Inlander 10/21/2021

OCTOBER 21-27, 2021 | DEFENDING DEMOCRACY SINCE 1993

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VOL. 29, NO. 2 | COVER DESIGN: DEREK HARRISON

COMMENT NEWS COVER STORY CULTURE

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FOOD FILM MUSIC EVENTS

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I SAW YOU ADVICE GODDESS GREEN ZONE BULLETIN BOARD

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EDITOR’S NOTE

I

t’s rare when school boards prove the most interesting races in an ELECTION, but our illusions of school board candidates being a slate of child-centric do-gooders are giving way to the reality that the culture wars that make adulthood so trying are trickling down into how we choose decision makers for our kids’ educations. To mask or not to mask? Vax or nah? Is teaching critical race theory a much-needed improvement to White America’s often self-deluded history lessons, or a sign public education has gone straight to hell? These are questions this year’s school board candidates often face, or ask themselves. This week’s cover section covers the region’s school board races, as well as a wide array of city council races in Spokane and beyond, including North Idaho mayoral races, and just what the deal is with those advisory votes.

Also this week: Wilson Criscione delves into how new designs are helping schools assure students of all genders feel safe (page 8), Seth Sommerfeld introduces a local musician, Rosie CQ, who blends pop savvy with classical training (page 32), and Chey Scott visits Hillyard’s much-buzzedabout new restaurant Kismet (page 28).

— DAN NAILEN, editor

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1227 WEST SUMMIT PARKWAY, SPOKANE, WA 99201 PHONE: 509-325-0634 | EMAIL: INFO@INLANDER.COM THE INLANDER is a locally owned, independent newspaper founded on Oct. 20, 1993. It’s printed on newsprint that is at least 50 percent recycled; 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. All contents of this newspaper are protected by United States copyright law. © 2021, Inland Publications, Inc.

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INSPIRED BY THE UPCOMING RELEASE OF DUNE, WHAT’S ANOTHER MOVIE YOU’D LIKE TO SEE UPDATED OR REMADE?

BOB JENSON: I’d rather see a classic like Ringworld made than something else remade.

MARY BAKER: The Neverending Story, only this time Artax doesn’t die. Man, that was traumatic as a kid.

JOSEPHINE KEEFE: Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, directed by Jordan Peele. I LOVE the original, but it would be so cool to see that film get a refresh and change in lens.

SHAWN TOOLE: World War Z but as an HBO series so the book can be done justice.

ALYSSA SMANDERSON: We don’t want remakes.

SAMANTHA JOHNSON: Enemy Mine.

ERIN SELLERS: Eragon! So botched the first time. I’d love to see it remade by Disney+.

BETH ANN JOHNSON: I am tired of remakes; someone get the Screenwriters Guild a library card, please.

I don’t need a new Cinderella when there are a thousand folk and fairy tales all over the world to tell. How about making Herman Wouk’s Don’t Stop the Carnival into a film? How about making Five Segments of the Orange by Joanne Harris? Excellent book. Please quit recycling scripts.

Give us original stories.

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STEPHANIE LYNN: Nosferatu.

ALEX COX: Keep rehashing our childhoods and selling them back to us, playing on nostalgia for profit, and to keep us distracted from the goings on in the world. No thanks. n

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OCTOBER 21, 2021 INLANDER 5

COMMENT | CLIMATE CHANGE

The New, Smoky Normal The Pacific Northwest has a long history of devastating wildfires, but today’s megafires are something entirely new

BY KNUTE BERGER

S

ometime in the early 1960s, when I was 9 or 10 years old, we were visiting relatives on Shaw Island, a gem smack in the middle of the San Juan archipelago. Our first morning there we were awakened by word of fire; lightning had struck, and some part of the tinder-dry emerald paradise was ablaze. We jumped in the bed of a neighbor’s pickup and sped down bumpy dirt roads to meet up with the single truck from the island’s volunteer fire department.

The fire crackled on an offshore islet connected to Shaw only at low tide. We waded out in our clothes and shoes, carrying shovels, picks and buckets, and began digging to get at the burning roots of the struck tree. We formed a bucket-brigade and doused the flames and embers with Salish Sea water, as smoke filtered up through the dry moss. For me, it was an unexpected adventure and, thankfully, a rare event in the rain-shadowed islands dry enough even for tiny cacti.

This story came to mind this summer, as wildfires burned throughout Cascadia. Another hot, drought-beset spring and summer with a record-setting “heat” wave — one of the worst natural disasters in Northwest history, with a death toll in the hundreds and a town in British Columbia, Lytton, burned to the ground. Mount Rainier had its flanks bared in July, as ice and snow melted fast and early.

Wildfire has become a great presence again in the region, heralding a new normal. Bigger, more threatening fires are happening and predicted to continue.

6 INLANDER OCTOBER 21, 2021

This fire season, I heard from friends and family whose homes and cabins were in jeopardy. One friend posted regular updates on Facebook, as a blaze worked its way on a ridge above his home in the Methow Valley. Family members who use a beloved old cabin in Goose Prairie, just east of Mount Rainier, monitored the seemingly inexorable Schneider Springs fire, which has burned over 107,000 acres of wilderness and was only 55 percent contained by the beginning of October. Access to the cabin was cut off, and the single road to the prairie became a fire line to save the small, unincorporated community there. For many this summer, the outdoor adventure of choice was nervously watching fire reports.

I

n the 19th century, fires were common in the Northwest, caused by lightning — like the two mentioned above — or coal-burning steam engines and campfires.

There was no real fire-fighting capacity, and fires tended to burn until the fall rains put them out. Mark Twain’s only visit to Puget Sound, in 1895, was marred by fire smoke so thick he never saw the scenery.

Only with the so-called Big Burn of 1910 — what Seattle author Tim Egan called an “apocalyptic conflagration” that vaporized 3 million acres of Montana, Idaho and Washington in 36 hours — did the scale of a fire

The Eagle Creek fire of 2017, near Cascade Locks, Oregon demand attention and resistance, as well as a more proactive effort to protect harvestable timber, and therefore dollars, from going up in smoke. The U.S. Forest Service was put to the task of preserving our natural resources, its leaders’ attitudes toward fire deeply influenced by the Big Burn, which killed at least 85 people.

Fire was present in the West, but megafires were uncommon.

No longer.

In the fall issue of the Oregon Historical Quarterly, historian and professor emeritus at Oregon State University, William G. Robbins — a wildfire fighter himself in the ’60s — gives an overview of fire history. In his article, “Oregon and Climate Change: The Age of Megafires in the American West,” he cites some of the famous fires, including the sequence of so-called Tillamook burns in Oregon’s usually damp coastal range in the 1930s. Big fires west of the Cascades are relatively rare, often fanned by dry, downslope east winds. But in 2020 alone Robbins documented five west side fires in Oregon that burned over 840,000 acres — greater than many years’ annual totals for the state. In the 10 years from 2012 through 2021, more than 7 million acres have burned in Oregon.

Wildfire experts attribute increased fire risk in the Western U.S. to warm and dry conditions, drought, insect outbreaks and unusual or anomalous weather conditions. The Northwest’s July heat dome event was “virtually impossible without climate change,” according to researchers with the World Weather Attribution group.

The problems are exacerbated by past fire suppression tactics that have increased forest fuel, and dangers have increased as more people settled in wildfire zones. Most fires are human-caused.

In the big picture, Robbins writes, fires in the past couple of years “provide new and alarming data” about our future due to climate change. Historian Stephen Pyne has argued in Crosscut that we have lost control over “good fire” and “bad fire” and risk falling into a new age he called the Pyrocene. “We forgot how good fire made us and how bad fire can unmake us,” he writes.

Our bad-fire summers have once again brought us a smoke season — despite our more sophisticated approaches to putting out fires and marshaling thousands of firefighters. Smoky days are now a new summer normal not experienced since the 19th or early 20th centuries. According to a study by National Public Radio and Stanford University researchers, King and Pierce counties now experience about 30 smoke days per year.

John Ryan, a reporter at Seattle’s KUOW, says eight Eastern Washington counties average at least 50 days of smoky skies. In 2020, particulate matter in Northwest air reached a 21st century high, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Ryan reports that researchers at the University of Washington estimate that “just 13 days of smoky particulate air in 2020 killed 38 to 92 people in Washington state.”

Smoke and gunk in the air, and July’s heat wave, have prompted more Northwesterners to install air conditioning and buy air filters to make life breathable, more comfortable. The heat’s victims tend to be the poor and elderly, who don’t own those resources for protection.

The death toll during summer’s July heat wave was stunning. In British Columbia, which set a record temperature for all of Canada at 121 degrees Fahrenheit, 570 sudden deaths were considered heat related, according to the province’s chief coroner.

That accounted for 70 percent of all deaths at that time — and 79 percent of those who perished were people over age 65. Hundreds more died in Washington and Oregon. Yes, it was abnormal.

But, according to the EPA, in the last decade heat waves nationally have dramatically increased in frequency, duration, length of season and intensity. We are warned to prepare for more. How abnormal extreme events will be remains to be seen.

“The heat dome event was virtually impossible without climate change.”

T

he most visible barometer for climate change to those of us here on Puget Sound is Mount Rainier/Tahoma itself.

The glaciers on its flanks are in retreat and have been for the past century. In his recent book, Tahoma and Its People: A Natural History of Mount Rainier National Park, author Jeff Antonelis-Lapp reports that a survey of records over the past 100 years concluded that the surface area of glaciers and perennial ice on the mountain have shrunk by nearly 40 percent between 1895 and 2015. Quoted in the book is Paul Kennard, regional geomorphologist with the National Park Service, who says, “Based on the most up-to-date mapping, all of Mount Rainier’s glaciers are at their historic minimums…. We have lost eight glaciers in my lifetime.”

KUOW’s Ryan reports that airplanes and drones are being used to get an updated picture of the mountain’s glaciers.

“They’re not healthy, if you want to think of it that way,” Park geologist Scott Beason told Ryan about the shrinking glaciers.

That affects entire ecosystems, including the many rivers these glaciers feed and the flora and fauna of the region. Kennard says, “Climate change is the elephant in the living room.” It used to be a white-cloaked elephant, but the brown flanks we saw this summer could be a sign of more denuding to come.

We are used to thinking of the coastal Pacific Northwest as a temperate haven, a place of refuge, somewhat insulated from the ravages of climate change elsewhere. We still have water and ice, lush forests and natural beauty. But this year it’s clear that the challenges of keeping it that way are many. To overcome them will take a kind of collective commitment that we are not used to making these days. Even if we engage fully, fire, heat, bad air and their consequences are going to be setting new thresholds and difficulties in the years ahead. We are not immune. And those of us who once cherished “the good rain” cannot take it for granted any longer. n

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Knute Berger is editor-at-large for Crosscut. Follow its coverage of the Pacific Northwest at crosscut.com

OCTOBER 21, 2021 INLANDER 7

EDUCATION

A design solution: New middle schools like Shaw in Spokane have four gender-neutral bathrooms for students to use. YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

A PLACE TO GO For some transgender students, a return to school brings back anxiety over bathroom access

BY WILSON CRISCIONE

E

ach day this past spring, Jack, a transgender seventh-grader, would arrive at Sacajawea Middle School in Spokane knowing it would be at least six hours before he could use the bathroom again.

Using the girl’s bathroom was a betrayal of his gender identity. A transgender boy using the boy’s bathroom wasn’t allowed, he says. And while Sacajawea has a gender-neutral bathroom, as required by law, Jack would have had to go to the nurse’s office, ask for a key, and then be escorted to the bathroom every time he wanted to use it.

So Jack, who asked to use a fake name for his own privacy, avoided going to the bathroom at all. He wouldn’t drink water, and if he felt like he had to go, he’d just hold it in.

“I didn’t go to the bathroom the entire school year when we were in-person,” Jack says.

For LGBTQ advocates, Jack’s experience serves as a reminder that for some transgender students, returning to in-person school can cause stress and anxiety. While online learning presented its own challenges, Jack says it was still better than being in a school building where he didn’t feel comfortable going to the bathroom.

The issue of access to bathrooms for transgender stu-

8 INLANDER OCTOBER 21, 2021

dents has for years been a battlefront in the culture wars, with many conservative states and school districts opposed to trans students using bathrooms matching their identity.

And even when laws are in place to prevent discrimination against transgender students — as in Washington — school buildings can often feel unsafe for transgender or nonbinary students. Earlier this month, a video captured a transgender Salk Middle School student being assaulted as other students watched, according to KREM. In a statement to the Inlander, Spokane Public Schools says it follows all Washington state laws and guidance “to ensure that all students are provided the supports needed to be successful in SPS schools.”

Still, Jack’s experience is common, says Ian Sullivan, executive director of Odyssey Youth Movement, an organization advocating for LGBTQ+ youth in the Inland Northwest.

“I think it’s true for all cultural shifts — the rules and laws are one thing, but how it rolls out day-to-day can look really different,” Sullivan says.

O

nline learning during the pandemic took a significant toll on the mental health of students across the country, with studies and surveys

showing more students reporting stress and anxiety.

Transgender students already were more at risk for anxiety and depression than other students. And that trend continued in Washington during the pandemic, according to a COVID-19 student survey conducted earlier this spring by the state Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, Washington State Health Care Authority, the state health department and the University of Washington.

Compared to their peers, transgender middle and high school students during the pandemic reported more prolonged feelings of sadness and hopelessness, were more than three times as likely to experience suicidal ideation, and were far less likely to report having an adult they can turn to if needed, the survey showed.

At the same time, however, nearly half of all transgender students surveyed felt safer from bullying during online school than they did for in-person school. In fact, more transgender students felt safer during online school than any other student demographic surveyed.

That wouldn’t come as too much of a surprise to Sullivan. In public spaces, transgender students can fear something as basic as whether they can use bathroom. ...continued on page 10

OCTOBER 21, 2021 INLANDER 9

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“Some of that went away during the pandemic because they have their own space at home,” Sullivan says. “All of those fears of things happening in hallways and bathrooms melted away in the pandemic.”

Matthew Barcus, program manager in Gonzaga University’s LGBTQ+ Resource Center, agrees that for some students, remote learning can help eliminate some peer pressure and stress.

Barcus, however, cautions that it depends on a student’s home environment as well. Sometimes, a family may not be accepting of their child’s gender identity, and supportive environments — such as a LGBTQ club in school — can feel safer.

Either way, Barcus stresses the importance of schools that welcome transgender students.

“When students are identified the way they’d like to be identified and their use of facilities align with their gender identity, they are less likely to have symptoms of depression, less likely to have suicidal ideations and suicidal attempts,” Barcus says. “This isn’t just PC culture gone amok.”

In 2016, the Obama administration issued a directive to schools saying transgender students should be allowed to use bathrooms in alignment with their gender identity. It drew swift condemnation from Republican leaders. Idaho’s then-Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter called it a “vast overreach” by the Obama administration creating “needless concern and confusion for students, parents and educators.” When President Donald Trump took office, he reversed Obama-era protections for transgender students.

