President Trump’s back-and-forth tariff hikes on virtually every country, Nintendo announced it would delay orders in the U.S. As of the latest update, preorder invitations will now be sent via email starting May 8 to those who’ve had a Nintendo Switch Online membership for at least a year and have logged at least 50 hours of total gameplay. The good news is that Nintendo appears to be sticking to its June 5 launch date and has not announced any price hikes on the $450 console ($500 when you bundle with Mario Kart World.) (COLTON RASANEN)
FUNDING LOCAL ART
Spokane Arts has announced the latest eight recipients of its Spokane Arts Grant Awards, the first of three rounds of SAGA funding for 2025. Work on these projects will take place within the next year in the areas of music, film, fine arts and more. Now in its ninth year, SAGA has also surpassed a major milestone of distributing more than $1 million in grant funding to 196 projects by local creatives. The latest round supports the following endeavors: Live From Somewhere (pictured), Refugee and Immigrant Connections Spokane, Spokane Folklore Society, Heatherann Woods/H. Woods Studios, Imagine Jazz, The Friends of the Bluff, GLOW Children Early Learning Center, and a mural project at Grant Elementary. Learn more at spokanearts.org/grants. (CHEY SCOTT)
THIS WEEK’S PLAYLIST
Noteworthy new music arriving in stores and online on April 18.
JULIEN BAKER & TORRES, SEND A PRAYER MY WAY
The two stellar queer indie singersongwriters put on their boots and team up for an alt-country album.
TUNDE ADEBIMPE, THEE BLACK BOLTZ
The TV on the Radio singer explores everything from buzzy rock to flush indie pop on his solo debut LP for Sub Pop.
SUPERHEAVEN, SUPERHEAVEN
After a decade away, the Pennsylvania band is ready to get loud again with its grunge revival meets shoegaze sound.
(SETH SOMMERFELD)
Inanna McCarty is Spokane Falls Community College’s first Indigenous artist in residence. YOUNG KWAK PHOTOS
Steeped (and Proofed) in French Tradition
New in Hayden, B. Boulangerie offers a wide selection of sweet and savory traditional pastries
BY BOB JOHNSON
In France, Paris possesses the global reputation, but Lyon delivers the gastronomic goods. Many Lyon locals begin their day with a stop at a neighborhood boulangerie to indulge in the three Cs: a cigarette, a cup of coffee and a croissant.
Although croissants are made in many countries, they’re crafted in Lyon by men (mostly) and women (in growing numbers) who willingly embrace the time-intensive techniques required to ensure the finished product is flaky, flavorful and airy.
When Alex and Stephanie Paniagua opened B. Boulangerie in Hayden on Jan. 7 after operating a cottage bakery out of their home in Coeur d’Alene since February 2024, the croissants were an instant hit.
Then one morning, a customer came in and politely complained about them.
“She said they were too much like bread,” Alex recalls. “They were too dense. And they didn’t have enough flavor.”
It was a lot to take in about a product that was selling out regularly and quickly. But Alex listened and taste-tested a croissant.
“I had to agree with her,” he recalls. “It was kind of bland. And I apologized to her.”
Alex immediately began trying to figure out what he wasn’t doing correctly. The flavor aspect was easily addressed by adjusting the salt. He already was using high-quality butter — three-and-a-half pounds for each 30 croissants. All that was left to consider was the technique.
A croissant’s flakiness is determined, in large part, by the number of times the dough is folded before being shaped. The touch of the baker also can have an impact.
“I figured out that I was folding the dough too many times,” Alex says.
Now, the croissants ($4.50-$5 each) — whether plain, pain au chocolate or almond — not only remain popular, but are comparable in texture and airiness to those made in the finest boulangeries of Lyon. On any given day, additional croissant flavors may include ham and Swiss, turkey and cheddar, Nutella, or cookie dough. Even kouign-amann ($2.50), a puff pastry-like croissant cousin, can be found on the menu.
That willingness to listen to a customer, consider their criticism with an open mind and ultimately adapt a recipe is a quality not all bakers or chefs possess. But if there’s anything Alex learned at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Portland, or that Stephanie picked up during her time in the culinary arts program at the
Find an array of French delights at B. Boulangerie. YOUNG KWAK PHOTO
Indiana University of Pennsylvania campus in Punxsutawney, is that there’s always something new to learn in baking or cooking.
The couple met in 2011 while Alex was on his college externship, serving as a garde manger (preparing salads and other cold dishes), and Stephanie was working in the pastry shop at The Broadmoor resort in Colorado Springs, Colorado. One evening, both were assigned to help staff a VIP function.
It didn’t take long for them to click, given their similar experiences with and passion for food. They married in 2013 but would have to survive a series of odd jobs — some in the food world (including a year in New York, about which Stephanie says, “We loved working there, but didn’t love living there”) and some not — before they were able to make B. Boulangerie a reality.
Even then, they were limited by how much they could produce in a small space within their 900-square-foot home. That makes going to work at their 1,400-square-foot facility in the Hayden Creek Plaza such a pleasure.
“This is like a mansion to us,” says Stephanie as she keeps a watchful eye on the lavender-flavored macarons baking in the oven.
While both were trained in classic French cooking, their distinct skill sets make them a formidable team.
In addition to the croissants, Alex makes the sponge cake for the tiramisu ($5.25 per slice), the hand pies (chicken or beef with root vegetables inside a flaky crust; $5.50), the quiche ($5.50) and the frangipane cream that defines the flavor of the almond croissants. Stephanie builds the tiramisu, makes the cream puffs ($3) and eclairs ($3.50), handcrafts chocolates ($2.50) with rotating ganache flavors and makes the macarons ($3.25). As they work together in the production area, Alex says they’re constantly merging their skills, almost by osmosis, as they make everything from scratch.
Stephanie says that while she enjoys all aspects of the business they’ve created (except, perhaps, the long hours), she takes the greatest satisfaction in making custom cakes — for birthdays, weddings, baby showers and even gender reveals.
“I love it when a customer comes in with maybe a basic color scheme and says, ‘You make it.’ I love that creative freedom.”
In return for that freedom, Alex says, Stephanie will go out of her way to research the history of a particular item or ingredient to ensure “the finished product is as authentic and enjoyable as possible.”
By the French definition, B. Boulangerie is much more than a boulangerie, where croissants and baguettes are the specialties. Given its mix and number of sweet treats, it might more aptly be called a patisserie, where the accent is on “sweet.” Further clouding the French connection, the Paniaguas also sell items with roots in places other than France. Tiramisu is an Italian dessert. Cinnamon rolls, which B. Boulangerie slathers with decadent cream cheese frosting ($5), are said to have originated in Sweden.
Heck, Alex once visited Paris and says he was “not impressed” by the culinary scene.
So, why did the couple decide to call their business a boulangerie? Alex says it was as a point of differentiation from “all the other bakeries in the area. There are so many of them. We wanted a name that shows we’re making pastries using traditional methods — methods that sometimes take a lot of time.”
And why the simple “B.” for a name?
“We had been dating only a few months when we started calling each other ‘Babe,’” Stephanie explains. “Before long, we just shortened it to ‘B.’”
Although Alex considers Paris one and done, the couple say their “dream trip” would be to Provence in southeastern France. If and when that happens, Alex and Stephanie Paniagua will be easy to find. They’ll be the ones hanging out in the neighborhood boulangeries, savoring at least one and perhaps two of the three Cs. n
INTERVIEW
NW Comedic Authenticity
Lily Gladstone discusses grounding the new Seattle-set
romantic comedy The Wedding Banquet
BY CHASE HUTCHINSON
Lily Gladstone, known for her Oscar-nominated role in Killers of the Flower Moon as well as outstanding performances in acclaimed films like Certain Women and Fancy Dance, is an artist whose dedication to the craft of filmmaking extends to all facets of her work. This is true once more with her latest film, The Wedding Banquet A delightful Seattle-set romantic comedy that radically reimagines Ang Lee’s 1993 Chinese classic of the same name, this version more than makes the story its own.
Key to this is Gladstone as Lee, the charismatic and loving partner to Angela (Kelly Marie Tran) who is taking part in a fake marriage so they can get the funds to have a baby through IVF. Angela is marrying Min (Han Gi-chan) so that he can get a green card and continue to stay in the country with his boyfriend Chris (Bowen Yang) while keeping his sexuality a secret from his family. It’s complicated and, of course, soon spirals out of control.
Having grown up in the Seattle area, Gladstone was committed to making the film as grounded in place as possible. Though it was originally set in Los Angeles, she said there was a rewrite for it to be set in Seattle and shot in neighboring Vancouver. This provided an opportunity for her to load up her car to serve as the movie’s unofficial location scout, personally taking director Andrew Ahn and cinematographer Ki Jin Kim through the Seattle spots that were the right inspirations for the film.
