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OCTOBER 8-14, 2020 | FAMILY OWNED. COMMUNITY FOCUSED.
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F
irst, the good news: The pandemic has torn down certain obstacles, including some tribalism between the city of Spokane and the county government that had previously stood in the way of a more collaborative approach to HOMELESSNESS. Now, the bad news: The subsequent economic shutdown is blowing up the budgets of local governments at a time when more people will likely need help. Staff reporter Wilson Criscione sorts out the issues in this week’s cover story on page 16. Also this week: Staff reporter Daniel Walters explores an emerging opportunity from the decades-in-the-making north-south freeway: Design changes have potentially freed up about 30 acres of prime real estate in East Central for other uses, including affordable housing. Find his story on page 8. — JACOB H. FRIES, Editor
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WHAT CLASSIC FILM DO YOU WISH YOU COULD HAVE SEEN IN ITS INITIAL RUN?
GENERAL MANAGER
CORY HOWARD: The Big Lebowski. I remember my parents seeing it when it came out in theaters and coming back home and calling it garbage. I got to college, watched it and never understood their assessment. Constantly rewatching it. My favorite movie for sure.
EDITORIAL Jacob H. Fries (x261) EDITOR
Dan Nailen (x239) MANAGING EDITOR/ARTS & CULTURE
Chey Scott (x225) FOOD & LISTINGS EDITOR Nathan Weinbender (x250) FILM & MUSIC EDITOR
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EDITOR’S NOTE
Normally, we ask our question of the week of people we randomly encounter on the street. But with the coronavirus pandemic, we instead asked our followers on social media to share their thoughts.
TRENT REEDY: I would have liked to have been an old school Star Trek fan in theaters to see Star Trek: The Motion Picture in 1979. It’s not the best Star Trek film, but seeing the Enterprise on the big screen, looking so real especially compared to the ’60s TV show, seeing the old crew back together again… it must have been very special. CAMILLE TROXEL: Citizen Kane. Historically and technically I know what makes it great, I know the scenes that have all the film firsts, so I wonder what it would be like to watch it without that awareness and without the notoriety coloring the experience. TRAVIS NAUGHT: Jaws. I have always loved the movie, been enthralled by it, but never really found it believable… Everyone in 1975 found it so believable they were terrified by it. I would’ve liked that.
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CLYDE HERRINGTON: 2001: A Space Odyssey. It still impresses me.
Take
ve your next le to the
IESup OK spice COHo w to read
CHARLOTTE ROGERS THACKER: Janet Leigh says it all. To see Psycho for the first time, in the theater, when the whole world was keeping the ending a secret. n
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CHRISTINA WEBER: Casablanca. There’s just something about that movie that always has me on the edge of my seat, no matter how many times I watch it. Seeing it for the first time in a crowded theater, hearing everyone’s reactions to the equally comedic and dramatic parts… that would just be amazing.
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Is This the End?
YOUNG KWAK PHOTO
We’re catching a glimpse of our future, and it’s terrifying BY JOHN T. REUTER
I
t was apocalyptically surreal. Throughout the day, a haze slowly filled the sky, obscuring the sun and creating the lighting of a B-movie horror film. The smoke was so intense that it crept into the house through whatever cracks it could find. Ash literally fell from the sky, covering everything. I’ve spent my entire life in the Pacific Northwest. For as long as I can remember, fire has been a threat. As a child, I surveyed the damage of past fires that ended frighteningly close to my family’s ranch and looked across Hells Canyon as smoke dramatically rose above Oregon mountains blurring the horizon. I’ve experienced long stretches of smoke in Idaho’s Treasure Valley, keeping us indoors. And yes, a few years ago, I’ve even watched ash fall gently from the sky, covering cars in the streets of Seattle. But I’d never experienced anything like this.
My wife, dog and I were staying at my mother and stepfather’s house in Corvallis, Oregon, as fires burned across the West. We’d retreated from our small Seattle apartment to look after their home and cats as they camped out across the country to visit grandchildren in Boston they hadn’t seen since the pandemic reduced responsible air travel. After spending months within no more than a couple dozen feet of each other at all times, my wife, dog and I were all delighted by the sudden freedom and space of life in the suburbs. Franklin, the dog, was particularly thrilled to run in the backyard. My wife and I were equally ecstatic at being able to work out of separate rooms where we couldn’t hear the other talking on the phone.
T
hroughout this pandemic, my wife and I have reminded each other frequently of just how lucky and privileged we are. We have steady jobs, a home, and access to food delivered to us at the press of a button. But in the suburbs, sitting on the back porch at night, playing cribbage, and eating dessert, we didn’t just feel privileged. For the first time in months, we felt relaxed. As smoke rolled in alongside news of entire towns burning to the ground, we were still clearly privileged, but no longer relaxed. As conditions worsened, we bunkered down, sequestering ourselves in smaller and smaller portions of the house until our small Seattle apartment started to seem a lot larger than when we had first arrived. The air quality was so bad outside that it was off the charts. Doctors and scientists were saying we didn’t know what the longterm impacts of breathing this stuff would be — but they clearly weren’t good. Nobody should be out in this if they could avoid it. It took a while to track down the independently minded outdoor cats. By the time we had, their fur was covered in ash. We tucked them away in the garage — which they quickly grew accustomed to and seemed to be coping much better than we were almost immediately.
“A few days later, the ash had stopped falling and the air quality had improved from beyond ‘hazardous’ to a merely toxic ‘very unhealthy.’” A few days later, the ash had stopped falling and the air quality had improved from beyond “hazardous” to a merely toxic “very unhealthy.” We had long been scheduled to return home and with it looking like things may get worse again, we decided to pack up and make a dash back up to Seattle. The roads weren’t anywhere close to empty, but it was the smoothest trip we’d ever had on that stretch of interstate. Another reminder of being lucky. Along the way, we passed farms where workers were still out harvesting crops. Later I learned most of those workers were out there without the masks needed to block out the worst of the smoke, that these same workers were already being hit far worse by the pandemic, and that the combination of smoke damaging their lungs along with the potential to catch a lethal respiratory disease heightened the risks they faced. All so that in the months to come, when we hit that button, food will continue to be delivered to our home in Seattle. Their work is essential — not just for our comfort but our collective survival.
I
n the early days of American colonies, settlers saw their skies similarly darkened with falling ash. A deeply religious people, who frequently discussed a coming apocalypse even in their better moments, they feared it was a sign that the end times were upon them. Soon enough, though, things for them returned to normal. Still quite difficult, but normal difficult. Now we live in times where we might really be facing the end — at least of life as we know it. In the years ahead, I fear none of us are going to be lucky or privileged enough to not see our lives altered by this changing climate. How bad it will be, how close it comes to being an ending, will all depend on how we respond as life returns to normal. As these fires are extinguished and as this pandemic someday is defeated, will we remember seeing this peek into a potentially devastating future? Is this the end? It’s for us to decide. n John T. Reuter, a former Sandpoint City Councilman, studied at the College of Idaho and currently resides in Seattle. He has been active in protecting the environment, expanding LGBT rights and Idaho’s Republican Party politics.
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OCTOBER 8, 2020 INLANDER 7
DEVELOPMENT
WAITING FOR THE
PROMISED LAND An altered North Spokane Corridor plan will likely free up dozens of acres of East Central land for new housing — but when? BY DANIEL WALTERS
S
pokane City Councilwoman Betsy Wilkerson stands in a 12acre lot across from Sheridan Elementary school in the East Central neighborhood of Spokane. Other than the constant hum of freeway noise, this is a prime location for development: It’s directly across the street from a school, a block or two away from Fred Meyer, and it’s immediately accessible to the I-90 interstate freeway. Indeed, when Wilkerson grew up in East Central, she recalls, there were single-family homes here — affordable and attainable housing owned by blue-collar workers employed at places like Kaiser Aluminum.
City Councilwoman Betsy Wilkerson would like to see new development in this part of East Central to “increase the vibrancy of this neighborhood.” YOUNG KWAK PHOTO
8 INLANDER OCTOBER 8, 2020
“This is one of the few neighborhoods that has paved alleys,” Wilkerson says. The alleys are still here. But the fences and houses have long ago disappeared. Other than the alleys, a few towering trees and brush, these blocks are a wide stretch of nothing in the middle of a city. Wilkerson wants that to change: She wants to not just bring back the single-family homes, but add multifamily complexes, retail shops and other assets that “increase the vibrancy of this neighborhood.” ...continued on page 10
OCTOBER 8, 2020 INLANDER 9
NEWS | DEVELOPMENT “WAITING FOR THE PROMISED LAND,” CONTINUED...
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borhood resident Tommy Fletcher said in a 2014 recorded oral history interview posted on the Spokane Historical website. “That went on for many years.” So in the late 1950s, when planners had to decide where to plop down the new Interstate 90 freeway, nobody was surprised they ran it right through the middle of East Central. Homes in its path were demolished. The northern part of the neighborhood was cut off from services. Neighborhood businesses, starved of traffic, shuttered their doors. An enormous chasm divided the community. The Department of Transportation is well aware of the history. So this time, the agency’s community partnership director, Charlene Kay, says the department has sought out leaders in local neighborhoods to sketch out how the North Spokane Corridor might look. It wasn’t just about the roads — it was about bike trails, pedes-
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But right now, these lots can’t be developed — at least, not yet. They’re owned by the state of Washington. Over the last 15 years, the Washington Department of Transportation has been gobbling up vast tracts of land like these along I-90 in the East Central neighborhood, preparing for a time when the North Spokane Corridor would finally connect with the interstate freeway. For a decade, the freeway design called for constructing additional roads running parallel to the north and south of I-90, intending to allow North Spokane Corridor traffic to seamlessly merge with the interstate. The combined freeway, on-and-off ramps and side roads would have stretched across 19 lanes of asphalt at some points at East Central. But that plan was abandoned. It was too expensive. So in 2015, the Department of Transportation changed course, shifting to a more modest and traditional design. That means that, theoretically, the state could release large swaths of East Central land for other uses, like affordable housing or public park spaces. The department says it’s been partnering with local community members — and even Washington State University architectural students — to explore how to use that land. “That they are willing to acknowledge that they don’t need the land and that they’re willing to reinvest back in the community is probably the biggest hope I’ve seen around housing stock in this neighborhood in a long time,” Wilkerson says. But while Councilwoman Lori Kinnear share’s Wilkerson’s excitement about the potential, she’s frustrated by the delay. Looking at the desperate need for more housing in Spokane, she’s “frothing at the mouth about this right now,” she says, stressing the difficulty of getting clear answers from the state about when that land will be available. “Now we just sit and wait? In the meantime, this neighborhood has been decimated,” Kinnear says. “We lack buildable land for affordable housing, and here these lots sit and nothing is being done.”
“At this point, nothing is being delayed. I think everything is full speed ahead.”