Earlier this year, President Joe Biden restored them. The U.S. Department of Education issued a directive that said discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity is a violation of Title IX, the federal law that protects against sex discrimination in schools.

Washington state laws already took that point of view. Unlike Idaho, Washington’s non-discrimination laws include gender identity and expression. The state Office of the Superintendent says students have the right to be addressed by their preferred pronouns, for example. And public schools are required to allow students to use the bathrooms that match their gender identity.

In 2019, the Washington Legislature passed a law that requires school districts to formalize those protections in their policies and procedures — something Spokane Public Schools has already done.

But not every school district in the state has done so, says Sarah Alberston, director of equity and civil rights for the state Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction.

“We’re still working to identify how many [have refused],” Albertson tells the Inlander.

State law still allows for gender-segregated bathrooms. But any student who requests greater privacy must be given access to an alternative restroom, if available. At the same time, schools cannot require transgender students to use an alternative restroom.

Barcus says this isn’t only important for students’ mental health, but their physical health

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as well. If students are constantly under stress, it can affect their cardiovascular or cognitive health.

If they’re holding it in all day, it can damage a student’s bladder or gastrointestinal systems.

“It really is important that students have access to facilities they need,” Barcus says.

Sullivan urges more empathy for students unsure where to go to the bathroom.

“How would we feel if we had to question whether it was safe to utilize the restroom?” Sullivan asks.

T

his year, Jack started at a new school outside of Spokane Public Schools. The first week, the office secretary told him he could use whatever bathroom he felt comfortable in. Immediately, Jack felt better about where he was.

“It helps a lot, because it’s just like a basic human thing,” Jack says.

Jack thinks one thing that may have helped at Sacajawea is if there were simply more genderneutral bathrooms available.

And in the coming years, there will be. In Spokane Public Schools, all of the new buildings will have single-occupancy bathrooms located in easy-to-access public spaces, says Sandra Jarrard, spokesperson for the school district. The district is in the process of building three new middle schools and replacing three others, including the Sacajawea building.

Shaw Middle School just opened this year with a brand new building, and principal Jon Swett says it makes it easier on transgender students. Hallways still have gender-segregated

bathrooms, but the school is designed to have four “neighborhoods,” and each neighborhood has four classrooms, a so-called “living room” and a gender-neutral bathroom.

Swett says it was designed intentionally that way, in part to make bathroom access easier for transgender students.

“So far, it’s working,” Swett says.

Now, he says, there isn’t always a need for a conversation with a trans student about bathroom access.

“They all have access to a bathroom that’s not designated male or female in their ‘neighborhood,’ where they have a group of kids who are part of the Shaw family and a group of adults that care for them,” he says. “It’s all right there.”

Still, if there aren’t bathrooms like that available in a new building, advocates say transgender students should still be able to feel welcomed even if there are gender-segregated facilities.

Seemingly small gestures can help, Sullivan says. It could be a PRIDE flag at the school, or a sticker in a teacher’s classroom. Even just a pronoun button.

“Having those pieces makes them feel more comfortable in school buildings,” Sullivan says.

By the same token, they also notice rhetoric against transgender students, Sullivan says. They know when school board candidates are against trans students using bathrooms matching their identity, for example. They hear it when other students and teachers make similar comments.

“If that’s the rhetoric,” Sullivan says, “they are definitely not going to be comfortable.” n wilsonc@inlander.com

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OCTOBER 21, 2021 INLANDER 11

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FACING PAGE: Kids seem to have adapted to masks just fine.

Parents, not so much.

 EDUCATION 

WHO WANTS TO JOIN THE SCHOOL BOARD? Inland Northwest school board races reflect national tensions over mask mandates and critical race theory

T

BY WILSON CRISCIONE

wo weeks ago, Debbie Long — Central Valley School Board president — checked her Facebook and found a message that shook her to her core. The message, from a woman Long does not know, called Long a “lying-ass Democrat,” a “B----” and a “C---,” vulgar words typically used against women we won’t print fully here. She threatened to follow Long and her “endeavors” and recruit others to take her down.

“Americans WILL prevail and traitors like yourself… will be no more,” the message says.

Long felt threatened. She reported the message to the school district attorney, who turned it over to the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office, she says.

But for Long, it’s not just the message itself that bothers her.

The message is just one more element of toxicity towards the school board — not only in Central Valley, but across the country.

Anti-mask and anti-vaccine protesters are storming into school board meetings, often shutting them down due to their refusal to mask up — as happened in Central Valley. Members of the public have actually filed a recall petition trying to recall Long and two other board members over their handling of mask and vaccine mandates (which are out of the local board’s control).

In Coeur d’Alene, two school board members resigned earlier this month after anti-mask protesters — banging on the doors and shouting outside a scheduled board meeting about masks — forced the meeting to be canceled. The National School Boards Association has even asked for federal assistance due to nationwide threats.

Long has been on the Central Valley board for 18 years and would be up for re-election in two years. But she won’t run again, she says.

“I think we’ve done a lot of good things for Central Valley School District, and it’s been an honor to serve,” she says. “But I will never run again. This has put my family and me through it.

It’s unbelievable.”

So who does want to run for school board? Across the Inland Northwest, dozens of candidates have thrown their name in.

In Post Falls, for example, board member MICHELLE LIPPERT faces anti-Semitic alt-right troll DAVID REILLY, who attended the 2017 white nationalist rally in Charlottesville and has said on social media that “all Jews are dangerous,” according to the Daily Beast.

Reilly’s racist views aren’t representative of every conservative candidate running for school board. But many candidates, including Reilly, have united around the two issues making school

boards so contentious right now: Opposition to mask mandates and critical race theory.

Here, we’ll take a look at how that plays out in Spokane and Central Valley school board races.

CRITICAL RACE THEORY

Local schools, from Idaho to Washington, insist that they do not teach critical race theory, an academic framework that contends that race is a social construct that has been used historically to oppress people of color, is embedded in every part of society and must be actively uprooted.

But PAM OREBAUGH, a candidate for Central Valley School District, isn’t convinced. She says students are being politically indoctrinated. When asked for evidence that critical race theory is being taught, Orebaugh — a nurse educator at Washington State University who stresses she’s not speaking for the university — says that she hears that schools are teaching “unbalanced history” and that White people should apologize to Native Americans.

Orebaugh also claimed to the Inlander that she had proof that critical race theory books were in Central Valley schools. Asked to show the proof, she sent the Inlander pictures of a variety of books allegedly found at Ridgeline High School, with topics including Chinese mythology, Islam and LGBT rights. Some books did appear to discuss race and Black Lives Matter and could possibly discuss elements of critical race theory. But there was no evidence that the books were being taught in classrooms — they were simply in the library.

Is Orebaugh arguing to ban those books from the library? She says no, just that “both sides” need to be taught.

“If books on these religions are there, then other religions must also be represented,” she says. “When you limit knowledge or access to other views, you are in effect promoting that one viewpoint.”

On the ballot, Orebaugh’s opponent is Rob Linebarger, who is part of the recall petition against Long and two other board members. But Linebarger has supported Orebaugh, so her real opponent is a write-in candidate, STAN CHALICH. Chalich, who taught in Central Valley for 49 years, says he’s running because the district is “under siege” from a “small group of loud, angry extremists.” He says he’s been on book review committees, and he stresses that good teachers present history “objectively, not subjectively.” ...continued on next page

MEET THE CANDIDATES SPOKANE SCHOOL BOARD, POSITION 3

MELISSA BEDFORD, former elementary teacher, current education professor at Eastern Washington University.

DARYL GEFFKEN, a financial planner at D.A. Davidson.

SPOKANE SCHOOL BOARD, POSITION 4

KATA DEAN, advocate working with drug and alcohol addicted teens.

RILEY SMITH, nonprofit worker, former campaign manager and Spokane City Council legislative assistant.

CENTRAL VALLEY SCHOOL BOARD, DISTRICT 5

PAM OREBAUGH, Washington State University nurse educator.

STAN CHALICH, retired teacher at Central Valley High School.

ROB LINEBARGER, on the ballot, has thrown his support to Orebaugh.

COEUR D’ALENE SCHOOL BOARD, ZONE 1

LISA MAY, incumbent and former critical care nurse.

ALLIE ANDERTON, parent concerned about critical race theory and advocating for minimal government involvement in education.

COEUR D’ALENE SCHOOL BOARD, ZONE 4

LINDSEY SWINGROVER, school psychologist.

LESLI BJERKE, small business owner and member of the John Birch Society.

COEUR D’ALENE SCHOOL BOARD, ZONE 5

REBECCA SMITH, incumbent and associate director of Lutherhaven Ministries.

GLEN CAMPBELL, radio personality for Today’s Christian Country.

— WILSON CRISCIONE

OCTOBER 21, 2021 INLANDER 13

“WHO WANTS TO JOIN THE SCHOOL BOARD?,” CONTINUED...

Orebaugh says she’s not some radical, despite what her opponent may say.

“I want high-quality basic education, free of political indoctrination,” she says. “I’m not trying to turn schools into Christian schools. Schools need to be a safe place for all of our students.”

KATA DEAN, candidate for Spokane Public Schools board of directors, says her own daughter was taught critical race theory at Ferris High School. She declined to discuss the lesson with the Inlander to protect her daughter’s privacy, but she says it made her not trust schools when they deny teaching critical race theory.

Dean says she just wants “accurate history” to be taught, and she says that may mean more history about people of color.

According to a survey conducted by conservative Christian group We Believe We Vote, Dean “strongly agrees” with the notion that public schools should “teach the controversy” regarding the origins of life and also that schools should teach different theories on climate change. And while she’s campaigned against critical race theory, she tells the Inlander that she’d be open to teaching multiple points of view on race as well.

Does that mean Dean might actually be OK with something like critical race theory taught in the right context? She pauses for several seconds when asked this.

“It would be worth exploring and having these discussions,” Dean says, finally. “And that’s exactly what needs to be done with all of these — we need to have these discussions to get on the same page.”

DARYL GEFFKEN, a conservative-leaning school board candidate for the other open Spokane Public School seat, also has concerns about critical race theory,

14 INLANDER OCTOBER 21, 2021

Police in Coeur d’Alene had to block a throng of angry protesters from a school board meeting last month. saying “fighting racism with racism is wrong.” His opponent, MELISSA BEDFORD, is a former teacher and has reiterated that it is not being taught in public schools.

Yet even the more liberal RILEY SMITH, Dean’s opponent, doesn’t think critical race theory needs to be taught in schools. He blames polarization in national media for it becoming such a hot-button issue.

COURTESY OF KREM

“I don’t think we should be teaching a graduate-level framework,” he says. “I do think we should talk about antiracist education in our schools that is age appropriate.”

COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS

On masks and vaccines, both Bedford and Smith, running for different Spokane seats, have said they would

listen to health professionals on COVID-19 restrictions. Smith says the most important thing is that students are back in school full-time, as they are now, and that they are safe.

“The way we have been able to do that is wearing masks in schools,” Smith says.

Chalich, the write-in Central Valley candidate, says the mask and a possible vaccine mandate are decisions left up to the state, and he wouldn’t want to do anything to risk funding.

“It’s the responsibility of the governor and the state to regulate public health and safety,” he says.

Dean says she’s against the mask mandate, but says there’s “nothing I can do” about it. Still, she says she wants children in school, and in order to do that, kids need to mask up. Geffken is mostly on the same page with that.

“It’s unfortunate it has to be a mandate,” Geffken tells the Inlander. “But it’s not the hill to die on.”

Orebaugh, the nurse working at WSU, says she is strongly opposed to mask mandates and vaccine mandates. On masks, she’s not convinced that they work. On vaccines, she says health care laws “protect us from forced treatment.”

When asked about vaccines already required for kids for many years without much controversy, like for measles, she tells the Inlander that she would be OK with some vaccine requirements as long as students had the ability to opt out if they choose.

“I guarantee a vaccine mandate in our district is going to cause a lot more of an uproar,” she says.

As a board member, Orebaugh says she wouldn’t have the district push back against state mandates to the point that funds are withheld. But she would push for more local control. And that may depend, she says, on other school districts in the area also pushing back against the state — something that could be more likely depending on the results of the election.

“If we were all to be a united front, to say Eastern Washington is not Seattle and we want decisions for Eastern Washington,” Orebaugh says, “I think that would have a greater impact.” n

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 CITY COUNCIL 

THE PERSONAL IS POLITICAL A left-wing Muslim immigrant faces off against a right-wing Christian evangelical — and either could win

A

s NAGHMANA SHERAZI cooks a Pakistani omelet breakfast on a Saturday morning, her apartment is chaotic — half-unpacked Walmart groceries in the kitchen, her son’s half-finished electronic projects on the counter. It’s the sort of side to a politician most reporters don’t get to see. But this, in its own way, is part of her pitch: That she’s connected to the real concerns, the real lives — in all their chaotic messiness — of the people in her district.

“We need voices like mine at the table,” she says.

“People like me are not represented on Spokane City Council.”

She’s Pakistani, yes, and she’s a Muslim and an immigrant and a single mom, but that’s not the diversity she’s talking about: “I’m a renter,” she says.

In the midst of Spokane’s housing crisis, she says she understands what it’s like to feel the squeeze. Her landlord donated to her campaign, but still raised her rent by $150.

Politics in northeast Spokane’s District 1 are more complicated than simple ideology: For the past four years, the most conservative member of the council and the most progressive member have been from this district.

It’s also the district with the lowest voter turnout, the highest unemployment, and the most unpaid utility bills.

Sherazi knows what having an unpaid electric bill is like, too. She was a half-month behind on her electric bill.

She quit her job at Gonzaga’s Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion to focus on her campaign. But now, like so many people in her district, she’s on that precipice of poverty herself.

“I am in danger of being evicted, God forbid, if I can’t make ends meet,” Sherazi says. “I really truly am one of those people who live in fear of being homeless.”

J

ONATHAN BINGLE crackles with a sort of bright-eyed Young Life-style energy that makes it obvious he used to be a youth pastor. He’s the type of Evangelical politician far more likely to call local reporters and invite them to his church than to decry them as “godless” or duck their phone calls.

Two years ago, Bingle told the Inlander that he’d felt led by the Holy Spirit to run for mayor. For him, he says, it’s more a powerful gut feeling, not an audible voice.

BY DANIEL WALTERS

Sherazi

Bingle

This time, he says, he didn’t have that feeling when deciding to run for city council.

Still, he’s almost in perfect alignment with the religious right: When “We Believe We Vote,” a local conservative Christian organization that produces voter guides, gave Bingle their candidate survey, he gave the maximum 10 points of “strongly agree” to every one of their positions, from fighting against masks, to opposing public funding for drag queen story hours, critical race theory and cultural competency programs.

