Inlander 11/14/2024 by The Inlander

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inter is almost here. While some of us are more concerned with scheduling appointments for a winter tire swap, others are dreaming of fresh powder days on the mountain. I’m not one of them, but for those of us who don’t ski or snowboard, there are plenty of distractions for when the nights are long and the temps are low: snowshoeing, ice skating, catching a hockey game and much more. For those eagerly anticipating their first run down the mountain for the 2025-24 season, this week’s SNOWLANDER is filled with updates about the region’s five major resorts. Find out what the crews were up to while the rest of us were enjoying summer on a lake shore or a wooded campsite, from improved runs and lifts to added amenities at the lodge. And a little farther from home, the many ski resorts of Canada are calling. Also read about the unlikely journey of one Spokane man who went from the halls of Mead High School to the Olympics and is now finally joining the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame.

— CHEY SCOTT, Editor

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WHAT’S YOUR DREAM WINTER DESTINATION?

ALIFAIRE NOREEN

I would say Mount Spokane because I am new to the area, and it’s someplace that I can get to easily and go snowshoeing. I actually bought my first pair of snowshoes last year, and last year was a terrible year for snow, so I’m going to get to use them this year.

CAMERON LISS

A dream winter destination would probably be going up to Banff. I’ve been there once during the summer and it’s gorgeous. You can see above Lake Louise, and it’s just a really gorgeous area. Lot of cool animals, too.

MADDIE OLSON

Definitely Japan. We really want to go to Japan and just eat sushi and just ski Japan powder.

DENNIS GRIFFITHS

My dream winter getaway is China Wall in Montana. The China Wall is gorgeous, and nobody is there, and the views are spectacular. So that would be my winter getaway to hike up and ski down.

JUSTIN WILLIAMS

I think for me, my dream destination would probably be somewhere in South America — Patagonia or Chile.

Is there a specific place you’d like to see? Los Glaciares National Park would be kind of the spot for me. Just the sheer elevation gain from the sealine and the amount of glacial travel you can do in that park.

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COURAGE:

The Passing of Cisco

Beloved

companions, hard winters, and the flood of emotion that accompanies both

BY CMARIE FUHRMAN

There is a sliver of light on the eastern horizon. Today will break cold. Today will break clear. Last night was the coldest of the season so far, but there are colder to come. The first heavy snow has fallen. I hope the bear who stood on our deck two nights ago looking into our empty house has found safety for the season. I wish, just as we have houses for birds and bats, we could also place dens on this small bit of forest we live in.

The messages have been coming in since midnight. They arrived as I was dreaming of swimming across the ocean with my late dog Cisco. The ocean was filled with sharks and I kept kicking at them, trying to keep them away from my dog, but soon he was missing and fear woke me.

When Cisco was dying, I pressed my body to him and prayed that one of my own years could be given to him.

The first message pinged, “No matter what, we have to keep on fighting.”

Cisco, you see, had a tumor growing on his liver. Earlier, on the morning of his death, I had noticed his belly a bit swollen. The vet came over and she noticed it, too. “If it’s white fluid that comes from this drain, it is congestive heart failure. If it is blood, you are going to the ER.” When we arrived at the ER, a two-and-a-half-hour drive from home, he had to be carried into the hospital. The tumor had ruptured.

Another message: “We’ve been through this before. We can do it again.”

The stairs had been starting to labor him. He would get out of breath about halfway up. He was old. Our other dog, the girl dog, Carhartt, she was old, too. She had died the summer before. Her body gave out. Seventeen years is a long time for a dog, and yet, she would keep walking her vigil around this house. There is a difference between fighting to live and just living because it is all you have ever known. We like to say that Carhartt’s spirit carried her when her body could not, but it’s hard to know. Sometimes

Cisco the dog. CMARIE FUHRMAN PHOTO

life just goes on. We knew that Cisco’s horizon was nearing when he tried to jump on the bed we kept low for dogs, and he fell off. He lay on the floor with his head bowed. He was a dog full of pride and ability.

“We have to keep fighting,” came another voice from the dark. “Harder now.”

“I don’t know what the f— that means,” I whisper to my partner in the bed Cisco fell off of.

In the spring before Carhartt died, she got trapped beneath our deck. The snow was deep and her mind and eyes were foggy. She followed some scent along the earth and found herself nose to dirt to snow to deck bottom and her body surrounded by all three. She had only known forward, forgotten how to back up. She cried out, and I heard her. I started shoveling. Cisco had once gotten trapped in the snow. A tree pit, that area left dry around the trunk, surrounded by walls of white and cold. I called to him, but unlike Carhartt, he didn’t bark or yelp. I found him by following his tracks. He lay exhausted in a bed of pine needles. His attempts clawed against the snow. I climbed in with him.

“We can’t stop...”

I was shoveling feverishly when a UPS truck pulled up. I told the driver what happened. He ran to his truck and returned with a shovel. I called Caleb, my partner, who drove home from work. There were several feet of snow, she was crying. My partner bellycrawled to her. Placed a hand on her leg to calm her.

“We must lift one another…”

I was able to lift Cisco out and then carry his exhausted body back home, only because I had snowshoes and strength left. When he was older he did not want to be carried. But that day at the ER, Cisco let the vet carry him. He was tired. His body was tired. There was no way to know how long he had been fighting.

People say, “Fight!” and I say, “My people and my gender have been fighting for centuries and we are tired.”

Caleb helped Carhartt back up and turn around. When she came out from under the deck, the three of us cheered. When she fought the drug that would stop her heart, when she gasped for air I only cried harder.

“Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me…” a friend quotes. That poem wasn’t written for me or the others forced to come. The message, nevertheless, seems prescient.

We were given a choice: surgery or euthanasia. The surgery would give him two to four months. My deal, a year for a year, was rejected. Under a blue Idaho sky, covered by a red blanket, Cisco lay on a gurney, my tears soaking his fur, Caleb jamming his hands over and over again in his pockets. We had choices and still we felt helpless.

The sky is almost light now. The snow that fell in the last week is cold and white and deep over the graves of Cisco and Carhartt and everything else.

I don’t think I’m up for fighting the grief that is arising or anything else today. I’m tired and I have been tired for a very long time, and I can’t find any more years to give away and even if a shovel could unbury what I’ve lost I wouldn’t know where to start digging.

I have not seen bear tracks today.

“Seven,” I message Caleb.

There are seven deep blue Steller’s jays at the empty feeder. Their cries can’t be ignored. I have food for them by the door. The pup asleep by the fire, she’ll be wanting a long walk soon, no matter how cold and bleak and icy the road may be. n

CMarie Fuhrman is the author of Salmon Weather: Writing from the Land of No Return (forthcoming), Camped Beneath the Dam, and co-editor of two anthologies, Cascadia Field Guide and Native Voices: Indigenous Poetry, Craft, and Conversations. Fuhrman is the associate director of the graduate program in creative writing at Western Colorado University. She resides in West Central Idaho.

RUNGE’S ANNUAL FOOD DRIVE

CITY HALL

Policing the Budget

Spokane voters passed Proposition 1. Now, the city is reworking neighborhood law enforcement, including reconsidering its partnership with C.O.P.S.

BY ELIZA BILLINGHAM

Aslate of election results poured in last week, but the decision that might affect Spokane residents most immediately and materially is the passage of Proposition 1.

The requested 0.1% increase in sales tax passed with about 58% of the vote as of Nov. 8. The tax will go into effect in January, and the revenue will go into the newly created “Community Safety Sales Tax Fund.”

Mayor Lisa Brown promises that the revenue generated, an estimated $6.5 million per year for the city, will go toward new investments into the fire department, the police department, the municipal court and the Office of Police Ombuds.

The dollars headed to the fire department, municipal court and police ombuds have cut-and-dry designations — new fire trucks and new jobs. But the plan for the millions designated to the police department over the next two years is less clear.

Both Brown and new Police Chief Kevin Hall say that the money will fund seven new neighborhood resource officers. But the police department, the mayor’s administration and the communities they serve are trying to reimagine what exactly neighborhood policing means.

“A major part of this proposition was that we would bring that [neighborhood resource officer] program back,” Hall says. “So now my job is how to best utilize them. What NROs looked like in the past may not be what they look like in the future. The world changes, policing changes and community expectations change.”

In the midst of this, the police department’s contract with Community Oriented Policing Services, or C.O.P.S., is expiring at the end of the year. The 30-year-old nonprofit, founded in the West Central neighborhood, was usually a shoo-in for a contract as a community liaison for the police department. But now, partially due to a lack of quantifiable success metrics, it’s being reconsidered along

with everything else as the city tries to close the budget gap, which started at around $50 million when Brown took office early this year.

“My administration’s intention would be to do a request for proposals and let organizations that can provide some of those services participate in that competitive process,” Brown says. “We are asking the question, ‘Is there a way for this to be more coordinated and cohesive?’”

BUDGET PROPOSAL

Proposition 1 passed in each of the city’s three districts. But some neighborhoods were more enthusiastic about it than others.

According to an Inlander analysis using tabulations from Nov. 8, the proposition passed with the largest margin in District 2, which covers the South Hill, where it won about 62% of the vote. It won about 54% and 55% of

C.O.P.S. Program Manager Sandi McIntyre and Executive Director Jeff Johnson hope the nonprofit can continue as a community liaison with the city.

YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

“POLICING THE BUDGET,” CONTINUED...

votes in Districts 1 and 2, respectively.

“I’m really pleased that we had such a strong showing,” Brown says. “That’s always a good thing when it’s north of the river and south of the river.”

Brown was optimistic enough about the proposition’s chances of passing that she included the revenue in her biennial budget proposal, which she released on Nov. 2, the Saturday before Election Day.

Yates says — one civilian employee from the Police Department, one civilian employee from the Fire Department and one employee from the Information Technology Department.

COMMUNITY-ORIENTED POLICING

On the day after Election Day, Sandi McIntyre sits behind the front desk of the yellow C.O.P.S. shop on Boone Avenue. On the wall behind her hang framed portraits of two elementary schoolaged girls who were kidnapped and killed in West Central three decades ago.

to Your List

“I was completely stunned to see any reference to Prop. 1 in the budget after they had, on multiple occasions, told us that the budget would not in any way have any reliance upon Prop. 1,” Spokane City Council member Michael Cathcart says.

Brown says the budget doesn’t rely on Prop. 1 dollars, since her administration was able to balance the budget without the new revenue. She promises that the new revenue will only go toward new investments, and those are what she listed in the proposed budget.

To close the budget gap, Brown’s team made new agreements with union bargaining units that included voluntary retirement incentives, plus eliminated unfilled positions, reorganized some staff responsibilities, and also took some unpaid furlough days themselves.

“That moved resources and expenditures in line with each other so that this community safety proposal could go to the things that we said all along we would spend it on,” Brown says. “So we baked [Prop. 1 revenue] into the budget that I proposed last week already.”

Thanks to the new revenue stream, all 10 potential layoff notices to criminal justice service employees at the municipal court were rescinded on Thursday, Nov. 7, says Deputy City Administrator Maggie Yates.

Keeping current municipal court jobs might not seem like a new investment, but these were temporary, experimental positions, so maintaining them as permanent is faithful to the promise of Prop. 1, Brown and Yates say.

“The budget that was passed last year only funded some of these criminal justice specialists and counselors for half the year,” Yates says. “It was called a pilot project, and it’s understood to be a very effective program. So this funding allows all of that to continue.”

Of the 29 potential layoffs announced earlier this fall, only three people at the city will actually lose their jobs under the current proposed budget,

Their deaths prompted community outrage and, soon after, the formation of a nonprofit dedicated to community-oriented police volunteers. The idea was to train neighbors to be eyes and ears in their communities, hopefully preventing crime with their presence while keeping track of issues like drug houses and chronic nuisance properties.

Some C.O.P.S. volunteers are trained by forensic experts to take fingerprints from minor burglary crime scenes. They also register bikes and organize local school patrols.

McIntyre used to be a Spokane Police Department neighborhood resource officer in north Spokane for three years. As an NRO, she says she relied on her local C.O.P.S. shop to give her quick intel on neighborhood issues.

“I would come in and I would check with my volunteers, ‘What’s going on? Where’s my paperwork? Where’s my reports? Let’s talk about this stuff,’” she says.

Now, McIntyre is the program manager for the eight C.O.P.S. shops around the city. The neighborhood buildings are usually staffed by volunteers, who offer neighbors a place to report a nuisance or request a service. The shops also give police officers a place to park their cars, write reports or eat lunch. Plus, they house community correction officers from the Department of Corrections.

“They’re in the neighborhood,” says Jeff Johnson, executive director of C.O.P.S. “They’re not making it hard for someone who just got out of prison to see [their] parole officer. We are making it easier by being in the neighborhoods.”

The nonprofit’s five-year contract with the police department, which made C.O.P.S. the sole provider for community-police liaison services, is expiring at the end of December.

It’s giving the city a chance to rethink how to invest in community-oriented policing at the

Portraits of Rebecca West, left, and Nicki Wood, who were kidnapped and murdered in 1991, are displayed at Spokane

C.O.P.S. West. YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

same time the police department is reimagining what neighborhood resource officers, or NROs, will do.

“There are things that we are being asked to do that are not appropriate for police to be involved in, and other people are better suited,” says Hall, who was sworn in as police chief at the end of August. “Hopefully the NROs will be navigators to those services and be able to connect those different services with the different issues and the people who are complaining in these different neighborhoods as well as downtown.”

Hall says neighborhood resource officers will not be dispatched on calls the way other officers are, and that they’ll be dedicated to the four different police precincts, a concept most people expect.

“What they’re mostly known for is addressing nuisance properties in the neighborhoods with the city attorney’s office and working to clean those up or gain compliance from the tenants,” Hall says. “So that’s not going to go away. But we just intend on adding to their list of tasks and duties. That’s going to include a lot of community engagement and could cross over into some recruitment efforts and other things that we’ve scaled back on, [things] that they’re perfectly situated for because of the place they’ll have within the community.”

The new neighborhood resource officers will be dispatched two at a time over the next few months into the neighborhoods that need them most, Hall says. Downtown is a neighborhood, too, he says, and it’s at the top of his list for new neighborhood officers.

With the expanded vision, Hall and Brown are trying to understand which organizations could be the best liaisons between communities and officers.

As C.O.P.S. requests a new multiyear contract for $475,000 a year, Hall wants to make sure every dollar goes to a sustainable and proven investment. As the new guy in town, he’s depending more on data than tradition.

“The C.O.P.S. metrics are not exactly what I wanted to see,” Hall says. “From a business standpoint, it’s hard for me to support a program where the performance metrics just aren’t there.”

Maybe they did do a lot of work, Hall says, but if there’s no data to verify it, that’s a problem for him.

“I do struggle with, ‘How do we best support them moving forward?’ I do want to support them,” Hall says. “There’s obviously some love in the community for this program that’s been around for several decades. But at the same time, I need to make sure it’s a responsible use of taxpayer dollars.”

Woody Garvin is a retired pastor who’s volunteered with C.O.P.S. for five years. He’s also part of the West Central Development Project, which meets in the C.O.P.S. shop on Boone regularly to discuss how to improve the neighborhood’s quality of life.

“One of the things we help do is to bridge people who may not feel good about police presence by being an extra interface with the community,” Garvin says. “It’s what really helps soften things. It helps people feel the presence. It helps them get over a fear of police because they get to meet them face to face. That would not happen without the cop shop. It would just be police cars going up and down the street.”

Not everyone agrees, including Virla Spencer, executive director of The Way to Justice, a local nonprofit law firm that offers legal assistance, especially to communities of color. When the city puts out a request for proposals in December or early January, she would like The Way to Justice to apply to be a liaison between neighborhoods and police.

“I have never been able to walk inside of a C.O.P.S. shop to be able to receive any services, let alone have I ever heard of any Black or brown folks ever having any good luck with any of those places,” she says.

The next steps for the city and for C.O.P.S. will become clearer when the City Council finalizes the budget in early December.

“We’re gonna be looking for places to either make some improvements or make some changes,” Cathcart says. “[A contract with C.O.P.S.] is one that I’m gonna advocate for, in addition to a few others. But it is one that we need to consider. … We’ve got a chief that is super strategic and concerted and focused so I know that we’re gonna get there.” n

elizab@inlander.com

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Back to the Old House

After being eliminated from the city’s budget over a decade ago, Mayor Lisa Brown wants Spokane Arts back in the city

BY MADISON PEARSON

Art and community have gone hand in hand for millennia.

Spokane’s own art community has a long and storied history of challenge, change and success, but it’s always been there to serve artists and creatives in myriad ways.

Almost exactly 12 years to the day after the Arts Department was eliminated from the city’s budget, Mayor Lisa Brown is planning for Spokane Arts — the nonprofit created as a result of the elimination of the city Arts Department — to rejoin the city government.

The decision was announced on Nov. 6 at a press

conference in downtown Spokane.

“The arts in the city has been something that’s been significant for me for a long time,” Brown says. “Part of what I’ve always loved about Spokane was the richness of the creative communities. And so when I saw the arts move away from the city, I saw that as the wrong move.”

Brown says that Spokane is a “sports town” but also an “arts city,” and this move solidifies that sentiment.

“It gives us the opportunity to really double down on our support for the creative economy and the creative people in our region,” she says. “We will be able to identify new opportunities, give added stability to the arts

infrastructure and find new and innovative ways to blend the arts into what we do.”

In 2012 the city Arts Department, at the time headed by local artist and art consultant Karen Mobley, was eliminated from the city’s budget by Mayor David Condon.

However, the city still had money in an art fund that was created for Expo ’74, which became the Spokane Arts Fund in 1986. In 2012, the fund became what we now know as Spokane Arts. For the past 12 years, Spokane Arts has functioned as an independent nonprofit with a board of directors and oversight from the Spokane Arts Commission.

Spokane Arts is funded by an admissions tax the city passed in 2007 to collect 5% on admission charges to concerts, sporting events and entertainment. The organization is also funded by contributions from community partners like Visit Spokane, the Downtown Spokane Partnership and the Spokane Public Facilities District.

One-third of the revenue generated by the admissions tax is disbursed to the Spokane Arts Commission. Of that amount, half goes toward grants, and half covers the operating costs of maintaining the Chase Gallery in City Hall, the city’s public art collection, and running the Spokane Poet Laureate program.

Spokane Arts’ staff includes (from left) Devonte Pearson, Skyler Oberst, Shelly Wynecoop, Jeremy Whittington and Shelby Allison. YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

This model is set to change, however, as Spokane Arts extends its contract with the city for the first six months of 2025 and enters a “discernment process.” During that period, Brown’s staff and the Spokane Arts team, led by Executive Director Skyler Oberst, hope to answer many logistical questions that still loom.

“During the next several months we will be working together — representatives of the administration, Spokane Arts and the Arts Commission — to determine which portions of the existing Spokane Arts portfolio will come directly into the city office and how the partnership will work,” Brown says.

Under Brown’s proposal, the new city-run department would exist under the Division of Community and Economic Development. The official name of the department remains to be determined, though Brown referred to it as the “Office of Arts and Culture” at the press conference on Wednesday last week.

“I actually think it’s a really smart move from an economic development perspective,” Brown says. “There are projects and initiatives that city government can either lead or help create funding for in partnership with arts organizations.”

During the six-month discernment process, Brown says the intention is to focus on how the new Arts Department will be structured, including what positions are needed.

Oberst was appointed as Spokane Arts’ interim director in October 2023 following the June 2023 departure of former Executive Director Melissa Huggins. One year later, Oberst says he’s finally settled into the role and is ready to face another transitional period.

In September, days before his first meeting with the mayor’s office to discuss the possibility of the city reabsorbing Spokane Arts, Oberst was working on a formal contract with Spokane Media Credit Union to provide funding to people on the nonprofit’s roster of local artists.

“We were really leaning into our work of investing in people, investing in the creative economy and telling our story well,” Oberst says. “You have to be careful what you put out into the universe and what you pray for, because I definitely prayed for a big opportunity for all of us in a community where the arts could be elevated and be more at the table. So, you know, part of it feels like destiny.”

Brown has assured Spokane Arts’ team that the move won’t be a detriment to their current projects.

“We don’t want to lose any of the current programming or people that are engaged with Spokane Arts,” she says. “At the same time, I think we want to understand how we could structure it to take advantage of the strengths of a nonprofit on the one hand and the city on the other hand, in partnership in the different initiatives. Because of our current budget situation, we want to start budget neutral. We don’t have a lot of new city resources to add to the equation, but we also don’t want to take resources away from current arts programming.”

Before Spokane Arts broke off from the city, KXLY reported in 2012 that the city was spending about $155,000 per year on its internal arts department. And before Spokane City Council voted in 2016 to dedicate a third of the city admissions tax to Spokane Arts, the Inlander reported that annual funding from the city had dwindled to about $80,000 per year during the nonprofit’s first few years.

Neither Brown nor Oberst can say exactly how a city-managed arts department will be funded, but they say that plan will be solidified during the six-month extension period in 2025.

Spokane Arts’ current staff is small, consisting of Oberst and four other members: Shelly Wynecoop, director of grantmaking; Shelby Allison, public art program director; Devonte Pearson, operations manager; and Jeremy Whittington, program director. Of those positions, four are full-time and one is part-time. Mobley also works under contract with the nonprofit as a public art consultant. ...continued on page 14

James Lowe, CONDUCTOR Dr. Meg Stohlmann, CHORALE DIRECTOR Spokane Symphony Chorale and Chamber Singers

THURSDAY NOV 21 7:30 PM SATURDAY NOV 23 3:00 PM FRIDAY NOV 22 7:30 PM

DEC 5 7:30 PM

James Lowe, CONDUCTOR State Street Ballet Rodney Gustafson, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

HOLIDAY

POPS

The Herd Returns

The Kalispel share buffalo with the Colville Confederated Tribes. Plus, Cheney funds a $72M school bond; and Spokane City Council meetings are postponed after a threat.