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ROAD TO RUIN
The last time a new highway came to East Central, it practically destroyed the neighborhood. Historically, the area had the highest concentration of Black residents in Spokane. That fact didn’t just color how the neighborhood was seen; it shaped its fate. In 1937, the federal government’s Home Owners’ Loan Corporation, for example, immortalized the views of local real estate agents and banks by giving the East Central area of Spokane just west of Liberty Park an incredibly low “red” rating, penalizing the region for the “melting pot of Spokane” and lamenting that even the nicer areas suffered “proximity to largest negro concentration of the city.” This practice, known as “red-lining,” effectively made housing discrimination a federal policy. “We couldn’t buy a house in South Hill because of color,” longtime East Central neigh-
trian crossings and other public spaces. “We’re seeking community input on where to site those locations, and what should happen at the end of those crossings,” Kay says. There could be parks, amphitheaters or even outdoor food courts. Wilkerson gives the state credit for reaching out. “They came to us at the beginning. I think that’s pretty powerful for the neighborhood to be invited in first,” Wilkerson says. “I think that just shows their commitment.” But she also believes that the loss of housing in the neighborhood over the years has exacerbated the housing crisis. And Kinnear suggests that, with the North Spokane Corridor project, the department risks repeating history. “I feel as if the state came and just divided a neighborhood — a neighborhood that is a lower-income neighborhood and is just trying to eke out a sense of community,” Kinnear says. “People have been uprooted. Homes have been demolished.”
AVAILABILITY PENDING
Still, with the possibility that the community could turn some of the land freed up by the changes to the North Spokane Corridor plan into housing, Kinnear sees a huge opportunity. But she’s frustrated that the state hasn’t yet determined which portions of the property could be redeveloped. “Everything is just hanging out there,” she says. “We don’t have answers and we’re not given answers.” The Inlander pressed the Department of Transportation on a simple question: With the changes to the freeway design, how much of the state-owned land in East Central was potentially available for other uses? The department declined to provide an answer. However, they did give the Inlander a rough map of potentially available properties — includ-
ing three large areas to the north and east of Fred Meyer and a third strip near Liberty Park. In total, there are nearly 30 acres, over one-third the size of the transformative Kendall Yards development near downtown Spokane. But the transportation officials caution that some of that land might be used for bicycle and pedestrian trails, stormwater improvements or other changes. Even though parts of the North Spokane Corridor have been under construction since 2001, the project’s final design still hasn’t been completed. Instead, it’s moving forward in stages. “At this point, nothing is being delayed,” says Washington state Senate Majority Leader Andy Billig, D-Spokane. “I think everything is full speed ahead.” But in this climate, uncertainties still abound. Highway projects are primarily funded by gas taxes, Billig says. But in most years, they’ve also been partially funded by car tab revenues. Thanks to less driving during the pandemic, however, gas tax revenue is down. And if the $30-car-tab Initiative 976 is upheld by the courts, the state would see another transportation revenue stream plummet. Some transportation projects might be pared back, while others could be delayed. But even at full-speed, the department won’t start advertising for the firm to finalize the design for the East Central portion of the project until 2023, says North Spokane Corridor design project engineer Bob Hilmes. “After a six-month delay, they’ll start working in design for certain areas,” Hilmes says. “Once that’s done, they’ll release those for construction. At that point, we’ll have an indication as to what’s truly available or not.” But Kinnear still wants more clarity and feels she’s not getting it. “I look at this and I say, ‘This is an opportunity,’” Kinnear says. “But we can’t do anything unless we get cooperation from the state.”
FINAL PROJECT
Randy McGlenn, chair of the East Central Neighborhood Council, supports waiting until the details of the project are nailed down before making any big plans. “We shouldn’t run through that prospect until we really see the project really come to fruition and really start to see it unfold,” McGlenn says. “Between now and then, a number of things can change.” While the neighborhood is waiting over the next three LETTERS years for the details to be Send comments to finalized, Kay, Transportation’s editor@inlander.com. community partnership director, says there’s plenty of time to draw up potential plans for the area. It’s not just neighborhood activists and council members who are interested, she notes. Ayad Rahmani, an architectural professor at Washington State University, has tasked his fourth-year architecture students to do just that this semester. His students have spent the last few weeks digging into the tumultuous history of the region, before drawing up plans for the three of the state’s “potentially available” East Central properties. Jhoana Hernandez-Avante, a student in Rahmani’s class, talks about her ambition to design a walkable neighborhood where the neighbors can really mingle and get to know each other. “We’re hoping we can change the way people are segregated income-wise as well,” Hernandez-Avante says. “We want mixed income, not just creating affordable housing.” In her mind, that means not just adding denser development, but also adding in retail, community spaces like a library or a Boys and Girls Club. It means solving problems like highway noise by putting up barriers or vegetation. All this energy gives Councilwoman Wilkerson a sense of optimism. While she shares some of Kinnear’s irritation with the slow rate of bureaucracy, she believes the transportation department “sincerely wants to partner with the city and the community to bring this neighborhood back.” n
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going into COVID,” says Brandt. He adds that outdoor patio dining in the building’s alley will continue “as long as the weather holds out.” Once temperatures drop, Iron Goat also plans to reinstate door-to-door delivery, a service that it had experimented with early on and then paused during the summer months. “We found that people were pretty excited to have beer delivered to their homes,” he laughs. “And we have an amazing chef who puts out some really great stuff. We just got a lot of positive feedback on that. So we’re thinking that it actually might be pretty good for us to continue that in the future.” Of course, Iron Goat isn’t the only Spokane-area brewery that’s getting into the Oktoberfest spirit while still adhering to COVID-19 guidelines. Perry Street, Snow Eater, Whistle Punk, Brick West and many others are all releasing their own seasonal beers. If they also have dining facilities, they typically also have some sort of food component to match the theme. (Check with your favorite brewery to see what’s special on tap this month; stay connected to the Inland NW Craft Brewers at facebook.com/inwaletrail.) “Brewing schedules can get kind of crazy with the whole
A COLORFUL FLIGHT FROM IRON GOAT
Tastes Like Fall As part of a family with strong German roots, it was customary for Greg Brandt to celebrate Oktoberfest every autumn. Now in his fifth year as head brewer and owner of Iron Goat Brewing Co., Brandt continues that annual tradition by offering limited-run German-style beers and suitably paired cuisine when October rolls around. “Our Oktoberfest beer is called ‘Goatoberfest.’ We have another German beer called ‘Give ‘em Helles,’ which is a Helles-style beer. So it’s very bright, crisp and light to balance against the heartier Goatoberfest,” he says. “We also do a food-type celebration. We’re going to have brats, rouladen and schnitzel sandwiches as well as some sides of rotkohl, spätzle and German potato salad.” What’s special about all of Iron Goat’s beers, Goatoberfest included, is that they use a natural carbonation process called spunding, which, as you might expect, stems from
traditional German brewing methods. That means they don’t force carbon dioxide into the beer to give it its fizz. Instead, they cap off the container and let the beer carbonate through fermentation. “That typically gives it a creamier head and tighter bubbles. It’s more of a golden color, and it’s bready and kind of has that toasted malt flavor. We use Hallertau Mittelfrüh as the main hop, which gives it a nice, crisp punch at the end. It has a little hint of honey even though there’s no honey in it.” For all that remains the same at Iron Goat, their Oktoberfest festivities will look a little different in 2020. In keeping with COVID-19 mandates, the brewery’s indoor dining is spaced for social distancing. Each table is equipped with a QR code menu for touchless ordering. This year the full food and drink lineup will be available for takeout too. “That’s one of the adaptations that we’ve had to make
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12 INLANDER OCTOBER 8, 2020
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IRON GOAT OWNER GREG BRANDT pandemic going and everything else. You just end up filling holes where you can,” Brandt says. “But I’m sure everybody’s going to be doing something.” ◆ Iron Goat Brewing is located at 1302 W. Second Ave. Find out more by calling 474-0722 or visit irongoatbrewing.com. Some of the other local breweries celebrating Oktoberfest include Perry Street Brewing (1025 S. Perry St., 279-2820, perrystreetbrewing.com), Snow Eater Brewing Co. (2325 N. McKinzie Ln., Liberty Lake, 862-6954, snoweaterbrewingcompany.com) and Whistle Punk Brewing (122 S. Monroe St., 315-4465, whistlepunkbrewing.com).
Fresh sheet BRICK WEST BREWING
BENE'S
SPOKANE [ DOWNTOWN ] Our plaza common area is open to spread out and enjoy craft beer safely. We have Brick West Fest Bier on tap now 1318 West 1st Avenue
CHENEY Now serving Mimosa Flights! Special Waffle of the Month is the Pumpkin Spice Waffle. 24 West 1st Street
BACKYARD PUBLIC HOUSE
SPOKANE VALLEY We expanded our business and now offer house-made Volonti gelato! 3403 East Sprague Avenue
SPOKANE [ NORTH ] Every Wed Night is our Upscale Pub Mac N Cheese night for only $10. 1318 West Broadway Avenue
BARNWOOD SOCIAL KITCHEN AND TAVERN SPOKANE [ NORTH ] Every Tuesday Barnwood offers upscale pub tacos at hugely discounted prices. 3027 Liberty Avenue
MAGNOLIA BRASSERIE
REPUBLIC PI ATTICUS COFFEE & GIFTS
MAGNOLIA BRASSERIE
CAFE • DOWNTOWN Need a pick-me-up and a unique gift for that birthday you almost forgot? Get both and more at Atticus. The cafe offers delicious espresso drinks made with coffee from local roasters, loose-leaf teas, house-made granola, simple baguette sandwiches, amazing pastries from Cake Bakery and a variety of other offerings. The historic downtown location and welcoming atmosphere, paired with a highly browsable gift store, make Atticus a perfect place to sip then wander. 222 N. Howard St., 747-0336, facebook.com/ AtticusCoffee
FRENCH • DOWNTOWN We serve a casual, yet refined, Frenchinspired menu featuring a fantastic selection of local beer, wine and spirits in the newly renovated Historic Hotel Indigo. Our dining room is spacious, allowing for maximum social distancing beyond the required 6 feet. We utilize sanitation procedures that exceed all of the current recommendations, as well as hand sanitizer at each entrance and masks available by request. A private dining room is available by request for anybody who feels they are high risk and would prefer more space. Please call ahead to make arrangements. 110 S. Madison St., 862-6410, magnoliabrasserie.com
CASCADIA PUBLIC HOUSE AMERICAN • NORTH SPOKANE Cascadia Public House works with several local and regional farmers and ranchers with an emphasis on sustainability for the future. We offer fresh, high-quality bar-style shareables, burgers, sandwiches and salads. We also have an entire plant-based menu with many gluten-free options. Our patio is open as well and features three separate fireplaces! Takeout is available by calling or by using our online ordering system on our website. We are offering delivery through Uber Eats and Treehouse. We have also moved to touchless menus. 6314 N. Ash St., 321-7051, cascadiapublichouse.com
LUMBERBEARD BREWING BREWERY • DOWNTOWN Lumberbeard Brewing is an independent, family-owned craft brewery. Crafting up spectacular beers from IPA to pilsner to stout, there is a beer here for everyone. Now serving gourmet grilled cheese, you can bring the whole family to the spacious taproom for lunch or dinner! We have online ordering for pickup of cans, growlers and crowlers. 25 E. Third Ave., 381-5142, lumberbeardbrewing.com
deals • specials • updates
SPOKANE [ SOUTH ] Tuesday is $12 Pi Day! Your favorite pizza, just $12 every Tuesday from 11 am to 10 pm. Available for dine-in & phone-in to-go orders. 611 East 30th Avenue
SPORTSMAN CAFE SPOKANE [ NORTH ] Breakfast Specials Mon-Fri 6 am to 11 am Sat-Sun 6 am -1 pm. Soon to bring back lunch specials. 6410 N. Market Street
KUNI'S THAI CUISINE SPOKANE [ NORTH ] Lunch specials from 11 am to 2 pm Tuesday to Sunday. 101 E Hastings Suite A
POOLE'S PUBLIC HOUSE SPOKANE [ TWO LOCATIONS ] We are now serving breakfast 7 days a week, starting at 8 am! 12310 North Ruby Road 5620 S. Regal Street
MIFLAVOUR
KITTY CANTINA SPOKANE [ NORTH ] During October, Say “Mischief Managed” during checkout and receive double punches on drink purchases. 6704 N Nevada Street
CASEYS PLACE SPOKANE VALLEY Small turkey avocado sandwich, chips and drink $9.45 13817 East Sprague Avenue
CLARK'S FORK SPOKANE [ NORTH ] Buy an entrée and get a pastry for free! 1028 N Hamilton St Suite 100
PETE'S PIZZA SPOKANE [ NORTH ] Special: Every Tuesday, any calzone $9.95, full or lite size 821 E. Sharp Ave.