“I was so happy when it was rewritten for Seattle
because immediately I knew that Lee’s office is on Capitol Hill, maybe above Northwest Film Forum where I used to go all the time,” Gladstone says. “I showed them the Wildrose, the bar where Angela and Lee probably met.”
Gladstone said she also wanted to bring in an Indigenous narrative and make her character Duwamish, connecting to the history of community, as well as their battles against gentrification, in the area.
“It was really a gift for the filmmakers to get this really quick, tight little circle tour of Seattle,” Gladstone says. “That really helped in choosing locations in Vancouver that felt authentic.”
However, just as critically as all this, Gladstone said that “her last bottom line as a Seattleite” was that the film would be incomplete without a Dick’s Drive-In reference in there somewhere.
“As you’re making a queer film, we need to have a bag of dicks joke in there somewhere,” Gladstone said. “And Dick’s was totally into it! They sent production Dick’s bags, all of the foils to wrap the prop burgers.”
There was a Dick’s detail that had to be fixed that came up in a key improvised scene midway through when Angela feeds Lee food. Gladstone noticed it was a crinkle-cut fry. She made sure this was fixed and a “Dick’s appropriate fry” was swapped in for the final take. After all, as someone committed to authenticity in her art, Gladstone knows “there’s no fries like Dick’s fries.”
ALSO OPENING
COLORFUL STAGE! THE MOVIE: A MIKU WHO CAN’T SING
Based on a Japanese rhythm video game, this anime centers on high schoolers who discover a music-centric virtual world and must figure out how to help singer Miku find her voice so she can save people in need through song. Rated PG
PRIDE & PREJUDICE
The Oscar-nominated, Keira Knightly-led Jane Austen adaptation returns to the big screen for its 20th anniversary. Rated PG
SINNERS
After teaming up to make Black Panther, Creed and Fruitvale Station, director Ryan Coogler and star Michael B. Jordan take a crack at making a 1930s Southern vampire film. Rated R
SNEAKS
This CGI animated feature is basically Toy Story… but for sneakers. When designer kicks get stolen and separated, one shoe must find his matching sister shoe in New York City. Rated PG
But for all the jokes and fries, there’s also depth to The Wedding Banquet. One flooring scene in the film where both immense pain and an enduring sliver of joy come right up to the surface plays out in an unspoken moment Lee has in a garden with Angela. Though this was originally written with dialogue, Gladstone said that it became something that worked better with just the two characters sharing an unspoken yet deeply felt understanding together.
“I was really happy to get there because you feel like you earn it, to a degree, working with a director you haven’t worked with before and they see what you do, what Kelly did, what the two of us were able to do together. I love it when you watch a film or when you read a script, and it gets stripped back to very minimal dialogue because film is a visual language,” Gladstone says. “It’s such a ridiculous scenario and situation, how can you even talk about it? There are no words to parse through everything going on in that scene. It was just such a gift.”
Gladstone had been putting feelers out looking for a romantic comedy, as all her favorite actors had done one, and it was definitely something she wanted for her own career. Once it materialized, the experience of making this ensemble romantic comedy was appreciated not only for all the laughs, but for the film’s timely, lived-in story.
“This was a world that I could see myself in,” Gladstone says. “It’s reality about socioeconomic status, gentrification, queerness, identity, immigration, belonging to place, and belonging to community.”
Many of the communities central to The Wedding Banquet (including immigrants and queer folks) are under renewed attack, and tackling these topics through a film that’s funny and honest is critical to survival.
“Joy is resistance. Existence is resistance,” Gladstone says. “Accepting our worth and celebrating it in the face of a new culture that’s trying to suppress it again. It’s a little naive to think that went anywhere, it’s just a little louder now than when we were making the film.” n
The Wedding Banquet Opens in theaters on April 17.
Tran, Gladstone, Gi-chan and Yang (L-R) star in The Wedding Banquet
Nobody’s Free Until Everybody’s Free
The Encampments is a clear-eyed documentary about the Gaza protests at Columbia University, made even more urgent by the detention of Mahmoud Khalil
BY CHASE HUTCHINSON
There are few more recurring images in America — the supposed land of the free — that represent its authoritarian tendencies than that of student protesters being brutally arrested. Be it in the late 1960s and 1970s when young people demanded an end to the war in Vietnam or the more recent present when protest encampments were established at campuses nationwide in an attempt to stop the Israeli military’s devastation of Gaza, all are united in how they have been met with violent repression. Scratch away the wholesome, apple pie, and freedom-loving facade America claims for itself, and you’ll find tear gas and riot police are at the core of this country’s identity. In the incisive The Encampments, filmmakers Kei Pritsker and Michael T Workman cut right to the heart of what this looked like at Columbia University over several months in 2024, as a collective of students attempted to stop the slaughter of civilian Palestinians and the United States’ support of Israel’s military operation.
The result is a documentary whose relative brevity — much of this due to how this story remains ongoing — packs a needed complexity just as it does an unavoidable agony at how painfully familiar it all is.
The Encampments
Directed by Kei Pritsker & Michael T Workman
At The Magic Lantern
Taking us through the history of protest at Columbia and the painful story of Palestine that many of the students carry with them, the film is unafraid to take a side as it makes clear there is no standing by while state violence marches on. At the same time, we see how the protesters are dismissed as being misguided kids. The Encampments confronts this head-on, and through decisive cuts that show how far removed these accusations are from reality, it makes a compelling, thoughtful and powerful portrait. Crafted with a clarity of purpose that ensures it moves beyond the reductive headlines to highlight the students’ motivations and solidarity, its timeliness provides merely one part of its resonance.
At the same time, The Encampments
coming out now has much to do with the headlines it has gotten swept up in. While the film profiles several students involved in the cause, the detention of spokesperson Mahmoud Khalil — a permanent resident of the U.S. who has not been accused of any crime — hangs over everything. The Encampments maintains an emphasis on the collective just as it takes us into how Khalil was one of the leaders who, as we hear him recount in detail, negotiated with Columbia (which has since caved to troubling Trump administration threats to its funding and has further thrown its students under the bus) to get them to divest from weapons companies.
It’s this depth, as well as some proper journalism the film does in talking to a highlevel source at the university, that captures the bigger picture about the hard work of pushing institutions to live up to their purported values. While activists are often valorized as time goes on, it’s tough going in the moment that relies on groups of people holding one another up when crackdowns come. No matter how disciplined, committed and correct the protesters are, The Encampments shines an unflinching light on how even the flimsiest of pretexts can be used to justify state repression.
And come it has as Khalil and students at colleges across the country are targeted for their speech. Much of this is part of a broader targeting of immigrants, with students at UW, Seattle University and Gonzaga all recently having their visas revoked with no explanation, which should concern all of us. At one key point in the documentary, when Khalil is asked about the personal risks he may face for speaking out, he answers with a courage that serves as a potent indictment of not just of how bad things have gotten, but how they have always been on the cusp of being in this country. The Encampments cuts through all the noise and shows us who America really is. n
Detained Columbia student activist Mahmoud Khalil.
TOO YACHT TO HANDLE
Some Spokane scene staples are riding the wave of newfound appreciation for ’70s/’80s yacht rock
BY SETH SOMMERFELD
Language is a living and breathing organism. It ebbs and flows as generations come and go — holding up certain linguistic rules while discarding others as fresh slang and world events reshape our verbiage. And nothing has reshaped our modern lexicon quite like the internet. The world wide web not only created enough new terms relating to itself to fill a dictionary, but it also cranked the speed at which we share new slang and meme syntax up to warp speed. And while most of internet language evolution is focused on keeping up with the new, occasion-
ally something online will hit just right and reshape how we collectively view the past.
Enter: yacht rock.
Back in 2005, a group of comedic filmmakers (J. D. Ryznar, Hunter D Stair and Lane Farnham) created a short film mockumentary series called Yacht Rock, which was posted online by Channel 101. The term “yacht rock” was their own creation, defining the smooth Los Angeles soft rock sound of the late 1970s and early 1980s — the type of easygoing tunes that would sound great
SOFT ROCK
leisurely resting on a boat in the San Pedro Channel (despite none of the bands of the era actually sporting any nautical aesthetics).
The web series arose after its creators forensically noticed how much overlap there was between musicians in that scene including acts like Steely Dan, The Doobie Brothers, Kenny Loggins, Christopher Cross and Toto. The web series hilariously followed the over-the-top imagined adventures of The Doobie Brothers’ Michael McDonald and Loggins as they interacted with other acts from that era while writing sweet, sweet music. But a funny thing happened over the subsequent two decades
since Yacht Rock first arrived for viewing on our laptops — the jokey term to lovingly send up a then-often dismissed era of music retroactively became the definitive genre term to define that style of music nearly 35 years after its heyday.