Abortion is “the greatest moral evil occurring in the United States today,” he writes in the survey comments.

“This is probably an issue I can’t impact at the city level, but if I could I would outlaw it tomorrow,” Bingle says.

At the city level, however, he says his number one focus is crime: Spokane — like almost everywhere in the country — saw a sharp spike in homicides and shootings last year. He accuses the city council of making things harder for the cops by supporting controversial state-level police-reform legislation.

“Right now we have a police force that wants to do the right thing, but is also very, very worried that somebody is going to video them,” Bingle says, “and even if

they did the right thing, their life is going to be ruined.”

That’s a big contrast from Sherazi’s: In a Facebook post last year, she wrote that “I stand with the Movement for Black Lives’ call to defund the police.” But by that, she wrote, she meant redirecting some of the funding away from military-style police equipment toward social services and health care, not zeroing out the police budget.

“It DOES NOT mean no police — it just means using the police force for the things it is needed for,” she wrote.

So does she think that the police department funding should increase or decrease? It depends on the issue: More beat cops riding bikes and getting to know the Hillyard neighborhood is good, she says, but “for mental health issues, you cannot send out police officers, that’s just ridiculous.”

chance to weigh in on the race.

But Paul Dillon, vice president of public affairs for the local Planned Parenthood, quickly began to get suspicious: Social media posts had suggested LeMasters hadn’t moved back to the area until November of 2020 or later. Shortly after the primary, Dillon and another local Democrat sued LeMasters for violating the requirement that a candidate had to be living in the district for at least a year before filing for a city council seat.

He was booted off the ballot via a Spokane County Superior Court decision, leaving Wilkerson as the only name remaining.

LeMasters, who argued that his years working for Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers should have been exempt under the city charter’s “civil service” provision, said the result was frustrating.

“Voters should decide who represents them, not the court system and not Planned Parenthood.”

Asked if he was concerned he had taken away the option from voters to select their preferred candidate by challenging his standing, Dillon argued that “voters deserve a candidate that meets the qualifications. You want somebody representing you that does have the experience and connections with the district.”

M

ost of the differences between the candidates mirror the liberal-conservative divide. Sherazi supports the city’s sustainability plan, Bingle opposes it. Bingle takes a tough-love approach to homelessness — suggesting the city require labor for some to access some services — while Sherazi accuses Bingle of “wanting to criminalize the homeless.”

WINNER BY DEFAULT

S

pokane City Councilmember BETSY WILKERSON was raring up for a big race to defend her seat in District 2, which includes downtown Spokane and the South Hill. She’d been appointed to the city council two years ago — replacing Breean Beggs when he became council president — but now was facing a real election.

But where at least 30 other people applied to be appointed to her seat two years ago, only one Republican actually applied to challenge Wilkerson for her seat: Local realtor TYLER LeMASTERS. It was always going to be a tough race for a Republican — it’s the city’s most liberal district — but at least it would give voters a

16 INLANDER OCTOBER 21, 2021

“These are people like me,” she says.

Both support amending the city’s single-family zoning to allow duplexes and triplexes to be built to help fix the housing plan. But while Bingle — who works as a contractor — argues that the city needs to fight against anti-sprawl restrictions to allow more housing to be built on the outskirts of Spokane County, Sherazi proposes capping rent increases. State and national realtor organizations have poured money into Bingle’s campaign, while Sherazi’s biggest donors have been labor organizations.

Even her campaign workers are organized, their union contract guaranteeing them a minimum of $16 an hour. (Sherazi says the public disclosure report stating some canvassers were getting paid an illegally low $12-an-hour was a since-corrected treasurer error. Multiple current and former campaign employees, including one of the canvassers, backed up Sherazi’s account.)

In the midst of a pandemic, however, the issues that defined the political divide have expanded: Bingle’s church began meeting again in person before Inslee’s restrictions on churches were lifted.

While they tried meeting online, he says “it just did not feel that we were doing what God was asking us to do.”

Bingle refuses to say on-the-record whether he got the vaccine — calling it “a very private and personal” decision made with his wife and their doctor.

But when the Inlander argues that vaccines aren’t just a personal decision, that preventing COVID from spreading is a social responsibility, Bingle’s frustration over the last year and a half comes out: He thinks about how much damage the pandemic restrictions did to his bar trivia business, how he applied for all the aid programs, but didn’t receive any.

“We’re a business that got smoked because we understood our social responsibility,” Bingle says. “We have given more than most people can understand.”

But Sherazi understands the gravity of social responsibility, too. Her son, she says, is immunocompromised. He relies on others being vaccinated to stay safe.

This is the sort of tension that, in other contexts, has turned into screaming matches and accusations. And yet, both candidates say that they consider each other friends. Bingle says that when his wife gave birth, Sherazi brought their family multiple homecooked dinners.

“When that happens, you expect your church to step up and do that — and she did it more than anyone else in our church,” he says.

After all, faith is important to Sherazi, too.

“Being Muslim, the biggest thing is that you believe in humanity, and you believe in service and you believe in helping others,” she says.

There’s a similarity she has with Bingle. At the beginning of the pandemic when Sherazi was worried about putting her son at risk by going to the grocery store, Sherazi says, Bingle went to pick up her groceries from WinCo. “We’re pretty wildly different, politically,” Bingle says. “But we can sit down and have coffee.”

Their similarities matter at the dinner table and the apartment doorstep. But it’s on the council dais that their wild differences will come into play. n

Wilkerson herself had mixed feelings about the development. She acknowledges that it’s nice to be able to focus on other issues, but says, “in some ways, I wish I had an opponent, so we could just duke it out in the public.”

But she still can, LeMasters says. Why not debate him anyway, he suggests, and have the Inlander host?

— DANIEL WALTERS

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OCTOBER 21, 2021 INLANDER 17

 CITY COUNCIL 

SPOKANE SOLUTIONS Two political newcomers compete to represent Northwest Spokane

A

school teacher and a small businessman are running to represent Spokane City Council District 3, which encompasses Northwest Spokane.

Neither has experience in elected office, but both say their careers and real-world experience give them the tools needed to sway voters and refocus a city hall in dire need of realignment.

MIKE LISH is the President of D. Lish’s Hamburgers. He says running the business has given him a unique understanding of the city’s issues. He talks about the challenges of staying afloat during the pandemic and finding employees in a city hostile to younger renters in the workforce.

ZACK ZAPPONE’s background is in education and nonprofits. While pursuing a master’s in public affairs at Princeton, Zappone says he learned from experts about the practical solutions needed to address issues like homelessness. When he returned to Spokane to teach middle school English and history, Zappone saw firsthand how poverty and addiction can affect the mental health of children.

Both candidates like emphasizing how much time they spend listening and talking to voters. In doing so, they tell the Inlander they generally hear three main concerns: housing, homelessness and public safety.

HOMELESSNESS

When it comes to homelessness, Zappone says there needs to be a variety of shelter types to meet the needs of different populations. That includes shelters for women and youth. He’s supportive of Mayor Nadine Woodward’s recent 2022 budget proposal for more low-barrier shelters. Lish thinks the city needs some low-barrier shelters, but he’s not yet sure how many. What’s more important, he says, is accountability.

Lish says his philosophy is informed by formerly homeless people he has met while doorbelling and walking around downtown. He says they told him that being held accountable helped them escape issues like drug addiction and become successful.

To Lish, more rigorous enforcement of drug and property crimes can help.

“We need to be able to hold people accountable — the bad actors,” Lish says. “There’s probably a small subset of the homeless downtown that are giving everybody else a bad name.”

Zappone says he’s also spent time talking with homeless people. He pushes back on Lish’s model of “compassionate accountability” and says there’s an urgent need to expand shelter capacity. He’s also guided by his studies at Princeton and research on best practices from other cities.

Lish is wary of adopting plans from other cities. “I’m ready for the Spokane solution,” he says, “I don’t want the solution to Seattle.”

Zappone has a four-point plan for addressing homelessness that involves preventative measures like eviction protections, coordinated outreach to get people into shelters, and mental health and substance use resources once people are in shelters. The final step focuses on transitional housing and job placement.

18 INLANDER OCTOBER 21, 2021

BY NATE SANFORD

Lish Lish criticizes Zappone’s plan for being too aligned with the current city council. He says a housing-first approach has been tried and clearly isn’t working.

PUBLIC SAFETY

Lish’s approach to public safety is guided by his experience managing a small business. He highlighted a recent incident when a random man showed up at his restaurant and started harassing employees when they tried to leave.

His employees had to call the police three times before they came, Lish says.

Lish says addressing public safety needs to involve filling staffing shortages in the Spokane Police Department. Zappone agrees and says the shortage results from a lack of leadership from the mayor’s office.

“There have been no proposals about additional funding needed to recruit and retain police officers.

There’s been no foresight,” Zappone says.

When he was running for state legislature in the summer of 2020, Zappone signed a pledge from Fuse Washington that called for significant statewide policing reforms.

Lish pressed him on the pledge during an Oct. 7 debate hosted by Rotary 21, and asked if Zappone still supported defunding the police. Zappone said he does not support defunding the police, but didn’t elaborate on whether or not he still stands behind the pledge. (The Fuse Washington Pledge doesn’t actually include the word “defund,” but it does call for de-militarization and redirecting police department funding to community-based alternatives.)

Zappone says he is a supporter of police, though he acknowledges that police aren’t necessarily trained to address root causes like substance abuse and mental health issues. He’s a big supporter of the recently opened Spokane Regional Stabilization Center and Spokane’s Therapeutic Drug Court.

Zappone

HOUSING

When it was Zappone’s turn to ask a question during the debate, he asked his opponent to name three concrete policies for making sure working and middle-class families can get ahead in the economy. Lish didn’t really name concrete policies — “I’m still pretty new to this,” he said — but he did name three general ideas: Re-zone neighborhoods and get rid of red tape, improve safety and attract higher-paying jobs.

Zappone agrees that re-zoning is necessary to encourage much-needed housing development in the Spokane area. The growth needs to be smart, he says, and focused on areas that have the infrastructure to support it. He also wants to change accessory dwelling regulations to make it easier to build housing for people who need smaller units.

“That’s the missing middle part of our market,” Zappone says.

Next year, Spokane will receive $40 million in federal COVID relief funding. Both candidates preface any talk of spending the money by emphasizing the need to listen to the community. In more concrete terms, Lish says he would like to see the money spent helping those who have been hit hardest by COVID-19, like small businesses and people who have lost work. Zappone brings up homelessness and affordable housing, as well as 21stcentury infrastructure, bike routes, walkable neighborhoods and childcare.

Zappone says the difference between him and his opponent is best highlighted by their endorsements; Zappone has significant backing from local labor unions, while Lish’s endorsements are more reflective of the business community. Lish has also received almost $145,000 from the Spokane Realtors Association, but he says the support wouldn’t influence any of his decisions. n

 SPOKANE VALLEY 

MEETING ON THE RIGHT Far-right conservatives, normal conservatives and a few moderates vie for seats on the Spokane Valley City Council

BY NATE SANFORD

POSITION 1

POSITION 5

Since he was elected in 2013, incumbent ROD HIGGINS (left) has been one of the more conservative voices on the Spokane Valley City Council. He’s being challenged by the more moderate JAMES “JJ” JOHNSON, who sits on the Spokane County Human Rights Task Force’s board of directors and works for Spokane Public Schools.

Higgins caused controversy in 2019 when he pushed back against a racial equity proposal from Councilmember Linda Thompson. He has also been a strong critic of mask mandates and called for “civil disobedience” in response to Gov. Jay Inslee’s orders. During a Northwest Passages candidate forum, Johnson dismissed his opponent’s hesitation.

“It’s not a big deal to wear a mask, I do it a lot,” Johnson said.

Higgins and Johnson are the only two candidates who filed to run, so both advanced to the general election without a primary.

WAYNE FENTON is challenging council incumbent PAM HALEY, who leans farther right than his son’s competitor. Haley was endorsed by prominent Eastern Washington Republicans like State Sen. Mike Padden and State Rep. Bob McCaslin.

During a candidate forum (that Wayne didn’t attend), Haley said she’s not sure how she feels about vaccine and mask mandates. She owns Rainbow Connection Daycare and said the mandates have made it hard to find and maintain employees. Wayne hasn’t been subtle about his thoughts on mandates. In 2020, he famously defied Gov. Jay Inslee’s lockdown orders and refused to close The Black Diamond, a bar he owns with his son.

Haley lists public safety, smooth roads and better jobs as priorities. She told Spokane Talks that she aims to keep Spokane Valley conservative and avoid going into debt. On his website, Wayne says he wants to decrease regulations, “wherever and whenever.”

ROD HIGGINS VS. JAMES “JJ” JOHNSON

POSITION 4

BEN WICK VS. BRANDON FENTON

BRANDON FENTON (left) is a self-described Trump Republican who shares a last name and campaign website with his father, Wayne Fenton, who is running for Spokane Valley City Council Position 5. The Fentons are running on similar “Make Spokane Valley Great Again” platforms that involve minimal government interference, strong law enforcement and defiance in the face of what they see as draconian COVID-19 restrictions.

Brandon’s opponent is Spokane Valley Mayor BEN WICK. (Councilmembers in Spokane Valley choose a mayor from the Spokane Valley City Council.)

Wick is conservative, but not quite on the Fenton family’s level. Wick is not a fan of big government and doesn’t like talking about his vaccination status, but the Progressive Voters Guide still recommended him as the lesser of two conservatives. (Brandon refers to him as a RINO — conservative slang for “Republican in name only.”)

Wick bested Fenton by 30 percent in the primary.

PAM HALEY VS. WAYNE FENTON

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POSITION 7

LINDA THOMPSON VS. LAURA PADDEN

Incumbent LINDA THOMPSON(left) is going to have to fight to keep her City Council seat.

She’s up against LAURA PADDEN, who is married to state Sen. Mike Padden and came in just 5 percent behind Thompson in the August primary.

Thompson was elected in 2017. She is more progressive than many of the other Spokane Valley candidates. Thompson has advocated for mental health professionals to accompany officers on duty and frequently brings up equity and inclusion as important factors in developing public policy.

Padden lists public safety as a top priority.

During a September candidate forum hosted

by Northwest Passages, she spoke ominously of “storm clouds” gathering over Spokane Valley in the form of gang activity.

Both Padden and Thompson agree there’s an urgent need to find creative solutions to manage Spokane Valley’s rapid growth. n

OCTOBER 21, 2021 INLANDER 19

 MAYORAL 

GROWING PAINS Mayoral races in Post Falls and Millwood feature candidates coming to grips with their towns’ popularity

BY WILSON CRISCIONE

MILLWOOD

KEVIN FREEMAN (left), the incumbent, has made more local news headlines for his role as a board member for the Spokane Regional Health District than his role as mayor. Freeman has been vocal in his support of Health District Administrator Amelia Clark and he voted last year to fire Spokane Regional Health Officer Bob Lutz.

