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t’s time to vote.
Some of you already have. With about two weeks to go until Election Day on Nov. 5, more than 18% of Spokane County voters have already returned their ballots. Good job, voters! Now, the rest of you better bust out that ballot and a pen — or head to your local polling center — and do your duty as a citizen of American democracy!
The Inlander’s 2024 ELECTION ISSUE, starting on page 22, is here to help if you’re unsure about the many candidates, initiatives and local measures on this year’s ballot for both Spokane and Kootenai counties. Plus, find even more election content at Inlander.com/Election2024.
While it’s true that Washington is a reliable “blue” and Idaho will go “red” in the presidential race, the down-ballot choices are vitally important. Local elected officials’ decisions on public safety, education, criminal justice, infrastructure, housing and more have a great impact on our daily lives, so don’t let your voice be unheard. Vote.
— CHEY SCOTT, Editor
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WHAT’S THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE FOR YOU THIS ELECTION?
KIARA REED
For me, the most important topic in this election is abortion, and rights to my body as a woman.
And what state are you voting in? I’m voting in the state of California.
Is it your first time voting? Yes.
PATRICK BENNETT
Divestment from fossil fuels.
And what state are you voting in? Minnesota.
And is this your first time voting? This is my first time voting.
SEBASTIAN PEDINIELLI
For me, it’s the handling of the Israel-Palestine conflict — whichever candidate I feel can secure a permanent peace and ease the suffering
Is this the first election that you’re voting in? First presidential election.
JOE WISHMAN
I’m most concerned with keeping Lina Khan in the FTC, and I believe that certain parties are more or less likely to fire or keep her in office.
Why is this the most important issue to you? Lina Khan and the FTC are doing a lot to break up big business, which I think has become unhealthy for American society and the average person. And she’s very pro-union, which I like.
LOLA FAIX
Abortion.
What state are you voting in?
I’m voting in the state of Colorado
Is this your first time voting in a presidential election?
Yes! Wahoo! I can’t wait!
INTERVIEWED BY JOHN BERGIN 10/17/2024, GONZAGA UNIVERSITY
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The Road Back to Civility
Language is being twisted, with words turned into weapons, creating confusion as we debate what America should be
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BY JOHN HAGNEY
The weaponizing of words is poisoning our body politic. Respectful dialogue with the opposition is now colluding with the enemy. Malicious name-calling governs in this Age of Rage.
whom we differ. We expect the same of our children. Here are other political categories habitually misused to assault others. And with Trump, some words fit. One can denounce Trump without demeaning his supporters. And we can respectfully disagree. (Or does that now denote weakness?) But speech is not “freedom for me but not for thee.” It’s a two-way street — democracy’s dance.
“MARXIST”/“COMMUNIST” Trump equates liberals with communists in his apocalyptic screeds, feeding fears that Democrats will foment violent revolution, confiscate private property and persecute Christians. This is nonsense.
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For Trump, anyone who wants to rein in unbridled cowboy capitalism with regulations, who defends the Constitution’s First Amendment separating church and state or who wants billionaires like Elon Musk to pay their fair share of taxes is a Marxist. Trump disingenuously attacks Kamala Harris as a Marxist. Harris is offering small businesses $50,000 tax deductions, not remotely the policy of a Bolshevik.
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Contrast the Nixon-Kennedy debates’ civility with the inanity and invectives of the Trump-Biden debacles to realize how our politics have degenerated. Imagine Lincoln in debates with Stephen Douglas calling his opponent “weird.” Or Lincoln referring to the Gettysburg dead as “suckers” and “losers.” Sure, the sharp-elbowed, mud-slinging scrum of the American campaign hustings is a boisterous democratic tradition. Even Lincoln was reviled as an “ignoramus” and “bumpkin,” which now seem quaint, like Jimmy Stewart in the film Mr. Smith Goes to Washington Today, obscenities scream from bumper stickers. How do we explain to our children “F— Biden” or “The Ho’s Got To Go?” Profane vitriol is now normalized. Is it even possible to detox discourse and recover civil society?
Political categories of “liberal” and “conservative” have become pejoratives, the “vital center” a no man’s land in this entrenched warfare of words. In reality, most Americans are conservative on some issues, liberal on others. Yet the more imminent threat to democracy is not this ideological divide, but rather the myopic one-issue voter.
If our fractured body politic is to heal, ballistic bombast must cease and our better angels must prevail over our impulse to demonize those with
The only “Marxists” with whom I’m acquainted are inclined to follow Groucho, not Karl. (As Irving Berlin quipped, “The world would not be in such a snarl, had Marx been Groucho instead of Karl.”) They self-identify as liberal and regard any political violence, right or left, as abhorrent. They aspire to capitalism’s American Dream security, same as conservatives. In a healthy democracy we can disagree on how to get there, yet legislating compels compromise, the same give-andtake essential to good partnering and parenting. Otherwise, our houses are divided by acrimonious dysfunction.
“SOCIALIST” Capitalism imploded in 1929 and 2008, caused by unregulated markets. With a Great Depression 25% unemployment rate, Soviet communism and German fascism seemed a pana-
The Oct. 7, 1960 Richard Nixon-John F. Kennedy debate was one of four that year, marking the first time candidates debated prior to any presidential election. PUBLIC DOMAIN PHOTO
cea to many U.S. workers disillusioned with capitalism. Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal and subsequent socialist programs saved American capitalism. If you receive Social Security, Medicaid/Medi care, VA benefits, or farm or other subsidies, you are a beneficiary of socialism. Half of us depend on such support.
“FASCIST” Witness the 2017 “Unite the Right” march of white supremacists spewing antisemitic hate (“You will not replace us!”), whom Trump praised as “very fine people.” The vile odor of Nazi storm troopers lingers as books again are burned on bonfires of vanity. And this summer, Trump’s golf club twice hosted a venue featuring speeches by a neo-Nazi who compared Jews to a “plague of locusts” and who said that “Hitler should have finished the job.” Trump welcomed the attendees: “You’re amazing patriots.”
In 2016, JD Vance compared Trump to Hitler, who imprisoned political opponents; Trump has stated that he would do the same. Hitler constructed concentration camps to torture and kill Jewish “parasites”; Trump says he will create detention camps from which immigrants, whom he calls “rapists,” “insane” and “non-human,” will be deported.
Retired Gen. Mark Milley — who led the Joint Chiefs of Staff during Trump’s last years in the White House — calls Trump “fascist to the core.”
“AUTHORITARIAN” Trump is, if anything, an authoritarian. Trump assures his audiences that as the U.S. becomes more ethni cally diverse, less patriarchal and less Christian, he will reverse and rewrite history. After all, some believe the hand of God interceded and deflected an assassin’s bullet and so anointed him with the man date of heaven. Trump: “God saved me so I could save the world.”
Former Vice President Dick Cheney warns, “In our 246-year history, there has never been an individual who is a greater threat to our republic than Donald Trump.”
How would you describe his statements like “I will be a dicta tor on day one” and “I alone can fix it?” Or his proposed use of the military against the “enemy within?” And do you believe his bromances with Viktor Orban, Kim Jong Un and Vladimir Putin are benign?
In Trump v. U.S., perhaps its most egregious decision since Dred Scott, the “originalist” Supreme Court majority ruled that Trump could commit crimes with impunity if he can justify them as an “official” duty. This repudiates the rule of law on which the Founding Fathers predicated the Constitution. If Trump is elected, he could be immune from prosecution, above the law. As John Locke cautioned, “Wherever laws ends, tyranny begins.”
Apart from Trump’s apparent authoritarian inclinations, how would you describe his insistence that bleach is a COVID cure, that blue state doctors are euthanizing newborns or that immigrants are eating pets? This from a man who has a peculiar fascination with Hannibal Lecter. Are these the thoughts of, as Trump describes himself, “a very stable genius”? How can some excuse such delusions and lies as harmless, even humorous bluster? (See my 7/11/24 Inlander essay on the Big Lie, “A Lie is Bourne.”)
And what would you call a man accused of sexual assault whose defense is, “She’s not my type?” How do we explain that to our children? Or when Trump calls Harris a “bitch,” how do some parents square their scolding of their children for using the word while they applaud Trump’s use?
If Trump wins, Project 2025 will eviscerate the government we all depend on to maintain our American way of life. If Trump loses, will the clowns torch the circus tent and unleash the lions? And if we are torn asunder by political violence, how will some of his Christian acolytes, a generation hence, explain to their grandchildren how Jesus condoned violence?
I believe that most people are basically good. We raise our children to be good by not imitating the bad behaviors of people like Trump. And our children are learning from how we behave in this election They will learn well if we temper our words, as the Bible says, from “swords into plowshares.” n
John Hagney taught Spokane high school and college history for 45 years. He was a U.S. Presidential Scholar Distinguished Teacher. His oral history of Gorbachev’s reforms has been translated into six languages.
In Spokane’s Backyard
How Spokane gained its urbanist reputation
BY NATE SANFORD
In August, more than 30,000 Democrats who support making it easier to build housing gathered online for a “YIMBYs For Harris” Zoom fundraising call.
YIMBY stands for “yes in my backyard” — a political movement that supports addressing the housing crisis by easing zoning regulations and encouraging development. The Zoom call, scheduled shortly after Kamala Harris announced her ambitious housing agenda, featured dozens of pro-housing Democratic elected officials from across the country. Attendees jokingly referred to it as “YIMBYchella,” a sort of policy wonk version of the California music festival.
There was one city that had more elected officials on the lineup than any other in the country: Spokane.
“We are big YIMBYs and pro-housing,” Spokane City Council member Zack Zappone told the Zoom group. “In this last year, we have completely eliminated single-family zoning in our city citywide. This summer, we completely eliminated costly parking mandates.”
Zappone spoke at the event alongside City Council members Kitty Klitzke and Paul Dillon. Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown was also scheduled to speak, but had to miss the call because of a last-minute scheduling conflict.
“We are the second biggest city in the state, but — sorry Seattle — we are number one in terms of prohousing policy,” Dillon told the group. “Not that it’s a competition, but it kind of is.”
(Seattle, one of the bluest cities in America, had zero
elected officials speaking at the event.)
As the Spokane politicians spoke, attendees spammed the live chat with supportive messages and “Ws,” short for “win.” They described Spokane as “ON FIRE” and “based” and “leading the way in Washington.”
“Spokane is GOATED when it comes to YIMBY reforms,” wrote Daniel Volland, a member of the Anchorage Assembly, the Alaska city’s governing body. (GOAT is slang for “greatest of all time.”)
In recent years, Spokane has gained a reputation as a pro-housing leader. The city’s zoning policies continue to receive attention not just across the state, but even from other parts of the country. While many cities are only now starting to explore the idea of ending single family zoning, Spokane is way ahead of the curve.
Spokane is “jumping ahead of us, it’s a sharp contrast,” says Ron Davis, an urbanist advocate in Seattle. “You didn’t wait for the problem to get as bad as us and now you’re doing the things that we need to be doing.”
NOT POLITICAL
Progressives like the ones on the Harris fundraiser call are sometimes YIMBYs, but that doesn’t mean YIMBYism is an inherently left-wing ideology. The movement has supporters across the political spectrum. In some ways, its
This type of new construction on East 37th Avenue was made possible by Spokane’s code changes. YOUNG KWAK PHOTO
“IN
SPOKANE’S BACKYARD,” CONTINUED...
focus on removing government regulations and encouraging free market development is more closely aligned with libertarianism.
Spokane’s City Council has a five-person liberal majority, but two of its members are conservatives who have run for other elected positions as Republicans — something that would be unthinkable in a place like Seattle.
The two conservatives — City Council members Michael Cathcart and Jonathan Bingle — frequently disagree with their progressive colleagues on issues like homelessness, public safety and taxes. But when it comes to housing? There’s often an astonishing level of agreement and cooperation.
“It crosses party lines on both ends,” Cathcart says. “You’ve got people who don’t want growth at all in both parties, and you’ve got folks who understand property rights and markets and our desperate need for housing” on both sides.
Spokane’s zoning reforms had support from both conservative-aligned home builder organizations and leftleaning homeless advocacy groups. Mayor Brown thinks bipartisanship is a key element of Spokane’s housing progress.
“We clearly have different ideological perspectives in the city, but this is an area in which people have come together,” Brown says.
Cathcart likely wouldn’t be caught dead at a Harris fundraiser, but he supports many of the zoning policies his progressive colleagues bragged about on the Zoom call. While he doesn’t like using labels like “YIMBY” to describe himself, Cathcart was a key figure in Spokane’s push to end single family zoning citywide in 2022.
“Not to toot my own horn, but go back and watch the housing action plan discussion three years ago,” Cathcart says. “You would hear me say ‘Housing crisis, housing crisis, housing crisis.’”
BOCA
In 2021, Spokane was facing a dire housing affordabil-
ity crisis. As the pandemic supercharged remote work, Spokane’s population boomed. Rents and housing prices skyrocketed.
It was around that time that former Mayor Nadine Woodward, a conservative, hired Spencer Gardner to lead the city’s planning department. Gardner, who wrote for the pro-housing planning website Strong Towns, worked with city leaders to craft a law called “Building Opportunities and Choices for All,” or BOCA, which dramatically opened up the city’s zoning policies to allow dense housing development citywide.
That meant developers could suddenly build duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes and townhomes — often known as the “missing middle” — in all residential parts of the city. The goal: more houses, lower costs. Cathcart likes to describe it as “legalizing Kendall Yards-style development.”
“By legalizing that citywide, we created opportunities for significant home ownership all across the city,” Cathcart says. “I think that is something that was incredibly unique and, frankly, more advanced than what most of the country is even contemplating.”
The City Council passed BOCA as an interim zoning ordinance. That allowed the city to bypass the types of organized opposition campaigns that often appear when leaders contemplate increasing neighborhood density. The city alleviated peoples’ concerns by noting that the council could get rid of the law if it wasn’t working out in a year.
BOCA caught people’s attention. The work was recognized by the American Planning Association, and Washington Gov. Jay Inslee described it as “incredibly visionary,” praising Spokane for being bolder than other Washington cities while presenting the city with a “smart communities award” earlier this year.
“We’ve had some local leaders who haven’t been willing to stand up to take these measures, and to those leaders, I want to show them what Spokane is capable of,” Inslee said.
Part of the credit for Spokane’s growing reputation as a housing leader goes to Anthony Gill, who runs the blog Spokane Rising and now writes columns for the Inlander.
He’s been a big booster of Spokane’s housing success and has sung the city’s praises on a number of urbanist blogs and podcasts.
“By necessity, I think that people have to come together in a place like Spokane, where they might not have to in a place like Seattle or San Francisco,” Gill said on a recent episode of the California YIMBY podcast. “We’re kind of a blue dot in a sea of red… people are comfortable having strange bedfellows.”
City Council member Dillon says there’s a sense of “unity and cohesion” that goes beyond partisan politics when it comes to housing access for all in Spokane. He says the city’s planning and development departments deserve a lot of credit for the recent progress.
“I think we’ve tried to foster an environment where planners can really excel,” Dillon says.
GOOD BONES
Davis, the Seattle housing advocate, wonders if the sudden speed and intensity of Spokane’s housing crisis was also a factor in its aggressive approach to zoning reform.
Seattle has been dealing with a housing affordability crisis for a very long time. That’s given groups who are opposed to density lots of time to get entrenched and organize against development, he says.
“In some ways we’ve got these sort of legacy problems to overcome,” Davis says.
Spokane, however, was affordable up until recently. Young people could grow up here and expect to own a home. When Spokane’s housing crisis hit hard and fast in the early 2020s, Davis thinks it spurred leaders to act quickly — to “really show up in an acute way and basically say, ‘Wow, there’s a problem, let’s fix it.’” (Davis ran for Seattle City Council last year and lost to an opponent who took a more moderate stance on density and upzoning.)
Brown, who took office in January, thinks Spokane has the “bones of a really great city” that lends itself well to urban planning. Much of Spokane is built on a pre-war grid system that complements missing middle development like duplexes and fourplexes.
Spokane’s “Building Opportunities and Choices for All” zoning changes allow townhomes, fourplexes and other dense development in all residential parts of the city. YOUNG KWAK PHOTO
“We have these close-in, urban neighborhoods with small business districts that are part of them,” Brown says. “And so these policy moves that were made kind of build on what’s already a strength of the city.”
Brown notes that Spokane also has strong park, library and school district systems that work well together and complement urban design. The city has a “very evolved” neighborhood council system that allows people to take a more direct role in improving traffic and other quality of life issues in the neighborhood, she says.
PARKING AND BEYOND
In 2023, the state Legislature passed a law similar to Spokane’s new zoning law that requires Washington cities to allow missing middle housing in all residential neighborhoods. State Rep. Marcus Riccelli, a sponsor of the bill, says the city of Spokane’s zoning reform was a “catalyst” for the statewide bill that showed there is a “path forward.”
“I think Spokane was a beacon to help push that over the finish line,” Riccelli says.
While many cities are now working to update codes to comply with the statewide law (sometimes with resistance), Spokane is already there. After the one-year BOCA pilot ended, the City Council passed a permanent version of the law that went even further — expanding it to allow up to a sixplex on any residential lot.
Of course, there are some critics of Spokane’s zoning reforms. Neighbors in some of the city’s outlying areas are worried about rapid growth without proper infrastructure in place, and some have expressed concerns about traffic increases and protecting natural areas.
But proponents of the law note that new units permitted under BOCA have been mostly spread evenly across the city, and that no single neighborhood has been dramatically disrupted.
“I think it comes down to a combination of smart growth and essentially letting markets and property rights play a significant role in this overall process,” Cathcart says. “Obviously things don’t change overnight, but that has slowly created a lot more opportunities, in particular for home ownership.”
Spokane has taken a similar approach to abolishing parking mandates, which previously set a minimum number of parking spaces that developers had to build when constructing new housing. As with single family zoning, urbanists have long argued that the requirement makes it prohibitively expensive to build new housing and creates car dependency.
In 2023, progressive Council member Zappone worked with conservative Council member Bingle to abolish parking mandates within half a mile of public transit stops. This summer, the City Council went further and abolished parking mandates citywide, making Spokane the largest city in Washington — and the 12th largest in the country — to do so.
“This is an example of the council repealing government regulation, which is an exciting opportunity,” Zappone said on the night of the vote.
Council member Cathcart was the sole “no” vote on abolishing parking minimums. He says he had specific concerns about parking problems in the Logan neighborhood that he wanted to address before moving forward. Still, he’s open to the idea in principle.
“I think we have to get some of those issues under control before we take those big steps, but we’ve taken them, and we’ll see where things go,” Cathcart says. “I’m not opposed to letting the market decide on parking.”
Dillon notes that the City Council has recently pushed the state government to move faster on incentives for converting downtown commercial spaces to residential. Developers and city planning staff are eager to move forward, he says. Over the past year, the City Council has also shown a strong interest in bike and pedestrian infrastructure and a willingness to engage with safe streets activists.
Brown says there’s a lot more work to do to improve housing and livability in Spokane.
“We still have too many surface parking lots,” Brown says. “We’ve got lots more potential for downtown.” n
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Appealing Growth
Neighbors raise concerns about a rapidly growing cabinet company in North Idaho and hope to block further expansion
BY VICTOR CORRAL MARTINEZ
Panhandle Door Inc. started 25 years ago as a small mom-and-pop cabinet business in Naples, Idaho, about 6 miles south of Bonners Ferry in Boundary County.
Residents nearby initially supported the small business adjacent to their homes, but after the operation was sold in 2018, they say it rapidly expanded to dozens of employees working longer hours. They wondered if the growth was approved by the county and started raising concerns about industrial noise, chemical smells and potential violations of the permit that allows the industrial business near their homes.
Residents filed multiple complaints with Boundary County officials and state agencies, alleging the business was violating limits on its hours of operation, off-gassing volatile organic compounds from industrial paints and varnishes, and improperly using an access road to ship products in and out. After receiving complaints, the business applied to update its permit with Boundary County earlier this year to become compliant and expand even more.
The county’s Planning and Zoning Commission approved the requested permit updates in July, but residents appealed that decision, leading to a well-attended appeal hearing before the county commissioners earlier this month. The three commissioners could issue a decision on the appeal as soon as next month.
