Inlander 04/16/2020 by The Inlander

POLITICS

Spokane’s new mayor is being tested in unusual ways PAGE 10

FOOD

How to spice up your next meal in quarantine PAGE 44

APRIL 16-22, 2020 | FAMILY OWNED. COMMUNITY FOCUSED.

HERE’S A TWIST: It’s 4/20/2020 and not only is cannabis legal, it’s been officially deemed essential

THE CANNABIS ISSUE

GREEN AMBER WAVES OF

PAGE 15

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INSIDE VOL. 27, NO. 27 | COVER DESIGN: DEREK HARRISON

COMMENT 5 NEWS 10

COVER STORY 15 40 CULTURE

44 FOOD I SAW YOU 46

EDITOR’S NOTE

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ven to those of us who reported on Washington’s legalization efforts, the transformation of marijuana — aka pot, weed, reefer, ganja, dope, herb, bud, grass, Mary Jane — has been nothing short of dramatic. Those problematic monikers, based on fear and xenophobia, have largely been dropped in favor of the word CANNABIS because, well, that’s the plant’s genus name. And for the past six years in the Evergreen State, people over 21 have been able to saunter into local shops and, without looking over their shoulders, peruse the products of Washington farmers for recreational use. It’s all licensed, curated, tested, labeled and well-lit. Now, in the middle of a coronavirus-related shutdown, it’s been deemed an essential service by the state, in part because cannabis has been available for medical use since 1998. Meanwhile, many of our cannabis-curious readers have burning questions, some of them related to the ongoing pandemic like, “Will cannabis help with my anxiety?” We get to the bottom of that and much more in this week’s 20-page pullout guide. Find it on page 15. — JACOB H. FRIES, Editor

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THE DEBATE OVER HOMELESSNESS

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ARTISAN TOAST

FIVE PLACES TO FIND IT LOCALLY

MAY 9-15, 2019 | DISTILLING THE INLAND

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WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH YOUR GOVERNMENT STIMULUS CHECK?

GENERAL MANAGER

JENNY SLATER: Buy a tiger. Duh.

EDITORIAL

JUSTIN GALLOWAY: Buying health insurance.

Jacob H. Fries (x261) EDITOR

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MICHAEL POUNDS: Taking my wife out to a nice restaurant to celebrate our 25th anniversary a month late.

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SCOTT D. SMITH: Going to use it to try to save our family business.

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EDITOR’S NOTE

Normally, we ask our question of the week of people we randomly encounter on the street. But with the Inland Northwest in lockdown, we instead asked our followers on social media to share their thoughts.

Happy Spring!

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MARK THAYER: Pay rent, buy a checkerboard ukulele, put the rest in savings. RACHEL BECK: Mortgage and other bills. I’m self employed and have been unable to work since March 16 when salons were shut down. And I have maternity leave (unpaid) coming up in May/June. We had saved plenty for that, but having an extra 2 months for a pandemic added on was not in the plans. Anyone who tells me to save it for taxes can bite me. That’s not an option for a lot of people right now. HANK GREER: Spend some locally and donate some to Second Harvest.

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RAYMOND GLINES: I’m not out of work, so if my family spends the whole check eating out every night to keep my favorite restaurants open, I won’t mind at all. ALICIA SMITH: I am getting an additional laptop. I am an online student and now my three kids are home. We lost a laptop to the graphics card gods of chaos last week and are down to one to share. The rest? Savings. I’m essential and even getting overtime but who knows what the future holds! ZEB OVERWOOD: Rehab for when I get outta quarantine. n

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We Have Always Lived in the Quarantine We find a way to be OK, because we have to BY SAM FOLEY

t was the morning after the night John Prine our day-to-day existence died. The girls, ages 8 and 5, were asking during this time has been for help building something in the living like this. Aside from the room. The wife, working from home, was on strangeness of leaving the the phone. I’d been pacing the house with the house, the horror of this junior guitar I’d given the girls, wearing the same pandemic is still in our gray sweatpants, black poncho, and camouflage phones — the deaths of so baseball hat I’d been wearing for days. I couldn’t many old and young, dehuquite remember the words to “Crazy as a Loon.” manizing politics, and crucial I kept singing the first verse over and over. I was systems hanging in the balance. But outside of looking out the window. The girls were panicked our phones, we are playing Monopoly together, about a structural collapse in the living room. It eating all our meals together, sitting and having was quarantine. conversations. Yesterday at 11 am we played That night, when I went to tuck the girls in, a house-wide game of hide-and-go-seek for an they were sitting on the older one’s bed, chatting hour, during which my wife and I hid in the quietly while working in a coloring book. No closet together and kissed. one had told them to do this. They’d just slipped Last night for dinner, each member of my off and gotten some crayons. If you’re a parent, household had their own individual chicken you’re not surprised I was speechless. I said, thigh with mashed potatoes and biscuits. More “What’s going on here?” If you’re not a parent, gravy? Another biscuit? Go right ahead. This all you need to know is, this has never happened, was Monday night. It wasn’t anybody’s birthand I was suspicious. They looked up and Elsa, speaking for them both, said, “We were just talking about how all we have is each other.” The day; we weren’t celebrating a holiday; there had younger one was nodding. been no wedding or funeral. Even in quarantine, I said, “What?” and they repeated it in unifor us, it was just regular. Two actual chickens. son. Now I was speechless and dumbfounded, Chickens we never even met. In truth, this type because this was clearly a reference to something of luxury has always seemed surreal to me. I’ve I always tell them, which means listening had never expected it to go on. Are these the last of occurred, something up till now in parenting, the good days? If so, they’ve been pretty good. I wasn’t sure ever had. It’s a thing I say when I’m ignoring, of course, the crushing anxiety, they’re being cruel to one another, which is often. which though it’s always existed, now seems I say, “Someday you’ll learn, family is all you more acute. It comes mostly at night for us, but really have. Be careful with each other.” I always days-long anxiety attacks do occur for us both; mean this when I say it, but where all we think about is I never thought it would what happens if the money apply so specifically, or imCOMPLETE COVERAGE stops coming, or our parents mediately. I thought about get sick, or crucial systems The Inlander’s staff of reporters and their experience over these fail, or — Jesus — you know photographers has been working tirelessly past weeks. Neither of them what they are. Because of to cover the coronavirus pandemic and all has seen another child since this, we’ve each become of its implications for the Inland Northwest. schools closed in March. All very understanding of one Go to Inlander.com/coronavirus for complete they do have is each other. another. More supportive, coverage. And they’ve become closer maybe. Additionally, we’ve also tapped into over this time, have develOne important coping a boundless resource that is our region’s oped conspiracies. They mechanism for us is one my community of writers, and in recent days rely on one another in ways grandfather taught me. He they’ve shared with Inlander readers an they never have. was a fan of Dale Carnegie awe-inspiring series of essays and stories. The truth is, much of (you know, How to Win Find those at Inlander.com/soundoff.

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Friends and Influence People). Carnegie’s advice in tough times is to imagine the worst-case scenario and find a way to be OK with it. Then you can move forward. For us, this helps. We close our eyes and imagine getting sick and dying, or our parents getting sick and not being able to help them, or we live but lose the jobs and the house, can’t feed our kids, refugees, or worse, worse, worse. Have we done enough to prepare? we ask ourselves. The answer we increasingly give is, we’ve done what is feasible, though the gap is huge. Probably none of the worst possibilities will materialize. But none of them are impossible, either. Any of them, in fact, could happen with or without a pandemic. We know this. It’s just now all our fears are at the front door, instead of howling off in the woods somewhere. In our anxiety, we think about everyone, every parent ever. We think about those for whom the worst has happened. When it overwhelms, we wonder, how has anyone ever done this? But we find a way to be OK, because we have to. We remind ourselves we’ve been happy already. We tell ourselves, no matter how bad things get from here — happiness has already taken place. It’s happening now. For us, this means something. I say this over and over, and I put the girls in their PJs. I say it over and over, and I brush their teeth. I say it over and over, and I put them both to bed. n Sam Foley holds an MFA from Eastern Washington University. He lives in Spokane with his wife and two daughters.

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COMMENT | CORONAVIRUS

That Dog Has a Problem If a person lacks human emotional outlets, then their dog is going to be in for some tough duty BY BEN KUNTZ

ur dog Ruby, an Australian shepherd-ish mutt with orange ears and a perpetual startled expression, has disappeared again. It used to be that when Sarah or I would come home, she would sprint berserkly to the door, yipping and wriggling her hips. Now that we’re home almost all the time, we wander the house, peeking into closets and bathrooms, peering under bushes, trying to find the most recent spot where she has taken refuge from our constant, needy presence. Eventually she slinks out from behind the shed, looking guilty but prepared to do her duty. In A Voice Crying in the Wilderness, Edward Abbey wrote, “When a man’s best friend is his dog, that dog has a problem.” If a person lacks human emotional outlets, then their dog is going to be in for some tough duty. Sarah and I, for example, don’t have kids, no one to home-school through quarantine or build forts with in the living room. When our friends talk about their children, we talk about our pets, usually without self-awareness or irony. Over the course of her 16-year life span, our miniature dachshund, Bess, has accumulated nearly as many Halloween costumes as she has gray hairs. Our dogs definitely have a problem. From humanity’s point of view, to be man’s best friend is a singular honor. From the canine point of view, the honor is more complicated, a voluntary subjugation that even in its best moments has undertones of degradation and disgrace. It’s like being appointed to Trump’s cabinet. Yes, you’re the Secretary of Defense. But you’ll never regain your self-respect, and it probably isn’t going to end well. A cranky wilderness advocate best known for his book Desert Solitaire, Abbey was a critic of over-domestication as it applied to human civilization, too. Tameness is a danger to freedom and self-respect, and it doesn’t get a lot tamer than sitting in the house in track pants, streaming something, anything, and counting the minutes until I can justify drinking another beer. In the first days of Washington’s shelter-inplace recommendation, Ruby couldn’t believe her luck. We lavished her with multiple walks or runs a day, frequent bouts of tug of war, and unlimited lap time. Now, several weeks in, after all the human time she can handle, she spends most of her time stretched out in the backyard,

facing away from the back door, gnawing on one of the dozens of old horse chestnuts littering our lawn and garden beds. Our little family moved into this rental house almost two years ago, and the first time I spotted Ruby chewing on a horse chestnut from the tree in our neighbor’s yard at our new house, I was alarmed. Although I have managed to forget nearly everything I learned in my decades in various educational systems, I immediately recalled an obscure piece of booklore from thirty-some years ago: Horse chestnuts contain a neurotoxin so potent it can be used to stun fish. This nugget of wisdom came from a book called Outdoor Survival Skills, which my friend Aaron Maxwell and I counted as our Bible at the time. Like many suburban fifth-graders, we were frequently thrust into urgent life or death wilderness survival situations. We memorized the book, and even today I could probably manufacture a working solar water still or recite a recipe for nonperishable pemmican. Aaron and I were best friends then, at a stage in life when almost everyone had one. It’s a stage that gradually seems to go away. If Abbey is correct, then my constant companionship with Aaron saved some wear and tear on Boxer, my family’s dog.

It doesn’t get a lot tamer than sitting in the house in track pants ... and counting the minutes until I can justify drinking another beer.

8 INLANDER APRIL 16, 2020

When I scoured the internet for information about whether dogs could be poisoned by eating horse chestnuts, all I found was a British discussion forum about dogs eating something called conkers. Conkers, apparently, are what they call horse chestnuts in England, a fact that makes me like England very much. The forum posters did not seem overly concerned, and Ruby has thus far showed no ill effects. Incidentally, if there is anyone in our family who has real-world experience with outdoor survival skills, it is Ruby, a survivor who was rescued from a small Alaskan village where she was living at the town dump (or “rubbish tip,” for

