Inlander 04/25/2024

Ciao,

Cow!

HISTORY

EWU project maps

Spokane’s racial covenants

With roots in Italy but bred on the Palouse, meet Brooklyn — one of Owens Farms’ herd of super-cows

By Eliza Billingham

APRIL 25-MAY 1, 2024 | LOCAL NEWS ON THE MOOO-VE SINCE 1993

Spring’s baby boom is here. Teeny new birds, marmots, bunnies and other small mammal brethren are nestled into the safest, most secret places. White freckled fawns blend into the forest foliage, and curious cubs perhaps peek from their cozy dens. Around the region’s many working farms, meanwhile, fuzzy yellow chicks peep and sleep under the red glow of warming lights. Inside barns on mounds of soft tan hay, newborn calves test their legs and find soothing shelter in their mothers’ shadows.

The latter is a common sight at Owens Farm, located on the rolling Palouse hills just beyond Spokane’s South Hill. It’s now the peak of calving season, and the ranchers often have little notice of when another new member of the farm’s fullblood PIEDMONTESE HERD will arrive. Ranch owner Justin Owens has been raising the exclusive Italian cattle for more than a decade now; it’s a breed that’s defied science with its super lean but ultra tender beef. How these unusual cows made their journey all the way from Italy to the Palouse is a fascinating story, too, and Eliza Billingham explores that and more in this week’s cover story, starting on page 16. And if you’re lucky enough to get to try Owens’ high-end beef, maybe just don’t think about how cute it once was.

— CHEY SCOTT, Editor

SPRING HAPPENINGS PAGE 40

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SUPERVISOR

IF YOU OWNED A FARM, WHAT TYPE OF ANIMALS WOULD YOU WANT TO RAISE?

MILES KNIPE

The old lady would say cows. She’d make sure that that’s what we have — first at least.

For milk?

She’d like them as pets. But definitely milk.

What animal do you think would be most difficult to raise on a farm?

That’s a good one, probably a horse. You’ve got to worry the most about them.

MAYOR LISA BROWN

Oh I have to get myself in my farm frame of mind. I know they’re kind of obnoxious, but I really think I’d like a goat.

That would be a lot of fun.

Because they are kind of obnoxious that means they have personalities, which would be fun, and also just eating the grass. And the baby goats!

RYAN FULTZ

Goats. 100% goats. I’ve already thought about this.

Why goats?

Goats are my favorite animal. I just like watching them. They’re fun, dude, they just do fun stuff.

Have you seen the Garbage Goat yet?

No, what’s that?

It’s just over there. It’s a Spokane icon. We gotta find some trash! That’s awesome.

NICK BOYLE

What about a Highland cow?

Like the Scottish ones with the big hair?

Yeah, I only know that because my wife shows me.

She’s always like, “Can we get a mini cow?”

Why would you choose Highland cows?

Because I can’t come up with anything else and my wife has bothered me to death about it. There’s TikToks, influencers with Highland cows.

EMILY HARKER

Do we have to just pick one animal?

It can be as many as you want.

Goats, chickens… horses.

Why goats?

Personality is kind of my main thing. They’re kind of like big dogs in some way. Definitely dairy goats, maybe a couple meat goats depending on how brave we were feeling.

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Progressive In Name Only?

Urban West Coast voters are pushing different priorities than some of their leaders

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BY BILL BRYANT

Vhad failed. Seattle, Los Angeles, San Francisco and even California’s liberal Gov. Gavin Newsom have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to make it easier for cities to legally clear homeless camps. In the 2023 election, Seattle’s city council shifted to the pragmatic center (what Seattle considers “the right”); in March, San Francisco voters supported increased drug screening and police surveillance. The NBC affiliate there asked, “Is San Francisco getting more conservative?”

My answer is no.

oters are agitated, in an acid reflux sort of way. In Washington state, they recently petitioned the Legislature to reverse itself on income taxes, carbon taxes and mandatory aging care taxes and to reverse itself on measures limiting parental rights and police pursuits.

From Los Angeles to Seattle, urban voters are demanding their cities stop tolerating drug abuse, camping in public spaces and making excuses for property crime. A Seattle Times columnist recently wrote, “The ‘move to the right’ isn’t done yet in West Coast cities.” News organizations around the world covered Oregon’s recriminalization of drugs after admitting its experiment with legalized drug use

Rather than becoming conservative, West Coast urban voters are rediscovering what it means to be progressive.

They might want more drug testing and fewer dilapidated RVs parked in their neighborhood, but they’ll still vote for a Democrat. If there were a viable, true, traditional progressive party, like Theodore Roosevelt’s Bull Moose Party of 1912, maybe they’d take a look, but there’s not. So, in November 2024, I bet King County will vote Democratic by about the same percentage it did in 2016 and 2020. Ditto San Francisco.

Liberal-leaning voters in West Coast cities are not abandoning government. They just want it to work.

They want the couple who owns a small

Maybe the urban West Coast is ready for a revival of true progressive principles, like those espoused by the Bull Moose Party in 1912?

grocery, bakery or takeout place to be a higher, or at least as high a priority, for the city as the person who is passed out in front of their store. They’re done with professional politicians who believe harping on social and environmental justice is a force field against accountability.

West Coast urban voters are tired of being bathed in “pro gressive” rhetoric as they step over sidewalk garbage piles and burnt tin foil from fentanyl smokers. Even the most liberal of my friends resent being shamed into believing that self-indulgent graffiti tagging is art or that demanding their city hire more cops is racist. A majority of urban voters are done with cities and counties and the state wasting hundreds of millions of tax dol lars on failed homeless policies.

The vulnerable urban politician is the political hack who is a progressive in name only.

True progressives, as defined in the heyday of the progressive movement in the early 1900s, rejected idealogues and political hacks, and embraced government run by experts. They wanted government to work for fair labor conditions, income equality and the public conservation of our natural resources — and they wanted those programs administered by professionals who relied upon data, science and who were accountable for results. The Progres sive Movement embraced government solutions to challenges emerging from new technologies and immigration and strove to ensure those solutions were efficiently delivered.

It’s that absence of accountability and efficiency that’s agitating urban voters.

When I ran for governor in 2016, I argued we should assign an objective performance goal for every program, and if a program wasn’t delivering expected results, we should fix it or eliminate it. I was criticized for being cold-hearted and wonky.

Dismissing accountability as wonky and valuing ideology over efficiency got us a government that denies accountability for sending millions of dollars to a Nigerian scam artist; for a mental health system that fails to meet federal standards and is ranked in the bottom third of all states; for drug policies that have resulted in increased overdoses; for homeless programs that cost $800,000 per person permanently housed; and for policing policies that result in rising crime.

Fortunately, some pragmatic city leaders are finally demanding data and metrics. Last May, Seattle City Councilmember Sara Nelson pointedly asked a publicly funded harm reduction project how many people it had moved from drug addiction into recovery. It didn’t know; couldn’t answer. The council member who defended the project did not run for re-election. Sara Nelson is now council president.

I should show Council President Nelson my button from Theodore Roosevelt’s unsuccessful 1912 presidential campaign. That is the year when conservative Republican bosses cheated the progressive Roosevelt out of the Republican nomination, and so he ran for president as the leader of the progressive Bull Moose Party. The only thing on that button is the head of a bull moose and the word Progressive. Great button, but he lost the election.

While West Coast urban voters aren’t any more ready for a new Progressive Party today than they were 112 years ago, they would be comfortable wearing my button. That’s because they aren’t becoming conservatives, they just want to vote for Bull Moose progressives who are committed to addressing social ills and market failures and to efficiently getting results.

If this November they don’t see a Democrat who will give that to them, in four years maybe they’ll be ready to look at a Bull Moose candidate. One thing is certain, West Coast urban voters are agitated, and they’re demanding a different approach. n

Bill Bryant, who served on the Seattle Port Commission from 2008-16, ran against Jay Inslee as the Republican nominee in the 2016 governor’s race. He is chairman emeritus of the company BCI, is a founding board member of the Nisqually River Foundation and was appointed by Gov. Chris Gregoire to serve on the Puget Sound Partnership’s Eco-Systems Board. He lives in Winthrop, Washington.

Hundreds of properties in Spokane County have racial covenants (in red) that were meant to create white-only neighborhoods. EWU

Remedy for a Racist Past

As EWU gets ready to share maps of racial covenants in Eastern Washington, a Spokane title company is helping homeowners disavow the racist documents

BY SAMANTHA WOHLFEIL

For several years, the Inland Northwest has been learning that Jim Crow-style segregation wasn’t just a thing in the South. Communities all over Washington participated in legally documented racism by putting racially restrictive covenants on properties in an effort to keep anyone who wasn’t white out of certain neighborhoods.

In 2021, the Washington Legislature tasked teams at Eastern Washington University and the University of Washington with finding all such properties in the state.

Eastern’s “Racial Covenants Project” team has now located nearly all of the racial covenants in Eastern Washington, and Spokane County will be the first to see the results of that research.

What they found is disgraceful.

There are thousands of parcels with deeds or titles containing language such as “No race or nationality other than the white race shall use or occupy any building” on

that land unless that person is a domestic servant.

Some cemeteries and crypts were restricted “only for the interment of the dead of the Caucasian race.”

Other covenants were more specific, discriminating specifically against anyone “of the Ethiopian, Malay or any Asiatic race” or “members of the Latin or Colored race.”

Racially restrictive covenants haven’t been legally enforceable since a 1948 Supreme Court decision ruled them unconstitutional. But until the Fair Housing Act passed in 1968, it wasn’t illegal to record them, and many developers continued to include them in their deeds throughout the midcentury.

The earliest racial covenant that Eastern’s team found was written in 1928. The latest was written in 1955, by William Cowles Jr., who helped create what was intended to be an all white neighborhood in the Comstock area of the South Hill and whose family still owns the Spokesman

Review. (When news of the racial covenants broke in 2016, Betsy Cowles, chair of the Cowles Company, told reporters that “such racial segregation is offensive and in no way represents our company or family values.” The Spokesman has covered the topic extensively.)

Now, the Racial Covenants Project is poised to start sharing its findings with the public, and thanks to changes made by the Legislature over the last several years, there are now at least two methods for property owners to legally address those covenants.

BRINGING ATTENTION TO THE ISSUE

When Logan Camporeale — now a historic preservation specialist in Spokane — was getting his master’s degree at Eastern, he sort of stumbled upon the issue of racial covenants.

He was working in the state archives when a property owner called to figure out if their deed had any rules that would prevent them from building a fence. Covenants, conditions and restrictions can be placed on a property to restrict a number of things, from the types of plants allowed in a yard to the colors that houses in that neighborhood can be painted.

“Sure enough there was a restrictive covenant on her property,” Camporeale says. “It did not include any provisions about a fence, which was good for her, but I noticed a pretty insidious racial provision in there.”

That sparked his interest in researching further, and he learned that UW history professor Jim Gregory was

RACIAL COVENANTS PROJECT MAPS

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already looking into those restrictions and mapping them in the Puget Sound area. Gregory is now leading the UW team locating the covenants on the west side of the state.

After Camporeale found dozens of the covenants in Spokane County records, he started mapping the problem locally and bringing attention to the history through his blog in 2016.

Soon, he and others wanted to know if there were legal remedies available to strike that language.

Deeds and titles are legally protected records. To change the covenants, you typically have to get a judge involved.

copied, and then that copy is redacted to remove the offensive language. The copy is then placed in the file, while the original is stored elsewhere, either in the auditor’s office or with the Secretary of State’s archives division.

“No documents are destroyed,” says Dalton, who helped draft the new remedy. “Removing history is erasing history, and erasing history means you can deny it ever occurred, and that is not acceptable.”

The new process changes the status of the racial covenant from a “recorded” document, governed by specific state laws, to a historical one.

In 2018, the Legislature amended state law to allow homeowners to add a new document to their property records officially declaring that the racial covenants are void. But that process doesn’t remove the original language.

“In its place will be a document that says, ‘This document was removed and is now replaced by the redacted document,’” Dalton says.

It appears no one locally has used that option, which could be expensive, as people need to gather specific documentation and go through the court process.

That same year, after learning about his neighborhood’s history, a Comstock homeowner went to Spokane County Superior Court to try to remove the racial covenant from his title and the public record.

When Spokane County Auditor Vicky Dalton objected, the case received widespread media coverage. The county argued that, as the auditor, Dalton is not allowed to alter the historic record.

The court issued an order striking the covenant as void, and said a copy of that order could be included in the property files. But the order did not require Dalton to remove the original covenant from the file.

The homeowner appealed, and in a split decision the state Court of Appeals upheld the lower court’s ruling, saying that there was no need to physically alter the existing records.

The homeowner appealed again, but before the state Supreme Court weighed in, the Legislature addressed the issue in 2021. In the same law that tasked UW and Eastern with finding all the racial covenants in the state, lawmakers created a judicial remedy to strike the covenants from the chain of title.

REMEDIES

Under the relatively new process, which requires people to go to Superior Court and get approval from a judge, the original covenant document is

The other option approved in 2018 — which allows people to file a “restrictive covenant modification” — is simpler and free.

In that process, a document is added to the file. It says, in part, “This document strikes from the referenced original instrument all provisions that are void and unenforceable under law.”

So far, Spokane County has had five property owners file that modification document, according to a search run by Dalton’s staff this week, but that number could soon grow.

Vista Title and Escrow, a Spokane title company, announced this month that they are now offering to file that modification form for free for their customers while they’re closing the deal on a home they’re buying.

“It’s just been kind of sticking with me that this modification document is out there and available to owners but not very many people take advantage of it,” says Anthony Carollo, the company’s CEO.

Carollo says it was inspiring to hear about a Tacoma neighborhood that filed dozens of the modification documents. He realized if the form was prepared for them, people were happy to sign it.

“The lightbulb came on that we could do this for our buyers as we close our transactions,” Carollo says.

Even though it’s illegal now to enforce the ra-

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EWU’s team plans to publish a searchable map of Spokane County’s racial covenants, like those seen here in red.

cial covenants, nobody can predict how laws might change over the next 100 years, just as people in 1924 couldn’t predict the political climate today, Carollo says.

“It’s meaningful to declare those void,” he says. “It’s an opportunity to take a stand. If the front of our office building, or maybe a lunch counter at the local restaurant was chiseled with ‘whites only,’ you’d want to fix that. It might be part of history … but this is an opportunity to say, ‘That’s not right on this piece of property that I control.’”

The modification forms are available on the Spokane County Auditor’s webpage, but county staff are not allowed to help homeowners fill them out.

However, Carollo says that Vista Title staff can help explain how to find the information needed if anyone discovers there’s a racial covenant on their property and they want to file the modification on their own.

“We just can’t prepare it for them unless we’re doing a real estate transaction,” he says.

MAPPING THE PROBLEM

Eastern’s research team is just about ready to publish the first map showing where they found racial covenants in Eastern Washington.

“Our Spokane map is the first — and most challenging — map that we have created,” says Tara Kelly, the director of the project at Eastern.

Spokane is one of the counties that “has digitized all of the property ownership records back to dirt,” Dalton says. So have about half of the 20 counties the team researched.

The UW team created a tool to help search those scanned records for racial covenants, which sped up the process on both sides of the state. The teams verify the results, removing any false positives triggered by unrelated references to terms such as “white” or “black,” Kelly says.

For the other half of the counties, professors and student employees traveled to auditors’ offices to dig through deed books by hand.

“Each volume is about 600 to 800 pages, I feel like they’re about half as tall as I am, and they’re very heavy, dusty and delicate. We would just work all day until they kicked us out at lunch, and we’d come back until they closed,” Kelly says. “It’s been a really neat way to interact with the people and the archives across the state.”

Doing that work, it could be a little exciting to come across a racial covenant after hours of searching, says Larry Cebula, a history professor at Eastern who’s helping run the team.

“When you find one you’re so happy because you’ve been working so hard, but then you go, ‘Wow, this is terrible,’” Cebula says.

The good news is that only a small minority of developers wrote these covenants, Cebula says.

Of the many tens of thousands of parcels and properties in the eastern part of the state, the team has found roughly 6,500 modern parcels that have racially discriminatory covenants.