TOM SAWYER COUNTRY COFFEE SPOKANE [ NORTH ] Call or come in for the most up-to-date specials. Think Pumpkin Spice! 608 North Maple Street
TOWNSHEND CELLAR SPOKANE [ NORTH ] Our tasting room is now open by reservation only! Patio seating only at this time. Gowlers available to-go (refillable wine bottle!) 8022 East Greenbluff Road
More Fresh Sheet at
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ABOUT Back to business • These weekly pages are part of a local marketing effort in support of the hospitality
sector brought to you by leading institutions and businesses to help promote the Spokane County economy, supported in part by Cares Act funding. With the goal of balancing commerce and public safety, you can follow along here in the Inlander, and via the links below, as local restaurants, shops and more share their stories and invite your support.
more to come • Through the end of the year, watch
the Inlander for special Back To Business guides, along with special editorial sections, sharing more recovery stories and community business features.
Safe business practice resources KindnessNotCovid.org • Financial resources for businesses InlandBizStrong.org
OCTOBER 8 2020 INLANDER 13
NEWS | ELECTION 2020
Voting By Mail, Voting Early With COVID-19 encouraging more voting by mail and a huge turnout expected, election officials stress early voting BY SAMANTHA WOHLFEIL
T
he Nov. 3 General Election is fast approaching, but there’s still time to register to vote and to vote early in what is sure to be not only a massive turnout for the presidential election, but also a slightly different year than usual for many voters. Throughout the year, COVID-19 has changed elements of voting around the country with social distancing concerns. This spring, Idaho election officials scrambled to conduct the presidential primary entirely through absentee ballots that are mailed out to voters and returned by mail or dropped off at an official location. In a normal year, those absentee ballots go out to a small fraction of voters who request them, while most Idaho voters appear at in-person polling stations designated by where they live. But with concerns about the spread of the virus, Idaho got an early taste of what Washington has been doing for more than a decade, as the whole state operates its elections by mail. Now heading into the November election, Idaho will see in-person voting open again, but with far more voters than usual receiving their ballots by mail. With this in mind, here’s information on last-minute voter registration, how to track your ballots, and how to vote early in the Inland Northwest.
REGISTER TO VOTE
In Idaho, people have until Oct. 9 to register to vote online at idahovotes.gov. Or a registration form may be filed with elections offices by that day. Voters must have a valid Idaho driver’s license to register online, or fill out a form with their ID number or last four digits of their Social Security number, along with their address and stating they’ve lived in Idaho for at least 30 days before the election. People who miss the Oct. 9 deadline can still register on Election Day by bringing in a photo ID and a “current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck or government document that shows your name and address” before being allowed to vote at the polls.
MORE INFORMATION
For more information on voter registration, tracking the status of your ballot, or to request a replacement ballot Washington voters may visit myvote. wa.gov and Idaho voters may visit idahovotes.gov. In Washington, people have until Oct. 26 to register online at myvote.wa.gov or by submitting paperwork with their local election office by that day. Online registration requires a Washington driver’s license or ID, while the print form similarly requires the last four of a Social Security number short of ID information, along with the voter’s address. Washington voters can also register until 8 pm Election Day if they do so in person, although that is technically the cutoff time for voting and waiting until the last minute is highly discouraged. While most presidential elections see about 82 to 84
14 INLANDER OCTOBER 8, 2020
percent voter turnout in Spokane County, Auditor Vicky Dalton says they expect this year’s turnout to break records. Understandably, with concerns about social distancing and the extremely large turnout expected, election officials throughout the Inland Northwest urge people to register as early as possible, and to vote early, too.
ABSENTEE/MAIL-IN BALLOTS
Election Day, meaning those who mail theirs in should do so with ample time. While in-person polls will be open again, with safety measures including gloves, masks and hand sanitizer, Rosedale asks that those who requested an absentee ballot use that to vote. President Donald Trump has at times this year encouraged his supporters to try to test the safety net of their election systems by trying to vote by mail and in person, but election officials warn that voting twice is a felony and it has been prosecuted in both states. Electronic poll books will track if an absentee ballot has been received by a voter in Idaho, so a poll worker won’t be allowed to issue a ballot to that same person, Rosedale says. “And everybody knows voting twice is a felony, and our prosecutor is not hot on people messing with the system,” Rosedale says. “The risk/reward is vastly on the risk side to try and do that for one vote.” If voters haven’t received their mail-in ballots by Oct. 22, they should contact their local election office for a replacement.
By now, most Washington voters are used to receiving their ballots in the mail. But this election, many will see those ballots arrive a week earlier than usual, as Secretary of State Kim Wyman urged county officials to get balMost states are encouraging voters to cast their ballots lots out faster to avoid undue delays through the postal early if at all possible. system. In addition to sending in ballots by mail sooner than Spokane County and several surrounding counties later, early in-person voting stations are available. will mail ballots out on Oct. 8 and 9. A few smaller counties will mail their ballots out Oct. 16 as usual. Washington ballots must be postmarked by Nov. 3 or dropped off by 8 pm at an official dropbox that day (check with your local elections office for a list of locations). Typically about half the ballots received by officials come in the week of the election, Dalton says. Election workers have to verify signatures and scan ballots before they can be counted, and anything arriving close to Tuesday, Nov. 3, is unlikely to be included in the first count released election night after voting closes. “What we’re figuring is if ballots come into us by Sunday night, While most presidential elections see about 82 to 84 percent voter turnout in Spokane County, then those ballots will probably Auditor Vicky Dalton says they expect this year’s turnout to break records. be included in the totals that are Idaho voters can go to their elections office in person released on Tuesday,” Dalton says. “One thing you can between Oct. 19 and Oct. 30 to vote. stress over and over is to just be patient. States certify Kootenai County Chief Deputy Clerk Jennifer Locke their elections on different days. When you sit down for notes that voters won’t be able to vote at the election Thanksgiving dinner with your family, that’s about the office on Nov. 3, but should go to their respective polling time you can really look at the totals.” place to do so. However, absentee ballots will not be able In Idaho, voters who requested absentee ballots this to be dropped off at those polling places and should be spring will automatically get an absentee ballot for the dropped off at the box at the election office at 1808 N. General Election as well, as their system notes someone Third St. in Coeur d’Alene. as an absentee for the year. In Boundary County, early voting will start even That’s confused some voters who’ve called in to earlier on Oct. 13, at the Clerk’s office in the Boundary Bonner County insisting they never signed up for an abCounty Courthouse at 6452 Kootenai St. in Bonners sentee ballot, explains County Clerk Michael Rosedale. Ferry. Bonner was able to mail out most absentee ballots three Ballots may be dropped off at a box there during dayweeks ago, Rosedale says, with about 12,000 ballots gotime hours, explains Cherry Grainger, elections director ing out in a county with roughly 25,000 registered voters. for Boundary County. “The biggest [concern] we’ve had is people say, ‘I “We’re telling people, ‘You know, if you’re not sure didn’t request an absentee ballot,’ but in fact they did, about the mail system, you can drop off your ballot and we have it on record back in May, because they had here at ballot boxes outside,’” Grainger says. “We have a to,” Rosedale says. gentleman always outside whenever the ballot boxes are The deadline to request an absentee ballot in Idaho outside.” n is Oct. 23. Unlike in Washington, Idaho absentee ballots samanthaw@inlander.com need to be physically received by election officials on
EARLY VOTING
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OCTOBER 8, 2020 INLANDER 15
16 INLANDER OCTOBER 8, 2020
BREAKING THE CYCLE? A
Harold Carpenter says he’s been homeless since his wife died four years ago. He says he’s often had no choice but to sleep on the streets. “You just tough it,” he says. “You just go outside, and you try to get out of the rain or the snow or whatever.” YOUNG KWAK PHOTO
Following years of chaos, Spokane says it’s more prepared to provide shelter for the homeless this winter. Will it be enough? BY WILSON CRISCIONE
s someone who’s been homeless in Spokane, Harold Carpenter has seen the same story play out again and again. First, a homeless shelter closes. Then, the city promises there will be a new shelter soon. But unforeseen obstacles get in the way, and by the time the first snow falls, the city is still scrambling to find shelter space. It happened in 2018, prompting activists and people who were homeless to demand more shelter space and form a tent city outside City Hall. It happened in 2019, when the city — failing to meet its goal to have a new shelter running that summer — couldn’t add enough space in temporary warming centers until late December. And each time, it’s forced Carpenter, who says he’s been homeless since his wife died four years ago, to sleep out on the streets. “You just tough it,” Carpenter says. “You just go outside, and you try to get out of the rain or the snow or whatever.” So will this winter be any different? Elected leaders, city officials and shelter providers tell the Inlander that they’re optimistic. Oddly enough, they credit the COVID-19 crisis. The pandemic, they say, has ignited more regional collaboration between city and county officials, and it’s unlocked federal dollars used to address homelessness, resulting in an additional 102-bed shelter on Mission Avenue that opened this August — a triumph in the region’s plan to address homelessness that’s been years in the making. “I think the pandemic really helped us. At the beginning of this year, we really came together as a region in the emergency operations center, working out of there with all the jurisdictions, all the elected [leaders], to address all of the issues that came along with the pandemic, including homelessness,” says Spokane Mayor Nadine Woodward. “We were kind of forced into it.” But not everyone is as optimistic about shelter space this winter, when demand inevitably grows. The Mission shelter, operated by the Salvation Army, is already turning away around a dozen people each night, says manager Gerriann Armstrong. While the city plans to open more warming centers, it’s unclear how those will be paid for with the city’s budget stretched thin due to the pandemic. Today, there’s a total of 450 low-barrier bed spaces in the shelter system. That’s more than last year at this time, but it’s still short of the peak capacity of 519 spaces needed last winter, according to the city’s shelter capacity report. And even then, the peak capacity of last year may not be enough in a year of a pandemic. Shelters are already full, and adding space beyond what was required in previous years may be difficult for the region’s home-
lessness response system to do. “I am worried that the demand for shelter beds is going to exceed what we’re planning for,” says Spokane City Council President Breean Beggs.
