Inlander 02/09/2023

Locally handcrafted lingerie, a sexual wellness boutique, boudoir for all bodies and more!

INSIDE

VOL. 30, NO. 18 | COVER ILLUSTRATION: SHELBY CRISWELL

COMMENT NEWS CULTURE COVER STORY

5 8 14 18

SNOWLANDER FOOD SCREEN MUSIC

26 36 40 42

EDITOR’S NOTE

Love is in the air, but from whence did it waft?

Yes, it’s Valentine’s Day, which either commemorates two martyrs of the early Christian church who gave solace to persecuted members of their faith, or stems from Lupercalia, a pagan celebration of Pan and Juno — gods of love, marriage and fertility — that took place this time of year in the city of Rome.

EVENTS I SAW YOU GREEN ZONE BULLETIN BOARD

Really, it doesn’t matter. We can thank the martyrs for fighting for inclusivity, regardless of who you were or what you believed. Or we can thank those frisky gods in the Eternal City. Or, to be more historically accurate, we can thank Chaucer, the first to tie romance to Valentine’s Day in his poem “The Parliament of Fowls,” which described how birds choose their partners in a garden “full of blossomy boughs” and sing with the “voice of angels in their harmony.”

Regardless, here we are, living in a time when we can love who we want and how we want to. That’s the theme of this year’s LOVE & SEX issue. So whether you’re coupled up, loving free or anyway you like it, celebrate love in all its manifestations.

— NICHOLAS DESHAIS, editor

LOVE THY NEIGHBORS PAGE 12

MONUMENTAL ART PAGE 14

DATE NIGHT PAGE 36

HEAD OUT PAGE 50

INLANDER

SPOKANE • EASTERN WASHINGTON

• NORTH IDAHO • INLANDER.COM

1227 WEST SUMMIT PARKWAY, SPOKANE, WA 99201 PHONE: 509-325-0634 | EMAIL: INFO@INLANDER.COM

THE INLANDER is a locally owned, independent newspaper founded on Oct. 20, 1993. Please recycle THE INLANDER after you’re done with it. One copy free per person per week; extra copies are $1 each (call x226). For ADVERTISING information, email advertising@inlander.com. To have a SUBSCRIPTION mailed to you, call x210 ($50 per year). To find one of our more than 1,000 NEWSRACKS where you can pick up a paper free every Thursday, call x226 or email frankd@ inlander.com. THE INLANDER is a member of the Association of Alternative Newsmedia and is published at least twice per month. All contents of this newspaper are protected by United States copyright law. © 2023, Inland Publications, Inc.

MARCH

APRIL

MAY

COMMENT

STAFF DIRECTORY

PHONE: 509-325-0634

Ted S. McGregor Jr. (tedm@inlander.com)

PUBLISHER

Jer McGregor (x224)

GENERAL MANAGER

EDITORIAL

Nicholas Deshais (x239) EDITOR

Chey Scott (x225)

ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR

Derek Harrison (x248)

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Seth Sommerfeld (x250)

MUSIC & SCREEN EDITOR

Samantha Wohlfeil (x234)

BREAKING NEWS EDITOR

Daniel Walters (x263)

SENIOR INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER

Madison Pearson (x218)

LISTINGS EDITOR

Nate Sanford (x282), Summer Sandstrom (x232)

STAFF WRITERS

Chris Frisella

COPY CHIEF

Young Kwak, Erick Doxey

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Ellie Rothstrom

INTERN

Elissa Ball, Josh Bell, Chase Hutchinson, Will Maupin, Hannah Mumm, Tara Roberts, Carrie Scozzaro

CONTRIBUTORS

ADVERTISING

Kristi Gotzian (x215)

ADVERTISING DIRECTOR

Carolyn Padgham (x214), Autumn Potts (x251)

SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

Tracy Menasco (x260), Claire Price (x217), Stephanie Grinols (x216)

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

Tamara McGregor (x233)

COMMUNICATION & EVENTS DIRECTOR

Kristina Smith (x223)

EVENT & SPECIAL PROJECTS MANAGER

Colleen Bell-Craig (x212), Raja Bejjani (x242)

ADVERTISING ASSISTANTS

PRODUCTION

Tom Stover (x265)

PRODUCTION MANAGER

Ali Blackwood (x228)

CREATIVE LEAD &

MARKETING MANAGER

Derrick King (x238)

SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Todd Goodner (x231)

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

OPERATIONS

Dee Ann Cook (x211)

BUSINESS MANAGER

Kristin Wagner (x210)

ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE

CIRCULATION

Frank DeCaro (x226)

CIRCULATION MANAGER

Travis Beck (x237)

CIRCULATION SUPERVISOR

WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT YOURSELF?

BRENDEN COCHRAN

I love my imagination because it gives me a really interesting world to live in. And living out altruistic values that are aimed at helping others.

EMMA MOORE

I like my ability to create things. Last night, I was procrastinating filling out my planner for the week, and then I started a pencil sketch that turned into a three-hour charcoal drawing. I love that I have hands and a brain to draw and write and make beautiful things.

KATE VACCARO

Something that I love about myself is that I can always find a way to laugh about something.

What do you love most about humans?

I like how humans get excited about things and have things that they’re passionate about. Like when somebody mentions something and their whole face lights up. Almost everyone has something that makes them light up.

EMILY MAUCH

I love how much I care about things. When I care about something, or am interested in something, I go all in. And I love how passion ate I can be about people, places and things.

RYAN OWSLEY

Is it too self-centered to say I’m kind? That’s just what everyone tells me. I’m also passionate about the things I care about, and the people I care about.

What are some things you’re passionate about?

Fiction, video games, family, friends, spending time with each of them… and coffee.

Express Thyself

New rules for writing: Communicate clearly, make it interesting, and new words are A-OK

BY TARA ROBERTS

My 11-year-old son recently reported with horror that the word “funner” has been added to the dictionary.

“What’s wrong with that?” I asked.

He gaped. “IT’S NOT A WORD.”

“Sure it is,” I said. “Little kids say it all the time. And you know exactly what it means.”

We stared at each other, aghast: I was raising a pedant, he was being raised by a ridiculous woman.

People tend to think that because I’m a writer, I must find joy in correcting people’s language and grammar.

When I was younger, I did. As I teeter toward middle age, I find myself growing more and more liberal in regards to language (along with pretty much everything else).

Some egregious errors make me twitchy — I’m still recovering from a real estate listing for a $4 million mansion that used the phrase “two Livingroom’s.” But that’s because of the wild mismatch of context and formality, not because an improper apostrophe is innately offensive.

You want to use silly acronyms in your text messages? Lol it up, friend. Add an exclamation point to the end of every sentence in an email? Go for it!!! Use “made up” words? Do what your

readers understand, irregardless of what I think. This isn’t revolutionary. Descriptivist linguists make their careers out of studying the multitude of ways people use language, rather than chiding them for not following the rules. Because it turns out the rules are wildly subjective and often arbitrary.

In fact, I blame my conversion on my experiences teaching writing.

In the first class I ever taught, part of my task was to teach Associated Press Style, a set of rules so complex that it requires an updated severalhundred-page book every year — and yet still isn’t 100 percent clear on how to do things like hyphenate “several-hundred-page book.”

I backpedaled on every lesson plan I made. How many of these students would use AP Style after college? How many hours was I willing to sacrifice to instill in them the rules governing “four dogs” vs. “4-year-old” vs. “Fourth Street” vs. “4-foot fence,” when I’d been using AP Style for 15 years and still had to look them up?

What would happen if my students thought I

Some of the new words, phrases and abbreviations added to dictionaries in the past few years.

was judging their writing by their ability to follow rules?

I’ve heard well-meaning editors and teachers lay down maxims like “delete every instance of ‘that’” (that’s absurd) and “never end a sentence with a preposition” (I’ll do it if I want to!) and “never use contractions in formal writing” (I’ll have you know it’s the year 2023 now, sir).

And I’ve met too many young writers who have tied themselves in knots trying to memorize some authority figure’s pet peeves.

I’ve realized I care a whole lot more about whether my students’ writing makes sense to the people who read it and fits the situation they’re writing for. I want them to spend their energy getting their facts right and attempting to be interesting.

I teach a few AP Style rules — enough to get students to guess when to look things up — and give a lecture that can be summarized as “No one cares how you feel about commas, they only care whether you’re using them the way they’ve paid you to.” Then we move on.

Formal systems have their place. But when we treat rules like they have inherent value, we lose the point of writing.

Take, for instance, certain folks’ handwringing over the use of “they” as a singular pronoun. The experts assure us that it’s been common since the 14th century. Some who struggle with the idea are undoubtedly unlearning rules dictated to them as children.

But others who cry “I can’t possibly say that, it’s ungrammatical!” don’t care about grammar at all. They’re using rules the way humans have always loved to, as sneaky vehicles for hiding what they’re really trying to do: mark some people as in and some people as out.

Language should be where humans are at our very best. It allows us to be silly and weird and creative and adventurous. It’s where we can experiment with a word or idea that seems bizarre at first, then spreads through communities and cultures, connecting people through the joy and magic of writing something and having someone else walk away understanding it.

“Let go of the rules,” I tell my son. “It’ll be a whole lot funner if you do.” n

Tara Roberts is a writer and educator who lives in Moscow with her husband, sons and poodle. Her novel Wild and Distant Seas is forthcoming from Norton in 2024. Follow her on Twitter @tarabethidaho.

CORRECTIONS

A recent news story (“Thin Blue Line Item,” Jan. 12) perpetrated a grave injustice when we misstated the source of funding for a virtual training simulator for the Spokane Police Department. It was the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission. We’re calling ourselves out on the carpet, but the money was still proposed to go toward new carpet at the training center.

Our cover story on student athletes (“Welcome to the Age of Student Athletes,” Jan. 12) misstated where Jermaine O’Neal and Tracy McGrady went after high school. The NIL story was an exercise in acronym ABCs, but our brains got a bit boggled by all the NBA, NCAA, GU, WSU, etc. FYI, we changed it ASAP. SOZ.

A caption for a photo in our seed bank cover story (“Defending Diversity,” Jan. 19) mislabeled what were clearly peas, if you knew what dried peas being held in a bank looked like.

A recent Green Zone column (“An Elder Issue,” Jan. 19) cited information from a University of Bath news release about a study at the university looking at increasing THC concentrations in cannabis. The news release got it wrong and so did we. That’s what happens when you pass something along of unknown strength. Things get weird.

Our recent cover on trolls (“Paying the Troll Toll,” Jan. 26) misidentified the target of slurs uttered by Marshall Smith at a 2010 event held by U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell. The racist epithets were not directed at Cantwell. Also, state Rep. Marcus Riccelli did not sue Smith, but instead pursued an anti-harassment order against him. Please bite your tongue and don’t call your lawyer.

ENVIRONMENT

THE DAMMED SNAKE

BY ANNA V. SMITH, HIGH COUNTRY NEWS

Through millennia of lava flows and erosive flooding in the Columbia Basin, a river emerged. The Snake River writhes some thousand miles from Wyoming through southern Idaho, forming the Oregon border before curving into southeast Washington, where its waters meet the Columbia River and then, eventually, the ocean. It journeys from the Rocky Mountains through the desert, punctuated by dams.

A river is not a body, but people have always seen a resemblance. It has a head(waters), veins and arteries. Salmon enter the Snake River the same as nutrients to a living being: through the mouth. After swimming miles from the Pacific Ocean to the cold home waters from which they came, they spawn and die, leaving empty-eyed carcasses bobbing at river’s edge. Studies have shown how dead salmon contribute to the abundance and diversity of a region’s birds, the richness of the soil, the greenness of a forest’s canopy.

The deep intertwining of salmon with the ecosystem beyond the riverbanks is something the Nez Perce Tribe has always known. But, partly due to the dams, “that gyre of nutrients that should be flowing back and forth is stopped,” says Shannon Wheeler, vice chairman of the Nez Perce Tribal Executive Committee.

The river is changing, its salmon stocks at the edge of extinction and drought depleting its waters — its life-

blood, as well as that of its basin’s crops. And for decades, people who care about the river and rely on it have debated removing four of the lower Snake River dams — the four that most impact the restrained waterway.

SURGICAL REMOVAL

In early 2021, Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson announced a $34 billion plan for dam removal. After interviewing hundreds of people in the region and surveying the costs, existing reports, Endangered Species Act requirements and climate change projections, Simpson, a Republican, said in a virtual presentation that “in the end, we realized there is no viable path that can allow us to keep the dams in place.”

In an act of political imagination, his proposal asked: “What if the dams came down? What compromises can community leaders make? Fears aside, what is possible?” The proposal offered answers, and it felt significant: It was comprehensive, and it came from a member of Congress.

“It had never happened before,” says Dave Johnson, manager for the Department of Fisheries Resource Management for the Nez Perce Tribe.

The Nez Perce, Yakama Nation, Shoshone-Bannock Tribes, and the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs and of the Umatilla Indian Reservation have long

seen the Snake as a living being, both in its ecological functions and through the relational act of fishing. The dams upset tribal relationships to the river and violate treaty rights by causing the loss of salmon and land and restricting tribal lifeways. So the tribes have vocally supported dam removal — and Simpson’s proposal.

The surgical removal of the four dams would rapidly and dramatically change the river. Federal agency reports estimate that breaching would take about two years, but up to seven years could pass before the river flushes out the built-up sediment behind the dams and finds a balance between sediment flow and water. Water levels would drop, with dams no longer keeping them artificially high. Connective streams would re-emerge. Salmon numbers may improve, and, eventually, the three hatchery operations run by the Nez Perce might be pared down.

Dam removal doesn’t guarantee a full recovery, though, given the turbulent ocean conditions and degraded freshwater quality. Habitat elsewhere is also involved — other bodies in a larger community are experiencing their own pains.

Still, last year the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration agreed that breaching is necessary for salmon recovery, the first time a federal agency has come to such a conclusion and an important sign of support.

Debate over the lower Snake River dams’ removal has gone on for decades. What will it take to protect the river’s health?

A $34 billion plan to remove Snake River dams, like the Little Goose Dam, would impact around 50,000 acres of farmland.

THE DAMMED SNAKE,” CONTINUED...

ENVIRONMENT A GAMBLE

In arid southeastern Washington, the Snake supports vast fields and groves of wine grapes, apples, onions, cherries and wheat. Irrigators use a system of wells and pumps that draw from the guts of the Snake to water the crops that embank it. Around 50,000 acres of farmland could be affected by the dams’ removal.

Last summer, a joint congressional-state report laid out what needs to happen before the dams can be breached: The barges that transport millions of tons of wheat so cheaply, the jewel-like fruits that rely on the river to flourish in a desert, the carbon-free hydroelectric turbines — all those benefits built upon the Snake — would need to change, or alternatives would have to be found. Wheat producers would require more highway or rail transportation, and utilities would have to build new carbon-free energy elsewhere.

As the river’s levels fall, irrigators would need to deepen wells and alter pumps to reach the lowered water table. Katie Nelson, who uses Snake River water for Kamiak Vineyards, her family’s farm, said that their 112-foot-deep wells would need to go even deeper.

Nelson’s farm could keep producing, “as long as the pressure was there and the supply reliable,” she said. “And those are two things we just don’t know.” Nelson’s father, who founded the farm in the mid-1980s, has long opposed dam removal. Katie Nelson says the farm would likely fail if the dams are removed. “It’s probably not a gamble we would want to take.” (Not all irrigated lands along the Snake are small-scale family farms like Nelson’s. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the largest landowner that uses irrigation water from Ice Harbor Dam. It has over 15,000 acres, alongside other out-of-state owners.)

Irrigators know that the Columbia River Basin, the home of the Snake, is changing. The Pacific Northwest’s unprecedented “heat dome” in summer 2021 blistered and desiccated crops, causing a 10 percent loss in yields. Last year, the Columbia-Snake

The lower Snake River dams, and the reservations and ceded lands of the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission tribes. LUNA ANNA ARCHEY/HIGH COUNTRY NEWS

River Irrigators Association proposed a compromise: drawing down two of the reservoirs to help salmon recovery while avoiding total removal. But wheat growers upriver oppose the idea, since it would cut off the barge transportation they rely on.

Removing the dams could cost up to $2 billion for breaching, revegetation and protection of previously inundated tribal sites and artifacts. Simpson’s $34 billion proposal includes plans for carbon-free energy, irrigation system adaptation and broader habitat restoration. It’s a steep price, but there is also a cost to maintaining things as they are. Keeping the dams in place for another half century will cost between $4 billion and $8 billion in dam maintenance and hatchery operations, subsidized by the federal government and taxpayers. The Bonneville Power Administration, which markets the electricity from the dams, has spent almost $25 billion over 40 years to restore endangered salmon. Aside from coho, however, the fish are closer to extinction than ever.

The debate over dam removal has created its own kind of river ecosystem: Scientists and task forces study the river’s intricacies, tribal nations and conservation groups dispute the dams in court, politicians argue over their costs and trade-offs. But underneath all that, below the wells and dams and other infrastructure, lies the river, whose health is failing. All bodies have their limits, and the Snake may soon reach its own.

Some years ago, Wheeler’s father died from heart disease. Wheeler, a Nez Perce tribal leader who has witnessed the decline of the Snake River’s ecosystem, sees a likeness between what happened to his father’s body and what’s happening to the river.

“The sediment that collects at the bottom and what it does to the flowing of your blood through your veins or the water through the system — that’s the way that I view the dams, as far as harming something that’s living,” he says. n

This article originally appeared in High Country News

Securing Spokane

A new federal agency in Spokane is protecting critical infrastructure across the region

BY NATE SANFORD

One of the youngest federal agencies is expanding to Spokane in an effort to help local governments and businesses in Eastern Washington and North Idaho protect themselves from physical and cyberattacks.

The first challenge: letting people know it exists.

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency was established under the Department of Homeland Security in 2018 amid growing concern over the threat of cyberattacks and election security. The agency has had Seattle-based staff for several years, but an increased request for services in the Inland Northwest prompted the agency to hire a Spokane-based team, who set up shop in the area in late January.

The new Spokane team is composed of Steve Neal, who handles physical security, and Dan Brown, who focuses on cybersecurity. In their first weeks on the job, the team members say they’ve been focused on meeting with local entities, building relationships, and letting people know they’re here and want to help.

CISA works with a variety of entities, including state, local and tribal governments, schools, water facilities, energy providers and the health care sector.

The main service they offer is consultations. On the physical security side of things, those consultations involve an in-person visit from Neal, who will look around the facility for weaknesses a bad actor might try to exploit. On the cyber side of things, Brown will look for vulnerabilities with tools like network scans and fake phishing campaigns.

The security analysts aren’t able to talk about specific partnerships or security incidents involving local entities, but it’s clear that the threats facing local governments and businesses are very real. Last fall, hackers crippled Whitworth University’s computer network and held student data hostage. In 2021, computer science students at Eastern Washington University narrowly prevented a Russian cyberattack on the city of Spokane Valley. A recent string of unexplained attacks on power stations across the Pacific Northwest has also underscored the physical threats facing infrastructure.

