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The first newspaper published on the American continent was called Publick Occurrences
Both Forreign and Domestick. Misspellings aside, the four-page paper was an early attempt at establishing a free press in the American colonies. It didn’t work. Though the Boston publisher and editor avoided any mentions — let alone criticism — of government, four days after it was published in September 1690, the colonial government banned it and ordered all remaining issues destroyed. So here we are 332 years later, writing all about government and politics in this season’s ELECTION ISSUE without fear of reprisal from officials or anyone else so you can vote in confidence. In recent weeks, we’ve examined the election-denial blindness of U.S. Rep. Cathy Mc Morris Rodgers and malfeasance by the Kootenai County assessor. This week, we look at the local officials who will handle your ballot, and those who don’t trust them — many who, instead, trust the word of a twice-impeached president currently under investigation for questionable business practices both before and during his presidency, and for his mishandling of national security documents. We also dig into new local media outlets — from the left and right — and chase down the four security agencies patrolling Camp Hope (though only one has actually gone into the homeless encampment). We’ll keep reporting on all of them, just as we have for nearly 30 years and as newspapers have done since a free press was enshrined in the First Amend ment of the Constitution. Call it an American tradition.
— NICHOLAS DESHAIS, editor
THE INLANDER is a locally owned, independent newspaper founded on Oct. 20, 1993. Please recycle THE INLANDER after you’re done with it. One copy free per person per week; extra copies are $1 each (call x226). For ADVERTISING information, email advertising@inlander.com. To have a SUBSCRIPTION mailed to you, call x210 ($50 per year). To find one of our more than 1,000 NEWSRACKS where you can pick up a paper free every Thursday, call x226 or email frankd@ inlander.com. THE INLANDER is a member of the Association of Alternative Newsmedia and is published at least twice per
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are protected by United States
Thursday,
It’s constitutionally guaranteed. I think the whole idea of “my vote doesn’t matter” is a very privileged position.
Are there any issues that are important to you for this upcoming election?
Of course… abortion. Washington is, thank fully, a very Democratic, left-leaning state. And then just protections for minorities.
It’s a way of showing your beliefs and doing an action that makes something happen.
Though you’re not a Spokane resident, are there any issues you hope will be addressed?
One of the issues I feel I have seen a lot is homelesssness. I think that’s an important issue that people should really talk about.
Voting is really important because it affects
In this midterm election cycle, perhaps all politics has become national, not local
BY H. STUART ELWAY
By now we’ve become accustomed to a sharp partisan divide, even here in Washington. The Crosscut/Elway Poll of Washington state voters taken from Sept. 12-15 illustrates how ingrained that has become. One striking finding is that Republican and Democratic voters do not seem to be participating in the same election.
For Republicans, this is a referendum on Democrats’ rule (Biden/Pelosi/AOC), which is typical for a midterm election. For Democrats, the election is a choice between Donald Trump (and Trumpism) and not Trump.
For Republicans, the election in Washington is about the economy and crime. For Demo crats it is about abortion, climate and protecting democracy. For both sides, it’s us vs. them. And keeping “them” out of power.
While Tiffany Smiley is showing ads about closed Starbucks in Seattle and the rising cost of deviled eggs and beer, Patty Murray’s featured a young woman from Texas who had to travel to a neighboring state for “reproductive health care.”
In an open-ended poll question asking, “What are the most important factors that will help you decide how to vote?,” Republican voters cited the economy No. 1, followed by party identification and crime, then taxes and spending.
Democrats named abor tion No. 1, followed closely by party identifica tion, then candidate attributes and environmental issues. The economy was No. 5.
What is new here is that party labels are near the top of the list of important voting factors. Voters have always taken party identification into account when deciding how to vote, but lately partisanship has played a stronger role in voting decisions.
What’s more, that partisanship is largely
what political scientists call “negative partisanship.” For example, within the “party/ideology” category of vote factors, most of the answers were things like, “I will not vote for any Democrats” or “No Republicans until they rid themselves of Trump.”
The Dobbs decision was a wake-up call to Democrats and socially liberal Independents who may have been disheartened by the Red Wave narrative. Dobbs seems to have triggered awareness that not only are abortion rights in jeopardy, but that elections have consequences across a range of issues, so they had better pay attention.
Dobbs shifted the debate from the economy to the culture wars. It also flipped the election from being a referendum to a choice. Both these shifts give Democrats home-field advantage in Washington state.
Democrats have long had a numeric advantage in Washing ton, which is what made the January poll results so notable. They showed Republicans within three points of Patty Murray and the generic legislative vote. Could the Red Wave wash over Washing ton?
By July, after Dobbs, the Democrats’ advantage in party iden tification had grown from seven to 20 points, taking Murray and the generic Democratic legislative and congressional candidates with it, to leads of 19-20 points.
By September, the Democratic party identification advantage was back down to 11 points, indicating that things are back to “normal.” Normal in Washington since 2008 has been about an 11-12-point identification advantage for Democrats.
January’s Red Wave and July’s Blue Surge were both mostly due to fluctuations on the Republican side. Republican identifica tion bounced from 18 percent in July 2021 to 29 percent in Janu ary 2022 to 22 percent in July to 27 percent this month. Demo cratic identification in that same period only moved between 36 percent and 40 percent.
This suggests that more than abortion politics are at work. Donald Trump’s refusal or inability to leave the stage may have as much to do with the Republican fluctuation as the Supreme Court does. The Jan. 6 hearings, the Mar-a-Lago search and all the rest have been more in the news than the Dobbs decision over the past months.
National events and trends provide a context in which individual local elections take place. Elections are deter mined by voters’ thinking about a mixture of societal trends, local issues, personal circumstances and individual candidates. Most elections this year are in congressional and legislative districts, where individual candidates typically weigh more heavily.
But party identification is playing a larger role than ever. In an era of sharply defined partisanship and ideologically divided par ties, these poll results suggest that Tip O’Neill’s famous maxim, “All politics is local,” has been flipped. It may be more accurate now to say that “All politics is national.”
Would the Red Wave have continued without the Dobbs deci sion? We’ll never know. These factors play differently in Wash ington than in Indiana or Florida. But it’s not hard to imagine that without the decision and the Trump circus, the election here would have had a quite different tenor. n
H. Stuart Elway has been conducting public opinion research since 1975, directing research projects across the country for large and small businesses, associations, nonprofits, founda tions, public agencies from federal to local, and media outlets. He directs the Crosscut/Elway Poll. This article first appeared on crosscut.com; you can find details on this and other Cross cut/Elway polls at crosscut.com/polls.
It’s Thursday afternoon, and Daniel Rose is settling into his regular 3 to 11 pm security shift at Camp Hope. It’s a calm day at the East Central Spokane home less encampment, which has an estimated 440 residents. As he sips an energy drink, Rose explains that he used to live at the camp, but recently moved into a clean and sober living facility. Jewels Helping Hands, the nonprofit that administers Camp Hope, hired him to do security work about three weeks ago.
Today, Rose’s job is to watch the camp’s south entrance, which is currently locked. The Washington State Department of Transportation, which owns the land the camp is on, erected a chain-link perimeter fence around the camp earlier in the month to address security concerns. It’s taken some getting used to, Rose says.
Every five minutes or so, someone will try to enter the camp through the south gate, and Rose will have to tell them to go around to the other side. Most people react with mild annoyance, like with unexpected road construction in the middle of a morning commute.
“Please go through the front,” Rose says as a man tries to enter through the locked gate.
“This is bullshit,” the man says, shaking his head and walking away.
“I don’t make the rules,” Rose replies. “I only enforce them.”
A month ago, Camp Hope was more of a free-forall. People could come and go as they pleased from any part of the camp. Then the fence went
up. There’s also a new nighttime curfew, floodlights, a badging system and a list of rules campers have to sign off on if they want to stay. There are four separate entities doing security now: the Jewels Helping Hands Team, city police and two private companies employed by the city and WSDOT. There’s also Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich’s recent threats to clear the camp next month.
Just who the new security perimeter is there to pro tect — campers or neighborhood businesses — depends on who you ask. Camp residents say reactions to the new system have been somewhere between mixed and mostly positive.
“It stirred things up a little bit,” says Robert Moody, another member of Jewels Helping Hands’ eight-person security team. He also used to live at Camp Hope, but recently moved back in with his wife and son.
Chris Senn, who lives at Camp Hope and has worked on the security team for about seven months, says the new fence and security system has improved issues like theft and people coming to the camp to sell drugs. It also makes it easier for campers to prove they aren’t the ones committing all the crimes in the neighbor hood. If a local business reports an overnight theft, camp security can check the logs to see if anyone signed out of the camp at night.
Senn, like many unhoused people, is a military vet eran. Dealing with misbehavior from the camp’s residents isn’t easy, he says, but it’s still better than the rowdy soldiers he had to put up with when he spent 15 years in the Army’s military police.
Senn says things have been pretty calm since the fence went up. Has it been perfect? No. Holes have been cut in the fence on several occasions, allowing people or illicit goods to sneak in and out undetected.
Unfortunately, Senn says, the most common issue he deals with at the camp is theft. But contrary to assertions from some elected officials, he says it’s usually campers stealing from each other, not local businesses.
What’s more, Senn has taken a few blows while try ing to break up fights. But for the most part he says the crime, violence and drug use at the camp aren’t as bad as people say.
While Senn is talking, a man walks into the camp, visibly agitated.
“If you’re not on drugs, it looks a little f—ed up,” the man says, commenting on the row of tents and RVs.
The man isn’t homeless. He says he lives in a Wash ington city a few hours away, and he came here looking for his estranged daughter.
She’s 21. He thinks he saw her here a few hours ago, but she ran off. He thinks she’s on drugs and it’s a sensi tive situation, so he asks that I not include his name.
The man says the camp is a mess, and that everyone must be on drugs. Senn tries to explain that not every one at the camp is some drug-crazed criminal. The man doesn’t buy it and says Senn should get a job. Every where is hiring now, he says.
“Sorry you feel everyone’s a bad person,” Senn says. “We’re not all bad.”
Senn says he’ll ask around and keep an eye out for the man’s daughter. The man wanders off to keep looking. It’s not uncommon for people to come to the camp in search of missing loved ones, Senn says, adding that the security team always does everything it can to help find people’s kids. (Minors aren’t allowed in the camp.)
The man’s comments were hurtful, Senn says, but as a parent himself, he understands his pain.
The four separate entities doing security work at Camp Hope have minimal collaboration.
The Spokane Police Department has two of ficers stationed at the camp from 7 am to 7 pm daily. The shifts are in addition to the regular patrols that officers do in the East Central neighborhood, so the police at Camp Hope get paid overtime. Brian Coddington, the mayor’s spokesman, doesn’t have the September numbers yet but says the overtime has cost the city more than $217,000 between March and the end of August.
Campers say the police mostly just sit in their cars.
Julie Humphreys, spokesperson for the Spokane Po lice Department, says officers have been inside the camp on a few occasions but, by and large, they stay outside.
“From an officer safety standpoint, we’re not just going wandering through the camp. That is not a safe environment,” Humphreys says, adding that there might be sanitation or fire hazards, as well as hostility toward officers.
The priority for police, Humphreys says, is business es, neighbors and “keeping the peace in general.”
Senn, the camp security worker, acknowledges that’s been an issue. In the past, he says, people who don’t live at Camp Hope would sometimes commit crimes in the
neighborhood and then hide inside the camp because they knew officers wouldn’t follow them in. He hopes the fence will stop that.
Relationships between the officers and camp residents aren’t great, but Julie Garcia, the executive director of Jewels Helping Hands, says there have been some improvements in recent days, and that officers seem in creasingly willing to get out of their cars to actually help organizers and campers.
“There’s a couple of really good officers that under stand this population,” Garcia says.
Senn says he’s built good relation ships with one cop, but still questions why the city is paying so much for the police to just sit in their cars all day.
Still, some campers are more than happy to see the cops stay out of the camp. Susan Grenfell, who has lived at the camp since the beginning, says she feels safer at the camp because police stay out and “know their place.” When she was homeless downtown, Grenfell says cops would harass her. Here, they leave campers alone.
O n top of police overtime pay, the city is also pay ing $30,000 a month to a private security com pany called Crowd Management Services (CMS) to patrol the camp’s perimeter. The city started contracting with CMS in March, and has paid them about $185,000 so far, according to Coddington. Like police, CMS staff
generally patrol outside the camp from 7 am to 7 pm.
“Their role has primarily been to be another set of eyes and ears when the police can’t be there,” Codding ton says, “to keep an eye on property within the neigh borhood and report any suspicious activity.”
Coddington says CMS doesn’t typically go inside the camp or interact with the Jewels Helping Hands security team. The city’s contract with CMS is in place until the end of October. Coddington says the city will have a bet ter sense of whether the contract is still needed at the end of the month.
Then there’s Security Services Northwest, another private security company. WSDOT started contracting with them last week. Unlike police and CMS, Security Services Northwest is there 24/7. WSDOT is paying them $30,000 a week. That money comes out of the North Spokane Corridor Property Management Fund, says WS DOT’s Joe McHale.
Garcia says CMS personnel haven’t been very helpful and, like police, often just stay in their cars. She adds that the new WSDOT security team has been much more willing to work with the camp security. McHale says the security is mainly there for perimeter patrol, but will go inside the camp if the internal security team needs help.
“INSIDE THE FENCE,” CONTINUED...
Some campers are more than happy to see the cops stay out of the camp. Susan Grenfel says she feels safer at the camp because police stay out and “know their place.”
All of the various security entities say they aim to stop prop erty theft and crime from occurring in the neighborhood. But of all of them, the team employed by Jewels Helping Hands is the only one that seems solely focused on protecting the campers themselves — not just businesses and housed neighbors.
The eight-person team works two shifts: 3 to 11 pm and 11 pm to 7 am. Garcia says each employee is paid between $16 and $18 an hour.
The camp security team knows what it’s like to be homeless. Grenfell says that lived-experience helps them navigate camp con flicts better than any police officer or private security guard could.
“They’ve lived the life, they know how to talk to us,” Grenfell says.
The downside is that the security guards know the campers personally and have to work to put friendships aside. Moody, with Jewels security team, says he’s had to put his foot down when campers he knows personally try to leverage personal favor to gain after-hours access to the camp.
“When I’m on the clock, I’ve got a job to do,” Moody says.
When campers are caught committing crimes — like theft or assault — camp security tells them to pack their stuff and leave. Police aren’t generally involved in the process, but McHale, with WSDOT, says Security Services Northwest will assist in the future.
Kicking someone out of the camp is never easy.
“We hate to do it, because we’re all in this together, we’re all human,” Senn says.
As the afternoon went on, Senn grabbed a rake to do some cleaning around the camp. Moody left to pick up a pallet of water. Rose smoked a cigarette at his post by the south gate. The police chatted with camp organizers and then returned to their cars.
Security Services Northwest did laps around the perimeter and guarded the main entrance.
The man searching for his daughter left the camp after about an hour. He didn’t find her. n
Each week, Highball is serving up live music and ladies’ night specials just for the gals, including $10 signature Chandelier cocktails, $3 glasses of bubbly, and 20% off food.
Football season is here, and we’re airing all the games on our EPIC 30’ LED HDTV with a mouthwatering selection of fan-favorite plates, plus cold beer on tap.
Spice up your lunch routine at East with a fresh selection of hand-rolled sushi, now served daily from 11am-2pm.
With the death of SpokeFest and resignations at Bloomsday — will COVID kill local races?
BY SAMANTHA WOHLFEIL
Despite remaining financially stable during the pandemic, SpokeFest is gone and Bloomsday is struggling. General fatigue and a roller coaster of event logistics may have played a role in recent issues faced by the two popular road races.
SpokeFest, an annual community bike ride that drew thousands of people of all abilities to ride 9- to 50-mile routes, recently voted to dissolve as a nonprofit.
Founder Bill Bender says the organization was in good financial shape. But with the inability to hold events in 2020 and 2021, and the cancellation of this year’s ride after the loss of an event planner who moved away for another job, the volunteer board was tired and decided to end the event.
“This year we basically had lost that inertia — we couldn’t seem to get going again,” Bender says. “While we’re sad not to have it anymore, we’re really happy with what we’ve been able to accomplish.”
In the spirit of Bloomsday, Bender says SpokeFest, which started in 2008, hoped to attract both avid bike rid ers and those who hadn’t been on a bike in years.
“I’ve always been impressed with how many people gear up to run who aren’t regular runners because of Bloomsday,” Bender says. “We had lots of good success stories: People becoming more physically active, trim ming excess pounds, and biking to work or school.”
SpokeFest also offered grants to local schools for bicycle education in gym classes, and spurred events such as Summer Parkways, which was successful this June as thousands of people took to 4 miles of streets closed to auto traffic between Comstock and Manito parks on Spokane’s South Hill.
Bender says Summer Parkways is now looking for another nonprofit to be the umbrella organization so it can continue.
Meanwhile, the 12-kilometer foot race Bloomsday hit its own hurdles last week, when race director Jon
Neill resigned after a board vote to demote him. After volunteering with the organization since the mid-1990s, Neill became director in 2019 — filling the shoes of race founder Don Kardong, who did not want to comment for this article.
In an Oct. 11 letter to Bloomsday’s board, Neill said he was dismayed at their Sept. 22 vote to remove him as race director and offer him another role. Neill, who did not respond to an interview request, wrote that the news “came abruptly with little explanation.”
“I have endured ongoing criticism, insult, and de meaning comments from select members of this Board,” Neill wrote. “Those members have created a toxic, nega tive, pessimistic, and distracting workplace that remains both corrosive and demoralizing. This hostility is not the Bloomsday way, nor should it ever be.”
Immediately after the vote to remove Neill, board members Tom Fuchs (with Bloomsday since 2004) and Steve Jones (there since 1979) resigned from the board. Both say they feel demoting Neill was unfair.
“I think his leadership in helping us navigate two years of COVID was exceptional,” Jones says. “I think there are some people on the board who didn’t like that he didn’t communicate with them as well as he should, or didn’t follow their directives as closely as he should, but it was pretty minor when you look at the overall picture of how well Bloomsday did.”
Jones says finances for Bloomsday — which began in 1977 and reached peak participation in 1996 with 61,000 people — are in a better place now than before Neill became director.
Carol Hunter, who left the board a year ago after serving for 25 years, and Gary Markham, who also left last year after 18 years, were disappointed with the way Neill was treated and questioned how the board intended to replace him.
Hunter says Neill was pushing for innovation. She says the organization needed to make room for new ideas so it wouldn’t stagnate. Some board members disagreed.
“They just had a hard time with change, and quite frankly, I think COVID had a lot to do with that,” Hunter says. “I think people started losing control of many aspects of their own life and were looking for something to control, and they didn’t like these changes.”
Board president Dori Whitford told other news outlets that Bloomsday is looking at restructuring some jobs. None of the former board members who spoke to the Inlander knew what the restructuring plans were, and they said that eliminating the race director would require changing the bylaws.
“The current board is working well together and is looking forward to a great Bloomsday 2023 that Spokane can be proud of,” Whitford told the Inlander by email. “All of us at Bloomsday would like to thank Jon Neill for his service. We accept his resig nation and wish him the absolute best in his future.” n
Two young nonprofit media outlets have been churning out scoops in Spokane — from sharply different angles
BY DANIEL WALTERSWhen the Inlander arrives for its interview with the trio of journalists at Range last Thursday, we’re asked to wait in the lobby. They’re scrambling to put up their latest exposé and just need 15 more minutes.
