Michael Baumgartner and Carmela Conroy want your vote PAGE 8
How plants, cows and ranchers can work together to regenerate rangelands
By Eliza Billingham
PAGE 22
EDITOR’S NOTE
There are a handful of really nasty invasive weeds I battle every year: common bugloss, western salsify, rush skeletonweed, Russian knapweed. It took me years to eradicate the bugloss — a noxious, nonnative plant that anchors itself so deep into the soil via taproot that you have to dig it out to surely kill it. I really, really hate these weeds. Unfortunately, I’ll probably never stop fighting their sneaky creep into our lot, as they’re everywhere along the alley, undeterred in neighbors’ yards and easily spread by just the wind.
Beef cattle may not hate these weeds as much as I do, even though these and other nonnative perennial plants fill their pastures, which we explore in this week’s cover story about DECARBONIZING CATTLE. While it’ll take a lot of data and physical work to restore the West’s rangeland with the colorful native species that once covered its countless acres, scientists are figuring out how to make that possible. These naturally occurring plants, outcompeted by invasives for over a century or more, are better for both the environment and the animals that graze on them — and could even help fight climate change.
While it’s not on the same level as keeping backyard bugloss in check, it’s certainly something for me and fellow weeders to ponder as our backs ache and we curse weeds’ existence.
— CHEY SCOTT, Editor
He locked up my house for me because I have trouble with the key. He accompanied me into the Doctor’s office because he wanted to be sure it was in the right place and that I got inside safely. He was very patient with my speech disability. He represents your company very well. 10 out
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WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE SOUP FOR FALL?
JANNA SANDERS
Ooh, it’s a brie cheese soup. It’s a family recipe from my Aunt Sally from 25 years ago.
MARK CARLOS
My favorite soup is chicken soup, which I make with rotisserie chicken. My sister taught me how to make it. Basically, you take all the quarters out, shred the rest of the chicken, throw in some vegetables, onion, and lemon, and you’re set with pasta in there.
PHILIP EAGER
Clam chowder. I just had the best clam chowder of my life in Missoula, Montana, at the Union Club Bar & Grill. They spent a lot of time on this soup, and it had little bits of bacon in it. The clams were plentiful, and it was very tasty.
DARCY CRUM
Tomato soup. I enjoy the flavor, and sometimes we put some parmesan on it, which melts and tastes really good.
KRISTINA WEAVER
In the fall, I like chicken pot pie soup. We make it from scratch at home. We start with a cream base, which comes in when you make chicken stock, and then we add lots of fresh vegetables. We put our potatoes and carrots in there, which we grow at home.
10/14/24, RIVERFRONT PARK INTERVIEWS BY VICTOR CORRAL MARTINEZ
OVER 1000 WHISKEYS ON THE WALL & GREAT FOOD
Same Debate, Different Centuries
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The argument over presidential power goes back to the very beginning of the American experiment; it’s front and center again as Election Day looms
BY LAWRENCE B.A. HATTER
There are not many countries in the world where its people routinely seek out the opinions of men who lived and died over 200 years ago. Do the French face the challenges of 21st-century politics by asking themselves “What would Napoleon do?” Non. But, in the United States, politicians, pundits and keyboard warriors are forever invoking the wisdom of the Founders as our republic prepares to celebrate its 250th birthday in 2026.
I have written before about the problems of misquoting and even quoting the Founders. Seeking an authoritative original intent on any subject is like trying to hit a moving target. Not only did the Founders not agree among themselves about important questions like the meaning of the American Revolution, but, even within any given individual, their views changed over the course of their lifetimes.
I still believe this, but I am probably tilting at windmills if I think we can escape this election cycle without hearing from the likes of Thomas
If you can’t beat them, join them.
Though Americans are preparing to vote on a vast swath of public offices from local dogcatcher to president of the United States, there is no question that the race for the White House has top billing.
So what did the founding generation have to write about the office of the president of the United States?
The executive branch of the federal government was created by the delegates to the Constitutional Convention held in Philadelphia in 1787. The Articles of Confederation agreed to a decade earlier technically included a president, but he (never she) merely presided over a Committee of the States and did not represent a separate branch of government.
The creation of the office of the president of the United States was controversial. Eighteenthcentury Anglo-American political thought harbored a deep suspicion of the corrupting influence of executive power and the threat that centralized authority posed to individual liberties. Americans need look no further than the character of their former king, George III, whose crimes Thomas Jefferson meticulously cataloged in the Declaration of Independence.
The debates surrounding the ratification of
Jefferson or Alexander Hamilton.
The title page of the second edition of The Federalist Papers, written by “Publius” — aka Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and John Jay.
the U.S. Constitution, then, are a good place to look to see how the founding generation viewed the presidency.
The supporters of the proposed Constitution took on the moniker of Federalists, and the most famous statement of their creed is The Federalist Papers, a collection of 85 essays authored by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and John Jay.
The Federalists believed that the office of the presidency would be the preserve of people possessed of superior “abilities,” “talents” and, above all, “virtue.”
In “Federalist 64,” John Jay explains that “the Constitution has taken the utmost care that they [the future presidents] shall be men of talents and integrity.” Jay believed that “so far as the fear of punishment and disgrace can operate, that motive to good behavior is amply afforded by the article on the subject of impeachment.” Bad presidents, then, would be impeached by Congress.
Alexander Hamilton was also convinced that there was a “consistent probability of seeing the station [of the presidency] filled by characters pre-eminent for abilities and virtue.” In “Federalist 68,” Hamilton reasoned that “talents for low intrigue, and the little arts of popularity, may alone suffice to elevate a man to the first honors in a single State; but it will require other talents, and different kind of merit, to establish him in the esteem and confidence of the whole Union.”
Hucksters need not apply in an era before mass communication.
“…if the president is possessed of ambition, he has power and time sufficient to ruin his country.”
— CATO’S “LETTER IV,” NOVEMBER, 1787
Not everyone was convinced that the new Constitution could protect America from a wannabe dictator. Opponents of ratification were dubbed Anti-Federalists, and they mobilized their own political campaign to convince Americans of the danger posed to liberty by the new Constitution.
In “Letter IV” published in the New York Journal newspaper in November 1787, “Cato” — a pseudonym that some historians have attributed to Gov. George Clinton of New York — explained why the proposed powers of the presidency “may be dangerous to the liberties of a republic.”
Cato predicted that a corrupt president would use the immense powers of his office to raise “himself to permanent grandeur on the ruins of his country.” Cato explained how such a president would “be surrounded by expectants and courtiers” through his “power of nomination and influence on all appointments.” He cautioned that the president could easily become a tyrant by using his “controul over the army, militia, and navy — the unrestrained power of granting pardons for treason, which may be used to screen from punishment, those whom he had secretly instigated to commit the crime, and thereby prevent a discovery of his own guilt.”
In sum, Cato concluded “that if the president is possessed of ambition, he has power and time sufficient to ruin his country.”
As the American Republic approaches its first quarter millennium, it remains to be seen whether the Federalists were right that the Constitution is capable of defending America from tyranny, or if Anti-Federalist fears about the corrupting powers of the presidency herald the end of the republican experiment begun in 1776. Federalists and Anti-Federalists might not have been able to agree on much during the contentious ratification debates in 1787 and 1788. But they both recognized that the president of the United States needs to be virtuous if the republic is to long endure. n
Lawrence B.A. Hatter is an award-winning author and associate professor of early American history at Washington State University. These views are his own and do not reflect those of WSU.
‘On Behalf of the Country’
How congressional candidates Michael Baumgartner and Carmela Conroy’s service abroad helped shape their approach to foreign policy and politics
In February, U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers surprised nearly everyone by announcing her retirement. For the first time in 20 years, she would not run to represent Washington’s 5th Congressional District. With a newly open seat, the race was on.
The two people running to take her seat and represent Eastern Washington in Congress don’t have a lot in common.
Michael Baumgartner is a Republican. Carmela Conroy is a Democrat. On issues like abortion, the southern border and the economy, the two are firmly split along party lines.
But there’s one thing in their backgrounds that unites them: foreign service.
Before entering politics, Baumgartner worked for the U.S. State Department in Baghdad during the Iraq War. He also worked as a
MICHAEL BAUMGARTNER
Baumgartner grew up in Pullman, the child of a kindergarten teacher and a forestry professor.
His parents didn’t talk much about politics, but he says they still had a “real sense of service about them” that inspired him to get involved in helping people. After graduating from Washington State University with a major in economics, he spent a year volunteering with the Jesuits working with war refugees in Mozambique. It was there that Baumgartner started to become interested in
counternarcotics adviser to the U.S. government in Afghanistan.
Conroy also worked for the State Department. She spent nearly two decades as a foreign service officer, serving as a regional refugee coordinator in the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan; a politicalmilitary affairs officer in Tokyo, Japan; and a political-economic counselor in Oslo, Norway.
Both candidates say their time overseas helped inform their thinking on foreign policy.
“It’s not every day you get two former State Department officers running for Congress,” Baumgartner says.
“We were all working on behalf of the country,” Conroy says. “The two parties had different ideas about the best way to achieve those goals, but the goals were the same.”
CARMELA CONROY
Conroy spent her early years in Spokane’s Hillyard neighborhood in a small house behind the Rogers High School football field. After first grade, her family moved to Spokane Valley, which was still very agricultural in the late 1960s and ’70s.
No one in her family had gone to college. Her mother worked for an insurance company and her father worked on the railroads. But by the end of middle school, Conroy knew she not only wanted to go to college, she wanted to go to graduate school.
CARMELA CONROY PROFILE BY ELIZA BILLINGHAM n MICHAEL BAUMGARTNER PROFILE BY NATE SANFORD
Carmela Conroy and Michael Baumgartner met for a debate at Gonzaga University on Oct. 8. ERICK DOXEY PHOTOS
Because Everyone’s Future Matters Elect Steven
For Washington State Legislature, District 6, Pos 1 (D)
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Whooping in Whitman
WSU faces a pertussis outbreak. Plus, Spokane Valley gets grant for 10 officers; and Spokane focuses resources downtown.
Each year as the days get shorter and the weather cools, more people are likely to come down with the flu or a cold. However, another illness is making the rounds now in Whitman County, where at least 18 people — all but one at Washington State University — have been diagnosed with pertussis, otherwise known as whooping cough. Because of this, Whitman County Public Health has put out a health alert asking anyone diagnosed with pertussis to isolate while completing a five-day course of antibiotics. Pertussis spreads from person to person through spit droplets, so the health district recommends that anyone who’s been in close contact with someone diagnosed with pertussis visit a health care provider. Health officials say that immunization, generally done as a young child via the DTaP vaccine and as an adolescent and adult via the Tdap vaccine, is the best way to prevent infection. It’s recommended that adults receive Tdap boosters every 10 years, and if you didn’t get a booster as an adolescent, to schedule a single dose now. (COLTON RASANEN)
NEW COPS ON THE BLOCK
In June, after identifying the need for additional police officers, Spokane Valley applied for a U.S. Department of Justice grant from the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS). Spokane Valley was awarded a $1.25 million grant from COPS to cover the salaries of 10 new officers for three years (about $41,700 per officer, per year). The city will cover their benefits and any additional costs. The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office, which is contracted to provide law enforcement services via the Spokane Valley Police Department, submitted the grant application and credited the city for the portion of funds received. “We are grateful for our partnership with the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office and our recent discussions with the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., that helped the city secure the full $1.25 million grant recently applied for from the COPS Hiring Program,” Mayor Pam Haley tells the Inlander. “This grant will help fund the addition of 10 new police officers, a decision strongly supported by the City Council earlier this year, reinforcing our commitment to keeping our community safe and being fiscally responsible.”
(VICTOR CORRAL MARTINEZ)
CORE EXERCISE
On Monday, Oct. 14, the city of Spokane initiated its Crisis Outreach, Response and Engagement, or CORE, plan — a 30-day pilot program concentrating city fire and police resources in the downtown core. For the trial period, there will be 26 police officers downtown every 24 hours, which is up from 20 officers previously. The officers are divided between four shifts throughout the day. Two of the six new officers are from the police department’s Behavioral Health Unit and plan to work with the fire department’s Behavioral Response Unit to appropriately respond to various behavioral and mental health issues. The city’s Homeless Outreach Team is also now working with Revive Reentry Services. Revive will send counselors and transitional housing experts into homeless encampments before law enforcement arrives. The goal is to connect people with the services they need before sweeps happen to clear out camps, city Communications Director Erin Hut says. (ELIZA BILLINGHAM) n
WSU has a new respiratory outbreak. ERICK DOXEY PHOTO
WINTER GUIDE
“MICHAEL BAUMGARTNER,” CONTINUED...
economic development — basically “how you make poor countries less poor,” he says. He decided to study the topic at Harvard.
time doing economic development work for the United Arab Emirates government in Dubai.
“They wanted to turn Dubai into the next Singapore,” Baumgartner says. “Given the challenges of that region after 9/11, I thought that would be really interesting.”
By that point, Baumgartner’s politics were leaning conservative. During a GOP debate earlier this summer, Baumgartner told his fellow Republicans that he sometimes felt like an outsider at the predominantly liberal institution.
“There weren’t many of us, which I think gave us a better conservative education,” Baumgartner said. “Because we had to defend our views all the time.”
IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN
As the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan ramped up, Baumgartner says he felt compelled to help.
“It gnawed at me that a lot of other Americans were going,” Baumgartner says. “Many members of my family had served their country overseas, and I decided, ‘Yeah, I should go.’”
Baumgartner had planned to return to Africa after Harvard. Then 9/11 happened. It inspired him to go to the Middle East, where he spent
Baumgartner left the private sector and took a job as a U.S. State Department Officer at the embassy in Baghdad. He did counterinsurgency work during the 2007 troop surge.
By that point, the Iraq War was deeply
Michael Baumgartner worked for the U.S. State Department in Iraq and in counternarcotics in Afghanistan. ERICK DOXEY PHOTO
unpopular. Former President George W. Bush was facing widespread criticism for leading the American people into an unwinnable quagmire.
Baumgartner took a slightly more optimistic view.
“There was a lot of criticism about the American military,” Baumgartner says. “What I saw from American troops was they were doing amazing, hard work in very challenging circumstances.”
Baumgartner started writing a monthly email talking about what he was seeing in Iraq. He caught the eye of a Boston Globe columnist, who wrote an article in 2008 describing Baumgartner as a “vision of hope” for Iraq — praising his optimistic outlook as an alternative to the more cynical atmosphere of the time.
“His view of what needs to be done in Iraq was jarringly clear-minded and forward-thinking, removed from the never-ending discussion of how we got into this mess,” the columnist wrote.
In 2008, Baumgartner left Iraq and began working as a civilian contract adviser in Afghanistan doing counternarcotics work as part of a program funded by the U.S. government. He was stationed in the troubled and dangerous Helmand Province. It’s there that he met his wife, Eleanor, who was also doing counternarcotics work in the area.
ELECTED OFFICE
Shortly after leaving Afghanistan and returning to Eastern Washington in 2009, Baumgartner was approached by a group of Republicans who were trying to recruit someone to run against incumbent state Sen. Chris Marr, who represented the 6th Legislative District covering northwest Spokane County.
Baumgartner says the Republicans had approached 35 other people before coming to him.
“I was guy 36,” Baumgartner says. “I said, ‘Hey, this sounds like a fun adventure.’ ... I just really enjoy being part of something bigger than myself.”
The race became the most expensive legislative race in state history (at that time). Baumgartner won with 54% of the vote.
Baumgartner spent two terms in the state Senate. His proudest accomplishment? Sponsoring the Senate bill that brought the WSU medical school to Spokane.