Cease & Desist

Critics of Catholic Charities’ Catalyst Project receive letters accusing them of hostile behavior

BY SAMANTHA WOHLFEIL

Go on NextDoor or Facebook, and it’s no secret that some in the West Hills neighborhood are adamantly opposed to Catholic Charities’ Catalyst Project. They worry about crime, drug use and visible homelessness. They say they want their kids to feel safe.

While the former Quality Inn on Sunset Boulevard wasn’t perfect before — nearly every room had to be treated for methamphetamine contamination when Catholic Charities bought the property — the supportive housing there now is meant to transition people into permanent housing, with resident-driven progress plans and wraparound services. More than 50 people live there, and Catholic Charities of Eastern Washington’s CEO Rob McCann says they’ve tried to address neighbors’ safety concerns and talk about their mission to help the vulnerable.

Still, tension hit a boiling point within weeks of the facility’s opening in December.

At least three vocal critics received ceaseand-desist letters and trespass notices last month, blocking them from all of the nonprofit’s properties. The letters accused them of everything from spreading false information to stalking.

BAD INTERACTIONS

Sarah Hunter, another West Hills resident who opposes the project, says she was driving her kids home when they saw fire trucks outside the Catalyst on Jan. 11.

Hunter pulled into a paved area outside the fence and called Quinn. A ladder truck was at the facility, and firefighters appeared to be checking the roof.

As captured on body camera, a member of Catholic Charities’ security team approached Hunter’s vehicle and asked if she was part of the Catalyst. She said no and that she was going to leave.

“OK, please, thank you,” he replied.

But Hunter and Quinn, who was still on the phone, both thought the man said “police.” Hunter immediately tried to clarify that he worked for Catholic Charities and wasn’t police. He said yes and asked her to leave the property. Hunter moved her car across the street and began filming. That’s when Catalyst staff member Dawn Kinder came out, told Hunter that she was being rude and that she didn’t consent to being filmed.

Hunter and Quinn posted about the interactions in a private Facebook group, where others noted that it’s legal to record from public property and that it’s illegal to impersonate an officer.

A week later, Hunter, Quinn and another critic, Davida Zinkgraf, received letters from the nonprofit’s lawyer.

CONTACT CISA

cisaregion10@cisa.dhs.org

Despite the threats, Ian Moore, who works for the agency as the state’s cybersecurity coordinator, says many entities don’t invest in security until it’s too late. Whenever he sees a story about a ransomware attack on the news, Moore says his first reaction is often: “They should have called us.” CISA isn’t a regulatory or law enforcement agency. The consultations are free, and the agency’s work with local governments and businesses is done on a voluntary basis. But CISA is small and still relatively unknown. Entities don’t always know about the agency, or are worried about sharing private information, regulatory scrutiny or spending money on security upgrades.

Neal stresses that the agency isn’t out to get people in trouble for not having proper security measures in place. The information gathered during consultations is protected from public disclosure requests and isn’t releasable to regulatory agencies, Neal says.

Neal and Brown hope establishing a presence in the Inland Northwest will improve communication and relationships across various sectors. Brown says local school districts have been an especially strong focus. Especially in rural areas, schools often lack the funding for dedicated cybersecurity staff. It’s a role Brown hopes his work with CISA can help fill.

“It’s not just the big entities, the Googles and the Apples, that have to worry about cyber stuff. It’s everybody,” Brown says. n nates@inlander.com

Matthew Daley, Catholic Charities’ lawyer, says he only sent the letters after months of issues.

For instance, when walking with McCann out of a court hearing that sought unsuccessfully to block the purchase of the property, Daley says he heard someone shout at McCann “something to the effect of, ‘You better watch your back.’” Catalyst staff cars were also reported to Crime Check as “abandoned,” he says, and needing to be towed.

In another incident, Daley says a homeless man at House of Charity introduced himself to McCann around Christmas, claiming that two women offered him a $100 gift card to move his cart of belongings to McCann’s front yard, and handed over a note card with McCann’s home address on it.

“There has been a pattern reported by staff of a smaller group … sitting in cars outside of the Catalyst Project, conducting this private surveillance,” Daley says. “The incidents that we’ve discussed have created a significant toll on Catholic Charities staff.”

But the cease-and-desist letters contained inaccuracies, say the West Hills residents who received them.

“I feel like they’re trying to bully and intimidate us,” says Christine Quinn.

The letters accused Quinn and Zinkgraf of making defamatory comments by falsely claiming the security member had identified himself as an officer. Zinkgraf says she only wrote that impersonating a cop is illegal, and she called the security team manager to make sure they knew the law.

The letter Quinn received said that her online posts could make her responsible for neighbors’ actions, including if they enter the Catalyst property. Hunter’s letter said she’d repeatedly parked outside the property and been “hostile,” and it demanded she stop “this improper stalking behavior.”

But Hunter says that’s outrageous, insisting she’s only been outside the Catalyst twice: for a protest, and for the fire response.

“The way I’ve conducted myself has been nothing but proper,” Hunter says. “They could’ve called me. There could’ve been a lot of other steps before that letter showed up to my house.”

Daley says he’s never had to send similar letters for Catholic Charities, but their actions demanded it.

“If people are not entering onto Catholic Charities property and are not conducting this inappropriate surveillance, then there’s nothing for them to be concerned about,” Daley says. n

samanthaw@inlander.com

The former Quality Inn, now the Catalyst Project. ERICK DOXEY PHOTO

City Hall for Sale

Budget troubles lead city leaders to consider fleeing downtown. Plus, the elusive Sandpoint goose and state Dems keep a lot of secrets.

The city of Spokane was already conducting a study to buy the Premera building on East Sprague Avenue and Myrtle Street and potentially relocate Spokane’s municipal and community courts there. But Monday night, the City Council discussed expanding the scope of that study: selling and moving pretty much all of Spokane City Hall to East Central. The 90-year-old art deco building — originally a Montgomery Ward store — has been used as the city headquarters since 1980, but it’s aging and underused. “Far less than half our space is used here in City Hall, so we’ve got to get it done,” City Council President Breean Beggs said at the meeting. And in the midst of a budget crisis, multiple council members agreed that the city needs to look everywhere to save money. “We will have to make some difficult decisions,” Council member Betsy Wilkerson said. Ultimately, however, the proposal to expand the study failed 3-3, but the discussion will continue. “There are good financial arguments as to why we would sell this building and move,” said Council member Jonathan Bingle, who voted against it, arguing that the city shouldn’t flee downtown as it “struggles” to regain its footing post-pandemic. (DANIEL

WALTERS)

WILD GOOSE CHASE

Those wascally geese. Sandpoint’s goose hunt at City Beach this winter ended with only one bird shot and retrieved. The hunt was authorized in an attempt to reduce the number of birds pooping all over the grassy park. Sandpoint Police Chief Corey Coon told the City Council last week that most of the mornings set aside for hunting had been exceptionally cold. While more than 100 people threw their name in the hat for the permits, and all 12 hunters on the first day had the opportunity to take a shot, Coon says only one hunter managed to kill a goose, which did not have a tagged leg. No other geese were shot on the ensuing days. By a 4-1 vote, the council approved another hunt for November this year, in hopes it’ll be more successful earlier in the season when there may still be grass attracting the geese to the park. (SAMANTHA

WOHLFEIL)

DOCTRINE OF CONCEALMENT

Washington’s public records law gives any curious citizen the right to request copies of emails, text messages and other documents produced by elected officials. But in Olympia, Senate Democrats have been using a concept called “legislative privilege” to argue that their emails are special and, no, you can’t see them. Legislative privilege is loosely defined and lacking legal precedent, but a set of documents obtained by Crosscut shows that Democratic lawmakers have been using the “doctrine of concealment” to hide their discussions about a variety of topics — including the state’s new capital gains tax and redistricting debates. But who decides which emails and texts to redact? None other than Senate Majority Leader Andy Billig, a Spokane Democrat. He told the news organization that he went though other lawmakers’ records and applied legislative privilege. The Senate has since changed its policy but, citing an ongoing lawsuit over the lawmakers’ use of the exemption, Billig said he doesn’t “want to talk about what the justification of legislative privilege is.” (NATE SANFORD) n

Get the latest on Inlander.com

Monumental Ambition

Sarah Thompson Moore’s large-scale public sculptures are leaving a mark on the Northwest in a big way

BY CARRIE SCOZZARO

Marketing materials for a unique Post Falls storage complex promote the “man cave” appeal of its individual spaces, some of them as large as 25-by-50 feet with a 14-foot roll-up door. They’re big enough to park your deluxe motorhome, boat or other luxury “toy,” but for artist Sarah Thompson Moore, the cavernous space means one thing: work.

Her current projects include a mosaic of colorful glass and rock for a huge floor mural she’ll transport to Seattle for the Alki Beach Pump Station 38 improvement project. Once installed, the mosaic will convey local topography and its historical significance to the Muckleshoot and Suquamish Tribes.

“I think I have really been pulled to public work because it’s site specific,” says Moore, a Coeur d’Alene-based visual artist who created Riverfront Park’s The Seeking Place, installed in October 2022.

“Every site is a new set of parameters, not only just physically — what you can do there — but the history of the site, the context of the place that it’s in, the people in that area.”

Inspired by both basalt columns and the sculpture’s intended location on a rise along the Howard Street Promenade, The Seeking Place features perforated metal panels, some as high as 12 feet, which Moore fabricated inside her Post Falls studio.

Metal isn’t Moore’s only area of expertise. Her cast concrete

Sarah Thompson Moore’s The Seeking Place was recently installed in Riverfront Park. YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

piece titled Ex Vetere is located on the Whitworth University campus, and she’s also working with concrete for an exhibition opening this month at North Idaho College titled “Vestiges.”

For the NIC show, she’s creating several circular, concrete forms to hang on the wall. They’re visually united by color, says Moore, who is slated to talk about her work on Tuesday, Feb. 14, from noon to 1 pm at Todd Lecture Hall.

“I want people to be able to take from them the idea of these being something that could spark some curiosity about where this object came from, or that it’s kind of a precious object [that] we don’t really know what made it,” Moore says.

Moore grew up in Oregon in a family that camped, fished and enjoyed that state’s natural abundance, but also exposed her to unconventional art forms.

“I had some opportunities [to create art] with the family sign business in Oregon, where my grandpa was a sign painter and pinstriper,” Moore says. She also remembers the giant metal birds and animals she saw on a visit to an Oregon bronze foundry where her uncle worked.

When she was 12, Moore’s family relocated to Coeur d’Alene, where she attended public school intent on pursuing art. Several mural projects — working larger was becoming a trend for her — and winning the VFW Auxiliary’s Young American Creative Patriotic Art Contest were pivotal, the latter earning her a scholarship.

“That’s how I was able to study in Italy for a little while, so that was a big deal for me at the time,” says Moore, who was impressed by its architecture, especially ancient Rome’s Pantheon and Colosseum.

In 2005, Moore returned to North Idaho and got a job at the former Cire-Perdue Casting bronze foundry in Hayden, where she worked for three years.

“At that point, I stopped school and made that my education,” says Moore, who immersed herself in casting, which involves making a mold of something (called a negative) into which is poured molten-hot metal to create the positive form — a duplicate of the original item.

In 2010, Moore interned with Montana-based ceramic artist Beth Cavener, earning her a mention in Cavener’s 2019 book, Human, and a vision of life as an artist.

“She’s the main person that inspired me as to really what a working artist looks like,” Moore says.

Moore applied to the venerable Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, America’s first art school dating to 1805.

“It was very skill-based still, and I was interested in that, but I saw that they were also sort of pushing working conceptually as well,” Moore says. “So I felt like it’d be a good balance for me, of where I came from and where I wanted to go.”

Live Lounge Entertainment

Live Music is back at Coeur d’Alene Casino!

Every weekend, you’ll find live music at the Nighthawk Lounge with local bands playing past midnight. For a more relaxed vibe earlier in the evening, choose the option of live acoustic music in the Chinook Lounge.

Ed Shaw

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 10 TH & SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11 TH 6 PM - 9:30 PM

CHINOOK LOUNGE

Ed Shaw performs outlaw hits by Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, and many more

Heather King Band

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 10 TH & SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11 TH 8:30 PM - 12:30 AM

NIGHTHAWK LOUNGE

MORE EVENTS

Visit Inlander.com for complete listings of local events.

While on the East Coast, Moore joined a fellowship program at the prestigious Art Students League called Model to Monument, which partnered with the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation to train artists in creating public artworks. Completing several large-scale works, including a Bronx-based collaborative piece titled Windtower that eventually got installed in Florida, was another pivotal experience.

That experience, says Moore, more so than selling her artwork, reinforced her sense that she was an artist.

In 2016, Moore returned to Coeur d’Alene and began building her studio practice. She’s also dreaming big, looking forward to experimenting with new materials and pushing boundaries with things she’s already worked with, like the anodized aluminum she used in The Seeking Place. She also wants to explore more architecturally inspired artwork, perhaps even a livable piece.

“Who knows?” she asks. “The sky’s the limit. I like that freedom to explore.” n

Sarah Thompson Moore: “Vestiges” • Feb. 14-March 24; open Mon-Thu from 10 am-4 pm, Fri from 10 am-2:30 pm • Free

Join us in the Nighthawk Lounge for a night with The Heather King Band, a variety dance band performing a wide range of all music genres.

1000 W. Garden Ave., Coeur d’Alene • nic.edu

North Idaho College, Boswell Hall Corner Gallery

THE BUZZ BIN

SHINING STARS

New Spokane theater group Bright Comet Theatre stages Lord of the Flies with all femme-presenting and female cast

BY SAMANTHA WOHLFEIL

With the establishment of Bright Comet Theatre in 2022, Dominique Betts, the group’s artistic director, and others hope to create performance opportunities for underrepresented groups. Their first production, Lord of the Flies, runs at the Central Library from Feb. 10-19. I caught up with Betts, 25, who’s directing the production, which has also been supported by a Spokane Arts Award Grant, for a quick Q&A. (Her responses have been edited for length and clarity.)

INLANDER: Tell me about Bright Comet Theatre.

BETTS: We are relatively new. We’re a theater comprised of younger artists, and artists who’ve been underrepresented in the theater community in Spokane. A lot of people of color, a lot of queer people, a lot of women. I’m a trans woman myself. We have a lot of artists who haven’t had as much opportunity as others in this town. It’s harder to be taken seriously when you’re young, and we wanted to create a space where they could come together and do meaningful work.

Was it hard for you in the theater scene here?

I would say it’s hard. In the Spokane theater scene you’re taught to go with whatever happens, and you’re thankful for any opportunity. You’re expected to behave a certain way, and when people don’t want to give you an opportunity you just don’t have one. I’ve been passed up for so many things for directing because I’m too young in their eyes. Even though I’m showing them my work and what I’m capable of, I’m just too young and don’t have enough experience. But I can’t get experience because no one will let me do it. We decided we were done waiting and begging for opportunities. We wanted to create a space that would uplift other young artists and not brush them off.

I understand this is going to be an all-female version of Lord of the Flies?

We wanted to explore this piece with an all femmepresenting cast. Some identify as nonbinary, but all identify as female or have in the past, or are femmepresenting. The show is typically done with an all-male cast, and we want to explore the idea of gender and what makes a society.

What kind of commentary on gender do you intend to spark by doing the show this way?

We’re performing the play as written, other than some racist dialogue (the book was written in the 1950s), so we won’t be changing any of the characters or gender. We’re playing boys and the comment we hope to make on that is gender is just kind of arbitrary when it comes down to it. Whether you’re male or female doesn’t affect how you would act if you’re stranded on an island and trying to survive.

How’d you decide on this play for your first show?

These young people are stuck in a position they can’t control, and they have to operate without the help of anyone older and take it upon themselves to create something. In this case, it doesn’t go well for them, but it’s still about trying your hardest to survive. That really resonated with me, and I think it will with a lot of people in our community who have to do what it takes to survive in life or in art.

I just hope people can come and experience an exciting story that will spark discussion. After every performance we will be having a talk-back to discuss the piece. n

Lord of the Flies • Feb. 10-19; Fri-Sat at 7:30 pm, Sun at 5 pm • $20 • Central Library • 906 W. Main Ave. • brightcomettheatre.com

MADE IN JAPAN

With rumors flying that World Wrestling Entertainment might be sold to Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (//vomit emoji), fans of grappling might be seeking some less morally objectionable alternatives. While All Elite Wrestling is a wonderfully viable American TV option (they ran their first show in Seattle earlier this year), if you’re looking for the absolute best matches in the world, you should turn to NEW JAPAN PRO WRESTLING (which can be streamed via NJPWWorld.com for $8). The promotion’s Wrestle Kingdom (their equivalent of WrestleMania) occurred at the start of January and featured a must-watch match between arguably the two best wrestlers on the planet — Kenny Omega versus Will Ospreay. With its spectacular high-flying brutality, it may already be a near lock for the best match of 2023. (SETH SOMMERFELD)

SIX IN THE CITY

In a culture that increasingly reveres youth — looking young, being trendy — it’s no wonder men and women “of a certain age” feel marginalized. But maturity matters when it comes to one’s craft, especially writing, which can and does get better with age as a new book by six Sandpoint-area women illustrates. Titled SANDPOINTED and at least 10 years in the making, it’s available at Auntie’s Bookstore. The 162-page book features Desiree Aguirre, Jackie Henrion, Sandra Lamson, Robens Napolitan, Sandra Rasor and Rhoda Sanford. The latter’s closing poem includes these lines: Give it some time, let it steep, allow the flavor to develop, the color to deepen, the aroma to blossom Never gulp it down, sip slowly, savor the taste, feel the richness. Relax into the pungent whisper of fulfillment. Now, love to your heart’s desire. May it last your lifetime. (CARRIE SCOZZARO)

THIS WEEK’S PLAYLIST

Noteworthy new music arriving in stores and online on Feb. 10.

PARAMORE, THIS IS WHY. While they’ve certainly leaned more into the pop side of their pop punk origins, acidic lyrics on new songs like “This is Why” prove Paramore is very much still in the business of misery.

BLACK BELT EAGLE SCOUT, THE LAND, THE WATER, THE SKY. On her latest LP, indie rock singer-songwriter Katherine Paul reflects on her ancestors and joy and challenges wrought by moving back to her tribal Swinomish homeland in Washington.

REBECCA BLACK, LET HER BURN. Gonna go out on a limb and say there’s a reason the pop singer is releasing this on Thursday, Feb. 11 and not the industry norm of Friday (Friday, gotta get down on Friday)... (SETH SOMMERFELD)

The cast of Bright Comet’s debut production. SKYLER MOEDER PHOTO

The Poetry of Movement

Quiero Flamenco’s next dance showcase melds traditional flamenco with contemporary choreography

BY HANNAH MUMM

There’s something intangible about flamenco, says Monica Mota.

“It lights everything on fire, and you can’t understand why,” says Mota, who founded the Spokanebased group Quiero Flamenco. “You’re crying, but you’re not sad.”

