Inlander 11/30/2023 by The Inlander

NEWS

Nez Perce Tribe, salmon and dams PAGE 12

GIFT GUIDE

What to get those special someones on your list PAGE 22

NOVEMBER 30-DECEMBER 6, 2023 | TELLING IMPORTANT STORIES SINCE 1993

Chasing Dreams page 22

Eleanor Barrow Chase devoted her life to a city that forgot her too soon by Eliza Billingham

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VOL. 31, NO. 8 | COVER PHOTO: NW MUSEUM OF ARTS & CULTURE

COMMENT 5 8 NEWS COVER STORY 16 GIFT GUIDE 22

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54 EVENTS 56 I SAW YOU 59 GREEN ZONE BULLETIN BOARD 63

EDITOR’S NOTE

lot of our stories are remembered by very few people, and those are my favorites. The family lore passed from storyteller to storyteller, but never written down. The ancient tale collected in an anthology, its meaning both obscure and meaningful to our modern eyes. The bits on Wikipedia you discover while tumbling down a wiki-rabbithole. Some people are forgotten, too, even as their actions continue to reverberate in our world. This week’s cover story — CHASING DREAMS — is about Eleanor Barrow Chase, one of those people who many of us don’t know but, after reading Eliza Billingham’s story, quickly became one of my favorite Spokanites. You may recognize her last name — Chase — from various locations named after either her or her husband, James, who was the first and so far only Black mayor of Spokane. He won at the ballot box in 1981, but Eleanor was just as influential in Spokane. And we nearly missed her. As a young woman, a talent scout saw her singing at Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church at the base of the South Hill in Spokane. He told her her future was bright. She agreed, and stayed in Spokane to show as much. — NICHOLAS DESHAIS, editor

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WAS THERE A GIFT YOU ALWAYS WANTED AS A KID BUT NEVER GOT? KATIE WILDS

Probably a Barbie Dream House. I loved Barbie — all the accessories, the Barbie convertible… So are you a Barbie movie supporter as well? Absolutely. I mean how could you not be? [Laughs] Love Barbie always.

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I guess I never got an actual family trip. Where would you have wanted to go? I always thought California sounded fun when I was younger, so I always wanted to go there. Especially living in Spokane and going to Seattle and the rain, you want warm when you’re young. [Laughs]

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It was a Cabbage Patch Doll. What was it about those dolls that made you want one? I remember seeing my neighbors Christmas morning, pushing their new dolls around in their stroller outside on the street, and I was so jealous. Because I didn’t get one. [Laughs] I know, darn. I got one later!

FAISAL DK

Not that I can recall. Gift exchange and all that, it’s very much an American thing. I’m not from here. So I didn’t grow up expecting presents, so that’s kind of different.

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No. I feel like our parents always surprised us and got something I wasn’t even expecting or like didn’t even know that I wanted. What was one of those unexpected gifts that sticks out in your memory? One time we were surprised with a GameCube for Christmas. That was really unexpected and very exciting for me.

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COMMENT | ELECTION 2024

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Grain-of-Salt Season The Washington state governor’s election is 11 months away; the key voters in the race may wait that long to decide if a Republican can win the job for the first time in 40 years BY BILL BRYANT

year out from election day, Jay Inslee always looked beatable but ultimately closed the deal with voters. The political carcasses of Republican nominees litter the road to the governor’s mansion. I know, mine’s lying there somewhere. Washington hasn’t elected a Republican governor in over 40 years, but some believe Dave Reichert, the presumed 2024 Republican nominee, will break the glass ceiling. That hope is supported by a recent poll commissioned by the Northwest Progressive Institute that suggests Reichert leads Bob Ferguson, the presumed Democratic nominee. For those supporting Reichert, that beats a kick in the shins, but before dancing they’d be well served to remember Republican candidates finding themselves in the lead or tied months before the election is not unusual. Perhaps that’s why the Ferguson campaign pointed out that “Inside Elections declared this race a ‘battleground,’ so this poll doesn’t surprise us.” Then looking forward many months added, “With thousands more donors than all other candidates combined, Bob has the grassroots support needed to win this tough campaign.” State Democratic Party Chair Shasti Conrad similarly shared that “polls a year out from the election should be viewed with a boulder size