But Millwood, the small town of less than 2,000 people between Spokane and Spokane Valley, has its own issues. Freeman has campaigned on the promise to continue to improve the town — namely, traffic congestion and increased law enforcement patrol.

His opponent is MATTHEW DEAN, a political newcomer. Dean served in the U.S. Navy before working for a local aerospace manufacturer for seven years. He also volunteers with Blessings Under the Bridge, which provides meals and other services for people experiencing homelessness.

POST FALLS

Post Falls, like the rest of Kootenai County, is growing. And it’s growing fast. RON JACOBSON (left), the Republican incumbent mayor, has told the Inlander that, ideally, Post Falls could stay the way it is now, but he recognizes that’s not possible. As mayor, he’s said that he shares citizen concerns about too much new density, but he knows it’s not possible to prevent development from happening, and he wants to ensure that there is infrastructure in Post Falls that keeps up with the growth.

Jacobson’s opponent, AUSTIN HILDEBRAND, is a local brewery owner and leans more libertarian. In a Coeur d’Alene Press questionnaire, he says he’s concerned with the housing market prices in North Idaho and says there needs to be more housing supply. Yet at the same time, he says he’s against any development program that would provide high-density housing.

On COVID-19 policy, neither support any mask or vaccine mandate right now, though after the Post Falls council voted down a mask mandate last fall, Jacobson said he would have supported it then, according to news reports. Hildebrand, in the questionnaire, says “no individual, entity, government, organization, etc. should have any control over another individual’s rights or liberties.” n

Confidence

IGNORED ADVICE

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20 INLANDER OCTOBER 21, 2021

onfused by the “advisory votes” in the front of your ballot? You’re not alone. State Rep. Marcus Riccelli (D-Spokane) says he gets more questions from stressed-out voters about these than about candidates.

Blame (or credit) a 2007 initiative championed by anti-tax crusader Tim Eyman. Initiative 960’s two-thirds majority requirement for raising taxes was long ago struck down as unconstitutional, but another provision, requiring non-binding “advisory votes” be placed on the ballot any time taxes are raised or a tax break is closed, lingered on.

Since they’re at the front of the ballot, Riccelli says sometimes “people don’t end up going through the whole ballot, because they’re exhausted with the advisory votes.” Some legislators want to do away with them entirely. Riccelli, at the very minimum, supports moving them to the end.

And the legislature doesn’t really pay attention to the

outcome, says state Senate Majority Leader Andy Billig (D-Spokane), because they know the arguments for and against the tax aren’t generally represented.

Since the votes are non-binding, you can feel free to skip them. Otherwise, you’ll be faced with weighing in on three different Olympia-passed measures. One is a phone tax that the legislature already passed to fund suicide prevention hotlines. Another is a tax on certain types of alternatives to insurance — it’s complicated, but was supported by every single member of the legislature but one. The big one is Advisory Vote 37: The state passed an entirely new form of taxation — the capital gains tax — to fund education and child care.

There’s a big legal battle over whether that capital gains tax is legal under Washington’s state constitution.

If it goes before a panel of state supreme court justices, their votes, at least, won’t just be advisory.

— DANIEL WALTERS

HOW BIG IS TOO BIG?

A

fter Steve Widmyer, Coeur d’Alene’s mayor for the past eight years, decided not to seek a third term, it opened up the field If you want pure political or municipal experience, JIM HAMMOND’s your man: He’s been a school administrator and a state senator. He was Coeur d’Alene’s city administrator for four years.

He even already has “mayor of a North Idaho city” on his resume.

He was mayor of Post Falls from 1991 to 1996.

He calls for smart growth: diversify with small businesses instead of just relying on one or two big employers, and allow for more infill to keep housing prices down.

A former New Yorker and Californian, local retired businessman JOE ALFIERI is running on a platform of constraining Coeur d’Alene’s rapid development, arguing that the “elected government of Coeur d’Alene continues to sit idly by while the city’s character slowly slips away.”

He’s okay with some amount of growth, but prefers sprawl to density.

The final candidate, MICHAEL LENTZ, made headlines recently for clashing with the Coeur d’Alene park department over permits for his dodgeball games and for accusing both Alfieri and Hammond of being too soft on growth. He just moved to Coeur d’Alene himself, but happily acknowledges he wants to shut the door behind him.

“If you want to move to a small town, you have to keep it as a small town,” he tells a right-wing North Idaho YouTube streamer. “I didn’t move here to move to Spokane.”

— DANIEL WALTERS

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OCTOBER 21, 2021 INLANDER 21

THEATER

CONJURING

AC T

Chelsea DuVall gets magical in Stage Left’s new production Open.

New Stage Left streaming production Open uses sleight of hand as a metaphor for escaping reality

BY E.J. IANNELLI 22 INLANDER OCTOBER 21, 2021

B

efore the curtain rises on Open, a befitting air of mystery hangs over the production. The synopsis tells us that Crystal Skillman’s one-woman play features a narrator known only as The Magician attempting to use the power of illusion to save the life of her unseen partner. But any specifics beyond that are generally left unsaid.

“The piece is very abstract, poetic. It’s about a woman’s struggle with her inner mind. She has a tendency to escape reality by creating magic shows in her head as she’s emotionally trying to come to terms with the problem at hand,” says Dawn Taylor Reinhardt, who’s directing a new production of Skillman’s play for Stage Left.

“I don’t want to go into too many details about what her journey is. Because if I do that, what’s the point in telling the story?”

YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

That lack of specificity is also integral to the story itself.

“Magic is when what we imagine can become real,” proclaims Open’s narrator in a key line of dialogue. And as if to underscore that point, the show deliberately segues between the real and the imaginary in a nonlinear way. Even the sleights of hand are in question.

“There’s nothing real on this stage at all,” Reinhardt says.

“The magic tricks are all pantomimes. Every single prop is done through imagination. There’s the idea of bringing flowers from a hat, and even though you don’t really see anything, they’re there, right? So we’re asking the audience to come and join in the game, to use their own imagination. We’re asking them to play along.” ...continued on page 24

OCTOBER 21, 2021 INLANDER 23

CULTURE | THEATER “CONJURING ACT,” CONTINUED...

W

ere this live, in-person theater, that participatory aspect might seem perfectly natural. In typical productions of Open, The Magician tends to mingle with the audience, asking individual members to indulge her in, say, picking a make-believe card or identifying the color of a ball she pretends to be juggling. This, however, is one of the last in a series of pre-recorded, limited-run streaming productions that Stage Left embraced during the pandemic. As a result, live theater runs up against the constraints of TV and film.

In her role as The Magician, Chelsea DuVall is well aware of those limitations and is working with Reinhardt to maintain Open’s interactive energy even as it streams into living rooms.

“This script has a lot of moments where the actor is inciting the attention of the audience very directly,” DuVall says. “There are a lot of tactics within this particular piece that will draw the audience in. There are places that are very presentational, and there’s a bit of showmanship — or showwomanship, I should say. And in the parts where that’s not as prevalent, it’s really up to me to sink in deep and really live it.”

At the same time, the recorded format does ease some of the usual technical challenges of live theater. This particular show calls for more than 100 lighting cues and around 60 sound cues.

The possibility of do-overs allows cast and crew to be sure that the timing of each of those cues is spot-on.

24 INLANDER OCTOBER 21, 2021

Recording with a two-camera setup also creates new possibilities to tell the tale in a certain way. Reinhardt admits that she’s a stage director first and foremost, but choosing a specific angle or experimenting with multiple takes allows her to tap into the same creative toolkit as a film director — even if they’re still approaching Open as a single seamless piece rather than a collection of individual scenes.

“We don’t take it moment by moment. We run the show,” she says. “But the thing is, we have to direct this for the rooms and not for the stage. There are definitely moments where it’s aimed for the stage, but there are definitely intimate moments for the rooms.”

“One of the things I’ve been telling people that have been asking me about this show is that, as an actor, on a technical level I’m exercising both the techniques needed with live theater and stage performance and film, which is such a rare thing,” DuVall adds.

“And it really is a technical gymnastics match, because the way you express things for the camera is very different from the way you express things for the stage. It does take a certain amount of thoughtfulness and consideration that is unique to this particular production.”

L

ike Stage Left’s production of An Iliad, which is making the leap from a previously pre-recorded performance to a live show, Reinhardt is hopeful that Open will follow the same trajectory so that audiences

can experience it in both forms. Whether live or filmed, though, she’s of the opinion that it will prompt audiences to “look at their own relationships within their circle, to question their relationships, to understand how strong words are, to be kind, to make some changes in their own existence.”

MORE EVENTS Visit Inlander.com for complete listings of local events.

She compares Open to an abstract painting where the interpretation rests largely with the viewer, a sentiment that DuVall echoes.

“It’s not heavy-handed.

There’s some buoyancy, some lightness to it, and yet it’s so grounded in humanity, which is remarkable — when you figure out what’s going on,” DuVall laughs. n Open • Fri-Sun, Oct. 22–24; On-demand streaming • $20 • Stage Left Theater • stagelefttheater.org

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It’s just one more clean energy idea we’re exploring for tomorrow.

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Sign up now at Inlander.com/newsletters OCTOBER 21, 2021 INLANDER 25

CULTURE | DIGEST

THE BUZZ BIN

Spokane native George Nakashima in his New Hope, Pennsylvania, shop in the 1940s.

COURTESY OF NAKASHIMA FOUNDATION FOR PEACE

CUTTING DEEP After deleting her social media accounts and going radio dark in early 2019 (which makes my overly-online brain incredibly jealous), indie singer-songwriter Mitski has reemerged with a new tune, “Waiting for the Knife.” The extremely on-brand single finds the singer wrestling with her usual anxieties about what exactly she’s doing with her life (“I cry at the start of every movie / I guess ‘cause I wish I was making things, too”) set to a soundscape of delicate electropop with big contorting guitar chords; not dissimilar to those found on her last album Be the Cowboy (the best album of 2018). The music video for the song incorporates some of the alluring slow-burn dramatic interpretive dance that became a signature of her last touring cycle. (SETH SOMMERFELD)

NOT FAR FROM THE TREE How a native Spokane woodworker brought me closer to my hometown

BY MADISON PEARSON

M

ost Spokane natives grow up going camping, hiking through local nature reserves and floating the Little Spokane River, but I didn’t step foot into Riverside State Park until I was almost 22.

I started to feel the itch of confinement by June 2020. I hadn’t been working, going to school or anywhere for that matter. I would pace around until inevitably deciding to lay back down and continue doom scrolling through various social media. My houseplants thrived in the sunlight that my window provided, but I didn’t.

My unorganized bookshelf that held one too many hardcover editions of my favorite book from middle school stared at me from the corner of my room. I sorted through the shelves and pulled out every book I felt could possibly make me feel connected to the outside world.

Walden by Thoreau was a classic that I was determined to get through. I thought Peter Wohlleben’s The Secret Life of Trees would help me imagine I was in the real world once again.

But no dice.

I braved the outside world in July to browse the shelves at a Barnes & Noble. I came across a book titled The Soul of a Tree: A Woodworker’s Reflections by George Nakashima.

After devouring the book in an afternoon, I flipped back to the sketches I had seen earlier to take a closer look. Wildflowers, hills and trees like I had always seen in my daily life — familiar. Nakashima had attended the University of Washington studying architecture and was a victim of internment during the Second World War. I also learned that Nakashima, like myself, was born in Spokane.

While imprisoned at Camp Minidoka in Hunt, Idaho, Nakashima learned woodworking from a fellow

26 INLANDER OCTOBER 21, 2021

Japanese American. He taught him the art of Japanese joinery, carpentry and the patience associated with the craft. From then on, Nakashima dedicated his life to woodworking.

After being released from Camp Minidoka, he made New Hope, Pennsylvania, the headquarters of George Nakashima Woodworkers in the late 1940s, and by August 2020, I happened to be driving through New Hope on a cross-country roadtrip.

Even from the passenger side of a Chevy Cruze it became evident to me why Nakashima adored New Hope. The highways are surrounded by lush greenery, the skies are blue, and crisp air funneled in from my window that made me want to take as many deep breaths as possible.

Nakashima formed a connection with every piece of wood he used in his work — he believed that every piece of furniture he made contained a story, and looking at the trees surrounding me, I couldn’t help but agree.

Once I returned home I flipped through my nowworn copy of Nakashima’s book. I noticed a quote I had highlighted near the front: “It’s a land where a young heart may search out the meaning of existence.”

Nakashima’s description of the PNW made me realize that I had never truly appreciated the beauty of my hometown. His love of the natural world sparked my own adoration of nature that had been hiding until then. Spokane has plenty to offer in terms of enjoying the beauty of nature, but to think I had never explored that part of my hometown leaves me incredulous.

Nakashima’s formative years in Washington influenced his outlook on life until his passing in 1990.

When I see the sunset through the pine trees that overlook downtown Spokane, I’m thankful that he opened my eyes to the meaning of my own existence during a time when I needed it the most. n

COZY CATS Although released last year, printing delays meant I wasn’t able to secure a copy of the adorable cats-and-quilts board game Calico ($40) until recently. (Uncle’s Games’ waitlist for the win!) After that long wait, I plan to break out this cozy, tile-laying, puzzle game all winter long. In Calico, the goal is to create a snuggly quilt on your player board with colorful, patterned hexagonal tiles, or quilt patches. As you do, you’ll also try to complete several game objectives, such as placing three-of-a-kind tiles adjacent, and “attracting” cats to your colorful quilt to score points. Calico’s beautiful artwork, straightforward rules and tactile quality combine for a wonderful, all-ages board game experience — one to be especially appreciated by fellow cat lovers. (CHEY SCOTT) THIS WEEK’S PLAYLIST Noteworthy new music arriving in stores and online Oct 22: SAID THE WHALE, Dandelion.

Tough to top these Vancouverites’ upbeat poppy rock. Like dandelions, every time you try to pluck one of their catchy ditties from your head, a dozen grow back.

ELTON JOHN, The Lockdown Sessions. We all said we should be productive in pandemic downtime. Elton John actually was, with an album of collabs featuring Stevie Wonder, Lil Nas X, Brandi Carlile, and more. That jerk.

Mega Ran, Live ‘95. The nerdcore video game rapper turns jock jammer with an album inspired by Michael Jordan’s Bulls, Michigan’s Fab Five and other ’90s basketball highlights. (SETH SOMMERFELD)

1.51 OCTOBER 21, 2021 INLANDER 27

OPENING

Meant to Be ABOVE: After working at local restaurants, Daniel Gonzalez and Monica York decided to strike out on their own with Kismet.

Kismet brings creative, Latin-inspired food and drinks to Hillyard

FACING PAGE: Chef Gonzalez’s culinary influences come together in his arepa con cerdo dish. YOUNG KWAK PHOTOS

BY CHEY SCOTT

D

aniel Gonzalez and Monica York always planned to open a restaurant together, but until a series of fortunate events occurred earlier this year, they weren’t sure as to how, or when.