Mota was already a professional ballet and modern dancer when, at age 19, she fell in love with flamenco, a genre she describes in part as “the opposite of ballet.” While ballet emphasizes form and containment — thus requiring its dancers to make a very difficult thing look easy — flamenco emphasizes feeling.

“It’s like letting everyone know how hard it is,” she says, laughing. “Something happens and you react, there’s no hiding any of that. Our goal isn’t to look a certain way; our goal is to convey an emotion.”

Flamenco, in short, is all about having something to say and saying it.

For the past year, Mota, along with her highly cre-

dentialed volunteer team of dancers and musicians, has been working on Quiero Flamenco’s next show, “Poeta.” It’s inspired by and shares a name with a 1997 Vicente Amigo album, with much of the show’s music written by local guitarist and composer Mellad Abeid.

“Poeta” is the seventh flamenco show Mota has produced since relocating to Spokane and starting Quiero Flamenco in 2017. It’s the most ambitious show the dance group has attempted.

“It’s a contemporary show,” she explains. “Typically, in flamenco, you have a singer, guitarist and dancer, and those three elements improvise.”

But in “Poeta,” there’s also choreographed dancing, not to mention far more local dancers and musicians than productions in years past. The performance also innovates by incorporating elements of contemporary and modern dance.

“When you do something like what I do, you are pressed to stay traditional because [flamenco] is a cultural

thing,” Mota says.

The dancer believes Quiero Flamenco’s more traditional past shows were a success, which is also why she’s so motivated to try something new.

“I’ve always wanted to move more in [this] vein. I really want to do this,” she says.

Notably joining the cast for “Poeta” is the awardwinning, San Francisco-based flamenco dancer and choreographer Fanny Ara. A company member of Caminos Flamencos and a principal dancer for the New York-based Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana, Ara has performed flamenco across the U.S. and abroad for roughly two decades.

“I’m a big fan of Fanny Ara,” Mota says. “I think she’s one of the best female dancers in the country. I lucked into getting her to come!”

Not only will Ara take the stage, but she, too, choreographed some of the show’s transitions. Accompanying Ara is the accomplished composer and multi-instrumentalist Gonzalo Grau, who, among his many credits, has been nominated for a Grammy for Best Tropical Latin Album.

Mota says that, above all, Quiero Flamenco’s audience should expect “energy.”

“All of your nerve endings are on fire,” she says. “It’s pure energy, it’s all emotion.” n Quiero

Dancers Rachael Rossbach (left) and Sofie Boures rehearse “Poeta.”

Love Yourself First

Mental health experts have long championed the importance of self-love as foundational for healthy human relationships. Caring for ourselves helps us in turn care for others: friends, family, romantic partners, colleagues and even strangers. So no matter your relationship status this “season of love” surrounding St. Valentine’s eponymous holiday, remember to show yourself some, too.

Maybe that takes the form of a trip to BRAZEN, a new lifestyle boutique on North Monroe Street that caters to all genders and sexual preferences. Celebrate the power of self-expression and the physical body carrying you along life’s journey at the BOMBSHELL REVUE’S next burlesque show. No

one needs a partner to enjoy a judgment-free photoshoot with PAPER TIGER PHOTOGRAPHY’S Becca Daniels, who loves to be her client’s biggest cheerleader. If our story about her inspires you to book a boudoir photo shoot, and you need something “you” to wear (or not wear) for it, BULL STITCH SEWING can help with custom-made lingerie.

The thread uniting these four stories in this year’s “Love & Sex” issue is loud and proud: Local small businesses whose owners’ mission is to reject shame, judgment and conformity in favor of celebrating our bodies in all shapes and sizes, and the gift of loving ourselves first.

— CHEY SCOTT, Arts & Culture Editor

Stitch Appeal

The seamstress behind Bull Stitch Sewing wants everyone to feel sexy and confident wearing lingerie

BY CHEY SCOTT

Think about the last piece of lingerie you wore. Maybe you felt like a million bucks, or it itched and rubbed in all the wrong places. While some get a sensual boost of confidence, others may feel silly donning what the fashion industry has deemed the essence of intimacy. Dressing up for your partner (or yourself) can be more trouble than it’s worth.

Spokane seamstress Sarah Aga wants to change that.

As the owner of Bull Stitch Sewing, a one-woman company she runs out of her East Central Spokane home, Aga produces thoughtfully made, size- and bodyinclusive lingerie that can be anything her customers want their lingerie to be, from comfy to seductive.

Taught to sew by her grandmother when she was 8, Aga mostly dabbled with needle and thread until her daughter was born. She rediscovered the outlet, making adorable baby outfits and toddler costumes. Then, one night several years ago while lying awake in bed, she had another idea: Why not try her hand at making lingerie? It had always been hard to find high-quality pieces that fit her body type and personal style, and budget-friendly custom options were scarce.

“You cannot buy lingerie anywhere other than like Adam & Eve and Victoria’s Secret, so why don’t I try lingerie for once and see how hard it is,” Aga recalls thinking as she sits in her basement studio on a chilly January day. Four different sewing machines are set up at various work stations around her. A bright, art deco-style sunset mural she painted on one wall of a room used for client fittings lends a cheerful vibe.

“And it’s much harder than I thought,” she continues. “People think it’s easier because it’s such little fabric. But because it’s form-fitted, it takes way more time to get the pattern right, and because everyone’s body is different. I have people give me their measurements, not their size, and I make [each piece] to their measurements so it fits them.”

Aga’s lingerie pieces are characterized by her frequent use of soft, stretchy velvets in luxurious, gem-toned hues, and her mixing and matching of sheer and opaque fabrics. She often adds sequins or embroidery as embellishments, and gravitates toward fabrics with whimsical prints like moths or glittery celestial motifs.

When she initially began making panties, bralettes, bodysuits, nightgowns and other intimate pieces several years ago as a side project, Aga also worked as a nursing assistant and did alterations for a bridal shop. She left those two jobs during the pandemic to focus full time on her lingerie business, and because working at home was better for her family. (Aga still offers bridal alterations, and has even made a custom wedding gown.)

While she sews ready-made pieces in a range of sizes — from XS to 5X — to sell in limited quantity on her website, custom orders allow clients to pick everything from the fabric and trims (lace, sequins, ribbon, embroidery and more) to the exact size and style of each piece. That includes different sizes for each piece of a matching set — a size small panty and a size large bra, for example — which mainstream intimate brands usually don’t offer.

BULL STITCH SEWING

To reduce waste, Aga buys fabric in small amounts, and reuses as many of her scraps as possible for things like panty gussets and even pieced-together designs of mix-and-match fabrics, sort of like quiltmaking. All garments are made with handpicked materials that won’t dig into the wearer’s skin, rub or cause other discomfort. Aga wants her customers’ unique bodies to be emphasized naturally, too.

bullstitchsewing.bigcartel.com

Instagram: @bullstitchsewing

“I try to offer separates and always, if they’re local, I do free fittings,” she says. “They can come to my house, and I’ll fit it to their body before I actually finish it so it’s guaranteed to fit.”

Bull Stitch’s ready-to-wear lingerie ranges from $60 to $80 for a complete outfit, with customs from $80 to $120. Turnaround is generally about four weeks, but is also dependent upon whether Aga needs to purchase additional materials.

“Sometimes I only have so much fabric before it’s gone, which makes it more fun, because it’s a one-of-akind piece,” she says.

“I do more vintage styles, so like higherwaisted, no padding, and I don’t do a lot of boning or underwire,” she says. “I think it’s right to dress up your natural body because you’re going to take it off eventually, and I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable in your naked skin. I’d rather make your natural body look nice than force it into a mold.”

While many customers seek Aga out because they can’t find what they’re looking for anywhere else, she can guide anyone through the process of finding design inspiration, color palettes, fabric and finishes. And she loves funky customs, like a fur-embellished, cupless bodysuit she made for a local burlesque dancer.

“I get to be creative,” Aga says, “which is the best part.” n

Sarah Aga (above) hand makes custom lingerie (left) for her brand Bull Stitch Sewing. YOUNG KWAK PHOTOS

Bold and Brazen

A new, inclusive sexual wellness boutique on North Monroe caters to both body and brain

BY ELISSA BALL

When Brazen owner Jo Hall walked away from the adult shop world — weary of upsells and industry practices she describes as exploitative — she was determined to create a different kind of sexual wellness retail store, one for both body and mind.

The very term “adult shop” can conjure images of darkened windows, all “femme-presenting, size 2 mannequins” and walls of porn. But Hall wanted none of that for Brazen, a self-described inclusive lingerie and lifestyle boutique nestled between a yoga studio and a yarn store in the St. Cloud Building on North Monroe Street.

So far, neighboring businesses “have been absolutely fantastic,” reports Hall. It helps that Brazen’s ambiance is neither dimly lit nor secretive. Sunlight fills the tall-ceilinged boutique, bouncing off butter-yellow accent walls and brass fixtures. Parker, the neckerchief-wearing shop corgi, greets guests as they enter.

“I wanted to create a space conducive to dropping shame at the door,” Hall says. “I wanted it to be a space where anyone could walk in and feel comfortable.”

Hall notes that a major subset of the store’s demographic are LGBTQ+ and kink (the umbrella term for “nonconventional” sexual practices and fantasies, including BDSM) customers.

“Between those two communities, there’s a lot of shame they’ve had to endure,” she says.

Hall thinks one of the biggest misconceptions about

BDSM — also called pain play, power play or roleplay — is “that it’s strictly of a sexual nature. In reality, it can be about anything you want it to be. It’s just a hobby of sorts: You’re into basket weaving, I’m into flogging.”

This winter Brazen is hosting a kinky Dungeons & Dragons campaign that kicked off in late January. Hall found two dungeon masters, or DMs, to run the nights of, well, rollplay.

“There’ll be snacks too,” she promises. “I always keep snacks in the store.”

Despite its boutique title, Brazen offers thoughtfully curated products at accessible price points. Sure, there’s a $260 dance pole, but there’s also chic jewelry under $20 and affordable undies.

Inclusive lingerie means Hall stocks her shop with “comfortable, body-flattering” (think elastic, not poky underwire) intimate apparel for various sizes, genders and skin tones.

The shop’s wide array of corsetry for all genders is extensive. Fashion-forward corsets — most meant to be worn over clothing — are constructed from glittery gold fabric, holographic material, satin, faux leather, even neon pink vinyl. Stylish chest harnesses and waist chains are out on the sales floor, too, along with sexy fishnets and slick latex fetish wear.

But aside from sultry statement pieces and dance-floor-ready accessories, Brazen also carries super practical intimate items like packers and chest binders for transgender and gender-nonconforming folks, as well as reusable silicone nipple covers in a range of flesh tones that work well with binding tape or going braless. The boutique even sells reusable menstrual cups and boric acid suppositories, the latter commonly used to treat vaginal health issues.

Make no mistake, Brazen does carry a dazzling selection of pleasure devices.

A low table in the middle of the store displays unpackaged, mostly silicone models in a spectrum of colors and shapes. Fancier devices made of glass, stainless steel and even gemstone shimmer inside an upright case in a corner. Yet Hall prefers to chat with customers to find out “what will actually work for them and fit in their desire path” rather than just suggest the priciest vibrator or push Valentine’s Day merchandise.

“I’m here to celebrate sexual well-being instead of exploiting it,” Hall says.

Brazen hosts free workshops and a nonviolent communication study group. Hall also holds a monthly “shame resilience night” — led by a certified social worker and therapist — based on the Brené Brown book I Thought It Was Just Me (But It Isn’t).

BRAZEN

1510 N. Monroe St.

Open Thu-Sat 11 am-8 pm, Sun-Mon 11 am-6 pm bebrazen.shop (509-505-9853)

Oh, and Brazen’s bestselling merchandise? Books. Nonfiction “paperback education,” to be exact. Browse Brazen’s book section and you’ll find age-appropriate children’s titles like I Choose to Say No and consent-minded sex-ed literature for teens and young adults. Many of the shop’s bestselling books are part of the A Quick & Easy Guide To… series of fast reads on topics like asexuality, sex and disability, and they/them pronouns.

In addition to adult-geared books on bondage, menopause and upping one’s oral game, the shelves also house titles that dive deeper into relationship dynamics, such as Sex from Scratch: Making Your Own Relationship Rules and The Trans Partner Handbook: A Guide for When Your Partner Transitions.

“I don’t fit into the typical adult store category,” says Hall. “We don’t show special prominence to our sexual devices.”

That’s especially true of the shop’s window front. From the sidewalk, passers-by can view velvet corsets stacked on a table and stretchy lace bralettes hung on wreath-like wooden rings instead of mannequins. But window shoppers won’t immediately see “pleasure devices” — a term Hall likes because it “encompasses everything” — unless they enter the boutique.

Much like a great sexual experience, the tone of the boutique is both serious and playful. Well aware of the care required for grown-up relationships and risks involved with sex — not to mention sexuality and gender expression — Brazen lightens the mood with stickers that say, “Live, Laugh, Cum;” enamel pins that declare, “Gender is Dress Up;” and coasters that warn, “We had sex on this table.”

But the biggest laugh? Hall intentionally placed the shop’s collection of butt plugs near, wait for it, the back door. n

Jo Hall wants everyone to drop "shame at the door" when they shop her store, Brazen. ERICK DOXEY PHOTO

Boudoir for All Bodies

Spokane’s Paper Tiger Photography breaks the traditional mold to celebrate all types of people

BY SAMANTHA WOHLFEIL

Walk into an office building on First Avenue and you’d never guess that behind one of the plain black doors is a sexy photo studio featuring a large bed and an ever-rotating closet of lingerie, floggers and other kink accessories along the wall.

Here, Becca Daniels, the artist behind Paper Tiger Photography, works with people interested in taking intimate boudoir photos.

She’s taken care to create a welcoming space. A frilly, Hollywood-style pink sheer robe drapes over a room divider that people can change behind. There’s a vanity for hair and makeup, a full-length mirror against another wall, and speakers help musically set the mood.

While boudoir — literally defined as a woman’s bedroom — may conjure risqué images of women from the 1920s, or the pin-up propaganda that Uncle Sam used during World War II, the modern art form is open to everyone.

Daniels’ space is queer-friendly, and she’s passionate about working with everyone: men, women, trans or nonbinary; single, dating or married; posing with a partner, or on their own.

“Boudoir is one of the most vulnerable things you can ask somebody to do,” Daniels says. “It’s just such an honor. It’s stripping people down, quite literally — ha! — stripping people down, and then there’s nothing left to be worried about. It’s very intentional.”

cellophane and ribbons like a present. Or they might go avant-garde and pose nude with a lampshade on their head. Or, you know, they may just want to wear jeans and a tank top.

Whatever the client’s style, one of Daniels’ passions is empowering people of all body types and ages to feel beautiful.

“I try to ask you things you’re really excited about. … Like for me, I love my eyes,” Daniels says. “I don’t give a shit what your partner wants. I care so much about your partner, but for a solo boudoir we really try to break away from those things like ‘Is he a boobs or an ass guy?’”

Daniels got into boudoir about five years ago, after starting as a wedding photographer and offering “spicy” couples sessions.

“Over the years as I’ve started narrowing down what I’m passionate about and what lights my heart on fire, it really is working with couples,” Daniels says. “Boudoir isn’t just, I think, what you stereotypically hear.”

She’s loud and unapologetic about inclusion, recognizing that many people don’t regularly see glamorous photos of someone like them, and that everyone has insecurities.

PAPER TIGER PHOTOGRAPHY

“Everybody has body shit. Literally everybody — doesn’t matter their shape, their size, their age,” Daniels says. “There’s space for everybody, and I still think that largely a lot of what you see in boudoir photography is straight, White people.”

1325 W. First Ave. papertigerphotography.com

The 39-year-old photographer wants to dash the idea of certain tastes being “taboo.”

Clients may pose nude, or in lacy garments, or perhaps they want to experiment with another form of sexual expression, such as shibari — Japanese rope bondage, which is performed with the guidance of Daniels’ friend, Jake, who knows the art form and how to avoid injury.

“My landlords loved that, when I was like ‘We’re going to hang people from the ceiling and tie them up,’” Daniels says with a laugh.

Others, perhaps thinking of the photo shoot as a gift for a loved one, might literally wrap themselves in

She sees about a 60/40 split of couples and solo sessions. Only about 1 percent of those solo sessions are with men.

“I don’t think that many men get that experience or feel like they’re allowed to have that experience,” Daniels says. “I want to be able to hold space for everyone.”

Her website (PaperTigerPhotography.com) sets the tone for the two- to three-hour sessions, with her contact form saying, “Let’s f— shit up together,” and her “About Me” promising “you’ll never be able to out-awkward me.”

Laughter is a key tool. Daniels recalls the crotch snap on her outfit popping open when she did a boudoir shoot before her own wedding, giving her photographer a view she hadn’t planned on.

“I prayed for the aliens to come at that moment and, like, let my body dissolve,” Daniels says, laughing loudly. “But we got through it. And for sure we’ve had those mo-

ments in this studio, and we laugh through it.”

The work has led her to examine her own assumptions and stereotypes, and to listen to how people want to celebrate their love.

“It’s been really educational for me, too. I am learning new things all the time. … I am not, like, the master of kink,” Daniels says. “My couples and my clients — although I hate that word — have educated me and held space for me. Like, ‘Oh girl, you don’t know what a harness is? We got you.’”

Consent and open communication are key to all sessions, she says.

“If somebody isn’t comfortable, we just kind of pause,” Daniels says. “There’s so many different things that can make people feel sexy.”

From roller skates and wigs to masks and whips, the work is meant to be fun and, in a way, allow people to embrace an alter ego if they’d like to, she says.

“All of my work is so intentional, and I think this is a space where I can be the master of that experience for somebody, and that is such a joy, truly, to give to somebody,” Daniels says. n

BECCA DANIELS PHOTOS

Becca Daniels

Introducing Smart Space Studios

Full-Size Kitchen Appliances

Coffee Table Folds Out To A Family Dining Table

Wall-to-Wall

Sliding Door

Storage

Convertable Queen-Size Bed

Fold-Down Twin Beds

Totally reimagined studio homes that can accommodate most families comfortably • Makes extended stays enjoyable Innovative features include multi-use furniture & multi-purpose rooms • Outdoor deck expands living area • Studios in contemporary ski-in/ski-out residential lodge • Exclusive owner amenities include: ski locker room, fitness facility, spa pools, kitchen, BBQ, fire pits, bike storage, indoor parking • Walk or ski to Schweitzer Village

We are now taking reservations. Please contact John Calhoun, Schweitzer Real Estate, Sandpoint, ID for complete information: jcalhoun@schweitzer.com or 435-640-7757.

Inspired smart space studios—another reason why Schweitzer is as unique as its name.

Steam Shower

Sliding wall encloses multi-purpose room

Sweetheart S Sweetheartpecials S pecials

Celebrate Valentine’s Day

Tuesday, February 14th

Feeling the Fantasy

The Bombshell Revue holds space for the young, the old, the weird and everyone in between

BY MADISON PEARSON

On the corner of Monroe Street and Northwest Boulevard sits a notso-unassuming building. Its brick facade is adorned with rainbow flags, and neon lights flash in every window. It’s hard to miss Atomic Threads Boutique.