The article ends up being a deep-dive follow-up into allegations of embezzlement by an administrative employee at the Guardians Foundation, a major home less shelter provider in the region. Just two days earlier, Range broke the news that the former head of Spokane’s neighborhood, housing and human services department had sent a scathing 27-page memo outlining a litany of problems at City Hall.
What started as a lockdown-era passion project pod cast has grown into a formidable journalistic force where “people are sending us documents of serious impor tance,” says the publication’s founder Luke Baumgarten, a former Inlander staffer.
This summer, Baumgarten hired former High Country News and Eugene Weekly reporter Carl Segerstrom. In the midst of a heat wave in July, Segerstrom spent seven straight days filing dispatches from Camp Hope, the mas sive homeless encampment in East Central.
“We see it as our role to fill in the blind spots or the undercovered communities,” Segerstrom says.
And Range isn’t the only new entry into Spokane’s journalism world: At The Center Square, a nonprofit local news wire service that operates in all 50 states and is funded by the conservative Franklin News Foundation, former Deer Park Tribune reporter RaeLynn Ricarte has
been grinding out two to three hard news stories every weekday.
She was the one who first reported that former City Council President Ben Stuckart had resigned from the city’s Continuum of Care board due to a conflict of inter est. County Commissioner Josh Kerns credits The Center Square with being “one of the few media outlets that consistently covers the county” government.
At a time when local newspapers across the country have been shuttering, leaving news deserts in their wake, Spokane has a growing ecosystem of reporting. But these new alternative models also come saddled with their own limitations and potential conflicts to navigate.
Put crudely, Range is on the left, while The Center Square is on the right. Neither, however, wants to present them selves as ideological hacks. Instead, they both argue they offer journalism through a distinct lens.
Baumgarten says Range has a “community-first focus, starting with the powerless.” Range is more interested in wage theft than property theft, more interested in home less campers than their angry nearby neighbors.
“Community is our bias,” he says, paraphrasing the third and final staffer at Range, Audience and Member ship Editor Valerie Osier.
Meanwhile, Jeremy Lott, The Center Square’s regional editor for the Pacific Northwest, says their angle is to report “from the taxpayer’s perspective.”
As an example, a recent headline read, “Mariners
down 0-2 in series, Washington taxpayers down hun dreds of millions.”
Conservative Spokane City Councilman Jonathan Bingle praises both publications, but says he likes “Center Square personally, because they give me the fairest shake.”
The more progressive City Council President Breean Beggs, however, argues that Center Square seems a lot more politically motivated than Range
“Center Square definitely, in my opinion, is just about trying to change election outcomes,” Beggs says. “They seem very connected to the Cathy McMorris Rodgers political machine locally.”
If your publication is seen as pushing an agenda — and if you’re not bearing the mantle of a traditional news outlet — it can sometimes put you at a disadvantage.
Spokane County Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich refused to al low a Range reporter to attend a Sept. 23 press conference. “I figured he’s just another activist. And I’m like, I don’t have time for activists,” Knezovich told reporters from other media outlets later. “I’m done talking to activists.”
Segerstrom says he’s jealous of the kind of access that Center Square seems to get.
“We tend to quote Republicans more than Demo crats, but that’s just because they’ll return our calls,” says Center Square’s Lott.
But critics also hammer Center Square for its funding streams — which has included millions of dollars from right-wing megafunds like DonorsTrust.
Baumgarten, meanwhile, was the arts and culture editor for the advertising-supported Inlander, before leav ing for a job in advertising. But he doesn’t want ads to support Range. He’s worried about their influence.
“It’s not an awesome feeling as a reporter know ing there’s an important story that could cost you your career because you can’t bite the hand that feeds,” Baumgarten wrote in a Reddit thread in August. (The Inlander has a policy of keeping its news-gathering and advertising decisions separate.)
But if a publication doesn’t have hands that feed them, it starves. Right now Range only has about 260 pay ing subscribers — they’d need at least 2,000 to survive on memberships alone.
So instead, 85 percent of the funding comes from business loans and grants, from businesses like Meta, which owns Facebook, and the Smith-Barbieri Progres sive Fund, which supplied Range with $35,000, or about a quarter of Range’s revenue.
And that’s messy. The couple that runs the fund, Don Barbieri and Sharon Smith, have not only donated to local politicians of a decidedly liberal stripe, they’ve also contributed financially to Jewels Helping Hands, the nonprofit that runs Camp Hope.
They were the fiscal sponsor overseeing Jewels Help ing Hands’ bid to be a homeless shelter provider in 2019, lobbying the city on Jewels’ behalf and trying to dig up issues with the Guardians Foundation, Jewels’ rival.
“I didn’t know that,” says Segerstrom, who wrote a largely positive profile on Jewels founder Julie Garcia for Range in July.
Today, Smith tells the Inlander that the progressive fund doesn’t currently have a formal relationship with Jewels Helping Hands, but still offers the occasional donation.
Baumgarten says Barbieri and Smith offer them en couragement and praise, but don’t try to influence what they write about.
In a recent Reddit thread about the Guardians’ embezzlement scandal, someone suggested that Range scrutinize Jewels Helping Hands.
“Our DMs are open if you have specific info or a place we can start digging,” Range replied, encouraging responses. n
We were so naive back in 2018. That’s when city officials thought the bridge behind City Hall connecting Riverfront Park with Kendall Yards, and a crucial link in the Centennial Trail, would be complete as soon as early 2020. Well, the Post Street Bridge is still not done. To start with, price spikes in steel and lumber delayed the start of the project until early 2020 — and then the COVID pandemic hit, hobbling development for another six months. And once contractors really started to root around to fix it, they learned that the problems with the bridge were far worse than they’d anticipated. “Remember it’s over 100 years old,” says city Public Works Direc tor Marlene Feist. “Some of it we couldn’t tell until we took the lid off.” Finally, add a disagreement between the city and Kuney Construction over the order of construction, a fight that landed them in a dispute resolution process. The agreed-upon compromise was adopted by the City Council earlier this year. For now, Feist says the bridge is anticipated to be completed next fall, more than four years after it was first closed to automotive traffic. (DANIEL WALTERS)
For the folks contributing to the statewide total of $28.3 billion in student loan debt owed by Washington residents, the application for one-time stu dent loan forgiveness is now available. The form takes minutes to complete and asks borrowers to fill out their full name and Social Security number and to attest that they qualify for forgiveness based on their income (details are explained in the application). The application follows President Joe Biden’s announcement that borrowers can receive forgiveness of up to $10,000 or up to $20,000 for Pell Grant recipients, for student loans disbursed on or before June 30, 2022. In Washington, the average borrower has $35,510 in student loan debt, according to EducationData.org, which relies on data from the U.S. Department of Education. In Idaho, the average borrower has $33,012 in student loan debt, with the state total sitting at $7.2 billion. In both states, 52.8 percent of borrowers owe less than $20,000. The application is available at StudentAid.gov/debt-relief/application. (SAMANTHA WOHLFEIL)
The U.S. Department of Justice awarded a $499,833 grant to combat firearm-related domestic violence in the city of Spokane. The grant is part of the DOJ’s Firearms Technical Assistance project, which aims to help communities separate domestic abusers from firearms. This is the second grant Spokane has received as part of the project. The first grant, awarded in 2020, was used to hire a domestic violence firearms analyst, whose job is to work with victims and follow up on protection orders to make sure firearms are actually being surrendered. In a letter of support for the additional grant funding, Spokane County Superior Court Commissioner John Stine, who oversees weekly firearm surrender compliance hearings, said the analyst position has significantly increased firearm surrender order compliance rates — from as low as 1 percent to approximately 80 percent in just three years. “In all honesty, the compliance review system in Spokane County would col lapse without this position,” Stine wrote. (NATE SANFORD) n
In the weeks leading up to Election Day, local officials are required by law to perform what’s known as a “logic and accuracy” test on the ballot counting machines. The test is open to the public, though Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs warns that it can be “very boring.”
Tim Kinley doesn’t think it’s boring. Watching last week’s test at the Spokane County Elections Office, he and three fellow Republicans give it their undivided attention.
And they ask questions — lots of them.
An official from Hobbs’ office patiently does her best to an swer the election security questions the visitors pepper her with. Kinley films the whole thing on his phone and plans to post it later on Rumble, an online video platform popular with conserva tives and members of the far right. He’s an election observer and a member of the Spokane County Republican Party’s election integrity committee, which lobbied unsuccessfully this summer for an audit of the 2020 Spokane election.
As he leaves the elections office, Kinley, speaking for himself and not on behalf of the party, explains that he isn’t necessarily accusing the county election office of impropriety. He just has questions.
“I’m just trying to process it,” Kinley says. “I’m not saying it’s happening here, I just don’t know.”
For two years, Donald Trump has loudly lied about the 2020 election he lost by 7 million votes. The level of distrust and ques tioning surrounding the local elections process has only increased, says Spokane County Auditor Vicky Dalton, who oversees local elections.
That distrust is especially visible in the public records requests that have overwhelmed Dalton’s office in recent months.
There have been 55 requests so far this year, compared with just 11 last year. There were only five requests in 2019 and 2020 respectively, and those were all filed by the same person.
The uptick in requests mirrors a trend reported by election officials in other parts of the country. In many cases, the requests are rooted in election conspiracies and copy-and-pasted from other sources. Many requesters don’t appear to know what they’re looking for, Dalton says.
One requestor describes themself as an “aggrieved citizen,” and says they are preparing a lawsuit and calling for the prosecu
tion of election officials for a variety of unsubstantiated election law violations.
Another wants to physically inspect “ALL ORIGINAL docu ments and records relating to the 2020 election.”
Dalton says there’s nothing inherently wrong with records requests and stresses the importance of transparency. But she notes that vague, all-encompassing requests can bog down the system. Officials have an obligation to work with requesters to refine their search and help provide what they’re looking for, but many requesters are asking for literally every record relating to the 2020 election. That’s thousands of pages, many of which have to be redacted for privacy or security reasons.
“It’s basically paper terrorism,” Dalton says. “It’s burning a lot of resources.”
Tony Dinaro, the county’s public records officer, estimates that officials have spent well over 100 staff hours dealing with the flood of requests this year.
“It’s been extremely difficult,” Dinaro says.
In July, polling conducted by SurveyUSA found that one in five Washington state Republicans have no trust in voting by mail or local elections officials. The survey also found that one in three of these Republicans falsely believe Trump won the 2020 election.
Dalton says she’s had some success when talking with com munity members who are genuinely curious and want to learn more about the election process. But for people who truly believe the big lie? Dalton says she hasn’t been able to find the informa tion that will change their minds.
“It’s at times really aggravating,” Dalton says, noting that people who “believe that the system is fraudulent just ignore the integrity and the professionalism of the people who work in elections.”
Dalton, a Democrat who has been the elected county auditor for 24 years, is up for reelection against Bob McCaslin, a retiring state representative who received 48 percent of the primary vote compared with Dalton’s 52 percent. McCaslin, a Republican, cosponsored a bill in 2021 calling for a manual recount of the 2020 election to ensure that “only legitimate votes were counted.”
on next
If there’s a distinction — beyond experience, race, occupation and ideology — between U.S. Rep. CATHY McMORRIS RODGERS and her challenger, local attorney NATASHA HILL, it’s in the way they answer questions.
When asked tough questions about, say, Donald Trump or the Capi tol riot on Jan. 6, McMorris Rodgers reacts like the reelected-13-times poli tician she is. If she takes an interview at all, sometimes she pauses, choosing her words very carefully. Or she’ll pivot, changing subjects to Demo crats, or Joe Biden, or Big Tech.
There’s a reason why she was in charge of national Republican mes saging for a time.
Hill, her challenger, rarely dodges questions, readily grabbing onto third rails that other Democrats have re coiled from. Her 2020 comments call ing for the police to be defunded is not part of her platform, she says, but she does believe “throwing more money at this institution of law enforcement has not made our community safer.”
How about reparations for Black Americans?
“Absolutely,” Hill said. “The ques tion is, what does that look like?”
Any criticism of Biden?
“I look at him as one of those established career politicians who just couldn’t give it up,” Hill says. “He should have given it up.”
Hill knows that winning in the conservative 5th Congressional District is a long shot but believes that there is an opportunity for a message of prounion Bernie Sanders-style populism to resonate with voters.
She wants to “build our voter base so that regardless of who wins, it reflects the majority of interests in our region,” Hill says. “That I can live with.”
— DANIEL WALTERSIncumbent Democratic U.S. Sen. PATTY MURRAY has long been a proud champion of abortion rights. Her challenger, Whitworth University alum TIFFANY SMILEY, a Republican, has long been an advo cate for veterans, ever since Smiley’s husband was blinded while serving in the Army in Iraq.
Those issues remain at the top of their minds.
Murray points to the recent Su preme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade as the reason why Americans need to vote against Republicans.
“Today,” Murray wrote after the decision in late June, “Republicans dragged this country backwards by half a century. The American people will not forget Republicans’ cruelty—not today, not tomorrow, and not this November.”
When asked if he thinks there was widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election, McCaslin says he doesn’t have any personal proof. He does say there’s been some information that he thinks “brings a question.”
post-Jan. 6, Burghart says. Trump has repeatedly praised the film, calling it the “greatest and most impactful documentary of our time.”
Smiley, meanwhile, was particu larly horrified by President Biden’s withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, and the psychological toll it had on veterans who served there.
“Does he not understand that he has given the interpreters, guides, and others who have supported coalition forces a death sentence at the hands of the Taliban?” Smiley wrote in a statement about Biden last year.
Both have tried to defuse the other’s strength.
Smiley — post-primary, at least — has struck a much more moderate position on abortion than the rest of her party: She says she doesn’t oppose Washington state’s current abortion law, and proclaimed in an ad, “I’m pro-life, but I oppose a federal abortion ban.”
Murray, meanwhile, ran her own ad featuring a retired Army captain, wearing an Army T-shirt, lamenting the assault on “our temple of Democ racy” on Jan. 6. and attacking Smiley for publicly questioning the integrity of the 2020 election.
— DANIEL WALTERSThe information he’s referring to comes from a report from the Spokane GOP and Washington Voter Research Project that was based on doorbelling organized by conservative activist Glen Morgan. The report claims to have found significant “anomalies.” Dalton says that, despite repeated requests, the group has not given the auditor’s office a list of names and addresses that would allow them to verify the findings.
McCaslin says he met with Morgan and the canvassing group at their request in summer 2021, before he announced his run for county auditor.
“I thought some of the things that they found were compel ling,” McCaslin says.
McCaslin says he wants publicly viewable security cameras in the auditor’s office. Dalton says cameras have already been installed through a grant from the state, but they’re not yet turned on because her office is still figuring out how to protect private voter information that would be visible on screen.
Last month during Sunday service at his church, On Fire Minis tries, former state Rep. Matt Shea — who McCaslin describes as a friend and very effective legislator — asked his congregation to raise their hands if they’d seen the film 2000 Mules. A recording made of the service doesn’t show the audience, but Shea’s reaction indicates that a good number raised their hands.
The thoroughly debunked film by conservative commenta tor Dinesh D’Souza makes false claims of significant voter fraud during the 2020 election. It’s become something of a cultural phenomenon for ultra-conservatives.
“More than anything, 2000 Mules has fueled election denial mania across the far right,” says Devin Burghart, executive direc tor of the Seattle-based Institute for Research and Education on Human Rights, which monitors far-right extremism.
When it came out in May 2022, the film gave new life to an election-denial movement that was struggling for direction
During the Spokesman-Review’s “Pints and Politics” forum, far-right Republican Rep. Rob Chase, who took over Shea’s seat in 2020, said his constituents don’t trust votes anymore after watching the film.
McCaslin says he’s heard similar things from constituents. He’s seen the movie himself, but says it would be unfair to apply everything in the movie to Spokane County, though he thinks it “does bring up some issues at least.”
After asking his congregation if they’d seen the film, Shea invited them to attend a ballot drop box observer training session that was scheduled to be held at his church later that month.
“We believe that we need to be going into every area of our culture,” Shea said during Sunday service a week later. “One of those areas is elections. And one of those areas is watching drop boxes to make sure that, I don’t know, they don’t get stuffed with anything that’s not of God, OK? Hallelujah.”
On the evening of Sept. 30, I headed over to Shea’s church. I’d heard he was training his congregation how to observe ballot boxes, so I figured it was worth a shot to check it out. I wasn’t exactly thrilled. Shea, after all, had once described journalists as “dirty, godless, hateful people.”
But when I arrived, the door was locked. Two women stood outside, also locked out. They said they were there for the drop box training, and that someone named Ruth had sent them.
I said I’d check the other doors, and walked around the build ing to see if any might be open. When I got back, the women were gone, and the door was still locked.
I tracked Ruth down a few days later. A message from the Spokane GOP was circulating online and telling patriots to contact her about ballot box training. Her name is Ruth Ryan, and she’s a retired teacher and current chairperson of the Spokane County Republican Party’s election committee. She’s scrutinized election security long before it was cool.
A transparent process: ballots get sent out, and are sorted by machine after signature scanning.“WATCHING THE WATCHERS,” CONTINUED...
All those records requests filed with the election office in 2019 and 2020 that came from the same person? That was Ryan.
Ryan became a poll site inspector in the 1980s and has spent several elections as a precinct committee officer with the Republi can Party. She also works to coordinate the party’s certified elec tion observers. Ryan says her interest in elections stems from her mother, who was also a poll site inspector and raised Ryan to be civic-minded. Ryan also cites an incident in the 1960s when she went to vote and says she was given the wrong ballot.
She doesn’t think the election was stolen, but she says there were “some things that went on in the 2020 election that should not have happened.”
Ryan says the whole thing with Shea was misinterpreted by the public. In her telling, Shea’s church reached out to her because some people in the congregation were interested in learning more about the laws that apply to citizen election observers.
Ryan was going to invite them to come by the Spokane GOP’s conference room where she usually holds meetings for official drop box observers, but the construction on Monroe Street made getting there a mess. She also worried the room wouldn’t be big enough for everyone. So she decided to just hold the meeting at Shea’s church.
But then word got out that Shea’s church was going to be train ing ballot drop box observers. And with Shea’s well-documented history of extremism — his distribution of a pamphlet titled “Bibli cal Basis for War” and his speeches telling Christians to prepare for “total war,” among other things — a lot of folks got worried.
That worry is not misplaced, but it’s important to first note the difference between citizen and certified ballot drop box observers.
“Certified” observers are selected by political parties and then certified after training sessions with the county elections office. The main job of election observers is to basically watch different aspects of the elections process, including ballot drop boxes. If something looks off, the observer can let an election official know, says Spokane County Elections Manager Mike McLaughlin, who oversees observer training for the elections office.
“They’re observing for the parties,” McLaughlin says. “But they’re also eyes for us.”
Then there are “citizen” election observers, who are people without appointments from political parties or certification from the county. It’s a free country, so there’s nothing stopping anybody from going out to a ballot drop box and watching it for a few hours.