The engaged couple met years ago while working together at a downtown restaurant, and saw their dream finally realized as Kismet opened in mid-September in the heart of Spokane’s historic Hillyard neighborhood.

Focusing on Latin and Spanish-influenced cuisine, Kismet’s menu is a combination of Gonzalez’s Mexican and Spanish heritage and his affinity for classic French and Italian cooking techniques. Before branching out to open his own spot, the chef was in the kitchens of Adam Hegsted’s Eat Good Group, starting with Wandering Table.

“I am very passionate about Latin-inspired stuff,” Gonzalez says. “I got to work with Adam, and a lot of the stuff he does with gastronomy and putting these flavors together — just because something is different or weird doesn’t mean we can’t put it on the menu. If the food is good, people will always eat it. That is how Adam influenced me.”

On the family side, Gonzalez credits his grandmothers, and recalls spending time in the kitchen with both as

28 INLANDER OCTOBER 21, 2021

they made tamales while watching Mexican soap operas.

“I was always learning stuff from both of my grandmothers,” he says, noting that Kismet’s tamales ($15; offered with pork or veggie filling) and mole sauce are both close adaptations of their recipes.

Another homage to family is the tacos “whettos” ($14) of beef cheek barbacoa, manchego cheese, salsa and hot sauce on corn tortillas.

“My grandmothers were very, very amazing cooks, but my mother, unfortunately — bless her heart — was not the best cook growing up,” Gonzalez says, laughing. “But she made these amazing tacos. They were not like real tacos, they were crispy taco [shells] with all these Mexican meats my grandmother made, and we called them ‘White boy tacos.’”

So Gonzalez decided to name his version tacos whettos; whettos being Mexican slang for “White boys.”

Kismet’s arepas con cerdo cakes (Spanish for pork, $13), meanwhile, took Gonzalez some time to refine, relying on his professional culinary training.

“That dish, for me, brings the essence of what we’re trying to accomplish here,” he says. “It took a lot of trial and error, and combines both cultures I’m from. The arepa is very Spanish — it’s very light and fluffy and cheesy, and

then the mole is very, very Jalisco, which is where [my family] is from. And the braised pork cheeks are influenced

by Hispanic and Latin flavors, but done very fresh.”

Other Latin influences on Kismet’s menu include ceviche ($14), an elote salad ($11), duck confit carnitas ($18) and a pork verde sandwich ($12). More rooted in traditional Spanish cuisine is the fabada ($21), a hearty stew of white beans and braised pork cheeks so tender the meat melts in the mouth. The dish is topped with salty, crunchy, charred vegetable “breadcrumbs.”

Kismet also serves a brisket blend burger ($16), fried avocado ($4), a smoked black bean empanada ($15) and housemade tagliatelle pasta with pork cheek ($20).

T

he restaurant’s bar program, overseen by York, who most previously tended bar and waited tables at Elliotts an Urban Kitchen, is still a work in progress as Kismet’s team gets settled. York’s house margarita mix is an early standout, but more complex craft cocktails, plus weekend brunch service, are planned to debut soon.

“We wanted to make things easier while training our staff, so the drinks right now don’t reflect the amount of effort that went into our food menu,” York explains.

We Carry the

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Brunch, Gonzalez says, will be different than your standard fare — less waffles and more Latin ingredients, flavors and traditional dishes.

Roughly a month since opening their doors to plenty of social media buzz, the couple are feeling even more excited to be in Hillyard.

“The people here have such a great sense of community, and are very proud of where they come from,” York says. “I am really glad to be a part of this area, for sure.”

The restaurant is located in a space that was last home to the short-lived Hillyard Pub & Grub, a casual spot from Tony and Raelene Elliott of Elliotts an Urban Kitchen on North Monroe.

The pub opened just weeks before the first COVID-19 dining shutdown in March 2020, and after fits and starts trying to reopen, the Elliotts decided to focus on their main venture instead, Gonzalez says.

“That was kismet for us,” he says. “We decided it was time.

I’ve had an opportunity to open a restaurant before, and I passed on it, so Monica and I decided if we were going to do it, and considering we were working as many hours already [at other peoples’ restaurants], that we should put that time into an investment of our own.”

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Bringing the flavors, richness and community of Latin America to a table near you, one dish at a time.

TRAVEL WITHOUT A PASSPORT While still working for their previous employers, the couple squeezed in time to renovate Kismet’s new home. They installed new kitchen equipment, rebuilt a patio and painted the walls with bright colors and murals. A roll-up garage door facing the sidewalk lets in fresh air when it’s warm, and seating at the bar gives an up-close look into the kitchen’s process.

Kismet is one of a handful of new eateries and bars to lately open in the Hillyard area — the Bad Seed in the old Hillyard library building is also new, and a couple other projects are in the works — bringing a renewed sense of vitality to the east Spokane neighborhood that embraces its scrappy local reputation and railyard roots.

“I love the challenge of going to a different spot [than downtown Spokane] and trying different things, and just wanting to be a pioneer in the food scene,” Gonzalez says. “And the people in Hillyard have been very receptive and kind. It’s good to have people who care about their neighborhood businesses.” n cheys@inlander.com Kismet • 3020 E. Queen Ave. • Open Tue-Sat 11 am-9 pm • Facebook: Kismet • 509-309-2944

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OCTOBER 21, 2021 INLANDER 29

SPICE WORLD Denis Villeneuve transports viewers to an alien planet in the awe-inspiring Dune

BY JOSH BELL

30 INLANDER OCTOBER 21, 2021

IC LANTERN THEATER MAG

I

t’s tempting to give Denis Villeneuve’s Dune (or Dune: Part One, as it’s designated in the opening titles) a grade of “incomplete,” since it deliberately adapts only about half of Frank Herbert’s 1965 classic sci-fi novel. Pending Dune’s performance at the box office and on HBO Max, there may be a Dune: Part Two, which may or may not successfully tackle the second half of the novel. For now, though, Dune can only be judged on its own merits, up to and including its surprisingly satisfying open-ended conclusion.

As a standalone film, Dune is still a monumental achievement, an ambitious and enveloping sci-fi blockbuster that does justice to Herbert’s work and marks another step forward from Villeneuve’s previous powerful sci-fi adaptations Arrival and Blade Runner 2049. Like those films, Dune is chilly and cerebral and may frustrate anyone expecting a modern Star Wars-style action movie.

There aren’t a lot of big action set pieces, and those battle sequences are never the movie’s primary focus. Dune is a story about clashes between aristocratic dynasties and the devastating legacy of colonialism. The explosions are always secondary.

Set in the far future mainly on the desert planet Arrakis, Dune chronicles the ascension of Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet), son of Duke Leto Atreides (Oscar Isaac) and heir to House Atreides, one of the galaxy’s most powerful families. House Atreides has been awarded stewardship of Arrakis, where they are to oversee the production of the substance known as spice, which is both the power source for interstellar travel and a hallucinogenic drug that extends human lifespans and expands consciousness.

This great honor is mostly a trap, though, an excuse for the galaxy’s emperor to pit House Atreides against rival House Harkonnen, so that the emperor can eliminate potential rivals to his throne. Both Duke Leto and his son are more interested in forging an alliance with Arrakis’ mysterious natives, the Fremen, who may possess unknown powers thanks to their long-term exposure to spice.

It’s a lot of plot to digest, and that’s without even mentioning the ancient religious order pledged by Paul’s mother Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson), Paul’s prophetic dreams DUNE and his potential to become Rated PG-13 your standard-issue sci-fi Directed by Denis Villeneuve Chosen One, or, of course, Starring Timothée Chalamet, those giant sandworms. In Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac 1984, David Lynch attempted to cram Herbert’s entire novel and all its world-building into a single feature film, and the result was an incomprehensible fever dream. Villeneuve and his co-writers Jon Spaihts and Eric Roth fare much better, and despite the massive amounts of exposition and the complex political, scientific and religious machinations, Dune is almost never difficult to follow.

But it’s also aloof and clinical, with characters who often seem more like chess pieces than fully realized people, despite the strong, nuanced performances. In many ways, Paul is led by his emotions, whether his devotion to his parents or his visions of the beautiful Fremen named Chani (Zendaya), but his every action still carries the weight of destiny. Dune can come off like an adaptation of a history textbook from an alien civilization, which makes it fascinating but also slightly unreachable.

It helps that the movie looks stunning, with aweinspiring visual effects, costumes and production design that capture the enormity of the galaxy-spanning empire and the variation within its society. Villeneuve leans into the Middle Eastern influences of Herbert’s novel, but Dune never looks or sounds like it’s emulating a single particular culture. It’s truly and totally alien, while also concerned with basic human truths about the need for connection and the lure of power. The story may be incomplete, but the world of Dune is an immersive, fully realized wonder. n

FRI, OCT 22ND - THU, OCT 28ST

TICKETS: $9 DUNE (150 MIN) FRI: 4:15, 7:00 SAT: 1:30, 4:15, 7:00 SUN: 1:00, 3:45, 6:50 MON-WED: 3:15, 6:00 THU: 2:15 ,5:00 LAMB (106 MIN) FRI: 4:00 SAT: 1:15 SUN-WED: 4:50 GOLDEN VOICES (90 MIN) FRI: 6:00 SAT-WED: 3:05 THE ALPINIST (93 MIN) MON-WED: 1:30 THE VELVET UNDERGROUND (120 MIN) FRI/SAT: 7:45 SUN: 12:45 MON-WED: 6:40 THE LOST LEONARDO (100 MIN) MON-WED: 1:15

For all rental information email: MagicLanternEvents@gmail.com 25 W Main Ave #125 • MagicLanternOnMain.com

Ron’s Gone Wrong

OPENING FILMS GOLDEN VOICES

Two renowned Jewish Russian filmdubbing artists flee the collapsing USSR for Israel and must reinvent themselves to make a new life. At the Magic Lantern.

(DN) Not rated

RON’S GONE WRONG

In a CGI-animated world where teens all have tiny robot companions, Barney feels awkward and left out until he receives his own digital buddy, Ron (Zach Galifinakis). But Ron isn’t like his robo peers, and his quirky malfunctions lead the duo on a comedic adventure. (SS) Rated PG

BOO ATTICUS RADLEY’S COFFEE & GIFTS DOWNTOWN SPOKANE • HOWARD ST.

OCTOBER 21, 2021 INLANDER 31

Positive Vibes Only Rosie CQ makes classical contemporary.

Spokane’s Rosie CQ is carving out a musical niche all her own: vibraphone pop

BY SETH SOMMERFELD

D

escending into the mildly claustrophobic Spokane Valley basement of Creative Music Learning Center isn’t an experience that screams pop music. Sitting unassumingly along Sprague Avenue’s commercial corridor, the building serves as a hub for locals seeking private music instruction. In a tiny corner room downstairs, Spokane’s Rosie CQ crafts a unique style of music you’ve likely never heard before — vibraphone pop.

Rosie CQ HQ is packed tight: a vibraphone and marimba parallel flank the center space, a drum kit sits against the back wall, crammed shelves jammed under the pitched ceiling overflow with bells, tambourines and books, and Rosie’s desk rests neatly tucked in the corner.

The most striking feature of the room — literally and figuratively — has to be the bags of mallets draping either side of the door. Over two dozen varieties of the sticks make up a rainbow array of kinetic musical potential, including Rosie’s signature line of BlueHaus mallets with their forest green yarn heads.

A classically trained percussionist, Rosie CQ (Rosie Cerquone) mainly teaches drum lessons by day, but then devotes her personal music time to creating a brand of music all her own, one where she’s singing while guiding her mallets across the vibraphone’s metallic bars. “[When I was a kid] I started playing stuff on guitar,” Rosie says, “but I was never very comfortable with guitar.

And so when I started becoming really comfortable with four mallets (the process where a percussionist holds two mallets in each hand to achieve chords and more complex sounds), it actually was just such a natural step for me to start playing that as my chordal instrument while being able to sing. I think they’re some of the most beautiful instruments just to listen to.

“I chose vibraphone over something like marimba,” she continues, “because… one, honestly, it’s just so much more portable that I can bring it places. But also I feel like just with the pedal that it has, you can actually sustain notes on this instrument, unlike marimba. I felt like it added so much versatility to what I could do. You just have so many more options for peaks and valleys in

32 INLANDER OCTOBER 21, 2021

your own music, whether you’re playing alone or with a group of musicians.”

The results of this uncommon combination can be heard on her 2021 debut album, The How and the Why. The album establishes an airy dreamscape from the opening notes of “Lullaby,” as the chiming vibraphone notes underscore Rosie singing about the desire for company on sleepless nights. The album simultaneously delivers a warm and sparse listening journey. It features only vibraphone, drums, auxiliary percussion and vocals, but Rosie layers the elements and her own harmonies to flesh out the gaps. It’s easy to get lost mentally drifting like a feather on the breeze when listening to tunes like “Fly” and “Anthem,” while songs like “12” sport a more aggressively energized feel. And there’s simply a refreshing and invigorating experience to hear songs with a melodic sensibility set against such atypical instrumentation.

R

osie says she’s influenced by a host of musical sources — from folk acts like Punch Brothers and Brandi Carlile to modern pop superstars like Olivia Rodrigo and Billie Eilish (both of whom Rosie has been known to cover live). And while no one would mistake the experimental dream pop of The How and the Why for the streamlined pop rock of Rodrigo’s Sour, the album covers some of the same ground lyrically.

“I felt like thematically [the album’s songs] work together because they were a lot about the same things of figuring out why I was doing anything in my life really.

(Laughs) Especially in that you know, aged 16 to 22 years of life.”

A Missoula, Montana native, Rosie was always a music kid growing up, starting with guitar before taking up percussion in fifth grade band. Her draw to the mallet instruments like bells and xylophone was almost immediate, and by eighth grade she was taking lessons focused on honing her four-mallet skills.

Staying in her hometown, she studied percussion performance at University of Montana, where she dabbled in a bit of everything — drum set, orchestral percussion, world percussion — but honed her focus to mallet instruments, specifically the vibraphone.

“With vibraphone it definitely can be challenging sometimes to get the sound that I want in my head,” she says. “You do have to take into account that it doesn’t sound necessarily as lush harmonically. [With] guitar or piano, we’re just used to these really, really full-sounding instruments.”

CLARIN JOY PHOTO

Rosie CQ had been writing the songs that would comprise The How and the Why over six years, but she needed motivation and for other people to hold her accountable to actually make the record a reality.

“My senior year of college, I just kept telling people I was gonna make an album and I didn’t actually know how it was gonna happen,” she says. “I was like, ‘Well I guess I have to do it now.’”

A

fter earning her degree in 2020, Rosie moved over to Spokane, following her partner Haydn Halsted, who also serves as her drummer. Having also earned a Sonic Arts Certificate from UM, Rosie went about recording the album mostly in her bedroom.