GROWING BUSINESS
Joel Martin started Panhandle Kitchen & Doors in 1999 as a small cabinet manufacturing operation. In October 2005, the Boundary County commissioners approved a conditional use permit for the business to operate at its current location on Pot Hole Road, which is zoned as agricultural/ forestry land.
When zoning restricts activities in an area, such as industrial manufacturing, local govern-
ments can agree to a conditional use permit to allow those activities with restrictions. In this case, Panhandle’s permit allowed manufacturing while limiting the scale of operation. The permit restricted operational business hours to 6 am to 2:30 pm and allowed the company to employ eight people, make up to eight commercial vehicle trips per day in vehicles with trailers used for hauling, and operate a facility of up to 5,200 square feet.
In 2018, Nelson Mast, a resident of Boundary County since 1994, purchased the business, which became Panhandle Door Inc., and started scaling up the operation.
When he purchased the business, Mast says he was made aware of the conditional use permit while speaking with John Moss of the county’s Planning and Zoning Commission. But Mast says he didn’t know about the restrictions it placed on operations.
“He informed me that we had a conditional use permit that allowed what we were doing, but never mentioned that there were any kind of conditions,” Mast says.
Under the new ownership, neighbors surrounding the manufacturing business say they noticed a significant increase in operating hours, going past midnight. Soon, about 200 vehicle trips per day were made on the narrow Pot Hole Road during permitted and unpermitted business hours.
According to a COVID-era Paycheck Protection Program application approved in April 2020, Panhandle Door Inc. was employing 57 workers at that time.
David Jim Dewberry moved to a neighboring property in 2019 and began working for Panhandle Door in the summer of 2021 in shipping and receiving. Internally, he says he started to voice concerns two years ago about the need for a downdraft table — which has a ventilation system to draw dust, smoke and fumes away from the operator — to minimize harm to a coworker.
Mulch piles at Panhandle Door are visible from neighboring properties.
VICTOR CORRAL MARTINEZ PHOTOS
“I was trying to protect my guys,” Dewberry says, “and they wouldn’t spring for the cost of a downdraft table.”
As a neighbor, Dewberry also started raising concerns about the nighttime noise, an unpermitted septic system on-site during the winter months early this year, and increased operations.
Kate Hoyer, communications manager with the Panhandle Health District, says via email that the health district responded to a complaint regarding an unpermitted septic system at Panhandle Door. Hoyer says the district received a fast response from the owner, and its staff members are working to ensure compliance.
“The owner of Panhandle Door reached out to us immediately and decommissioned the system before it was put into use,” Hoyer says. “The owner proceeded to submit an application for a new septic system and paid to have the system designed.”
Mast says he’s operating within the confines of the county’s ordinances and was approved to modify his permit for the expanded operations. He says the neighbors are complaining because they chose to live in an area that allows businesses, but they don’t want them in their backyards.
“At the heart of all of this is really a dispute about not having something in my backyard there,” Mast says. “There are about 70 employees whose jobs depend on Panhandle, and I think there’s a lot of support, and I think this county needs small businesses like Panhandle.”
However, Dewberry, who has attempted to get Mast to address the issues, says Mast is not working with him in good faith anymore. He says his time at the facility taught him the business would rather keep expanding and ignore neighbors’ concerns.
“He’s clearly just buying time until he can force this on me and my neighbors,” Dewberry says. “He’s not actually going to fix this.”
CHANGING PERMIT
Panhandle Door requested an update to its conditional use permit on March 28 after receiving a zoning violation notice for unpermitted expansion. Landowners within 300 feet of the business were notified of a hearing for the modifications. The initial hearing was held on July 25, when the county’s Planning and Zoning Commission approved the modification of the permit.
The modified permit allowed the cabinet manufacturing facility’s growth to be considered in compliance. The facility was allowed to exceed 8,000 square feet on a 17.2-acre parcel; the operational hours were extended by nearly eight hours; and the business can now employ up to 85 people.
Several neighbors who live next to the business appealed the permit modifications. Don Jordan and Kathleen Konek filed an appeal on Aug. 5, and Kelli Martin, Jeffery Steinborn, and Dewberry filed an appeal on Aug. 20.
The appeals prompted an Oct. 9 hearing, where the Boundary County commissioners heard from concerned residents and the company to determine whether they should rescind the permit modifications.
About 60 people gathered in the Bonners Ferry High School auditorium for the appeal hearing.
Many employees of the cabinet company spoke at the hearing, stating that the owner is a good employer who cares for their wellbeing and addresses safety concerns.
“We are very concerned about the safety of all the employees there, so much so that we spend time each morning intentionally gathering all 70 to 80 employees into one room every morning and discussing many things, including safety improvements and things that need to be addressed,” Panhandle Door’s vice president of operations, Aaron Miller, said during the hearing’s public comment period.
Tess Vogel of Ruen-Yeager & Associates, a construction engineering & inspection company contracted by the county’s Planning & Zoning Commission, explained at the hearing that the Idaho Transportation Department is concerned about the shared use of Pot Hole Road, which provides access to the business from U.S. Route 2.
The concern is that Pot Hole Road is a private drive shared by residents and the business, with a steady stream of 200 vehicle trips per day, though it was never permitted to be a commercial road.
...continued on page 14
HARRY
SAMUELS-SHRAGG CONDUCTOR
Back by Popular Demand! The magical sounds of Hogwarts and the wizarding world returns to The Fox! The Spokane Symphony conjures your favorite tunes from the Harry Potter films and many other Halloween favorites.
Come prepared to explore Diagon Alley, a selection of whimsical, fantastical, and magical shops from local witches, wizards, and muggles.
However, at the hearing it was announced that the state agreed the company could develop a new road from its property to access the highway for commercial use, under the Transportation Department’s supervision.
ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS
Daniel McCracken, the Coeur d’Alene regional administrator for the state Department of Environmental Quality, tells the Inlander via email that DEQ doesn’t typically conduct testing at facilities like Panhandle Door unless it’s required in their permit. Panhandle’s permit doesn’t require that testing.
McCracken says the company’s basic permit requirements are more focused on recordkeeping to document how much paint or coating product is used and the proper disposal of any waste materials.
DEQ issued warning letters to Panhandle Door beginning in October 2023 for seven violations related to failure to count monthly hazardous waste generations, comply with satellite accumulation area label requirements, preparedness and prevention arrangements, procedures, and equipment requirements. These hazardous waste requirements or Resource Conservation and Recovery Act violations were corrected and resolved in February.
DEQ conducted an inspection in July 2024 related to a separate air quality permit for the facility and identified 15 violations.
“DEQ has pending enforcement actions related to those violations, so I cannot provide any public comment regarding the specifics of those violations until our investigation and enforcement activities
are concluded,” McCracken writes to the Inlander
Kelli Martin’s property is adjacent to the facility. At the appeal hearing, she stated that she doesn’t want people to lose their jobs, but she is concerned that the facility is off-gassing volatile organic compounds, or VOCs. Her residence is so close that she can smell the paints and varnishes.
“I have a monitor inside the house where my parents were in the bedroom, and it won’t stop going off,” Martin told the commissioners, due to “those VOCs and a bunch of different chemicals that could be in the air.”
At the end of the 2.5-hour meeting, the commissioners stated that they weren’t ready to make a decision and needed additional information. They moved to continue the matter to Nov. 6 to give time for air quality testing to be done on the property.
Martin argues that if noncompliance issues at the business had been addressed years ago, things wouldn’t be as bad now.
The neighbors around Panhandle Door Inc. are unsatisfied with the commissioners’ response at the hearing and are looking to potentially take civil action. Martin says she doesn’t think the commissioners will vote in the neighbors’ best interests.
“I’m already lawyered up, and it’s just because I knew how this would turn out,” Martin says. “This is to help other people in the county as well.”
The meeting scheduled for Nov. 6 was later canceled due to a conflict with venue access. A new date is still pending, as are the details about who will conduct and pay for the air quality testing. n victorc@inlander.com
Remedying Racism
Spokane workshops offer to help strike racist property records. Plus, the city shines a light on high crime areas; and Idaho issues another death warrant to a man whose execution failed.
BY INLANDER STAFF
Researchers with Eastern Washington University’s Racial Covenants Project have released a detailed map of Spokane area properties that have racially restrictive covenants on their deed or title. Over the last three years, the team has located the racist legal documents — locally filed between 1928 and 1955 — which were intended to prevent anyone who wasn’t white from living in certain neighborhoods or having their remains interred in certain crypts. The map is live at EWURacialCovenants.org/Map and the team will soon host free workshops to teach impacted homeowners how they can remedy their home’s public record. The first workshop runs from 10 am to 11 am on Saturday, Oct. 26, at the South Hill library, 3324 S. Perry St. The next will run from 3 pm to 4 pm on Nov. 9, at the Shadle Park library, 2111 W. Wellesley Ave. Historian Logan Camporeale, who helped start the project, says there will be a notary at the workshops for those who want to fill out an official document declaring the covenant void, which homeowners can then file with the county auditor’s office. Attendees should bring their own smartphone or computer. (SAMANTHA WOHLFEIL)
A BRIGHTER FUTURE
In June, the Spokane City Council reallocated $150,000 of federal money from the American Rescue Plan Act to improve residential street lighting. Those efforts may start soon, thanks to a partnership between the Office of Neighborhood Services and Utility Billing that the council approved this week. The offices will start a program to reimburse Spokane residents in high crime areas who install motion sensor floodlights on their homes, or help residents install lights if they are not able to do so themselves. The program will encourage previous victims of crime to participate, as well as focus on brightening alleys and other low-light areas that are more vulnerable to crime. “We are collaborating with the Spokane Police Department to help identify victims of property crime and general high-crime areas as well as planning to work with SPD’s volunteer services department [to help install lights],” Pollyanne Birge, the community engagement programs manager of the Office of Neighborhood Services, told council members earlier this month. (ELIZA BILLINGHAM)
POOR EXECUTION
Thomas Eugene Creech, 74, is Idaho’s longest-serving death row inmate, with 50 years of incarceration for killing two men in Valley County in 1974. He also beat a fellow inmate to death with a battery-filled sock in 1981. In February, an attempted lethal injection for Creech was unsuccessful. The execution team was unable to establish a peripheral intravenous line despite attempting eight times in veins in his arms and legs. After the Idaho Department of Correction updated its procedures and protocols for executions, it served Creech with a death warrant on Oct. 16, scheduling his execution for Nov. 13. Idaho Maximum Security Institution’s F-block, where executions are carried out, was updated to provide an appropriate environment to place a central line via the heart if peripheral IV access can’t be established. “Our previous protocols proved effective at protecting the integrity of the process and ensuring adherence with 8th amendment protections against cruel and unusual punishment,” IDOC Director Josh Tewalt said in a news release. “These changes enhance the State’s ability to carry out an execution by lethal injection by ensuring we have the infrastructure in place to establish IV access.” (VICTOR CORRAL MARTINEZ)
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If These Walls Could Dance
The Glover Mansion hosts Kindling Dance’s hauntedhouse performance inspired by its storied history
BY COLTON RASANEN
More than 100 years ago the opulent Glover Mansion was built for its first inhabitants, James and Susan Glover. The former would become known as a prominent figure in Spokane’s history while the latter was essentially erased from the past when her husband divorced her and had her institutionalized at Eastern State Hospital.
James would later become known as the “Father of Spokane,” while Susan was buried in a nameless grave at the hospital’s cemetery in 1921 after living there for the last 22 years of her life. Though James Glover only owned the mansion for five years, his misdeeds perhaps still mar the walls of the 12,000-square-foot Victorian manor on the lower South Hill that’s used as an event venue today.
That unsavory history is exactly why CarliAnn Forthun Bruner and Monica Mota, co-founders of Kindling Dance Productions, decided to host Ghostlight at the Glover Mansion. The first-of-its-kind local dance event featuring 35 performers essentially turns the space into a haunted house experience, but instead of scare actors roaming the space, each room is home to a new set of devilish dancers. Every single performance in the mansion is different.
Dance isn’t the only element of Ghostlight drawing upon the space’s history — there are some real scare actors, too. Forthun Bruner says an actress wanders the halls all night to represent Susan Glover revisiting her former Spokane home.
“[A] haunted house-style [performance] seems like the perfect idea to bring our community out and see some art and maybe in a way that they haven’t experienced before,” she says. “We were really inspired by the building.”
As guests enter the mansion, they’re greeted by a jazz duet choreographed by Joseph Lyons-Wolf and Lauren Hovik. Inspired by the venue’s interior design, the dancers use large Victorian-era lampshades in their performance.
“Lauren’s performance has got an improv element to it,” Forthun Bruner says. “She’s working with some really talented dancers, so they’re going to be interacting with the audience right from the get-go.”
From there, guests are ushered into the next room
where a group of ballerinas in red capes lead them to the mansion’s grand room. The elegant space, framed by a large peacock mural, is where guests linger before heading upstairs.
In the grand room, aerialists from Coil Studio and dancers from Quiero Flamenco and Alegría Dance perform alternatively. Mota says flamenco is the perfect style of dance for this spooky event, because many of the dance’s forms are not meant to tell stories of happiness, regardless of how it’s often portrayed in popular media.
“I know what you’re thinking of, and that’s not what that’s going to look like at all,” Mota says. “Mass marketing tends to show those [upbeat styles] of flamenco. It’s an old art form, and it’s actually more tragic and sad than it is happy. My dancers will not do any footwork, and they’re going to be in a bata de cola, a Spanish train dress, and it’s in all black.”
Once guests make it upstairs they’re able to take a quick break to get a spooky cocktail before continuing their treacherous Glover Mansion tour. This upstairs room features a burlesque performer and another dancer highlighted by glow-in-the-dark paint.
Forthun Bruner and Mota worked hard to ensure the mansion was immersive for guests while also allowing for some autonomy. So when attendees begin to file upstairs and meander around the bar area, they can choose which side of the venue to view first, or if they’d like to avoid any areas altogether.
“One of our acts is gonna be a spooky fan dance, that will be more like a classic burlesque,” Forthun Bruner says. “The partial nudity that might occur in that room is easy to block off so that if people choose not to go into that room, it’s very easy to do that and not impact the rest of their experience.”
A long hallway upstairs features a tap duet that Lyons-Wolf says is inspired by the creepy twins in The Shining
“As a choreographer for this project, what’s been cool is being able to be inspired by this space and to create work in a space that’s very different from what we put on a stage. It’s been really fun to use the body in a way that I don’t usually get to use in performance for tap dance,” he says. “I think for the audience too, it’s going to be a new experience of getting to be that close to dance and getting to have it like all around you.”
In total, the Ghostlight experience lasts about an hour. The mansion has a limited capacity, though, so guests need to buy tickets for a specific entry time scheduled every 15 minutes.
“There are so many amazing dancers and choreographers here,” Lyons-Wolf says. “I’m so impressed by the community that [Mota and Forthun Bruner] have been able to build that’s supported so many dancers. We want to keep great artists here in Spokane, and events like this are how we do it.” n
Ghostlight • Fri, Oct. 25 from 6-10 pm • $37-$50 • The Glover Mansion • 321 W. Eighth Ave. • kindlingdanceproductions.com
Kindling Dance Production founders CarliAnn Forthun Bruner, left, and Monica Mota.
Join NAMI at Barrister Winery to connect with fellow supporters over wine and appetizers, while helping to raise awareness and vital funds for individuals and families affected by mental health conditions.
Barrister Winery | 1213 W. Railroad Ave.
Thursday, November 14 | 6-9pm
Tickets in advance $100 per person
Silent auction, food, drinks, live music
Don’t Dream It, Be It
The Rocky Horror Picture Show still draws crowds of superfans and virgins alike nearly five decades after its initial release
BY COLTON RASANEN
The Rocky Horror Picture Show is unlike anything else. The 1975 movie musical follows a newly engaged couple, Brad (Barry Bostwick) and Janet (Susan Sarandon) as they interact with a group of alien transvestites and their mad scientist leader Dr. Frank-N-Furter (Tim Curry) from the planet Transsexual in the galaxy of Transylvania.
Beyond the film’s out-of-this-world plot, its star-studded cast and the killer songs, it’s truly one-of-akind because it allows audiences to embrace the gritty weirdness they’re seeing on the screen, in their own worlds.
The film quickly became a cult classic, and its fans have organized atypical live showings since 1976, just a year after it was released. At first, folks were just watching the movie, but after some time the audience began to pull the quirky vibe on the screen into the auditoriums and theaters.
It became common for people to yell things out from the crowd in response to the movie. So when Brad and Janet are stripped down to their undergarments, some in the audience will strip down and run around the theater in their underwear. Or during the film’s biggest number, “The Time Warp,” most people get up on their feet to dance along. People don’t just watch The Rocky Horror Picture Show, they become a part of it.
For Bostwick, too, who boasts over 190 TV and film credits, The Rocky Horror Picture Show remains a singular experience.
“It’s incomparable to anything I’ve ever done in my career. People aren’t going back to see the mini-
Tim Curry as Rocky Horror’s Dr. Frank-N-Furter; a 49th anniversary screening at the FIC features actor Barry Bostwick, who played Brad.
series of George Washington that I was in,” he says. “It is so unique creating this atmosphere where the audience is more important than the film. Nobody realizes that the movie started in a little theater in New York and just grew and grew.”
Those interactive cinematic thrills are coming to Spokane this weekend, as Best of Broadway Spokane hosts a one-night-only showing of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, complete with a cast of shadow actors playing along as the movie plays with Bostwick serving as a host. (He’ll even be doing meet-and-greets with a gaggle of die-hard fans.)
Audience participation aside, Bostwick says the best thing about these annual viewings are the dedicated shadow casts that perform during the showing.
“Each shadow cast has a different take on it, whether it’s their costumes or the way they improvise. Some of the best Brads have been women, if they have the right gestures and the right behavior, they’re just as good as the guys,” he says. “The props are always interesting, and I’m always amused by what new thing I hear yelled out — usually something vulgar.”
One of Bostwick’s favorite moments to see acted out is from the beginning of the movie when Brad proposes to Janet. The awkward sequence is a defining moment for the loveable naïvete that really defines the newly engaged couple through the rest of the show.
“I’m always amazed when they get all the footwork right and go down on their knees and present her the ring,” he explains, reminiscing on when he shot the scene nearly 50 years ago. “The coordination of them doing what’s on the screen is always great. Everytime I see it I see something different.”
That’s why this special Spokane show is perfect for those who come every single year, and those who have somehow never made it out to do the Time Warp in person.
“I’d describe it as the funnest night out as a young adult, especially if you’re a virgin to The Rocky Horror Picture Show experience,” Bostwick says. “In the film, Brad says, ‘It’s just a party, Janet,’ and that’s why I’m doing this. I just want to go have a party and meet the newest members of our cult… uhhh… congregation.” n
A live shadow cast accompany the screening. COURTESY BEST OF BROADWAY SPOKANE
IT’S SHOH-TIME
A lifelong Dodgers fan’s reflections on Shohei Ohtani and the unifying power of baseball
BY VICTOR CORRAL MARTINEZ
“Take me out to the ball game!” are words I shout every trip to Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. Growing up in LA’s San Fernando Valley, I spent many summer days and nights rooting for Adrián Beltré, Russell Martin and all my other favorite boys in blue.
As a teen in a Dodgers hat, I’d walk under the blue gates’ apt message: “Blue Heaven on Earth.” The smell of popcorn, hot dogs, fresh grass, and the shouts of “Let’s go, Dodgers!” overwhelmed me as I found my seat.
In the years since, I’ve realized why the Dodgers and Major League Baseball are so much more than something to do during the week — they foster cultural exchange and unite people around the world. This is especially apparent as the Dodgers won their way into the World Series against the New York Yankees, starting Friday, Oct. 25 at 5 pm local, broadcast via FOX.
Over the years, the Dodgers’ roster has actively spearheaded progressive change and highlighted baseball’s global impact. One of those biggest moments was in 1947, when Jackie Robinson signed with the thenBrooklyn Dodgers and became Major League Baseball’s first Black player.
Today, the Dodgers’ roster features players from Venezuela, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Cuba and Japan, and they’ve also signed baseball’s top Mexican prospect. The Dodgers are a clear example that MLB is the most culturally diverse major league sport in the U.S.