BY INLANDER STAFF

Buffalo are roaming once again on the Colville Reservation thanks to a buffalo restoration partnership with the Kalispel Tribe of Indians. On Nov. 5, the Kalispel Tribe gifted 10 buffalo to the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation. Last year, the Kalispel Tribe gifted 30 buffalo to aid in the culturally and ecologically important efforts of restoring buffalo populations on the Colville Reservation. “The Kalispel Tribe has worked diligently over the years to build a robust buffalo program on our reservation near Cusick,” said Derrick Bluff, director of Kalispel’s agriculture department, in a press release. “Our herd has flourished, which allows for opportunities to share buffalo with other tribes.” The Kalispel Tribe’s herd has grown to 150 after being gifted 12 buffalo in 1974 from Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota. “The buffalo represent resilience and balance within ecosystems,” said Curt Holmes, vice chairman of the Kalispel Tribal Council, in the press release. “We are honored to see them thrive on our lands and now on the Colville Reservation.” (VICTOR CORRAL MARTINEZ)

CHENEY WRITES A CHECK

After the Nov. 5 election, it looked as if all three school construction bonds on Spokane County ballots would fail, just as they all did back in February. However, as the county Elections Office continued to tally the ballots last week, Cheney Public Schools’ $72 million bond surpassed the 60% vote threshold needed to pass. With 10,618 votes in favor of the bond, it was set to pass with 61.21% of the vote as of the time the Inlander went to press on Tuesday. Both of the construction bonds for the Deer Park and Orchard Prairie school districts failed, with 53% and 55% of the vote, respectively. As of Tuesday morning there were still 16,500 ballots left to count in Spokane County, before the election is certified on Nov. 26. It’s unclear how many of those were from Cheney voters, but the outcome is unlikely to change. (COLTON RASANEN)

LEGISLATIVE LOCKDOWN

Due to an emailed threat, Spokane City Council meetings were canceled on Nov. 11. City Hall was put on lockdown Monday afternoon because of an email sent by Chesed Johnson, who has previously threatened Mayor Lisa Brown and former Mayor Nadine Woodward. According to court documents, Johnson harassed Woodward both online and in person at multiple times throughout her term. Right before 2 pm on Monday, Johnson sent an email with the subject line “I will die tonight at city hall because of you” to all seven City Council members, all five county commissioners, and some city staffers. In the first line of the email, Johnson wrote, “Please cancel city hall meeting. I am going to make the police kill me in front of city hall tonight.” Out of an abundance of caution while police searched for Johnson, the City Council canceled both its Monday briefing session and legislative meeting. Both were rescheduled for 11 am on Thursday in place of the council’s typical study session. (ELIZA BILLINGHAM)

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Buffalo from Theodore Roosevelt National Park share ancestors with local herds.

Holiday Editions

Giving Back

Recently appointed Spokane School Board member Nicole Bishop plans to ensure all students can find a safe place in their school

BY COLTON RASANEN

n August, the Spokane Public Schools Board of Directors learned it would need to appoint a new member to its ranks as Melissa Bedford and her family were moving out of town.

The remaining Spokane School Board members evaluated nine candidates for the position, ultimately voting at the Nov. 1 meeting to appoint Nicole Bishop, who works as the philanthropy manager for Spokane Neighborhood Action Partners, or SNAP. Bishop, 36, has worked at SNAP for nearly seven years, and before that she worked for two years at the Jonah Project, a nonprofit that serves survivors of human trafficking and at-risk youth and women.

Before she made her way into the nonprofit

world, Bishop earned a political science degree from Amherst College in Massachusetts in 2012. Though she says attending the small liberal arts college was one of the best experiences of her life, it also became a lesson in class differences for Bishop, who grew up in Spokane.

“I felt like a fish out of water at times because I was this public school kid who lived on public assistance, going to school with a lot of trust fund kids who went to private schools. It took me a long time to accept that there’s not much that separates us,” she says. “That experience of trying to overcome the imposter syndrome is what’s given me the courage to do things, like applying for the School Board.”

Bishop was sworn in on Nov. 6 and must run

Nicole Bishop is the latest to join the Spokane School Board. COLTON RASANEN PHOTO

for election to the seat next year if she hopes to stay on the board.

We met Bishop at Revival Tea Company two days after she was sworn in and talked about why she applied, what makes her unique among the five-person board and what her priorities are. This interview has been lightly edited for clarity and length.

INLANDER: Why was it important for you to apply for this School Board position?

BISHOP: I know it sounds cliché, but my mom. She was always the mom who was in our classes, and she was a safe place for a lot of kids who maybe didn’t have that at home. I saw that without an advanced degree or a fancy job title, she was able to make a really huge difference for the kids just by being who she was.

She passed away, gosh, three years ago, and part of me really just wants to keep her legacy alive. Spending a lot of time in a classroom intimidates me a little bit, but with my degree, this is where I can make a difference.

Is there a piece of advice that you’re carrying with you as you get your feet under you?

I spoke to former director Melissa Bedford, and her advice to me was to “always remember your ‘Why?’ That’s your true north.” I think it will really power me through some of the harder days.

How do you set yourself apart from the rest of the board members?

I have a unique lived experience. You know, growing up there were times of housing instability, and I changed schools a lot until second grade. I’m also the daughter of an immigrant. My dad immigrated from Iran at the turn of the revolution, so I’ve been able to bear witness to what that experience is like, though I haven’t personally experienced it as an immigrant. This isn’t to say that the members on the board can’t understand and advocate for all parts of Spokane, and actually, I think they’ve done that really well. I’ve had a lot of that experience to understand the needs of people in Spokane beyond my immediate circle, but I think geography may help a bit with that.

You’re the only School Board member who lives outside the South Hill. What does it mean to you to be the only north Spokane representation on the School Board now?

There’s definitely some pride, and I think I feel a responsibility to make sure that I’m advocating for the north side in every corner. In my day job, there’s always one person who’s assigned to ask, “Where did equity come up in this meeting?” at the end of each meeting. I feel on some level my responsibility will be there, but with the north side. They have unique needs, and I want to make sure that there’s a dedicated person to speak up for that.

What are some of your first priorities?

What I’m really interested in right now is trying to continue through the thread that made things good and productive when I was younger, like in the ’90s and ’80s before that, while being able to also stay updated with modern technology and the changing world. A great example is the recent cellphone ban. I think that’s a really unique way the district can allow students to interact face-to-face in a way that was so common before.

Being a millennial puts me in a unique position. In a way, I grew up in both worlds, where my childhood was very analog, but then my later years were very digital. Being able to straddle those two worlds is something I’m passionate about, because I do have that unique cultural perspective. n coltonr@inlander.com

Time Will Tell

BY MADISON PEARSON

Those who say “lost time is never found again” haven’t met Hazel Miller.

Like most people living on planet Earth nowadays, Miller thinks a lot about the impact humans have on the world, the vastness of time and the concept of impermanence.

She browses old art pieces in museums every chance she gets; small moments of time past that reflect what life was like when they were created. She researches mythology, learns about historical periods and ruminates on changing culture. And, to Miller, that time is well spent and certainly not lost like the old adage suggests.

What results are large canvases awash with a moody palette of acrylic and oil paints. Each feels like a portal to the past, future or somewhere in between, featuring mythical women, winged creatures and flourishing botanical gardens. Soft brush strokes lend an ethereal luminosity to each painting, but the rich jewel-toned palettes and high color contrast cement ideas and themes onto the canvas and into the viewer’s mind.

At her exhibition “We Will Be Fossils Someday,” which runs for just two days, Nov. 15-16, at Placeholder Studios in downtown Spokane, Miller explores the connections between the evolution of art and the evolution of nature. Viewers are invited to move through the artist’s world with her, meeting otherworldly figures and ancient beings through her canvases.

“I think about evolutionary science and natural history alongside art history,” she says. “It really makes you realize how small we are in the grand scheme of things and how new we are to the Earth.”

If you’ve caught a show at The Chameleon since its opening in February, you’ve almost definitely seen Miller’s art gracing the walls of the venue, a joint venture between her and husband Josh Lorenzen. The murals there are lush, overflowing with flora and fauna that reminds Miller of her hometown of San Antonio, Texas.

Citing the arts and crafts portion of Barney & Friends as her first introduction to art, Miller was always drawn to the creative side of life but didn’t start taking painting seriously until she was in high school.

“I loved it because of the color,” she says. “It’s so tactile and it’s all about sensation. There was something that was very addicting about it for me.”

After deciding to pursue art in college, she started off at a liberal arts school taking courses in art history, environmental science and geology. Yet she felt like something in her education was missing, so she transferred to the Pacific Northwest College of Art in Portland.

It was the perfect decision, giving Miller access to open critiques and others who also wanted to “nerd out” about color and texture. It’s where she solidified her interests and came to understand art more deeply.

“I just felt like I learned bits and pieces of history, but I didn’t understand the chronology,” she says. “I didn’t grasp history until I studied art history and could see the gradual developments and big movements that correspond with changes in culture and the human species.”

From then on, she became enamored with the evolution of art and nature.

“W e Will Be Fossils Someday” features 30 paintings, most on large canvases, which Miller prefers to smaller-scale work.

“I think of my work almost like time travel,” she says. “No matter how hard I fight to work smaller, because it would be more convenient in every way, there’s just something about these larger figures that is more satisfying and comes more naturally to me.”

“I do feel like they have a strong presence,” she says. “They

Spokane artist Hazel Miller explores time and nature through her opulent oil paintings

kind of consume your whole field of view. It’s transportive and kind of transcendental.”

One painting in the show titled “I Don’t Need a Heaven” features a woman, seemingly made out of sinuous, verdant vines standing in front of a glowing, ancient city accompanied by two seabirds. The piece takes inspiration from Ferdinand van Kessel’s “Four Parts of the World” (ca. 1689) and “Frôleuse” by Jane Graverol (1969).

Miller’s piece merges two very different times in human history and art history. Van Kessel was a Baroque painter known for his detailed still-life paintings, while Graverol focused on surrealism, a popular art movement during her lifetime.

“I love taking different pieces and putting them together,” Miller says. “I don’t really work just from imagination. I’m always looking at something.”

The process provides a result that can’t quite be tied to an exact moment, giving off a slightly eerie feeling.

Miller not only pulls inspiration from other paintings, but is also inspired by topics that impact her emotionally. Take the painting “Thylacine Angel,” for example, which features a winged thylacine, the wingless marsupial also known as the Tasmanian tiger or Tasmanian wolf that was hunted to extinction by 1936.

Lately, her work has featured more and more extinct and endangered animals as she researches and learns about them.

A portion of art proceeds from “We Will Be Fossils Someday” will benefit Amazon Watch, a nonprofit founded in 1996 that focuses on rainforest preservation and the rights of Indigenous people in the Amazon Basin.

“I’m getting all of this inspiration from a lot of these areas of the world,” Miller says. “The lushness and the biodiversity is really what gets me. But, knowing that there’s just this rapid rate of deforestation and extinction all over the world, but especially in the Amazon, is devastating.”

Despite tackling emotionally charged topics and pouring herself into art history research, painting is a meditative act for Miller. She says her exploration into time, history and impermanence has altered the way she experiences life.

“It makes me more present,” she says. “I really try to appreciate time. I don’t believe in an afterlife so I want to make the most of this time because it is already inherently miraculous and heavenly.” n

Hazel Miller: We Will Be Fossils Someday • Fri, Nov. 15 from 5-8 pm and Sat, Nov. 16 from 6-9 pm • Free • Placeholder Studios • 104 W. Third Ave. • instagram.com/hazelthepainter

Hazel Miller creates vibrant, large-scale paintings inspired by nature and time.

HAZEL MILLER PHOTOS

The Greatest Show on ’worth

While college football in the Inland Northwest might not be the all-consuming cultural force that it is in the South, there’s plenty of football history between the Washington State Cougars, Eastern Washington Eagles, Idaho Vandals and, across the Cascades, the Washington Huskies. Heck, Gonzaga even has two Pro Football Hall of Famers despite playing its last game in 1941. But one school often gets overlooked. In terms of pure execution this season, the best ball around can be found on a field in north Spokane. Whitworth football is having a moment.

Iyards. But the senior’s had quite the winding journey to end up as one of the best passers in DIII.

After starting his collegiate career at Western Oregon University, Blair transferred to Whitworth and was hyper-efficient as the Pirates’ starting QB in 2022 (completing 74.2% of his passes) before going down with an extremely severe, season-ending ankle dislocation and tear that left him with a plate and nine screws in his right fibula. After sitting behind DI transfer and NWC Offensive Player of the Year Austin Ewing in 2023, Blair could have left his football playing days behind. Instead, he decided to stick it out one more year because of the potential he saw in this year’s squad.

“It was the glimpses that we had last year, knowing that a lot of the guys were coming back. I felt like we had unfinished business,” Blair says. “I know we came out as conference champs last year, and I knew that we could probably make an even deeper run this upcoming year. Just the group of guys, and relationships that I’ve built — I couldn’t see myself going into the workforce right now and just being a regular person. [Laughs]”

Blair is far from the only star on Whitworth’s offense. His main target all year has been grad student wide receiver Evan Liggett. With an agile 6-foot-3-inch frame, Liggett is able to have his way with most DIII defensive backs. Against Lewis & Clark, he racks up 12 catches for 225 yards and two touchdowns, adding to his own single-season Whitworth record for receiving touchdowns (which currently sits at 17). The on-field chemistry between Blair and Liggett, who are also housemates, might call to mind a DIII version of the Los Angeles Rams’ Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp.

“It’s just a blast. Nobody I’d rather go out there and play with,” Liggett says. “We just go out there and have fun. It’s not about looking at the records for us. At the end of the day, it’s still a game. And we just try and not make it stressful.”

Whitworth football is breaking offensive records and competing for titles under head coach

Rod Sandberg

BY SETH SOMMERFELD

t’s a soggy Saturday afternoon in early November when I drive up north for undefeated Whitworth’s penultimate home game of the season, a Division III clash with fellow Northwest Conference foe Lewis & Clark. The Pirates’ home field — the Pine Bowl — is an incredibly quaint and charming venue for college football with a pine-treed suburban backdrop framing all the action on the field as fans pack the rows of bleachers that rise on only one side. The vibes feel closer to a high school game than a clash between DI powerhouses like Oregon and Georgia, but when Whitworth has the ball on offense this day, they execute with truly elite precision. Leading the way is senior quarterback Ryan Blair. Against Lewis & Clark, he puts on one of the most impressive throwing days you can imagine — dropping absolute dimes that hit his receivers in stride on route to 465 passing yards with three touchdowns. With a week left to play in the regular season, he’s already set Whitworth’s single-season record with 32 passing touchdowns while throwing for 2,541

But if opposing defenses scheme to lock down the BlairLiggett combo, they also must deal with running back Luis Salgado — and the junior ball carrier can be a problem. In a tight 39-32 win over Pacific (Oregon), Salgado rushed for a school record 365 yards. 365! (We swear that’s not a typo.)

As Whitworth’s 48-9 blowout win over Lewis & Clark showcases, even if you pick your poison playing the Pirates (L&C held Salgado to “only” 92 rushing yards), you’re still drinking poison.

...continued on page 22

Quarterback Ryan Blair, center, leads undefeated Whitworth’s high-powered offense. CALEB FLEGEL PHOTO

“THE GREATEST SHOW ON ’WORTH,” CONTINUED...

The man overseeing Whitworth’s offensive explosion is head coach Rod Sandberg. Looking a bit like a trimmed-down Dan Campbell, he combines the same fiery intensity and connection with his players that his Detroit Lions pseudo-doppelganger has become famous for on the NFL level.

“[Coach Sandberg] is one of a kind,” Blair says. “He brings a different level of intensity and enthusiasm that I’ve never seen from anybody.”

“He’s just a guy that you’d play your heart out and run through a brick wall for,” Liggett adds.

While Sandberg’s been on the job since 2014 — winning NWC titles and making the DII playoffs in the past — the past two seasons have felt different.

“The sign of a great program is when you can consistently be great. And we haven’t been there. We’ve had great moments, but we want to be a great program that can consistently do that,” Sanberg says. “And I think this group of 32 seniors took that on themselves, saying, ‘Hey, we’re not satisfied. We think this program can get better.’ And it’s been fun to watch that.”

The players are certainly on the same page as Sandberg in that regard.

“A goal of ours wasn’t just to come out and win championships, but to change the trajectory of Whitworth football for good,” Liggett says. “The culture is really what’s changed. It’s not just the football on the field, it’s everything in between — the relationships we have and all that stuff.”

The Pirates enter the final week of the regular season ranked No. 16 with a 9-0 record. And history is repeating itself, as for the second straight year the Northwest Conference title will come down to a final week battle between undefeated Whitworth and the Linfield University Wildcats, who are also undefeated in conference play. Last year the Pirates pulled out a 28-24 victory at Linfield to win the NWC title. This year, the tilt for all the marbles will go down at the Pine Bowl at noon on Saturday, Nov. 16.

More Whitworth offensive history could take place on Saturday too, as Liggett and Salgado are respectively 148 receiving yards and 128 rushing yards away from the single season school records.

Regardless of how Saturday’s showdown with Linfield goes, Whitworth has staked its claim as a football program to be reckoned with these past two seasons. In an era when some fans get turned off by a pro sports mentality seeping into the collegiate game, watching DIII football is just about young men playing the game they love with no eyes on future glory. The guys on Spokane’s college football team aren’t going to be playing on Sundays, but they’re gonna have a blast while they can still ball on Saturdays.

“You have to buy into everything,” Liggett says of DIII football. “All the little things. All the relationships. Obviously, it’s not a huge spotlight. You’re not going to be walking around getting noticed, but at the end of the day, I don’t think that’s what football is about. You know, everyone’s going to stop playing. You can’t play ball your whole life. DIII football is just about finding friends for life while playing the game you love.” n

Whitworth Pirates vs. Linfield Wildcats • Sat, Nov. 16 at noon • $12 • Whitworth Pine Bowl • 300 W. Hawthorne Road • whitworthpirates.com

THE BUZZ BIN

THE ULTIMATE GOAL

As the inaugural regular season wound down for the Spokane Velocity, it looked like the soccer club’s first season would be considered a mild success. While they had a losing record at 7-9-6, the team was able to sneak into the USL League One playoffs. That’s a win! But once in the playoffs, the actual wins started piling up. After trouncing Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC 3-0 on their pitch, the road dog Velocity pulled off a dramatic semifinal win at Forward Madison FC last weekend, prevailing 5-4 in a penalty shootout after a scoreless game. That’s right, the Spokane Velocity are in the USL1 finals in their first season. The Velocity head to regular season champs Union Omaha this Sunday, Nov. 17, at noon. Can the Velocity pull off a massive upset and rule USL1 in year one? Tune in via the Golazo network — available on Roku, Pluto TV, Paramount+ and the CBS Sports app — to find out.

(SETH SOMMERFELD)

ART AS MEDICINE

In August 2023, Washington State University’s Spokane campus celebrated the completed renovation of its new Medicine Building. The refreshed facility serves as a central hub for WSU’s Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine. Along with new classrooms and collaboration spaces, the building also features a new addition to the campus art collection, “Medicinal Tapestry” by Yakima-based artist Christie Tirado. The hand-carved, painted wood panel was recently installed in the Medicine Building’s atrium and features an intricate tapestry of medicinal plants and herbs surrounding a woman. (MADISON PEARSON)

THIS WEEK’S PLAYLIST

Noteworthy new music arriving in stores and online on Nov. 15.

JON BATISTE, BEETHOVEN BLUES.

The Grammy-winning, former The Late Show bandleader delivers his first solo piano album, a collection of Beethoven’s classics reimagined through the filter of Batiste’s bluesy New Orleans jazz soul.

GWEN STEFANI, BOUQUET. The former No Doubt singer’s first proper solo album since 2016 (sorry, not counting the Christmas one), finds her returning to her pop rock roots.

POPPY, NEGATIVE SPACES. The arty experimental pop metal singer refuses to be mundane as she effortlessly swings from sweet melodicism to metalcore screams. (SETH SOMMERFELD)

Evan Liggett has become one of the most dangerous targets in Division III football. CALEB FLEGEL PHOTO

WINTER SPORTS 2024

A literal moon shot at Whitewater Ski Resort. STEPHAN MALETTE PHOTO

’TIS THE SEASON

It’s gonna be a great year for snow sports — local and regional resorts have been putting in the work to make it so. Up at MT. SPOKANE, for example, instead of dropping back down almost to the lodge, ’boarders will be able to hop on their own, dedicated tow lift serving the terrain park.

Happy birthday wishes are in order for LOOKOUT PASS, which celebrates 90 years this season. They’ve also added more parking — and they’ve already opened for the season! At 49° NORTH, efficiency is the name of the game — getting you up on the mountain ASAP via the new one-stop rentals/repairs/lessons Experience Center.

Already known for its family amenities, SILVER MOUNTAIN is upping its game with a new arcade down in the Gondola Village, with games and food. If you didn’t think SCHWEITZER could get bigger and better, think again, as they’re launching their own backcountry snowcat experience, opening up 4,300 additional acres.

If there’s ever been a year to make a trip (or two) up to CANADA and its epic resorts, this is probably it. After all, the exchange rate has been hovering just under $1.40 US to $1 Canadian — meaning your dollars stretch, as in every $100 brings you a bonus 40 bucks! And don’t miss Bob Legasa’s feature on PARK SMALLEY, the freestyle legend who started his ski journey right here in Spokane.

— TED S. McGREGOR JR.

INSIDE

SCHWEITZER 4

THE BEST KEPT SECRET THIS SIDE OF THE

ROCKIES

Chewelah. Once you learn to say it, you never want to leave.

Yeah, thumbs up! MT. SPOKANE PHOTO

49° North Mountain Resort

Mistequa Casino Hotel

Mistequa Casino

SCHWEITZER

ADDING MORE TO AN ALREADY FULL PLATE

BY E.J. IANNELLI

Last year, Schweitzer became part of Alterra Mountain Company, a national resort conglomerate and the driving force behind the popular Ikon Pass. That seasonal ski pass grants unlimited access to Alterra’s 17 resorts, plus exclusive discounts and perks at mountain locations around the world. Its more affordable counterpart, the Ikon Base Pass, scales back on some of the extras while still allowing for plenty of flexibility and savings at most of the participating resorts, Schweitzer included.

If Schweitzer’s new ownership and light rebrand has brought positive change to the largest ski destination in Washington and Idaho, Ikon Pass access is only one part of it. For 2024-25, Schweitzer has expanded its scope of operations, relaunched special events and doubled down on the services that have made the resort into a favorite destination; they’re on track for a Nov. 22 opening day.

“The biggest thing is that we will start operating a backcountry snowcat-assisted ski experience off of the West Bowl, coupled with guided snowmobile tours,” says Tom Chasse, president and chief operating officer of Schweitzer. “It opens up access to more than 4,300 acres of untouched, non-lift-access terrain.”

The new offering is called Schweitzer Backcountry Adventures. It was previously operated by a third-party in partnership with Schweitzer but now falls entirely under

the resort’s purview.

“We’re excited to take over the operation and put the Schweitzer spin on that,” says Taylor Prather, Schweitzer’s marketing manager. “It’s an opportunity for us to really invite our guests to explore the terrain,” which features steep glades, open fields and, of course, untouched powder.

Pre-booked skiers and snowboarders will be ferried off-piste by two 12-passenger snowcats, which will run seven days per week, conditions permitting. A trained guide will then provide background on safety and the optimal drop-in zones.

If that sounds a little too daunting, the guided snowmobile tours will offer family-friendly access to the same expansive backcountry. Available as weather-contingent two-hour or half-day trips, they’ll accommodate everyone from veteran snowmobilers to complete beginners.

A little closer to the heart of the resort, Schweitzer’s new Ski & Ride School will provide participants with an insider’s perspective via guided half-day or full-day tours of the mountain’s best runs. Prather says that classes like these are where guests build relationships with Schweitzer staff that continue for years.

“That’s what makes coming to Schweitzer so special — the interactions,” she says. “They’re really special. You

even see it in the people who operate our chairlifts on a daily basis. They have so much personality and enthusiasm that it can make your whole day just chatting with them.”

Another thing that defines the Schweitzer experience is high-angle grooming. This year they’re continuing to expand the areas that receive treatment. The service might not be something you notice at first, but it makes a big difference to skiers of all skill levels.

“It just gives people an opportunity to experience that. Under ungroomed conditions, they may not have the courage to dip into those areas,” Chasse says.