“I wanted to create this album because I knew coming out of college that I had all this music and I didn’t want it to just, like, disappear,” Rosie adds. She’s progressing on what will be her second album, which she hopes to take in a much more pop direction than her debut.

“I think my songwriting influence has changed quite a bit in the last few years,” Rosie says. “If you listen to The How and the Why, it definitely has pop elements, but it also reads very much like somebody that was steeped in the classical percussion tradition. And I still pull from that, but more and more I’m trying to pull from some of my favorite pop artists just as far as song structure to make it a little bit more accessible to all kinds of people.”

While she won’t begin recording album No. 2 until 2022, expect a lot of the new, poppier songs when Rosie CQ plays her first show at Lucky You on Friday, opening for Spilt Milk and Cuchulain. Mainly, she just hopes that people are receptive to exploring her unique sonic niche.

“I would just invite people to listen to all music that has a strange instrumentation with an open mind because I think we’re really quick to to look at a stage with weird instruments on it and be like ‘Oh this is going to be strange,’ or ‘This is going to be not something that I necessarily like,’” says Rosie. “But I think more than often the instrumentation is something that we can play with so much more in pop music than is normally played with.

I would love for [people] to come hear what vibraphone pop sounds like.” n Spilt Milk, Cuchulian, Rosie CQ • Fri, Oct. 22, 8 pm • $12-$15 • 21+ • Lucky You Lounge • 1801 W Sunset Blvd • luckyyoulounge.com • 509-474-0511

This time, your loan pays you.

1% cash is back! Refinance your non-STCU auto, boat, or recreational vehicle loan and get up to $500 back.* To learn more or to apply, visit stcu.org/cashback, visit any STCU branch location, or call (509) 326-1954.

*

Offer good for non-STCU loans only. The 1% cash back offer is limited to $500 per loan.

Effective July 1, 2021, through December 31, 2021. Recipient is responsible for all taxes related to bonus payments. Loans subject to approval. Rates and terms of your STCU loan may depend on the creditworthiness of the applicant and model year of vehicle.

OCTOBER 21, 2021 INLANDER 33

PERFORMANCE SINGING ON SKATES

Your favorite Disney heroes are skating their way back into the Lilac City to the Spokane Arena for the next installment of the 40-years-and-running Disney On Ice series, Dream Big. This magical experience features Disney characters such as Moana, Miguel, Elsa, Belle, Genie and many others who translate their beloved on-screen story arcs to world-class figure skating.

Audiences of all ages can enjoy a couple hours’ journey to worlds where their favorite heroes seek to fulfill their dreams and make lasting memories. All attendees ages 5 and over are required to wear a mask regardless of vaccination status.

— MADISON PEARSON Disney On Ice: Dream Big • Oct. 22-24; Fri-Sat at 7 pm and Sat-Sun at 11:30 am and 3:30 pm • $20-$90 • Spokane Arena • 720 W. Mallon Ave. • spokanearena.com • 509-279-7000

GET LISTED!

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

34 INLANDER OCTOBER 21, 2021

MUSIC HELLO/GOODBYE

THEATER AYE AYE CAPTAIN

Super Sparkle • Sat, Oct. 23 at 8 pm • $15 • 21+ • Lucky You Lounge • 1801 .W Sunset Blvd. • luckyyoulounge.com • 509-474-0511

Men On Boats • Oct. 22-23 at 7:30 pm and Oct. 24 at 2 pm • $12$15 • Whitworth Cowles Auditorium • 300 W. Hawthorne Dr. • whitworth.edu/theatre • 509-777-4374

Super Sparkle is returning to say au revoir. The Pacific Northwest music identity tends towards a rather gloomy aesthetic, but for almost six years the Spokane retro-pop collective has been turning local venues into upbeat, sunny, soul-infused dance parties with every energetic set. Super Sparkle’s first Spokane show since 2019 will also serve as its farewell concert as the always-active musicians that comprise the group — including members of Cathedral Pearls, Water Monster, Windoe and the Spokane Symphony — move on to their own projects. To celebrate the occasion, the band will play literally all of its songs (22 of ’em) over the course of two sets at Lucky You. — SETH SOMMERFELD

Whitworth University’s Theatre Department is welcoming back live audiences for its fall season production of Men On Boats. Despite the official title, the play features only women, female-identifying, gender-nonconforming, racially diverse, neurodivergent and actors with disabilities. The play, which is a contemporary retelling of the 1869 government-sanctioned expedition to the Grand Canyon, asks the questions: How do we move forward through uncertainty, and how do we reclaim our history? All attendees are required to wear a mask regardless of vaccination status.

— MADISON PEARSON

WORDS POETRY ON THE GO

Washington State Poet Laureate Rena Priest is spending the weekend in Pend Oreille County for a series of public events at community centers in Metaline Falls, Usk and Newport. Priest, a member of the Lummi Nation who currently resides in Bellingham, has been Washington’s poet laureate since April of this year. The position has a mission to build awareness and appreciation of poetry, both as a means of expression and activism. During each of her stops, Priest reads poetry, hosts writing workshops and community conversations on arts, humanities and the economy.​​“Even if poetry isn’t your usual thing, we encourage you to spend some time with Ms. Priest and see if you change your mind,” says Donivan Johnson, a local music teacher and board member of the Cutter Theatre, which co-organized the events.

— CHEY SCOTT Washington State Poet Laureate Rena Priest • Sat, Oct. 23 at 6 pm at the Cutter Theatre, Metaline Falls; Sun, Oct. 24 at 10 am at Usk Community Hall and 4 pm at CREATE Arts Center, Newport • Free • Details at humanities.org

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON HOW TO APPLY GO TO SREC911.ORG OR CALL (509) 532-8911

COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER I • ANSWERS EMERGENCY & NON-EMERGENCY CALLS • OUTSTANDING CUSTOMER SERVICE SKILLS • FULL TIME - $47,632 - $57,886 ANNUALLY • EXCELLENT BENEFITS • APPLY HERE: WWW.GOVERNMENTJOBS.COM/CAREERS/SREC FOLLOW US

MUSIC TAKE YOUR BEST FRIEND’S RIDE

TLC is best known for their hit singles “Waterfalls,” “Creep,” “Unpretty” and “No Scrubs,” and their 1994 album CrazySexyCool is a classic. That’s why it sold more than 12 million copies. Their follow-up Fanmail, coming a full five years later, sold more than 10 million itself. In other words, they were huge in ’90s pop. The group is bringing their signature sound to the Coeur d’Alene Casino, and I’m both thrilled and a little flummoxed that they’re not playing an even bigger venue. Spend an evening at the casino with your friends T-Boz and Chilli (R.I.P. Left Eye) and enjoy a trip back to when these ladies blended hop-hop, soul and R&B like few of their peers.

— DAN NAILEN TLC • Thu, Oct. 28 at 7 pm • Sold out; Tickets available through secondary markets • 18+ • Coeur d’Alene Casino • 37914 S. Nukwalqw, Worley, Idaho • cdacasino.com • 800-523-2464

OCTOBER 21, 2021 INLANDER 35

CHEERS

I SAW YOU POUNDING POPCORN GUY. At the Chiefs game on Saturday against the Thunderbirds.

You: In beer garden double fisting the popcorn like the world was ending tomorrow.

Me: Cute Burnette above you in skybox wishing someone would love me as much as you loved that popcorn.

RE: LOOKING FOR MY HAIRDRESSER Jayme (formerly at Oasis) is now at Sola SALON ON 29th Ave suit 1 - in studio 11.

ANARCHY CAR A red sports car parked outside Jimmy John’s, with “ACAB,” “Wake up!,” and Anarchist symbols drawn on it. I thought, “This person seems rad; I wonder who they are.” I went into Trader Joe’s and when I came back out the car in your spot had a thin blue line sticker. Downgrade.

WEST CENTRAL WAILING Hi my fellow neighbors, those living in houses, in cars parked on our block, or otherwise. I don’t mind Terribly much if you insist on shooting up at lunchtime while parked outside my home and I don’t care an Awful lot that you deal drugs out of the “broken down” SUV and the squatter rental on our street. But for all of us who aren’t high on the hype with you - could you please stop wailing/ whistling/raging/yelling at each other at all hours? We can hear you, our babies can hear you. Through the walls. Like I see you man. If you want to do drugs cool, whatever, but could you communicate to each other in regular conversational tones?

CHEERS TO SUCCESSFULLY SCUTTLING THE SRHD Cheers to the Spokane County Commissioners for successfully scuttling the Spokane Regional Health District. The hiring of an incompetent Health District Administrative Officer to take SRHD down is a masterful means to kill this organization in sprit and purpose. Commissioner French has been a pillar of strength by missing more meetings of the SRHD Board than he has attended since becoming a County Commissioner. He can stare down looks from any community members that think he should should some courtesy and respect to the job he was elected to do. (I’m really not sure if French knows all the past SRHD administrators as he has been gone most of the time.) No doubt we can look to another great year with Amelia Clark smashing the SHRD against the rocks.

COSTCO SMILE I don’t know how many people you have touched. But the SMILE under your mask made your eye’s light up! Thank you for taking the time to say HELLO, my day was grim, but after your grin...... it made me feel like I was walking on the clouds! Thanks Spokane Valley Receipt Costco Girl... the one with the short spiky hair!!!

YOU SAW ME RE: S REGAL POST OFFICE Thank you for holding both doors. I’d love to go for a ride if the truck won’t get jealous :) Shoot me an email at cliffordthebigredtruck509@ yahoo.com

JEERS ANTIVAXX ANTIMASK PROTESTS Tell me you’ve never been oppressed without saying you’ve never been oppressed. Widening wealth disparities? You stay at home, offer no help to the homeless, and tell them to pick themselves up by the bootstraps.

Police executing unarmed black men in the streets? You stay home and complain about someone breaking a window. Constant destruction of the earths environmental resources? You stay at home, tell people it’s either fake or it’s the necessary price to pay for capitalist society. Then finally, you’re asked to do one simple thing to

help prevent a deadly virus from spreading to your neighbors and coworkers? Here is where you put your foot down. To the corner of Sprague and Sullivan with signs and loudspeakers, the Karens will march, to speak out against this horrific injustice! Give me a break and let me sit at the stoplight in peace instead.

“

farmers fields and destroying and eating their crops, they came up with a creative way of keeping them out without harming them, which I won’t go into here. Also, in India they have made elephant paths through their tea plantations which was the elephants habitat, so that they may still migrate through there without harm to animal or crop. In India they have also

APPLE ORCHARD ENTRY FEE Jeers to the Greenbluff orchards that are charging an entrance/parking fee. It’s still unclear what

Their campaign literature spews all the carefully chosen code words that barely camouflage their real agenda. learned to live with the monkeys that are in the city streets and at their temples. (watch PBS once in a while, you might learn something!) I understand that the wolves are a danger to your livestock, and that’s your livelihood. However, can’t we be innovative and come up with a creative solution rather than mass murder of this wild animal that is just trying to survive the best it knows how?

Sometimes humans disgust me. I know the a good majority of Idahoans won’t agree with this...profit before wild nature at all costs. So sad...what right do we have? because they were here first..

MOOSECUCKLE HOCKEY BOY Way to go Jody! You landed you a real keeper. How does it feel knowing your relationship is founded on lies? Staying true must mean you’re a real WTDB. Do us all a favor; either shave your child molester mustache differently or don’t even try... also you’re an adult now; it’s okay to wear your hat forwards. F’nDB. VIRUS TIRADES Jeers to the comments about coronavirus and vaccine compliance, as well as The Inlander for continuing to encourage the foolishness. With respect to the most recent triteness, last week a word was used combining “Trump” and a derogatory term for those with intellectual disabilities. Shame on you who wrote the post! It’s too bad you haven’t progressed and learned that term is offensive. Jeers also to The Inlander for allowing the post.

Also, in terms of the constant insults about Trump, some of us never thought highly of him while he was in office, but your inane ideas about him are making him more appealling by the day. Keep it up and you’ll have him (or someone just like him back in office in no time)! Duh! Duh! Dumb! Oh..... and leave the ideas about coronavirus and vaccines to those who have the education and experience to have an informed opinion.

COEUR D’ALENE COUPSTERS MASSING FOR AN ATTACK They sprang up like poisonous mushrooms overnight, yard signs lined up like good soldiers beneath “Trump 2024” flags, naming a full slate of candidates for school boards, city councils, mayors, even fire districts. Their campaign literature spews all the carefully chosen code words that barely camouflage their real agenda: “retain lawful parental rights… against Anti-American ideologies…remove divisive curriculum from all grades…reinvigorate North Idaho values…” Who are these people? White supremacists, homophobes, anti-Vaxers, climate change deniers, organized for a total takeover, counting on the votes of Qanon Trumpists to sweep them into office. Wake up Coeur d’Alene voters!

The storm troopers are coming and hell is coming with them.

IDAHO WOLVES I was sickened to hear that Idahoans will be paid to kill 90% of their wolf population! Really?! In Africa when the elephants were going into the

ONLY GAME IN TOWN Jeers to TicketsWest.

SOUND OFF

be In the know FOR ALL THINGS DAZE SCHOOL SAYS ABOUT WHAT THE LATEST RESEARCH COVID-19 AND THE CLASSROOM

HURRY UP AND WAIT SO LONG TO

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NOT LOST LONG SHUTTERED, | NEAR NATURE, JANUARY 9-15, 2020 PAGE 44 BUT BEGIN PROJECTING AGAIN

SEEKING INSPIRATION

JANUARY 14-20, 2021 | LIBERTY, EQUALITY

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SCARY SPEEDS 5G IS COMING. WHY SOME

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WHY IS IT TAKING 8 GIVE OUT VACCINES? PAGE

SCREEN THE BIGSPOKANE THEATERS

NOVEMBER 12-18, 2020 | PLEASE MASK

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the extra $5 fee is for other than to stop up traffic. Perhaps it’s for the priviledge of walking through apple tree orchards that don’t have any apples? Or, it it for the priviledge of entering the store to purchase items? Or, it is so that you can enter so that you can pay for a child’s ride? Or, is it so that you can enter to pay for a pumpkin?

It’s very confusing. When I enter the grocery store to buy (a less expensive) apple, they don’t charge me an entrance fee. If the parking fee was going to charity, I’m all for paying. But, the ROI for the experience this weekend wasn’t worth it. I’d encourage others to avoid the orchards that charge fees and go to those instead that aren’t charging an extra fee. More than likely, they could use the money more anyhow. Also, please don’t use the excuse that it’s for controlling traffic flow into the orchard because there were people on top of people. Very tacky! n

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

1. Visit Inlander.com/isawyou by 3 pm Monday. 2. Pick a category (I Saw You, You Saw Me, Cheers or Jeers). 3.

Provide basic info: your name and email (so we know you’re real). 4. To connect via I Saw You, provide a non-identifying email to be included with your submission — like “petals327@yahoo.com,” not “j.smith@comcast.net.”