those of you over in conker-land). When we first got her, she was already an expert forager who would supplement her daily meals by delicately eating raspberries in the garden. She came to us a pretty good mouser as well. But for a girl from the dump, she has little interest in eating trash and possesses remarkably dainty table manners. She does not eat indiscriminately, so I was surprised when I found her eating something I knew to be poison. Now, though, in the time of quarantine, her conker chewing has grown more despondent and desperate. Maybe she has known they were poisonous all along. Abbey’s dog with a problem remark can apply to the actual dogs in our currently oversaturated households, but it might prove true of our human relationships as well. This period of social distancing would be a difficult time to be alone, and those of us who have them are very grateful for the presence of significant others. However, though we always knew our household others were significant, only now, with abundant time to observe them, are we starting to grasp just exactly what they signify. I always wondered what he meant, I can almost see Sarah thinking, as she notices I am wearing my track pants, again, or I am ordering something from Amazon, again. And now she knows. What quarantine has revealed about too much of a good thing is not necessarily that it is bad, but that it can expose truths that should have been obvious. Wait a second, fudge is too sweet? Sure, quarantine has disrupted our lives and social patterns, but more tellingly, it has shown that we already practiced social distancing too many nights a week. Apparently, our two-person household’s pattern of completely filling our blue recycling trash can every week was not due to having parties or houseguests. The volume has stayed remarkably consistent, so all of those beer cans must be mine. And Netflix, that great diversion everyone has turned to? Streaming video platforms for us were already cashed, already raided, our relationship’s equivalent of the toilet paper aisle at the supermarket. We pillaged all the shelves a long time ago, and anything new in stock disappears immediately. Tiger King feels like decades ago. Whatever we decide to watch, I pause constantly to raid the kitchen, hoping there is something exciting in there I have somehow previously failed to notice. Sarah reads news on her phone and tries to get me to rub her feet. This is our routine, episode after episode, and yeah, it’s kind of tired. But I’d be lost without it. This morning, Ruby lies flat in the yard, facing away from the door and our eventual entreaties. I’m upstairs, looking at exercise videos. So far, during quarantine, I have spent about twice as much time looking at exercise video tutorials than I have actually spent exercising. Sarah, who has started taking German language lessons, is pacing the house with her flashcards, loudly conjugating German verbs, many of which seem to my ears to have sinister, restrictive edges. Müssen, have to. Dürfen, allowed to. Germans, orderly and rule-following people, have done a good job of flattening the COVID-19 curve and minimizing death rates. Americans are maybe less domesticated, taken as a whole. There are benefits these days to being a good dog. If Edward Abbey were alive, it is fairly certain he would have the good sense to spend this quarantine period camped out in a remote spot in the desert, safe from the virus and the pollutions of wi-fi or cell reception. It’s a tempting idea, but one that would of course backfire if everyone tried to do it. When Sarah and I got married 10 years ago, Aaron Maxwell gave us a new copy of Outdoor Survival Skills, which I can’t seem to find now, just in time for impending societal collapse. In fifth grade, I would have been skeptical had someone told me the true survival skills would turn out to be proper handwashing, videoconference etiquette, and the ability to give a good foot rub. We’re asking a lot of those closest to us these days. And yeah, too much proximity can be kind of a problem. But if social distancing ensures that’s the worst problem some of us face from the pandemic, then we are very lucky dogs indeed. n Ben Kuntz is a student of fiction in the MFA program at Eastern Washington University and a professor at the Kuskokwim Campus of the University of Alaska Fairbanks in Bethel, Alaska.

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CITY HALL

THE UNITER Spokane Mayor Nadine Woodward had begun to heal the rifts in City Hall — right in time for the world to go to hell BY DANIEL WALTERS

year ago this month — back when it was still legal to gather in large groups — former local TV anchor Nadine Woodward announced her campaign for mayor of Spokane, with no inkling of the scale of challenge that was awaiting her. She didn’t present a detailed platform as much as a philosophy and personality, arguing that she’d reject “bickering,” “political posturing” and “grandstanding,” and instead would “listen.” She lamented the long-running “war” between the City Council and the Mayor’s Office and promised that she’d take a healthier, more mature approach. But as the campaign ebbed on, as Woodward slammed the City Council and the media, as she made numerous controversial statements about homelessness, it highlighted just how challenging it would be to unify the city. Woodward’s 849-vote margin of victory made one thing absolutely clear: Spokane was sharply divided. ...continued on page 12

Spokane Mayor Nadine Woodward is being tested like few mayors ever have in the city’s history. DANIEL WALTERS PHOTO

10 INLANDER APRIL 16, 2020

Thank you

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NEWS | CITY HALL

City Council Breean Beggs invited Mayor Woodward to attend the council’s Monday night meetings — an offer that Woodward has embraced.

DANIEL WALTERS PHOTO

“THE UNITER,” CONTINUED... And now, just over 100 days into her role, as the world collapses into pandemic, Woodward is being tested like few mayors ever have in the city’s history. Yet, right now, those on both sides of the ideological divide are crediting Woodward with fulfilling her promise to unite a fractured City Hall, forging trust that could be crucial in the ugly days ahead. “I knew I had to build a relationship with the City Council,” Woodward says. “I could do all this on my own without bringing anybody else along. But that’s not the way I want to do it. I’m more of a consensus-builder.”

STOP, COLLABORATE, LISTEN

City Council President Breean Beggs — a left-leaning attorney who also won November’s election with a narrow advantage — remembers running into the conservative mayor-elect on the sidewalk outside City Hall in late November, and both exchanged earnest promises to work together. “She was really committed,” Beggs says. “She kept telling me that getting along with council is going to be one of her top priorities,” Woodward regularly set up meetings with each councilmember. “We have two rules,” Woodward says. “No. 1 is we don’t surprise each other… No. 2, we have agreed not to disparage each other in public,” Woodward says. “I can have a philosophical difference with you and I can articulate that difference, but I’m not going to tear you down personally because I don’t agree with you.” It didn’t hurt that Woodward’s most specific campaign proposal — to return the downtown police precinct to a more central location — was something councilmembers like Beggs had wanted to do for years. It was lowhanging fruit, and within seven weeks, Woodward notes, they got it done. Woodward says she recognized that she was “coming in with no political experience or governing experience,” and so she sought to remedy that with expertise, bringing on Wes Crago, the even-keeled administrator from the tiny Washington town of Ephrata, to be her city administrator. While Woodward’s predecessor, Mayor

12 INLANDER APRIL 16, 2020

David Condon, spent his first 100 days shaking up the city’s bureaucracy, Woodward spent her first few months stabilizing it. Instead of disruptive outside-the-box hires, she filled the city’s open positions largely with current or former government staffers. The way Woodward has treated those city staffers has won her the respect of even one of the Condon administration’s biggest critics: City Councilwoman Karen Stratton. “My biggest relief is that she and Wes care about our employees. ... They are very quick to thank people for their hard work,” Stratton says. “You can feel the tone change in City Hall.” During the Condon administration, councilmembers like Stratton noted the absurdity of the communication divide when only a few dozen feet separated the city council office from the mayor’s office. But today, that barrier has come down. “Any time I get up and wander around, I wander over to their office. People literally just hang out and shoot the breeze,” Crago says. “And councilmembers will do that on our side.” As a show of unity, Woodward and Crago began attending nearly every Monday night council meeting, at Beggs’ invitation. “The mayor was so excited to do that,” Crago says. “That was a big deal.” In fact, because of the coronavirus-related shutdown, Crago remains one of the only officials physically attending council meetings. “Breean and I are the only two in the room,” Crago says, “watching a screen full of faces.”

ENTER THE VIRUS

“Everything was pretty much swept away by responding to the crisis — well, I won’t say ‘swept away.’ Everything changed,” Crago says. While Woodward had little experience, the role of a leader who seeks to communicate information with authority was one she honed during three decades on TV. “She has gone into overdrive to communicate to the public, what we’re doing, how we’re doing,” Crago says.

“There’s a video shot every day, right outside my office. She crafts the message.” Beggs says that Woodward hasn’t been driving the response, including the push to declare a state of emergency, giving the city extra powers and financial resources. “She really wanted to declare long before the county did,” Beggs says. “Frankly, I think, we’re a week behind because of [the region’s] delay.” But the mayor argues that waiting to declare a state of emergency in the city was worth it in order to effectively partner with other local governments. “Because this was an emergency of this magnitude, the city should not be working on its own,” Woodward says. Beggs credits Woodward with amending her emergency order, at the council’s request, to ban foreclosures, not just evictions. “I was a little nervous if she was going to go that far,” Beggs says. “Somebody said, ‘Are we really going to do this?’ And she says, ‘Yes, we are going to do this.’” But another move by the mayor may have been even more surprising: During the campaign, Woodward repeatedly championed a tough-love approach to chronic homelessness — criticizing the council’s push for a city-owned shelter and even going so far, in an Inlander interview, as to express openness to banning homeless people entirely from the public library. Today? Woodward’s administration turned the downtown library — closed down for renovations — into an additional temporary homeless shelter. “Which I know, people feel is very ironic,” Woodward says, letting out a long laugh. “But it’s worked out quite well. … We have to help our most vulnerable, especially in a health crisis that we’re experiencing right now.” In one sense, the apparent change of heart can be attributed to the necessity of preventing an outbreak in a crowded shelter. Yet Spokane could have gone in a different direction. In fact, Woodward describes her shock at listening to the mayor of Vancouver on a conference call talking about shutting down one of Vancouver’s homeless shelters. “I thought, ‘Oh my gosh. I can not imagine doing

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The months ahead are about to get more challenging, in ways that may strain partnerships in City Hall. The budget impact of this year’s economic devastation might be blunted by the city’s reserves that it methodically built up during the Condon years. But next year? And the year after that?

“We have to be extremely flexible. We’ve already put a freeze on hiring. We have already cut back on nonessential spending.” “My gosh, I was hoping that we were going to build on the momentum that we’ve created in the last several years,” Woodward says. “Now it looks like we’re going to have to rebuild the momentum we had.” Instead of sharing in a feast, the council and the administration may soon be negotiating over scraps. During the campaign, Woodward briefly floated the idea of cutting homeless shelter funding to pay for extra police officers instead of raising taxes, and it remains to be seen how Woodward will prioritize during a budget crisis. “We have to be extremely flexible,” Woodward says. “We’ve already put a freeze on hiring. We have already cut back on nonessential spending.” Already, there are small signs of conflict. On Monday, a resolution, brought by conservative Councilman Michael Cathcart and supported by Stratton, called for the City Council to support Woodward’s request for the Washington governor to lift the stay-at-home order for most residential construction jobs. But the council narrowly rejected a proposal to put it on Monday night’s agenda. Meanwhile, potentially controversial City Council ordinances, like one laying out more rights for tenants, have been put on hold. As the lockdown is lifted, Woodward expects to be dealing with some of those issues. “We’re going to get to a point where we have some philosophical differences,” Woodward says. “We’re going to have some serious conversations about anything dealing with tenants and landlords after COVID. … I need to find that balance between protecting tenants but also property owners.” But Woodward believes that once a healthy relationship with the council has been established, that conflict can proceed in a healthier way. And Beggs believes that the mayor might end up supporting the final version of his landlord-tenant ordinance, too. After all, it’s not like his ordinance goes so far as to end all foreclosures and evictions entirely. Either way, he says, the relationship between the mayor and the council is so strong right now that disagreements are scarcely noticed. “We’re so much seeing the good in each other that there might be some slip-ups and conflicts that don’t really enter into our consciousness,” Beggs says. n danielw@inlander.com

U’

THE PITFALLS AHEAD

Without a doubt, the COVID-19 pandemic will result in a housing emergency.

that,’” Woodward says. “That was so foreign to me. … I just thought, ‘That’s not the answer at all.” Right now, Beggs says, Woodward has been even more likely than Condon was to trust recommendations made by the city’s Community Housing and Human Services Department, which handles homelessness issues. “My sense is they are more empowered to do what they think is right,” Beggs says. Yet Woodward argues she hasn’t changed her views about anything, homelessness included. She still rejects no-requirement service models like “Housing First” and still believes that more “accountability” is a necessary part of the system. “My outlook hasn’t changed,” Woodward says. “The way I want to approach this hasn’t changed.”

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CONSUMPTION

CHANGE IT UP Health experts warn that smokers and vapers could be at risk of COVID-19 complications; here are some alternative products BY CHEY SCOTT

annabis users may want to set aside their pipes, bongs and vape pens until the threat of COVID-19 has passed. Health experts are concerned that individuals with a history of smoking or vaping — both tobacco and marijuana — could experience a more severe infection of the coronavirus, which attacks the lungs. While there haven’t been many studies yet on COVID-19’s impacts on this specific demographic, experts say smoking and vaping are known to suppress immune

18 INLANDER APRIL 16, 2020

function and cause inflammation in the lungs, leaving users more vulnerable to a host of pulmonary issues such as pneumonia. For users of any experience, there’s myriad recreational cannabis products on the market that don’t need to be inhaled for consumption. “It’s common for customers, especially medically vulnerable or first-time cannabis consumers, to say that they want to try cannabis but do not want to smoke,” says Apex Cannabis co-owner Stacey Peterson. “There are so many ways to do this.” She lists off several products: tinctures, edibles, beverages and topical products, which typically don’t provide a high, making them a good starting point for conservative consumers. Tinctures are liquids in a bottle with a dosage dropper, Peterson explains, and are designed to be applied under the tongue and absorbed into the blood vessels beneath. Tinctures tend to take effect quicker than other consumed forms of cannabis. “It can also be dropped into a drink like tea,” she says. “When consumed that way, it goes through the digestive system, so it takes longer to feel the effect” than when applied under the tongue. While the effect takes longer to set in, edibles are a well known form of cannabis consumption that offer a wide range of flavors, forms and ingredients, as well as different ratios of THC (the chemical that supplies a high, which varies by plant strain) and CBD (the chemical that offers relaxation and anti-inflammatory effects). Apex and other dispensaries offer edibles in the form of hard and gummy candies, chocolates, mints and more. “Some cannabis packaging shows a CBD to THC ratio; a 1:1 means the product has equal parts, and com-

mon ratios include 5:1, 10:1 and 20:1 CBD to THC,” she explains. Edibles with a higher amount of CBD relative to THC cause very little to no high in most users, she adds. The majority of edibles sold in Washington state have a maximum of 10 milligrams of THC per dose or individual piece regardless of the product’s physical size, Peterson says, although some products contain just 5 mg. Edibles can take up to 60 minutes to take effect, although Peterson says newbies should always go “low and slow,” waiting up to two hours to see how they feel before taking more. Cannabis products can also be consumed in liquid form, ranging from infused lemonades to carbonated, flavored sodas, both of which Apex carries. Peterson notes that while many drinks are packaged in higher dosages, ranging from 25 to 100 mg per bottle, each bottle comes with a dosage cap (like cough syrup) and usually aren’t meant to be consumed all at once. Liquid products like these tend to take effect in less time than solid edibles. Peterson says the main alternative to orally consumed cannabis products are topicals, like lotion, gel, salves, sprays, patches and lip balms. “Topicals absorb through the skin and provide relief, but do not typically result in any high, and these are the most common place for the most conservative consumers to start,” she says. For customers who’d prefer to speak with a budtender in person to discuss product needs, Peterson says the best time to stop by Apex, which has locations in Central Spokane (1325 N. Division St.), Otis Orchards (21502 E. Gilbert Rd.) and in Moses Lake, is before noon, or after 8 pm, when most cannabis retailers tend to be less busy. n