Defining yacht rock is a bit of a tricky proposition, so much so that it’s not uncommon for folks to draw parallels to the 1964 Supreme Court case Jacobellis v. Ohio for which Justice Potter Stewart famously wrote that while it’s not easy to say exactly when a potentially obscene film rises to the level of hardcore pornography: “I know it when I see it.”
While people will actually argue over whether a song qualifies as yacht rock, the general sonic framework of the genre is soft melodic rock with R&B flair and jazzy chord changes with a mellow, often introspective lyrical bent. In a lot of ways it was a widely successful white adaptation of Black funk and R&B music with the edges sanded down.
And the creators of Yacht Rock weren’t entirely fabricating a musical movement out of thin air — there was a scene composed largely of session musicians who played on early Steely Dan albums that fed into a distinguishable sound with touchstones like bouncy key parts played on Fender Rhodes electric pianos, Michael McDonald’s deeply soulful baritone voice, and lyrics that eschewed rock machismo for wistful musings from the perspective of sensitive sad sacks (yacht rock being proto-emo music could be an essay of its own). But it was also a genre that was focused more on musicianship and songwriting than image, so when MTV arrived in the 1980s and shifted the pop music paradigm from album-oriented rock to visually appealing stars, the golden era yacht rock faded into the Pacific Ocean seabreeze.
Yacht rock’s vocabulary adoption wasn’t an instant viral thing, but a slow trickle. Music critics (a prime demographic for the web series) began to reassess the musical period through the lens of yacht rock. In 2015, Sirius XM Satellite Radio launched a Yacht Rock station. Cover bands started emerging just focusing on yacht rock music (Yachtly Crew is set to play the Coeur d’Alene Casino on July 3). And just last year HBO Max released a documentary detailing the after-the-fact genre called Yacht Rock: A Dockumentary.
As that documentary showcases, while it’s uniquely strange to have one’s music redefined decades after its creation, most of the musicians who’ve been labeled as yacht rock artists have warmed to the definition (though, notably, Steely Dan’s Donald Fagen f—ing hates the label). While there’s a certain undercurrent of ironic comedy that the term yacht rock still carries over from its web series origins (for example: none of these dudes were wearing captain’s hats like so many yacht rock fans now do), most of the musicians who made the music seem to mostly be pleased new generations have revitalized interest in their songs. Sometimes you just gotta be happy with what you yacht.
Spokanites looking to sail the sonic seas of yacht rock are in luck as some local music mainstays are putting on a Yacht Rock Tribute show at the Chameleon on Thursday, April 24.
The show is the brainchild of Portland-based drummer Tyrone Hendrix, who’s a member
of Allen Stone’s band alongside Spokane’s own Blake Braley (keys) and Tristan Hart Pierce (guitar). Hendrix thought it would be fun to play yacht rock hits at his bar (Alberta Street Pub) with his Portland pals, and brought his two Spokane-based Stone bandmate buddies to be a part of the group for a show in January. It was such a good time that they decided to run it back out here in our neck of the woods.
“Being a musician for over 20 years now, I became kind of a student of looking at musicians who play on records. And I noticed a lot of the musicians that have played on some of the biggest records were all part of the yacht rock bands — even though I look at them as musicians not yacht rockers,” Hendrix says. “I’ve always wanted to be like a studio musician. And these guys played on the biggest records: Off the Wall, Thriller, Steely Dan’s Aja. I grew up off this stuff, so I’ve always been intrigued to play it. And when I found the opportunity to do it, I called up some of my friends up here in Portland, but also Blake and Tristan. Because during Allen Stone soundchecks, we’d play around with [The Doobie Brothers’] “What a Fool Believes” and things of that nature. And Blake was just killing it. So I’m like, ‘You know what? This is a perfect opportunity for us to get together and make something happen.’ And the show down here went very well, so I told Blake, ‘Yo, we need to do this in Spokane.’ And he found the spot.”
With a set that spans around 20 to 25 tunes including staples from bands like The Doobie Brothers, Christopher Cross, Toto, Steely Dan and deeper cuts from acts like Ambrosia and George Benson, the Yacht Rock Tribute is set to be a lively night celebrating the belated yacht rock boom.
“I don’t really know why yacht rock is having a moment, but it definitely seems like it is. I heard a quote that [yacht rock] ‘is not rocking the boat, but you’re cruisin’,’” Braley says. “Big trends come and go. Like a few years ago, the ’90s were really big. And the ’80s had a moment for a bit. Then this is late ’70s stuff. But the music is just really good, too. The music has always been good, and maybe it’s just having a spotlight after so long.”
Braley has the somewhat inevitable task of singing the Michael McDonald songs as part of the tribute show. While it’s a blast to sing the tunes, it’s difficult because his voice is so distinct that it can almost seem like a comedic impression if a singer doesn’t nail it.
“Any chance I get to do my Michael McDonald impression is fine with me,” Braley says with a bit of a laugh. “It’s hard, because I like doing the McDonald thing, but it feels a little too much sometimes.”
The extended Stone crew’s Yacht Rock Tribute show looks to offer a slice of easy-listening escapism to at least offer a brief patch of smooth cruisin’ in the choppy waters of our current times. To quote Christopher Cross, “Well, it’s not far down to paradise, at least it’s not for me / And if the wind is right you can sail away, and find tranquility…” n
Yacht Rock Tribute • Thu, April 24 at 8 pm • $20 • 21+ • The Chameleon • 1801 W. Sunset Blvd • chameleonspokane.com
Spokanites Blake Braley, left, and Tristan Hart Pierce are ready to (yacht) rock.
LAUREN LINDLEY PHOTO
SYNTH-FOLK BABES IN CANYON
While frontman Nathan Hamer found Seattle indie folk pop success as part of the band Kuinka, there were other folky sonic realms he yearned to explore. Fate gave him a chance when he and his partner, Amanda Ebert, found themselves stranded in a remote cabin without power a few years back and started writing songs to occupy the time. Once back in the land of voltage the pair began crafting more tunes as Babes in Canyon with Ebert’s lush synths and backing vocals adding a fresh kick to Hamer’s singing and strumming on the ukulele and mandolin. At times calling to mind synth-ier versions of acts like Hozier, Babes in Canyon’s two EPs (Year to Live and Second Cities) offer vibey songwriting in small, sweet doses. — SETH SOMMERFELD
Babes in Canyon, Erin Parkes, Aspen Kye • Sat, April 19 at 7 pm • $10-$15 • All ages • Jaguar Room at The Chameleon • 1801 W. Sunset Blvd • chameleonspokane.com
AMERICANA AJ LEE & BLUE SUMMIT
Thursday, 4/17
J THE BIG DIPPER, Age of Nephilim, Plague Bearer, Diabolic Oath, Hísemtuks Hími•n
BOLO’S BAR & GRILL, Jordan Paddock & Them Boys
BOLO’S BAR & GRILL, Bolo’s Blues & Brews
J BOTTLE BAY BREWING CO., Micheal Millham
GARLAND DRINKERY, Speak Easy: Open Mic Night
J HAMILTON STUDIO, Jazz From the Silver Screen: Dmitri Matheny and David Larsen
J INDABA FLAGSHIP ROASTERY, Open Mic Night
J LUNARIUM, Starlite Open Mic
J QQ SUSHI & KITCHEN, Just Plain Darin
RED ROOM LOUNGE, Thurrsdays EDM Night
ZOLA, X24 25, Mason Van Stone
Friday, 4/18
ARBOR CREST WINE CELLARS, Isaac Smith
THE BARREL, Heather King Band
J THE BIG DIPPER, Hayes Noble, Counterfeit, Kubrick Deluxe Marble Race, Dairiybaby
J BING CROSBY THEATER, Laurel Canyon Legacy
BOLO’S BAR & GRILL, Fast Forward
CHINOOK STEAK, SEAFOOD & PASTA, Austin Carruthers
IRON HORSE (CDA), Gigawatt
J KNITTING FACTORY, Paleface Swiss J MIKEY’S GYROS, Miss Prince, Antimxb, Cruel Velvet, The Doomboys
MOOSE LOUNGE, Haze
NIGHT OWL, Four On The Floor Fridays
J PEND D’OREILLE WINERY, Weibe Jammin’
J PUEBLA MEXICAN RESTAURANT, Latin Dance Party
Saturday, 4/19
ARBOR CREST WINE CELLARS, Kevin Shay BERSERK, DJ Ca$e: Prince Tribute
J THE BIG DIPPER, Crowd Control, These F---ing Hands, Street Policy, Bent Outta Shape, Cyclone BOLO’S BAR & GRILL, Fast Forward
J BOTTLE BAY BREWING CO., Eric Kegley
IRON HORSE (CDA), Gigawatt
Having started playing together as teenagers in California, AJ Lee & Blue Summit possess an appealing blend of youthful zeal and seasoned musicianship that helps the group stand out in the Americana and bluegrass scene. The tunes on the band’s 2024 album City of Glass showcases both sharp musicianship and a classic sense of storytelling songwriting. The fact that the band doesn’t have a sole songwriter gives a sense of variety to the proceedings as Lee (mandolin), Scott Gates (guitar) and Sullivan Tuttle (guitar) all take turns providing lead vocals (with fiddlist Jan Purat always providing apt backing). Those seeking a soul-soothing way to end their weekend would be hard-pressed to find a better option than a Sunday evening with AJ Lee & Blue Summit at The District.
