Inlander 08/01/2024 by The Inlander

THE PET ISSUE THE PET ISSUE

EDITOR’S NOTE

I’m a childless cat lady! So in honor of current events, and this week’s PET ISSUE, let me tell you about my fur baby, Dellie.

My partner, Will, and I adopted Dellie from the Spokane Humane Society in 2016 after losing Will’s 17-year-old rescue, Maddie — the reason we met in the first place. (I wrote an essay about our meetcute in last year’s Pet Issue.) As a former regular volunteer in the Humane Society’s cat rooms, I met Dellie one Saturday afternoon and told Will we should bring her home. In the nine years since — and hopefully many more to come — Dellie has been the sweetest, most calming fixture of our lives, totally spoiled and loved beyond comprehension.

Fellow pet parents can relate. Companion animals bring unconditional joy, comfort and love to our lives and so much more. They teach us compassion and how to live in the moment. Which is to say, there’s nothing wrong with having pets instead of kids, whether it’s an active choice or due to issues one can’t control. Here’s to pets!

— CHEY SCOTT, Editor

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COMMENT

STAFF

DO YOU HAVE ANY PETS?

JOE O’NEAL

It’s kind of a shared pet, the pet of the house. His name is Cooper, he is a good boy. He likes to steal my socks when I’m not at home, and he’s a labradoodle.

What’s your favorite thing that he does? Honestly, just the fact that he can guard the house and knowing that he’s at home when I get home is quite nice.

JUSTIN McPHAIL

No.

If you could get a pet, what animal would you get?

All of them I’m allergic to, but I love animals. At this moment, I would say a cat because of loneliness.

SHANE

FOUTS

I do not.

If you could get any animal as a pet, what would it be?

Realistically, really basic, just a cat.

Is there a specific breed you’d want? Probably just a mutt cat from a shelter.

MILENA McKEE

Yes, we have a dog and a cat.

What’s your favorite thing that they do?

Our dog is so funny, he will just lay and groan on the couch. He’s a big boy, but he’s just a puppy. And then our cat is really sassy with him, and they’re best friends so they like to play.

LIBBEY CALLAHAN

I do, I have two dogs.

Do you like to take them on walks?

I do, we have to walk them, they’re a border collie and an Australian shepherd so two walks a day and a lot of ball.

Do you have a favorite place you like to take them?

We just go around the neighborhood and say hello to all the other dogs in the neighborhood.

An Extreme Vision

The demolition of public lands, along with protections for water and wildlife, are all part of the Project 2025 plan

•

BY MICHELLE NIJHUIS AND ERIN X. WONG, HIGH COUNTRY NEWS

If Donald Trump is re-elected president in November, a coalition of more than 50 right-wing organizations known as Project 2025 will be ready with a plug-and-play plan for him to follow, starting with a database of potential administration appointees carefully vetted by coalition members; an online “Presidential Administration Academy” run by coalition members to school new appointees; and a 920-page policy platform called Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise

Written by former members of the Trump administration and other conservative leaders, Mandate for Leadership exhorts its readers to “go to work on Day One to deconstruct the Administrative state.” Among many other measures, it calls for radical reductions in the federal workforce and in federal environmental protections, and for advancing a “Trump-era Energy Dominance Agenda.”

The full text of Mandate for Leadership can be found at project2025.org; below is an agency-byagency overview of the proposals that could have the greatest impact on Western land, water and wildlife — as well as on Westerners themselves.

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

the program immediately”; restoring mining claims and oil and gas leases in the Thompson Divide of the White River National Forest in Colorado and the 10-mile buffer around Chaco Cultural Historic National Park in New Mexico; and expanding the Willow Project, a ConocoPhillips oil-drilling operation on Alaska’s North Slope.

AGENCY OPERATIONS

The project’s organizers plan to upend federal land-management agency operations by: re-relocating Bureau of Land Management headquarters to the West; placing BLM law-enforcement officers under the direct supervision of political appointees rather than the agency’s state directors, a move that could undermine the agency’s ability to enforce its own regulations; and weakening the National Environmental Policy Act, which requires environmental reviews of federally funded projects, by restoring Trump-era changes that set time limits for reviews, allowed agencies to skip some reviews altogether and eliminated any consideration of a project’s climate impacts.

LAND CONSERVATION

The Project 2025 recommendations for the Department of the Interior were primarily authored by attorney William Perry Pendley, a vociferous opponent of protections for public lands and wildlife. As acting director of the Bureau of Land Management during the Trump administration, he transformed the agency into what one high-level employee described as a “a ghost ship,” in which “suspicion,” “fear” and “low morale” abounded.

The project aims to undo large landscape protections by: ending the America the Beautiful initiative (aka the “30 x 30” plan); reviewing national monument designations with an eye to reducing their size; seeking repeal of the Antiquities Act of 1906; and reducing the size of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument in Oregon, whose expansion by President Barack Obama was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court this spring.

WILDLIFE

•

ENERGY POLICY Pendley notes that the energy section was written “in its entirety” by Kathleen Sgamma of the Western Energy Alliance, an oil and gas industry group; Dan Kish of the Institute for Energy Research, a think tank long skeptical of human-caused climate change; and Katie Tubb of The Heritage Foundation. They recommend reviving the “Trump-era Energy Dominance Agenda” by: reinstating a dozen industry-friendly orders issued by the Trump administration’s secretaries of the Interior; expanding oil and gas lease sales onshore and offshore; opening the large portions of Alaska, including the Alaska Coastal Plain and most of the National Petroleum Reserve, to oil and gas exploration and development; halting the ongoing review of the federal coal-leasing program and working “with the congressional delegations and governors of Wyoming and Montana to restart

Pendley expresses particular hostility toward the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, whose work he described as “the product of ‘species cartels’ afflicted with group-think, confirmation bias, and a common desire to preserve the prestige, power, and appropriations of the agency that pays or employs them.” He recommends: delisting the grizzly bear in the Greater Yellowstone and Northern Continental Divide Ecosystems; delisting the gray wolf in the continental U.S.; putting states in charge of managing the greater sage-grouse; ending the reintroduction of “experimental populations” outside a species’ historic range; abolishing the Biological Resources Division of the U.S. Geological Survey — which will be difficult to do, as it no longer exists as such and is now part of the National Park Service; and reinstating Trump-era limitations on the Endangered Species Act and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

The plan has been published in a 920-page book.

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

The free-market advocate behind Project 2025’s section on the USDA has long railed against the subsidies and food stamp programs administered by the agency. As a fellow at The Heritage Foundation, Daren Bakst penned a lengthy report, Farms and Free Enterprise, that objects to many aspects of the farm bill, which funds annual food assistance and rural development programs. His vision, documented in the report, is present throughout Project 2025’s proposed agency overhaul.

AGENCY ORGANIZATION Project 2025 seeks to limit regulation in favor of market forces by: reducing annual agency spending, including subsidy rates for crop insurance and additional programs that support farmers for lost crops; removing protections for wetlands and erodible land that farmers must comply with to participate in USDA programs; eliminating the Conservation Reserve Program, which pays farmers to enrich and protect parts of their land from agricultural production; removing climate change and equity from the agency’s mission; and working with Congress to undo the federal labeling law, which requires consumer products to disclose where they were made and what they contain, as well as encouraging voluntary labeling.

FORESTRY The project will reduce forests on public lands by: increasing timber sales in the name of wildfire prevention; and rescinding the Biden administration’s Roadless Rule for the Tongass National Forest, which preserves 9.37 million acres of the world’s largest temperate rainforest and puts a cap on logging in the region.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

Prior to serving as the EPA’s chief of staff during the Trump administration, Mandy Gunasekara was famous for handing Republican Sen. James Inhofe a snowball to disprove the existence of human-caused climate change. At the EPA, she played a key role in the United States’ withdrawal from the Paris Agreement and in the dismantling of the Obama-era Clean Power Plan. Gunasekara’s vision for the EPA is characterized by staff layoffs, office closures and the embrace of public comment over peer-reviewed science.

AGENCY ORGANIZATION The plan will diminish the agency’s scope of work by: reducing full-time staff and cutting “low-value” programs; shuttering offices dedicated to environmental justice and civil rights, enforcement and compliance, environmental education, children’s health, and international and tribal affairs, and distribut ing their functions elsewhere; eliminating all research that is not explicitly authorized by Congress; restructuring scientific advisory boards and engaging the public in ongoing scrutiny of the agency’s science — potentially opening the door to a wave of pushback against the international consensus on climate change; eliminating the use of catastrophic climate change scenarios in drafting regulation; relocating a restructured American Indian Office to the West; partially shifting personnel from headquarters to regional offices; and striking the regulations, including a program to reduce methane and VOC emissions, that enable the EPA to work with external groups to help enforce laws.

NATURAL RESOURCES The project would jeopardize clean air and water by: limiting California’s effort to reduce air pollution from vehicles by ensuring that its standards and those of other states avoid any reference to greenhouse gas emissions or climate change; supporting the reform of the Endangered Species Act to ensure a full cost-benefit analysis during pesticide approval; repealing some regulations imposed by the Biden administration to limit hydrofluorocarbons, a particularly potent greenhouse gas; and undoing the expansion of the Good Neighbor Program, which requires states to reduce their nitrogen oxide emissions, beyond power plants to include industrial facilities like iron and steel mills. n

This first appeared in High Country News (hcn.og), an independent magazine dedicated to coverage of the Western U.S. Michelle Nijhuis is a contributing editor of HCN and the author of Beloved Beasts: Fighting for Life in an Age of Extinction. Erin X. Wong is an editorial fellow at High Country News, covering clean energy and environmental justice.

A Windy Proposal

A proposed wind turbine project promises to bring jobs and tax revenue to the Palouse; some residents think the project has a turbulent future

BY VICTOR CORRAL MARTINEZ

Whitman county could soon be home to 45 new wind turbines as part of the “Harvest Hills wind project,” a proposal to install renewable energy wind turbines near Kamiak Butte and generate hundred of megawatts of clean power. The project is being led by Steelhead Americas, the North American branch of Vestas, a Danish company that’s the world’s largest wind turbine producer. Officials say the project will bring massive benefits to the region — but some locals are unconvinced.

As the project moves forward, several local groups have sprung up in opposition. Many residents are upset about the project’s potential impact on the region. They say it would be an eyesore for those who regard the Palouse region as a picturesque destination and argue the potential positive impacts are not enough to justify the change.

Shane Roche, the project developer for the Harvest Hills Wind Project, disagrees. The wind turbines will bring in tens of millions of dollars in tax revenue and create hundreds of new construction jobs, he says. The

wind turbines will “preserve family farms by helping our farmers keep farms within their families,” Roche adds.

The proposal will be submitted to Whitman County for approval in early 2025. Before being submitted to the county, the project must conduct impact studies, develop design proposals, and meet local and state codes.

BLOWING IN THE WIND

When wind flows through a turbine, it creates lift and drag, causing the rotor blades to spin. The rotor blades connect to a gearbox that cranks a generator, producing energy. The energy is then transferred through transmission lines that eventually find their way to homes and businesses.

The technology is similar to hydropower, which utilizes rotors to turn the kinetic energy into the same energy that powers homes, Roche says.

The proposed turbines require about an acre of leased land per turbine and are expected to be built between the cities of Colfax and Palouse. Officials with Steelhead Americas have leased land from some local

landowners.

The turbines proposed for Harvest Hills will be taller than those of other projects, such as the Palouse Winds Project, which was built about a decade earlier in Whitman County. Technological advances are a big reason behind the height increase.

“The turbines that we’re planning on installing in Harvest Hills,” Roche says, “create three times the amount of electricity than projects that were built 10 years ago, on the same amount of land.”

Specifically, he says the 45 turbines will produce 200 megawatts of clean power or enough energy to power 900,000 homes, as well as create 250 construction jobs and 30 long-term jobs.

If the permits are approved by the county in early 2025, the project can begin construction in 2026 and remain active for 30 years. If it’s not approved, however, Steelhead Americas can go through a state-level approval process.

As America moves away from fossil fuels, energy needs are expected to increase dramatically. Washington’s Clean Energy Transformation Act aims to eliminate electric utilities that cause greenhouse gas emissions by 2045. At the federal level, President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act is incentivizing renewable energy manufacturing and production in rural areas through solar and wind power.

U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, whose district covers Whitman County, chairs the House Energy and Commerce Committee. She has stressed the massive amount of energy that will be needed to support artificial intelligence. She voted against the Inflation Reduction Act, and has pushed for nuclear and hydropower energy production as a way to meet electrical demands.

Turbines have been creating wind energy on the Palouse for a decade now; a new proposal would bring 45 additional towers to Whitman County. VICTOR CORRAL MARTINEZ PHOTO

NEWS | ENERGY

“A WINDY PROPOSAL,” CONTINUED...

BLOWBACK

Some Whitman County residents say they support the idea of renewable energy but think it would be better located along coastlines instead of in their backyards.

A Facebook group titled “Stop Kamiak Butte Industrial Wind Project” has more than 1,800 members and a change.org “Protect Kamiak Butte: Stop the Harvest Hills Wind Project!” petition has more than 2,200 signatures of support.

extremely unique landscape feature, and not to mention it’s some of the best farmland in the world with its production of crops,” Lenssen says. “At some point you’re gonna have some pushback, and I think this is the time when you need to push back.”

‘VISUAL IMPACT’

On July 26, residents gathered at the Whitman County Library in Colfax for an informational meeting put on by Vestas and Steelhead Americas. Many residents had concerns, but some seemed excited. One 10-year-old boy wore a wind turbine T-shirt and enthusiastically peppered the wind technicians with questions.

Re-Elect

SPOKANE COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT, POSITION 11

Judge Fennessy brings unmatched experience and wisdom to the bench. His competency and unwavering dedication to our community make him the clear choice.

–Judge Tony Hazel, Spokane County Superior Court

He brings his vast legal knowledge and experience to the bench. When I appeared before him as a lawyer, I found him to be fair, well-reasoned and professional. I endorse him for reelection.

–Paul Kirkpatrick, Attorney

He is the only candidate with decades of experience as a judge and as a lawyer – experience that is crucial for maintaining conﬁdence in our local justice system.

–Judge Maryann Moreno, Spokane County Superior Court, retired

Whitman County resident Dan Lenssen is leading the Facebook group and working to bring awareness to the project. He’s lived and worked in the region for almost 17 years and is concerned that properties around him have signed up for the lease. He’s in the middle of two potential turbine sites.

Lenssen first found out about the project in January after the first meteorological evaluation towers went up. Shortly after, two more were put up north and west of Kamiak Butte, he says. Some of his concerns about the project are shadow flickers, noise issues and red strobe flashing. His biggest concern is the potential fire hazards to the area.

“Everything likes to burn now for wildfires, and these things are known to get struck by lightning and start a fire and or just [from] poor maintenance,” Lenssen says. “They start on fire quite often.”

Lenssen quickly pointed to a turbine fire at Palouse Winds that happened in 2017 and how challenging it would be for rural fire departments to extinguish or mitigate such fires. Because the fires are 400 feet in the air, it’s difficult to control them, and fire departments have to wait until the turbine burns out.

Roche, the technician, says the technology behind wind turbines has drastically improved and reduces the risk of fires.

“There are fire prevention systems within the turbine, and if there are any errors, the turbine shuts down,” Roche says. “It’s very rare that a turbine will have a fire, but we’ll let it burn, make sure we work with the community and emergency management systems to … make sure that there’s no spread.”

Lenssen says the potential for wildfires is just not worth the price of the beautiful region he calls home. There is no tradeoff worth it for him, he says.

“This is the Tuscany of America just for its

Vestas wind technician Dan Kolve answered questions about his work and the jobs the project will create. Kolve lives in Spokane County with his wife and three daughters. After years of working as a traveling wind turbine technician, his Vestas job allows him to remain in the area to maintain the wind turbine farm 10 miles from Oakesdale, just off Highway 195, he says.

Bob Johnson, a Moscow resident, was concerned the wind turbines would have a visual impact on Kamiak Butte Park. He attended the informational viewing session and was open-minded about the need for renewable energy sources. Johnson has solar panels on his home. He said he still wants the project to be studied carefully, but felt that some of his concerns were addressed.

“It looks like the visual impact from Kamiak Butte is not very significant, and I like to hike there, and that’s why I was concerned,” Johnson says. “I think it’s a lesser issue than addressing climate change.”

Many residents showed up to protest the event outside the library. They held signs and expressed their frustration with the project at the meeting. Bonnie Brumley is a member of the Save the Palouse organization and a farmer in the area. She’s worried the turbines will permanently destroy the farmland.

“They will say that if they take the turbine down, they’ll cover it with 18-inches of soil — that’s nothing, that’s not farmable,” Brumley said. Roche said impact studies will be done to mitigate potential harms; officials will also do avian studies to see if the turbines will impact wildlife.

The waste from wind turbines was a concern for many residents. Once the project comes to an end after three decades of use, the materials

2024 MAKING ABORTION ACCESSIBLE

are difficult to recycle because they’re designed to be light and durable in harsh conditions at the end of the turbines’ lifecycle.

However, according to Roche, 85% of turbines are recyclable, and Vestas is a leader in blade recycling. The company’s goal is to create fully recyclable blades by 2030 and to produce zero waste by 2040.

Roche says the Whitman County code requires wind turbines to be kept a certain distance from non-participating landowners. He also addressed concerns from residents who worried about the visual impact of the red blinking lights turbines used to prevent collisions with aircraft.