But there’s one player in particular who’s getting most of the attention: Shohei “Shoh-Time” Ohtani. The 30-year-old, 6-foot-4, 210-pound phenom from Ōshū, Japan, is a marvel to watch. And that might be underselling it.
Ohtani is the best hitter in the game and a top-five pitcher (when healthy) who has a Rookie of the Year trophy, four All-Star appearances and two MVP awards to prove it. In Washingtonian terms, Ohtani combines the pitching power of a prime Randy Johnson and the masterful swing of a bat that opponents feared in Mariners designated hitter Edgar Martinez (but with more power and speed). For example, Ohtani spent 2023 leading the Japanese national team to an undefeated playoff season in the World Baseball Classic, and while he led the tournament in hits, runs and walks, the WBC’s iconic moment was Ohtani on the mound striking out former Angels teammate Mike Trout to beat the United States in the championship game 3-2.
The Dodgers’ signing of Ohtani this past offseason was earthshaking news. Ohtani left the Anaheim Angels and signed the biggest contract in sports history: 10 years for $700 million. But there’s a catch to that contract that underlines the type of competitor he is — $680 million of that salary is deferred for a decade. The deferral helped the Dodgers acquire complementary talent like his countryman and standout starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
Due to Tommy John surgery (a procedure to repair a torn ligament in the elbow), Ohtani hasn’t pitched for the Dodgers… so he just had to focus on making
history as a designated hitter. Ohtani also finished the regular season with a league-leading 54 home runs, 130 RBI and 59 stolen bases. On Sept. 19, he became the first player in MLB history with 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases. And this is Ohtani in a “limited role.” Even more incredible for fans like me is the dedication and skill he displays. Former Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant created the idea of “Mamba mentality” — an obsession with improvement, dedication to the craft, resilience through tough times and focus on the process. Ohtani radiates that “Mamba mentality” that we Angelenos admire.
Ohtani has many quirks for fans to love, from his hip thrust when running on base to sunflower seed showers when making it to home plate. Even though he and his teammates speak different native languages, they share the common language of baseball. Beyond the winning, it’s been a joy to watch Ohtani-san find great friendships with everyone from Yamamoto to Dominican (and former Seattle Mariner) Teoscar Hernandez and Puerto Rican Kiké Hernandez.
The Dodgers have done well to highlight their international star player with a Japanese Heritage Night, Japanese-speaking tours of the stadium, anime-inspired graphics and concession menus that incorporate Japanese food like chicken katsu sandwiches.
It’s safe to say that Ohtani and his authentic buffet of character and talent will remain a fixture in America’s pastime for the next decade. Hopefully, kids today from around the globe are developing their love of baseball after seeing Shoh-time play and dreaming of being just like him while swinging in their yards and sandlots. n
THE BUZZ BIN
FUNDS FOR ARTISTS
The Artist Trust Grants for Artist Projects (GAP) program has funded Washington state artists for 35 years, and this year’s pool of applicants represents the most competitive cohort in the history of the program. A total of $97,500 in unrestricted grants were awarded to 65 artists from 28 different counties in Washington with each receiving $1,500 toward funding a project of their choosing. Local winners include Mel Antuna Hewitt (pictured) of LibroBuch, writer P.L. Watts, jazz musician Rachel Bade-McMurphy and ceramic artist Gina Freuen. For a full list of GAP recipients visit artisttrust.org. (MADISON PEARSON)
NO-LI NABS MORE MEDALS
Fresh hardware from Tokyo, Japan, just made its way into No-Li Brewhouse’s growing stash of accolades, which now totals 188 international brewing medals.
The Spokane beer-making powerhouse recently clinched a gold medal for its Wrecking Ball Stout and bronze for its Big Juicy IPA at the 2024 International Beer Cup in Tokyo. This year, No-Li bested competitors from 17 countries. Perhaps the icing on the cake for the East Spokanebased brewer is that its beer has actually been available in Japan since last year. “Winning these medals on an international stage is a huge honor, and it’s fantastic knowing folks in Japan can walk into a shop and grab one of our beers,” No-Li owner John Bryant said in a release. (CHEY SCOTT)
THIS WEEK’S PLAYLIST
Noteworthy new music arriving in stores and online on Oct. 25.
ALLEN STONE, MYSTERY
Spokane soul singer extraordinaire Allen Stone headed to Memphis to record this fresh EP with Grammywinner PJ Morton at Al Green’s studio.
SOCCER MOMMY, EVERGREEN
Nashville singer-songwriter Sophie Allison continues to handle wistfulness with a delicate indie rock grace on her fourth LP.
PIXIES, THE NIGHT THE ZOMBIES CAME
The alt-rock stalwarts’ ninth album dropping during spooky season indirectly raises the question: What if the monkey from Doolittle didn’t in fact go to heaven and is instead coming for our brains?!? (SETH SOMMERFELD)
Shohei Ohtani and the Los Angeles Dodgers are off to the World Series! WIKIMEDIA PHOTO
Some funds from the proposed community safety sales tax would go toward replacing old fire engines.
ERICK DOXEY PHOTO
THE NEW PROP. 1
Public safety is a top concern for Spokane voters — will they approve more sales tax to fund police, fire and courts?
BY NATE SANFORD
Emergency call volumes are up, and first responders are spread thin. Businesses are, yet again, sounding alarm bells over the state of downtown. Residents say safety is a top priority, and politicians on both sides of the aisle seem to agree that Spokane’s police and emergency services need more resources.
The question is how to pay for it.
Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown’s solution: Proposition 1 — a sales tax proposal appearing on the November ballot asks voters if they’re willing to raise the local sales tax by 0.1% to boost police, fire and court services. The tax would cost Spokane shoppers about 10 cents for every $100 they spend on retail goods within city limits and would raise about $7.7 million annually, with 15% of the proceeds going to Spokane County as required by state law.
Brown has proposed putting the majority of the funds into the city’s police and fire departments. Some would also go to municipal court services and the Office of the Police Ombuds.
This is Brown’s second attempt at a public safety tax. When she took office in January, the city had a $25 million deficit in its general fund, which pays for police and fire services. In the spring, Brown originally proposed asking voters to approve a property tax levy to help address the deficit and pay for new public safety services.
The property tax proposal faced swift political blowback. Less than two weeks after asking the City Council to put the property tax levy on the August primary election ballot, Brown withdrew the proposal and went back to the drawing board.
“I want to make sure we do this right,” Brown said at a news conference announcing the decision.
Brown says her new “community safety sales tax” proposal is smaller and more targeted.
“The focus is really narrowed into, I think, the key areas that the public wants to see improvement,” Brown says.
Because it’s a sales tax, and not a property tax, out-of-town visitors who benefit from Spokane’s public safety services will also pay, she says. It will also be more affordable for Spokane families, she says, as critical goods like food, medication and rent are exempt from sales tax.
Brown says the city has made progress in addressing its deficit in recent months, and that the general fund deficit is now estimated to be closer to $10.9 million. Part of that was achieved through mandatory furlough days, layoffs, eliminating vacant positions, renegotiated contracts, and a voluntary retirement
incentive for eligible Spokane police officers.
“We’re definitely moving in the right direction,” Brown says. “We’re not 100% there yet, but I think we’ve made significant progress.”
Still, Brown says efforts to get the city back on track financially would be significantly complicated if the sales tax doesn’t pass.
Opponents of the sales tax say it is too vague and lacks guardrails to prevent elected officials from using it to fund non-public safety priorities. City Council member Michael Cathcart, who co-wrote the “argument against” statement in the voters’ guide, describes it as a “blank check.”
“There’s no plan, there’s no discussion, no council involvement,” Cathcart says. “This has been one of the most opaque processes ever.”
Brown disagrees. On Oct. 7, the City Council passed an emergency ordinance to add a “sunset clause” to the proposal, which would end the sales tax after 10 years. The emergency ordinance also created a dedicated “community safety fund” for the money raised by the tax to make sure the money is exclusively invested in community safety.
“This is really in response to the community’s top priority right now, which is to expand capacity,” Brown says. “It’s thinking about the things that matter to people most.”
WHAT WOULD IT PAY FOR?
The ballot language for Proposition 1 says the money will be dedicated to “enhanced community safety purposes and other public safety functions.”
Brown’s proposed biennial budget for 2025 and 2026 would see the money split between four departments, with the vast majority going to police and fire. (The city recently switched to a two-year budget cycle.)
Over two years, the police department would get about $4.35 million to hire seven new officers to revive the neighborhood resource officer program and expand effective traffic enforcement. The department’s neighborhood resource officers and dedicated traffic officers were moved to patrol at the start of this year because of staffing issues, and elected officials say they regularly hear from constituents who say bringing them back is a top priority. The revived program would place officers in neighborhoods outside of downtown, where they would work to ensure the community knows who they are and make their contact information readily available.
Over two years, the fire department would also
PROP 1 AT A GLANCE
HOW MUCH WOULD IT GENERATE PER YEAR?
About $7.7 million, of which $1.2 million would go to the county and $6.5 million would go to the city of Spokane.
HOW LONG WOULD IT LAST?
Ten years, per a sunset clause Spokane City Council passed on Oct. 7.
COULD THE REVENUE FUND OTHER THINGS BESIDES COMMUNITY SAFETY?
No. The revenue would be placed into a designated community safety fund. Dollars could not be allocated to non-community safety efforts unless the fund were repealed by future City Council members.
WHERE WILL THE CITY SPEND THE MONEY?
Of the estimated $13 million in revenue the tax would generate for the city over the next two years, about $4.35 million would be designated to police, about $4.35 million to the fire department, about $2 million to the municipal court, and about $464,000 to the Office of the Ombuds.
HOW MANY NEW POLICE OFFICERS WOULD IT FUND?
At least seven new neighborhood resource officers, who would restart the neighborhood resource officer program that places officers in neighborhoods outside of downtown. Other funds dedicated to the police department would probably add a mix of officers and new technology to the traffic unit. The money could also continue to fund investments like the current 30-day downtown Community Outreach, Response and Engagement (CORE) pilot program, if it proves successful.
WHAT FIRE IMPROVEMENTS WILL IT FUND?
The revenue would help replace one to two fire engines per year that are too old to be in the fleet. According to industry standards, a typical fire engine should be in service for 10 to 12 years. One of the fire department’s vehicles is currently 25 years old. A typical engine costs about $1.2 million to $1.5 million, while a ladder engine costs at least $2 million fully outfitted.
WHAT WOULD IT FUND FOR THE OFFICE OF THE OMBUDS?
One new staff member. Money would also go toward community awareness and engagement campaigns.
WHAT WOULD THIS DO FOR THE MUNICIPAL COURT?
The designated funds would primarily maintain the staff members in the municipal court who are at risk of being laid off due to budget cuts.
WOULD THIS CLOSE THE CITY’S BUDGET GAP?
In part. Mayor Lisa Brown says she has charted a way to close the budget gap in two years even without this sales tax, and the community safety fund would be dedicated to new efforts. However, there’s a notable exception, as the tax would be used to maintain the municipal court at its current size and prevent layoffs.
— ELIZA BILLINGHAM
get $4.35 million for rig replacements and “urgent station repair and enhancement.” Brown says there are several fire rigs that are overdue for replacement.
Spokane’s municipal court would get $2 million for “sustaining criminal justice services such as electronic monitoring and case management.” Brown says the investment would expand capacity and the court’s ability to monitor pretrial diversions and other interventions.
“When you increase the number of cases going through there, all the different pieces have to sort of work together, or you end up with log jams,” Brown says.
The city’s Office of the Police Ombuds, a civilian police accountability watchdog, would get $464,290 over two years for “expanded staffing, training and outreach capacity.”
“It’s a whole system,” Brown says. “We’re looking at the community safety departments comprehensively.”
BUSINESS SUPPORT
Brown has been rallying hard to get business leaders — many of whom have decried the city’s approach to public safety — to support the public safety sales tax.
The Spokane Journal of Business editorial board endorsed the proposal in late September, describing it as a way to “give elected leaders greater resources to improve conditions downtown.”
“The problems in the core aren’t getting better, and complaints about conditions have reached a fevered pitch,” the editorial board wrote. “The sense of urgency is apparent, and it makes sense to give the city more resources to address those issues.”
Neither the Downtown Spokane Partnership nor Greater Spokane Incorporated have endorsed the proposal. But on Sept. 11, the Spokane Business Association, which was formed earlier this year by local businessman Larry Stone, announced that it was endorsing the proposition during its first annual meeting.
“It’s not quite normal for any business association to endorse a tax increase,” says Gavin Cooley, the newly appointed CEO of the Spokane Business Association. “I think we looked at the situation that the community is in and what was being proposed, and we saw an opportunity to address those things.”
The endorsement followed meetings with the mayor’s administration and lots of deliberation among the association’s board members, Cooley says.
The endorsement was a surprise to some in the business community.
“A lot of people are frustrated with this endorsement,” Cooley says. “There’s probably about 10 angry texts a day.”
Much of the frustration, Cooley says, comes from business leaders who don’t see things improving and don’t have trust in the administration.
Sheldon Jackson, a local developer who runs an email group of local business owners outraged with the city’s approach to drugs and crime, was one of those caught off guard by the endorsement. In an email to the business group the next morning, he said the association had made a “major mistake.”
“The applause was muted and text messages flying,” Jackson wrote. “If we support more taxes, we need to be able to trust the administration and council. So far, we are not seeing the results we were promised.”
Jackson tells the Inlander that he does not trust the mayor and City Council to enforce public safety laws, and does not believe more tax dollars would change things.
RESCINDED ENDORSEMENT?
When the Spokane Business Association voted to endorse Proposition 1, Cooley says that his understanding was the majority of funding would go to increasing the on-street presence for police and fire services. That means more officers walking a beat downtown, and more of the fire department’s smaller units that respond to mental health and drug problems. It’s a major priority of the business association, he says.
“Between police and fire having that on-street presence in the community, there’s a pretty strong belief that can solve about 80% of the crisis that certain parts of our community are experiencing,” Cooley says. “I’m proud of our board and leadership that they are willing to take this risk and say ‘We’re going to take that first step and endorse.’”
Weeks after the group’s endorsement, however, Brown released her budget proposal, which allocates a large percentage of the funds to capital costs for the fire department. It’s a poor use of the tax, Cooley argues — and not what the business association was expecting. He argues the city should look to other methods to fund capital expenses such as the new fire rigs.
“There’s a lot of dollars in Prop. 1 that aren’t necessarily going to on-street presence,” Cooley says.
The business association decided to keep its endorsement, however, after the city began its Community Outreach, Response and Engagement, or CORE, program. The 30-day pilot has increased the number of law enforcement officers downtown as well as the number of rehousing experts and mental health specialists.
Cooley says the endorsement comes with caveats, but he is “leaning into that hope” that the CORE program, or something like it, will enable the city to enforce laws.
He says the new downtown officers are necessary to make sure people are abiding by the established rules that regulate sitting, lying, or camping on public property, obstructing the right of way, using drugs in public or operating a nuisance property.
The CORE program added six more police officers downtown. If the pilot is successful, these officers could be kept downtown with money designated for police from the community safety fund, the city’s Director of Communication Erin Hut says. The seven new neighborhood resource officers the tax would also fund is a conservative estimate, she says, which leaves some money on the table to be allocated as the city conducts more research.
Cooley stresses that he appreciates the mayor’s
hard work and collaboration on the issue, and that he’s hopeful the disagreement over capital costs will be worked out soon.
“I think we’re moving in that direction,” Cooley says. “I’m very hopeful this will all get resolved.”
TRUST AND TRANSPARENCY
City Council member Cathcart broadly agrees that neighborhood resource officers, traffic officers and other items in the mayor’s budget proposal would be good for the city. The problem, he says, is that the current plan is way too vague.
“Nothing around the number of police officers, around the number of firefighters,” Cathcart said last month. “Nothing around the very specifics.”
The Mayor’s team has only recently released specifics around how many officers could be hired and how many fire trucks could be replaced.
Brown says her proposal would involve hiring more police officers beyond the 350 the department is currently budgeted for. The current estimate is at least seven additional officers.
Cathcart argues that the proposed sales tax lacks restrictions to ensure the money is only used for public safety. He’s worried current or future mayors and City Council members might divert it to other investments that differ from what voters expected under the broad umbrella of “public safety.” He notes that a future City Council could hypothetically vote to get rid of the sunset clause and the dedicated community safety fund.
Brown disagrees with that concern. Future administrations always have the flexibility to propose new things. If politicians choose to use the money for something that wasn’t what voters expected, citizens can vote them out, she says.
Cathcart is also concerned that the city’s proposed sales tax could hurt future efforts to fund a new county jail with a sales tax. Voters rejected a proposal from the county to do just that last year, and many elected officials are operating under the assumption that a future sales tax proposal will be necessary to fund a new jail.
Cathcart argues that voting no on Proposition 1 doesn’t necessarily mean voting no on more police and fire investments. It’s still possible to vote this down and come up with a better, more detailed plan to fund neighborhood resource officers, traffic cops and the other investments the community wants, he says.
Brown says the proposition reflects what the community wants — and needs.
“Combined with the new leadership we have in police and fire, it is going to be well spent,” Brown says. n
At least seven new Spokane police officers could be hired if the tax passes. ERICK DOXEY PHOTO
“I
SUPPORTING SCHOOLS
School districts across the Inland Northwest ask voters to approve funding for faculty, extracurriculars and construction
BY COLTON RASANEN
The Cheney School District is growing fast. In fact, the district, which serves both Cheney and Airway Heights, is practically bursting at the seams.
While many school districts in the region are still struggling to regain pre-pandemic enrollment numbers, Cheney surpassed its pre-pandemic figures in the 2021-22 school year and then continued to grow to nearly 5,700 students. Its enrollment has grown by more than 25% or 1,100 students in the last decade, according to the annual report card from the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. By comparison, the Mead School District, which has double the student population of Cheney, only grew by 6% or around 600 students in the past 10 years.
That’s why in February, the Cheney School District asked voters to approve a $72 million construction bond to build a new school, buy land for future construction and make improvements to school facilities.
A majority of voters supported the proposition (about 55%), but in Washington construction bonds must earn more than 60% of the vote to pass. So the Cheney district was left without the money to expand its already crowded schools. Voters may experience a sense of déjà vu as the same bond proposition will appear again on the Nov. 5 ballot.
“The main share goes towards an elementary [school] in Airway Heights,” Cheney Superintendent Ben Ferney says. “We want to, no, we need to build schools where our kids are.”
The bond would set aside $59.7 million to build the 500-student
elementary school and to buy land for another elementary school, secondary school and a centralized transportation site. Typically, Ferney says, elementary schools are built on 10 acres, while secondary schools (middle and high school) can require 20 to 50 acres.
Another $4 million would go to safety projects, such as updated bus and pedestrian trafficways at Windsor and Salnave Elementary Schools, new fencing and ADA-compliant improvements at Cheney High School, and upgraded security access at Snowdon Elementary and Westwood and Cheney Middle Schools.
The last $8.3 million would fund districtwide facility updates to things such as lighting, interior design, plumbing and HVAC systems.
After the bond failed to pass earlier this year, Ferney and the district’s school board formed a Facilities Planning Committee to figure out why.
“We did a deep dive talking to folks in the district and got a lot of good community input on this,” Ferney says.
What they found was that voters felt that the district had not adequately informed them as to why the bond was necessary, he says. To address that, the district added extensive information on its website, cheneysd.org, including project details, answers to frequently asked questions and a thorough video explainer.
“All of our focus right now is on getting the information out,” Ferney says. “And we know more people are going to turn out because it’s a presidential election.”
MORE SCHOOL FUNDING REQUESTS
COEUR D’ALENE SCHOOL DISTRICT
Voters in Coeur d’Alene will be asked to approve a two-year, $50 million replacement levy that makes up a quarter of the Coeur d’Alene School District’s budget for the 2026 and 2027 fiscal years. The levy is the same amount that voters approved for fiscal 2024 and 2025.
The levy’s estimated tax impact is 93 cents for every $1,000 in assessed property value. In an August board of trustees meeting, district Superintendent Shon Hocker said the money funds 200 employees.
The district recently decided to close Borah Elementary School due to budget shortfalls. If the levy fails to get a simple majority approval, the district will need to figure out how to operate with $25 million less per year.