But what about après ski? Schweitzer has even more to look forward to in the evenings, especially when the Sky House snowcat dinners make their much-anticipated return later this season. During these events, a limited number of guests get the opportunity to take the chairlift to the lofty Sky House on Schweitzer’s peak, where they’ll be served a multicourse meal complete with chef-inspired wine or cocktail pairings. Afterwards, guests will descend the mountain in a snowcat under the night sky.

“We offer so much variety,” Prather says. “From beginner to expert, Schweitzer really is a place that you can bring the whole family and find something enjoyable to do together as well as on your own.” n

Hangin’ out is definitely at the core of ski culture. TRACY TUTTLE PHOTO

Q&A WITH JAMES ROWLAND

What’s the unique appeal of backcountry skiing?

It’s more of a quiet, slow-paced wilderness experience — no lines, no stress, untracked powder. You’re more connected to place, time, the flow of things.

Is backcountry skiing only for the intrepid, or is it something every skier should try?

I think all skiers are probably “backcountry curious.” It’s almost like the pinnacle of the sport, where all the different skill sets come together once you take off in the powder.

After a day on the slopes, do you have a preferred way to unwind?

After working all day, I really like to unwind with my family. Luckily for me, it’s only 30 minutes down the mountain into Sandpoint. On my drive home, my vehicle is my personal little sanctuary. I’ve got a big old subwoofer in the back of the truck, and I just crank some tunes.

Have you had a backcountry experience that was especially memorable?

I call it the Pine Marten’s Revenge. A couple of years ago, I was skiing with a group, and we spotted a pine marten, which is this really elusive animal. We were so distracted that we skied into this impenetrable wall of alder. It took us about 20 minutes to get out of it, but in the end we all recognized what a cool experience it was.

Is there a star athlete or celebrity who you’d love to ski with?

Craig Kelly. He was a foundational snowboarder who really set the tone for leaving the resort and going out to explore other areas that were quieter and different. He also had a really fluid style.

Aside from Backcountry Adventures, what’s one of your favorite things about Schweitzer?

For me, it’s the people. This is still a small community, and we all sort of gravitate up to the mountain in the winter. That vibe really permeates through the village. That’s partly why I moved here almost 20 years ago, and it’s something I really appreciate and cherish.

James Rowland is Schweitzer’s Backcountry Adventures manager.

RESORT PREVIEW

SILVER MOUNTAIN

KEEPING THE SKI FAMILY HAPPY

BY SUMMER SANDSTROM

With one of the longest scenic gondolas in the country, there’s no need to traverse icy, winding roads to embark on your winter sporting excursions at Silver Mountain.

“Look forward to making lifelong memories with your family,” says Gus Colburn, Silver Mountain’s marketing coordinator. “There’s no place better to do that, and it starts from right when you get to the parking lot that’s right next to the gondola.”

Silver Mountain has 83 runs of varying difficulty levels, and they have a number of programs for new skiers and snowboarders that introduce them to the basics so they can start with confidence. (Opening day is expected to be Nov. 23.)

“We have the Flex Five pack, which is five lessons, five rentals and five tickets, and once you complete that you get a free season pass for the rest of the year and then half off a season pass for next year,” Colburn says. “That’s a really great program for people who are looking to get into the sports.”

In addition to winter sports, Silver Mountain Resort also has a waterpark at the base of the mountain that remains open during the winter. Plus, there’s a bunch of restaurants, bars and activities to check out during a midday break or at the end of your day on the mountain in the Gondola and Mountain Villages.

For example, the Jackass Snack Shack — which Colburn considers one of Silver Mountain’s hidden gems — recently added a square sundeck to the building, allowing for an additional resting or hangout spot for skiers and snowboarders.

This season, Silver Mountain will also open a new arcade in the Gondola Village with a variety of games, like mini bowling and video games, along with food and drinks. It’s set to open in December, and visitors can stay up to date on progress by checking Silver Mountain’s social media.

Colburn adds that Silver’s team has been working hard to prepare the mountain for this winter season, and there’s a stand of trees between the runs Saddleback and Rendezvous that’s been thinned out that he says will unveil some great tree skiing spots and some nice powder stashes.

This winter, Silver Mountain will hold two night skiing events, one on New Year’s Eve and their Ski Bum Prom event on March 1. Additionally, their annual Jackass Day is on Jan. 9, which provides visitors discounted tickets for the day.

“I just think that the family atmosphere [at Silver Mountain] is so cool,” Colburn says. “It’s fun to go through the Mountain House and see all the different generations of people hanging out with each other. And then working here, there’s so many different jobs but everyone is working together as a team, and it really does feel like one big family.” n

Q&A WITH REID ALLEN

What are some of your favorite things about Silver Mountain?

My favorite part of it is probably the small mountain feel that still has some great terrain, and the public and the regulars that we get up there are fantastic. Our patrol in particular has a very good family kind of team feel through the winter — you’re with each other for eight or 10 or 12 hours a day throughout the whole winter, so everybody gets pretty close.

What are some of the biggest pieces of advice that you would have for someone new to skiing or someone looking to avoid injuries?

If you wait for the powder days, then the snow is a lot softer when you fall on it. Aside from that, helmets are huge.

The obvious advice is ski or snowboard within your skill limit and start pushing those skills slowly and in a progressive manner without trying to huck off a 20-foot cliff on your third day out on the skis.

Do you have a favorite run at Silver Mountain?

On a good powder day, it would probably be the North Face Glades. The favorite groomer would be Sunrise, which is just this gorgeous, wide-open blue that runs

down a ridge, and you kinda get a vista of the Bitterroots that we’re in, and then you’re looking out over the Selkirk Mountains.

What are your personal favorite conditions for skiing or snowboarding?

I really like bulletproof moguls. I’m from Michigan originally, so I have a soft spot in my heart for steep, icy slopes.

What’s something people might not know about Silver Mountain’s patrol?

Silver Mountain is kind of unique in its patrol compared to the other patrols that we have around the region in that we actually offer education and classes to the public, as well as just for our patrollers. Silver is an American Avalanche Association Recreational Avalanche course provider. We combine the patrollers with the public with our search-and-rescue partners that are around the region to form classes where the general public gets an awesome understanding of how the resorts are managed and mitigated for their safety, as well as what they can do for backcountry travel and their safety there.

Reid Allen has been a ski patroller at Silver Mountain for seven years.

1,700+ACRES•SKISCHOOL•EPICTERRAINPARK•NIGHTSKI•SNOWTUBING

COME PLAY IN THE SNOW

Mt. Spokane is the ultimate place to play for the entire family. Visit us online for operating hours, lift tickets, season passes, lessons, and special events happening all winter long. FOR LIMITED TIME ONLY! 5-PACK LIFT TICKETS ON SALE NOW. BUY ONLINE TODAY.

RESORT PREVIEW

JLEVEL UP YOUR SKILLS THIS SEASON

BY VICTOR CORRAL MARTINEZ

ust 60 miles north of Spokane and 10 miles east of Chewelah lies 49° North Mountain Resort, which has built a reputation for great family-friendly skiing and snowboarding experiences. With more than 2,300 acres, it is Eastern Washington’s largest ski resort, offering a myriad of snow sports experiences for all skill levels. The resort features 90 runs, seven ski lifts and opportunities for snowshoeing, Alpine and Nordic skiing. And snow is already piling up on Chewelah Peak.

There’s always work to be done and features to improve for 49° North customers. This year, the upgrades include new custom-made guest lockers from Austria featuring built-in boot heaters and dryers and 50% more storage space.

The resort’s goals are to create memories and enjoyment with ease at 49° North by streamlining the process of renting, buying ski passes and attending ski school (if needed). The Experience Center is the new 7,000-squarefoot headquarters for the snowsports school and equip-

ment rental store, which is equipped with a streamlined system to set up rentals, lessons and any necessary repairs. The one-stop shop is designed to get guests out quickly with less time worrying and more time on the mountain enjoying the views.

Leah Bardal, program manager at 49° North’s snowsports school, is excited about the new center. She looks forward to seeing happy faces quickly move through the process so guests can easily make it on the mountain.

“The goal is to make our rentals more fluid and hopefully make that process a little bit faster so people can get out on the snow,” Bardal says, adding that a streamlined process improves customer experience and allows guests to avoid waiting around for other obstacles before heading up to the mountain and hitting the slopes.

“When you get up to the mountain, everyone is super excited to be first on the chair. They want to just get out onto the snow,” she says. “So making our systems streamlined makes the customer experience better.”

Yet, if you’re new to the resort or skiing, Bardal has you covered with the snowsports school featuring certified instructors who can help with any skill level. Classes for your children, teens and adults offer a range of instruction options.

If you’re trying to avoid a “yard sale” (the ski version of a wipeout), signing up for the school’s “Learn 2 Ski Package” instruction program is your first stop at the Experience Center. The program emphasizes a strong foundation for those who have never skied, snowboarded or who just need to regain confidence in their ability.

“That gets you a good jump start to see if you’re going to enjoy the experience before your friends try to talk you into going to the very top of the mountain on your first day,” Bardal says.

The Learn 2 Ski Package is $99 and includes a twohour lesson, all-day rental equipment and a beginner zone lift ticket. Ski season passes range from $30 to $879, depending on age and type of pass. n

49° NORTH

All smiles up above Chewelah. 49 NORTH PHOTO

Q&A WITH LEAH BARDAL

Do you have a favorite spot at 49° North to see the views? That’s a hard one! It’s definitely at the top of the peak, on the top of our main lift, Northern Spirit. You have a 360-degree view; if it’s a clear day, you can see all the way up to Colville and Mt. Spokane.

Do you have a favorite ski run?

It depends on the snow conditions, but my go-to run is always down Silver Ridge because of its open terrain. It’s one of our main groomed runs and the most comfortable and familiar for me. But if it’s a good powder day and I want to challenge myself a little more, I head to Cy’s Glades.

Where is the best place to grab a bite on the mountain?

At our Quick Turn Cafe in the main lodge, we have a wide variety of food because we have breakfast in the morning and then switch to lunch. They can do custom orders and always have something special going on. There are also grab-and-go food items if you’re really in a hurry and want to get back out there. You can just grab those cooked food items and head back out.

Is there an item you can’t be without on the mountain?

Personally, I think it’s probably my hand warmers. I wear those almost every day I’m out in the snow. Occasionally, I have some extra for coworkers, but I often just store them in my office.

What do you enjoy and love about your job at 49° North?

In this current position, I get to see the excitement on the kids’ faces because we bring a lot of schools up to do one-day field trips or multiday programs. I get to see the excitement on their faces when they get to be out on the snow and on skis or snowboards for the first time, and I just get to empower that excitement with them.

Leah Bardal is the program manager at 49° North’s snowsports school. She’s kicking off her sixth season at the resort and has a degree in recreational management.

Coeur d’Alene Casino

Winter Blessing Event

A Celebration of Culture and Tradition

On November 24th at 2 PM, the Coeur d’Alene Casino in Worley, Idaho, will host its annual Winter Blessing Event, a free, festive gathering that honors their tribal culture and traditions. This year’s event promises an afternoon full of captivating stories, vibrant performances, and delicious food that will delight both attendees and the local community.

Yvette Matt will open the event that will feature Coyote Stories by renowned storyteller Caj Matheson, who will transport guests into the world of Native American folklore.

Additionally, guests will enjoy a fascinating Grizzly Bear Presentation by Laura Grizzlypaws. This presentation explains the signiﬁcance of the Grizzly bear, the creation story, and a demonstration of the bear dance.

For those in a more creative spirit, the event will also feature the announcement of the Horse Mask Contest winner, where local participants will showcase their creativity and craftsmanship.

No celebration is complete without food, and at the Winter Blessing Event traditional fare will be offered, including Huckleberry Jam and Fry Bread.

Whether you’re attending to learn more about Coeur d’Alene tribal traditions, enjoy the beautiful storytelling, or savor the local ﬂavors, the Winter Blessing Event at Coeur d’Alene Casino is a mustattend celebration this holiday season. Don’t miss out on this unique opportunity to connect with the heart and spirit of Native American culture. All ages are welcome.

WINTER BLESSING Sunday, November 24th, 2024 | 2 pm Free Event | Upstairs Conference Area

LOOKOUT PASS

GETTING DIALED IN ABOVE ID/MT

BY WILL MAUPIN

It’s not the highest mountain in our region, but Lookout Pass Ski and Recreation Area is prominent nonetheless. On the crest of the Bitterroot Mountains, straddling the border between Idaho and Montana, Lookout is located atop a geographic and climatological gold mine for winter sports.

Just as the Cascades wring the rain out of passing air masses, making the west side of Washington considerably wetter than the east, the Bitterroots do the same with snow. As a mountain on their crest, Lookout Pass is positioned to get socked in with snow every single winter.

“We average about 450 inches on [Eagle Peak] and about 400 on the front of the mountain over the past 15, 20 years,” says Matt Sawyer, director of marketing at Lookout Pass.

The orographic lift created by the wall of the Bitterroot Range, interacting with the prevailing westerly winds bringing moisture from the Pacific, combine to give Lookout Pass the highest average snowfall of any ski area in our region.

That means more snow, and more powder days, than you’ll find within a day’s drive. It also typically means an earlier opening, and later closing date, than

other regional resorts can provide. In fact, they opened Friday, Nov. 8 — well before the standard target of before Thanksgiving.

“That’s the reason that we mow the front of the mountain in the back of Chair Two,” says Sawyer, “because those would be the first two areas we open. And by mowing it, we can get open with about 6 inches less snow than in years past.”

The mowing Sawyer references is part of a large off-season makeover that will go unseen, if only because it will be covered by snow.

Over the summer, crews at Lookout Pass worked to trim down the vegetation on main runs and open up some glades, removing dead and fallen trees, which will allow for smoother runs and easier cruising this winter.

HISTORY IN THE MAKING

Ask the oldest ski bum you know, and even they can’t tell you the origin story of Lookout Pass. That’s because Lookout is celebrating 90 years this season, and it is older than any place around. The historic lodge remains, but steady growth is occurring around it.

Long hemmed in by Forest Service land, Lookout Pass has been growing in recent years. A couple of

seasons back it expanded onto the adjacent Eagle Peak. In the years since, including this one, it’s grown into its new and larger footprint.

Last year saw growth at the historic lodge. This year brings modernization elsewhere around the mountain. Most notable are the changes in front of the lodge, where the parking lot has been expanded to help accommodate a growing group of both riders and skiers.

“There has been about five to six days each winter when we’ve parked-out in the past,” Sawyer says.

That will not be a problem now, as the mountain has expanded its parking lot, which is accessible directly off of I-90 at the 0 exit on the Idaho/Montana border.

For those who choose another mountain to call home, check out Lookout’s Golden Ticket pass, which allows season ticket holders at any mountain in the world, not just Idaho or the Inland Northwest, a halfoff discount on most weekdays during the season.

Lookout is comfortable serving the dedicated locals who know it best, but it does want to share its splendor with anyone who is curious to know about what’s happening along the Idaho/Montana state line. n

Lookout’s already open, people. LOOKOUT PASS PHOTO

Q&A WITH MATT SAWYER

What’s your favorite run on the mountain?

Taking Chair Five and coming down either Rubicon or El Dorado. They’re on the top right as you’re looking toward the top of the mountain as you’re going up.

Those two are on the relatively new Eagle Peak section, is there something about that area you like most?

Eagle Peak does get better snow, more snow, and that side has the tendency to get the wind drift. So as the snow blows across as you’re going up the lift, it blows from your left to your right, and those are the trails that seem to get the deepest snow at the top of the mountain.

Aside from the Eagle Peak expansion, what has been the most impactful change you’ve seen in your time at the mountain?

When I first started, we were open five days a week, and that’s a hard one for people to understand because we always had people pulling into the parking lot on Tuesdays and Wednesdays when we were closed. Astutely, the GM said, “We need to be in this every day, seven days a week.” So typically, a week before Christmas until the first week in April, it’s seven days a week.

As someone in marketing, what aspect of Lookout Pass do you think is most overlooked?

How big we are. We’re 1,023 acres. We’re a good-sized, medium mountain and you have a lot of diversity of terrain. There’s magic to be had for the more advanced skiers, but our terrain is soft enough that it really shouldn’t scare anybody if they’re skiing something that’s appropriate.

Matt Sawyer is director of marketing at Lookout Pass. He’s been in the ski business since he was 17 years old and spent the last eight seasons atop the Silver Valley.

Terrain

A TERRAIN PARK WITH ITS OWN LIFT

BY WILL MAUPIN

As the mountain that’s basically right next door to town, it makes sense that Mt. Spokane prides itself on having a laid-back, friendly atmosphere.

“Being a nonprofit organization is kind of like that X factor that is different, especially in the modern day of corporate skiing with all these big mega passes and mega resorts,” Terrain Park Manager AJ Ricci says. “It’s nice to take a step back and focus on some of the stuff that we got into skiing and riding for, which is the community and hanging out with our buddies up on the mountain.”

That’s not to say the mountain hasn’t changed with the times. Recent years have seen a major expansion in the number of lifts and runs, upgrades to grooming equipment and modernization of old lifts, and additions to the mountain’s event and food offerings. They’re aiming to open on Dec. 7.

One new lift will greet skiers and riders this season. The Half Hitch Tow Lift will serve the terrain park, allowing users to scoot right back to the top after a run through the jumps and rails. Previously, skiers and riders had to descend almost to the lodge to catch a ride back up.

“We’re the only terrain park in the region that has invested in a lift just for the terrain park,” says Mt. Spokane’s Assistant General Manager Jodi Kayler. “So basically terrain park enthusiasts can just stay in the park all day and lap it. But it also helps out all the other skiers because those terrain park people are staying up there instead of lapping on the lifts.”

That means shorter wait times for the Parkway Express and Hidden Treasure lifts, freeing up space for those skiers and riders who prefer to carve on the slopes rather than catch some air.

Q&A WITH AJ RICCI

What makes Mt. Spokane’s terrain park so popular? It’s definitely the biggest park in the area when you count how many features we have at a time. And not only that, just the quality that we build with. Then that combined with just the overall atmosphere at Mount Spokane makes it pretty friendly to the freestyle type rider. We have a pretty chill vibe from our local riders to our staff to just the whole community up here. It’s a combination of a bunch of different things, but the main thing I think is just the emphasis that we put on the terrain park.

Do you have a personal favorite feature or section of the terrain park?

My personal riding style tailors me a little bit more to jumps, so if I were to pick out one single feature, it’d just be kind of like a nice, floaty 30-to-35-foot step-down jump. If I were to pick a rail or a box to choose as my favorite, it would probably be something fairly easy, but with a couple kinks in the rail.

What advice would you give to a novice who wants to get into freestyle skiing or riding?

The best thing that I can recommend for people getting into it is to find a buddy to ride with. Having another person to kind of stoke you up and walk you through certain tricks and just having somebody to progress with is a really big thing.

Outside of the terrain park, what is your favorite thing about Mt. Spokane?

I always like to say, if it’s not a power day, it’s a park day. So if I’m not ripping through the terrain park, I’m searching in the trees somewhere for some leftover powder or whatnot. I’d say my favorite run outside of the park has got to be Lou’s Lane down on the backside of chair four.

AJ Ricci is Mt. Spokane’s terrain park manager. The Wisconsin native made his way to the Inland Northwest after stops at mountains from Tahoe to Timberline.

MT. SPOKANE

Mt. Spokane’s

Park just keeps getting better. MT. SPOKANE PHOTO

BEAR CREEK FLOWS IN A NEW DIRECTION

BY JOHN BERGIN

Year-round, Mount Spokane is an integral part of the Inland Northwest’s outdoor scene. Outdoor enthusiasts can enjoy the winter cold by skiing, snowshoeing, sledding and snowmanbuilding.

Bordering Mount Spokane State Park, Bear Creek has been a popular winter-time destination for over 70 years. While privately owned, Bear Creek has long had an agreement with Washington State Parks, allowing part of the property to be used for Mt. Spokane’s trail system.

In 2023, Bear Creek was put up for sale. Rex Schultz, community engagement manager for Washington State Parks, says Bear Creek was part of a long-term plan identifying private properties adjacent to public parklands that the state would be interested in buying if they ever became available.

This was especially the case for Bear Creek, as it is integral to Mount Spokane’s hiking, mountain biking and snowmobile trails. Now, State Parks has bought all 120 acres of Bear Creek Lodge property, including the historic lodge and tubing hill. Shultz says the purchase was made to protect the trail system in perpetuity.

It’s also part of a plan for the future development of Mt. Spokane Ski & Snowboard Park.

In June, Washington State Parks held a public outreach event to hear community input on what they’d like to see the mountain become in the next

20 years. The general public, along with stakeholders involved in Mount Spokane (Spokane Nordic, Washington Trails Association, Backcountry Horsemen and others), attended to express their interests.

After receiving community input, State Parks compiled the information and formed a focus group.

“We wanted to focus down this wide range of ideas that we got from the first public meeting into digestible pieces of information that we can formulate into a long-term plan,” Shultz says.

The next step is a “working document” that they can bring to the public in late spring or early summer.

Shultz expressed the importance of balancing public interests, tribal input and protection of wildlife habitat for State Parks’ overall mission and how they plan for the future of Mount Spokane specifically.

“We are going through a very thorough process to make the best decision for a really special piece of property going forward,” he says.

The Bear Creek tubing hill will be closed for the foreseeable future as it is “brought back up to standard.” Shultz reassures that it is a feature many people expressed interest in keeping.

Any community members interested in the future of Mount Spokane can learn more on the projects page on parks.wa.gov. There will be regular updates on the plan, as well as community involvement opportunities to make your voice heard on Mount Spokane’s future. n

Public input on the future of Bear Creek Lodge shows support for keeping the snow tubing as a feature.

FRESH FRESHSAVINGS SNOW

CANADA IS CALLING

Snowlander asked five of BC’s biggest ski and snowboard draws to share what they have on tap to pull us across the border

BIG WHITE SKI RESORT

Since 1985, three generations of the same family have overseen Big White, a 7,000-acre resort in the Okanagan Highland outside Kelowna, B.C.

“Corporations normally chase a share price, whereas families tend to have a much longer-term view of the development of the resort,” Big White Marketing Director Michael Ballingall says. Ballingall says that multigenerational mindset is also reflected in the staff and clientele he sees returning year after year. What keeps them coming back is the 295 inches of annual snowfall and one of the largest night skiing areas in Western Canada.

WHAT’S NEW? Big White is unveiling a $20 million investment in its facilities this season. In the main village, you’ll find a bunch of new shops and restaurants. One of the most popular of the customer-facing additions might be the state-of-the-art Kids Centre, designed to provide 3- to 12-year-olds with a welcoming, kid-sized environment for daylong ski instruction.

WHITEWATER SKI RESORT

For those with a passion for the kind of epic winters British Columbia’s Kootenay region is known for, there’s a one-of-a-kind experience just a 20-minute drive from the lively city of Nelson, B.C. Whitewater has food that’s rated among the best at any ski resort in North America, the new slopeside Hummingbird Lodge and of course that “WH20” recipe for amazing powder. Powder magazine calls Whitewater “one of the best powder mountains on the continent,” while Ski Canada has rated it as having the Best Deeps, Best Bowls and Best Glades.