Step over the threshold, and enter a world of debauchery, camp and, most importantly, inclusivity. And it’s been that way since the beginning.

Tina Branvold, who goes by Madam Stina Rae on stage, started the boutique with the help of her husband, Mike, because she noticed a lack of size inclusivity in the local vintage and alternative clothing spheres.

“Before my gastric sleeve surgery I was always a 300-pound, size 24 person,” Tina says. “It is so much harder to find cute clothes. It’s bullshit that a clothing company can dictate what you can and cannot wear just because of your size.”

After multiple trips to Seattle and Portland in search of pin-up-style clothing that would fit her, Tina could only find clothes that went up to a size 16.

“That’s where it started,” she says. “I felt like garbage about myself, so I wanted to help others feel less garbage about themselves.”

In 2017, the couple purchased $2,500 worth of size-inclusive burlesque, vintage and pin-upstyle clothing, and started running what would become Atomic Threads out of their basement. Two years later, they opened a small retail space next to a Baskin-Robbins and then, in June 2021, everything aligned. Tina and Mike secured a spacious spot in the Boulevard Building, and Tina’s love for all things burlesque

began growing by the minute.

Though the duo had organized one-off burlesque shows at various local venues since the boutique’s inception, Tina’s dream was to curate her own troupe and have a space to perform that was their very own, where acceptance and inclusivity were of the utmost importance. Mike built a stage in the corner, and the Bombshell Revue was born in all of its glittery glory.

Members of Atomic Threads’ burlesque troupe range in ages, from 18 to 51, and a slew of body types are represented on the Nightingale Stage. From thin to curvy, tall to short, the Branvolds make space for anyone who wants to perform.

Backstage, Mike handles the technical aspects, though he’s recently stepped out from behind the curtain to gain more experience hosting and performing.

“I’m really cheese-tastic out there,” Mike says. “Being on stage by myself is a newer thing for me. My mind just goes blank, I’m terrified.”

All of that nervous energy gets channeled into his performances — it isn’t Mike Branvold on that stage, it’s Mister Stina Rae.

Atomic Threads’ stage is covered in sequins and glitter, some intentionally placed while others are just a remnant of past sultry performances. Shows are usually themed, but that doesn’t mean troupe members are limited. From drag kings in Speedos to screaming performers in feathered body suits, Tina and Mike have practically seen it all.

The couple want all performers who step onto their stage, and every audience member, to feel the same way they felt the first time they

“When you look at it objectively across the board, burlesque caters to a very specific type of person,” she says. “The people participating in typical shows are of a certain age, of a certain gender and of a very specific aesthetic. There’s nothing wrong with that, but there are a lot of people that want to see themselves onstage and have a chance to be up there.”

THE BOMBSHELL REVUE PRESENTS: NEVERMORE

Sat, Feb. 11 at 8 pm; $25/general, $35/VIP Atomic Threads Boutique, 1905 N. Monroe St. facebook.com/thebombshellrevuepresents

The Bombshell Revue has a core group of artists who perform in almost every show, but also accepts applications from new talent so as to show off as many new faces as possible.

Nora Jean Willette, a regular performer and

also Atomic Threads’s sole employee, has found comfort performing on the boutique’s stage.

Willette first worked with the Bombshell Revue as a stagehand, or what the troupe refers to as a “kitten,” for a 2019 show at The Pin. When COVID hit and gatherings halted, Willette decided to fully immerse themselves in the world of drag.

“When I’m performing as Duck E. Loveless, I’m bitey,” Willette says. “Off stage, I’m nervous and a bit shy. I get to kind of protect myself through my character. It’s an outlet for me to express whatever feelings I want without holding back.”

Willette has performed as Duck in many of the Bombshell Revue’s shows and will be in attendance at the Revue’s upcoming romantic goth cabaret show, “Nevermore.” Each act is influenced by the romantic era of literature, siphoning inspiration from the works of Edgar Allan Poe and Mary Shelley.

“We’ve been those weirdos without a space,” Tina says. “Now it’s our job to make sure that everybody has somewhere to simply exist in their truest, most authentic form.” n

Performers of the Bombshell Revue with Atomic Threadz owner Tina Branvold (back row center, pink hair). ERICK DOXEY PHOTO emerged into the spotlight — free to be themselves without reservation.

HOT DOG ...THE REAL STORY

The story might as well start at midnight, at the Truckee, California, Greyhound station, in the winter of 1982-83.

It’s a blinding snowstorm, and there’s Lynne Wieland, 19, fresh off the bus from Killington, Vermont, standing all alone.

“I was a competitive freestyle skier growing up in Vermont in the late ’70s,” Lynne recalls now. “I moved to Squaw Valley to chase my ski dream. My dad bought me a one-way ticket to San Francisco, and from there I took a Greyhound bus up to where Robbie was going to meet me.”

That would be Robbie Huntoon, a longtime Wieland family friend who happened to be the ski coach she wanted to train under so badly she would move all the way from the East Coast.

“The bus dropped me off at midnight during a blinding snowstorm. I got off with my skis and clothing bag, and there’s no Robbie,” she says. “We had no cellphones back then, and this young 19-year-old is getting nervous. A half-hour goes by, and I’m really starting to worry. Finally in the distance I saw headlights approaching through the snowstorm. It was Robbie in his Volkswagen.”

A couple months later, Lynne Wieland would be cast with a speaking part in a movie — even better, as a character known as “Banana Pants.” Such was the serendipity of the crazy days of February through May 1983, when Hollywood dropped in.

FROM TOP RAMEN TO TOP BILLING

Just like Lynne, my high school skiing buddy Dan Herby and I had moved from Coeur d’Alene to Tahoe the year prior in hopes of becoming better at the growing sport of freestyle skiing. The Valley had this bad-ass reputation, and it also had a freestyle ski team with some of the best coaches in the nation. Our dream was to make the U.S. Freestyle Ski Team.

The team was being directed by Kevin Wightman, who had a few other coaches under his direction. One of them was Robbie Huntoon. Both had some impressive credentials from their competition days.

It didn’t take long for Lynne to get ingrained into our group of mogul skiing friends, skiing daily and striking up a tight relationship we have to this day.

It was mid-February 1983 — exactly 40 years ago — when our coach Kevin told us that he was contacted by a film production crew that was going to be filming a movie at the resort revolving around freestyle skiing. They were looking for some freestyle skiers to be stunt doubles and possibly to act. They were calling it Hot Dog

“For a couple of starving freestyle competitors who were short on cash and living off Top Ramen, this sounded really good,” Dan recalls.

A bunch of us met up at some trailers that were recently placed by the old Olympic skating arena for what they call in the movie industry a cattle call. Kevin introduced us to Bill Dance, the casting director, and Max Kleven, the stunt coordinator. Our tight-knit crew fared pretty well.

Coach Robbie Huntoon was cast as the lead’s main skiing stunt double. In the movie, Harkin Banks (played by Patrick Houser) was a young Idaho farm boy from Bonners Ferry (really!) who was also an ace at skiing. Just like Lynne Wieland in real life, he was coming to Tahoe to find fame and fortune as a freestyle skier.

Forty years ago this month, I was a stunt double in the making of what would become a ski cult classic

BY BOB LEGASA

Dan Herby was cast to do the skiing for Squirrel Murphy (played by Frank Koppala) during the ballet segment, and as filming went on he did some doubling as Harkin Banks as well. I was selected to be the main skiing stunt double for wisecracker Dan O’Callahan (played by David Naughton from American Werewolf in London and those early ’80s Dr. Pepper ads… “I’m a Pepper, you’re a Pepper…”). A few of our friends ended up getting actual acting jobs: George Theobald was cast as the punk rock skier Slasher, along with Lynne Wieland as Michelle, one of the Rat Pack.

Lynne’s role changed before they even started filming, she recalls.

“Robbie encouraged the powers that be to first watch me ski before things really got started,” she says. “So I ended up with the part as Michelle, aka Banana Pants. The name Banana Pants was never in the script. The first time it was mentioned is the scene in the Tram building, where we all walked up. I happened to be wearing yellow pants, and David Naughton ad-libbed, ‘This is Banana Pants.’”

SKI BUMS CAN ACT, TOO

Other locals got some great acting jobs as well, like Marc Vance who had just barely moved to the area (more on him in a minute), and longtime Squaw Valley icon Debbie Dutton (they still call her “Hot Dog Debbie”).

“Max Klevens, the stunt coordinator, was a longtime family friend,” Debbie recalls. “Max thought I would be a good ski double for Playboy Playmate Shannon Tweed, who was the lead. And I could also be one of the Rudettes on the German team.”

Debbie was busy throughout the entire project, in front of the camera constantly. In one of her favorite scenes, the broomball game between the Rat Pack and the Rudettes, “I ended up punching David Naughton, who turns out to be my future ex-husband after the filming.”

Now back to Marc Vance, whose story is one of the classic ski bum tales of all time.

“I never heard about auditions per se,” Marc recalls now. “I got off a crab boat in Alaska and was flat broke — it was a bad season. I walked into a [Tahoe area] restaurant asking for a job. Their first reaction to the question was ‘NO.’ Then a guy yells out, ‘Will he do dishes?’

“So the next morning (day one), I was the dishwasher. Day two I was dishwashing, but the eggs were cooking and starting to overcook, so I flipped the eggs for the cook… who immediately yelled, ‘Who the f— flipped my eggs!’ Day three I was the breakfast cook.

“Every afternoon, I was skiing and flashing lines down the resort having fun. I was also mimicking the ski school director Hans Standteiner and another instructor, Hubie, with their Austrian accents every day in the cafeteria.

“So on day four at breakfast, Hans asks me if I could teach skiing and help out in the afternoon as a ski instructor. Sure I can. (Day five.) So I gave lessons in an Austrian accent to play with people’s mind while teaching skiing. Day six: Casting director for Hot Dog came to talk to Hans and Hubie about the movie and playing Heinz, but he realized they were too old for the part. So he asked them, ‘Do you know any other Austrians in the area?’ They pointed at me and told him I taught skiing with an accent. Bam, I was reading for the part, and with a quick ski audition on the hill, I got it.

...continued on next page

Marc Vance: From dishwasher to hot dogger.

“I went from broke to a dishwasher to the movie Hot Dog in one week.”

HONDOS AND HANGOVERS

When Hot Dog came along, it was a huge economic boost for the community. The dozens of extras being used daily were getting paid $100 cash at the end of each day; production crews and stunt doubles got paid every Friday.

“This was the ’80s in their prime,” remembers stunt double Bob Vogel, “and the amount of debauchery that went on was crazy — actors and extras coming into makeup at 6 am, straight from partying all night was something else.”

The movie had a few legendary party scenes, like the wet T-shirt contest and the party at the mansion on the lake. Those were always shot from sundown to sunup, and you’d hear about all the craziness on the set over the next few days from the actors and extras.

On the hill, filming was usually an all-day event, with lots of standing around waiting for your scene. There were definitely a few days that really stick out in my mind.

Most memorable was watching Robbie Huntoon blast through the second story plate-glass window with skis in the Chinese Downhill scene that closes the movie, and the ski through all the picnic tables was pretty spectacular. Robbie told me that the woman who was opening the door so he could ski through it at 30 mph barely got it open in time. He thought he was going to ski straight into a wall.

Being in the Chinese Downhill scene had numerous sketchy, adrenaline-filled scary times. My buddy Bob Vogel was standing a few people away from me at

the start of that scene. Vogel, who goes by the initials BV, did the aerial stunt work as O’Callhan and he also skied the mogul scene as Kendo, the Japanese skier.

“Like everybody,” BV recalls, “I wanted in on that so bad! It was super fun and more than a bit scary. I recall all of us being lined up on the cornice being well aware that the landing was really firm, so instead of soft powder that would slow us down, the firm snow would be like hitting the afterburner.

“Looking down the hill, it also became clear that there was only enough room at the bottom of the bowl for less than half of the skiers standing on the cornice, meaning you had four options: be out in front; hit the brakes; bump the guy next to you out of place; or take your chances going through the trees at 60.

“This hit home with more than a few of the skiers at the start. One of them yelled they wanted more money. Max Klevens, the stunt coordinator, yelled back, ‘I’m in my mid-50s, and I have no problem doing this myself, if you don’t like it, you’re free to leave.’ Nobody backed off. When the start gun went off, it was exciting and crazy being in the air with around 80 other people. The acceleration when we hit was off the charts, and trying to make it through the clear section at the bottom of the bowl is still one of the biggest adrenaline rushes of my life.”

Another is when we shot the opening skiing scenes where the Rat Pack is tearing up the mountain while “When You Were Mine” by Mitch Ryder (covering the Prince original) is playing on the soundtrack. We were skiing powder and dropping cliffs. Most of us were severely hung over, as it was shot on May 2, the morning after the wrap party, which was one for the books.

I recall a second unit production assistant going around the party telling each of the stunt doubles that we were shooting the opening freeskiing scenes and aerial jumps in the morning — 6 am call time for makeup. Oh no. Time to try to sober up. Fast.

...continued on page 30

Lynne Wieland (left), Bob Legasa and Debbie Dutton at the 30th Reunion.

MOUNTAIN PEOPLE

Thank goodness we weren’t the only ones late that morning. The hungover casualties rolling into makeup was a classic scene. With little or no sleep, this day will always be remembered for how brutally tough it was to get going after the party. But once the day was over, the magic that happened made up for it.

While Robbie, Lynne, George and I were out skiing fresh powder for the opening scenes, BV was over at the jump hill, helping shovel out the jump sight.

“We finally got it ready with about 15 minutes of usable light, meaning no time for warm-up jumps,” says BV. “Even worse, no stopping if your speed was off because this was shot on film in super-slow motion, meaning every second was burning through hundreds of dollars of film.”

Despite the foggy head from the night before and the lack of practice that morning, BV managed to nail one of the best looking jumps in the movie, a perfect double back layout.

WAIT… IT’S A CLASSIC NOW?

Before we knew it, the makeup and production trailers we had spent the past two months in were gone. Just like that, it was over. For most of us, after filming we returned to our normal lives. Herby and I returned to Coeur d’Alene; Marc Vance went back to a boat in Alaska for salmon season.

A year later, when the movie hit the silver screen in 1984, Herby had to make amends with his grandmother

“I thought it would be all about the skiing,” Herby recalls, “so I excitedly called my grandmother. She called me after seeing it and was appalled, calling it a ‘porno.’”

For sure it is raunchy and inappropriate, in the way

’80s comedies excelled at. But even the New York Times gave it a sort-of thumbs up, as “less moronic than it might have been.”

I didn’t hear much about Hot Dog in the year after it was released. A little more than 10 years went by, and I start seeing it on HBO and hearing skiers still talking about and using some of the iconic lines from the movie all the time. That kind of interaction always puts a smile on my face.

Twenty years go by, and the resort hosts a 20-year reunion party with a surprisingly strong attendance. Chris Ernst, more recognizable as Uncle E the ski commentator for the X-Games and Winter Olympics, was one of the guys responsible for putting on that first reunion. I asked Uncle E how the movie impacted his

life: “It made my life what it is! PERIOD, END OF QUOTE!”

Hot Dog helped put the resort now known as Palisades Tahoe on the map. There are hundreds of skiers who moved there chasing a dream because of it.

“I rented it on a sweltering hot day in Louisiana,” remembers Matt Reardon, who grew up far from the mountains down in the Bayou. “We wanted to watch something cold with snow and came across this movie and rented it from Blockbuster, watched it on a VCR at my buddy Dean Elston’s. It permanently changed my life.”

Reardon moved out to Tahoe almost 20 years ago and has made Palisades his home mountain; 10 years ago he organized the 30th Hot Dog Reunion.

Herby, Lynne, myself and a few of our friends made a memorable road trip down for the 30th. The three of us were somewhat oblivious to the monumental impact it had made on the resort and its locals. To be perfectly frank, we were blown away at how this had become such a cult movie.

At the 30th, some of the actors like John Patrick Reger (who played the villain Rudy), David Naughton, James Saito (who played Kendo), Frank Koppola, Debbie Dutton, Marc Vance (who left fishing and went on to a career in the film business), George Theobald (who still lives in the Tahoe area) and Mike Marvin (who wrote the movie) were all there for this huge party at the Olympic Village Inn.

There were about a thousand people in attendance, most everyone wearing ’80s ski gear. When the movie played on the big screen, it was like watching the Rocky Horror Picture Show — everyone knew all the lines, booed

“HOT DOG ...THE REAL STORY,” CONTINUED...

Bob Vogel doing the ski moves for the character Kendo. BOB LEGASA PHOTO

A CELEBRATION OF BACKCOUNTRY EXPLORATION

when the Ruddettes skied together and cheered beyond belief when Squirrel boarded the gondola.

With just a $2 million budget, Hot Dog was released in January 1984; somehow it opened at No. 2 behind Terms of Endearment and grossed more than $20 million.

With the 40th Reunion scheduled for April 2024, I plan on being there and embracing the moment. I was involved with something special in my ski career. So, to quote Dan O’Callahan, until next April, “You can kiss my ass. Not on this side. Not on that side. But right in ze mittle!” n

Bob Legasa has been a Snowlander contributor to the Inlander since 1994. He’s also a Hayden-based independent videographer, TV producer and snowsports event promoter with his Freeride Media company.