IN IT TOGETHER
Woodward’s celebration and support of new shelter space may come as a surprise to followers of her 2019 toughon-homelessness mayoral campaign. A year ago, she criticized the city’s plans for a new low-barrier emergency shelter, arguing that such shelters don’t provide the personal “accountability” needed to lift people out of homelessness. She had similar criticisms of Housing First, a model touted by the Housing and Urban Development department that considers housing as the necessary first step to treat underlying conditions of homelessness like mental illness and drug addiction. Yet Spokane’s current plan, which Woodward supports, relies on both low-barrier shelters and Housing First programs. But Woodward insists her position has never wavered. She says she still believes that “temporary drop-in shelters” aren’t the answer, and that there “needs to be accountability” along with mental health and drug treatment. Crucially, she points out that the Mission shelter will eventually provide that accountability: Next year it will transition into a bridge shelter, meaning guests will have to be referred there and receive case management. In the meantime, she says no-barrier shelters that don’t require sobriety are necessary in the cold. “We can’t have people freezing on the streets,” she says. “That’s something we will always provide.” Early on in her tenure as mayor, however, the city took criticism for once again forcing homeless people onto the street. The city abruptly closed a shelter on Cannon Street at the end of April that briefly resulted in a tent city forming in nearby Coeur d’Alene Park in the Browne’s Addition neighborhood, where those in the shelter were told they could go by the shelter operator, Jewels Helping Hands. To members of the City Council, it looked like the issues from former Mayor David Condon’s administration had carried over to Woodward. Within months, the council passed a law that now prevents the city from closing a homeless shelter without a replacement plan. But Beggs says that overall, he’s been able to find plenty of common ground with Woodward. For instance, he too supports the plan for a bridge shelter as a way to get people into stable housing while receiving services. He adds that Woodward’s campaign rhetoric hasn’t had an impact on her policies. “She’s paying for and operating no-barrier shelters right now, and she’s not complaining about it, or fighting about it,” Beggs says. ...continued on next page
OCTOBER 8, 2020 INLANDER 17
HOMELESSNESS
“BREAKING THE CYCLE?,” CONTINUED... Woodward, who previously spent nearly 30 years as a local TV news anchor, does admit that she’s experienced a steep learning curve since coming into office. For instance, when she took over as mayor, she didn’t know about Spokane’s Continuum of Care board, a collection of regional stakeholders, service providers and people who have experienced homelessness that aims to address the issue. “Coming into office, I wanted to set up a task force on this issue. But then I realized we had this Continuum of Care group,” she says. “Instead of setting a task force that would be a duplicate of the efforts they’re putting out, I thought it was important that we get electeds together so that we make decisions that are aligned with what the Continuum of Care board is suggesting for our region.” What the Continuum of Care board is suggesting can be found in its recently finalized five-year plan to end homelessness by 2025. That plan says that low-barrier shelters “play an important role” in the system, and that “the city-funded emergency shelter system is HousingFirst.” It adds that by 2025, the goal is to add emergency shelter space, like the current Mission shelter, along with shelters targeted toward specific demographics. A new young adult shelter (for 18- to 24-year-olds) that the city wants to establish would serve as an example of the latter. Pam Tietz, the board’s chairwoman, applauds the coordination between the city and county governments in seeing some of the goals come to fruition. The board’s current governance structure was implemented in 2017, and she says that laid the groundwork for coordination between the county and the city, giving both common language and goals moving forward. The major change this year, she says, is that the pandemic created a greater sense of urgency. Plus, the county is able to use money from the CARES Act to invest in facilities within the city, like the
18 INLANDER OCTOBER 8, 2020
Mission shelter. That shelter alone should prevent at least some last-minute desperation for shelter space this winter. “I think this year, unlike previous years, we won’t be scrambling,” Tietz says. “I think we’ve got a plan.” However, the Mission shelter, combined with other existing shelters, won’t be enough. Though the warming centers opened late last year, they added hundreds of shelter spaces by January — combining for an overall shelter capacity that would eclipse the shelter capacity today. That’s why the city and regional stakeholders know they need to add more warming center space before winter comes. And that’s where the pandemic may complicate things.
FINDING THE MONEY
Autumn and Jae Ives lost their home two years ago. Ever since, the couple has been trying to get back on their feet. They’ve cycled in and out of shelters, and sometimes stayed outside camping while Jae had a job at Burger King, which was their only source of income. “We were doing OK,” Autumn says. “Then COVID hit, and he lost his job.” Now, they’re at the Mission shelter — the only place they can stay as a couple. And they don’t know when they’ll have their own place again. “We’re not trying to spend Christmas here,” Autumn says. Gerriann Armstrong, the shelter manager, says she’s already seeing ways the pandemic is causing homelessness. Either people were already homeless and struggling to find a job or housing, or they’re just now losing their homes. “We are seeing more and more folks that have not been in the shelter system, who are brand new to seeking shelter and things like that,” she says. “So that is definitely a concern.”
That concern is shared anecdotally among those working closely with people experiencing homelessness. While it’s hard to find statistics on homelessness locally, at least until next year’s Point-in-Time count, city officials worry the number of people who are homeless is growing. “I think we have had an increase,” says Tietz, who’s also the executive director of the Spokane Housing Authority. “What I worry about is, what happens when the eviction moratorium has lifted?” That can make it hard to plan for adequate shelter space. Tim Sigler, director of the city’s Community Housing and Human Services Board, says it’s hard to say whether there will be enough space this winter or not because it depends on the demographics. In the past, families and single women typically have been able to find shelter in the winter, while shelter fills up fast for adult men. If the number of people seeking shelter this winter hasn’t drastically increased, however, Sigler is more confident that the city is prepared. The city, on behalf of the Continuum of Care, has already begun the process to find an operator to run the shelter at Cannon Street like last year. “Once we get the Cannon site up and operational, that will get us very close to what capacity normally is,” Sigler says. Plus, Armstrong says the Mission shelter may increase its winter capacity from 102 to 120. Still, Beggs says the council is urging the administration to be prepared for more overflow warming center space if needed. And though the process has already started to find an organization to run the Cannon site, it remains unclear how that will be paid for. Beggs says the mayor’s proposed budget summary, presented to council members in September, shows a $3 million budget deficit for 2021. And that summary didn’t
City Council President Breean Beggs (left) and Mayor Nadine Woodward (above). YOUNG KWAK PHOTOS
Autumn and Jae Ives lost their home two years ago. Ever since, they’ve cycled in and out of shelters, and sometimes stayed outside camping. YOUNG KWAK PHOTO
account for at least another $2 million that would be spent on opening overflow warming centers. Woodward says the administration is still in the process of identifying where that money would come from, and if there’s a way to open Cannon and potentially other warming centers at a lower cost. She didn’t rule out dipping into reserve funds if need be. “That’s something we’ve had to do in the past,” Woodward says. “We certainly don’t want to, but if we have to, we might have to.” For Beggs, it’s not even a question. Just like it’s a no brainer to spend money combating wildfires, it’s a no brainer that the city will pay for the Cannon shelter and other warming centers, he says. That just means that the city budget will find itself in further trouble. “It’s not a question of are we going to open Cannon or not. Yes, we are.” But what if that still doesn’t come close to meeting the need? What if the city needs to spend millions more to open other warming centers just to keep people alive? In the past, Beggs says the previous city administration would cut off extra spending like that, despite the council feeling that it was necessary. So far, he says, Woodward’s administration hasn’t given an indication that will happen again. Yet that remains his top concern: Despite better regional coordination and planning, the city will again be desperate to add shelter space this winter, without the resources to do so. “If there’s a 911 call, you have to answer,” he says. “If it’s a serious matter of life or death — and shelter is that — we just have to treat it the same way.”
If there’s a 911 call, you have to answer. If it’s a serious matter of life or death — and shelter is that — we just have to treat it the same way.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Wilson Criscione has been a staff writer at the Inlander since 2016. He covers education, social services and other news. He can be reached at wilsonc@inlander.com or 325-0634 ext. 282.
SETTLING DOWN
Gerriann Armstrong first met Harold Carpenter nearly two years ago. Armstrong, operating a warming center for the Salvation Army, says Carpenter was a guest there and he wasn’t in good shape. He struggled with his health, physically and mentally, and he seemed resigned to the possibility of one day dying outside in the cold. “He was one that I was afraid wouldn’t make it through this last winter,” Armstrong says. Thankfully, he made it. But it was hard, Carpenter says. “I’ve just been trying to stay alive out there,” he says. Carpenter says he just wants to settle down. He’s from Sandpoint and moved to Spokane 30 years ago, where he lived up to his name and, yes, worked as a carpenter, he says. His wife died of cancer, he says, and he became homeless. When he’s been forced to sleep on the streets, he’s had his belongings stolen, and sometimes that includes Social Security cards and his ID, which he needs to seek employment and housing. It’s why he’s grateful for the Mission shelter. “You have to come into places like this to get your act back together,” Carpenter says. Today, he’s getting treatment at Frontier Behavioral Health, and he’s working on getting into a home. “My dream is to see Harold in an apartment, sitting in a La-Z-Boy, watching a big screen TV and enjoying the rest of being a senior,” Armstrong says. What Carpenter craves the most is stability. And that’s been the hardest thing to come by. He’s lost count of all the different homeless shelters he’s been to, of all the different alleyways or hidden places where he’s set up for the night. He wants to end this cycle of chaos he’s been through the last few years in the city he chose to live in. “I am in my older years now,” he says. “I don’t want to go anywhere. I’m tired. I’m real tired.” n
OCTOBER 8, 2020 INLANDER 19
ARTS
The Voice in the Wilderness North Idaho schoolteacher Steve Von Till brings his dark musings to life with a new solo album and poetry book BY QUINN WELSCH
S
wirling formless ideas began to take shape in the form of a simple keyboard progression during a sleepless winter night. Looking out at the midnight fields of his wife’s family’s homestead in north Bremen, Germany, Steve Von Till felt the stir of his muse. Had he been in his right mind and maybe a little less sleep-deprived after the flight from Idaho, he might’ve just dismissed it as “nonsense.” But, instead, he started recording. And in the morning, when he listened, he could tell that something serious had taken root. “To be in that area,” Von Till says of northwest Germany, “I’ve always found that the air has a certain weight to it.” His wife’s family has lived there for 500 years, cultivating the same land, he says. “I’m a child of the American West who also looks back over the ocean to Europe and the ancient world, and to the ancient species in general, and [human] origins, contemplating the way it all spirals all around: life and death, creation and destruction,” Von Till says. “When one family has been there so long, there are many layers of depth that I don’t think we can comprehend.” Perhaps not. But two years since that night, Von Till, also the guitarist for longtime experimental metal band Neurosis, recently released his fifth solo album, No Wilderness Deep Enough, in an attempt to peel some of those layers. It is a meditation on the existential and an ode to ancient history and the natural world told through atmospheric waves of dark synths and Von Till’s raspy, guttural verse. ...continued on page 22
20 INLANDER OCTOBER 8, 2020
Steve Von Till
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OCTOBER 8, 2020 INLANDER 21
CULTURE | ARTS “THE VOICE IN THE WILDERNESS,” CONTINUED... Simultaneously, Von Till also published a similarly themed book of poetry, Harvestman: 23 Untitled Poems & Collected Lyrics, which was born out of his latest solo album as well. Both new projects are filled with questions of spirituality, ancestry, nature and self-expression. “I’ve always been attracted to the ancient things. What inspired people to build these giant stone monuments? Who created the art in caves in Spain and France? Who were the first artists?” Von Till asks. “I want to feel a direct connection to that and the past.”
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hen he’s not contemplating vast, unanswerable questions, Von Till spends his days as a fourth-grade teacher at Garwood Elementary School in Rathdrum, Idaho. It’s only a week before school starts when he talks to the Inlander. While some schools are attempting a virtual classroom for the 2020-21 school year, the Lakeland Joint School District, where Von Till is employed, has opted for in-person learning. “It’s definitely gonna be a challenge, but the most important thing to keep in mind is that we serve the students and the families, and the reason why anyone gets involved in teaching is to pass on the torch of knowledge to upcoming generations of humanity,” Von Till says. “And in order to do that, they need to feel cared for, safe and loved.” In that sense, he always looks forward to a new school year, he says. Tattooed, bearded and now 51, Von Till has been teaching for more than 20 years. He admits he doesn’t look the part, but more recently he’s leaned into his rock ’n’ roll roots.