Baumgartner left the Senate in 2018 and has since served as Spokane’s elected county treasurer. He decided to run for Congress shortly after McMorris Rodgers announced her retirement.
“One thing I didn’t get to do in the state Legislature was have an impact on foreign policy,” Baumgartner says. “That has a real interest to me as well.”
AMERICA ABROAD
Reflecting on his time in Iraq and Afghanistan, Baumgartner says the Bush-era effort to tackle terrorism by spreading democracy in the Middle East was a “noble effort” that was also “ill-conceived.” There was justified criticism, he says, but America could still “be proud of its intent.”
Baumgartner thinks the State Department needs to be reformed to be “more expeditionary.”
“I don’t believe we can be isolationists, but we also can’t be the world’s policemen,” Baumgartner says. “I have a real interest in trying to create a smarter American foreign policy overseas, because we have to do better than what we did in Afghanistan. It’s also just naive to think that we can come home and be isolationists and won’t have a lot of challenges on the world’s doorsteps.”
During a June debate, Baumgartner said he disagreed with calls to put conditions on U.S. military aid to Israel in light of mounting international condemnation over the civilian death toll in Gaza.
“It is in the U.S. national interest to support Israel and root out the Hamas terrorist network,” Baumgartner said.
On Ukraine, Baumgartner has said that he supports additional funding to help the country and that it’s important that Vladimir Putin does not succeed. n
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“I started debate club in eighth grade and found out that there were people who got paid to dress up and talk and they called those people lawyers,” she says. “And I’m like, ‘That’s for me.’”
She went to the University of Washington for an undergraduate education, but without much of a clue what to study. Even though she had never imagined living outside of Washington, she decided to take a chance on UW’s Japanese program.
“In the late ’70s and early ’80s, all anybody was talking about was the Japanese economic miracle,” she says. “I thought that as long as I was at the University of Washington and Japan was so high on the radar, I should take advantage of their Japanese language program, which is one of the oldest Japanese language programs in the country.”
She also took a class from the school of foreign affairs. She was hooked. She dove headfirst into a field she hadn’t known existed a few months before.
Then, halfway through her studies, the head of the Japanese program changed. The
teaching methodology was turned upside down, and Conroy’s grades plummeted. She decided something had to change.
“When I graduated, I was broke and I was sick of school and I could not speak this language I’d been banging my head against for two years,” she says. “So I told anybody that I thought could help me that I was looking for work in Japan.”
DEPUTY PROSECUTOR
Conroy did eventually find work in Tokyo, running an English program at an elite private school. But once she had saved enough money, she went back to UW for law school.
Conroy’s first job as a lawyer was back in Tokyo working for Nissan. But it still wasn’t exactly what she wanted to do, so she returned home.
“I moved back into my parents’ basement, literally as well as proverbially, and started looking for other work,” she says.
A friend of her father’s introduced her to someone in the Spokane County Prosecutor’s Office. She was hired and quickly assigned her
Carmela Conroy worked for the U.S. State Department in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Norway and other countries.
ERICK DOXEY PHOTO
first jury trial on her seventh day in the office.
“I was getting paid to dress up and talk, and I won my first jury trial, thanks to the trooper — it was a state patrol trooper who was my chief witness,” she says. “If it hadn’t been for him, it would have gone a different way.”
Conroy worked as a deputy prosecutor for four years. Her experience in the courtroom informs her sympathy for the police and the critical need for funding for the entire criminal justice system.
“Everybody in that system, not just the police, needs to be funded,” she says. “Unless all you want law enforcement to be able to do is visit some instant karma on somebody who’s done something wrong or is at the wrong place at the wrong time, the whole system needs to be built out. That includes things like addiction treatment and behavioral health and mental health treatment.”
VISION FOR AMERICA
Conroy was finally doing what she’d dreamed of as a kid. But the international travel bug had bitten her bad. She was fascinated with the world beyond American borders. So she became a foreign service officer with the U.S. State Department in 1996. Her first post was in Auckland, New Zealand, processing visas.
“It helped me understand for the first time what people’s vision was for what was possible in the United States and how precious it was to be born an American,” she says. “[Also,] understanding how important it was for securing our borders by screening people carefully far away from our borders.”
In New Zealand, most of the visa applications she saw were from non-Kiwis trying to enter the United States. Conroy says she sympathized with people wanting to visit America, but she was also responsible for maintaining safe, healthy borders. Both of those realities should be priorities for both parties, she says.
“I really wish that the bipartisan bill that was largely drafted by [Republican] Sen. Lankford of Oklahoma had passed,” she says. “I’m shocked that the Republican members of the House and Senate would refuse to let that go forward to fund and staff border security because of the Republican presidential candidate’s demand that they not — that he would rather run on a problem than secure our southern border. I think that’s shocking and shameful.”
DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS
Conroy’s next post took her back to Tokyo in 1998. There, she met U.S. Ambassador Tom Foley, a Spokane native who had also served as a Spokane County deputy prosecutor before being elected the representative for Washington’s 5th Congressional District in 1964 and eventually becoming speaker of the House from 1989 to 1995. They bonded over shared experiences.
“He said he sometimes missed being a deputy prosecutor because it was the most powerful job that he’d ever had,” she says. “This is the U.S. ambassador … to Japan and the former speaker of the House of Representatives. He said, ‘A deputy prosecuting attorney is sent into that courtroom and has to make snap second decisions that’ll affect people for the rest of their lives.’”
During nearly two decades with the State Department, Conroy also served in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Norway.
“I worked for Democratic as well as Republican administrations, and what I experienced for most of my career was that there was always something to do that I could throw my heart into,” she says.
Throughout her time as an apolitical public servant, Conroy says she believed that both parties were working toward the same goals and national interests. But now, she’s running for Congress because she’s changed her mind.
“I no longer believe that about the leadership of the Republican Party,” she says. “The disinformation, the lying and frankly the idea that a political party should be directed towards the glorification of a specific party leader rather than the promotion of American interests… I no longer believe that both parties are pointed in the same direction.” n elizab@inlander.com
Savor Every Bite
Craving
The Room Where it Happens
The new Hamilton Studio Listening Room provides audiences with a unique and intimate acoustic experience
BY MADISON PEARSON
Asign that read “St. Joseph’s Catholic School Gymnasium” used to hang above the front door of a brick building in Spokane’s West Central neighborhood, but it’s since been replaced by a simple metal sign bearing the surname “Hamilton.”
You’ve probably heard the name before: Don Hamilton. He’s been based out of Spokane since the early 1980s and has firmly integrated himself into the city’s culture over the years. A self-proclaimed renaissance man, he’s a veteran photographer and cinematographer and even appeared in the 1993 Spokane-shot feature film Benny & Joon But his latest artistic endeavor isn’t camera-focused at all — 16 INLANDER OCTOBER 17, 2024
it’s a live music venue. More specifically, a listening room.
Simply put, a listening room is a space dedicated to acoustics. It’s a place for listeners to intently focus on the music without superfluous distractions like a bustling restaurant or crowded bar.
“A listening room is truly intimate,” Hamilton says. “As someone who works in TV and film, I’m here to tell you that sound is more than half the show.”
That old St. Joseph’s Catholic School Gymnasium sign now hangs from a balcony in the main Listening Room area, an ode to the history of the 1928 building which also houses Hamilton’s photography and film business.
“We live in the house next door,” Hamilton says of himself and his partner Lorna St. John, executive producer at Hamilton Studio. “The house was built when Queen Victoria sat on the throne of Great Britain. It was built by a Protestant man, but in 1928 the Catholics came along and literally sawed off his eaves and built this gymnasium between him and the sunset. So I like to say we ended up stealing the house from the Protestants and this from the Catholics.”
When Hamilton bought the gymnasium, he installed
a cyclorama (a curved white wall suggesting an unlimited background often used in photography) and coated the space with sound insulation spray called K13. It was by accident that he realized he had created a room with nearperfect acoustics due to the configuration of hard and soft surfaces in the room.
HAMILTON
STUDIO LISTENING ROOM
1427 W. Dean Ave., hamilton.live
As artists perform in front of the cyclorama, sound is pushed out toward the audience and then bounces back off of the red curtains adorning the stage at the back of the room — a recipe for sonic perfection.
Hamilton realized what he had when he offered to hold a double-booked Northwest Bach Fest gig in the space last June.
“It was stunning,” Hamilton says. “I had concerts here in the past, but that was when I knew we had to expand.”
Suddenly he had requests to use the room as a rehearsal space for musicians prepping to go on tour. With
Don Hamilton inside his acoustically perfect space.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF DON HAMILTON / HAMILTON STUDIO
the closure of Lucky You Lounge in August 2023, he felt there was an even bigger need for a venue of this size with varying capabilities.
The Hamilton Studio Listening Room officially opened for business on New Year’s Day 2024 with an inaugural performance by country singer-songwriter Brennen Leigh.
“Since then I’ve been calling this a grand experiment,” Hamilton says. “We’ve proven the music portion of the experiment works. Now, the question is, what is the actual business model to sustain the thing?”
UPCOMING SHOWS
Oct. 20: The Jeremy Pelt Quintet
Nov. 3: Pearl Django (two performances)
Nov. 8: Dmitri Matheny Group
The space can accommodate up to 199 people if no alcohol is served at the show, but only 99 when alcohol is available. And it provides an intimate listening experience no matter the capacity.
The space hosts concerts every month with regional, local and international touring musicians. All comment on the great sound in the venue, according to Hamiton. The Listening Room now has recurring First Sunday Jazz concerts (both matinee and evening performances) featuring the Hot Club of Spokane, the Zonky Jazz Band and the Red Hot Kitten Stompers alongside varying guest artists.
“I feel this strange obligation to make it work because so many people love it,” Hamilton says. “So many people want to play here, people want to come here for concerts. I’ve been involved with the arts here for so long, so now I’m making this up as I go along because it fell into my lap.”
Not only does the Listening Room offer a unique sonic experience, but the Hamilton Studio crew also records each performance, mixes the sound and creates a video showcasing the venue’s acoustics and stunning visuals. After all, it’s a video production company by day.
The whole crew wants to see the space thrive and bridge a gap in the music venue sphere in Spokane. Hamilton has big dreams for the Listening Room but for now, he’s focused on the present.
“So many people come in here and tell me they had no idea this exists,” Hamilton says. “I want to keep this going, so the trick is to get people in here, aware and supporting it so we can continue to put on these shows.” n
The Hamilton Studio Listening Room is inside this historic West Central building.
Traffic Stop
LA-based BODYTRAFFIC brings its signature contemporary dance style to the Inland Northwest
BY COLTON RASANEN
When Tina Berkett moved from New York City to Los Angeles in 2007, she immediately noticed the West Coast’s creative spirit. It was free-flowing and diverse, and it was something she deeply drew from when starting her dance company BODYTRAFFIC the same year.
“I love being on the West Coast because there’s a specific energy that speaks to the wild west in a way,” Berkett says. “There’s a freshness and youthfulness about LA that brings an air of possibility to our dance company.”
When the artistic director began the company, she had the ambitious goal of inspiring audiences around the globe to love dance. And that’s exactly what she did. For the last 17 years, the group has brought its contemporary dance flair to stages around the world. Now, that talent is coming to the Inland Northwest when BODYTRAFFIC takes the stage at Gonzaga University’s Myrtle Woldson Performing Arts Center.
“We feel committed to this West Coast energy, so we’re really looking forward to showing that to audiences in Washington,” she says.
Part of maintaining that vibe requires Berkett to focus on more than just the choreography. While every part of a performance is planned, down to a dancer’s pointed toes or the props they use on stage, she thinks that putting an emphasis on the music is important to the audiences. That’s why she includes music from recognizable classic artists such as Etta James, James Brown and Peggy Lee.
“People universally love music, and I think you’d be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn’t love an artist like Etta James,” she says. “If [audiences] are at ease while listening to the music, then they might just grow in appreciation for the dance, too.”
One number the group performs, called “SNAP,” is set to a James Brown song. Choreographed by Micaela Taylor, the piece is meant to encourage viewers to snap out of the social norms that often shroud their individuality. The six-person dance centers on self-expression and desire, Berkett says, so it’s important that audiences are able to take that in.
Yet even as she shares these background details about one dance, Berkett notes it’s not actually important for the audience to understand the story behind each performance.
“I’m constantly encouraging folks to take in the performance, but I find that often since dance is not as popular, people don’t know how to react in the audience,” she explains. “It’s such a tricky thing, people often come in and they’re nervous because they just don’t understand dance. But I tell them, ‘Don’t look for a story and just allow the dancers to take you through their art.’”
Once folks have learned to take in the dance, she says, they can begin to unravel the countless stories that can be told with just bodies on a stage.
Though Berkett hopes BODYTRAFFIC’s performances educate and inspire audiences to engage further with the medium of dance, that’s not her
BODYTRAFFIC performs the piece “SNAP.” TOMASZ ROSSA PHOTO
only goal. She also works to educate up-and-coming dancers around the world.
“We absolutely love to connect with communities when we tour,” she says. “Our dancers are, for the most part, in their mid-20s, so when they get to have an impact on young dancers, it feels like they’re able to connect with the next generation of dancers.”
BODYTRAFFIC has educated countless dancers internationally, spanning back to 2015 when the Obama administration selected the group to become cultural ambassadors to Jordan through the Bureau of Educational and Cultural
“We absolutely love to connect with communities when we tour.”
Affairs and the U.S. State Department. In the following three years, the company went on to become cultural ambassadors to South Korea, Algeria and Indonesia.
There are a number of master classes that Berkett and her dancers teach, but they’re often tailored to the dance community they’re visiting. She also ensures that this training occurs in the cities that BODYTRAFFIC performs in. This week, the group is working with Gonzaga dance students who are already experienced in their craft.
“Typically we’re gonna share some physical classes, but then there’s also time for us to really get to know the young dancers,” she says. “It’s so special that we get to do this.”
While training the next generation of talented dancers requires intense work, Berkett wants to push away from the stereotype of cutthroat dance classes that are often televised. Take the popular reality TV show Dance Moms for
example. Celebrity dance instructor Abby Lee Miller was known for being harsh with dancers, often raising her voice or belittling them, to pull out their full potential. However, Berkett says it just doesn’t have to be that way.
She and her dancers work to ensure that their students are challenged by choreography and technical work, but still feel comfortable enough to advocate for themselves if something’s wrong.
“Dancing is hard. If you’re gonna struggle, you have to be in a positive environment,” Berkett says. “Dancers leave our classes with the understanding that you can find a dance environment that is positive and healthy.” n
BODYTRAFFIC • Sat, Oct. 19 at 7:30 pm • $38-$54 • Myrtle Woldson Performing Arts Center • 211 E. Desmet Ave. • gonzaga.edu/dance or bodytraffic.com
The LA-based company has performed around the world. GUZMAN ROSADO PHOTO
IT’S ALIVE, AGAIN!
Spokane Public Library rolls out spooky October programing, including a traveling Frankenstein exhibit
BY CARRIE SHRIVER
In the hushed, cavernous third floor of Spokane’s Central Library, the legend of an iconic monster is creaking back to life.
On display through Nov. 16, “Discover Frankenstein: Penetrating the Secrets of Nature” is a small exhibit on loan from the National Library of Medicine. Interpretive panels sketch an outline of author Mary Shelley’s life and reveal how she came to write the beloved novel Frankenstein or The Modern Prometheus The exhibit details some of the marvels of science happening during her lifetime, like person-to-person blood transfusions and galvanism, the application of electricity to beheaded animals and humans that resulted in twitching and other physical movements.