John Patrick Reger signs the 30th anniversary shotski. BOB LEGASA PHOTO

PACIFIC 8 HOCKEY CONFERENCE

Eight hockey teams complete to be the PAC8 conference championship. Feb. 9-12. $10-$35. Eastern Washington University, 526 Fifth St. ewuacha.com

SPOKANE NORDIC SKI-A-THON

All February long, skiers self-report their kilometers skied and rack up donations. Earn prizes for reaching certain milestones. Through Feb. 28. Free. spokanenordic.org

LADIES DAY CLINIC

This clinic is led by the best instructors on the mountain. The day begins with coffee and stretching followed by ski instruction, lunch and a social hour. Feb. 10 and March

specials. Fri from 3-9 pm through Feb. 24. $36. Mt. Spokane Ski & Snowboard Park, 29500 N. Mt. Spokane Park Dr. mtspokane.com (509-238-2220)

SNOWSHOE MOUNT SPOKANE

Learn the basics of snowshoeing during a guided hike. Fee includes snowshoes, poles, trail fees, instruction, guides and transportation. Meet at Yoke’s in Mead. Feb. 12, Feb. 20 and March 18, 9 am-1 pm. $39. Mt. Spokane State Park, 26107 N. Mt. Spokane Park Dr. spokanerec. org (509-755-2489)

WOMEN’S CLINIC SERIES

A safe and supportive environment for all ability levels of skiers and snowboarders to develop new skills

Lift ticket or pass required. Feb. 12, 1-3 pm. $69. 49 Degrees North, 3311 Flowery Trail Rd. ski49n.com (509935-6649)

GONE TO THE DOGS/SKIJOR DAYS

Bring your dogs to the mountain and let them run around on the lower trail system. All dogs must be accompanied by a human with a pass or lift ticket. Feb. 17 and March 25, 9 am-3:30 pm. $5-$82. 49 Degrees North, 3311 Flowery Trail Rd. ski49n.com (509935-6649)

SNOWSHOE & BREWS

A 2-3 mile snowshoe tour through the woods of Mount Spokane State Park. Afterward, head to Big Barn Brewery. Fee includes snowshoes, poles, trail fees, instruction, guides and transportation. Feb. 18 and March 5 from 9 am-2:30 pm. $47. spokanerec.org (509-755-2489)

SNOWSHOE HEADLAMP HIKE

Hike through the forested trails of Mount Spokane with a headlamp to light your way. Fee includes snowshoes, poles, headlamps, instruction, guides and transportation. Meet at Yoke’s in Mead. Feb. 24, 12-9:30 pm. $31. Mt. Spokane State Park, 26107 N. Mt. Spokane Park Dr. spokanerec.org (509-755-2489)

VANDALS ALUM SKI WEEKEND

Ski or snowboard surrounded by University of Idaho alumni. Wear Vandals logos, colors or your favorite jersey. Feb. 24 and 25, 9 am-4 pm. $55-$73. Lookout Pass, I-90 Exit 0. skilookout.com (208-744-1301)

FAMILY NORDIC WEEKENDS

On select weekends, kids under 18 get free trail passes and equipment rentals when accompanied by a parent/guardian. Jan. 21-22, Feb. 25-26 and March 18-19. 49 Degrees North, 3311 Flowery Trail Rd. ski49.com (509-935-6649)

PACIFIC NW NATIONAL

WIFE CARRYING COMPETITION

Carry your spouse across snowy terrain and win their weight in cash. Must have a lift ticket or season pass to participate. Feb. 25, 2 pm. Lookout Pass, I-90 Exit 0. skilookout.com (208-744-1301)

SAMUEL ADAMS AIR & APRÈS

The slopes become an immersive 3-D storytelling visual experience projected directly onto the mountain while pro skiers and riders throw down. After the main event, enjoy music, fireworks and an after party to close out the day. Feb. 25, 9 am-3:30 pm. Free. Schweitzer, 10,000 Schweitzer Mountain Rd. schweitzer.com (208-263-9555)

...continued on next page

Lookout Pass has always had the best powder—and this year there are 500 new acres of it. Our new Eagle Peak expansion means fresh terrain, 14 new runs, and a second quad chairli t. It’s an a ordable family and friends ski day that’s easy to reach via I-90.

SORTA NATURAL BANKED SLALOM

This ninth annual binding-free slalom is hosted by Boyd Hill Snowskates and is held in the Rolling Thunder Natural Terrain Park. The course layout is a natural banked slalom. Runs will be timed on a technical banked course, challenging riders to carry speed from top to bottom. Discounted lift ticket prices TBD. March 4, 10 am. Lookout Pass Ski & Recreation Area, I-90 Exit 0. skilookout.com (208-744-1301)

STATE LAND FREE DAYS

The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission invites visitors to enjoy a state park for free on select days each year. Visitors are not required to display the Discover Pass for day-use visits to a Washington state park or on lands managed by the Washington DNR or Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) on March 9, March 19, and more dates throughout the year. Free. parks.wa.gov

SUNSET SNOWSHOE TOUR MOUNT SPOKANE

Hike up to Bald Knob campground during sunset. Fee includes snowshoes, poles, instruction, guides, and transportation! Meet at Yoke’s Fresh Market in Mead. March 12, 4:30-8:30 pm. $33. Mt. Spokane State Park, 26107 N. Mt. Spokane Park Dr. spokanerec.org (509-755-2489)

TOYOTA SKI FREE DAY

If you drive a Toyota, Lexus or Scion, receive a free lift ticket to Lookout Pass for one full day. You must drive the vehicle to the area and bring your registration. Limit is one free ticket per vehicle. March 24. Free. Lookout Pass Ski & Recreation Area, I-90 Exit 0. skilookout.com (208-744-1301)

2400 FEET OF SCHWEITZER

The nation’s longest Giant Slalom race that takes place before Schweitzer opens to the public. The event also serves as a fundraiser for 24 Hours For Hank, a foundation that raises money for cystinosis. March 25, 4-7 pm. $80-$125. Schweitzer, 10,000 Schweitzer Mountain Rd. schweitzer. com (208-263-9555) n

DINING

ALPHABET CITY

A couple who recently moved to Spokane resolve to explore the region’s restaurants, from A to Z

What happens in Vegas doesn’t always stay there. When Tricia and Randy Pinola relocated from the Southwest to Spokane two years ago, they brought along memories of dining adventures in what is arguably one of the most dense restaurant regions in the country — close to 3,000 in all.

“You just get so used to going to the same places over and over, and we lived in this amazing city with so many restaurants,” Tricia Pinola says. “And we’re like, all right, so when we go out to dinner, we’re going to a new place each time. And that was our way for the year.”

Although dining options in Spokane and the sur-

BY CARRIE SCOZZARO

rounding area aren’t quite as prolific, there’s plenty for the couple to choose from should they want to employ a similar tactic getting to know their new home in Spokane.

And they did, but where to start? The internet, of course, including Yelp and social media.

“Somebody just posted, ‘We’re doing the alphabet of restaurants,’” says Pinola, adding that it might also have been that the post mentioned a certain letter or place in the alphabet. “And I was like, that’s a really good idea.”

After retiring from the military in April 2022, Tricia and husband Randy decided to do the same in Spokane as their New Year’s resolution, effective January 2023.

As they were making their list, they were having difficulty coming up with places for the end of the alphabet, says Pinola, who again turned to social media.

Responses to her post highlighted some of the best parts about social media, namely getting nearly instant feedback and creating community. Additional suggestions poured in, like Zola, Zelia’s Cheese Steaks & Subs, Zullee Mediterranean Grill, Zeeks Pizza, and Zona Blanca for Z.

That helped round out their list, she says, noting that options included both food trucks and fine dining, but also places in and around Spokane and Coeur d’Alene.

...continued on page 38

Tricia and Randy Pinola kick off their A to Z dining challenge at Ambrosia Bistro. ERICK DOXEY PHOTO

MORE TASTY DATE NIGHT SUGGESTIONS “ALPHABET CITY,” CONTINUED...

“Some of them [on our list] have multiple places, so that if we’re, you know, in a mood for something particular, we can do that, but we’re gonna do it in order,” starting with the letter A, Pinola says.

Initially, the A list of possibilities included Avocado Roll Sushi and Aloha Island Grill, while B options included the Backyard Public House, Birrieria Tijuana, Browne’s Bistro, Baba, Boiada Brazilian Steakhouse, and Beverly’s in Coeur d’Alene. They eventually decided on Ambrosia Bistro & Wine Bar in Spokane Valley and Baba in Kendall Yards.

But for the letter C, which the couple figured would fall on Valentine’s Day, there was only one choice: Churchill’s Steakhouse.

“Everybody raves about it,” Pinola says.

“We came here to visit before we moved here, and we tried to go there, and we didn’t know anything about it,” Pinola says. They were just walking downtown, saw the sign and thought it auspicious since her boss’ last name is Churchill, she says.

“And of course, we didn’t have a reservation, so we couldn’t go,” Pinola says, adding that they made sure to do that for Valentine’s Day.

The list has changed since Pinola posted it on social media, partially through our interview. When she realized that the Inlander maintains a database of restaurant listings — 1,000 and counting — searchable by such features as “vegetarian” or “full bar” or “patio dining,” she refined their alphabetic adventure into the region’s food scene even more.

“I think our list is going to be a living document,” Pinola says. n

Looking for a special night out for Valentine’s Day? Here’s just a sampling of what’s happening around the region.

Learn some new moves at ROUGE LA RUE’S onehour burlesque show Feb. 14 at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $75 each and include a three-course dinner provided by Prohibition Gastropub. facebook.com/prohibition.gastropub.spokane1

It’s you and your plus-one at THE COEUR D’ALENE RESORT for an extravagant four-course meal with shared appetizer and dessert for $70 each (add $30 each if you want wine). Make reservations for Feb. 10, 11 or 14 for an elegant evening overlooking the lake. beverlyscda.com

If you’d rather be on the water than overlooking it, book a LOVE ON THE LAKE brunch or dinner lake cruise on Feb. 10, 11 or 14. Prices start at $147.50 per couple and include a private table, champagne for those 21-and-older and a gourmet buffet meal. cdacruises.com/ love-on-the-lake

You’re gonna love the four-course dinner at ORLANDO’S, the student-run restaurant at Spokane Community College. Three seatings are available on Feb. 14 and 15 at 5:30, 6 and 6:30 pm. Dinner is just $50 each ($65 if you want wine). Call 509-533-7283 to reserve.

If you’ve been missing the talented CJ Callahan, the Spokane chef is preparing an apple-centric five-course meal hosted by ONE TREE CIDER on Feb. 14 and 15, also featuring live music. Tickets are $100 each ($125 to add cider). onetreehardcider.com/v-day

Inspired by the movie Serendipity, NORTHERN QUEST RESORT & CASINO is hosting a Serendipity dinner, at 6 pm on Feb. 14 inside its sparkling and sophisticated Highball Speakeasy. Tickets are $100 each and include a champagne toast, live jazz music and a five-

course meal inspired by the movie’s location: New York City. bit.ly/3wfuSlH

Does your heart melt … at the thought of fondue? THE MELTING POT is promoting its four-course experience for couples from Feb. 11 to 14. For $120 you and your plus-one get both a cheese and dessert fondue, plus salad and choice of entrée. meltingpot.com/spokane-wa

Sommelier Annie Kelly is putting the cute in charcuterie with a PAL-entine’s day event on Feb. 14 from 6-8 pm at RUBY RIVER HOTEL. Learn about selecting cheeses and wine, cutting techniques, and styling tips as you enjoy a glass of wine and light snacks. The board is included in the ticket price of $95 each or $145 for a shared board. rubyriverhotelspokane.com

Studies show that couples who learn new things together form stronger bonds. Learn about classic cocktails on Feb. 11, from 4-6 pm at TAVOLÀTA. Tickets are $75 per person and include cocktail samples and snacks from the kitchen team. ethanstowellrestaurants.com

— CARRIE SCOZZARO

The Melting Pot offers its Valentine special Feb. 11-14.

YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

THE TERMINAL MAN

BY JOSH BELL

At first glance, Oscar nominee Bill Nighy’s character in Living might seem like the movie’s villain. Living begins not with Nighy’s fastidious bureaucrat Mr. Williams, but with one of his underlings, Mr. Wakeling (Alex Sharp), who’s upbeat and eager on his first day working for London’s public works department in 1953. Wakeling’s co-workers immediately disabuse him of any notions of making a difference in the lives of his fellow citizens. The purpose of public works, it seems, is to avoid accomplishing anything, and the chief obstacle to progress is Mr. Williams.

But Williams is about to have an Ebenezer Scrooge-like awakening, once he learns that he’s suffering from terminal cancer and has only a few months left to live. Suddenly the dull, respectable life he’s built for himself thanks to decades of government service seems especially meaningless, and he finds himself drifting through his days, not even bothering to return to the office. As Wakeling and the rest of Williams’ staff wonder what happened to him, he attempts to grasp onto whatever life he has left.

He withdraws half of his life savings and heads to a seaside resort town, where he carouses with a hedonist (Tom Burke) he meets in a café. Back in London, he strikes up a friendship with the vivacious young Miss Harris (Aimee Lou Wood), whose cheerful attitude was always out of place at public works. Williams’ equally dour son and daughter-in-law are scandalized by what they think is his affair with a younger woman, but he sees Miss Harris as someone to admire and learn from, not as a sexual object.

Still, even her bright presence can’t bring purpose to his existence, and it’s only when he finally returns to work that Williams starts truly living. He makes it his personal mission to aid a group of women who want to turn a damaged urban area into a small children’s playground. They’ve been getting the runaround from public works and every other department, and Williams plucks

their file from a giant pile and sets about doing whatever it takes to make their project a reality.

Although Living is a remake of Akira Kurosawa’s 1952 Japanese film Ikiru, it captures a distinctly British reserve, in a post-World War II era of rigid, dutiful politeness. The men all wear identical suits and hats, and everyone scrupulously follows social protocol (Williams’ first name might as well be “Mister”). When Williams gets the news of his condition, his only response is, “Quite.” Even as he barrels through his fellow bureaucrats to untangle the byzantine approval process for the park, he does so with quiet forcefulness rather than brash insistence.

ALSO OPENING CONSECRATION

After her priest brother’s suspicious and brutal death, Grace (Jena Malone) travels to the Scottish convent to seek answers. Once there, she uncovers twisted spiritual horrors. Rated R At Regal Northtown Mall

GEOGRAPHIES OF SOLITUDE

LIVING

Rated PG-13

Nighy, who’s played plenty of outlandish characters, brings that same quiet forcefulness to his performance, conveying Williams’ internal transformation with minimal fuss. He’s balanced by Wood as the gregarious Miss Harris, who exudes positivity and warmth. Living follows the broad plot outline of Ikiru, but it’s gentler and more optimistic. Screenwriter Kazuo Ishiguro (also Oscar-nominated) streamlines the story, and director Oliver Hermanus evokes the time period via warm, vibrant colors, a constrained aspect ratio, and a lush vintage-style score by Emilie Levienaise-Farrouch. It’s charmingly old-fashioned, like it could have been made in the same era it’s set in.

The filmmakers avoid the story’s potential for cheap sentiment, exhibiting the same tasteful restraint as their characters. They don’t dwell on Williams’ demise, and they opt for humble reflection over easy victories. Despite its potentially morbid subject matter, Living is a lovely, tender story about the value of human connection and the power of small gestures of kindness. n

A poetic reflection on environmentalism and isolation, this documentary quietly chronicles naturalist Zoe Lucas who lives on the remote Stable Island in Nova Scotia and tries to protect the ecosystem and wild horses. Not Rated At the Magic Lantern

MAGIC MIKE’S LAST DANCE

The final installment of Steven Soderbergh’s male stripper trilogy finds Channing Tatum’s titular Floridian beefcake heading to London with a new belle (Salma Hayek Pinault) to put on one final steamy show. Rated R

TITANIC

Near, far or wherever you are, find your way to a theater as James Cameron’s classic romantic blockbuster disaster film returns to the big screen for its 25th anniversary. Rated PG-13

Bill Nighy plays a bureaucrat who brings meaning to his final days in tender period drama Living

Directed by Oliver Hermanus Starring Bill Nighy, Aimee Lou Wood, Alex Sharp

Bill Nighy is short on time, but trying to make the most of it.

Long-Distance Relationship

Romcom throwback Your Place or Mine breezes down a memory lane of tropes, but is light on laughs and passion

BY CHASE HUTCHINSON

Early on in Your Place or Mine, we hear a quirky neighbor remark on how a different character gardening far at the edge of the frame is just the funniest guy. The reason? Well, he’s from Spokane. No further explanation is offered. We never actually meet this mysterious man, and the film zips along to the next scenario. However, in the entire runtime of this nearly twohour romcom, this was the moment that stood out the most. There was something distinctly silly about a throwaway line whose humor is premised upon the supposedly vast strangeness of Spokane and those who once lived there that, likely not in the way it was intended to, elicited a small chuckle. In a film where laughs were in increasingly short supply and there was little to get invested in, it was an odd diamond in the rough.

Rated PG-13

Still, YPoM is mostly just rough. Telling the story of two friends who moved across the country from each other after a brief fling 20 years prior, Your Place or Mine picks up with each at a turning point in their respective lives. Debbie (Reese Witherspoon) is a single mom living in Los Angeles who has to go to New York for her final exam for her master’s degree. Her pal Peter (Ashton Kutcher) is a bachelor living in New York who has recently seen the end of yet another shortterm relationship. After Debbie’s babysitter plans fall through, he agrees to swap places with her to watch her son, Jack (Wesley Kimmel), so she can make the trip. As each begins to get a glimpse of the life the other leads, they find themselves reflecting on what could have been had they stayed together all those years ago. Would they have fallen in love? Is it too late for them to do so?

Though Witherspoon brings some energy to her part of the story and offers a few line deliveries that have a bit more bite, this only makes Kutcher seem further out of his depth. Though he has played a loveable goof in the past, he just doesn’t have the charisma to sell this character.

To cut him a little bit of slack, part of this comes down to the writing of his story, which feels particularly flat and contrived. More and more, the story wants us to believe he is a softy at heart, though it never puts in the work to get us there.

YOUR PLACE OR MINE

Directed by Aline Brosh McKenna Starring Reese Witherspoon, Ashton Kutcher, Tig Notaro Streaming on Netflix starting Feb. 10

The plot exacerbates the chemistry void, as Witherspoon and Kutcher rarely share a room together. Most of their interactions take place in starkly lit video calls against flat backgrounds, which creates a distance between their characters and leaves everything feeling dispassionate. The longer this goes on, the more you’re left wondering when the film will ditch this technological artifice. Further, cinematic comedy comes in the cuts, and having your two characters primarily share a split screen doesn’t allow for that. When the movie finally abandons the tech divide, there is a comedic enough reveal, but it’s mostly cold comfort after the overlong road it took to get there.

The biggest problem with the film is that the chemistry between the two leads, the foundation of any romantic comedy, is just never there. There has to be some spark to light the flame and the passion that gets us to care about the answers to the obvious questions that the story poses.

There is a whole host of comedic talent around this journey from a silly Steve Zahn as the aforementioned Spokanite neighbor to a sarcastic Tig Notaro as the duo’s mutual friend to a zany Zoë Chao as an ex-girlfriend. But the pieces just never come together to be something that is funny enough to be humorous or romantic enough to be heartfelt. It feels reverse engineered to get to its destination safely, leaving little of anything to remember along the way. Romcoms can be good, touching fun, but this one just never offers much beyond the lightest of embraces. n

Alas, this is not a romcom starring Tig Notaro (she’s just a pal).

Lights. Camera. Actions.

Seattle singer-songwriter

Damien Jurado sets about his independence

with quiet cinematic flair

BY SETH SOMMERFELD

When living in Seattle and being embedded in the musical scene, Damien Jurado feels almost omnipresent, even if you don’t see him around much. With over a quarter century of acclaimed work, the singersongwriter’s poetic lo-fi folk has made him a sort of godfather figure for generations of musicians who have come and gone. The consistency and quality of his output never seems to waiver.

That remains the case with Jurado’s latest album, 2022’s Reggae Film Star. With the soft but not fragile vocal delivery of a poet who has experienced plenty of life, he turns his gaze to the world of film and television. Whether talking directly about the film industry (“Location, Undisclosed” and “Day of the Robot”) or painting portraits with dreamlike lyrical fragments (“Meeting Eddie Smith”), the album flows along with emotional pangs and effortless ease.

While staying true to his acoustic guitar singer-songwriter core, Jurado sought to add a sense of movie majesty with subtle touches, be it muted percussion or unobtrusive strings and piano accompaniment on tracks like “Roger” and “What Happened to the Class of ’65?” Jurado strove to make the album as cinematic as possible

FOLK

After years beholden to the music industry’s ways, Jurado now has an unwavering comittment to do things on his own terms.

in order to capture his appreciation for the art form… one he values even above the medium he chose as a profession.