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APRIL 16, 2020 INLANDER 19

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CANNABIS ISSUE

A staffer at Cannabis & Glass is ready to help you. ADAM SCHLUTER PHOTO

KEEPING THE HIGH SALES

Usually cannabis business booms in April. Will the coronavirus change that?

n a normal year, cannabis stores would be cashing in this April. Consumers would crowd their local weed shop on 4/20, the highest sales day of the year. Friends would meet up and enjoy their cannabis products together. These are not normal times. Crowding anywhere is banned, and hanging out with friends is frowned upon. So how will the cannabis stores fare as the coronavirus clouds the industry? So far, cannabis sales in Washington have been up and down since the coronavirus crisis. Weed shops locally say they saw a big increase in sales as people were stocking up in preparation for weeks at home. But that didn’t last. “We had a spike in business because people were concerned about weed dispensaries closing down,” says Kassianne Rosenau, general manager for Cinder in downtown Spokane. “Then, we saw business drop.” The Washington Liquor and Cannabis Board doesn’t have sales numbers for the month of March yet. But there are some indications that coronavirus has slowed cannabis

COVER DESIGN BY DERRICK KING 20 INLANDER APRIL 16, 2020

BY WILSON CRISCIONE business overall in Washington despite reports of unprecshe says. edented one-day sales. In January and February of this Generally, stores are selling more edibles and extracts year, sales were up 14 percent compared to the same time compared to traditional flower. Marr thinks that might last year, according to cannabis analytics firm Headset. In have to do with how people consume cannabis when March, however, sales were only up 9 percent compared they’re stuck at home. to the prior year. “In closed settings, when you do have to shelter in In other words, business is still growing, but coronaviplace, smokeable flower is not going to be the form of rus has bent the curve. choice,” he says. “We haven’t seen a big drop in busiGoing forward, the industry could be furness, but April will be the month that tells A NEW VIEW ther impacted, Marr says. So far, people are still Find more of Adam the tale,” says Chris Marr, a former state going out and buying weed. But what happens Schluter’s photos capturing when people run out of money because they’ve legislator and member of the state LCB, the strangeness of life in a who is now an cannabis industry consullost their job? pandemic on page 38. tant. “The question is going to be availability of At the downtown Cinder, Rosenau disposable income,” Marr says. “There’s a lot of says they grew sales almost 30 percent over the first quarconcern about that.” ter before things calmed down this month. But Rosenau But the outlook isn’t too gloomy. The market for says she still expects April to be a good month. The weed will be there either way. If you compare cannabis to challenge is how to handle 4/20 — instead of having one other industries, cannabis will be just fine. celebration on that day, she says they’re trying to celebrate “At this point, already many other industries are it every day. looking at disasters,” Marr says. “We have to acknowl“We want to prevent everyone rushing in on 4/20,” edge we’re in better shape.” n

TIME TRAVELING CULTURE

A toker’s musical guide through pop history BY DAN NAILEN

eople have been enjoying cannabis for recreational purposes for centuries, including in the United States since the early 1900s. That means weed was in America a good 50 years or so before the invention of rock ’n’ roll. (We’re using Ike Turner’s “Rocket 88” in 1951 as the marker for rock’s onset, but you could argue for Elvis Presley’s “That’s All Right” in 1954.) While pot is certainly not necessary to enjoy music, it’s been a popular sonic enhancer for concert goers and headphone enthusiasts from the beginning. And while there are some bands unquestionably associated with drug culture — hello, Grateful Dead — there are also plenty of albums that are particularly potent with the addition of a joint or bong hit that you might not think of as “stoner music.” Here’s a quick guide of one album from each decade since rock’s birth, listens you might enjoy a little more after a puff.

MILES DAVIS, KIND OF BLUE (1959)

I am far from being a jazz fan, but some of the classic works are undeniable. Case in point: trumpeter Davis’s Kind of Blue, an album recorded in two days by the bandleader’s sextet. If you enjoy marijuana to relax, this instrumental collection is just the ticket. Be forewarned, though; it could definitely be a gateway to listening to more jazz.

THE KINKS, THE KINKS ARE THE VILLAGE GREEN PRESERVATION SOCIETY (1968)

The decade that introduced us to hippies and “flower power” is rife with records that would pair well with pot. You could really just listen to the whole Beatles catalog of that decade and call it good. But this, the sixth album from the Kinks, is a collection of songs about English society totally foreign to my experience. The Davies brothers’ knack for catchy pop-rock was never more potent.

STEVIE WONDER, SONGS IN THE KEY OF LIFE (1976)

This 17-song double album is arguably Stevie’s best release, and the fact that you can argue over several of his ’70s albums shows what a killer musician he is. A headphone experience that’s hard to beat, Songs has some of Wonder’s biggest hits (“Sir Duke,” “I Wish” and “Isn’t She Lovely” among them), but it’s a deep set that veers from soul and pop to serious funk and R&B.

TALKING HEADS, STOP MAKING SENSE (1984)

Maybe picking this live album is cheating, since it serves as sort of a “greatest hits” for the Talking Heads, but whatever — the band’s predilection for dabbling in art-rock and world music makes their songs ideal for weed-added enjoyment. And considering you can watch the amazing concert film while you dance along with David Byrne and Co., well, it’s an obvious choice.

LAURYN HILL, THE MISEDUCATION OF LAURYN HILL (1998)

Hill’s solo debut after years in the Fugees hits a lot of weedfriendly sweet spots. It’s a fierce hip-hop album at points, a sweet soul collection, a reggae-infused wonder and pop masterpiece. Beyond the mere musical touchpoints, though, are lyrics touching on spirituality and love that can send you into some seriously zoned-out mind trips.

MADVILLAIN, MADVILLAINY (2004)

Hip-hop can make for great stoner jams when you have a particularly creative producer/DJ in the mix, and you can do no better than Madlib. He’s a master, teaming with MC MF Doom as Madvillain and throwing an incredible array of samples into more than 20 short songs on this masterpiece. MF Doom is no slouch on the mic, either, boasting a creative flow that keeps you thinking while your head’s bobbing.

QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, ...LIKE CLOCKWORK (2013)

Josh Homme secured his stoner-rock bona fides back when he was a member of Kyuss, but this is the best album he’s ever made. The mix of hooky blues raunch, prog-rock moves and mountains of guitar hooks makes for a great listening experience, sober or not.

CORNERSHOP, ENGLAND IS A GARDEN (2020)

Granted, the 2020s are only a few months old (even though it seems like it’s been about 100 years). But there are already some worthy contenders for the year’s best stoney listen, and genre-defying Brit indie-rockers Cornershop have my favorite with their first album in five years. While they incorporate a cornucopia of off-kilter instrumentation (flutes! sitars!), their tunes remain rooted in classic pop songcraft that will thrill any audiophile. n

APRIL 16, 2020 INLANDER 21

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HEALTH

JUST RELAX, OK? Weed can help your anxiety — or make it a ton worse BY DANIEL WALTERS

imes are stressful, what with a virus rampaging, people dying, hospitals being overloaded, the economy imploding and unemployment soaring. For people who are already a bit uptight, it can take general anxiety and turn it into a psychological nightmare. Here’s the good news: Weed can help you relax. Here’s the bad news: Weed can make you even more stressed out and paranoid. So what is the savvy consumer of legalized drugs to do? Lorena Guerra, budtender at Toker Friendly, says there are broadly three categories of cannabis: sativa, indica and hybrids. Sativa has the reputation of being a “more uplifting, happy and creative” high. “The indicas tend to be the sleepy, relaxed, maybe munchiefeels kind of highs,” Guerra says. Hybrids are a blend of the two. “If somebody comes up and says, ‘I want something to help me with my anxiety,’ my first thought is, ‘Stay away from sativas,’” Guerra says. “Because they can elevate your heart rate, make you feel a little uncomfortable or even make you feel more paranoid or more anxiety-ridden.” But it’s worth noting that such a recommendation is not an ironclad rule. In 2018, Leafly, where Guerra does most of her research on cannabis strains, published an article stressing that experts have discouraged generalizing by category. “What we need to seek to understand better is which standardized cannabis composition is causing which effects, when delivered in which fashions, at which specific dosages, to which types of [consumers],” chemist Jeffrey Raber told Leafly. A better predictor, they say, is to dig into the makeup of each strain: Strains bursting with THC carry a powerful euphoric effect. But Leafly suggests that those vulnerable to the anxiety instead seek out strains higher in CBD, the chemical in cannabis that doesn’t get you high but some research suggests it could help anxiety. “I try to suggest something with CBD for people with anxiety first,” Guerra says.

HELL-O JELL-O EDIBLES

How to make cannabis gummies at home

BY SAMANTHA WOHLFEIL

ike the best gas station treats that tempt even the most mature adults on a good road trip, gummies cater to that need to chew on something sweet while basking in the sunshine. With a little infused oil thrown in the mix, these gummies add a major boost to the sugar high of yesteryear. If you want a play-by-play (including how to make your own infused oil), follow along with the recipe we learned from by RuffHouse Studios: search “How to Make Cannabis Gummies (With Infused Coconut Oil) Cannabasics #86” on YouTube.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

One budtender’s go-to strain for dealing with anxiety is Granddaddy Purple. Leafly says it’s also possible that terpenes, the oils responsible for the unique scents of cannabis strains, play an important but complicated role in influencing anxiety. But biochemistry is a complicated science, and factors like a patient’s size, ADHD and pre-existing assumptions can all play a role. Add in the unpredictable nature of how the body processes edibles and you complicate the formula even further. Personally, Guerra says, she takes a “Granddaddy Purple,” an indica-dominant hybrid, when she wants to deal with her anxiety. But she’s well aware that not it might not work for everybody. “Everybody’s different,” Guerra says. “Everybody’s definitely going to chemically react differently to what you end up smoking.” n

22 INLANDER APRIL 16, 2020

1/4 cup weed-infused coconut oil 1/2 cup water 1 oz unflavored gelatin 6-oz package Jell-O (pick your favorite flavor!) A silicone mold To make these treats into those fun shapes that make your mouth water just by looking at them, it’ll take a silicone mold or molds. Gummy bear molds can be found easily online for fairly cheap from most major retailers. Or, you can keep an eye on the clearance racks around town for a good deal, like this hand symbol-shaped tray, which we found for less than $4 at Urban Outfitters a while ago.

DIRECTIONS

Bring the oil and water to a low boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring constantly.

Add plain gelatin one or two packets at a time, stirring until it’s mostly incorporated. Add the Jell-O mix and stir for about five minutes until fully combined and the mix starts to come to a rolling boil.

Of all the edible recipes we’ve shared with readers over the years, this one has been by far the most popular. You’re welcome.

From here, move quickly as the mix starts to set up fairly fast. Spray your silicone mold(s) with cooking spray and use a glass with a pour spout or a dropper to put the mix into each well. Cool in the fridge for at least an hour, then pop the candies out of the mold and store them in an airtight container in the fridge before eating.

REMEMBER...