But those who wrote racial covenants from the 1940s to the 1960s didn’t seem to care if they were legal.

“There’s a 20-year period where some developers are writing these even knowing they can’t be enforced, because they send a message, and maybe they will be enforceable later,” Cebula says.

It’s somewhat similar to “trigger laws” passed while Roe v. Wade was still in effect, which would immediately ban abortion if Roe was ever overturned (as it was in 2022), Cebula says.

“I think we’re all too aware nowadays that rights can be taken away as well as granted,” Cebula says. “This wasn’t just informal racism. This was something done with the power of law.”

Camporeale, who has also been working with Eastern’s team, says that it’s important that there are remedies available now.

“It’s my position that folks should have access to remedies when there’s something impacting their property, particularly something as repugnant as a racial restriction,” Camporeale says. “In order to pursue the remedy, we need to know where they are. It’s important work, and I’m just playing a small part in it.” n samanthaw@inlander.com

Thank You, Spokane

You truly helped make it a Sweet Season! Go Zags!

Free Ride

Spokane Transit Authority offers free weekend bus rides for Expo’s anniversary. Plus, WSU and Gonzaga presidents are leaving; and more Washington homes could soon get solar.

BY INLANDER STAFF

Last week, the Spokane Transit Authority voted to make bus fare free on the weekends during the Expo ’74 celebrations from May 4 to June 30. A discounted fare of 50 cents will also be offered on the Route 11 shuttle that runs between the Spokane Arena and Riverfront Park during the weekdays. The free fare idea was championed by Spokane City Council member Zack Zappone and other progressive council members who sit on the STA board. They originally called for free fare for every day of the 50th anniversary celebrations, arguing that it would help introduce new riders to the bus system and complement the fair’s original environmental theme by reducing traffic and emissions from cars. The proposal was also supported by Mayor Lisa Brown, who said it would add an “extra jolt of excitement and energy toward getting people engaged with Expo.” But some STA board members from Spokane County and Spokane Valley were hesitant about offering free rides for the full nine weeks. They expressed concerns about the cost and driver safety — arguing that previous free fare periods coincided with an uptick in safety incidents. In the end, the board compromised and voted to make fare free on weekends. (NATE SANFORD)

PRESIDENTIAL RETIREMENTS

Between the dismantling of the Pac-12 and the exodus of top-level administrators like former athletic director Pat Chun, it’s been an unpredictable year for Washington State University. And with last week’s announcement that WSU’s 11th President Kirk Schulz will be retiring in 2025, the university’s future leadership is relatively unclear. According to the WSU Board of Regents chair, Lisa Keohokalole Schauer, Schulz has been privately conversing with the board about his plans to retire since 2023. The board is charged with finding the university’s next president, and they’ve created a Presidential Search Advisory Committee to allow WSU stakeholders to weigh in. Less than a week later, Gonzaga University announced that President Thayne McCulloh will also be retiring in 2025. Gonzaga’s Board of Trustees plans to appoint some of its members to a search committee in the coming week. (COLTON RASANEN)

STRENGTHENING SOLAR

Washington is about to get a lot more sun-ergized. Earlier this week, U.S. Sens. Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray announced that the Washington state Department of Commerce will be receiving more than $156 million to fund the Solar For All plan — intended to help bring residential solar power to more households in the state. Washington’s program will provide at least 3,000 low-income households with no-cost rooftop solar installations, along with financial support for larger community solar projects. These funds come from the federal Inflation Reduction Act that was passed in 2022. The Department of Commerce also plans to work with tribes to create solar options for at least 2,000 tribal households. “This announcement means families in Washington state, especially those with the tightest budgets, will soon be able to benefit from rooftop solar in a major way — saving money on their energy bills and reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the process,” Murray said. (COLTON RASANEN) n

Doors: 5:00pm Location: ARBOR CREST ARBOR CREST AND RHAPSODY IN BLUE:

Performance: 7:00PM

Arbor Crest Cliff House Estate and Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue share a monumental birthday – both turn 100! Celebrate like it’s 1924 with an ensemble of Spokane Symphony musicians joined by pianist Priscila Navarro. Spokane’s jazz vocalist Heather Villa brings 20’s music to life with her sultry voice. Come early to enjoy food and beverages from Arbor Crest’s food truck, grill and bars.

$59 Table Seating

$29 Lawn Seating

What a Drag

North Idaho College cancels student club’s annual drag show fundraiser due to ‘all ages’ description, again

BY COLTON RASANEN

For months, North Idaho College’s Gender and Sexuality Alliance had been preparing for its only annual event, a drag show fundraiser. Scheduled for April 19 on campus, it was set to be a night of entertaining drag performances, with people either buying tickets to benefit the club or donating food for local food banks to get in.

But a week before the event was scheduled to be held, it was canceled by the college’s administration because it was promoted as open to guests of all ages.

The club’s faculty adviser, Kyle Serrott, says that NIC President Nick Swayne told him the optics of an all-ages drag show would be detrimental to the school’s ongoing accreditation issues. Serrott says he thinks the club became a scapegoat for the school’s struggling image.

Despite the event’s cancellation, about 20 people gathered at Coeur d’Alene’s Emerge art studio on Friday night to ensure that food would still be collected.

“I’m so disappointed that this cancellation happened,” Gender and Sexuality Alliance President Raine Cino says, adding that the club has a long history of community

involvement through the drag show.

This isn’t the first time the event has been canceled in the 15-plus years it’s been held. In October 2022, the college also canceled the club’s drag show due to its all-ages designation on advertisements.

Swayne didn’t respond to emailed questions about the cancellation or his conversation with Serrott. Instead, NIC spokesman Tom Greene replied, noting that in the wake of the 2022 cancellation, the administration determined that a drag show was not appropriate for all ages and would be against the college’s standards. This was verbally communicated to the club’s leadership at the time. However, no written policy exists, and neither Cino nor Serrott were at the college when the policy was verbalized.

“I would have more respect for the decision if there was a policy written down,” Serrott says. “But there’s no policy [for the administration] to point to and say exactly what we violated.”

The issue wasn’t flagged earlier in part because the flyer that the club submitted to the college’s marketing office for this year’s event did not have “all ages” on it, Greene says by email.

But when the event was posted online for the campus community, that language said “all ages welcome,” Greene says. Additionally, the post said, “There will be no profanity or excessive nudity, so children and adults are both welcome.”

Greene says that violated the policy set by the college last year, so the event was canceled.

Part of the issue comes from how easy it is to put an event description up on the college’s website without any vetting, according to the club’s leaders. When a club wants

to reserve a room, they need to upload a description of the event they plan to hold, which is then automatically uploaded to the website without any oversight.

“I don’t think it’s any one person’s fault, this is a system process failure,” Serrott says. “To me though, it felt like [Swayne] was trying to find somebody to pin this on.”

Serrott tells the Inlander he didn’t understand Swayne’s argument that the event could negatively impact the college’s ongoing accreditation issues.

“I absolutely would not want to be in his position, but I cannot respect scapegoating queer students and faculty to try to save the college,” Serrott says.

NIC’s Gender and Sexuality Alliance food drive was held in lieu of the cancelled drag show on April 19. PHOTO COURTESY OF KYLE SERROTT

Greene says the decision to cancel the event would have happened regardless of the college’s accreditation woes.

A source with the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities — the college’s accrediting body — could not comment on this specific situation, but confirmed that NIC’s only accreditation issues are with its governance: the Board of Trustees.

While the Gender and Sexuality Alliance is a student group, Serrott says it’s become a safe community space for all queer folks at the college, not just the students — which is why it was especially painful for the club’s sole annual event to be canceled.

To Serrott, the cancellation is indicative of the larger antiqueer rhetoric that’s growing in North Idaho. It’s become more common, especially online, to baselessly accuse LGBTQ+ people of being “groomers” or pedophiles.

“We have allowed a certain political group, or certain political ideologies, to define what it means to be queer in a way that is not true,” Serrott says. “I see us bowing to these political pressures as giving fire to those definitions. We’re not groomers. We are not obscene. It’s almost unfathomable to me to think otherwise.”

Serrott says that just underscores the importance of the event for NIC’s queer community.

“For some students and faculty, it’s their first time ever getting to experience or play with … not only drag, but gender expression, too,” he explains. “It’s really a space for creativity, expression and belonging.”

Now, the Alliance is working with the college to ensure that this doesn’t happen again.

“We are optimistic about putting forward ideas that will prevent future cancellations,” club president Cino says. “In the unlikely event that it does happen again, there will hopefully be consequences in place to hold both sides accountable.” n coltonr@inlander.com

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Raising the Steaks

Valleyford rancher Justin Owens seeks to reimagine ranching with his Piedmontese cattle

BY ELIZA BILLINGHAM

It’s calving season at Owens Farms. Every spring, Justin Owens brings his cows into the barns to give birth on clean, soft hay. In early April, a few calves are already here. A bull calf born just hours before tromps around the indoor courtyard, umbilical cord still trailing from his middle, strengthening his legs and testing his buck until he lies down for a suckle and a nap.

Most births happen early in the morning before Owens or his ranch hand, Brian Lee, arrive at the farm. Cameras in the barns are linked to their phones so they can keep an eye on the new mothers from anywhere. They’re expecting 60 to 70 calves this year. It’s a precious season for the herd, some of whom spent years

as frozen embryos before coming into this life on the Palouse.

Owens Farms raises Piedmontese cattle, an ancient Italian breed that wasn’t allowed outside Italy until 1979. Each animal naturally packs on more muscle than a typical Angus, and the beef they produce seems too good to be true — more tender than wagyu but as lean as salmon, protein packed and nutrient dense, high in the good kinds of cholesterol and low in the bad. It’s an athlete’s dream.

Gary Owens, Justin’s grandfather, was one of the first ranchers to introduce Piedmontese to North America. He started raising a herd of the imported white cattle on the Palouse in the 1980s. When he stopped

working in the early 2000s, he froze full-blood Piedmontese embryos so their perfect pedigree could continue long after he was gone. Today, Owens Farms’ entire herd is built from those embryos, with genetics that trace back to some of the first cows to leave the foothills of the Alps.

Owens Farms continues Gary’s mission to promote Piedmontese to ranchers and chefs alike. In 2013, Justin resurrected his grandfather’s herd and decided to be a stock breeder, hoping to help ranchers produce more, healthier beef by crossbreeding or transitioning to full Piedmontese herds.

“I want to see more ranchers raising full-blood Piedmontese because it’s the best financial situation for them,” Justin says. “They’re the most efficient animals,

they produce the most meat with fewer resources, and it’s a higher quality meat. But their question is always, ‘Where’s the end market?’”

To answer that concern, Justin is now also the owner of Manzo Piedmontese, a private beef label that’s making its way through circles of the rich and famous. At about $100 per pound, Manzo’s pure Piedmontese beef is a luxury item reserved for celebrity chefs and professional athletes — think the Denver Broncos, the defending Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs, or Dena Marino, personal chef to LeBron James, all of whom have bought, eaten, or cooked with Manzo beef.

“There needs to be that flagship product, in the same way that the Japanese government decided Kobe beef was going to

on next page

Mature Piedmontese bulls Faroppa, left, and G-Force at Owens Farms. YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

“CIAO, COW,” CONTINUED...

be the flagship product for wagyu products,” Justin says. “Manzo needs to be the flagship product for Piedmontese.”

If wagyu eventually made it from Japan to Costco, maybe Piedmontese can trickle down, too. Half an hour from downtown Spokane, Owens Farms is trying to transform the American beef industry one calf at a time. It’s a big dream for a few baby cows. But the Owens family knows a thing or two about defying the odds.

HORSESHOES

Gary Owens’ parents were “Okies,” refugees from the Dust Bowl who left Oklahoma and headed West to find work. Instead of stopping in the fields and orchards of California, the Owens headed up to Eastern Washington.

After settling first in Malden, one uncle ventured

even farther north. He started leasing a plot of land just south of Spokane near Hangman Creek, now called Latah Creek. The rest of the family joined him, and two twin boys were born in Spokane: Gary and Larry.

A traditional Americana story ensued. Gary and Larry were star athletes in high school, where Gary met his sweetheart, Jo Ann Carlson. He dropped out of Washington State University after a single semester to marry her.

He took up managing drive-in movie theaters and discovered a talent for business. He bought an A&W franchise, then started a construction company to build another one, eventually creating an A&W empire across Eastern Washington. He ran concessions for Expo ’74, and partnered with a few other local businessmen to convert the Knickerbocker and Cambridge Court buildings

To have a little bull calf come out with no muscles on his rear end, and three months later he looks like Arnold Schwarzenegger…

into hotels for Expo visitors.

He bought land on the Palouse in 1969 to fulfill a boyhood dream. At that point, he had so much income his accountants recommended he find some depreciating assets to take him down a tax bracket or two.

Gary took the opportunity to start a racehorse stud farm. It was supposed to be a fun way to lose money. But thanks to a little luck and a penchant for genetics, Owens Farms became one of the most successful stud farms west of the Mississippi. One friend gifted Gary a horseshoe worn by Secretariat, racehorse royalty, which still hangs on the wall at Owens Farms.

But Washington horse racing started to decline in the 1980s, so Gary sold his racehorses with plenty still to do in the restaurant business. But the phone started ringing and wouldn’t stop. A rancher out of Utah had a new idea for the farm.

“He knew Owens Farms from the horses,” Gary said in a 2021 conversation with his grandson. Justin recorded a few long conversations with Gary before he died.

“He kept calling and saying, ‘Gary ought to consider these Piedmontese cattle.’ Jo Ann got tired of him calling and said, ‘You got to call this guy.’ So I called him, and he’s telling me about Piedmontese — how they’re lean and have very little fat on them, but they’re tender, the most tender beef breed walking around.”

The cattleman’s promises seemed far-fetched to Gary. But he called the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center in Clay Center, Nebraska, which confirmed the claims. So Gary decided to take a look for himself and headed up to visit a herd in Canada. What he found there would put his business savvy and genetic expertise to the test.

THE GOOFY PART

About 25,000 years ago, white cattle from Pakistan migrated west. Eventually, they hit the Alps and couldn’t go any farther, so they started romancing local European cattle. The result, thousands of years later, are several breeds of white Italian cattle, according to the Italian National Association of Piedmontese Cattle Breeders (in Italian, known as ANABORAPI).

There’s a bias in the U.S. beef industry against white cattle, Justin Owens says. Light-colored Brahman and Zebu cattle are popular in South Asia for their hardiness and heat tolerance, but they’re also known for producing lean, tough meat. Popular thinking in American ranching teaches the lighter the color, the worse the meat.

Italians, however, think differently. After crossbreeding with European cattle, ancient Italian breeds like Chianina and Piedmontese retained the light color and leanness of their Asian ancestors, but still produced the tender muscle and rich milk of their Alpine roots. Italian lore says that Piedmontese beef was so tender,

Franchesca licks her calf at Owens Farms. YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

Italian butchers could trick customers into buying meat from an 8-year-old cow in place of veal. Northern Italians were so protective of their near-perfect breed that they wouldn’t allow exportation of live animals or embryos.

That is, until the Canadians came knocking. Much to the dismay of Piedmont ranchers, an Italian man who married a Saskatchewan woman had been evangelizing throughout rural Canada during the 1960s about the merits of Piedmontese. He finally convinced the Ministry of Agriculture by showing them a picture of a jacked Piedmontese bull rippled with almost twice the amount of muscle the Canadians were used to seeing, according to Gary.

In the mid-1970s, Canada asked if Italy would share. Italy said no. And continued to say no for years, until the perfect storm of a worsening Italian economy and persistent Canadian politeness resulted in the sale of five Piedmontese to Saskatchewan in 1979: a bull named Brindisi, and four cows named Banana, Biba, Bisca and Binda.

“The goofy part was to introduce them to North America, they’d take them to Glentworth, Saskatchewan,” Gary said in one of his taped conversations. “You can’t hardly get to there from anywhere. To start a breed in North America and put it in Glentworth, Saskatchewan — they couldn’t have buried it in a better place to hide it.”

Nevertheless, Gary visited Glentworth three times to look at the new breed. He bought some semen and artificially inseminated a few of his Simmental cattle in 1987. Calves that were half Piedmontese showed immediate, impressive improvement in muscle gain, he said. So the next year he bought a few embryos and implanted those in his cows. Gary and his neighbors were startled by the results.