WHAT’S NEW? Whitewater is expanding its iconic playground with an additional 60 acres of inbounds terrain. Skiers and snowboarders can now explore Whitewater’s first south-facing open alpine terrain in the iconic Ymir Bowl, delivering challenging steeps and breathtaking views of Ymir Peak — all accessible via the Raven Chair.

RED MOUNTAIN RESORT

RED started out as a recreation spot for gold-rush miners back in the 1890s, making it Canada’s second-oldest ski resort. Its expansions to 3,850 skiable acres now put it among the 10 largest in North America. And sitting just outside Rossland, B.C., it’s also the closest from Spokane.

WHAT’S NEW? The pay-per-run cat skiing that RED reintroduced last season is back in full swing. From the top of Grey Mountain, the snowcat will bring you and just a handful of other passengers close to the 6,772-foot peak of Mount Kirkup, where you’ll have roughly 250 acres of untracked snow below you. The three black-diamond runs lead back to the Grey Mountain chairlift, making it easy to return to the heart of the resort or hop on the cat again. “It gives you that backcountry experience without being too far away from civilization,” says Andrew Lunt, RED Mountain Resort’s general manager.

Pick up the Inlander’s brand-new 2024-25 Winter Guide at racks across the region, featuring even more information on Canadian and local resorts.

KIMBERLEY ALPINE RESORT

You want that mix of sun and fluffy Pur cell powder in Canada? Kimberley has you covered. Yes, there’s an average snowfall of 13 feet each season and more than 1,800 acres of terrain, including North America’s largest glades. But there’s so much more — Nordic skiing, fat tire biking, the Winter Sports School, night skiing — that helps you make the most of your winter getaway.

WHAT’S NEW? Check out a s’mores fat bike or snowshoe tour, where your guide will lead you through a two-hour adventure into the winter wonderland forests around the Trickle Creek Golf Course, including a pit stop at a view point where you warm up by the fire, enjoy a hot drink and cook up a s’more or two. There’s also a mountaintop s’mores snowshoe tour that starts at the top of North Star Mountain and leads to the Kootenay House log cabin.

FERNIE ALPINE RESORT

Fernie is where legendary skiing and snowboarding fuse with real stories from locals, pioneers, ski bums and freeskiers in one of the most classic Rocky Mountain ski towns in North America. Featuring the most snow, the most runs and the biggest vertical in the Canadian Rockies, along with five alpine bowls, a powder day at Fernie is not to be missed.

WHAT’S NEW? Want to learn the local geography? The ski and snowboard pros at the Winter Sports School offer an amazing, guided program — the Fernie Guided Experience — that allows you to get the most out of your time on the mountain. Top-notch guides will show you around to all the secret nooks and crannies, the best grooming and the deepest powder. And when it’s time for a nice selfie, keep your eye out for the new “Legendary Fernie” arch for your photo op. n

Big White above Kelowna, B.C.

THE

From

Mead High School to the Olympics, Park Smalley is finally getting his due as a member of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame

STORY BY BOB LEGASA

PHOTOS COURTESY OF PARK SMALLEY

Growing up in the California beachside paradise of Santa Cruz, Park Smalley did some surfing, but he had never skied. That was all about to change when he was a sophomore in high school.

“My dad came home one day, his family was from Washington, just outside of Sprague. He said, ‘Your grandma’s not doing very well, and we’ve got to move up there and take care of her,” Smalley recalls.

“I said, ‘When? This summer?’

“My dad said, ‘No, this weekend.’

“We literally packed up the Buick station wagon with four kids and a 16-foot trailer. That weekend we were gone, and we moved to Spokane. Like most teens, I rebelled.”

Smalley moved to Spokane in 1968 and enrolled at Mead High School — not far from a place called Mt. Spokane.

That was the historic winter of ’68, when four feet of snow fell in January with negative temps most of the month. It was a little too much winter for the new kid from Cali.

“That was the first time I’d ever seen snow, it was crazy. All of a sudden I’m shoveling snow above my head down the walkway to the front door.”

His new friends at Mead told him he should check out skiing. From his surfing, he felt he had the balance thing down. Halfway through that first winter, he went up to Mt. Spokane with his friends and was introduced to skiing.

The rest is history.

...continued on next page

ABOVE: Park Smalley getting big air on Mt. Spokane. LEFT: A proud graduate of Mead High School.

“THE GENERAL,” CONTINUED...

“I fell in love,” Smalley says, “and by my second year I was teaching skiing.”

The rest has been a whirlwind for Park Smalley, who has been called the “Father of Freestyle” and played a huge role in the sport’s startup years. In 1984, he became the first coach of the U.S. Freestyle Ski Team, and his athletes have won like crazy, along with landing on multiple Olympic podiums. In March, he’s being inducted into the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame.

“GIVE ME ONE YEAR”

Smalley’s first big jump after high school started in a Spokane Falls Community College classroom.

“I didn’t know what I was going to do,” he recalls. “Like everybody, my folks said, ‘You’re going to school.’ I remember sitting in that Psych 101 class thinking to myself, ‘This isn’t gonna work.’ When I went home I said, ‘Just give me one year.’”

So Smalley moved to Utah, where he taught skiing at Solitude and skied Alta.

In 1973, he visited Sun Valley to watch one of the first Hot Dog Skiing contests. He recalls that pivotal moment: “As I stood there with 10,000 people watching the event, I said, ‘This has my name all over it.’ And from that point on, I just kept chasing it around.”

That one year turned into the rest of his life.

During the 1970s, he lived in Salt Lake, Sun Valley and Park City, following the freestyle circuit. During the summers, he spent his time working and training at Lake Tahoe at the World Freestyle Training Center, then launched into years of taking freestyle shows to South America and Europe. As part of that Marlboro Ski Show wowing crowds with their backflips and jumps, they even entertained the Shah of Iran.

“There were 400 or 500 people waiting there to greet the Marlboro ski team,” Smalley recalls. “It was a crazy thing. We literally put together the show site and when we were all set up and ready to go, we heard the sound of a chopper come in and land nearby. Five guys got out, two in front with machine guns, the Shah in the middle and two guys behind him with guns. They watched the whole show, came up and congratulated us after, got back in the chopper, and hit the road.”

SKIING OVER RAT LAKE

During these years, Smalley got a few jobs coaching at some weeklong freestyle ski camps around the country. One night while he and two other coaches, Rusty Taylor and Mike Williams, were having a few beers, Williams said, ‘We’ve been doing these camps for other guys, why don’t we do our own? I have a contact in Steamboat, let’s give him a call.”

That eventually turned into the Great Western Freestyle Center in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, where Smalley calls home to this day.

“I’ll never forget one of my first students,” Smalley recalls. “It was this 12- or 13-year-old kid with a big fuzzy head of hair and a mouth filled with braces. His mom says, ‘Listen, we just moved to town. I’ve got to find something for my kid to do. Can you do anything with him?’ I said, ‘Absolutely, just drop him off and come back and pick him up at 3.”

That kid turned out to be Fuzz Feddersen, a three-time Olympian and all-around legend.

Several of Fuzz’s schoolmates came out to Smalley’s program, like Cooper Schell, Maria Quintana and Nelson Carmichael.

“Park had somehow talked the city into letting him build a water ramp and outdoor trampoline area at the base of Howelsen Hill,” Carmichael recalls. “We had sessions on the trampolines to learn new tricks, and then skied off the ramp into a small muddy pond we called Rat Lake. I didn’t know it was the start of an entirely new era of my life.”

This tight-knit crew from Steamboat made a huge impression on the sport of freestyle skiing, as athletes with tons of wins and as coaches. Schell went on to coach Olympic gold medalist Jonny Moseley.

...continued on page 23

ABOVE: Park Smalley coaching Nelson Charmichael in 1980.

RIGHT: The ’88 Calgary freestyle team; it was a demonstration sport, then a regular feature every Olympics since.

Celebrating 90 Years of Family Fun.

BLACK FRIDAY

SUMMIT SALE OTIS ORCHARDS

“THE GENERAL,” CONTINUED...

FREESTYLE AT THE OLYMPICS

Smalley’s success with his Great Western Freestyle Team was noticed by the U.S. Ski Team. He got a call asking if he would coach their U.S. Junior National Team in 1982. By 1984, he went on to become the first head coach of the U.S. Freestyle Ski Team.

Carmichael remembers being on that team. The small group of kids from Steamboat had grown into 30plus men and women.

“Park became the true leader of freestyle skiing in our country and much of the world,” Carmichael says. “He didn’t have assistant coaches, team managers or travel coordinators. It was all Park, and we affectionately called him ‘The General.’”

“I was really a mother, a father, a psychologist, a friend,” Smalley says. “Being technical was probably on the bottom of that tower. But I was just lucky to be involved with so many talented people. It didn’t take a whole lot to get the technique, but my job was to get them to be able to do it when we turn the lights on.”

That light burned bright under his leadership, as Smalley’s athletes won 114 World Cup Victories, 332 World Cup Podiums and seven Nation’s Cups.

“When Park first saw me ski in 1987, I was a selftaught skier out of Killington, Vermont,” recalls Olym-

pic gold medalist Donna Weinbrecht. “With a sparkle in his eye and sense of humor, Park demanded discipline, which brought him the respect of the 30-plus freestyle athletes on the team.”

In 1988 in Calgary, freestyle skiing was introduced into the Winter Olympics as a demonstration sport; his 1988 U.S. Freestyle Olympic Team won one gold medal and two silvers.

The U.S. Ski Association finally started realizing that freestyle was a legitimate sport and hired specialty coaches to help Smalley. It was about this time that he and his wife, Lisa, started having children. “Both of my kids were born, Lisa was at home, and I said, ‘This is probably not the best for me to be gone all this time.’ I kept coaching all through 1990, and stayed on as a consultant through ’92.

“One of the guys from ESPN said, ‘When you get done coaching, you ought to think about broadcasting,’” Smalley recalls. “I had never really thought about it, so they flew me out to San Francisco, I did a couple of trials, and the next thing you know I’m doing play-by-play commentary at the Albertville Olympics.

“It was pretty cool, Donna Weinbrecht took the gold and Nelson Carmichael the bronze. It was crazy — I’d be in the broadcasting booth, and there’d be a knock on the door, and it’d be one of the athletes asking for help. ‘Hey, I’m just not figuring this thing out in this course.

Can you give me a little bit of help with that?’” Park says

“A MASSIVE DEBT”

Smalley stepped back from broadcasting over 20 years ago and focused on life with his family and helping out here and there with the freestyle program he created. In 1999, Steamboat Resort showed their appreciation by dedicating an on-mountain freestyle venue as the Park Smalley Freestyle Complex.

Smalley’s induction into the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame is way overdue.

“When I was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2004,” Weinbrecht recalls, “I got a message from Park. All I could think of: ‘Why isn’t Park — the godfather of freestyle skiing — in there with me?’ He was the one who had set up the foundation, the one who had organized and brought us all to the world stage: the Olympics. I continue to owe a massive debt to my friend and coach, Park Smalley.” n

Bob Legasa has been a Snowlander contributor since 1994. He’s also a Hayden-based independent videographer, TV producer and snowsports event promoter with his Freeride Media company. For more on the US Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame, visit skihall.com.

ABOVE: Park Smalley was part of the Marlboro Ski Show in Iran.

LOWER LEFT: Smalley with Gold medalist Donna Weinbrecht.

LOWER RIGHT: After coaching, Smalley became a broadcaster.

WINTER ACTIVITIES

LEARN MORE about 2024-25 season events at spokanenordic.org

HIKING ON SKIS

Check out the low-impact, high-satisfaction sport of Nordic skiing this season

What started in the ’80s as a small group of passionate Nordic skiers trying to build a trail network has since evolved into over 60 kilometers of well-kept trails for skiers of all ages, abilities and skill levels.

Located within Mount Spokane State Park, the Spokane Nordic ski area hosts a variety of activities like skijoring, skate skiing and adaptive skiing. Matt Halloran, president of Spokane Nordic Ski, says the association caters to users’ different needs.

“We have programs that take kids and adults from true and absolute beginners all the way up to ready for competition and race,” Halloran says.

Managed by the nonprofit Spokane Nordic in partnership with Washington State Parks, the ski area is a great spot for ski enthusiasts looking to practice for competitive sports and those who engage in a more recreational form of the sport.

Whether you’re seeking a peaceful glide through nature with your four-legged friend or an invigorating workout, the cross-country trails promise a perfect winter escape of family-friendly fun.

“It’s a great way to get out and enjoy the winter, making winters something to look forward to as opposed to something you dread and get exercise as well,” Halloran says. “Bring your whole family out and enjoy what our region has to offer.”

— FOPE SERIKI

NOVEMBER

COEUR D’ALENE SKI SWAP

Buy and sell new and used ski equipment, clothing and accessories. Nov. 16, 10 am-5 pm. Free. Kootenai County Fairgrounds, 4056 N. Government Way. theskiswap.com (208-765-4969)

NUMERICA SKATE RIBBON OPENING DAY

The Numerica Skate Ribbon opens for the season. Skate all day to celebrate the opening. Nov. 16, 11 am-9 pm. $7-$10. Numerica Skate Ribbon, 720 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. riverfrontspokane.com

PRAY FOR SNOW PARTY

A pray for snow party sponsored by Alpine Haus and Out There Monthly featuring a best dressed and dance for snow contest benefitting the neighborhood’s T.E.A.M. Grant. Nov. 22, 6-10 pm. Free. Perry Street Brewing, 1025 S. Perry St. perrystreetbrewing.com

SCHWEITZER OPENING DAY

Dependent on weather conditions, Schweitzer will plan to open for the 2024/25 winter season on Friday, November 22 at 9 am and will con-

tinue to operate Nov. 23-24, close mountain operations for the week of Thanksgiving and reopen for daily operations on Fri, Nov. 29. Nov. 22, 9 am. Schweitzer, 10,000 Schweitzer Mountain Rd. schweitzer.com (208263-9555)

WARREN MILLER’S 75 Warren Miller’s 75 brings fans to powder stashes and chutes around the world, from Canada, Colorado, California, and Utah to Finland, Japan, Austria and New Jersey. Nov. 23, 7 pm. $15. Chewelah Center for the Arts, 405 N. Third St. ski49n.com

CHRISTMAS TREE

LIGHTING CEREMONY

A tree lighting ceremony with hot cocoa, local vendors and fireworks to follow. Nov. 30, 5 pm. Free. Silver Mountain Resort, 610 Bunker Ave. silvermt.com (208-783-1111)

GROOVE:

REQUIEM IN THE KEY OF SKI

A film by sports filmmaker Greg Stump serving as a fundraiser for the Lookout Pass Volunteer Ski Patrol. Dec. 4, 4:30 & 7:30 pm. $25. Hayden Discount Cinema, 300 W. Centa Ave. skilookout.com (208-215-2060) ...continued on page 27

Along with Mount Spokane State Park, local ski resorts offer Nordic ski trails.

SNOWLANDER EVENTS

DECEMBER

DJ NIGHT ON THE ICE

Skate with music, lights, contests and more. Dec. 6-Jan. 24, every Friday at 6 pm and Dec. 31, 6 pm. $7-$10. Numerica Skate Ribbon, 720 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. riverfrontspokane.com

ICE SKATING LESSONS The Spokane Figure Skating Club hosts group lessons for children and adults featuring the fundamentals of ice skating. Skate rentals included in price. Dec. 7-Feb. 8, select Fridays from 10-11 am, see website for schedule. $160-$240. Numerica Skate Ribbon, 720 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. riverfrontspokane.com

THE SANTA RUN 10K & 5K Choose between a chip timed 10k and 5k running along lake CDA and in Downtown CDA. Runners receive a finisher ornament medal, Santa hat and some festive treats and hot chocolate to warm up after the race. Dec. 7, 9-11 am. $45-$65. Coeur d’Alene Resort Plaza Shops, 210 Sherman Ave. nsplit.com

SNOWSHOE MOONLIGHT TOUR:

A guided snowshoe tour through the trails around Mount Spokane at night. Fee includes guides, snowshoes, poles, headlamps instruction

and transportation. Meet at Yoke’s Fresh Market parking lot (14202 N. Market St.) Pre-registration required. Ages 16+. Dec. 14 and Jan. 10, 6-9:30 pm. $39.00. Mt. Spokane State Park, 26107 N. Mt. Spokane Park Dr. my.spokanecity.org/parksrec

STARLIGHT SNOWSHOE MOUNT

SPOKANE A guided snowshoe tour through the trails around Mount Spokane at night. Fee includes guides, snowshoes, poles, headlamps instruction and transportation. Meet at Yoke’s Fresh Market Parking Lot 14202 N. Market St. Pre-registration required. Ages 16+. Dec. 20, 6-9:30 pm. $39. Mt. Spokane State Park, 26107 N. Mt. Spokane Park Dr. my.spokanecity.org/ parksrec (509-363-5414)

SNOWSHOE MOUNT SPOKANE A guided snowshoe tour through the trails around Mount Spokane. Fee includes guides, snowshoes, poles, instruction and transportation. Meet at Yoke’s Fresh Market (14202 N. Market St.) Pre-registration required. Ages 13+. Dec. 21 and Jan. 4, 9 am-1 pm. $39. my.spokanecity.org/parksrec

SCHOOL’S OUT YOUTH & FAMILY

ADVENTURES Guides share tips, tricks and cool trivia through family-friendly

activities. Trips leave from a central location. More info after pre-registration. Dec. 22 and 30 from 9 am-1 pm, Jan. 3, 9:30 am-2:30 pm. Mt. Spokane State Park, 26107 N. Mt. Spokane Park Dr. my.spokanecity.org/parksrec

SKI WITH SANTA Hit the slopes with Santa and Mrs. Claus on Schweitzer’s beginner and intermediate runs and take photos with the duo. See website for full schedule. Dec. 23, 1-3:30 pm and Dec. 24, 1-3:30 pm. Schweitzer, 10,000 Schweitzer Mountain Rd. schweitzer.com (208-263-9555)

CHRISTMAS AT SILVER Celebrate Christmas with family-friendly activities, skiing with Santa and more. Dec. 25. Silver Mountain Resort, 610 Bunker Ave. silvermt.com (208-783-1111)

JANUARY

CROSS COUNTRY SKI LESSON Learn to cross-country ski and tour the trails of Mt. Spokane. Learn the basics from Spokane Nordic Ski Association P.S.I.A certified instructors. Equipment and lunch provided. Meet at the Mt. Spokane Selkirk Nordic Area. Jan. 4-Feb. 22. select Saturdays from 10 am-noon, see website for schedule. $77. Mt. Spokane Ski & Snowboard

*Some restrictions apply

Park, 29500 N. Mt. Spokane Park Dr. spokanerec.org

JACKASS DAY An annual tradition of celebrating the ski area’s roots with retro-priced lift tickets. Don your vintage ski gear. Jan. 9. $19.95. Silver Mountain Resort, 610 Bunker Ave. silvermt.com (208-783-1111)

WILD & SCENIC FILM FESTIVAL A curated selection of films highlighting local stories of environmental action and communities coming together to create change. Jan. 11, 6 pm. $12$23. The Kenworthy, 508 S. Main St. kenworthypac.square.site

SCHWEITZER TORCHLIGHT PARADE & FIREWORKS The annual Torchlight Parade and fireworks show with activities for the whole family. Jan. 18. Free. Schweitzer, 10,000 Schweitzer Mountain Rd. schweitzer.com

TOYOTA FREE SKI FRIDAY Bring your Toyota, Scion or Lexus to Schweitzer and get a free lift ticket for the day. One free lift ticket will be given for each Toyota vehicle driven to the resort. Jan. 24, 9 am-3:30 pm. Free. Schweitzer, 10,000 Schweitzer Mountain Rd. schweitzer.com (208-263-9555)

BACKCOUNTRY FILM FESTIVAL Look back at 20 years of winter sports films to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Backcountry Film Festival. Jan. 29, 7 pm. $12. The Kenworthy, 508 S. Main St. kenworthy.org (208-882-4127)

FEBRUARY

CROSS COUNTRY MOONLIGHT SKI AND DINNER Make your way through the woods on cross country skis and enjoy a scratch-made meal of lasagna, salad and breadsticks afterward. Feb. 8, 6-9 pm. $79. Mt. Spokane Ski & Snowboard Park, 29500 N. Mt. Spokane Park Dr. spokanerec.org

SPOKANE CHIEFS VS. TRI-CITY AMERICANS Regular season games. Promotional schedule: Chiefs Fight Cancer Night (Feb. 15), 40th Season Celebration (Feb. 21) and Miller Lite St. Paddy's Day Jersey Sweepstakes (March 15). Feb. 15, 6:05 pm, Feb. 21, 7:05 pm and March 15, 6:05 pm. Spokane Arena, 720 W. Mallon Ave. spokanechiefs.com

LET IT GLOW KIDS PARADE & FIREWORKS A parade for kids and a fireworks show plus twilight skiing, live music and beer specials. Feb. 16. Free. Schweitzer, 10,000 Schweitzer Mountain Rd. schweitzer.com n

OPENING

Velbekomme!

Enjoy a Scandinavian-style brunch at Little Euro’s newest location on Spokane’s lower South Hill

BY DORA SCOTT

In 1906, 18-year-old Marie Mekkelsen ate homemade aebleskivers with her parents in Denmark. It was her final meal with them before she embarked on a ship bound for the United States. With her cast iron pan to make the orb-shaped pancakes and few belongings in tow, she eventually settled on a farm in Iowa, where she raised a family.

Mekkelsen’s aebleskiver pan now hangs on the wall of Old European restaurant on North Division Street, one of the handful of locations where her grandchildren and great-grandchildren carry on her legacy by serving Scandinavian brunch food classics.

The family’s newest location, Little Euro, opened on the lower South Hill at the beginning of November, in a space most recently home to Summit Kitchen & Canteen and, before that, Lindaman’s Gourmet To-Go.

“I learned a lot of the cooking from my grandmother, our whole family did,” says Tami Sevier, Little Euro’s owner.

Locals might be familiar with the family’s other European brunch spots. The first was opened in Pullman in 1989 by Sevier’s brother and sister-in-law, and is now owned by their daughter, Melynnda.

Sevier and her husband, Dave, saw an opportunity to share Grandma Marie’s recipes in Spokane and opened up a second Old European location in 2008, followed by the first Little Euro in Spokane Valley in 2012. Since then, the Seviers had been eyeing the South Hill for a third Spokane location.

Little Euro continues to be a family affair, and one of Sevier’s sons, Logan, stepped in to manage the newest location.

“We just love the neighborhood feel up here,” she says. “So that’s what we were kind of looking for, somewhere we could kind of connect with the neighborhood. And it’s already totally happening.”

Diners familiar with the Seviers’ other establishments have been excited to try the newest Little Euro during its first few weeks open, including many nearby residents who can now walk there from their homes.

“We had been here so long that I feel like our customers become family in a lot of ways,” Sevier says.

While Old European’s space has a more traditional feel, with rustic wood features and Danish decor, both Little Euro locations aim to be bright and fresh.

The new South Hill location boasts an orange color scheme, with white marble tables, handcrafted wood cabinets, a wooden bar and decorative cutting boards — thanks to Dave Sevier’s craftsmanship — plus exposed brick walls contrasted with white tile.