Washington does have laws designed to prevent electioneering and voter intimidation within 25 feet of ballot drop boxes. There are a number of prohibited behaviors that essentially boil down to: Don’t be weird and make people uncomfortable while they’re trying to vote.
Election conspiracies have prompted self-appointed volunteer groups to monitor drop boxes across the county. Burghart, with the Institute for Research and Education on Human Rights, says these drop box “vigilantes” are deeply troubling, and he worries they will cause voter suppression, particularly among voters of color.
“Many groups on the far right have adopted this kind of election denial/ballot box vigilante approach heading into 2022 based on the conspiracies of 2000 Mules,” Burghart says. “To see someone like Matt Shea and his group adopt it is a sign that this is happening in a lot of different places.”
Ryan, the old-school Republican election observer, says she was worried about all the public attention cast on the meeting leading to things getting “off the wall crazy.” So at the last minute, the meeting was moved to the GOP office on Monroe Street. Ryan insists that people’s concerns were misplaced. Shea wasn’t even at the meeting, she says.
Ryan says four or five cars of people from Shea’s church showed up. Most were interested in being citizen observers, but Ryan says a few expressed interest in becoming certified observers.
She’s also coordinating other official Republican observers who aren’t connected to Shea’s church. She says more than 50 have signed up so far. And she asks every volunteer if they’ve seen 2000 Mules. A good majority have, she says, including herself. n
Spokane voters will have the chance to decide who holds the reins of the CITY ATTORNEY — and how much job security that person will have. Right now the city attorney is hired by the mayor and can only be fired by the mayor. That’s drawn complaints from City Council members who believe that setup effectively tells the city attorney that they serve the mayor — not the city as a whole. That’s a big problem in the not-uncommon situation where the mayor and the council disagree on something.
YOUNG KWAK PHOTO
So Proposition 1, if passed, would take the power of appointing the city attorney away from the mayor and place it in the hands of the City Coun cil. (Though the mayor would still have to agree to their pick.) Under the measure, which was put forward by Council President Breean Beggs, the city attorney would serve up to two seven-year terms, for a total of 14 years, and could only be fired if the council and the mayor agreed. The job security, the thinking goes, could make it easier to find better candidates.
But skeptics — including Mayor Nadine Woodward — believe that it makes more sense for the mayor to still be the one who makes the pick.
“The departments I advise on the day-to-day operations are all appoint ed by the mayor,” Lynden Smithson, the city’s interim city attorney, told the Inlander in June. “They’re all hired and fired by the mayor.”
— DANIEL WALTERS Elections Office workers sort and count returned ballots after the August primary election.“WATCHING THE WATCHERS,” CONTINUED...
BY NATE SANFORD
Two men are vying to replace Spokane County Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich as he prepares to leave after 16 years in office. One has Knezovich’s endorsement and mentor ship, the other has his ire.
Knezovich’s endorsee is JOHN NOWELS, a Republican with 24 years of experience in the sheriff’s office. He worked his way through the ranks of patrolman, detective and chief crimi nal deputy before being promoted in 2019 to undersheriff — a senior position on the sheriff’s command staff.
Up against Nowels is WADE NELSON, also a Republican. Nelson spent 21 years in the department working a variety of roles includ ing patrolman and detective, and in emergency management and marine enforcement. Nelson quit the sheriff’s office in July after taking a leave of absence that he says was partially motivated by frustrations over Knezovich’s leadership style.
Knezovich hasn’t been subtle about his preference for a successor. Earlier this summer, he described Nelson as “kind of a malcontent” and accused him of being dishonest and unprepared for the role of sheriff. He said Nowels will “uphold the standards of this agency the way that I have.”
Nowels, who received 54 percent of the total votes in the primary compared with Nelson’s 28 percent, also has endorsements from sheriffs in more than two dozen Washington counties and from prominent local Republicans like U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, county Prosecutor Larry Haskell and county Commissioners Mary Kuney and Al French.
Nelson has endorsements from local Team sters unions and the union representing correc tions officers at the Spokane County Jail and Geiger detention centers.
Throughout his campaign, Nelson has argued that a lack of manpower in the sheriff’s office is leading to morale issues and slower re sponse times. He criticizes Knezovich and Nowels for being slow to anticipate retirements and local population growth, and says he would do more to recruit more deputies. Nowels argues that de partments across the country have struggled with staffing shortages, and says the sheriff’s office is already on track to fill staffing gaps after a record hiring spree this year.
When it comes to morale, Nowels says Nel son also has it all wrong. Nowels says people in the sheriff’s office tell him morale is at 90 percent — maybe more like 98 percent after the depart ment authorized deputies to wear cowboy hats as part of their uniform this summer.
As someone who is now outside the depart ment, Nelson argues that he can bring a fresh set of eyes to the sheriff’s office and make changes the sheriff’s preferred candidate won’t make. During a KSPS-TV debate recorded Oct. 11, Nowels accused Nelson of lacking leadership experience and not understanding the problems in the agency. If Nelson tried to rejoin the sheriff’s office, Nowels said, his lack of experience would disqualify him from even taking the test for sergeant.
“I have spent the last 10 years of my career working to qualify myself to be sheriff of this agency and of this community,” Nowels said.
“My opponent did nothing but quit.”
Nowels supports the sheriff’s plan to clear Camp Hope, the large homeless encampment in the city of Spokane, by mid-November, but Nel son says the sheriff’s plan is rash and will result in residents of the encampment being scattered across the city. n
In a way, LARRY HASKELL got lucky.
In this August’s primary, the current Spokane County prosecutor drew challenges from two highly experienced Republi cans and one relatively inexperi enced nonpartisan candidate.
Stephanie Olsen and Stefanie Collins, Republicans with a combined four decades of legal experience, both decried Haskell’s leadership.
Local pastor DEB CONK LIN entered the race as a non partisan who hadn’t practiced law since 1987, when she worked for the prosecutor’s office in Clallam County on the tip of the Olympic Peninsula.
With Conklin wielding the advantage of being the only non-Republican on the ticket, the Republican vote split three ways, and Conklin ended up snagging second place in the top-two primary behind Haskell.
“Is four years of experience as a deputy prose cutor when Ronald Reagan was the president the answer?” Haskell asked rhetorically during one recent debate, pointing out that even then, courts found Conklin had mismanaged a key case.
Conklin disagrees. Leadership skills, she argues, are more important than legal experience.
“The elected prosecutor doesn’t have to be able to walk into court to try a serious murder trial the first day,” Conklin says. “You’ll have to supervise the staff of 150 people.”
It’s easy to distinguish between the two ideo logically.
“Law and Order Larry,” a moniker he’s embraced, has been slammed by “smart justice” advocates who say he rejects evidence-backed reforms in favor of charging policies that have clogged the court system.
Conklin portrays herself as a more progres sive prosecutor.
“We need someone in the office who is go ing to prioritize safety over locking people up,” Conklin says.
But the contrast in their management records is messier.
During the primary, Collins, a deputy pros ecutor under Haskell, called the massive backlog in domestic violence cases that had blown up during Haskell’s leadership “unforgivable.” She said the office had struggled to recruit talent. And, most surprisingly, she said that despite working for Haskell for over seven years, she’d “never had a conversation with him.”
Haskell dismisses these complaints. He says the office has managed to significantly whittle down the size of the domestic violence backlog and that most of the staffing shortage is because of non-attorney staff who haven’t been able to get
a new union contract. As for inaccessibility, he denies it.
“It’s certainly not difficult to find Larry Haskell,” says Haskell.
Conklin, meanwhile, touts her experience as chair of the city of Spokane’s Office of the Police Ombudsman Commission, the body that hired and oversees Police Ombudsman Bart Logue, who provides independent oversight of the Spo kane Police Department.
However, in 2017 the City Council declined to reappoint Conklin. Logue had complained that Conklin had created a “hostile work environ ment, which I will no longer tolerate.”
A fellow ombudsman commissioner, Ladd Smith, told council members that Conklin had become “more of a liability than an asset” and that her “ongoing disdain for Mr. Logue” was hindering the commission’s important work.
Conklin says the conflict was over the scope of the commission’s role. She points to her record as a pastor to show she can get along with people with major political differences.
There’s another issue that’s looming over Haskell.
In January, the Inlander reported that Haskell’s wife was a self-proclaimed “white na tionalist” who’d written a long slew of racist and antisemitic social media posts — including using an inflammatory slur against a Black woman.
Haskell condemned his wife’s comments as racist, but said he didn’t think his wife was rac ist. Yet Haskell has also acknowledged that the controversy followed him to the office.
“My employees aren’t sure what’s going to happen,” Haskell said at a press conference back in February. “The pain that is in the office is im measurable.”
In the months since, a number of criminal prosecutors — including Rachel Sterett, Kelly Fitzgerald, Stephen Garvin, and Anastasiya Krot off — have left the prosecutor’s office.
In November, voters will decide whether Haskell himself needs to do the same. n
Ormsby, a 63-year-old Democrat who has been in the Legislature since 2003, worked in the construc tion industry for decades before becoming a pro-labor politician. Poulson, a 44-year-old Republican in her first run for office, was a Spokane teacher for nearly 20 years before she was fired for refusing to comply with state mask require ments during the COVID pandemic.
Ormsby: 60.5 percent
Poulson: 37.4 percent
CAMPAIGN FUNDING
Ormsby has raised $136,935, and spent $140,655.
Poulson has raised $63,088, and spent $32,591.
Riccelli, 44, was U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell’s Eastern Washington di rector and a senior policy adviser to then- state Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown before being elected to the state House in 2012 as a Demo crat focused on health care issues. Nicol is a 29-year-old Republican who worked as an assistant to Spo kane City Council member Karen Stratton, Spokane Mayor Nadine Woodward and City Administrator Johnnie Perkins.
Nicol: 35.7 percent
Riccelli: 64.2 percent
CAMPAIGN FUNDING Nicol has raised $13,047, and spent $7,463.
Riccelli has raised $223,591, and spent $121,545.
Cummings, a 61-year-old Democrat who has been a member of the United Steelworkers for decades and is an executive board member of the Spokane Regional Labor Council, has in recent years run repeatedly for office — U.S. Sen ate, state Legislature and county commission — and lost. Schmidt, the 58-year-old former CEO of the Associated Builders and Contractors Inland Pacific Chapter, is running for office for the first time.
Cummings: 36.5 percent Schmidt: 35.9 percent
CAMPAIGN FUNDING Cummings has raised $3,339 and spent nothing.
Schmidt has raised $89,148, and spent $71,578.
Chase, the 69-year-old Republican incumbent, was elected to this seat in 2020 after being twice elected as Spokane County treasurer, in 2010 and 2014. Chase is a far-right politi cian who has promoted extremist conspiracy theories, supports split ting Washington into two states and has hosted events promoting the false claim that the 2020 election was fraudulent. Christian, 57, is also a Republican and was a real estate agent after spending 21 years in the Air Force. Christian was appointed to the Legislature in 2014, but failed to keep the seat in an ensuing election.
Chase: 50.1 percent
Christian: 46.4 percent
CAMPAIGN FUNDING Chase has raised $38,165, and spent $16,466.
Christian has raised $21,203, and spent $26,421.
Graham, a 57-year-old Republican first elected to the Legislature in 2018, has tried to focus on victim advocacy and public safety but drew heavy criticism and national atten tion for sharing links to sites with COVID-related conspiracy theories before screaming at an Inlander reporter in a profanity-laced voice mail. Kelso, 52, was born and grew up in Germany before immigrating to the U.S. in 1993 after meeting her husband. She served 23 years in the U.S. Army and is a Democrat.
Graham: 61 percent
Kelso: 38.6 percent
CAMPAIGN FUNDING Graham has raised $62,744, and spent $39,916.
Kelso has raised $4,597, and spent $6,240.
Information from the Washington State Public Disclosure Commission
As a unique election expands the Spokane County Commission to five, political disagreement is likely to return
BY SAMANTHA WOHLFEILThis election year is an unusual one for the Spokane County Board of Commissioners, as the board grows from three seats to five. Rather than having all county voters decide each seat in November, as happened in the past, voters will decide only who will represent their district. This is also the only year that all five seats are up for election at the same time. Those elected to the odd-numbered districts will only serve two years before facing election again in 2024. Then the odd districts will revert to a normal four-year cycle. The even districts will start with normal four-year terms.
The current commissioners — Republicans Al French, Josh Kerns and Mary Kuney — are all running for reelection, but because their district boundaries have changed, they may face different challenges than they typically would as incumbents. The muchwatched race for District 5, between AL FRENCH and Democrat MAGGIE YATES (“Fresh Take or Old Guard,” Inlander, Oct. 13, 2022) has drawn at tention as Yates bested French in the top-two August primary and won endorsements from both of their opponents who didn’t make it through. Voters will prove if the new boundaries created a swing district for the commission. Meanwhile, Kerns faces a political newcomer with a wild name and Kuney faces a fellow conservative with views further to the right.
and local conservative politicians and several organiza tions, including the Spokane County Republican Party.
Kerns: 77.7 percent
Schreiner: 20.9 percent
Kerns has raised $47,027 and spent $4,575. Schreiner has raised $829 and spent nothing.
In the race for Spokane County Commission’s new District 1, which covers much of west Spo kane, Republican Kim Plese, 60, faces Democrat Chris Jordan, 33.
Plese sold her longtime printing company to run for office this year, while Jordan works as an assistant state attorney general on child abuse cases.
Responses to this Q&A have been edited for length and clarity. Longer responses and answers to more questions are available on inlander.com.
PLESE: When I was a business owner it didn’t matter if you’re a Democrat or Republican, you treat everybody with respect. My whole outlook on it was about service, it wasn’t about politics. It was always about just taking care of your clients.
JORDAN: I led a bipartisan effort to pass the Homeless Children Education Act (2014). That was Washington state’s first law helping homeless children in schools, and I had a Democratic and a Republican co-sponsor on that bill, and worked together with both of them to get it done.
District 3 covers northeast Spokane County, including Millwood, Deer Park, Mead, Colbert, part of Spokane Valley, and other unincorporated areas. Kerns, 37, hopes to continue serving the area he was first elected to in 2016. Kerns previously worked as a senior legislative assistant to then-state Rep. Jeff Holy, a fellow Republican who now serves in the state Senate. Sch reiner, 60, states no party preference on the ballot and previously worked flying skydiving planes and laying underground utilities. Schreiner lists no endorsements, while Kerns is endorsed by more than a dozen state
In District 4, which covers Liberty Lake and the southeastern portion of Spokane County, Kuney, a 57-year-old Republican, seeks to continue represent ing part of the area she was elected to serve in 2018. The former auditor faces political newcomer Noble, 48, also a Republican and a longtime pastor at Valley Assembly of God. Noble is running on a motto of “No Bull From Noble” and has endorsements from mostly local residents of the district. Kuney is endorsed by two dozen conservative state and local elected officials in the region, along with firefighters, outgoing Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich, and several business owners. Both answered a conservative Christian candidate question naire to say they believe in restricting abortion and that marriage should only be between a man and a woman, but they differed on whether the county government should provide money for homeless services or ac cept federal pandemic money. Noble agreed with the questionnaire’s premise that homelessness and poverty can be privately handled by individuals, families and private nonprofits. Kuney said that some government spending is necessary to provide resources, and local politicians can best spend federal pandemic dollars.
Kuney: 53.9 percent
Noble: 31.5 percent
A third candidate who didn’t move on, conserva tive Chris McIntosh, received 12.3 percent.
Kuney has raised $72,597 and spent $29,458. Noble has raised $29,861 and spent $14,889. n
PLESE: We just have to be good stewards of existing neighborhoods. One of the biggest problems that I see that’s going to be a huge issue is if they cut off the natural gas pipeline, and make it hard for new homes to have natural gas. If you have to go to electric housing, costs are going to skyrocket.
JORDAN: I think we need a regional planning strategy. I just don’t see that regional coordination happening. I’d really like to see that strategy include ways to expand more middle housing options, like townhouses and duplexes across the region, so that folks have more affordable, lower-cost choices.
PLESE: I would support more training for the sheriff’s department, giving them the tools they need to be able to do their job. There’s so many criminals out there in our community that just know that our jails are full, and they’re taking advantage of that.
JORDAN: I would like to see an expansion of drug treatment services and mental health treatment services. There’s other strategies like expanding drug court and supported release for those who are not deemed a danger to the community while awaiting trial.
PLESE: I think the county and the city can work together more for the betterment of our entire com munity. In my district that’s all people can talk about is crime and Camp Hope and the homeless situation. I agree with what Ozzie did.
JORDAN: I share the feeling of urgency that I’m hearing from the sheriff’s office about addressing this problem. Camp Hope is, in part, a symptom of the county’s failure to provide that regional leadership and bring real solutions to the table. It shouldn’t be one agency rushing in there with a half-baked plan. It should be all of our leaders working together with best practices.
PLESE: The court system.
JORDAN: The health district.
PLESE: Bottom line, I think there are racial inequities in our criminal justice system.
JORDAN: I’m very concerned about racially disproportionate outcomes, and I think we need to work together to improve equity.
PLESE: I would have to say David Condon. He was a quiet person when he first ran for mayor, and I just watched him over time, in my opinion, become a very good mayor.
JORDAN: Tom Foley, former speaker of the [U.S.] House. I would say I admire him for his decency and, in the stories that I hear, his ability to work with anybody, and the impact that he had.
PLESE: I’m a huge golfer, and we have so many great golf courses and lakes around here. Every year I used to buy that county discount card and would use that as much as possible.
JORDAN: My wife and I love going to the Salt ese Uplands Conservation Area. But you know, as a kid, I spent a lot of time at Holmberg Park, so that’s my sentimental answer. n
In the race for Spokane County Commission’s new District 2, which covers east Spokane, Democrat Amber Waldref, 45, faces Republican Michael Cathcart, 36.
Waldref served two terms on Spokane City Coun cil before working for The ZoNE initiative geared at helping Spokane youth and families. Cathcart previ ously worked with the Spokane Home Builders Asso ciation and lobbied for open public bargaining before being elected to Spokane City Council in 2019.
Responses to this Q&A have been edited for length and clarity. Longer responses and answers to other questions are available at inlander.com.
WALDREF: Sen. Mike Padden. When I was on City Council, one of the things I was championing was supervision of property crime offenders. I went to Sen. Padden, and we got a bipartisan proposal to get funding for a pilot program here in Spokane County for vehicle thefts.
CATHCART: Just about every Monday night. I mean, honestly, we have some pretty strong disagree ments, but we also work together quite a bit on a lot of different things. A great example is the Building Opportunity and Choices Act. I put forward this idea into the housing action plan. We all came together and unanimously approved it with strong support from the mayor’s office.
WALDREF: The county really needs to engage in true joint planning with the Valley, Spokane, Millwood, whatever adjoining jurisdiction is there, and figure out those areas that are supported with roads, utilities, schools, where we can further develop.
CATHCART: You absolutely need to get a commit ment from all the different jurisdictions on increasing the level of infill development. The other part is, we absolutely have to look at where we can appropriately and responsibly expand the urban growth boundary.
WALDREF: We’ve got to figure out how to manage the costs of the jail. I’m a big proponent of evidence-based programs when you can supervise
folks, and when it’s appropriate to divert folks to mental health services, to drug and alcohol services, to therapeutic courts.