DEER PARK SCHOOL DISTRICT
The Deer Park School District will ask voters to approve a $55.1 million construction bond to relieve overcrowding. The bond would provide money to build a new transportation center and elementary school.
The district was one of five in Spokane County that saw bond propositions fail in February. The district’s previous ask, which received 49% of the vote in February, was for $62 million and included the renovation of Arcadia Elementary School and Deer Park Middle School. The new smaller request does not include those projects.
LAKELAND JOINT SCHOOL DISTRICT
The Lakeland Joint School District, which includes Rathdrum, Twin Lakes and Spirit Lake, will ask voters to approve a twoyear, $19 million replacement levy. The levy would mostly fund employee salaries, but it also includes funding for school safety, extracurricular activities, curriculum and transportation.
The estimated tax impact is $1.05 for every $1,000 in assessed property value, but in an informative video about the levy, district Chief Finance Officer Jessica Grantham said that the actual rate will likely be lower.
Upgrades to Salnave Elementary School would increase pedestrian safety if Cheney’s bond passes. RENDERING COURTESY CHENEY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
HAUNTED TRAIN!
ORCHARD PRAIRIE SCHOOL DISTRICT
With only 74 students enrolled between kindergarten and seventh grade, the Orchard Prairie School District is the smallest in Spokane County with a request on the ballot. The two-school district, located between Mead and Millwood, will ask voters to approve a $6.2 million construction bond to fund a new school building to replace the district’s 50-year-old school. It’s been half a century since any significant updates or renovations have been made to the school.
“The need to replace deteriorating and educationally outdated school facilities and infrastructure … requires the district to provide safe, modern facilities,” the bond proposition reads.
The district’s other school, which shares the same campus, was built in 1894. The district has no intention of tearing down the centuryold school: Officials plan to apply to place the property on a historic registry.
WEST VALLEY SCHOOL DISTRICT
The West Valley School District also saw its construction bond fail in February. Instead of asking for the same bond again, the district opted to place a capital improvement levy on the November ballot to make safety, security and infrastructure improvements. The three-year, $12 million levy would further improve schools’ entrance security, fund roof repairs at West Valley High School, and improve the pickup/ dropoff areas at elementary and middle schools. Unlike construction bonds, a capital levy only needs a simple majority to pass.
The estimated levy rate is $1 for every $1,000 in assessed value. If passed, someone with a $400,000 home would pay an estimated $400 per year. n coltonr@inlander.com
ENDORSEMENTS
JUDICIAL ENDORSEMENTS
Justice Debra Stephens, Washington State Supreme Court
Judge John Cooney, Washington State Court of Appeals
Div. III
Superior Court
Judge Rachelle Anderson, Spokane County
Judge Breean Beggs, Spokane County
Judge Charnelle Bjelkengren, Spokane County
Judge Dean Chuang, Spokane County
Judge Ray Clary, Spokane County
Judge Tony Hazel, Spokane County
Judge Jacquelyn High-Edward, Spokane County
Judge Julie McKay, Spokane County
Judge Annette Plese, Spokane County
Judge Marla Polin, Spokane County
Judge Jeremy Schmidt, Spokane County
Judge Shelly Szambelan, Spokane County
Judge Gary Libey, Whitman County
Judge Pat Monasmith, Ferry/Pend Oreille/Stevens Co
Judge Sean O’Donnell, King County
Judge Linda G. Tompkins, Spokane County, retired
Judge Harold Clarke III, Spokane County, retired
Judge Mary Ann Moreno, Spokane County, retired
Judge Kathleen O’Connor, Spokane County, retired
Judge Michael Price, Spokane County, retired
SPOKANE DISTRICT COURT
Judge Andrew Biviano, Spokane County
Judge Sara Derr, Spokane County, retired
Judge Patrick Johnson, Spokane County
Judge Jeff Smith, Spokane County
Judge Rick White, Spokane County, retired
Judge Jenny Zappone, Spokane County
MUNICIPAL COURT
Judge Kristin O’Sullivan, Spokane
Judge Gloria Ochoa-Bruck, Spokane
SPOKANE COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT
COMMISSIONERS
Commissioner Tami Chavez
Commissioner Eugene Cruz
Commissioner Julia Pelc
Commissioner Michelle Ressa
Commissioner Tony Rugel
Commissioner Kevin Stewart
Commissioner Nichole Swennumson
ATTORNEYS
Joy Abrams
John Allison
Nik Armitage
Thomas Bassett, retired
Ryan M Best
Justin Bingham
James S Black
Olivia Bloom
Mary Ann Brady, retired
Gabriel Buehler
Chris Bugbee
Phillip J Carstens
Rob Cossey
Gina Costello
Dennis Cronin
David Crouse
Kimberly Deater
Mike Delay
Macy Disney
Matthew Dudley
Krista Elliott
Alison Erickson
Bill Etter
Richard Eymann
Roger Felice, retired
Margaux Fox
Sylvia Glover
Lindsay Gray
Dana Hahn
Robert Hahn
Dan Harbaugh
Mark Harris
Steve Hassing
Angela Hayes
Jerry Hertel
Frank Hoover
Carl Hueber
Carol Hunter
Joel Huppin
Jessica Johnson Thompson
Michael Jolstead
Sandy Jones
Steven Jones
Catherine Kardong
James King
Paul Kirkpatrick
Nicole Koyama
Richard Kuhling
Steve Lamberson
John Layman
Jeff Leslie
Karen Lindholdt
Mark Lindsey
Bevan Maxey
Morgan Maxey
William Maxey
Tom McGarry
Lynn Mounsey
Kyla Mowrer
Mike Myers, retired
Jon Neill
Tim Nodland
Carl Oreskovich
Wiedman Jennifer Wofford
Yahne FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS
Alberts Jacqueline Alston Mike Altringer
Altringer
Baker
Bambino Dave Barber
•Judge Fennessy has the most legal and judicial experience
•Judge Fennessy received a Well Qualified rating from the Spokane Bar Association that evaluates integrity, temperament, legal ability, relevant experience and suitability.
•Judge Fennessy was elected Presiding Judge to lead the Spokane Superior court in 2024 and 2025
•Judge Fennessy has a full list of endorsements including all sitting Superior Court judges in Spokane County and the list goes on.
KC THREE
Incumbent Leslie Duncan faces challenger Roger Rowland in bid for Kootenai County Board of Commissioners seat
BY SAMANTHA WOHLFEIL
In Kootenai County, this election includes two races for seats on the Board of County Commissioners. The only competitive race is for the District 3 seat. Current Republican Commissioner Leslie Duncan faces independent candidate Roger Rowland.
Duncan has served on the Board of County Commissioners since she was elected in 2018. On her campaign website, she emphasizes that during her time as a commissioner she has voted in favor of property rights and against unnecessary spending.
Duncan previously worked as a criminal investigator and reserve police officer in California, and after moving to Kootenai County with her husband more than 20 years ago, she worked in sports television for 14 years while homeschooling their children. She was elected to the Kootenai County Aquifer Protection District in 2014 and then ran for her current seat.
“As an advocate for fiscal responsibility, I have managed our taxpayer dollars with meticulous care, ensuring that we enhance our county services without placing more burden on the citizens’ finances,” Duncan says on her campaign website. “Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, I stood against the widespread shutdowns, mask mandates, and vaccine mandates, making it publicly known that I did not agree with these measures.”
Rowland is running to responsibly manage growth and protect the aquifer and remaining prairie, according to his campaign website. He also has law enforcement experience, but at the federal level, is a veteran, and has worked in a variety of fields, including “space and defense, manufacturing, business development, and information technology,” according to his bio.
He moved to Kootenai County with his wife and kids in 1992, and says that in addition to managing growth responsibly with an eye on protecting the area’s natural resources and beauty, he hopes to foster collaboration with other municipalities, the Coeur d’Alene Tribe and county residents.
“I believe we need leaders who can differentiate between partisan politics and issues of national importance and the responsibilities of a county commissioner. A master’s degree in public administration, decades of leadership experience and 10 years as a management consultant have equipped me with the skills and perspective needed for this role,” Rowland says on his campaign website. “My ultimate objective for running is to do whatever I can to keep Kootenai County special.”
The other race, for District 1, is for the seat being vacated by Commissioner Bill Brooks, who has decided to retire. The only candidate who has filed to replace him is Republican Marc Eberlein, who beat out three other Republican candidates in the May primary election.
Eberlein served as the District 1 commissioner for four years before losing to Brooks in 2016. He worked for nearly two decades in the forest industry and fighting wildfires, and he owns Eberlein Fine Cabinetry. n samanthaw@inlander.com
JUVIE AND JAILS
BY VICTOR CORRAL MARTINEZ
LESLIE DUNCAN ROGER ROWLAND
Measure 1 would fund the juvenile detention center. ERICK DOXEY PHOTO
Jails and juvenile detention facilities are on ballots now in the hands of Spokane County voters. Measure 1, placed on the ballot by the Spokane Board of County Commissioners, asks voters to renew an existing sales and use tax that funds adult and juvenile detention centers. Voters first approved the tax in 1995 and have renewed it every 10 years, most recently in 2015.
The tax is one-tenth of 1%, or 10 cents collected on a $100 qualifying purchase. Certain items are exempt from the sales tax, including groceries, prescription medications and rent.
In 2023, the sales tax collected $15.8 million, of which $7 million went to defray the cost of operating the county’s juvenile detention center. Nearly 60% of the revenue — $8.8 million — went toward the county’s $60 million budget for adult detention centers, County Board Chair Mary Kuney says.
If the 0.1% sales tax is renewed, the county estimates that it will collect $16.5 million annually. The county would use that revenue to fully fund juvenile detention operations, with the rest going to fund its two adult detention centers — Spokane County Jail and Geiger Corrections Center. The sales tax currently pays for 140 full-time employees.
While state law allows this specific sales tax to be spent on construction as well, the Spokane County commissioners opted to remove “construction” from the list of possible uses outlined in the ballot measure, stating that the county will not use the revenue to build a new jail.
The juvenile detention center’s $7 million budget allows it to operate 24/7 with 37 full-time staff, including medical nurses, educators, administrators, correctional officers and counselors. It is located on the county campus in Spokane and can house up to 39 minors but hasn’t exceeded more than 35 at one time.
Juvenile detention allows for alternatives such as electronic home monitoring. This program aims to allow low-risk minors to remain at home with an electronic ankle-worn monitoring device.
“We were the first county [in Washington] … to have electronic home monitoring as an option to keep youth out of detention, and this sales tax measure does fund the electronic home monitoring,” County Commissioner Amber Waldref says. “So I just wanted to let you know that diversion programs and alternatives are very well used here to reduce the number of kids that have to be here in the facility.”
The detention center provides educational opportunities through Northeast
Washington Education Services, which has three teachers. They provide core curriculum instruction, General Educational Development, or GED, high school equivalency testing, and a library for recreational reading.
“They will hold graduations for the kids that receive their GED, and they’ll invite their parents,” says Tori Peterson, the juvenile court services administrator. “And most often, I have seen that those kids would not have received their GED based on what they were doing out in the community and their behavior.” n victorc@inlander.com
Core classes are offered at the juvenile detention center. ERICK DOXEY PHOTO
A FRESH FACE IN OLYMPIA
Democrat Natasha Hill faces Republican Tony Kiepe in the race to replace Rep. Riccelli representing Spokane in the state House
BY NATE SANFORD
Two newcomers to elected office are vying to represent Spokane in Washington’s Legislature.
Natasha Hill, a Democrat, is a lawyer and community activist. She’s running against Republican Tony Kiepe, an insurance agent. The two are running to fill the 3rd Legislative District’s House Position 1, which covers much of the city of Spokane and is being vacated by Rep. Marcus Riccelli, a Democrat who is running for state Senate.
Public safety is a big focus for Kiepe. He notes that he’s been endorsed by the Spokane Police Guild and the Washington Council of Police & Sheriffs. He promises to “stand up against radical bills that reward repeat offenders.”
Kiepe says he supports the four statewide initiatives that will appear on the November ballot, which would repeal the state’s Climate Commitment Act; repeal the capital gains tax; allow people to opt out of the long-term care act; and limit natural gas regulations. He describes the existing policies as burdensome taxes that don’t deliver their intended outcomes for citizens.
“Everybody should have a decision or choice for what they want to do, what they believe in, the taxes they pay,” Kiepe says.
Hill is voting against all four initiatives.
“My opponent wants to roll back taxes for the rich folks because he’s worried about rich people not being as rich,” Hill says. If passed, some of the initiatives would result in lost revenue for the state government.
Kiepe says he wants to look at “every dollar being spent” and find ways to reduce government spending.
LASTMINUTE CHALLENGE
Write-in candidate Jim Wilson challenges Rep. Marcus Riccelli in race for Spokane’s 3rd District state Senate seat
BY NATE SANFORD
After six terms representing Spokane’s 3rd Legislative District in the Washington state House of Representatives, Democrat Marcus Riccelli is running to fill the Senate seat vacated by the retirement of Andy Billig.
Riccelli was unopposed in the August primary. But as the Nov. 5 general election approaches, Riccelli, 46, faces a last-minute write-in challenge from real estate agent and political newcomer
Jim Wilson, a Republican.
“I was getting ready to go on vacation, and I saw this race unopposed and I thought, ‘That’s not right,’” Wilson says. “Instead of complaining all the time, or listening to others complain, it’s time to step up.”
Wilson, 71, decided to write in his own name on the August primary ballot. He texted some friends and relatives asking them to do the same. From there, he says the campaign “took on a life of its own.” A member of the local Republican Party called the next day and asked him to run an official write-in campaign.
Wilson got a little over 1% of the votes in the primary — just barely enough to qualify him to appear on the November ballot.
Compared with the primary’s three-way race for a House seat in the district, which included Democrats Natasha Hill and Ben Stuckart and Republican Tony Kiepe, Riccelli’s unopposed race received nearly 9,000 fewer votes (voters aren’t required to fill in a choice for each race), making it slightly easier for Wilson to hit 1%.
Wilson says that the Legislature has taken “radical stands” on issues like public safety and that he wants to start “governing for
NATASHA HILL
TONY KIEPE
JIM WILSON
MARCUS RICCELLI
“I do not have a specific, but that’s something that’s got to be analyzed,” Kiepe says when asked about programs he would cut.
Hill says her top priorities include lowering the costs of housing, health care and child care. She has support from local unions and prominent local Democrats.
Rent stabilization is one big area of disagreement between Hill and Kiepe.
Kiepe thinks rent stabilization is a bad idea that would force small landlords out of business and ultimately worsen the housing shortage. He criticizes recent rental reforms passed by the city of Spokane and says there needs to be consistent legislation across the state.
Hill says rent stabilization would help prevent people from being priced out.
“Allowing folks to raise rates beyond what folks can afford is just causing more folks to lose housing,” Hill says. It’s a “great service to our community for us to have folks who can provide landlord services and additional housing, but housing should be a human right, and our focus should be on keeping folks in their homes.”
The 3rd Legislative District traditionally leans blue. Still, Kiepe says he’s hopeful. He’s calculated that he needs 6% of the Democrat vote to win.
“I’m getting a lot of Democrat support, when I talk to Democrats, they say, ‘I’ve never voted for a Republican, but I’m going to vote for you, because you’re sensible,’” Kiepe says. “I’m not a right-wing radical.” n
the people in the middle.”
Wilson faces steep odds. The 3rd District leans blue, and Riccelli has a massive fundraising advantage.
Riccelli was first elected to the House in 2012. He chairs the House Health Care & Wellness Committee and has worked to expand telehealth and dental care in Washington. He says some of his proudest achievements in Olympia include sponsoring the House bill to bring a medical school to Spokane, expanding the Spokane County Commission to five members and passing bills to expand free lunch for kids in schools.
Riccelli introduced a bill earlier this year that would have provided free school lunch for all schoolchildren in Washington. It failed to pass, but Riccelli says it remains a priority.
“We know that kids can’t thrive in school if they’re hungry,” Riccelli says.
Riccelli’s other priorities if elected to the Senate include expanding access to affordable health care and housing.
“We need to build a lot more units,” Riccelli says.
Wilson says he’s interested in giving Washington police officers more training and making sure the “criminal element” of the homeless population is held accountable. He wants to improve housing affordability by removing burdensome regulations.
Riccelli says he agrees with his opponent that competition is a good thing in elections.
“This is an open seat,” Riccelli says. “It’s a job interview, and people deserve to hear the issues.” n
MIX IN THE SIXTH
Two popular incumbents face optimistic challengers in the race to represent north and west Spokane County in the Legislature
BY ELIZA BILLINGHAM
Washington’s 6th Legislative District covers as far southwest as Medical Lake and as far northeast as Deer Park. Three Republicans currently represent the area in the state Legislature, and two are up for reelection this year. Their Democratic challengers are running on their party’s traditional issues like the environment and affordable housing. So far, they’ve raised less than 10% of what their Republican opponents have.
HOUSE POSITION 1
Incumbent Rep. Mike Volz, 59, is a Republican currently serving his fourth term representing the 6th District. He is also the chief deputy treasurer for Spokane County. He is a certified public accountant with business degrees from Eastern Washington University and Gonzaga University.
During the 2024 legislative session, with last year’s fires in Medical Lake and near Elk in mind, Volz introduced a bill to loosen the requirements for people rebuilding their homes after wildfires, which was signed into law.
If re-elected, he hopes to complete his work to fund a multiuse day care in Hillyard and to continue serving on the transportation committee, which helped fund the North Spokane Corridor. He has fought against tax increases and is a strong advocate for keeping police on the streets, parental control of education, and business-friendly policies.
Volz is endorsed by Spokane County Sheriff John Nowels, Spokane County Treasurer Michael Baumgartner, and Mead School Board President Michael Cannon.
Opponent Steven McCray II is a 45-year-old Democrat campaigning for a seat in the Legislature for the first time. He is an elected water commissioner for Four Lakes Water District 10 and is finishing a bachelor’s degree in social work from Eastern Washington University. McCray also represents the disabled community on the Spokane County Democrats Executive Board.
He is concerned about per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, from Fairchild Air Force Base and Spokane International Airport that are contaminating water in the West Plains. He is also running on housing concerns, hoping to make home ownership more affordable and renting more stable. Another top priority is education, especially apprenticeship programs in high school.
McCray is endorsed by the Carpenters Political Action Committee, the Washington Housing Alliance Action Fund and the Planned Parenthood Advocates of Greater Washington and North Idaho.
HOUSE POSITION 2
Incumbent Rep. Jenny Graham, a Republican, was first elected to the state House in 2018. The 59-year-old is a former small business owner and a licensed cosmetologist. She also served in the Army Reserve.
Decades ago, her sister was killed by Gary Ridgway, a serial killer who murdered at least 48 people in the 1980s and ’90s. That experience has motivated her advocacy for abuse victims. This year, she served on the Civil Rights & Judiciary Committee, the Community Safety, Justice & Reentry Committee, and the Health Care & Wellness Committee.
Graham also sponsored a bill that aimed to create accountability measures for homeless services grants. The bill didn’t pass, but one of Graham’s goals moving forward is to improve transparency in state support programs.
Major contributors to Graham’s campaign include the Puyallup Tribe of Indians, Kaiser Aluminum, Puget Sound Energy, Chevron, the Washington Hospitality Association and the Washington State Troopers Political Action Committee.
This is opponent Michaela Kelso’s second time challenging Graham. The 54-year-old Democrat first tried to unseat the incumbent in 2022.
Kelso grew up in Germany and moved to the United States in 1993 after marrying an American soldier. She decided to join the Army soon after moving to the U.S.
Kelso’s major concerns are women’s rights, including access to abortion, a well-funded education system, protecting the environment and investigating pollution. Plus, she wants to fight the housing crisis by encouraging multifamily homes and mixed use residential areas. She supports the right to own guns, but also supports putting some safety measures in place.
Kelso has been endorsed by Vote Vets, Equal Rights Washington, Humane Voters of Washington and the Washington State Labor Council. n elizab@inlander.com
VS
VS
MICHAELA KELSO
MIKE VOLZ
JENNY GRAHAM
STEVEN MCCRAY II
RUNNING THE FOURTH
A look at who’s running for the three positions in Washington’s 4th
BY VICTOR CORRAL MARTINEZ
Many shakeups are happening within Washington’s 4th Legislative District after Republican state Sen. Mike Padden announced his retirement. The 4th District includes the communities of Elk, Spokane Valley, Liberty Lake, Mead and Green Bluff. The district is bordered on the east by Idaho.