Though the two restaurants’ branding is different, the menus are practically identical, embodying not only Grandma Marie’s recipes, but also dishes from family friends, such as Swedish crepes ($16.50-$17) and German potato pancakes ($15.75-$18.25).

With the Scandinavian cake plate ($17.50), diners

can sample the famous aebleskivers, Swedish crepes topped with whipped cream, German potato sausage pancake (think omelet meets hashbrowns) and good ol’ hotcakes. The cake plate also comes with maple and raspberry syrup, and homemade applesauce for your dipping pleasure.

The aebleskivers ($10-$12) take the cake, though. Served hot and fresh with a dash of powdered sugar, the spherical shape allows for an extra soft inner texture.

It’s a labor of love to create these pancake balls. Unlike the traditional cast iron pan that Marie lugged over from Denmark, which features seven half-circle divots, Little Euro uses two specialty pans with four times as many concavities.

As a dish usually served at family gatherings during holidays, it was challenging to adjust the original recipe to make hundreds of aebleskivers a day.

“We used to have [aebleskiver] on Christmas Eve every year, and my grandmother and my mom used to be right at the stove cooking them in the round pans,” Sevier says.

In Little Euro’s new kitchen, cook Greg Swagerty shows how to pour batter into each divot and then patiently turn each aebleskiver using wooden skewers until they take shape and become golden brown on the outside.

While delicious when plain, the Sevier family’s aebleskivers can also have different fillings like blueberry, huckleberry (when in season), and sausage with havarti cheese.

For a heartier meal, Little Euro’s traditional Hungarian goulash ($21) is a top-seller. It has everything a good, savory breakfast should, with a mixture of scrambled eggs, hash browns, cheese, ham, sausage, bacon, pepper, onions and tomatoes.

The portion sizes are generous at Little Euro, but there’s also a lighter, customizable brunch option for smaller appetites. The “Lighter Side” breakfast ($11.25) ...continued on next page

Little Euro’s aebleskivers are made from a recipe passed down by owner Tami Sevier’s grandmother Marie. YOUNG KWAK PHOTOS

“VELBEKOMME!” CONTINUED...

comes with an egg cooked to order, one protein and one side from a plethora of choices.

A glass of freshly squeezed orange juice ($5-$6.25) pairs nicely with any menu option — heck, I’d return to Little Euro just for a glass.

Behind the bar area sits a mammoth juicer with a basket of oranges resting atop, awaiting their juicy fate. The restaurants’ regional manager Jeff Panagos says the family business uses about 24,000 oranges total per month. A single glass of juice takes up to eight oranges!

It wouldn’t be brunch without mimosas, though, and Little Euro offers a classic mimosa ($9) using its freshly squeezed orange juice, along with other rotating flavors like watermelon and grapefruit. Can’t decide? Order a flight ($16.50) and sip on a little bit of everything.

Little Euro’s South Hill location also serves kombucha ($6.50), partnering with the locally based Zen Zymurgist Kombucha to offer a variety of rotating flavors on tap. Coffee, meanwhile, is a custom blend made by Indaba Coffee, which is served as a nitro cold brew ($5.50), Americano ($4.75), latte ($7) or regular drip ($4).

After a hearty meal at Little Euro, throw out “velbekomme” if you want to impress. While the Danish word has different meanings depending on context, a Danish server may say it to diners to the effect of bon appétit. Velbekomme can also be used to praise the chef after a delicious meal, to which the chef may repeat it back to mean “you’re welcome.”

From Marie’s cast iron pan to your plate, meet the family and taste a long legacy at Little Euro. n

Little Euro • 1235 S. Grand Blvd.

Open daily from 7 am-2 pm littleeurorestaurant.com • 509-381-3023

Thanksgiving Made Easier

A handful of local bakery and restaurant preorders for your convenience

BY DORA SCOTT

There’s nothing like a slice of pie to conclude Thanksgiving dinner. If baking isn’t your strong suit, but you don’t want to settle for grocery store pies, then consider the following local bakeries offering Thanksgiving pie preorders. Also find a few spots doing all the cooking for you.

BEAN & PIE

$16.25-$38 each, beanandpie.com

Bean & Pie has several twists on classic Thanksgiving favorites. The traditional pumpkin is topped with their signature crumb for the aptly named Crumpkin Pie. For a gluten-free option, try the pumpkin praline pie with a spiced graham cracker crust. The Cran-Ras Pie has raspberries and hints of almond. Or, impress your Southern relatives with the maple pecan, a sticky-sweet combo tucked into Bean & Pie’s signature pastry. Order by Nov. 22 for pickup in either Spokane (Nov. 26) or Coeur d’Alene (Nov. 27).

BIRDIE’S PIE SHOP

$21.50-$34 each, birdiespies.com

Who says your Thanksgiving pie has to be sweet? Birdie’s Pie Shop also has savory selections like roasted veggie, loaded potato, and chicken pot pie. In addition to all the classics, Birdie’s also has some special takes on tradition. Try the pumpkin cream, caramel apple cider or chocolate caramel pecan versions to “wow” your table. Pickup is available at Birdie’s Spokane and two North Idaho locations, with preorders open until sold out.

MADE WITH LOVE BAKERY

$43 each, mwlbakery.com

If you don’t like to deviate from the classics, Made with Love in West Central Spokane brings the holy trifecta of Thanksgiving pies: pumpkin, berry and apple. The pumpkin is made with a signature spiced pumpkin custard, while the

triple berry combines blackberries, blueberries and raspberries under a lattice crust. Other preorder options include a pumpkin cheesecake ($50), quiche ($32), and various pastries. Order by Nov. 22.

MEAL KITS

INLAND PACIFIC KITCHEN

$175, feeds 2-4, ipkspokane.com

The downtown Spokane fine-dining spot and its sister bar, Hogwash Whiskey Den, are offering a six-dish meal that includes a whole roasted chicken, mac and cheese, cornbread stuffing, roasted vegetables, brioche rolls, and apple cobbler. Bottled wine and cocktails are also available for purchase at pickup. Reserve online by Nov. 18.

BEACON HILL CATERING

$125, feeds 4, beaconhillathome.square.site

The Beacon at Home service offers all the fixings: slowroasted turkey breast, mashed potatoes, a creamy green bean and leek casserole, and dinner rolls. Sweet mashed potatoes, sourdough stuffing, roasted carrots and pumpkin pie can be added for extra costs. Home delivery within 10 miles of Beacon Hill’s northeast Spokane location is free. Order by Friday, Nov. 15.

EAT GOOD GROUP

$140, feeds 4-6, eat-good-group.myshopify.com

Eat Good Group’s heat-and-eat dinner includes slowroasted turkey, mashed potatoes, apple sage stuffing, green bean casserole, sweet potatoes, scalloped potatoes, rolls and pumpkin pie. Meals can be picked up at Honey Eatery & Social Club, Eat Good Cafe, Yards Bruncheon and Baba. Order by Friday, Nov. 22.

CLINKERDAGGER

$121-$145, feeds 3-4, clinkerdagger.com

Choose from two take-home meal options with turkey or prime rib as the main dish. The turkey dinner includes apple sausage stuffing, green beans and orange cranberry compote, while the prime rib includes grilled asparagus. Both meals have Yukon mashed potatoes, house bread and pumpkin pie. Order by Nov. 22.

OUTLAW BBQ

$149.95, feeds up to 6, outlawbbqspokane.com

For a classic Southern Thanksgiving, Outlaw BBQ’s take-and-bake meal consists of smoked turkey breast, smoked ham, a dozen soft rolls, cheesy mashed potatoes, brown gravy, green beans and cornbread stuffing. Add-ons include a rack of ribs and a variety of pies. Order by Nov. 18. n

Little Euro’s Scandinavian cake plate. YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

Bean & Pie’s doing the hard (and tasty) part of Thanksgiving for you!

Small Plates Event

Tue Dec 3 | 6:30-9PM

Spencer’s Steaks & Chops

Wed Dec 4 | 6:30-9PM | $35 Vino! Tasting Room Education Event

Rumblings in the Foodscape

A year-round farmers market, new wine bar, seasonal promotions and free boba

BY DORA SCOTT

The newest addition to downtown Spokane’s wine scene is LE VERRE, which is celebrating its grand opening on Saturday, Nov. 16, at 7 pm.

For a swanky night filled with smooth, live jazz, step into this new wine bar that resembles an old Hollywood speakeasy. The bar’s grand opening offers a special lineup of top-selling cocktails, plus a champagne tower, hors d’oeuvres, wine specials and a raffle featuring items from other local businesses.

Le Verre has quietly been open since late July to get its employees up to speed on everything wine.

“We just wanted to kind of get settled before actually having a grand opening and being able to celebrate with downtown,” owner Jessica Moseley says.

If you’re indecisive, Le Verre’s self-serve wine machine is for you. Create a tasting adventure by choosing from 1-, 3- or 5-ounce pours from a rotating selection of red wines.

Moseley was inspired by the machine when seeing a similar concept at a business in Idaho.

“It kind of lets people try wine at their own pace,” she says. If wine isn’t your beverage of choice, there are also craft cocktails and whiskey.

The space was previously occupied by the Wet Whistle coffee shop, specializing in coffee cocktails. Moseley, who also ran the prior business, says Le Verre’s espresso cocktails are worth the evening caffeine kick.

ROLL THE DICE

Downtown fine-dining destination GANDER & RYEGRASS is shaking things up with its fall promotions.

Take a chance and roll the dice during happy hour, from 3 to 5 pm. If you roll a lucky number six, your meal is on the house! First, the ground rules: You must order before 3 pm and cash out

by 5 pm, your food bill is covered up to $100, you must ask your server to roll the dice for you, and you only get one roll.

And for those familiar with the restaurant’s six-course chef’s choice Marathon, Gander & Ryegrass is now also offering the abbreviated, five-course Matinee menu. If you have a Broadway show to attend at the nearby First Interstate Center for the Arts, this shortened meal offers a fine-dining experience while on a time crunch.

Wine lovers can also look for Gander & Ryegrass’ Wednesday discounts, when every bottle on their list is half-off, all day long.

BREAKING GROUND

For those who frequent farmers markets in the growing season, restless now that they’re closed for the winter, fret no more!

The Spokane Conservation District is breaking ground this month for THE SCALE HOUSE MARKET, a year-round farmers market and community hub in Spokane Valley, slated to open in spring 2025 at 4422 E. Eighth Ave.

“Designed to breathe new life into Spokane’s historic quarry site, The Scale House Market will serve as a vibrant center for local agriculture, small businesses, and community engagement,” the Spokane Conservation District said in a press release.

The market aims to house 65 vendors and to attract 249,000 visitors annually. Other goals are to promote local economic growth and ease food insecurity by accepting SNAP benefits.

“The Scale House Market is not just about food; it’s about building stronger, healthier communities through innovation, entrepreneurship, and sustainable practices,” Spokane Conservation District Director Vicki Carter said in the release.

BOBA BONANZA

Boba has become a go-to refreshment for fans of the drink’s tapioca goodness. CHAOS ARCADE in North Spokane is expounding on the hype and spreading some cheer by hosting a free boba day.

“We know it’s been a tough year for many, but we want to spread some cheer with free boba,” owner Beverly Lee said in a press release.

At the arcade, guests can get one free 16- or 24-ounce boba or cafe drink with up to two toppings in their signature cups.

Pop on over from 6-8 pm on Friday, Nov. 15, to get your free drink. n

Enjoy free boba at Chaos Arcade this Friday. COURTESY PHOTO

Le Verre takes over the Wet Whistle’s downtown spot. COURTESY PHOTO

City Sidewalks

Downtown Spokane for the Holidays

FOOD

Anytime Breakfast and Legendary Lunches

Afavorite casual dining spot among locals for the past 25 years, THE SATELLITE DINER (425 W. Sprague Ave.) is where affordable classic comfort food meets culinary creativity and an old school, made-from-scratch ethos. Even if it’s late at night, you can sate your breakfast cravings with fare like eggs benedict or

biscuits and gravy. Or go all out with the Satellite Scramble, which combines generous portions of eggs, ham, sausage and hash browns with an optional slathering of sausage gravy or cheese. The lunch and dinner menus offer a huge, crowdpleasing selection of sandwiches, burgers, salads, homemade soups and more.

Another beloved go-to lunchtime destination for locals is DOMINI SANDWICHES (703 W. Sprague Ave.), where the signature sammies are renowned for their heaps of deli-sliced meat and cheese piled onto fresh bread. After 61 years of family ownership, the Spokane institution is changing hands — and locations — around the end of the year, making Dec. 5 the last day to get served by longtime owner Tom Domini in their familiar corner shop.

“It’s going to be an emotional day for sure. We respect people, treat our customers right, and our food’s never changed since day one. So we have a huge following for a sandwich shop. People come from all over,” he says. Still, retirement will have its perks. “I’ve never had the holiday times off from work.”

If you’re hankering after a less meat-centric lunch, the menu at METHOD JUICE CAFÉ (718 W. Riverside Ave.) will fit the bill. Featuring refreshing smoothies like the Authentic (coconut milk, banana, orange, pineapple, vanilla, raw agave) along with a wide range of salads and açaí or rice bowls, it’s got healthy, nourishing options that can reenergize you between rounds of holiday shopping. Method’s November special is the Apple Crisp Bowl, a sweet celebration of the autumnal flavors of Granny Smith apples, maple syrup and cinnamon. 

Every week through Christmas, let City Sidewalks help plan your holidays!

Songs With Style

The word “legendary” gets tossed around a lot, but this time it’s legit: JUDY COLLINS is a legend. Her career spans seven decades — she released her first album in 1961. Fifty-four more albums have followed. Born in Seattle, Collins was a child piano prodigy who eventually picked up a guitar and never looked back. Her covers of Stephen Sondheim’s “Send in the Clowns” and Joni Mitchells’ “Both Sides Now” are familiar, while Collins most recent album, 2022’s Spellbound, features all her own original songs. The multi-talented Collins is also a filmmaker who’s written numerous books; she heads up a record label, works as an advocate for mental health and UNICEF, and at 85, she’s still making time to go on tour. Join Collins in her musical journey at the Bing on November 19. 

JUDY COLLINS

METHOD JUICE CAFÉ

Downtown Spokane for the Holidays City

SHOPPING

Looking Good for the Holidays

Whether you’re looking for something new to wear to holiday gatherings or a fashionable gift for someone special, downtown’s boutiques each offer a unique, personal shopping experience. At FRINGE & FRAY (1325 W. First Ave.), the racks are full of hand-selected resale clothing that are big on style and quality but affordably priced. In the run-up to the holidays, there’s plenty of seasonappropriate apparel like comfy sweaters and trendy turtlenecks. On top of that, you’ll find furniture and home décor with the same mix of vintage and modern flair as Fringe & Fray’s clothing.

Midway between last year’s and this year’s holiday seasons, LOLO (108 N. Washington St.) changed locations to be closer to the heart of downtown. As part of the move, owner Cinny Considine scaled back on her selection of home goods to make more room for the boutique’s primary focus: one-of-a-kind clothing.

“You’re not going to get run-of-the-mill basics at Lolo. The clothing I carry is sourced from all over the world — everything from fancy and dressy to casual boho chic. You’ll be the best dressed in town without looking like everyone else,” Considine says. Her boutique is hosting a special skin care event on Nov. 23. Be sure to stop in again on Dec. 14 for Lolo’s Holiday Celebration with treats, cider and a raffle.

Both ECHO (1033 W. First Ave.) and its sister store, ECHO ANNEX , located conveniently next door to each other, trade in meticulously curated consignment fashion. But each has its own specialty. The original boutique features a variety of clothing — everything from athletic and relaxed casual attire to smart business wear and upscale eveningwear — as well as an assortment of jewelry, handbags and shoes. The Annex, on the other hand, concentrates on menswear with that same range of choice. No matter which shop you visit, you’ll

and

Ogre Alert

While SHREK THE MUSICAL is based on Shrek, the hit DreamWorks animated film, don’t expect this production to be a staged version of the movie. The musical includes new songs and plot changes, including enriched character development through the introduction of child versions of Shrek and Fiona. But as in the movie, the story finds Shrek, a not-traditionally handsome and often cranky ogre, and his band of fairytale creatures embarking on a trek to the Kingdom of Duloc. They’re on a mission to rescue princess Fiona from the vain wannabe-king, Lord Farquaad. Along the way, they’re joined by the fast-talking and hilarious Donkey. Be ready for a funny but also uplifting evening that encourages acceptance and inclusion of those who are different. Shrek the Musical takes the stage at the First Interstate Center for the Arts, Friday, Nov. 15 and Saturday, Nov. 16. The show runs two hours and is recommended for kids aged 6 and up 

Downtown Elves Here to Help

Festive decorations and fun family activities aren’t the only ways that down town Spokane gets into the holiday spirit. Be on the lookout this season for the Downtown Spokane Partnership’s friendly and helpful AMBASSADORS who are happy to answer questions and suggest nearby retailers that carry the type of gifts you might be searching for. Ambassadors can even offer advice on some of their favorite local places to shop or eat. You’ll be able to spot them in blue and black uniforms throughout the downtown core. And while you’re out shopping or dining downtown, you might just find yourself the recipient of some surprise Christmas cheer. Some Downtown Spokane Ambassadors at River Park Square or the Parkade will also be doubling as PARKING SANTAS for those two garages. If you’ve been extra good this year, they might decide to give you an early present and waive your parking fees! 

IN THE NEXT CITY SIDEWALKS

Downtown Spokane has so much to offer during the holidays — follow it all here in CITY SIDEWALKS inside the Inlander. Next week learn more about Santa’s arrival at River Park Square and the debut of the spectacular Merry & Magical Lane.

SHREK THE MUSICAL

ALSO OPENING

DAHOMEY

The lasting cultural scars of colonialism are investigated in this award-winning documentary following the 2021 return of 26 royal treasures from the Kingdom of Dahomey (present-day Republic of Benin), which had been plundered by the French and held in Paris. Rated PG-13 At the Magic Lantern

A REAL PAIN

Jesse Eisenberg writes, directs and costars (alongside Kieran Culkin) in this acclaimed comedy about two cousins with clashing personalities who travel together to Poland to connect to their family roots after the death of their grandmother, a Holocaust survivor.

Rated R

A Hollow Tune

Emilia Pérez is Netflix’s big swing of a musical that’s shallow and misconceived at every turn

BY CHASE HUTCHINSON

For better and more often worse, 2024 has become the year of the off-key movie musical. There have been remakes and sequels of sorts, like the oddly mundane Mean Girls and the intentionally insulting Joker: Folie à Deux. There are also original takes such as the silly yet somber upcoming film The End about the destruction of the world as we know it and the somehow more disastrous The Deb. However, none are or will ever be like Emilia Pérez. The latest from veteran director Jacques Audiard, who most recently made the slight though still far more successful Paris, 13th District, it’s a film that gestures toward more complicated ideas around identity, violence and legacy only to do a grave disservice to all of them. The film is a lackluster musical whose blunt yet superficial songs undercut things still further — ensuring it’s never able to do justice to its subject.

Rated R

named Mexican city. Her complicity in this cruel, corrupt system and how it troubles her conscience is introduced via a dance number that is actually one of the more dynamic parts of the film. Unfortunately, this initial promise only makes all the lesser ones that follow feel that much more forgettable by comparison. When Rita caps off this number by yelling “What bullshit!” at the story she tells herself about this system, it could just as easily serve as a warning about the woefully regressive film to come. Alas, this doesn’t stop it from diving headfirst into nonsense.

Emilia Pérez

Directed by Jacques Audiard

Starring Karla Sofía Gascón, Zoe Saldaña, Selena Gomez, Adriana Paz, Edgar Ramírez

Streaming on Netflix

This all begins with Rita, played with real verve by a faultless Zoe Saldaña, a corporate lawyer tasked with defending the absolute worst of the worst people in an un-

When Rita is approached by cartel leader Juan “Manitas” Del Monte with an offer to help with a mysterious mission, she is more than a little wary of saying yes. However, this is all put aside when the notorious criminal shares that she has begun hormone replacement therapy and is seeking to become the titular Emilia Pérez through secret gender-affirming surgery. Played in this both pre and postsurgery time by transgender telenovela star Karla Sofía Gascón, who brings grace to a film desperately lacking in it, far too many scenes rely on rather essentializing and obsessive fixating on her body, even nearly going so far as to have Rita almost gawk at her. Still, the lawyer agrees, helping connect Emilia with a willing surgeon, who gets a whole truly mind-numbing number involving everyone singing “Mammoplasty! Vaginoplasty! Rhinoplasty!,” like they’re recording an ad for a fast food restaurant and reading off the menu options. Once this surgery is successful,

Emilia fakes her death and goes into hiding, only to approach Rita years later so she can reconnect with the family she left behind. Led by a struggling Selena Gomez as her wife, Jessi, it all plays like a forced dramedy with no depth to any of it. A song sung by a child about her smell is so comical it nearly falls apart. This is even before Emilia starts a charity as a way of making amends for the violence she helped to oversee before her surgery, which is where things go from misjudged to borderline insulting.

Specifically, the central core of the film’s muddled reflections on identity ends up relying far too simply on the physical at the expense of the emotional and the spiritual. It seems to want us to take it seriously, but keeps coming at the ideas it throws out from all the wrong angles. The tying of the body to the soul already feels undercooked despite it seemingly being what the film is building itself around only, for it to then completely cross over into being contrived and overly neat. The film seems to treat Emilia getting gender-affirming surgery as reason to absolve her of all the past harms she’s wrought, asking viewers to accept her as a good, even saint-like person. It’s so essentializing that it feels like a slap in the face. The movie certainly tries to tackle a lot, and the cast do the best they can to handle the weight foisted upon their shoulders, but it proves far too much to ask of them.

The longer it dances along, the more it starts to feel like Emilia Pérez is merely interested in using its subjects as a backdrop without ever taking us deeper into it. There are songs and some shootouts for good measure, though little of it offers any real substance. It’s a film so profoundly perfunctory that, no matter how many times it breaks into so-so singing, it all strikes a hollow tune you can’t fully shake. When the whole affair draws to a halting close, the only insight it tepidly reveals to us is how fundamentally Audiard’s grasps at wisdom are not even skin-deep. n

When musicals go wrong, they can go really wrong.

A Real Lump of Coal

Everyone involved in making the disastrous Christmas action “comedy” Red One should be put on the naughty list

BY MARYANN JOHANSON

Gyou’re sleeping and knows if you’ve been bad is among the nicer of the magical entities.

Red One is a horror movie, and it doesn’t even realize it.

But this movie is even naughtier than that. It thinks it’s a cute cheerful action comedy, but it isn’t any of those things, either. At best, it’s a very copaganda Christmas that elevates Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s musclebound bodyguard to a holiday-saving hero with a minor assist from the underutilized Lucy Liu as the head of the military-adjacent, vaguely X-Files–esque MORA. Johnson’s not-quite-human Callum is getting too old for this shit and is on his one-last-job with Santa before retiring. He is forced to team up with Chris Evans’ Jack, a human hacker/tracker who inadvertently sold out Santa to the baddie. Jack gets shanghaied into Old Saint Nick rescuing, which one would naturally think would redeem his general anti-merry cynicism.