“I mean, the other day my wife said to me, ‘Put these things in order, top priority to least priority: music, movies, television.’ And I said, ‘Movies, television and music.’ Music being my least. Because I didn’t grow up a musician, and I didn’t play music until later in life,” says Jurado. “My obsession besides fine art was always movies. And then television, obviously, too, because I couldn’t always afford to go to the movies, or we just sorta watched whatever movie was on TV as a kid. But even now, in present day, movies are a major love for me.”

And while the cinematic world fascinates Jurado, it’s not a world he actually wants to enter himself. Don’t expect to see him trying to score a film or anything of that sort.

“I sort of view myself as the person who can be constantly seen in, like, an art museum, for instance, viewing art, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that I desire to be a painter. You know what I mean? I’ve always been in love with the whole mystery of it, the glitz and glamor and behind the scenes. With movies, what goes into it, the amount of money that goes into it and time, I don’t have the patience for it. I think I’d just be jaded at the end of the day, and I don’t

here’s another thing of note regarding Reggae Film — it’s released on Jurado’s Maraqopa Records. While Jurado has spent most of his career working for top-tier labels like Sub Pop and Secretly Canadian, it was time for independence. Founded in 2021, Maraqopa Records is essentially the songwriter’s declaration that he wants his career to be entirely on his own terms going forward. Jumping through the hoops that being on someone else’s label required no longer seemed viable or logical to him.

“I’ve pretty much kicked the doors wide open. For me, starting my own record label is sort of like dismantling a house,” says Jurado.

“Most record labels, they prefer you to release records once every two years or three years. And I couldn’t do that anymore. I just felt it was time to just go my own way.

And I’m having the time of my life. I’m having the most fun I’ve ever had my entire career and doing it my way.”

The prolific songwriter that

he is, Jurado couldn’t stand the slow cycle pace labels desire in order to build hype and avoid oversaturating the market. For example, he just finished an album that will come out this fall, and will head back into the studio in March to record another LP slated for 2024.

“For me, I want to be a machine,” he says. “I just want to keep the ball rolling. My goal, really, is to release two records a year. That’s my goal. I have the songs.”

He also can now set his own touring schedule and play “whenever the hell I want,” rather than being tied to promotional album tours. It also allows him to live up to his own moral beliefs. For example, Jurado recently decided he’ll no longer travel by plane because of the environmental aspects air travel causes.

“My principles have to align with my life and the way I live. I’m a vegan. And I’m going to take that seriously, not just for the animal welfare, but also the environmental impacts it has,” Jurado says. “I’m like, ‘Well, what else am I doing? Oh, flying in planes is probably not a good idea.’ And so what did I do? I began to really study about the effects that airplanes have on the quality of our planet. And so I was like, I consciously cannot do this anymore. Is that going to affect touring? Yes, it definitely does. But I can drive. But it’s gonna affect me, it affects Europe [touring], it affects everything I’m doing. But again, I cannot consciously stand by.”

Being in charge of Maraqopa Records also allows him to more fully control his music. That came into play last month when he decided to remove his music from Spotify because of the way the company fails to compensate artists fairly.

“I’ll be honest with you, I did not think it was a giant deal at all. But it upset a lot of people,” Jurado says. “When I make a decision, I think about the decision for months on end. It wasn’t like, ‘Well I’m gonna quit Spotify’ and then that morning leave. It was something I thought about for probably the last seven months, at least.

“It made sense as to why people were upset about it… And then I was like, ‘Well, if I’m upset about this, why am I not doing anything about it?’” he continues. “And I began to see that that was a case of a lot of musicians that I would start seeing online — they were complaining about Spotify, but yet they’re on Spotify. And I just thought, ‘Well, I’m not going to do that. I’m getting the hell out of here.’”

While limiting our online reach might not be as viable an option for some up-and-coming artists, Jurado has earned that right after decades of work building up an audience that’s committed to his songcraft no matter how they have to seek it out. It’s all part of the message that he would’ve told his younger self if given the chance.

“I think I would have told myself a lot of things,” says Jurado. “One of the main things I would have told myself is, ‘Look around you. You see how everybody’s doing this? They’re all doing it the same exact way. Don’t do that. Do the opposite of that.’ And that is what I’ve found has made me a better songwriter, a better musician, a happier human being. You gotta live by your own rules. You gotta live by your own principles, you know?” n

ADULT CONTEMPORARY RICHARD MARX EDM SHREK RAVE

Thursday, 02/9

CHAN’S RED DRAGON ON THIRD, Thursday Night Jam

CHECKERBOARD TAPROOM, Weathered Shepherds

J J NORTHERN QUEST RESORT & CASINO, Richard Marx

J QQ SUSHI & KITCHEN, Just Plain Darin

ZOLA, The Desperate Eights

Friday, 02/10

AK ASIAN RESTAURANT, Dallas Kay

BACKWOODS WHISKEY BAR, Riverboat Dave

J BLACK ANGUS STEAKHOUSE, Into the Drift Duo

CHAN’S RED DRAGON ON THIRD, The Longnecks

THE DRAFT ZONE, Jerry Lee & the Groove, The Red Books. Agape

HIGHBALL A MODERN SPEAKEASY, Ron Greene Band

LUCKY YOU LOUNGE, Buffalo Jones, Betsy Rogue, B Radicals

OLD MILL BAR AND GRILL, Pamela Jean

J PEND D’OREILLE WINERY, BTP

RAZZLE’S BAR & GRILL, Scotty Austin

THE RIDLER PIANO BAR, Just Plain Darin

RIVERSIDE PLACE, Marauda, Versa, Executioner

J SLIGHTLY CHARRED WOOD FIRED PIZZA, 528 Tribe

Saturday, 02/11

219 LOUNGE, Headwaters

ARBOR CREST WINE CELLARS, Just Plain Darin

THE BIG DIPPER, Hairsteria, Sliver

CHAN’S RED DRAGON ON THIRD, The Usual Suspects

CRUISERS, Beautiful Skeletons, Chase the Sun

THE DRAFT ZONE, Sing! Chuck Sing!, Pamela Jean, The Red Books

HIGHBALL A MODERN SPEAKEASY, The Night Mayors

KNITTING FACTORY, Shrek Rave

J LEBANON RESTAURANT & CAFÉ, Safar

LUCKY YOU LOUNGE, EMO 2000

J LYFE COFFEE ROASTERS & PUBLIC HOUSE, Songwriter Night

NEATO BURRITO, Big Raffle, Pure Carrot

J PEND D’OREILLE WINERY, Zach Simms

J PONDEROSA BAR AND GRILL, OutWest Duo ZOLA, Blake Braley

Sunday, 02/12

HOGFISH, Open Mic

J LUCKY YOU LOUNGE, Damien Jurado, Shoecraft

Monday, 02/13

J THE BAD SEED, The Imagine Collective

J EICHARDT’S PUB, Monday Night Blues Jam with John Firshi

J HISTORIC DAVENPORT HOTEL, Riley Grey

Wherever you go, whatever you do, Richard Marx will be right here waiting for you. Well, technically you were the one who had to wait for him to make up this show originally scheduled for last November, but let’s not get into semantics. He may no longer sport his luxurious ’80s mullet, but the adult pop singer-songwriter can still send audiences into a tizzy as he emotively croons his way through hits like “Right Here Waiting” and “Endless Summer Nights.” (I do sincerely hope that his superfans call themselves Marxists.)

— SETH SOMMERFELD

Richard Marx • Thu, Feb. 9 at 7:30 pm • $49-$69 • All ages • Northern Quest Resort & Casino • 100 N. Hayford Rd., Airway Heights • northernquest.com

Not to sound dramatic, but the existence of the Shrek Rave raises some existential questions about modern culture. Shitposting memes centered on crappy depictions of the cinematic, CGI green ogre have been in vogue for a couple of years, culminating in the viral sensation that was the first Shrek Rave last year in NYC. It was such a success its creators are now touring the evening of fairy tale costumes, green lighting and dance music around the country. At a certain point, the ironic detachment while proclaiming “cool is dead” seems like a rot, eschewing pop culture that you find enjoyable and worthwhile in the name of turning your life into a real life shitpost. It’s a fratty strain of nihilism wrapped in a veil that screams “look at how uncool we are, doesn’t that make us cool?” Anyway… the new Puss in Boots movie was actually good…

— SETH SOMMERFELD

Shrek Rave • Sat, Feb. 11 at 9 pm • $35 • 18+ • Knitting Factory. • 919 W. Sprague Ave. • sp.knittingfactory.com

Tuesday, 02/14

J HISTORIC DAVENPORT HOTEL, Sasha Boutros Quartet

LITZ’S PUB & EATERY, Shuffle Dawgs

Wednesday, 02/15

CORBY’S BAR, Sammy Eubanks

THE DRAFT ZONE, The Draft Zone Open Mic

HIGHBALL A MODERN SPEAKEASY, The Happiness

J HISTORIC DAVENPORT HOTEL, Dr. Don Goodwin

LUCKY YOU LOUNGE, Magic City Hippies, CAPYAC

J PEND D’OREILLE WINERY, Bob Beadling

RED ROOM LOUNGE, The Roomates

SOUTH PERRY LANTERN, Jonathan Tibbets

SPOKANE FALLS COMMUNITY COLLEGE, Javier Colon ZOLA, Runaway Lemonade

Coming Up

J LUCKY YOU LOUNGE, Black Belt Eagle Scout, April 1, 8 pm.

J J SPOKANE ARENA, Cypress Hill, Dr. Green Thumbs, Too $hort, April 20, 7:30 pm.

J LUCKY YOU LOUNGE, The Beaches, April 22, 8 pm.

J = THE INLANDER RECOMMENDS THIS SHOW

J = ALL AGES SHOW

music by KOSH (5-8pm)

MUSIC CONSERVATORY OF SANDPOINT Residing Artists Shows at 4p

WESTERN PLEASURE GUEST RANCH Sleigh Ride, dinner and concert.

Cost: $130 for adults, $75 for children ages 6-12. A no-host bar to purchase beer and wine. Reservations are required please call (208) 263-9066.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 19

SCHWEITZER Let it Glow Parade and Fireworks

Tubing, Village Campfire, hosted snowshoe hike, nastar racing, twilight skiing

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 20

JALAPENOS Winter Carnival 50th Anniversary GOLD margarita Monday

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 21

JALAPENOS It’s Taco Tuesday! Great deals on food and drinks!

PEND D’OREILLE WINERY Apres’ Ski at the Winery: Wine specials with a ski pass

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 22

PEND D’OREILLE WINERY Peter Lucht on the Piano (5-7pm) Happy Hour at the winery: 15% Pizza and Bottle of wine

THURSDAY FEBRUARY 23

SCHWEITZER Tubing Hill open

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 24

PIERCE AUTO CHILI COOK-OFF 30 Gun Club Rd, Sagle. Questions 208 263-4212. Start Time: 3pm sign up entries. Time 4pm judging

SCHWEITZER Tubing, Village Campfire, hosted snowshoe hike, nastar racing, twilight skiing,

PEND D’OREILLE WINERY Live Jazz with the Ron Kieper Trio (5-8)

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 25

SCHWEITZER Sam Adams Air & Apres (Big air show)

SCHWEITZER tubing, campfire, hosted snowshoe hike, nastar racing, twilight skiing

LIVE AT THE 219 Jake Rozier Band

PEND D’OREILLE WINERY Mike Johnson Trio (5-8pm)

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26

EICHARDT’S K9 KEG PULL, Downtown Sandpoint

DANCE MOVING WITH MEANING

Dance is a unique expression of art and beauty. As dancers fall into step with one another, their physical forms unite to bring the stage to life and tell a story. Locals can experience this magic themselves as Gonzaga hosts the internationally esteemed Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble, founded in 1970. An award-winning dance company known for its modern style and African inspiration, the ensemble seeks to captivate and excite audiences. Its members perform Amalia Viviana Basnata Hernandez’s new ballet “The Four Journeys,” which celebrates Mexican heritage as an amalgamation and unification of cultures worldwide. The concert cultivates a unique space for people of all backgrounds to converge and appreciate the arts together.

— ELLIE

ROTHSTROM

Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble: The Four Journeys • Sat, Feb. 11 at 7:30 pm • $15-$30 • Myrtle Woldson Performing Arts Center • 211 E. Desmet Ave. • gonzaga.edu/mwpac

CULTURE NOR-WAY OR THE HIGHWAY

Maybe it’s the excess of Norwegian blood running through my veins, but the Viking on a Stick might be a top 10 foodstuff for me. Essentially a corndog filled with Norwegian meatballs instead of a hot dog, it’s a fried meal beyond reproach. You can grab a Viking on a Stick or sample Norwegian waffles at the Sons of Norway Craft and Culture Fair, hosted by Coeur d’Alene’s Harald Haarfager Lodge. In addition to culinary delicacies and local artisan vendors, the event highlights Nordic heritage via demonstrations and presentations (expect some traditional folksy Bunad attire). Do I know if the Vikings on a Stick offered up over in Coeur d’Alene will be as wonderful as the ones at the Montana Fair? I do not! But good reader, I am willing to journey through any fjords to find out.

— SETH SOMMERFELD

Sons of Norway Craft and Culture Fair • Sat, Feb. 11 from 9 am-3 pm • Free • Trinity Lutheran Church • 812 N. Fifth St., Coeur d’Alene • fb.me/e/3jwzyHExK • 208-262-8020

SPORTS WHAT? THE PUCK!

College hockey exists in a weird place. There are only actually 62 Division I NCAA men’s hockey teams (for comparison there are 358 DI basketball teams), so much of the sport is relegated to club-level competition. Such is the case in Washington state where Eastern, UW, Western Washington and Wazzu all compete in the American Collegiate Hockey Association DII Pac-8 conference. But that doesn’t mean the action isn’t fierce when the teams hit the ice — as they’ll do this weekend for the Pac-8 Championship in Cheney. After a skills competition on Thursday, the eight squads face off in a single elimination tournament spanning three days. If you’re looking to diversify your Chiefs-centric hockey diet, this is the perfect chance (and way cheaper than traveling for a Kraken game).

— SETH SOMMERFELD

PAC8 Hockey Championship • Feb. 9-12; times vary • $10 single game; $35 weekend pass • EWU University Recreation Center • 1007 Elm St., Cheney • ewuacha.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.

THEATER TENNESSEE TUNES

Elvis Presley has gotten a lot of media attention lately thanks to Baz Luhrmann’s glitzy film that was released in 2022. Whether you liked the divisive film or not, Elvis’s contributions to modern day music cannot be ignored. Songs like “Heartbreak Hotel,” “Hound Dog” and “Don’t Be Cruel” were major hits in their time and are focal points in this Aspire Community Theatre production of All Shook Up. Loosely based on Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, this musical takes audiences back to 1955 and into a little square town in a little square state. A guitar-playing whippersnapper shows up and changes everything and everyone he meets. Lace up those blue suede shoes and be prepared to boogie in your seat.

— MADISON PEARSON

All Shook Up • Feb 10-19; Wed-Sat at 7:30 pm, Sat-Sun at 2 pm • $15-$28 • Kroc Center • 1765 W. Golf Course Rd., Coeur d’Alene • aspirecda.com

WORDS YER A GENIUS, HARRY

Quick! How many Sickles are in a Galleon? No clue? Do you know what Professor Lockhart’s favorite color is? Then it’s time to brush up on your general Harry Potter knowledge to ensure your success at this annual fundraiser for EWU’s Get Lit! Festival. Gather up a team of two to four muggles and test your wizarding wits with trivia based solely on the canon universe within the Harry Potter books — not the films. All proceeds support this year’s Get Lit! Programs, taking place April 20-23. The winning team gets a special Harry Potter/Get Lit!-themed prize pack, an appetizer from host Iron Goat Brewing and, of course, eternal glory. If you don’t win the big prize, don’t be a Moaning Myrtle, there are individual prizes to win as well. (BTW: 29 Sickles to a Galleon, and Lockhart’s favorite color is lilac. Maybe he would’ve liked Spokane…)

— MADISON PEARSON

Avista partners with community agencies to provide financial assistance, plus we offer other services to help you manage and pay your bill.

• Energy Assistance Grants are available for income-qualified residential customers. Contact your local community action agency to see if you qualify for bill assistance. To get information on your local agency visit: myavista.com/assistance or call us at 1-800-227-9187.

• Comfort Level Billing divides yearly energy costs into 12 equal and predictable monthly payments.

• Preferred Due Date helps align your bill’s due date with payday.

• Payment Arrangements can be made on an individual basis for those in need.

For more ways we can help, please call 1-800-227-9187

I SAW YOU

MCDONALD’S LIBERTY LAKE To the guy that gave me my coffee Wednesday morning. You are super cute! You are medium height, dark hair and look Mediterranean. Your soulful brown eyes and sexy smile have brightened my day for the past two years. I will be there Friday for my coffee; slip me your number? I’m the gorgeous chick with the hoop earrings and long dark hair.

BEACHED AT LILAC CITY LIVE 1-19-23 You: in a blue tie-dye hoodie sitting in the back. Me: goofy guy sitting next to you. We talked about Ryan’s crying and “Beaches” days. I think your friend was one of the artists interviewed. Want to get together and talk sad movies sometime?

RE: BLUES Likely meant for another... There was significant damage due my failure of your trust. Someday sounds hopeful. I retreat to my den, solitary makes it far easier to not let others down, again. It’s lonely, blue even, but safe. I can’t fathom it as an option, but you know where I’m burrowed.

NOT A MAN The Inlander recently caught my eye on account of a comment made by a fellow reader in regards to the unhoused individuals in our area. This reader expressed frustration at “having to see” the tents, belongings and physical presence of the unhoused, specifically in regards to public lands and parks. I was reminded of a passage from the good book, telling us that God is “not a man, that He should dwell in temples made with hands.” Originally, both

the people of Israel and the earliest known predecessors of the Christian faith, upon which Conservatism is supposed to depend for its values, dwelled in tents, known in the religious context as a “tabernacle.” Many small church congregations today choose to be called Tabernacles, to reflect life’s transitory nature in God’s eternal universe. I think perhaps people choose to be offended by what they see. Those people should choose either to look at something else, or as the good book also says, “shake the dust off from their sandals and leave” without looking back.

CHEERS

BABE, YOU ROCK To the man who shows me what a healthy relationship is… every day. I love how we stay up half the night talking, how present we are with each other, how we read about love, how affectionate we are. No toxic masculinity, no games. I’m so thankful that the universe sat us next to each other, and I’ll never forget that our friendship began with these four words : “I’ll go with you.” Yes, yes you will babe. I love you.

THANK YOU FOR MY DINNER To the three ladies that bought my dinner at the Hwy 2 Azteca Restaurant, on Friday Jan. 27th, I don’t know who you were, but I do thank you very much for doing this.