SENATE
One of the district’s Republican state representatives, Leonard Christian, 59, is aiming to take Padden’s seat in the state Senate.
Christian says the biggest issue facing the state is public safety. He says Spokane Valley does a better job at mitigating crime than other cities in the state, but more can be done to improve public safety. Spokane Valley needs an additional 30 officers, but statewide legislation makes hiring difficult, he says.
“I believe that the policies that our state has been making have been telling law enforcement or telegraphing to law enforcement that ‘we don’t appreciate you,’ and that’s why we have a hard time hiring and supporting law enforcement,” Christian says.
Regardless of your political affiliation, Christian says he will answer your call. He points to his staunchly Democratic neighbors, who have his election signs on their lawn.
If elected, Christian would keep emphasizing that Olympia decisions that benefit Seattle often don’t work for Spokane. He argues that gun control bills, gas taxes and business regulations create unintended consequences for Eastern Washington.
Opponent Miguel Valencia, 25, is a Democrat and has no elected experience. Valencia says that his age and middle-class upbringing provide real-life experience for the position.
“I’m just a regular, ordinary, working-class dude versus somebody who may have been politically involved or been elected to office before and in my opinion, bought out by large corporations, Big Pharma, big oil and the billionaire class,” Valencia says.
According to the Public Disclosure Commission, Christian has raised about $48,800 and has received contributions from Chev-
HOUSE POSITION 1
State Rep. Suzanne Schmidt, 60, is the Republican incumbent running for a second House term representing the 4th District. Before
Legislative District
ron Corporation, Kaiser Aluminum, DoorDash, Avista Corp, and the State Farm federal PAC. Of the roughly $18,400 Valencia has raised, most has come from small donations, with about $2,300 from unions and $2,900 from political action committees.
Valencia says he is concerned about the high cost of basic necessities for everyone. He doesn’t want people to worry about the high costs of child care, post-secondary education and food. He says that if basic needs are met, people will be disincentivized from committing crimes because they will have opportunities to succeed.
Valencia also says he is willing to work across the aisle. He has spoken to many Republican candidates and plans to have lunch with Schmidt about potential collaboration if both are elected.
“I’ve had several people in the Republican Party tell me that they support me,” Valencia says. “Some of them won’t do it publicly, but you’d probably be surprised how many elected Republicans, even on the City Council in the Valley, support my campaign.”
becoming an elected official, she previously served as CEO of the Associated Builders and Contractors Inland Pacific chapter, advocating for small businesses in Olympia and testifying on legislative issues.
Schmidt says the most significant issue facing her district is the cost of living. She says higher prices have raised everyday expenses such as groceries, gas, child care and housing, while wages have risen but not kept pace with those increased costs.
After speaking with Partners Inland Northwest, a nonprofit food and clothing bank in Spokane Valley that is experiencing an increase in demand, Schmidt says she is concerned that 1 in 5 children live with food insecurity.
Schmidt says that her role requires her to be willing to work across the aisle. She serves on the postsecondary education, workforce and transportation committees, and has worked on bipartisan legislation to help all constituents.
MIGUEL VALENCIA
LEONARD CHRISTIAN
KRISTOPHER POCKELL
SUZANNE SCHMIDT
HOUSE POSITION 2
Democrat Ted Cummings, 63, is one of two candidates running to replace Christian in the House.
In 2016, Cummings ran against U.S. Sen. Patty Murray as an independent candidate. He also ran and lost against former farright Republican Rep. Matt Shea in 2018 and against the district’s other current Rep. Suzanne Schmidt in 2022.
Like many candidates, he is concerned about rising costs and says he would work to address housing issues.
Cummings tells the Inlander he is running to defend the democratic way of life. He says dangerous propaganda is undermining American institutions and ideals. He wants to bring normalcy to the political system and is concerned about his opponent’s views.
“My opponent is a big conspiracy theorist guy, and I think we need serious people in office to work on serious issues,” Cummings says.
His opponent is Republican Rob Chase, 71, who served as the Spokane County treasurer for two terms from 2011 to 2018. Chase was elected to this state representative seat in 2020 but lost his reelection bid to Christian in 2022.
According to his campaign statement for the state voters’ guide, Chase has spent the last three years canvassing for the Let’s Go Washington initiatives that are on the ballot (the organization was founded in April 2022). As an elected representative in 2021, Chase was one of the sponsors of House Bill 1410, which protected taxpayers from home foreclosure. He says the law has saved property owners statewide millions of dollars in late fees on delinquent property taxes.
Chase is concerned about economic issues facing the country and censorship of free speech.
“The three most important issues facing us today are the erosion of family values, our Nation’s economy is insolvent, censorship from the government and media,” Chase tells the Inlander via email
“We agree on about 80% of what we’re doing here in the state, so we can just really capitalize on that,” Schmidt says, “and move forward with working in a bipartisan manner.”
Her opponent, Kristopher Pockell, 36, listed no party affiliation. He is a software engineer who runs a software company and a hot sauce manufacturing business. Pockell did not respond to multiple calls or emails requesting comment.
On his campaign website, Pockell states that his biggest concerns are the cost of living, housing affordability, public safety and the disruption of the public education system caused by the pandemic.
“These problems require complex solutions, not partisan ones, and Eastern Washington deserves an open-minded representative willing to not just work across the aisle but in the aisle,” Pockell wrote in his campaign statement for the voters’ guide. n victorc@inlander.com
The divisive
politics of the other Washington
don’t
reflect our values, yet they affect us deeply. Extremists in Congress are failing families, farmers, and businesses.
I’LL PRIORITIZE YOU.” “
— Carmela
Carmela Conroy understands that making ends meet is harder than ever. In Congress, she will break through partisan gridlock, working with anyone to deliver results for Eastern Washington. As a Foreign Service Officer, she worked with Republicans and Democrats, negotiated trade deals, and helped America lead during international conflicts. As a Deputy Prosecutor for Spokane County, she supported law enforcement and held violent offenders accountable.
SHE WILL DEFEND DEMOCRACY AND PERSONAL FREEDOMS, INCLUDING THE RIGHT TO ORGANIZE AND TO ACCESS REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CARE.
SHE WILL WORK TO LOWER THE COST OF CHILDCARE, HOUSING, MEDICAL COVERAGE, AND PRESCRIPTION DRUGS.
SHE WILL STAND UP TO EXTREMISTS IN BOTH PARTIES AND RESTORE COMMON SENSE IN CONGRESS.
TED CUMMINGS ROB CHASE
Go to voter.votewa.gov
HILLTOTHEHOUSE.ORG
Forest, Finances, Fires
The battle for commissioner of public lands brings opposing views on best forest management
BY SAMANTHA WOHLFEIL
After a primary election battle that saw a margin of only 49 votes separating two of the Democratic contenders and forcing a statewide hand recount, Democrat Dave Upthegrove came out on top to face Republican Jaime Herrera Beutler in the race to become Washington’s commissioner of public lands.
Whoever wins will oversee the state Department of Natural Resources, which manages more than 3 million acres of forest, range, agricultural and commercial lands, as well as 2.6 million acres of aquatic lands. In addition to housing the largest firefighting resource in the state, the department manages timber harvests and land leases to bring in more than $200 million each year for public benefits such as school construction.
While both candidates say they will rely on science-backed policies when looking to balance sustainability and forest health, they differ in their views on how much forest should be protected from timber harvesting.
JAIME HERRERA BEUTLER
Most recently Herrera Beutler was a congresswoman representing southwestern Washington in the U.S. House from her election in 2010 until she lost her most recent bid for reelection in 2022. She was one of 10 Republicans to vote to impeach former President Donald Trump in the wake of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. Her party “primaried” her, running another conservative candidate against her who took more votes and moved on to the general from the state’s top two primary. Democrat Marie
Gluesenkamp Perez ultimately won the seat.
At a Northwest Public Broadcasting and League of Women Voters debate last month, Herrera Beutler noted that she’s had experience telling her own party “no” when it was necessary for the good of the country.
“Look folks, I’ve had to do the hard work of telling people on my team, in my party ‘no.’ It’s not easy, but sometimes you have to do it. And I think you should expect the same of my opponent,” Herrera Beutler told the audience. “Does he really want to do the work to keep it clean and healthy, and if that’s true, then can he tell his activist friends ‘no’ for the benefit of Washington’s kids?”
She repeatedly criticized Upthegrove’s plans to protect an additional 77,000 acres of forest lands from harvest if elected. In addition to questioning how the state could make up the revenue lost by preserving that much land (potentially $2 billion, she argued), Herrera Beutler questioned how that preservation plays into the department’s critical role of reducing the risk of wildfires.
“Too many of our forests are undermanaged or outright neglected, and they have turned into crowded, diseased tinderboxes just waiting for a spark,” she said. “I am going to make sure that we abide by the science — the strictest environmental standards in the nation when it comes to managing our public land for the public benefit.”
JAIME HERRERA BEUTLER
Art: Maple Song - Sheila Evans
DAVE UPTHEGROVE
Upthegrove is currently a King County Council member and has been in that role since 2014. Before that he served as the state representative for the 33rd Legislative District, which covers southern King County, from 2002 to 2013.
He plans to expand the state’s current protections of oldgrowth forests (pre-1850) to include mature forests that are about 100 years old. He says protecting the 77,000 acres of these “legacy forests” that have developed complex ecosystems is necessary to continue storing the most carbon and to protect endangered species.
In an op-ed earlier this year, Upthegrove wrote that the legacy forests “hold an outsized value for helping us battle climate change and protect our air, water and habitat.”
During last month’s debate, he criticized Herrera Beutler for voting against clean water and clean air protections during her time in Congress, and argued that she supports timber interests more than environmental protection.
“My opponent’s agenda is the timber industry’s agenda,” Upthegrove told the audience. “Her solution to everything is to destroy these last older forests. … We don’t have to destroy a forest to prevent wildfires.”
Upthegrove said he’d promote more responsible recreation opportunities by encouraging the development of sanctioned places to shoot targets and use recreational vehicles.
“I’m running for this office to improve the management of our public lands to meet these realities of today,” he said. “That means ensuring opportunities for the next generation to enjoy recreational opportunities. It means improving our wildfire prevention and response. And yes, it means protecting our clean air, clean water and clean habitat.” n
samanthaw@inlander.com
MORE ELECTION COVERAGE
For weeks now, our Inlander team has been covering many of the issues and competitive races appearing on Nov. 5 ballots.
Washington voters should have already received their ballot in the mail. If you haven’t received your ballot yet, call the Spokane County Elections Office at 509-477-2320 to receive a replacement ballot, or contact your county’s elections office. If you aren’t registered yet or need to update your address, you have until Monday, Oct. 28, to register online at votewa. gov, or you can register in person through Election Day. Ballots need to be postmarked by Nov. 5 or turned into ballot boxes by 8 pm.
In Idaho, early election voting is open at the elections office in your county. In Kootenai County voters can go to 1808 N. Third St. in Coeur d’Alene from Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5 pm through Nov. 1. Then on Election Day, Nov. 5, polling places will be open from 8 am to 8 pm, and you can find your location at www.kcgov.us/321/Polling-Place-Look-Up.
For more of our election coverage visit Inlander.com/Election2024, where you’ll be able to read stories on each of the initiatives appearing on Washington ballots, the race to replace Cathy McMorris Rodgers in the 5th Congressional District, candidates for the Spokane County Board of Commissioners and more.
— SAMANTHA WOHLFEIL
DAVE UPTHEGROVE
Revitalizing ‘Spokane’s Living Room’
The Historic Davenport Hotel continues its founder’s legacy with a new cafe and bar
BY DORA SCOTT
You might do a double take next time you walk through the Historic Davenport Hotel’s revolving door.
Yes, its Spanish-European architecture still remains, with Caen stone pillars, ornate wall details, a wrap-around mezzanine, glass ceiling, and central fountain with swathes of gold, maroon, and turquoise accents.
Gone, however, are the plethora of aimless sitting areas, replaced with the lively circular Lobby Bar leading to The Emporium cafe. To visitors and Spokanites alike, the up-
dates are seamless. You might even find yourself questioning, “Hasn’t it always been this way?”
The historic hotel’s management took great care updating its first-floor lobby, which is often called “Spokane’s living room” due to its communal space and welcoming atmosphere. One of the guiding questions throughout the design process, according to Melissa Green, vice president and area managing director of Davenport Hotels, was how to revitalize the space in a way that suits its moniker.
“The physical renovation started early in June,” Green
says, however the design process took a year. The hotel publicly unveiled the two additions on Sept. 20, coinciding with its 110th anniversary.
“The designers and the teams really wanted to make sure that the historical integrity stayed intact with the Davenport,” she says.
Louis Davenport opened the Davenport Hotel in 1914, during the tail end of American railroads’ construction boom. The hotel built upon Louis Davenport’s achievements as the owner of a successful restaurant, Davenport’s Waffle Foundry, and carved out a slice of elegance in the heart of the city amid the hustle and bustle of industrialization. Eventually, the hotel earned a spot on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975 and on Spokane’s historic properties register in 1995.
THE HISTORIC DAVENPORT HOTEL
The Emporium: Open Sun-Thu 5 am-5 pm; Fri-Sat 5 am-8 pm Lobby Bar: Open Sun-Thu 3-10 pm; Fri-Sat 11 am-11 pm 10 S. Post St., 509-455-8888 davenporthotelcollection.com
Even so, the hotel’s history has been fairly tumultuous. Louis Davenport’s retirement in 1945 at age 77 led to a succession of owners over the years. It went from one of the most high-end and innovative hotels in the United States for much of the 20th century — the first in the country to have central air conditioning — to the verge of demolition
Gather ’round the new Lobby Bar in the Historic Davenport Hotel to sip on some classic cocktails. YOUNG KWAK PHOTOS
after closing in 1985. Local couple Walt and Karen Worthy bought the hotel in 2000 and restored its splendor and prestige, reopening the Davenport in 2002.
The Worthys retired in 2021 and sold the Historic Davenport and its sister properties, the Davenport Tower, Davenport Grand, Davenport Lusso and The Centennial, to KSL Capital Partners. The hotel is currently operated by Davidson Hospitality Group and affiliated with Marriott as a part of its Autograph Collection Hotels chain.
Various historic fixtures and details on the hotel’s first floor remain unchanged despite the introduction of the bar and the cafe. The marble Italian fountain still occupies the center of the first floor, an alwaysburning gas fireplace remains inside the Palm Court Grill, and sprinkled throughout the revamped spaces are other nods to the past.
The new Lobby Bar is anchored to two spiral-shaped columns topped with antique lights, original to the building in 1914. Those with a keen eye might also notice how the bulbous lights framing the bar’s center match the portico on the outside of the hotel. The most notable design feature is its circular shape, which unintentionally followed its founder’s vision.
After posting a final design rendering of the bar online, Melville Holmes, who knew Louis Davenport, commented on how the circular bar was in the hotel founder’s vision.
“We invited [Holmes] to the grand opening because we wanted to learn more about it, and he said that he had spoken to Louis and that this was always his vision to create a circular bar … so that his friends and everyone could meet around the bar,” Green says.
The new bar does face some competition from the hotel’s famous Peacock Room Lounge and the Palm Court
Grill, which both offer a more sophisticated sit-down experience.
“You don’t want to offer too much, but we also want to differ options for all of our guests because our guests all have different wants and needs,” Green says.
Whereas the Peacock Room takes more creative liberties with its cocktails, the Lobby Bar’s focus is the classics.
“We have shareable plates, light options, snack options here at the Lobby Bar with classic cocktails that were available in the 1910s and 1920s. So, classic martinis, French 75, classic Manhattans that are executed flawlessly,” says Green, who notes that the French 75 ($17) is a personal favorite.
If patrons don’t want to commit to a full-size entrée, the Lobby Bar’s small plates offer a broad sampling of the Davenport’s cuisine. From oysters Rockefeller ($18) to warm Castelvetrano olives ($8) and a classic shrimp cocktail ($24), there are finger foods galore to enjoy while sipping a beverage of choice. The entire menu sends guests back in time with its offerings emulating the Prohibition era.
Follow the green marble lines on the lobby floor, and you’ll find your way to The Emporium. The cafe is markedly brighter with large windows facing Sprague Avenue and white tile floors, but the modern touches are balanced with antiquity.
“When you walk directly into The Emporium through the walkway, the main table is actually an antique table from over 150 years ago,” says Green, adding how the chandeliers in the cafe’s retail area are replicas of those in the hotel’s Isabella Ballroom.
Convenience and variety are key to how the cafe distinguishes itself from the other food options at The Historic Davenport Hotel, according to Green. The Emporium lives up to its namesake, displaying confectionery snacks and beverages along marble counters for the busy traveler who needs something quick to grab and go.
For those who may forgo peanut brittle for fear of racking up a dental bill, you should give Davenport’s famous recipe a try.
“Our peanut brittle is unlike anyone else’s,” Green says. “It’s soft.”
For this, you can thank Sophia Gerkensmeyer, who worked as a chocolate dipper in the hotel’s confectionery kitchen from 1929 to 1940. She allegedly made a softer version for a regular consumer with dentures, experimenting with large marble slabs to pull and perfect her recipe on.
Marble is the standout design choice in The Emporium, but does not lose warmth with tasteful green and gold accents and rich mahogany wood. A particularly large white marble slab rests behind the counter in the kitchen area, where customers can watch demonstrations of the peanut brittle-making process, and also have the opportunity to taste some themselves.
If you can’t get enough of this sweet, try it in another form, like with The Emporium’s signature peanut brittle latte ($5.70-$6.50) or peanut brittle “Snickers” tarts ($6.50). The Emporium also pays local homage in its baked goods and beverages with a huckleberry twist, like the huckleberry latte ($5.45-$6.45) and huckleberry cinnamon roll ($6.50).
If you’re looking for a heartier, savory meal, the cafe also has prewrapped sandwiches and wraps. Don’t let the to-go packaging deceive you, as these options taste as fresh as if they were just made. No soggy bread in sight with their turkey club ($14).
Noted on the Davenport’s menus and informational pamphlets, Louis Davenport’s message still rings true 110 years later: “We wish you are so well pleased with your visit here that you will be glad you came, sorry to leave and eager to return.” n
ABOVE: The Emporium serves pastries, snacks, cafe fare and the Davenport’s famous peanut brittle. BELOW: Find classic cocktails at the new Lobby Bar, which features historic decor elements for a seamless fit with the 1914 hotel.
ALSO OPENING
VENOM: THE LAST DANCE
Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) and his superpowered alien symbiote (Venom) embark on one final adventure, as the interconnected pair go on the run from the Earth-based and extraterrestrial foes trying to track them down. Rated PG-13
12 ANGRY POPES
Ralph Fiennes brings the gravitas to Conclave, a pulpy film about catty Catholic cardinals vying for the top job
BY CHASE HUTCHINSON
According to doctrine, the first pope of the Catholic Church was handpicked by Jesus from his original twelve apostles. But what did the eleven others think of the choice? What if they’d had to decide it among themselves? Would they have done so with grace and humility or fallen prey to humanity’s tendency toward hubris?
In Edward Berger’s taut Conclave, this is the central point of tension as we get taken inside a chaotic papal election following the death of the former pope. Soon, it seems nearly everyone is looking to make a play at ascension while the future of an entire religion and a tumultuous world outside hangs in the balance. Trying to hold it together is Cardinal Lawrence, played by Ralph Fiennes (in a performance that rivals his very best work in great films like Grand Budapest and In Bruges), who is struggling with a crisis of faith, a surprise new cardinal, and the discovery that his compatriots carry secrets which may blow up the process.
The hook is a stellar one for both character-driven drama and a sprinkling of darkly humorous ribbing, as there is no electoral process with more mystique surrounding it than the papal one. The basics involve a group of cardinals gathering in a private meeting known as a conclave, cutting themselves off almost completely from any outside influences and voting by secret ballots. They then communicate the results via smoke signals — white smoke meaning a choice has been made and black meaning one has not. Yet Berger, who previously directed
the painfully grim yet ruthlessly effective All Quiet on the Western Front adaptation from 2022, uses this pomp and circumstance to skewer the whole absurd affair just as the characters remain deathly serious. As we see various factions beginning to form around those like Stanley Tucci’s Bellini and John Lithgow’s Tremblay, it’s clear the institution itself is at a turning point. There is the potential for a more progressive, inclusive church just as there is to a return to a regressive, judgmental one.