36 INLANDER OCTOBER 21, 2021

Josh Turner’s concert was cancelled on 9/19. They said refunds would be forthcoming in 10 days. A month later there is still no refund and not much contact to answer questions. What is the hold up?

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W I N T E R Monthly in the Inlander

S E R I E S October – February

Ask about our Snowlander Packages! Advertising@inlander.com

EVENTS | CALENDAR

BENEFIT

BINGO AT THE CIDER HOUSE An event to raise money for Safe Passage Coeur d’Alene with several rounds of prizes and giveaways. All bingo card ($5 each or 2 for $8) purchases and 20 percent of sales go to Safe Passage, which helps survivors of domestic and sexual violence, including children. Oct. 21, 6:308 pm. $5/$8. Coeur d’Alene Cider Co., 1327 E. Sherman Ave. cdaciderco.com COVID CABIN FEVER COLLABORATIVE QUILT AUCTION The results of the Friends of the Pend Oreille County Library District’s COVID Cabin Fever Cooperative Quilt Project are offered via an online auction. Proceeds fund the expansion of the library’s “Books in Every Preschooler’s Hand” project. Auction open through Nov. 3 at 9 pm. tinyurl.com/COVIDCABINFEVERQUILT-AUCTION (509-671-4303) EMPOWERING YOUTH FUNDRAISER College Success Foundation’s annual fundraiser helps ensure that thousands of underserved, low-income students throughout Washington state get the support they need to persist and graduate from college. Oct. 23, 6-7 pm. collegesuccessfoundation.org PUMPKIN BALL The 18th annual event raises funds to help the community’s most vulnerable children, cared for by the Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital and Vanessa Behan. This year’s event is a virtual format, with interactive events set for Oct. 19 and 23. phcfewa.ejoinme. org/MyEvents/2021PumpkinBall/tabid/1230597/Default.aspx SPOOKWALK Meet the ghosts of Browne’s Addition on a walking tour of the neighborhood. Wear sturdy shoes, bring a flashlight and be prepared to walk for about 1.5 hours. Proceeds support the Friends of Coeur d’Alene Park in Browne’s Addition. Oct. 29-31 from 6:45-8 pm. $20. Browne’s Addition, West Spokane. tinyurl.com/BrownesTours (509-850-0056)

COMEDY

TIM DILLON Dillon was a new face at the Montreal Comedy Festival in 2016, and won the title of New York’s Funniest 2016 at Caroline’s NY Comedy Festival. Oct. 21, 7 & 9:45 pm. $35. Spokane Comedy Club, 315 W. Sprague. (509318-9998) DAYMON WAYANS JR. The American actor, comedian and writer is widely known for as the character “Coach” on New Girl, and before that, as Brad Williams in the sitcom Happy Endings, for which he was nominated for the Critics’ Choice Award for Best Supporting Actor. Oct. 22-23 at 7:30 and 10:30 pm. $30-$40. Spokane Comedy Club, 315 W. Sprague. spokanecomedyclub.com NO CLUE Join the BDT Players as they put a comedic spin on everyone’s favorite macabre guessing game. Fridays in October at 7:30 pm. Rated for general audiences. $8. Blue Door Theatre, 815 W. Garland Ave. bluedoortheatre.com SAFARI Blue Door’s version of “Whose Line,” a fast-paced improv show. Rated for mature audiences/ages 16+. Saturdays, 7:30-9 pm. $8. Blue Door Theatre, 815 W. Garland. bluedoortheatre.com

COMMUNITY

COLVILLE CORN MAZE & PUMPKIN PATCH The Inland Northwest’s largest

corn maze, plus a pumpkin patch with pumpkins and squash in all shapes and sizes. Open daily through Oct. 31; MonThu 4 pm to dusk; Fri 4-7 pm, Sat-Sun 11 am-7 pm. $7-$9. Colville Corn Maze & Pumpkin Patch, 73 Oakshott Rd. colvillecornmaze.com (509-684-6751) LOUIS COMFORT TIFFANY: TREASURES FROM THE DRIEHAUS COLLECTION A celebration of the artistry and craftsmanship of the Tiffany artworks from Chicago’s distinguished Richard H. Driehaus Collection, highlighting masterworks never before presented in a comprehensive exhibition. Open Tue-Sun, 10 am-5 pm, through Feb. 13. $7-$12. The MAC, 2316 W. First Ave. northwestmuseum.org (509-456-3931) NEON JUNGLE An alternative to haunted houses, Neon Jungle features a glowing jungle, a mythical forest filled with illuminated flowers and creatures and other surprises. Benefits the Wired2Learn Foundation. Oct. 15-17 and 21-24 from 5-9 pm. $10. Kootenai County Fairgrounds, 4056 N. Government Way. w2lfoundation.com SCARYWOOD HAUNTED NIGHTS Scarywood is full of haunted attractions and roaming monsters, including five haunted attractions, nine scare zones and the chance to ride most of Silverwood’s signature rides in the dark.

Through Oct. 30; Thu from 7-11 pm, Fri-Sat from 7 pm-midnight. $40-$58.

Silverwood Theme Park, 27843 U.S. 95. scarywoodhaunt.com (208-683-3400) THURSDAY NIGHT LIVE Join the MAC each third Thursday for live music, gallery cruising and periodic public lectures, workshops, artist demonstrations, exhibit openings and receptions.

Drink tickets for water, beer and wine (21+) also for sale at the admissions desk. Oct. 21, 5-8 pm. $6. Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture, 2316 W. First Ave. northwestmuseum.org WHITMAN HERITAGE SCAN DAY Whitman Heritage Digital Collections, a project of Whitman County Library, is visiting three library branches in October to scan and digitize historically significant photos from local community members. To participate, please contact WCL at 509-397-4366 or info@ whitcolib.org. Oct. 21 (Colton) and Oct. 26 (Endicott). Free. whitcolib.org MONSTER MASH GOODIE BAG GIVEAWAY Teal colored, allergy friendly pumpkin bags are available by registration. Bags are age appropriate for ages 4+. This is a drive-thru event at Goodwill to pick up pre-packaged bags, not a trick-or-treat event, and your child does not have to be present. You must preregister in advance for this event, and supplies are limited. Oct. 22, 10-11 am.

Free. Goodwill, 2282 N. Ash St. giinmarketing.com/goodwillhalloween SHRINERS HAUNTED HALLOWEEN DRIVE-THRU HUNT Load up the car and take a slow drive through the El Katif Shriners’ Halloween-themed “Fez Forest.” Look for hidden items and spooky characters. Proceeds support the Shriners’ mission and programs.

Oct. 8-30; Fri-Sat from 5:30-8:30 pm. $10 per car. Shriners Event Center, 7217 W. Westbow Blvd. elkatif.org BOO BASH COSTUME BALL A community dance with prizes for best costumes, a cha-cha lesson from 7-8 pm and general dancing from 8-10 pm. Oct. 23, 7-10 pm. $5-$9. Ponderay Events Center, 401 Bonner Mall Way. (208699-0421)

NATIONAL PRESCRIPTION DRUG TAKE BACK DAY Bring unused, expired and unwanted medications including prescription medications, pet medications, samples and over-the-counter medications for this drive-thru event.

Community partners are distributing free Narcan kits, medication lock boxes and helmets on a first-come, first-serve basis. No questions asked. Oct. 23, 10 am-2 pm. Free. C.O.P.S Northwest, 2215 W. Wellesley Ave. spokanecops.org PET ADOPTION & DOG PARK FUNDRAISER Brick West is teaming up with Spokane Parks Foundation for a pet adoption event with Spokane Humane Society, Spokanimal, SCRAPS, STAHR and Paths of Hope. Brick West is also selling a special dog toy, with 100% of sales funding a new dog park at Riverfront Park. Oct. 23, 1 pm. Brick West Brewing, 1318 W. First. facebook.com/ events/399571605101914 (279-2982) REFOREST SPOKANE DAY Join Inland Northwest Land Conservancy, The Lands Council, Avista and U.S. Fish and Wildlife for this annual event, this year from Rimrock to Riverside, a crucial connector between Palisades City Park and Riverside State Park. Trees are being planted in small groups and shifts for safety. Oct. 23, 9 am-1 pm. Palisades Park, Greenwood Blvd. & Rimrock Dr. inlandnwland.org/reforest-spokane SHE SE PUEDE TRICK OR TREAT & SHOP A 2-day event with more than 20 female-owned small businesses offering arts and crafts, handmade items, clothing, food and more. Booths are also handing out candy; bring the family and enjoy the day while supporting local and regional small businesses. Oct. 23, 12-6 pm. Free. Hillyard Food Truck Pavilion, 5108 N. Market St. facebook.com/Hillyard-Food-TruckPavilion-100232218924654 TRICK-OR-TROT 5K MONSTER FUN RUN Join Fairmount Memorial Association and dress up to run/walk in this Halloween-themed race! Proceeds benefit ValleyFest. Oct. 23, 10 am-noon. $20.

Pines Cemetery, 1402 S. Pines Rd. facebook.com/events/3998955023565212 U-HIGH SCHOOL CRAFT FAIR Presented by the University High School Marching Band and Colorguard, featuring more than 90 skilled crafters of original designs, holiday gifts, jewelry, home decor, food and more. Kids 12 and under free. Oct. 23 from 9 am-5 pm, Oct. 24 from 10 am-4 pm. $2. University High School, 12320 E. 32nd Ave. facebook.com/uhicraftfair PATHWAYS FORWARD During this year’s Domestic Violence Action Month, join YWCA Spokane and community partners for a progress-minded conversation about domestic violence in Spokane and the role we can each play in responding to it. Oct. 27, 12-1 pm. Free. ywcaspokane.org/pathways-oct27

Justice & Equity: Challenging Hate and Inspiring Hope

Join us for Gonzaga’s Sixth International Conference on Hate Studies, Nov 4-6, 2021 held virtually this year.

Join us for presentations, workshops and discussions from local, national and international experts and organizations, including regional Human Rights groups, the Western States Center, Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Los Angeles, the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon’s Collaboratory Against Hate and the University of Copenhagen, among others.

Registration is open at www.gonzaga.edu/icohs

Holiday Editions NOVEMBER 26-DECEM

BER 2, 2020 | HAPPY

Holiday Guide

COLLEGE LL TBA BASKE ARE STARTING THE

HOLIDAYS!

THE ZAGS NO. 1 PAGE 18 SEASON RANKED

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ON STANDS NOV. 24TH

SUPPLEMENT TO THE

BAN THE PLASTIC BAGS

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20 COMING? PAGE

ING RCHPAGE 69 SEA UL H’S ALLEN STONE SO OF CHEWELA THE RETURN

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| IT’S SHOP LOCAL

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| LET’S SHOP LOCAL

INLANDER

Everything you need to know to survive and thrive through the season!

THIS YEAR!

PA GE

24

ON STANDS DEC. 2ND & 9TH Gift ideas for everyone on your list!

FILM

MATCHSTICK PRODUCTIONS: A BIKER’S BALLAD Hosted by Gonzaga Outdoors in the Hemmingson Auditorium.

This new film from Matchstick Productions explores the various disciplines of mountain biking in the birthplace of the sport, Crested Butte, Colorado. Oct. 21, 7-8:30 pm. $10. Gonzaga University Hemmingson Center, 702 E. Desmet Ave. gonzaga.edu/Campus-Resources/ guest-services/Hemmingson-Center/ default.asp (509-313-6942)

Special Holiday Advertising 509.325.0634 ex 215 Packages are available! Sales@Inlander.com OCTOBER 21, 2021 INLANDER 37

EVENTS | CALENDAR THIRD THURSDAY MATINEE MOVIE: CASTLE KEEP KSPS Saturday Night Cinema co-host and lifelong movie fan Shaun Higgins revives his popular Thursday afternoon classic movie series featuring four films from different genres that focus on art, and in a couple of instances, museums. Oct. 21, 1-3 pm. $7. The MAC, 2316 W. First Ave. northwestmuseum.org (509-456-3931) SNOW FALLING ON CEDARS The Panida and Bonner County Human Rights task force offer a free showing of Snow Falling on Cedars. Before the film, Jim Mitsui speaks about his experience as a child in an internment camp. After is a group discussion on important issues raised. Oct. 22, 6:30 pm. Free. Panida Theater, 300 N. First Ave. panida.org DRIVE-IN MOVIE NIGHTS The HUB hosts a series of fall outdoor drive-in movies: Oct. 16: Monsters, Inc. and A Nightmare on Elm Street; Oct. 23: Harry Potter & The Prisoner of Azkaban and Scream; Oct. 30: Hocus Pocus and Carrie. All screenings start at 7 pm. $20/ car. HUB Sports Center, 19619 E. Cataldo Ave. hubsportscenter.org PALOUSE FRENCH FILM FESTIVAL The 11th annual series is presented by U of I’s Department of Modern Languages and Cultures, WSU’s School of Languages, Cultures and Race and the Kenworthy. Schedule: Oct. 19, “Grâce à Dieu (By the Grace of God)” and Oct. 26: “La Daronne (Mama Weed).” $5. The Kenworthy, 508 S. Main St. kenworthy.org

FOOD

PIE + PINTS POP-UP Enjoy a rotating assortment of sweet and savory pies each week, alongside beer from Lumberbeard. Order ahead for best selection at beanandpie.com. Fridays from 5-7 pm thorugh Oct. 29. Lumberbeard Brewing, 25 E. Third. beanandpie.com ROCKET WINE CLASS Rocket hosts weekly wine classes; sign up in advance for the week’s selections. Fridays at 7 pm. Call to reserve a seat, or register online. Price varies. Rocket Market, 726 E. 43rd Ave. rocketmarket.com SUDS & SCIENCE Dr. Jason R. Gerstner, PhD, Assistant Professor of Translational Medicine and Physiology at WSU, presents “How I Became a Neuroscientist.” Through tales of scientific discovery and serendipity, learn about Dr. Gerstner’s work in neuroscience and his life’s journey that brought him here to Spokane. Oct. 23, 7-8 pm. Free. The Golden Handle Project, 111 S. Cedar St. goldenhandle.org/suds-and-science BOTTOMLESS(ISH) MIMOSA SUNDAY BRUNCH Sunday brunch and bottomless(ish)* mimosas, with a variety of choices. Two seating times available each Sunday, (9:30 and 11 am) through Nov. 21. $25. Nectar Catering & Events, 120 N. Stevens St. bit.ly/3qIJju9 WAKE UP CALL: NORTH PINES GRAND OPENING The grand opening celebration features a number of Wake Up Call vendors and promotional giveaways. Oct. 28, 7 am-7 pm. Free. Wake Up Call Coffee, 1106 N. Pines Rd. wuc. red (509-924-7202) MOONLIGHT HALLOWEEN CRUISE This year’s adult-only cruises include Halloween décor, a DJ, photo contest, Halloween cocktails and more. Oct. 30 at 5 and 8 pm. $25. The Coeur d’Alene Resort, 115 S. Second. cdacruises.com/ halloween/ (208-292-5670)

38 INLANDER OCTOBER 21, 2021

MUSIC

ELVIS BENEFIT CONCERT Elvis tribute artist Ben Klein, along with special guests Patsy Cline and Johnny Cash, delight audiences with two shows, at 1 pm ($15, all ages) and 7 pm ($20, adults only w/ cash wine bar). Proof of COVID vaccination/neg. test required. Oct. 22. $15/$20. Corbin Senior Center, 827 W. Cleveland Ave. corbinseniorcenter.org FACULTY ARTIST SERIES: DR. CHRISTOPHER WILSON, PERCUSSION An evening of music for marimba, including the world premiere of a piece by Professor Emeritus David Jarvis, as well as works by Keiko Abe, Eric Sammut and WSU alumnus Zachery Meier. Free.