CATHCART: We need to make sure that we are working together amongst the different jurisdictions. Could we be doing a better job of reducing, eliminat ing, identifying criminal activities by working together?
[And] deploying deputies to be on foot and bike patrol in the urbanized portions of the unincorporated county.
WALDREF: We need to get people housed from Camp Hope. Why weren’t county and city leaders a year ago prepared to shelter folks? I’m still not sure what the sheriff is planning to do, and so I can’t really speak to that. We need to all work together to get people housed.
CATHCART: Yes. There is a significant issue going on within the camp right now. I think the abatement process is absolutely the right direction to go. We should do everything we can to connect those folks to services, but there has to be some urgency to this.
WALDREF: Per capita, we’re jailing more Black and Native American residents.
CATHCART: Not to my knowledge.
WALDREF: I think that would be great. I don’t see why not. I always thought we should have the clock tower at Riverfront Park open for tours. The challenge is it’s probably a lot of steps.
CATHCART: If it’s feasible to do so, yes. I think that’d be a really cool idea.
WALDREF: I really think Mirabeau Point is wonderful. The old Walk in the Wild Zoo, that area is incredible, I love going hiking there. You know it’s got the waterfall, the grassy areas where you can picnic, the natural wooded areas. It’s a great park.
CATHCART: I will say it’s the newer aquatic cen ter up in Colbert. n
Bad news. You overslept and missed the real election in Idaho — the Republican pri mary — and all you’re left with is the hohum general election where most of the outcome has already been spoiled. (Hint: Republicans have a good shot.)
So don’t expect controversy over whether CONGRESSMAN RUSS FULCHER Heis maned his way through metal detectors in the U.S. Capitol in the days after the Jan. 6 riot. It probably won’t matter much in his race against KAYLEE PETERSON, whose Twitter profile emphasizes that she’s a “Democrat in a red state,” a “sophomore in College” and is “not an election denier.”
It is notable that the wife of former Republican Gov. Butch Otter and nearly 50 other prominent Republicans have endorsed Democratic attor ney general candidate TOM ARKOOSH over RAUL LABRADOR in the race for attorney general. But considering his name recognition, Labrador — a Tea Party-era Republican who promised to fiercely defend Idaho’s abortion laws — remains the heavy favorite.
But that doesn’t mean the left can’t have considerable influence. Take note of RECLAIM IDAHO, the group that spearheaded a citizen’s initiative in 2017 to expand Medicare. This year, the group’s “QUALITY EDUCATION ACT” initiative would’ve raised $323 mil lion a year for education by hiking taxes for the rich. But the Idaho Legislature got to it first, blocking the initiative while increasing the education budget by even
That got GOV. BRAD LITTLE — yes, a Republican — accused of surrendering to “socialist activists” by the Idaho Freedom Foundation, an in fluential right-wing lobbying group. Little may not face a huge challenge from little-known Democrat STEPHEN HEIDT. But to gauge the strength of Idaho’s far right, keep an eye on independent candidate AMMON BUNDY, a truck-repair com pany owner who nevertheless wears a cowboy hat. Bundy’s role in kicking off a 41-day armed standoff at a federal wildlife refuge in Oregon made him probably the fifth-most famous Bundy (behind Ted, Cliven, and Al and Peggy).
There are, however, whispers of a strange and surreal land where the Democrats do have a chance, and where general elections truly do matter. It’s called Latah County. There, the sheer college-student-ness of Moscow’s University of Idaho is enough to balance out the North Idahoness of the Panhandle. It’s so insanely in the center that it was called a “cesspool of liberalism” by DAN FOREMAN, who is — wait for it — a Republican. Now Foreman is trying once again to represent that cesspool in the state Senate.
He’ll be facing off in a rematch against incumbent DAVID NELSON, a Democrat — gasp! — who risked the ire of the Idaho Freedom Foundation by voting in favor of taking federal grant money for early education.
The stakes here are more than the size of the loyal blue opposition in the legislature.
Foreman’s election could tip the balance of the (comparatively) moderate Idaho Senate into the hands of the hard right. Red can always get redder. n
Maggie understands that access to reproductive care and sound medical advice is essential to family stability, and strengthens the health and wellness of the broader community. She would support a local resolution to protect our healthcare workers from investigation and prosecution when providing critical reproductive care.
Maggie will invest in expanding quality, a ordable childcare so working families can get childcare when they need it, create a more resilient local economy, and ensure that our kids can thrive.
Maggie will restore life-saving care for families by
Al French wants to repeal our State’s Reproductive Privacy Act which guarantees reproductive services for women, including victims of rape & incest. He doesn’t believe that County government has a role in protecting healthcare workers – from physicians to health technicians – who provide important reproductive care to our residents.
Al French refuses to respond to parents who seek reasonable investments to improve access to childcare despite more than 15 of the County’s providers closing in the last two years.
As a member of the Spokane Board of Health, Al French oversaw the elimination of the Breast, Cervical and Colon Health Program which provides life-saving cancer screening to patients in our community.
Conductor laureate Fabio Mechetti returns to lead the Spokane Symphony once more for its third Masterworks program
BY E.J. IANNELLIThe ink on his diploma from the illustrious Juilliard School was barely dry when Fabio Mechetti first set down his suitcase in Spokane. It was 1984, and the as piring conductor — originally from São Paulo, the enormous capital of Brazil — was starting his first professional gig in an American city he’d only just learned to locate on a map.
But what a time to arrive. Gunther Schuller, a leading international figure in both jazz and classical music, had recently been appointed interim conductor of the Spokane Symphony, which itself was emerging from a turbulent couple of years. Mechetti, though still young, had been chosen to serve as Schuller’s assistant and help guide the organization into a crucial transitional period.
Nine years later, Mechetti would return to Spokane, this time to lead the orchestra that he and Schuller had previously set on a new trajectory. He would hold that position of music director, the organization’s sixth, for another nine years, from 1993 to 2004.
Now, another 18 years on, Mechetti is
leading the Spokane Symphony once again when he guest conducts the Masterworks concert that bears his name, “Masterworks 3: Fabio.” The program features works by the Brazilian composer Antônio Carlos Gomes as well as by Richard Wagner and Richard Strauss.
The Gomes piece that opens the program is the overture to the composer’s 1870 opera Il Guarany. Although Gomes himself was Brazilian, and the opera (itself based on a novel by a Brazilian author) centers on a romance between an Indigenous Guarani prince and the daughter of a Portuguese nobleman, his musical idiom is still very much rooted in the European tradition.
“In the 19th century, both in Brazil and the U.S., as well as in many other countries, they were trying to imitate their colonizers, in a way,” says Mechetti.
“In order for them to be considered emancipated coun tries, they had to meet the expectations of what ‘civilization’ was about, which was European culture. This effort was trying to prove that a Brazilian person who was born in the heartland of Brazil could write opera as well as Verdi.”
Eighteen years after leading the Spokane Symphony, Fabio Mechetti is back with his baton. JACKSONVILLE SYMPHONY PHOTOYet New World composers who still took their cues from Europe, like Gomes, would ultimately pave the way for Brazilian composers like Ernani Braga and Heitor Villa-Lobos, who drew on the region’s folk music and incorporated it into their work.
“Even though Brazilian bossa nova is what most people asso ciate with Brazilian music, it would not exist without Villa-Lobos and other Brazilian composers in the 1910s, 1920s and 1930s,” Mechetti says.
“They were very influential in translating Brazilian ethnic mu sic into classical and then spreading that through music in general.”
Gomes’ Il Guarany overture is followed by another operatic selection: three excerpts from Wagner’s Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg. Wagner, whose body of work has become synonymous in the popular imagination with horned helmets and raging supernatural forces, composed the comedic opera after he had already completed two parts of the epic Ring cycle as well as Tristan und Isolde.
“Meistersinger is a very interesting opera in Wagner’s produc tion,” Mechetti says. “It goes back[ward] in terms of style, in terms of language. When you think that he had done Tristan, which is an adventure in tonality — almost atonality, chromati cism, all these things that led to 20th century music — Meistersinger is very conservative.”
“After working so hard to produce The Ring, Tristan, maybe he felt the need to give himself a break and write something a little happier and within the parameters of what the public was used to listening to,” he adds.
The Meistersinger piece includes the prelude from the third act, which Mechetti describes as “songful and slow” with “beautiful music for the brass.”
“Then there is a dance in the middle, which is the ‘Dance of the Apprentices,’ that’s almost like a waltz,” he says. “It preceded the waltz, which still didn’t exist in the way we know it today. And that leads to a little bit of the overture at the very end.”
This third Masterworks concert closes with a tone poem and one more opera-derived piece, both by Strauss, although their debuts were separated by more than 20 years. The first is about the famous seducer Don Juan; the other is from the comic opera Der Rosenkavalier
“I chose these two because I love Strauss in general, but these two pieces show two sides of the composer, who was one of the greatest geniuses who ever lived,” Mechetti says. “Don Juan is basically a byproduct of that line of chromatic composers since Liszt and Berlioz, who started the idea of program music, or tell ing stories through music.”
“Rosenkavalier, on the other hand, is an opera. It’s probably one of the most sensuous pieces of music you’re going to hear in your life, and one of the most flamboyant at the same time,” he continues. “There’s a little bit of every character in the opera in this suite. So you see a composer who was extraordinarily capable of writing symphonic music, operatic music, as well as concertos and chamber music and everything else.”
Mechetti acknowledges that the orchestra he led from 1993 to 2004 is much changed, yet he still sees impor tant parallels. He recalls the musicians’ willingness to tackle daunting works of the classical canon and their ability to deliver a world-class sound with a fraction of the resources.
“Musically, the Spokane Symphony was where I had the op portunity to try everything for the first time. My first Beethoven symphonies and Mozart and Brahms and Mahler — it was all done in Spokane,” he says.
“And not only that, but it was done in a way that created strong relationships and friendships. It was an experience that marked my life both professionally and personally. I have friends to this day from the time I was there.” n
Masterworks 3: Fabio • Sat, Oct. 22 at 7:30 pm; Sun, Oct. 23 at 3 pm • $19-$68 • Martin Woldson Theater at The Fox • 1001 W. Sprague Ave. • spokanesymphony.org
Local Southeast Asian cultural groups cohost Spokane’s first public celebration of Diwali, the festival of lights
BY CHEY SCOTTIf you see a house in your neighborhood with string lights twinkling along the eaves, don’t be quick to as sume its residents are leaning into the early Christmas trend. Instead, they might be a family like Rahul Shar ma’s, who hang such lights each fall to celebrate Diwali.
Diwali is a lunar holiday, typically celebrated in late October and early November, which symbolizes the vic tory of good over evil; light over darkness. It’s traditional ly celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and some Buddhists, among others. For the many groups who observe Diwali, it’s comparable in scale to Christmas with its many gath erings, performances, rites and other traditions.
“To me, they’re Diwali lights, and they’ll be on all night,” Sharma says. “We leave the lights on so that Lak shmi can come into the house. We’re welcoming her.”
Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of prosperity, is a cen tral deity of Diwali.
As president of the Spokane India Community, a nonprofit created in 2015 to foster connections among the region’s residents with Indian heritage, Sharma is one of the main organizers of Spokane’s new Diwali celebra tion. It’s the first publicly focused Diwali event for the city, adds co-organizer Charity Bagatsing Doyl.
The festival is to include performances, food, arts and crafts, and a welcoming introduction to what Diwali means and how it’s celebrated by various groups in the Spokane area and around the world.
“Spokane has like six Indian community groups,” Doyl says. “And then we’re learning that Diwali is also celebrated by other cultures — not necessarily Southeast Indian — it’s also celebrated by the Pakistanis, the Sri Lankans… and other neighboring countries including Nepal and Tibet. So, we wanted it to be inclusive and include all the other cultures, not just Southeast India, but
all the others that follow and celebrate Diwali.”
These groups, she adds, will be present at the event, held throughout River Park Square’s first floor, with booths introducing themselves and their cultural heritage to the community.
“These are communities that have never really been represented in Spokane in this manner,” Doyl says. “So for them to come out publicly is a big deal because they are normally shy and keep to themselves. So we’re ex cited we were able to coax them out of their shell!”
Inside the mall’s main entrance on Main Avenue, local artist Sreedhani Nandagopal, from the South Asian Cultural Association, will be creating a rangoli, a mixed media collage made with rice, colorful flowers and other materials. Rangoli are placed on the floor or ground at the entrance of temples and homes of Diwali observers to welcome the goddess Lakshmi.
“She’s going to be doing it live and using traditional patterns so everyone can see and enjoy how it’s tradition ally made,” Doyl says.
Leading up to the event was also a public rangoli art contest with cash prizes totaling $2,000. Doyl says the contest was open to all, and winners are being unveiled at the celebration.
Members from Spokane’s Hindu Temple and Vedic Cultural Center will be passing out the traditional clay lamps, or diyas, that are lit during Diwali, and hosting other activities like traditional henna artwork, or mehndi. The Natanam Dance School and Indian Youth Club of Spokane are also on the schedule, performing a mix of Bollywood and traditional Indian dances. Attendees can also try samples of vegetarian dishes served at Diwali gatherings, and, of course, there will be music, performed by members of the Spokane Ghaana group.
“They are a group of musicians that normally only perform at the temple, so they’re coming out, going public now, and playing traditional Indian music using this instrument that has only been played at the temple,” Doyl says.
While Spokane hasn’t hosted a public Diwali celebration on this scale before, at least to Doyl and Sharma’s knowledge, there are always plenty of events within the cultural communities who observe the holiday. Many of these events kicked off in late September, and will culminate in the final day of Diwali, this year Oct. 24.
For Sharma, who moved from Bethel, Connecticut, to Spokane in 1999, getting involved in the region’s Indian community and helping organize Diwali events has been a priority so that his children and other families here can share and pass on these traditions to the next generation.
“When we got here, really, it was five families that started doing a Diwali party for ourselves and our kids,” Sharma says. “My thought process was, we moved here to have a better life for ourselves, and what did our kids do to not have the cultural background that we did? So we needed to do something to bring them that culture that we had grown up with.”
Those early events grew, year after year, from those first several families to hundreds of attendees. But since the families were splitting costs among themselves to rent venues, cater food and hire musicians, they weren’t sure a public party was feasible. Then Doyl, who’s organized numerous multicultural events in the community, stepped into the picture. She helped secure grant funding from local and statewide organizations, including Humanities Washington, the city of Spokane and the Washington State Arts Commission.
“We’ve come here, we make a living, and we love it here, but that doesn’t mean we forget where we’re from,” Sharma says. “This helps us connect back, and that’s why we do this. And what this event is all about is for us to give back to this community and introduce one of our beloved holidays, which is Diwali.” n
Happy Diwali: Festival of Lights • Sat, Oct. 22 from 11 am-5 pm • Free • All ages • River Park Square • 808 W. Main Ave. • spokaneunitedwestand.org
The Seattle Mariners delivered the most Mariners game imaginable in their first home playoff game in 21 years
BY SETH SOMMERFELDIreally don’t know how I didn’t see that coming. All the signs were there. I’ve watched this same cruddy story play out for two decades straight, and I thought there was a sliver of hope that this time might be different? Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. And on Saturday at T-Mobile Park — the site of the first Seattle Mariners home play off game in 21 years — the M’s were doomed.
After losing Game 1 of the American League Divi sion Series on a crushing walk-off home run by Houston Astros slugger Yordan Álvarez, and blowing a midgame lead in Game 2 thanks to another Álvarez dinger, the Mariners faced a do-or-die game on Saturday. And they chose to die in the slowest, most painful way imaginable — playing the longest game in Major League Baseball postseason history and somehow never scoring a single run, losing 1-0. After waiting 21 years for a home play off game, Mariners fans were treated to two games for the price of one… and got shut out in both of them. This is no fault of the die-hard Mariners fans who packed T-Mobile Park. Despite being down 0-2 in the series, the atmosphere was electric. Most fans had made it into the stadium at least an hour before the first pitch (many two hours prior), and they hung on all the tension-packed pitches for as long a humanly possible. Even as the game dragged past six hours of scoreless ball (including a 14th inning stretch), the loyal supporters — many of whom had now been there for eight-plus hours — were still getting on their feet and cheering every time an M’s pitcher would get two strikes. They did their best to will their team to victory, but the Mariners refused to not Mariners.
The ominous signs were all there for those looking to see them. Most notably, Mariners legend “King” Felix Hernandez returned for the first time in years to throw out the first pitch. While it was an awesome mo ment, it was also a precursor. The signature Mariners game during King Felix’s reign was him throwing an absolute gem only for the Mariners’ hitters to provide absolutely no run support, often resulting in a pitching gem being a team loss. The ALDS game was just a Felix game on steroids. Apparently the Mariners some how find new depths of ineptitude anytime he throws a pitch of any sort in this ballpark.
After a thrilling Wild Card series win versus the Blue Jays, it’s hard to really process the Mariners after the ALDS disaster. Sitting in the upper deck, it wasn’t that I was angry or super tense for six hours of the game. I’d been in this park for dozens of less meaningful versions of this game before. At a certain point around the eighth inning, I sort of became numb to it all. I was still on my feet cheering, but the utter hopelessness of the Mariners every time they came up to bat just made me sort of dissociate from reality. The Mariners hadn’t scored a home playoff run in 21 years. Despite finally making the postseason again, that streak is going to be at least 22 years.
Mariners fans should feel optimistic about the future. They’ve still got a great young core ( Julio Rodríguez, Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, Cal Raleigh), and I don’t know if a team that got swept has ever been closer to actually sweeping a series. But after spending a full day at the ballpark watching absolutely nothing, it’s hard to feel anything at all. n
Well I guess this is growing up? BLINK-182 is back together again. Singer/guitarist Tom DeLonge left the pop punk titan in 2015 (in part to focus on his UFO research), but it was announced last week that the trio is once again back at full strength, planning an exten sive tour for 2023-24 and releasing a new single, “Edging.” The fresh single isn’t on the level of peak Blink hits like “Dammit” or “All the Small Things,” but it’s also good enough to keep nostalgic fans — now in their not-very-pop-punky 30s and 40s — excited for the reunion. It might be too late to fall in love with the girl at the rock show, but falling in love with the divorcee at the Blink-182 show is still in play. (SETH SOMMERFELD)
Hate groups have grabbed headlines in downtown Coeur d’Alene for decades, from the 1999 Aryan Nations’ parade to the recent arrest of Patriot Front members before a Pride 2022 celebration. That makes a new sculpture installed in the “four corners” area near the Human Rights Education Institute so apropos. With its spiraling ribbons of metal, “THE MONUMENT TO PEACE AND UNITY” by Ai Qiu Hopen resembles a DNA model. Cutout birds ap pear to lift off from their metal backgrounds, while cutout words reiterate the familiar aspirations of our democracy, including that all persons “are created equal.” (CARRIE SCOZZARO)
Noteworthy new music arriving in stores and online Oct. 21:
Maybe this is the album the scrappy singer-songwriter finally breaks through and gets some media attention…
TEGAN AND SARA, CRYBABY. The greatest music twins on the planet (sorry, Good Charlotte) have gone from folky punks to indie powerhouses to dance pop mavens and have rarely missed a beat along the way.