— SETH SOMMERFELD
AJ Lee & Blue Summit, Aimee Lefkowicz • Sun, April 20 at 8 pm • $20 • 21+ • The District Bar • 916 W. First Ave • sp.knittingfactory.com
J J BONES MUSICLAND, Sex With Seneca, Miss Prince, I Absorb Your Static, Tea
J JAGUAR ROOM AT CHAMELEON, Babes in Canyon, Aspen Kye
KNITTING FACTORY, United We Dance
LAKERS INN BAR, Hot Spring Water, Huckle Bearer MOOSE LOUNGE, Haze
Sunday, 4/20
J THE BIG DIPPER, Signs of The Swarm, Cold Hearts, Dragged Out, Deceiving The Masses
J THE DISTRICT BAR, AJ Lee & Blue Summit, Aimee Lefkowicz
J HAMILTON STUDIO, Clayton Ryan, Zander, Sammie Jean Cohen
THE DISTRICT BAR, Debi Tirar Mas Fiestas: A Bad Bunny Party
J SPOKANE TRIBE CASINO, The Kings of Queen: A Tribute to Queen
RED ROOM LOUNGE, Red Room Open Mic ZOLA, Tristan Hart Pierce J
J THE GRAIN SHED, Haywire
GREEN CITY SALOON, DJ KJ
J THE FOX THEATER, Tower of Power
TRVST, KosMos The Afronaut ZOLA, Justyn Priest
THE CHAMELEON, Dance Romance: A Lady Gaga Dance Night
CHINOOK STEAK, SEAFOOD & PASTA, Austin Carruthers
J HAMILTON STUDIO, Timeworm
J HUCKLEBERRY’S MARKET, Kori Ailene
NIGHT OWL, Priestess RED ROOM LOUNGE, AfroSounds
J SPOKANE TRIBE CASINO, Collin Raye
TRVST, Sav and Friends
ZOLA, Blake Braley, Hot Club of Spokane
RED ROOM LOUNGE, The 420 Party: Brotha Nature, Kung FU Vinyl, Bngrz, and Donuts
Monday, 4/21
Tuesday, 4/22
J FIRST INTERSTATE CENTER, The Rock Orchestra by Candlelight SWING LOUNGE, Swing Lounge Live Music Tuesdays ZOLA, The Zola All Star Jam, Shelby Natasha
Wednesday, 4/23
J THE BIG DIPPER, Kind Eyes, Southpaw, KURB THE DRAFT ZONE, The Draft Zone Open Mic RED ROOM LOUNGE, Red Room Jam
J TIMBERS ROADHOUSE, Cary Beare Presents TRVST, The TRVST Open Decks ZOLA, Akifumi Kato
Just Announced...
J JAGUAR ROOM AT CHAMELEON, Forest Stoke, May 8.
J J SPOKANE TRIBE CASINO, Social Distortion, June 19.
J SPOKANE ARENA, Barry Manilow, July 11.
J BING CROSBY THEATER, Tab Benoit, July 19.
J KNITTING FACTORY, Blind Pilot, John Craigie, July 25.
J SPOKANE TRIBE CASINO, Chris Young, Aug. 9.
J COEUR D’ALENE CASINO, Gabby Barrett, Aug. 14. THE DISTRICT BAR, Willi Carlisle, Oct. 23.
Coming Up...
ZOLA, Rōnin, April 24, 5-7 pm.
BOLO’S BAR & GRILL, Bay 7, April 24, 6:30 pm.
J BOTTLE BAY BREWING CO., Lucas Brookbank Brown, April 24, 7-9 pm.
J KNITTING FACTORY, Pop Evil, Devour the Day, Return to Dust, Oni, April 24, 7 pm.
J THE CHAMELEON, Yacht Rock Tribute, April 24, 8 pm.
J PEND D’OREILLE WINERY, Tucker James, April 25, 5-8 pm.
ZOLA, Deb the Wolf, April 25, 5:30 pm.
ARBOR CREST WINE CELLARS, Dallas Kay, April 25, 6-8 pm.
J BING CROSBY THEATER, ‘80s Party: Nite Wave, New Life, April 25, 8 pm.
J THE DISTRICT BAR, Laura Jane Grace & The Mississippi Medicals, Rodeo Boys, April 25, 8 pm.
J J MIKEY’S GYROS, Violent Abuse, Big Knife, It’s a Setup, POTUS, April 25, 8 pm.
MIKEY’S GYROS, Giant Palouse Earthworm, April 25, 8 pm.
BOLO’S BAR & GRILL, Rusty Nail & The Hammers, April 25 & 26, 8:30 pm.
IRON HORSE (CDA), JamShack, April 25 & 26, 8:30 pm.
MOOSE LOUNGE, Bruiser, April 25 & 26, 8:30 pm.
THE CHAMELEON, Ball on Top (Y2K):
DJ Weezy & DJ Exodus, April 25, 9 pm.
RED ROOM LOUNGE, Batman Rave, April 25, 9 pm.
ZOLA, Mister Sister, April 25, 9-11:55 pm.
TRVST, KosMos The Afronaut, April 25, 10 pm.
J PEND D’OREILLE WINERY, Mike Wagoner & Sadie Sicilia, April 26, 5-8 pm.
ZOLA, The Ronaldos, April 26, 5:30 pm.
ARBOR CREST WINE CELLARS, Jason Evans, April 26, 6-8 pm.
J BOTTLE BAY BREWING CO., Don & Thomas Thompson, April 26, 7-9 pm.
J HAMILTON STUDIO, Jahari Stampley Trio, April 26, 7 pm.
J J BONES MUSICLAND, Sam Weber, Landon Spencer, April 26, 7 pm.
J BING CROSBY THEATER, Nevermind: Seattle’s Tribute to Nirvana, April 26, 7:30 pm.
J J THE BIG DIPPER, Violent Abuse: Defenseless EP Release Show with It’s a Setup, Hofsess, April 26, 8 pm.
THE CHAMELEON, Noctiil, IT Brian, No Signal, Psiyan, April 26, 8 pm.
Watch 40+ local artists create original artworks during two one-hour rounds. It’s called a “drawing” rally, but you may see mosaics, sculpture, charcoal, leatherwork, mixed-media... all in only 60 minutes.
Own these one of a kind pieces of art!
Starting at $75
Island Style
& BBQ Truck
ZOLA • 22 W. Main Ave. • 509-624-2416
Wine for purchase • Kids activities FREE ADMISSION!
SAT 4/26 5-8PM 503 East 2nd Ave, Suite B, Spokane
SPRING
Learn about reducing waste through composting and recycling at the Arbor Day Celebration on Saturday, April 26th 11am to 2pm at Finch Arboretum.
11:00-2:00
FILM CRACK OPEN A COLD ONE
It’s hard to imagine now with the omnipresent onslaught of comedic TV ads, but there was a time when beer commercials weren’t funny. The documentary Rainier: A Beer Odyssey isn’t a chronicling of the iconic Seattle beer’s history, but rather a look at the unusual ad campaigns in the 1970s and ’80s that put the brand on the map. Don Draper-level pitchman Terry Heckler and his freewheeling team created amusing TV spots as simple as drawing the parallel between Rainier and the sound of a motorcycle passing by or as complex as pop culture parodies of Rambo and more. After premiering at last year’s Seattle International Film Festival, the entertaining doc about selling suds crosses the Cascades to screen at the Garland.
— SETH SOMMERFELD
Rainier: A Beer Odyssey • Fri, April 18 at 7:30 pm • $10 • The Garland Theater • 924 W. Garland Ave. • garlandtheater.org
MUSIC HIP HIP HOORAY
Since 1968, Tower of Power has been asking the world “what is hip?” And even though horn-based R&B bands perhaps aren’t the hippest thing in the world, like the band says in the song, sometimes, hipness is what it ain’t. Having cemented themselves as a legendary soul powerhouse, the band is filling The Fox with an unprecedented amount of funky flavor this Friday as they roll through town on their 57 Years of Funk & Soul Tour. Be prepared for a wall of sonic goodness as the horns blare out and groovy vibes emanate all around. If you wanna be wowed by musical mastery, or you’re looking for a “hip trip,” TOP has every base covered this Friday night.