Von Till’s music career took off in 1989 when he joined Neurosis during the band’s early days in the Bay Area’s DIY punk scene. A decade later, while the band was on tour, its five members had to make a decision whether they were going to continue Neurosis as a fulltime gig, he says. “We just had a revelation that in order to support five families, we would have to be gone all the time. There was no security or guarantees that you’re there to be a proper father and husband,” Von Till says. “In order to keep the art pure, to make sure we weren’t compromising our ethics or spiritual core of our music, we decided that it would be better to find ways to support ourselves and have balance between home and family and be professional traveling musicians.” So he left California to look for his muse in the woods of North Idaho. “I needed space. I needed room to breathe. … My art has always been about longing for a connection to the natural cycles and to nature, and I feel humanity has a separation from the natural world.”
“Like most driven artists, there are always voices that may try to talk you out of it,” he says. “Who are you to think you are a poet? Who are you to make a beautiful album? Does this beautiful music need your harsh croaky voice on top of it? It’s learning to stare those in the eye and say, ‘The music demanded to be made manifest, the poems demanded to be made manifest, and who am I to argue?’”
“I’ve always been attracted to the ancient things. Who were the first artists? I want to feel a direct connection to the past.”
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or Von Till, producing both No Wilderness Deep Enough and Harvestman: 23 Untitled Poems & Collected Lyrics meant wading into uncharted territory. To finish each project, he had to learn to let go and get out of his own way, “to not let any negative self-talk or ‘impostor syndrome’ get in the way of letting the art speak for itself.”
Don’t let a medical pandemic become a child abuse pandemic.
It’s a lesson he says he tries to foster in his fourthgrade classroom as well. To give the wrong answer. To take risks. To create without fear. “It’s OK to follow your passion, and it won’t necessarily bring you riches and fame,” Von Till says, reflecting on his own career. “That’s not why you do it. You do it because the creative spirit compels you to do so.” n Visit vontill.org for more information. No Wilderness Deep Enough can be found at 4,000 Holes, Groove Merchants and Total Trash in Spokane and the Long Ear in Coeur d’Alene. Harvestman: 23 Untitled Poems & Collected Lyrics can be found at Giant Nerd Books and Auntie’s in Spokane, and the Well-Read Moose in Coeur d’Alene.
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22 INLANDER OCTOBER 8, 2020
It's up to us!
The Inland Northwest is lucky to have a diverse community of local businesses. It’s up to us to keep them alive and thriving! That’s why Live Local INW is launching a new online business directory and marketplace where you can keep discovering new ways to live local.
L AU NC H I N G M I D-O C TO B E R AT
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Pictured: Mark’s Guitar Shop on Garland
This program is funded by the City of Spokane with CARES Act dollars.
OCTOBER 8, 2020 INLANDER 23
CULTURE | DIGEST
DEATH BECOMES HIM In her new documentary Dick Johnson Is Dead, director Kirsten Johnson crafts a tribute to her elderly father, reflecting on his life and work as a psychiatrist as he slowly succumbs to dementia. But this film isn’t merely an unflinching portrait of aging: It’s also a macabre, occasionally absurd meditation on everything from religion to mortality, as Johnson elaborately stages fantasy sequences in heaven and imagines grisly death scenarios, all with dear old dad at the center. The result is a singular, witty, surrealistic experience, filled with moments that had me choked up and laughing at the same time. It’s streaming now on Netflix. (NATHAN WEINBENDER)
The Value of Trash TV
H
BY WILSON CRISCIONE
aving mostly stayed home since mid-March, you may have run out of quality TV shows to watch. There are only so many — and frankly, there’s so much drama in the real world right now that watching prestige TV can feel like a burden. If you can relate, I offer this suggestion: Watch some trash TV. I have recently taken an interest in Married at First Sight, a dumb reality show (on Netflix and Hulu) in which experts match up perfect strangers and have them get married. The “couple” then goes on a honey-
THE BUZZ BIN
THIS WEEK’S PLAYLIST Some noteworthy new music hits online and in stores Oct. 9. To wit: FUTURE ISLANDS, As Long As You Are. The stellar live band dares to release new music when they can’t tour. Good on ’em! METZ, Atlas Vending. The Sub Pop trio sounds in great form on single “A Boat to Drown In.” BLUE OYSTER CULT, The Symbol Remains. The first one to make a “more cowbell” joke gets it. (DAN NAILEN)
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moon and lives together, under the pretense that they are actually married and must decide within eight weeks if they will stay married or get divorced. This, to be clear, is trash. And I love it. As with all reality TV, the social situations in Married at First Sight always feel too contrived, and any real drama is usually just a product of clever editing, cliffhangers and music. But what’s hooked me into this show is the same thing that I suspect reels anyone into watching these kinds of shows: It invites you to judge the characters for their flaws. Many of these couples end up getting divorced. But that’s by design. The fun of Married at First Sight — especially for a married person like me — is that you can usually predict which couples won’t work out and which will. A guy keeps going out with friends and leaving his new wife at home? Aha! He is surely not ready for commitment, this will surely end in divorce. A virgin married a guy with plenty of relationship experience? No way will they be emotionally compatible. It gives you a feeling of superiority, which is probably unhealthy. But I’d argue that there are times it can actually be valuable. When a couple argues about something small, like the dishes, it may cause me to self-reflect on how I would handle that situation, leading me to vow that next time, I will not make a big deal of it, because I sure as hell don’t want to be like them. The real value, though, is that I don’t have to think about it too much. There are only two possible outcomes by the end of the season: The couples stay together or they don’t. Then, you watch the next season to find out if the same happens to other couples. It’s simple entertainment. And for some reason, that’s refreshing right now. n
TRUE TV LOVE I was skeptical going into Love on the Spectrum, the Australian reality show tracking the romantic efforts of autistic adults, now on American Netflix. I was worried the series would be more exploitative than illuminating, but I was way off. In fact, Love on the Spectrum is a reality show that actually brings joy to viewers and cast alike. The show makes use of the usual dating-show tropes as they go out on blind dates and share their hopes before and reactions after. The best part, though, is watching the cast members with their families and counselors, scenes that show just how broad and beautiful that spectrum in the title is. (DAN NAILEN)
PLAY BALL? What do you do when your employer wants you to be ready at a moment’s notice to go back to work, but won’t pay you the full amount of your contract because of the changes under COVID? That was the dilemma for Mitch Horacek, a minor league baseball player. It’s just one of the many ways the pandemic has derailed the careers of professional athletes, as detailed in the new “Game Changer” series by the Death, Sex & Money podcast. Other interviews include an asthmatic NFL player who speaks out against racial injustice and a BMX cyclist trying to make it on the Olympic team. (QUINN WELSCH)
BLUE LIGHT SPECIAL One of my top pandemic binges has been a show I’d never seen pre-lockdown — NBC’s Superstore, on the air since 2015. Set in a fictional big-box chain, it’s in the tradition of classic workplace sitcoms like WKRP in Cincinnati but with the rat-a-tat dialogue and absurdist humor typical of The Office or Parks & Recreation. It stars America Ferrera, Mad Men’s Ben Feldman and Mark McKinney of Kids in the Hall, it’s sweet and funny and frankly underrated, and it tackles issues like immigration, and income inequality in clever, unexpected ways. Its sixth season premieres Oct. 29. (NATHAN WEINBENDER)
keep washing your hands. (it's icky not to!)
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ANNIVERSARY
PSYCHO AT 60
Janet Leigh’s character Marion Crane is about to enjoy her last shower.
Inside the lasting power of Hitchcock’s shocking horror classic; plus, where to see it on the big screen BY NATHAN WEINBENDER
A
lfred Hitchcock’s 1960 masterpiece Psycho is so mythic and historically significant that it practically comes pre-loaded with behind-the-scenes tidbits that critics and academics love to recite. Did you know that the film’s infamous shower scene runs just 45 seconds but features 78 different camera angles and took an entire week to film? And that Psycho is the first American feature to show a toilet flushing on screen? And that when the film played in theaters, audience members were refused admission if the movie had already started? Sure you did. But perhaps my favorite bit of Psycho trivia is one that doesn’t get thrown out too often, and it’s a doozy. When the film was released 60 years ago, pioneering British critic C.A. Lejeune went to review it for the Observer. Psycho hit theaters mere months after Michael Powell’s notorious shocker Peeping Tom, itself a lurid tale linking murder and voyeurism, and the one-two punch of these films pushed the boundaries of graphic violence and sexual content in mainstream cinema. Lejeune had been so revolted by Peeping Tom that she walked out halfway through, reportedly shouting “I’m sickened!” on her way out. But with Psycho, Lejeune took it one step further: She left the theater before the movie was over, went back to her office, filed her review and promptly quit as the Observer’s film critic. The movies, she believed, could not be salvaged. If that doesn’t illustrate the film’s visceral, transgressive power at the time of its release, I don’t know what does.
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Psycho is certainly the most imitated, referenced and parodied horror film ever made, with Halloween and The Shining right behind it. It changed the way movies were marketed and even how theaters showed movies. And it made Hitchcock into an even more recognizable commodity than he already was, an avuncular man who delighted in shock and awe. (Of course, history has revealed that he was more of a villain than he let on.) But Paramount Pictures originally had zero faith in the material, despite Hitchcock’s enthusiasm. To stretch the limited budget, it was shot on the cheap in black and white, and with the same crew that made the Alfred Hitchcock Presents TV series. It ended up making Hitchcock more money than any film he’d made before. Based on a novel by Robert Bloch, Psycho begins as Marion Crane (Janet Leigh), the secretary for a real estate developer, skips town with a client’s cash. After trading in her car and being menaced by a highway patrolman, Marion pulls into the isolated Bates Motel to wait out a rainstorm. She’s the only guest — they’ve got 12 cabins and 12 vacancies — and so she makes pleasant conversation with the meek but twitchy front desk clerk Norman (Anthony Perkins), who lives in the gothic hillside house with his ailing mother. I think everybody now knows who Norman Bates really is, and what happens to Marion when she takes her evening shower. Most contemporaneous reviews (not just C.A. Lejeune’s) were mixed. Hitchcock had made films about murder and perversion before, but they were at least
classy, shot in lush Technicolor and carried along by sumptuous Bernard Herrmann scores. Psycho, by comparison, was rough and nihilistic, as shocking in its violence as in its sexual politics, and Herrmann’s music was nervy and filled with shrieking violins. The movie was such an assault on Eisenhower-era senses, I think, that many people missed its artistry. The most familiar aphorism about Hitchcock’s work is that he played his audience like a piano, and that’s perhaps no more apparent than in Psycho, which is a masterpiece in manipulation. Critics seemed to reconsider the movie after its amazing public reception: The New York Times’ Bosley Crowther was initially muted in his praise for the film, but ended up putting it on his year-end top 10 list. For all its cultural clout, Psycho remains an enormously entertaining slice of depravity. The first time I saw it, when I was 12 or 13 years old, I vaguely knew the outline of the plot but wasn’t prepared for how gripping its horrors are. I’ve seen it dozens of times since, and it still works like gangbusters even if you know all its secrets. But imagine seeing Psycho in its initial theatrical run, walking into the theater cold, knowing nothing other than it’s a scary thriller by the Master of Suspense. If only I could go back in time... n In celebration of its 60th anniversary, Psycho screens on Oct. 17 at the Hub Sports Center’s pop-up drive-in (19619 E. Cataldo Ave.); see hubsportscenter.org/ drive-in-movies for information.