“To have a little bull calf come out with no muscles on his rear end, and three months later he looks like Arnold Schwarzenegger,” — it shocked every Washington cattleman he knew, Gary said.

But the biggest mystery surrounding the breed, more than just the sheer amount of muscle, was the tenderness of the meat. Conventional thinking preaches that fat makes beef tender, Justin says. The connective tissue that binds muscle together is the enemy of tenderness, but fat that’s marbled throughout the muscle breaks up that connective tissue and makes the meat softer.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture grades beef almost exclusively on the amount of marbling it has. But according to a study done at the USDA’s Meat Animal Research Center, Piedmontese had the second-lowest amount of fat among 11 breeds, even though it was the most tender. Meat scientists were puzzled. How was it possible that Piedmontese beef was so tender yet so lean?

...continued on page 22

Owner Justin Owens checks on pregnant cattle in the barn. “I still haven’t come to terms with having a beef label,” he says. YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

Unearth a 20-Year Legacy

Circling Raven Golf Club Celebrates

Two Decades as a Golfer’s Sanctuary

Amidst the whispers of ancient spirits and embrace of rolling landscapes, Circling Raven Golf Club is truly a sanctuary where a round of golf becomes a pilgrimage. This season, Circling Raven, named in honor of a revered Coeur d’Alene tribal leader, celebrates 20 remarkable years of welcoming golfers to this spiritual haven. Yes, if Mother Nature was a golfer, she would love playing Circling Raven thanks to its enchanting layout that meanders through 620

YEARS 20

acres of evergreen forests, the wild, undulating grasslands of the Palouse, alongside tranquil meadows and streams.

Of course, when ground broke on the course back in 2001, on lands that served as a hunting ground for centuries, not even the most optimistic tribal member could have ever imagined that they were creating a course where every hole would be its own masterpiece.

But thanks to the creative and talented mind of acclaimed course architect Gene Bates, that’s

exactly what happened.

“The diversity of the land was very unusual and favorable for designing a golf course,” Bates remembers. “We had wetlands, we had Palouse, and we had elevation. All we needed to do was connect the dots.”

Bates says he told the tribe that while the varied landscapes would present challenges, he rmly believed it would be “well worth it. I think that’s why they chose me,” he says with a smile. “Because I had a different vision.”

2004

A project that was first planned in 2001 opens to the public in 2004 for its first full season. Players from across the Inland Northwest and beyond embrace course architect Gene Bates’ design; rounds played exceed all projections.

2005

From Day One, the Coeur d’Alene Tribe has invested the time, resources and dedication required to own and operate an awardwinning, multi-amenity resort. And Circling Raven proves that immediately with the first of what will be a flood of accolades when Golf Digest includes it among its annual “Best New Courses” rankings.

2006-10

The excitement spreads, and accolades keep rolling in. In 2006, Golfweek ranks Circling Raven Idaho’s “No. 1 Public” in its “Best Courses You Can Play by State.”

Golf Magazine adds it to its “Top 100 Courses You Can Play” in 2008. And in 2010, it’s named No. 1 “PGA Merchandiser of the Year” in the resort category.

2011-15

As one spectacular season after another unfolds, Circling Raven keeps drawing attention to Worley, Idaho. In 2011, Golfweek rates it one of “America’s Best Casino Golf Courses.” TripAdvisor bestows its Certificate of Excellence on the course and the entire resort in 2013. And a huge honor comes in 2015 when Golf Advisor taps Circling Raven as one of the top five courses in the American West.

YEAR-ROUND PERKS

Circling Raven’s Advantage and Player Development cards provide cardholders with numerous perks that virtually pay for themselves; scan here to learn more.

AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE

Two decades later, that vision continues to wow golfers on a daily basis by ensuring they’re constantly immersed in the surrounding beauty, with the distant mountain peaks forming a majestic backdrop for every shot. For proof, look no further than the array of awards that have been bestowed upon Circling Raven since it rst opened its fairways in 2004. The course has regularly been ranked as “Idaho’s Top Public Course” by multiple media outlets, as well as one of the top casino and resort courses in America — and even by esteemed publications like Golfweek, Golf Magazine and Golf Digest.

National accolades at Circling Raven go beyond the brilliant layout of the course. Circling Raven’s wonderfully stocked pro shop was named PGA of America’s National “Merchandiser of the Year” in the resort category and is a six-time PGA Paci c Northwest Section “Merchandiser of the Year.”

Meanwhile, Twisted Earth Grill, adjacent to the pro shop, offers casual dining with a well-stocked bar, spacious deck, and scenic views of the course, ideal for outdoor relaxation with friends.

The name “Twisted Earth” originates from an incident during a shing trip involving Circling Raven’s son, who became lost, earning the nickname “s’lpst’ulikhm” (Earth got twisted around). It’s tting that this colorful moniker is associated with the course’s twisting layout along Rose Creek, re ecting the journey of Twisted Earth himself.

TRIBAL HOSPITALITY

Beyond the fairways and the award-winning pro shop at Circling Raven, the Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort Hotel sits a short walk away from the course. The resort, which celebrated its 30th anniversary last year, offers an array of unique amenities, from the luxurious and spacious Spa Ssakwa’q’n to the sumptuous signature restaurant, Chinook Steak, Seafood & Pasta.

The casino oor offers a wide variety of video gaming machines, including video table games and Discovery Den, a designated area offering new video gaming machines being tested by leading manufacturers. Guests are invited to partake in a celebration of culture, community and kinship.

To help commemorate this milestone 20th gol ng season, Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort donated $10,000 to Inland Northwest Honor Flight, a local nonpro t that transports area war veterans to Washington, D.C., to visit memorials honoring their sacri ces.

There’s no better way to join the celebration than by grabbing your clubs and escaping into the 18-hole nirvana on this hallowed ground. It’s more than a round of golf; it’s a spiritual awakening. •

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2018-19

Not resting on its laurels, Circling Raven dives into its 15th anniversary season by undertaking a golf and brand revitalization program to ensure that the operation thrives and to illuminate the Coeur d’Alene Tribe’s traditions, its people, its land and its welcoming hospitality. The program includes commissioning a Master Plan update from golf course architect Gene Bates.

2020

As with the golf industry nationwide, the pandemic also ignited Circling Raven. One of the reasons golf took o is because the environment and settings for playing are inherently social-distancing-friendly. There are few golf courses in the world with as much acreage — Circling Raven winds through 620 acres, roughly five times as many acres as most courses globally.

2021-23

Circling Raven and the Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort Hotel host the Epson #Road2LPGA Tour event for three years. The tour players are young women striving to earn LPGA Tour membership, the pinnacle of women’s golf. The goals for hosting aligned with the Tribe’s mandate for all its business enterprises: to empower and enhance the lives of its people and to give youth opportunities.

2024

Now celebrating 20 years of golf, Circling Raven continues to earn top honors and is currently included in these best-of categories nationally: Best Public Course in Idaho, Top U.S. Casino Courses, America’s Greatest Resort Courses, Inlander Best of the Inland Northwest and more. The Coeur d’Alene Tribe continues to honor the tribal mission of excellence — at Circling Raven and across the resort.

GROPPA DOPPIA

Around the same time the Meat Animal Research Center was doing research, scientists in Belgium were struggling to understand why Belgian Blue cattle, another white cattle breed from Europe, were so muscular. They published a few papers suggesting a theory that a “major gene is involved in the determination of muscular hypertrophy in Belgian Blue cattle.” That is, the cows weren’t bulkier because of feed or environment, but because of a certain genetic disposition.

By 1997, researchers Alexandra McPherron and Se-Jin Lee at Johns Hopkins University had nailed down what that genetic disposition was: inactive myostatin.

Myostatin is a naturally occurring protein in many birds and mammals, including humans. It’s a growth inhibitor that bonds with other proteins that you eat to stop some of it from turning into muscle. From an evolutionary perspective, it’s probably a good thing — for animals that need to be fast and mobile to run away, being super yoked isn’t all that great.

Deactivating myostatin could hold solutions for muscular dystrophy, McPherron and Lee hoped. For ranchers, it’s also a super handy trait in beef cattle. A few animals naturally have myostatin completely “turned off,” as Justin Owens puts it, and Piedmontese cattle are one of them.

Nearly all the protein that Piedmontese cattle eat goes directly into making muscle. That muscle is usually most visible in their huge hindquarters, which earned the nickname “groppa doppia,” or “double rumped.” Not only is there more muscle, but inactive myostatin also means that the muscle fibers are smaller and more tightly packed together. Smaller muscle fibers significantly reduce the need for connective tissue.

Think about filling a vase with flowers. The vase

is the muscle sheath, the stems are muscle fibers, and the space between the stems is connective tissue. The thicker the stems, the fewer flowers and more space between each one. But if you fill it with thinner stems, you can pack it much more tightly and eliminate most of the space. Inactive myostatin simultaneously makes the muscle, or the vase, bigger, while making the muscle fibers, or the stems, smaller.

Since there’s very little connective tissue, the huge muscle stays tender. There’s no need for fat to interrupt anything — thus, incredibly tender meat without any marbling.

The discovery of inactive myostatin gave Piedmontese ranchers a scientific answer to back up their personal experience. But the technical explanation still cut deep against traditional thinking in the beef industry, so many cattlemen remained skeptical. The discovery, however, played directly to Gary’s strengths. He was used to thinking about genes after breeding racehorses for years. Suddenly, tracing genetic traits in cows seemed obvious.

Piedmontese breed for generations to come. He was also harvesting and freezing embryos from some of his favorite pairs, with the hopes that good breeding and responsible registration would ensure the highest quality Piedmontese for years to come.

A DIFFERENT ANIMAL

Justin Owens spent half his childhood on his grandparents’ farm, half in his grandfather’s restaurants. His grandpa was his best friend and mentor, so Justin always assumed he’d end up working in restaurants. He was allergic to alfalfa, after all. He studied business management and economics at Eastern Washington University. Well groomed, welcoming, and relaxed under pressure, Justin might’ve been a great maître d’.

To maintain a registry of full-blood Piedmontese in the U.S. and Canada, Gary and his friend Vicki Johnson, a Saskatchewan rancher, started the North American Piedmontese Association, or NAPA. It was the first cattle registry to be based on the presence of a genetic variation, the inactive myostatin gene.

Through NAPA, Gary was helping preserve the

But when one of his grandfather’s bulls sold for $10,000, Justin’s interest in cattle was piqued. He realized the precious resource and potential he had on his hands — well, in the freezer. He got “sucked back” into livestock agriculture, he says, and began in earnest in 2013 to restart a herd from the embryos that had been frozen for years.

Today, there are about 300,000 Piedmontese in Italy, and about 6,000 full-blood Piedmontese in the U.S.

About 100 of them are on Owens Farms. For comparison, the USDA estimates there are about 28.2 million beef cattle in the U.S.

“CIAO, COW,” CONTINUED...

Gary Owens on his racehorse stud farm in the 1970s. PHOTO COURTESY JUSTIN OWENS

Banana at one year old. NORTH AMERICAN PIEDMONTESE ASSOC. PHOTO

No pun intended — it’s a different animal. The fact that it has no fat, if you’re not careful with it, you’re screwed.

This summer, Justin and his ranch hand Lee will move the herd through the forests near Krell Hill, where the cows forage and help take care of the land. After a deep dive into Piedmontese-specific nutrition, Justin supplements their diet with alfalfa,Timothy grass, peas, barley, and grape pomace, all sourced from less than 10 miles from his ranch.

While the cows are on the mountain, Justin’s young bulls lay down in a fenced pasture, calm and docile with dark circles around their deep, black eyes and heavy eyelashes.

“They’re like big puppies,” Justin says. One-ton puppies, to be exact.

In his affection, Justin might have gone a little over the top to provide the best quality of life for his herd — a “Club Med for cows,” as he calls it. In addition to the bountiful rolling hills of the Palouse that make up the ranch, Justin built a huge barn to dairy cow standards, which require more room per animal than typical beef barns. For now, he doesn’t want any more than 100 cows. It’s what the land can accommodate, and

the chefs wanted to come over and take pictures of it.”

Bonavita and Manzo are returning to Florida this May to be featured in a private suite at the second Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix. The Denver Broncos bought 1,100 pounds of Manzo beef for their preseason meals. Closer to home, head golf professional at Manito Golf and Country Club, Gordon Corder, took up a “carnivore challenge” and ate Manzo beef almost exclusively for over two months.

If Manzo is ever dismissed, it’s usually because it’s misunder stood. Without ste reotypical marbling, a cut of Piedmontese beef looks more like the smooth, raw flesh of a fish, and cooks in half the time of conventional beef.

unnecessary. But most chefs agree that Piedmontese requires reeducation.

“To be honest, I didn’t really give too much credit to [Justin],” says Chad White, chef and owner of Zona Blanca Ceviche Bar and TT’s Brewery & Barbecue, who started experimenting with the meat a few years ago.

“Because in barbecue, I’m always looking for fat and lots of marbling. Blood and fat are where flavor comes from. So I took the steak home, I cooked it up, I overcooked the shit out of it because I didn’t understand it. I

“No pun intended — it’s a different animal,” says Spokane chef Tony Brown, who hosted an event at his restaurant Ruins to help launch Manzo last August. “The fact that it has no fat, if you’re not careful with it, you’re screwed.”

“It’s like venison or rabbit,” adds Peter Adams, a chef at Ruins who co-hosted the launch party. “But when you eat it, because it’s got like two or three times the amount of protein, your gut really feels like you’ve eaten a lot.”

But it’s not the kind of full that makes you feel bad, White says. Take it from him — he spent time learning butchery in Japan and ate his fair share of wagyu, which, if “you eat too much of it, you’ll feel like shit,” he says. “You don’t feel like that when you eat [Piedmontese]. So for athletes that are looking for lean protein, it’s probably really good.”

Last year, Justin Owens was featured on Adam Morrison’s podcast, The Perimeter, talking all things basketball and beef with the retired Gonzaga and NBA star. Meanwhile, Justin O’Neill, a new business manager for US Foods and consulting chef for Manzo, has been instru

GOT BEEF?

Learn more at owensfarms.com, or call 509-953-1151 to set up a farm tour. Sign up for Manzo updates at manzopiedmontese.com.

To hear Justin and Gary Owens’ conversations, listen to “Can’t Stop Moving with Gary Owens” wherever you listen to podcasts.

For now, Justin Owens doesn’t want any more than 100 cows; it’s what the land can accommodate. YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

Piedmontese beef prepared by chef Joe Bonarita. PHOTO COURTESY MANZO PIEDMONTESE

OUR 10TH ANNIVERSARY! Enter our contest to win prizes at participating open houses listed in the Spokane MLS. Visit an open house, fill out an entry form, and earn one entry per house visited. Happy house hunting! SpokaneOpen.com

Staging a Comeback

With new leadership and support, Cheney High School’s drama program relaunches to create a solid platform for the future

BY E.J. IANNELLI

After voters approved Cheney Public Schools’ renovation and improvement bond in 2017, music and theater groups at its high school were eagerly anticipating the construction of a high-quality venue for their performances. For years they’d been making do with spaces that fell short of ideal, but now a new 500-seat auditorium was under construction.

Then came the pandemic, and students would again wait — this time to return to the stage and fill those seats.

And the students and teachers did indeed come back. But even with a modern, purpose-built space to call home, the school’s drama program still needed some time to stabilize. When an opportunity arose last year to help guide that process, Michael A. Scott, who was assisting with the Cheney High School marching band at the time, put his name forward for the theater director position.

“It took a lot of convincing for me to do drama in high school,” Scott recalls, comparing then and now. “My high school English teacher in my freshman year was also the drama director, and he worked on me for my entire freshman year. Finally, at the end of my sophomore

year, I got involved in our spring production of Jekyll and Hyde.”