— MADISON PEARSON
Tower of Power • Fri, April 19
BENEFIT A NIGHT TO REMEMBER
This weekend, Spokane’s eclectic live music venue The Chameleon is traveling back in time to the 1980s to host the Warehouse Prom. Serving as a fundraiser for Global Neighborhood Thrift & Vintage’s refugee-serving programs, guests are invited to relive the magic of high school prom while enjoying prizes, drinks, snacks and dancing. Live music will be blasting all night courtesy of premier local ’80s cover band Starcourt. Tickets are $40, with all proceeds benefiting Global Neighborhood and its mission to support local refugees. Don’t have the perfect ’fit yet? There’s still time to get to Global (pictured) and peruse the racks for the perfect look.
— HANNAH HIGENS
Neighborhood Warehouse Prom • Fri, April 18 from 7-10 pm • $40 • Ages 21+ • The Chameleon • 1801 W. Sunset Blvd. • chameleonspokane.com
GET LISTED!
Submit events online at Inlander.com/getlisted or email relevant details to getlisted@inlander.com. We need the details one week prior to our publication date.
DANCE DOUBLE TAKE
On the surface, the Swan Lake ballet tells a simple story of the universal tug-of-war between good and evil. Yet dive deeper into the 150-year-old story and you’ll find one of the most tragic love stories ever told through the exquisite form and expressive movement that ballet is known for. This week you have not one, but two chances to catch this classic performance in Spokane. On Wednesday, the State Ballet Theatre of Ukraine performs at the Bing Crosby Theater. Then next Saturday, the Grand Kyiv Ballet takes the stage at the First Interstate Center for the Arts. Both performances are set to be spectacular showcases filled with intricate set design and killer choreography set to Tchaikovsky’s alluring score.
— COLTON RASANEN
Swan Lake • Wed, April 23 at 7:30 pm • $41-$127 • Bing Crosby Theater • 901 W. Sprague Ave. • bingcrosbytheater.com
Swan Lake • Sat, April 26 at 7 pm • $37-$87 • First Interstate Center for the Arts • 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. • firstinterstatecenter.org
COMMUNITY CIVICS IS FUN!
Whether you’ve been a Spokane resident your entire life or just moved here three months ago, it’s important to know how the city works. However, it’s not always the easiest thing to learn about. Madison Merica, who designed our beautiful 2025 Best Of cover, has also been working on a zine all about how Spokane works. This Is Spokane: A Civic Guide for Neighbors officially launches this Thursday at Lilac City Live!, Spokane Public Library’s version of a late-night talk show, to mark the 25th anniversary of Spokane’s Office of Neighborhood Services. Hear from Mayor Lisa Brown, Pollyanne Birge from the Office of Neighborhood Services, artist Merica and others all about the new zine and listen to music from local band TOMBOY. All attendees receive a copy of the zine to jumpstart their own personal community engagement.
— MADISON PEARSON
I SAW YOU
FLYING MONKEY Attendant. You’ve been covering for that poorly performing pilot for most of your career. Be assured; we do not stand with you. “Boys Behaving Badly” seems to convince you of some status you don’t have. You can go down with him. We will not.
HILLYARD LIBRARY HOTTIES Thank you for being a great distraction
MIRABEAU PARKWAY TO MY HEARTWAY Hello, beautiful. That day as you approached me sitting on the bench at the park, radiant as ever, who knew you would be the one that was destined for my love. It was written in the sky above, we just walked the path that was chosen for us. Our journey is forever more, take my hand to the promised land baby.
CHEERS
AMERICA “We hold these truths to be self evident: that all men [humans] are created equal...” Diversity has always been with us. Equality has always been our ideal. Our greatness stems from the expanding understanding of that ideal and our continued aim for it. Inclusion is the natural result. Being anti-DEI is an attempt to destroy the basis for our existence as a country. Our ideals are not going away.
CLOSELY FOLLOWED BY... I love this time of year. It is quite possibly my favorite, closely followed by all the rest. Spokane is pretty special, shhh!
TO UNDERSTANDING AND PATIENCE I’d like to say thank you to all the great people of Spokane who I have served at my job. I’m pretty new and not the greatest server, but there have been those of you who showed patience and understanding and tipped me even when you waited long, your food was wrong, or I forgot something. Good people like yourselves make up for all the entitled “regulars” who judge scowl and tip crappy. So thank you, you are appreciated!
DOING THE RIGHT THING Cheers and thank you to the many Spokane drivers who are buying a current license tab. It shows that you care and want to do your part in paying for and maintaining our road system. How about the rest of you who are knowingly driving with expired tabs? You want to use the streets but don’t want to pay for the privilege? No excuses please; don’t want to pay for a tab? Walk, ride a bike or use the very good bus system we have. Let’s all do our part... it’s the right thing to do!
SALES CLERK MADE A DIFFERENCE Many thanks to Austin at Tradehome Shoes. Eight pairs to find the fit resulted in 3 days of monstrous airports, 8 days of 15K daily steps in Istanbul’s cobbled streets, squares, palaces, museums, forts, ferries, churches, shops, restaurants, and mosques. My feet were stable, happy, and pain-free! BEST shoe-buying experience and result EVER!
THANK YOU FOR THE WARM WELCOME! Thank you to the ladies at the Ponderosa Republican Women’s group! Your warm welcome to me during my first lunch with you ladies was so appreciated. Especially since it’s been such a hard road finding friendships in Spokane. People say this is a welcoming city, but only if you aren’t conservative. So thank you all for being friendly, welcoming and what a good community looks like.
CORPORAL PUNISHMENT Corporal punishment or physical discipline is used to cause deliberate bodily pain or discomfort in response to some undesired behavior. Most civilizations since ancient times have used floggings, beatings and whipping as punishment for crimes or injuries. It may be inflicted on prisoners and slaves. Incarceration in the United States is one of the primary means of punishment for crimes in the United States. Corporal punishment
was widely utilized in U.S. schools during the 19th and 20th centuries as a way to motivate students to perform better academically and improve their behavior. Corporal punishment is still widespread in the southern U.S. Beating one’s son as a form of punishment is even recommended in the book of Proverbs, also known as tough love. Corporal punishment in school has been outlawed in Canada. The late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries saw the increase of humanitarian ideals and human rights that such punishments are increasingly viewed as inhumane in the Western society.
ARE YOU DISAPPOINTING YOUR DOG?
I’m trying to be the kind of person my dog thinks I am.
TO THOSE WHO CHEER I find it hard to believe that so many Inlander readers have so much to complain about and so few are ready to cheer their fellow man. The cheers column has shrunk to near nothing while the jeers section has grown. It’s human nature to complain. For some reason it doesn’t seem to take as much effort to complain as it does to praise. We certainly have things to complain about. Our politicians aren’t what we wish they were. Spokane has some terrible drivers. And if you haven’t seen the pothole at the corner of...you don’t know potholes. But put in some effort here people. There are lots of great things happening out there. Let’s hear about them too.
LOVE THY NEIGHBOR... Thank you to our amazing neighbors... Idaho, Oregon, Montana and Canada for supporting us with your low sales tax on liquor! The Washingtonians LOVE you!
TRANSITION Everyone knows change is here, but what does the future look like?
The end of the United States because we haven’t been united in a long time. Since everything is inter-connected, when you pull on one thread, things start to unravel. What you end up with is the Americas, all three of them, joining forces to create a free trade zone between the Americans and the rest of the world, but the transition to get there will be complicated.
JEERS
ENTITLED “REGULARS” Jeers to any customer who considers themselves a “regular” at any restaurant and thinks they are entitled to special services and attention. Even worse you treat new servers like they are idiots because they don’t know who you are or what you eat. Hate to break it to you but to your “regular” server you’re just another tip. Of course we all try to know names faces and preferences but give us a break, you’re one out of hundreds we see every day so get over yourselves. Maybe be nicer to the new servers and they might care to get know you.
WHERE IS DOGE WHEN YOU NEED IT?
President Trump is going to spend $92M on his birthday parade and there’s a Republican movement to make “Trump’s Birthday and Flag Day” a new federal holiday. Now I know where those Head Start funds are being used. Where is DOGE when you need it?
RE: ILLEGAL PLATES So. You “highly recommend [we] let this topic go...let us non-law abiding citizens without updated tabs live in peace.” That’s the same argument of any person doing something wrong, sinful, immoral, shirking the law, or criminal. It’s the egotistical, arrogant, selfish attitude that one can do anything desired with no consequences and the heck with others. It’s what makes Trump Trump. You’re just doing it on a minute scale. Your lack of payment takes funds from the Spokane community and state for transportation improvements, the highway patrol, etc. So, no. I and others won’t ignore your lack of respect for your fellow citizens and its effect on all of us.