ANGEL AT WALGREEN ON 29TH Thank you to the Angel who paid our bill, Jan. 31, 2023. My wife and I were at the register checking out when I realized I forgot my card. So we were going to put everything back till I got my card. I apologized to the lady behind us for taking too much time. She smiled and said she would pay for our purchases, which came to almost $100. She was only buying a couple of drinks. People like her are a rare breed. I was too blown away to properly thank you. May God bless you. You asked us to pay it forward, we most certainly will. P.S. We already called our pastor, who said give a testimony this Sunday; can’t wait to tell everyone I can about you.

OFFICER WHO PULLED ME OVER To the Spokane police officer who pulled me over last week for expired tabs. Thank you for being so patient and kind with me! I had septic shock in 2020, and my memory has suffered immensely! I also told you I have PTSD — some guy under the influence hit my car and ran me off the road in 2013. Then you guys found him in one hour! I was

so nervous and was having such a hard time getting my paperwork together! You gave me a verbal warning. Just wanted to say thank you, you never get enough kudos for the good things you do. I have my tabs now!

FAITH IN HUMANITY On Friday, Feb. 3, around 4:44 pm. I was at Rosauers in

no weird boyfriends or substance abuse. Well established in her community, she was mentally and physically fit. Granted, security cameras, phone “pings” and such did not exist back then to help investigators. But hey, cold cases such as hers should not be forgotten and neither has the memory of my lovely, kind friend.

sharpen up! Once a week can’t be that difficult.

PERSON WHO LOST THEIR GLOVES Shut up. Don’t be a dummy and lose your gloves if they’re sooooo important.

Browne’s Addition. A tall dark gentleman had amazing manners. I complimented him and his Mother, as he learned from her. Got a hug. I went to check out, and the gentleman helped pay for my groceries. I’ve only ever saw that happen on tube. I cried. Thank you.

SPOKESPERSON HELPER A big Thank

You to the Spokesman-Review customer service representative who researched the loss of all paper deliveries (Jan. 1) to “rural” sales outlets on the Palouse and L/C Valley. THEY responded quickly, completely, and compassionately in a “Grace”-ful way. Too bad this fine regional rag has decided to leave us by the wayside. We appreciate the weekly Inlander physical paper issues deliveries even more. Kudos to all.

JUMPIN’ JIMMY The biggest cheers to Jimmy for giving me a jump at Walgreens Friday evening. You told me you’d been up since 2 am, which makes me appreciate your willingness to stop and help even more. Thank you for your kindness, Jimmy!

JEERS

COLD CASES NEED WARMING UP Message to all news outlets who have focused only on recent area murders. Why not look into the many unsolved regional cold cases? A good friend and former USFS roommate, beloved special ed teacher disappeared Spring 1986 and has never been found! Her car, purse and school items inside were discovered at the Tubbs Hill trailhead. She likely went on a hike/run after work. At her home, an Easter potluck dish for church was ready in the fridge. She was not a party girl, did not live in a group house,

RE: SCALLYWAG ALERT II Shut up, moron.

RE: SCALLYWAG ALERT

We all can understand the frustration of less than stellar customer service, but your descriptions and anger are ignorant and ill-informed. Your physical descriptions are offensive and border on racist. Be thankful for whoever serves your food and be grateful it was unaltered. Love, an ex-service worker

GO HOME, MONEY BAGS Thank you to all you rich transplants from big cities for coming into our once affordable town and screwing up our economy so bad the average Joe has almost no chance of buying a home anymore. Five years ago half the houses here were around $250,000, and almost half the people that LIVE AND WORK here could afford them. Now, thanks to you and people like the easy home buyer, less than 15 percent of the homes are under $250,000, and only 5 percent of the people that have lived and worked here all their lives can afford a home. The American dream of owning a home is all but dead to anyone who’s not rich. Here in Spokane it has been sold to the highest bidder. Go back to wherever you came from and give us our American dream back.

JEERS TO THE SKATE RIBBON SKATES The Numerica Skate Ribbon in Riverfront Park is a wonderful addition to our city. A fun, unique attraction in every way, except the Skate Rental Department. The customer service is fine, very nice people, but the skates! The skates are so dull, it’s like skating on spoons! Seriously. I tried two pairs, and it was not pleasant. It’s difficult and frustrating, even for experienced longtime skaters to enjoy the Ribbon on dull skates. It turns out they only sharpen the rental skates every two or three weeks. So please, change the Jeers to Cheers, and

RE: DO BETTER, LOCAL NEWS Last week’s JEER perfectly expresses my opinion. Considering the population size of this area and that multiple institutions of higher education are in the area, the poor quality of local TV news broadcasts is puzzling and frustrating. Less money could be spent on the self-aggrandizing TV commercials, and more resources devoted to state and local news reporting. Furthermore, the morbid fixation on tragedies is disrespectful to the victims and their loved ones.

BUYER BEWARE He tells you he is a Tom Cat , but he really is a feral alley cat. 14 years I tried to domesticate him, spoiled him, bought him cars, got him jobs, gifts for every holiday. A well-kept cat. Couldn’t keep his temper in check, verbal assaults, couldn’t keep a job, couldn’t even go get a driver’s license. He is always the victim, and it’s always yours or someone’s fault. Missing my big birthday party, not even a card, and then stealing all my birthday money? How low can you go. A leopard doesn’t change its spots, so buyer beware!

NOTE: I Saw You/Cheers & Jeers is for adults 18 or older. The Inlander reserves the right to edit or reject any posting at any time at its sole discretion and assumes no responsibility for the content.

BENEFIT

MARDI BRAS This monthlong fundraiser aims to provide access to bras, underwear and personal hygiene items to people experiencing poverty and homelessness. Drop off items on March 3 from 2-4 pm at Hope House. bit.ly/3YsbK0O

SUNDAY FUNDRAISE Flatstick Pub hosts Spokane Helpers Network, a nonprofit that serves low-income households. Saturdays from 1-4 pm through Feb. 26. Free. Flatstick Pub, 618 W. Main Ave. flatstickpub.com/spokane

COMEDY

DERRICK STROUP Stroup is an Alabama native and recently filmed his own Dry Bar special. Feb. 9, 7:30 pm, Feb. 10, 7:30 & 10:15 pm and Feb. 11, 7 & 9:45 pm.

$15-$28. Spokane Comedy Club, 315 W. Sprague. spokanecomedyclub.com

I SAW YOU! Join the BDT Players as they pull the comedy from the weekly readersubmitted section of the Inlander. Guests are encouraged to bring their favorite (family-friendly) posting to the show. Fridays in February at 7:30 pm. $9. Blue Door Theatre, 815 W. Garland Ave. bluedoortheatre.org (509-747-7045)

SAFARI Blue Door’s version of “Whose Line,” a fast-paced improv show with a few twists and turns. Rated for mature audiences/ages 16+. Reservations recommended. Saturdays at 7:30 pm. $9. Blue Door Theatre, 815 W. Garland Ave. bluedoortheatre.com (509-747-7045)

LIVE, LAUGH, LOVE Spokane’s most eligible singles play a live dating game

hosted by Nova Kaine and Laura Branning. Feb. 13, 6-8 pm. Free. Highball A Modern Speakeasy, 100 N. Hayford Rd. northernquest.com

GABRIEL RUTLEDGE Rutledge has made numerous TV appearances including Comedy Central’s Live at Gotham, Nickelodeon’s Nickmom Night Out and Laughs on Fox. Feb. 14, 7:30 pm. $22-$30. Spokane Comedy Club, 315 W. Sprague. spokanecomedyclub.com (509-319-9998)

COMMUNITY

‘TIL DEATH DO WE PART A murder mystery us set in the lovely town of Amorville during its Valentine’s Day soiree. Feb. 11, 6-9 pm. $29-$39. Crime Scene Entertainment, 2775 N. Howard St. crimesceneentertainment.com (208-369-3695)

BLACK HISTORY CELEBRATION A celebration of Black history featuring speakers and performances from Spokane’s Black community. Feb. 11, 4-6 pm. Free. Central Library, 906 W. Main Ave. spokanelibrary.org (509-444-5336)

BLACK-OWNED BUSINESS & RESOURCE FAIR Celebrate Black History

Month by meeting local Black business owners and learn about resources available in our community. Feb. 11, 2-4 pm. Free. Central Library, 906 W. Main Ave. spokanelibrary.org (509-444-5336)

GREEN SCREEN VIDEO MAGIC Bring the family for hands-on experience with video recording and editing using a green screen and keyframing to incorporate special effects. Ages 12+. Registration required. Feb. 11, 12:30-2:30 pm. Free. Cheney Library, 610 First St. scld.org/

GALENTINE’S DAY OUT! This event features five local boutiques. Fill out a Valentine card and once completed drop it off at any participating boutique to be entered to win $400 in gift cards. Feb. 11, 12-4 pm. Free. Rebel Hart Co., 6630 E. Sprague Ave. fb.me/e/2Dla67aaN

GONZAGA DAY Gonzaga fans all across the nation come together for game watches and to complete philanthropic goals. Events include a breakfast for Kennel Club students, a cat/dog supply drive and more. Full schedule of local happenings, online. Feb. 11. Free. gonzaga.edu/ alumni/events/gonzaga-day

MAKE NORTH IDAHO DECENT AGAIN

A protest against Majorie Taylor Greene, who is attending the Kootenai County Republican’s Lincoln Day Dinner. Bring your own sign. Feb. 11, 4-6 pm. Free. Independence Point, 105 Northwest Boulevard. (208-771-5745)

SONS OF NORWAY CRAFT & CULTURE

FAIR This market features Norwegian foods, presentations, exhibits, demonstrations and local artisan vendors. Feb. 11, 9 am-3 pm. Free. Trinity Lutheran Church, 812 N. Fifth St., Coeur d’Alene. fb.me/e/3jwzyHExK (208-262-8020)

SPOKANE FOLKLORE SOCIETY’S VALENTINE’S DANCE This annual dance features easy-to-learn dances and live fiddle music by Reel Friends. Also includes a potluck and a chocolate fountain. Must be vaccinated for COVID-19 to attend. Feb. 11, 7-10 pm. $7-$10. East Spokane Grange, 1621 N. Park Rd. spokanefolklore. org (509-838-2160)

INTRO TO BUDDHISM WORKSHOP In this two-part workshop, students partici-

pate in introductory lectures and discussions. Feb. 12 and 19 from 12-1 pm. Free. Spokane Buddhist Temple, 927 S. Perry St. SpokaneBuddhistTemple.org

DISCOVER YOUR CAREER IN CONSTRUCTION Josh Monroe, the Trade Up 2 Construction Career Navigator, shares various pathways to a promising career in construction. Feb. 13, 10 am-12:30 pm. Free. Worksource Spokane, 130 S Arthur St. esd.wa.gov (509-557-0090)

ANNUAL DOWNTOWN SPOKANE

MEETING The public can hear from representatives of Downtown Spokane talk about the accomplishments of 2022 as well as goals and objectives of 2023. Feb. 15, 8:30-10:30 am. Free. Central Library, 906 W. Main Ave. downtownspokane.net

OPEN STUDIO AT THE HIVE Stop by to check out Artist-In-Residence studios, tour The Hive and ask questions. Wed from 4-7 pm through Feb. 22. Free. The Hive, 2904 E. Sprague Ave. spokanelibrary.org (509-444-5300)

LILAC CITY LIVE! This late-night talk show-style event features Breaking Bread podcast host Kenji Linane-Booey, filmmaker Sean Finley, Spokane Comedy Film Festival organizer Josiah Carlson and musical guest Scott Ryan. Feb. 16, 8 pm. Free. Central Library, 906 W. Main Ave. spokanelibrary.org (509-444-5336)

FILM

DOG DAY AFTERNOON A finely detailed snapshot of people in crisis with tensionsoaked drama shaded in black humor. Feb. 9, 7-9:30 pm. $7. The Kenworthy, 508 S. Main St. kenworthy.org

SPIFF: SPOKANE INTERNATIONAL

FILM FESTIVAL This annual film festival celebrates local and regional filmmakers, including the Best of the Northwest Shorts program and internationally produced features in a variety of genres. Times and locations vary; see website for full schedule. Through Feb. 9. $12-$99. spokanefilmfestival.org

BLACK HISTORY MONTH: THE LADY WHO SWINGS THE BAND Celebrate Black History Month by learning about the life of Mary Lou Williams, an American jazz pianist, arranger and composer. A discussion takes place afterward. Feb. 11, 10:30 am-noon. Free. Shadle Library, 2111 W. Wellesley Ave. spokanelibrary.org

THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW

A newly-engaged couple have a breakdown in an isolated area and must seek shelter at the bizarre residence of Dr. Frank-n-Furter. Feb. 11, 11:59 pm. $8. Garland Theater, 924 W. Garland Ave. garlandtheater.com (509-327-1050)

VHS MANIA II: ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK & THE WARRIORS This double feature is screened on original VHS tapes. Feb. 11, 7-11 pm. $10. The Kenworthy, 508 S. Main St. kenworthy.org

SKINAMARINK Two children wake up in the middle of the night to find their father missing and all the windows and doors in their home have vanished. Feb. 12, 7-9 pm. $7. The Kenworthy, 508 S. Main St. kenworthy.org (208-882-4127)

MONDAY NIGHT MOVIES Showings of cult classics and B-movies. Every other Mon at 5:30 pm. Free. Golden Handle Brewing Co., 154 S. Madison St. (509863-9167)

CANNABIS JALAPEÑO

POPPERS

12 fresh jalapeños

8 ounces of cream cheese, softened but not melted

2 ounces of shredded cheddar cheese

1-2 tablespoons of finely chopped chives

2 tablespoons cannabutter

1⁄2 cup panko bread crumbs

Salt and black pepper to taste

1. Slice jalapeños in half lengthwise. Remove seeds and white pith, and wash your hands very well after doing so.

2. Mix softened cream cheese with shredded cheddar and add chopped chives

3. Once combined, fill halved jalapeños with the cream cheese, cheddar and chives mixture. Don’t over-fill. You will have extra. Fill to the level of the cut jalapeño, then place cut side up on a baking sheet.

4. Add panko bread crumbs to a saucepan and add cannabutter. Stir over medium-low heat until melted and combined.

5. Pour melted cannabutter and breadcrumb mixture over the open side of the poppers on the baking sheet.

6. Bake for 18-20 minutes at 400 degrees.

7. Finish under a broiler for a minute or two, keeping your eye on it at all times to avoid burning.

8. Let cool, then either eat immediately or freeze for later.

These will last in the fridge for a couple of days, and they’ll last in the freezer for a few weeks. Serve hot, reaching 165 F if reheating.

RECIPE

Super High Sunday

A finger food recipe that will bring your Super Bowl Sunday to a higher level

BY WILL MAUPIN

Super Bowl Sunday is this weekend. The Seahawks aren’t playing, but that shouldn’t stop you from representing Washington as the cannabis-friendly Evergreen state. If you want to introduce some infused finger foods to your watch party, we’ve got you covered with these cannabis-laced jalapeño poppers.

The earthy flavor of the jalapeño combined with the creaminess of the cheeses will easily overpower the herbal taste of these spicy weed treats. They’re a perfect favor for a party that is high-flavored. Just make sure your guests know that these poppers pack a punch that

their sober cousins on the table won’t match — serve them separately from regular appetizers just to be safe.

First, make cannabutter for the recipe. Recipes can be easily found online. The recipe below calls for two sticks of unsalted butter and 7 grams (roughly a quarter-ounce) cannabis with 25 percent THC. That amount of cannabutter should yield roughly 100 doses of about 10 milligrams of THC per dose — similar to what you find at a dispensary. This recipe will be closer to 5 milligrams of THC per jalapeño popper once made. 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.

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.

WARNING: This product has intoxicating effects and may be habit forming. Cannabis can impair concentration, coordination, and judgment. Do not operate a vehicle or machinery under the influence of this drug. There may be health risks associated with consumption of this product. For use only by adults 21 and older. Keep out of the reach of children.

Marijuana use increases the risk of lower grades and dropping out of school.

30% O F F THE

SHOP

W ARNING: This prod u ct h as i nt oxi cat in g effe cts and may be h ab it fo rmin g. Ca nn ab is ca n im pa ir co n ce ntr at i on , coo rdin ation , and ju dgment . Do n ot op e rat e a v ehi cle or mac hiner y un d er t he inf l uen ce of this d ru g. Th er e may be he

EVENTS | CALENDAR

FOOD & DRINK

BRING-YOUR-OWN VINYL NIGHT Bring your own vinyl to spin while sipping on craft cocktails and listening to music. Every Thursday from 3-10 pm. The Boneyard - Side Hustle Syrups, 17905 E. Appleway Ave. sidehustlesyrups.com

FIRESIDE DINNER & MUSIC SERIES Enjoy selections from Arbor Crest’s seasonal menu along with wine and beer from Square Wheel Brewing. Music lineup varies, see website for more. Thu-Sat from 6-8 pm. Arbor Crest Wine Cellars, 4705 N. Fruit Hill Rd. arborcrest.com

BEVERLY’S SWEETHEART COUPLES

DINNERS The evening features food, optional wine pairings, breathtaking views of Lake Coeur d’Alene, and a live harpist. Feb. 10-11, 5-10 pm. $70. Beverly’s, 115 S. Second St. beverlyscda.com

FARNHAM FLATBREAD FUNDRAISER

ESPN Basketball Analyst Sean Farnham serves up the Davenport’s Farnham Flatbreads, named after him. A portion proceeds benefits Coaches vs. Cancer. Feb. 10, 4-8 pm. Free. Davenport Tower, 111 S. Post St. davenporthotelcollection.com

THE CHOCOLATE AFFAIR Wander through downtown businesses as become pop-up chocolate shops. Feb. 11, 4-7 pm. Downtown Coeur d’Alene. cdadowntown.com (208-415-0116)

DINNER & A SHOW: TANGO IN ARGEN -

TINA A seated four-course dinner and a show that transports diners to Buenos Aires with Spokane’s Tango Volcado, guest dancers from the Positive Energy Dance Co., and Sacha Boutros on vocals. Feb. 11, 6 pm. $150. Davenport Hotel, 10 S. Post St. davenporthotelcollection.com

VALENTINE’S CLASSIC COCKTAIL

CLASS Learn how to create classic cocktails with bartender Ryan Kurtz. Cocktails include the Old Fashioned, French 75 and the Gold Rush. Feb. 11, 4-6 pm. $75. Tavolata, 221 N. Wall St. ethanstowellrestaurants.com (509-606-5600)

WINEMAKERS SUPPER CLUB WITH MARYHILL WINERY Commellini Estate prepares a meal of Italian cuisine and pairs each course with a glass of wine from Maryhill. Feb. 11 and Feb. 14, 5:309:30 pm. $120. Commellini Estate, 14715 N. Dartford Dr. commellini.com

DRAG BRUNCH The cast of Runway performs while enjoying a full breakfast menu and mimosas. Hosted by Savannah SoReal. Sundays from 10 am-2 pm. Globe Bar & Kitchen, 204 N. Division. globespokane.com (509-443-4014)

ORLANDO’S VALENTINE’S DAY DINNER A four-course menu with or without wine. Contact office via phone for reservation and/or pre-payment. Feb. 1415, 5:30, 6 & 6:30 pm. $50-$65/person. Orlando’s Restaurant, 1810 N. Greene St., SCC Bldg. 1. scc.spokane.edu/For-OurStudents/Around-Campus/Orlando-s

SERENDIPITY DINNER This five-course dinner is inspired by the romance movie Serendipity and features a New Yorkstyle menu and live music from the Larsen Group. Feb. 14, 6-9 pm. $100. Highball

A Modern Speakeasy, 100 N. Hayford Rd. northernquest.com

VALENTINE’S DAY BURLESQUE SHOW

& DINNER A three-course dinner with a burlesque show. Menu includes braised short rib, lasagna, creme brûlée and more. Feb. 14, 7:30 pm. $75. Prohibition Gastropub, 1914 N. Monroe St. facebook. com/Prohibition.Gastropub.Spokane1

WINE WEDNESDAY All seven dinners in the series feature food from culinary regions south of the equator. Each meal comes with three wines paired by owner Josh Wade. Wednesdays from 6-8 pm through Feb. 22. $27.50. Fête - A Nectar Co, 120 N. Stevens St. nectarcateringandevents.com (509-951-2090)

MUSIC

BLUEY’S BIG PLAY The award-winning animated preschool series from Disney takes to the stage with puppetry and live actors. Feb. 8-9 at 6 pm. First Interstate Center for the Arts, 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. firstinterstatecenter.org

THE HISTORY OF COUNTRY MUSIC

Rusty Jackson, Chrissy Summering and the band perform over 30 songs starting with the Carter family and moving through five decades. Feb. 11, 6-8 pm.