That was at Spokane Valley’s University High School, where the theater program has traditionally enjoyed a strong reputation. Scott stayed with the program there until he graduated. Later, he got involved with Lake City Playhouse in Coeur d’Alene, where he worked on shows like These Shining Lives

When Scott planned this year’s Cheney High School drama season, his first at the helm, he proposed opening with that very same play. The small-cast historical drama by Melanie Marnich highlights the women who painted luminescent dials on watches during the 1920s and 1930s. Unbeknownst to those workers, the paint contained radium, a radioactive and therefore carcinogenic element.

“As a new director, I had no idea who the interested students were at the time. I was just trying to pick a show that I knew, that I knew audiences liked, and that we could reasonably do as a high-school for our first production,” he says.

He tempered his expectations accordingly. But, as it

turns out, that wasn’t necessary.

“We saw sweeping success. Our students achieved things at an incredibly high level and had an incredible maturity to what they were doing — so much so that our entire science department spent two days taking their classes to watch the show instead of being in class so they could see [its] historical value.”

To provide some balance to that serious, reality-based play, Scott opted to follow These Shining Lives with The SpongeBob Musical, which is now preparing to open next week. The students “went nuts” when he first floated the suggestion.

It was an intentionally malleable show, he says, that “has name recognition, and we were hoping that it would spark some interest among the kids that maybe wouldn’t give our program a second look if we did one of the more traditional [plays or musicals].”

Harper Sommers, now a Cheney High School senior, already had a soft spot for acting. She’d previously taken part in Academy productions

Cheney High School’s drama program is closing out the year with The SpongeBob Musical. ERICK DOXEY PHOTOS

at Spokane Civic Theatre. When she heard that her school’s drama program was getting a reboot under a new director, she didn’t just audition. She went out and got her driver’s license just to be able to get herself to and from the early morning and late evening rehearsals.

Sommers ended up landing the lead role of Catherine Donohue in These Shining Lives and will be returning to the stage as Plankton in The SpongeBob Musical.

“Plankton, for anyone who doesn’t know, is the epitome of a cartoonish supervillain, with all the inventions and the evil laughter. He’s pompous and pretty cocky. It’s really fun,” she says. “Being cast in a production at all, it feels good, and then being able to go through it all, finishing the first night, finishing the last night is also very fulfilling — being able to say, ‘I did it. I did something cool.’”

As part of his efforts to create a drama program that will offer students like Sommers as much support as possible, Scott is working to foster collaborations with nearby Eastern Washington University.

Sara Goff, director of EWU’s theater program, says Scott’s outreach was not only welcomed wholeheartedly, but that it comes at a time when community-building and resource-sharing is more important than ever.

“I’ve been a Cheney resident for many years,” Goff says. “But now as a parent, I’ve become even more invested in my community. And arts education is essential for the wellness of our community and our youth. Coming out of the pandemic, [we’re] really disconnected, [there are] really intense emotional needs, mental health challenges and loneliness. There just has to be a space that allows people to express themselves and find a sense of belonging. Period.”

For now, EWU is loaning lightning equipment and contributing its own theater students as supplemental cast. In the future, the hope is to have that support take on more robust forms, such as regular actor exchanges and mentorships.

Scott’s long-term goal is to put Cheney’s drama program on a par with his alma mater, University High School, as well as other area schools like Lewis & Clark or Mount Spokane. To that end, he’s laying the groundwork for an active parent booster group, a convenient digital ticketing platform and ongoing business sponsorships to cover the high costs of licensing.

“It’s a magical place,” he says of theater in general. “It’s a place where everybody has a role, everybody has a responsibility, and when done well, everybody understands exactly why their part is so vitally important to every show. A lead character has just as much responsibility as the light board operator.” n

The SpongeBob Musical • May 2-11; Thu-Sat at 7 pm, May 11 at 1 pm • $15 • Cheney High School • 460 N. Sixth St. Cheney • chs.cheneysd.org • 509-559-4000

Michael Scott is leading Cheney High School’s newly revived drama program.

THEY’VE HAD ENOUGH

Spokane Children’s Theatre presents a series of youth-written short plays about gun violence

BY COLTON RASANEN

Twenty-five years ago, two teens committed one of the nation’s deadliest mass school shootings at a Colorado high school, killing 12 students, one teacher and injuring dozens more.

That same year the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention began to track the mortality rate of gun violence in those under 18. While those numbers fluctuated around 1,500 for the first two decades of tracking, it soared to 2,281 deaths in 2020 and 2,590 deaths in 2021, according to the most recent available data from the CDC.

Since the Columbine High School massacre in 1999, many of these deaths were a result of more than 500 school shootings across the U.S. This ongoing danger is partly what inspired Spokane Children’s Theatre to stage #Enough: Plays To End Gun Violence. The program features winning scripts from a national playwriting competition that asked teens to write short plays about how they’ve been affected by the ever-present threat of gun violence.

“When I was a kid, school shootings hadn’t happened,” says Craig Hirt, #Enough’s director. “It just wasn’t part of our idea that someone would walk into a school with a gun and start blowing people away.”

Spokane Children’s Theatre isn’t usually known for performing shows with a somber, mature tone like #Enough. For example, one of the plays focuses on a kid who witnessed her friend being shot — she continually replays the scenario searching for any other possible outcome she can imagine. Another story follows a mom in a state of shock after losing her child.

“The teens just really wanted to dive deep because

we do a lot of family-friendly shows typically,” says Tanya Brownlee, the theater’s executive director. “But what I don’t think we anticipated was the effect it was actually going to have on our teens.”

Not all of the plays are as emotionally heavy. One in particular takes a meta approach by following a group of young playwrights as they reckon with writing a script in response to a school shooting.

Brownlee’s goal in producing #Enough is to give young local actors a platform to inform their community about the mental pressure of school gun violence.

“I had no idea the anxiety they were facing every day, and they don’t feel like it’s being seen,” Brownlee says while tearing up. “It’s so numbing.”

Since these plays are written by teens, she says, the scripts are more raw than what an experienced playwright may create.

“Adult writers tend to fluff things or make them more dramatic than they need to be, but these are legitimate experiences and stories that these kids have written,” Brownlee explains.

Considering the show’s seriousness, it was important for Spokane Children’s Theatre to ensure attendees could easily access resources to help address the subject matter. The theater is partnering with Spokane-based LGBTQ+ nonprofit Odyssey Youth Movement, and Brownlee says a school resource officer will also be present to talk to attendees after the show.

After rehearsing the production, Brownlee and Hirt

sat down with the young actors to talk about how the show affected them. There were few dry eyes in the room as tears flowed among both the cast and the adults.

“The biggest positive of this whole experience is that the teens are feeling heard,” Brownlee says. “They’re feeling supported, and they know they have a voice in this.”

Another positive experience of the production is that it allowed Hirt to focus on creating an educational environment for the performers. He intentionally put some teens in roles he otherwise might not have cast them as a learning experience.

“It’s been challenging, but fun, pushing the kids to go a lot deeper in character development than they typically do,” Hirt says. “Watching them all grow has been amazing.”

The local community’s responses to the staging of #Enough have been varied so far, with some assuming the production is anti-gun. But Brownlee says that’s simply not the case.

“It has nothing to do with our stance on guns,” she says. “We can all agree we want our kids safe.”

“If we’re ever going to make change, it’s going to come from our young people,” Hirt adds. “My hope is that this [production] empowers them to feel like they can do something to make things better. We don’t have to continue to live like this.” n

#Enough: Plays to End Gun Violence • Thu, April 25 and Sat, April 27 at 7 pm • Donations accepted • Spokane Children’s Theatre • 2727 N. Madelia St. • spokanechildrenstheatre.org

JoJo’s Not in the Know Know

“Gay pop” has a long history predating JoJo Siwa’s post-tween turn

BY LUCY KLEBECK

In 2022, singer and dancer JoJo Siwa performed at the Spokane Arena as a part of her D.R.E.A.M tour, bringing glitz, bows and rainbows to adoring young fans.

Be advised, though, because if Siwa ever stops here again, her show will be quite different. Earlier this month, the artist released a new single, “Karma,” marking a departure from her Dance Moms child stardom to more mature themes including profanity and sexual expression.

In promotion of her rebrand, Siwa went viral with a Billboard interview, in which she discussed wanting to invent a new genre of music: “gay pop.” While Siwa recognized songs that could fall into this category, referencing Lady Gaga’s “Applause” and Miley Cyrus’ “Can’t Be Tamed,” she claims the genre isn’t well-established like other pop variants.

Siwa’s comments have sparked criticism, particularly from queer artists who’ve already been making gay pop for years. Critics point out that the 20-year-old Siwa’s lack of awareness for those who’ve come before her — an extensive list with names such as Freddie Mercury, Tegan and Sara, Janelle Monáe and Hayley Kiyoko — all who helped to establish the music scene that Siwa is now entering… not creating.

In light of that, here’s a look at some other standout female gay pop artists who’ve put out music in the past year.

CHAPPELL ROAN

The same day as Siwa’s “Karma” dropped, Roan released her new single “Good Luck, Babe!,” an anthem for those in love with closeted girls. The Missouri-born, Midwest-grown Roan advocates for the existence of queer people in Middle America on her most recent album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess. She also just wrapped up an opening stint for Olivia Rodrigo’s GUTS tour. Roan often performs in full drag queen garb and even has her own toxic breakup karma song, “My Kink is Karma.”

RENEÉ RAPP

You may know Rapp as Regina George in this year’s cinematic musical version of Mean Girls, but the actress, Broadway star and stunning vocalist also recently released and toured her debut studio album, Snow Angel. The album centers on the complexities of being a young adult and features heartbreak ballads like “I Hate Boston” and “The Wedding Song,” as well as lesbian pop anthems like “Pretty Girls.”

TOWA BIRD

Half-English, half-Filipino and born in Hong Kong, Bird is a singer, songwriter and guitar shredder. Bird released her most recent single about late-stage capitalism — “B.I.L.L.S.” — in February. It follows a few other singles such as “Drain Me,” “Wild Heart” and “Boomerang” that center on love, growth, pain and sex in queer relationships. Her genre can be described as pop rock, taking inspiration from Jimi Hendrix and Paul McCartney. Bird opened for Reneé Rapp on the Snow Angel tour, and her debut album, American Hero, is expected to be released this fall.

REMI WOLF

A California native, Wolf is known for her boundarypushing approach to pop music. Many of her songs don’t follow the typical pop song verse-chorus-verse structure. Her songs such as “Shawty” and “Prescription” touch on messy queer relationships. She recently announced a sophomore album, Big Ideas, and released its lead single, “Cinderella.”

GIRL IN RED

“Do you listen to Girl in Red?” If that’s a “yes,” you might be gay. The question became Gen Z slang code to determine if a girl is a lesbian. The actual Girl in Red is a Norwegian singer (Marie Ulven Ringheim) who sings about love, heartbreak and the queer experience. Popular songs include “i wanna be your girlfriend,” about wanting to be more than friends with another girl, and “bad idea,” about making risky (and probably regrettable) relationship decisions. Girl in Red opened some dates of Taylor Swift’s “The Eras Tour.” Her new album, I’M DOING IT AGAIN BABY came out on April 12 and includes a song with Sabrina Carpenter.

RINA SAWAYAMA

Japanese-British musician Sawayama didn’t start making music until she was 27, but that doesn’t mean she has any less to show. Many of Sawayama’s songs incorporate social issues, such as her song about racism and sexism in the music industry, “STFU.” She communicates her social themes using a unique blend of genres including Y2K pop, synthpop and metal. Sawayama aims at making music that allows for groups, such as the queer community, to find representation. Her song, “Chosen Family,” is about the beauty of queer friendships, and gay pop legend Elton John even joins her on a remixed version. n

FELLOWSHIP FUNDING

Four Spokane County artists will each be receiving a $10,000 fellowship award from Artist Trust, a Seattle-based arts nonprofit. Modern-day storyweaver and performer James Pakootas was awarded the Vadon Foundation Fellowship Award for Native Artists. Artists Jiemei Lin (above), Kate Lebo and Maya Jewell Zeller were each also chosen for an Artist Trust Fellowship award. Lin is a visual artist whose work can be seen in children’s book illustrations and public murals. Lebo is a writer whose essay collection The Book of Difficult Fruit won the 2022 Washington State Book Award. Zeller is also a writer and poet whose work crosses genres, often intertwining science and nature. (COLTON RASANEN)

APPLE-SOLUTELY PERFECT

Want to contribute to local and international history forever? Washington State University is holding a naming competition for its newest apple variety — a successor of sorts to its beloved Cosmic Crisp — that debuted last year. The Honeycrisp and Pink Lady cross is currently called WA 64, and chances are, you can do better than that. The apple is small to medium, with a pink blush over yellow skin, and is quite crispy. Name suggestions should have something to do with WSU, Washington, or the apple’s characteristics. If your name is chosen, you’ll win an engraved charcuterie board, a box of WA 64 apples, Cougar Gold cheese, WSU Meats Lab’s Everything Spice Rub and other WSU swag. Plus, bragging rights every time you see the apple in grocery stores. Enter online until May 5 at wsu.edu/wa64contest. Good luck!

(ELIZA

BILLINGHAM)

THIS WEEK’S PLAYLIST

Noteworthy new music arriving in stores and online on April 26.

ST. VINCENT, ALL BORN SCREAMING

Free from the plague that is Jack Antonoff’s production, St. Vincent regains her rock edge on her first fully self-produced album.

IRON & WINE, LIGHT VERSE

Need some lounging-in-the-grass music for the summer? You’re in luck! Sam Beam returns with his first dose of majestic folk pop since 2017’s Beast Epic

HOVVDY, HOVVDY

As the lead single “Forever” indicates, the Austin, Texas, indie pop duo’s fifth album features sweet shots of warm sentimentality. (SETH SOMMERFELD)

Sorry, JoJo, gay pop was already here.

EVENT

That’s the Spirit

Local bars are getting ready for the first Spokane Cocktail Week, May 2-8

BY MADISON PEARSON, SETH SOMMERFELD AND ELIZA BILLINGHAM

Calling all boozers and shakers! The first week of May is about to get even more slammed. In case Cinco de Mayo, Bloomsday and the Expo ’74 50th Anniversary kickoff weren’t enough, here’s one more party to add to the list: Spokane’s first Cocktail Week.

A seven-day stretch of special menus, education sessions and exclusive happy hours has been a long-term dream for Bryan Harkey, owner of Cease & Desist Book Club, who first came across the idea for cocktail week as a beverage rep in Seattle. With the help of Dakota Goldman, a local bartender and owner of Padrino Events, that dream is finally coming true.

From May 2 to 8, almost 30 bars across Spokane are running special cocktail menus in addition to their regular libations. The special menus showcase three to five new

drinks featuring any of event sponsor Republic National Distributing Company’s spirits — classics like Tito’s vodka, Hendrick’s Gin and Old Forester bourbon, to industry worker favorites like Fernet-Branca, Carpano and Cointreau. Any guest is welcome to order from the limited edition menu.

But for those looking for extra perks, a Spokane Cocktail Week wristband ($15) gains entrance to special industry-focused events and happy hours, plus some surprise discounts at various, undisclosed locations. It’s the perfect excuse to visit a spot you’ve never hit up before and support bartenders who are deepening their knowledge of their craft in real time.

“My initial thing was, let’s make it for everybody,” Harkey says. “It doesn’t have to be the 15 craft cocktail bars

that are in the city. You have some bars that aren’t known for their cocktails, but they might have some bartenders that have been waiting to make some.”

“It’s also cool because, like Neon Moon, for example, which is way out Hillyard, I have never worked with them,” Goldman adds. “They reached out to me because they’re like, ‘Hey, we just really want to get more connected.’ It’s a huge thing for me — I’m always working on continuing to grow the community we have here in the bar and restaurant industry. My favorite thing about Spokane is how tight-knit we are.”

Check out some of Spokane Cocktail Week’s featured events below. For a full list of events and participating bars, head over to spokanewacocktailweek.com. (EB)

...continued on page 32

From Paper Planes to unique concoctions, Spokane Cocktail Week’s got it all. YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

2024 Spokane Garden Expo

May 11th 9am-5pm

Spokane Community College Lair 1810 N Greene Street, Spokane

MAY 3RD — 6TH

FRI Regular Session –

Bring your wagon or garden cart

250+ Vendors and Plant Sellers

Presented by The Inland Empire Gardeners • 509-535-8434 • gardenexpo@comcast.net

SUN Regular Session –Mother’s Day Bingo $5 Buy-in (minimum electronic buy-in $25).