Galvanism in particular is central to Shelley’s work. In the story, young scientist Victor Frankenstein uses electricity to bring his assembled corpse to life.
“By the glimmer of the half-extinguished light I saw the dull yellow eye of the creature open; it breathed hard, and a convulsive motion agitated its limbs,” Shelley describes from his viewpoint.
Instead of rejoicing in the life he created, the scientist is horrified and abandons the wretch. What follows is the story of how the “thing” became a monster that we’re still fascinated with, more than 200 years after Frankenstein was first published in 1818.
“I always love Halloween, and I always wanted to do something for adults every year,” says Vanessa Strange, Spokane Public Library’s adult services manager who works with fellow librarians to develop programs across all of the city’s branches.
When Strange found the touring Frankenstein exhibit was available, she snagged it for October.
“I thought it would be cool to have the mad scientist lab look,” she says.
Strange supplemented the exhibit’s panels with items from the library’s archives. In addition, Petunia & Loomis, a local antique store calling itself “Spokane’s only year-round creeptown,” loaned some items for display. While you can’t purchase the exhibit’s replica skulls or slides of early anatomical drawings, Petunia & Loomis’ goods are for sale, including some mad scientist-esque equipment and vintage copies of Frankenstein.
Strange sees Shelley’s work as still quite relevant today.
“There’s a lot to think about in terms of what makes a person,” she says. “There’s things like AI, and what does that do with what we think of as personhood, and what we get to do. Shouldn’t the robot get to do the hard stuff and we get to do the creative stuff? When you start to think about scientific advances, who’s an outcast? Who’s a person that has feelings? All these things still tie in.”
Like in Shelley’s time, at the beginning of the 19th century, Strange thinks we should keep questioning ethics about science and medicine.
“Having a fear of science, having a fear of technology, maybe sometimes that’s a good thing,” she says. “Maybe sometimes it’s not. There’s a lot of those things going on now that are in the story as well.”
Complementing the exhibit are books unearthed from the library’s archives dating to the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries and covering occult topics like palmistry, exorcism and witchcraft. One tome even debunks magic and offers alternative explanations for the supernatural.
SPOOKY LIBRARY
More info at spokanelibrary.org
LILAC CITY LIVE
Thu, Oct. 17 at 8 pm, Central Library
PROGRAMS
GHOST STORIES: A WRITING WORKSHOP WITH DEBRA MAGPIE EARLING
Fri, Oct. 25 at 10:30 am, Central Library (register online)
WHO IS HAUNTING YOUR HOUSE?
Wed, Oct. 30, 5:30 pm, South Hill Library
To augment the Frankenstein exhibit, Strange and her team have also planned seasonally spooky programs throughout October at both the Central Library and other branches around the city.
This month’s Lilac City Live talk show, for example, features a local paranormal investigator. There’s also a ghost story writing workshop with Debra Magpie Earling, author of the acclaimed novel Perma Red, this year’s Spokane is Reading title. Another highlight is a session on how to research your home if you suspect it might be haunted.
“It’s fun for Halloween,” Strange says of the exhibit and events. “We want to share it with people, and we hope that it sparks something that improves their life in some way.” n
THE BUZZ BIN
AVISTA ARTISTS
Avista has been building a metro substation at the corner of Third and Post in downtown Spokane for the past year or so. Construction on the interior won’t be complete until mid-2027, but the facade is nearly done and includes some amazing contributions from local artists Aaron Smith and Stacie Boyer. The paintings fixed to the outside walls of the building were created under the theme “We All Belong.” Smith’s painting depicts a view of Spokane from the South Hill at dusk while Boyer’s (above) leans into the beautiful nature surrounding our city with rolling wheat fields and wildlife. (MADISON PEARSON)
BANG-UP BUILDING
Last June, the Spokane County Library District celebrated the grand opening of the brand-new Spokane Valley Library branch. The excitement was palpable throughout the community, and it seems that excitement made its way to the American Institute of Architects’ Washington branch, which bestowed the Washington Council Civic Design Merit Award to the building on Sept. 19. The award celebrates “the best examples of what can be realized when architects and civic clients work together.” Spokane-based Integrus Architecture designed the branch and shared the award with the library district. (MADISON PEARSON)
THIS WEEK’S PLAYLIST
Noteworthy new music arriving in stores and online on Oct. 18.
JAPANDROIDS, FATE & ALCOHOL
The best two-piece band ever says goodbye with one final salvo of purely distilled anthemic rock bliss.
PHANTOGRAM, MEMORY OF A DAY
Get ready to hit the dance floor as New York duo Phantogram lean into the alluring, glistening shimmer of their early electro pop day on the group’s first album in four years.
LIN-MANUEL MIRANDA & EISA DAVIS, THE WARRIORS
The Hamilton mastermind teams up with fellow musical playwright Eisa Davis (with Nas on production) to craft an concept album musical based on the 1979 New York City gang warfare cult classic film, The Warriors. (SETH SOMMERFELD)
Librarian Vanessa Strange brought Frankenstein to the Central branch. PHOTO COURTESY OF SPOKANE PUBLIC LIBRARY
RANCHING
Decarbonizing Cattle
With proper management techniques, herds can help increase plant biodiversity and soil health
BY ELIZA BILLINGHAM
Golden West Cattle Co. is making sure its cattle are working with the environment, not against it.
KWAK PHOTO
It’s 7:30 am and the sun is finally warming up a chilly September fog.
Just west of Sprague, Washington, a wide pasture is empty, except for a white pickup truck snaking its way across the dead grass. The truck stops at a random spot, a few yards away from a bleached cow skull. It must have been here for years now, bright bone against black basalt à la Georgia O’Keefe.
Three women get out of the pickup, one in denim and a cowboy hat, another in plaid, another in a sweatshirt and ballcap. They unload modest supplies — an iPad, a measuring cup, a plastic bucket and a well-used folding ruler.
“Every time we do this, the rancher becomes an ecologist,” the woman in the cowboy hat says.
Her name is Anna Clare Monlezun. She’s a Colorado rancher, a rangeland ecosystem scientist and an independent contractor with Northway Ranch Services, a Wyoming-based company that provides technical support for ranching operations across the West. Today, she’s in Sprague with Courtney Thompson and Danielle Harder, sisters and fourth-generation ranchers at Golden West Cattle Co.
More than a decade ago, Thompson and Harder’s father, Rex Harder, joined Country Natural Beef, a rancher-owned beef cooperative with over 100 members across the western United States. The family ranchers in the co-op use land-friendly practices that are intended to raise better beef and protect and improve the land the cattle graze on.
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RANCHING
Today, Monlezun, Thompson and Harder are going to start quantifying to what extent that is true.
Country Natural Beef is partnering with Northway Ranch Services and Sustainable Northwest, a nonprofit dedicated to creating climate solutions across various industries, to create a proven regenerative ranching program called “Grazewell.” Ranchers outside Country Natural Beef are also invited to join. With the help of federal dollars from the Climate Smart Commodities grant, they’re enlisting ranchers, ecologists and data analysts to prove that nontraditional ranching techniques can make cattle helpful — not harmful — to the environment.
The idea for all participants is that if cattle are allowed to graze more haphazardly and rotated more frequently, the animals can work within an ecosystem to improve soil health and plant biodiversity.
The benefits of healthy, diverse plants are wideranging: Herds produce higher yields of more nutritious beef, the soil sequesters more carbon, and rangelands are more resilient in the face of extreme weather events.
These are big, bold claims for any industry, much less the cattle industry, which has gotten a bad environmental reputation due to methane emissions from the animals themselves and the amount of water and plant life it takes to make a hamburger.
“Cows do contribute to climate change more so than a lot of other areas in agriculture,” says Amy Harder,
one of Rex’s other daughters who grew up on the ranch and went on to cover climate issues for the Wall Street Journal, Axios and now Cipher, a news outlet sponsored by Bill Gates’ investment platform and thinktank Breakthrough Energy. “Beef is far more climate-intensive than any other meat. So the emphasis on beef is important.”
Country Natural Beef, which is sold at Huckleberry’s Natural Market on the lower South Hill, wants to beef up its claims of land conservation with real data. So the co-op has asked its ranchers to work with people like Monlezun to set up monitoring sites across their rangeland. Each site will gather data on soil composition, plant diversity, plant density and water infiltration.
“Those are the indicators that we can see above ground that are telling us if we’re likely sequestering carbon or not,” says Dallas Hall Defrees, the regenerative ranching program director for Sustainable Northwest. “If we’re getting more biodiversity, if our water infiltration is better, it’s likely that the plants above ground are creating bigger root biomass and converting the atmospheric carbon into soil organic carbon.”
The data will be sent to Texas A&M University, where researchers will try to estimate the amount of carbon sequestered by each area of rangeland. Other data will go to Quantis, a private company that runs life cycle analyses of different greenhouse gases, including methane.
The hope is that within five years, ranchers in the
Grazewell program will be able to prove that they are managing their herds in a way that improves their land and contributes to global decarbonization.
“I think they’re some of the most progressive ranchers in the world as a unified group,” Monlezun says.
‘IT’S JUST NATURAL’
Rex Harder’s family has been ranching near Sprague for about a century. The third-generation cattleman was drafted into the Army in 1969, spent five years bouncing between Oklahoma, Vietnam, Germany and Texas, and then came back to Eastern Washington and attended Gonzaga University to become a certified public accountant. He was a CPA for almost two decades before finally taking over Golden West Cattle Co. in 2000.
He’s tall and lean, careful and warm when he speaks, and modest about his expertise and the major cattle operation his family has grown. He’s naturally interested in biodiversity and protecting the land.
“That might be a hawk,” he says, pointing up at a raptor circling overhead. “I think if you have wildlife and fish and other natural animals, you’re really not totally disturbing the pasture and the rangeland.”
The entire Harder family has intimate knowledge of thousands of acres of land. They can find old roads overgrown with grass, well-trod cow paths otherwise only known to their herds, and the biggest bunches of
Anna Clare Monlezun, right, shows Courtney Thompson how to use a “sod plugger” to take soil samples. ELIZA BILLINGHAM PHOTO
sagebrush or the lowest swaths of grass.
“Ranchers and farmers are working and living so close to the earth, literally touching the dirt,” Amy Harder says. “Their office is the pasture. It’s just something that has been inherently embedded into this type of life, in a way that so many of us otherwise take for granted.”
Rex inherited land that was deeply changed by management before him, going back even further than his family. The land was originally ranched by owners of the Hercules silver mine in North Idaho, who imported Scottish shorthorn cattle from Europe.
At the beginning of the 20th century, common ranching practices left cattle on a piece of land for as long as possible, Monlezun says. Feed left in the field was considered money left on the table. Overgrazing suppressed native plant life, and any plants that weren’t food were considered undesirable and sometimes burned.
“We didn’t understand rangelands very well,” Monlezun says. “So our policies and our management guidelines that came out of science and government were misleading. That’s the root of that bad reputation. So nowadays, we’re ranching on lands that carry a lot of baggage, that basically have these long histories of mismanagement and lack of ecological knowledge that maybe our Indigenous peoples understood way better than we did.”
health of Western rangeland, Monlezun says.
“Fire, drought and herbivory — in other words, grazing by large herbivores — are the three ‘disturbances’ that maintain grassland ecosystems,” she says. “So what a lot of research has worked to understand is, ‘Can we manage cattle in a way that mimics nature and the large wild herbivores that used to be here?’ That’s really the premise of this entire thing. We look at their dynamics with water and plant biodiversity and soil, and we try to mimic that with our grazing management of domestic herbivores, like cattle and sheep.”
Ranchers and farmers are working and living so close to the earth, literally touching the dirt. “ ”
New studies are showing that sagebrush, previously considered undesirable because cattle don’t eat it, draws a lot of water up and spreads it laterally to other plants. Even though most herbivores don’t eat sagebrush, it ends up being very beneficial to them.
Large herbivores are no strangers to this land. Huge herds of buffalo, bison, elk and deer used to be major players in the truly wild West. Their presence and appetites are actually essential to the
Rex joined Country Natural Beef about 15 years ago because he was able to sell his product at a higher price to people who cared about how the land and animals were treated. Plus, the co-op’s goals to learn more about rangeland management and implement better techniques seemed more than reasonable to him.
“You’re closer to the customer, and there’s a premium,” he says.
He says he’s happy that Grazewell is trying so hard to responsibly manage lands and back up their claims.
“For some people, it’s just natural,” Monlezun says. “This is not an age or generation thing because I meet old ranchers who for them, it’s just common sense.”
PERENNIAL PASTURES
Buzzwords like “regenerative ranching” and “carbon sequestration” and “ecosystem synergy” might be sexy, but the actual data collection is not.
As the temperature creeps into the 80s for a sunny September afternoon on the range, Monlezun shows Rex’s daughter Courtney Thompson how to use a T-shaped “sod plugger.” They take turns digging out plugs of soil from 10 centimeter and 30 centimeter depths. She uses
Diverse grasses and native plants are needed for healthy rangeland. YOUNG KWAK PHOTO
RANCHING
her phone to time how long it takes for a cup of water to fully soak into the ground. Then she takes a picture with the iPad of the area’s groundcover, which she uploads to a data collection hub.
But Thompson, who’s also the county planner for Lincoln County, is game for anything.
“I like this kind of stuff,” she says when Monlezun apologizes for a less than glamorous morning. They repeat the tests a total of three times at intervals 20 feet apart from each other.
Then, Monlezun crouches close to the ground and starts combing her hand through the yellow grass. To an untrained eye, it looks like one clump of the same dead stems. But Monlezun is able to separate out invasive annual grasses from native perennial grasses, plus a few native wildflowers called forbs. She points at one plant with a long stem and a narrow row of seed pods.
“Sandberg’s bluegrass — this is one you want to see more of,” she says to Thompson and her sister. “This is your major native species here.”
When Monlezun visits ranches, she mainly talks about plants. Plants are ranchers’ friends, she says. Plants feed cows, cows produce beef, and ranchers sell that beef. If you look at it a certain way, ranchers are essentially grass farmers.
The thing is, not all grasses are created equal. Annual grasses — that is, grasses that grow one year and die — are often invasive species from Asia or the Mediterranean. They’re opportunistic, which means they pop up quickly from shallow roots, use up a lot of nitrogen, drop a lot of seeds, and die.
They’re great at spreading. But that’s about it.
Perennial grasses, however, are the opposite. They return every year, take a bit longer to grow and have stronger, deeper root systems. They’re great at providing nutritious forage, protecting the land from erosion, taking more carbon out of the air and storing it deeper underground, and adapting to their native environment.
“Plant communities need a little bit of everything,” Monlezun says. “We do wanna see some annual grasses, some perennial grasses, some annual forbs, some perennial legumes. That’s ideal. But what we see a lot, unfortunately, in Western rangeland is an overabundance of annual grasses.”
If you want to give your cattle more nutritious wild food, be more resilient through drought and regional weather events, improve soil health, protect from erosion, and sequester more carbon, it basically all comes down to having more perennial plants.
Ranchers can encourage the growth of perennial grasses by grazing their herds in different pastures at strategic times — that is, if they know enough about which plants are growing in which specific micro ecosystems.
That’s where a visit from a rangeland ecology scientist comes in. Monlezun helps Thompson and Harder identify the main grasses in their pastures. They spot a whole lot of cheatgrass and Medusa’s head, which are annuals that are invasive all over the U.S.
As they leave their first monitoring site, the three women leave red markers so they can come back and monitor the same site five years from now. They start talking about how the pasture could improve in the mean-
time. The water infiltration is good, the soil composition is standard for this part of the country, and the ground is mostly covered by plants. Perhaps just not the right ones.