$22. Lake City Center, 1916 N. Lakewood Dr. fb.me/e/3ar0IsgHk (208-262-1655)

SPOKANE STRING QUARTET This program consists of performances of “Arvo Part: Summa,” “String Quartet No. 21 in D Major” by Mozart and “Clarinet Quintet in B Minor” by Brahms. Feb. 11, 3 pm. $20$25. Bing Crosby Theater, 901 W. Sprague Ave. bingcrosbytheater.com

VILLA BLUES N’ JAZZ CONCERT: LOVE IS ALL AROUND This evening of music features Heather Villa and is themed around love. Beverages and snacks available for purchase. Feb. 11, 7-9 pm. $30-

$50. Unity Spiritual Center Spokane, 2900 S. Bernard St. unityspokane.org

NATIONAL LIBRARY LOVERS MONTH

CONCERT Local musician Brad Sondahl performs songs about the phases of love, longing, infatuation, love triangles and more. Feb. 13, 1-2 pm. Free. Coeur d’Alene Public Library, 702 E. Front Ave. cdalibrary.org (208-769-2315)

SPORTS & OUTDOORS

PACIFIC 8 HOCKEY CONFERENCE Eight hockey teams complete to be the PAC8 conference champion. Events include a skill competition and a public skate. See full schedule at website. Feb. 9, 3-7 pm, Feb. 10, 10 am-7 pm, Feb. 11, 1-4 pm and Feb. 12, 11 am. $10-$35. Eastern Washington University, 526 Fifth St. ewuacha.com

LADIES DAY CLINIC The day begins with coffee and stretching followed by ski instruction, lunch and a social hour. Feb. 10 and March 10, 8:30 am-2:30 pm. $129. Mt. Spokane Ski & Snowboard Park, 29500 N. Mt. Spokane Park Dr. mtspokane.com/ ladiesday (509-238-2220)

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS Ski during sunset and into the night with live music and food and drink specials. Fridays from 3-9 pm through Feb. 24. $36. Mt. Spokane Ski & Snowboard Park, 29500 N. Mt. Spokane Park Dr. mtspokane.com

SPOKANE CHIEFS VS. EVERETT SILVERTIPS Promos include Coeur d’Alene Casino Bingo Night. Feb. 10, 7:05 pm. $12-$30. Spokane Arena, 720 W. Mallon Ave. spokanechiefs.com

WILD & SCENIC FILM FESTIVAL An environmental film festival featuring films that illustrate the challenges facing our planet and the work communities are doing to protect the environment and the places we love. Proceeds support Idaho Sierra Club. Feb. 10, 7 pm. $15. The Kenworthy, 508 S. Main St. kenworthy.org

8TH ANNUAL SEED SWAP Bring your

extra seeds (home-saved or purchased) to share with others and go home with some for your spring and summer planting. Feb. 11, 1-3 pm. Free. Coeur d’Alene Public Library, 702 E. Front Ave. cdalibrary.org (208-769-2315)

VEGGIE MASTERY SERIES: BUILD A RAISED BED Learn how to build your own raised bed. Watch a pro and help out, leave with instructions, a materials list and a blueprint. Feb. 11, 2-4 pm. $10. Ritters Garden & Gift, 10120 N. Division St. 4ritter.com (509-467-5258)

GAME DAY PARTY A game day party with food, drinks and giveaways. Reservations highly encouraged. Feb. 12, 3-8 pm. EPIC Sports Bar, 100 N. Hayford Rd. northernquest.com (509-481-2122)

VEGGIE MASTERY SERIES: SOIL & PLANNING Learn how to create the right soil environment and plan a veggie garden for yourself. Feb. 12, 2-3 pm. $20. Ritters Garden & Gift, 10120 N. Division St. 4ritter.com (509-467-5258)

THEATER

THE 39 STEPS A man with a boring life meets a woman who says she’s a spy. Soon, a mysterious organization is hot on his trail. Thu-Sat at 7:30 pm, Sun at 2 pm through Feb. 12. $10-$39. Spokane Civic Theatre, 1020 N. Howard St. spokanecivictheatre.com (509-325-2507)

POOL (NO WATER) In this staged reading, directed by Blake Anthony Edwards and featuring the THEA 216 Acting II class, a famous artist invites her old friends to her luxurious new home. Celebrations come to an abrupt end when the host suffers a horrific accident. Feb. 9, 7:30 pm and Feb. 10, 7:30 pm. $8. Gonzaga Magnuson Theatre, 502 E. Boone Ave. gonzaga.edu/theatreanddance

SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET The unsettling tale of a Victorian-era barber who returns home after 15 years of exile to take revenge on the corrupt judge who ruined his life. Thu-Sat at 7 pm, Sun at 2 pm through Feb. 26. $25-$30. Stage Left Theater, 108 W. Third. stagelefttheater.org

ALL SHOOK UP Set in 1955, this musical is inspired by and features the music of Elvis. Feb. 10-19, Wed-Sat at 7:30 pm, Sat-Sun at 2 pm. $15-$28. Kroc Center, 1765 W. Golf Course Rd. aspirecda.com

LORD OF THE FLIES Performed by an all-femme cast, directed by Dominique Betts. Feb. 10-19; Fri-Sat at 7:30 pm, Sun at 5 pm. $20. Central Library, 906 W. Main Ave. brightcomettheatre.com

VISUAL ARTS

DREAMS, MEMORIES & REFLECTIONS

The gallery features new work of the New Moon members, artist consignors and the Spokane Jeweler’s Guild. Wed-Sat from 11 am-5 pm through Feb. 25. Free. New Moon Art Gallery, 1326 E. Sprague Ave. newmoonartgallery.com (509-413-9101)

FIGURATIVE February’s show features five artists who specialize in figures: Mary Farrell, Kim Lewis, David Varneau, Heather Martindale and Peter Cox. Wed-Sat from 11 am-6 pm through Feb. 28. Free. The Art Spirit Gallery, 415 Sherman Ave. theartspiritgallery.com (208-765-6006)

TYBRE NEWCOMER: FORM & FUNCTION The artist’s mechanism of research focuses on the formal qualities of objects and tools in and around the artist’s studio. Feb. 3-28 by appointment. Free. Kolva-Sullivan Gallery, 115 S. Adams St.

tybrenewcomer.com (509-458-5517)

JUDY PATTERSON: NEEDLEWORK

LANDSCAPES Patterson’s “stitched paintings” are all handmade with needle, thread and fabric, in which she explores negative space and the cosmos. Tue-Sat from 10 am-6 pm through Feb. 28. Free. William Grant Gallery & Framing, 1188 W. Summit Pkwy. williamgrantgf.com

PLATEAU PICTORIAL BEADWORK: FRED L. MITCHELL COLLECTION During a lifetime collecting Plateau floral, geometric, and pictorial beadwork, Walla Walla’s Fred L. Mitchell has amassed the premier collection of this material: beaded bags, cuffs, gauntlets, vests, cradleboards and horse regalia. Tue-Sun from 10 am-5 pm through May 14. $10-$15. The MAC, 2316 W. First Ave. northwestmuseum.org (509-456-3931)

RAFAEL SOLDI: MOTHER TONGUE This exhibition showcases photographs in which the artist examines how queerness and masculinity intersect with immigration, memory and loss. Mon-Fri from 9 am-6 pm through March 3. Free. EWU Gallery of Art, 140 Art Building. rafaelsoldi.com (509-359-2494)

IVA HASS: SAND & SPACE This exhibition features recent work from sculptural ceramic artist in which she explores childhood memories. Mon-Fri from 10 am-4:30 pm, Sat from 10 am-2 pm through March 24. Free. Bryan Oliver Gallery, Whitworth, 300 W. Hawthorne Ave. whitworth.edu (509-777-3258)

SARANAC ART PROJECTS: RANDOM RULES This group exhibition features a multi-disciplinary collection of works from the current members, including Josh Hobson, Mariah Boyle, Annie Cunningham, Kurt Madison and more. Fri-Sat from 12-8 pm through Feb. 25. Free. Saranac Art Projects, 25 W. Main Ave. sapgallery.com (509-350-3574)

UBUHLE WOMEN: BEADWORK & THE ART OF INDEPENDENCE This exhibition showcases a new form of bead art developed by women living and working in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The six artists featured in the exhibition call their paintings in beads “ndwangos,” which translates as “cloth” or “rag.” Tue-Sun from 10 am-5 pm through April 30. $10$15. Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture, 2316 W. First Ave. northwestmuseum.org

CREATURE FEATURE A showcase of imaginative works from eight local artists. Reception: Fri, Feb. 10 from 5-10 pm. Feb. 11-28, Mon and Thu-Sun from 10 am-5 pm. Free. 5th Dimension Studios, 421 E. Coeur D’Alene Ave. facebook. com/5thDimensionStudios

GARAGE SALE EXHIBITION A pop-up featuring the work of local women artists, including Makayla Sotin and Oriana Sage. Feb. 10, 4-7 pm. Free. Meeting House, 1801 E. 11th Ave. instagram.com/ garage_sale_exhibition

MINDFUL DOODLING Learn how to make art inspired by the ZenTangle method. Feb. 10, 4-5 pm. Free. Coeur d’Alene Public Library, 702 E. Front Ave. cdalibrary.org (208-769-2315)

MEET THE ARTIST: MICHAEL EDWARDS

Meet Michael and talk with him about his architectural pen and ink drawings, specializing in Spokane’s historical architecture. Feb. 11, 12-5 pm. Free. Chrysalis Gallery, 911 S. Monroe. theartchrysalis.com

TINY QUILT: INTUITIVE STITCHING

Learn how to begin and finish a thread, applique stitch and running stitch. Feb. 11, 1-3 pm. $35-$40. Art Salvage, 1925 N. Ash St. artsalvagespokane.com

WORDS

AUTHORTALK: ALEXANDER MANZONI

The local writer, poet and radio personality discusses his time in the literary sphere. Feb. 9, 2-4 pm. Free. Shadle Library, 2111 W. Wellesley Ave. facebook. com/SpokaneAuthors (509-444-5390)

LANA HARPER: BACK IN A SPELL An evening with the New York Times bestselling author as she discusses the third installment of “The Witches of Thistle Grove” series, Back in a Spell. Feb. 9, 4-5 pm. Free. Online: scld.org/events

BLIND DATE WITH A BOOK Throughout February, adults can choose a book from hints located in the window of the Colfax Library, read the book and the return the “Rate your Date” slip for a chance to win a date to SHOTZ coffee. Through Feb. 28. Free. Colfax Library, 102 S. Main St. whitcolib.org (509-397-4366)

POETRY WRITING CLASS Students learn the basic craft elements of writing poetry in this generative workshop. Feb. 11, 1-4 pm. $35. Spokane Print & Publishing Center, 1921 N. Ash St. spokaneprint.org

ART HISTORY LECTURE: IMPRESSIONS OF BLACK LIFE IN AMERICA Dr. Meredith T. Shimizu provides an impression of Black life in America through the quiet, domestic scenes painted by renowned African American Impressionist Henry Ossawa Tanner. Feb. 12, 2 pm. $10. Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture, 2316 W. First Ave. northwestmuseum.org

HARRY POTTER TRIVIA This annual fundraiser for the Get Lit! festival features trivia about all things Harry Potter. Feb. 12, 11:30 am-1:30 pm. $10. Iron Goat Brewing Co., 1302 W. Second Ave. inside. ewu.edu/getlit (509-474-0722)

GET LIT! LITERARY TRIVIA

This inaugural fundraiser features trivia based on classic literature, book-to-screen adaptions, the history of banned books and more. Feb. 12, 2-4 pm. $10. Iron Goat Brewing Co., 1302 W. Second Ave. inside. ewu.edu/getlit/ (509-474-0722)

BROKEN MIC Spokane Poetry Slam’s weekly open mic series. Wednesdays at 6:30 pm; sign-ups at 6 pm. Free. Neato Burrito, 827 W. First Ave. bit.ly/2ZAbugD

CREATIVE CIRCLE WITH MEL ANTUNA HEWITT Are books and bookbinding part of the craft or art world, or something else entirely? Discover the answer for yourself with Mel the Maker. Join the discussion and make your own one-page book. Feb. 15, 7:30-9 pm. Free. Spark Central, 1214 W. Summit Pkwy. sparkcentral.org (509-279-0299)

J.H. GATES AND MAXWELL HURLEY A dual-author event with two local young adult writers. Both authors read selections from their books and have a Q&A with each other and the audience. Feb. 15, 6-7 pm. Free. The Well-Read Moose, 2048 N. Main. wellreadmoose.com

DR. JORDAN B. PETERSON The Canadian clinical psychologist, author and professor studies personality and the psychology of religion. Feb. 15, 7:30 pm. $40-$125. First Interstate Center for the Arts, 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. firstinterstatecenter.org

NORTHWEST PASSAGES: SPOKANE

BLACK STORIES African American high school students in the Spokane area present stories about their lives, culture and history. Feb. 15, 7-9 pm. Free. Central Library, 906 W. Main Ave. spokesman. com/northwest-passages n

5. Beanstalk climber in a fairy tale

9. Squeeze together

14. Risk territory that borders Siberia

15. ____ all-time high

16. Left, on un mapa

17. Gram alternative

18. Emmy-winning comedian Love

19. Traveling in a Winnebago, perhaps

20. “... don’t forget the sulfur!”?

23. Sportage automaker

24. ____ buco

25. Obedient puppy’s reward

28. “No Scrubs” group

29. Phillipa who was the original Eliza in “Hamilton” 30. Doomed from the start, for short

32. “Independence Day is good for me!”

PHONE:(509)444-7355

E-MAIL:BulletinBoard@Inlander.com

38. At an end

39. Museum-funding org.

40. Cinco de ____

41. Fantasy creature that’s very much alive?

46. Comedian Vulcano of “Impractical Jokers”

47. Nov. honoree

48. We’re in the Phanerozoic one

49. “I rock!”

51. Seating that might be L-shaped

53. Catch in the act

56. “Don’t shoot!” (or this puzzle’s theme)

59. Israeli desert

62. Pitching staff, figuratively

63. Teri’s “Young Frankenstein” role

64. Stevenson of ‘50s politics

65. Clear, as data

66. Wow

67. Gooey treat

68. Casual turndowns

69. French word in many bistro names

DOWN

1. Rishi ____, British P.M. beginning in 2022

2. Farsi speaker

3. Black-and-white vegetarian

4. Big chunk

5. Guadalajara is its capital

6. They bond

7. “Oh, yeah? Watch me!”

8. Make bootees, maybe

9. Tight braid

10. Bank that everyone hopes won’t fail

11. “____ was saying ...”

12. Part of a range: Abbr.

13. Tent holder

21. Massage deeply

advertise: 444-SELL Available

22. Tweeter’s “That said …”

26. “What ____!” (“Bummer!”)

27. City whose name is an anagram of Kyoto

28. Banks of fashion

29. Without a date

31. John Irving’s “____ of the Circus”

32. Common campaign promise

33. It’s blocked by sunblock

to

34. “Futurama” woman with one eye and purple hair

35. Fathom or furlong

36. Stimpy’s pal

37. Its national anthem is “Salute to the Sultan”

42. Film not seen in theaters

43. Stiletto, e.g.

44. Renders harmless

45. Crowd eruption

50. “Get what I’m sayin’?”

Euphrates flows through it 52. Vim and vigor 53. Closer’s inning 54. Lock horns 55. “____ Meanz Heinz” (old ad slogan) 57. Curfew for a vampire 58. Money-related: Abbr. 59. “Montero” singer Lil ____ X 60. Oilers, on NHL scoreboards 61. Mop & ____ (floor cleaner) ACROSS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 “HOLD YOUR FIRE” ANSWERSTHISWEEK’S ONISAWYOUS MENTION THIS AD AND RECEIVE: 50% Off set up on set up on TPM 20% OFF one-time service TOTAL PEST MANAGEMENT PROGRAM WORRY FREE PEST CONTROL AS LOW AS $29 95 PER MONTH 208-714-4970 • 509-327-3700 • edenspokane.com Have an event? GET LISTED! Inlander.com/GetListed Deadline is one week prior to publication SUBMIT YOUR EVENT DETAILS for listings in the print & online editions of the Inlander.

Play where the big winners play.

20 Winners of up to

$1,000!

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11 TH | 1 PM – 6 PM

It’s all about the money, honey! Make a grab for all the cash and Extra Play Cash you can if you are a contestant in the Money Honey Money Machine promotion. Just play your favorite video gaming machines with your Coeur Rewards card inserted during the promotion time and you could be drawn through our hot seat program to be a contestant.

See the Coeur Rewards booth, CDA Casino app or cdacasino.com for promotional rules.

Elvis Tribute Artist Contest & Show

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 17 TH | 7 PM | $30 & UP

This Elvis inspired event will showcase several of the leading Elvis tribute artists in the nation as they compete for prizes and top honors at Coeur d’Alene Casino’s first “I Heart Elvis” tribute artist contest! Event judges will include those that knew the real Elvis. Topping off the night will be a special performance by the award-winning Elvis tribute artist Rob Ely.

Must be age 18 or older to attend concerts. Purchase tickets at cdacasino.com, the Casino Box Office, or through the CDA Casino App. Call 1 800-523-2464 for more details.

Couples Dinner Giveaway Bingo

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 12TH ADMISSION OPENS 11 AM SESSION BEGINS 1 PM

Win one of five dinner packages. See Bingo venue for full details.