MAY 24TH — 27TH

5 Tents Drawing $5 Buy-in (minimum electronic buy-in $25).

All regular games pay $1,000.

SAT Matinee Session

Regular Session – $5 Buy-in (minimum electronic buy-in $25).

All regular games pay $1,000.

SUN Regular Session –Cinco de Mayo Bingo $5 Buy-in (minimum electronic buy-in $25).

All regular games pay $1,000.

MON Monday Night Bingo

MAY 10TH — 13TH

FRI Regular Session –5 Portable Grills Drawing

SAT Matinee Session

Regular Session

All regular games pay $1,000.

All moms receive $15 off buy-in.

MON Monday Night Bingo –Blacklight Bingo

MAY 17TH — 20TH

FRI Regular Session –5 Yeti Coolers Drawing

SAT Matinee Session

Regular Session

SUN Regular Session – $5 Buy-in (minimum electronic buy-in $25).

All regular games pay $1,000.

MON Monday Night Bingo

FRI Regular Session – 5 Inflatable Chillbo Loungers Drawing

SAT Matinee Session

Regular Session

SUN Regular Session – $5 Buy-in (minimum electronic buy-in $25).

All regular games pay $1,000.

MON Special Session – $55,000 Memorial Day Bingo Sales at 1 PM. Session starts at 4 PM.

MAY 31ST

FRI Regular Session –5 Rain Ponchos Drawing $5 Buy-in (minimum electronic buy-in $25).

All regular games pay $1,000.

“THAT’S

OFFICIAL KICK-OFF PARTY

Thu, May 2 from 4-11 pm, Zola

If there’s one thing Zola is known for, it’s their propensity for putting on loud, lively parties. So where better to kick off Spokane Cocktail Week than Zola?

get 50% off Hang 10’s Hawaiian barbecue lunch plates. Press is also kicking off Cocktail Week on May 2 with live music in the evening from Kyle Richards. (SS)

CINCO DE DRINKO PIZZA PARTY

DON'T MISS OUT REGISTER

The first official event of Cocktail Week will not only be a swinging dance party accompanied by the soulful stylings of local musician Blake Braley, but also a chance to pick up event wristbands to ensure the rest of the week goes smoothly. The first 40 people to check in at Zola get an exclusive Spokane Cocktail Week T-shirt, so get there early!

Zola bartender Sheldon Moore has crafted three cocktails for the event: a traditional lemon drop, the Jimi Hendrix (a Zola favorite) and his own spiked Shelly limeade (a nonalcoholic version is available, too). The bar’s general manager, Taijah Howard, says hosting the kickoff event at Zola shows that the community supports them and wants them to do well. So head down to Zola and start Cocktail Week off right. (MP)

CANINES, CATS AND COCKTAILS!

Sat, May 4 from 2-5 pm, Bark, A Rescue Pub Just when you thought happy hour couldn’t get any cuter, Spokane Cocktail Week is partnering with Bark, A Rescue Pub, the Spokane Humane Society and Tito’s Handmade Vodka to add a little bit more happiness to your life. Head to the patio at Bark with your favorite vodka drink to meet your new best friend. Cocktail Week wristband wearers get an extra plate of “bone buddies” to share with their pet pal. Plus, Tito’s is donating $500 to Spokane Humane Society to make sure the furry, fluffy meet-cutes keep happening. (EB)

FERNET ABOUT IT: CINCO DE MAYO PATIO PARTY

Sun, May 5 from 12-4 pm, Press Press Public House offers up a sampler platter of the joint’s best features with its Cocktail Week menu. As the event name hints, Press is one of the only bars in town with the Italian amaro fernet on tap. The space has a great patio, too, so to get in the spring spirit there will be a Gin Daisy (Hendrick’s Gin, Cointreau, lemon juice, grenadine, mint sprig). And since owner Niki Randall also owns the adjoining Hang 10 BBQ, Press is serving a Tito’s Hawaiian Punch and patrons who order one of the Cocktail Week drinks

Sun, May 5 from 6-7 pm, Market Street Pizza (Spokane Valley)

When you think of Cinco de Mayo, one cuisine springs to mind… pizza! OK, OK, that might not be true, but there is gonna be a special taco pizza as part of the Cocktail Week celebration at Market Street Pizza’s Spokane Valley location.

In addition to a few carryovers from the main cocktail menu (limoncello drop, barrel-aged old fashioned), the discounted cocktail offerings include a White Lady (cucumber cooler with basil lavender bitters), an Old Forester old fashioned with aromatic orange and whisky bitters, a spicy paloma with Tito’s vodka, and the Hot Honolulu margarita topped with huckleberry jalapeño bitters to pair with Market Street’s popular Hot Honolulu pizza.

The array of bitters come via Market Street General Manager Tyson Skidmore’s bitters company, Skidmore Alchemy. Patrons listening to live music from El Primo will also double as guinea pigs, as there’s also a new kitchen fresh sheet. The featured drinks, meanwhile, may end up on a summer cocktail menu released the following week. (SS)

OLD FORESTER

EXCLUSIVE HAPPY HOUR

Mon, May 6 from 4-7 pm, Durkin’s Liquor Bar Psst! If you’re a bartender, or you’re hoping to meet your favorite local mixologist, this happy hour in Durkin’s basement is the place to be on Monday night. Learn the industry password (or buy a wristband to Cocktail Week) and head to this exclusive industry happy hour. Ben Poffenroth, Durkin’s co-owner and manager, teases a menu featuring five cocktails crafted by bartenders Susana Moonitz and Cj Byrnes. This happy hour is a chance for industry pros to mingle with fellow bartenders and Cocktail Week-goers who appreciate the work that goes on behind the bar. Sip on some of the aforementioned cocktails featuring Old Forester bourbon, a specialty drink exclusive to this event, or your go-to Durkin’s drink. No matter what you sip on, it’s bound to be tasty. (MP) n

THE SPIRIT,” CONTINUED...

Event co-organizers Dakota Goldman and Bryan Harkey. YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

ALSO OPENING ALIEN

The chest-bursting horrors of the scifi classic return to the big screen for Alien’s 45th anniversary. Rated R

BOY KILLS WORLD

Bill Skarsgård plays a deaf and mute murder machine in this over-the-top John Wick-esque action revenge flick. The fun catch? His inner monologue is voiced by Bob’s Burgers’ H. Jon Benjamin. Rated R

THE MUMMY

While initially received as merely a campy Egyptian popcorn blockbuster, this Brendan Fraser action-adventure flick has only grown more beloved with time’s passing, leading to this 25th anniversary rerelease. Rated PG-13

UNSUNG HERO

This Christian family drama follows the true story of the Smallbone family, who moved from Australia to Nashville with six children to pursue their musical dreams. Their kids eventually made it big in the Christian music world as Rebecca St. James and the band For King & Country. Rated PG

Zendaya can’t save Challengers from a slew of unforced errors.

“LOVE” MEANS ZERO

Luca Guadagnino’s tennis drama Challengers is all flash and no follow-through

BY JOSH BELL

There’s a shot during the centerpiece threesome scene in Challengers — the one that’s been promoted in all the trailers — of young tennis star Tashi Duncan (Zendaya) looking on with devious glee as her fellow tennis player suitors Patrick Zweig (Josh O’Connor) and Art Donaldson (Mike Faist) engage in carnal conduct for her pleasure. Her confident, casual manipulation during that scene suggests a more twisted psychosexual drama that Challengers never delivers, instead settling for a fairly pedestrian sports movie presented in a distractingly garish style.

CHALLENGERS

was cut short after a devastating injury. Her relationship with Art is both personal and professional, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t still harbor feelings for Patrick. The emotions between Patrick and Art are even more complex, and they work through those over the course of their inevitable showdown in the tournament finals. Director Luca Guadagnino and screenwriter Justin Kuritzkes shift back and forth between the increasingly grueling match and the events leading up to it, sometimes doubling back to just a few hours before a particular scene.

Rated R

Told in a nonlinear format across 13 years, Challengers is anchored by a match between Patrick and Art in the later part of their professional tennis careers, as both are struggling to hold onto past glories. Patrick has almost completely washed out, reduced to living in his car and traveling to small regional tournaments in the hope of picking up a bit of prize money. Art is still a top-ranked player, but after winning multiple major championships, he’s lost his competitive edge, and his trainer has entered him in one of those small regional tournaments so that he can rebuild his confidence.

Directed by Luca Guadagnino

Starring Zendaya, Mike Faist, Josh O’Connor

That trainer happens to be Tashi, whose own career

The result is a lot of distracting obfuscation for such a mundane combination of sports and romance, albeit with a lot more homoeroticism than, say, a movie by Ron Shelton (Bull Durham, White Men Can’t Jump). There’s also a lot less humor than a Ron Shelton movie, and Guadagnino’s heavy-handed approach to the lightweight material is more laughable than engaging. Guadagnino’s intense, grandiose filmmaking style has served him well in bizarre genre films like Suspiria and Bones and All, but it comes off as self-indulgent and excessive in relationship dramas like I Am Love and A Bigger Splash Challengers aims for the all-consuming passion of Guadagnino’s most acclaimed film, Call Me by Your Name,

but ends up only with sour bickering and empty titillation.

Rather than enhancing the sexual tension between Patrick and Art, that wink-and-nudge vulgarity comes off as an irritating tease, with multiple scenes of the characters greedily consuming phallic food items (churros, bananas) like something out of an Austin Powers movie. O’Connor was more alluring in the underrated 2021 period drama Mothering Sunday, a much better film about sensuality, longing and the fluid nature of memory.

Zendaya makes Tashi into a compelling figure who’s both ruthless and vulnerable, torn between her fierce competitive drive and her compassion for Art — and torn further by her strong feelings for both Art and Patrick. But those strong feelings are less convincing given that both men come across like sweaty Muppets in both their interactions with Tashi and with each other.

The constant time shifts in Challengers are as exhausting as Guadagnino’s hyperactive visual style. He places the camera in various unlikely places during the many tennis scenes, bombarding the viewer with chaotic but vacant imagery. The pulsating synth score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross is the best thing about Challengers, which reaches for primal emotions but only manages the superficial gloss of a flashy music video. n

Love, Transcendentally

The Beast is a haunting exploration of destiny and connection across time and space

BY JOSH BELL

The more abstract and surreal that French filmmaker Bertrand Bonello’s The Beast gets, the more beguiling and affecting it becomes. It may not be grounded in reality, but it has a haunting emotional pull that reaches for something deeper and more instinctual. Just as protagonist Gabrielle (Léa Seydoux) drifts through multiple lives with a sense of disquieting ennui, the movie imparts that same sense to the audience.

Based very loosely on a Henry James novella, The Beast takes place in three different time periods, in which Gabrielle encounters three incarnations of the same man, Louis (George MacKay). In all three periods, she’s inexplicably drawn to him, even as their coupling seems destined for tragedy. It’s all part of a process for the Gabrielle of 2044 to “purify” herself, so she fits into an AI-ruled future society in which expressions of human emotions are discouraged.

of the past, one a renowned pianist living in 1910 Paris, the other an aspiring model and actress living in 2014 Los Angeles. The Gabrielle of 2044 lies in a vat of black goo, with a sinister-looking device poking into her ear, so that she can integrate and assess her past selves.

Like the main character of James’ story, the Gabrielle of 1910 suffers from a premonition that some horrible catastrophe is about to befall her, even as she seems to live a happy life, with a loving, successful husband and a fulfilling career. She reveals her premonition to Louis, and they start spending time together, developing a romance that can thrive only in longing glances and brief, accidental touches.

THE BEAST

Directed by Bertrand Bonello Starring Léa Seydoux, George MacKay

There’s no detailed sci-fi world-building in The Beast, though, and Bonello is more interested in vibes than logic. The movie is split fairly evenly between two Gabrielles

The 1910 segment is the best part of The Beast, and it could exist as a standalone period drama, set during the Great Flood of Paris, when the waters of the Seine rose and the city streets all turned temporarily into canals. There’s an eerie emptiness to the environment as Gabrielle and Louis grow closer, as if they may be the only people left in Paris. Their lavish surroundings are

tinged with a dark foreboding, both from Gabrielle’s premonition and from the movie itself, as Bonello periodically cuts back to the stark future, where the streets are actually empty, and Gabrielle must wear protective gear just to walk outside.

It’s a bit jarring when, about halfway through the movie, The Beast switches gears to focus on the Gabrielle of 2014, in a story with strong echoes of David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive. Living alone in a huge mansion she’s house-sitting for unseen benefactors, Gabrielle becomes the target of incel vlogger Louis, and hearing MacKay spout talking points that are lifted from real-life mass shooter Elliot Rodger threatens to derail the sense of the uncanny and ethereal that Bonello has so expertly crafted.

Even that intrusion of harsh reality eventually feeds into Bonello’s conception of life as a cyclical process of rebirth and reconnection, and the Louis of 2014 ends up with a much different outcome than Elliot Rodger. That is, if anything in The Beast could truly be regarded as an outcome, since Bonello is constantly blurring the lines between what’s actually happening to Gabrielle and what she’s imagining, or perhaps what she’s experiencing as an echo of a past or future life.

Seydoux gives all of that metaphysical exploration the weight of genuine feeling, and while Gabrielle’s essence may transcend time and space, her existence in each particular moment is urgent and honest. As she struggles to understand herself and her place in the universe, she faces uncertainty and death, but she finds grace and beauty all the same — and the audience does, too. n

Léa Seydoux crosses time in the sci-fi/period piece hybrid, The Beast

METAL

Cartoonish Metal Salvation

A chat with Metalocalypse creator/frontman Brendon Small about his animated Adult Swim metal band Dethklok and turning it into a real touring act

BY TAYLOR WARING

Centered on a quasi-fictitious death metal band Dethklok, the animated series Metalocalypse provided a sense of community for many young metalheads when it appeared as part of Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim programming from 2006 to 2013. Set in a futuristic world where death metal rules the world and Dethklok reigns supreme, Metalocalypse wasone of their only exposures to the broader metal world for many young metalheads — at least for those who didn’t start their own bands — until they grew up and moved out of

their mom’s basement.

The mastermind behind Metalocalypse is Brendon Small, who has turned the project into an entertainment triumvirate: part cartoon, part recording project and part live band. As part of the “real” Dethklok, Small sings and plays guitar live, as he’ll be doing when Dethklok’s “Murder on a Spring Night” tour stops at the Podium on April 28. We caught up with Small to discuss the ongoing importance of Metalocalypse, the origins of some of its beloved characters, and finding salvation in heavy metal.

INLANDER: As someone who grew up on the show and metal, I’ve noticed just how massively important Metalocalypse and Dethklok have been to my peers. Both my partner and my bass player had beloved pets named after Toki Wartooth. Why do you think Metalocalypse has made such a lasting connection with millennials?

SMALL: You were probably like 13 to 15 or something like that [when the show came out]. And I know when I was around 13, 14, that’s when I met a friend who taught me everything I needed to know about guitar and heavy metal. If I hadn’t made that friend, I don’t know if I would be where I am today.

We were probably four or five years out of 9/11. That really brought this country down and made us confused afterward, with the retaliation [in the Middle East] and stuff. I started noticing that metal was getting heavier and heavier. I don’t know if that was a reaction to the world’s

The fake metal titans of Dethklok will play a very real show at The Podium.

confusion, fury, anger or fear. I think there needed to be some kind of controlled rage of fury, and that’s what heavy metal gives us: the illusion of control through this crazy, technical, dark, evil, fast, ferocious music. It’s important to have that kind of outlet.

I don’t think everyone has a cool friend down the street to show them what heavy metal is or pass down Metallica and Slayer and Cannibal Corpse. If you hear [metal] at the right age, it will hit you in your pineal gland and you’ll never, ever forget it.

You also truly captured the metal community with these characters. I’ve had times talking to a band when I realize, I’m basically talking to Dethklok, if they were real people. Were these characters, in a way, people you met at some point?