Volunteer: Find Connections While Making a Difference
What can you give this week? House Helpers Wanted -
RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE CHARITIES OF THE INLAND NORTHWEST Ronald McDonald House needs volunteers to join its family services team in completing tasks that make the house a warm and welcoming space for families with critically ill or injured children. Volunteer tasks include, but are not limited to: providing a clean and comfortable environment, organizing supplies, assist in answering phones, accepting and distributing donations and driving families to and from the hospital. Register online rmhcinlandnorthwest.org/volunteer
Daily Food Sorting - SECOND HARVEST Help Second Harvest sort or repackage food to fight hunger in the Inland Northwest. Multiple two-hour shifts are available throughout the day. Volunteers must sign up in advance so Second Harvest can manage the number of volunteers and provide appropriate social distance. Shifts available are 9-11 am, 11:30 am-1:30 pm, 2-4 pm, and 4:30-6:30pm. Sign up on their website. 2-harvest.org/volunteer
Tree Planters Needed - THE LANDS COUNCIL October 10 is Reforest Spokane Day. The Lands Council is partnering with Avista in this effort to plant trees in the Marshall Creek area near Cheney. Make a big difference planting trees, while staying safe. Sign up on the Lands Council’s website. landscouncil.org/events/reforest-spokane-day
Events & Benefits
Hoedown for Hope - HOPE SCHOOL Join HOPE School ONLINE on Oct. 10 from 5-6 pm to give local children who are deaf or hard of hearing a voice in their bright futures. This live online event will include a live auction, a message of hope, a paddle raise, and celebrate the precious children in our community who need HOPE. Register online. spokanehope.org DINE AND SUPPORT DETECTION During the entire month of October, Prohibition Gastropub is raising money for the fight against breast cancer. From 5-6 pm each night, 10 percent of all dinner entrees will benefit two local charities, Beyond Pink and Because There is Hope. Prohibition will also match the first $1,000 donation. Early detection saves lives! Prohibition Gastropub; 1914 N. Monroe St., Spokane.
Inlander.com/giveGUIDE2020
“I
wish I could do something.” Mired in long days of quarantine or stressed by the constant influx of new challenges facing our region, how many times has this thought crossed your mind? Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the desire to “do something” means more than making a difference in the community. It also captures how much we have come to miss the human connections in a world in which smiles are visible and handshakes and hugs are welcome. As we grapple with this new reality, there is something all of us can do that satisfies our need to make a difference and find human connection: volunteer. “This is a generous, giving community,” says Tim Henkel, president and CEO of Spokane County United Way. “People are willing to step up when asked and when they know it is the right thing to do.” When COVID-19 struck, the nonprofits and community organizations of our region did just that--stepping up to meet great needs with creativity. Through United Way’s virtual volunteer platform, Volunteer Spokane, local organizations have promoted over 1,200 pandemic-related volunteer opportunities. Whether you are virtually reading to children, packing meal boxes for seniors or submitting artwork to celebrate community heroes, it is possible to make a difference and find meaningful connections as a volunteer. “If anything can come out of the pandemic, it is that the more you know people and interact with them, the easier it is to reach back out and connect at another point,” Henkel says. Volunteering allows new relationships to be cultivated that alleviate quarantine-induced feelings of loneliness and isolation. It offers a window into the out-of-sight challenges facing our community, building the kind of unity and awareness we need to tackle the inequities COVID-19 has amplified and exposed in our communities. It drives the creation of new community networks that will spark innovative solutions to the challenges facing us today and into the future. “Connecting is a natural part of who we are as humans,” Henkel says. “It is a part of our collective DNA to network and learn from others.” We all have unique perspectives and the choice to leverage those perspectives for good. Volunteering gives our unique experiences the eyes, hands and feet to make a real difference. At a time when the social isolation of COVID-19 threatens to drive us all apart, volunteering has the power to bring us back together as we work toward the kind of future that can only be built together. Make a difference in your community. Visit volunteerspokane.org. About the author: Rachel Quick is an Innovia Foundation Fellow and senior at Whitworth University
SPONSORED CONTENT
OCTOBER 8, 2020 INLANDER 27
Fleet Flashback A look at new albums from 2000s-era indie superstars Sufjan Stevens and Fleet Foxes BY NATHAN WEINBENDER
THE ASCENSION, SUFJAN STEVENS
Sufjan Stevens seems most comfortable working within the framework of a recognizable concept, from the nowabandoned Fifty States Project that made him a star to his last LP Carrie & Lowell, which was structured as a catalog of childhood memories both mundane and traumatic. The singer-songwriter’s latest release, The Ascension, is less narratively conceptual than it is sonically so, a collection of shuffling, stuttering electronic soundscapes that are equal parts suffocating and freeing. Stevens recorded the album with a pared-down collection of equipment on his farm in the Catskills, and it rambles and wanders for a full 80 minutes, which is even longer than the multi-era epics that made him famous in the early 2000s. It’s too unruly and undisciplined for its own good, but you also get the sense he’s working through some shit as his chilly synth soundscapes move through influences like Krautrock, Depeche Mode, ’90s trip-hop and Amnesiac-era Radiohead. It’s always beeping, whirring, hiccuping and glitching, with Stevens’ famously ethereal, gossamer voice at the center.
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The Ascension is an about-face from 2015’s brilliant Carrie & Lowell, whose songs were so spare and so intimate that you could practically feel Stevens in the room with you. This isn’t the first time Stevens has experimented with these sorts of sounds — if anything, it feels like a companion piece to 2010’s divisive and synth-drenched The Age of Adz — particularly on “Ativan,” which comes on like an aural anxiety attack, and “Die Happy,” which repeats its central refrain over and over again so that its meaning shapeshifts from defeatist to acceptance. The record’s back half is stronger and more focused than the front, and it’s where all the best songs are, in particular the shuffling “Goodbye to All That” and the gorgeous title track. The album closes with the 12-minute “America,” released as a lead single back in July, which looks with remorse at a country that Stevens has lost faith in (“I have loved you, I have grieved / I’m ashamed to admit I no longer believe”). But Stevens has always been a romantic pessimist, if such a thing exists. Whether he’s detailing his own mental health, the tragic fate of an imaginary couple or
the dark backroads of U.S. history, there’s always a sense that he doesn’t truly believe we’re all doomed. “I lost my faith in everything,” he admits at one point, but immediately bounces back: “Tell me you love me anyway.”
SHORE, FLEET FOXES
When they became unlikely indie stars a little over a decade ago, Fleet Foxes were amongst the wave of 20-somethings who worshipped at the altar of the Woodstock era, gaining an audience with earnest throwback songs that would have seemed hopelessly uncool only a short time before. All these years later and the band still stands as a shrine to the gods of ’70s album rock, but their personal sensibilities remain firmly intact. Shore is Fleet Foxes’ first LP since 2017’s Crack-Up, which marked the band’s return to making new music following a three-year hiatus. The break clearly refreshed them, because they returned to the studio with more energy and artistic playfulness than they’d had in previous records, and that sense of experimentation continues here. Fleet Foxes mastermind Robin Pecknold has said that he was aiming for a warmer, brighter sound on Shore, and true to its title, so many of the tracks have the zen-like feeling of water lapping at the sand. Consider “Featherweight,” with its cascading pianos, or the stories-high choral arrangement (reportedly taken from vocal samples on Instagram) that envelops “Can I Believe You.” The band’s reverence to the past (both of rock’s and their own) shows up in the bright horn licks of “A Long Way Past the Past,” which bring to mind early Steely Dan and even Todd Rundgren, while the layered harmonies and spare, hymnal-like softness of “For a Week or Two”
BACK AT THE BAR
Baby Bar and Neato Burrito are among downtown Spokane’s most beloved nightlife institutions, but both businesses — which occupy the same building at 827 W. First Ave. — have been closed since the start of the pandemic. If you’ve missed indulging in their signature greyhounds and Thai burritos… well, you’re still gonna have to wait. But the bar’s new virtual concert series might scratch that itch, with a number of local artists taking over the space for ticketed online shows. The next show you can catch is this Friday, Oct. 9, with a mix of comedy and music courtesy of Lilac City Live host Ryan Dean Tucker; buy tickets and see future events at babybarneatoburrito. veeps.com. The Browne’s Addition venue Lucky You Lounge is also kicking off a string of virtual concerts on Friday night with performances by folk-rockers Trego and country singer-songwriter Jenny Anne Mannan; see luckyyoulounge.veeps.com for tickets and a full calendar. We’ll have more coverage in next week’s issue of the Inlander.
and “I’m Not My Season” recall vintage Fleet Foxes. For all its sun-dappled sweetness, darkness does creep into the lyrics, particularly on album highlight “Sunblind.” The song was inspired by Pecknold’s grandfather suffering a stroke, and it namechecks recently deceased American songwriters like David Berman and John Prine. But it’s also paying happy tribute to these fallen artists, as Pecknold’s lyrics evoke an escape into the country for a weekend getaway, all his favorite records in tow. At 54 minutes, Shore is a bit overlong (not as long as the Sufjan record, of course, though it is worth noting that the horn arrangement on penultimate track “Cradling Mother, Cradling Woman” bears striking resemblance to Stevens’ early work). But Fleet Foxes’ gentle pastorals are just what I needed right now, one last gasp of late-summer reverie during a season that was far from normal. n
MONDAY
g up: Comin lski sz Wo Mateu
inland sessions
Mondays 7:30 pm www.ksps.org/inlandsessions
OCTOBER 8, 2020 INLANDER 29
YOUNG KWAK PHOTO
COMMUNITY GET OUTSIDE
Trees are vital, and you don’t need to live among the forests of the Pacific Northwest to know that — but how lucky are we that we do? A healthy mature tree provides oxygen, and removes pollution from the air, too. Trees also provide habitat and food for all manner of cool creatures as well. But our forests can use a helping hand now and again, and that’s where events like Reforest Spokane come in, when you can give the region’s ecosystem a boost that will improve life for all of us. This year, the Reforest Spokane project is focusing on Marshall Creek, located between Spokane and Cheney, and you can help revitalize this wetland with a little time and elbow grease. Join the Lands Council and Avista Saturday to work in small, socially distanced groups. Masks are required and First Avenue Coffee will hook up all volunteers with a free drip coffee. — DAN NAILEN Reforest Spokane • Sat, Oct. 10 from 9 am-2 pm • Marshall Creek area • 17607 S. Short Rd., Cheney • landscouncil.org
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VISUAL ART AMERICAN GOTHIC
WORDS COPING SKILLS
Since the 1960s, Mel McCuddin has been a fixture of the local art scene, and has developed an instantly recognizable style that brings a wry sensibility and a distinct visual sense to images of nature and everyday tableaux. Beginning with stark, expressionistic backgrounds on large canvases, McCuddin’s oil paintings are practically improvised, as he lets his human and animal subjects (as well as their quirky personalities) develop in real time as he works. Check out his latest exhibition starting this weekend at Coeur d’Alene’s Art Spirit Gallery, where the artist has featured dozens of showcases since the space first opened in 1997, and you can see for yourself how an artist can work for decades and not miss a step. — NATHAN WEINBENDER
You’re not imagining it — 2020 really is this bad. In a year that was already going to be anxious and obnoxious thanks to a presidential election, the arrival of a lethal, global pandemic just cranked all the toxic noise on the internet up to 11. How to deal? Look to the humanities for help, specifically Humanities Washington, who have put together an online series of talks called What These Times Mean: Navigating 2020. Next up in the series is University of Puget Sound professor Sara Protasi, who will focus on the emotions of envy and resentment, and how they color our online interactions — especially when they’re stirred up by seeing others’ good fortune posted for the world to see. — DAN NAILEN
Mel McCuddin Exhibition • Fri, Oct. 9 through Sat, Nov. 7, open Tue-Sat 11 am-6 pm • The Art Spirit Gallery • 415 S. Sherman Ave., Coeur d’Alene • theartspiritgallery.com • 208-765-6006
Humanities Washington: Envy and Resentment in the Time of Coronavirus • Tue, Oct. 13 at 6 pm • Free • Online; details at humanities.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.