“What this system does is it keeps the lights off at night unless there’s a plane that’s approaching,” Roche says, “If you have a plane fly within 3 miles and below 3,000 feet, it will turn the lights on because they are required by the FAA.”

COMMUNITY FUNDING

The Harvest Hills Wind project is not the region’s first. The Palouse Wind turbine project, located between Steptoe Butte and Rosalia along Highway 195 has been active for about a decade.

According to financial data from Whitman County Assessor Wraylee Flodin, the county has collected between $800,000 and $1.1 million dollars in property tax revenue per year since 2014.

Those funds have been used for county services that include veterans relief, libraries, schools districts, state schools, emergency medical services, fire districts, cemetery districts, fire districts, parks and recreation services, schools, and many more services.

“The millage rate, or the total of all levies by district, changes from year to year based on the budgetary needs of each taxing district,” Flodin says.

According to Whitman County Planner Alan Thomson, Steelhead Americas hasn’t submitted a permit application yet, but expects to see one at the beginning of 2025. The review process will take several months to review all the details.

“Ultimately, the decision goes to our hearing examiner, but we will have a thorough investigation of all the potential impacts for several months,” Thomson says, “probably starting at the beginning of next year, and see where that goes.” n

Palouse farmer Bonnie Brumley protests the proposed wind turbine project. VICTOR CORRAL MARTINEZ PHOTO

A Fighter Pilot’s Return

A Lewiston man missing in action for 80 years is finally laid to rest; and Spokane gets a Climate Resiliency Project to help beat the heat

BY INLANDER STAFF

Missing in action for 80 years after serving in Sicily during World War II, U.S. Army Air Forces 2nd Lt. Allan W. Knepper, a Lewiston native, is now accounted for. A native of Lewiston, Idaho, Knepper was a pilot with the 49th Fighter Squadron and served in the Mediterranean theater of the conflict. His assignment was to attack Axis forces near Caltagirone in Sicily, where his plane was spotted crashing. Still, no one spotted the release of a parachute, according to a news release from the Department of Defense’s POW/MIA Accounting Agency. Between 2015 and 2023, Defense Department researchers were able to locate Knepper’s potential crash site and to recover human remains. Through DNA analysis, researchers positively identified and confirmed that the remains were those of Knepper. A rosette will be added to Knepper’s name on the tablets of the missing at the SicilyRome American Cemetery in Nettuno, Italy, to indicate he is now accounted for. A funeral will be held to honor him in Lewiston on Aug. 2, 2024. (VICTOR CORRAL MARTINEZ)

CLIMATE RESILIENCE

Spokane is hot, like, record-breaking hot. While there’s not much to do about the heat itself, Gonzaga University’s Institute of Climate, Water and the Environment hopes it can help Spokane safely deal with these extreme weather conditions. To do that, it’ll use a $19.9 million grant from the Environmental Protection Agency, funded by the Inflation Reduction Act of 2021, to create the Spokane Climate Resiliency Project. By partnering with the Carl Maxey Center, Spokane Neighborhood Action Partners (SNAP), and the city of Spokane, Gonzaga plans to build coordinated responses in Spokane for those most impacted. With $8 million allocated to SNAP, the organization plans to install electric heat pumps in 300 low-income homes. The city has also been allocated $8 million, with which it plans to form “resilience hubs” — community centers with backup energy to provide off-grid service to folks during extreme weather events. The Carl Maxey Center will receive $900,000 to turn itself into one of these “resilience hubs.” This is the largest climate resilience investment ever made in Spokane. (COLTON RASANEN)

CORRECTIONS

In our July 18 story “A Perfect Storm,” we incorrectly described what happened to $105 million in Idaho state education funding. The Legislature did include that money in this year’s annual K-12 budget.

Also in our July 18 edition, in our preview of the Frozen musical, our brains apparently froze over when we accidentally misspelled the name of beloved character Kristoff, as well as the show’s actor portraying Olaf the snowman, Collin Baja.

In our Cheap Eats issue on July 18, in the “Luxe for Less” story, we stated the incorrect day of the week for Downriver Grill’s “Burger of the Moment” night. That special is served every Wednesday.

In our July 25 coverage of Spokane’s race for Superior Court Judge 11, we misspelled Judge Breean Beggs’ first name. Apparently we’re not the first to make this mistake, but hopefully we’ll be the last.

In our July 25 story about homeless camping in Cowley Park, we incorrectly described the state of funding for a study about installing public restrooms downtown. The Spokane City Council considered funding for the study and included in it several draft proposals, but ultimately decided not to include it in its final round of federal pandemic relief spending. n

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Ballot Bucks

Campaign fundraising in Eastern Washington congressional race is eclipsed by other big races in

BY NATE SANFORD

The candidates running to represent Eastern Washington have spent the past five months vying for votes — and dollars. As the Aug. 6 Washington primary election rapidly approaches, the 10 candidates hoping to replace outgoing Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers in Washington’s 5th Congressional District report raising a combined $1.9 million in campaign contributions. Most of that money came from individual donors.

It’s a big number, but it’s dwarfed by other high-profile races in Washington. Republicans have a historic advantage in the 5th Congressional District, and many donors appear to be focusing on other Washington congressional races seen as more competitive.

The most expensive congressional contest in Washington is the race for the 3rd Congressional

District, which covers the southwestern part of the state and is represented by incumbent Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, a Democrat. The candidates vying for that seat have raised a combined $8.9 million. The candidates in the race for Washington’s 8th Congressional District — which covers parts of King, Pierce, Snohomish, Chelan and Kittitas counties and is represented by incumbent Democratic Rep. Kim Schrier — have raised a combined $5.2 million. And then there’s the race for governor. Twenty-eight candidates are vying to replace outgoing Gov. Jay Inslee, and together they’ve raised a whopping $15.3 million. Almost all of that money went to just four candidates: Bob Ferguson, Mark Mullet, Dave Reichert and Semi Bird.

Attorney General Ferguson, a Democrat

The four top candidates for Washington governor, based on funds raised: (clockwise from top) Bob Ferguson, Dave Reichert, Mark Mullet and Semi Bird.

running with Inslee’s endorsement, has a clear lead in fundraising, with $8.6 million in reported contributions. He’s followed by Reichert, a former Republican congressman and King County sheriff who has $4.3 million in contributions.

Mullet, a Democratic state representative who is running as a moderate, has $1.3 million in contributions, and Republican Semi Bird has raised $668,000.

Raising money is a necessary part of running for office. But calling people to ask for it can be pretty draining.

“Usually, you find every excuse not to,” Michael Baumgartner, a congressional candidate for the 5th District, said in an interview with the Inlander earlier this month. “You have to force yourself to make fundraising calls.”

Regardless, Baumgartner’s efforts appear to be paying off. The former Republican state senator has a massive fundraising lead over his opponents in the race for the 5th Congressional District, with $790,180 in reported contributions.

Baumgartner’s total is more than double the amount raised by Republican state Rep. Jacquelin Maycumber, the candidate with the second-highest sum. She’s raised $297,237 and has a narrow fundraising lead over Democrats Carmela Conroy and Dr. Bernadine Bank, who have raised $234,871 and $287,871 respectively.

Small business consultant Ann Marie Danimus, a Democrat, has reported $186,196 in contributions. Ferry County Commissioner Brian Dansel, a Republican, has $108,386. Other candidates in the race have attracted fewer big donors. Democrat Matthew Welde has reported $27,105 in contributions, and Republican Jonathan Bingle has reported $20,643.

The two other candidates, Republicans Rick Valentine Flynn and Rene Holaday, haven’t reported any contributions.

Fundraising totals don’t determine the outcome of elections, but they can be an indicator of how much momentum and support a candidate has. Baumgartner says his campaign is in a “great position,” but that he’s still campaigning hard and not taking anything for granted.

Candidates’ fundraising hauls are broken into three reports. In the first quarterly report, which covers January through March, Baumgartner had a big lead over the other candidates, with $400,000 in contributions. In the second quarter, which covers April through June, he reported raising $213,483.

Other candidates saw their fundraising momentum increase in the second quarter. Maycumber and Bank both saw slight increases, and Dansel’s second-quarter fundraising numbers shot up — from $15,675 to $85,107.

The third report filed by candidates covers July 1 to July 17. During that most recent stretch of the primary campaign, the candidate with the most fundraising momentum was Bank, who reported $48,865 in contributions. That’s more than double the total reported by Baumgartner, the candidate with the next-highest total during that fundraising period.

In a statement, Bank boasted about the high late-stage fundraising haul, adding that she was “trouncing” fellow Democrats Danimus and Conroy, who reported $8,584 and $10,186 respectively.

Bank also pledged to avoid spending the money on negative attack ads and called for campaign finance reform by repealing Citizens United — a controversial 2010 Supreme Court case that barred the government from restricting political spending by corporations and other groups. Critics say the ruling has given wealthy donors and special interest groups outsized sway over politics.

“Money,” Bank said, “should not be the only thing that decides elections.” n

Ballots for the primary election are due by 8 pm on Aug. 6. If you haven’t received your ballot yet, call the Spokane County Elections office at 509-477-2320 or email elections@ spokanecounty.gov. Find all of the Inlander’s 2024 election coverage at inlander.com/election2024.

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The Prettiest Pets

The voters have chosen… and here are the winners from the Inlander’s annual Cover Pet Photo contest

BY ANNE McGREGOR AND MADISON PEARSON

If there’s one thing that can change a meh day into a really sweet day, something that can’t help but bring a smile to your face, it’s looking at photos of pets.

At Inlander HQ, we look forward each year to seeing the outpouring of readers’ pet photos submitted to our annual contest. I can assure you it’s quite a gift to be the editor of this section. It’s readily apparent that people in the Inland Northwest really respect and adore their companion animals, and a lot of you are pretty amazing photographers as well. So thanks for sharing your photos with us — we appreciated every single entry.

But since it’s a contest, there have to be winners. Our Best in Show category consisted of the top five photos our judges chose from among all 14 submission categories. Read on to learn more about Best in Show winner Ellie, a golden retriever, and some of the other category winners as well. You can see all the outstanding category winners on page 28.

— ANNE McGREGOR, PET ISSUE EDITOR

 BEST IN SHOW

The winning portrait of Ellie, a golden retriever, enjoying some R&R on an Adirondack chair at the Coeur d’Alene Resort, had a lot going for it. There were the playful complementary blues and oranges of the lake scene, the nicely centered chair, but most of all, it was Ellie, with her big doggie smile and perfectly placed paws, that caught our eye. Clearly, the voters agreed that this was a special photo.

Owner Kortney Thornburg says the photo, which looks as though it must have been staged with Ellie posing so elegantly on the chair, was actually just a snapshot. You see, Ellie loves to pose, and she really loves to sit on people-chairs.

“She hopped up on it herself because that’s what she does. And she looked so cute, and I took a picture,” Thornburg says. Ellie’s been posing since she was a pup, and she loves having her photo taken, Thornburg says.

It’s fitting that a dog who likes to spend time in front of the camera is a bit of a princess. Despite being a retriever, Thornburg says Ellie has an independent streak and turns her nose up at playing fetch.

“She does it how she wants to do it,” Thornburg says. And what Ellie wants to do is “catch rocks.”

“She likes to get rocks out of the river. She literally dives for rocks. She collects them. She’ll put her whole body in, and she’ll come out with a huge rock.” Ellie, who’s now 4, shares her home with her young nephew, Odin, who does not share her love of rocks.

“She was kind of mad when we got him, but now they’re buddies,” says Thornburg, noting that Ellie also enjoys lying in the sun for hours, dining on restaurant patios and taking car trips. She recently floated the Coeur d’Alene River, in her own tube (linked to Thornburg’s, of course) and sporting her own life jacket, though she spent much of the ride sitting with Thornburg. As a nurse, Thornburg says she’s so impressed with Ellie’s demeanor that she’s considering training her as a therapy dog.

But in the more immediate future, Ellie and Odin are preparing for their biggest roles yet: Thornburg’s getting married in September. The dogs will be there, of course, and dressed for the occasion: Odin will be wearing a tux, while Ellie will be decked out with flowers. (AM)

Hide your chips and queso when Gertie’s around. JESS VARDA PHOTO

Ellie loves to strike a pose! Her photo (bottom right) was chosen by Inlander Readers as the 2024 Inlander Cover Pet. KORTNEY THORNBURG PHOTOS

 CUDDLY CATS

Readers chose this photo of Gertie with her dazzling green eyes as the best in our Cuddly Cats category. Gertie’s owner Jess Varda’s caption asserting that Gertie is “the best cat in the world!” may or may not have played a role in Gertie’s victory. It probably didn’t hurt that Varda is also a professional photographer.

Varda writes that she adopted Gertie as a kitten from the Spokane Humane Society, where she works. “(Gertie) was a 4-monthold, under-socialized, very shy barn kitten… Her true personality began to show soon after she came home. She’s silly, feisty, very intelligent and loves her adopted big brother Charlie.”

Varda admits that Gertie is “very spoiled and loved by her mom and dad and frequently gets away with naughty behavior,” such as stealing tortilla chips and cheese and running to hide under a bed.

In the winning photo, Gertie is playing in the backyard.

“Although I believe in keeping cats indoors for their safety,” Varda writes, “I have harness-trained mine so they can go out in the yard for enrichment, always supervised of course.” (AM)

Don’t let Trouble’s name fool you, he’s very well-behaved. MARNIE TAYLOR PHOTO

 DAPPER DOGGIES

Trouble, a chi-weenie (chihuahua-dachsund) in a tux won readers’ hearts and captured the win in the Dapper Doggies category.

“Trouble earned his name while he was a puppy and lived with some extended family while they were living in an apartment that pets were not allowed in,” owner Marnie Taylor writes. “If the landlord found out he was there, there would be trouble.”

Taylor says the landlord did indeed find out, and Taylor’s (future) mother-in-law took Trouble into her home, where he became a trusty companion as she cared for her husband, eventually offering comfort and assistance when she became a widow. “She had hearing issues and when her phone would ring he would howl until she answered it. When someone came to the door, he would bark and let her know someone was there,” Taylor writes.

Trouble next found a home with Taylor and her then-beau.

“After 10 years together, Jeff and I decided to make it legal and tie the knot. We had a very small ceremony in our backyard and knew Trouble had to be a part of it. Ringbearer seemed to be the best fit for him. We found the tuxedo that included a clasp that held the rings and it was perfect. (Yes he owns his tux, he didn’t rent one. Truly dapper.)”

Now Trouble enjoys long, off-leash walks where he can run and check his pee-mail, snuggling with his owners and finding a sunny spot for a nap.

“Everyone that meets Trouble loves him,” Taylor notes. “We love him so much. He brings joy to all we do, each day. I just can’t share enough about our sweet boy! Trouble is no trouble at all!” (AM)

...continued on next page

THE PET ISSUE THE PET ISSUE

“THE PRETTIEST PETS,” CONTINUED...

 RESCUE RASCALS

After Amanda Davis’ dog Stanley endured an epic journey to his forever-home in Spokane, he cruised to a win in the Rescue Rascals category.

“In 2022, Stanley found himself in a crowded shelter in Fresno, CA. The air conditioner went out at the facility during the summer and they didn’t want to repair it, so several rescues came to pull the dogs out of the unsafe situation,” Davis writes.

Stanley, listed as a Papillon/Pomeranian mix, flew to Oregon and then two volunteers drove him around the entire Northwest in search of a shelter that would take him in. He ended up at Thompson River Animal Shelter in Montana.

And then, Stanley got lucky.

“I had been searching for a smaller dog for a while and saw his photo on their website,” Davis writes. “I drove three hours from Spokane without knowing much about him. When I got there, it took awhile for him to warm up, but he ended up coming home with us that day. He’s been a great addition with a quirky personality and has definitely settled into his forever home.”

Stanley is exuberant, though wary of strangers, and enjoys going to doggy day care once a week. Davis says his quirks include leading her around by her finger. “And when he’s excited, he doesn’t necessarily bark, but rather likes to let out a ‘woo, woo, wooooo!’” (AM)

SILLY PHOTOS 

Though this category bears the title of “Silly Photo,” a more apt name would be “Swiftie Photo” now that Caity Harper’s two cats have won with a photo of them dressed like Taylor Swift and her beau, Travis Kelce. Harper, a lifelong Taylor Swift fan, has been setting up photo shoots with Fen and Hellie since the two felines stole her heart in 2020, but the recent Taylor Swift pandemonium gave her the bright idea to do Swiftthemed photo shoots with her cats.

“I’ve been a fan of hers since Debut,” Harper says. “I saw her when she came to Spokane for her Fearless tour and saw her Eras Tour in Vegas last year.”

On her Instagram account (@the.adfenturous.therapy.cat), Harper shares photo shoots she’s done with Fen and Hellie since the moment she got them. But she has big plans for the future.

Stanley thinks his forever home is woo-woo-woo-nderful! AMANDA DAVIS PHOTO

“I want to do a photo shoot for every single Taylor Swift era,” she says. “We did Lover and the pun was ‘Miss Meow-icana and the Heartbreak Purr-ince’ It was so fun. I’ll eventually do a photo shoot for every album.”

If all goes well, she has an even bigger dream she’d like to fulfill.