“Your biodiversity is what we can focus on,” Monlezun suggests.
Instead of cheatgrass, these pastures should have more Sandberg’s and squirreltail grass, plus flowering plants like yarrow, fireweed and mustard, she tells them. To get more of those plants, Golden West will have to switch up their grazing patterns so the herds aren’t eating in the same pasture at the same point in the growing cycle every year.
For example, if cattle start grazing in pasture A in the spring, then move through pastures B, C, and D throughout the summer, it would be ideal to start them the next spring in pasture D, then move backwards through C, B, and finally A.
Bouncing back and forth in what some ranchers imagine as a horseshoe pattern instead of a circle gives more perennial grasses the chance to mature. They might also have to move herds off land more quickly to leave some plants uneaten — which is antithetical to common ranching techniques — so that some slow-growing perennials are spared.
If this sounds simple, you’ve probably never moved a few thousand head of cattle to a new pasture miles away or had to negotiate grazing agreements with state land agencies. More movement is exponentially more work for ranchers. But there are both environmental and economic incentives for them.
“The hypothesis is that the more healthy the land is,
Golden West Cattle Co. owner Rex Harder appreciates that the next generation will manage the land differently. YOUNG KWAK PHOTO
The hypothesis is that the more healthy the land is, the more healthy and productive your herd is gonna be. “ ”
the more healthy and productive your herd is gonna be,” Monlezun says.
A richer, healthier diet could mean less money spent on supplemental feed and vet visits. It could also mean more meat per cow (especially during years with less rainfall) that can be sold at a higher price to consumers.
“It’s like a salad bar,” Defrees at Sustainable Northwest says. “Humans don’t just need the iceberg lettuce. You wanna add carrots and celery and raisins to your salad as well because they provide different nutrient benefits. A lot of the time, cows gain better on [biodiverse land], and they have healthier immune systems. In some instances, producers can actually increase the amount of cattle they have on their land because it’s performing better.”
What’s more, healthy soils and plants don’t just benefit carbon footprints and cows — it can benefit the people eating the burgers, too.
“The more biodiverse and healthy the soil, the more biodiverse and healthy the forage that the cattle eat, therefore the meat that we are eating from that animal is more nutrient dense and diverse than meat that comes from being fed a more simplistic diet,” Monlezun says. “So that’s feeding our nutrient needs as humans.”
And, of course, there’s always the undeniable and unquantifiable joy of finding a plant you had no idea still grew in your pasture.
“Wild onion!” someone shouts from farther downfield.
“Oh, no way!” Danielle Harder shouts back.
DECARBONIZATION AND DIVERSITY
Danielle Harder has been quietly observing Thompson and Monlezun all morning while also taking a call from the western side of the state. She’s a mechanical engineer by education, supply chain expert and entrepreneur by trade, and currently the vice president of strategy and operations for Scope 5, a division of Environ Energy that helps companies track carbon and emissions data.
She visits home often and is intrinsically interested in happenings at the ranch. She wishes the group was on horses instead of in a pickup. But she’s also interested in the data collection project because of what it could mean for the tech world in the future.
“As our markets start driving decarbonization, that’s going to be beneficial to the agricultural system,” she says.
If ranchers and farmers can prove how much carbon their land sequesters, companies like Microsoft and Amazon that have pledged to become carbon neutral or carbon negative could buy carbon credits from these landowners to offset their carbon emissions.
Purchasing those credits could be a new stream of income for food producers. It’s another financial incentive that could promote land management that prioritizes healthy ecosystems.
But the carbon credit market needs data. The Grazewell program is in the embryonic stages of collecting and verify-
ing that data, Harder says. She’s excited to watch it happen in real time.
She’s also eagerly awaiting the results of the greenhouse gas life-cycle studies that will eventually come out of the program. Preliminary research from Utah State University shows that more nutritious diets can reduce the amount of methane that cows release during digestion, which could be one more reason perennial plants are great for the planet.
Cow burps aside, grasslands cover about 40% of the Earth’s land surface. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service estimates that rangeland covers about 770 million acres of the country.
Restoring that land to a healthier, more carbonsequestering ecosystem is imperative in improving cli-
mate resiliency, and it’s going to take cooperation from many different sectors and lots of different ranchers.
“I look at diversification of the people that are in this group,” Rex Harder says, referencing even the different careers and expertise in his own family.
“They’re all owners. They’re diversified by their education. We don’t need the same cowboys that we needed back then. The tasks have changed. I’m looking at [the ranch] in the past and what we did. But they need to think about the future. What are they going to do? How are they going to do it?
Because it’s absolutely not going to be managed the same way in the future that it was in the past.” n
elizab@inlander.com
Ranchers often manage their cattle across thousands of acres of grasslands. YOUNG KWAK PHOTO
GET READY,
’Cuz Here It Comes
Wait, snowsport season is here again? Yep. And our five local resorts are set to welcome you back up top
Nestled inside the Colville National Forest, you’ll find 49° North Mountain Resort, Eastern Washington’s largest ski resort at more than 2,300 acres.
“Our mountains are divided into three basins and two summits,” says Rick Brown, director of skier and rider services. “But no matter what basin you’re in or which summit you’re skiing or riding from, there’s a variety of terrain available.”
Instead of resting on their laurels, 49° North continues to build on the guest experience, with new and expanded runs, upgraded snowmaking capabilities and new facilities. The Experience Center is the new 7,000-square-foot headquarters equipped with a streamlined system to set up rentals, lessons and any repairs you may need. It’s a one-stop shop designed to get guests out on the slopes as quickly as possible — and to make the experience great for new skiers as well. The resort has also added Austrian custom-made lockers with features that dry and warm your gear; they’ve also expanded locker availability by over 50%.
On some beginner and children’s trails, you’ll see a new collaboration between 49° North, the Kalispel Tribe of Indians, the Spokane Tribe and Eastern Washington University. Signage in both English and Salish identifies the woodland creatures of the area, sharing tribal culture and language with skiers and riders.
Whether you’re an experienced world-class skier, a first-timer or a glade skiing enthusiast, there’s an adventure waiting for everyone.
(VICTOR CORRAL MARTINEZ)
LOOKOUT PASS
Fans of tree skiing will be well served to visit Lookout Pass this season as the mountain has added a trio of new glades to the trail map. Expect to see a refreshed look in the five existing glades as well.
“We put people out there on the mountain to take down some of the dead timber to thin out the glades to make the experience more enjoyable and a little more open for those that may be less experienced in some of the glades,” says Matt Sawyer, Lookout’s director of marketing. “It really makes it a lot more fun for people to be able to chase their friends through the glades this winter.”
Other new additions add convenience to this growing mountain. New permanent restrooms have been added at the base of Chair 5, serving the Eagle Peak section, which opened two seasons ago. Additional parking has been added as well, allowing for even more people to experience the mountain that straddles the Idaho-Montana state line.
Another effort to help bring the Lookout experience to the masses is the return of the Golden Ticket program, which allows season pass holders at any mountain in the world to purchase a half-price lift ticket Monday through Thursday, outside of designated holiday periods. (WILL MAUPIN)
MT. SPOKANE
Winner of Best Place to Snowboard in the Inlander Readers Poll for 10 years running, Mt. Spokane has long taken pride in its immense and ever-growing terrain park. The mountain looks to strengthen its hold on that award this season with the addition of the Half Hitch Tow Lift, which serves the terrain park and only the terrain park.
“We’re the only terrain park in the region that has invested in a lift just for the terrain park,” Assistant General Manager Jodi Kayler says. “So basically terrain park enthusiasts can just stay in the park all day and lap it.”
The new tow lift will not only serve those looking to max out their time on the jumps and rails, but also free up space on the other lifts for those skiers and boarders looking to carve up the rest of the mountain’s 53 runs.
If you’re less of a high-flying terrain park person and prefer to stay closer to the snow, Mt. Spokane has not forgotten about you. Closed since the coronavirus pandemic, snow tubing makes its return this season, bringing fun for all ages to the mountain’s lower slopes. Unlike the rest of the mountain, the tubing hill requires reservations. Kayler recommends reserving early, especially for the busy holiday season, as pent up demand after the past four years could make it a hot ticket this winter. (WILL
MAUPIN)
...continued on page 32
MT. SPOKANE PHOTO
If you miss what those awesome little mountain towns in Montana, Utah and Colorado used to feel like, we hereby invite you.
SCHWEITZER
For powder fiends who love venturing off the beaten track, Schweitzer has something special in store. The resort is officially launching Schweitzer Backcountry Adventures, which opens up access to over 4,300 acres and 10,000 vertical feet of off-piste terrain.
“There’s a good 75 runs back there” through open fields and steep glades, says Tom Chasse, Schweitzer’s president and chief operating officer. He describes the new Schweitzer-led offering as “a backcountry, snowcat-assisted ski experience off of the West Bowl, coupled with guided snowmobile tours.”
The availability of both snowmobiles and snowcats means that individuals and groups of all skill levels will be able to explore the area. Conditions permitting, the cats will operate seven days a week, bringing a maximum of 24 daily passengers out to ski or snowboard the pristine slopes.
Snowcats are also a key feature of a Schweitzer dining experience that’s making its long-awaited return in February and March of 2025. These events will offer a limited number of guests the opportunity to take the Great Escape Quad to Sky House, the dining facility that commands stunning 360-degree views of the surrounding area from atop Schweitzer’s 6,400-foot peak. Once there they’ll be served a gourmet, multi-course meal augmented by chef-inspired wine or cocktail pairings. To wrap up the evening in style, guests will then descend the mountain in a snowcat.
“We put a lot of effort and focus into our guest experience through our staff and services,” says Taylor Prather, Schweitzer’s marketing manager, “and that will really come through in our Sky House snowcat dinners.”
(E.J. IANNELLI)
SCHWEITZER PHOTO
49° North Mountain Resort
Mistequa Casino Hotel
49° North Mountain Resort
SILVER MOUNTAIN
At Silver Mountain Resort, the fun begins with a scenic gondola ride up the mountain where you can embark on your winter sporting adventures with 83 runs to choose from.
“On the gondola, you get like 30 minutes of quality family time heading up the mountain,” says Gus Colburn, Silver Mountain’s marketing coordinator.
“Once you get out there, it’s just a huge playground with no lift lines and great snow to be found all over the place to make lifelong happy memories.”
Silver Mountain always has a lot to offer — from the waterpark at the base of the mountain in Kellogg to the number of eateries and bars in the Gondola Village and Mountain House, and this season there are some updates that new and returning visitors can look forward to when hitting the slopes.
During the months leading up to this season, Silver’s crew has been hard at work thinning some trees between their Rendezvous and Saddleback runs to create some great terrain for tree skiing.
“There’s going to be some really great tree skiing in there and some good powder stashes to find,” Colburn says.
Silver Mountain will also be adding an arcade to the Gondola Village with a variety of games along with food and drinks. It’s set to open in December, and visitors can stay up to date on progress by checking Silver Mountain’s social media.
“It’s going to feature a lot of family friendly games like miniature bowling — a lot of video arcade games and a lot of interactive games for people to play,” says Colburn. “It’ll be fun for the whole family.”
(SUMMER SANDSTROM)
Lithium-ion batteries pose risk of fire and should not be thrown in trash or recycling containers. For battery drop-o locations, visit batterysmartspokane.com
SNOWLANDER EVENTS
WARREN MILLER AT YEAR ‘75’
‘Warren Miller’s ski and snowboarding films are, to say the least, iconic. They’re action-packed and an absolutely thrilling watch for any sports enthusiast, but especially for those partial to winter sports. The Warren Miller national film tour is going big for its 75th year with a film that they say will set the tone for the next 75 years of ski and snowboarding filmmaking. Stacked with incredible action and stories, Warren Miller’s 75 brings snowsport fans to slopes all around the world, from Canada, Colorado, California and Utah to Finland, Japan and Austria. During the film you’ll meet a diverse lineup of snowsports legends, Olympic hopefuls and emerging talent — including snowboarders like Shaun White, Zeb Powell and Danny Davis, along with skiers like Max Hitzig, Caite Zeliff and Lexi duPont. (MADISON PEARSON)
Sat, Nov. 9 at 7 pm • $15-$20 • Panida Theater • 300 N. First St., Sandpoint • warrenmiller.com, panida.org
Thu, Nov. 14 at 7:30 pm • $19-$22 • Bing Crosby Theater • 901 W. Sprague Ave. • bingcrosbytheater.com
Tue, Nov. 12 at 7 pm
• $20-$25
• North Idaho College Schuler Performing Arts Center • 880 W. Garden Ave., Coeur d’Alene • warrenmiller.com
Fri, Nov. 29 at 6:30 pm, and Sat, Nov. 30 at 7:30 pm
• Silver Mountain • Kellogg, ID • warrenmiller.com, silvermt.com
MT. SPOKANE SKI PATROL SKI SWAP
The cold is beginning to settle in around the Inland Northwest, and that means winter sports enthusiasts begin gearing up for another exciting season in the snow. If you’re looking to prep to hit the slopes, the annual Mt. Spokane Ski Patrol Ski Swap offers great deals on winter gear for local skiers and snowboarders. The two-day event — now in its 59th year — allows outdoor recreationalists to buy, sell and trade their ski and snowboard equipment. Along with snow gear galore, the swap also serves as the ski patrol’s primary source of funding. The nonprofit, volunteer-run organization provides essential safety services like first aid and safety education to guests at Mt. Spokane Ski & Snowboard Park. Proceeds also help fund the purchase of medical and first aid supplies, rescue equipment, training materials and much more. (FOPE SERIKI)
Oct. 26-27; Sat from 9 am-5 pm, Sun from 9 am-noon • $5 • Spokane County Fair & Expo Center • 404 N. Havana St., Spokane Valley • skipatrolskiswap.com
SNOWSHOE MOONLIGHT TOUR & DINNERS
Maybe you’re not into the typical snow sports like skiing and snowboarding. Maybe you prefer a relaxed stroll rather than bombing down a snow-covered mountain. Each year, Spokane Parks and Recreation holds numerous snowshoe tours for those who want to take it easy but still stay active during the winter months. Choose from moonlight tours, tours that end in a celebratory beer at the top of Mt. Spokane or even tours culminating in a scratch-made dinner with all of the fixings. Locations and transportation options vary; check website for details. (MADI OSWALT)
Dates, times and locations vary • $39-$79 • spokanerec.org
Max Hitzig is one of many superstars in 75 MORITZ ABLINGER PHOTO
SNOWLANDER EVENTS
OCTOBER
BEYOND THE FANTASY
A ski and snowboard film featuring athletes pushing the boundaries of what’s possible on snow. Oct. 24. $25. Hayden Discount Cinema, 300 W. Centa Ave. silvermt.com (208-215-2060)
SPOKANE CHIEFS VS. VANCOUVER GIANTS
Regular season game. Promotional schedule: The Centennial Hotel Educator Appreciation Night. Oct. 25, 7:05 pm. Spokane Arena, 720 W. Mallon Ave. spokanechiefs.com (279-7000) Other October games include vs. Tri-City Americans (Oct. 26) and vs. Edmondton (Oct. 30).
WINTER JOB FAIR
Learn about opportunities for work at Silver Mountain Resort and apply in-person. Oct. 26, 10 am-1
Regular season game. Promotional schedule: TicketsWest Player Magnet Giveaway. Nov. 1, 7:05 pm. Spokane Arena, 720 W. Mallon Ave. spokanechiefs. com (279-7000) Other November games include vs. Kelowna (No. 5), vs. Calgary (Nov. 15), vs. Red Deer (Nov. 16), vs. Kamloops (Nov. 27) and Portland (Nov. 30-Dec. 1).