FRANKIE COSMOS, INNER WORLD PEACE. The premier purveyor of modern indie twee returns with another sweet collection of delicate, emotive tunes. (SETH SOMMERFELD) n
For many, fruit is an easy snack to take on the go. Often, it resides in a Ziploc bag or a Tupperware container that’s passed around the car on a road trip or at a picnic.
For local author Kate Lebo, fruit is more complex than that.
Lebo’s 2021 nonfiction collection, The Book of Difficult Fruit, doesn’t discuss strawberries or grapes. Instead, she uses lesser-known fruit like aronia and medlar as literary devices in her memoir-esque musings. After each chapter, Lebo shares a recipe that uses the fitful fruit in a creative way. She’s not just making pies and tarts, she’s also mak ing body scrubs and medicinal syrups.
Recently, Lebo won the Washington State Book Award in creative nonfiction for Difficult Fruit, which was also chosen for this year’s Spokane Is Reading community wide read. I sat down with Lebo to discuss her inspiration, the vulnerability that oozes from every page, and more. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
INLANDER: Where did the idea for Difficult Fruit come from?
LEBO: It’s kind of a few stories in one. When I was writing my first book, Pie School, there were just elements of being a baker and the sweet treat I was making that I wanted to include, but couldn’t because it was simply a cookbook. When I was in high school, I became known as “pie girl” because I would always bring pies to get-
togethers. So I eventually wondered what it was about cooking, particularly for women, that provides so much sustenance — spiritual, emotional, physical, all of that — and is also this thing that obscures them and their labor.
Then, while I was at the University of Washington for graduate school, my officemate Katherine brought in a bag of quince. They looked like pears and they were beautiful, but you can’t eat them [raw]. It blew my mind to know that there were these enticing fruits out there, but they defy us.
How long did it take you to compile all of this information for the book?
From beginning to end, the book took seven years to complete. I can no longer remember when I stopped failing at writing. I finally found the form about two years in and then everything took off from then.
What was it like learning that Difficult Fruit was chosen for Spokane Is Reading?
It’s been the most amazing thing. Just knowing that my community is reading my book is absolutely incred ible. This book feels very rooted in this place. That was important to me as I was writing it.
And was winning the Washington State Book Award rooted in the same feeling?
Wed, Oct. 26 at 1 pm (North Spokane Library, 44 E. Hawthorne Rd.) and 7 pm (Central Library, 906 W. Main Ave.) Free • All Ages • spokaneisreading.org
Was it nerve-wracking incorporating elements of memoir into your writing? Did you feel vulnerable?
Yeah, definitely. I went through many months of being like, “Wow, I can’t believe this.” I felt like I had no skin. Now, it feels a bit more normal. As I went through the process of writing all of that really personal stuff, my family was extremely supportive. That’s all that really matters, it’s the most important thing to me.
Similar, yes. In that same vein it just feels incredible to be recognized by my peers and my community like that. When I got the email I kind of just sat with it for a few days. I didn’t even tell my husband. I was like, “Did this really happen? Is this real?” It’s so fun to win. You don’t want to get wrapped up in the axle of winning awards, but how can you not? It was an incredible field of other books in my category so it felt great to be recognized like that.
If you had to choose a fruit from the book to repre sent Spokane, which would you pick?
Durian, definitely. I think it’s very representative of Spokane because people have a lot of preconceived notions about it until they “try” it, then they absolutely love it. n
Kate Lebo defies genres and tackles fickle ingredients in The Book of Difficult Fruit, Spokane Is Reading 2022’s featured titleathdrum, Idaho, is not without restaurants. Its current food scene includes two spots that serve Mexican dishes, one offering Chinese food, several burger and pizza joints, a brewery, numerous diners, and nearly as many fast food chains. But in 1993 when Stephen Short was newly arrived to the small town as a young adult, few of those places existed.
Arriving from Morro Bay, California, where he’d worked in the restaurant industry as a teenager, Short envisioned creating an eatery that would appeal to various age groups, including recent high school graduates like himself.
“My idea of rock-and-roll fish and chips was kinda like the first thought I had in my head,” says Short, who noticed at the time that there wasn’t anything catering to the younger demo graphic in the prairie town northwest of Coeur d’Alene.
“It was gonna be a loud, fun music-[oriented] hip spot,” says Short, who was into music, especially grunge.
“Nirvana was a thing and they had a song with a lyric that said, ‘It’s okay to eat fish ’cause they don’t have any feelings,’” Short says. He knew it wasn’t true but thought the lyric was clever.
Nearly 30 years later, Short is using the phrase on his website for Fish On, a funky, fast-casual eatery he opened last month. The Rathdrum restaurant features fine-dining touches and affordable dishes that dip into American, Asian and Creole traditions.
“John the Fisherman” ($14) is Fish On’s version of fish and chips, for example, subbing rockfish for cod, or the trendier but more expensive halibut. The poke bowl ($16) offers a choice of diced yellowfin tuna or octopus marinating in traditional soy sauce, along with a Vietnamese nước chấm slaw, avocado, English cucumber and lime-ginger sauce over jasmine rice.
Octopus also gets a southern treatment in a sandwich ($15) with Creole spices — think smoked paprika, cayenne, garlic, onion — and Louisiana “comeback” sauce, which Short describes as “Creole-style fry sauce.”
The Sichuan Fishbowl ($16) was inspired by a Sichuan saltand-pepper fish dish Short enjoyed during the brief time he lived in Seattle. It combines crispy rockfish over “chili crispy noodles,” an invention by Fish On chef Pete Edge.
“It’s basically fried garlic and fried chili peppers tossed over rice vermicelli noodles, and it’s in chili oil,” Short explains. “It’s spicy, though,” he adds. “It’s not, like, melt-your-face-off, but it’s got some heat for sure.”
Short met Edge in 2012 when the chef was working at Paragon Brewing in Coeur d’Alene and Short had recently moved back to Rathdrum from Seattle. They stayed in touch when Edge left Paragon to work at the former Fleur de Sel restaurant as sous chef alongside 2017 James Beard Award best chef semifinalist Laurent Zirotti.
When Fleur de Sel closed in 2021, Edge was considering moving out of the area, says Short, who was then trolling for a way to bring his restaurant plans to life.
“When I showed [Edge] the space and showed him my menu, he asked if he could just join forces with me and become my head guy in the kitchen and run my kitchen for me,” Short says.
The menu reflects Short’s pescatarian lifestyle. In the seafood jambalaya ($15), for example, instead of pork to create the rich base for the Creole-style stew, Edge uses lobster broth.
“There is no meat or meat product of any kind even in the stocks of a soup or anything,” Short says, other than fish.
And because they wanted to offer a healthier alternative to deep-fried foods, many dishes can be ordered with a pan-seared protein instead, like the Fish On tacos ($15) with choice of rock fish, shrimp or octopus.
Fish On’s colorful mural catches the eyes of patrons.
Short got lots of help to create the funky look and feel of Fish On. Local artist Lindsey Davis Johnson painted a giant blue fish and orange octopus arms on the building’s exterior wall facing Highway 53.
The vibrant color scheme carries through to the inside. Walls are aqua green, while dining room seating is coral colored. The paneled ceiling is painted black, but Short placed transparent im ages of fish over fluorescent lighting segments to create the sense that you’re underwater.
The restaurant has a small bar area resembling a thatched hut. It currently serves beer and wine only, but its liquor license application is pending, Short says.
Short wanted a pinball machine for Fish On and found two options, with themes of Elvis Presley or NASCAR. He chose “the king.”
“Yeah, we already had a music motif going, and I just thought it was the perfect fit,” he says.
Short’s wife, Katie, gets credit for the tables, which feature a visual mashup, from oceanic scenes to ’50s-era magazine images. The tables are heavily epoxied, adding shine and whimsy to the space, which looks out to the Super One Foods parking lot and nearby Lakeland High School.
The hallway to the restrooms is also fish-themed with photos provided by North Idaho residents of their “great fishing mo ments,” Short says. After putting the word out on Facebook, Short got more than 200 photos of various shapes and sizes, which are mounted directly on the wall.
People come in just to have their photos taken in front of their own images, he says. “And it gives them a sense of belonging and ownership of a local restaurant,” he adds. “I think it’s a win-win for everybody.” n
Fish On • 6613 Commercial Pkwy., Rathdrum • Open TueThu 11 am-9 pm, Fri-Sat 11 am-10 pm • Facebook: Fish On • 208-712-3055
It’s not unusual for college programs to close during the summer when students and staff ing might not be in full swing. That’s true of Orlando’s, Spokane Community College’s teaching restaurant facility, but somehow, after the end of the 2021-22 school year, rumors began swirling about Orlando’s closing for good.
Not true, says Curtis Smith, an instructor at the college’s Inland Northwest Culinary Program. In fact, it’s the exact opposite. Orlando’s is not only open for business, it has an all-new format, he says.
Previously, Orlando’s focused on different cuisines, such as Asian or French, but now it will offer different types of eateries, such as fast casual, a pop-up style format, and formal dinner service.
“It’s all about style of service because stu dents going into the industry don’t typically all go into fine dining,” says Smith, noting that the shift gives students a better, real-life skill set for the range of jobs out there.
The changes also came about because of adjustments to the college’s vocational program driven by data that shows students are more likely to complete a program when it’s 90 credits or less, Smith explains. Over the years, the culi nary program had ballooned to 105 credits.
“Removing 15 credits is a pretty big lift,” says Smith, but it also gave the program team an op portunity to rethink how to better serve students.
Students can still earn an associate degree in two years, but the reduced credit load costs students less money. And they’ll spend fewer hours on campus, which is ideal as most culinary students are also working in the industry while attending school.
What does that mean for diners who have
come to enjoy student-prepared meals? Although phone-in takeout has been discontinued, take out’s still available on-site during lunch service, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 11:30 am to 12:30 pm, through October.
Bistro dinners are scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 2, at 5:30 pm and Thursday, Nov. 3, at 8 pm (reservations required), and a Thanksgiving takeout meal is on the calendar for Nov. 22 at 10 am. The popular end-of-semester buffet opens at 11 am on Tuesday, Dec. 13, and it is the only din ing event during which complimentary parking is available. Otherwise, bring quarters for metered parking on the east or west side of Building 1, where Orlando’s is located.
In addition, the bakery is still on the same schedule, open Tuesday through Friday, from 7 am to 1 pm.
Call it eastward expansion: ROAM COF FEE HOUSE opened a second coffeehouse in Spokane recently (1908 W. Northwest Blvd.) in the same building as The Supper Club. Roam’s flagship cafe is in Medical Lake (107 E. Lake St.).
The company, with the tagline “coffee for the adventure,” also has a primary roasting facility in Harrington, about an hour west of Spokane.
In addition to coffee, tea and related bever ages, both coffeehouses also serve light bites like breakfast burritos ($4.50) and paninis ($7.50).
Visit roamcoffeehouse.com to find out more about Roam’s array of events, including paintand-sip nights and classes on roasting your own coffee.
Chef Chad White’s new UNO MÁS TACO SHOP has opened a second location in Spokane Valley (11205 E. Dishman Mica Rd.), in addition to its Wonder Building location in downtown Spokane (835 N. Post St.) that opened in summer. Visit facebook.com/unomastacoshop. n To-Go Box is the Inlander’s regular din ing news column, offering tasty tidbits and updates on the region’s food and drink scene. Send tips and updates to food@inlander.com.
That’s the credit union spirit. It’s why on International Credit Union Day STCU and other credit unions across the Inland Northwest come together to make a difference in their communities.
Learn more at stcu.org/cuday.
CREDIT UNIONThe School for Good and Evil, set at a secret academic institution for young people with magical talents, was a bestseller in the wake of the Harry Potter phenomenon. Chainani has gone on to write five more books in the popular series, and the film version of the first novel arrives at a time when fantasy adaptations are thriving more than ever. What might have come off as a Harry Potter rip-off a decade ago now looks like just another addition to Netflix’s arsenal of fantasy programming.
That’s not to say it’s much better than the various failed fantasy franchise-starters that hit theaters in the ’00s. Director and co-writer Paul Feig has proved adept at bringing comedy into genre storytelling, in action movies The Heat and Spy and murder mystery A Simple Favor, but there’s almost none of his comedic sensibility in The School for Good and Evil. Even Feig’s uneven 2016 Ghostbusters reboot offered plenty of laughs before getting lost amid its own special effects. The School for Good and Evil starts with a grand battle full of swirling CGI, and it never gets more grounded, despite featuring a pair of wide-eyed teen-girl protagonists.
Sophie (Sophia Anne Caruso) and Agatha (Sofia Wy
lie) are best friends who live in a village called Gavaldon, in a world where fairy tales are real. The blond-haired Sophie wears brightly colored dresses, communes with squirrels and dreams of becoming a princess, while Agatha dresses in black, helps her mother with potions and is frequently accused of being a witch. Sophie wishes to be whisked away to the mythical School for Good and Evil, which trains fairy-tale heroes and villains, and when a strange force comes to grant her wish, Agatha tags along because she can’t let her friend go.
When they arrive at the school, however, they discover that Sophie has been sorted into the School for Evil, and Agatha has been assigned to the School for Good. They each loudly protest their designated roles, but the school administra tors assure them that no mistakes are ever made. Is it possible that this binary idea of good and evil is outdated and unrealistic, and Sophie and Agatha will prove that there is both good and evil in everyone, while also saving the school from destruction?
starts to embrace her evil side, and both girls are drawn to Tedros (Jamie Flatters), a prince in the School for Good who is the son of King Arthur. Caruso and Wylie are likable if a bit bland, and Feig populates the support ing cast with famous faces. Kerry Washington and Charl ize Theron play the respective deans of the Schools for Good and Evil, with Laurence Fishburne as the school master, and they’re all clearly having fun with their silly roles. Theron, who previously played a fairy-tale villain in 2012’s Snow White and the Huntsman and its sequel, is especially delightful.
Obviously yes, and the story’s predictability wouldn’t be a problem if the journey were more entertaining. The friendship between Sophie and Agatha is tested as Sophie
There’s not enough fun elsewhere in the movie, though, and the plot trudges along for nearly two and a half hours, adding on layers of convoluted rules and rituals that only serve as distrac tions and delaying tactics. The special effects are mediocre, and the aesthetic is borrowed from dozens of other fantasy movies, without putting a clever spin on familiar imagery. Feig offers weak lessons about friendship and tolerance, all while setting up the inevitable sequels. It’s not quite as disheartening as something like Eragon or Inkheart, but it comes close. n
While D.C. Comics’ cinematic uni verse hasn’t exactly thrived, perhaps the introduction of The Rock portray ing super anti-hero Black Adam at least gets audiences out to the the aters. Rated PG-13
Sink your fangs into Joel Schum acher’s ’80s cult horror comedy fave, where California teenagers (Jason Patric, Corey Haim, Corey Feldman) must deal with a local gang of vam pires (led by Kiefer Sutherland).
Rated R At AMC River Park Square
Bickering divorced parents (Julia Roberts, George Clooney) fly to Bali to try to stop their young daughter from getting impulsively married, but might rekindle sparks along the way. You know… cause it’s a romcom.
Rated PG-13
The cult classic 2007 horror com edy anthology finally receives a real run on big screens with tales of werewolves, poison candy, deadly school buses and more. Rated R At AMC River Park Square
BY JOSH BELL
The title characters of Raymond & Ray are half-brothers whose father, Harris, enjoyed tormenting them so much that he deliberately gave them the same name. That’s just one of the ways that Harris abused and mistreated his sons, but when Raymond (Ewan McGregor) and Ray (Ethan Hawke) reunite for their late father’s funeral, they encounter only positive impressions from the people who knew him in his declining years. Despite its blunt dialogue and moments of overwrought anguish, Raymond & Ray never gets at the emotional truth in either of those reactions. Whether treating its subject matter with humor or gravity, it’s consis tently unconvincing.
for the two brothers, but it doesn’t take long before they arrive at their destination, where they encounter a range of characters involved in their father’s final arrangements, from a fussy funeral director (Todd Louiso) to a flamboyant preacher (Vondie Curtis-Hall). At Harris’ house, they’re surprised to discover that he was living with Lu cia (Maribel Verdú), an ex-lover who continued to care for him as his health deteriorated. They’re also surprised to learn that their father has left them detailed instructions in his will — seemingly as one last way to torment them — that require them to dig his grave themselves.
RAYMOND & RAY
That starts from the moment that Raymond knocks on Ray’s door to give him the news about their father. Although they haven’t spoken in a few years, the brothers grew up together and were supposedly inseparable when they were younger, but Mc Gregor and Hawke lack that familiari ty, coming off more like acquaintances than trauma-bonded siblings. (It doesn’t help that despite years of playing American characters, McGregor still can’t quite get the accent right.)
Directed by Rodrigo García Starring Ewan McGregor, Ethan Hawke, Maribel Verdú Streaming on Apple TV+
Writer-director Rodrigo García makes things worse by having his actors essentially state the themes of the movie to each other, as they recount the expository details of their lives for the benefit of the audience. Raymond is the more subdued and outwardly stable one, although he’s been through three marriages and is separated from his current wife. Ray is a recovering addict who’s drifted through various jobs and never achieved his dream of becoming a jazz musician, thanks in part to the relentless criticism from his dad. They mostly get along, although they have a requisite blowout in the final act as long-buried tensions come to the surface.
Raymond & Ray starts out as a road-trip movie
That’s a convenient way to get all the char acters together for an extended period of time at the cemetery, where Raymond and Ray get to work digging and various family secrets are revealed as more people show up to join them. Verdú brings a spark to the movie, but Lucia and Kiera (Sophie Okonedo), a nurse who attended Harris, ex ist mainly as sounding boards and props for the male characters’ development. The two women form romantic connections with the two men that seem entirely one-sided. García’s other work, including 2020 addiction drama Four Good Days, has often focused on the inner lives of female characters, so it’s a bit unexpected for him to create such flimsy love interests.
García’s previous films have also been similar ly stilted and self-satisfied, so in that way Raymond & Ray fits right in. McGregor and Hawke struggle to find the genuine emotion in their characters, and Hawke occasionally gets there, but the revelations are underwhelming. The pacing is off, as the movie drags on past its climax at the cemetery, and the smoky jazz score by Jeff Beal al ways sounds out of place. The funeral is cathartic for Raymond and Ray, but audiences are likely to find it a less illuminating experience. n
Spokane’s the Nixon Rodeo celebrates 10-plus years of hard rocking the scene
BY SETH SOMMERFELDBands often get labeled “workmanlike” when they’re seasoned professionals. It’s a term to describe those groups that live on the road and keep things simple and to the point. No nonsense. No frills. Nose-to-the-grindstone stuff.
That’s not the Nixon Rodeo. The Spokane hard rock band isn’t fighting it out on the road, and its shows are energetic parties thanks to the group’s upbeat blurring of metalcore, pop punk and screamo. Since the group’s formation 12 years ago — and the release of its first album, Made to Bleed, 10 years ago — they’ve been all about having a good time sort of set away from the industry grind.
But the Nixon Rodeo is in fact workmanlike in a much more literal sense. Like, they have to go to work, man.
“We knew that we wanted to have a band that was successful, we just didn’t have unrealistic
dreams or expectations from the band,” says lead singer and rhythm guitarist Brent Forsyth. “We wanted it to be as big as we could, within a realis tic grip. We definitely knew what we were in for. We weren’t looking to be famous; we were look ing to promote a band locally and expand, but within a reach that was capable on an indepen dent level, so we could still do our jobs, and have the life that we had prior to doing the band.”