But even the redemption doesn’t really happen! Evans is apparently determined to squander all the cinematic good will he generated with his wholesome depiction of Captain America across a slew of Marvel movies and his chunky sweater fits in Knives Out. In Red One he just stands around screeching “What the [fudge]?” and “Holy [crap]!” and “Jesus [Cripes]!” (paraphrases all) as he encounters magical creature after mythical being that challenge his reality yet never seem to move him at all. If he ever learns the true meaning of Christmas, the lazy, inept script by Fast & Furious veteran Chris Morgan and first-timer Hiram Garcia is unable to articulate it.

This movie cannot even do sloppy, sappy sentimentality with any degree of competence.

But it’s not the worse thing here! The cast is — on paper — terrific, but Johnson and Evans have zero chemistry. This movie desperately needs reluctant-buddy comedy, and there’s none to be found. J.K. Simmons plays Santa, but, like Liu, he’s not in this anywhere near enough. And if you thought that the muscular Kris Kringle the movie posits — the Rock spots him at weightlifting! — might be in a good position to fight back against his kidnappers… well… yeah… that doesn’t happen either. Total waste of a great cast.

ood news, everyone: Santa is real! The bad news: Santa is apparently so beset by constant mortal danger that he requires round-theclock personal protection. That’s right, Santa has a team of burly supernatural bodyguards plus the paramilitary services of a secretive organization called the Mythological Oversight and Restoration Authority to keep him safe. Safe from what? Well, not us ordinary mortals, that’s for certain — security at the North Pole seems pretty impenetrable to mere muggles, as far as we see in Red One. But MORA’s agents and

Rated PG-13

paratroopers are called in to assist when Santa is kidnapped 24 hours out from Christmas Eve.

Red One

Directed by Jake Kasdan

Starring Dwayne Johnson, Chris Evans, Lucy Liu

So not only is Santa real, but so is probably every other folkloric being you’ve ever heard of (I’m not mentioning the ones namechecked in the movie to avoid spoilers)... and one of them wants to harm Santa, or at least quash Christmas. And plenty of the others are up to no good on the regular. After all, you don’t have 24/7/365 security for someone who isn’t a recurring target.

In this world, a creepy old elf who can see you when

Red One is reported to have cost $250 million to produce, which is criminal, and definitely puts a whole slew of Hollywood execs on the naughty list. Director Jake Kasdan has overseen an uncharming, unjustifiable two-hour-plus runtime of anonymous bikini babes, crotch injuries, and other light festive violence unsuitable for either children or adults. Its fantasy world is visually roughed out in muddy CGI so ugly it looks like shitty AI (and maybe it is). To say this is not a new Christmas classic is putting it lightly. Red One is enough to turn the merriest Yuletide lover into a Scrooge. If this is Christmas, bring on January. n

“Ho! Ho! Ho!”? More like “Ho! Oh, No!”

Ahead of his holiday show in Spokane, ukulele virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro chats about making his new album Blues Experience with Mick Fleetwood

BY SETH SOMMERFELD

Perhaps no single instrument is as closely associated with one place as the ukulele is with Hawaii. While it might seem like a caricature to so closely tie it to the Hawaiian people, Jake Shimabukuro — the most prominent modern ukulele virtuoso — insists that the typically four-stringed music-maker is just a given thread in the cultural fabric of island life.

“Growing up in Hawaii, it’s such a big part of the culture here,” Shimabukuro says. “Growing up, I felt like it was weird if you didn’t play the ukulele. Everyone played it.”

“And that was how I first learned,” he continues, “because my mom played it. When I was a kid, she sat me down and taught me a few chords, and I just fell in love with it. Every time I think of the ukulele, it reminds me of my time growing up here in this culture and spending time with my family. I always think of my mom. I wouldn’t be playing today if it weren’t for her. So it’s very personal and dear to me.”

Growing up in Honolulu with mixed Okinawan and Japanese heritage and inspired by legendary Hawaiian ukulele players — from King David Kalakaua and Uncle

Eddie Kamae to Roy Sakuma and Peter Moon — Shimabukuro strove to master the tiny member of the lute family. In 1998, he had his breakout moment in the Hawaiian music scene when his band Pure Heart put out their selftitled debut album, an instant Hawaiian contemporary classic. While Pure Heart racked up Na Hoku Hanohano Awards (the Hawaiian equivalent of Grammys), the island music scene is still a niche one.

It wasn’t until 2006, that Shimabukuro would accidentally gain worldwide fame. That was when a user with the handle “cromulantman” uploaded a video of Shimabukuro covering George Harrison’s “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” to this new website called YouTube. Before the term had even become codified in our collective lexicon, Shimabukuro went viral.

While internet fame can be fleeting, Shimabukuro’s dexterous playing was no flash in the pan. He was able to capitalize on the limelight showing off his genre-blending skills across a bevy of albums, becoming the preeminent ukulele player on the planet.

But even masters can learn a thing or two from other masters.

Shimabukuro’s latest album sees him delve into new sonic territory that one might not think would be a fit for the ukulele — the blues. Lucky for Mr. Shimabukuro, Mick Fleetwood, the legendary drummer of Fleetwood Mac, just so happened to be a longtime Hawaiian resident. After years of discussing working on a project together, the two men finally carved out time to convene at Fleetwood’s Maui studio. The results of their collaborations can be found on the new instrumental album Blues Experience, which features eight classic blues and rock covers plus the original tune “Kula Blues.”

“Because Mick Fleetwood is like the greatest blues drummer of all time... we kind of knew we wanted to go back to that direction,” Shimabukuro says. “And I think Mick was excited about it too, because that’s his passion. And so when we went into the studio, we just thought we’ll take a handful of some iconic blues tunes and just kind of see what happens.”

While Shimabukuro grew up loving blues guitar players like Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck, he admittedly felt some hesitation approaching the genre. But the apprehension began to melt away once he and Fleetwood started

getting in the groove.

“That’s what was so great about working with Mick Fleetwood. He was really encouraging,” Shimabukuro says. “He was really pushing me to get out of my comfort zone and just try new things. Just go for it. Don’t be afraid. Don’t hold back. So when you have that kind of encouragement from a legend, it’s such an incredible feeling. You feel like you can do no wrong, you know?”

“Mick just has this amazing natural ability to just be such a leader and a mentor,” he continues. “He’s kind of like a really great point guard on a basketball team — he just sets everyone up for success. And when you have a band leader like that — oh my goodness — it’s just such a joy to play. If we get a take and Mick is smiling, then you feel like, ‘OK, that was a good one.’”

The album’s live recording setup had Shimabukuro and Fleetwood facing each other and flanked by bassist Jackson Waldhoff and keyboardist Michael Grande. While Shimabukuro plays the same tenor ukulele throughout the album — which differs from guitar players, who tend to switch axes throughout a season to vary tone — he did find different voices for his instrument by playing through Fleetwood’s Fender Princeton amp and employing a host of effects pedals. Shimabukuro and Fleetwood’s physical proximity also led to one of the ukulele player’s favorite aspects of the album’s sound.

“We were all in the same room, and the ukulele and the drums were the only two acoustic instruments, right? Because we had the electric bass and the keyboard,” Shimabukuro says. “So the neat thing about that was that because I have an open mic in my ukulele, Mick’s drums were actually feeding into my ukulele mic. So even if you were to mute all the instruments, and just listen to the solo ukulele track, you could still get a bit of the drums. What was neat about that is that because his drums were feeding into my ukulele, it was actually feeding into all my effects and everything. So every time I would use my delays or my effects, his drums were going through that, too. I thought that really made this kind of cohesiveness between the ukulele and the drums on accident. But it was a really happy accident.”

Blues Experience’s most touching moment comes when Fleetwood and Shimabukuro cover the classic Fleetwood Mac Rumours track “Songbird” in honor of Mick’s late bandmate Christine McVie. This new rendition thunderously echoes with a mournful grace that’s a safe bet to get Fleetwood Mac superfans tearing up.

“The tribute to Christine McVie — ‘Songbird’ — it was one of those chicken-skin moments,” Shimabukuro says. “Even Mick said when we recorded that, he felt Christine’s presence in the studio with us. That was really special.”

Those wanting to see Shimabukuro’s ukulele blues shredding in action will also need to be ready for a bit of seasonal cheer, as his “Holidays In Hawai’i” tour is making a stop at the Bing Crosby Theater on Monday, Nov. 18. The show will feature Blues Experience tunes and Christmas classics played by the ukulele ace. When I mention his Spokane date is billed as the one “regular show” amid a slew of holiday tour dates, Shimabukuro seems a bit caught off guard and makes it clear that listing is probably just a technicality because the concert was booked later than the other gigs on the tour.

“It’ll be a surprise holiday show!” he says with a laugh.

Shimabukuro is bringing along one of his best musical buddies, singer-songwriter Justin Kawika Young and bassist Waldhoff, to help bolster the festive spirit and spread musical joy. After all the blessings he’s had over the course of his career, Shimabukuro makes sure to reflect during this time of year on how special it is that the people in his life — from his mom to Mick Fleetwood — have brought so much joy to his musical and personal life.

“I just love this time of year, because for me it just always reminds me of family, spending time together, and just that love and that joy,” he says, “and not taking these moments for granted.” n

Jake Shimabukuro • Mon, Nov. 18 at 7 pm • $32-$65 • All ages • Bing Crosby Theater • 901 W. Sprague Ave. • bingcrosbytheater.com

GOTH ROCK UNTO OTHERS

Halloween may have come and gone, but dark art needn’t be siloed into a couple weeks’ stretch. And for those still itching for some brooding gothic flair, New York industrial pop artist NYXX (aka Jacquelyn Dady) can scratch that spider bite itch. If Britney Spears had been raised on Nine Inch Nails instead of the Mickey Mouse Club, she’d almost assuredly sound just like NYXX. Whirling walls of sinister electronic noise surround nightmare-laden lyrics delivered with a vocal timbre eerily similar to Ms. Spears. Expect plenty of black attire in the crowd when the singer’s “The Hot Goth” tour slithers into town.

— SETH SOMMERFELD

NYXX, Danny Blu, Die Sexual • Fri, Nov. 15 at 9 pm • $15-$20 • All ages • Jaguar Room at The Chameleon • 1801 W. Sunset Blvd. • chameleonspokane.com

Thursday, 11/14

BOLO’S BAR & GRILL, Bare & Blue CHECKERBOARD TAPROOM, Weathered Shepherds J KNITTING FACTORY, Chase Matthew, Austin Williams, Colin Stough

J QQ SUSHI & KITCHEN, Just Plain Darin

RIVERSIDE PLACE, Trivecta

J WESTWOOD BREWING TAPROOM, Open Mic Night

ZOLA, Jason Evans’ Cosmic Fantasy

Friday, 11/15

BARREL 33, Son of Brad

J J THE BIG DIPPER, Unto Others, Hoaxed, Cruel Velvet BOLO’S BAR & GRILL, Agents of Rock

THE CHAMELEON, Alegria Salsa Social CHAN’S RED DRAGON ON THIRD, Wack A Mole

CHINOOK STEAK, SEAFOOD & PASTA, Riley Anderson

THE DISTRICT BAR, Kaitlin Butts, Ken Pomeroy GARDEN PARTY, DINK

J THE GRAIN SHED, Haywire

IRON HORSE (CDA), JamShack

J J JAGUAR ROOM AT CHAMELEON, Nyxx, Danny Blu, Die Sexual

J KNITTING FACTORY, ZZ Ward, Angel White

MOOSE LOUNGE, Loose Gazoonz

MOOSE LOUNGE (NORTH), Fast Forward NIGHT OWL, DJ F3LON

J PEND D’OREILLE WINERY, Pamela Benton

RED ROOM LOUNGE, Live DJs

SMOKESMITH BAR-B-QUE, Wiebe Jammin’ STUDIO 107, Jan Harrison & Barry Aiken

ZOLA, Royale

Saturday, 11/16

J THE BIG DIPPER, Hostages, Full Choke, Bullseye, Whut?, Bent Outta Shape

BOLO’S BAR & GRILL, Agents of Rock

THE CHAMELEON, After Midnight: Chappell Roan Dance Party

CHAN’S RED DRAGON ON THIRD, The Dog House Boyz

CHINOOK STEAK, SEAFOOD & PASTA, Riley Anderson

EICHARDT’S PUB, Heat Speak IRON HORSE (CDA), JamShack

J JAGUAR ROOM AT CHAMELEON, Matt Mitchell Music Co., The Holy Broke, Karli Fairbanks

KNITTING FACTORY, Noche De Verano Sin Ti (Bad Bunny Night)

MOOSE LOUNGE, Loose Gazoonz

MOOSE LOUNGE (NORTH), Fast Forward NIGHT OWL, Priestess

J PEND D’OREILLE WINERY, Zach Simms

RED ROOM LOUNGE, Live DJs

J SPOKANE TRIBE CASINO, Brett Young

J THE FOX THEATER, Anne Wilson, Jordan Rowe

J THE JACKLIN ARTS & CULTURAL CENTER, Paper Flowers: Remem-

bering Fleetwood Mac

Apparently, Friday is unofficially Goth Night in Spokane. In addition to NYXX’s goth pop, Portland goth rock band Unto Others swing into town for a gig at The Big Dipper. The group maintains a brooding tone across its new album, Never, Neverland, thanks in large part to frontman Gabriel Franco possessing a deep vocal tone reminiscent of Glenn Danzig. But while the tone remains dark, the styles of rock shift intriguingly throughout the album with dashes of punk, hard rock and prog — calling to mind at different moments groups like the Misfits or the Cure. No matter how you want to embrace the sonic darkness, Friday offers a choose your own adventure with no wrong answers.

— SETH SOMMERFELD

Unto Others, Hoaxed, Cruel Velvet • Fri, Nov. 15 at 7:30 pm • $15-$20 • All ages • The Big Dipper • 171 S. Washington St. • thebigdipperspokane.com

J UNCORKED WITH FRIENDS, Just Plain Darin ZOLA, Blake Braley

Sunday, 11/17

HOGFISH, Open Mic

J MIKEY’S GYROS, Ideomotor, Clover, The Himbos ZOLA, Sugar Bear Dinner Party

Monday, 11/18

J THE BIG DIPPER, Mutilation Barbecue, Bonemass, Propagate The Rot

EICHARDT’S PUB, Monday Night Blues Jam with John Firshi

RED ROOM LOUNGE, Open Mic Night

Tuesday, 11/19

J THE BIG DIPPER, Big Fun, Iron Chain, Hell Motel

J BING CROSBY THEATER, Judy Collins

BLACK LODGE BREWING, Open Mic Night: The Artist Stage

SWING LOUNGE, Swing Lounge Live Music Tuesdays ZOLA, The Zola All Star Jam

Wednesday, 11/20

THE DRAFT ZONE, The Draft Zone Open Mic RED ROOM LOUNGE, Red Room Lounge Jam

J TIMBERS ROADHOUSE, Cary Beare Presents ZOLA, Red Hot Kitten Stompers

Just Announced...

J FIRST INTERSTATE CENTER, Colter Wall, Jan. 19.

J FOX THEATER, Black Jacket Symphony: The Beatles’ Abbey Road, Mar 5.

Coming Up...

J SPOKANE TRIBE CASINO, Keith Anderson, Devon Wade, Nov. 21, 7 pm.

J PEND D’OREILLE WINERY, Nobody Famous, Nov. 22, 5-8 pm.

J J THE BIG DIPPER, Hayes Noble, Puddy Knife, Psychic Death, Fossil Fire Fossil Blood, Nov. 22, 7:30 pm.

J JAGUAR ROOM AT CHAMELEON, The Writer’s Room: VIKA, Surname, Folds, Jacob Maxwell, John Wayne Williams, Nov. 22, 7:30 pm.

J KNITTING FACTORY, The Pharcyde, Nov. 22, 8:30 pm.

J PEND D’OREILLE WINERY, Tom Catmull, Nov. 23, 5-8 pm.

J KNITTING FACTORY, The Devil Wars Prada, Silent Planet, Like Moths to Flames, Greyhaven, Nov. 23, 6:30 pm.

J HAMILTON STUDIO, Time Baby, Nov. 23, 7 pm.

J THE BIG DIPPER, Mama Llama, Gaxing, Minot, Timeworm, Nov. 23, 7:30 pm.

J J NORTHERN QUEST CASINO, Straight No Chaser, Nov. 23, 7:30 pm.

J THE CHAMELEON, EJ Worland, Blake Braley, Tristan Hart Pierce, Nov. 23, 8 pm.

J SPOKANE TRIBE CASINO, Smash Mouth, Nov. 23, 8 pm.

THE DISTRICT BAR, SonReal, Nov. 23, 8:30 pm.

J HAMILTON STUDIO, Spokane Guitar Collective Showcase, Nov. 24, 6 pm.

BING CROSBY THEATER, Take It to the Limit, Nov. 24, 7:30 pm.

J J BING CROSBY THEATER, Blind Pilot, Nov. 26, 8 pm.

J J KNITTING FACTORY, Thanksgiving Throwdown 10: Free The Jester, Nov. 27, 6:30 pm.

THE CHAMELEON, EMO 200: Thanksgiving Special, Nov. 27, 8 pm.

J THE BIG DIPPER, Glass Artifacts, Atomsk, Horizons, Antique Sex Machine, Nov. 29, 7:30 pm.

J PEND D’OREILLE WINERY, Oak Street Connection, Nov. 30, 5-8 pm.

WESTWOOD BREWING TAPROOM, Wiebe Jammin’, Nov. 30, 6-8 pm.

J J THE BIG DIPPER, The Emergency Exit: Absolutes Album Release Show with T-180, Stubborn Will, Bitter Row, Nov. 30, 7:30 pm.

J BING CROSBY THEATER, Stone in Love, Nov. 30, 7:30 pm.

J SPOKANE TRIBE CASINO, Little River Band, Nov. 30, 8 pm.

THE DISTRICT BAR, Felix Martin, Nov. 30, 9 pm.

THE BIG DIPPER, Public Serpents, Crusty Mustard, Dec. 2, 7:30 pm.

THE DISTRICT BAR, Color Green, Timeworm, Dec. 4, 9 pm.

MUSIC | VENUES

219 LOUNGE • 219 N. First Ave., Sandpoint • 208-263-5673

ARBOR CREST WINE CELLARS • 4705 N. Fruit Hill Rd., Spokane Valley • 509-927-9463

BABY BAR • 827 W. First Ave. • 509-847-1234

BARRISTER WINERY • 1213 W. Railroad Ave. • 509-465-3591

BEE’S KNEES WHISKY BAR • 1324 W. Lancaster Rd.., Hayden • 208-758-0558

BERSERK • 125 S. Stevens St. • 509-315-5101

THE BIG DIPPER • 171 S. Washington St. • 509-863-8098

BIGFOOT PUB • 9115 N. Division St. • 509-467-9638

BING CROSBY THEATER • 901 W. Sprague Ave. • 509-227-7638

BLACK DIAMOND • 9614 E. Sprague Ave. • 509891-8357

BOLO’S BAR & GRILL • 116 S. Best Rd., Spokane Valley • 509-891-8995

BOOMERS CLASSIC ROCK BAR • 18219 E. Appleway Ave., Spokane Valley • 509-368-9847

BUCER’S COFFEEHOUSE PUB • 201 S. Main St., Moscow • 208-596-0887

THE BULL HEAD • 10211 S. Electric St., Four Lakes • 509-838-9717

CHAN’S RED DRAGON • 1406 W. Third Ave. • 509-838-6688

THE CHAMELEON • 1801 W. Sunset Blvd.

CHECKERBOARD • 1716 E. Sprague Ave. • 509-443-4767

COEUR D’ALENE CASINO • 37914 S. Nukwalqw St., Worley • 800-523-2464

COEUR D’ALENE CELLARS • 3890 N. Schreiber Way, Coeur d’Alene • 208-664-2336

CRUISERS BAR & GRILL • 6105 W Seltice Way, Post Falls • 208-446-7154

CURLEY’S HAUSER JUNCTION • 26433 W. Hwy. 53, Post Falls • 208-773-5816

THE DISTRICT BAR • 916 W. 1st Ave. • 509-244-3279

EICHARDT’S PUB • 212 Cedar St., Sandpoint • 208-263-4005

FIRST INTERSTATE CENTER FOR THE ARTS • 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. • 509-279-7000

FOX THEATER • 1001 W. Sprague Ave. • 509-624-1200

IRON HORSE • 407 E. Sherman, Coeur d’Alene • 208-667-7314

IRON HORSE BAR & GRILL • 11105 E. Sprague Ave., Spokane Valley • 509-926-8411

JOHN’S ALLEY • 114 E. Sixth St., Moscow • 208-883-7662

KNITTING FACTORY • 911 W. Sprague Ave. • 509-244-3279

MARYHILL WINERY • 1303 W. Summit Pkwy. • 509-443-3832

MILLIE’S • 28441 Hwy 57, Priest Lake • 208-443-0510

MOOSE LOUNGE • 401 E. Sherman Ave., Coeur d’Alene • 208-664-7901

NASHVILLE NORTH • 6361 W. Seltice Way, Post Falls • 208-457-9128

NORTHERN QUEST RESORT & CASINO • 100 N. Hayford Rd., Airway Heights • 877-871-6772

NYNE BAR & BISTRO • 232 W. Sprague Ave. • 509-474-1621

PEND D’OREILLE WINERY • 301 Cedar St., Sandpoint • 208-265-8545

POST FALLS BREWING CO. • 112 N. Spokane St., Post Falls • 208-773-7301

RAZZLE’S BAR & GRILL • 10325 N. Government Way, Hayden • 208-635-5874

RED ROOM LOUNGE • 521 W. Sprague Ave. • 509-838-7613

THE RIDLER PIANO BAR • 718 W. Riverside Ave. • 509-822-7938

SEASONS OF COEUR D’ALENE • 1004 S. Perry St. • 208-664-8008

SPOKANE ARENA • 720 W. Mallon Ave. • 509-279-7000

SPOKANE TRIBE RESORT & CASINO • 14300 US-2, Airway Heights • 877-786-9467

SOUTH PERRY LANTERN • 12303 E. Trent Ave., Spokane Valley • 509-473-9098

STORMIN’ NORMAN’S SHIPFACED SALOON • 12303 E. Trent Ave., Spokane Valley • 509-862-4852

TRANCHE • 705 Berney Dr., Wall Walla • 509-526-3500

ZOLA • 22 W. Main Ave. • 509-624-2416

November-December Issue ON STANDS NOW!

CLASSICAL SONIC YOUTH

The kids are our future. And the future sounds beautiful when listening to the young musicians of the Spokane Youth Symphony. For 75 years, the organization’s orchestras have offered nurturing space for young players to come together to bond and share their exuberant talents with the community. To mark this monumental anniversary, SYS is kicking off its new season with Jubilee Treasures, a program that includes all four of its ensembles. The first half of the program features performances by Spokane Youth Strings, Spokane Youth Sinfonietta and Spokane Youth Philharmonic. After intermission, the Spokane Youth Symphony Orchestra plays selections from Brahms, Verdi and Sibelius. Youth may fade, but thankfully the Spokane Youth Symphony does not.