MT. SPOKANE JOB FAIR
Learn about which positions are hiring at Mt. Spokane and apply in-person. Nov. 2, 8 am-noon. Free.
Mt. Spokane Ski & Snowboard Park, 29500 N. Mt. Spokane Park Dr. mtspokane.com (509-238-2220)
PRAY FOR SNOW CONCERT
Celebrate the start of snow sports season with a concert featuring Ghost Power and co-headliners Space Band and Warp Detour. Ages 21+. Nov. 2, 6-10 pm. $20. Mission Ridge Ski & Board Resort, 7500 Mission Ridge Rd. missionridge.com (509-6636543)
SNOW & POWERSPORTS EXPO
A wintersports expo featuring new and used snowmobiles, ATVs, clothing, parts and accessories. Plus, peruse local vendors and participate in swap meets. Nov. 9, 9 am-5 pm. $10. Spokane County Fair & Expo Center, 404 N. Havana St. Spokanewinterknights. com (509-951-0420)
WINTER PREFUNK
A pre-cursor to winter fun with season pass pickup, free ski waxes, crafts, raffles and live music from Sean Kavanaugh and Daniel Hall. Nov. 10, 11 am. Free. Mt. Spokane Ski & Snowboard Park, 29500 N. Mt. Spokane Park Dr. mtspokane.com (509-2382220)
STATE PARK FREE DAYS
No Discover Pass is required to enter state parks on these days: Nov. 11 and Nov. 29. Free. riversidestateparkfoundation.org
SPOKANE CHIEFS VS. KAMLOOPS BLAZERS Regular season game. Promotional schedule: Ticketswest Player Magnet Giveaway. Nov. 27, 7:05 pm. Spokane Arena, 720 W. Mallon Ave. spokanechiefs. com (279-7000)
The Spokane Chiefs take the Spokane Arena ice as winter gets underway. YOUNG KWAK PHOTO
DECEMBER
SPOKANE CHIEFS VS. WENATCHEE WILD
Regular season game. Promotional schedule: Teddy Bear Toss. Dec. 7, 6:05 pm. Spokane Arena, 720 W. Mallon Ave. spokanechiefs.com (279-7000) Other December games include vs. Prince George (Dec. 14), vs. Wenatchee (Dec. 27).
SNOWSHOE MOONLIGHT TOUR
A guided snowshoe tour through the trails around Mount Spokane at night. Fee includes guides, snowshoes, poles, headlamps, instruction and transportation. Meet at Yoke’s Fresh Market Parking Lot. 14202 N. Market St. Pre-registration required. Ages 16+. Dec. 14, Dec. 20 and Jan. 10, 6-9:30 pm. $39. Mt. Spokane State Park, 26107 N. Mt. Spokane Park Dr. my.spokanecity. org/parksrec (509 -363-5414)
SCHOOL’S OUT YOUTH AND FAMILY ADVENTURES
Guides share tips, tricks and cool trivia through familyfriendly activities. Trips leave from a central location. More info after pre-registration. Dec. 22, 9 am-1 pm, Dec. 30, 9 am-4 pm and Jan. 3, 9:30 am-2:30 pm. Mt. Spokane State Park, 26107 N. Mt. Spokane Park Dr. my.spokanecity.org/parksrec (509-363-5414) n
FOLLOW
snow sport events all season long at inlander.com/snowlander.
FIND YOUR TRUE NORTH
SOUP’S ON
Ward off autumn’s chill with these five staff picks for a tasty, warm and filling meal
BY INLANDER STAFF
Last Christmas, I gifted myself a bright red cast iron Staub Dutch oven. It was marked down for Black Friday, then marked down again because it was the display. It was almost $200 cheaper than its usual price. I couldn’t resist.
This big heavy pot is *chef’s kiss* perfect for making soup. I was obsessed with it all last winter. As soon as temperatures dipped back into the 60s this year, I’ve spent hours making soup every week.
The apartment smells amazing. The gorgeous pot doubles as effortless fall decor. Everything is lovely — until it’s not.
Sometimes, you don’t want to wait hours for soup. Sometimes, you need soup now because your hands are chilly from apple picking, or your heart is broken because your favorite coffee shop ran out of pumpkin spice, or your hair is falling out because your epic plans for Thanksgiving are falling through.
Don’t worry — soup’s still got you.
Ditch your kitchen and get yourself to one of these soup shops for the coziest autumnal pick-meup there is. If you see me spooning a bowl across the dining room, just don’t tell my Staub, please?
(ELIZA BILLINGHAM)
TONKOTSU RAMEN ($13.75)
King of Ramen, 1601 N. Division St., kingoframenspokane.com
Ever since a spectacular trip to Japan one year ago now, I’ve desperately craved the rich and widely diverse flavors of its cuisine. While Spokane is fortunate to have many great sushi spots, it’s more difficult to find other washoku, or traditional Japanese food. Ramen, however, is the second-most reliable option that lets me almost believe I’m back in Tokyo.
While I’ve slurped plenty of noodle bowls around town, King of Ramen is a reliable go-to, and its tonkotsu (pork broth) doesn’t disappoint. Especially in portion size — the bowl is literally bigger than my head. Unless you plan to take home leftovers, I don’t recommend adding any sides or appetizers. We got a pair of chicken teriyaki skewers ($7), thinking they’d be smaller than they actually are, but because they came out after our ramen we ended up taking the skewers home as we’d already gotten so full.
As mentioned, ramen orders come out quick and piping hot; the perfect comfort food on a chilly fall night. While there are lots of add-ons to customize your bowl, I prefer to keep things simple and stick with the standards: a soft-boiled egg, chashu pork, pickled ginger, green onions and nori. The cloudy pork broth has the requisite rich umami flavor, but this particular tonkotsu is also quite garlicky. If that’s not your jam (it’s not always mine, to be honest), consider the tonkotsu that’s blended with miso broth, called the King Ramen. Other variations include a veggie ramen and spicy versions of all bowls. (CHEY SCOTT)
Get a tiny taste of Japan with King of Ramen’s tonkotsu bowl.
YOUNG KWAK PHOTO
PHO ($16.49)
Vina Asian Restaurant, 2303 N. Ash St., 509-328-2197
Yes, it’s pronounced “fuh.” Yes, it’s prime for puns. But this is one of the most comforting dishes I can think of, whether you’re dealing with allergies or heartbreak or an exhausting amount of pumpkin spice. I know this soup seems simple — broth, noodles, a little bit of meat, a little bit of veg — but that means there’s no place to hide.
The broth needs to be perfectly savory from classic Vietnamese spices like star anise, cinnamon, cloves, coriander and cardamom that simmer for hours to give the right depth of flavor. The noodles need to be perfectly slurpable. The herbs ought to add a light aroma while the bean sprouts give a refreshing crunch. This is not something to be trifled with.
Thankfully, Vina knows what it’s doing, which is probably pretty obvious considering it’s been owning soup season in Spokane for two decades. When I lived in Hanoi, pho was an all-season dish, and my Vietnamese friends promised that a steaming hot bowl actually helped you cool off from the intense summer heat and humidity. That might be true — and you should absolutely go to Vina whichever month you get the chance — but there’s something specifically wonderful about a warm bowl of pho as the leaves change. Also, always get the sliced beef. Always. (ELIZA BILLINGHAM)
CLAM CHOWDER ($8-$12)
Chowderhead, 825 N. Monroe St., instagram.com/chowderhead.spokane
There are few foods more sacred to my family than my grandma’s clam chowder. She only brings it out on special occasions, but each time the thick mix of sea clams, spuds and crispy bacon meshes together for an indescribably tasty meal. So when I heard that Spokane had a restaurant literally called Chowderhead, I knew I had to try its clam chowder, too.
Admittedly, my hopes were sky-high, which is why it was so delightful when the restaurant’s namesake met all my expectations. The bisque was neither too thick nor too thin. The potato chunks were sliced large enough to be a substantial portion, but dispersed enough to not overpower the entire bowl. Sometimes clams can be too chewy, but Chowderhead’s clams were cooked to tender perfection. And of course, there was loads of bacon, too. While I think I’d be disowned if I said anyone’s food was better than my grandma’s, this clam chowder came pretty darn close.
The hearty 12-ounce bowl of clam chowder filled me up completely, but it can also be served in an 8-ounce cup for anyone looking for a smaller serving. For those more adventurous than me, Chowderhead’s menu also includes a smoked steelhead chowder and an elote chowder that pulls its inspiration from the popular Mexican corn dish. Get a whole quart of any chowder to-go for $29 to stock your own fridge. (COLTON RASANEN)
TOMATO SOUP ($5)
Ruins, 225 W. Riverside Ave., 509-474-1262
I have a complicated relationship with tomato soup. A dish I once hated as a kid (thanks, Campbell’s), it’s now basically my favorite soup, as long as a few criteria are met.
Homemade is king, and I make a superb tomato soup with homegrown tomatoes. If I’m at home and that’s not an option, however, it’s gotta be either the Pacific Foods brand cartons of red pepper tomato soup or the same combo from Trader Joe’s.
But if I’m eating out, well… I know I can’t go wrong with the creamy scratchmade tomato soup from Chef Tony Brown at Ruins. A favorite since back in the Stella’s Broadway Avenue days, this soup should probably be a required side alongside Brown’s beloved sandos. Especially the grilled cheese, which probably deserves its own write-up separate from this. Buttered sourdough slices encase a mashup melt-up of two kinds of cheese, cheddar and provolone, and one side is crisped to perfection with a “cheese skirt,” a crunchy, munchy thin layer of cheese on the outside of one side of the sandwich bread. Dipping the whole masterful creation in the creamy, sweet and herby tomato soup is utter perfection. (CHEY SCOTT)
ZOZO’S SOUP FLIGHTS ($12.95)
Zozo’s Sandwich House, 2501 N. Monroe St., zozossandwichhouse.com
While it’s great heading out for a specific soup to warm your innards, there are plenty of folks who happen to be indecisive eaters (I come from a whole family of them, and the struggle is real). That can be even more of the case at a place like Zozo’s, which boasts four often wildly different but equally appealing homemade soups on its menu daily. Thankfully, that’s where the soup flight comes in. For a baker’s dozen bucks, diners can pick three cups of Zozo’s soups to ladle up, with the option of adding a petite grilled cheese “souper dipper” for an additional $3.95.
My recent lunchtime soup flight included a delightful version of a classic broccoli cheddar soup, a robust cheeseburger chowder that didn’t skimp on the burger and bacon (while also adding an atypical soup flavor with a pickle garnish), and a buffalo chicken chili with a spicy kick and blue cheese and tortilla chip topper. It was a filling flavor journey — one that customers can take frequently as the restaurant’s small-batch approach to soupmaking means the menu offerings can turnover once or twice a week. If you feel the same decision paralysis when eating out as you do when scrolling trying to find something to watch on Netflix, a soup flight might just be your culinary salvation. (SETH SOMMERFELD) n
Vina has been a go-to pho spot for over two decades! ELIZA BILLINGHAM PHOTO
Make sure to get this decadent grilled cheese with your soup at Ruins. CHEY SCOTT PHOTO
Zozo’s Soup Flight is perfect for indecisive diners. SETH SOMMERFELD PHOTO Don’t tell grandma about this chowder... COLTON RASANEN PHOTO
Anatomy of the Fall
Body horror cinema is having a banner season
BY JASON BAXTER
With the blockbuster season in the rearview, some moviegoers may find themselves in the unctuous embrace of “body horror fall.” The corporeally fixated subgenre, known for its graphic depictions of flesh in exaggerated stages of decline, destruction or mutation, is enjoying a welcome renaissance (welcome, anyway, for the strong-stomached). Director David Cronenberg — body horror’s eminent standard-bearer — proposes his own grandiose definition of the form, calling his grotesque onscreen explorations “The ultimate trans-substantiation. The Eucharist. The blood and body of humans made cinema.”
When the indie thriller The Substance burst into multiplexes late last month, it became a lightning rod for online discourse, spurred in part by reports of audience walkouts at multiple showings. Aided by muscular word of mouth, the hard-R satire has proved to be a surprise box office success story, and it has lurid company in similarly minded cinematic provocations on offer this season.
This week, the biggest body horror film of 2024 hit video-on-demand: Fede Álvarez’s Alien: Romulus, the seventh installment of the grisly franchise that helped kickstart the genre back in 1979 (its a film bioengineered to appeal to hardcore fans of the ooey-gooey ickiness of Ridley Scott’s original). The black comedy A Different Man features a vivid stretch of body horror early, as Sebastian Stan’s tumor swollen face (due to neurofibromatosis) begins to almost melt away and fall off thanks to a clinical drug trial. Next week, Tom Hardy invites viewers to the Last Dance for his popular body horror-adjacent symbiote super-antihero, Venom. Booger wrestles with grief via dark comedy and a flagrantly gross metamorphosis befitting of its title when its protagonist starts developing feline qualities after being bitten by her dead friend’s titular pet (she becomes a very different kind of “childless cat lady,” if
you will). Lastly, the upcoming Amy Adams-led Nightbitch — which has an Oscars-qualifying December release date — melds body horror with a different kind of interspecies hybridism, using the tropes of lycanthropy to explore themes of maternal frustration in a suburban milieu.
Notably, The Substance, Romulus, Booger, and Nightbitch all share a specific preoccupation with female bodily autonomy. The four films arrive during a fraught election year in which discussions around government regulation of women’s bodies have become key issues. Reproductive rights might be the deciding issue of the presidential race, one where self-identification and the worthiness of nonchildbearing women have become attack points.
Writer/director Coralie Fargeat’s The Substance stands apart from the aforementioned movies with a different feminist bent to its Tinseltown send-up (though it does feature a birth scene of sorts that’s only slightly less gruesome than the one in Alien: Romulus), tackling showbiz superficiality and ageism. Set in a heightened reality, The Substance follows middle-aged actress-turned-aerobics-instructor Elisabeth Sparkle (a gutsy Demi Moore), who, in a desperate bid to keep her foundering career afloat, signs up for an underground mail-order service that promises to create a nubile duplicate of herself (Margaret Qualley) through which she can live vicariously while the original meatsack spends a week comatose, before the arrangement reverts and continues in a body-swapping tango ad infinitum.
The Substance is a movie that is absolutely immodest in its provocations. Don’t bother trying to look for subtext, The Substance is all text. It rubs your face in its scopophilic leer, then tests your mettle by crescendoing into a go-forbroke, totally emetic fantasia of fused flesh that evokes the climax of Brian Yuzna’s infamous 1989 parody Society It lures the viewer in with fantastic production design and lascivious Carl’s Jr.-ad-style lasciviousness, before
goading you to look away with its necrotic visuals and hyper-violence.
Why is body horror having this moment in late 2024? One explanation can be found in the most obvious of places: the collective trauma our bodies endured in recent years.
“From the perspective of the virus, the human being is irrelevant.”
“From the virus perspective, harming the host is not very costly…”
The former is a line of dialogue from the 2012 body horror film Antiviral, from writer/director Brandon Cronenberg (son of David). The latter is a quote from a 2021 article in the Journal of Evolutionary Biology by microbiologists Samuel Alizon and Mircea T. Sofonea. COVID-19 made phobias around the physical a universal concern, and what better vessel for filmmakers to manifest such moribund heebie-jeebies than body horror, the ultimate filmic expression of the body revolting against the soul (and repulsing the audience in the process)? The genre taps into our collective angst and uses our own anatomical vulnerabilities to realize our deepest fears and insecurities.