With any edible, less is more until you know its power, and unlike those gas station gummy bears, ya can’t eat a whole bag of these. It’s tempting, but do yourself a favor and don’t. Seriously. And a cautionary tale from a friend: If you eat a gummy before bed, you might wake up super high the next morning and have to call in sick, so be mindful of your timing as well. Otherwise, enjoy! n

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uring normal times, I-90 Green House is like a destination resort for marijuana lovers. The Ritzville shop owned by Cameron Stevenson and his wife, Jewel, prides itself on having more different strains and product options than anywhere in the state, or even any shop in Colorado or Oregon, too. They boast of their diverse product lines on billboards for drivers on both Interstate 90 and state Highway 395. There’s a lot less traffic on those roads as the country largely hunkers down to slow the coronavirus. And while the Stevensons’ store is doing OK thanks to regular local customers and the folks who bought in large quantities before Gov. Jay Inslee declared cannabis shops among the essential businesses to stay open during his stay-at-home decree, times are tighter than normal. The state’s cannabis outlets overall seem to be doing good business through the pandemic, likely due to a combination of relaxed regulations that allow curbside product pickup and a lot of people suddenly stuck at home for weeks on end. But rural shops like I-90 Green House face some unique challenges. “I would say we’re seeing half as many cars or less,” Cameron Stevenson says of the traffic on I-90 and 395 that typically brings them plenty of non-local customers. March is typically one of the most profitable months of the year for the store, he says, helping a business with always-tight margins survive lean winter months when traffic slows down, and giving them a bridge until summer when upwards of 90,000 cars a day drive by and see those billboards. This year is different, though, because products they would normally order for “420” sales around April 20 are now taking four to six weeks to arrive — instead of five days. Producers only have about three trimmers working instead of the normal 20, Stevenson says, so the supply

Floyd’s Cannabis Co. outlet in Pullman

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In Washington’s rural pot shops, the effects of the coronavirus scare can be dramatic BY DAN NAILEN

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line has slowed down considerably. Suppliers are also charging more, so he’s had to raise prices as well. Thankfully for the cannabis business, demand remains strong even through a pandemic. Jordan Chanski, manager of the Floyd’s Cannabis Co. outlet in Pullman, says they’ve seen an increase in demand, one they’re keeping up with by taking online orders and utilizing the allowance for curbside pickup. “Perhaps one step further” to support social distancing and self-quarantining, she adds, would be for the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board to allow home delivery. In the meantime, Floyd’s is taking extraordinary precautions for safety’s sake during the COVID-19 outbreak. “We have cancelled all of our upcoming Vendor Days, Happy Hours, Daily Deals, and any event that would cause customers to want to gather in the store,” Chanski writes in an email. “We have signs in and outside of the building informing customers of our new hours, asking people to limit their time in the store to a minimum, if at all possible, to keep their distance from others, to stay behind the tape, to not overcrowd the store, and to stay safe. We are encouraging quick and efficient shopping trips by offering a discount for any online orders.” Floyd’s has an employee wiping down the

door and high-touch areas like the ATM machine between each use, while also monitoring the number of people in the store; they only allow two customers inside at a time. Chanski says she hasn’t noticed particular strains being any more popular than normal, but customers have been buying in larger quantities. Stevenson at his Ritzville shop, on the other hand, has noticed a definite shift from the more social, outgoing sativa strains to calming, sleep-inducing indicas. Like the Floyd’s Pullman shop, though, he and his wife find themselves focused on customer safety as well as their own, since they both work in the shop every day. They’ve installed plexiglass “sneeze guards” throughout the shop (as did Floyd’s), they offer curbside pickup as well, and find themselves cleaning like crazy. “We have tight margins already, and now we’re spending thousands of dollars on cleaning supplies,” Stevenson says. “It’s getting expensive to keep up with the cleaning every day.” Still, he says they’ll keep doing it even as life in Ritzville seems to go on relatively untouched by COVID-19. Stevenson says many in the conservative town are skeptical about the severity of the pandemic, but “we’d rather be overly prepared and have nothing happen.” n

“We have tight margins already, and now we’re spending thousands of dollars on cleaning supplies.”

We’re Here For You We at the Inlander remain committed to keeping people informed and connected during the coronavirus outbreak, supporting our readers and local businesses in the ways we always have. Stay connected wherever you are. Visit Inlander.com/locations to find an Inlander near you, or read the digital edition.

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CANNABIS ISSUE

HIGH LIFE CULTURE

From culinary arts to bingewatching, here are some weed-friendly activities to get you through your isolation BY NATHAN WEINBENDER

t’s been almost a month since the COVID-19 pandemic forced folks inside and made “social distancing” part of our daily lexicons. Of course, practicing stoners are probably doing better than most during these isolated times, because getting high was already something of a solitary, indoors-only hobby anyway. We’re suggesting some weed-friendly activities that either get you (safely) out of the house, or keep you in the comfort of your own home but virtually invite others. Think of it as the art of getting high in the age of quarantine.

TAKE A HIKE

It’s imperative that you get a little fresh air every once in

a while. Taking in nature is a great way to fend off the socially distant blues, and a low-intensity trek on a hiking trail or through a nearby park should do the trick. The American Hiking Society recommends sticking to parks and trails that are still open to public use, staying close to home in case of emergency and, of course, sticking to social-distancing guidelines. Suggested strains: A sativa strain like the aptly named Willie Nelson will produce a euphoric effect without robbing you of your faculties. Just be sure to imbibe before you leave the house.

the late ’80s and early ’90s. Suggested strains: Neal Chambers, a budtender at Sativa Sisters, recommends a hybrid strain called Wedding Cake, which offers a relaxed, mood-enhancing high. “It’s a really sweet strain, but it’s got a bit of funk to it,” he says. “It gives you a nice body high, but it’s not necessarily going to put you to sleep. You can kind of space off and enjoy the cinematic adventure.”

BON APPETIT

You’re likely spending more time than ever in your own kitchen, so while you’re flexing your culinary muscles, you might as well bring weed into the mix. There are countless recipes out there for making your own cannabis oil, which can be used in everything from baked goods to weed-infused pasta sauces. Suggested strains: Sativa-dominant strains like Orange Crush or Trainwreck are popular and tend to induce a mild trippy effect. The key is to be conservative with your herbs until you become a master (weed) chef.

VIRTUAL BINGES

Netflix Party, a Google Chrome extension that allows you to simulcast films and shows with other people, is the ideal invention for the current climate. Some of the platform’s best weed-friendly programming include cult TV series like the sitcom Community, with its irreverent satire of filmmaking tropes, or Twin Peaks, with its disorienting surrealism and emotionally heightened soap opera trappings. Or stick to such smart-dumb comedy films as The Hangover, The Money Pit and Kung Fu Hustle, or go full-on nostalgia with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles films from

WHERE EVERYBODY KNOWS YOUR NAME

Twin Peaks

A lot of us who enjoy having a beer with colleagues after a long day at the office are looking for creative workarounds to physical hangouts. The video conferencing app Zoom has come in handy, providing a so-called virtual bar that doesn’t serve overpriced drinks or limited seating. And best of all, you can bring a little weed with you while you’re knocking back a cold one with friends. Suggested strains: Chambers says opting for a stronger sativa strain, like Sour Diesel or Jack Herer, is the way to go here. As opposed to something like Wedding Cake, this one will keep you more focused so that you can actually carry on a conversation with people. “I like to say it’s a ‘take the dog on a walk’ kind of feel,” he says. n

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HEALTH

CBD FOR NEWBIES So it’s your first time trying CBD…

BY SAMANTHA WOHLFEIL

earch online for information on CBD (cannabidiol), one of the main active components in marijuana and hemp plants, and you’re likely to come across claims that it can help with everything from curing cancer to helping you sleep a little better. Because studies have been relatively restricted until recently, more research still needs to be done to definitively show the benefits. But Harvard Medical School notes that multiple studies have shown CBD can help reduce seizures in some patients (the FDA has approved a CBD-based medication for these patients), it can serve as an anti-inflammatory to help with pain, and it may possibly help with anxiety and insomnia. By far, the most common reason Lucky Leaf Budtender and Purchasing Manager Yung Crown sees people coming in to buy CBD for the first time is the promise of anti-inflammatory help. “We’ve got a lot of people that come in just because they’re sore,” Crown says. “Sometimes it’s arthritis, things like achy muscles, degenerative disc disease.”

The shop offers multiple patches, creams and balms in a range of ratios of CBD to THC, the active ingredient in cannabis that gives users a high. There will always be some amount of THC in a CBD product, Crown says, but when applying subdermally as with a patch or cream, there shouldn’t be any psychoactive effects. Other CBD products like tinctures meant to be taken under the tongue may have such a small amount of THC that there likely won’t be a noticeable effect from that compound, but others with a higher ratio will offer a high, he says. “Usually when taken sublingually, CBD works better with THC in a stronger amount,” Crown says. “But if you want to stay away from the psychoactive effect, you’d want to stay away from the higher THC.” As with other marijuana products, it’s always a good idea to start slow, and wait 45 minutes to an hour before taking more, he says. “You can always take more, you can never take less, so start slow,” Crown says.

For folks coming in with pain concerns, he typically points them to a patch or cream, such as the Fairwinds Flow Cream or Dragon Balm. Most CBD creams at Lucky Leaf run from about $25 to $36, with some smaller prices for sample sizes. Lucky Leaf also offers 25 percent discounts on all its CBD products one day a week for CBD Sunday. As for other advice for CBD beginners, Crown says he recommends using it with a purpose, not just because you heard about it. “With THC, there’s a psychoactive effect, so you can actually feel when that light switch is on,” Crown says. “But with CBD it’s hard to gauge if it works if there’s no effect you’re trying to gauge it with.” Many stores in the region offer CBD deals throughout the week, too. Cinder offers 15 percent off all its CBD products for Self Care Sundays, The Vault offers TLC Thursday with 25 percent off all tinctures, capsules and topicals, and Primo Cannabis has 15 percent off its CBD products for Alternative Thursdays. n

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THE

CANNABIS ISSUE

SWEET TREATS EDIBLES

Melt your problems away with this cannabutter ice cream BY SAMANTHA WOHLFEIL

s we look ahead to sunnier days, few things are as satisfying as a scoop of nice, cold ice cream. Add cannabutter into the mix and, you’ve got some extra special frozen edible goodness. Here’s the best part: Turns out, it’s actually insanely easy to make your own ice cream without an ice cream maker. All it takes is a mixer or a whisk and a few simple ingredients. This recipe will land you a healthy stash of adults-only classic vanilla ice cream that is super easy to customize by adding in your favorite cookies, cereal or fruit filling. But first things first, you’ll need to make some cannabutter. This infused butter recipe will give you far more than you need for the ice cream, so store the rest in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer and use it as needed for other baking adventures.

CANNABUTTER

1 cup salted butter (two sticks) 1/8 ounce (3.5 grams) cannabis flower (cheap is definitely fine)

Preheat the oven to 245 degrees. Break up the buds and put the pieces on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake for about 30 minutes. Fair warning: This process is very smelly. Once cool, grind or finely cut up the weed, and add it to a slow cooker with two sticks of butter. Heat on low for two to three hours, making sure not to burn the butter. Strain through a cheesecloth or fine mesh strainer into a container for storage and you’re done.

CANNABIS ICE CREAM 2 cups heavy whipping cream 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk 3 tablespoons cannabutter, melted 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Optional Crushed cookies Your favorite cereal Jam or fruit filling

DIRECTIONS

Whip the heavy cream in a large cool bowl until stiff peaks form. Mix the sweetened condensed milk, cannabutter and vanilla extract together in another bowl, then gently fold the mixture into the whipped cream with a spatula. Spread the mix in a 9-by-5 loaf pan, cover tightly and freeze. If you want to add mix-ins, stir those in after the mixture has been in the freezer for a little while. Freeze for at least five or six hours, then scoop and enjoy. Remember that the potency of homemade edibles is hard to predict, so it’s better to start with a small serving and keep in mind it sometimes takes more than an hour for edibles to kick in. n

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APRIL 16, 2020 INLANDER 29

THE

CANNABIS ISSUE

CABIN FEVER CULTURE

Weed-friendly movies to make you feel a little better about your own isolation BY NATHAN WEINBENDER

o many of us are stuck inside right now, and that lack of socializing means we’re all probably going a little bit stir crazy. An increase in downtime usually means we’re desperately looking for stuff to stream, and though there’s hardly a lack of content, it’s tough finding the right piece of entertainment to get high and zone out to. Here are some movies you can stream right now that put a clever twist on a formula so many of us are familiar with right now — stories set primarily in a single location with only a handful of characters, that mine isolation or claustrophobia for horror, for comedy, for mind-bending surrealism, or for all three. Hopefully they’ll make you feel better about your current situation. Oh, and they’ll also be

30 INLANDER APRIL 16, 2020

The Lighthouse stars Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson. a lot more interesting with a mind-altering substance.

THE LIGHTHOUSE (2019)

In what is surely one of the best and strangest films of last year, Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe star as

a couple of 19th-century lighthouse keepers, one more grizzled than the other, left alone to go crazy and homicidal in their seaside locale. Shot in striking black and white, it’s creepy, disgusting, disorienting and hysterically funny at times. Streaming on Amazon Prime.

LuckyLeaf_420ad_041620_10H_AA.jpg

MOON (2009) Duncan Jones’ debut feature is an ingenious, mind-bending piece of sci-fi, with Sam Rockwell as an astronaut in the home stretch of a threeyear solo mission on the moon. Following an accident and a bizarre revelation, he starts to question his own sanity in this weird, darkly funny exploration of the nature of identity. Free on Crackle. PANIC ROOM (2002)

Spatial awareness and the claustrophobia of enclosed spaces are paramount in this uncommonly smart thriller from director David Fincher, about a mother and her adolescent daughter (Jodie Foster and Kristen Stewart) sealing themselves inside a closet-sized safe room when a trio of thieves break in. Streaming on Hulu.

CUBE (1997) In this indie-horror classic, a group of seemingly unrelated strangers wake up inside a maze of boxy, color-coded rooms with no idea of how they got there. Some rooms have nothing in them, others are booby-trapped, and as they try to escape, their numbers dwindle. This is people’s exhibit A for making a lot out of a little. Free on YouTube. THE EXTERMINATING ANGEL (1962)

Spanish surrealist Luis Buñuel made a career out of absurdist allegories, and this one is a savage attack on the upper-class of Franco-era Spain. Following a swanky dinner party, the bourgeois

guests discover that unseen force is keeping them from leaving, and they devolve into their more violent, animalistic tendencies. Streaming on the Criterion Channel.