GOODBYE AMERICA Sad to say... the America I knew is dead. It has become a place even superman would no longer be welcome. We build statues to criminals and our leaders have mug shots. A criminal that just shot a child, thanks to crooked lawyers and judges, now has more rights than the parents of the child he just murdered. Superman’s motto of “truth and justice” no longer applies here. Sorry superman, it looks like Lex Luthor is in charge now.
TAKE YOUR DOG POOP HOME! Dog walkers - please take your stinky bag of dog poop & put in your own trash bin at home & not just the nearest trash bin in your neighborhood.
DUDE A HOUSING CRISIS, across the board job uncertainty (because of your buddy’s cuts), inflation, traffic deaths are the highest they’ve been since the ‘90s and you’re gonna spend your time and our money on college basketball legislation. You really do put the BUM in Baumgartner. Glad you got booed out of Spokane. You deserve it.
DEI NO THANKS Dear Mr. “You-Think-YouKnow-About-DEI-But-You-Don’t”: First, I have to say DEI started out with good intentions. However, in practice it is far from “inclusive.” And frankly, in practice, it is down-right racist and sexist! First, it is not “inclusive” as it totally excludes conservative thought. DEI mandates that we exclude words like “homeless” for nicer-sounding words like “the unhoused.” Now, regarding equity: are we, as a society, supposed to lower our standards because the fire department needs to hire more women? Frankly, if my house is on fire, I want the strongest, most capable person behind the fire hose. What’s wrong with merit-based employment and academia? Do you really want a teacher who was at the bottom of his/her class teaching your children? Life is not fair, ever. Quit acting like it will be. n
EVENTS | CALENDAR
BENEFIT
TASTE OF HOPE An evening of fun and fundraising featuring games, silent and live auctions, dinner, a dessert dash and wine and beer tastings from local wineries and breweries benefitting the ISAAC foundation. April 18, 6-9 pm. $125. Shriners Event Center, 7217 W. Westbow Blvd. theisaacfoundation.org
WAREHOUSE PROM A night of dancing, drinking and celebrating Global Neighborhood’s refugee-serving programs. Live music by Starcourt. Proceeds benefit Global Neighborhood. April 18, 6:30-9 pm. $40. The Chameleon, 1801 W. Sunset Blvd. chameleonspokane.com
BUFFALO EXCHANGE EARTH DAY
$1 SALE Shop a special selection of $1 clothing and accessories. Proceeds go to American Wild Horse Conservation and their goal to ensure America’s wild horses and burros remain free and receive humane treatment. April 19, 11 am-7 pm. Free. Buffalo Exchange, 407 W. Main Ave. buffaloexchange.com (509-606-1032)
SPARKLE & SPEND An auction featuring vintage furs, artwork, rare books, event tickets and more benefitting Spokane Preservation Advocates. April 19. Washington Cracker Co. Building, 304 W. Pacific. spokanepreservation.org
COMEDY
THE PHYSICAL ACTOR: BRINGING CHARACTERS TO LIFE FROM HEAD TO TOE This course teaches performers to embody characters through movement, posture and presence, drawing from
physical comedy and expressive storytelling. April 17-May 22, Thu from 6:308:30 pm. April 17, 6:30-8:30 pm. $150. Blue Door Theatre, 319 S. Cedar St. bluedoortheatre.org (509-747-7045)
RACHEL AFLLEJE Rachel Aflleje was born and raised in Tacoma, Washington ,and most recently competed in the 42nd annual Seattle International Comedy Competition. April 17, 7 pm, April 18, 7 pm and April 19, 7 & 9:45 pm. $12-$18. Spokane Comedy Club, 315 W. Sprague. spokanecomedyclub.com (509-318-9998)
COMMUNITY ART NIGHT An afternoon of creativity, connection and laughter featuring hands-on art activities, from take-home projects to a collaborative group mural. Then, watch your artwork come to life in an unscripted Blue Door Theatre improv show inspired by your creations. April 19, 4-6 pm. $10. Blue Door Theatre, 319 S. Cedar St. bluedoortheatre.org
RANDY FELTFACE Randy Feltface is an Australian puppet comedian portrayed by Heath McIvor. April 24-26; Thu-Sat at 7 pm, Fri-Sat also at 9:45 pm. $27-$37. Spokane Comedy Club, 315 W. Sprague. spokanecomedyclub.com
JEFF DUNHAM: ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE Dunham is a ventriloquist performing comedy with a number of eccentric puppets. April 26, 5-7 pm. $64. Spokane Arena, 720 W. Mallon Ave. spokanearena.com
COMMUNITY
COFFEE & CONVERSATION A weekly event focused on helping people feel
seen, heard and connected within our community through open dialogue on topics that unite us, rather than divide us. April 17, 10:30 am-noon. Free. Central Library, 906 W. Main. spokanelibrary.org
THE EVOLUTION OF THE JAPANESE SWORD This exhibition showcases Japanese swords as more than a mere weapon of war. The iconic samurai sword of Japan and its accompanying fittings were elevated to works of high art that are treasured and collected for their beauty and craftsmanship. Tue-Sun from 10 am-5 pm through May 4. $9-$15. Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture, 2316 W. First Ave. northwestmuseum.org
FIRE: REBIRTH AND RESILIENCE An exhibition exploring the catastrophic 1889 fire that destroyed more of Spokane’s downtown core. The exhibit features information on historic and contemporary fires, illustrating how destruction is a catalyst for rebirth and resilience. Tue-Sun from 11 am-5 pm through Sep. 28. $9$15. Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture, 2316 W. First Ave. northwestmuseum.org
GET YOUR FREE WASHINGTON ID: A HOMELESS ACCESS INITIATIVE The WA Department of Licensing and the Spokane Regional Health District are collaborating for this special event to issue new or replacement Washington State identification cards and/or renew your drivers license. April 17, 10 am-3 pm. Free. Central Library, 906 W. Main. spokanelibrary.org
HORIZON 2050: LONG-RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLANNING DISCUSSION An opportunity for the public to learn more about their transportation system and what is projected to be in store for the next 20 years. During the program,
attendees will learn more about who SRTC is, what this plan entails and how it affects them. April 17, 5-6 pm. Free. Central Library, 906 W. Main Ave. spokanelibrary.org (509-444-5300)
LILAC CITY LIVE! This monthly late night talk show-esque event features the launch of a city-focused zine by Madison Merica, Mayor Lisa Brown, Pollyanne Birge from the Office of Neighborhood Services and musical guest TOMBOY. April 17, 7-10 pm. Free. Central Library, 906 W. Main Ave. spokanelibrary.org
SAMURAI, SUNRISE, SUNSET Step into the world of a samurai and experience armor, weaponry and personal items from the powerful military class that ruled Japan for nearly 700 years. Each item tells a story through its master craftsmanship and individual details. Tue-Sun from 10 am-5 pm through June 1. $9-$15. Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture, 2316 W. First Ave. northwestmuseum.org
YWCA EQUITY FOR ALL An event dedicated to fostering courageous conversations that further the YWCA’s mission of eliminating racism and empowering women. Engage in an immersive experience featuring powerful discussions, artistic performances and an experiential component. April 17, 5-7 pm. Free. Hamilton Studio, 1427 W. Dean Ave. ywcaspokane.org/equity4all (509 326-1190)
EASTER EGG HUNT FOR GROWNUPS
Eggs will be hidden throughout the taproom, prizes in each including a $25 gift card. Each participant may collect one egg. April 18, 2 pm. Free. Coeur d’ Alene Cider Co., 1327 E. Sherman Ave. cdaciderhouse.com (208-704-2160)
SPRING MARKET & EASTER EGG HUNT
Shop from over 25 local vendors showcasing handmade products, enjoy food and kids are invited to participate in Easter egg hunts throughout the day. April 18, 3-7 pm. Free. Møde Work, 2110 N. Molter Road. findyourmode.com
420 TATTOO WEEKEND A weekend of tattoo specials including $60 tattoos, 20% off pre-made designs, lifted leaf and flower tattoos. Also includes 420 goodie bags for the first 10 tattoos. April 19-20, 12-10 pm. Free. Heartbreaker Tattoo, 601 W Maxwell. heartbreakerspokane.com