Unfortunately, despite our desire to collectively look away from its real-life horrors, the novel Coronavirus is still in circulation. The body horror resurgence may likewise prove resilient heading into 2025, as the elder Cronenberg’s buzzy quasi-autobiographical Shrouds — which unsurprisingly traffics in themes of death and decay — is due next spring. It’s ironic to think back on all of the dense prognosticators who forecast a post-pandemic, lockdown-fueled creative boom only for their hopes to be realized in such a visceral and pointedly disquieting form on the silver screen. n
Body horror is even taking prestige swings this year via Amy Adams in Nightbitch
ESSAY
ALSO OPENING
Hit Me Where the Heart Is
Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh give the simple yet effective We Live in Time a greater spark
BY CHASE HUTCHINSON
When people first meet the love of their life in the movies, it’s usually by happenstance. The idea of connecting with someone spontaneously, them crashing into your world and forever altering the course of both your lives, is an alluring hook around which to build your film. In We Live in Time, however, this is taken in a slightly different direction. Specifically, it involves one half of this love story crashing into the other with their car.
The one getting hit is Andrew Garfield’s Tobias, and the one doing the hitting is Florence Pugh’s Almut, which leads to the duo meeting in a hospital, getting a bite to eat, then (of course) falling in love. After this vehicular meet-cute, life, as it so often does, has other plans for them both, as the time they have together may be shorter than either could’ve ever predicted.
Rated R
cut ensures snapshots that occur years prior feel right next to ones near the end of a life. It is a film about both condensing time and expanding it, replicating the way memories we hold onto or even wish to forget stick with us over our lives.
As directed by John Crowley, who previously made the solid romantic period drama Brooklyn, it’s a film whose overall portrait is elevated by the way each scene is constructed in isolation. It unabashedly tugs on the heartstrings, but also eschews cheesy sentimentality. The characters disagree about foundational aspects of life, leaving lingering questions that often go unanswered.
We Live in Time
Directed by John Crowley
Yes, We Live in Time is a film about a partner dealing with a terminal illness, but it’s also about the moments in time that echo into each other in ways we can only fully understand looking backwards. Told in a nonlinear fashion, with the future crashing into the past and vice versa, the jumbling around all serves a more poetic purpose. Each
Starring Florence Pugh & Andrew Garfield
As such, it can feel like pieces are missing in terms of how the couple evolves, almost as if there is much being left offscreen so that juxtapositions and changes are more noticeable. That said, there is plenty that hits home. It isn’t the most ambitious of love stories by any means, but the way small scenes speak to each other across years, even one as deceptively simple as cracking an egg, creates greater resonances.
Having two great performers doesn’t hurt either. If you were to try to have the film hinge on a duo of even the slightest lesser caliber than Pugh and Garfield, you
GOODRICH
An LA art dealer (Micheal Keaton) finds his life in chaos after his much younger wife enters rehab, leaving him to care for their two adolescent children. In a mildly desperate state, he turns to his pregnant adult daughter (Mila Kunis) and comedy (with some heartstringpulling) ensues. Rated R
HOCUS POCUS
A nostalgic seasonal fav of ’90s Disney kids, the 1993 spooky comedy returns to the big screen with the story of a teenage boy in Salem, Massachusetts, who accidentally resurrects three witches (Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy) on Halloween night. Rated PG
RUMOURS
This satirical black comedy finds world leaders (played by Cate Blanchett, Alicia Vikander, etc.) meeting for the G7 summit. When the dignitaries head to a nearby misty forest, they encounter zombies, a giant brain and other apocalyptic horrors as their terrified political ineptitude gets mined for humor. Rated R
SMILE 2
The second film in the psychological supernatural horror series finds a pop star (Naomi Scott) cursed by an entity that makes her see people with terrifying Cheshire grins before violent actions. Rated R
could easily see it collapse. For every moment where it can feel a little more shaky or shallow in terms of the writing, their more layered performances always give proceedings the greater emotional spark the film needs. Their chemistry, both charming and comedic, is completely earned.
Though it doesn’t always find as much depth as it could have surrounding complicated questions it raises about legacy, ambition, and what we leave behind, Pugh is the force that holds it all together. In many regards, it can feel like Garfield is a supporting character the longer We Live in Time goes on, as we focus on Almut’s life apart from him. This ultimately works out just fine as it’s the more thematically rich part of the film and the way it connects back together makes for a fitting finale. It still leaves plenty of elements hanging, but it gets at how life, inevitably, will always be full of unfinished goals and unanswered questions.
What we can be glad about is that these two kids hit it off as they did, leading to bruised bones and cracked eggs, and we got to journey along with them. Theirs is a love that I hope we all get to have at some point in time. Just make sure you still look both ways before crossing the street or you may miss it. n
Cochinito Cares: Giving Back Spokane
For every donation during our Fall Fund Drive of $36 or more to KYRS, Cochinito Taqueria will provide a full taco meal to Giving Back Spokane, to feed those in need in our community.
Donate Oct 27th - Nov 2nd Working together we can make a difference. Call (509) 747-3807 or find us online at KYRS.org
Garfield and Pugh’s chemistry carries We Live in Time
When You’re Here, You’re Family
Allen Stone’s intimate annual Stone Family Field Trip fosters a sense of communal belonging
BY MADISON PEARSON
Some people’s favorite day of the year is their birthday. Some prefer the fun of dressing up on Halloween. Others like the summery scene of barbecuing on the Fourth of July and watching fireworks. Me? I like hanging out by a lake with Washington’s gem of a soul singer and his musical family.
Since 2017, Spokanite Allen Stone and a group of his closest musical compadres have gathered at Zephyr Lodge in Liberty Lake for Stone Family Field Trip, an intimate music festival showcasing his musical buddies for an audience of (the event’s title doesn’t lie) his friends and family. But beginning in 2022, Stone opened the festival and now also sells a limited amount of tickets to the public.
This weekend marks the festival’s third year as a public event, and hence the third iteration of the best weekend of my life. I can truly say — without a fraction of a doubt — that Stone Family Field Trip (affectionately referred to as “Field Trip” by festival frequenters) is the
absolute highlight of my year. Maybe that seems like hyperbole, but it’s what I feel deep in my heart.
The magic begins each year around this time as I remove my work parking pass from my review mirror and replace it with one reading “Stone Family Field Trip Parking Pass.” My dashboard has become a graveyard for Field Trip parking passes of years past, but I keep them there as a reminder that pockets of magic exist for those who seek them out.
Nothing beats walking down the steep, dirt switchbacks to Zephyr Lodge, seeing the clearing in the trees and settling in for a weekend of the most killer musical performances you’ll ever witness.
Field Trip began as a way for Stone and his friends to spend time together surrounded by music in a relaxed atmosphere. No pressure, just good music and good times.
“It kinda started with the idea of an anti-festival,” Stone says. “Because festivals are chaos. As a musician
who’s played festivals forever, they’re really really fun because you get to see all of your buddies, but it’s also really stressful.”
Field Trip is anything but stressful. It’s impossible to feel dread, anxiety or worry when sitting underneath a canopy of Evergreen trees watching up-and-coming musicians simply have a blast on Zephyr’s rustic, wooden stage.
The whole event is organized and run by Stone and his family. It’s truly a family affair. Stone’s sister is the grounds manager, and it’s not uncommon to see his mother- and father-in-law riding around in golf carts with their grandkids in tow making sure the festival is going smoothly.
Stone curates the lineup himself, gathering close friends, new sonic discoveries and other talent from as far away as Australia.
“I’m literally just texting my friends ‘Hey, would you play Field Trip this year?’” he says.
The vibes are always immaculate at the Stone Family Field Trip. LAUREN LINDLEY PHOTOGRAPHY PHOTOS
Past standouts include Theo Katzman and Joey Dosik of Vulfpeck fame. Teddy Swims played the festival in 2022 before “Lose Control” became a radio sensation. And there’s always room for Spokane local favorites like Blake Braley and Tristan Hart Pierce (who play keys and guitar in Stone’s touring band, respectively) and Jenny Anne Mannan.
This year’s lineup boasts Long Island-based R&B singer-songwriter Mac Ayres, Canadian soul singer Katie Tupper, Australian soul powerhouse EJ Worland, talk-box master Steve Watkins, plus Stone occupying his usual headlining spot.
Stone joins each artist for a song or two during their sets, and it always results in absolute sonic wizardry. Impromptu jams and unexpected duets are par for the course at Field Trip. Since the festival is all ages, there’s always room for kids to join Stone and Co. on stage for a song. The array of emotion I’ve witnessed ranges from touching and heart-wrenching memorials on stage to marriage proposals in the crowd. With all of the magic swirling in the air, anything can happen at Field Trip.
Admittedly, I’m not the world’s toughest music critic, but I’ve never seen a bad (or even subpar) set at Field Trip. I walk away each year with several new artists in my rotation and one or two that end up in my year-end wrap-ups.
But most importantly, I walk away from Field Trip with an incredible sense of connection to complete strangers, new friends, and an even deeper appreciation for music and its power to bring people together.
With just 1,000 tickets available each year, the festival feels more like a giant hangout than a traditional music festival. Artists walk around the grounds and chat with festival-goers, Stone is often engrossed in meaningful conversations and tight hugs with attendees. You’ll probably find yourself engrossed in one of those conversations with Stone whether you initiated it or not, as the gregarious singer wants to talk and genuinely connect.
“The hope is that the people who attend this feel like they are connecting to the community of music,” Stone says. “A lot of times at music festivals there’s a backstage where all the artists are, and they come out and they stand on a stage that’s 15 feet higher than them. They perform with all of these lights and fire, and then they leave the stage and there’s no connection. It’s just a performance. What we’ve been handed as musicians is that there’s a separation between the music, the fan and the musician. And, you know, in my career I’ve never had a major hit record. I’m not rich by any means. But the reason why I have friends and fans come back to events that I put on, I believe, is because I’m creating an amount of connection and value in their lives. That’s the goal of this festival: connection.”
It’s always hard to drive away from this little slice of heaven at the end of the weekend. It’s tough, too, when I ceremoniously remove my Field Trip parking pass from its lofty perch for it to spend 12 months in glove box hibernation. Replacing it with my work parking pass the following Monday morning feels like a gut punch, but I’m still riding a flicker of a high because the magic of the Stone Family Field Trip never truly ends. n
Stone Family Field Trip • Oct. 18-19 • $199-$299 (Free for children 12 and under) • All ages • Zephyr Lodge • 1900 S. Zephyr Road, Liberty Lake • stonefamilyfieldtrip.com
DetroitStyle Pizza
Allen Stone (center) knows how to throw a musical party.
COMMUNITY BETTER WORLD BETTER VOTE BALLOT PARTY
J = THE INLANDER RECOMMENDS THIS SHOW
J = ALL AGES SHOW
Thursday, 10/17
BOLO’S BAR & GRILL, Bolo’s Blues & Brews
BOLO’S BAR & GRILL, Hoodoo Udu
CHECKERBOARD TAPROOM, Weathered Shepherds
J KNITTING FACTORY, Blackberry Smoke
J LUNARIUM, Starlite Open Mic
MOOSE LOUNGE (NORTH), Rusty Jackson
J QQ SUSHI & KITCHEN, Just Plain Darin
J THE FOX THEATER, Home Free
ZOLA, Mister Sister, Rōnin
Friday, 10/18
J THE BIG DIPPER, Escuela Grind Bodybox, Oriska, Galvanist, Desertdweller
J THE BIG DIPPER, Atomsk, Ore, Tea
BOLO’S BAR & GRILL, Laketown Sound
J THE CHAMELEON, Shannon Curtis THE DISTRICT BAR, Minami Deutsch
J THE GRAIN SHED, Haywire
IRON HORSE (CDA), Bruiser
KNITTING FACTORY, Club 90’s 2000’s Night
MOOSE LOUNGE, RCA & The Radicals
MOOSE LOUNGE (NORTH), Pastiche
SYNTHPOP SHANNON CURTIS
NIGHT OWL, DJ F3LON
J PEND D’OREILLE WINERY, Ponderay Paradox RED ROOM LOUNGE, Live DJs
SPOKANE VALLEY EAGLES, Stagecoach West
ZOLA, The Rub, Malachi Burrow
Saturday, 10/19
J BECK’S HARVEST HOUSE, Just Plain Darin
J THE BIG DIPPER, Odyssey, Flannel Math Animal, Kenoplasm, Pretending We’re Just
Like Them
J BING CROSBY THEATER, Hall & Bros
J BLACK LODGE BREWING, Gotu Gotu, The Dilrods, Absent Cardinal, Folds
BOLO’S BAR & GRILL, Laketown Sound
J THE CHAMELEON, Better World Better Vote Ballot Party
IRON HORSE (CDA), Bruiser
J J J BONES MUSICLAND, Kevin Brown & The Beloved Country : The Morning Haiku Album Release Show
In an attempt to put the fun in “voting is a fundamental part of American democracy,” Reimagine Spokane is bringing together some of Washington’s finest musical talent for the Better World Better Vote Ballot Party, a free, daylong, socially minded, mini-music festival at The Chameleon. Organizers will be on hand to help people register to vote or update their registrations while taking in a killer lineup featuring Seattle rap and rock standouts Oblé Reed, Smokey Brights and The Black Tones alongside Spokane favs like Exzac Change & Iyzlow Matisse and Itchy Kitty. If free shows this good were on the ballot, they’d win in a landslide.
— SETH SOMMERFELD
Better World Better Vote Ballot Party • Sat, Oct. 19 from noon-10 pm • Free • 21+ • The Chameleon • 1801 W. Sunset Blvd. • chameleonspokane.com
DIY Tacoma artist Shannon Curtis strives to make her concerts into transformative healing gatherings. Curtis, who once fittingly described her dreamy synth pop sound as “Sarah McLachlan meets Massive Attack,” tries to connect with the audience with her spoken words, singing and artistic projections in order to help people find inner power through radical self-acceptance. Her latest album Good to Me attempts to tap into a sense of deep empathy in our troubled times that walks the line between distraught political angst and self-help hopefulness. Her trippy visual style will fit right in at The Chameleon as she brings tunes from Good to Me to the stage.
— SETH SOMMERFELD
Shannon Curtis • Fri, Oct. 18 at 7 pm • $25 • 21+ • The Chameleon • 1801 W. Sunset Blvd. • chameleonspokane.com
KNITTING FACTORY, Emo Nite
MOOSE LOUNGE, RCA & The Radicals
MOOSE LOUNGE (NORTH), Pastiche
NIGHT OWL, Priestess
J PEND D’OREILLE WINERY, KOSH
J RIVER CITY LANES, Karaoke with Rich
SPOKANE VALLEY EAGLES, Sharky and the Fins
Sunday, 10/20
THE DISTRICT BAR, I Speak Machine
J HAMILTON STUDIO, Jeremy Pelt Quintet HOGFISH, Open Mic ZOLA, Sugar Bear Family Dinner
Monday, 10/21
EICHARDT’S PUB, Monday Night Blues Jam with John Firshi
RED ROOM LOUNGE, Open Mic Night
Tuesday, 10/22
SWING LOUNGE, Swing Lounge Live Music Tuesdays ZOLA, The Zola All Star Jam
Wednesday, 10/23
THE DRAFT ZONE, The Draft Zone Open Mic
J PANIDA THEATER, Gaelic Storm
RED ROOM LOUNGE, Red Room Lounge Jam
J TIMBERS ROADHOUSE, Cary Beare Presents
Just
Announced...
J J SPOKANE TRIBE CASINO, Northwest Country Music Awards Show, Nov. 3.
J J THE BIG DIPPER, Sullivan King, Mar 21.