Bryan Hall Theatre (WSU), 605 Veterans Way. (509-335-7696) CHORALE COEUR D’ALENE: SING ON! The fall concert from Coeur d’Alene’s classical chorale, featuring music both sacred and secular, old and new. Oct. 26, 7 pm. Peace Lutheran Church, 8134 N. Meyer Rd. (208-765-0727) HILLYARD BELLS A variety show featuring 50-and-older performers with a band. Upcoming performances at the VFW 1472 (2902 E. Diamond) on Oct. 26 at 5 pm and at Eagles 2 (6410 N. Lidgerwood) on Oct. 30 at 6 pm. Free.

VFW Post 1474 - Hillyard, 2902 E. Diamond Ave. (509-953-9621) PERCUSSION ENSEMBLE CONCERT The WSU Percussion Ensemble is back with an in-person performance of varied music for drums, keyboards and even metal pipes. Oct. 26, 7:30 pm.

Free. Kimbrough Music Building (WSU), WSU Pullman. (509-335-7696) WEDNESDAY EVENING CONTRA DANCE Join the Spokane Folklore Society each Wednesday for contra dancing. All dances taught and walked through, then called to live music.

Events feature a different band and caller each week. Come 15 min. early for a lesson. Proof of Covid-19 vaccination required. Wednesdays from 7:30-9:30 pm. $7-$10. Women’s Club, 1428 W. Ninth Ave. (509-869-5997) TLC Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins and Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes bring the ’90s back with hits like “Creep,” “Waterfalls,” and “No Scrubs” and songs from their eponymous fifth album, TLC. Oct. 28, 7 pm. $55+. Coeur d’Alene Casino, 37914 S. Nukwalqw. cdacasino.com

THEATER

CATS Winner of seven Tony Awards including Best Musical, CATS tells the story of one magical night when an extraordinary tribe of cats gathers for its annual ball to rejoice and decide which cat will be reborn. Oct. 21-24, times vary $42-$100. First Interstate Center for the Arts, 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. broadwayspokane.com (509-279-7000) INTO THE WOODS Theatre at the Lake’s 2021-22 season opener, directed

by Domique Betts. James Lapine and Stephen Sondheim take everyone’s favorite storybook characters and bring them together for a timeless, yet relevant, piece, and a rare modern classic.

Oct. 21-31; Thu-Sat at 7 pm, Sat at 3 pm, Sun at 2 pm. $13-$15. TAC at the Lake, 22910 E. Appleway. tacatthelake.com MACBETH: ALBA GU BRATH A Shakespeare classic adapted and edited by Bethany Paulsen, Rachael Fornarotto and KT Turner, MFA candidates. Oct. 2122 and 24 at 7:30 pm. $6-$17. Hartung

RELATIONSHIPS

Theater, 875 Perimeter Dr. uidaho.edu/ theatre (208-885-6111) THE SPONGEBOB MUSICAL The stakes are higher than ever in this dynamic stage musical, as SpongeBob and all of Bikini Bottom face total annihilation of their undersea world. Oct. 15-22; ThuSat at 7:30 pm, Sat-Sun at 2 pm. $15$25. Kroc Center, 1765 W. Golf Course Rd. aspirecda.com DISNEY ON ICE PRESENTS: DREAM BIG Dream Big features favorite Disney friends Mickey, Minnie, Miguel, Moana, Elsa, Belle, Genie and more, telling Disney’s tales through world-class figure skating. Oct. 22-24; times vary. Spokane Arena, 720 W. Mallon Ave. spokanearena.com MEN ON BOATS Ten explorers. Four boats. One Grand Canyon. A funny, adventurous tale of the 1869 expedition, when a one-armed captain and a crew of slightly insane yet loyal volunteers set out to chart the course of the Colorado River. Oct. 22-23 at 7:30 pm, Oct. 24 at 2 pm. $12-$15. Whitworth University, 300 W. Hawthorne Rd. (777-4374) OPEN This play by Crystal Skillman, directed by Dawn Taylor Reinhardt and starring Chelsea Duvall is a magic act that reveals itself to be a resurrection.

Streaming online Oct. 22-24. stagelefttheater.org ROALD DAHL’S MATILDA, THE MUSICAL The theater’s 75th season opener.

Matilda is a little girl with astonishing wit, intelligence and psychokinetic powers. Fri at 7 pm, Sat-Sun at 2 pm through Oct. 24. $12-$16. Spokane Children’s Theatre, 2727 N. Madelia. spokanechildrenstheatre.org THIS RANDOM WORLD A deep look at how often humans travel parallel paths through the world without noticing.

Oct. 22-23 and Oct. 28-30 at 7:30 pm.

Free. Schuler Performing Arts Center, 1000 W. Garden Ave. (208-769-7780) HAUNTED HOUSE MURDER MYSTERY It’s time for the Chamber of Screams Haunted House employee Halloween party. Do you have what it takes to survive the night? Oct. 23, 6-9 pm. $29$79. Crime Scene Entertainment, 1701 N. Fourth St. (208-369-3695)

VISUAL ARTS

BRAINSTORMING: AN INTELLECTUAL SPORT BY LEN DAVIS California based artist Len Davis exhibits a series of assemblages, collages, drawings and paintings which dive into the practice of brainstorming itself. Oct. 25-Nov. 23; daily 8:30 am-3:30 pm. Artist lecture Oct. 25 at 11:30 am in the Sn-w’ey’-mn Building 24, Room 110, with gallery reception to follow. Oct. 25-Nov. 23, 8:30 am-3:30 pm. Free. SFCC Fine Arts Gallery, 3410 W. Whistalks Way, Bldg. 6. spokanefalls.edu/gallery RIVER RIDGE ASSOCIATION OF FINE ARTS The “Art Challenge” is back!

Bring your impressions (any medium) of an autumn (or Halloween) scene and be ready to talk about your inspiration and technique. President Denny Carman also presents a list of showing opportunities. In addition, we’ve prepared a slate of officers for 2022 for you to think about. If any member is thinking about running for any office, call Denny at 509-991-7275. Election to be held during the November meeting. Oct. 27, 10 am-noon. Free. Spokane Art Supply, 1303 N. Monroe St. (509-325-0471) n

Advice Goddess VENUS ENVY

AMY ALKON

I got a boob job two years ago. My best friend, seeing the results, wanted one, too. When she realized she couldn’t afford it, she started making snide comments about women who get them. Recently, a guy was hitting on me at a party, and she started flirting with him and asked, “Do you think I need a boob job?” and told him I’d gotten one. I was shocked. I’d like to say something to her, but she’s the louder part of my friend group, and I’m unsure how.

—Disturbed

Self-defense for men is karate or maybe Krav Maga. For women, it’s ducking mean remarks.

Many people have a romanticized view of women as the sweet, ever-nurturing “better angels of our nature.” That’s a major myth, but it continues to have traction due to the nature of female rivalry, which is much like slow-acting poison gas. (It’s often hard for a woman to recognize she’s been dosed...till she’s writhing on the floor like a goldfish sucking in its last desperate breaths.)

While from boyhood on, guys tend to relish competition and are openly aggressive (like when one socks another in the jaw), psychologist Anne Campbell describes female aggression as “indirect” and “covert” (sneaky and hidden). She believes women evolved to compete this way to avoid physical harm that might have damaged their ability to have or care for children.

Common sneaky ladywar tactics include weaponizing a group of women against a targeted woman by spreading nasty gossip about her and rallying the coven to ostracize her. In the presence of a man or men, one woman will try to undermine another woman’s mate value by revealing her supposed hussyhood or trashing her looks — as you experienced.

Men tend to prefer natural breasts (though their eyes go boi-oi-oing! at the big, pert fakeuns). Your “best friend,” spotting that a guy seemed into you, performed the vital public service of informing him your bodacious boobs are, in fact, siliconey islands.

Why would she do this? Well, unbeknownst to you, you violated an unspoken rule of female society by amping up your appeal to men via Boob Fairy, M.D.: openly competing with other women. It’s the “openly” part that’s the problem. Psychologist Joyce Benenson explains that, in contrast with “the constant male struggle to figure out who is better, faster, smarter, or otherwise more skilled,” girls and women enforce “equality” among themselves and resent and punish women who stand out.

“Should a girl appear superior, even accidentally,” she is guilty of a crime against the rest and “faces social exclusion.” This carries through to adulthood, with the thinking (summed up by Benenson): “Nice women don’t try to outdo their female peers.”

Of course, women do compete. But, Benenson notes — per interviews with hundreds of women by various researchers — women deny they compete with one another, even to themselves. This subconscious self-deception — “a woman’s honest belief that she never competes with other females” — allows her to do just that without any pangs of conscience getting in her way.

That’s one reason why confronting this woman about what she did might be problematic. Additionally, research by evolutionary psychologists Tania Reynolds and Jaime Palmer-Hague suggests your standing up for yourself — telling this woman her behavior was out of line — could be portrayed by her (to other women in your circle) as your victimizing her! Thus putting a big stain on your reputation!

Compared with “traditional forms of gossip” (the sort readily perceived as catty and mean), women’s disclosures of a friend’s hurting their feelings (kindness “violations”) get a pass, Reynolds and Palmer-Hague observe. They are “relatively trusted and approved,” suggesting women have “a social blind spot” to a tool used to trash the reputation of other women. Reynolds explained to me via email: Basically, if a female friend says about another woman, “‘You wouldn’t guess how mean Mary was to me the other day,’ you’re less likely to recognize this friend’s disclosure as gossip.”

In their research, disclosures like this “effectively tarnished ... social opportunities” of the women they were made about. “Participants evaluated women who treated their friends poorly as immoral,” avoided having them as friends, and wanted to “warn others about their bad character.”

You might decide to say something anyway: gently tell this woman you prefer to keep news of your boob job unbroadcast. Note that even this approach could be turned into ammunition against you through a “victimhood” story she might tell.

Consider whether you have the social and emotional capital to bear the potential costs — while factoring in the psychological cost of just sucking it up and saying nothing. Ultimately, though many women are nothing but supportive of other women, it’s wise to remain mindful that, well, behind every beautiful woman is a crowd of other women looking to push her into a shed and padlock the door. n

©2021, Amy Alkon, all rights reserved. • Got a problem? Write Amy Alkon, 171 Pier Ave, #280, Santa Monica, CA 90405 or email AdviceAmy@aol.com (www.advicegoddess.com)

MEDICAL MARIJUANA

For Patients Only Some differences in Washington’s medical and recreational cannabis products, from an expert

BY WILL MAUPIN

V

oters in Washington State legalized medical marijuana in 1998, 14 years before they legalized the recreational side. Nearly a decade since the latter, medical marijuana has faded into the background, but it still remains an option for people looking for relief.

Spokane County is home to 12 dispensaries with a medical endorsement. All 12 double as recreational dispensaries as well, but they differ in that a certified medical marijuana consultant is on staff. Jessica Gibson, medical marijuana consultant at Spokane Green Leaf, explained some of the nuances on the medical side of things.

“The biggest benefit would be quantity, because they can buy way more,” Gibson says.

Recreational consumers are limited to possession of no more than one ounce of cannabis at a time, but medical patients are allowed up to three ounces of flower.

They can also grow their own plants, which is illegal for non-patients. These elevated limits aren’t just for convenience, though.

“A lot of my medical people have been on opioids for so many years,” Gibson says. “I have a lot of veterans who are on medical. Their tolerance in general is already high. A 10-milligram candy doesn’t affect them. When they grow they can make ediblesthat are more concentrated than what we sell in the store.”

To qualify for the medical program, a patient must have a terminal or debilitating medical condition, defined by the state Department of Health as, “a condition severe enough to significantly interfere with the patient’s activities of daily living and ability to function, which can be objectively assessed and evaluated.”

There are 13 specifically listed qualifying conditions including things like cancer, post traumatic stress disorder and glaucoma.

Patients with a qualifying condition must also talk with a health care provider to be approved. Once that happens, they’re able to access the medical marketplace and the patient care-focused amenities it brings, like instore medical marijuana consultants.

“The difference with the experience in how I talk with the medical, compared to the recreational clients, is big. I can let them know about CBD, CBN and how they affect cannabinoid receptors,” Gibson says.

There’s also a difference in the specific products geared towards medical patients.

“Now companies are coming out with vegan products, non-GMO products and full-spectrum products so you’re getting the full benefit of the plant. A lot of my medical patients take to those products.” n

OCTOBER 21, 2021 INLANDER 39

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Virginia Tech Seeks Spokane, WA Drivers for a Research Study The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute is looking for drivers to participate in a research study where they drive their own vehicles equipped with newer technologies!

Do you drive a vehicle, 2018 or newer, with the following features?

• Lane Keeping Assistance- automatically keeps the vehicle in the lane?

• Adaptive Cruise Control - maintains set speed, but also automatically slows with traffic?

If so, you may be eligible to participate in the “ADAS Washington” naturalistic driving study focused on how people drive and interact with newer technology such as advanced driver assistance systems, or ADAS. Participants will have the option to participate in an enrollment period of either • 3 months (total maximum compensation of $300), OR after 3 months, you may be given the option to extend your participation • 14 months (total maximum compensation of $850) Please call or visit the website below for full compensation details.

All data will be kept strictly confidential.

INTERESTED? Please contact us at: 540-231-1583 or ADASStudy@vtti.vt.edu reference the “ADAS WASH” study in your message. All inquiries welcome!

TO LEARN MORE: www.vtti.vt.edu/adas/

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

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64. ____ American Heritage Month (April) 65. Only state with a nonrectangular flag 66. Yankee Joe whose #6 was retired 67. Guarded 68. NBA team with black-and-white uniforms DOWN 1. Query 2. ____ & Perrins (sauce brand) 3. Prefix with sexual 4. Punk, e.g.

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NOW!” 57. Philosopher who made a gift to songwriters when he said “What does not kill me makes me stronger” 63. Cook, as mussels

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