“The ultimate goal is to be Taylor’s cat nanny,” she says. “I need to take pictures of her cats!” (MP)

...continued on next page

Hellie, left, and Fen are building quite the online re-purr-tation. CAITY HARPER PHOTO

THE PET ISSUE THE PET ISSUE

Georgie may be 16 years old but he doesn’t look a day over 10!

“THE PRETTIEST PETS,” CONTINUED...

 SWEET SENIORS

Thank you to all who entered!

SEE THE COMPLETE LIST OF WINNERS ON PAGE 28

Shelly Stevens says her cat Georgie was already a star before being chosen as the winner of the Sweet Seniors category. “He gets a lot of attention based on the way he looks and the way he walks. People go crazy when they see Georgie,” she says.

Georgie, short for George Burns, has a littermate, Gracie (of course), and both were kittens when Stevens rescued them from an abandoned house. While Stevens describes Gracie as smart and “a pure angel,” Georgie is perhaps not the brightest and “has always been a prima donna.”

For example, Stevens says he won’t eat from a bowl on the floor, preferring to have his meals served in bed. “He relaxes a lot,” Stevens says. “He’s a cuddle bug. He would sit on your lap all the time if you’d let him.”

And despite the fact that Georgie may not be the best-behaved cat around, he’s not going anywhere. “Regardless of Georgie’s many bad habits he is a pure joy to have in my life,” Stevens says. (AM) n

SHELLY STEVENS PHOTO

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325 days and counting, still looking for his furever... parvo survivor and special medical therapy foster, now healthy and loved happy in home after 510 days in

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Celebrity Creatures

BY NATE SANFORD

Tim Pham is no stranger to the public eye. As an anchor for KREM 2, he’s on TV constantly. But Pham says it sometimes feels like his two beagles, Baxter and Freedom, are more famous than he is.

“Whenever I post about one of them, they might get more likes than I do,” Pham says with a laugh. “They’re stars.”

Pham got Baxter nearly a decade ago. He’s made frequent appearances on air with Pham over the years and is well-loved by viewers.

Freedom is a more recent addition. Pham’s journey with Freedom started in 2022, when a facility mass breeding dogs mainly for use in lab research in Virginia closed after a federal investigation uncovered horrific conditions. In what would become the largest rescue in the history of the Humane Society of the United States, roughly 4,000 beagles were rescued from the facility and put up for adoption across the country. Sixteen of the dogs ended up at SpokAnimal’s shelter.

It was a big national story with a local angle. Pham went to SpokAnimal to report on it for KREM. While

Northwest is full of famous pets

he was at the shelter, one of the puppies stood out.

“I picked her up, and she went from crazy to calm in my arms,” Pham says. “I was like, ‘Oh, I think a connection is happening.’”

Pham had gone to the shelter for a story, but he walked away with a new dog. He decided to name her Freedom.

“I think it’s kind of symbolic to her situation,” Pham says. “She was in captivity, she’s free now.”

Pham later found a Facebook group where he was able to connect with others who adopted the thousands of rescued beagles. Earlier this year, Petco awarded SpokAnimal a $25,000 grant after an essay Pham wrote Freedom won Petco’s Love Stories contest.

It took Freedom a bit of time to recover from captivity and get used to being in a loving home, Pham says, but she’s doing great now. She frequently appears on air along with Baxter and is also a hit with viewers.

“Oftentimes she’ll be running laps around my house, and I just look at her and think, ‘Your life was so different not so long ago,’” Pham says. “It just brings me so much happiness to see how happy she is.”

Dash

In April of this year, Washington State University lost an icon.

Dash, an incredibly photogenic golden retriever and unofficial mascot for the school, died at age 13 after a struggle with cancer.

Dash was well-known in the WSU community. In 2017, he became a viral sensation after his owner, Ande Edlund, posted a photo of Dash wearing a baseball cap at a Mariners game and holding a hot dog in his mouth.

Dash’s following quickly grew, and he became a sensation around the state. He grew especially famous at WSU, where Edlund graduated in 1994.

Dash’s owners gave guest lectures about social media and branding at WSU’s Murrow College, and Dash became a guest “pawfessor.” He posed for photos with WSU’s mascot, Butch the Cougar, and became known as an unofficial ambassador for the school. Dash would also participate in fundraising events and was recognized as an honorary Coug by the school’s Alumni Association.

Students started to recognize Dash every time he was on campus.

“People would say, ‘Oh, I feel like I’m meeting my favorite celebrity,” Edlund says.

From Keyboard Cat to WSU’s Dash, the Inland

Dash received honorary degrees from WSU. COURTESY ANDE EDLUND

Bento was the second Keyboard Cat.

CHEY SCOTT PHOTO

Tim Pham with Freedom and Baxter.

COURTESY TIM PHAM

Dash started treatment for cancer in 2023. He spent the final days of his life receiving care at WSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine, where Dash has an honorary “dogtorate.”

“He got great treatment there, surrounded by people who loved him,” Edlund says.

Keyboard Cat

Keyboard Cat is perhaps the most famous pet to come out of Spokane. In 1984 local artist Charlie Schmidt recorded a video of his fluffy orange cat Fatso wearing a blue shirt and pounding her paws on a keyboard. Schmidt uploaded the clip to YouTube in 2007, where it quickly went viral and became a staple of the early internet.

Fatso died in 1987, but Schmidt later adopted another cat, Bento, who starred in new Keyboard Cat videos created between 2010 and 2018. In 2023, director Andre Relis announced that he was starting production of a documentary about the sensation called Keyboard Cat: Anatomy of a Meme

Petunia & Felix

Shoppers at Ritters Garden Center and Nursery have likely encountered two relatively famous feline faces.

In 2019, the North Spokane business adopted two cats from Spokane County Regional Animal Protection Services: Petunia, a fluffy cat with butterscotch-colored fur, and her son Felix, an orange tabby.

The two cats have since become regular fixtures at the store. Visitors can find them hanging out behind the counter, exploring the store or napping in the sun. The cats are social and often interact with guests, said Dalton Luke, who oversees Ritters’ customer service and is one of the cats primary caretakers, in an interview with the Inlander earlier this year.

“We just love them,” Luke said. “It’s so cool to see the customers come in and be like ‘Oh, I’m looking for Petunia and Felix.’ It’s cool to see other people love them as much as we do.” n

Atticus CAMPAIGN CANINE

Mortal Medication

A genetic mutation in dogs and cats can make some medications deadly, but WSU-developed testing helps owners know what’s safe

BY VICTOR CORRAL MARTINEZ

In one 2007 episode of the medical TV drama series House, when one of Dr. Gregory House’s patients and the man’s Old English sheepdog both die, a veterinarian ascribes the dog’s death to heartbreak.

But nothing’s ever that simple on the hit series. House quickly determines the dog had an MDR1 genetic mutation, making it victim to the man’s antiparasitic medication ivermectin, which it had consumed.

That episode, “97 Seconds,” tugged at heartstrings with its tale of a man and his dog, but the science was based on years of research and testing by Katrina Mealey, a Washington State University veterinarian and pharmacologist.

Mealey has developed new insight and genetic testing for dogs and cats that can potentially save them from harm and suffering.

Her interest was piqued when she was a Ph.D. student at Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, where she began studying P-glycoprotein. This protein is vital in pumping foreign substances, such as medicine, out of the cell.

A gene called MDR1 helps code the protein, and a mutation on that gene will impact P-glycoprotein’s ability to function properly. Mealey read about a case in the Netherlands where some mice were genetically modified to not express P-glycoprotein.

Mealey says the mice became infested with mites, so the researchers sprayed the room with ivermectin, an antiparasitic drug used commonly in animals. The results were unusual.

“All the mice that were knockouts for this protein — you know, genetically engineered not to express this protein — all of them died, but all the other mice were alive and happy,” Mealey says.

The researchers discovered that the mice without P-glycoprotein showed a concentration of ivermectin in their brains 100 times higher than in the regular mice. This research clicked for Mealey, who remembered that the collie dog breed was sensitive to ivermectin. When she joined Washington State University, she determined that her focus would initially be on this protein and mutation.

P-glycoprotein primarily functions in mammals to pump toxins out of the intestines, liver and bloodbrain barrier. Dysfunction of the protein can lead to neurological toxicity.

So clearly, the mutation was dangerous, and this led to the next question: Which dogs might have the mutation? Through collaboration with geneticists at the University of California, Davis, Mealey was able to identify the mutation’s origins.

“We published an article that showed that, probably a dog in England in about the mid-1800s, a very good male dog, very good sheepherding dog, was probably the first to have the mutation,” Mealey says.

The descendants of the Old English shepherd breed include Australian shepherds, border collies, English shepherds and Shetland shepherds.

Mealey says ivermectin was initially approved for use in cattle, but veterinarians began using it to treat dogs for heartworms and intestinal worms. However, dosage matters, and Mealey stresses that commonly used medications like Heartgard, which has ivermectin in it, are administered at lower doses than those used to treat intestinal parasites.

But Mealey says that a single dose of ivermectin at a dosage to combat parasites such as roundworm could cause a dog with the MDR1 mutation to go into a coma.

Herding breeds, boxers and mixed-breed dogs can have the MDR1 mutation and suffer from adverse reactions to medicines such as imodium, milbemycin, and avermectin. (Avermectins are produced by microorganisms, whereas ivermectin is a chemically modified substance derived from a natural organism.)

“A dog in England in about the mid-1800s ... was probably the first to have the mutation.”

Mealey has patented testing for veterinarians and pet owners to determine whether their dog has a mutation and if certain medications will impact their pet’s health. She advises testing as puppies because some medication used during spaying and neutering young dogs can impact pets with the MDR1 mutation. And she notes that though about 25% of herding dogs do not have the MDR1 mutation, testing is still beneficial because otherwise they may be needlessly restricted from beneficial medications.

Over the years, gene testing for dogs began gaining traction, and Mealey’s published research began circulating and catching the attention of animal poison centers, which started reaching out to Mealey and her team at WSU.

In one case, a whole litter of cats suffering from ear mites was treated with ivermectin and about half suffered severe neurologic toxicity, leading researchers to suspect a mutation in the MDR1 gene could also be found in cats.

WSU veterinary researcher Katrina Mealey and her fox terrier, Borghi. WSU PHOTO

However, nothing developed further until multiple cat medications with the ingredient eprinomectin hit the shelves, and Mealey noticed more cases of neurological toxicity.

“Many cases were submitted to us, and it just looked obvious to us that there was a link between the MDR1 mutation and the serious neurologic toxicity in these products containing eprinomectin that were given to cats,” Mealey says.

In a March news release, Mealey said she hoped that the findings will lead the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to evaluate and consider warning labels on products containing eprinomectin, noting that it may have adverse effects on cats with the genetic mutation. About 1% of the 60 million cats in the U.S. are predisposed to the mutation.

Ultimately, the research and testing created by Mealey and her team have led to improved standards of care for dogs and cats with the MDR1 mutation. Testing is now used to identify potential harm for pets before chemotherapy or anesthetic drugs are administered.

Mealey’s research and advancements in pet medicine are just one component of the work done by the team in the Program in Individualized Medicine (PrIMe), which includes Tania Perez Jimenez and Michael Court, veterinarians specializing in anesthesia, and Nicolas Villarino, a veterinary clinical pharmacologist.

Other advancements developed by the team at PrIMe include Court’s testing for the delayed postoperative hemorrhage gene (DEPOHGEN). This potentially fatal disorder leads to excessive bleeding hours or days after surgical procedures in pets.

Mealey says PrIMe faces funding challenges but the team is grateful for organizations such as EveryCat Health Foundation and Morris Animal Foundation, which help fund their important research.

When asked about pet owners’ responses, Mealey says they’ve told her that the test helped save their animals’ lives.

The earliest news of the MDR1 genetic testing for herding dogs was hailed by Dr. Marty Becker — dubbed “America’s Veterinarian” — on Good Morning America as the best new pet product of 2010.

And the ongoing work by Mealey and her team at PrIMe is not just the work of fiction for a drama series but is actively changing the lives of people who care deeply about their cats and dogs. n

Equine veterinarian Warwick Bayly is heading up WSU’s research into a drug to protect racehorses from a serious lung disease. WSU PHOTO

Not Horsin’ Around

WSU studies controversial racehorse drug furosemide and the potential of protecting horses

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) has approved funding for three 18-month-long studies on the use of furosemide, also widely known as Lasix, on racehorses. Washington State University received more than $370,000 to study the drug’s impact on exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhaging (EIPH) in racehorses.

Furosemide is a diuretic that reduces the severity of EIPH, which causes horses to bleed in their lungs when galloping at high speed. Racehorses’ careers can be limited if this bleeding becomes too severe. Though usage waivers are given as research is being conducted, most major events, including the Kentucky Derby, ban race-day use of furosemide. EIPH may also affect horses that participate in barrel races, as well as hunter jumpers and other equine sports.

WSU’s research into furosemide is led by Warwick Bayly, an equine veterinarian at WSU’s Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences. Bayly and his team plan to analyze data from about 30,000 racehorses, focusing on video recordings and examinations of the horses’ tracheas. They’re also tracking the performance of about 2,000 horses with known levels of EIPH for the next 12 months to also assess the impact of EIPH severity on racing careers.

Additionally, the study will look at horses that raced before the furosemide ban from 2015 to 2019 and after the ban was established by HISA from 2021 to 2025.

“I don’t make the rules but some people are hoping that HISA may decide to allow furosemide to be used,” Bayly says. “Whether or not it will change, I don’t know.”

HISA will review the findings and is expected to make a decision on the use of furosemide in May 2026.

— VICTOR CORRAL MARTINEZ

The Inlander’s annual philanthropy guide highlights many of the region’s non-proﬁt organizations and the di erence they’re making in our community. Don’t miss your chance to reach Inlander Give Guide readers! RESERVE YOUR SPACE BY AUGUST 15

Pets in Peril

Here’s how local animal lovers can lend a hand

BY CASSANDRA BENSON AND MADI OSWALT

Just like humans, pets can find themselves in unfortunate and unforeseen situations. Luckily, there are local organizations ready to help pets and pet owners navigate these circumstances. If you’re looking to volunteer or make a donation, here are three worthy causes.

Human Evacuation Animal Rescue Team

The Human Evacuation Animal Rescue Team of Spokane, HEART for short, was founded in 2006 in the wake of Hurricane Katrina upon the realization that many people refuse to evacuate from disasters if they can’t take their pets with them. HEART provides assistance to animals during emergencies or disasters, whether it be wildfires or cases of neglected farm animals.

During the Gray Road and Oregon Road fires last summer, HEART played a crucial role in evacuating and caring for over 500 animals. Because HEART is a nonprofit, volunteers are vital to its mission.

“We need more members. We need more people. We had never had an event of this magnitude before,” says Marian Ortiz, president of HEART. “It’s always been such that we could handle it on our own, we had enough people to take care of the animals. But this was huge, and we realized we really need more people.”

There are two main ways for people to volunteer: Tier one involves hands-on work with animals including evacuation and caring for animals at temporary shelters, while tier two is for those who prefer administrative tasks.

“[Last] August we were in desperate need of more volunteers, and there were lots of people that wanted to help, but we were unable to accept everybody who showed up because we had to vet them,” Oritz says. “We had to turn away the vast majority of people that came. For that reason, we are asking that people sign up.”

If you want to help during emergency events such as wildfire evacuations, HEART encourages applying for the preapproved volunteer list to be vetted before an emergency arises.

To help cover operational expenses, HEART hosted a spring fundraiser. Funds raised enabled the organization to buy a new cargo trailer.

“People have been very, very generous. Not just people but businesses as well,” says Jill Carding, a HEART volunteer. “The people of Spokane County have a true heart for animals, especially livestock.”

Those interested in volunteering in any capacity, whether it be ongoing or only in case of an emergency, should email spokaneheartvolunteers@gmail.com with relevant information and how they’d like to volunteer. (CB)

Rescue4All

Jamie McAtee has been obsessed with animals since childhood, when she says she was always bringing home stray animals.

Decades later, in 2013, she founded her nonprofit Rescue4All, fostering cats and dogs to prepare them for loving families.

Today, McAtee runs the animal rescue of her dreams, with sponsors from local businesses like the Urban Canine, Haase’s Greenhouse and more. Visitors to the rescue’s website can see all dogs currently available to foster or adopt, and can fill out application forms if they find the perfect match. Before any dog goes to a new home, Rescue4All spays or neuters, vaccinates, and gives it both an identification microchip and a deworming treatment.

“I will stand up and champion for ALL animals, and that is why Rescue4All exists — to help the voiceless, the innocent,” McAtee says on the website. (MO)

Partners For Pets

Upon landing on Partners for Pets’ website, visitors are immediately hit with an image of an adorably fluffy cat and the question: “Are you ready to meet your best friend?”

Since 1996, the feline-centric rescue based in Spokane Valley has been committed to saving cats and kittens, board President Hayley Steward says.

“When you’re volunteering your time and you all have a collective thought of that, everyone’s there for the same thing, and it doesn’t feel as heavy,” Steward says.

Everyone chips in at Partners for Pets’ volunteer-run adoption center to care for, clean up after and even foster the cats.

“That’s the big thing, is the passion of our fosters,” Steward says. “That’s the big backbone of the organization.”

A downside of many high-volume shelters around the world is the need to euthanize for time and space, but Partners for Pets is a completely no-kill shelter. For those who adopt a cat or kitten there but later find they’re unable to provide proper care, Steward says the organization will accept the animal back to find them a new, loving home.