J THE DISTRICT BAR, Bruce Cockburn, Apr. 28.
Coming Up...
J J THE BIG DIPPER, The Halloween Cover Show: Night 1, Oct. 25, 6:30 pm.
J J JAGUAR ROOM AT THE CHAMELEON, MAITA, Hannah Siglin, Oct. 25, 7 pm.
THE DISTRICT BAR, Dark Scene Halloween, Oct. 25, 8 pm.
The 33 Artists Market began in November 2022 as a way to bring emerging and established artists together in one space. Headed by local artist Gwyn Pevonka (pictured), the market has seen much success, bringing in over 10,000 visitors since while celebrating over 200 artists. Since March 2023, the market has been held in the Wonder Building, but this month marks the last market in the space. Have no fear, the market isn’t going anywhere! The search is on for a new venue to showcase local artists and their incredible work in the future. As always, this market features an array of artists selling everything from paintings and stained glass to pottery and handmade jewelry. Keep an eye on the market’s Instagram (@33artistsmarket) for location information, 2025 events and vendor updates. To new ventures, 33!
— MADISON PEARSON
33 Artists Market • Sat, Oct. 19 from 11 am-4 pm • Free • Wonder Building • 835 N. Post St. • 33artistsmarket.com
FOOD APPLES ALL AROUND
Whole. Sliced. Caramelized. Juiced. Fermented. Baked. There are so many ways to enjoy the deliciousness of crisp red (or yellow, or green) apples. There’s no better place to explore the fantastic fruit than Coeur d’Alene’s Apple Palooza. Held in tandem with the 5th Street Farmers Market, this apple-y event lines Fifth Street from Front Avenue to Coeur d’Alene Avenue. Each location throughout the event’s three-block footprint is offering unique sweet treats, from caramel apples and apple pie to mulled apple cider and other seasonal goodies. Plus, attendees can vote for their favorite treats and award the top vote-getter the prized “golden apple.”
— COLTON RASANEN
Harvest Market & Apple Palooza • Sat, Oct. 19 from 10 am-3 pm • $12 • 5th Street Farmers Market • Fifth St. & Sherman Ave., Coeur d’Alene • cdadowntown.com
VISUAL ART PERFECT PATCHWORK
Batty for batting? Enamored with appliques? Always itching to be stitching? Get yourself to the Washington State Quilt Show, one of the coziest and most beautiful weekends of the year. There will be over 500 quilts from hundreds of regional artists, with traditional, modern and decorative styles all included. Last year, winning quilts included freehand autumn trees, modern floral designs, abstract geometric shapes and traditional patchwork patterns. At the Merchant Mall, quilts and quilting supplies are for sale, but the best deal is a single-dollar raffle ticket that enters you to win a coveted quilt. As always, there will be a place to add a quilt to the “mountain of quilts” that are donated to charity. Plus, this year’s expo also features demonstrations so veteran and novice quilters can learn new techniques from nationally respected instructors.
— ELIZA BILLINGHAM
Washington State Quilt Show • Oct. 18-20; Fri-Sat from 10 am-6 pm and Sun from 10 am-4 pm • $15 • Spokane County Fair & Expo Center • 404 N. Havana St. • wsqspokane.org
GET LISTED!
Submit events online at Inlander.com/getlisted or email relevant details to getlisted@inlander.com. We need the details one week prior to our publication date.
WORDS A SALISH STORY
Dubbed one of the “Great American Novels of the Past 100 Years” by The Atlantic Monthly, Perma Red by Spokane-born and Bitterroot Salish author Debra Magpie Earling is this year’s featured title for Spokane is Reading, a communitywide reading initiative. Set on Montana’s Flathead Indian Reservation in the 1940s, the novel follows young Salish woman Louise White Elk as she navigates womanhood and creates an independent life for herself in a world where men wish to control her. Earling is set to make two free appearances in the community this fall as part of Spokane is Reading’s annual celebration. On Thursday, Oct. 24, she’ll visit the Spokane Valley Library at 1 pm, followed by an evening appearance at the Central Library in downtown Spokane at 7 pm to discuss the novel and its impact.
—
MADISON PEARSON
Spokane is Reading: Perma Red by Debra Magpie Earling • Thu, Oct. 24 at 1 pm and 7 pm • Free • Spokane Valley Library • 22 N. Herald Rd. • Central Library • 906 W. Main Ave. • spokaneisreading.org
BENEFIT THE SPARK OF A SPARK
There’s something magical about seeing a child discover a medium that unlocks their imaginative brain. That’s the goal at the nonprofit Spark Central, which offers open community programs for youths ranging from writing and robotics clubs and zine creation workshops to rock camps and visual arts and design gatherings. To help keep this mission going, Spark Central is hosting its annual semiformal fundraiser, Spark Salon, at Hamilton Studios. This year’s event theme is “Rooted in Creativity” and features a conversation by local literary fav and Spark co-founder Jess Walter (pictured) led by Spark students. There’s also a showcase of Spark kids’ projects and a poetry reading, in addition to a live auction and food and drink from Greenbluff Fresh Catering Co., Uprise Brewing Co. and Barrister Winery. If you want Spokane’s future to be art-filled, you might as well have fun while funding it. — SETH SOMMERFELD
Spark Salon 2024: Rooted in Creativity • Fri, Oct 18 from 5:30-8 pm • $125 • Hamilton Studio • 1427 W. Dean Ave. • spark-central.org
I SAW YOU
I SEE YOU Food service workers, in restaurants and Huckleberry’s, I see you working happily behind the counter, bar, etc., and want to thank you for your great attitude, kindness, and dedication to your jobs. You make our lives better and do it with smiles, and no fanfare. You too, Trader Joe’s checkers! We appreciate you.
RE: LOVE OF MY LIFE Love of my life, are you writing to J.E.? Cause he feels the same..we should meet again and run away.
RE: TO THE LOVE OF MY LIFE Let’s try again. I can’t get you out of my mind and certainly not out of my heart. I want to be in your arms. SC
CHEERS
RE: BEING WATCHED? I’m very impressed by your demonstration of Poe’s Law. When satire gets extreme enough it’s really tough to tell if it’s real or not. Bravo!
BIKE, WALK, BUS Cycling to work can be scary! The cyclists I know always have a story about a close call with a careless or even hostile driver. Similarly, there are so many streets and intersections that are plain dangerous for pedestrians. But I am so grateful because everyone who walks or bikes despite unfriendly infrastructure makes it just a little bit safer for every other
cyclist and pedestrian. There are also a lot of people who are trying take public transit instead of driving and advocate to increase access and usability. We have to cut down on traffic as our city grows. Cheers to the cyclist, pedestrian, and bus rider. It all adds up and makes a difference. Thank you!
RE: FULL POCKETS Was that a typo that your pocket of compliments were still full when you get home? Mine are always empty when I get home! I love giving out smiles and compliments. Kindness goes a long way, and I think most people are good and kind. Plus lots of laughs to go around!
PATRIOTIC If I voted for a political candidate whose followers embrace farright ideology, I would be dishonoring the sacrifices made by my father and uncles, who fought in WW2 to rescue this country and the world from a similar figurehead.
VOTING Cheers to everyone that gets off their butt and VOTES.
JEERS
RE: IDEOLOGUES Your deep analysis of the relationship between seeking non-police style handling of nonviolent community issues as a root cause for traffic deaths is astounding and contrary to most research results by US traffic agencies. The primary causes of deaths are vehicle size and vehicle speeds. The US has a plague of oversized vehicles and building roads to encourage driving faster than ever. Yes, people, and especially children, are being injured and killed by cars at notably higher rates than a decade ago. Those deaths track right along with our ever fatter cars. A 4 inch taller front end on a car translates to about a 22% increase in likely death from an impact on a pedestrian. Children are 8x more likely to die from SUV impacts than from smaller and lighter cars. Defunding the police (which didn’t happen in Spokane — check the budgets each year) isn’t the main thing killing us on the roads, our own weird fetish for huge and wasteful vehicles is the primary reason.
RE: PLANNED PARENTHOOD BILLBOARDS
To the anti-abortion writer of the message in the 10/3 issue: Legality and access aren’t
the same thing. Just because abortion is legal does not mean the people who need abortion care can get it. If there aren’t providers close enough to them, if they don’t have the means to travel to a provider, etc, then abortion is not accessible. And for the record, women have died because of abortion bans after the Dobbs decision. You don’t find that “vile?”
SPOKANE VALLEY COUNCIL The city of Spokane Valley is stupid!! 5 lanes down to 3 lanes then back to 5 lanes on Sprague, so they can walk their lazy butts across the street to the park! Why?
PARKING AT WALMART You, the woman who verbally accosted me at Walmart for my parking. I have no idea what you were talking about. If your son is in the backseat behind you on the driver’s side then that was not my car you are talking about. If it was on the passenger side then myself being a larger person was able to get in and out of my car freely. I don’t know why you had to call me a _itch because you couldn’t get him in the car seat, but I was certainly in my lines. I spoke to the officers inside Walmart to explain your anger and what happened. You need to curb your anger especially with your child in the backseat hearing your name calling.
JEERS TO THE HATERS FROM TOPEKA, KANSAS Do you remember me? I’ll give you a hint. I’m the one who counter protested you from across the street at the Starbucks and near Spokane Community College. I wore a plague doctor mask and carried a big, gay, painted umbrella. You are not welcome in Spokane, Washington. Your bigoted filth has no place on our streets. Our children deserve better than your disgusting rhetoric. Our community colleges, universities, and communities of faith work to uplift our city and meet its needs. Your “protests” spew vile hatred in
a pathetic attempt to attract publicity and legal attention to your dying, desiccated congregation. There is no place for your hatred in the Lilac City. Leave this town and never come back.
RE: RE: IDEOLOGUES I thought this was the Jeers section of the Inlander not a scientific journal. I was simply pointing out that this is what I have observed with my own eyes
else. Try driving down the street in various parts of town and if it’s raining or dark, some fool will cross the street randomly outside of a crosswalk. Again, jeopardizing the life of themselves or others as cars try to navigate without hitting them. Try taking a nice walk down the Centennial Trail and you have to leave the trail to walk on the side of the road because some fool is living on the trail itself, blocking walkers, runners,
without any other viable explanation. It’s ironic that you implied I lacked credibility for not citing specific sources, yet you failed to provide any sources to support your own claims. I will attempt to support mine.The decision to reduce traffic law enforcement on equity grounds has had negative effects on public safety and finances. Between 2020 and 2023, traffic fatalities in Washington state increased by over 40%, with 810 deaths reported in 2023, the highest number in over three decades. Serious injuries from traffic incidents also rose during this period, with distracted driving fatalities jumping by 36% (Washington Traffic Safety Commission, 2024; Padden, 2024). Additionally, traffic stops have decreased during this time, contributing to less monitoring of dangerous behaviors like speeding and impaired driving. Although the specific 66% reduction in stops between 2020 and 2023 needs further verification, multiple sources confirm a decline in enforcement. (Editor’s note: to be continued next week, it was too long)
JUNK CITY Spokane has begun to look like a real garbage city in recent years. Business owners and law enforcment aren’t helping matters. Additionally, it’s getting less safe. Try to go to a grocery store and there is often a beggar impeding traffic by standing in the roadway, thereby jeopardizing the lives of themselves as well as drivers trying to see past them or navigate by them without hitting them or striking someone
and bikers. It’s really too bad this probem is increasing rather than decreasing. It just makes Spokane seem junkier and junkier by the day.
RAGIN’ ROUND Hey city planners and civil engineers, roundabouts ARE cool and useful, but the new one in the Valley at Bowish and 16th brings all the aggression of Valley drivers to the yard due to its poor design. Even benign older ladies are flipping the bird to others in this cluster. Bikers risk their life or being hit by the aggressive emotions of petty drivers who routinely forgo their better nature in making the solid connection between their brake, humanity, and everyone’s safety in the circle. It’s annoying. Be better, Valley drivers, you kinda suck right now. Replace the bird with a wave and maybe crack a smile as you master forward over your steering wheel. n
responsibility for the content.
EVENTS | CALENDAR
BENEFIT
SPARK SALON This eighth annual fundraiser features local author Jess Walter interviewed by youth, Aimee Brooks reading from her contribution to Gondolas & Garbage Goats, and a live auction. Oct. 18, 5:30-8 pm. $125. Hamilton Studio, 1427 W. Dean Ave. spark-central.org (509-279-0299)
LUCHA LIBRE Five rounds of wrestling featuring Tecnicos and Rudos, made up of 20 professional Luchadores. Proceeds benefit the Poder Legal Department in providing free legal services. Oct. 19, 5-9 pm. $20-$40. West Central Community Center, 1603 N. Belt St. latinosenspokane.org (509-558-9359)
WALK RUN READ 5K! A literary-costume-themed 5k, kids dash and community event including an annual book sale and swap. Proceeds benefit the Literacy Project North Idaho. Oct. 19, 8 am. $30. Coeur d’Alene City Park, 415 W. Mullan Rd. theliteracyprojectni.org
BRA-LLOWEEN A fundraiser for Breast Intentions Washington featuring a dinner, auction and dessert. Oct. 24, 5:308 pm. $70. Montvale Event Center, 1019 W. First. Ave. breastintentionsofwashington.org (509-844-5672)
COMEDY
CHAD KROEGER & JT PARR Chad & JT have been featured on Late Night with Seth Meyers, Howard Stern and more. Oct. 17, 7 pm. $25. Spokane Comedy Club, 315 W. Sprague. spokanecomedyclub.com (509-318-9998)
ARIES SPEARS Spears is an American stand-up comedian, impressionist and actor. Oct. 18-19, 7 & 9:45 pm and Oct. 20, 7 pm. $25-$35. Spokane Comedy Club, 315 W. Sprague. spokanecomedyclub.com (509-318-9998)
STEVE-O Steve-O is best known for his recurring role on the show Jackass where he performed outrageous stunts and wild feats. Ages 18+. Oct. 18, 7:30 pm. $36-$56. First Interstate Center for the Arts, 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. firstinterstatecenter.org
TUMUA Tumua is a stand-up comedian, podcaster, former athlete and social media personality. Oct. 23, 7 pm. $25$35. Spokane Comedy Club, 315 W. Sprague. spokanecomedyclub.com
JO KOY Jo’s relatable comedy began in a Las Vegas coffee house. This tour features all new material from the comedian. Oct. 24, 8 pm. $45-$85. First Interstate Center for the Arts, 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. firstinterstatecenter.org (509-279-7000)
SAM MORRIL: WORKING OUT NEW MATERIAL Morril has been featured on Comedy Central, America’s Got Talent, Last Comic Standing and more. Oct. 24, 7 pm, Oct. 25-26, 7 & 9:45 pm. $35-$45. Spokane Comedy Club, 315 W. Sprague. spokanecomedyclub.com
COMMUNITY
LILAC CITY LIVE! This month’s lineup features Mayor Lisa Brown, comedian Camrynne Sullivan, and musical guest Blue Water Strangers. Oct. 17, 8-10 pm. Free. Central Library, 906 W. Main Ave. spokanelibrary.org (509-444-5336)
THE HAUNT ON BOARDWALK A haunted house featuring well-known figures like Michael Myers, Jason, Freddy, Leatherface, clowns, hillbillies
and more. Ages 5+. Thu-Sun from 6-10 pm through Oct. 31. $10. WW Establishment, 5978 Washington Hwy 291.