ADVANCING NEUROSCIENCE RESEARCH IN THE INLAND NORTHWEST AND AROUND THE WORLD
Do you or a loved one have: WORDS FACING FEARS
If this year is making you anxious, you’re not alone. For an unflinching look into all things sweat-inducing, join Auntie’s Bookstore for a virtual event featuring author Eva Holland, whose new book Nerve: Adventures in the Science of Fear combines research with daring experiments to understand what fear is and how it can be harnessed. Fear comes in many shapes — the loss of a parent, skydiving from an airplane — and Holland has stared down all of them, big and small, hers and ours, and returned to shed some hard-earned wisdom on the subject. Come away with inspiration to face your own worst nightmares, or at least some secondhand courage to consider it. Holland will be in conversation with Spokane-based environmental journalist and author Ben Goldfarb. — LAUREN GILMORE
• Parkinson’s Disease (PD) • PD Genetic Testing • Huntington’s Disease • Essential Tremor • Multiple Sclerosis
We also have genetic screening for many neurological diseases Please call: 509-960-2818 to learn more about our clinical research trials •
Nerve: Adventures in the Science of Fear, Eva Holland with Ben Goldfarb • Fri, Oct. 9 at 7 pm • Free • Online; details at auntiesbooks.com
COMMUNITY MINGLE ON MONROE
Spend a sunny fall Saturday out and about while shopping small, supporting local and staying safe (masks on!) during this new event from the North Monroe Business District. The daylong celebration also includes the unveiling of five new murals by local artists — Mallory Battista, Desmond Boston, Jiemei Lin, Karli Ingersoll and Amber Hoit — around the district, offering visitors a chance to vote for their favorite artwork. The mural with the most votes is set to be featured on this year’s Small Business Saturday (Nov. 28) tote bags distributed by member shops. This Saturday, businesses along the recently revitalized stretch of North Monroe are setting up sidewalk sales to keep shoppers safely distanced, as well as offering special promos and activities to create a festive atmosphere. — CHEY SCOTT Art on Monroe • Sat, Oct. 10 from 8 am-8 pm • Free • North Monroe Business District • Details at facebook.com/MeetonMonroe
It’s time to elect a leader who will follow science, protect public health and safety, and rebuild our local economy. Affordable housing, access to healthcare and educational opportunity are at the top of Tom’s agenda.
Paid for by People for McGarry, Tom McGarry, Democrat www.Time4Tom.com
OCTOBER 8, 2020 INLANDER 31
I love. You hold yourself up as being something better, but you are EVERY bit the racist you are accusing others of being.
CHEERS
I SAW YOU SARDINE We saw each other twice last week. Me, colorful clogs. You, dark rimmed glasses shopping with a cart full of frozen food and figuring out the exit code on the first try. (A man with a brain that can cook, ooh la la.) I didn’t mean to call your crew but the sardined elevator ride brightened my evening. Let’s meet. howlingsardines@gmail. com MILLWOOD BOTTLES , STUCK AT THE TRAIN. I saw you in your car stuck at the train in Millwood outside of Bottles, you looked upset but then glanced over at me while I was eating salsa. You pointed out a chip that was in my beard and I knew then it was meant to be. That’s when the railroad X-ing opened and you drove away before I could write my number on the window. Damn you universe!! I’ve been here every day since, waiting with chips in my beard. Please if you see this I know it was a sign. Yours truly, creepy salsa window guy RE: FLAG HIJACKERS Interesting, I saw the same people and was hesitant to honk because I didn’t know if those people would hate me because solely through a chance mixture of DNA, I have less pigment in my skin. I feel it is racists such as yourself that have hijacked my flag and my country that
RE: FLAG HIJACKERS Cheers to you, sir or ma’am, for spending the time to (quite) politely, yet cunningly, address those US flag wavers who adorn our most public spaces! We commend you! Not only for bringing these actions to public attention, but also for opening the doors to those of us who wish to describe what these acts truly represent: The excitable citizens displaying our symbol of freedom (for all), integration (for all) and equality (again, for ALL) are willingly and ignorantly confused between the definitions of “patriotism” and “nationalism.” They are, in short, rabidly stupid supporters of Donald Trump and his neo-fascist regime. In Germany and Austria of the 1930s, all pro-Hitler citizens also waved flags in public: those displayed the black swastika upon a white circle against a background of red, representing nationalism = to Make Germany Great Again. Yet the anti-Nazis flew the Weimar Republic patriotic flag of Germany, until they weren’t allowed to do so under pain of imprisonment or eventual death. Yes, our own beautiful flag is carried by *both* sides, yet those who carry it for humanist purposes have already been harassed by those waving the same in support of Trump. Yes, a slight difference from 1930s Germany, but probably ending the same way — patriots versus nationalists. The Trumptards are, indeed, *hijacking* our sacred banner by hiding behind it, just as their rude, unholy, unqualified leader does every day. Please, don’t blow your car horns to these asses. Rather, make sure you’re clearly registered to vote, and educate your kin and friends, to be sure we will never have to honk at a swastika-like flag in the future. Again, thank you. See you on November 3rd. RETURNED KEYS Kudos to the person that found and turned in the key ring
that I dropped in a parking lot in the Spokane Valley and noticed I had a PO box and turned them into the Post Office. THANK YOU! MANITO PARK VOLUNTEERS Cheers to the volunteers from the Friends of Manito who have stepped in to do
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HANDICAP PARKING FREAKOUT October 3rd @1:45 To the man in the light blue Toyota going to get a haircut. Did your mother not raise you right? You got out of your car SO aggressively,
weeding and other maintenance tasks in Manito Park due to short staffing. Our park is all the more beautiful for their generous contribution of time and energy. CONGRATS To that Goofy Little Kid from Central Valley High School: A World Jr. Gold Medal, a Memorial Cup, a Calder Cup and now a Stanley Cup. You are a true champion.
JEERS CORVETTE CLUB (?) Saturday, Oct. 3 at about 10 am, there was a number of mostly new Corvettes that drove through Rosalia. The majority of the cars were driving at a decent speed, while the last ten or twelve cars (some distance back) must have felt that they were going to be left behind and decided it necessary to drive down the main street at speeds over 50, 60 miles per hour! Residents of town were yelling at at you to slow down, which appeared to prompt you to drive even faster!! If you have such a low opinion of small towns that you would behave like this and risk killing someone, then STAY HOME!!!! We live here, and our kids shouldn’t have to
1. Visit Inlander.com/isawyou by 3 pm Monday. 2. Pick a category (I Saw You, You Saw Me, Cheers or Jeers). 3. Provide basic info: your name and email (so we know you’re real). 4. To connect via I Saw You, provide a non-identifying email to be included with your submission — like “petals327@yahoo.com,” not “j.smith@comcast.net.”
Family
banged on the handicapped sign and started yelling at me because I was in handicap spot as I waited for my mom to come back out of Starbucks. You clearly didn’t see the handicap plates on her car as we pulled in and immediately judged her because she didn’t look disabled to you. Just because somebody doesn’t fit the mould of what you think a disabled person looks like does NOT give you the right to get out of your car and act like a maniac. My mom has almost died three times and the last thing I need is to be harassed by some middle aged man who should be old enough to know better. PS. The face you made when you looked down and saw the plates was priceless. Maybe don’t judge next time? Times are hard enough right now... TOMATO STREET CUSTOMER JEERS to the woman and child at an Italian restaurant friday afternoon Oct. 2. You refused to wear a mask when you left your table and walked through the restaurant to the restroom and back. Your CARELESS behavior puts the business, employees and other customers at risk for COVID-19. Washington state governor mandates wearing a mask in public places. Keep your careless self
HEROES To whom it may concern... This is from one of the supposed “heroes”. We are X-ray techs, who physically treat
”
Covid Positive patients in your hospitals every day. We’ve worked every day this year, no days off. We go to work. No unemployment for us. We get canceled yearly raises, no personal protective equipment, unless you count reused disposable gear. We have no union, unlike our RN coworkers, who we work with and very much appreciate. And so we will care for you, with our wages frozen at 2019 levels indefinitely due to lost profits from our employer. We will be wearing reused single use masks daily, like we have for the last six months. And we will fall further behind in our lives while our company prioritizes profits over all other. Thank you. n
THIS WEEK'S ANSWERS N B A U R L B O I L L A B L A Z L O R E A T T S T E A T O R R O F L A J E E R O R I S N L T S A
J O I N I N L I A M C O P
U M B L R A L I N G O V O B I N G S A A B U R N M C I D P A C R I N G L A R I O M I N P E N T A R T Y
E S S T E R D O I E L I G O O
G R A I P D L E I L N G M K O O N O V A B E R R I C I N H E A N L
I K E A S
L O R D
A K I T A
N Y T O L
O T N N E T
NOTE: I Saw You/Cheers & Jeers is for adults 18 or older. The Inlander reserves the right to edit or reject any posting at any time at its sole discretion and assumes no responsibility for the content.
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ON STANDS NOW 32 INLANDER OCTOBER 8, 2020
and family home. Don’t be jeopardizing everyone around you! I should’ve put my cane out to stop you both and call the manager.
We saw each other twice last week. Me, colorful clogs. You, dark rimmed glasses shopping with a cart full of frozen food...
SOUND OFF
Health
fear walking down the street because of people like you!!