“More commonly lately, it’s [animal returns] due to loss of housing or changes in housing,” Steward says.

Thankfully, owner surrenders due to housing aren’t Partners for Pets’ primary reason for intakes, but situations like that illustrate how much the organization cares for animals’ well-being and ability to live a safe and long life. If you want to help out Partners for Pets or adopt a cat from them, visit their website and fill out the adoption application. (MO) n

She’s a single mom who works two jobs, loves her kids and never stops.

PARNERS FOR PETS PHOTOS

2024 WINNERS

As voted by Inlander Readers

Magic To Do

Behind the extravagant performances and flashy costumes, Stage Left Theater’s production of Pippin has heart

BY MADISON PEARSON

Wicked, Chicago, Rent, A Chorus Line Broadway buffs take their favorite shows seriously. They’re fierce and protective over every lyric. One negative word against a theater enthusiast’s favorite show, and you might receive an essay about why you’re wrong.

That’s why when Misty Shipman had the chance to direct a mainstage production for the first time, let alone of her own favorite musical, she jumped at the opportunity.

“I love Pippin,” Shipman says. “It’s an extraordinary story. I asked Stage Left to give me a show a few years

ago, and they took that risk.”

Pippin made its Broadway debut in 1972 and was revived in 2013, bringing the musical to a whole new crowd of theater fans and amplifying the show’s already dark yet humorous nature. While the original production featured calculated and sultry choreography by Bob Fosse, the revival leaned more heavily into the circus theme that runs throughout the show.

“I’m making sure to be very faithful to the 1972 version,” Shipman says. “I wanted it to be very stripped down and simple. It doesn’t require the pageantry or the circus, per se.”

Pippin is a show with many layers. Pippin and his father Charlemagne’s characters are derived from historical figures from the Middle Ages. The musical uses the premise of a mystical performance troupe led by the Leading Player to tell the story. The fourth wall is broken countless times.

Shipman was aware of and ready for the challenge of a show with such complex themes woven into the script. But first she had to choose the right actors to portray each of the unique characters.

Adam Bingham as Charles with the cast of Stage Left’s Pippin. ERICK DOXEY PHOTOS THEATER

Having just moved to Spokane a little over three months ago, Owen Henderson figured trying out for a community theater production would be a great place to find friends and community, even if he didn’t land a role.

Henderson ended up landing the role.

“I never in a million years thought I was gonna be Pippin,” he says. “Like truly not at all. When I was just casually enjoying the show, all of the songs I gravitated toward were for the parts of the Leading Player or Fastrada or the ensemble. I had to go back and figure out what I needed to do in order to be the emotional heart of this show. As flashy and fun as everything is, it will only go so far if you don’t have something for the audience to hold onto.”

Just like Shipman, Henderson has always loved the story of Pippin. He discovered it in high school and made it his goal to be a part of its production one day.

“As a queer person, you don’t often see yourself as the lead or just someone who the story is about,” Hendersons says. “Let alone as a character with a love interest. It’s easier to think I could be the sexy, slinky Fosse dancer. This role really made me work as an actor.”

Catherine, Pippin’s love interest, is played by Kiki Prater, who’s in a lead role for the first time in her theater career. Like Henderson, Prater never saw herself as the romantic lead in a production. Prater says she sees a lot of herself in Catherine.

“I’m a kind of silly, goofy gal,” Prater says. “Catherine is too, but she’s also regal, elegant and very responsible. All of the things I would like to say I am, but I’m not necessarily! I had to dig pretty deep because, when it comes down to it, a lot is going on in this show, and it wasn’t good enough to just act like a princess.”

Both Henderson and Prater have appreciated having Shipman at the helm of the complex musical that is Pippin.

“You can tell she loves Pippin,” Henderson says. “She has a lot of reverence and respect for the original, but she isn’t afraid to do her own thing.”

In the love song that Pippin and Catherine perform together, aptly named “Love Song,” the two sing: “They say the whole is greater than the sum of the parts it’s made of. Well if it’s true of anything, it’s true of love.”

“Misty is doing this because she loves the show, and she’s created a cast of people who love each other,” Prater says. “The basis of all of this is love, which translates into the show itself. Pippin dreams of wanting something bigger, and what he finds is love. It’s been incredible to get to be in a show that feels produced by love.” n

Owen Henderson, right, plays the titular Pippin.

Grannies on a Mission

Why two octogenarians from Eastern Washington are on a summerlong road trip to rural towns, urging people to vote

BY CASSANDRA BENSON

Shirley Grossman and Roz Luther are not your average octogenarians.

At 81 and 85, respectively, rather than spending their days of well-earned retirement relaxing, the two friends are embarking on a 17-stop tour across Eastern Washington promoting voter registration and civic engagement.

This summer, their Granny Caravan: Unity Road Tour is visiting towns in Eastern Washington within the 5th Congressional District. Their road trip is a collaboration with Rural Americans United (ruralamericansunited.org), a nonprofit based in Yakima seeking to support Democrats in rural areas. The tour started on June 11, starting with areas north of Spokane. Most recently, the Grannies have been making stops south of town around the Palouse.

“How can you turn down a sweet old man?” Grossman recalls. “That’s part of what we can do because we’re just old grannies.”

“People open doors for us,” Luther says. “I say, ‘White hair gets you everything.’”

During each tour stop, Grossman and Luther set up tables near parks to offer political information, voter registration and a listening ear for citizens’ political worries. The Granny Caravan’s goal is to engage people beyond partisan stereotypes.

The pair talk animatedly and passionately about their mission and current politics.

MEET THE GRANNIES!

July 31: Rosalia

Aug. 13: Colfax and Pullman

Aug. 28: Pomeroy and Clarkston

Aug. 29: Dayton and Walla Walla

The women first met thanks to Luther’s husband, who had begun volunteering at area high schools to register students to vote after the couple moved to Spokane 13 years ago. Grossman was also interested in helping get students registered, and the pair were thus introduced.

“We haven’t set out on this adventure this whole summer thinking that we’re going to turn [politics] upside down anywhere,” Grossman says. “We’re not having high expectations, but some expectations of cracking things open, of having conversations that are beneficial and letting people listen to each other, and we wanna go with an attitude of listening to the rural people in small towns. What are their concerns? We also want to talk about how we’re the same. We really do agree on so many things.”

Shirley Grossman (left) and Roz Luther are a two-woman “Granny Caravan.” COURTESY PHOTOS

This dedication to finding common ground is apparent by the sheer number of documents the duo bring to each city.

Grossman, for example, pulls out a printed paper with a list of bipartisan goals. Topics on the list include protecting Social Security and the environment, clean water and air, accessible, inexpensive health care, and democracy and civility and kindness in political leaders.

“What we’re trying to do is open those doors of recognition of each other’s common belief system and common desires and that we’re not enemies,” Grossman says. “There shouldn’t be hostility. There should be listening and respect for each other.”

Each section inside Luther’s thick binder is labeled, from Social Security to the environment. In each section are one-page documents with brief but detailed descriptions of the Republican and Democratic parties’ attitudes and policies on each topic.

These handouts are meant to present information without overwhelming the reader. Luther says people often download them digitally and share them with friends.

For Luther, political engagement has always been a part of her life, from attending marches with her husband to various other activities. Grossman’s political interest is more newfound. Four years ago, her daughter, Eve, died after a battle with cancer. Grossman feels that she is honoring her daughter through her work.

“She would have run for office if she wasn’t caught by cancer,” Grossman says. “She was a real dynamite activist. I think of her quite often, that she is smiling down from heaven and saying ‘Mom I can’t believe what you’re doing, but I’m really glad you’re doing it, you’re doing this!’ and she’s so surprised.”

Grossman aspires for the Granny Caravan to grow beyond just her and Luther.

“We’re just two little old ladies going to these cities and spending a couple hours there,” Grossman says. “But what we’re hoping is that we can get more people in each little city that can go to fairs and farmers markets.”

As for the vivid purple hats they wear for each outing?

Grossman proudly explains that the purple attire was Luther’s idea, as the combination of red and blue makes purple, and that’s ultimately the goal of their caravan: unity.

“Do the best you can out of it, even if it’s not perfect, and it rarely is perfect to be involved in your community,” Luther says. “The problem is we’re all busy enough, we all have the same 24 hours, and people have lots of different needs they have to focus on. You can’t afford to check out on what’s going on in your public around you. You can’t afford to do this.”

“Please look at many sources that check the validity and the worth and the quality of your news sources,” Grossman adds. “Be open and be knowledgeable. And vote for heaven’s sake!” n

The Granny Caravan engages with rural residents to encourage voter turnout.

STREAMING SHANNEN DOHERTY

The actress is gone, but her movies (good and the bad) live on in the streams

BY BILL FROST

Last month, we lost America’s smirky sweetheart, Shannen Doherty. Everyone knew her from Charmed and Beverly Hills 90210, and maybe even the 2000 classic Satan’s School for Girls (available only, in all its low-res bootleg glory, on YouTube). She also starred in dozens of flicks you’ve never heard of, playing professional women of wildly different stripes. Here are some Doherty deep cuts to stream.

ALMOST DEAD (1994; TUBI, PLEX)

Still sporting her peak 90210 hair, Doherty stars as a psychologist specializing in twin research and microskirts. She’s also haunted by her late mother’s ghost and, even worse, has to share scenes with Costas Mandylor in deep-Stallone cosplay mode. Almost Dead is ostensibly a supernatural horror movie, but the laughs outweigh the scares for 92 ridiculous minutes.

THE RENDERING (2002; TUBI, PRIME)

Ten years after being brutally assaulted in art school, police sketch artist Sarah (Doherty) is horrified to learn that a rash of new cases follows her still-jailed attacker’s M.O. Then, somehow, her lawyer husband is framed for the recent crimes, and her abuser launches an elaborate blackmail scheme for an early parole. The Rendering’s villain is an “intellectual” killer, but the mulleted marauder is no match for Shannen!

KISS

ME DEADLY (2008; TUBI, PRIME)

Years after they parted ways, international spies Marta (Doherty) and Jacob (Robert Gant) are reunited when Marta suffers amnesia and has no idea why malicious goons are following her. Kiss Me Deadly is a decent action thriller, in a cheap-o “We have The Bourne Identity at home” fashion, but it may have had bigger ambitions/ delusions: The original title was Kiss Me Deadly: The Jacob Keane Assignment, alluding to an ongoing franchise.

STRIKING POSES (1999; TUBI, PLUTO TV)

Tabloid photographer Gage (Doherty), stalked herself

by a camera-wielding psycho, plots to change her identity to escape him. Several WTF story twists later, the movie builds into a byzantine con-job switcheroo with a sizable body count and Doherty assuming the identity of impossibly named wealthy heiress Margaret Mudge. It’s is a stoopid made-for-TV feature that believes itself to be cinematic genius, but Doherty makes it tolerable.

GROWING

THE BIG ONE (2010; TUBI, PRIME)

The title would lead you to think that Doherty had finally set her sights on an AVN award, but this is just a Hallmark movie with a saucy name. Radio talk show host Emma (Doherty) not only inherits her late grandfather’s pumpkin farm but also the debt that comes with it (thanks, gramps). To pay it off, she teams up with her hunky new farm neighbor to win a pumpkingrowing contest, which apparently has a bigger payout than the Super Bowl.

BLOOD LAKE: ATTACK OF THE KILLER LAMPREYS

(2014; TUBI, CRACKLE)

There was a time in the cable wars of yesteryear when Animal Planet actually dabbled in original horror movies, the first being Blood Lake: Attack of the Killer Lampreys When the lampreys of a small lakeside town go aggro and decimate the lake’s fish population, the killer lamps start chomping on people via the water system. (Maybe just stay away from pipes?) Doherty scream-acts while Christopher Lloyd does his Jaws mayor impression.

HOT SEAT (2022; TUBI)

Doherty doesn’t get much screen time as a gum-smacking FBI chief, but Hot Seat is too nonsensical to exclude. A master hacker (Kevin Dillon) finds his gamer chair rigged with a bomb and is forced to steal millions from banks lest he be blow’d up by a ruthless Fed gone rogue (Mel Gibson, replete with power mustache). It’s Speed in an ergonomic seat; it’s Swordfish on a tuna budget; it’s the unfortunate pinnacle of Sam Asghari’s (Britney Spears’ ex) acting career. n

THE BUZZ BIN

THE CHIEFS’ NEW CHIEF

When the Spokane Chiefs return to the ice this season, a new face will be guiding the team. Well… sort of a new face. After the team dismissed head coach Ryan Smith in May, the organization has tapped Brad Lauer (pictured) to be the new man in charge. Laurer is certainly no newbie to the Western Hockey League. He led the Edmonton Oil Kings to the Ed Chynoweth Cup in the 2021-22 season, and no coach in league history has a higher winning percentage (.742). After spending the last two seasons as an assistant coach for the NHL’s Winnipeg Jets, he looks to bring his winning ways to the Lilac City. Considering the Chiefs haven’t won a playoff game since the 2018-19 campaign, the injection of a winning mindset is just what the franchise needs. (SETH SOMMERFELD)

RAGE AT ANY AGE

Spokane’s newest music venue, The Chameleon, has been going strong for half a year now after taking over the former Lucky You Lounge spot. Since opening in February, the venue has hosted lots of local bands as well as stellar groups from around the country. Until recently, however, the Chameleon was a strictly 21+ venue. That changed in July when an all-ages downstairs area called the Jaguar Room hosted its first event. The space is a perfect way for the younger crowd to enjoy the new establishment and see what the music scene has to offer. (The Chameleon’s main floor remains 21+.) Check out the Jaguar Room next on Saturday, Aug. 10, when Spokane bands Not For Nothing and Hell Motel perform with Seattle group The Requisite. (MADISON PEARSON)

THIS WEEK’S PLAYLIST

Noteworthy new music arriving in stores and online on Aug. 2.

X, SMOKE & FICTION

The legendary L.A. punk band proves they still have a cutting edge, releasing this final album before its farewell tour (which stops at the Knitting Factory on Aug. 23).

THE SMASHING PUMPKINS, AGHORI MHORI MEI

Speaking of rock vets heading to town soon (Sept. 24 at Northern Quest), Billy Corgan has expressed wanting to “go home again” to the feel of his band’s ’90s peak with this latest LP.

CHRYSTABELL & DAVID LYNCH, CELLOPHANE MEMORIES

Fittingly, the famed director’s frequent musical collaborations with singer Chrystabell feel in line with his visual style: strange synth-y soundbaths that aurally wash over listeners while leaving them searching for meaning. (SETH SOMMERFELD)

Doherty in 2002’s The Rendering.

Gas Station Gastronomy

The new Fancher Food Mart inside a Spokane Valley gas station has some of the most popular Indian food in town right now

BY ELIZA BILLINGHAM

Next time you’re picking up a lotto ticket while filling your gas tank, snag some butter chicken, too. That is, only if you’re at the Chevron on the corner of Broadway and Fancher in Spokane Valley.

Fluttering feather flags outside the gas station advertise Fancher Food Mart to passing traffic. Some might think it’s just a fancy name for a typical convenience store. But past the vape pens and energy drinks is a kitchen with fresh, from-scratch Indian food made six days a week.

It’s a far cry from the typical gas station rollers of corn dogs and pretzels. And, in just three months, it’s become one of the most talked about take-out spots by Facebook foodies this year.

Operator Benny Kumar and his wife, Soni, bought the Chevron gas station in April. They originally moved to Spokane in 2018 from a small town outside Walla Walla to get proper medical care for their 6-year-old son,

Aarav, at Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital. Kumar had originally considered opening an Indian restaurant, but realized a gas station could provide both the stability and opportunity he was looking for.

“Our dream was to buy a gas station and put in a side hustle in our actual business,” Kumar says. “Then we got the right place to include it — a gas station with a kitchen.”

So now, across from the motor oil aisle, a hot case displays mango chicken kebabs or veggie fritters called pakora, while vats of curry simmer behind the counter.

Kumar and his family are from the Punjab state of India, a northwest region of the country famous for rich, buttery dishes. Its milder spice levels and proximity to ancient east-west trade routes like the Silk Road helped make Punjabi food famous around the world — especially its best-known export, butter chicken.

Fancher Food Mart rotates its menu daily, but butter

chicken is a mainstay. Other chicken favorites so far have been black pepper cashew curry and mango curry chicken. Achari lamb is also popular — achari means “pickle” in Hindi, and the lamb is flavored with spices often used to make Punjabi pickles, like fenugreek, cumin, nigella, fennel and black mustard seeds, plus dried chilis.

Every dish is spooned over a large portion of perfectly tender, long grain jasmine rice for a grand total of $9.99. That’s part of the reason Facebook users have been raving about Fancher Food Mart — it’s one of the highest quality and most affordable lunch options in the area.

Kumar starts serving around 9:30 in the morning every day except Sunday and serves until he sells out, usually around 5 pm.

Since you’re in a gas station, you could pick up your favorite candy bar for dessert. But the foodies recommend grabbing a mango lassi ($4.99) — pronounced “lassie” — instead. It’s a yogurt-based drink that’s similar to a smoothie, but with more tang from the yogurt and an earthen hint from a few drops of rosewater.

Not sure what you’ll like best? Just ask for a sample.