AMERICAN REVOLUTION EXPERIENCE A pop-up exhibition including display panels and interactive digital kiosks that explore the history of the American Revolution. Wed, Fri and Sat from 11 am-4 pm through Oct. 27. $4-$7. Spokane Valley Heritage Museum, 12114 E. Sprague. spokanevalleymuseum.com
DISNEY ON ICE: MAGIC IN THE STARS
Take a magical journey with Mickey, Minnie, and friends through the stories of Cinderella, Aladdin, Toy Story, Cars, Encanto, Frozen 2 and Moana. Oct. 1820; Fri-Sat at 7 pm, Sat-Sun at 11 am-3 pm. $25-$113. Spokane Arena, 720 W. Mallon Ave. spokanearena.com
33 ARTISTS MARKET A curated, once monthly market featuring local artists, art demonstrations and live music. Oct. 19, 11 am-5 pm. Free. The Wonder Building, 835 N. Post St. 33artistsmarket.com
FALL HARVEST FESTIVAL A giant corn maze, live music, pumpkin patches and much more. Sat-Sun from 10 am-6 pm through Oct. 27. Free. Beck’s Harvest House, 9919 E. Greenbluff Rd. becksharvesthouse.com (509-238-6970)
HARVEST MARKET & APPLE PALOO -
ZA Attend the farmers market, indulge in various apple treats at downtown shops, and vote for your favorite. Oct. 19, 10 am-3 pm. $12. Downtown Coeur d’Alene. cdadowntown.com
HAUNTED HANDMADE VENDOR
MARKET A fall market featuring dozens of vendors. Oct. 19, 11 am-6 pm. Free. Page 42 Bookstore, 2174 N. Hamilton St. page42bookstore.com (509-202-2551)
PACIFIC NORTHWEST CARD SHOW A convention featuring sports and trading cards vendors. Oct. 19, 10 am-6 pm. Spokane Convention Center, 334 W. Spokane Falls. pnwcardshow.com
POTLUCK, KARAOKE AND VOTE An event organized by the VietnameseAmerican Friendship Association featuring an open mic for discussion or song, a potluck and more. Candidates welcome. Oct. 19, 1-4 pm. $5. Shadle Library, 2111 W. Wellesley Ave. spokanelibrary.org (509-899-5058)
TRUNK OR TREAT ON THE RIVER An afternoon of Halloween fun featuring a trunk decorating contest, treats and more. Oct. 20, 1-3 pm. Free. Ruby River Hotel, 700 N. Division St. rubyriverhotelspokane.com (509-323-2585)
BEWITCHED BAZAAR A gathering of local artisans selling their handmade goods, trinkets and wares. Also features a costume contest and drinks. Oct. 25-26; Fri (21+) from 6-10 pm, Sat (all ages) from 11 am-5 pm. Free. The Guardian, 1403 N. Washington St. facebook.com/BathByBex (208-827-6847)
SPOOKWALK Walk through Browne’s Addition and hear ghost stories and tales about its past residents. Oct. 2527; daily from 6:30-8:30 pm and 7-9 pm. $25. friendsofcdapark.org
FILM
MET LIVE IN HD: GROUNDED A hotshot fighter pilot’s unplanned pregnancy takes her out of the cockpit and lands her in Las Vegas, operating a drone halfway around the world. As she struggles to adjust, she fights to maintain her sanity, and her soul. Oct. 19, 10 am-1 pm. $20. The Kenworthy, 508 S. Main St. kenworthy.org
SEAHAWKS GAMES SCREENINGS
Watch the Seahawks play on the big screen, all season long. Oct. 20, 10 am, Oct. 27, 1:05 pm. Free. Garland Theater, 924 W. Garland Ave. garlandtheater.org
STAGE TO SCREEN: DEAR ENGLAND
An examination of nation and game that asks why the country that gave the world football has since delivered a painful pattern of loss. Oct. 20, 2-4:30 pm. $20. Bing Crosby Theater, 901 W. Sprague Ave. bingcrosbytheater.com
PALOUSE FRENCH FILM FESTIVAL: LA SYNDICALISTE La Syndicaliste follows the true story of Maureen Kearney, the influential head union representative of a French multinational nuclear powerhouse who becomes a whistleblower. Oct. 22, 7-9 pm. $5. The Kenworthy, 508 S. Main St. kenworthy.org
FOOD & DRINK
BEVERLY’S UNCORKED: AUTUMN
WINE SOCIAL Explore an array of wines from curated wine stations, each offering unique selections to sip and learn about. Expand your wine knowledge as expert sommeliers share stories behind the bottles, regions and winemaking techniques. Oct. 18, 4-8 pm. $150-$375. Beverly’s, 115 S. Second St. beverlyscda. com/tasting-dinners (208-292-5678)
NORTH IDAHO WINE SOCIETY: ACKLEY BRAND FAMLLY OF WINES Taste everything from biodynamic wines made in Oregon to wine from Paso Robles in California and a prosecco from Italy. Guest speaker is Colleen Berard. Oct. 18, 7-9:30 pm. $30-$35. Lake City Center, 1916 N. Lakewood Dr. northidahowinesociety.org (208-667-4628)
BOTTOMLESS(ISH) MIMOSA BRUNCH
SERIES A six-week buffet brunch series with various breakfast and lunch items. Sundays at 10 am and noon through Nov. 24. $25. Fête - A Nectar Co, 120 N. Stevens. nectarcateringandevents.com
TACO TUESDAYS AT BULL HEAD SALOON Two dollar tacos, served all day along with drink specials. 21+. Tues., 12-8:30 pm. $2. The Bull Head, 10211 S. Electric Ave. bullheadsaloon.com
MUSIC
FALL JAZZ SAMPLER CONCERT Both jazz ensembles, all four jazz combos, and the Gonzaga Jazz Singers perform a selection of music. Oct. 17, 7:30 pm. $10-$15. Myrtle Woldson Performing Arts Center, 211 E. Desmet Ave. gonzaga.edu/music (509-313-4776)
SPOKANE SYMPHONY CHAMBER
SOIRÉE Small ensembles play musicians’ favorites by familiar and new composers. Oct. 17, 7:30 pm. $39-$270. Historic Davenport Hotel, 10 S. Post St. spokanesymphony.org (800-899-1482)
VOCAL EXTRAVAGANZA The concert opens with scenes from the Opera/ Musical Theatre ensemble, plus performances by the choral ensembles at WSU. Oct. 18, 7:30 pm. Free. Bryan Hall Theatre (WSU), 605 Veterans Way. music.wsu.edu (509-335-7696)
SATURDAY WITH THE SYMPHONY
The Coeur d’Alene Symphony performs, puts on an interactive activity, and a book is read by the children’s librarian. Every third Saturday at 11 am. Free. Coeur d’Alene Public Library, 702 E. Front Ave. cdalibrary.org (208-7692315)
FRIDAY
EVENTS | CALENDAR
LEON ATKINSON MEMORIAL CONCERT
Four classical guitarists pay homage to Atkinson, former host of the radio program Friends of the Guitar Hour. Oct. 25, 7 pm. $33-$54. The Jacklin Arts & Cultural Center, 405 N. William St. thejacklincenter.org
COUNTRY NIGHTS Live music and line dancing. Every Thursday at 7:30 pm. Free. Spokane Tribe Resort & Casino, 14300 W. SR Highway 2. spokanetribecasino.com (1-877-786-9467)
SPORTS & OUTDOORS
SASQUATCH SPEED TRIALS A celebration of all motorized vehicles including solo trials, a hill climb and more events. Proceeds benefit Cancer Can’t. Oct. 1820. $10. Spokane County Raceway, 750 N. Hayford Rd. sasquatchspeedtrials.com
REWILDING THE URBAN FRONTIER: RIVER CONSERVATION IN THE ANTHROPOCENE This lecture presents opportunities for rethinking our relationship to the natural world and potentially healing the rift between humans and nature. Oct. 22, 6-7 pm. Free. Gonzaga University Hemmingson Center, 702 E. Desmet Ave. gonzaga.edu/ClimateEvents
BEYOND THE FANTASY A ski and snowboard film featuring athletes pushing the boundaries of what’s possible on snow. Oct. 24. $25. Hayden Discount Cinema, 300 W. Centa Ave. silvermt.com
SPOKANE CHIEFS VS. VANCOUVER GIANTS Regular season game. Oct. 25, 7:05 pm. Spokane Arena, 720 W. Mallon. spokanechiefs.com
THEATER & DANCE
COEUR D’ALENE SHAKESPEARE: MACBETH Macbeth discovers the seductive power of evil after encountering three witches. Oct. 17-26; Thu-Sat at 7:30 pm. $28-$33. Kroc Center, 1765 W. Golf Course Rd. shakespearecda.org
THE COMPLETE WORKS OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (ABRIDGED) All 37 of Shakespeare’s plays are performed in 97 minutes, and filled with classic wit and physical comedy. Thu-Sat at 7:30 pm, Sun at 2 pm through Oct. 27. $27-$30. Lake City Playhouse, 1320 E. Garden. lakecityplayhouse.org
ALMOST, MAINE Nine short plays explore love and loss in a remote, mythical almost-town called Almost, Maine. Oct. 17-26; Thu-Sat at 7:30 pm. Free. Schuler Performing Arts Center, 880 W. Garden Ave. nic.edu/theatre
ALL BECAUSE OF AGATHA A newly married couple buys a house in historic Salem, Massachusetts, that’s visited each year by a slightly destructive witch. Oct. 18-27; Fri-Sat at 7 pm, Sun at 2 pm. $12$15. Woodland Theater, 120 W. Third Ave. woodlandproductions.org
BODYTRAFFIC Contemporary dance meant to inspire audiences around the globe to simply love dance. Oct. 19, 7:30 pm. $38-$54. Myrtle Woldson Performing Arts Center, 211 E. Desmet Ave. gonzaga.edu/dance (509-313-4776)
ONE NIGHT IN MEMPHIS A tribute to the greats of 1950s rock and roll including Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis. Oct. 20, 4 pm. $45-$65. The Fox Theater, 1001 W. Sprague Ave. foxtheaterspokane.org (509-624-1200)
RUNWAY Spokane’s premier drag experience. Hosted by local queen Sativa St James. Every Saurday from 8-10 pm. $5. Globe Bar & Kitchen, 204 N. Division. globespokane.com (509-443-4014)
VISUAL ARTS
BEN JOYCE: PLACES Abstract topographical art by Spokane-based artist Ben Joyce representing certain locales that have played major roles in Joyce’s life. Mon-Sat from 10 am-4 pm through Jan. 4. Free. Jundt Art Museum, 200 E. Desmet Ave. gonzaga.edu/jundt
FRANKENSTEIN: PENETRATING THE SECRETS OF NATURE A traveling exhibition featuring anatomical drawings from the National Library of Medicine that may have inspired Mary Shelley when she wrote Frankenstein. Open daily through Nov. 16, times vary. Free. Central Library, 906 W. Main Ave. nlm.nih.gov/exhibition/frankenstein/index.html
JOE FEDDERSEN: EARTH, WATER, SKY
This exhibition showcases the breadth of Feddersen’s 40-year career, including printmaking, glass, weaving and ceramics through over 100 works. Tue-Sun from 10 am-5 pm through Jan. 5. $8-$12. Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture, 2316 W. First Ave. northwestmuseum.org
RICK SINGER: PHOTOGRAPHY RETROSPECTIVE A collection of photographs by Rick Singer spanning his 43 year career. Mon-Fri from 8 am-5 pm through Oct. 25. Free. Chase Gallery, 808 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. spokanearts.org (509-321-9416)
WASHINGTON STATE QUILT SHOW A three-day showcase of several hundred local and regional quilters with panels and demonstrations. Oct. 18-30, Fri-Sat from 10 am-6 pm, Sun from 10 am-4 pm. $15. Spokane County Fair & Expo Center, 404 N. Havana St. wsqspokane.org
WORDS
BROKEN MIC A weekly open mic reading series. Wednesdays at 6:30 pm; sign-ups at 6 pm. Free. Neato Burrito, 827 W. First Ave. bit.ly/2ZAbugD
FRIENDS OF THE ARGONNE LIBRARY
BOOK SALE Gently used books for all ages in all genres, as well as used DVDs. Book sale purchases must be paid by cash or check. Sat, Oct. 19 from 9 am2:30 pm. Free. Zion Lutheran Church of Millwood, 8304 E. Buckeye Ave. scld.org
LITTLE LIVE RADIO HOUR A live Panhandle Community Radio show with special guest artists. Oct. 22, 8 pm. Free. Panida Theater, 300 N. First. panida.org
SPOKANE IS READING: DEBRA MAGPIE
EARLING A conversation with acclaimed author Debra Magpie Earling about her novel, Perma Red, named one of “the great American novels” by the Atlantic Monthly. Free. Thu, Oct. 24, 1 pm, Spokane Valley Library, 22 N. Herald Rd. Also Oct. 24 from 7-9 pm. Central Library, 906 W. Main Ave. spokaneisreading.org
GHOST STORIES: A WRITING WORKSHOP Write eerie stories with awardwinning novelist Debra Magpie Earling in this generative writing workshop. Oct. 25, 10:30 am-noon. Free. Central Library, 906 W. Main Ave. spokanelibrary.org
SAVORING SPOKANE: EXPLORING ITS ICONIC EATERIES Janovich speaks about her book Unique Eats and Eateries of Spokane: The People and Stories Behind the Food. Oct. 25, noon. Free. Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art WSU, 1535 NE Wilson Rd. museum.wsu.edu n
POLICY
Heavy Metal Maybe
Olympia sees heavy metals as a problem for medical marijuana. So why isn’t it the same for the recreational market?
BY WILL MAUPIN
Long before the cannabis industry was an economic engine here in the Inland Northwest, mining led the way. Among the many impacts that industry has left to this day, the damage it did to our water supply is among the most notable and certainly pernicious.
Heavy metal contamination is not just an issue for our drinking water, but also for the water we use to grow our crops. And yes, one of those crops is now cannabis.
The boom that mining once brought to Spokane now echoes in the danger it presents to those who smoke our cannabis.
In the state of Washington, testing cannabis for heavy metals may seem like a no-brainer, but as it stands, only some consumers receive that information.
As far as state law is concerned, if you’re a recreational cannabis consumer who wants to know the heavy metal content of the cannabis
you consume… well, you may want to hire your own laboratory.
State law does not require disclosure of test results for heavy metals in recreational cannabis. Instead, WAC 314-55-102 states: “Heavy metal screening is optional for non-DOH compliant product.”
DOH is the Department of Health, and “DOH compliant product” refers to medical marijuana.
For recreational marijuana, testing for that stuff is just optional.
This June, HB 1453 took effect, allowing for a tax exemption on medical cannabis, which must pass heavy metal testing.
Clearly, the state sees potential heavy metal contamination as a problem for medical marijuana, but do those concerns extend to recreational cannabis? Based on state law, it appears not. ...continued on page 54
SKISAVINGS HIGH
GREEN ZONE
GREEN ZONE | POLICY
“HEAVY METAL MAYBE,” CONTINUED...
You can actually buy weed at a discount — if it passes heavy metal testing — on the medical market. But on the recreational market? Good luck even finding out the heavy metal content of the product, let alone getting a tax exemption.
Multiple readers have reached out to the Inlander in recent months with concerns about the heavy metal content of recreational cannabis. As for an answer, there isn’t one.
Except maybe to complain.
We are a representative democracy, after all, and our lawmakers are supposed to work for us. If they’re willing to safeguard customers in the medical marijuana industry, maybe their constituents can get them to safeguard customers in the recreational industry as well.
Maybe, but we might have to test that first. n
If users want testing for recreational cannabis, they’ll need to convince lawmakers.
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.
AM
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“Free Willy” creature
Comedian ___ Lina
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