This is something Berger and writer Peter Straughan (adapting another novel, as he did for the terrific Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) make into an explicitly contemporary political allegory. One conversation about having to essentially vote for the lesser of two evils to forestall disaster could refer to any number of modern elections. Still, it never takes you out of the film. Instead, it remains grounded in its own story as the crisis that the group is facing is not just one of religion but of personality, politics and power. Whoever is chosen could reshape the church and impact the lives of millions.
Rated PG
feels vast in one scene and suffocating in another. It may be a film that telegraphs key revelations — making a closing twist seem almost inevitable by the end — but it’s shot with such potent precision you can’t help getting swept up in its machinations.
Conclave
Directed by Edward Berger
Starring Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Lucian Msamati, Isabella Rossellini
Through it all, Fiennes remains a mesmerizing screen presence who grounds the experience even as it gets more than a little pulpy. From the quiet scenes he shares with a scene-stealing Isabella Rossellini (who makes the most of a small yet absolutely critical part as the all-seeing Sister Agnes) to the louder ones where all the conflict comes to fore, he holds the camera with such confidence that you don’t dare look away for even a second. While there is an explosive moment where Berger nearly loses a handle on the whole thing, just looking into the face of Fiennes as his lonely cardinal grapples with his faith is what gives Conclave its lasting punch. He brings life to a man who eternally struggles with belief and ponders what future, if any, he has in his church.
Every scene discussing this is meticulously captured with an eye for haunting compositions by the talented cinematographer Stéphane Fontaine (Jackie), who turns the simplest of scenes into ones that more closely resemble paintings. Forget the more grand sequences, how he stages a small shadowy meeting is just as striking. He makes the most of every confined space, ensuring the film
The last revelation the film hangs its enormous papal tiara on will warrant pages upon pages of reflections as it comes close to being misconceived or, even worse, contradictory to what it is going for with a closing monologue. Yet it serves as a fitting final upheaval that lands because of how sincerely it unfolds with the last shot feeling almost surprisingly tranquil. There are plenty of thrills to be found in witnessing the petty squabbles of men jostling for power. But as Berger reveals in decisive fashion, the ones most fit to hold power are also the ones who do not seek it. Otherwise, it’s all too easy for the fragile systems of governance we all cling to go up in smoke. n
Papal intrigue pops in Conclave
Tale Not As Old as Time…
Your Monster uses Beauty and the Beast overtones to tell a story of woman learning to love herself
BY MARYANN JOHANSON
Feminine rage has been enjoying a bit of a moment onscreen in the past few years — see: Promising Young Woman and Birds of Prey — and it’s about bloody time. Your Monster is the latest in this mini cinematic trend, but it’s the first such movie that’s actually kinda sweet in how it goes about this. Oh, the humor here is bitter, the horror comes at you from unexpected angles, and the overriding genre is perhaps “anti-romance.” But the only
thing that makes it “anti” is that it’s about its female protagonist learning to love and respect herself — to put her own needs first.
Your Monster
Rated R Directed by Caroline Lindy
Starring Melissa Barrera, Tommy Dewey
There’s a monster in Laura’s (Melissa Barrera) closet, see, and the monster is her. A manifestation of her own psyche. Of her loneliness. Of her anger. A twentysomething actor in New York City, Laura has just been dumped by her boyfriend as she is recovering from cancer surgery. (It hap-
pens so frequently that men abandon their female partners who receive serious medical diagnoses that nurses know to prepare their women patients for the possibility. The “based on a true-ish story” alert that opens the film is an allusion to that very indignity befalling writer/director Caroline Lindy.)
Laura’s best friend and fellow actor Mazie (Kayla Foster) is constantly off to the gym or an audition even though she assured Laura that “ride or die, [she’d be] here” for hugs or a cheer-up hangout. Even Laura’s own mother is entirely absent, and just leaves Laura some cash and carbs to help healing as Laura recuperates in her childhood home.
Laura is living with a pile-on of shit. And now she is living with Monster (Tommy Dewey), who starts out as a terrible roommate annoyed with her presence and morphs into a good friend. Turns out he’s into Shakespeare, and they bond over old movies and Chinese takeout. He makes her tea! He’s kind of hot for a monster and becomes a huge cheerleader for her as she begins to emerge back into the world. He’s funny and charming, and it’s deeply sexy and seductive how he sees her — genuinely sees and understands her — and supports her.
The way he slips under her bed at night, monster-style, to stay close and keep her company? That’s one of those unexpectedly sweet moments. The way he is the perfect boyfriend? That’s the real make-believe. (There are big Beauty and the Beast vibes here, specifically the 1980s romantic fantasy TV series starring Linda Hamilton and Ron Perlman.)
Yes, of course, it’s all Laura, all the time: This is female empowerment in the romance of loving yourself, in a woman taking control of her own life in a meaningful way, and in finally giving in, with Monster’s encouragement, to the fury she has been subsuming. She has a lot of unfinished business, professional and personal, with her ex, Jacob (Edmund Donovan), who’d promised her the leading role in the stage musical he was writing — that she helped him write! — a project he has now also snatched from her. “It’s not OK” how he treated her; Monster gives her this as a mantra to take to heart. How she resolves her relationship with Jacob explodes as a kind of grand and, well, monstrous performance art. It’s hilarious and shocking and one of the more audacious things I’ve seen onscreen in a long while.
Your Monster goes through some wild tonal shifts, but writer/director Lindy — making her feature debut with an expansion of her 2020 short of the same name — pulls it off, casting women’s lives and the everyday bullshit we endure as both comedy and tragedy, as both romance and horror. That musical that Jacob wrote? It’s about the straitjacket of being the “good girl” that all women are socialized to be. This is a hugely original and grimly delightful smashdown of that. It’s a roar that women are mad as hell, and we’re not gonna take it anymore. n
Self-care can be monsterously difficult...
What MAITA Wants, What MAITA Needs
The Portland indie rock standout sonically sorts through her desires on Want
BY SETH SOMMERFELD
Lives are centered on continually getting what we need to survive. But brains aren’t wired to think only of the essential: We have wants, too. While needs always simmer on the backburner, it’s our wants that drive us — the passions and longings that help us find a sense of fulfillment or leave us feeling empty.
But here’s the real tricky thing — sometimes a want can actually be a need.
It’s in that messy in-between realm where Want, the latest album from Portland indie rock standout MAITA (aka Maria Maita-Keppeler), operates. It’s a gorgeously pensive collection of intricately told songs, nearly all of which directly include a lyrical “want.” With much of the album written during COVID lockdown, the album taps into an intense sense of pent-up feelings and frustrations.
“Desire was such a huge theme for me, and I think for a lot of people during lockdown, because we were want for so many things that we used to have. And I
think that that created this kind of subtle desperation that made for a good bed of songwriting,” MAITA says.
Over the course of 12 tracks that vacillate from punchy and crunchy rock tunes to somber and sparse slow-burn mediations, Want finds MAITA delving into the way wants can incorrectly be dismissed as frivolous trifles.
“We definitely separate wants from needs in our culture. That’s kind of a theme — is it a want or need?” MAITA says. “This record is called Want, but I think that a lot of times the secret umbrella term here is need Because especially as a woman, as like someone who was not very outspoken growing up, as someone who has a hard time expressing my needs often because I have a lot of barriers to that... as that person, I think that fulfilling my true desires is actually something that is more essential than I would care to admit. And once you finally do start pursuing the things that you, quote unquote, ‘want,’ you realize like, ‘Oh no, this is what I needed to do. It’s not
that I wouldn’t have been OK the other way, but on the other side you’re just like, ‘I feel this more truthful.’”
Before MAITA swings through the Inland Northwest for shows at Mikey’s Gyros in Moscow on Thursday and the Jaguar Room at The Chameleon on Friday, we caught up with the singer-songwriter to deep dive into the wants expressed across Want
MAITA Wants To Be Viewed as An Object of Desire (“Girl at the Bar”)
Want kicks off with “Girl at the Bar,” an indie rocker that slowly amps up the intensity from flickering ember to full-blown blaze as she longs with a tender anguish to be viewed by her partner with a fresh-eyed vitality that has faded.
“That’s where the whole record begins — trying to serve another person’s desires: ‘I want to be your girl at the bar.’ Really the reason I want to do that is so that I could be an object of desire. It’s also maybe someone from the past who was a threat to the relationship, or felt like competition that made the character insecure. So it’s kind of dealing with that insecurity and wanting to change yourself to be able to be that other person. To me, it’s a good place to start the record, because there’s so, so much further to go from there. It’s a starting point, but by no means should it be where you end up. Because it’s not a fun place to be.”
MAITA Wants Balanced Relationships with Honest Expression (“Breakup Song x3”)
Even in our closest relationships, it’s sometimes hard to be fully open and transparent expressing your true
MAITA continues to make some of the PNW’s best music on Want TRISTAN PAIIGE PHOTO
desires — the things that remain unspoken — leading both parties struggling in vain to guess what the other wants. “Breakup Song x3” wrestles with some of those feelings as well as deeper psychological hang-ups.
“It was three breakups, so each act is like a different breakup, but with the same person. The first part of it was so much of me trying to figure out what the other person wanted. I’m still in that place of like, ‘I wish I knew what you wanted’ and trying to keep this person. And then by the end, you realize because you spent all this time trying to figure out what this other person wants, you’ve lost sight of what you yourself actually want.”
“I think this speaks to the nature of anxious attachment — when one person you know feels like they don’t have the power or that they are going to lose something all the time, then they’re going to be anxiously attached and insecure, and they’re gonna want to try to close that gap desperately. And the peril of that, of course, is that feeling can be kind of a drug, and you may not realize you’re losing sight of your own truth and what you want.”
MAITA Wants To Find a Healthier Mental State (“Cold Light” / “Waking Up at Night” / “I Used To Feel Different”) If you’ve turned on the news, tried to find a therapist or talked to other human beings at any length recently, you might’ve noticed that our collective mental health isn’t exactly soaring at the moment for a myriad of completely valid reasons. MAITA directly approaches examining one’s own mental state in a trio of tracks on Want
“It’s kind of cool, because I do write about relationships a lot, but with ‘Cold Light,’ ‘I Used To Feel Different’ and ‘Waking Up at Night,’ those three in particular are more about just the general mental state. This album isn’t just about romantic relationships. There are a lot of opportunities for fulfilling your desires in life outside of that.”
“‘Cold Light’ is kind of a darker part of it — the state of depression and anxiety, and not really knowing how to harness your freedom and harness your desires. ‘Waking Up at Night’ is like what we’re trying to do to fix ourselves and heal ourselves, and kind of the futility of that cycle sometimes. But there’s an uplifting quality and a universality of that. Anyone could listen to that song and resonate with some of those lines, because this is just how we are, especially these days as the world seems to become an ever more complicated and darker and intense place, based on the news. And then ‘I Used To Feel Different’ jumps back in time — wanting to be who you were when you were younger, when you kind of were able to follow your heart more and to feel inspired and not so jaded and beaten down.”
MAITA Wants To Do No Harm (“I Don’t Want To Kill You”) Not one to hard-pivot to a fairy-tale ending after all of that, MAITA ends Want with a snarling, bitter pill of crunchy melancholy on “I Don’t Want To Kill You.” Because there can be downsides to our desires, even on those rare occasions when we can see a clear path to getting exactly what we want.
“‘I Don’t Want To Kill You,” the album’s closer, is kind of complicated for me. If you’re going to listen to it on loop, it ties back into “Girl at the Bar.” Because “I Don’t Want To Kill You” is a lot about forgiveness, and it’s a lot about also feeling like you don’t want the pursuit of your desires to hurt someone else. That’s not what you want at all.”
“And so it’s this state of ‘How do you do both? What does that look like?’ And I guess at the end, I’m left in the state of like... it’s not easy. It’s such a difficult place. It’s kind of a difficult place to end a record. Because the intent is that I don’t want to hurt anyone. I want everyone to be OK, but you can’t really do both at the same time sometimes. And that is really, really hard.” n
MAITA, Desolation Horse • Thu, Oct 24 at 9 pm • $10-$15 • All ages • Mikey’s Gyros • 527 S. Main St., Moscow • mikeysgyros.com
MAITA, Hannah Siglin • Fri, Oct 25 at 7 pm • $14-$16 • All ages • Jaguar Room at The Chameleon • 1801 W. Sunset Blvd. • chameleonspokane.com
HIP-HOP SAM LACHOW
Afixture in Seattle’s hip-hop scene for over a decade, Sam Lachow continues to churn out melodic-leaning rap tracks that highlight his smooth flow and casual swagger. That’s on full display on his new 2024 album, The Left Handed Bandit, which features both low-key shoulder-shaking bangers like “I Might” and introspective songs like the sortingthrough-depression tune “Happy Music.” It’s a sound that’s practically tailor-made for The Chameleon’s vibes, so Lachow’s Spokane show will almost assuredly be a scene.
— SETH SOMMERFELD
Sam Lachow, Josiah Davis, YP • Fri, Oct. 25 at 9 pm • $20-$25 • 21+ • The Chameleon • 1801 W. Sunset Blvd. • chameleonspokane.com
ELECTRO HOUSE PORTER ROBINSON
Thursday, 10/24
CHECKERBOARD TAPROOM, Weathered Shepherds
J MIKEY’S GYROS, Old Timey Music Jam Sessions
J J MIKEY’S GYROS, MAITA, Desolation Horse
MOOSE LOUNGE (NORTH), Keanu
J QQ SUSHI & KITCHEN, Just Plain Darin
ZOLA, Sydney Dale Band, Justyn Priest
Friday, 10/25
J J THE BIG DIPPER, The Halloween Cover Show: Night 1 - Black Locust (Nirvana), Ghostdivorce x Kadabra (Dead Kennedys), Bad Trip Motel (Modern Baseball), Cold Hearts (The Devil Wears Prada), When She Dream (Alex G)
BOLO’S BAR & GRILL, Chasing EOS
J THE CHAMELEON, Sam Lachow
CHAN’S RED DRAGON ON THIRD, Side Step
CHINOOK STEAK, SEAFOOD & PASTA, Kicho
THE DISTRICT BAR, Dark Scene Halloween
J THE GRAIN SHED, Haywire
IRON HORSE (CDA), Royale
J J JAGUAR ROOM AT CHAMELEON, MAITA, Hannah Siglin
KNITTING FACTORY, Charles Wesley Godwin, Jesse Daniel
J LYFE COFFEE & PUBLIC HOUSE, Dave Long Album Release Concert
J MIKEY’S GYROS, CNTS, Abscond, Public Apology
MOOSE LOUNGE, The Shift
MOOSE LOUNGE (NORTH), Sonic Groove
NIGHT OWL, DJ F3LON
J PEND D’OREILLE WINERY, Monarch Mountain Band
RED ROOM LOUNGE, Live DJs
SPOKANE EAGLES LODGE, The Black Jack Band
J SPOKANE TRIBE CASINO, Paul Cauthen ZOLA, The Star Court
Saturday, 10/26
J J THE BIG DIPPER, The Halloween Cover Show: Night 2 - Heart of an Awl (A Day to Remember), Midnight Drive (Black Sabbath), Cosmic Ranger (Fleetwood Mac), Her Memory
(The Offspring), Radio Station Union (ZZ Top)
BING CROSBY THEATER, Shoot to Thrill
BOLO’S BAR & GRILL, Chasing EOS
THE CHAMELEON, The Grave Rave
CHINOOK STEAK, SEAFOOD & PASTA, Kicho
COEUR D’ALENE EAGLES, CDA Eagles Halloween Party
CRUISERS, Festival of Fear
IRON HORSE (CDA), Royale
J KNITTING FACTORY, Benjamin Tod & Lost Dog Street Band, Nolan Taylor
MOOSE LOUNGE, The Shift
MOOSE LOUNGE (NORTH), Sonic Groove
There’s something serendipitous about the music that Porter Robinson creates. Between the kawaii anime visuals in his music video for “Cheerleader” and the serene sounds in his 2020 single “Something Comforting,” Robinson crafts tunes that’ll make you smile. The North Carolina-based DJ and EDM producer has been making music for almost 14 years now, starting out on dubstep dynamo Skrillex’s own record label, OWSLA in 2011. While his sound has evolved over the years, the joy he infuses into every song has remained the same.
— COLTON RASANEN
Porter Robinson, Ericdoa • Mon, Oct. 28 at 8 pm • $50 • All Ages • Knitting Factory • 919 W. Sprague Ave. • sp.knittingfactory.com
J J NEATO BURRITO, Halloween Cover Show and Costume Party: Puddy Knife (Fugazi), Hell Motel (Title Fight), Dairybaby (Alex G) NIGHT OWL, Priestess
J PEND D’OREILLE WINERY, Mike & Shanna RED ROOM LOUNGE, Live DJs
J SNOW EATER BREWING CO., Just Plain Darin
J J SPOKANE TRIBE CASINO, Spokane Dead Halloween Party: The Reverend Horton Heat ZOLA, Blake Braley
Sunday, 10/27
J THE BIG DIPPER, D.R.I., Scattered Guts, Crusty Mustard HOGFISH, Open Mic
J JAGUAR ROOM AT CHAMELEON, KENMUJO, Hell Motel, GHOSTDIVORCE
Monday, 10/28
EICHARDT’S PUB, Monday Night Blues Jam with John Firshi
J J KNITTING FACTORY, Porter Robinson, Ericdoa RED ROOM LOUNGE, Open Mic Night
J THE BULLET BAR, Open Mic Night
Tuesday, 10/29
BLACK LODGE BREWING, Open Mic Night: The Artist Stage
J OSPREY RESTAURANT & BAR, Just Plain Darin
SWING LOUNGE, Swing Lounge Live Music Tuesdays
Wednesday, 10/30
BARRISTER WINERY, Stagecoach West
THE DRAFT ZONE, The Draft Zone Open Mic
OSPREY RESTAURANT & BAR, Land of Voices
RED ROOM LOUNGE, Red Room Lounge Jam
J TIMBERS ROADHOUSE, Cary Beare Presents
Just Announced...
J THE BIG DIPPER, Hostages, Nov. 16.
J THE BIG DIPPER, Mutilation Barbecue, Nov. 18.
J THE BIG DIPPER, Lonestar: Country Christmas, Dec. 13.
J NORTHERN QUEST CASINO, Lit, Fuel, Jan. 15.
J FIRST INTERSTATE CENTER, Styx, Mar. 4.
J KNITTING FACTORY, Jerry Cantrell, Mar. 7.
Coming Up...
J J PLACEHOLDER STUDIO, Murder on Third: Vika & The Velvets, The Bed Heads, Tristan Hart Pierce, Timeworm, Oct. 31, 7:30 pm.
MONEY ANSWERS FOR GOLFERS SQUEEZING IN THEIR LAST ROUNDS.
WORDS PROFOUND POET
Stop by the Humanities Building on Gonzaga’s campus to listen to the words and insights of Quenton Baker, a Black poet exploring the afterlife of slavery in the inner world. Baker is a two-time Pushcart Prize nominee, honoree of the 2018 Arts Innovator Award from Artist Trust, a 2019 Robert Rauschenberg Artist in Residence and a 2021 Fellow with the National Endowment for the Arts. They were also a fellow with Cave Canem, a Brooklyn-based nonprofit dedicated to the edification and inclusion of Black poets. Baker’s works include the books we pilot the blood and ballast, as well as poems in such publications as The Offing, Jubilat, Vinyl, and The Rumpus. Come for an evening of soul-searching, beauty, pain and hope.
— ELIZA BILLINGHAM
Gonzaga Visiting Writers Series: Quenton Baker • Tue, Oct. 29 at 7:30 pm • Free • Gonzaga Humanities Building • 1002 N. Astor St. • gonzaga.edu
COMMUNITY TIPSY WITH TREATS
Contrary to its name — don’t worry — you won’t get a brick to the face at Brick or Treat. You should, however, expect lots of candy, great craft beer and an overall hauntingly good time. If you don’t have your calendars marked yet for Halloween weekend, or maybe if you want to make sure everything is booked to the brim, Brick West Brewing Co. provides a one-stop shop for all the Halloween festivities in its plaza area. The kids can run around and unleash their inner ghouls and goblins, gobbling up treats from vendors that double as free candy stations. Meanwhile, adults can peruse handcrafted goods, have a beer or indulge in some succulent barbeque. Don’t leave out your furbabies! If you bring your pup, don them in a matching frightening disguise.