“My goal is to be like Costco — sample first,” Kumar says. “You guys decide if you like it. Otherwise we’ll not push it to you guys. Customer smiles make us rich. That is the main goal.”

Before he moved to the U.S., Kumar was a produce wholesaler in Punjab. He sold fruit and veggies to chefs cooking for large gatherings, like weddings, and would often score an invite to the communal event.

Butter chicken, right, and fish and shrimp curry. YOUNG KWAK PHOTOS

He carefully watched how the chefs turned his ingredients into his favorite dishes. Then, he’d go home and try to recreate their techniques.

After years of practice, Kumar got pretty good. When he and his family moved to Spokane, he asked a new friend to try some of his food. The friend told Kumar it was good enough to sell. Kumar started teaching Soni his recipes so they could cook together once they found the right place to start a side business.

Kumar’s initial dreams of a restaurant are sort of coming true. He’s renovating the back part of the gas station with booths for sit-down meals. He’s hoping to put up traditional Indian art and decoration to enhance the experience — there’s already Punjabi music playing in the store for the right ambience. It seems like an important improvement, considering he’s got plenty of people coming from pretty far away.

“I got customers from Deer Park, Cheney, Medical Lake, Post Falls,” Kumar says. “One guy came yesterday from close to Coeur d’Alene. They said they had seen me on Facebook.”

One of the main things reviewers mention in their social media posts is Kumar’s friendliness. The owner is immediately outgoing and welcoming. He greets everyone with the same enthusiasm and gratitude, and sometimes doesn’t even realize who he’s serving.

“One day, we had 30 to 35 people inside the store,” Kumar says. “And then somebody told me in my ear, ‘You know who just bought your food?’ I said, ‘No, I don’t know.’ She said, ‘She was the mayor.’”

Kumar ran out into the parking lot and got to take a picture with former Spokane Mayor Nadine Woodward, who’d just stopped in for lunch. It’s been one of the highlights of his threemonth operation so far.

But the best part, he says, is getting to work with his family. He and Soni prepare the next day’s food every evening while Aarav, who’s now completely healthy, watches videos or does homework at a booth. Kumar’s older son, Dru, works the register and already knows most of the people who stop in the shop.

Kumar is forthcoming about the secret ingredient that makes his food and his food market so irresistible — it tastes good “because we put the love in there,” he says.

As any side hustler knows, money is important. But it’s not the most important thing, Kumar says.

“Serving people, that’s my goal,” he says. “Money does matter, but a smile is more.” n

Fill up your gas tank and your belly at Fancher Food Mart.

ALSO OPENING

HAROLD AND THE PURPLE CRAYON

An adaptation of the popular children’s book, this family fantasy film follows a grown-up Harold (Zachary Levi) entering and exploring the real world with his magical crayon that brings to life anything he imagines and draws. Rated PG

to continue his successful

ESSAY

The New Dawn of a New Night

Looking back on M. Night Shyamalan’s winding cinematic journey as Trap hits theaters

BY JASON BAXTER

If you were to time travel back a decade and tell the average moviegoer that a new thriller from suspense auteur M. Night Shyamalan was about to debut in the peak of summer blockbuster season and that cinephiles would seem genuinely amped for it, you’d likely be met with some serious side-eye. But here in 2024, there’s a strong possibility that Trap will be another in a recent string of non-fiascos for Shyamalan, a man who has one of the most unique career arcs of any movie director.

The wild extremes of Shyamalan’s career map almost perfectly to a parabolic curve. He hit the mainstream seemingly out of nowhere 25 years ago with the 1999 mega-hit The Sixth Sense. But even his origin narrative was incorrect, as he’d been in the business, with little success (excepting the screenplay for the family film Stuart Little), since the early ’90s. His saturnine breakthrough ghost story, with its infamous twist ending in the tradition of O Henry, was not just a cultural sensation — the secondhighest-grossing film domestically in an all-time great movie year — it was also a critical smash, nominated for multiple Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director.

The Shyamalan hype was at such a fever pitch, Newsweek even anointed him “The New Spielberg” in a cover story. He stayed on a box office hot streak with his unique spins on superhero and alien invasion flicks with 2000’s Unbreakable and 2002’s Signs

But the cracks in his twist-forward formula started to show with 2004’s The Village. It’s for the best that almost no one has seen The Buried Secrets of M. Night Shyamalan, a three-hour “documentary” framed as a look at the

making of that period puritan horror film. In a fantastic show of hubris, Secrets morphs from a supposedly candid look at tyrannical onset behavior into an investigation of the (entirely fabricated) secret origin of Shyamalan. The tone-deaf shame even claims that as a child, he fell into a freezing lake and was dead for 35 minutes, and upon being revived he found he had the ability to commune with the spirit world. Riiiight.

You could say that self-mythologizing Shyamalan found himself in a metaphorical trap of his own making in hopes of replicating the runaway success of The Sixth Sense. These circumscriptions necessitated that he rely on narrative sleight of hand, with a last-minute revelation that recontextualized everything that preceded it. He and his habitual twists became a punchline. “From the mind of M. Night Shyamalan” elicited laughter among crowds when projected on the big screen during trailers.

Between 2004 and 2014 he made six films, none of which crested above a 50% audience approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It appeared that he would be another director hailed early as a genius who lost their ability to measure up to viewers’ high expectations.

Then in 2015, Shyamalan rose from the ashes with the found footage horror cheapie The Visit… and every film since then has crossed over that 50% audience threshold on RT. To put the nadir of Shyamalan’s career in perspective, he literally had to mortgage his house to finance The Visit. But it landed at just the right moment: The found-footage subgenre was still in full bloom, and it began a partnership with the incredibly successful and budget-conscious horror studio Blumhouse Productions.

Shyamalan followed up The Visit with a run of movies that, while not universally critically esteemed or smash hits, were all solid earners and unmistakably the products of his singular vision. He used his reclaimed clout to finally finish the deconstructionist comic book Unbreakable saga with Split and Glass, as well as make Old (which boasts some of his most artful staging) and Knock at the Cabin, his first adapted screenplay since the disastrous Avatar: The Last Airbender

Unlike the unchecked ambition of Shyamalan’s biggest flops, his five comeback films have all been chamber pieces primarily unfolding in one location. And as far as his trademark narrative curveballs? They are still in play, albeit with a much more favorable hit-to-miss ratio than in the first two-thirds of his career. The stripped-back approach has seemingly worked for Shyamalan, and it is one that he seems to embrace in his latest feature.

Trap stars Josh Hartnett (no stranger to career reclamations himself) as a single father mired in a serial killer sting operation while attending a pop concert with his teenage daughter. Some eyebrows were raised when the first trailer dropped and apparently revealed the movie’s twist outright, but this might just be an appetite-whetting red herring from the ever-mischievous director. We’ll see if the somewhat-humbled Shyamalan of the later aughts’ revised recipe for cinematic thrills will continue to satisfy the audiences he’d spectacularly lost before eventually winning back. But as with all things Shyamalan, the outcome is always unpredictable. n

Trap opens in theaters on Aug. 2.

M. Night Shyamalan looks

rebound run with Trap

MUSTANGS!

Batman Begins… Again

The animated Batman: Caped Crusader offers an appealing update of a superhero classic

BY JOSH BELL

How many versions of Batman does the world need? Just as producer James Gunn has been making headlines with his streamlined reboot of DC’s movie and TV superhero universe, DC’s most popular character continues to exist in multiple onscreen incarnations. While director Matt Reeves works on a sequel to his 2022 live-action film The Batman starring Robert Pattinson and Gunn prepares to introduce his own take on Batman in the upcoming film The Brave and the Bold, a new animated Batman series debuts this week on Amazon Prime Video.

Although it’s positioned as a thematic successor to the influential 1990s show Batman: The Animated Series (with that show’s cocreator Bruce Timm serving as creator and showrunner), Batman: Caped Crusader exists in its own unique world. For a generation of Batman fans, The Animated Series was the defining depiction of the billionaire vigilante, and Caped Crusader seems tailor-made for adults who grew up on The Animated Series and want something similar, but with a grittier, more hardened sensibility.

The result is a sometimes awkward combination of the goofier aspects of the Batman mythos with the darker tone recognizable from films like The Batman Reeves and producing partner J.J. Abrams are also executive producers on Caped Cru-

sader, but Timm’s visual style and storytelling approach dominates, with short, largely standalone episodes and an art deco design sense that recalls both The Animated Series and Tim Burton’s live-action feature films.

Caped Crusader is set in a stylized version of Gotham City that combines elements from various past eras, with cars and fashion that look like they come from the 1930s and TV broadcasts that resemble the 1950s. There’s a modern sensibility to the characterization and storytelling, though, including a diverse cast that cleverly reinvents some familiar Batman characters.

Voiced by Hamish Linklater, Batman himself is a bit colder and more cynical than other animated incarnations, without the larger support system that he often relies on. There’s no Robin or other sidekicks here, and while Barbara Gordon (Krystal Joy Brown) is a central character, she’s a public defender rather than Batgirl. She’s still the daughter of Commissioner Jim Gordon (Eric Morgan Stuart), though, and along with police detective Renee Montoya (Michelle C. Bonilla), she often takes over as the co-lead character, while Batman broods in the background and punches bad guys.

The adult-oriented focus of Caped Crusader is most clearly evident in the violence, although it barely rises to PG-13 levels and is nothing compared to what’s depicted in most live-action superhero movies. There’s also some mild swearing, but otherwise Caped Crusader isn’t much darker or more intense than The Animated Series, which often told haunting and tragic stories within its kid-appropriate parameters. It’s not “adult” in the sense of Max’s raunchy animated comedy Harley Quinn, but closer to recent series like My Adventures With Superman and X-Men ’97, which aim to combine the nostalgic affection for animated superhero adventures with a more mature perspective.

With veteran comic book writers including Ed Brubaker, Greg Rucka and Marc Bernardin on staff, Caped Crusader at best feels like a solid Batman comic book relaunch, with lightly serialized elements alongside its individual villain battles. The adversaries are a mix of highprofile Batman enemies like the Penguin and Catwoman as well as more obscure characters like Nocturna and the Gentleman Ghost. The season’s best episode is a Rucka-penned story about Clayface (Dan Donohue), which incorporates a loving tribute to classic Hollywood movies into its plot about murder and revenge.

Clayface and a female cabaret singer version of the Penguin (voiced by Minnie Driver) represent fun new takes on classic villains, but other efforts to redefine veteran characters are less successful. The new Harley Quinn (Jamie Chung) sports a hideous costume, and mobster Rupert Thorne (Cedric Yarbrough), who serves as an overarching season villain, is underwhelming. Ultimately Caped Crusader isn’t a radical new take on one of pop culture’s most-adapted figures, but it’s a well-crafted variation on a beloved superhero series, which should please existing fans and draw in some curious new viewers. n

Fans of the ’90s animated Batman series should enjoy Caped Crusader

Batman: Caped Crusader

Created by Bruce Timm

Starring Hamish Linklater,

Krystal Joy Brown

Streaming on Amazon Prime Video

The Family That Weens Together…

How my stepfather prepared me to see my first Ween concert

BY MADISON PEARSON

Imet my stepdad Ryan when I was 12.

He says we didn’t get along very well at first. I don’t recall my initial reaction, but I assume it looked like slamming my bedroom door and refusing to come out when he was at our house.

For my whole life up until that point, it had just been my mom and I doing everything together. Suddenly a new character appeared in my life, and it was hard to learn how to share my life (and my mom) with someone who I considered a stranger.

That was until he pulled out a guitar for the first time.

He noodled around and played a few notable licks from classic rock songs like “The Girl I Love She Got Long Black Wavy Hair” by Led Zeppelin (and plenty that I didn’t recognize, but would soon know). I was completely enamored by his love and knowledge of music, so much so that I soon picked up a guitar, too. Our connection began through music and bands.

Suddenly, this Ryan guy wasn’t so bad

descriptive paragraphs explaining why this specific 14-minute-long jam band song is worth listening to or why Pink Floyd may be overrated and still among the best bands of all time.

But there was one common thread in the texts almost every week: Ween.

The band Ween has always been synonymous with my stepdad. His phone speakers are probably deteriorating from years of blasting Ween’s album White Pepper while he works or warms up on the driving range. Songs from Quebec and The Mollusk appear in our messages nearly every day and usually come with no lengthy message because, to my stepdad, Ween needs no explanation. It’s just Ween.

When it was announced that Ween would be playing the Spokane Pavilion on Aug. 4, Ryan snatched up tickets for us immediately. And so began my intense crash course on the band my stepdad has loved for half his life.

And now, I pass these teachings on to you, dear readers.

ACCEPT THE WEIRD

“I first heard of them when I saw the video for “Push th’ Little Daises” on Beavis and Butt-head on MTV,” my stepdad Ryan says. “I wasn’t even really into music at the time, but that song stuck out because it was so strange, and the video was equally as strange. My 13-year-old brain was completely caught off guard.”

The video is a disjointed series of clips in black and white featuring Dean and Gene eating various foods over the intentionally whiny and annoying vocals repeating the phrase “push th’ little daisies and make ’em come up.”

It doesn’t make sense, but that’s Ween for ya.

I ALREADY KNEW WEEN

I can almost guarantee that you’ve heard a Ween song or two if you were born in the ’90s or early 2000s.

Ryan nurtured my love of music more than anyone in my life, always encouraging me to play and teaching me new things at every opportunity. He let me use the guitar he learned on for several years before gifting me a stunning acoustic Ibanez as a high school graduation present. Our texts often consist of Spotify links with long,

The band’s 1997 album The Mollusk directly inspired Stephen Hillenburg’s iconic TV show, Spongebob SquarePants. The nautical-themed album sparked Hillenburg’s idea to create an underwater cartoon. Hillenburg asked the duo to write a song for the episode “Your Shoe’s Untied.” The song “Loop de Loop” is a sub-oneminute song explaining how to tie your shoes that I’ve whispered to myself nearly every time I’ve laced up my shoes in the past 20 years. ROCK

Formed in 1984 by high school friends Aaron Freeman and Mickey Melchiondo, better known by their stage names, Gene and Dean Ween, Ween isn’t your average band. They’re weird. Like weird weird

Ween’s musical weirdness transcends generations. DANA DISTORTION PHOTO

GENRE BENDER

Ween is often regarded as “alt-rock,” but putting Ween into any sort of categorical box is ridiculous given the number of genres they’ve covered in their prolific discography.

If Ween has to be placed into any sort of box, they would fit best under “experimental.”

For instance, Ween has an album titled 12 Golden Country Greats featuring 10 songs within the country genre. (Yep, there are only 10 songs on the record called 12 Golden Country Greats.)

The strange mix of genres is what initially attracted my stepdad to the band’s music.

“They have songs with island calypso beats in them,” he says. “Then the next song on the album will be an acoustic love song. Then the next song after that is a hard thrash metal song with power chords. And then the next is a weird, off-time thing with helium vocals. It’s their humor and uniqueness and the fact that they don’t take themselves too seriously.”

In a world of cookie-cutter pop songs about the same sad love story, Ween is, weirdly enough, a breath of fresh air with its songs about spinal meningitis and Zoloft.

BOOGNISH BUSINESS

RYAN’S WEEN PLAYLIST

“Your Party”

“The Mollusk”

“Blue Balloon”

“Boys Club”

“Roses Are Free”

“Spinal Meningitis (Got Me Down)”

“Mutilated Lips”

“Push th’ Little Daisies”

“Freedom of ’76”

“Pork Roll Egg And Cheese”

“Monique The Freak”

“Stay Forever”

“It’s Gonna Be (Alright)”

“Big Jilm”

“Bananas and Blow”

“She’s Your Baby”

“Tried and True”

“Transdermal Celebration”

Ween has a staggering amount of lore. So much lore that, for the uninitiated, Ween seems a bit like a cult.

And it might be?

From the earliest days of the band, they’ve claimed to be “sprouted from the demon-god Boognish” and have featured Boognish in songs like “Up on th’ Hill” and, most prominently, in their logo, a circular face with seven horns and 10 teeth.

“I learned the story of Ween over some beers in college,” Ryan says. “This was before we had the internet in our pockets so you had to go home and look something up. My friend explained to me that there was this religion that was based around the Cult of the Boognish. It was weird, but it made sense for them.”

The story of Boognish lives inside of the GodWeenSatan linear notes if you’re interested in the full, ridiculous origin story.

WEEN’S NOT THAT SERIOUS

Though some pretentious music fans might disagree, Ween’s appeal largely comes from the fact that they’re not afraid to goof around and take risks with its music, even when it sounds a bit stupid.

“I’m a believer that not everybody has to be a fan of everything,” Ryan says. “It’s an acquired taste, and I wouldn’t expect everyone to be a fan.”

Ween’s live shows often run far longer than necessary due to overcomplicated guitar solos and general silliness on stage. Ween’s live album Live in Chicago is treasured among the fanbase due to the variety of songs played and the inclusion of a cover of “All My Love” by Led Zeppelin. Surprisingly, Ryan has never seen Ween live, but listens to and watches Live in Chicago religiously.

Behind the absurd lyrics and foolish behavior is a band capable of making music fans smile and of quite literally bringing people together.

“It’s music that makes me feel like life isn’t that serious,” Ryan says. “I always spread the gospel of Ween whenever I can.”

This week, I’ll get to witness my Ween messiah witness his first Ween show.