GREEN ROOM (2015) A just-scraping-by punk band play a gig deep in the forests of the Pacific Northwest, only to discover their audience is made up of Nazi skinheads. Then there’s a murder, the Nazis trap everyone inside and try to eliminate the witnessess, and the punks fight back. A high-energy, gnarly, tightly structured riff on John Carpenter’s Assault on Precinct 13, a visceral blast for those with strong stomachs. Streaming on Netflix. COHERENCE (2013) Despite its title, this underseen, low-budget sci-fi gem is deliberately opaque and designed to throw you off your bearings. It’s set in a single suburban dining room on the night a comet streaks across the night sky, and a group of friends have their equilibrium shifted after a mysterious power outage reveals a rift in time. Whoooooa. Free on Vudu and Crackle. MISERY (1990)

Stephen King’s bestseller got a great big-screen adaptation courtesy of Rob Reiner, featuring Kathy Bates’ Oscar-winning performance as a psychotic superfan who imprisons her favorite author (James Caan) and demands he rewrite the ending of his popular book series. Although primarily a one-set, two-person story, it never feels stagey. Streaming on Hulu. n

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THE

CANNABIS ISSUE and opioids. As a professor of psychology at Washington State University, Craft currently teaches several psychology courses, including behavioral pharmacology. This spring, Craft was scheduled to present a series of lectures on marijuana across the Inland Northwest in May for Humanities Washington’s Speakers Bureau program. Due to COVID-19, however, Craft’s lectures — titled “Marijuana: Evil Weed or Medical Miracle?” — have been canceled, though she hopes to reschedule later this year. We chatted with Craft about her presentation and her marijuana research. Responses have been lightly edited for clarity. INLANDER: Tell us a little bit about yourself and your marijuana research. CRAFT: I am what’s described as a psychopharmacologist. That means someone who studies effects of drugs on behavior. I work in a psychology department, but my training is a lot in biology and pharmacology, and all of my research is in rats. One thing we started studying is the effects of THC and CBD mostly on pain. I had a grad student back in the late ’90s who was really interested in the sex differences in THC’s effects. At the time, there were very few states that had legalized even medical marijuana; California was in ’96 and Washington was in ’98. [This student] said, ‘Somebody ought to look at this’ and he did the first studies in my lab and showed that effects of THC were greater in females than males in pain relieving and sedative effects. We did a few more studies and showed that in females their sensitivity to THC changed over the [rats’] estrous cycle, which is equivalent to the menstrual cycle, and we looked at a few other effects of THC.

As a professor of psychology at WSU, Rebecca Craft currently teaches several psychology courses, including behavioral pharmacology. MATT OWENS PHOTO

HEAL VS. HARM Q&A

WSU professor Rebecca Craft talks marijuana research, how the drug may affect the sexes and lasting cultural misconceptions BY CHEY SCOTT

ebecca Craft was one of the first researchers to study how marijuana could affect males and females differently, back when use both for medicinal and recreational purposes was still widely

32 INLANDER APRIL 16, 2020

considered taboo. Through this continued work, Craft hopes to learn whether medicinal marijuana dosages need to be adjusted based on sex, or if there is a biological gender connection to drug abuse, both in cannabinoids

Can you explain some other differences you’ve discovered in how males and females experience THC? The research in humans hasn’t really been done to any great extent yet. Sometimes the work we do in rats does parallel what is found in humans, but sometimes it doesn’t. I have been waiting for the human research to take off a little more and that is starting to happen now, but it’s slow. There has been, to my knowledge, only three studies in humans looking at whether, for example, women get better pain relief from cannabis and THC than men do. In the first study they gave people oral nabilone — synthetic THC — and subjected them to a pain-inducing procedure, and they did find the nabilone was more effective in women than men. But in the subsequent two studies, looking at smoked cannabis or THC itself, they didn’t necessarily find that result. But those studies were conducted in people with chronic, heavy recreational use. I will tell you that our research in rodents suggests that not only are females more sensitive to the pain-relieving effects, but also get tolerant faster. When I spoke to researchers on some of the work in humans and chronic users, they surmise that the reason those women did not show better pain relief is because they had already developed quite a bit of tolerance. It may be in that chronic users there are no sex differences. What cultural anecdotes reflect the scientific theory that women and men are differently affected by cannabis and THC? One of my research colleagues in Portland, Oregon, says if women try to use the same dose that men are using medicinally, that when they first start to use cannabis products, they get a little overwhelmed by the side effects. That suggests maybe this class of drugs is more potent in women than in men, which would parallel what we’re seeing rats. But that is just anecdotal, and no one has systematically compared different doses in men and women.

You’re a featured speaker for Humanities Washington this year, and have been presenting your “Marijuana: Evil Weed or Medical Miracle?” talk around the state. Can you give an overview of what you discuss in the lecture? I talk some about where marijuana was first cultivated and why we have such a conflicted relationship with this drug in American culture. And the political and other machinations that occurred through the last 100 years that led us to this point, where now some people are wondering, ‘Why did we ban this stuff?’ and other people who grew up during the ban, like me, are still concerned that maybe this is a dangerous drug. I try to provide some data on the various issues around marijuana, like ‘is it addictive?’ and ‘are there any legitimate medical uses?’ And what does the scientific literature tell us so far about whether it can relieve pain, for example, and what different clinical trials are going on right now to look at all the other potential medical uses.

“I honestly never would have predicted there would be such widespread interest in and acceptance of cannabis as a medicine, much less as a recreational drug.” I also talk a little about the impact of marijuana use on driving-accident rates in the state of Washington. That is a real concern both to the general public and policy makers in the state. I try to present a balanced view of what we know and what we don’t know to help people make their own decision about whether they think it’s a good idea to use themselves and whether as citizens and voters to support legalization. You mentioned how in your lifetime the general attitude towards marijuana use has drastically changed. How has experiencing those shifts influenced your research? I don’t talk about my own research in the public talk — it’s a little too esoteric, to be frank. But one of the things that has shocked me is that I honestly never would have predicted there would be such widespread interest in and acceptance of cannabis as a medicine, much less as a recreational drug. When it first became legal in Washington, it was very odd for me, just the thought of going into a pot shop and it’s perfectly legal to buy this stuff. It was very strange. I’ve found that when interacting with folks at these talks, a lot of the people who are my age, in their 60s, have had that same experience. Even if they had used recreationally in college, those folks find it really startling that they can now just walk into a store and buy what they want legally. I think there is still, among people who were not users back in the ’60s and ’70s, some concern over safety. That is what happens when you grow up being told that this stuff is really bad for you; even when you’re presented with evidence to the contrary, it can be a little hard to shake the beliefs you’ve held your whole life. On the other side, I’ve met some folks who are convinced that this is the best stuff since sliced bread. I don’t think that is going to turn out to be true, either. I can tell you that in terms of painrelieving effects in at least the animal studies I do, this is a very weak pain reliever compared to an opioid. And so far, the really good clinical trials in humans would suggest the same thing, that cannabis does relieve pain but it’s very, very weak. The title of my talk is meant to be provocative. Of course cannabis will turn out to be neither — the truth will live somewhere in the middle. Our challenge as scientists is to figure out exactly what the benefits and the drawbacks are so that the public can make more informed decisions for themselves. n

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NEWS | HOUSING

Building Tension Some landlords still threaten tenants with eviction — despite a pandemicrelated moratorium BY WILSON CRISCIONE

ive days after Washington Gov. Jay Inslee issued a moratorium on certain evictions last month, Michael Stockman got a letter from his landlord telling him he was being evicted. “TERMINATION OF TENANCY FOR CAUSE,” the notice read in bold letters. The four-page letter cited 18 lease violations. Among the violations were years-old pay-or-vacate notices, a warning for not following parking rules, and a February allegation that Stockman stole gas from a neighbor’s vehicle. (Stockman denies this.) It didn’t mention that Stockman was late on rent the last two months, but days later Stockman says he saw another notice: an attempt to collect his remaining balance of roughly $800 — more than a month’s worth of rent. Now, Stockman, a veteran who receives military disability, worries he’ll lose his apartment in the middle of a pandemic. “I’ve been looking to try to find a place,” Stockman says. “But with the income we have, it’s kind of hard.” Despite local, state and federal orders halting evictions due to nonpayment of rent, some landlords keep issuing notices threatening evictions for other reasons. In a statement, the company that served Stockman’s notice — Whitewater Creek Inc. — says generally that evictions for cause are continuing if they’re in “the best interest and safety of our tenants.” But the Washington State Attorney General’s Office says some of these letters may be an attempt to skirt the eviction moratorium. Colleen Melody, civil rights division chief for the AG’s office, says evictions for other conditions besides nonpayment of rent are not barred by Inslee’s proclamation, but landlords aren’t allowed make an “end run” by identifying lease conditions they “never previously bothered to endorse” before COVID-19. “That kind of conduct violates the letter and spirit of the governor’s emergency proclamation because it is an eviction for nonpayment dressed up as something else,” Melody says. As of Monday, the AG’s office received more than 400 reports of eviction moratorium violations, with roughly 30 from Spokane County. Landlords, however, say those are outliers, not the norm. And they note that when the eviction moratorium is lifted, the debt is still there. “We try to collect because we can’t survive without our rents,” says Alexander Scott, a landlord of seven properties in Spokane.

TRYING TO SURVIVE

During a telephone town hall last week, a caller had a question for Spokane Mayor Nadine Woodward. Except it was less of a question, and more of a call to establish rent control to deal with “these greedy landlords” taking

Washington AG Bob Ferguson’s office has received more than 400 reports of eviction moratorium violations, with roughly 30 from Spokane County. advantage of renters. When Woodward stepped up to answer, her facemask below her chin, she acknowledged it was a tough issue. “We want to listen to our renters, our tenants, and we want to listen to our property owners. And there has to be a balance there,” she said. “We can also acknowledge that we have some property owners in the city of Spokane — a very small percentage — that are problem landlords and we need to deal with those landlords, I believe, on an individual basis.” The city passed its own temporary ban on foreclosures and evictions through April. The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office stopped endorsing evictions before that, and the federal stimulus bill also puts a moratorium on certain evictions. But having all those jurisdictions with their own eviction ban can be confusing for landlords, says Steve Corker, president of the Landlord Association of the Inland Northwest. “Our big concern is consistency in policies,” Corker says. “We’ve been trying to get them consistent on dates and on conditions so we don’t create pockets of confusion.” Scott, the landlord with seven houses in Spokane, says he was surprised to see that all of his tenants paid rent in April. But the longer the economy is shut down, the more he expects to be affected. “Usually for the ‘mom and dads’ like myself that don’t have a big capacity to weather the storm, anything two months late starts affecting us significantly,” he says. Corker says he doesn’t know of a single case where one of his members has given a notice to pay or vacate. While he encourages landlords to let non-paying renters know the amount accruing, he says “90 percent of the relations between tenants and landlords are good.” “Landlords don’t want to lose tenants, and tenants don’t want to move,” Corker says.

‘KICKING THE CAN’

Tenants may be able to stay in their homes for now, but with so many people having lost their income, tensions with landlords keep building up. In an effort to collect rent, some landlords have resorted to threatening evictions or unreasonable demands of tenants. A spokesperson for the AG’s Office in Washington says some landlords are directly flouting the eviction moratorium by issuing pay-or-vacate notices to tenants. And some are taking different tacts: Reporting a tenants’ unpaid rent to a commercial credit service; requiring tenants to prove that their inability to pay rent is due to

COVID-19; or charging $50 per day for unpaid rent while promising that the accrual must be paid when the moratorium is lifted. Similarly, Spokane Neighborhood Action Partners (SNAP) says they’re hearing similar stories. One client they’re working with, for instance, was served with a notice saying her belongings would be removed without court action if she didn’t comply with a 20-day notice to vacate, says SNAP housing specialist Michelle Christie. Terri Anderson, co-executive director for the Tenants Union of Washington State, says these notices can impact tenants even if they can’t be legally enforced. That’s because when you tell a tenant to pay or vacate, often — without knowing any better — they vacate. “For a tenant who doesn’t know, that’s really threatening,” Anderson says. “They don’t know if a landlord is going to physically move them out.” In Idaho, Gov. Brad Little didn’t issue a moratorium on evictions like Inslee, but the Idaho Supreme Court did halt evictions. While in Washington the AG’s office says landlords must not serve pay-or-vacate notices, in Idaho, courts simply can’t act on it. And that is still happening during the coronavirus crisis, says Ali Rabe, executive director of a nonprofit in Idaho working to prevent eviction called the Jesse Tree. “Landlords can still file for anything, for any reason,” says Rabe. “They just can’t kick someone out.” That’s why they’re advising that, if possible, tenants keep up on payments. “It’s kicking the can down the road,” she says. “It’s kind of creating this backlog in the court.” Jose Trejo, attorney with the Northwest Justice Project, says he’s been hearing reports about “bizarre” ways that landlords are trying to force tenants to pay rent locally. And many of these tenants haven’t seen notices like these before. “A ridiculous amount of people are finding themselves in this situation, and they’ve never paid attention to the eviction process of anything.” Trejo says. “For a huge portion of the population, this is all new to them.” For now, much of it can be easy to handle. Without the ability to enforce evictions, tenants can stay. The real question is: What happens when these eviction bans are finally lifted? Will there be hundreds of eviction cases filed all at once? Will tenants have a huge accumulation of debt? That’s a scenario Trejo, along with housing advocates across the region, are fearing. “It seems like there’s just madness that’s coming,” Trejo says. n wilsonc@inlander.com

APRIL 16, 2020 INLANDER 35

NEWS | ENVIRONMENT

The debate around the four lower Snake River dams is continuing, though it’s become harder to speak up during a pandemic.