The Nixon Rodeo isn’t anyone’s day job. Forsyth works as a manager at Travis Pattern and Foundry. Drummer Ethan Harrison runs a custom apparel and promotion business, Dyna mite Enterprises. Lead guitarist Shawn Fortney works in HVAC. Bassist Gary Gwinn has a job at Kaiser Permanente.
That’s not to say that the band is some casual hobby. The group has toured throughout the Northwest, landed spots on the Warped Tour
and Uproar Festival, and built a very substantial regional fanbase because when they’re in music mode, the guys take it seriously. It’s rare for independent bands on their level to have this sort of longevity, especially in Spokane.
“At this stage in our lives, as we’re getting older and have families and careers, there’s no real expectations of success for the band,” says Harrison. “Just enjoy it. There’s no financial game, there never really has been anyway. So what do we do to invest in a way that it connects to as many people while we’re still able to do it?”
With that outlook in mind, the band decided to do something to celebrate the fans who have been there since the beginning. To mark the decade anniversary of Made to Bleed’s release, the Nixon Rodeo heads to the Big Dipper on Oct. 21 to play the debut album in its entirety.
Made to Bleed still offers a distilled taste of the Nixon Rodeo’s sound. Distorted metal riffs merge with catchy, melodic choruses and are peppered with throat-fraying screams. It’s not so harsh that it feels like it’s pummeling, but it certainly makes a great soundtrack for an eve ning slamming into bodies in the mosh pit. The LP also boasts a very big, professional, polished production sound, making hooky tracks seem more anthemic.
ics between the guys might’ve been more crucial long term.
“From my standpoint, the Nixon Rodeo wouldn’t be what it is without Ethan’s drive, and his business ethic and his determination. And I could tell that right when I met the guy,” says Forsyth. “And for me personally, as a singer, you have to put in extra work, because I feel like singers sometimes care a lot more than other members. And Ethan had more drive than I did. So I knew that not only would it alleviate a lot of the headaches that I had to deal with, but he would take on responsibilities and roles that I didn’t even know how to do: merchandise, adver tisement, internet — a lot of things that I was in the dark on.”
Even when they’re songwriting, the moments when the pair disagree usually end up as reward ing moments of creation rather than points of internal band tension.
“We both have similar views on [the band’s] direction and the sound that we like. We’re not afraid to call each other out and say, ‘You sound really bad on this. You shouldn’t do that,’” says Forsyth. “And because of that, Ethan pushes me further. We’re able to listen, communicate and get to the next stage by not releasing stuff that we both don’t feel is good.”
The fruits of that process will be on full display soon, as the Nixon Rodeo just wrapped up recording its fourth album a few weeks ago. They’ve been working on the new record for six years now and are anxious to get it out to the public, hopefully sometime in the first few months of 2023.
When Harrison brought the idea of the an niversary show to the table, Forsyth was initially hesitant. The band doesn’t like to look back to the past too often, instead focusing on whatever the next album will be. But once they started playing around with the old tunes — including having to relearn over half of the record, per Forsyth — it was clear the results would make for a very fun celebratory night for the Nixon Rodeo and fans alike. The group even roped in some former members of the band to hop on stage to play a few tunes.
The key to the Nixon Rodeo’s longevity can be tied to the relationship between Forsyth and Harrison. Initially the band was formed by Forsyth with some guys from his high school band, and at one point early on the group played a show with Harrison’s band at the time, Fallen Regiment.
“I remember watching them playing a song that’s on [the] first record. It’s called ‘Water gate,’” says Harrison. “And I was singing along to it in the crowd, and I had never heard it before I was like, ‘Man, this band’s really, really good and catchy.’”
When eventually there was a drummer opening in the Nixon Rodeo, Harrison excitedly took over the spot. And while the band’s on-stage chemistry clearly clicked, the off-stage dynam
Before turning the page on that new chapter, the guys have been reflecting on the past decade-plus in antici pation of the Made to Bleed concert. More than anything, they appreciate how much of a loyal fan base they’ve built up in the Northwest.
The band eschews any pretentiousness live, making the Nixon Rodeo concerts feel like a big group hang. The band’s relatable, but not hyperspecific lyricism is also key.
“We try to write songs that tell a story,” says Forsyth. “Every single song that we write is something that’s happened to us that was so important that a song was worth writing. ... We try not to be a Debbie Downer band. People take the music serious. So we try to make sure that when we’re writing it, we’re not writing stuff that is B.S. … We’re not necessarily a band that focuses on technical music, we want our music to be technical enough to challenge a casual listener, but we don’t write music for musicians, we write them for people that listen to music.”
To put it simply, Harrison points out the real core reason the Nixon Rodeo has stuck around so long.
“People feel like they’re our friends when we’re performing.” n
The Nixon Rodeo, Bitter Row, Nothing Shameful • Fri, Oct. 21 at 7:30 pm • $15 • All ages • The Big Dipper • 171 S. Washington St. • bigdipperevents.com
“At this stage in our lives, as we’re getting older and have families and careers, there’s no real expectations of success for the band. Just enjoy it.”
BOTTLE BAY BREWING CO., Erin Parkes
CHECKERBOARD TAPROOM, Weathered Shepherds
HIGHBALL A MODERN SPEAKEASY, Rusty & Ginger
J HISTORIC DAVENPORT HOTEL, Steven King
J LUCKY YOU LOUNGE, Kelsey Waldon, Emily Nenni
THE MASON JAR, The Jars J PAVILION AT RIVERFRONT, Jelly Roll J QQ SUSHI & KITCHEN, Just Plain Darin
STEAM PLANT RESTAURANT & BREW PUB, Sam Leyde ZOLA, Desperate8s
J J THE BIG DIPPER, The Nixon Rodeo, Bitter Row, Nothing Shameful
BIGFOOT PUB, Dirty Betty
BOLO’S BAR & GRILL, Lake Town Sound
CHAN’S RED DRAGON, Whack A Mole
COEUR D’ALENE CASINO, Kosh
COEUR D’ALENE CASINO, Heather King Band CURLEY’S, Pastiche
J HISTORIC DAVENPORT HOTEL, Steven King
IRON HORSE (CDA), Bruiser
LUCKY YOU LOUNGE, James McMurtry, Jonny Burke MOOSE LOUNGE, The Shift
OSPREY RESTAURANT & BAR, Son of Brad
J PEND D’OREILLE WINERY, Scott Reid Trio
Maybe Kelsey Waldon isn’t a household name yet, but within the folkier side of country circles, she’s a known com modity. Her critically adored 2019 album White Noise / White Lines was put out on John Prine’s Oh Boy Records (the first new artist signed to the label in 15 years). That record featured “Kentucky, 1988,” which Rolling Stone named the No. 1 on its “25 Best Country and Americana Songs of 2019” list, above the likes of Miranda Lambert, Morgan Wallen, Maren Morris and Luke Combs. Waldon’s new album No Regular Dog is produced by Shooter Jennings (who helmed Brandi Carlile’s breakthrough albums). With a knack for storytelling songwriting and a voice as warm and comforting as a sunny af ternoon lounging on Kentucky bluegrass, now would be a good time to make sure Waldon’s name gets lodged in your brain too.
— SETH SOMMERFELD
Kelsey Waldon, Emily Nenni • Thu, Oct. 20 at 8 pm • $15 • 21+ • Lucky You Lounge • 1801 W. Sunset Blvd. • luckyyoulounge.com
If we’re being blunt, North Idaho isn’t known for its musical exports. Sam Leyde Band is trying to buck that history. The country and Americana band with a rocking edge stands out in the current Inland Northwest music scene. On its 2022 debut album Big Small Town, singer/songwriter/guitarist Dillon Campbell and his comrades display an aptitude for crafting tunes about topics like hometowns changing and speeding across Montana to prevent someone from stealing your girl. And the group is hardly a studio act, displaying a tight live sound. Sam Leyde Band gets one of its biggest Spokane spotlights to date when the guys cross the border for a headlining show at the Knitting Factory.
— SETH SOMMERFELD
Sam Leyde Band, Ben Vogel & the Contra band • Sat, Oct. 22 at 7 pm • $12 • All ages • Knitting Factory • 919 W. Sprague Ave. • sp.knittingfactory.com
THE RIDLER PIANO BAR, Just Plain Darin
J STOCKWELL’S CHILL N GRILL, Wiebe Jammin ZOLA, Jerry Lee Raines
BIGFOOT PUB, Dirty Betty BOLO’S BAR & GRILL, Lake Town Sound
CHAN’S RED DRAGON ON THIRD, Cary Fly
COEUR D’ALENE CASINO, Kosh
COEUR D’ALENE CASINO, Heather King Band
CURLEY’S, Pastiche
J DAVENPORT GRAND HOTEL, Steven King J GREEN BLUFF GRANGE,
IRON HORSE (CDA), Bruiser
J J KNITTING FACTORY, Sam Leyde Band, Ben Vogel & the Contraband
LUCKY YOU LOUNGE, Indubious, Sol Seed LUCKY YOU LOUNGE, So Below: Zaeshaun Haze, Moondrop, Chuck Vibes, YP
MOOSE LOUNGE, The Shift
OSPREY RESTAURANT & BAR, Ron Greene
PEND D’OREILLE WINERY, Pamela Benton
POST FALLS BREWING COMPANY, Son of Brad ZOLA, Blake Braley
THE BIG DIPPER, Psyclon Nine, Seven Factor, Corvins Breed CURLEY’S, Into the Drift Duo
J DAVENPORT GRAND HOTEL, Steven King IRON HORSE (VALLEY), Pamela Benton
RED ROOM LOUNGE, Open Mic Night
J KNITTING FACTORY, Animals as Leaders, Car Bomb, Alluvial
LITZ’S PUB & EATERY, Shuffle Dawgs ZOLA, Brittany’s House
J HISTORIC DAVENPORT HOTEL, Steven King
J PEND D’OREILLE WINERY, Brother Music
RED ROOM LOUNGE, DJ Paul: Crunk-Or-Treat Halloween Party
RED ROOM LOUNGE, The Roomates
SOUTH PERRY LANTERN, Ed Shaw
ZOLA, Runaway Lemonade
J NORTHERN QUEST RESORT & CASINO, Night of the Rocking Dead, Oct. 30, 7:30 pm.
J LUCKY YOU LOUNGE, MAITA, Atari Ferrari, Nov. 4, 8 pm.
219 LOUNGE
N.
208-263-5673
Ave., Sandpoint
ARBOR CREST WINE CELLARS
Hill Rd., Spokane Valley
827 W. First Ave.
BABY BAR
BARRISTER WINERY
509-465-3591
4705 N.
509-927-9463
509-847-1234
1213 W. Railroad Ave.
BEE’S KNEES WHISKY BAR
1324 W. Lancaster Rd.., Hayden
BERSERK
208-758-0558
125 S. Stevens St.
THE BIG DIPPER
509-315-5101
171 S. Washington St.
509-863-8098
BIGFOOT PUB
9115 N. Division St.
BING CROSBY THEATER
509-227-7638
BLACK DIAMOND
509-467-9638
901 W. Sprague Ave.
509891-8357
BOLO’S BAR & GRILL
9614 E. Sprague Ave.
116 S. Best Rd., Spokane Valley
509-891-8995
BOOMERS CLASSIC ROCK BAR
18219 E. Appleway Ave., Spokane Valley
BUCER’S COFFEEHOUSE
509-368-9847
201 S. Main St., Moscow • 208-596-0887
THE BULL HEAD • 10211 S. Electric St., Four Lakes • 509-838-9717
CHAN’S RED DRAGON • 1406 W. Third Ave. • 509-838-6688
COEUR D’ALENE CASINO • 37914 S. Nukwalqw St., Worley • 800-523-2464
COEUR D’ALENE CELLARS • 3890 N. Schreiber Way, Coeur d’Alene • 208-664-2336
CRUISERS BAR & GRILL • 6105 W Seltice Way, Post Falls • 208-446-7154
CURLEY’S HAUSER JUNCTION • 26433 W. Hwy. 53, Post Falls • 208-773-5816
EICHARDT’S PUB • 212 Cedar St., Sandpoint • 208-263-4005
FIRST INTERSTATE CENTER FOR THE ARTS • 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. • 509-279-7000
FOX THEATER • 1001 W. Sprague Ave. • 509-624-1200
IRON HORSE • 407 E. Sherman, Coeur d’Alene • 208-667-7314
IRON HORSE BAR & GRILL • 11105 E. Sprague Ave., Spokane Valley • 509-926-8411
JOHN’S ALLEY • 114 E. Sixth St., Moscow • 208-883-7662
KNITTING FACTORY • 911 W. Sprague Ave. • 509-244-3279
LEFTBANK WINE BAR • 108 N. Washington St. • 509-315-8623
LUCKY YOU LOUNGE • 1801 W. Sunset Blvd. • 509-474-0511
MARYHILL WINERY • 1303 W. Summit Pkwy. • 509-443-3832
THE MASON JAR • 101 F St., Cheney • 509-359-8052
MAX AT MIRABEAU • 1100 N. Sullivan Rd., Spokane Valley • 509-922-6252
MILLIE’S • 28441 Hwy 57, Priest Lake • 208-443-0510
MOOSE LOUNGE • 401 E. Sherman Ave., Coeur d’Alene • 208-664-7901
MOOTSY’S
NORTHERN
NYNE
PEND
THE
With Halloween rapidly approaching, it’s time for some horror movie binging! And while it’s fun to curl up on the couch and watch on your home screen, the frights pop more when experienced with a crowd watching on a big screen. Thankfully the Garland Theater is here with a full slate of seasonally appropriate classics to help you get your spook on for only $2.50. Feel the fear with screenings of The Thing, The Shining, Nightmare on Elm Street, Poltergeist, Trick ’r Treat, Get Out and American Psycho. Or have a little lighter time with the more comedic horror-ish fare like Casper, Shaun of the Dead, Beetlejuice, The Lost Boys and Rocky Horror Picture Show. The HUB Sports Center is also getting in on the act with drive-in screenings ($25 per car) of Friday the 13th and horror-adjacent family fare: Coco, Hocus Pocus and, again, Beetlejuice (don’t say that name one more time!).
— SETH SOMMERFELDVisit garlandtheater.com and hubsportscenter.com for a complete list of show times.
Hearing one of your favorite authors read his/her/their own work feels like you’re getting the inside track. That’s one of the benefits of Humanities Washington’s annual Bedtime Stories program featuring Northwest authors. This year’s event is in person at Riverside Place and features Spokane’s own Jess Walter read ing one of his original stories on the 2022 event theme, “Light in the Dark.” Walter is joined by fellow Washingtonian S.M. Hulse, a Spokane native whose debut novel, Black River, was a 2016 PEN/ Hemingway Award finalist. Washington State Poet Laureate Rena Priest also presents. Held annually with events in Spokane and Seattle, Bedtime Stories raises funds for Humanities Washington and ensures the continuation of all kinds of illuminating events across the Evergreen state.
— CARRIE SCOZZAROBedtime Stories • Fri, Oct. 21 at 6 pm • $150 • Riverside Place • 1110 W. Riverside Ave. • humanities.org
Help make a piece of local public art! Community members of all ages and abilities are invited to stop by The Hive, Spokane Public Library’s creative hub in the Sprague Union District, this weekend to help current artists-in-residence Lisa Soranaka (right) and Mallory Battista (left) with a sculpture they’re constructing. It’s planned for installation on the north Monroe Street hill that winds up into the Garland District. Titled “Sun Shine Through,” the cloud-shaped clay tile mosaic features motifs of the sun, rain, and a rainbow to symbolize diversity, hope and our community’s collec tive overcoming of difficult times. During this weekend’s workshop, locals are invited to make a tile or two to leave their own stamp on this special, collaborative piece of local art.
— CHEY SCOTT
Community Mosaic Sculpture Tile-Making Workshop • Sat, Oct. 22 from 10 am-noon • Free • All ages • The Hive • 2904 E. Sprague Ave. • spokanelibrary.org
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.
Lucky for most of us, you don’t have to be a local university student to take advantage of the myriad opportunities for artistic and cultural exposure and discourse, like that which is part of Gonzaga University’s annual Visiting Writers Series. Joining the series’ roster of past illustrious guests this fall is Reginald Dwayne Betts, who went from being a 16-year-old sentenced to nine years in prison to a Yale Law School graduate and award-winning poet with three published collections. Betts is also a Guggenheim Fellow and PEN New England Award winner. And, he founded a first-of-its-kind nonprofit, Freedom Reads, which seeks to increase access to literature for the incarcer ated and to “confront what prison does to the spirit.”
— CHEY SCOTTAn Evening with Reginald Dwayne Betts • Wed, Oct. 26 at 7:30 pm • Free • Gonzaga University Hemmingson Ballroom • 702 E. Desmet Ave. • gonzaga.edu
This is Gina. A two time breast cancer survivor. She was initially diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 26. At the time, given her relatively young age and a family history without any cancer occurrences, she had a less than a 1% chance of having breast cancer.
But because of her diligent self checks and personal advocacy for her health, the cancer was found in its early stage and gave her a greater chance of beating the disease.
There’s nothing quite like watching tiny smiling faces singing and dancing along with their favorite Disney characters. If you look forward to that every year, Disney On Ice skates into town this weekend for six spectacular shows filled with classic songs and visually stunning sets that transport audiences into their favorite Disney movies. This particular edition of Disney On Ice invites audiences on a road trip to iconic Disney destinations. Float across the ocean with Moana, and take a trip across the pond to visit Mary Poppins. Go into the show with an open mind, and maybe you’ll heal your inner child and have just as much, or more, fun as the little one standing next to you.
— MADISON PEARSONDisney on Ice: Road Trip Adventures • Oct. 21-23, Fri at 7 pm; Sat at 11 am, 3:30 pm and 7 pm; Sun at 11:30 am and 3:30 pm • $20-$100 • Spokane Arena • 720 W. Mallon Ave. • spokanearena.com
As was the case with Gina, early detection includes doing monthly breast self-exams while scheduling annual clinical breast exams and mammograms. When all of these are combined, your chances for finding cancer earlier are even greater. Finding cancer early may also save your life.
Don’t wait. Start today.
To learn more about Gina’s story, visit communitycancerfund.org.
For more information, or to schedule your annual mammogram, call (509) 455-4455 or visit inlandimaging.com/schedule.
KELLY GREEN DODGE I saw you... at a bar, we’ve seen each other before. You ordered a Bud lite with a Coors lite back, and I was nursing a French flamingo (vodka, 7UP, pickle juice and Pepto Bismol). I threw a dart at your table to get your attention, and you smiled. You took a bite out of my burger while I was in the bathroom and left a note under my napkin... it read “meet me out back, I’ve got the Kelly green Dodge Durango.” I went out back, and you were gone. I get brunch at the beach club on Wednesdays; make on old coal miner’s dreams come true.
RE: “EL RODIO” HAS MEANINGS Hello. No the message wasn’t intended for you. There is a specific individual who I was hoping to reach, but I doubt he reads these anyway. At any rate, hope you find whomever you were trying to reach via I Saw You.