And he gets to see me witness mine. n

Ween • Sun, Aug. 4 at 7 pm

$50-$55

Spokane Pavilion • 574 N. Howard St. • spokanepavilion.com

Pink Pony Summer

How queer joy has propelled Chappell Roan to pop stardom

BY ALYSON McMANUS

By now, you may be familiar with a certain Midwest Princess named Chappell Roan. The pop singer’s meteoric rise in 2024 has been nothing short of unprecedented. While she had been somewhat known in niche internet circles — especially those interested in queer musicians — the last few months have proved that her very queer, very emotional music is connecting with audiences across spectrums of sexuality, gender and age.

Need more proof? There are not one but two different Chappell Roan-themed dance parties in Spokane this month alone (one at the Chameleon on Aug. 3 and another at the Knitting Factory on Aug. 30). That’s the sort of attention usually only paid to the Beyoncés and Taylor Swifts of the world.

For the uninitiated, Roan is a pop musician from Missouri who released some pre-pandemic music under her birth name, Kayleigh Rose. Her first single, “Die Young,” got her a record contract with Atlantic Records. Around this time she began to develop the Chappell Roan persona, releasing a few more songs for Atlantic before being dropped by the label.

One of these songs was “Pink Pony Club,” produced by Dan Nigro who’d soon become Oliva Rodrigo’s go-to producer, and Rodrigo tapped Roan to open for her on the Sour tour. Roan released a few more singles as an independent artist including other singles including “Femininomenon” and “Naked in Manhattan.”

Starting with her own headlining tour in 2023, Roan began bringing along drag queens as openers as a way to connect to queer culture, and because she began viewing her alter ego more like a drag persona, drawing inspira-

tion from drag artists of all eras. Each tour stop was also tied to a theme based on one of her songs, like mermaids, riffing on the music video for “Casual.” A serious grassroots fanbase began bubbling up before the volcanic explosion to come.

In September 2023, Roan finally released her debut album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess featuring 14 songs of queer love, loss and joy. While the album is crammed with catchy earworms, it’s Roan message of queer joy that quickly began connecting on a deeper level than what most pop stars can achieve.

This message has connected a lot with me and my fellow queer women. While there have always been LGBTQ+ folks in music, a woman making pop hits while so openly celebrating her queerness has never been the norm. Songs like “Casual” and “Red Wine Supernova” charting with lyrics about queer fem sexuality instead of being banished by censors is something that would’ve seemed inconceivable just 10 years ago. Pop songs have always been sexy, and many have also been explicit, but women’s sexuality is almost always muted or through a male lens.

But those messages likely wouldn’t resonate if Chappell Roan songs weren’t also pure fun. Take, for example, the TikTok craze of doing the “Hot to Go” dance where folks spell out the chorus (“H-O-T-T-O-G-O”). The fact that fans know everyone else at Roan’s shows will also be doing the claps, snaps, body rolls and letters screams pure communal queer joy.

With Midwest Princess out in the world, things began

to snowball. There was a fall headlining tour followed by joining Rodrigo again for her Guts World Tour. Roan performed on Late Night with Stephen Colbert on Valentine’s Day. Her NPR Tiny Desk concert dropped a few weeks before her Coachella debut.

By the time of her performance in Louisville at Kentuckiana Pride in June, people were lining the bridges and the buildings around Waterfront Park just to feel spiritually closer to Chappell if they were physically far, far away from the stage.

When I was a kid, I didn’t have many queer role models to look up to, and the fact there are teenagers out there seeing a queer woman be unabashedly herself and exuding such jubilation makes my jaded heart overflow. In an age where drag queens and trans folks simply existing has become criminalized in some states and nationally has become the fear-baiting fuel for a felon-led GOP party hellbent on culture wars, just being an LGBTQ+ person can be terrifying and exhausting. But there is still value to feeling musically seen.

Those few moments of dancing and singing along with Chappell Roan songs while wearing pink cowboy hats in a safe space is a pretty great escape. n

Pink Pony Club: A Chappell Roan Dance Party • Sat, Aug. 3 at 9 pm • $10-$15 • 21+ • The Chameleon • 1801 W. Sunset Blvd. • chameleonspokane.com

Club 90’s Chappell Roan Night • Fri, Aug. 30 at 8 pm • $21 • 18+ • Knitting Factory • 919 W. Sprague Ave. • sp.knittingfactory.com

The flamboyant Chappell Roan has taken the pop world by storm in 2024.

HIP-HOP ALL STAR OPERA

Hip-hop in concert can be pretty hit or miss compared to many genres, especially in the digital age when some rappers are content to just mutter their lines over their songs without even isolating the backing tracks. But you know what subgenre basically never underdelivers? Live band hip-hop. Ensembles that follow in the footsteps of acts like The Roots by centering shows on a full live band backing their MCs always bring the energy. Since 2016, Seattle’s All Star Opera has been proving this to be true with energetic performances that highlight both the seven-member group’s stellar musicianship and the rhymes from Flow Carter and Oz. It’ll be a full night of live band hip-hop at the Chameleon when All Star Opera is joined by fellow Seattlites Sus and Spokane’s finest purveyors of the form, Kung Fu Vinyl.

— SETH SOMMERFELD

All Star Opera, Sus, Kung Fu Vinyl • Fri, Aug. 2 at 8 pm • $12-$15 • 21+ • The Chameleon • 1801 W. Sunset Blvd. • chameleonspokane.com

ADULT POP COLBIE CAILLAT & GAVIN DEGRAW

Thursday, 8/1

ARBOR CREST WINE CELLARS, Current Flow

J THE BIG DIPPER, I Declare War, Dead Low, Cold Hearts CHECKERBOARD TAPROOM, Weathered Shepherds

J COEUR D’ALENE PARK, Front Porch Rockers

J RIVERSTONE PARK, Rockabilly Spaceforce, Dayan Kai SPOKANE TRIBE CASINO, Terri Clark

J THE JUNKYARD DRINKS & EATS, Slap Shot

J TRUE LEGENDS GRILL, Evan Denlinger

J WAR MEMORIAL FIELD, Festival at Sandpoint: Lee Brice, Madeline Merlo

J WATERFRONT PARK, Linger at the Lake: Justyn Priest Band ZOLA, Cruxie

Friday, 8/2

BARREL 33, Son of Brad BIG BARN BREWING CO., Dallas Kay

J THE BIG DIPPER, La Cha-Cha, Big Raffle, Roman Ark

J THE CHAMELEON, All Star Opera, SUS, Kung Fu Vinyl CHAN’S RED DRAGON ON THIRD, Bobby Patterson Five GARDEN PARTY, Storme

J J GORGE AMPHITHEATER, Watershed

J THE GRAIN SHED, Haywire

J JAGUAR ROOM AT CHAMELEON, Sunfish

J NORTH IDAHO COLLEGE, Front Porch Rockers

J PEND D’OREILLE WINERY, Hannah Boundy

RED ROOM LOUNGE, Live DJs

THE RIDLER PIANO BAR, Just Plain Darin SILVER MOUNTAIN RESORT, Rusty Jackson

SPOKANE EAGLES LODGE, The Black Jack Band

J THE FOX THEATER, Australian Pink Floyd

J TRUE LEGENDS GRILL, Dan Conrad

J WAR MEMORIAL FIELD, Festival at Sandpoint: Jason Mraz & the Superband, Molly Miller Trio WHISPERS LOUNGE,

Live on the Lake: Jojo Dodge ZOLA, RŌNIN ZOLA, MadSwag

Saturday, 8/3

BIG BARN BREWING CO., River Street Latin Band

J BRICK WEST BREWING CO., La Cha Cha, Quarter Monkey

CHALICE BREWING CO., Son of Brad

J THE CHAMELEON, Pink Pony Club

CHAN’S RED DRAGON ON THIRD, Push

DAHMEN BARN, Keeler, Morse & Webb

J J GORGE AMPHITHEATER, Watershed

J HUCKLEBERRY’S MARKET, Front Porch Rockers

NOAH’S CANTEEN, Jason Lucas

J PEND D’OREILLE WINERY, Nobody Famous

J POST FALLS BREWING COMPANY, Just Plain Darin

RED ROOM LOUNGE, Live DJs

SCHWEITZER, Lauren Whitehorse, Chris Lynch

If a musical partnership works, you might as well lean into it. When singer-songwriters Colbie Caillat and Gavin DeGraw first combined forces in 2013 for the duet “We Both Know” for the Safe Haven soundtrack, the pair earned a Grammy nomination for the tune. Now the simpatico musical souls are touring together on a co-headlining tour that’s ideal for those who love adult-oriented pop rock tunes. Considering both have plenty of hits to bust out — including DeGraw’s “I Don’t Want to Be,” “Not Over You” and “Chariot,” plus Caillat’s “Bubbly” and “Fallin’ for You” — their show should provide a soft landing to close out the touring concerts on this year’s Festival at Sandpoint lineup.

— SETH SOMMERFELD

Colbie Caillat & Gavin DeGraw • Sat, Aug. 3 at 7:30 pm • $65 • All ages • War Memorial Field • 801 Ontario St., Sandpoint • festivalatsandpoint.com

J J WAR MEMORIAL FIELD, Festival at Sandpoint: Colbie Caillat, Gavin DeGraw ZOLA, Aspen Kye ZOLA, Mister Sister

Sunday, 8/4

ARBOR CREST WINE CELLARS, Soulful Brothers

THE CHAMELEON, Liliac

J J GORGE AMPHITHEATER, Watershed HOGFISH, Open Mic

J LIVE AT ANDRE’S, The Paperboys

J J PAVILION AT RIVERFRONT, Ween

J SOUTH HILL GRILL, Just Plain Darin

ZOLA, JoJo Knox

Monday, 8/5

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

RED ROOM LOUNGE, Open Mic Night

Tuesday, 8/6

THE CHAMELEON, Reign of Z, Beautiful Skeletons THE DISTRICT BAR, Nick Shoulders & The Okay Crawdad

OSPREY RESTAURANT & BAR, Ron Greene

ROCKET MARKET, Kari Marguerite

SWING LOUNGE, Swing Lounge Live Music Tuesdays ZOLA, The Zola All Star Jam

Wednesday, 8/7

THE COEUR D’ALENE RESORT, Bands on Boats: JamShack

LUKE DYSON PHOTO

THE DISTRICT BAR, Melissa Carper THE DRAFT ZONE, The Draft Zone Open Mic

J KENDALL YARDS, Rock the Nest: DJ Lydell, Snacks at Midnight, Jona Gallegos, Hannah Boundy OSPREY RESTAURANT & BAR, Land of Voices RED ROOM LOUNGE, Red Room Lounge Jam

J TIMBERS ROADHOUSE, Cary Beare Presents TRAILBREAKER CIDER, Son of Brad J TRUE LEGENDS GRILL, Gil Rivas ZOLA, The Lucky Losers, Humbletown

Just Announced...

J J KNITTING FACTORY, Father John Misty, Sept. 18.

J J KNITTING FACTORY, Porter Robinson, Oct. 28.

THE DISTRICT BAR, BabyJake, Oct. 31.

J J KNITTING FACTORY, Cavetown, Illuminati Hotties, Feb. 16.

J KNITTING FACTORY, Paleface Swiss, Apr. 18.

Coming Up ...

J J ONE SPOKANE STADIUM, Outlaw Music Festival: Willie Nelson & Family, Bob Dylan, John Mellencamp, Brittney Spencer, Aug. 9, 5:30 pm.

J J LATAH COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS, Moscow Mountain Music Fest, Aug. 10, 12-9 pm.

J J GORGE AMPHITHEATER, Outlaw Music Festival: Willie Nelson & Family, Bob Dylan, John Mellencamp, Billy Strings, Brittney Spencer, Aug. 10, 5 pm.

J J THE BIG DIPPER, Reaping Fields, Violent Abuse, Room 13, Absent Cardinal, Aug. 10, 8 pm.

J J KNITTING FACTORY, King Buzzo, Trevor Dunn, JD Pinkus, Aug. 11, 8 pm.

J J NORTHERN QUEST CASINO, Donny Osmond, Aug. 11, 8 pm.

J J NORTHERN QUEST CASINO, Sammy Hagar, Loverboy, Aug. 13, 7 pm.

J THE CHAMELEON, ExZac Change & Matisse, CHRVNS, Estimate, Malik Colors, Aug. 15, 8 pm.

J J PAVILION AT RIVERFRONT, John Fogerty, George Thorogood and the Destroyers, Hearty Har, Aug. 16, 6:30 pm.

J J NORTHERN QUEST CASINO, Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo, The Vindys, Aug. 16, 7:30 pm.

J J KNITTING FACTORY, Built to Spill, Aug. 16, 8 pm.

J J KNITTING FACTORY, Alex G, Julie, Aug. 17, 8 pm.

J J KNITTING FACTORY, Alvvays, The Beths, Aug. 21, 8 pm.

J J KNITTING FACTORY, Joy Oladokun, Aug. 22, 8 pm.

MUSIC | VENUES

219 LOUNGE • 219 N. First Ave., Sandpoint • 208-263-5673

ARBOR CREST WINE CELLARS • 4705 N. Fruit Hill Rd., Spokane Valley • 509-927-9463

BABY BAR • 827 W. First Ave. • 509-847-1234

BARRISTER WINERY • 1213 W. Railroad Ave. • 509-465-3591

BEE’S KNEES WHISKY BAR • 1324 W. Lancaster Rd.., 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 • 901 W. Sprague Ave. • 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 • 18219 E. Appleway Ave., Spokane Valley • 509-368-9847

BUCER’S COFFEEHOUSE PUB • 201 S. Main St., Moscow • 208-596-0887

THE BULL HEAD • 10211 S. Electric St., Four Lakes • 509-838-9717

CHAN’S RED DRAGON • 1406 W. Third Ave. • 509-838-6688

THE CHAMELEON • 1801 W. Sunset Blvd.

CHECKERBOARD • 1716 E. Sprague Ave. • 509-443-4767

COEUR D’ALENE CASINO • 37914 S. Nukwalqw St., Worley • 800-523-2464

COEUR D’ALENE CELLARS • 3890 N. Schreiber Way, Coeur d’Alene • 208-664-2336

CRUISERS BAR & GRILL • 6105 W Seltice Way, Post Falls • 208-446-7154

CURLEY’S HAUSER JUNCTION • 26433 W. Hwy. 53, Post Falls • 208-773-5816

THE DISTRICT BAR • 916 W. 1st Ave. • 509-244-3279

EICHARDT’S PUB • 212 Cedar St., Sandpoint • 208-263-4005

FIRST INTERSTATE CENTER FOR THE ARTS • 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. • 509-279-7000

FOX THEATER • 1001 W. Sprague Ave. • 509-624-1200

IRON HORSE • 407 E. Sherman, Coeur d’Alene • 208-667-7314

IRON HORSE BAR & GRILL • 11105 E. Sprague Ave., Spokane Valley • 509-926-8411

JOHN’S ALLEY • 114 E. Sixth St., Moscow • 208-883-7662

KNITTING FACTORY • 911 W. Sprague Ave. • 509-244-3279

MARYHILL WINERY • 1303 W. Summit Pkwy. • 509-443-3832

MILLIE’S • 28441 Hwy 57, Priest Lake • 208-443-0510

MOOSE LOUNGE • 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. • 509-838-7613

THE RIDLER PIANO BAR • 718 W. Riverside Ave. • 509-822-7938

SEASONS OF COEUR D’ALENE • 1004 S. Perry St. • 208-664-8008

SPOKANE ARENA • 720 W. Mallon Ave. • 509-279-7000

SPOKANE TRIBE CASINO • 14300 US-2, Airway Heights • 877-786-9467

SOUTH PERRY LANTERN • 12303 E. Trent Ave., Spokane Valley • 509-473-9098

STORMIN’ NORMAN’S SHIPFACED SALOON • 12303 E. Trent Ave., Spokane Valley • 509-862-4852

TRANCHE • 705 Berney Dr., Wall Walla • 509-526-3500

ZOLA • 22 W. Main Ave. • 509-624-2416

FOOD & DRINK BIRTHDAY BREWS

Uprise Brewing Co. is turning 2, and everyone’s invited to come celebrate! Join the popular West Central brewery for an all-ages block party in their parking lot featuring limitededition collaboration brews, live music and big birthday vibes. Uprise is partnering with respected westside brewers Ravenna and Project 9, Yakima-based Bale Breaker, and Wendlandt, a famed brewery out of Mexico for some truly special cerveza. Entry into the event is free, but anyone wanting to sample the beers will need to buy a ticket (and be over 21). Cider, seltzer and NA bevs will be available a la carte, as will street food like elotes and hot dogs created by Uprise’s chef Andrew Blakely. Come for the beer, stay for the stellar performances by The Bed Heads and Starcourt, and make it home before it gets dark — just how every birthday party should be.

— ELIZA BILLINGHAM

Uprise Brewing Second Anniversary Block Party • Sat, Aug. 3 from 2-8 pm • All ages • Free entry; Beer Fest tickets $25 presale/$30 door • Uprise Brewing Co. • 617 N. Ash St. • uprisebeer.com/2year

COMMUNITY SCOTS IN SPOKANE

Pull on your kilt and strap on your bagpipes because there are “heilan’ coos” (highland cows) and much more waiting at the Spokane Scottish Highland Games. The annual event features several traditional heavyweight athletic competitions for those strong enough to take them on, a Highland dance competition, Clydesdale horse exhibit, shortbread contest and several more Scottish activities. The Scottish vs. Irish tug-of-war is sure to bring competition and excitement, with a chance for both adults and “wee bairns” (children) to show-off their skills. All competitions are open to the public, so be sure to register if winning prizes is on your summer 2024 bucket list.