Paying Attention

Environmental groups question why important decisions are moving forward as public is distracted with COVID-19 closures BY SAMANTHA WOHLFEIL

hen Liv Larson Andrews, pastor of Salem Lutheran church in Spokane, called into an Army Corps of Engineers public comment meeting on the last day of March, she hoped to share a unique perspective on the debate surrounding the four lower Snake River dams. As instructed for the telephonic meeting — originally scheduled as one of six in-person opportunities to comment on a draft environmental impact study for the dams — Larson Andrews called in and waited her turn to speak, assuming she was in the queue of people waiting to talk. For more than two hours that Tuesday night, she listened to other passionate commenters share their forthe-record thoughts about the dams. The study weighs multiple alternatives, including removing the four dams, keeping the dams as they are, and the Corps’ preferred

36 INLANDER APRIL 16, 2020

alternative of keeping the dams while increasing spill over them to aid endangered salmon and other fish that have suffered since their installation. But by about 8:50 pm, she heard someone thank everyone for their feedback and then the call ended. “They said, ‘OK, we’ve heard from everyone,’” Larson Andrews says. “I’m not tech savvy, so I worried I hadn’t logged in properly. So it was just like, ‘Oh no! Shoot!’” While she was happy to hear that many of the commenters who did speak on the call were in favor of the dams’ removal, she didn’t hear anyone share a faith perspective as she had planned to.

BONNEVILLE POWER PHOTO

“I was calling in to represent my congregation, who highly value creation and the web of life and of all creatures. These dams make that web of life out of balance,” Larson Andrews says. “If we understand our biblical calling as people of faith to be good stewards, extinction is poor stewardship.” Her experience (and that of others on the call) highlights a problem that environmental groups say is emerging with widespread community shutdowns intended to slow the spread of COVID-19: Can the public actually stay informed and hold agencies accountable during this time, when many don’t have the headspace for anything but their immediate needs?

“It brings up deep questions and really casts doubt on the whole process when these things are being undertaken in a period of history like this.” Even as the Environmental Protection Agency has relaxed its enforcement of mandatory self-reporting of pollution during this time, the federal government is pushing ahead with rulemaking and public comment periods, which environmental groups are calling out as a double standard. It’s not just a matter of people getting their two cents

in, either. Voicing objection during an official comment period can preserve standing for a tribe, state, organization or individual to sue later, should they find the government’s decision inadequate, says Columbia Riverkeeper Legal and Program Director Lauren Goldberg. “What we’re seeing is that despite the pandemic and the toll that it’s taking on communities along the Columbia River, we’re seeing the federal government pushing forward on really important decisions,” Goldberg says. In the Northwest, the Snake River dams environmental study public comment period closed on April 13; the draft variances for PCB (polychlorinated biphenyl) polluters on the Spokane River could be opened for public comment in early May; several pieces of the Hanford nuclear reservation cleanup process are moving ahead for comment, and there are many more forest and river rulemaking processes underway. “It’s very frustrating to see EPA go so far in making allowances for polluters when [the government] is not doing the same for communities that are trying to protect the water they drink and the air they breathe,” Goldberg says.

arson Andrews wasn’t the only one to miss out on commenting during the March 31 Snake River dams call, which was the final opportunity to call in during the comment period set to close April 13. Commercial fisherman Pete Knutson, whose Loki Fish Company helps supply fish for farmers markets in the Seattle area, says he also waited for hours to comment on the call, and also never got the chance. Knutson, who is also a commissioner on the Puget Sound Salmon Commission, had hoped to share his opinion that the environmental study doesn’t adequately account for the financial impact on the fishing industry he’s been a part of for about 50 years. “When we talk about the dams, we have to talk about what was subtracted,” Knutson says. “That was my message: This isn’t just a bunch of tree huggers and vegans calling in. We’ve also got harvesters doing critical work.” While Knutson has written up his comments to submit instead, he still found it frustrating there seemed to be inadequate tracking of who all called in to comment. Similar to Larson Andrews, he thought he was properly waiting in line, but he also eventually heard the staff announce everyone had been called on. “I think they should extend the comment period,” Knutson says, “especially given the situation we’re in overall just right now.” Sam Mace, Inland Northwest director for Save Our Wild Salmon, argues the comment process on the environmental study was flawed from the beginning. Her organization was already pushing for more time to comment before the impacts from coronavirus hit the region. “You do a more than 4,000-page impact statement, you should give 90 days [to comment],” Mace says. “The Trump administration would only give 45, which is crazy right there.” But 45 days meets the requirements of federal policy, according to the Army Corps’ Northwestern Division, which stuck with the April 13 comment deadline. Unlike the March 31 call where not everyone was able to comment, Mace, who is paid to attend the calls as part of her job, says she was on early calls where lots of empty space passed while the staff waited for anyone new to call in. Some people from organizations also likely paying staff to be on the call hopped back in the queue to comment again, she says. Meanwhile, many who would have normally called in or attended weren’t commenting. “The people that really, really need to have their voices heard are the ones in the worst possible position to get on an evening call or send comments in this short

turnaround,” Mace says. There may have been an issue on the final call with people not entering themselves in the queue properly, as the operators running the call for the Corps informed facilitators that night that everyone in the queue had been heard, says Amy Echols, outreach coordinator for the fish and environment branch of the Northwestern Division. “To our knowledge, we hit everybody in the queue,” Echols says. “We even asked the AT&T operator if we could add another half hour, and they said, ‘Sure, we’ll watch the queue,’ but the queue emptied.” That call was by far the most popular, she says. Over six calls, the Corps had about 1,000 people call in and about 300 share their 3-minute comments. About 90 comments came on the final night, when the call was extended by an hour. Facilitators repeated how to get into the queue throughout the call, and people were also reminded of the other ways to comment, including writing in online or by mail. Still, a major concern for some is that not getting heard can affect groups or individuals who want to have standing in court later. Columbia Riverkeeper’s Goldberg points to examples such as the Hanford cleanup, where multiple projects are currently up for public comment. One asks for input on how the Department of Energy should deal with aging radioactive buildings, which pose a risk to public health should they collapse, Goldberg says. “It’s not that we want Hanford cleanup to stop, by any means. The fundamental concern is that the Trump administration’s track record on Hanford cleanup is cutting costs and saving money to the detriment of public health and the environment,” Goldberg says. “We want to make sure tribal nations, states and the general public can weigh in on those decisions, because ultimately we might have to take the government to court over them. Our ability to do that is impacted if we can’t weigh in.”

n Spokane, the process to draft a workaround for the biggest polluters of PCBs into the Spokane River is also pushing forward. The variances, which will allow multiple polluters to continue exceeding the limits set in water quality standards while working toward compliance with the law, are the first in state history. While environmental groups often complain that the government moves too slowly on its pollution and permitting processes, Spokane Riverkeeper Jerry White says that in light of the coronavirus’ impacts, now is a time to call for pause. “People’s bandwidth and ability to even register and track these issues that will ultimately have a longstanding impact on them and their quality of life is limited,” White says. “This isn’t a good time to be addressing those issues.”

An in-person open house to explain the variance process to the public had been planned for late March, but was later converted into two online webinars scheduled for April 8. “We have no problems with webinars. In fact I think they’re great when alongside in-person public hearings,” White says. “[But] when you have mobility constricted and folks have to access these meetings over webinar, you’re really selecting for only part of the population that can participate in that.” White sent a letter to the director of Ecology with other environmental advocates from around the state on April 7, calling for Ecology to pause the variance process until Gov. Jay Inslee’s Stay Home, Stay Healthy order is rescinded and social distancing guidelines are relaxed again.

Spokane Riverkeeper Jerry White

YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

“It brings up deep questions and really casts doubt on the whole process when these things are being undertaken in a period of history like this when people just are not able to pay attention,” White says. For now, however, it appears Ecology plans to move forward. “We’re working toward the goal posts that have already been set for us and we’re trying to get as many people to have the chance to review this complicated stuff as possible,” explains Ryan Lancaster, spokesman for Ecology’s Eastern Regional office. The April webinars follow an open house that was held in November, and a comment period that was held last summer, he says. Plus, there will be several other opportunities for public input once the draft rule is published, likely sometime in early May. “These webinars are essentially more open houses to help lay people understand this really complex issue,” Lancaster says. “We’re definitely interested in getting as much information out there as possible, we just have to move forward with the process.” Once published, the public will get at least 60 days to comment on the variances, he says. That period could be longer but it’s hard to tell yet with the coronavirus making everything fluid. “We want to get people informed, we want people’s eyes on it, we want public comments,” Lancaster says. n samanthaw@inlander.com

APRIL 16, 2020 INLANDER 37

NEWS | CORONAVIRUS

A New View A Coeur d’Alene-based photographer tries to capture pandemic-inspired strangeness in the Northwest PHOTOS AND STORY BY ADAM SCHLUTER

or the last few years, I have been going to difficult and dangerous countries to photograph humanity and life, to try to bring the world closer together. But I never thought that I would end up in just as precarious of situations in my own country — even in my own state. I took every precaution possible and ventured out into the Northwest to capture iconic moments in recent weeks. This took me from North Idaho to Seattle, where I was able to photograph Pike’s Place, the Gum Wall, and a few other places completely devoid of people. It was so strange, as I am usually used to the hustle and bustle of people being my white noise while going through those areas. But at 5:30 pm on a Saturday, I found myself completely alone in one of the busiest areas of the city. In one of the biggest cities in the United States. The only movement was from a few homeless people who were shuffling between buildings, binding together and carrying on as usual.

A message seen in Joyce, Washington. I realized I very well might never see this situation for the rest of my life. And that, to me, was one of the strangest parts of this experience. It felt like a zombie apocalypse had happened and the few people who had made it through unscathed didn’t know if it was safe to act like I existed. It was easier to just look forward and walk briskly past, not even making a moment of eye contact. I understood why they did this, but for those moments, it felt like I was a ghost walking the streets. Everything felt like people had just vanished and you could still feel just a little bit of the energy in the walls that remained. Scenic landscapes were completely still and silent. Not even a car could be heard in the far distance. Construction zones were abandoned, cranes sitting there like the workers had run home when a news bulletin came over the radio. No police could be seen on the streets. And every “open” sign was turned off indefinitely. n

38 INLANDER APRIL 16, 2020

CLOCKWISE: A lone man walking through the barren streets of Seattle at 5:30 pm on a Saturday night; Seattle’s Ferris wheel; workers at Beecher’s Handmade Cheese; a frontline grocery worker in Coeur d’Alene; downtown Coeur d’Alene with closed storefronts; essential street workers in Seattle; and a shuttered movie theater in Western Washington.