EXCELLENT CUSTOMER SERVICE Washington Trust Bank, Spokane Main Branch, W. Sprague, Sergio M., Abbey W., Katelyn R., Zachary H., Matt, Brandon & Emily consistently provide outstanding customer service. Thank you all, from a grateful customer.
ALL THE GOOD DOGGOS Cheers to all the best doggos at Rocket Bakery on Saturday mornings. I’m a cat guy, and even I enjoyed
mingling with the friendly good bois a couple weeks ago. Schooner with his floppy little blep, and Bagel with its cute little corgi butt were my favorites. Such good puppers.
UNEXPECTED KINDNESS Cheers to the nice man who bought the elderly person’s groceries next to him in line at Super 1. I was the checker who witnessed this unexpected act of kindness. As he said, “I miss my Grandma.”
WARM RESPONSE IN OUR HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOOD Yesterday a friend and I went door to door advocating for the Historical Cannon Streetcar initiative votes. I was so impressed with the response of my neighbors. I am often reluctant to open my door to someone unfamiliar. We were greeted by everyone with smiles and warm conversations. I love this beautiful historic neighborhood and am so proud of the wonderful people that live here. Thank you to my neighbors who were so welcoming and generous with their time.
CMR TAKES BOW SAVING DAMS CMR and Rep. Newhouse take a bow for saving the Snake River dams when they have nothing to do with it. It’s a scientific question, not a political one. Although scientists and economists on both sides make convincing arguments, climate change is the major culprit. Snake River fish runs have gone boom and bust over the last 45 years, so there are factors other than the four dams at work. In British Columbia and Alaska, fish runs have plummeted on free-running rivers without dams so the common factor is the warming ocean. CMR and Republicans don’t “believe” in climate change as if it were some sort of social issue; climate change is a fact. Tearing down multibilliondollar dams that generate electricity is not the answer; put that money to work on climate change mitigation. And vote for Natasha Hill and Doug White to get the job done.
OUR ENDLESS SUMMER IS NOT “BEAUTIFUL” Dear local weather forecasters: As our October days stretch into weeks of monotonous 70+ degree days with 40s at night, please stop calling what is really a late-season heat dome drying out
our region “beautiful”! We are not a bunch of dimwit beach bunnies who just want to have fun in the sun. Ours is supposed to be a temperate climate, not a northern version of the Desert Southwest. Our “meteorologists” should be warning that
community, and it is sickening. Disgusting. This is not the Spokane I remember in the ’80s and ’90s. Gone is the wholesome Lilac City. Now it’s a dumping ground. DO SOMETHING!
HISTORY AND PRO-LIFERS History will convict the prolife movement and its Catholic members (clergy and laity) of a great moral and political crime. When they equated women’s pursuit of bodily autonomy and self-determination with
this record heat, however more bearable than a triple-digit drought, is what happens when Climate Change arrives. We need rain and snow to avoid deforestation and yearround wildfires — oh, and to grow our food, too! Stop celebrating the ominous signs of climate disaster and do your damn jobs.
PEZ DISPENSERS Loading up a Pez dispenser for your kids is like loading a magazine to shoot yourself. Each round is like five minutes of your kid acting like a psycho. And you know they’re going full auto. Like here you go, I loaded the mag. You want a line of Pixie Stix before you shoot?
TOO IMPATIENT Jeers to the impatient guy who was yelling and honking at the Market Street Dutch Bros baristas last Sunday morning. You seem to think you’re the main character, when in actuality, you aren’t even named. You’re just a caricature of a self-important, entitled white dude. It’s a mystery to me as to why your demographic thinks it’s time is more important than anyone else’s. In addition, all that stress is not good for your physical or mental health. I’m sure you have someone who cares about you. Find them and go for a nice walk in the crisp fall air, touch some grass, and don’t be such a dick.
SPOKANE HAS FAILED ITS CITIZENS Jeers to Spokane. Like whoever is running things. You’ve failed your hardworking, taxpaying, responsible citizens repeatedly for many months now. The homeless have more rights than any taxpaying member of this
You said Biden lowered gas prices. That’s hilarious! First, I thought the president has very little control over gas prices. When the prices were rising, every single day, and here we go again, we were told it was Putin’s price hike. When the prices were artificially lowered because Sleepy flooded the markets with our strategic reserves, suddenly the president controls gas prices and he takes credit for lower prices, yet the war in Ukraine rages on. Second, where are you buying your gas? It is a few cents shy of 5 bucks a gallon as of 10/13. Just wait until the midterms, expect WAY over 5/gallon.
VOTE THOUGHTFULLY Jeers to partisan politics and BS campaign ads over principled governance, honest intellectual debate and decisive leadership. Instead of a “red wave” election next month, how about a red-white-and-blue wave, where real Americans — like our friends and neighbors — come together to vote in changes that benefit all citizens, not just favored and moneyed minority interests and groups. We’re all seeing the results of the last two years’ “progressive” agenda, and can we agree that it’s ruining our country at every level? I don’t need to recount the ways an average working family is suffering right now, and we don’t need career politicians to “fight” for this or that; we need courageous LEADERS to become public servants again and make some hard decisions to buck up our nation’s strengths and tap its potential. Take some damn responsibility for your actions and just FIX the problems or step aside.
selfish individualism, Catholic prolifers took authoritarianism by the hand and, across 50 years, walked it straight into US democracy.
AIMING LOW Driving away from the south end of the Maple Street Bridge, past the weeds, dirt and trash, I was reminded of a recent Inlander column that lauded Spokane parks. In their column, Gavin Cooley and Rick Romero state they’re going to help Spokane achieve the best park system in the nation by 2024. I suggest you start by cleaning up current park properties. Once green grass and a couple of shade trees, the land at the south end of the bridge adjacent to the BNSF tracks was abandoned this year by the Parks Department. No longer maintained, it’s now just a field of dirt and trash, occasionally occupied by transients in tents. And the pedestrian bridge that crosses over traffic is now being used as a toilet. Thousands of drivers and pedestrians pass this former green space daily. Now, instead of being an asset, it’s an embarrassment. n
SIT. STAY. GIVE. An online silent auction benefits cats and dogs in the community. It includes getaways, artisan goods, gift certificates and more. Proceeds support the Better Together Animal Alliance. Oct. 13-22. bettertogetheranimalalliance.org
COLURATURA YOUR WORLD A fashion show of wearable art created by Barbara Safranek. All proceeds support Inland Northwest Opera. Appetizers and wine available. Request tickets via email. Oct. 21, 7-9 pm. $25. The Art Spirit Gallery, 415 Sherman Ave. theartspiritgallery.com
THE PUMPKIN BALL The 19th annual evening of elegance and entertainment raises funds to support Vanessa Be han’s mission of keeping kids safe while strengthening and supporting their fami lies. 21+. Oct. 22, 5:30-11 pm. $150-$1,200. Davenport Grand Hotel, 333 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. thepumpkinball.org
THE WONDER FAIR This second annual family-friendly festival with live music from DJ Donuts, pumpkin carving, a bounce house, balloon artists, face paint ing, food and drink specials, raffle prizes, and fall movies. Proceeds benefit local charity Wishing Star. Oct. 23, 11 am-4 pm. Free. The Wonder Building, 835 N. Post St. wonderspokane.com
BRENDAN SCHAUB Schaub is a podcast host, former professional mixed martial artist and stand-up comedian. Oct. 20, 7:30 pm, Oct. 21-22, 7:30 & 10:30 pm. $25-$50. Spokane Comedy Club, 315 W. Sprague. spokanecomedyclub.com
NO CLUE! Follow the mayhem of being trapped in an inn full of quirky characters. When the evening is over you decide who is responsible for all the dead bod ies. Fridays in Oct. at 7:30 pm. $8. Blue Door Theatre, 815 W. Garland Ave. blue doortheater.com (509-747-7045)
A Benefit for Matt’s Place Foundation that supports those with ALS featuring comedians Phillip Kopczynski, Luke Sev ereid and hosted by Harry J. Riley. Oct. 21, 6-10 pm. $50. Coeur d’Alene Eagles, 209 Sherman Ave. mattsplacefoundation.org
RANDY FELTFACE The Australian pup pet comedian is voiced and operated by Heath McIvor. Oct. 22, 4:30 pm. $20. Spo kane Comedy Club, 315 W. Sprague. spo kanecomedyclub.com (509-318-9998)
SAFARI A fast-paced, short-form come dic improv show. Saturdays from 7:30-9 pm. $8. Blue Door Theatre, 815 W. Gar land Ave. bluedoortheatre.com
TOURS A unique look at strange details and unconventional stories surround ing Spokane’s wealthy mining mogul Amasa Campbell, his wife Grace and their daughter Helen. This gossip-filled social call explores historical connections to misfortune, controversy and persistent rumors. Oct. 20, 6-7 pm. $15-$20. North west Museum of Arts & Culture, 2316 W. First Ave. northwestmuseum.org
PUBLIC INPUT MEETING The Washing ton Department of Ecology invites feed back on a draft process to identify over burdened communities highly impacted by air pollution. Oct. 20 and Nov. 1 from 6-9 pm; Oct. 18 and 26 from 1-4 pm. Free. ecology.wa.gov (564-200-4426)
NEON JUNGLE This immersive walkthrough experience under black lights features a glowing jungle and a mythi cal forest filled with plants, creatures and other surprises. Proceeds benefit Wired2Learn Foundation, a Post Fallsbased nonprofit. Oct. 20-23 from 5-8 pm. $10. Kootenai County Fairgrounds, 4056 N. Government Way. w2lfoundation.com
WITCHES NIGHT OUT SHOP HOP Visit seven local small businesses in Spokane Valley for in-store specials, treats and more. Stores include Simply Northwest, True Love Home+, Rebel Junk, The Bo hemian, Jema Lane Boutique, Elsie Lane Boutique and The Plant Farm. Oct. 20, 127:30 pm. Free to shop. (509-927-8206)
IT’S PUMPKIN TIME GIVEAWAY Pick out a pumpkin from the library’s patch on the lawn by the community room. Oct. 21, 8-10 am. Free. Coeur d’Alene Public Library, 702 E. Front Ave. cdalibrary.org
DISNEY ON ICE: ROAD TRIP ADVEN TURES Exciting twists and turns await as Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and guests of all ages embark on an interactive adventure to iconic Disney destinations. Oct. 21-23, Fri-Sat at 7 pm, Sat-Sun at 11:30 am and 3:30 pm. $20-$100. Spokane Arena, 720 W. Mallon Ave. spokanearena.com
DOWNTOWN GHOST TOURS A twohour walk to haunted destinations in downtown Spokane. Arrive five minutes prior to tour time. Includes a nightcap at the Sapphire Lounge. Oct. 21, Oct. 28, and Oct. 29 at 7 pm. $28. Montvale Hotel, 1005 W. First. montvalespokane.com
A HALLOWEEN COVEN The annual King family Halloween display. A creepy coven of witches has gathered; climb into the cauldron for a photo op. The family is ac cepting non-perishable food donations and cash for Make-A-Wish. Located at 15604 N. Freya, Mead. Oct. 14-31, Fri-Sat from 7-9 pm. Free. thekingfamilyhaunt edhouse@gmail.com
THE HILLBILLY HAUNTED HOUSE A walk-through haunted attraction that raises donations for local schools and clubs. Rated PG-13. Oct. 21-22 at Oct. 2830; Fri-Sat from 6:30-10 pm, Sun from 6:30-8:30 pm. $5. At the corner of Deer Park-Milan and Milan-Elk Rd., Chatteroy. facebook.com/thehillbillyhauntedhouse1
This market features handmade gifts, decorations and a bake sale. Oct. 21-22, 9 am-4 pm. Free. Millwood Community Presbyterian Church, 3223 N. Marguerite Rd. millwoodpc.org (509-924-2350)
PUMPKIN PATCH & FALL FEST This fall festival includes U-Pick pumpkins, hay rides, a petting zoo, live music and more. Oct. 7-30, Fri-Sun fro 10 am-5 pm. $3-$5. 7412 S. Keene Rd., Medical Lake. rustytruck-ranch.com
RADICAL HOPE: ACLU-WA ANNUAL CELEBRATION Featuring Valarie Kaur, bestselling author of See No Stranger and founder of the Revolutionary Love Project, in conversation with ACLU-WA Executive Director Michele Storms. Em ceed by Grammy-nominated musician and community advocate Hollis WongWear. Registration required. Oct. 21, 6:30-8 pm. Free. aclu-wa.org/celebrate
FALL FESTIVAL Two annual events, Hal loweekend Cinema and Trunk or Treat, have been combine into one. The festi val includes face painting, trick-or-treat booths and music. Oct. 22, 4-8 pm. Free. Volunteer Park, 1125 N. 4th Ave. pasco parksandrec.com (509-545-3456)
FRIENDSHIP DAY Meet new friends and listen to heart-warming speeches from
guest speakers and candidates. Oct. 22, noon. Free. Shadle Library, 2111 W. Wellesley Ave. spokanelibrary.org
GARLAND MERCANTILE PUMPKIN PATCH A pumpkin patch and other activ ities. Sat-Sun from 10 am-5 pm through Oct. 30. Garland Mercantile, 823 W. Gar land Ave. (509-315-4937)
HAPPY DIWALI: FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS
This festival includes a vegetarian food festival, an art contest, cultural demos, live performances and arts and crafts opportunities. Oct. 22, 11 am-5 pm. Free. River Park Square, 808 W. Main Ave. Spo kaneUnitedWeStand.org
SPOKANE RENAISSANCE FAIR A renais sance fair featuring music, dance, activi ties for kids, vendors and food. Oct. 8-30, Sat-Sun from 10 am-6 pm. Free. Siemers Farm, 11125 E. Day-Mt. Spokane Rd. spo kanerenfaire.com (509-238-6242)
TRUNK OR TREAT Goodwill is hosting an alternative to traditional trick-or-treating at its South Hill location. Oct. 22, 6:30-8 pm. Free. Goodwill Industries of the In land Northwest, 2927 E. 27th Ave. fb.me/ e/1LzK754Zg (509-319-3561)
WEST VALLEY OUTDOOR LEARN ING CENTER: FALL OPEN HOUSE Make crafts, play games and explore the center with a scavenger hunt. Also meet some amazing critters and birds of prey. Oct. 22, 10 am-1 pm. $5 suggested donation. West Valley Outdoor Learning Center, 8706 E. Upriver Drive. wvsd.org
Sharron Davis shares techniques for mas tering the fundamentals and also does an intro to cornrows and rubber-band braids. Registration required. Oct. 23, 2-3:30 pm. Free. Hillyard Library, 4110 N. Cook St. spokanelibrary.org
TRANSPORTATION BENEFIT DISTRICT RENEWAL MEETING An opportunity for community members to ask questions about a ballot measure to reduce traf fic congestion and improve pedestrian safety. At the Airway Heights Municipal Court building. Oct. 24, 5:30 pm and Nov. 7, 5:30 pm. Free. cawh.org
TERROR ON SIERRA HAUNTED HOUSE
A local haunted house. Ages 13+ unless accompanied by an adult. Oct. 25-31, dai ly from 7-10 pm. $5. Terror on Sierra, 619 E. Sierra. horrormediaproductions.com
HOEDOWN Celebrate the end of the gardening season with dinner, familyfriendly games, live music, dancing, costumes (optional) and candy. Oct. 25, 5-7:30 pm. Free. Shadle Park Presbyte rian Church, 5508 N. Alberta St. growing neighbors.org (509-327-5522)
SLIGHTLY SPOOKY CELEBRATION Try out some slightly spooky fun at the li brary with activities, games, and crafts. Costumes welcome. This event happens at multiple branches, see website for details. Oct. 25, 4-5 pm. Free. North Spo kane Library, 44 E. Hawthorne Rd. scld. org (509-893-8350)
SPOKANE CEMETERIES TOUR Learn about local history, explore three cem eteries, and learn the truth behind Spo kane’s urban legends. Oct. 26 and 28 at 9 am. $40-$45. Southside Community Center, 3151 E. 27th Ave. southsidescc.org (509-535-0803)
COFFEE WITH SPS All community mem bers are invited to join Spokane Public Schools leadership for conversation over a cup of coffee each month. Oct. 27, 8-10 am. Free. Ferris High School, 3020 E. 37th Ave. spokaneschools.org
FINDING OUR PLACE IN THE INLAND
NORTHWEST Learn and hear each oth ers’ different perspectives in table group discussions about realities and challeng es that shape life in the Inland Northwest. Oct. 27, Nov. 10 and Dec. 8 from 6-8 pm. Free. St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, 501 E. Wallace Ave. hrei.org
NORTH IDAHO COLLEGE OPEN HOUSE
This event, held in honor of an expan sion of the Meyer Health and Sciences Building, features students, faculty and staff showcasing programs and campus resources. Ribbon cutting at 4:30 pm at Winton Hall. Oct. 27, 4:30-7 pm. Free. North Idaho College, 1000 W. Garden Ave. nic.edu (208-769-3300)
ADULT HALLOWEEN BALL A night of dressing up, dinner and dancing. Adults only. Childcare provided. Oct. 28, 6:3010 pm. Spokane Club, 1002 W. Riverside Ave. spokaneclub.org (838-2310)
GHOUL OL’ FASHIONED FUN Kids and their families are invited to this three-day weekend featuring Halloween-inspired activities. Oct. 28-30, Fri from 4:30-7 pm, Sat from 3:30-7:30 pm, Sun from 11 am-1 pm. $5. Camp Dart-Lo, 14000 N. Dartford Dr. campfireinc.org (509-747-6191)
MOONLIT MONSTER HALLOWEEN CRUISES 45-minute cruises feature spooky decor, an on-board maze, photo contest and more. Children five and under free. Oct. 28-30, 5-8:45 pm. $15. Coeur d’Alene. cdacruises.com
CTE TRICK-OR-TREAT OPEN HOUSE Learn about CTE programs, play games, get candy and receive a reflective NIC trick-or-treat bag, free while supplies last. Oct. 28, 3-6 pm. Free. North Idaho College Parker Technical Education Cen ter, 7064 W. Lancaster Road. (208-7693300)
SPOCON A science fiction and fantasy convention featuring panels, special guests, vendors and more. Oct. 28-30. $40-$45. Historic Davenport Hotel, 10 S. Post St. spocon.org (509-688-3999)
SPOOKWALK Wander the streets of his toric Browne’s Addition and hear ghostly tales throughout the night. Oct. 28-31, daily from 6:30-8 pm and 7-8:30 pm. pm. $25. Browne’s Addition (509-850-0056)
TRICK OR TREAT ON MAIN STREET Downtown Colfax businesses open their doors to trick-or-treaters and welcome shoppers. Oct. 28, 3-5:30 pm. Free. Col fax, Wash. explorecolfax.com
THE POWER TO TELL (EL PODER DE CONTARLO) An original documentary produced by MiA (Mujeres in Action), a local Spokane agency that advocates for survivors of domestic violence within the Latinx community. Oct. 20, 6 pm. By do nation. Garland Theater, 924 W. Garland Ave. garlandtheater.com
THIRD THURSDAY MATINEE MOVIE: LEADBELLY Director Gordon Parks tells the story of African American musician Lead Belly, who was one of the most influential songwriter and folk singers of the 20th century. Oct. 20, 1 pm. $7. North west Museum of Arts & Culture, 2316 W. First Ave. northwestmuseum.org
DEEP IN THE HEART A celebration of Texas’ diverse landscapes and remark able wildlife. Narrated by Matthew Mc Conaughey, the film aims to conserve our remaining wild places, to show the connectivity of water and wildlife and to recognize Texas’ conservation impor tance on a continental scale. Oct. 21, 1-3 pm. $7. The Kenworthy, 508 S. Main St.