— MADI OSWALT

Spokane Scottish Highland Games • Sat, Aug 3 from 9 am-5:30 pm • Spokane County Fair & Expo Center • 404 N. Havana St. • $5-$10; ages 5 and under free • spokanehighlandgames.net

COMMUNITY SUNSATIONAL

Head north for a day of fun, food and festivities in the charming small town of Chewelah. The first annual Chewelah Summerfest promises numerous activities like live music, a car show, a water slide, duck races and more. The sunny day takes place at Chewelah City Park, Chewelah Golf Course and Mistequa Hotel Casino. If you want to grab a bite to eat or a souvenir from the day, local vendors will be available selling everything from art and photographs to handmade goods, jewelry, ceramics and skincare products. In case you hadn’t heard, this small Eastern Washington town about an hour north of Spokane is thriving lately, and invites everyone to come see what’s new.

— FOPE SERIKI

Chewelah Summerfest • Sat, Aug. 3 from 11 am-1 pm • All ages • Free • Chewelah City Park • chewelah.org

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.

WORDS MONTANA MOTIFS

Set in rural Montana, award-winning author Joe Wilkins’ newest novel The Entire Sky, revolves around a troubled teenager on the run, a rancher nearing retirement and a woman at a crossroads in life. The characters converge at the Bouchard family ranch where they form new bonds and create a life they never could have imagined for themselves. The novel tackles themes of redemption, found families and hope with its lyrical writing and strong evocation of place. The western Oregon-based author is heading to Spokane to promote the book and will be joined by local author Sharma Shields for a reading, discussion and Q&A.

— CASSANDRA BENSON

Joe Wilkins: The Entire Sky • Wed, Aug. 7 at 7 pm • Free • Auntie’s Bookstore • 402 W. Main Ave. • auntiesbooks.com

VISUAL ARTS GREENER PASTURES

The summer tradition of outdoor art festivals continues this weekend with North Idaho’s 56th annual Art on the Green. Kick things off with entertainment from local musicians and dance troupes, and then make your way around the market to browse art from over 100 artists. Buy work from artists like Ruly Deen, Hannah Potter and LR Montgomery, visit the juried show to vote for the People’s Choice Award, and check out a raku or watercolor class taught by participating artists. Art on the Green makes it easy to support multiple talented, local creatives in one fell swoop. Get out in the sunshine and enjoy all that Art on the Green has to offer this year!

— MADISON PEARSON

Art on the Green • Aug. 2-4; Fri from 11 am-8 pm, Sat from 10 am-8 pm, Sun from 10 am-4 pm • All ages • Free entry • North Idaho College • 495 N. College Dr., Coeur d’Alene • artonthegreencda.com

*Insured by NCUA. These are our ideas, you can use the money on whatever you want. Members must be over 18 years of age at time of application. Promotion only available to those who don’t currently have a checking account with Horizon Credit Union. Promotion not eligible for Youth or Business Accounts. Verification of residence location required upon membership application. Membership fee may apply. One offer per household. To qualify for the offered incentive, members must complete the following within the first 60 days of new account opening: 1. Checking account must remain open and in good standing for 60 days, 2. Member must complete a minimum of 15 debit card transactions within 60 days of the account open date, 3. Member must fund the account with a minimum deposit of $250 within 5 business days of account opening and 4. Member must accept and agree to electronic statement delivery within Horizon Credit Union’s online banking platform. Horizon Credit Union will make a one-time deposit of $200.00 into the qualifying member’s account within 60 days of all qualifications being met. Checking account must be open at time of $200.00 deposit. Horizon Credit Union reserves the right to modify or cancel the terms of this offer at any time without prior notice.

I SAW YOU

NICHOLAS I saw you for the first time a year ago at the Satellite. Been the best year of my life!!! Happy anniversary Baby! I hate you and you are the worst;) Jessie

VERTICALLY CHALLENGED CONCERT FANS

Let’s have a talk. I am the tall guy at concerts whom you always ask to move. Yes, I see you giving me that look as if merely by standing here I’ve committed some terrible crime, as if suddenly I’m the villain of your night out. But here’s the rub — I’m just trying to enjoy the show, like you! I get it, your view is obstructed. But let’s be clear, it’s not my fault that I’m tall. I didn’t wander in front of you, you wandered in behind me. Yet here we are at every concert, with you tapping me on the shoulder to ask me to move as if I’ve wronged you personally. I never ask anyone to get something from the bottom shelf. But every time I go to the grocery store, I am the go-to for everyone to ask to reach things on the top shelf. I don’t sneak up behind you and whisper, “Can you stretch just a little more?” No, I adjust. I adapt. Maybe you could do the same at concerts and leave me out of it!

YOU SAW ME

STAY IN POST FALLS Me: Stranded Family of Seven with 5<10 near dusk at Johnson Park aka Mill River to apparently everyone else; You: Expectant Father who refused assistance, not once, twice. Brah, (idk if I can call you a Brah, I saw through your patchy first beard ever all the way to your glass

jaw) we have to make sure everyone goes home to their families at the end of the day, I’m seriously disappointed in your lack of Civics. Therefore, on behalf of every Father and Operator, I hereby demand you shave your beard and surrender your man card to the nearest woman. P.S. It was the fob why it wouldn’t start. For the Dads: If you hold the dead fob (that not even a fresh battery will resurrect) for a Honda to the ignition, it will start. P.PS. My garage door opener had the same 2032 lithium battery as the fob.

CHEERS

CHEERS TO DO-GOODERS Enormous cheers to the folks that take the garbage up from the riverbanks of Peaceful Valley and bring it within reach (jurisdiction?) of the Parks Department. From those participating in organized cleanups to everyday visitors taking the time to haul that old mattress, bit of sodden/filthy carpet, shopping cart of soiled sleeping bags, and random trash left by those who would find a lovely spot to spend the day or night on the river and somehow choose to leave it worse than they found it. Thanks to you and everyone taking the time to be the change they want to see.

ACCEPTING USED OIL Cheers to the car parts stores that accept used oil from people who change their own car oil. This is a good example of corporate responsibility. Why would I buy car oil from a place that doesn’t accept my used oil when I can support a place that does?

FAINTED @ FAMOUS FOOTWEAR Cheers to the two ladies at the NorthTown Famous Footwear who helped a distressed ginger out. Your kindness was greatly appreciated. Turns out antibiotics & the sun doesn’t mix. When your sweat is golf ball sized it’s a good indicator you are about to hit the floor. The bruises are spectacular. I am well. Thanks again for your help and the cold waters. <3

KIND GRANDMA Endless cheers and thank yous to the sweet grandma that helped me at the park after my glass Tupperware shattered. And cheers to the business that allowed her to borrow a broom and dustpan. I was already watching over four kids on my own, and you made a stressful situation a blessing of kindness and compassion.

UPPER CEMETERY FIRE I want to say thank you to the firefighters that fought the Upper Cemetery Fire. The response was like nothing I have ever witnessed.

My neighbors were outside cheering their precision flying and continous attacks on the fire that was threatening our homes. I felt the kind of pride and unity I feel when singing our National Anthem.

JEERS

IRRESPONSIBLE RABBIT OWNERS To the idiots who have rabbits just off Addison between Olympic and Queen - and let them run loose on Addison early in the morning. It’s bad enough that you don’t care enough to confine them, you don’t have the decency to pick up their bodies on Addison (since SCRAPS doesn’t do rabbits). Shame on you.

DON’T MISS YOUR CHANCE When a business closes down and you find yourself compelled to post a comment along the lines of “That’s too bad, I always wanted to go there!,” you’ve got to recognize that that’s part of the problem. How many times have you defaulted to the same restaurant not because it’s THAT good, but simply because you’ve been there before? How many times have you opted to buy someone a birthday gift from Amazon instead of visiting one of the many stores in town? Yeah, everything is expensive now, and that very much sucks, but if you’re going to spend money, try to think about to whom it is going in the end. Be a little brave, be a little bold, and support the people behind these local businesses. Make it up to the ones you missed out on by visiting a

PETTY POLITICIANS Recently, one of the leading candidates for Congress has begun a negative ad campaign against one of the contenders for the opposing party. She hasn’t even been selected to be on the ballot yet. You WERE a promising candidate, now you just look bad, insecure and petty. Candidates, please please please take notice: WE THE PEOPLE, are done with the negativity! We want to elect officials who behave like adults, engage in civil discourse and treat others with respect and dignity no matter which side they are on. Please stop this kind of behavior and rhetoric. No one wants this. We won’t vote for it. Start playing nice.

SHAME! RISKING EVERYONE’S HEALTH! Little coffee shop, SHAME ON YOU! How dare you be told by the health department that there is slime in your ice machine and waiting TWO days to clean it AND THEN putting the same ice you took out to clean it back in the ice machine! Shame on you!!!

RE: STOP BUILDING SO MUCH CRAP! Clearly you don’t know who actually runs Spokane. Let me adjust my aluminum foil hat as I tell you that nothing changes for the better in Spokane unless the big real estate families say so. I’m talking the families that own the commercial buildings downtown & apartment buildings are pulling the strings.

new place this week. You’ll probably love it.

POSTERITY So now what ARE you going to do with all of your “Let’s go Brandon” and “FJB” flags, hats, shirts, window stickers, etc.? I have a suggestion; box them up and keep them. Keep them for posterity so your grandkids and great-grandkids will inherit them someday. Wouldn’t that be the PERFECT family keepsake to be passed down through the generations? You could even accurately label the box “FJB” (spelled out in the full words, of course) so when you present it to your smiling grandkids, they will regard you with adoring eyes for the insightful contribution to your family’s heritage. With this gift, untold generations of your progeny can have pride swell in their hearts when they learn of the hard sacrifices you had to make in order to “Make America Great Again.”

GOD AWFUL MUSIC Jeers to STA for the the overtly Christian music blaring in the restrooms at the Bus Plaza downtown. It plays everywhere in the Plaza, but it’s particularly loud in the restrooms. I don’t know who picks the music, but I doubt they would ever play any other type of religious music.

CIVIC THEATRE BEHAVIOR SUCKS Heathers is playing currently and it was a complete hit!!! The performances were excellent and the story line was great! The audience was far less than respectful however. The

man behind us was screaming at the top of his lungs after every scene - and I do mean screaming! People around us were plugging their ears every time he started up. The mother and daughter to the right of us spilled tea and coffee, and threw the containers on the floor and left. The puddle was large enough to wet our shoes as we walked through to get out of the isle. If this is the way people are going to behave, I am thinking that we need ushers to lead people out for the comfort of others.

RE: LIBRARY PROTESTERS A book with such hits as “getting our dad drunk to s.a. him,” or “I slept with my dad’s concubine,” or how about “the king is a ho.” Yeah, the Bible only has a ton more incidents that are sexualized-really great stuff. Anyway, keep that out of kids’ hands, or let them read revelations and they’ll realize the orange antichrist is upon us..duh duh duuuuhhhh!

WHAT

WASTE OF WATER...

Hey businesses and organizations along the Centennial Trail / Riverfront park. Your sprinklers are wasting a HUGE amount of water every single day. Spraying sidewalks, running at 10 am-12 pm, creating puddles in the grass and over spraying is just insane. Check your systems and be better stewards please!

RE: LIFE ALTERING BROWNIE Shame on the Inlander editors for including what read like a blatant ad for a restaurant cooked up by the owner. And even if this submission was legit, it doesn’t belong in your paper in the “Cheers” section. This is supposed to be a column where people share stories of random acts of kindness, extraordinary moments, not what someone ate and enjoyed. Big deal. Hardly measures up to something newsworthy or even interesting. Send these types of over-hyped, sickly sweet, vapid reviews to Yelp. n

NOTE: I Saw You/Cheers & Jeers is for adults 18 or older. The Inlander reserves the right

EVENTS | CALENDAR BENEFIT

EVENING AT THE DEPOT An annual benefit auction supporting the daily operations of the Dayton Historic Depot Museum featuring live music by Mari Gisele, and a buffet and auction items. Ages 21+. Aug. 3, 6-9 pm. $45. Dayton Historic Depot, 222 E. Commercial Ave. daytonhistoricdepot.org

FRIENDS OF THE DEER PARK LIBRARY

WAREHOUSE BOOK SALE Gently used books of all genres plus movies, music, puzzles and games. Proceeds support the Deer Park Library and community. Second Friday and Saturday of each month from 9 am-4 pm through Sept. 16. Reilly Family Storage, 2405 E. Crawford St., Deer Park. scld.org

COMEDY

FUNNY FUNNY FUNNY, JOKE JOKE

JOKE A comedy experience combining stand-up, live sketches and other mixed-media with a rotating lineup of comedians. This month’s show features Imani Denae and Brent Lowrey. Hosted by Josiah Carlson. Aug. 1, 7:30-9 pm. $15. Garland Theater, 924 W. Garland Ave. garlandtheater.org

JP SEARS Sears is a conserative content creator and comedian. Aug. 1-3 at 7 pm, Aug. 2-3, at 9:45 pm. $25-$79. Spokane Comedy Club, 315 W. Sprague. spokanecomedyclub.com

HALF AND HALF In the first half of the show, improvisers entertain with a series of short-form games driven by audience suggestions. For the second half, they delve into more in-depth scene

work. Friday at 7:30 pm through Aug. 30. By donation. Spokane Children’s Theatre, 2727 N. Madelia. bluedoortheatre.org (509-328-4886)

JEFF DUNHAM Dunham performs ventriloquist comedy with his collection of puppets including Peanut, Walter, and more. Aug. 3, 7-10 pm. $80-$130. Coeur d’Alene Casino, 37914 S. Nukwalqw. cdacasino.com (208-769-2464)

WILLIAM LEE MARTIN A comedian known for his love and dedication to Texas. Aug. 3, 7:30-9:30 pm. $32-$51. Bing Crosby Theater, 901 W. Sprague Ave. bingcrosbytheater.com

COMMUNITY

DRIVING THE AMERICAN DREAM:

1970S CARS Learn about the changes in the world that heralded a new era of auto making in the United States through automobiles of the 1970s. TueSun from 10 am-5 pm through Sep. 14. $8-$12. Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture, 2316 W. First Ave. northwestmuseum.org (509-456-3931)

56TH ANNUAL ART ON THE GREEN

Explore over 120 fine art booths featuring painting, pottery, jewelry, woodworking, metal work, photography, glass, clothing, fiber, leather, clay and more. Includes free entertainment and food for purchase. Aug. 2-4; Fri from 11 am-7:30 pm, Sat from 10 am-7:30 pm, Sun from 10 am-4 pm. Free. North Idaho College Student Union Building, 495 N. College Dr. artonthegreencda.com

COEUR D’ALENE STREET FAIR An arts and culture fair with over 250 vendors selling art, crafts, clothing and more.