— DORA SCOTT
Brick or Treat • Sat, Oct. 26 from 4-7 pm • Free • Brick West Brewing Co. • 1318 W. First Ave. • brickwestbrewingco.com
BENEFIT DIVERSE DIVAS
Inland Northwest weather makes it hard to be fashion-forward year-round, but that doesn’t mean there’s not fun to be had. At this event benefiting the Spectrum Center, fashion enthusiasts and the fashion-curious are invited to experience a weekend full of the latest trends and styles. The entire weekend is size and genderinclusive and features runway shows, drag performances and, of course, a dance party. During the day, explore the vendor hall for free and discover new brands and local talent. Attendees can pay for access to nighttime activities including burlesque performances and runway shows for those 18 and older. You can support the Spectrum Center by grabbing new glamorous accessories and look drop-dead gorgeous while doing it.
— MADISON PEARSON
Spokane’s Fashion Week-END • Sat, Oct. 26 from noon-4 pm (free) and 6 pm-midnight ($120) • Runway 4 Events Center • 6095 E. Rutter Ave. • domandbomb.com
GET LISTED!
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SCREEN FRIGHT NIGHT
The Garland Theater is a horror movie haven during October, and its first annual Splatter Fest aims to exemplify just that as Elvira impersonator Evil K’Neva hosts a night filled with frightful flicks. Start with one of the most iconic slasher films of the 1980s, The Slumber Party Massacre, at 5 pm. Afterwards, delve into the depths of dreamland with Freddy Krueger in A Nightmare on Elm Street at 7 pm. Then at 9, you’ve got a steamy date with Leatherface and his big, long… chainsaw, in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The night ends with the wannabe-Marvel movie from hell, Toxic Avenger, which follows a nerd from New Jersey who becomes a gory vigilante hero after falling into a truck bed of toxic waste. This final showing starts at 11 pm and lasts into early Sunday, so make sure to grab a coffee or energy drink beforehand.
— COLTON RASANEN
Splatter Fest • Sat, Oct. 26 from 5 pm-1 am • $25 • Garland Theater • 924 W. Garland Ave. • garlandtheater.org
COMMUNITY PAST & PRESENT
Widely celebrated in Mexico, Día de los Muertos honors loved ones who have passed away; however, it’s not necessarily a sad occasion. These celebrations often take a humorous tone and involve goofy anecdotes or stories being shared with friends and family. This Day of the Dead event at Unity Spiritual Center honors the tradition through good food, a mariachi band and speakers from Gonzaga University and others sharing their personal stories associated with the holiday. Whether you’d like to participate in the event or just learn about a culture other than your own, Unity Spiritual Center welcomes everyone to eat, drink and honor the departed.
— MADISON PEARSON
Day of the Dead Celebration • Sun, Oct. 27 from 10-11:30 am • Free • Unity Spiritual Center • 2900 S. Bernard St. • unityspokane.org
CHEERS
ARMCHAIR EXPERTS It warms my heart to read submissions in the Inlander that showcase polarizing perspectives on the level of championing orange dots, chem trails, book banning, and FEMA conspiracies. Modern man will go down in history with no history because the articles written about us now post AI/internet will never be agreed upon, and humanity will disagree ad nauseum about truth from the bunkerset research group. This is how people get absolutely nowhere together. Fine, go ahead and die on that sword of right-ness you’re holding onto. Does it feel good in your hands? Never have I ever thought righteous belief in one’s own ideas, held as THE truth, would be THE killer, now I know it is. Yet I’m an optimist, hopeful that people will continue to choose to read and expand off their beliefs well enough so we can keep evolving together. The dark ages were dark, let’s keep the lights on this time!
HOLIDAY DECOR Cheers to all of you who take time out of your busy schedule to decorate the outside of home with Holiday Decor. I feel like it’s being done less over the the years, and I don’t want it to go away! I just love driving home and seeing everyone’s spooky yards right now, thank you!
12-FOOT REINCARNATION Like the phoenix from the ashes, like Frodo leaving Shelob’s lair, like Lazarus himself, you have risen again. Southeast Blvd Skelly, your return has been witnessed. We see you, and you look radiant. Welcome back!
PARENT VOLUNTEERS ROCK! A special thank you is in order to all the parent volunteers! You take time out of your day to make the lives of other families better! From coaching flag football to planning Halloween parties, to bringing teachers coffee, to managing bake sales, to encouraging children to be their best selves at cross country; the list goes on and on. Thank you parent volunteers!
UP AND DOWN THE BALLOT Cheers to Joe Biden and Kamala Harris and their Justice Department for providing a Grant to Spokane Valley for 10 new police officers. Proving, once and for all, that the Democrats are the party of law and order and exactly what we need up and down the ballot.
BOTH EXTREMELY QUALIFIED We just wanted to say that it is too bad we have to choose between Conroy and Baumgartner for WA 5th Congressional District. They both are extremely qualified and with a wealth of experience. If they weren’t running against each other, we could vote for both and WA would be wonderfully represented.
NOT A CHRISTIAN NATION Some will argue that the U.S. is a Christian nation, but our Constitution states (in Article 6, Section 3) that “no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.” This gave equal citizenship to all, regardless of their beliefs. Our founding fathers wanted to make sure that in our separation from England, no religion could make the claim of being the official, national religion of the U.S. Our Declaration of Independence speaks of the “Laws of Nature” and “Nature’s God.” These beliefs came about during the 17th and 18th century during the “Age of Enlightenment,” sometimes known as the Age of Reason. The belief was that reason and logical observation of nature are necessary to decide the existence of a deity. Thomas Paine, who wrote “Common Sense” and “Rights of Man,” was a deist but was considered to be an atheist because of his attack on the Bible and Christianity.
JEERS
CEMETERY KAREN To the dog owner using Moran cemetery as a dog park on the afternoon of Oct. 5: There are no words to describe you. All I asked is “you know this is a cemetery, right?” You took it to a whole
other level cussing at me immediately and telling me I could leave, not once but twice, then pretty much were challenging me to fight all the while you sit on your ass in your car while your dog runs around with no leash pissing on a fresh grave, and that’s what led me to say something in the first place. It gets better: I get back to my car, and you proceed to throw pine cones straight in my car’s direction playing fetch with your dog so your dog was running straight at me. Also you proceed to call me a Karen which I will gladly take that label in this situation. Is nothing sacred anymore? And if dog piss, in your words, is not offensive on someone’s headstone, then take your dog to where your family is buried and let him piss away cuz you clearly weren’t raised right. As far as your comment about me needing to eat veggies, it’s comical coming from a person who sat in their car while their dog ran around while my fat ass was walking laps picking up debris. Maybe you will finally go through puberty and grow up and mature into a real man! Sincerely, your friendly cemetery Karen
NORTH SOUTH CORRIDOR WASTE OF MONEY
I wonder if someday the so called North South Corridor will actually be beneficial. So far, the construction of it just seems to impede traffic flow, creating accidents and dangerous conditions in all kinds of different directions depening on what someone decides to “temporarily” close down for the week, month, or months. In recent years, multiple streets have been closed permanently off of Market Street. That hasn’t helped. If the purpose is to ease traffic flow eventually but it takes many, many, many years to build it, maybe it either wasn’t a great idea to begin with or perhaps those building it aren’t competent. Spokane: home of the two seasons (winter and car repairs).
NO NO NO NO Since 2010’s Supreme Court decision Citizens United, uncontrolled and unlimited money in politics has made elections toxic. This year, Washington’s ballot has four initiatives PAID FOR by a mini-oligarch and his stooges. Regardless of what you think of those pet initiatives, they should all be REJECTED. Democracy should not be sold to the highest bidder.
SOME “FRIEND” My friend and I saw you (with your cane) having difficulty walking after the Hu concert last night but heard your nearby friend call you so we kept on walking to our car. When at our car we then heard your “friend” yelling at you, telling
you to hurry, saying people wouldn’t wait for you, and blaming you for making them late. Your “friend” (in the distinctive hat) is an a**hole. He’s no friend at all. Please, please, please find some new ones.
RE: JUNK CITY I too am disgusted with the amount of garbage I’m seeing on our streets. I, however, am doing something about it! I take a bag and a glove with me on my daily walks. I pick up garbage a mile east one day and a mile west the next. If I frequent a business I pick up their trash and bring it inside to their attention. We really
“
SOUND OFF 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.”
Appreciation Night Fri. 10/25 vs. Vancouver Giants
should get something on the ballot that can hold a business responsible for maintaining their property! If EVERYONE just helped a little bit it wouldn’t have to be this bad. Another eyesore? Those signs for window washing, painting, trash hauling......all stuck in the ground at intersections. Let’s outlaw them!!!!!!!!!!!
RE: JUNK CITY The jeers about Spokane becoming a junkier and junkier city is spot on. So called “homeless” (an inaccurate term) run the city. They dominate sidewalks, middle of roads, running and walking trails, and sites along the Spokane River that used to be accessible to everyone. Meanwhile, laws aren’t being enforced. Not only do these people have free reign to do whatever they want, increasingly more occupants of the city do as well. Start counting the number of license plates driving down city streets in broad daylight that have tabs that expired long ago. Some of them have tabs that expired years ago. They also dominate city streets, often running red lights, speeding, and weaving in and out of traffic. Spokane: near nature. near constant illegal activity.
RE: RE: IDEOLOGUES CONT. (Editor’s note: This is continued from a jeer last week) The correlation between the reduction in traffic stops and the rise in fatalities has been calculated at approximately -0.97, suggesting a strong inverse relationship: as enforcement decreased, fatalities surged
(Washington Traffic Safety Commission, 2024; Padden, 2024). The rise in accidents has also contributed to higher auto insurance costs. In 2023, Washington drivers experienced a 24% increase in premiums, with another estimated 20% rise expected in 2024. These increases are linked to more frequent and severe crashes and the rising costs of vehicle repairs (King5, 2024; The Eatonville Dispatch, 2024). Financially, traffic law enforcement is an important source of state revenue, funding programs such as the Auto Theft Prevention Account. Revenue from
traffic infractions decreased by 64% as enforcement declined, reducing the state’s ability to fund crime prevention programs (Administrative Office of the Courts, 2023). Given these facts, reducing traffic enforcement seems counterproductive, as it serves both as a deterrent to dangerous driving and as a revenue stream supporting public safety efforts.
VOTING Jeers to everyone that doesn’t get off their butt and VOTE. If you didn’t vote, you can’t talk politics with anyone. YOU DON’T COUNT!! Shut up! 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.
Giveaway Night Sat. 10/26 vs. Tri-City Americans
spokanechiefs.com • Call: 509-535-PUCK
EVENTS | CALENDAR
BENEFIT
BRA-LLOWEEN A fundraiser for Breast Intentions Washington featuring a dinner, auction and dessert. Oct. 24, 5:30-8 pm. $70. Montvale Event Center, 1019 W. First. breastintentionsofwashington.org
SPOKANE’S FASHION WEEK-END A weekend of size and gender inclusive fashion presentations. The event includes runway shows, drag performances and a dance party. Proceeds support the Spectrum Center. Oct. 26, noon-4 pm & 6 pm-midnight. $0-$120. Runway 4 Events Center, 6095 E. Rutter Ave. domandbomb.com (509-241-8101)
GHOST BALL Elevations’ annual fundraiser with a sit-down dinner, comedy show, dancing on a historic dance floor and auction packages, all to benefit kids with special needs. Ages 21+. Oct. 26, 1211 pm. $165. Riverside Place, 1108 W. Riverside Ave. elevationsspokane.org
PUMPKIN BALL A gala benefitting Vanessa Behan featuring a three-course dinner, auctions, games, live music and dancing. Oct. 26, 5:30-11 pm. $175. Davenport Grand Hotel, 333 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. vanessabehan.org (800-918-9344)
DOGTOBER A dog show/contest with various categories. Register on day of event. Oct. 27, 12-4 pm. $5/per category. Coeur d’ Alene Cider Co., 1327 E. Sherman Ave. cdaciderco.com (208-704-2160)
MOSCOW CONTEMPORARY: HALLOWEEN PARTY A Halloween dance party with a costume contest. Proceeds benefit Moscow Contemporary. Oct. 31, 8-11:59 pm. $10. The Kenworthy, 508 S. Main St. kenworthy.org (208-882-4127)
COMEDY
JO KOY Koy’s relatable comedy began in a Las Vegas coffee house. This tour features all new material from the comedian. Oct. 24, 8 pm. $45-$85. First Interstate Center for the Arts, 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. firstinterstatecenter.org
SAM MORRIL: WORKING OUT NEW MATERIAL Morril has been featured on Comedy Central, America’s Got Talent, Last Comic Standing and more. Oct. 24, 7 pm, Oct. 25-26, 7 & 9:45 pm. $35-$45. Spokane Comedy Club, 315 W. Sprague. spokanecomedyclub.com
POLTER-HEIST Madame Zelda Von Schpookom, president of the Boogeyman Outreach Organzation (BOO), and a host of whacky characters attempt to make contact with the ghost haunting the Mouldering Pines Inn. Oct. 25-26 at 5:30 pm. $17. Create Arts Center, 900 Fourth St., Newport. createartscenter.org
GEOFFREY ASMUS Asmus is a standup comedian with a special titled “The Only Funny White Man.” Oct. 27, 8 pm. $24. Spokane Comedy Club, 315 W. Sprague. spokanecomedyclub.com
COMMUNITY
IT HAPPENED HERE: EXPO ‘74 FIFTY YEARS LATER This 50th anniversary exhibition revisits the historical roots of Expo ’74’s legacy. Tue-Sun from 10 am-5 pm. Tues.-10 am-5 pm through Jan. 26. $7-$12. The MAC, 2316 W. First. northwestmuseum.org
THE HAUNT ON BOARDWALK A haunted house featuring well-known figures
like Michael Myers, Jason, Freddy, Leatherface, clowns, hillbillies and more. Ages 5+. Thu-Sun from 6-10 pm through Oct. 31. $10. WW Establishment, 5978 Washington Hwy 291. (509-822-1460)
AMERICAN REVOLUTION EXPERIENCE
A pop-up exhibition of display panels and interactive digital kiosks that explore the history of the American Revolution. Oct. 5-237; Wed, Fri and Sat from 11 am-4 pm. $4-$7. Spokane Valley Heritage Museum, 12114 E. Sprague Ave. spokanevalleymuseum.com (509-922-4570)
GHOUL OL’ FASHIONED FUN KIDS FES -
TIVAL A fall festival featuring Halloween games, a costume contest and more. Oct. 25, 4:30-7 pm and Oct. 26, 11 am-3 pm. $5. Camp Dart-Lo, 14000 N. Dartford Dr. campfireinc.org
BEWITCHED BAZAAR A gathering of unique local artisans selling their handmade goods, trinkets and wares. Also features a costume contest and drinks. Oct. 25-26; Fri (21+) from 6-10 pm, Sat (all ages) from 11 am-5 pm. Free. The Guardian, 1403 N. Washington St. facebook.com/BathByBex (208-827-6847)
COOLING THE FIRES OF ANGER Senior Buddhist teacher Venerable Sangye Khadro guides an exploration of anger. Participants learn ways to bring peace to themselves and others. Oct. 25-27. By donation. Sravasti Abbey, 692 Country Lane. sravastiabbey.org
TERROR ON SIERRA HAUNTED HOUSE
A haunted yard walk-through. Children under 16 must have an adult to accompany them. Oct. 25-31, daily from 7-9 pm. $5. Terror on Sierra, 619 E. Sierra Ave. horrormediaproductions.com
MOONLIT MONSTER CRUISES A
40-minute haunted cruise featuring haunted house decor, creepy cocktails and more. Oct. 25-30, daily at 5 pm. $15. The Coeur d’Alene Resort, 115 S. Second. cdacruises.com (208-765-4000)
SCARYWOOD HAUNTED NIGHTS
Scarywood is full of haunted attractions and roaming monsters, including five haunted attractions, 10 scare zones and the chance to ride most of Silverwood’s signature rides in the dark. Fri-Sat from 7 pm-midnight through Nov. 2. $54-$62. Silverwood Theme Park, 27843 U.S. 95. scarywoodhaunt.com (208-683-3400)
SPOOKWALK Walk through Browne’s Addition and hear ghost stories and tales about its past residents. Oct. 2527; daily from 6:30-8:30pm and 7-9 pm. $25. Browne’s Addition, West Spokane. friendsofcdapark.org
TRUNK OR TREAT Trick-or-treat in the center’s parking lot and vote for your favorite trunk decorations. Oct. 25, 2-5 pm. Free. American Indian Community Center, 1025 W. Indiana. aiccinc.org
33 ARTISTS MARKET A small, curated art market featuring local artists, demonstrations and live music. This iteration celebrates the market’s third anniversary with a scavenger hunt, various activities and vendors. Oct. 26, 10 am-4 pm. Free. The Hive, 2904 E. Sprague Ave. 33artistsmarket.com
HALLOWEEN PARTY A night of brews, sets by DJ Hutch and DJ Queen, as well as a costume contest with prizes. Oct. 26, 7-11 pm. Free. Brick West Brewing Co., 1318 W. First. BrickWestBrewingCo.com
KYRS 21ST ANNIVERSARY PARTY A costume contest with a first-place cash prize for kids 12 and under. Featuring music by Matt Mitchell Music Co. and the Little Gospel Devils. Oct. 26, 7-11 pm. Free. Central Library, 906 W. Main. KYRS.org
SPARK-O-WEEN A day of creative learning and trick-or-treating. Make a batch of monstrous slime, craft some spooky critters and ghouls, write a story on the haunted typewriter and more. Costumes welcome, but not required. Oct. 26, 1-5 pm. Free. Spark Central, 1214 W. Summit Pkwy. spark-central.org (509-279-0299)
UIDAHO ESPORTS TOURNAMENT An esports tournament featuring Mario Kart 8 and Super Smash Bros with multiple gaming stations and championship matches on the big screen. Bring your own controllers. Pre-registration required. Oct. 26, 1-5 pm. $10. The Kenworthy, 508 S. Main St. kenworthy.org
DAY OF THE DEAD CELEBRATION A celebration of the tradition from Mexico and South America of honoring loved ones who have passed away. Gonzaga professor Ortiz and others to share their personal experiences. Oct. 27, 9:45-11:30 am. Free. Unity Spiritual Center Spokane, 2900 S. Bernard St. unityspokane.org
WHO IS HAUNTING YOUR HOUSE? Spokane Public Library’s archivist and special collections librarian, an archivist at the Joel E. Ferris Research Archives at the MAC, and Spokane’s Historic Preservation Officer guide you through the steps of researching your house’s history. Oct. 30, 5:30-6:30 pm. Free. South Hill Library, 3324 S. Perry St. spokanelibrary.org
Over 6000 properties in Spokane County are impacted by racially restrictive covenants, documents that limit who may live there according to race. Though outlawed in 1968 and unenforceable, the covenants remain in the chain of title for these properties. EWU’s Racial Covenants Project Research Team is offering a series of presentations and workshops on identifying, modifying, and removing racist property covenants. Bring a phone, laptop, or tablet.