Not necessarily. Writing 101 is if you can take anything from your experience that actually happened and put it into a character or a storyline or whatever, all of a sudden, it has a pulse because you’re basing it on something that is truthful in the world.

So there are some characters like Skwisgaar — I knew some Europeans from music school. They were smart artists who were just kind of just dismissive and cocky. There are a lot of musicians like that who are really good at their instruments, but not really good at being social. That’s the way that celebrities work — and this is a show about celebrity-ism.

But, when I started, I realized I had to start writing music, and that would help me understand how many band members there were. After I had some music, I thought, “OK, I need guitar harmonies, because I love Iron Maiden.” So there are two guitar players and obviously a drummer. And then I thought, “OK, here’s the bass player, let’s talk about him,” So I thought about the metal I grew up on — you can’t even hear the bass.

But, you can feel it, right? You said that in the Metalocalypse movie, Army of the Doomstar

Exactly. You couldn’t hear Jason Newsted on …And Justice for All. What does it do to a person who thinks that they don’t have a purpose? You start acting out and becoming a loudmouthed middle management-type trying to prove that you’re important all the time. And that was just a fact: If you feel small, you act big. So that makes a lot of sense with Murderface.

For Pickles, I like guys that can play drums and sing. I like guys that are composers and drummers like Phil Collins. Toki came out of improv between my show partner Tony and I. Nathan is the quarterback of the band. We thought about Cannibal Corpse — Corpsegrinder is such a quintessential death metal frontman.

Pivoting from the TV to live music world — what can people expect if they haven’t seen Dethklok live before?

I think of this as a trifecta of entertainment. One is the TV show, two is the music, and three is the live music. And I think each one of them needs to stand on their own — that’s what I’m hoping for.

So if you don’t know anything about TV show and you don’t know anything about the records, you’ll still enjoy this show. The other idea is that I want this to feel like an immersive ride, like the Terminator 2 experience at Universal Studios. You’re kind of participating with a group of people watching a little bit of a story unfold, but you’re ultimately going on a roller coaster ride.

There’s a high-value production, and it feels like you’re being entertained within an inch of your life the entire evening. That’s why we have this tour with Nekrogoblikon and Dragonforce because they’re both somewhat theatrical. I thought, “Let’s bring some theater and some fun into this crazy, f—-- up world” because I know you guys all like it.

We’re kind of like the [orchestra] pit with the ballet, you know? We’re performing and making contact with the audience even though we’re meant to be in the shadows. You shouldn’t really be seeing me physically associated with this project because I’m just a regular person. I’m not exciting. There’s nothing wrong with me, but I don’t want to break the spell. n

Dethklok, Dragonforce, Nekrogoblikon • Sun, April 28 at 7 pm • $40-$245 • All ages • The Podium • 511 W. Joe Albi Way

• thepodiumusa.com

ART PUNK GUSTAF

J = THE INLANDER RECOMMENDS THIS SHOW

J = ALL AGES SHOW

Thursday, 4/25

J ADELO’S PIZZA, PASTA & PINTS, Brassless Chaps

ARBOR CREST WINE CELLARS, Pamela Benton

J THE BIG DIPPER, Forest Ray, Pit, Bonemass

J BING CROSBY THEATER, Al Stewart & The Empty Pockets

CHAN’S RED DRAGON ON THIRD, Thursday Night Jam

CHECKERBOARD TAPROOM, Weathered Shepherds

THE DISTRICT BAR, The Takes, Snacks at Midnight MCCRACKEN’S PUB AND BBQ, Wiebe Jammin’

J QQ SUSHI & KITCHEN, Just Plain Darin

RED ROOM LOUNGE, Hip-Hop Night

Friday, 4/26

AK ASIAN RESTAURANT, Dallas Kay

ARBOR CREST WINE CELLARS, Jason Evans

BARRISTER WINERY, Terry Robb

J THE BIG DIPPER, Hayes Noble, Induce Psychosis, Bad Trip Motel, Hell Motel

J THE CHAMELEON, Sydney Dale, Kenneth Booher

THE CHAMELEON, Certainly So, Lucas Brookbank Brown

CHAN’S RED DRAGON ON THIRD, Cary Fly

COEUR D’ALENE CASINO, Keanu

J THE GRAIN SHED, Haywire HELIX WINES, Dan Davison

IOLITE LOUNGE, Nate Ostrander

DREAM POP CD GHOST

NIGHTHAWK LOUNGE (CDA CASINO), DJ Crooze

PEND D’OREILLE WINERY, Oak Street Connection

RED ROOM LOUNGE, Live DJs

THE ROCK BAR & LOUNGE, Wiebe Jammin’

J SPOKANE ARENA, Cody Johnson, Justin Moore, Drake Milligan

SPOKANE TRIBE CASINO, Steel Panther, Stitched Up Heart

THE BULLET BAR, Son of Brad

J THE FOX THEATER, Michael W. Smith

Saturday, 4/27

ARBOR CREST WINE CELLARS, Robert Vaughn

J THE BIG DIPPER, Xoth, Atoll, Atrae Bilis

J BING CROSBY THEATER, Hotel California:

The Original Eagles Tribute

J CENTRAL LIBRARY, The Colourflies, The General Machine Company, The Sifters

THE CHAMELEON, DANG!:

A Soulful Electronic Dance Night

CHAN’S RED DRAGON ON THIRD, Kosta Panidis

COEUR D’ALENE CASINO, Keanu

J CREATE ARTS CENTER, Terry Robb DAHMEN BARN, Morgan Brothers

THE DISTRICT BAR, FUEGO!

J THE HARVESTER RESTAURANT, Just Plain Darin

J JOHN A. FINCH ARBORETUM, Heat Speak

There have already been a host of great albums released in 2024, but few of them stand out from the pack like Gustaf’s sophomore LP, Package Pt. 2. Singer Lydia Gammill instantly grabs listeners with snarling, arch talk-sung vocals presented with a commanding shake-you-awake force. Throughout much of the record her vocals are mirrored and seemingly interact with deep, almost sinister, vocal echoes that sound akin to a vocal filter to hide the voice of someone in witness protection. It creates an unsettling vibe that the rest of Gammill’s Brooklyn bandmates accentuate with twitchy, jittery no-fi instrumental accents of off-kilter guitar bursts and pulsating bass. A bit like if Kathleen Hanna fronted early era Talking Heads, Gustaf packs an art punk punch that eschews complacency and shouldn’t be missed.

— SETH SOMMERFELD

Gustaf • Wed, May 1 at 9 pm • $15 • 21+ • District Bar • 916 W. First Ave. • sp.knittingfactory.com

There’s an alluring sonic distance to the dark synth-heavy dream pop that Los Angeles duo CD Ghost produces, but it’s nothing compared to the literal distance the group has overcome. CD Ghost’s first LP (2022’s Night Music) was written during COVID times when Cody Han and Blake Dimas were split between LA and Beijing. And while they might’ve been on different continents, the guys always sounded on the same page. Mixing an atmospheric shoegaze feel with lush layers of melodic synths leads to an aural experience that ethereally washes over listeners in a cold wave of cool bliss. Armed with tunes from its new Vignette I & II EPs, CD Ghost looks to haunt the Big Dipper with mix CD-worthy tunes.

— SETH SOMMERFELD

CD Ghost, Bandit Train, August To August • Thu, May 2 at 7:30 pm • $15 • All ages • The Big Dipper • 171 S. Washington St. • thebigdipperspokane.com

PEND D’OREILLE WINERY, Jona Gallegos

RED ROOM LOUNGE, Live DJs

J SIRINYA’S THAI RESTAURANT, Gil Rivas

Sunday, 4/28

J FIRST INTERSTATE CENTER, Hairball

HOGFISH, Open Mic

J NORTHERN QUEST CASINO, Michael Ray

J SOUTH HILL GRILL, Just Plain Darin

J J THE PODIUM, Dethklok, DragonForce, Nekrogoblikon

Monday, 4/29

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

RED ROOM LOUNGE, Open Mic Night

Tuesday, 4/30

THE DISTRICT BAR, Thunderstorm Artis

J NORTHERN QUEST CASINO, Hinder

J THE JUNKYARD DRINKS & EATS, Steve Starkey ZOLA, Jerry Lee and the Groove

Wednesday, 5/1

BARRISTER WINERY, Stagecoach West

J THE DISTRICT BAR, Gustaf

THE DRAFT ZONE, The Draft Zone Open Mic

J JJ’S TAP & SMOKEHOUSE, Brassless Chaps

J KNITTING FACTORY, The Amity Affliction, Currents, Dying Wish, Mugshot

RED ROOM LOUNGE, Red Room Lounge Jam

J SPOKANE ARENA, Chris Tomlin, Cain

J TIMBERS ROADHOUSE, Cary Beare Presents

Coming Up ...

J J THE BIG DIPPER, CD Ghost, Bandit Train, August to August, May 15, 7:30 pm.

J J THE BIG DIPPER, Not For Nothing: Circles Album Release Show with Pulling 4 Victory, Thundergun Express, Her Memory, May 3, 7 pm.

J THE CHAMELEON, Stinkfoot Orchestra, May 8, 8 pm.

J J NORTHERN QUEST CASINO, Boyz II Men, May 15, 7:30 pm.

J J SPOKANE ARENA, Lil Wayne, Kash and King, May 16, 8 pm.

J J THE BIG DIPPER, Agent Orange, Messer Chups, The Dilrods, May 22, 7:30 pm.

J J KNITTING FACTORY, Portugal. The Man, Reyna Tropical, May 23, 8 pm.

J J MIKEY’S GYROS, Punk Palouse Fest, May 24 and May 25.

J J GORGE AMPHITHEATER, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Ken Carson, Irontom, May 31, 7 pm.

J J KNITTING FACTORY, The Wallflowers, June 1, 8 pm.

J J NORTHERN QUEST CASINO, Daryl Hall, Elvis Costello & The Imposters, Charlie Sexton, June 4, 7 pm.

J J KNITTING FACTORY, Taking Back Sunday, Citizen, June 6, 8 pm.

J THE CHAMELEON, Quarter Monkey Chronic Nuisance Album Release Show with Tone Sober, B Radicals, June 7, 8 pm.

J J NORTHERN QUEST CASINO, Third Eye Blind, Yellowcard, Arizona, June 8, 6:30 pm.

J J THE BIG DIPPER, The HIRS Collective, Psychic Death, Blacktracks, Spooky, June 11, 7:30 pm.

J GORGE AMPHITHEATER, Beyond Wonderland, June 22 & 23.

J J GORGE AMPHITHEATER, Noah Kahan, June 29.

J J GORGE AMPHITHEATER, Odesza, Tinlicker, Drama, Golden Features, July 4, 7:30 pm.

J THE DISTRICT BAR, Margo Cilker, Junior the Band, July 12, 9 pm.

J THE DISTRICT BAR, Blitzen Trapper, Louisa Stancioff, July 13, 9 pm.

J J GORGE AMPHITHEATER, Blink-182, Pierce the Veil, July 14, 7 pm.

J J PAVILLION PARK, Primus, Coheed and Cambria, Guerilla Toss, July 20, 6 pm.

J J KNITTING FACTORY, STRFKR, Holy Wave, Ruth Radelet, July 25, 8 pm.

MUSIC | VENUES

219 LOUNGE

219 N. First Ave., Sandpoint

208-263-5673

ARBOR CREST WINE CELLARS Rd., Spokane Valley

BABY BAR

827 W. First Ave.

509-927-9463

509-847-1234

BARRISTER WINERY

1213 W. Railroad Ave.

509-465-3591

BEE’S KNEES WHISKY BAR Hayden • 208-758-0558

BERSERK

125 S. Stevens St.

509-315-5101

THE BIG DIPPER

171 S. Washington St.

509-863-8098

BIGFOOT PUB

9115 N. Division St.

509-467-9638

BING CROSBY THEATER

509-227-7638

BLACK DIAMOND

9614 E. Sprague Ave.

509891-8357

BOLO’S BAR & GRILL

116 S. Best Rd., Spokane Valley

509-891-8995

BOOMERS CLASSIC ROCK BAR Ave., Spokane Valley

509-368-9847

BUCER’S COFFEEHOUSE PUB

Moscow • 208-596-0887

THE BULL HEAD

10211 S. Electric St., Four Lakes

509-838-9717

CHAN’S RED DRAGON 509-838-6688

THE CHAMELEON

CHECKERBOARD

1801 W. Sunset Blvd.

1716 E. Sprague Ave.

509-443-4767

COEUR D’ALENE CASINO Worley

800-523-2464

COEUR D’ALENE CELLARS Coeur d’Alene

208-664-2336

CRUISERS BAR & GRILL Falls

208-446-7154

CURLEY’S HAUSER JUNCTION Post Falls

THE DISTRICT BAR

EICHARDT’S PUB

208-773-5816

916 W. 1st Ave.

509-244-3279

212 Cedar St., Sandpoint

208-263-4005

FIRST INTERSTATE CENTER FOR THE ARTS

334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd.

FOX THEATER

1001 W. Sprague Ave.

509-624-1200

IRON HORSE

509-279-7000

407 E. Sherman, Coeur d’Alene

208-667-7314

IRON HORSE BAR & GRILL

11105 E. Sprague Ave., Spokane Valley

JOHN’S ALLEY

509-926-8411

114 E. Sixth St., Moscow

208-883-7662

KNITTING FACTORY

509-244-3279

911 W. Sprague Ave.

MARYHILL WINERY • 1303 W. Summit Pkwy.

509-443-3832

MILLIE’S

28441 Hwy 57, Priest Lake

MOOSE LOUNGE

208-443-0510

401 E. Sherman Ave., Coeur d’Alene

208-664-7901

NASHVILLE NORTH • 6361 W. Seltice Way, Post Falls • 208-457-9128

NORTHERN QUEST RESORT & CASINO • 100 N. Hayford Rd., Airway Heights • 877-871-6772

NYNE BAR & BISTRO

232 W. Sprague Ave. • 509-474-1621

PEND D’OREILLE WINERY

301 Cedar St., Sandpoint • 208-265-8545

POST FALLS BREWING CO. • 112 N. Spokane St., Post Falls • 208-773-7301

RAZZLE’S BAR & GRILL • 10325 N. Government Way, Hayden • 208-635-5874

RED ROOM LOUNGE

521 W. Sprague Ave.

THE RIDLER PIANO BAR

718 W. Riverside Ave.

SEASONS OF COEUR D’ALENE

MUSIC MICHAEL J. S. BACH

Holy Names Music Center in west Spokane was leading an ordinary life. But 2024 is not its year. YOU could be the one to change all that, when the nonprofit music education center presents the Archie Chen and Rhona Gouldson-Chen (above) event “Bach to the Future: A Musical Journey Through Time.” For the fundraiser concert, Holy Names sends audience members 300 years back in time to meet the forefathers of modern music. Bach and his inventions had serious repercussions on future events! Now, through their concert attendance and support, locals can help the center’s co-executive directors keep the nonprofit music school alive, sending Holy Names Music Center “Bach to the Future.” So don your favorite denim and red puffer vest, strap in, and get ready for the ride of your life. Do you mean this sucker is musical?

— ELIZA BILLINGHAM

Bach to the Future: A Musical Journey Through Time

Sat, April 27 from 7-9 pm

$25-$150

Holy Names Music Center

3910 W. Custer Dr.

hnmc.org

509-326-9516

COMEDY FLUFF ENOUGH

There are few stand-up comedians bigger than Gabriel Iglesias. That’s not a comment on his rotund physical stature, despite that being a core topic of his act — famously earning his nickname “Fluffy” from a bit describing “levels of fatness” (“I’m not fat, I’m fluffy”). Rather, he’s one of the biggest when it comes to drawing crowds. Iglesias has built a ginormous audience by tapping into his Latin heritage and crafting pretty nonabrasive, mostly family-friendly observational jokes that appeal to the masses. He’s regularly among the top grossing stand-ups on the planet and was even the first comedian to sell out a show at Dodger Stadium in 2022. His laid back demeanor will get the giggles going when his “Don’t Worry Be Fluffy” tour stops at Spokane Arena.