COMMUNITY EASTER EGG HUNT Hundreds of eggs are hidden for little ones to find. Muffins, coffee, and juice will be provided to off a welcoming space for families. April 19, 10 am-noon. Free. Manito United Methodist Church, 3220 S. Grand Blvd. manitoumc.org (509-951-4429)
SPRING IN SPOKANE MAKERS MAR-
KET A market featuring local artisans, creatives and makers selling goods. April 19, 11 am-5 pm. Free admission. Page 42 Bookstore, 2174 N. Hamilton St. page42spokane.com (509-202-2551)
SPECIAL NEEDS EASTER EGG HUNT An Easter egg hunt for children with special needs. April 19, 12-1 pm. Free. The Vine Church, 9140 N. Reed. TheVineIdaho.org
FAMILY FRIENDLY EASTER MYSTERY
Every Easter, the Wabbit family gathers at Brare and Peter Wabbit’s home in the beautiful town of Springville. A chocolate bunny will be the grand prize for the Official Wabbit Family Egg Hunt. April 19, 1-3:30 pm. Crime Scene Entertainment, 2775 N. Howard St. crimesceneentertainment.com (208-369-3695)
EVENTS | CALENDAR
RIVERFRONT PARK EASTER EGG HUNT
Multiple free Easter egg hunts for different age groups. A brunch option is offered for an extra cost. April 19, 10 am. Free. Riverfront Park, 507 N. Howard St. riverfrontspokane.org (509-625-6600)
EASTER EGG HUNT A free Easter egg hunt for children of all ages. April 20, 12-1 pm. Free. The Vine Church, 9140 N. Reed Rd. TheVineIdaho.org (208-449-2080)
CREATIVES GET REAL Panelists Jáiz Boyd Megan Kennedy, Devonte Pearson (T.S. The Solution) and Jenny Slagle discuss the highs and lows of running a creative business in Washington. April 21, 6:30-8:30 pm. Free. Hamilton Studio, 1427 W. Dean Ave. wheelhousewa.org
SPOKANE COUNTY CAREER EXPO A job fair with over 150 employers and resource providers on-site. Also featuring interactive displays, one-on-one career coaching and mini workshops. April 23, 11 am-3 pm. Free. Spokane County Fair & Expo Center, 404 N. Havana St. jobfairspokane.com (509-532-3120)
LNK INDUSTRY SOCIAL A meetup and networking experience that links fashion, art, music and business owners together. RSVP at link. April 24, 7 pm. Free. The Chameleon, 1801 W. Sunset Blvd. chameleonspokane.com
FILM
IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE Chow Mo-wan and Su Li-zhen move into neighboring apartments. Their encounters are formal and polite until a discovery about their spouses creates ae bond between them. April 17, 7-9 pm. $8. The Kenworthy, 508 S. Main St. kenworthy.org
RAINIER: A BEER ODYSSEY An independent feature documentary on the iconic, groundbreaking Rainier Beer TV commercials which ran from 1974 to 1987. April 18, 7:30 pm. $10. Garland Theater, 924 W. Garland Ave. garlandtheater.org
THE SWORD OF DOOM A skilled but morally corrupt swordsman becomes consumed by violence and paranoia. His descent into madness contrasts sharply with the honor and restraint of other samurai. April 18, 6:30 pm. $8. Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture, 2316 W. First Ave. northwestmuseum.org
CHRONICLES OF NARNIA 20TH ANNIVERSARY During the World War II bombings of London, four siblings are sent to a house where they will be safe. One day they find a wardrobe that transports them to a magical world called Narnia. April 19-20, 2 pm. Free. Garland Theater, 924 W. Garland. garlandtheater.org
COMMON GROUND FILM SCREENING Common Ground is an award-winning documentary that explores the urgent need for regenerative agriculture and its potential to heal the planet. April 23, 7 pm. Free. Garland Theater, 924 W. Garland Ave. garlandtheater.org
FOOD & DRINK
THE WANDERING TABLE A nomadic restaurant the travels around the Pacific Northwest serving a 12-course dinner featuring local, seasonal products and producers paired with wine and cocktails. April 18, 5:30 pm. $90-$134. The Yards Bruncheon, 1248 W. Summit Pkwy. thewanderingtable.com
EASTER COOKIE DECORATING Decorate a dozen Easter-themed sugar cook-
ies with Jamie. April 18, 4-6 pm. $85. The Kitchen Engine, 621 W. Mallon Ave. thekitchenengine.com (509-328-3335)
EASTER EVE ELEGANCE A chef-curated four-course meal featuring fresh, seasonal ingredients, live music and more. April 19, 5-8 pm. $59. Dockside Restaurant, 115 S. Second St., Coeur d’Alene Resort, Lobby Floor. docksidecda.com
WEST END BEER FEST A one-day celebration of the West End brewery district featuring five downtown breweries, speciality beers, live music and more. April 19, noon. $25. Brick West Brewing Co., 1318 W. First Ave. westendbeerfest.com
ATOMIC COCKTAILS: MID-CENTURY MODERNISM IN A GLASS Join the team at Hogwash for an exploration of midcentury cocktails as you sip on these classic concoctions and uncover the intriguing stories behind each drink. April 20, 3-5 pm. $75. Hogwash Whiskey Den, 304 W. Pacific Ave. raisingthebarnw.com
EASTER BRUNCH ON THE RIVER An Easter brunch with sweet and savory dishes, drink specials and an appearance from the Easter Bunny with photo opps.
April 20, 8:30-10, 11 am-12:30 pm & 1:303 pm. $21-$45. Ruby River Hotel, 700 N. Division St. rubyriverhotelspokane.com
GERMAN AMERICAN SOCIETY SPRING DINNER & CONCERT A dinner of Zigeuner schnitzel with mushrooms and peppers prepared by Alpine Delli featuring a concert by the Concordia Choir and the Celtic Aires. Call 509-954-6964to make reservations. April 26, 6 pm. $25. German American Hall, 25 W. Third. germanamericansociety-spokane.org
MUSIC & CONCERTS
GOOD ROAD: A MUSICAL TRIBUTE TO DAN MAHER This concert celebrates the musical legacy of Northwest singersongwriter and radio host Dan Maher. Musicians from around the Palouse and beyond will play a mix of folk, bluegrass, Irish and rock music. April 17, 6-9 pm. Free. Unitarian Universalist Church of the Palouse, 420 E. Second. uuspokane.org
CHURCHILL’S LIVE PIANO Gabe Lapano plays classics on the piano. 6-9 pm. free. Churchill’s Steakhouse, 165 S. Post St. facebook.com/ChurchillsSteakhouse
LIFE IS BUT A DREAM The Balourdet String Quartet and Zuill Bailey perform a concert featuring Beethoven String Quartet in F Major, Opus 135, No. 16; Canadian-American composer Karim AlZand Strange Machines; and Schubert String Quintet in C Major, D. 956. April 18, 7 pm. $10-$45. Barrister Winery, 1213 W. Railroad Ave. nwbachfest.com
HOME IS WHERE THE HEART LIVES The Balourdet String Quartet and Zuill Bailey play a concert featuring Haydn Quartet in D Major, “The Lark”; Paul Novak String Quartet; Nicky Sohn Galaxy Back To You; Smetana. April 19, 4-6 pm. $10-$45. Barrister Winery, 1213 W. Railroad Ave. nwbachfest.com (509 326-4942)
SPORTS & OUTDOORS
FAMILY GARDEN PARTY FOR KIDS AND THEIR FAMILIES Learn about starting seeds and growing a garden in this hands-on program. Attendees will choose from a variety of food and flower seeds to start for their home containers
and gardens. April 17, 4-5 pm. Free. Liberty Park Library, 402 S. Pittsburgh St. spokanelibrary.org (509-444-5300)
LILAC CITY KENDO CLUB Classes for beginner and long-time kendo practicers. Every Monday and Thursday from 6:308:30 pm. West Valley City School, 8920 E. Valleyway Ave. lilaccitykendo.org
SPOKANE INDIANS VS. EUGENE EMERALDS Regular season games. Promotional schedule includes Education & Businessperson’s Special Day Game (April 22) Doris Birthday Extravaganza Night (April 23), First Responder Appreciation Night (April 24), Fireworks Night (April 25-26) and Dollars in Your Dogs Night (April 27). April 22, 11:05 am, April 23, 6:35 pm, April 24, 6:35 pm, April 25, 6:35 pm, April 26, 6:35 pm and April 27, 1:05 pm. $12-$32. Avista Stadium, 602 N. Havana St. spokaneindians.com
SPOKANE RIVER FORUM CONFER-
ENCE The Spokane River Forum hosts a conference centered around showcasing and stimulating increased collaboration around work being down to ensure a healthy Spokane River system for the benefit of the community. April 22-23, 9 am-4 pm. $96. The Centennial Hotel, 303 W. North River Dr. spokaneriver.net/conf
GARDENING FOR KIDS Learn about plants and their lifecycles with hands-on learning and stories from Master Gardener Cecilia McGowan. Plus, take home a plant start to care for and watch grow. Grades K-5. April 23, 3:30-4:30 pm. Free. scld.org (509-893-8300)
SPOKANE ZEPHYR VS. TAMPA BAY SUN
A regular season game between Spokane Zephyr and the Tampa Bay Sun FC. April 26, 2 pm. $13-$44. ONE Spokane Stadium, 501 W. Gardner Ave. uslspokane.com
THEATER & DANCE