APRIL 16, 2020 INLANDER 39

LITERATURE

Strength in Hope Spokane native Christine Cohen’s debut YA novel The Winter King blends fantasy tropes, the realistic travails of being a 16-year-old girl and a story that resonates during our pandemic BY MACIE WHITE

ne summer, when I was in middle school, I read 56 books. I still remember the number because my parents were so impressed with the average of nearly five books a week. As an avid consumer of fiction in my teenage years and a self-proclaimed amateur expert on young adult novels, trust me when I say that Christine Cohen’s The Winter King checks every box. There’s love and loss, allusions to Greek mythology and Norse gods, and a heroine Cohen describes as “funky, feisty and adventurous.” Inspired by C.S. Lewis and Percy Jackson, the Greek myth of Persephone and Hades, and authors like Dianna Wynne Jones, The Winter King is a beautiful medley of everything that makes a story memorable. Cohen, 32, is a Spokane native who moved to Moscow, Idaho, after high school to start college, and then her life. “Moscow is where I wanted to raise my kids. I told my husband, this is where I want to die,” Cohen laughs in a recent phone interview, describing her hobbit-like nature and referencing the Lord of the Rings series she fell in love with as a high schooler. But wanting to live in the Shire isn’t all she took away from J.R.R. Tolkien. Cohen has always known she wanted to be a writer. Her obsession with storytelling first manifested in a paranormal fiction piece, written out on lined notebook paper and held together with staples, before being passed around the schoolyard between friends. “Writing came alive in my life as a child,” Cohen says, talking about the summer she spent locked in her room writing stories about elves and hobbits, and drawing maps of Middle Earth. I can’t help but relate, thinking about the many notebooks I once filled with my own fantasies. ...continued on page 42

40 INLANDER APRIL 16, 2020

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APRIL 16, 2020 INLANDER 41

CULTURE | LITERATURE

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It’s this beautiful nostalgia that I enjoyed most about The Winter King, Cohen’s debut novel. The book reminded me why I fell in love with reading, and why I love writing. The Winter King falls into a perfect sweet spot of young adult fiction. Cohen purposefully didn’t skew the novel to an older crowd, hoping to find an audience among readers who have grown out of middle school, but aren’t yet ready for the graphic maturity that oftentimes you find in the young adult category. “The romance is sweet and subtle,” Cohen says. “I’ve been overwhelmed and thankful for the feedback I’ve been getting from readers and parents who were looking for this.” Cora, The Winter King’s protagonist, is 16, and Cohen treats her character like a real 16-year-old, not a small adult. It’s refreshing. This isn’t to say the novel is childish, because it’s not at all. Cora deals with extremely real, grownup challenges, like poverty, corruption and grief. This reflection of the real world was intentional. “I wanted this story to feel like it could really happen,” Cohen says. She succeeded in doing just that. The world Cora lives in is not unlike our own, and the problems she struggles with are relevant, to the point that even the coughing sickness that cripples her village parallels the pandemic we are currently facing. “These are age-old dilemmas,” Cohen says of the disease and oppressive rule in the backdrop of The Winter King. “Tragedy can bring out the worst in some people, but also the best in some. In the story I wanted to show how people can rise up.” Cohen particularly wanted to explore this in regards to the theme of grief, because, as Cohen says, “everyone goes through hardship.” How

Cora handles her grief and hardships isn’t always healthy and is oftentimes harmful to herself, though she believes her actions are in pursuit of something good. We can all relate to that. Cohen’s choice to write The Winter King for a younger audience ties into this exploration of struggle. “The teenage years are a unique period of life,” Cohen says. “You’ve grown up with your parents’ stories of how things work and are now learning to claim stories for yourself. You are discovering the largeness of the world and trying to find your place in it.” What you watch, hear and read shapes your view of life. It helps you discover who you are and who you want to be. Young adult novels speak to us when we are struggling the most to find ourselves, and having heroines like Cora to look up to makes it a little easier. The books I read growing up, and continue to read, are semi-responsible for the woman I am today. This is why I found myself unable to put down The Winter King. It reminded me of the stories I loved and characters I idolized and all the books I read as a teenager. “It’s a hopeful story,” says Cohen, “a message that we can all pull through this, that no man is an island.” I believe that now more than ever we need to find strength in hope, whether we find that in each other, or in a book about 16-year-olds saving the world. As Cohen reminded me, “There is so much room in this world for joy and hope.” n editor@inlander.com If you are interested in purchasing The Winter King, it is available on Amazon, and to secure a signed copy of the book check out canonpress.com/products/thewinterking.

CULTURE | DIGEST

Hear This A selection of podcasts that you can binge while you’re stuck inside BY NATHAN WEINBENDER

’m a podcast junkie. I subscribe to several dozen and am constantly on the lookout for new ones, mostly listening while I’m making dinner or walking the dog around the block. If you have yet to make the conversion to full-time podcast listener, now is as good a time as any to finally clear some of those podcast episodes that might be taking up valuable real estate in your phone’s queue. Here are some of my recent favorites.

OVER MY DEAD BODY: JOE EXOTIC

The Netflix docuseries Tiger King is all the rage right now, the I-can’t-believe-this-shit story of a big cat collector (and Oklahoma gubernatorial candidate) named Joe Exotic and the death, drugs and general debauchery surrounding him. Late last year, the Wondery network released a whole season unloading the same bizarre saga, and I couldn’t wait for each week’s new installment.

DOLLY PARTON’S AMERICA

Fewer celebrities are more universally beloved than Dolly Parton. She’s one of those people whose very presence seems to make the world a better place. Host Jad Abumrad talks to fans, musicians, relatives, academics and even Parton herself to unpack both the good and the bad of her legacy as an artist, as a cultural symbol and as a human being.

THE OTHER LATIF

When journalist Latif Nasser saw a tweet referring to another man with his name, he decided to track him down, only to discover he was an inmate in Guantanamo Bay. The podcast follows the host’s investigation, which ends up being a tangle of anti-Muslim sentiments and legal red

Before he was a Netflix star, Joe Exotic headlined a podcast. tape, as well as the imprisoned Latif’s struggle for freedom.

THE DROPOUT

Elizabeth Holmes seemed like one of the all-time great success stories in medical tech, hitting the market with a machine that could detect latent diseases in a drop of blood. Of course, it all turned out to be a ruse, and this show details her scheme with interviews from those who were directly involved with it. A great companion piece to the HBO documentary The Inventor.

SECRET HISTORY Carson McCullers was a writer best known for evocative Southern morality tales like The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter, and her colorful but humanist style inspired the likes of Harper Lee and Truman Capote. McCullers suffered a series of strokes beginning in her 20s and died at 50, and her troubled life has been the subject of several nonfiction accounts. But literary archivist Jenn Shapley’s poignant new book My Autobiography of Carson McCullers points out that a critical element is conspicuously absent from the author’s legacy — her well-documented queerness. Shapley’s account is part memoir and part history, but it’s also a pointed critique of the rampant LGBTQ+ erasure in so much of history, and a powerful attempt to reclaim McCullers’ true identity. (NATHAN WEINBENDER)

THE BUZZ BIN

YOU MUST REMEMBER THIS

Writer and historian Karina Longworth digs into Hollywood ephemera, from forgotten movie stars to show-biz scandals to the production of Disney’s notorious Song of the South. As a gateway, I’d recommend her seasons about the Manson family’s connection to the entertainment industry and the parallel (and eventually diverging) careers of Jane Fonda and Jean Seberg.

THREEDOM

Sometimes the best podcasts have the simplest premises. On Threedom, comedians Scott Aukerman, Paul F. Tomkins and Lauren Lapkus merely sit around and riff on each other, playing improv games, relaying childhood anecdotes and occasionally getting into heavier stuff. It’s mostly very, very silly and very, very funny.

YOU’RE WRONG ABOUT

Hosts Sarah Marshall and Michael Hobbes make exhaustive deep dives into historical moments that have been misremembered or misreported, told in a conversational style that’s both rigorously fact-checked and enlightening. Past subjects have included the Tonya Harding scandal, the O.J. Simpson trial and the D.C. snipers’ reign of terror.

DOWN THE HILL: THE DELPHI MURDERS

So many true crime podcasts, so little time. But what makes the case of two teenage girls murdered in a small Indiana town particularly compelling is that police have both video and audio of the suspected killer, taken from one of the victim’s Snapchat accounts. This series details the investigation and provides the developing theories of the journalists covering it. n

TAKE THIS TEST Would I be watching an Amazon Prime documentary series about the mysterious (to me) game of cricket if the sports world was functioning in a normal way? Doubtful, and that would have been my loss. The Test: A New Era For Australia’s Team is an eight-part series showcasing the Aussie national squad’s climb back into international relevance after a cheating scandal in 2018 led to firings, suspensions and embarrassment for the legions of the country’s cricket diehards. While The Test is partly a PR operation to help the team reconnect with its fans, it’s also a fascinating look at team-building, leadership and international relations through the eyes of a bunch of young athletes in the hotter-than-normal glare of the sport’s spotlight. (DAN NAILEN)

THIS WEEK’S PLAYLIST Some noteworthy new music hits online and in stores April 17. To wit: THE PACK A.D., It Was Fun While It Lasted. The guitar/drums duo says this is their last album, which is a damn shame if true. EOB, Earth. Radiohead’s Ed O’Brien delivers his first solo album as he recovers from COVID-19. SHABAZZ PALACES, The Don of Diamond Dreams. First single “Fast Learner” was the kind of electro-tinged, genre-defying jam we’ve come to expect. And that’s a good thing. SOUL ASYLUM, Hurry Up and Wait. Singer/ guitarist Dave Pirner is the only original member left, but they recorded this at the Minneapolis studio of their pre-fame Twin/Tone recordings. (DAN NAILEN)

APRIL 16, 2020 INLANDER 43

Crispy potato, chorizo and green chili hash with avocado and eggs. DANIEL WALTERS PHOTO

COOKING

HOME COOKINâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

Recommended online recipe resources, plus how to spice up your next bowl of ramen BY INLANDER STAFF 44 INLANDER APRIL 16, 2020

RELATIONSHIPS

ith no end in sight for self-quarantine yet, if you haven’t started putting all that extra time at home to good use by teaching yourself a cooking skill or two, it’s not too late to start. This week, we’re sharing a few tried-andtested resources and tips from Inlander food editor Chey Scott and news writer/home chef Daniel Walters. Bon appetit!

BUDGET FRIENDLY & EASY

I’ve long followed Beth Moncel’s Budget Bytes cooking blog; it’s a go-to for recipes both walletfriendly and full of flavor. Most are based around pantry staples, and the instructions are fairly straightforward, making for great weeknight dinners for two (plus leftovers for lunch the next day) or to feed the whole family. Since launching Budget Bytes in 2009 to share her frugal cooking journey, Moncel has published a cookbook and a Budget Bytes app. All recipes are free to access, but there’s also a fairly new subscription meal plan offering recipes and shopping lists for everything you’ll need for a month’s worth of meals; each bundle is $12. The Budget Bytes team recently published “15 Pantry Recipes for Emergency Preparedness,” rounding up — you guessed it — recipes that source shelf-stable and freezer-friendly ingredients. The post even includes a handy, printable shopping list and meal plan for the recipes included, like “Poor Man’s Burrito Bowls,” a curried red lentil and pumpkin soup, homemade chili and one of my favorite Budget Bytes recipes: “Easy Rosemary Garlic White Bean Soup.” Whenever I cook this, I make sure to grab a country loaf from Central Food (the Kendall Yards restaurant is still baking fresh bread for pickup) to go with this hearty and satisfying soup. Find it all at budgetbytes.com. (CHEY SCOTT)

Wanna really impress yourself? Stir in some silky soft tofu as the ramen is cooking to turn the dish into a poor man’s soondubu jjigae. It’s the perfect vegan recipe, except for the egg and the kimchi and sometimes the ramen. (DANIEL WALTERS)

Of all the instant noodle snacks in the world, ramen is by far the top. But after 12 weeks of eating ramen, it can get a little old. Here’s a cheap way to upgrade your ramen with a Korean flair, with just a bit of kimchi and an egg. First, wash your hands, because everyone’s doing that now. Then grab one or two handfuls of kimchi and squeeze out as much red brine from the kimchi as possible over a mesh strainer into a bowl. Pour the brine into a glass measuring cup and fill the rest of the measuring cup with water until you hit the 2-cup mark. Chop the ramen into smaller pieces. Grab a saucepan and saute your kimchi bits on medium-high in a bit of cooking oil for a few minutes, and then transfer it to the bowl. Pour the kimchi-water mix into the empty saucepan and follow your traditional ramen cooking instructions, including adding the seasoning packet. Mix in the kimchi during the last 20 seconds of cooking and then drizzle a beaten egg over the ramen a second after you turn off the heat, egg drop soup-style.

2B OR NOT TO BE

This guy recently moved into my apartment building, and we seem to have a spark. I’d like to go out with him. However, because we live in the same building, this might be a bad idea. If it goes badly, things could get really awkward or even horrible. Should I just try to forget about him? —Tempted

TEACH YOURSELF TO COOK AT HOME

With grocery stores open but dine-in restaurants closed, it’s a better time than ever to learn how to cook. Fortunately, the internet is crammed full of awesome cooking blogs and recipe sites. As I’ve taught myself how to cook over this past decade, here are my go-tos: BEGINNER LEVEL: allrecipes.com Strengths: You’ll find plenty of recipes where “a can of mushroom soup” is one of three ingredients. Recipes are often quick and easy; perfect for parents trying to cook for cranky kids or beginning cooks wanting to build their confidence.

“Whenever I cook this, I make sure to grab a country loaf from Central Food (the Kendall Yards restaurant is still baking fresh bread for pickup) to go with this hearty and satisfying soup.”