— SETH SOMMERFELD

Spokane Youth Symphony: Jubilee Treasures • Sun, Nov. 17 at 4 pm • $15-$19 (season tickets: $34-$48) • The Fox Theater • 1001 W. Sprague Ave. • spokaneyouthsymphony.org

FOOD & DRINK WINE WALKIN’

It’s been a long couple of weeks, and if you, like me, are looking to fight the stress with a glass of wine in one hand and a credit card in the other, then I’ve got you covered. On Saturday, the Coeur d’Alene Downtown Association is hosting Wine for the Holidays, a sip-and-shop event with a curated selection of wines featured at more than 20 local stores. A ticket guarantees guests eight wine tasting tickets as they browse shops such as the Garment District, Marmalade and T-Blue Men’s. Plus, for those early holiday gift shoppers, some stores are offering complimentary gift-wrapping, while others are running enticing sales. The event also serves as a donation drive for the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation. Attendees who bring a toy to donate receive extra tasting tickets.

— COLTON RASANEN

cdadowntown.com

VISUAL ARTS NEW BUILDING, NEW ART

Putting Washington’s artistic endeavors on full display, a group exhibit called “Multi-Disciplined” is showing until Dec. 5 at Spokane Falls Community College’s new fine and applied arts building. The exhibit features the creativity, expression and talents of Washington State Arts Commission (ArtsWA) staff. “Multi-Disciplined” kicked off on Nov. 5 with a lecture by Arts in Public Places program manager, Michael Sweeney, shining light on ArtsWA’s role in advancing the role of arts in Washington communities and lives. The new SFCC building, formally named “sƛx̣etkʷ” (meaning “fast water” in Salish, and the original name for Spokane Falls), was a project 13 years in the making and celebrated its grand opening on Nov. 13.

— DORA SCOTT

Multi-Disciplined • Through Dec. 5, open Mon-Fri from 8:30 am3:30 pm • sƛx̣etkʷ, Building 32 • 3410 W. Whistalks Way • sfcc.spokane.edu

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WORDS PITTER PATTER

If you didn’t catch Stephen Pitters in our annual Fall Arts issue and you haven’t had the pleasure of running into him yet, I implore you to meet the local poet at his quarterly Poetry Rising event. With a wide, bright smile and a cheery disposition, it’s no wonder Pitters has a reputation for collaboration and making new friends wherever he goes. Poetry Rising aims to showcase the friends he’s made through the creative community. This month the event features Pitters, poet Trishanna Jones, author Beth Camp, writer Kendra Egly and harpist Katelyn Kinney performing poetry, music, and more while sharing space and building creative connections.

— MADISON PEARSON

Poetry Rising • Thu, Nov. 14 from 6-7 pm • Free • South Hill Library • 3324 S. Perry St. • spokanelibrary.org

COMMUNITY GIRL TALK

Since the late 1980s, young readers have been entertained, educated and enchanted by the popular American Girl historical book series and accompanying dolls. For millennial women of a certain age, the brand’s core dolls (and their incredibly spendy accessories) became a major talking point recently thanks to the release this year of several adult-sized costumes in the recognizable outfits of characters Kirsten, Molly, Kit and Samantha. While this monthly series at the Coeur d’Alene Public Library is geared toward kids ages 6 to 12, it’s a perfect time to introduce the next gen to the nostalgic and beloved franchise portraying pivotal moments of American history. November’s program is themed around Caroline Abbott, a character living with her family in a log cabin in upper New York State during the War of 1812. She was first launched in 2012.

— CHEY SCOTT

American Girl of the Month Club • Thu, Nov. 21 from 1-2 pm and 4-5 pm (held every third Thursday) • Free • Coeur d’Alene Public Library • 702 E. Front Ave., Coeur d’Alene • cdalibrary.org

HAYDEN

I SAW YOU

JAYWALKING TURKEY ON MONROE

To the turkey I was inches from hitting while driving up the hill on Monroe a few days ago, my sincerest apologies for any lingering emotional distress. I saw you— just in time. I hope and pray you make it through Thanksgiving without ending up on someone’s dinner table.

HOME DEPOT I saw you the weekend before Halloween. You said your name was Heidi you complimented me in my Van you were driving a blue car. Gorgeous :)

WHICH GROUP, WHICH HAT Join a group, wear a hat, You tell others’ where you’re at. Do you hope to change my mind? Your feverous viewpoint on the line. What do you wish will come to pass? For disease and justice to kick my ass? For those who choose another hat, Another group, what’s wrong with that?

HUNGRY? Cap Norty, we saw you pretending to enjoy that new side dish, not because you’re gracious, but your image would be tarnished if you balked. We wouldn’t have taken you for a crispy, hard-shelled taco, but then you’ve never been too discerning at the beautiful buffet of distressed damsels. We hope it was yummy.

YOU SAW ME

SUBSTANCE IN OASIS Our eyes did meet as you waited for your daughter. Sometimes a

smile is all it takes. Thankfully you reached out with the Inlander. I challenge you to ask me out for coffee on November 23rd. I will be wearing my glasses!!!

CHEERS

HUNKY HEROES I wanted to hug you both! The two kind men in the City of Spokane Wastewater Treatment Facility Truck. You stopped and helped when everyone else was driving by. What appeared to be a homeless man’s cart had overturned in the crosswalk at Maxwell and Monroe. You helped him get it back on its wheels and out of traffic. I wanted to catch up and give you the biggest thanks. Happy to see humans acting like humans.

AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE A condition where the immune system is confused and it attacks healthy cells. A healthy immune system guards against germs like bacteria and viruses and can tell the difference between foreign cells and your own cells. When you take pills to control your blood pressure, blood sugar, stress, depression and a thousand other things, the immune system is confused. It doesn’t have a job to do because it is being taken over by the pills. To control things like blood pressure and blood sugar depends the lifestyle, not the pills. The wear and tear on the body is controlled mainly by the lifestyle (diet & exercise). The old axiom of “use it or lose it” applies here. If you are healthy, the only pills you need to take are vitamins.

CHEERS TO YOU The psychiatric teams serving the Spokane area hospitals. You do such a good job and you are very much appreciated. May you have a very bright Christmas.

SPD AT ITS FINEST I had an unsolicited encounter with Spokane Police and ambulance Thursday evening, November 7th. I have seldom, if ever, met a kinder, more compassionate and professional group of people in my 69 years. I was absolutely amazed at how they all worked together to take care of a medical situation, and they even gave me a ride home! So for all you critics of police and medical people, I certainly have nothing but the highest praise for all of them; they all deserve substantial pay raises.

RE: RE: FULL POCKETS ...I throw my gloves at your feet. You brag that your pockets are empty of compliments when you return home. I say you have run out, while my pockets remain full. I challenge you! More compliments, more compliments!

JEERS

STALLED RED CAR ON WHISTALKS WAY

Hi! I was stuck behind your red car this afternoon while you were broken down near SFCC. Remember? I was trying to go around. You started yelling at me that I was stupid and stating the obvious that you were stuck... and I told you I didn’t care. Next time shut your mouth and stop taking out your problems on other people, grow up. I hope someone ran you over.

MAYOR BROWN So, you begged for a public safety sales tax, and the day after voters approved it, you announce that you’re forming an Office of Arts and Culture. Does this seem like a responsible choice for a city with a budget crisis? This is the problem with

a complete landscape plan in place and done before you get either your permit or upon completion an occupancy certificate. I guess for the right people that part of “Equal justice under the law” doesn’t pertain to everyone. So the EYESORE West of the Monroe street bridge north of the river next to the Inlander building is a BIG UGLY lot with debris and weeds, not adding anything to the downtown area that would beatify at all. If it takes years to build something there WHY is Kendall Yards getting a pass on that? Clean up and grass would be better than it is now! Why not a park at the Kendall Yards expense? You know just like you pull on the public!

VEDDY SCARY NOTICE: the Halloween season has been extended. It won’t be just for another week or month, it’ll last at

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.” “ Our eyes did meet as you waited for your daughter.

elected officials, they use government funds to support their pet projects while homeless people wander the streets, and people drive 55 in a 30. Spokane, you have been duped by Mayor Brown. Don’t believe me, go read her budget proposal which increases spending despite her claims to the contrary.

RE: FIRST DATE NIGHTMARE The question “Who would you rather eat in a sandwich: Moo Deng or Pesto the Penguin?” is a phenomenal ice breaker. I would be on the edge of my seat waiting to see how someone might answer that. Interesting questions like that can tell you a lot about whats going on inside a persons head. Are they vegetarian? Which animals are okay to eat, which ones are off-limits? Do they prefer seafood(?) or poultry? Could they ever come to terms with the monster they would then become? That, or they might answer that question with an “I don’t know,” or, “that’s a terrible icebreaker.” Which also achieves the goal of telling you what’s going on inside that person’s head, albeit less interesting.

EYE SORE DOWNTOWN Anyone that has built a new house or changed their house in a major sort of way knows that Spokane County and the City require that you have

least the next 4.2 years. DJ and JD & their lemmings & newly appointed sycophants & rabid fundamentalist toadies will provide us all with a thrilling but dangerous rollercoaster ride of new proposals. When Hairless Leader speaks admiringly of Adolf or enviously of Orban, when he kisses up to Kim Jong or praises Putin, history will be shaking as we contemplate the tasks he wishes to put our military onto. Of course he’ll ONLY (ab-)use his power in service of the people of this country... he’d never use it in service of his fragile, insecure ego.

BOWDISH ROAD IS WRONG To whom it may concern, Spokane County needs to do things right the first time! I see they are widening Bowdish Road. Why not make it a 4 lane with turning lane now, like they did University Road 12 years ago, rather than have to redo it in 5 years? I mean why spend more time and money?

RE: INFLATION MISINFORMATION

Jeers to the recent jeer about Inflation Misinformation. Inflation was indeed caused by the Biden administration by their response to Covid when they decided to suddenly inject almost 2 TRILLION dollars

into our economy to include $1400 checks for each person in a family, with some income caps, along with expansions to child tax credits and other things. That caused people to spend this money, which increased demand on products, which caused product shortages (remember those?) which in turn caused prices to increase, which in turn caused wages to increase, which again in turn caused prices to increase again, and on and on, and that cycle still has not stopped. Instead, this person blames it all on corporate price gouging (of which there IS some), but it is NOT the root cause of the inflation we all face.

DOWNTOWN DENY-ERS Paint it how you will, downtown Spokane has drastically deteriorated. The well-written, though not well-researched article by A. Gill, glossed over some truth. Chad White “hung in there” at Zona Blanca MUCH longer than most, and only after two burglaries did he close in order to protect his employees, his family, his business. LONG before that, many biz’s closed in the core. A partial list: Bridgepress Cellars, Crave, Starbucks on 2nd, Lolo Boutique, churches, and many other fine establishments. Do you wander past the Ridpath Apts. on the way to the Satellite? Do you walk to the Ridler Piano Bar from any “distance”? We previously wandered ALL over Downtown and thru Riverfront Park at all hours on our way to and from several establishments, with zero concern for our safety. From Zola to the D’Port and all places in between. We’d park, or bus and walk to the Bing, the Fox, the Knit. NOT NOW! Scare-eeeee!! One can rarely cut thru the space between Atticus/Steelhead on the way to Aunties, or Sushi.com during daylight hours. Have YOU, Mr. G., wandered from Chicken ‘n’ Mo ‘round the corner or down the street to any other joint, at night. Not advisable. Downtown is not as safe as you need to convince yourself it is. Ask the thousands who previously wandered its glorious spaces. They are elsewhere. We wish you a lovely comeback. We remember it quite recently as a sweet spot.

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.

SHOP WITH THE CHIEFS NIGHT

Fri. 11/15 vs. Calgary Hitmen

One lucky fan will walk away with a $1,000 shopping spree to Fred Meyer! Sign up at the game for a chance to win.

FAMILY FEAST NIGHT

Sat. 11/16 vs. Red Deer Rebels

First 5,000 fans receive a rally towel, plus enjoy discounted Coca-Cola products, hot dogs and more all game long. 7pm Game Time: Sponsored By: 6pm Game Time: Sponsored By:

spokanechiefs.com – Call: 509-535-PUCK

EVENTS | CALENDAR

BENEFIT

A NIGHT TO SIP AND SUPPORT NAMI

SPOKANE A fundraiser for NAMI Spokane featuring live music, appetizers, wine and a silent auction. Nov. 14, 6-9 pm. $100. Barrister Winery, 1213 W. Railroad Ave. namispokane.org

COMEDY

COMEDY FOR A CAUSE A comedy fundraising show that is produced and hosted by comedian Damien Speranza. Nov. 14, 7 pm. $30. Spokane Comedy Club, 315 W. Sprague. spokanecomedyclub.com

IAN BAGG Ian Bagg is a Canadian comedian, actor and writer known for his crowd work. Nov. 15-16, 7 & 9:45 pm. $25-$35. Spokane Comedy Club, 315 W. Sprague. spokanecomedyclub.com

MATT MATHEWS Hailing from Birmingham, Alabama, Matt Mathews is a standup comedian, social media star, multi award-winning boudoir photographer and the host of the podcast Real Talk with Matt Mathews. Nov. 15, 7 pm. $30$150. The Fox Theater, 1001 W. Sprague Ave. foxtheaterspokane.org

AHREN BELISLE Belisle has been featured on America’s Got Talent and the Kill Tony podcast. Nov. 17, 7 pm. $20-$25. Spokane Comedy Club, 315 W. Sprague. spokanecomedyclub.com

OPENLY MIC: A QUEER COMEDY OPEN

MIC Stand-up comedy open mic with a queer sensibility. Sign-up starts at 7pm. First, third and fifth Wednesday of each month from 8-9:30 pm. Free. The Q Lounge, 228 W. Sprague Ave. instagram. com/openlymic

GARY VIDER Vider is known for his subtle style of comedy. Nov. 21, 7 pm. $20-$25. Spokane Comedy Club, 315 W. Sprague. spokanecomedyclub.com

ILIZA SHLESINGER A comedian who is best-known or winning Last Comic Standing in 2008. Nov. 22, 7-9 pm. $40$100. First Interstate Center for the Arts, 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. firstinterstatecenter.org (509-279-7000)

ZOLTAN KASZAS Kaszas has been featured on Drybar Comedy, Hulu and SiriusXM. Nov. 22-23, 7 & 9:45 pm and Nov. 24, 7 pm. $25-$35. Spokane Comedy Club, 315 W. Sprague. spokanecomedyclub.com (509-318-9998)

COMMUNITY

BITCH ‘N’ STITCH Grab your crochet, knitting, embroidery, weaving, cross stitch, felting, looming, macrame and craft casually in the company of others. Every second and last Thursday at 6:30 pm. Free. Lunarium, 1925 N. Monroe St. facebook.com/Lunarium.Spokane

EMPOWERHER: WOMEN IN MARKETING, ADVERTISING & DESIGN Hear from two panels of creative leaders in our community who discuss how they got started, what risks they took to be where they are at today and more. Nov. 14, 4:308 pm. $25. Indaba Flagship Roastery & Café, 2020 N. Monroe. aafspokane.com

A HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS: FOSTER

CARE INFO NIGHT Learn how to become a foster home for a refugee youth at this informational session. Nov. 14, 6-7 pm. Free. Spokane Valley Library, 22 N. Herald Rd. lcsnw.org (509-747-8224)

INTERNATIONAL COLUMBIA RIVER

SYMPOSIUM A conference with keynote speakers, panels and discussions

all focused around the health of the Columbia River, the Columbia River Treaty and salmon restoration. Nov. 14, 7 am-5 pm. $75-$275. Gonzaga University, 502 E. Boone. columbiabasingovernance.org

IT HAPPENED HERE: EXPO ‘74 FIFTY YEARS LATER This 50th anniversary exhibition revisits the historical roots of Expo ‘74’s legacy. It incorporates recognizable elements from Expo’s built environment with museum artifacts and archival materials. Tue-Sun from 10 am-5 pm through Jan. 26. $7-$12. Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture, 2316 W. First Ave. northwestmuseum.org

THE ARTISANS GUILD GRAND OPENING The grand opening of a new artisan marketplace featuring a raffle. Nov. 15, 10 am-8 pm. Free. The Artisans Guild, 4727 N. Division St. instagram.com/the.artisansguild (509-808-2694)

STORY TIME AT THE CARROUSEL An early literacy activity designed to spark and engage young children with stories, songs and preschool activities. $1 carrousel rides are offered to attendees. ages 2-5. Third Fri of every month, 11 am through Dec. 20. Free. Looff Carrousel, 507 N. Howard St. riverfrontspokane.org

BUILD A TERRARIUM Learn how to build and construct a thriving terrarium. Supplies are not included, only instruction. Nov. 16, 12-1 pm. $10. Ritters Garden & Gift, 10120 N. Division St. 4ritter.com

DECORATE A HOLIDAY CONE Fill a cone with winter greens, berries and a candle with the help of Ritters’ design experts. Nov. 16, 2-3 pm. $90. Ritters Garden & Gift, 10120 N. Division St. 4ritter.com

EXPERIENCE VIRTUAL REALITY Drop by to spend time in virtual reality with the VR headset. Choose from among our available VR apps, including high-energy experiences, like the Beat Saber rhythm game and more. Ages 8+. Nov. 16, 10 am-5 pm and Dec. 14, 10 am-5 pm. Free. North Spokane Library, 44 E. Hawthorne Rd. scld.org (509-893-8350)

HOLIDAY ARTISAN MARKET An indoor marketplace with festive holiday music, gifts and handmade goods including jewelry, candles, ceramics and more. Nov. 16, 1:30-5:30 pm. Free. The Lotus Spokane, 3026 E. Fifth Ave. flourishbotanicals.com (509-991-9201)

TURKEY BINGO Play a variety of bingo games. Blackout winner wins a turkey. Lunch available for purchase. Nov. 17, 2 pm. $5-$10. Cutter Theatre, 302 Park St. cuttertheatre.com (509-446-4108)

WILD KRATTS LIVE 2.0 Go on an adventure with the Wild Kratts and the Kratt brothers as they combine live action and animation. Nov. 17, 1 pm. $38 -$163. First Interstate Center for the Arts, 334 W. Spokane Falls. firstinterstatecenter.org

NATIVE CULTURAL CRAFT NIGHTS

Make cultural crafts with provided supplies. Every other Monday night from 5-7 pm. Free. American Indian Community Center, 1025 W. Indiana Ave. aiccinc.org

DROP IN & ZINE Drop in and learn how to make your very own eight-page minizine using a single piece of paper and Spark’s art supplies. Every Tuesday from 5-7 pm. Free. Spark Central, 1214 W. Summit Pkwy. spark-central.org

SPIRITUAL CENTER SPOKANE TALK AND PRACTICE Join a group of spiritual seekers and practitioners for a talk, spiritual practice and connection. Every Tuesday from 6-7 pm through Dec. 17. $25. Manito United Methodist Church, 3220 S. Grand Blvd. spiritualcenterspokane.org

TUESDAY MEMORY CAFÉ People living with dementia and a loved one or companion enjoy socializing in a relaxed setting. Create friendships in an environment that is accepting and non-judgmental. Nov. 27, 11 am-noon. Free. North Spokane Library, 44 E. Hawthorne Rd. altcew.org (509-893-8350)

BEGINNING BUDDHISM Buddhist nuns from Sravasti Abbey offer weekly teachings based on the book Open Heart, Clear Mind by Buddhist teacher and author Venerable Thubten Chodron. Wed from 6-7:30 pm through Nov. 30. By offering. Souls Center, 707 N. Cedar St. sravastiabbey.org (509-447-5549)

DROP-IN AND DRAW, PAINT, KNIT, STITCH... Bring your current creative project to the Hive and create in company with others. Every third Wednesday of the month from 5:30-7 pm. Free. The Hive, 2904 E. Sprague Ave. spokanelibrary.org (509-444-5300)

EASTERN REGION CONNECTS: PEOPLE, PLACES, AND POSSIBILITIES Learn about and explore exciting initiatives happening in your community. Come share your thoughts, ideas and concerns about WSDOT projects in your neighborhood. Nov. 20, 5 pm. Free. Liberty Park Library, 402 S. Pittsburgh St. spokanelibrary.org (509-444-5300)

AMERICAN GIRL OF THE MONTH CLUB

Each month’s meeting features one of American Girl’s historical dolls and includes fun activities that are inspired by her era and heritage. Every third Thursday at 1 pm and 4 pm. Free. Coeur d’Alene Public Library, 702 E. Front Ave. cdalibrary.org (208-769-2315)

CUSTER’S CHRISTMAS ARTS & CRAFTS

SHOW A marketplace with over 250 artisans selling their fine art, hand crafts and specialty goods and food. Nov. 22-24; Fri from 10 am-8 pm, Sat from 9 am-6 pm, Sun from 10 am-4 pm. $8-$10. Spokane County Fair & Expo Center, 404 N. Havana St. custershows.com

INW MAHJONG Members of INW Mahjong play the game and enjoy tea. Beginners welcome. Every fourth Saturday from 7-9 pm. Free. Lunarium, 1925 N. Monroe St. lunariumspokane.com

LIBERTY LAKE WINTER GLOW SPECTACULAR A holiday light show featuring various installations and displays. Nov. 23-Jan. 1, daily. Nov. 23-Jan. 1. Free. Orchard Park, 20298 E. Indiana Ave. winterglowspectacular.com

LIGHT UP MERRY & MAGICAL LANE

Family activities and entertainment in the mall from 3-5 pm. See Santa arrive at the tree and take photos with him. Nov. 23, 3-7:30 pm. Free. River Park Square, 808 W. Main Ave. visitspokane.com

SPOKANE’S TRANGENDER DAY OF REMEMBRANCE Join Trans Spokane and partner organizations to focus on centering trans voices amidst the epidemic of anti-trans violence. Two-Spirit, transgender, nonbinary and gender-expansive musicians, dancers, drag performers, storytellers, slam poets and other artists perform. Nov. 23, 2 pm. Free. Central Library, 906 W. Main. spokanelibrary.org

FILM

“NO PLACE TO GROW OLD” SCREENING & DISCUSSION This 44-minute documentary explores the systemic challenges of a generation aging into homelessness via an intimate portrait of homeless seniors in Portland, Oregon. Producer Michael Larson, a Gon-

zaga alumni and Director of Humans for Housing, will take questions following the screening. Nov. 14, 6-7:45 pm. Free. Myrtle Woldson Performing Arts Center, 211 E. Desmet Ave. gonzaga.edu

NEW RESTORATIONS: THE FALL In 1920s Los Angeles, a bedridden patient in a hospital captivates a young girl with a fantastic tale of heroes, myths and villains on a desert island. Nov. 14, 7-9 pm. $8. The Kenworthy, 508 S. Main St. kenworthy.org (208-882-4127)

WARREN MILLER’S 75 Warren Miller’s 75 brings fans to powder stashes and chutes around the world, from Canada, Colorado, California, and Utah to Finland, Japan, Austria and New Jersey. Nov. 14, 7:30 pm. Bing Crosby Theater, 901 W. Sprague Ave. bingcrosbytheater.com

SCIENCE ON SCREEN: GRIZZLY MAN A film about grizzly bear activists Timothy Treadwell and Amie Huguenard, who were killed in October of 2003 while living among grizzly bears in Alaska. Dr. Heiko Jansen, a member of the WSU Bear Center faculty, will discuss bear behavior in relation to human activity. Nov. 17, 7-9 pm. Free. The Kenworthy, 508 S. Main St. kenworthy.org (208-882-4127)