Aug. 2-4; Fri-Sat from 10 am-8 pm, Sun from 10 am-5 pm. Free. Downtown Coeur d’Alene, Sherman Ave. cdadowntown.com (208-415-0116)

ANNUAL OUTDOOR SALE A parking lot sale featuring furniture, home decor, guest vendors, gifts and more. Aug. 3, 10 am-5 pm. Free. Paint In My Hair, 3036 N. Monroe St. paintinmyhair.com

CHEWELAH SUMMERFEST An array of family-friendly activities from duck races and musical performances to food vendors and local artisans. Aug. 3, 11 am-11 pm. Free. Chewelah City Park, North Park Street. chewelah.org

SPOKANE SCOTTISH HIGHLAND

GAMES A full day of entertainment including heavy athletics, highland dancing, pipe band exhibitions and more. Aug. 3, 9 am-5:30 pm. $5-$10. Spokane County Fair & Expo Center, 404 N. Havana St. spokanehighlandgames.net

SUMMER DANCE MARKET Watch and learn dances from experts while enjoying a variety of foods, crafts other goods from local vendors. Aug. 3-Sept. 28, Sat from 5-9 pm. Free. Downtown Spokane. downtownspokane.org

UPRISE BREWING SECOND ANNIVERSARY BLOCK PARTY A party featuring limited release collaboration beers, food and live music by Starcourt and The Bed Heads Aug. 3, 2-8 pm. Free; Beer Fest $25. Uprise Brewing Co., 617 N. Ash St. uprisebeer.com/2year

NATIONAL NIGHT OUT Meet with representatives from Spokane Police, Downtown Ambassadors, Riverfront Park Rangers and Spokane C.O.P.S. to learn about crime. Wall St. Alley. Aug. 6, 4-7 pm. Free. downtownspokane.org

EVENTS | CALENDAR

Region’s Largest Multi-Cultural Celebration

Career, Education, and Health Fair

Cultural Village

PANEL BRIEFING ON THRIVE INTERNATIONAL BORDER VISIT Thrive International discusses their trip to El Paso, Texas/Juarez, Mexico and what they learned about the realities migrants face. Aug. 8, 10-11:15 am. Free. Central Library, 906 W. Main Ave. spokanelibrary.org (509-444-5300)

sic by Carli Osika. Dinner is barbecue ribs. Aug. 9, 5-7 pm. $20. The Culinary Stone, 2129 N. Main. culinarystone.com

BREWSFEST Enjoy craft breweries and cideries of the Inland Northwest. Tickets include a scenic gondola ride, entry, a tasting mug and six drink tickets. Aug. 10, 1-6 pm. $44-$65. Silver Mountain Resort, 610 Bunker Ave. silvermt.com

Arendell, and her sister, Anna, filled with songs from the movie. Wed-Sat at 7:30, Sat also at 2 pm, Sun at 1 pm and 6:30 pm through Aug. 4. $40-$160. First Interstate Center for the Arts, 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. broadwayspokane.com (509-279-7000)

Activities for All Ages Live Entertainment Free K-8

School Supplies

Free Kids Helmets (while supplies last)

Senior Resource Area

Saturday, August 17th • 10am - 3pm • Riverfront Park, Spokane

Family friendly and free to all ages.

nwunity.org

100TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION OF CLIFF HOUSE Celebrate the 100th anniversary of Arbor Crest’s Cliff House Estate with a Great Gatsby-themed gala featuring live music and wine. Aug. 9, 5-8 pm. $65. Arbor Crest Wine Cellars, 4705 N. Fruit Hill Rd. arborcrest. com (509-927-9463)

EDUCATORS’ DAY Teachers and homeschool parents are invited to select free creative materials, including paper, fabrics and textiles, mixed media supplies and more. Aug. 10, 11 am-3 pm. Free. Art Salvage Spokane, 610 E. North Foothills Dr. artsalvagespokane.com

THE HIDDEN GEM FEST A festival with local music, food, vendors, holistic services, mine tours and workshops. Aug. 10, 10 am-noon. Free. Crystal Gold Mine & RV Park, 51931 Silver Valley Rd., Kellogg. thehiddengemfest.com

SUMMERWEEN 2024 A Crime Scene Entertainment customer appreciation event featuring spooky fun and a variety of activities and games. Aug. 10, 4-10:30 pm. Free. Axe Force One, 1207 N. Fourth. crimesceneentertainment.com

MUSIC

CARSON RHODES Rhodes plays contemporary piano selections influenced by Elton John and Billy Joel. Aug. 6, 5-7 pm. Free. Pend d’Oreille Winery, 301 Cedar St. powine.com (877-452-9011)

DWAYNE PARSONS Parsons plays original tunes on the grand piano. Aug. 7, 5-7 pm. Free. Pend d’Oreille Winery, 301 Cedar St. powine.com

BLUE WATERS BLUEGRASS FESTI -

VAL A three-day bluegrass festival featuring bluegrass bands and tribute performances. Lineup includes Monroe Bridge, Floating Crowbar, True North Duo and more. Aug. 9-11. $33-$64. Waterfront Park, 1386 S. Lefevre St., Medical Lake. bluewatersbluegrass.org

MUSIC FOR OBSERVATIONS A threepart music series pairing electronic music with the Jewett Observatory’s open viewings of the night sky. Aug. 10, 9 pm. Free. WSU Jewett Observatory, Jewett Observatory. jasoneanderson.net

LEGALLY BLONDE Elle Woods tackles stereotypes and scandal in pursuit of her dreams. Aug. 2-11; Thu-Sat at 7:30 pm, Sat-Sun at 2 pm. $22-$28. Kroc Center, 1765 W. Golf Course Rd. aspirecda.com

PIPPIN A mysterious performance troupe tells the story of Pippin, a young prince who longs to find passion and adventure in his life. Aug. 2-18; ThuSat at 7 pm, Sun at 2 pm. $25-$30. Stage Left Theater, 108 W. Third Ave. stagelefttheater.org

DANCE WITH A FROZEN CAST MEMBER Dance with performers from the Frozen national tour company. Each class features a Q&A and photos with cast members Kate Bailey & Leigh-Ann Etsy. Aug. 3, 9-10:30 am & 10:30 amnoon. $30. Myrtle Woldson Performing Arts Center, 211 E. Desmet Ave. indaspokane.org/broadway-workshop

SNOW WHITE A new adaption of the classic story by Lauren Grove performed by the U of I Summer Drama Camp. Aug. 3, 2 pm and Aug. 4, 5 pm. $16. Hartung Theater, 625 Stadium Dr. uidaho.edu/class/theatre

FILM

SUMMER OF STUDIO GHIBLI: HOWL’S MOVING CASTLE An English-dubbed screening. Daily at 2 pm through Aug. 3, 2 pm. $5. Garland Theater, 924 W. Garland Ave. garlandtheater.org

SPORTS & OUTDOORS

VISUAL ARTS

$10 KILLER BOX LUNCH

PARTY LIKE IT’S 1999: 10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU A high-school boy can’t date Bianca until her antisocial older sister has a boyfriend. Aug. 2-4, 7:30 pm. $5. Garland Theater, 924 W. Garland Ave. garlandtheater.org

FESTIVAL AT SANDPOINT: HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON IN CONCERT A screening of How to Train Your Dragon with the score performed by the Festival at Sandpoint Orchestra, led by conductor Morihiko Nakahara. Aug. 4, 7 pm. $13-$50. War Memorial Field, 855 Ontario St. festivalatsandpoint.com

PARTY LIKE IT’S 1999: THE SIXTH SENSE Child psychologist Malcolm Crowe starts treating a boy who encounters dead people. Aug. 9, 5 pm, Aug. 1011, 7:30 pm. $5. Garland Theater, 924 W. Garland. garlandtheater.org

SPOKANE VALLEY OUTDOOR MOVIE: RATATOUILLE Watch Ratatouille and participate in crafts and other activities before the movie. Aug. 9, 6-10 pm. Free. Mirabeau Point Park, 2426 N. Discovery. spokanevalley.org/outdoormovies

FOOD & DRINK

BBQ & BANDS Live music by Faron Gilbert. Dinner is beef and chicken sliders. Aug. 2, 5-7 pm. $20. The Culinary Stone, 2129 N. Main St. culinarystone. com (208-277-4166)

RIVERFRONT EATS A food festival featuring local food vendors and live music. Tuesdays from 11 am-2 pm through Aug. 20. Riverfront Park, 507 N. Howard St. riverfrontspokane.org

BBQ & BANDS: CARLI OSIKA Live mu-

RIVERFRONT MOVES: TOTAL BODY CONDITIONING The Union leads a total body conditioning class inspired by yoga, barre, pilates and low-impact body weight endurance. Aug. 1, 7-8 pm. Free. Pavilion at Riverfront, 574 N. Howard St. riverfrontspokane.com

SPOKANE INDIANS VS. HILLSBORO HOPS Promotions during this six-game series include Fireworks Night (Aug. 2), Storybook Princess Night (Aug. 3), Augtoberfest Day Game (Aug. 4) and more. Aug. 1-3, 6:35 pm and Aug. 4, 1:05 pm. Avista Stadium, 602 N. Havana St. milb.com/spokane (509-535-2922)

SPIKE & DIG An outdoor, co-ed, sixon-six volleyball tournament with over 200 teams competing. Aug. 3-4. $225$300. Dwight Merkel Sports Complex, 5701 N. Assembly. spikeanddig.com

SPOKANE MIDNIGHT CENTURY A 100-mile bike ride through Spokane, to Liberty Lake, through the Palouse, into Spangle and back into Spokane. No registration required. Aug. 3, 11:59 pm. Free. The Elk Public House, 1931 W. Pacific Ave. midnightcentury.com

FIT KIDS DAY A morning of active play include an obstacle course, parachute games and an inflatable slide. Aug. 9, 9 am-noon. Free. Shaw Middle School, 4106 N. Cook St. ksps.org

COEUR D’ALENE TRIATHLON Options include an Olympic distance triathlon, scenic sprint and duathlon. Race starts/ ends in Coeur d’Alene on city beach. Aug. 10. $120-$220. Downtown Coeur d’Alene. cdatriathlon.com

THEATER & DANCE

FROZEN A stage adaptation of Disney’s Frozen about Elsa, an ice princess from

DEBBIE HUGHBANKS: FEATHERS & FUR Hughbanks shares her love of animals and art with a collection of creatures from around the world in pastel, acrylic and mixed media. Daily from 11 am-7 pm through Aug. 31. Free. Liberty Building, 203 N. Washington. spokanelibertybuilding.com

THOMAS CRESSMAN TWearable, sculptural art and jewelry that reflects the natural world. Daily from 11 am-7 pm through Aug. 31, 11 am-7 pm. Free. Pottery Place Plus, 203 N. Washington St. potteryplaceplus.com

VAN GOGH: THE IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE A 360-degree digital art exhibition featuring the work of Vincent van Gogh. Thu-Mon from 10 am-7 pm through Sep. 30. $21-$41. Exhibition Hub Spokane Art Center, 808 N. Ruby St. vangoghexpo.com/spokane

FIRST FRIDAY Art galleries and businesses across downtown Spokane and beyond host monthly receptions to showcase new displays of art. Aug. 2 from 5-8 pm. Free. Spokane. downtownspokane.org/first-friday

MILES TOLAND: DREAM RECALL Surrealist paintings. Aug. 2-Sept. 2, daily from 11 am-6 pm. Free. Entropy, 101 N. Stevens St. explodingstars.com

FIRST FRIDAY: DANIEL DROZ & MARIE NOORANI Droz displays steampunk instruments and Noorani presents her unique paper creations. Also features live music. Aug. 2, 3-7 pm. Free. Avenue West Gallery, 907 W. Boone Ave. avenuewestgallery.com

ILDIKÓ KALAPÁCS: SYMBIOSIS & COEXISTENCE Kalapács blends Hungarian folk culture, themes of environmental preservation, identity and more in her paintings. Aug. 2-30, Mon-Fri from 10 am-5 pm. Free. Spokane Art School, 503 E. Second. spokaneartschool.net IN

THE MEAN TIME Artists Carrie Scozzaro, Daniel Kytonen, Emma Noyes, Helen Parsons, Kay O’Rourke, Lance Sinnema, May Kytonen and Tracy Poindexter-Canton showcase art incorporating words and language inspired by literature and current events. Aug. 2-31, Thu-Sat from 4-7 pm. Free. Terrain Gallery, 628 N. Monroe St. terrainspokane.com

TRACKSIDE STUDIO SALE Partners, Chris Kelsey, Mark Moore and Gina Freuen clean off their shelves and showcase discounted pieces old and new. Aug. 2-30, Wed-Fri from 11 am-5 pm. Free. Trackside Studio, 115 S. Adams St. tracksidestudio. net (509-863-9904)

ZHENYA AMPLEYE: NOTHING BUT SWEETNESS, BONEYNOSE KNOWS Ukraine-born artist Zhenya Ampleye displays unique watercolor paintings. First Friday: Aug. 2 from 5-8 pm. Regular gallery hours: Aug. 9-23, Fri from 6:30-8:30 pm. Free. Kolva-Sullivan Gallery, 115 S. Adams St. mobile.kolva.comcastbiz.net

WORDS

3 MINUTE MIC Auntie’s first Friday poetry open mic. Readers may share up to three minutes’ worth of poetry. Open to all ages. Aug. 2, 7 pm. Free. Auntie’s Bookstore, 402 W. Main. auntiesbooks.com

FORAY FOR THE ARTS #8 A night of creative performances across disciplines and forms. Featured performers include Kate Lebo, Sam Ligon and Braydon Moore. Aug. 5, 6-9 pm. Free. Inland Cider Mill, 1020 W. Francis Ave. instagram.com/foray4thearts

JOE WILKINS: THE ENTIRE SKY The author discusses his latest book with local author Sharma Shields. Aug. 7, 7-8 pm. Free. Auntie’s Bookstore, 402 W. Main Ave. auntiesbooks.com (509-838-0206)

BROKEN MIC A weekly open mic reading series. Wednesdays at 6:30 pm; sign-ups at 6 pm. Free. Neato Burrito, 827 W. First Ave. bit.ly/2ZAbugD (509-847-1234)

SADAKO & THE THOUSAND PAPER

CRANES READING A family story hour of the book by Eleanor Coerr commemorating the survivors and victims of the U.S. atomic bombing of Japan. Aug. 7, 3-4 pm. Free. Shadle Library, 2111 W. Wellesley Ave. spokanelibrary.org n

STORYTIME IN THE PARK Children ages 2-5 and their families are invited to enjoy 30 minutes of stories, songs, fingerplays and more that explore the concepts of literacy and STEAM. Aug. 7, 10:30-11 am. Free. Valley Mission Park, 11123 E. Mission Ave. scld.org (688-0300)

AUNTIE’S BOOK CLUB: LOCAL AU -

THORS Discuss Cold, Cold World with author Elena Taylor on Zoom. Aug. 7, 2 pm. Free. auntiesbooks.com (509-838-0206)

HARMONY WRITERS GROUP A writing group focused on memoir and craft. Every other week on Thursday from 5:15-7 pm. Free. Liberty Park Library, 402 S. Pittsburgh St. spokanelibrary.org

NEW FICTION BOOK CLUB Discuss How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia by Mohsin Hamid at the August meeting. Aug. 8, 6-7 pm. Free. Auntie’s Bookstore, 402 W. Main Ave. auntiesbooks.com

CHELSEY BYRD LEWALLEN: CLOTHING

ALTERATIONS & REPAIRS Lewallen presents a discussion of her new book, Clothing Alterations and Repairs: Maintaining a Sustainable Wardrobe. She’ll also host a repair cafe with darning, mending and patching suppliesrations and repairs. Aug. 9, 11 am. Free. Shadle Library, 2111 W. Wellesley. spokanelibrary.org n

Q&A

Working for Relief

One local budtender reflects on eight years in the industry and helping people find pain relief through cannabis

BY WILL MAUPIN

Early this summer, the Inlander chatted with “Squid” Schierman, a budtender at The Green Nugget in North Spokane, to get some perspective on the cannabis industry from the other side of the sales counter. Budtenders know the industry better than anyone, so why not get to know them a little bit better too?

INLANDER: What’s your background in the cannabis industry?

SCHIERMAN: I originally had gotten in with The Green Nugget as my first cannabis job, but it was about eight years ago when this store was at a different location. I got in because I had a friend that started his own farm. So he was growing, and he had a

good connection with the buying manager over at The Green Nugget. And really the choice to do it was finding relief for myself and for others that struggle with chronic pain. That’s been the main reason that I use cannabis and all the different benefits that it has for me.

What are the biggest changes you’ve seen in the industry over the eight years that you’ve been working in it?

Selection has definitely become a lot wider with the amount of time people have had to experiment with different products and see what works and see what doesn’t, and quality has definitely improved immensely with the amount of the science that

they have discovered behind all the different chemicals in the compounds. I think it’s all just grown in a really good way, especially with the amount of companies I’ve noticed that are becoming pesticide free. That’s a huge plus.

Whether they’re older people, first-time users, regular users, whatever, what are the most common questions people have when they come in and are trying to figure out what sort of product would be best for them?

It varies a lot depending on people’s needs. I like to help people find things that are going to be good for pain relief. I have a lot of knowledge in that area, and I try a lot of different things myself for pain relief. So if somebody is coming in with issues with pain or sleep, I can definitely point them in the right direction in that regard. And I tend to give a lot more information about how the cannabinoids are different and what they’re helping to aid people with. But I think the most common questions that I get are typically people that are less educated about the other cannabinoids — they’re looking for just THC. n

Green Nugget budtender “Squid” Schierman YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

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

greenhand

DAILY SPECIALS

EARLY BIRD MONDAY 811AM

20% Off (excludes all pre-rolls)

TOP SHELF TUESDAY 20% Off WAX WEDNESDAY 20% Off concentrates $20 or more

SELFCARE SATURDAY 20% Off CBD & Wellness

OPEN EVERY DAY! VENDOR DAYS EVERY FRIDAY

SNACK SUNDAY 20% Off Edibles & Drinkables

PREROLL THURSDAY $1 off packs of 4 or less, 20% off 5 or more FEATURED VENDOR FRIDAY 20% off featured vendor

Sun-Thur 8am-10pm • Fri-Sat 8am-11pm | 2424 N. Monroe St • (509) 919-3470

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

NOTE TO READERS

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

Summons for child custody 0930 Spokane Superior Court Aug 1,

celebrating 60 years of the Ford Mustang. Bring your Mustang to Franklin Park on Division, August 3rd! Registration 8:30a - 10:30a inlandempiremustangclub.com/ copy-of-page-2-home

30 WINNERS OF $2,000 CASH!

SATURDAY, AUGUST 31ST | 7 PM

Get your paws on some serious cash this summer! 30 lucky winners will fetch $2,000 each! Starting August 1st , rack up points on your Coeur Rewards card – every 500 points earns you an entry. Get ready to lap up the winnings! See the Coeur Rewards booth, CDA Casino app or cdacasino.com for promotional rules.

WEDNESDAYS IN AUGUST | 12 PM – 6

AUGUST 4TH – 7TH | DRINK DISPENSER

AUGUST 11TH – 14TH | ICED TEA MAKER

AUGUST 18TH – 21ST | MASON JAR SET

AUGUST 25TH – 28TH | SECOND CHANCE

COOL PRIZES FOR HOT DAYS!

This August, your Coeur Rewards points are your ticket to summer’s must haves! Each week, between Sunday and Wednesday, earn 1,500 points and pick up a weekly prize starting with a drink dispenser, then an iced tea maker, and finish out the earnings with a mason jar set. Miss an item? — try again during the last week to complete your set or pick up an extra of an item you really loved.