GIVE YOUR RAMEN A KIMCHI UPGRADE

Advice Goddess

Weaknesses: The democratic nature of allrecipes.com means that many are sort of, well, bad. Also, most of the user-submitted photos of dishes are very, very ugly, sapping your appetite instead of whetting it. Recommended recipe: Peppered Shrimp Alfredo INTERMEDIATE: New York Times Cooking Strengths: I find the Times’ recipes tend to have a lot of generosity built in — you can make a lot of mistakes and still end up with a great dish. It hits that ideal sweet spot: Easy enough for the average cook to make, fancy enough to impress almost anyone. Weaknesses: Most of these great recipes are stuck behind the New York Times’ cooking section’s pricey paywall. Also, there’s usually at least one snooty ingredient with a name like “Etruscan Griffin Shavings” you’ll either have to leave out or find a less pretentious substitute. Recommended recipe: Lamb Tagine EXPERT: Serious Eats Strengths: Want a 26-ingredient mole poblano recipe? This is the site for you. Best of all, unlike most sites, seriouseats.com often explains in depth why they’re recommending you use certain techniques or add certain ingredients, making you a better cook. Don’t miss the button that allows you to see photographs of what each step looks like if you do it right. Weaknesses: A lot of these recipes are time-consuming, best saved for those who love to cook for cooking’s sake (like me!). The foodlab-focused experimentation means that a lot of recipes rely on extra steps and unorthodox techniques that can make it easier to screw up. Recommended recipe: Crispy Potato, Chorizo and Green Chili Hash with Avocado and Eggs (DANIEL WALTERS) n

Let’s just say this has some negative potential — along the lines of throwing back a bottle of pinot noir all by yourself and then deciding to cut your bangs at 1 a.m. Though going for it with this guy could go seriously wrong, there’s also the potential for it to go seriously right. Risk can be a path to reward (whereas avoiding it is unlikely to lead to a shiny new boyfriend suddenly sliding down your chimney, Santa-style). To figure out whether you can afford the risk, apply a concept from economic psychology: “Risk tolerance.” This is a term for how much stomach somebody has for the possible loss of an investment they make — all their dollars leaping out of it and swan-diving en masse into a toilet, with the final straggling dollar kicking the flusher on its way down. Essential to determining your risk tolerance is figuring out the possible costs if a thing between you and this guy goes all crashy-burn. For example, there could be financial costs if you end up needing to move. You should also factor in your tolerance for drama, like embarrassing public encounters with a Mr. Romantic turned Mr. Should Be In A Jacket With A Lotta Buckles. Also consider your fiscal and emotional fortitude for what psychologists Joseph Luft and Harrington Ingham called “unknown unknowns”: crazy stuff most of us just wouldn’t imagine happening, like much of the adult world getting grounded by the government. If you decide to give it a go with him, consider taking things slowly. This is generally prudent but especially so when you could have a stalker who doesn’t have to follow you home because he lives there, too. If you’re like me, you love to make an interesting entrance, but that probably doesn’t include getting into your apartment via rope ladder.

AMY ALKON

LOVE IN THE PAYCHECK REPUBLIC

I’m a 20-year-old girl with a big crush on my very cute boy co-worker. Day after day, week after week, I want to invite him out for drinks, but then I chicken out. I ask myself all the usual questions, like, “What if he says no, and work gets embarrassing?” and, “What if he tells the boss, and then I get fired?” —Procrastinating Endlessly You’d be asking him to go for drinks, not asking him to straddle you in the staff restroom. Unless there’s a policy forbidding co-workers from dating, asking this guy out should not lead to you and your job being forced to part company. Surely, you know that. Chances are your goal of asking the guy out is getting tangled up in your groping around for an excuse to avoid doing it. This is understandable. The prospect of failing at a goal — especially a romantic goal — is stressful, but there’s a way to make failed efforts take less of a bite out of you. It turns out that in goal pursuit, there’s safety in numbers — in simultaneously pursuing a flock of goals rather than just one goal at a time. A single bird can get shot down, but it’s hard to shoot down a whole flock at once unless your weapon of choice is an alien death ray. Consider replacing being goal-oriented with the broader approach: beinggoal systems-oriented. A goal is simply a result you’re trying for — a single result, like “get Joe Shelfstocker to go out with me.” The singularity is the problem. If Joe turns you down, you’ve failed at your goal. Hard out. Goal systems are more forgiving. While a goal is a lone target — win or lose, all or nothing — a goal system, as explained by social psychologist Arie Kruglanski, is a network of “interconnected goals.” A goal system would be, “Work toward having love in my life.” This goal system would be the home of your goal of getting a date with the guy, but it would take up residence with a bunch of brother, sister, and cousin goals, such as: Work on building up confidence. Get a cuter haircut. Go out more. When you fail at a single goal, if it’s simply one of many in your goal system, you’ve got cushioning. Your failure is just a momentary bummer within a world of to-dos, at least some of which you’ll manage to pull off. Being goal-system-driven gives you the emotional air bag to go forward all “carpe diem!” -- “seize the day!” — instead of downshifting to “cogit, ergo spud”: “I think I’ll act like a potato” (um, loosely translated). n ©2020, Amy Alkon, all rights reserved. • Got a problem? Write Amy Alkon, 171 Pier Ave, #280, Santa Monica, CA 90405 or email AdviceAmy@aol.com (www.advicegoddess.com)

APRIL 16, 2020 INLANDER 45

THANK YOU GUY LEAVING BAGS OF FOOD Wow. So that was a very nice surprise to my afternoon. Had a knock at the door and a guy in a dark blue truck had stopped and left some bags of food on my doorstep! Thank you very much you are much appreciated kind sir! God bless !

intense reminders of you at my feet, and in my hands every day, and theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re so sweet and uplifting and promising that perhaps you still think of me, too... I pray for you, and still dream of finally going to Priest Lake with you, of being reunited with you, and never letting go... and of the song weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d dance to at our wedding... and that line in the Goo Goo Dolls song you played for me: â&#x20AC;&#x153;the walls will fall before we do... Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll stay with you...â&#x20AC;? O, if I could only hear your voice on the phone, or see you, or dance with you like we did the night we met, a lifetime ago... because â&#x20AC;&#x153;youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re still with me in my dreams...â&#x20AC;?

I SAW YOU DOLL It didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t take long to realize that you never really loved me. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve made my peace with it. I wish you well and I hope your family continues to find the strength to push through this difficult time. Take care of the boy, give him all the kisses I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t. I hope youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve found happiness. And while I will say that I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t hate you, I truly wish Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d never met you. To the other half of my tattooed heart. - the one you never loved.

CHEERS â&#x20AC;&#x153;HERE WITHOUT YOUâ&#x20AC;? 3 Doors Downâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s smash song, one of the last I played for you, has over 570 million views on YouTube -- and I would give anything to hear your voice again... I have no idea if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll ever even see this, especially if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re still a Luddite, hunkered-down at that. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been double-digit years that we last saw each other at GEG, where I couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t stop sobbing, and I wondered just last week if you were crying, too, as you walked away... and in this National Poetry Month, do you remember the poem I wrote for and read to you...? J.S., it occurred to me last year that maybe I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t need closure -- maybe I just need answers to this handful of questions... and a log cabin to live out my days, Here Without You... Spirit puts

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY FENNEC FOX Zane, Happy 9th Birthday. We love you.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;

GOLD PICK-UP To the person driving the giant gold pick-up with the patriotic plate, drifting into my lane on Riverside downtown without any signal when you noticed the left lane only turned left. I layed into my horn for like 3 or 4 seconds as if you were putting me into horrible danger. But really you werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t, we were going like 15 mph and I realize now I was being an a******. It was a beautiful day and I had just gotten free cookies from Subway. I could have just let you in and I felt really bad afterwards. The world doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t need anymore negativity right now. Plus downtown streets can be hard to navigate. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m really sorry, I hope someone else made you smile that day.

resource as the Centennial Trail. I am thankful to have access during these times of COVID-19 closures. It was great to see most people being respectful of keeping a healthly distance from others, showing community spirit while sharing this great resource on a recent sunny day. JEERS, unfortunately when actions of others turn what was a joyous outing into an outing which left me feeling threatened. I have grown to ignore the

It didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t take long to realize that you never really loved me. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve made my peace with it.

ANGELS IN UNIFORM The other day at my apartment complex in the Valley. The police arrived because someone had called them because some dude slashed some tires on a car. The handling of the situation was very very impressive. The dude did that because some lowlife stole his friends car and he was trying to get it back for his friend. Me and my friends were so impressed by the handling of the situation by Law Enforcement that it compelled me to write this. Thank you all who protect and serve us. You should get paid more for what you do. God bless.

THANKS A LOT, BUT... Many times when I am on my bicycle waiting at a stop sign for traffic to pass a motorist will stop to let me cross the street. I know that they are motivated by courtesy and kindness, and respect, but I always must wave them to pass, since when I am cycling I am a moving vehicle and I am obliged to obey the traffic laws governing cars, trucks, and bicycles. I will always wave and smile and say â&#x20AC;&#x153;thank youâ&#x20AC;?, but I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t accept their offer to let me cross when I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have the right-of-way. I feel badly about rebuffing a kind gesture, but for my safety and the safety of motorists I cannot cross an arterial in front of motorists who have the absolute legal right to proceed down the road. So to all who demonstrate courtesy thank you, but please keep on truckinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;.

ever learn any manners you immature idiotic jerks?? Even a few different couples, I could hear them cracking up and making fun of me for wearing a mask! Really?! The worst was when one of them went right in my face and fake coughed less than a 12â&#x20AC;? from my face!! Then him and his friends were laughing hysterically saying â&#x20AC;&#x153; now you have coronavirusâ&#x20AC;?!! Really, these were 19, 20, 21 year olds. I guess the reality of our

FINALLY Cheers to the retail community for rationing paper and cleaning products in short supply. My only question is â&#x20AC;&#x153;What took so long?â&#x20AC;? CHEERS AND JEERS Cheers to those that are not rude jerks. Jeers to the rest of you!! I have a severely compromised immune system. I have been wearing a mask, if I must go outside my home, for the past month now. Shame on those rude jerks at the grocery store, every time I went to get some groceries, whom thought it was hilarious to mock me, put me down and make fun of me for wearing a mask. Didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t you

SOUND OFF

1. Visit Inlander.com/isawyou by 3 pm Monday. 2. Pick a category (I Saw You, You Saw Me, Cheers or Jeers). 3. Provide basic info: your name and email (so we know youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re real). 4. To connect via I Saw You, provide a non-identifying email to be included with your submission â&#x20AC;&#x201D; like â&#x20AC;&#x153;petals327@yahoo.com,â&#x20AC;? not â&#x20AC;&#x153;j.smith@comcast.net.â&#x20AC;?

ever changing, unknown world we now live in hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t quite sunk in to some!! Please note: A compromised immune system means you could have very little or no symptoms at all, but, give me the same thing and it could mean a hospital stay, possibly ICU or worse for me!! Have some respect Spokane!! To those of you who stay home, and /or cover your face, or respect social distancing I applaud you, keep up the good work. Shame on all the naive idiots out there they think they are invisible to catching and spreading sickness or maybe you just donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t give a f---?!

JEERS SHELLEY LAKE HOUSE FIRE 4/8/20 Jeers to all you â&#x20AC;&#x153;â&#x20AC;?lookey-loosâ&#x20AC;?â&#x20AC;? who snarled traffic and caused a traffic jam on Rotchford Road leading to first responder delays. Shame on you! These times are hard enough without â&#x20AC;&#x153;â&#x20AC;?vulturesâ&#x20AC;?â&#x20AC;? like you feeding on others misery. Hope the same does not happen to you if you need help. BICYCLERS OUT OF CONTROL Cheers to Spokane for having such a great

â&#x20AC;?

road bikers who selfishly use the Trail as their personal race track, although I do wish they would respect the 15 mph limit. BUT, twice in the last two weeks, I have now been on the receiving end of SPITTING, once by a mountain biker rudely entering the trail making me have to swerve and once by a passing speeding road biker. What gives? Just this week, law enforcement has proclaimed that coughing in personal space is felony assault. Please reconsider your actions, we are all trying to find ways to seek respite from the threat of COVID. Everyone is entitled to enjoy a bit of recreation in a safe environment. n

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13. Paltry amount 18. Gambles 22. Smashing Pumpkins guitarist James 25. Divine circle 26. Location of about 1% of Yellowstone

36. Help (out) 37. Duct ____ 38. Job connections 39. Arrives breathlessly 40. Sax who invented the saxophone 41. Parquet pro 43. Spanish coins until 2002 44. Structures in the Gulf of Mexico 65 45. 23andMe service 47. Olympians since 2008 68 48. ____ Flags 50. Fey of “30 Rock” “TIE” 52. Feudal lord 53. Points at the dinner table 57. Aerosmith’s “Love ____ Elevator” 59. “Mangia!” 61. Opus ____ 62. Dutch financial giant 43

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42. Financial guru Suze 43. Escape ____ 46. Improvises 49. Sitcom pal of Barbarino and Horshack 51. Put the A/C on for TV comedy pioneer Berle? 54. Cuba, por ejemplo 55. Grp. with the 1977 song “Rockaria!” 56. Amendment that prohibits U.S. presidents from running for a third term 57. Like argon or neon 58. Shopping binge 60. Finish like the 2019 Scripps National Spelling Bee ... or what 17-, 25-, 36- and 51-Across do 63. “According to the grapevine ...” 64. Davis of “Thelma & Louise” 65. Loretta Lynch and Eric Holder: Abbr. 66. “Dagnabbit!”

ACROSS 1. Vietnam’s Dien Bien ____ 4. Arctic Circle sights 9. Cool red giant 14. Vert. opposite 15. Apply, as pressure 16. “It Wasn’t All Velvet” memoirist Mel 17. Attention-getting shout to 1950s pinup queen Page? 19. Swung around 20. Three-star mil. rank 21. “Totes awesome, dude!” 23. Utah luggage tag initials 24. Galoot 25. Toking Oscar-winner McDaniel? 28. Cry after being duped 30. Average guy 31. Underhanded 32. Play at full volume 35. Little brother, stereotypically 36. Heckle the singer of “Only Wanna Be with You”? 39. Nickname for “The King of Clay”

National Park 27. Kind 29. “Barry” network 33. Frat. counterpart 34. Actress Marisa

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