— SETH SOMMERFELD

Gabriel Iglesias • Sat, April 27 at 8 pm • $57-$252 • Ages 12+ • Spokane Arena

• 720 W. Mallon Ave. • spokanearena.com

MUSIC STANZAS & SONGS

Music and poetry are deeply interconnected in so many ways. Lines flow melodically, words rhyme, and both art forms express emotions. So it’s no surprise that this annual event exists. Each year, music composition students from local universities try their hand at turning their favorite poems into stunning pieces of music at Poetry to Music, hosted by the Spokane Symphony Associates. The event promotes the work done by local music professors and students all while raising funds for the Spokane Symphony Orchestra. This year’s featured student artists hail from Gonzaga and Eastern Washington universities, studying under Michael Kropf and Jonathan Middleton, respectively. Also in attendance is Chris Cook, Spokane Poet Laureate from 2019-21, and the Spokane Symphony’s current second trumpet player.

— MADISON PEARSON

Poetry to Music

• Sat, April 27 at 2:30 pm

• $25 • Hamilton Studio

• 1427 W. Dean Ave. • spokanesymphonyassoc.org • 509-458-8733

GET LISTED!

Submit events online at Inlander.com/getlisted or email relevant details to getlisted@inlander.com. We need the details one week prior to our publication date.

THEATER & DANCE AU REVOIR REVUE

For the last three years folks have gathered at Atomic Threads Boutique every month for a night of dazzling debauchery. Between gravity-defying aerial performances and seductive burlesque performances, the boutique’s Nightingale Stage has been home to one of Spokane’s sauciest shows, The Bombshell Revue. However, Atomic Threads is about to move out of its space inside the historic Boulevard Building on North Monroe Street, meaning that the revue will be bidding farewell to its dedicated audience. While this may be the last show of its kind, it certainly won’t be any less exciting, so make sure to stock up on dollar bill tips and prepare your throat for a night of hooting and hollering.

— COLTON RASANEN

High Voltage: The Farewell to the Nightingale Stage • Fri, April 26 from 7-11 pm • $35-$45 • Atomic Threads Boutique • 1905 N. Monroe St. • facebook.com/atomicthreadsboutique • 509-280-9120

WORDS RED PAINT

Sasha taqwšəblu LaPointe is a Coast Salish author from the Upper Skagit and Nooksack Indian tribes who has always longed for a home for both her body and her spirit. Her 2023 Washington State Book Award-winning memoir, Red Paint: The Ancestral Autobiography of a Coast Salish Punk, documents LaPointe’s search for “home” and recounts personal and ancestral traumas and memories. LaPointe’s story is set within the Coast Salish ancestral land and incorporates punk rock aesthetics to share her story of healing, resilience and self-discovery. Spokane Community College and the Washington Center for the Book co-host LaPointe at Spokane Community College for an inperson event, featuring a presentation and Q&A with the acclaimed author. A virtual attendance option is also available.

— LUCY KLEBECK

Sasha taqwšəblu LaPointe: Red Paint: The Ancestral Autobiography of a Coast Salish Punk • Mon, April 29 at 9:30 am • Free • Spokane Community College • 1810 N. Greene St. • tinyurl.com/SCCLaPointe

200 N Washington St., Spokane, WA 99201 Underserved:

The Importance of Serving All Communities

Tuesday, May 14, 2024

8-10 a.m. |

Doors open at 7:30

Davenport Grand Hotel

Join us for a thoughtful conversation on the ideas behind the new book Underserved: Harnessing the Principles of Lincoln’s Vision for Reconstruction for Today’s Forgotten Communities. Our guest speakers, the book’s co-writers, will discuss how these principles might be applied to issues facing the communities of Spokane.

Chris Pilkerton has extensive experience in government, law and compliance. Chris previously served as acting administrator and general counsel of the US Small Business Administration, senior policy advisor at the White House and executive director of the Opportunity Now Initiative.

Ja’Ron Smith is a policy expert specializing in advocacy, legislating and policy strategy and negotiation. He’s served as the deputy assistant to the US President for domestic policy and as deputy director of the White House Office of American Innovation.

Through a collaborative effort with business owners, leaders, and community members, Hello for Good strives to create fullspectrum solutions that address addiction recovery, housing, education, job training, and employment to create real and lasting change.

I SAW YOU

ANOTHER CHANCE Jewelle – I let my fears get in the way of something special. You’re the first woman I’ve met in a while whom I can’t get off my mind. If you feel like giving me another chance, please text. If not, I’ll always remember you as a very cool person. –D

RE: THAT MOP This mop must mean a lot to you, and I hope you are able to see it soon. Whoever she is, she’s a lucky woman.

RE: NOTHING ELSE IS EASY Ok Tori Amos. Is a Black Room Girl better than a Cornflake Girl? You have to believe in ghosts to see them. I’m too old for imaginary friends.

RUN!! Re: Adorable Partner. Please know: Depression is one monster that can be defeated; good for those who get help and those who treat. Tantrums and lashingsout are NEVER OK. Ever. Please search: “Why do people rage?” Those behaviors are personality traits that do NOT change. They don’t. Keep the compassion you’ve exhibited, and treat yourself and others well ... those that treat you well in return. It’s a scary journey if you “stay.” Don’t. Please...we beg you. RUN!! Save. Yourself. (The tantrum throwers target those who exhibit empathy and goodness. It does not change.) Be safe. Learn.

WE SAW EACH OTHER BOWL AND SKI “Aren’t you somethin’ to admire Cause your shine is somethin’ like a mirror

And I can’t help but notice

You reflect in this heart of mine

If you ever feel alone and The glare makes me hard to find

Just know that I’m always Parallel on the other side

Cause with your hand in my hand and a pocket full of soul

I can tell you there’s no place we couldn’t go

Just put your hand on the glass

I’m here tryin’ to pull you through You just gotta be strong

I don’t wanna lose you now

I’m lookin’ right at the other half of me

The vacancy that sat in my heart Is a space that now you hold Show me how to fight for now

And I’ll tell you, baby, it was easy

Comin’ back into you once I figured it out You were right here all along”

YOU SAW ME

WEIRD ARTIST I was drawing you at Atticus. You noticed and started drawing me, too. You gave me the picture on your way out without saying a word. Why am I naked, riding a turtle, and farting? Come back so we can draw weird pictures together.

CHEERS

CHEERS TO A REAL NEWS TEAM Three cheers to the no-frills, no cutesy-talk TV news team at KLEW in Lewiston. They deliver straight stories, one after another, with no ego-stroking chats between anchor guys and weather gals to take up air time. KLEW’s big sister station in Spokane should take a big clue from the “little” guys. Dispense with the self-congratulatory small talk and just deliver information we can use.

DIVISIONS IN RELIGION The difference between Christians and Muslims is the same difference between Catholic and Protestant. The difference is leadership of spiritual life, which includes the rituals of prayer and marriage. Catholics believe in the authority of the pope, while Protestants believe in salvation, redemption and deliverance. The division between Sunni Muslims (85%) and Shia Muslims (15%) dates back to the death of the Prophet Muhammad in 632. Since

there was no successor, leadership was based on the traditions of the prophet, while a smaller group believed it should have stayed within the prophet’s family bloodline. The historical divisions in the Middle East are playing out on the world

truly great grub. It’s the Mo’ in Chicken-NMo we all need. Your city is lucky to have this joint. Savor it before it’s gone, like that last spoonful of deliciousness you’ve ever craved.

stage with a distorted view of the history of the area, such as: Palestine is mostly Sunni, while Iran and Iraq are mostly Shia.

NEW PARENTS INSPIRING US DAILY

Cheers to new parents who recently have welcomed a little someone into the world! I marvel at your patience, humor, and flexibility as you adjust your rhythms and try to make sense of your now upside-down and more beautiful world. The new title of parent fits you so well; know that we’re all cheering you on and in awe of your stamina and sacrifice you make daily to raise up a loving and caring person. #lildub

NEWS AND BAGELS

Cheers to the Inlander and Hidden Bagel for starting our weekends off with the best local happenings and drama (we love reading cheers and jeers), and the best bagels in town! If you haven’t tried the VegFast, or the rosemary salt bagel, you are missing out!

CHICKEN-N-MO GO!! If y’all haven’t been to this gem in your beautiful Lilac City lately, GO!! Chicken-N-Mo serves THE best gumbo we’ve ever had!! Ever! We realize your town has become dangerous down there, but...go in the day! Have someone drop you and circle the block. Phone ahead. Dine in daytime. Many options to avoid the scary scene. The food at this lovely li’l diner is soul...inspiring. Better gumbo cannot be had in New Orleans, nor NYC (Hell’s Kitchen). Those cities are scary, too. Chicken-N-Mo tops them all, and with a heaping helping of humility and grace. One day, Mr. Bob won’t be there anymore, and you’ll wonder why you didn’t visit regularly. Go and fill your soul with this

FINALLY!! Hooray!! Spokane is planning to use some of that new $9 million to build swim facilities in each region of Spokane that will serve our population for the betterment of health on all levels. Physical, mental, community!! We can hardly wait! This has been such a long time coming. With all the building of recreation facilities that host recreational amusement, we finally get to participate as citizens. After all, we are the taxpaying residents. A learned activity that is fun for anyone, that serves them well, their entire lives!! That’s the water activity we need to support!!

Thank you, Spokane. FINALLY!!! At least one in each region is SUCH a gift!! Thanks to the level-headed thinkers behind this! We support you!!

JEERS

STOP STOPPING Please STOP stopping for pedestrians and bicyclists on the sidewalk. I have no doubt that this comes from a misplaced concept of courtesy. But unless they are in the crosswalk, you should not stop, nor are you required by law to do so. This is a huge safety issue as the pedestrian or cyclist has to decide whether to enter traffic. Just because you stopped, does not mean the other lane of traffic will stop. Unless you would stop in the middle of the road to let a car enter from a side street, you should not stop for a pedestrian or bicyclist.

RED MEANS STOP, NOT SPEED THROUGH Jeers to you that won’t read this, but choose to run the red lights on Division/E. North Foothills/Ruby going either direction, consistently, every day. Even

more Jeers to those that hold up traffic at these intersections by giving soda or other junk to the panhandlers. Maybe donate to a nonprofit or food bank? Jeers to the police that see this and pass by. And a final Jeers to this whole city that doesn’t include

any driveways so EVERYONE parks on the street. :( :( :(

RE: JEERS TO THE HATERS What the f--- are you rambling about?

DOWNTOWN VENUE Does the price of admission at this downtown bar/venue still come with a sexual assault by the grinning, groping goons at the gate? I stopped attending years ago because of this. A perverted den of iniquity appeared just what they were going for.

LICK MY PLATE, TOO! I’m so sick and tired of people bringing their “Service Animals” that are NOT service animals into stores and restaurants. Being handfed off their owner’s plate.... DISGUSTING!! Especially when they come into the grocery stores and poop on the floor! WOW!!!! Grow up, people! Get a life!!

RE: OOPS! Weather Forecast Fails... Again LOL. You mean this last April 13 when it reached 71 degrees? That day? You’re right, the weather guessers were wrong. n

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

EVENTS | CALENDAR BENEFIT

KITTEN SHOWER Drop in to cuddle kittens, donate essential supplies or sign up to become a foster parent to pets. April 27, 4-6 pm. By donation. SpokAnimal Event Center, 715 N. Crestline Ave. spokanimal.org (509-279-5544)

MOM PROM A night for moms to dress up, dance, have fun, win prizes and raise money. Benefitting A Parent’s Paradise. April 27, 6-8:30 pm. $50-$75. Coeur d’Alene Eagles, 209 Sherman Ave. aparentsparadise.com (208-660-5575)

SPARKLE & SPEND Spokane Preservation Advocate’s annual fundraising gala featuring auctions, a catered meal by Inland Pacific Kitchen and more. April 27, 5:30 pm. $110. Washington Cracker Co. Building, 304 W. Pacific. spokanepreservation.org

THE FIG TREE’S 40TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION Featured speaker Karen Georgia Thompson was the first AfricanAmerican woman to be president of the national United Church of Christ. The evening also includes a catered meal. April 28, 5-8 pm. $50. St. John’s Cathedral, 127 E. 12th Ave. thefigtree.org

SPOKANE ANGELS 5K FUN RUN A 5K benefitting foster youth, young adults and families through Riverfront Park. April 28, 9:30 am-12:30 pm. $15-$49. Riverfront Park, 507 N. Howard St. spokaneangels.org (509-863-9427)

COMEDY

DAVE LANDAU Landau’s dark style of comedy landed him on Comedy Central’s This is Not Happening and AXS. April 26,

7:30 & 10:15 pm and April 27, 7 & 9:45 pm. $22-$30. Spokane Comedy Club, 315 W. Sprague. spokanecomedyclub.com

GABRIEL “FLUFFY” IGLESIAS Iglesias is a prolific stand up comedian with a plethora of Netflix specials. Ages 12+. April 27, 8-10 pm. $31.50-$252. Spokane Arena, 720 W. Mallon Ave. spokanearena.com

SAFARI The Blue Door Theatre’s version of Whose Line where they improv short skits from audience suggestions. Every Saturday at 7:30 pm.. $9. Blue Door Theatre, 319 S. Cedar. bluedoortheatre.com

MATT MCCLOWRY McClowry is a touring stand-up comedian who’s performed at many prestigious comedy festivals. April 28, 7 pm. $10-$16. Spokane Comedy Club, 315 W. Sprague. spokanecomedyclub.com (509-318-9998)

COMMUNITY

EXPO AT EASTERN: WORLD’S FAIR COLLECTIONS FROM THE UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES

An exhibit showcasing how a World’s Fair in Spokane spurred the use of an Eastern dorm to house visitors and changed the face of downtown. April 1526; Mon-Thu from 7:30 am-10 pm, Sun from 1-9 pm. Free. Eastern Washington University, 526 Fifth St. ewu.edu/library

YMCA EQUITY FOR ALL Includes performances from local artists and a panel of community experts discussing maternal health in communities of color. April 25, 5-7 pm. Free. The Hive, 2904 E. Sprague Ave. ywcaspokane.org/equity4all

LOCAL YARN STORE DAY Support local fiber arts store with limited edition yarn, special patterns, a raffle and more. April 27, 10 am-4 pm. Free. The Hook & Needle

Nook, 1508 N. Monroe St. thehookandneedlenook.com (509- 368-9527)

NORTH IDAHO COLLEGE ARBOR DAY

EVENT This event features free seedlings, stickers and prizes. Drive-thru or in-person. April 27, 12-2 pm. Free. North Idaho College, 1000 W. Garden Ave. nic. edu (208-769-5904)

REPAIR CAFÉ WORKSHOP Bring your household items in need of repair to the library for an afternoon of learning and skill building. April 27, 1-5 pm. Free. Cheney Library, 610 First St. scld.org

TEACHING THROUGH PRIMARY

SOURCES Archivists from the MAC’s Joel E. Ferris Research Archives and the Spokane Public Library’s Inland Northwest Special Collections share archival materials on local history. April 27, 9 am-noon. Free. The Hive, 2904 E. Sprague Ave. spokanelibrary.org

WORLD BOOK DAY CELEBRATION IN

SPANISH Through traditional tales and fun activities, explore the Spanish language literary tradition. This program is entirely in Spanish. Kids ages 3–6. April 27, 10:30-11:30 am. Free. Moran Prairie Library, 6004 S. Regal St. scld.org

LEAD IN THE FEMININE

A two-day event focused on the ability to lead with emphathy, inclusiveness, adaptability and to foster the creation of enduring relationships. May 3, 8 am-5 pm and May 4, 8 am-5 pm. $595-$995. Historic Davenport Hotel, 10 S. Post. leadinthefeminine.com

WHEATLAND BANK FREE HORSE & CARRIAGE RIDES Experience the sights of Riverfront Park and downtown Spokane from a horse-drawn carriage. Pick up is across from the Numerica Skate Ribbon. May 3-June 21, Fri from 4-8 pm.