Food
RESEARCH
Studies Show… THC could help reduce the chances of colon cancer but is still discouraged during pregnancy BY WILL MAUPIN
C
annabis has been making medical news in recent weeks, with multiple studies adding to the mixed bag of positive and negative health impacts of the
drug. Aided by legalization efforts over the past decade — and to a lesser extent by relatively toothless research commitments from the federal level — scientific understanding of the medical value, or risks, of cannabis use has increased. We’re starting to see a clearer picture of the drug’s impacts. The Drug Enforcement Administration’s position that cannabis has “no currently accepted medical use” is objectively false. But that’s not to say the glowing cure-all claims your hippie neighbor makes are any more accurate. That said, let’s start with the positive. The Sept. 25 issue of the journal iScience included a
It’s sort of a good news/bad news situation in recent cannabis studies. study looking into THC as a treatment for colon cancer. Looking at mice rather than humans, researchers from the University of South Carolina concluded that THC is effective at preventing intestinal inflammation which can lead to the development of cancer. Researchers induced cancer in the mice by injecting a carcinogen, then split the mice into two groups. One received THC while the other received a placebo. Mice in the placebo group developed tumors while those in the THC group did not. It’s a promising development, though there’s a bit of a difference between a lab mouse and a weed smoker. On the other end of the spectrum is the bad, if not unexpected, news. A study published on Sept. 23 in JAMA Psychiatry from researchers at Washington University in St. Louis looked into prenatal cannabis exposure
and its impacts on childhood development. Much like alcohol, they’re not good. “Prenatal cannabis exposure may increase risk for psychopathology; consistent with recent recommendations by the surgeon general of the United States, these data suggest that cannabis use during pregnancy should be discouraged by clinicians and dispensaries,” say the authors of the study. That’s bad news in the sense that cannabis has negative effects, but it’s good news that we’re learning just what those negatives are. We’re also learning more about the positives, like the developments with colon cancer. Cannabis is clearly not a wonder drug, but it does bring more to the world than just help people get high. Bringing that reality into focus is a step forward for medical cannabis, even if that focus also brings out some blemishes. n
BE AWARE: Marijuana is legal for adults 21 and older under Washington State law (e.g., RCW 69.50, RCW 69.51A, HB0001 Initiative 502 and Senate Bill 5052). State law does not preempt federal law; possessing, using, distributing and selling marijuana remains illegal under federal law. In Washington state, consuming marijuana in public, driving while under the influence of marijuana and transporting marijuana across state lines are all illegal. Marijuana has intoxicating effects; there may be health risks associated with its consumption, and it may be habit-forming. It can also impair concentration, coordination and judgment. Do not operate a vehicle or machinery under the influence of this drug. Keep out of reach of children. For more information, consult the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board at www.liq.wa.gov.
OCTOBER 8, 2020 INLANDER 33
GREEN ZONE
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.
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Advice Goddess WHAT AN EARL WANTS
This new guy I’ve been dating said he wants to keep things casual. I’m bummed because I’ve caught some pretty intense feelings for him. Is it possible he just needs to get to know me better and once he does, he’ll feel differently? —Wishful
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*2018 Media Audit
Pursuing a relationship with this guy is like sentencing yourself to live out the rest of your days stuck in that “distracted boyfriend” meme. AMY ALKON Understanding your situation starts with a peek into book publishing. Unbeknownst to most people, the most profitable area in publishing is the romance and erotica genre. Most romance novels have pretty much the same theme: a high-status man, often wildly wealthy, who has shown he can’t be tamed but who, nevertheless, eventually is — by the irresistible beauty and specialness of one particular woman. This genre is literary catnip for the ladies, earning $1.5 billion in 2015, while the next best-earning book genre, mystery and crime, brought in a measly $730 million. It turns out art reflects life — or rather, how women wish their romantic lives would play out. Evolutionary psychologist Catherine Salmon explains that, in romance novels, “in the end, the heroine is typically the one in control,” while the hero is “a slave to his passion/love for her.” She references romance novel bloggers Sarah Wendell and Candy Tan, who, hilariously, refer to the heroine’s hold over the hero as the power of the “magic hoo hoo.” Once the hero has this particular hoo, “he desires no other,” writes Salmon. Or, as some researchers put it, a “dad” is being molded out of the ashes of a confirmed “cad.” Salmon explains that women’s longing to be irresistibly desired emerges from evolution’s effect on female emotions, pushing women — who, unlike men, can get pregnant from sex — to be commitment-centric. This “female desire to be irresistible” is ultimately a desire by a woman “to be secure in the belief that her choice of mate is the right one and that he will never stray.” As for the power and prevalence of this desire, Salmon notes previous research finds that more than half of female sexual fantasies revolve around “the desire to be sexually irresistible,” and this desire seems to be “at the heart of the bodice-ripper style of romance and fantasies of submission.” Now, it’s within the realm of possibility that this guy only thinks he wants to keep it casual, and he’ll come around and become your Mr. One And Only. Research suggests men can sometimes be triggered into committing when they sense they have competition, like through your dating other guys. It’s likewise possible this wouldn’t change anything; he might simply be in the thick of his sexual safari years. So, applying the old 80/20 equation to your situation, 80 percent of success in love is showing up; however, the other 20 percent is making sure you aren’t showing up to hookup hell in a wedding dress.
EX TO GRIND
I’m seeing this new guy, but his ex-girlfriend is absolutely awful: rude, unfriendly, and less-than-intelligent. It makes me question his judgment. If he’s interested in a girl like that, I’m not sure I want to be with him. —Legitimate Fear?
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STARTTALKINGNOW.ORG 36 INLANDER OCTOBER 8, 2020
Really good sex can keep a man from seeing the romantic hellshow he’s in, especially when the thinking cap he automatically reaches for comes from a small square package marked “Trojan.” We assume someone’s romantic partners are a result of carefully reasoned choices. In fact, many people meet someone, have sex with them, want more sex, and end up in a relationship — totally bypassing any assessment of whether this might be a ruinous idea. Eventually, the initial hot-sex fog recedes a little, and their partner’s terrible qualities become increasingly apparent. Time to break up, right? Well, there’s a problem. Psychologist Daniel Kahneman explains that we tend to be “loss aversive”: deeply disturbed by potential losses (more than we’re excited by possible gains). We often succumb to the “sunk cost fallacy”: irrationally deciding to continue investing time, money, and/or energy in what we know is a losing gambit, based on the investment we’ve already made (that is, “sunk” into it in the past). However, that prior investment is gone. The rational approach is seeing whether future investment would pay off sufficiently and, if not, cutting our losses (perhaps while waving a forlorn goodbye to all the days, months, or — gulp! — years we wasted). To determine how active a role your man’s judgment played in his previous entanglement, ask him about what he values, in general and in a partner, and then ask what draws him to you. You should see whether he’s with you for reasons you respect or whether you’re just a random variation on the nasty, kitten-eating sexbots of what might be called “Cinder” (Tinder when a guy’s penis repeatedly picks emotional arsonists who’ll burn his mental wellness to the ground). n
©2020, Amy Alkon, all rights reserved. • Got a problem? Write Amy Alkon, 171 Pier Ave, #280, Santa Monica, CA 90405 or email AdviceAmy@aol.com (www.advicegoddess.com)
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37. Competitor of ZzzQuil 39. Like Super Bowl crowds 40. One of Hollywood’s Hemsworths 44. Soft & ____ 45. QB Manning 49. Newswoman Soledad 50. Thin blue line? 51. Zach Galifianakis’ “Between Two ____” 63 64 52. Girl saved by Don Juan 53. Whistle-blower 54. Rupert who plays Ron Weasley in the Harry Potter films “HOT” 55. Like some sweaters 56. Colin of 65-Across 60. Just about every character on “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” 61. ____-Locka, Florida 62. Icky stuff 63. “Blastoff!” preceder 64. Sister channel of HBO and Cinemax
OCTOBER 8, 2020 INLANDER 37
COEUR D ’ ALENE
Idaho forecasts a winning season for area hunters and anglers
OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2020
A
lthough stay-at-home orders had many wondering about the food supply, those who looked to the outdoors to stock their pantry were on the leading edge of a national trend towards HUNTING and FISHING, reports Game & Fish magazine. And in Idaho, which is a mecca for wildlife enthusiasts, the state’s Department of Fish and Game reports a tremendous surge in license purchases. That’s good news for hunters and conservationists alike — state licensing fees directly support conservation efforts. Also good news: A mostly favorable game forecast for the coming season.
OCTOBER 23-25: Scavenger Hunt OCTOBER 31: Apple Palooza at Fall Fest NOVEMBER 6-8: Shop Hop NOVEMBER 20-22: Gobble Wobble
In Idaho, hunting opportunities are both diverse and abundant. Big game includes moose, sheep, mountain goat, elk, deer and even pronghorn. Bird hunting ranges from upland pheasants and turkeys to migratory species like duck, goose and swan.
DECEMBER 4-6: Santa Visits Elf on the Shelf DECEMBER 11-13: Elf on the Shelf DECEMBER 18-20: Elf on the Shelf Cocoa Tasting For more details go to : cdadowntown.com/micro-event-series
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This year, Idaho Department of Fish and Game is reporting a potentially good season for deer and elk. Mild winters have enabled mule deer to rebound from a prior low, and preliminary fawn survival data is promising. In addition, IDFG is forecasting an increase in the presence of young bucks. Similarly, whitetail deer continue to hold steady as a viable target for hunters — the panhandle region was the top whitetail deer producer last year — and the annual harvest is expected to be as good as in prior years.
October Saturdays at Silverwood THROUGH OCTOBER 24
things to do & places to stay.
Game On
Plan your day of fun now! Limited number of tickets per day for safe social distancing measures.
cda4.fun for more events,
Enjoy a day riding your favorite Silverwood attractions during the fall season. All kids 12 and under, dress in your favorite Halloween costume and trick or treat inside our retail locations. Admission $40 (ages 8-64) and $23 (ages 3-7 and 65+) at the front gate. SAVE more when you purchase your tickets at silverwoodthemepark.com. An October Saturday ticket also allows for admission into the Silverwood Afterparty.
Elk hunters fared well in Idaho last year and IDFG expects that trend to continue. Adult cow and calf survival rates are strong, and current monitoring suggests that the population may well provide just as good a return as 2019 when more than 20,000 elk were taken. October and November means continued bird hunting in Idaho, which looks to be about as good as in prior years according to IDFG. A dry summer has many birds concentrated around reliable water sources, with a stronger forecast for forest grouse and about average for quail and partridge. Pheasant hunters may expect a boost from the state’s restocking program, which will impact availability in the Coeur d’Alene River region. Migratory bird hunters have many options, including swans on a limited basis, as well as ducks, Canada geese and sandhill crane. In addition to hunting, fishing offers a wealth of options throughout North Idaho for lake, river and tributary exploration. The panhandle is home to a plethora of species, from bass and bull trout to kokanee and tiger muskie. Visit Idaho Fish and Game (idfg.idaho.gov/ region/panhandle) for more information, including licensing, and the state’s popular programs for youth education and disabled veterans.
Silverwood Afterparty
Flow Into Fall
After 6 pm on Saturdays in October, Silverwood transforms into the Silverwood Afterparty. Come out to the park and ride your favorite rides, including Timber Terror Backwards, in the dark! Also, your favorite funhouse, Dr. Delirium’s Rockhouse, will open with party music blaring over the park speakers. Admission $35 (ages 8-64) and $21 (ages 3-7 and 65+) at the front gate. SAVE more when you purchase your tickets online.
Fall into the season of spooky stories with a spine-tingling yoga experience sure to move your mind and body into relaxing balance. This Coeur d’Alene Resort Live Well retreat features an overnight stay in a resort lake tower room, kombucha checkin, a 50-minute spa appointment of your choice, and a spooky nighttime yoga class. Details at cda4.fun.
THROUGH OCTOBER 24
OCTOBER 11-12
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MONDAY, OCTOBER 5 TH SATURDAY, OCTOBER 31 ST For every 1,500 points you earn, you’ll receive a special sasquatch prize! Maximum 4 redemptions in October, starting October 5TH. New prizes released each Monday. Collect them all or any combination of your favorites! Available while supplies last. See the Coeur Rewards booth, CDA Casino app or cdacasino.com for promotion rules.
W E LC O M E H O M E .
CASINO | HOTEL | DINING | SPA | CHAMPIONSHIP GOLF 3 7 9 1 4 S O U T H N U K WA LQ W • W O R L E Y, I D A H O 8 3 8 7 6 • 1 8 0 0 - 5 2 3 - 2 4 6 4 • C D A C A S I N O . C O M