SEAHAWKS GAMES SCREENINGS

Watch the Seahawks play on the big screen all season long. Nov. 17, 1:05 pm, Nov. 24, 1:25 pm. Free. Garland Theater, 924 W. Garland Ave. garlandtheater.org

MOVIE BOOK CLUB: DOUBLE INDEMNI -

TY An nsurance salesman gets roped into a murderous scheme when he falls for the sensual Phylli , who is intent on killing her husband and living off the fraudulent accidental death claim. Nov. 19, 7-9 pm. $8. The Kenworthy, 508 S. Main St. kenworthy.org (208-882-4127)

MOSCOW FILM SOCIETY: MOMMY A widowed single mother, raising her violent son alone, finds new hope when a mysterious neighbor inserts herself into their household. Nov. 20, 7-9 pm. $8. The Kenworthy, 508 S. Main. kenworthy.org

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

BISTANGO 19-YEAR ANNIVERSARY Celebrate Bistango’s anniversary with drink specials, food games, prizes and live music. Nov. 15, 3 pm-midnight and Nov. 16, 3 pm-midnight. Free. Bistango Martini Lounge, 108 N. Post St. bistangolounge.com (509-994-4559)

FREE BOBA DAY Guests each receive one free 16 oz or 24 oz Boba or Cafe drink with up to two toppings in one of Chaos Arcade’s signature cups. Nov. 15, 6-8 pm. Free. Chaos Arcade, 1020 W. Francis Ave. Suite H. chaosarcade.com

FRUIT SALE Local orchard produce. See website for an up-to-date list of varieties available. Fri from noon-6 pm, Sat from 10 am-4 pm through Nov. 16. WSU Horticulture Center, 1452 Johnson Road. go.wsu.edu/fruit (509-335-6700)

KOREAN FOOD COOKING CLASS In this hands-on cooking class, you will prep, cook and devour three classic dishes from Korea with Curtis Smith. Nov. 15, 122:30 pm. $85. The Kitchen Engine, 621 W. Mallon Ave. thekitchenengine.com

NORTH IDAHO WINE SOCIETY NOVEMBER TASTING Sample a number of classic Oregon wines alongside Jon Foster, Ridgecrest’s General Manager and Sales Manager. Enjoy paired appetizers and mingle with fellow wine enthusiasts. Nov. 15, 7-9 pm. $30-$35. Lake City Center, 1916 N. Lakewood Dr. northidahowinesociety.org (208-667-4628)

OLIVE OIL TASTING This educational tasting event presented by Oil & Vinegar Spokane helps you determine whether the olive oil you’re buying is authentic. Nov. 16, 1 pm. Free. Shadle Library, 2111 W. Wellesley Ave. spokanelibrary.org

WINE FOR THE HOLIDAYS Sip and shop through downtown Coeur d’Alene shops with unique offerings including live music, complimentary gift wrapping and prize drawings all day long. Nov. 16, 1-6 pm. Downtown Coeur d’Alene, Sherman Ave. cdadowntown.com (208-415-0116)

PICKLING BASICS WORKSHOP Learn the basics of pickling, both shelf stable and refrigerator techniques with Audra. Nov. 17, 4-7 pm. $90. The Kitchen Engine, 621 W. Mallon Ave. thekitchenengine.com

THANKSGIVING COOKING CLASS: LA-

SAGNA A hands-on lasagna cooking class where participants learn to craft an authentic lasagna from scratch using fresh, high-quality ingredients. Nov. 19, 6 pm and Nov. 20, 6 pm. $85. Commellini Estate, 14715 N. Dartford. commellini.com

KOFTA, COCONUT CURRY, AND PUFFED UP BREAD Join Jamie Aquino to create three classic Indian dishes: vegetable kofta, a flavorful Indian style dumpling simmered in a creamy coconut curry, and warm fluffy naan. Nov. 20, 5:45-8:15 pm. $85. The Kitchen Engine, 621 W. Mallon Ave. thekitchenengine.com

CHILI RELLANOS Learn the techniques behind chile rellenos and be able to recreate the dish in your own kitchen with Vira Melendez-Redman. Nov. 21, 12-1:30 pm. $65. The Kitchen Engine, 621 W. Mallon Ave. thekitchenengine.com

SOKOL BLOSSER WINE DINNER A specially crafted six-course menu, designed to complement the distinctive flavors of Sokol Blosser’s acclaimed wines Nov. 22, 6-9 pm. $175. Beverly’s, 115 S. Second St. beverlyscda.com (208-292-5678)

VINEGAR TASTING Discover and taste the diverse flavors of vinegar at this special event presented by Oil & Vinegar Spokane. Nov. 23, 1 pm. Free. Shadle Library, 2111 W. Wellesley Ave. spokanelibrary.org (509-444-5300)

MUSIC

OPERA SCENES Students from the Lionel Hampton School of Music and the Theatre Arts department join together to create an evening of scenes meant to capture some of the most powerful moments of opera and music theatre. Nov. 14, 7:30 pm. $10-$12. University of Idaho Administration Building, 851 Campus Dr. uidaho.edu/music (888-884-3246)

GABE LAPANO Lapano plays Sinatra, Crosby and more on the piano. Fridays from 6-9 pm through Dec. 28. Churchill’s Steakhouse, 165 S. Post St. churchillssteakhouse.com

NORTH IDAHO COLLEGE CARDINAL VOICES: BECAUSE…THE BEATLES Performances of music by The Beatles by North Idaho College voice students. Nov. 15, 7:30 pm. Free. North Idaho College Student Union Building, 495 N. College Dr. nic.edu (20-769-3276)

THE DIVAS: WHAT SHE SAID... BEST! An all-female cabaret showcasing women’s voices and perspectives through songs from five genres. Nov. 15, 7-9:30 pm and Nov. 16, 7-9:30 pm. $30-$50. Hamilton Studio, 1427 W. Dean Ave. hamiltonlive.com

SATURDAY WITH THE SYMPHONY The Coeur d’Alene Symphony performs, puts on an interactive activity and a book is read by the children’s librarian. Every third Saturday at 11 am. Free. Coeur d’Alene Public Library, 702 E. Front Ave. cdalibrary.org

SPOKANE YOUTH SYMPHONY: JUBILEE TREASURES This concert includes performances by all four Spokane Youth Symphony orchestras. Spokane Youth Strings, Spokane Youth Sinfonietta and Spokane Youth Philharmonic. Nov. 17, 4 pm. $15-$19. The Fox Theater, 1001 W. Sprague Ave. foxtheaterspokane.org

JAKE SHIMABUKURO, MAC

MCANALLY Known as the Jimi Hendrix of the uke, Shimabukuro shows his expertise for moving effortlessly between genres, sometimes in the same song. Nov. 18, 7-9:30 pm. $37-$78. Bing Crosby Theater, 901 W. Sprague Ave. bingcrosbytheater.com

WHITWORTH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA The Whitworth Symphony Orchestra Fall concert features works ranging from America to Sweden, England, Russia and Germany. Nov. 18, 6:30 pm. $15. The Fox Theater, 1001 W. Sprague. whitworth.edu

HANDEL’S MESSIAH The annual performance of Handel’s Messiah featuring the Spokane Symphony and the Spokane Symphony Chorale and Chamber Singers. Nov. 21-22, 7:30 pm. St. John’s Cathedral, 127 E. 12th Ave. spokanesymphony.org (509-838-4277)

AN EVENING OF BLUEGRASS

Nick Dumas, Chris Luquette and Andrew Knapp perform bluegrass selections. Nov. 22, 7 pm. $28. The Jacklin Arts & Cultural Center, 405 N. William St. thejacklincenter.org (208-457-8950)

TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA

Trans-Siberian Orchestra performs the rock opera titled “The Lost Christmas Eve.” A portion of ticket proceeds benefit a local charity. Nov. 22, 7-10 pm. $67$141. Spokane Arena, 720 W. Mallon Ave. trans-siberian.com

GONZAGA WIND ENSEMBLE: THE STORYTELLER Conducted by Peter J. Hamlin, this concert includes music by Alfred Reed, Kevin Day, John Mackey, James Stephenson and Ryan George. Nov. 23, 2 pm. $10-$15. Myrtle Woldson Performing Arts Center, 211 E. Desmet Ave. gonzaga.edu/ music (509-313-4776)

HANDEL’S MESSIAH A performance of Handel’s Messiah conducted by Kent Kimball and featuring soloists Chloe Sundet, Ann Benson, Scott Miller and Steve Mortier. Nov. 23, 7-9:30 pm and Nov. 24, 3-5:30 pm. $20-$30. Schuler Performing Arts Center, 880 W. Garden Ave. cdaconservatory.org (208-551-3933)

SPORTS

COEUR D’ALENE SKI SWAP Buy and sell new and used ski equipment, clothing and accessories. Nov. 16, 10 am-5 pm. Free. Kootenai County Fairgrounds, 4056 N. Government. theskiswap.com

NUMERICA SKATE RIBBON OPENING DAY The Numerica Skate Ribbon opens for the season. Skate all day to celebrate the opening. Nov. 16, 11 am-9 pm. $7-$10. Numerica Skate Ribbon, 720 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. riverfrontspokane.com

PRAY FOR SNOW PARTY A pray for snow party sponsored by Alpine Haus and Out There Monthly featuring a best dressed and dance for snow contest benefitting the South Perry neighborhood’s T.E.A.M. Grant. Nov. 22, 6-10 pm. Free. Perry Street Brewing, 1025 S. Perry St. perrystreetbrewing.com (509-279-2820)

THEATER & DANCE

SCROOGE! THE MUSICAL Ebenezer Scrooge undergoes a profound experience of redemption over the course of a Christmas Eve night. Thu-Sat at 7:30 pm, Sat-Sun at 1:30 pm through Nov. 17. $30-$35. Regional Theatre of the Palouse, 122 N. Grand Ave. rtoptheatre.org (509-334-0750)

BARBECUE APOCALYPSE After a mid-summer barbecue, a group of friends realizes the world fell apart during the gathering. Nov. 15-24; Fri-Sat at 7:30 pm, Sun at 2 pm. Spartan Theater, 3410 W. Whistalks Way. sfcc.spokane. edu/theatre

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST Belle falls in love with the Beast, who is really a young prince trapped under the spell of an enchantress. Fri-Sat at 7 pm, Sat-Sun at 3 pm through Nov. 17. $18-$20. Bing Crosby Theater, 901 W. Sprague Ave. cytspokane.org

NEWSIES When titans of publishing raise distribution prices at the newsboys’ expense, Jack Kelly rallies newsies from across the city to strike against the unfair conditions and fight for what’s right. Nov. 15-24; Fri-Sat at 7 pm, Sat-Sun at 3 pm. $15-$20. Kroc Center, 1765 W. Golf Course Rd. cytnorthidaho.org

SHREK THE MUSICAL An ogre finds himself on a life-changing journey alongside a wisecracking Donkey and a feisty princess who resists her rescue. Nov. 15-16; Fri-Sat at 7:30 pm, Sat also at 3 pm. First Interstate Center for the Arts, 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. broadwayspokane.com

MANNHEIM STEAMROLLER

CHRISTMAS Fifteen musicians playing holiday music with multimedia effects. Nov. 21, 7:30 pm. First Interstate Center for the Arts, 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. broadwayspokane.com

...continued on page 42

Another attempt could put cannabis on Idaho ballots.

POLITICS

Blazing Toward the Ballot

Idaho group submits proposal to put recreational cannabis on the ballot in 2026

BY WILL MAUPIN

The 2024 election is barely a week behind us, but it’s never too early to start looking ahead, and that’s exactly what’s happening in Idaho.

The organization Kind Idaho filed a final proposal with the Idaho Secretary of State’s Office that would put the question of cannabis legalization on the ballot in 2026.

The group filed the initial petition back in September and previously attempted to legalize medical marijuana in the state in 2022 and 2024. Neither of those efforts made it onto the ballot.

This new petition focuses instead on recreational cannabis, which, if approved, would become legal

for personal possession and production. It would not, however, establish a legal marketplace like the one in Washington.

People 21 and older would be exempt from criminal prosecution in the state for personal production — growing their own cannabis — or possession of personal amounts of cannabis under one ounce. Resale would remain prohibited, as would consumption in public. Idaho is one of just four states where cannabis remains fully illegal.

Once the petition clears the Secretary of State’s Office, Kind Idaho will begin gathering signatures and will have until April 2026 to collect just shy of 70,000 valid signatures.

There is also a geographic component to the signature-gathering process, which requires the organizers to record signatures from at least 6% of voters in more than half of the state’s legislative districts.

A 2022 poll by the Idaho Statesman showed that 68% of Idahoans support legalizing medical marijuana. Kind Idaho cited a different poll from 2022 that showed 80% support for decriminalization, though only 40% of respondents in that poll favored outright legalization in the framework of a legal marketplace.

Despite the popular support, the Idaho Legislature has been working to increase prohibition in recent years.

In 2021, the Idaho Senate went so far as to pass a constitutional amendment that would have enshrined prohibition in the state, but the amendment ultimately failed in the state House.

Attempts to loosen regulations through the Legislature, such as medical marijuana proposals in 2023 and 2021, often failed to reach the committee stage, let alone go to a floor vote.

Cannabis was on the ballot in four states during last week’s election, with legalization efforts failing in the Dakotas and Florida while voters in Nebraska approved a pair of medical marijuana measures. Ohio was the most recent state to legalize recreational cannabis at the ballot box, doing so in 2023. n

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.

VISUAL ARTS

CAPPY BOND: LETTING GO Ceramics and other works by artist Cappy Bond inspired by the Japanese phrase Shu Ha Ri meaning learn the rules, break the rules, transcend the rules. By appointment through Nov. 29. Free. KolvaSullivan Gallery, 115 S. Adams St. kolvasullivangallery.com

COASTERS Artists and friends of Trackside create coasters that sell to benefit the Peace and Justice Action League of Spokane. Coasters are $10 each. WedFri from 11 am-5 pm through Nov. 29. Free admission. Trackside Studio, 115 S. Adams St. tracksidestudio.net

local artists: Lynn Hanley, Laura Kaschmitter, Seth Collier and Tarra Hall. Mon-Fri from 8 am-5pm through Dec. 27. Free. Chase Gallery, 808 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. spokanearts.org

KURT MADISON: ENANTIOMORPHS

Kurt Madison showcases his artworks that draw on dreamwork, the unconscious, intuition and experimentation. Fri-Sat from 12-8 pm through Nov. 29. Free. Saranac Art Projects, 25 W. Main Ave. sapgallery.com

CAMPFIRE STORIES: LOST & FOUND

Participants gather to share tales about public lands. This event’s theme focuses on the ways people have been lost and found. Nov. 14, 6:30-8:30 pm. Free. Wildland Cooperative, 8022 E. Green Bluff Rd. landscouncil.org

JAVIER ZAMORA: ON CHILDHOOD MIGRATION FROM CENTRAL AMERICA New York Times bestselling author Javier Zamora chats about his riveting tale of survival and perseverance as told in his award-winning memoir Solito. Nov. 14, 1-2 pm. Free. scld.org

EMERGE STAFF EXHIBIT An art exhibit featuring works made by Emerge CDA’s faculty. Tue-Sat from 10 am-6 pm through Dec. 7. Free. Emerge, 119 N. Second St. emergecda.com

JILL KYONG & AVA RUMMLER: ILLUMINATED This two person show features physical lights and art focuses on the concept of light. Daily from 11 am-6 pm through Nov. 29, 11 am-6 pm. Free. Entropy, 101 N. Stevens St. explodingstars.com (509-414-3226)

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

SPOKANE HANDWEAVERS’ GUILD SHOW AND SALE Peruse items made by members of the Spokane Handweavers’ Guildat the guild’s annual show and sale. Purchases help support SHG’s public outreach and educational programs. Nov. 15, 2-7 pm and Nov. 16, 12-6 pm. Free. Barrister Winery, 1213 W. Railroad Ave. spokaneweavers.org

PIVOT: ROOTS Six storytellers tell eight-minute tales on the theme of “roots.” Nov. 14, 7-9 pm. By donation. Washington Cracker Co. Building, 304 W. Pacific. pivotspokane.com

WE WILL BE FOSSILS SOMEDAY An exhibition of art exploring deforestation and time by local artist Hazel Miller. Twenty percent of art sales benefit Amazon Watch. Nov. 15, 5-8 pm and Nov. 16, 6-9 pm. Free. Placeholder Studio, 104 W. Third Ave. instagram.com/ hazelthepainter

FIRST ANNUAL VETERAN ART SHOW

A group show featuring work by L.R. Montgomery, Darrell Sullens, John Thamm and Ralph Noll. Wood bowls, vessels, live edge furniture created by the members of the VetsGarage and hand tied fishing flies made by veterans at the Vets Center. Nov. 16, 12-5 pm. Free. Shotgun Studios, 1625 W. Water Ave. shotgunstudiosspokane.com

POETRY RISING Trishanna Jones, Beth Camp, Kendra Egly, Stephen Pitters, and harpist Katelyn Kinney perform. Nov. 14, 6 pm. Free. South Hill Library, 3324 S. Perry St. spokanelibrary.org

HOW TO WRITE WHEN YOU FEEL STUCK Local author Sharma Shields helps you move past your writing slump in the middle of NaNoWriMo. Nov. 15, 10 am-noon. Free. Liberty Park Library, 402 S. Pittsburgh St. spokanelibrary.org

POETRY BEFORE DARK EWU MFA students lead discussions about craft elements, style and form in poetry. Every Saturday from noon-2 pm. Free. Spark Central, 1214 W. Summit Pkwy. sparkcentral.org (509-279-0299)

JOSHUA HOBSON Joshua Hobson displays abstract photography. MonThu from 10 am-4 pm, Fri from 10 am2:30 pm through Jan. 31. Free. Boswell Corner Gallery at NIC, 1000 W. Garden Ave., Building 22. nic.edu/cornergallery

KJ POTTERY SECONDS SALE Shop handmade ceramics like bowls, mugs and dinnerware with minor imperfections made by KJ Pottery. Nov. 16, 10 am-noon. KJ Pottery, 5509 N. Market St. kjpottery.com (303-681-6751)

HOMELESSNESS AND THE MEANING OF HOME In this talk, author and professor Josephine Ensign leads audiences through a values clarification exercise that includes individual writing time. Professor Ensign will share her research on the history of homelessness in her hometown of Seattle. Nov. 19, 7 pm. Free. Online, humanities.org

KIM LONG: ETHEREAL IMAGES OF OUR NATURAL WORLD Kim Long is a self-taught, full-time artist who creates highly detailed multimedia pieces that challenge perceptions of reality. Daily from 11 am-7 pm through Nov. 30. Free. Liberty Building, 203 N. Washington St. spokanelibertybuilding.com

MULTI-DISCIPLINED A group show featuring the ArtsWA staff with pieces on view throughout the newly constructed Fine and Applied Arts Building on campus. Mon-Fri from 8:30 am-3:30 pm through Dec. 5. Free. SFCC Fine Arts Gallery, 3410 W. Whistalks Way, Bldg. 6. sfcc.spokane.edu (509-533-3710)

MIKE DECESARE DeCesare captures nature and human’s imprint on it through photos. Tue-Sat from 10 am-6 pm through Dec. 31. Free. William Grant Gallery & Framing, 1188 W. Summit Pkwy. williamgrantgf.com

MOUNT ST. HELENS FLATWARE

WORKSHOP The WSU Department of Art invites participation in the creation of 100 pieces of ash-glazed flatware. Workshop participants will learn about volcanic ash, assist in rolling slabs of clay and shaping and decorating commemorative plates. Registration required. Nov. 16, 12-3 pm. Free. Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art WSU, 1535 NE Wilson Rd. museum.wsu.edu

AMANDA LEIGH EVANS & TIA KRAMER: WHEN THE RIVER BECOMES A CLOUD DeepTime Collective, a collaboration between artists Amanda Leigh Evans and Tia Kramer, unearths how we understand ourselves within the interdependent constructs of time, place, community and landscape. Mon.9 am-5 pm through Feb. 7. Free. EWU Gallery of Art, 140 Art Building. ewu. edu/cahss/gallery (509-359-2494)

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

MONA SUSAN POWER: NATIVE RIGHTS AND CULTURE IN FICTION Mona Susan Power chats about her newest novel A Council of Dolls. This conversation highlights how her work explores Native rights and culture. Registration required. Nov. 20, 4 pm. Free. Online, scld.org

ECOLOGICAL CRITIQUE OF ALIENATION IN CHINESE SCIENCE FICTION Ban Wang discusses how Chinese sci-fi writers have explored environmental crises, alienation of labor, erosion of communities, and class disparity in the context of globalization and technology. Nov. 21, 3:30-4:45 pm. Free. University of Idaho Student Union Building, 875 S. Line St. uidaho.edu

REINALDO GIL ZAMBRANO: GALIMATIAS Prints by Spokane artist Reinaldo Gil Zambrano detailing his experiences as a father. Thu-Sat from 4-7 pm through Nov. 29. Free. Terrain Gallery, 628 N. Monroe St. terrainspokane.com

SMALL WORKS EXHIBIT The gallery’s 29th annual small works exhibit featuring smaller artworks that double as gifts for the holidays. Wed-Sun from 11 am-6 pm through Dec. 29. Free. The Art Spirit Gallery, 415 Sherman Ave. theartspiritgallery.com (208-765-6006)

WONDER OF STRUCTURE: EXPLORATIONS OF SCIENCE, ARCHITECTURE, AND ABSTRACTION A group exhibition exploring the dynamic intersections of science, architecture, and abstraction through the works of four distinguished

ZINE PARTY Draw, trade, read and talk about Zines while drinking Lunarium tea. Nov. 22, 3-5 pm. Free. Lunarium, 1925 N. Monroe. lunariumspokane.com

HEADS-UP PORTRAIT CLUB A series of 20-minute portrait-drawing sessions. Choose another member of the group to draw, while also being drawn by others. Every second and fourth Saturday of the month from 10 am-noon. Free. Terrain Gallery, 628 N. Monroe St. headsup-portraitclub.com

WORDS

AUNTIE’S BOOK CLUB: NEW FICTION

Discuss The Friend by Sigrid Nunez. Nov. 14, 6 pm. Free. Auntie’s Bookstore, 402 W. Main Ave. auntiesbooks.com

ILLUMINATIONS: MINIATURE BOOKS

A showcase of miniature books including a 1904 ed. of Shakespeare’s Titus Andronicus, a royal miniature almanac from 1848, and The Smallest English Dictionary in the World, and many, many more. Nov. 21, 11 am-noon. Free. Central Library, 906 W. Main Ave. spokanelibrary.org (509-444-5336)

ERASED: JOAN BURBICK Erased is about what happened to Katherine Lin, a wife, mother, and Chinese scientist. Decades after Lin’s disappearance, her daughter-in-law sets out on a trek to find out who she was, how she lived, and why her death was a mystery. Nov. 21, 3-4 pm. Free. Central Library, 906 W. Main Ave. spokanelibrary.org n

61. “Ignore that last comment”

“What’s Hecuba to him, ___ to Hecuba”: Hamlet

“Because of the Times” group Kings of ___

Cares for

General ___ chicken

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