October 26th, 10-11am : South Hill Library 3324 South Perry Street, Spokane WA, 99203
November 9th, 3-4 pm : Shadle Park Library 2111 West Wellesley Ave, Spokane, WA, 99205
EVENTS | CALENDAR
FILM
SPLATTER FEST Screenings of The Slumber Party Massacre, The Nightmare on Elm Street, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Toxic Avenger. The event is hosted by Evil K’Neva, an Elvira impersonator, and includes live entertainment throughout the night. Oct. 26, 5 pm. $25. Garland Theater, 924 W. Garland Ave. garlandtheater.org
CRAFTING MATINEE: PRACTICAL MAG -
IC Two witch sisters, raised by their eccentric aunts in a small town, face a curse which threatens to prevent them finding lasting love. Lights are dimmed to allow guests to enjoy the movie while crafting. Bring any personal craft that fits within your seat. Oct. 27, 12-2 pm. $8. The Kenworthy, 508 S. Main St. kenworthy.org
SEAHAWKS GAMES SCREENINGS
Watch the Seahawks play on the big screen, all season long. Oct. 27, 1:05 pm. Free. Garland Theater, 924 W. Garland
FOOD & DRINK
BRING YOUR OWN VINYL NIGHT Bring your own vinyl to spin while sipping on craft cocktails and listening to music. Thursdays from 3-10 pm. The Boneyard - Side Hustle Syrups, 17905 E. Appleway Ave, Ste A. sidehustlesyrups.com
REDRUM A Stephen King-themed pop up bar with themed drinks, eats and decor. Oct. 24-26 and Oct. 31-Nov. 2 at 5 pm. $10. Servante, 221 N. Division St. servantespokane.com
THE OFFICIAL HALLOWEEN BAR
CRAWL A bar crawl across seven Spokane venues with no cover, professional photographers, drink specials and an after party. Oct. 26, 4-11:59 pm. $10. Fast Eddie’s, 1 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. eventvesta.com/events/75411/t/tickets
WITCH & WIZARD TEA PARTY Choose from an array of enchanting herbs, spices,
MUSIC
CUSTER’S GRASSBAND Traditional bluegrass music. Oct. 24, 7 pm. The Jacklin Arts & Cultural Center, 405 N. William St. thejacklincenter.org (208-457-8950)
GIDEON FREUDMANN: CELLOBOP The virtuostic solo cellist performs a mini cello concert followed by the silent film, Sherlock, Jr. Oct. 24, 7-9:30 pm. $10-$20. Panida Theater, 300 N. First Ave. panida. org (208-263-6139)
GABE LAPANO Lapano plays Sinatra, Crosby and more on the piano. Friday from 6-9 pm through Dec. 28. 6-9 pm through Dec. 28. Churchill’s Steakhouse, 165 S. Post St. churchillssteakhouse.com
LEON ATKINSON MEMORIAL CONCERT
Four classical guitarists pay homage to Leon Atkinson, former host of radio program Friends of the Guitar Hour, with a selection of songs. Oct. 25, 7 pm. $33$54. The Jacklin Arts & Cultural Center, 405 N. William. thejacklincenter.org
many more Halloween favorites. Wizard costumes recommended. Oct. 26, 7:30 pm and Oct. 27, 3 pm. The Fox Theater, 1001 W. Sprague. spokanesymphony.org
SUNDAY SERENADES: THE FLUTONICS
The local musicians play unique tunes alongside refreshments provided by the library. Oct. 27, 2-3:30 pm. Free. Coeur d’Alene Public Library, 702 E. Front Ave. cdalibrary.org (208-769-2315)
MUSIC MAJOR FOR A DAY Prospective WSU music students and their parents are invited to experience a day in the life of a WSU music student. Registration required. Oct. 28. Free. Washington State University, 2000 NE Stadium Way. music. wsu.edu/mmfad (509-335-3564)
JENNIFER STOEHNER Original and modern pop tunes on the grand piano. Oct. 30, 5-7 pm. Free. Pend d’Oreille Winery, 301 Cedar St. powine.com
TUBAWEEN An evening of low brass music and storytelling featuring a variety of showcase performances by student
SPOKANE CHIEFS VS. VANCOUVER GIANTS Regular season game. Promotional schedule: The Centennial Hotel Educator Appreciation Night. Oct. 25, 7:05 pm. Spokane Arena, 720 W. Mallon Ave. spokanechiefs.com (509-279-7000)
HOUSEPLANT 101 Learn all about the basics of caring for houseplants. Oct. 26, 2-3 pm. $10. Ritters Garden & Gift, 10120 N. Division St. 4ritter.com
SPOKANE CHIEFS VS. TRI-CITY AMERICANS Regular season game. Promo schedule: One Tree Hard Cider Staycation Giveaway Night. Oct. 26, 6:05 pm. Spokane Arena, 720 W. Mallon Ave. spokanechiefs.com
SPOKANE VELOCITY VS. ONE KNOXVILLE SC Regular season game. Oct. 26, 7 pm. $21-$41. ONE Spokane Stadium, 501 W. Gardner. spokanevelocityfc.com
WINTER JOB FAIR Learn about opportunities for work at Silver Mountain Resort and apply in-person. virtually. Oct. 26, 10 am-1 pm. Free. Silver Mountain Resort,
power of evil after encountering three witches. Together with his encouraging wife, Macbeth falls deeper and deeper into darkness, unleashing murderous ambition on all who stand in his way. Thu-Sat at 7:30 pm through Oct. 26. $28-$33. Kroc Center, 1765 W. Golf Course Rd. shakespearecda.org
THE COMPLETE WORKS OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (ABRIDGED) All 37 of Shakespeare’s plays, performed in 97 minutes featuring classic wit and physical comedy. Thu-Sat at 7:30 pm, Sun at 2 pm through Oct. 27. $27-$30. Lake City Playhouse, 1320 E. Garden Ave. lakecityplayhouse.org (208-673-7529)
AN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE When Dr. Stockmann discovers that the water in the small Norwegian town has been contaminated, he reports it to the authorities. But his good deed has the potential to ruin the town’s reputation as a popular spa destination and he’s labeled an enemy. Thu-Sat at 7:30 pm, Sun at 2 pm through Nov. 3. $15-$29. Spokane Civic Theatre, 1020 N. Howard St. spokanecivictheatre.com
MACBETH A brave Scottish general receives a prophecy from a trio of witches that one day he’ll become King of Scotland. Consumed by ambition, he murders King Duncan and takes the throne. Thu-Sat at 7 pm, Sun at 2 pm through Oct. 27. $25-$30. Stage Left Theater, 108 W. Third Ave. stagelefttheater.org
ALMOST, MAINE Nine short plays that explore love and loss in a remote, mythical almost-town called Almost, Maine. Thu-Sat at 7:30 pm through Oct. 26 Free. Schuler Performing Arts Center, 880 W. Garden Ave. nic.edu/theatre
WILLY WONKA Candy manufacturer
Willy Wonka stages a contest by hiding golden tickets in candy bars. Whomever comes up with these tickets will win a free tour of the Wonka factory, as well as a lifetime supply of candy. Thu-Sat at 7 pm, Sat-Sun at 2 pm through Oct. 27. $13-$15. TAC at the Lake, 22910 E. Appleway Ave. tacatthelake.com
ALL BECAUSE OF AGATHA A newly married couple buys a house in historic Salem, Massachusetts that’s visited each year by a slightly destructive witch. Fri-Sat at 7 pm, Sun at 2 pm through Oct. 27. $12-$15. Woodland Theater, 120 W. Third Ave. woodlandproductions.org (509-738-6626)
GHOSTLIGHT An eerie, immersive experience set in the historic Glover Mansion, offering a theatrical dance journey through the building’s halls. Oct. 25, 6-10 pm. $45. Glover Mansion, 321 W. Eighth. kindlingdanceproductions.com
NEWSIES The story of Jack Kelly and a band of newsboys as they stand up for their rights against powerful publishers. Fri at 7 pm, Sat-Sun at 2 pm through Oct. 27. $12-$18. Spokane Children’s Theatre, 2727 N. Madelia. spokanechildrenstheatre.org
THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW
Join the original Brad Majors — Barry Bostwick — for a screening of the original unedited movie with a live shadow cast and audience participation. Plus a memorabilia display with artifacts. Oct. 27, 7 pm. $50-$70. First Interstate Center for the Arts, 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. broadwayspokane.com
VISUAL ARTS
AARON SMITH & GATIEH NACARIO Paintings by the two local artists. ThuSat from 11 am-4 pm through Oct. 26. Free. Avenue West Gallery, 907 W. Boone Ave. avenuewestgallery.com
THE ART OF FOOD A collection showcasing how prominent artists depict food beyond mere sustenance. Tue-Sat, 10 am-4 pm through March 8. Free. Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art WSU, 1535 NE Wilson Rd. museum.wsu.edu
DONNA KULIBERT Carved ceramics. Daily from 11 am-7 pm through Oct. 27, 11 am-7 pm. Free. Pottery Place Plus, 203 N. Washington. potteryplaceplus.com
COZETTE PHILLIPS: THE FIX Featured art is a reaction to tensions between nature and human intervention. ThuSat from 4-7 pm through Oct. 26. Free. Terrain Gallery, 628 N. Monroe St. terrainspokane.com
CHICO SUNDOWN: WESTERN WANDERINGS A journey through the American West through vibrant paintings. Mon-Sat from 10 am-5 pm through Oct. 26. Free. Pend Oreille Arts Council Gallery, 313 N. Second. artinsandpoint.org
JULENE EWERT Vibrant art of flowers and the natural world. Mon-Fri from 8 am-5 pm through Jan. 3. Free. Moscow City Hall, 206 E. Third St. ci.moscow. id.us/230/Third-Street-Gallery
MARY FARRELL Printmaking by the Pacific Northwest artist. Daily from 11 am-6 pm through Oct. 28. Free. Entropy, 101 N. Stevens. explodingstars.com
...continued on page 46
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White House, Green House
Vice President Kamala Harris announced last week her intention, if elected president, to “legalize marijuana at the federal level.”
Kamala Harris throws support behind federal cannabis legalization
BY WILL MAUPIN
This is not a new position for Harris the politician, but it is a new position for Harris the Democratic nominee for president. In 2019, Harris was one of eight senators to cosponsor U.S. Sen. Cory Booker’s Marijuana Justice Act. That legislation would have removed cannabis from the list of scheduled substances under the Controlled Substances Act, effectively legalizing it at the federal level.
Like other attempts to legalize cannabis through Congress in recent years, it failed.
What is notable about Harris’ announcement last week is that it is in multiple ways a departure from how prominent Democrats have been approaching cannabis reform.
First of all, it is historic. The Guardian reports that Harris’ announcement is the first time a major party presidential nominee has taken “such an unambiguous stance on ending cannabis prohibition.”
In the 2020 Democratic primary, numerous candidates, including Harris, signaled their support for federal legalization. Joe Biden, who ultimately became the nominee, was the rare outlier who did not come out in support of federal legalization.
Beyond that, it marks a departure from not only the administration in which she has served as vice president, but from remarks made by her own running mate for vice president.
Tim Walz, as recently as last month, has been public about his support for legalization as an issue to be decided by the states. And in October 2022, the Biden administration announced a set of changes to cannabis policy including one that would reconsider where cannabis falls under the Controlled Substances Act.
President Biden’s 2022 policy announcement could have meant decriminalization of cannabis at the federal level, but it stopped well short of legalization. Even that has not yet been realized.
In a rare instance of alignment with Biden, former President Donald Trump announced in September that he supports moving cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act.
Federal cannabis reform has been a slow process, with numerous fits and starts over the years, though momentum has been steadily building in the decade-plus since the start of state-by-state legalization.
Considering the track record on federal-level reform, it may not be wise to get your hopes up yet. But then again, we’ve never been at a point where one contender for president supports federal legalization and the other supports federal decriminalization. n
Regardless of who becomes the next president, federal cannabis regulations could be relaxed.
GREEN ZONE
BE AWARE: Marijuana is legal for adults 21 and older under Washington State law (e.g., RCW 69.50, RCW 69.51A, HB0001 Initiative 502 and Senate Bill 5052). State law does not preempt federal law; possessing, using, distributing and selling marijuana remains illegal under federal law. In Washington state, consuming marijuana in public, driving while under the influence of marijuana and transporting marijuana across state lines are all illegal. Marijuana has intoxicating effects; there may be health risks associated with its consumption, and it may be habit-forming. It can also impair concentration, coordination and judgment. Do not operate a vehicle or machinery under the influence of this drug. Keep out of reach of children. For more information, consult the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board at www.liq.wa.gov.
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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PRINTMAKERS SHOW Prints by Jenn Ramsdell with additional work from the INK! Print Rally. Tue-Sat from 10 am-6 pm through Nov. 2. Free. Emerge, 119 N. Second St. emergecda. com (208-930-1876)
RICK SINGER: PHOTOGRAPHY RETROSPECTIVE A collection of photographs spanning Singer’s 43-year career. Mon-Fri from 8 am-5 pm through Oct. 25. Free. Chase Gallery, 808 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. spokanearts.org
SALLY MACHLIS & DELPHINE KEIM: Machlis and Keim address social, political and environmental issues through large mixed media works. Mon-Thu from 10 am-4 pm, Fri from 10 am2:30 pm through Nov. 1. Free. Boswell Corner Gallery at NIC, 1000 W. Garden Ave. nic.edu/cornergallery
WORDS
WSU VISITING WRITER SERIES: ARISA WHITE White teaches English and creative writing at Colby College, is the author of Who’s Your Daddy, co-editor of Home Is Where You Queer Your Heart, and co-author of Biddy Mason Speaks Up. Oct. 24, 5 pm. Free. Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art WSU, 1535 NE Wilson Rd. museum.wsu.edu
SAVORING SPOKANE: EXPLORING ITS ICONIC EATERIES Adriana Janovich speaks about her new book Unique Eats and Eateries of Spokane: The People and Stories Behind the Food as part of WSU’s Common Reading Program. Oct. 25, noon. Free. Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art WSU, 1535 NE Wilson Rd. museum.wsu.edu
BOB LLOYD: ART, SCIENCE OR FORENSICS Works by Robert Lloyd invite participants to explore AI by breaking the fear barrier surrounding the medium. Fri from 1-5 pm, Sat from 1-4 pm through Nov. 28. Free. Shotgun Studios, 1625 W. Water Ave. shotgunstudiosspokane.com
EWU MFA VISITING WRITERS SERIES: ALEXANDRA TEAGUE Teague is a recent runner-up for the Idaho Book of the Year award and discusses her most recent book and her three books of poetry. Oct. 25, 7:30-9 pm. Free. Spark Central, 1214 W. Summit Pkwy. spark-central.org
Sun-Thur 8am-10pm • Fri-Sat 8am-11pm | 2424 N. Monroe St • (509) 919-3470
WARNING: This product has intoxicating effects and may be habit forming. Cannabis can impair concentration, coordination, and judgment. Do not operate a vehicle or machinery under the influence of this drug. There may be health risks associated with consumption of this product. For use only by adults 21 and older. Keep out of the reach of children.
HIROMI STRINGER: THE EXOTIC WEST: TIME TRAVELER UMEYAMA’S ACCIDENTAL OCCIDENTAL DISCOVERIES A solo exhibition featuring drawings and paintings that combine the artist’s Japanese heritage with her life in America. Fri from 4-7 pm, Sat from 10 am-3 pm through Nov. 9. Free. Gonzaga University Urban Arts Center, 125 S. Stevens St. gonzaga.edu
PAINT & SIP: THE CROW Paint a crow in this relaxing, guided class. Iron Goat’s full menu will be available. Ages 10+. Oct. 29, 6-8:30 pm. $45. Iron Goat Brewing Co., 1302 W. Second Ave. artvana.life (320-805-0206)
HEARTISTRY: ARTISTIC WELLBEING A relaxed and inspiring environmnt for self-discovery. Participate in basic artistic concepts and activities or respond to a mindfulness prompt. Every Tuesday from 3-5 pm. Free. Spark Central, 1214 W. Summit Pkwy. sparkcentral.org (509-279-0299)
INKTOBER FREE DRAW Dedicate time to Inktober with a provided mystery prompt. Bring your drawing supplies. Oct. 30, 6 pm. Free. Emerge, 119 N. Second St. emergecda.com
OPEN STUDIO Stop by The Hive to see what current Artists-In-Residence are up to, and tour the building. Every Wednesday from 4-7 pm. Free. The Hive, 2904 E. Sprague Ave. spokanelibrary.org (509-444-5300)
SPINNERS WORKSHOP Bring your spinning wheel or current projects to work on. Wednesdays from 10 am12 pm. Free. Create Arts Center, 900 Fourth St., Newport. createarts.org
WHIMSICAL CLAY SCULPTING Spokane artist Collista Krebs teaches how to hand build a dog out of clay. Oct. 30, 5:45-7:45 pm. $45-450. Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture, 2316 W. First Ave. northwestmuseum.org
JOE FEDDERSEN: EARTH, WATER, SKY This exhibition showcases the breadth of Joe Feddersen’s 40-year career, including printmaking, glass, weaving and ceramics through over 100 works. Tue-Sun from 10 am-5 pm through Jan. 5. $8-$12. Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture, 2316 W. First Ave. northwestmuseum.org
FINDING EASE OF MIND Tibetian Lama Lakshey gives a public talk about finding peace of mind. Oct. 25, 6-7:30 am. Free. Buddhist Institute of Universal Compassion, 728 E. Rich Ave. lamalakshey.org (509-499-9829)
GHOST STORIES: A WRITING WORKSHOP Write eerie stories with awardwinning novelist Debra Magpie Earling in this generative writing workshop. Oct. 25, 10:30 am-noon. Free. Central Library, 906 W. Main Ave. spokanelibrary.org (509-444-5336)
MEET THE AUTHOR: ALAINNA MACPHERSON Meet fantasy romance author Alainna MacPherson and get your books signed. Oct. 26, 11 amnoon. Free. Barnes & Noble, 4750 N. Division St. bn.com (509-482-4235)
FORAY FOR THE ARTS #10 A night of spooky inspired night of spoken word, short fiction, music, comedy and LED dance. Performers include Lorna Rose, Wilma, Calven Scott Eldred, Ash, Yasmine Brooks, Lynn Short and more. Oct. 27, 4-7 pm. Free. The Bad Seed, 2936 E. Olympic Ave. instagram.com/ foray4thearts (509-822-7439)
GONZAGA VISITING WRITERS SERIES: QUENTON BAKER Baker is a poet focused on Black interiority and the afterlife of slavery. Oct. 29, 7:30 pm. Free. Gonzaga University, 502 E. Boone Ave. gonzaga.edu
INDIGENOUS SPOOKY MYTHS & HORROR Discuss Horns with author Tiffany Midge and The Bone Picker with author Devan Mikesuah. Oct. 29, 7 pm. Free. Auntie’s Bookstore, 402 W. Main Ave. auntiesbooks.com
BROKEN MIC A weekly open mic reading series. Wednesdays at 6:30 pm; sign-ups at 6 pm. Free. Neato Burrito, 827 W. First Ave. bit.ly/2ZAbugD
SPOKANE PUBLIC LIBRARY OPEN MIC All ages are welcome to perform music or poetry. Oct. 30, 3:30-5 pm. Free. Central Library, 906 W. Main Ave. spokanelibrary.org (509-444-5300)
PIVOT OPEN MIC: TRICK OR TREAT An open mic with a theme of “trick or treat.” Participants are invited to tell a five minute story falling under the theme. Prize is awarded to best story. Oct. 31, 7-9 pm. By donation. Whistle Punk Brewing, 122 S. Monroe St. pivotspokane.com (509-315-4465) n
abesdiscount.com or 509-939-9996
1. “Pulp Fiction” star [*November
marks the 30th anniversary of my professional crossword debut, so here’s a throwback to that first puzzle!]
SALT concerns
“No, you got the wrong number, this is ___” (Chief Wiggum quote on “The Simpsons”)
Devonshire cream lump
Vehicle in a 1967 thought experiment
Old board game that means “I play” in Latin
Garfunkel and ___ (musical comedy duo) 20. To some degree
Jellied delicacy
Abbr. after Cleveland or Washington
Baltic
tributary
Dominant Mexican political party for most of the 20th century
Moliere play segment, maybe
“Benevolent” group
It’s also called a “majestic plural”
First human in space 38. Gets at
Struggle 40. Hard hitters of ancient literature? 41. Specialized vocabularies 42. Dash instruments 43. Words before “I say!” 45. Even ___ (chance of Kamala Harris winning the election)
___ streak
Romanov ruler
Taco Bell’s Live ___ Scholarship
51. Trucker’s ID need 52. “Hoo boy ...” 54. Croupiers’ equipment 58. CT scan units 60. Surgical protection 62. Vet school subj.
Compliment, for some
Chat signoff
Engaging
1. “Once more ___ the breach ...” 2. Paul Sorvino’s daughter
In ___-so-distant future
Video visits with a doctor, e.g.
His most famous work opens with “Mars, the Bringer of War”
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