kenworthy.org (208-882-4127)
HUB DRIVE-IN MOVIE SERIES: BEETLE JUICE Watch Beetlejuice in throwback style at the drive-in. Oct. 22, 6 pm. $25/ car. HUB Sports Center, 19619 E. Cataldo Ave. hubsportscenter.org
HUB DRIVE-IN MOVIE SERIES: FRIDAY THE 13TH Watch the classic Halloween thriller at the drive-in. Oct. 22, 8:30 pm. $25/car. HUB Sports Center, 19619 E. Cataldo Ave. hubsportscenter.org
This annual tour features a selection of short adventure documentary films that celebrate the outdoors through sport, adventure travel or culture. Oct. 22, 7 pm. $17-$19. Panida Theater, 300 N. First Ave. panida.org (208-263-9191)
PALOUSE FRENCH FILM FESTIVAL: LA FINE FLEUR Eve used to be one of the most famous rose creators in the world. Today, her company is on the verge of bankruptcy. Oct. 25, 7 pm. $12. The Ken worthy, 508 S. Main St. kenworthy.org
TOTALLY TUBULAR TUESDAY A weekly screening of a throwback film. Tuesdays at 7 pm. $2.50. Garland Theater, 924 W. Garland Ave. garlandtheater.com
HALLOWEEN (1978) The Kenworthy Performing and Moscow Film Society present the original Halloween film, with a pre-show costume and carved pumpkin contests with prizes. Oct. 26, 6-9 pm. $6. The Kenworthy, 508 S. Main St. kenwor thy.org (208-882-4127)
EN SUS ZAPATOS (IN HER SHOES) A live simulation where participants gain a better understanding of the obstacles faced by an immigrant survivor of do mestic violence. Oct. 27, 5-7 pm. Free. Mujeres in Action, 318 E. Rowan Ave. Ste. 208. miaspokane.org (59-869-0876)
BEER DINNER: DURKINS & YAYA BREWING A five-course game-focused menu paired with YaYa beers. Call for reservations. Oct. 20, 6 pm. $100. Dur kin’s Liquor Bar, 415 W. Main Ave. durkin sliquorbar.com (509-863-9501)
DISTILLERS DINNER A four-course meal paired with Dry Fly Spirits. Includes a tasting flight and two specialty cocktails. Oct. 20, 5:30 pm. $100. Dry Fly Distilling, 1021 W. Riverside. dryflydistilling.com
FIRESIDE DINNER & MUSIC SERIES En joy selections from Arbor Crest’s season al menu along with wine and beer from Square Wheel Brewing. Music lineup var ies, see website for more. Thu-Sat from 6-8 pm. $50-$60. Arbor Crest Wine Cel lars, 4705 N. Fruit Hill Rd. arborcrest.com
GNOCCHI COOKING CLASS Commel lini Estate’s executive chef teaches how to create gnocchi in this hands-on class. Oct. 20-22, 6:30 pm. $70. Commellini Estate, 14715 N. Dartford Dr. commellini. com (509-466-0667)
NORTH IDAHO WINE SOCIETY: CHA TEAU ST MICHELLE The October pre senter is Joe Gore, who manages St. Michelle wines for the intermountain region. Taste and learn more about wines across product lines. Oct. 21, 7 pm. $25$30. Lake City Center, 1916 N. Lakewood Dr. northidahowinesociety.org
HOW TO MAKE BAGELS A hands-on bagel-making class. BYO mixing bowls, the rest is provided for attendees. Oct. 22, 1-2 pm. Free. Shadle Library, 2111 W. Wellesley Ave. spokanelibrary.org
FAST Breakfast with eggs, sausage, homemade apple sauce and orange juice. Children five and under free with a pay ing adult. Oct. 23 from 8-11 am. $5-$10. Green Bluff Grange, 9809 Green Bluff Rd. greenbluffgrowers.com (509-979-2607)
SMOKERIDGE ROUNDUP This event includes a whole-hog buffet, live music, bourbon tasting and prizes. Oct. 23, 3-7 pm. $50-$90. SmokeRidge BBQ, 11027 E. Sprague Ave. smokeridgebbq.com
Learn how to make authentic Neapolitanstyle pizza. Oct. 26, 6-8 pm. $60. Malva gio’s Restaurant, 4055 N. Government Way. malvagios.com (208-667-0661)
WINE DINNER & ART DISPLAY This din ner offers a glimpse into local artist Claire Akebrand’s personal collection paired with a wine-pairing menu inspired by her work. Oct. 27, 6-9 pm. $136. Beverly’s, 115 S. Second St. beverlyscda.com
FALL JAZZ SAMPLER CONCERT Fea turing performances from each of Gon zaga’s seven jazz ensembles. Oct. 20, 7-9:30 pm. Free. Myrtle Woldson Per forming Arts Center, 211 E. Desmet Ave. .gonzaga.edu/music (509-313-6733)
SPOKANE THEATRE ORGAN SOCI ETY CONCERT An autumn pops con cert featuring guest pianist Lance Luce, American Theatre Organist of the Year in 2014. Oct. 20, 7 pm. Free. Spokane First Nazarene, 9004 N. Country Homes Blvd. (509-467-8986)
Beauty of the Earth” features a mix of choral songs that celebrate nature. Oct. 21 at 7 pm and Oct. 22 at 2 pm. $15-$25. Trinity Lutheran Church, 812 N. Fifth St. choralecda.com
This recital features two pieces of cham ber music for horn and strings, one from the classical era and one from the roman tic era, by Mozart and Brahms. Oct. 21, 7:30-9 pm. Free. Bryan Hall Theatre, 605 Veterans Way. music.wsu.edu
PAUL GROVE: MUSIC FROM ALL OVER Dr. Paul Grove, professor at Gonzaga Uni versity, plays diverse guitar music from around the world: Ukraine, Ghana, Brazil, Japan, the U.S. and more. Oct. 21, 6-8 pm. $5-$15. Create Arts Center, 900 Fourth St. .createarts.org (509-447-9277)
3: FABIO RETURNS Welcome back the sixth Music Director of the Spokane Symphony, Fabio Mechetti. Oct. 22, 7:30 pm and Oct. 23, 3 pm. Martin Woldson Theater at The Fox, 1001 W. Sprague Ave. spokanesymphony.org (509-624-1200)
TONEDEVIL BROTHERS Anthony and David Powell perform original songs and arrangements of western swing, bluegrass, blues, singer-songwriter and Americana tunes. Oct. 22, 7-9 pm. $20. Kelly’s Underground, 1301 W. 14th Ave. southhillmusicstudios.com
5TH IN-CMA AWARDS SHOW See local country singers accept awards and per form live. Oct. 23, 6-9 pm. $12-$25. Bing Crosby Theater, 901 W. Sprague Ave. bingcrosbytheater.com
HEIDI MULLER & BOB WEBB The duo perform original songs and traditional
folk tunes. Oct. 23, 2-4 pm. Free. St Rita’s Catholic Church, 27 Kellogg Ave., Kellogg, Idaho. shoshoneconcerts.org
MURDERS, MONSTERS & GHOSTS This event features an hour music by local musician Jacqui Sandor. Each song is tied to a true historical event, legendary ghost or creature from folklore. Oct. 24, 6:30-7:30 pm. Free. Shadle Library, 2111 W. Wellesley Ave. spokanelibrary.org
The WSU Percussion Ensemble presents an eclectic mix of music for keyboards, drums and more. The concert features WSU professor of tuba Dr. Chris Dickey. Oct. 25, 7:30 pm. Free. Kimbrough Music Building, WSU Pullman. music.wsu.edu
OKTUBAFEST: WSU TUBA CHOIR Mem bers of the tuba-euphonium studio per form a variety of solos, duets and other chamber music. Oct. 26, 7:30-9 pm. Free. Kimbrough Music Building (WSU), WSU Pullman. music.wsu.edu
REVERSO Frank Woeste, Ryan Keberle and Vincent Courtois play a blend of jazz and classical music. Oct. 27, 8 pm. Bing Crosby Theater, 901 W. Sprague Ave. bingcrosbytheater.com (509-227-7638)
WHEELCHAIR BASKETBALL TOURNA MENT The EWU wheelchair basketball team faces off against the University of Arizona, ParaSport Spokane and Team St. Luke’s. Game times and match-ups vary, see link for schedule. Oct. 21, 10 am-6 pm and Oct. 22, 9 am-3 pm. Free. East
ern Washington University, Reese Court. goeags.com/sports
FALL LEAF FESTIVAL Celebrate trees, check out vendors and explore the ar boretum. The event also features demos, a scavenger hunt and warm drinks. Oct. 22, 11 am-2 pm. Free. John A. Finch Arboretum, 3404 W. Woodland Blvd. my.spokanecity.org/urbanforestry
GRACIE BARRA BRAZILIAN JIU JITSU GRAND OPENING Includes a one-hour women’s self defense seminar and infor mation on basic self defense techniques. Oct. 22, 9 am. Free. Gracie Barra Hayden Brazilian Jiu Jitsu & Self Defense, 978 W. Hayden Ave. graciebarra.com/hayden-id
HAUNTED MILLWOOD 5K A Halloweenthemed 5k and kids race benefitting Mill wood Impact, which helps children have a safe place after school. Oct. 23, noon. $15-$25. runsignup.com/Race/WA/Mill wood/HauntedMillwood5K
INLAND NORTHWEST SPORTS HALL OF FAME This event honors seven sports figures and their dedication to the re gional sports scene: Judy Kight, Bernard Lagat, Adam Morrison, Ray Whitney, Dick Zornes, Dave Cook and Bill Pierce. Oct. 25, 4 pm. $30. Spokane Arena, 720 W. Mallon Ave. spokanearena.com
THE ADDAMS FAMILY A musical comedy is based upon the ghoulish American family with an affinity for all things ma cabre. Thu-Sat at 7 pm; Sat, at 3 pm, Sun at 2 pm through Oct. 30. $12-$15. TAC at the Lake, 22910 E. Appleway Ave. tacat thelake.com (509-481-8536)
GUYS & DOLLS A theater adaptation of Damon Runyon’s short stories. written in the 1920s and 1930s. Oct. 20-30, ThuSat at 7:30 pm and Sat-Sun at 1:30 pm. Regional Theatre of the Palouse, 122 N. Grand Ave. rtoptheatre.org
LEAP OF FAITH Love will get you every time and one charismatic con man is about to find that out. Thu-Sat at 7:30 pm, Sun at 2 pm through Oct. 23. $22$28. Kroc Center, 1765 W. Golf Course Rd. aspirecda.com (208-667-1865)
THE 39 STEPS Adapted from the novel by John Buchan. Oct. 20-22 and Oct. 2729 at 7:30 pm. Free. Schuler Performing Arts Center, 1000 W. Garden Ave. nic. edu/websites/default.aspx?dpt=52
OF MICE AND MEN A staged adaptation of John Steinbeck’s classic novella. FriSat at 7:30 pm and Sun at 2 pm through Oct. 23. $18-$20. Pullman Civic Theatre, 1220 NW Nye St. pullmancivictheatre.org
THE SOUND OF MUSIC Whitworth’s fall main-stage production. Fri-Sat at 7 pm and Sun at 2 pm through Oct. 23. $5-$20. Whitworth Cowles Auditorium, 300 W. Hawthorne Ave. whitworth.edu
MET LIVE IN HD: MEDEA Sondra Radva novsky stars as a mythic sorceress who will stop at nothing in her quest for ven geance. Oct. 22, 9:55 am and Oct. 24, 6 pm. $15-$20. The Kenworthy, 508 S. Main St. kenworthy.org
THE BOOK OF MORMON This musi cal comedy follows the adventures of a mismatched pair of missionaries. Oct. 28, 7:30 pm, Oct. 29, 2 & 7:30 pm and Oct. 30, 1 & 6:30 pm. $60-$120. First Inter state Center for the Arts, 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. broadwayspokane.com
AMERICAN IMPRESSIONISM: TREA SURES FROM THE DAYWOOD COL LECTION This exhibition features 41 paintings from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Tue-Sun from 10 am-5 pm through Jan. 8. $10-$20. The MAC, 2316 W. First. northwestmuseum.org
SHANTELL JACKSON Jackson explores the human condition through her ink drawings and paintings. Daily from 11 am-7 pm through Oct. 30. Free. Liberty Building, 402 N. Washington. spokan elibertybuilding.com (509-327-6920)
LILA SHAW GIRVIN: GIFT OF A MO MENT Girvin uses vibrant color, form, and unassuming techniques with oil paint to explore new dimensions of feeling. Tue-Sun from 10 am-5 pm through March 12. $7-$12. Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture, 2316 W. First Ave. northwestmuseum.org
BOOKBINDING TECHNIQUES: END BANDS Endbands serve more than just a decorative purpose. Learn how to cre ate several styles of endbands, such as single core leather wrapped and French double core from local book artist Mel Hewitt. Oct. 22, 10 am-1 pm. $50. Spo kane Print & Publishing Center, 1921 N. Ash St. spokaneprint.org
CREATE A CYANOTYPE Use natural objects such as leaves and twigs or any small object with a distinctive shape to create a striking work of art. Ages 8-15. Registration required. Oct. 22, 10 amnoon & 12-2 pm. Free. North Spokane Library, 44 E. Hawthorne Rd. scld.org
COSPLAY CRAFTING Using mixed media, create faux-wooden wands or staffs. No woodworking skills or tools are required. Pre-register. Oct.
27, 4-5:30 pm. Free. The Hive, 2904 E. Sprague Ave. spokanelibrary.org
EMERGE OPEN MIC NITE 3Hosts Wil low Tree and Koda welcome you to share music, poetry, spoken word, etc. Third Thursdays from 7-9 pm. Free. Emerge, 119 N. Second. emergecda.com
VISITING WRITERS SERIES: TRILIN GUAL READING Shawn Vestal (U.S.), Domenico Müllensiefen (Germany), and Hemil Garcia Linares (Peru) read selections of their work in the original language followed by a reading of the work in translation. Oct. 20, 7 pm. Free. The Kenworthy, 508 S. Main St. kenwor thy.org (208-882-4127)
This month’s show features ghost hunt er Amanda Paulson, Petunia & Loomis owners Samantha Fetters and Jesse McCauley, with music by Bandit Train Oct. 20, 8 pm. Free. Central Library, 906 W. Main. spokanelibrary.org
Guest curator Pavel Shlossberg discuss es his research on traditional Mexican masks and the artists behind the masks. Oct. 20, 6-6:30 pm. $7-$12. The MAC, 2316 W. First. northwestmuseum.org
POETRY WITH CHRISTOPHER HOW ELL & DAVID AXELROD An evening of poetry with Howell and Axelrod cele brating their most recent poetry collec tions, Book of Beginnings and Ends and Years Beyond the River respectively. Oct. 21, 7 pm. Free. Auntie’s Bookstore, 402 W. Main Ave. auntiesbooks.com
SAPNA SRINIVASAN: THE SOOD FAMILY SERIES Srinivasan discusses the first two books in her series, A New
Mantra and A Rebel’s Mantra. Oct. 22, 7 pm. Free. Auntie’s Bookstore, 402 W. Main Ave. auntiesbooks.com
SUDS & SCIENCE A presentation on the basics of solar energy science by Jason Stoke. Oct. 22, 7-8:30 pm. Free. Golden Handle Brewing Co., 154 S. Madison St. goldenhandle.org (509-863-9167)
AUTHOR TALK: KATE QUINN In this lecture, Quinn discusses her newest release, The Diamond Eye. Oct. 25, 4-5 pm. Free. Online: scld.org
WSU VISITING WRITERS SERIES: SAM ROXAS-CHUA The transracial, trans cultural and multidisciplinary artist is currently the artist-in-residence at Portland’s Chinatown Museum of Art. Oct. 25, 5 pm. Free. Washington State University, 2000 NE Stadium Way. eng lish.wsu.edu (509-335-3564)
RIES: REGINALD DWAYNE BETTS Bet ts is the author of three poetry books and the founder of Freedom Reads, an organization dedicated to transforming access to literature in prison. Oct. 26, 7:30 pm. Free. Gonzaga University, 502 E. Boone Ave. gonzaga.edu
SPOKANE IS READING: KATE LEBO A talk with the local author of The Book of Difficult Fruit, chosen as the 2022 community-wide read. Oct. 26 at 1 pm at the North Spokane Library, 44 E. Hawthorne Rd.; Oct. 26 at 7 pm at the Central Library, 906 W. Main Ave. spo kaneisreading.org
PIVOT SPOKANE: NOW OR NEVER
An evening of live storytelling. Pivot is the brainchild of a group of community members, joined by a common desire to build a live storytelling series. Oct. 27, 7-9 pm. Free. Central Library, 906 W. Main. spokanelibrary.org n
Cannabis was legalized by Washington voters 10 years ago this November, but it’s been illegal at the federal level since the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937 was signed into law.
Its federal illegality was reaffirmed in 1971 when it was listed on the Controlled Substances Act as a Sched ule I drug. Along with heroin, LSD and peyote, cannabis is in the most restrictive of the classifications. Reserved for drugs with high potential for abuse and no accepted medical use, these drugs are illegal to produce or possess.
In order for cannabis — which is legal for recreational use in 19 states, and with a doctor’s recommendation in 37 states — to become legal to occur at the federal level, it would need to be removed from Schedule I.
Earlier this month President Joe Biden made head lines by announcing a federal pardon for low level mari juana convictions. Buried toward the bottom of the White
House’s statement was a potentially far more impactful change in federal cannabis policy. Biden directed his administration to begin a review of cannabis’ classifica tion as Schedule I.
“Federal law currently classifies marijuana in Sched ule I of the Controlled Substances Act, the classification meant for the most dangerous substances. This is the same schedule as for heroin and LSD, and even higher than the classification of fentanyl and methamphetamine – the drugs that are driving our overdose epidemic,” the White House said in a statement.
By undertaking a review of the classification of can
nabis as a Schedule I substance, the Biden administration is acknowl edging a willingness to reconsider the federal position on cannabis policy that has held firm since before World War II.
The review has been tasked to the offices of the attorney general and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, though neither they nor Biden have the power to unilaterally change the status of cannabis. The review the White House has initiated will be passed along to the Food and Drug Administration, which along with the Drug Enforcement Administration will determine if can nabis meets the criteria for inclusion in Schedule I. The FDA and DEA can decide to keep cannabis on Schedule I, move it to a lower schedule or remove it from the list of controlled substances entirely.
Removing cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act would effectively legalize cannabis at the federal level.
Moving it to a different schedule would open up the po tential for cannabis to be regulated as a prescription drug.
However, simply moving cannabis to a different schedule would not legalize, or even decriminalize, the drug. Co caine, fentanyl and oxycodone are listed on Schedule II, for example, and ketamine is on Schedule III. n
Cannabis
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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.