HAMILTON A musical following the rise of founding father Alexander Hamilton as he fights for honor, love and a legacy that would shape the course of a nation. TueSat at 7:30 pm, Sat and Sun also at 1 pm through April 20. $45-$125. First Interstate Center for the Arts, 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. broadwayspokane.com
PRIDE AND PREJUDICE Adapted from the original Jane Austen novel, this retelling of the classic love story is filled with heart, humor and wit as it follows the Bennet sisters’ attempts to find “a single man in possession of a good fortune.” April 17-18 and 21-22 at 7 pm. $5. Post Falls High School, 2832 E. Poleline Ave. pfhs.pfsd.com (208-773-0581)
SHIBARI AND FLOW: TRICKSTERS
Local performers showcase the art of shibari through burlesque and aerial performances. April 17, 7 pm. $35. The Chameleon, 1801 W. Sunset Blvd. chameleonspokane.com
DANCER’S NIGHT IN: BEAUTY & THE BEAST Children are invited to a evening of fun at the ballet studio featuring crafting, learning dances themed around Beauty and the Beast, pizza and the live action version of Beauty and the Beast. No prior dance experience required. April 19, 5:30-8 pm. $50. Sandra’s Studio of Dance, 304 W. Seventh Ave. sandraolgardsstudioofdance.com
MADELINE MCNEILL: THE SIRENS A one-act philosophical play featuring three archetypal characters who converse in poetry and song, weaving threepart harmonies as they explore how our relationship with the body reflects our
connection to the natural world. This event takes place in a private community building. April 22, 6-8 pm. Free. Haystack Heights Cohousing Common House, 731 S. Garfield St. (202-641-3143)
SWAN LAKE This version of the classic ballet Swan Lake is presented by Classical Arts Entertainment and performed by the State Ballet Theatre of Ukraine. April 23, 7:30 pm. $41-$127. Bing Crosby Theater, 901 W. Sprague Ave. bingcrosbytheater.com (509-227-7404)
SWAN LAKE Swan Lake is a ballet that tells the story of a prince who falls in love with a beautiful swan princess under a spell. The ballet is renowned for its stunning choreography, intricate set design, and Tchaikovsky’s captivating music. April 26, 7 pm. $37-$87. First Interstate Center for the Arts, 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. firstinterstatecenter.org
VISUAL ARTS
PIECED TOGETHER: 2025 SENIOR ART & DESIGN EXHIBIT An eclectic and engaging selection of works from Whitworth University’s art and graphic design majors. Mon-Fri from 10 am-4:30 pm through May 17. Free. Bryan Oliver Gallery, Whitworth, 300 W. Hawthorne Ave. whitworth.edu (509-777-3258)
ERIC SANCHEZ: CHAIRS, LEAVES AND TREES A new collection of paintings, drawings and collages from local artist Eric Sanchez. Daily from 11 am-6 pm through April 26, 11 am-6 pm. Free. Entropy, 101 N. Stevens St. instagram.com/ entropygalleryspokane (503-913-3124)
DEB SHELDON: STORYTELLERS A collection of paintings by local artist Deb Sheldon featuring wisdom, quotes, visions and dreams that she has been wrestling with. Mon-Fri from 10 am-5 pm through April 25. Free. Spokane Art School, 503 E. Second Ave., Ste. B. spokaneartschool.net (509-325-1500)
INANNA MCCARTY View artworks by the SFCC Artist-in-Residence Inanna McCarty. As an Indigenous person to the United States and Canada, McCarty is from the wa?ač and Tsawout First Nations village and a descendant of both Nuu-chahnulth and Coast Salish families. Mon-Fri from 8:30 am-3:30 pm through April 30. Free. SFCC Fine Arts Gallery, 3410 W. Whistalks Way, Bldg. 6. sfcc.spokane.edu
LITTLE SPOKANE RIVER ARTIST STUDIO TOUR SPRING PREVIEW A showcase of 32 artists working in an array of disciplines coming together in anticipation of the Little Spokane River Artist Studio Tour in September. Wed-Fri from 11 am-5 pm through April 25. Free. KolvaSullivan Gallery, 115 S. Adams St. facebook.com/pages/Kolva-Sullivan-Gallery
MASTER OF FINE ARTS THESIS EXHIBITION A collection of work from current WSU Master of Fine Arts candidates Cameron Kester, Anna Le, Abigail Nnaji and Sara St. Clair. March 25-June 28, TueSat from 10 am-4 pm. Tues.-10 am-4 pm through June 28. Free. Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art WSU, 1535 NE Wilson Rd. museum.wsu.edu (509-335-1910)
MENTOR Ceramics instructors and their students from regional colleges and universities show their artwork together. April 4-25, Wed-Fri from 11 am-4 pm. Wed.-11 am-4 pm through April 25. Free. Trackside Studio, 115 S. Adams St. tracksidestudio.net (509 863 9904)
SPOKANE WATERCOLOR SOCIETY
JURIED SHOW A national show of traditional and contemporary original artworks sponsored annually by the Spo-
kane Watercolor Society. April 3-May 4, Tue-Sun from 10 am-5 pm. Tues.-10 am-5 pm through May 4. Free. Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture, 2316 W. First Ave. northwestmuseum.org (509-456-3931)
STRUT YOUR STUFF A 20th anniversary art show featuring work from 15 local artists focused on themes of natural heritage, the industrial legacy of sawmills and community spirit. Tue-Sun, times vary through May 23. Free. The Jacklin Arts & Cultural Center, 405 N. William St. thejacklincenter.org (208-457-8950)
DUSTIN REGUL: RIFTS & MARGINS In this exhibition, artist Dustin Regul explores the liminal spaces between established reality and undiscovered potential. Fri-Sat from noon-8 pm. through April 26. Free. Saranac Art Projects, 25 W. Main Ave. sapgallery.com
SCRAMBLE: SENIOR ART EXHIBIT Artworks by Gonzaga’s current BFA and BA candidates.Fri from 4-7 pm, Sat from 10 am-3 pm through May 3. Free. Gonzaga University Urban Arts Center, 125 S. Stevens. gonzaga.edu
DRY COLLAGE: NATURE’S REFLECTIONS Discover the art of dry collage in this hands-on workshop with Hive Artist-In-Residence, Meghan Dragon. All materials provided. April 23, 4:30-7:30 pm. Free. The Hive, 2904 E. Sprague Ave. spokanelibrary.org (509-444-5300)
WORDS
DR. ELEANOR BREEN: ALEXANDRIA ARCHAEOLOGY This talk follows the journeys of four ship hull remnants from their time at sea to their reuse as landfill, their rediscovery and ongoing preservation efforts. April 17, 6:30-8 pm. Free. Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture, 2316 W. First Ave. northwestmuseum.org
DROP IN & WRITE Aspiring writers are invited to be a part of a supportive writers’ community. Bring works in progress to share, get inspired with prompts and spend focused time writing. Thursdays from 5:30-7 pm. Free. Spark Central, 1214 W. Summit Pkwy. spark-central.org
PIVOT: KARMA Six storytellers tell eightminute tales on the theme of “karma.” April 17, 7-9 pm. By donation. Washington Cracker Co. Building, 304 W. Pacific. pivotspokane.com
ARMCHAIR TRAVELERS SERIES: SOUTHERN AFRICA Cecilia McGowan transports listeners to Southern Africa through stories of her travels in the area. April 19, 11 am-noon. Free. Shadle Library, 2111 W. Wellesley Ave. spokanelibrary.org ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEPALI BUDDHIST ART In this Asian on the Palouse Speakers Series event, art historian Swosti R. Kayastha will introduce key moments in the development of the Buddhist art of Nepal. April 21, 3:30-4:30 pm. Free. University of Idaho Student Union Building, 875 S. Line St. uidaho.edu
POETRY AFTER DARK EWU MFA students lead discussions about craft elements, style and form in poetry. Every Tuesday from 5:30-7 pm. Free. Spark Central, 1214 W. Summit Pkwy. sparkcentral.org (509-279-0299)
TEEN WRITE CLUB Teen writers are invited to get feedback on their work and explore prose and poetry. Every Tuesday from 5:30-7 pm. Free. Spark Central, 1214 W. Summit. spark-central.org
BROKEN MIC A weekly open mic reading series. Wednesdays at 6:30 pm; sign-ups at 6 pm. Free. Neato Burrito, 827 W. First Ave. bit.ly/2ZAbugD n
the beginning, in Latin
Depeche Mode lead singer Dave
Chanted syllables
5. Music download source, in the early Internet days
6. Arm muscle, familiarly 7. “Coyote vs. ___” (upcoming film that will be released after all)
8. Neighbors on a plane 9. 9-digit
We’re setting the stage for another star-studded season of outdoor concerts at BECU Live voted Spokane’s Best Live Music Venue for three years straight! Experience the face-melting metal, legendary rock, and party-starting country acts heading to Northern Quest soon. The Pepsi Outdoor Concerts return in May!