Free. Riverfront Park, 507 N. Howard. downtownspokane.org

DOZER DAY Kids learn about the trades and construction industry through excavation-related, hands-on displays. May 4-5, 11 am-4 pm. $12. Cabela’s, 101 N. Cabela Way. ewni.dozerday.org

EXPO ’74: 50TH ANNIVERSARY OPENING CELEBRATION A kick-off for the nine-week 50th anniversary celebration. The event features live performances from arts, cultural, tribal and community organizations. May 4, 3-9 pm. Free. Pavilion at Riverfront, 574 N. Howard St. visitspokane.com (509-625-6000)

FREE COMIC BOOK DAY Stop into any of the Comic Book Shop’s three locations and pick up three free comics from participating titles. May 4, 11 am-8 pm. Free. The Comic Book Shop (NorthTown), 4750 N. Division St. thecomicbookshop.net

MILLWOOD HISTORICAL WALKING

TOUR A guided walk around Millwood’s Historic Business District. Learn about the historic homes and varied architecture of this unique area. Led by local historian Greg Mott. May 4, 2-4 pm. Free. Argonne Library, 4322 N. Argonne. scld.org

FILM

EXPO ’74: FILMS FROM THE VAULT A selection of recently digitized film footage from the 1974 World’s Fair hosted in Spokane. Tue-Sun from 10 am-5 pm through Sep. 8. $7-$12. Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture, 2316 W. First Ave. northwestmuseum.org (509-456-3931)

MY COUSIN VINNY Two New Yorkers accused of murder in Alabama while on their way back to college call in the help

of their cousin, a lawyer with no trial experience. April 25, 8-10 pm. $8. The Kenworthy, 508 S. Main. kenworthy.org

WILD AND SCENIC FILM FESTIVAL An evening of films benefitting Spokane Riverkeeper and that celebrate Earth’s beauty. April 25, 5:30-9 pm. $5-$15. Garland Theater, 924 W. Garland Ave. spokaneriverkeeper.org (509-464-7614)

24TH ANNUAL KINO SHORT FILM FESTIVAL This year’s event features 17 films in three acts with each act followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers, from Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington. April 26, 6:30-9:30 pm. Free. The Kenworthy, 508 S. Main St. kinofilmfest.org

INDIANA JONES: RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK In 1936, archaeologist and adventurer Indiana Jones is hired by the U.S. government to find the Ark of the Covenant before Nazis can obtain its powers. April 26, 5 pm. $5. Garland Theater, 924 W. Garland. garlandtheater.org

BIG After wishing to be made big, a teenage boy wakes the next morning to find himself mysteriously in the body of an adult. April 27, 6-8 pm. $8. The Kenworthy, 508 S. Main St. kenworthy.org

THE ROOM A screening of The Room followed by a Q&A with Greg Sestero. April 27, 6 pm. $10. Garland Theater, 924 W. Garland Ave. garlandtheater.org

MOSCOW FILM SOCIETY: SURPRISE

BIRTHDAY PARTY The society celebrates its second birthday with a free screening of a surprise film. The event also includes poster giveaways, trivia and cake. April 30, 7-9 pm. Free. The Kenworthy, 508 S. Main St. kenworthy.org

FRIDAY MAY 10th 6pm - 10pm

Featuring

SATURDAY MAY 11th 10AM - 4pm

Live Music Featuring: The Jim Bury Band Alchemy

Hermano Kuya Plaid Cats

The Sifters

Travis Henry & Co.

Joe Tanguay

CORNHOLE TOURNAMENT PETTING ZOO

EVENTS | CALENDAR

FOOD & DRINK

BAKING THE PALOUSE: UNEXPECTED GRAINS & LEGUMES Learn how chef Jessica Murray creates unique baked goods with grains and legumes harvested from the Palouse. April 27, 10 am-2 pm. $55. Dahmen Barn, 419 N. Park Way. artisanbarn.org (509-2293414)

CDA CIDER ANNIVERSARY PARTY Enjoy food and drink specials, raffles and more. The first 50 people through the door receive a five-year commemorative anniversary glass. April 27, 4-10 pm. Free. Coeur d’ Alene Cider Co., 1327 E. Sherman Ave. cdaciderhouse.com (208-704-2160)

COOKIE DECORATING: A GALAXY

UNVEILING MOSAICS Berlin-based opera/cabaret singer Erin O’Meally and award-winning pianist Priscila Navarro present an afternoon exploring the many facets of voice. April 28, 2-3:30 pm. $10. Myrtle Woldson Performing Arts Center, 211 E. Desmet gonzaga. edu/mwpac

SPORTS & OUTDOORS

MASTER GARDENER GARDEN FAIR & PLANT SALE A sale featuring an assortment of vegetable starts, herbs, native plants, pollinator plants, berries, dahlias, houseplants and more. April 26, 1-6 pm and April 27, 8 am-3 pm. Free. WSU Spokane County Extension, 222 N. Havana St. spokane.mastergardenerfoundation.org

VISUAL ARTS

WHITWORTH SENIOR ART & DESIGN

EXHIBT A selection of works from Whitworth’s art and graphic design majors. Mon-Fri from 10 am-5:30 pm, Sat from 10 am-2 pm through May 18.

Free. Bryan Oliver Gallery, Whitworth, 300 W. Hawthorne. whitworth.edu

CULTIVATION Works by James Bason, Charlie Knapp and Sheila Evans inspired by what resonates within and their connection to the natural world. Wed-Sun from 11 am-6 pm through April 28. 0. The Art Spirit Gallery, 415 Sherman Ave. theartspiritgallery.com

The Kelly Hughes Band

The Kelly Hughes Band

ART ALLEY

SPOKANE AERIAL

FAR, FAR AWAY Jamie Roberts from Three Birdies Bakery teaches a Star Wars-themed cookie decorating class. April 28, 11 am-1:30 pm. $85. The Kitchen Engine, 621 W. Mallon Ave. thekitchenengine.com

RAMEN FEST Try traditional chicken or pork ramen, inari sushi and mochi. Proceeds support the Spokane Buddhist Temple. April 28, 11 am-2 pm. $8-$15. Spokane Buddhist Temple, 927 S. Perry St. spokanebuddhisttemple.org

KIMCHI KITCHEN: WASTE NOT WORKSHOP Learn how to ferment vegetables into kimchi, reducing food waste. April 29, 5:30-6:30 pm. Free. Second Harvest, 1234 E. Front Ave. secondharvestkitchen.org

MUSIC

COEUR D’ALENE DRUM SHOW Students from Sorensen Magnet School of the Arts & Humanities, Lakes Middle School and Lake City High School present a drumming show with appearance by Sorensen’s Dance Performance Team. April 25, 6-7:30 pm. Free. Lakes Middle School, 930 N. 15th. cdaschools. org/sorensen

GRIEG’S PIANO CONCERTO: NAVIGATING THE FJORDS OF PIANO MASTERY A masterclass focused on Grieg’s Piano Concerto taught by Archie Chen. Limited spots available. April 26, 4:306:30 pm. $20-$40. Holy Names Music Center, 3910 W. Custer Dr. hnmc.org

JET-SET JAMS: A MUSICAL PASSPORT ADVENTURE Experience music from New York, Vienna, Paris, Milan and more. Participants enjoy global tunes while earning stamps at each station. April 27, 11 am-1 pm. Free. Holy Names Music Center, 3910 W. Custer Dr. hnmc.org

BACH TO THE FUTURE: A MUSICAL JOURNEY THROUGH TIME Experience everything from Bach to the rhythmic beats of rock. The fundraiser concert also features a cosplay contest and a DeLorean display. April 27, 7-9 pm. $20-$150. Holy Names Music Center, 3910 W. Custer Dr. hnmc.org

HANDBELL CONCERT A concert featuring music celebrating America, including ragtime, spirituals, blues, big bands and more. April 27, 4-5 pm. Free. Millwood Presbyterian Church, 3223 N. Marguerite Rd. millwoodpc.org

POETRY TO MUSIC Music students from Eastern Washington and Gonzaga universities perform original song compositions. April 27, 2:30 pm. $25. Hamilton Studio, 1427 W. Dean Ave. spokanesymphonyassoc.org

BATTLE OF THE BOARD A cornhole tournament with competitive, social and kid divisions. April 27, 3-8 pm. $60. Meadowwood Technology Campus, 1421 N. Meadowwood Lane. libertylaunchacademy.org

SPOKANE VELOCITY VS. CENTRAL VALLEY FUEGO This game is a League One cup competition. April 27, 3 pm and Sep. 7. $21-$41. One Spokane Stadium, 501 W. Gardner. spokanevelocityfc.com

SPRING DASH Choose from a 5k, a 10k or half marathon out and back, paved course. Proceeds benefit United Way of North Idaho. April 27, 8 am-1 pm. $10$50. McEuen Park, 420 E. Front Ave. SpringDashCDA.com (208-597-3016)

SPOKANE INDIANS VS. EUGENE EMERALDS Promos during this six-game series include Smokey Bear Night (5/1), SCRAPS Bark in the Park Night (5/2), and Fireworks Night (5/4). April 30, 11:05 am, May 1-3, 6:35 pm, May 4, 5:09 pm and May 5, 1:05 pm. Avista Stadium, 602 N. Havana. milb.com/spokane

JUNIOR LIVESTOCK SHOW OF SPOKANE Children and their families exhibit their 4-H and FFA livestock projects for auction. May 1-4; times vary. Free. Spokane County Fair & Expo Center, 404 N. Havana St. juniorshow.org

THEATER & DANCE

#ENOUGH: PLAYS TO END GUN VIOLENCE Short plays written by teenagers explore themes of gun violence. April 25, 7 pm and April 27, 7 pm. $12. Spokane Children’s Theatre, 2727 N. Madelia. spokanechildrenstheatre.org

HIGH VOLTAGE: THE FAREWELL TO THE NIGHTINGALE STAGE A final showcase of burlesque and aerial performances at Atomic Threads’ space in the Boulevard Building. April 26, 7-11 pm. $35-$45. Atomic Threads Boutique, 1905 N. Monroe St. fb.me/e/1FtCfWflU

SPOKANE BELLYFEST Participate in bellydance workshops, shop from vendors and see various bellydancing performances. April 27, 9:30 am-6:30 pm. $30-$110. Corbin Senior Center, 827 W. Cleveland Ave. facebook.com/ bellydancespokane (509-327-1584)

SWINGING IN THE RAIN One hour of a basic swing dance lesson followed by general dancing. All skill levels welcome. April 27, 7-10 pm. $8. Sandpoint Community Hall, 204 S. First Ave. cityofsandpoint.com (208-263-3317)

GAY WALDMAN: FLORALS The artist photographs flowers and manipulates them into newly realized compositions. Mon-Sat from 10 am-6 pm through April 27. Free. William Grant Gallery & Framing, 1188 W. Summit Pkwy. williamgrantgf.com

CJ MORRISON The Spokane artist creates artwork out of stained wood strips formed into intricate geometric patterns and mountain landscapes. Daily from 11 am-7 pm through April 27. Free. Pottery Place Plus, 203 N. Washington St. potteryplaceplus.com

ROCK & POP ART SHOW WITH ITCHY

KITTY A rock-n-roll, pop-culture collection of screen printed art featuring work by local artists and designers, plus live music from Itchy Kitty. April 26, 7-10 pm. Free. Hamilton Studio, 1427 W. Dean Ave. spokaneprintfest.org

WORDS

FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY BOOK

SALE A large variety of books are for sale for as low as $1. April 26-27; Fri from 10 am-4:30 pm and Sat from 10 am-1 pm. Member presale April 25 from 3:30-6:30 pm. Free. Shadle Library, 2111 W. Wellesley Ave. spokanelibrary.org (509-444-5300)

POETRY NIGHT A night of poetry readings featuring Roger Dunsmore and other local poets. April 25, 6-7:30 pm. Free. The Art Spirit Gallery, 415 Sherman Ave. theartspiritgallery.com (208765-6006)

1ST ANNUAL NORTHWEST INDIE BOOKFEST Join over 20 independent authors from the Spokane and Coeur d’Alene area for book readings, book signings and mini-presentations. April 27, 10 am-4 pm. Free. Auntie’s Bookstore, 402 W. Main. auniesbooks.com

FORAY: THE POETRY A marathon poetry reading event featuring an open mic for anyone to share. Ages 21+. April 28, 3-11 pm. Free. Bijou, 2910 E. 29th Ave. instagram.com/foray4thearts

SASHA TAQWŠEBLU LAPOINTE

AUTHOR VISIT & READING Washington State Book Award Winner and Coast Salish author Sasha taqwšəblu LaPointe gives a reading and talk. Inperson and virtual available. April 29, 9:30-10:30 am. Free. Spokane Community College, 1810 N. Greene. tinyurl. com/SCCLaPointe

WRITERS ON THE FARM READING & SOCIAL Join Kate Lebo, Sam Ligon and Lora Lea Misterly of Quillisascut Farm for a reading with graduates of Writers on the Farm, an intensive food writing workshop. May 1, 6 pm. Free. Spark Central, 1214 W. Summit Pkwy. sparkcentral.org n

One new cannabis study shows that it could have positive impacts on COVID outcomes.

RESEARCH

Studying the Smoke

Three new studies help inform us about humanity’s relationship with cannabis

BY WILL MAUPIN

It’s been a busy month around the world of weed, and not just because April is the time of 4/20. This month, the Journal of Cannabis Research published three studies from around the globe from researchers looking to shine a light on the relationship between humans and this plant that gets them high.

NOTE TO READERS

CANNABIS AND COVID

It may be 2024, but we’re still learning about COVID-19. A new study led by a Baylor University researcher found that past cannabis use is associated with better outcomes among patients dealing with COVID-19.

A key point summarized in the study reads, “History

Be aware of the differences in the law between Idaho and Washington. It is illegal to possess, sell or transport cannabis in the State of Idaho. Possessing up to an ounce is a misdemeanor and can get you a year in jail and up to a $1,000 fine; more than three ounces is a felony that can carry a five-year sentence and fine of up to $10,000. Transporting marijuana across state lines, like from Washington into Idaho, is a felony under federal law.

of cannabis use was associated with significantly lower odds of COVID-19-related hospitalization, mechanical ventilation, and death compared to those without history of cannabis use.”

The researchers point out that there is still much more to be learned, as is too often the case with cannabisrelated research. But they also note that their study builds upon prior research which has shown that modulation of the endocannabinoid system — the human body’s built-in cannabis receptors — shows promise in impacting and potentially moderating negative effects of COVID-19.

LEGAL INEQUALITY QUANTIFIED

Legalizing cannabis was just the first step in undoing decades of drug policies that were inequitable across racial and socioeconomic lines. It’s an issue the state of Washington has been dealing with for years now through its Cannabis Social Equity Program.

Even where it’s legalized, inequalities still exist. In Missouri, where cannabis was legalized in 2022, researchers found that not all communities were treated equally when local businesses applied for state licenses for medical marijuana dispensaries.

“Census tracts with poorer socioeconomic conditions attracted a disproportionate share of low-scoring applicants from the bottom quartile of scores,” the study reads.

Applicants from denser and less-homogenous areas, with better resources, fared better in the application process, which the study noted can continue a cycle of inequity in cannabis policy.

WHY WE’RE USING

In France, where recreational cannabis remains illegal, a study looked into the factors that led adults to selfmedicate with cannabis. Medical marijuana also remains mostly illegal in France.

Researchers found that those who used cannabis in adolescence or early adulthood were more likely to turn to cannabis as a form of self-medication in their adult years.

In the study’s conclusion, researchers stated, “the most common way to learn about [cannabis’] health benefits … is to first use it recreationally before switching to self-medication.”

Noting that cannabis remains illegal in the vast majority of the world, and that has not stopped people from consuming it, the researchers say more study is needed, specifically on populations who do consume cannabis as medication. n

GREEN ZONE

BE AWARE: Marijuana is legal for adults 21 and older under Washington State law (e.g., RCW 69.50, RCW 69.51A, HB0001 Initiative 502 and Senate Bill 5052). State law does not preempt federal law; possessing, using, distributing and selling marijuana remains illegal under federal law. In Washington state, consuming marijuana in public, driving while under the influence of marijuana and transporting marijuana across state lines are all illegal. Marijuana has intoxicating effects; there may be health risks associated with its consumption, and it may be habit-forming. It can also impair concentration, coordination and judgment. Do not operate a vehicle or machinery under the influence of this drug. Keep out of reach of children. For more information, consult the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board at www.liq.wa.gov.

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