6 INLANDER NOVEMBER 30, 2023

grain of salt… My hope is that it will wake up our folks and help Democrats realize we are going to have to fight for every vote.” Ditto, state Republican Party Chair James Walsh, who told me the poll “should be taken — like all polls — with a grain of salt.” But he pointed out the poll documents that Republicans are more excited about Reichert than Democrats are about Ferguson. Perhaps that’s why Conrad hopes the poll will wake up Democrats.

egardless of whether this poll should be tossed over a shoulder, it has elevated Republican excitement. Since 2008, in governor’s races 46% to 48% of the vote is a normal Republican showing (exempting 2020, which was abnormal). Many Republicans hope that Reichert already scraping that ceiling with 46% portends its shattering. But is that hope well placed? In February 2012, an Elway poll had Republican nominee Rob McKenna at 45%, trouncing Democratic nominee Jay Inslee at 36%. Nine months later, Inslee won. In January 2016, my own campaign was psyched when an Elway poll showed incumbent Governor Inslee polling not only below 50%, but below 40%. I trailed the incumbent by only 9 points with a third of voters undecided. Later that spring, our internal polling showed me tied with Inslee in key bellwether Seattle suburbs. Then Republicans nominated Trump and suburban undecided voters who skewed Democratic anyway, stampeded home to Inslee. I topped out just below the ceiling.

My intent is not to dump ice water on Republican excitement but to ring my own wake-up call: In the past, months before the election, Republican candidates have polled strongly, then lost. Republicans also should recognize Ferguson’s slow-grind momentum. In 2019, a Chism Strategies poll showed me (not that I was running) trouncing both Ferguson and the combined Democratic vote. A few years later, a similar poll showed Republican Pierce County Executive Bruce Dammeier (not that he was running) trouncing Ferguson and tying the combined Democratic vote. But since then, Ferguson has campaigned in every Washington county. Those miles and handshakes and dinners are paying off. A poll conducted last June by the business organization Enterprise Washington showed Ferguson beating Reichert. Then Reichert hit the trail, and polling now shows Ferguson and Reichert tied in a primary, with Reichert beating Ferguson in a general election. That’s good news for Reichert, but the poll also shows Reichert already has most of the Republican votes. That means to shatter the ceiling, he must convert Democrat-leaning undecided voters. Alternatively, Ferguson can pick up a few points by convincing indifferent Democrats to vote, and Democrat-leaning undecideds to stick with him. Reichert’s path is steeper. Democratic consultant Ben Anderstone picked up on this as well. He told me, “Reichert would look even better if there were more undecided Republicans. It looks likely that the undecideds skew Democratic, which makes Reichert’s 2-point lead precarious.” What adds to the precariousness is there aren’t many undecided voters. Unlike previous elections where at this time 20% to 30% of voters would be undecided, this poll suggests only 9%, about 360,000 voters, lack a preference. Adding even more precariousness to Reichert’s lead is that, based on my experience, those 360,000 people aren’t thinking about next year’s election; instead they have bills to pay, scout meetings to run, races to train for, treats to buy for soccer practice and aging parents to look after. Reading a brochure someone left on their door or an email languishing in their junk folder, or spending more than two seconds on a social media ad ain’t happening. Reaching these undecided voters takes two things. The first is money. They need to receive multiple messages on their doorknob, their social media feeds, and their radio, television, and phone. That costs, and in the funding race, Ferguson is miles ahead with about $3.9 million in the bank compared to Reichert’s $560,000. But while it takes money to reach undecided voters, issues can convert them. These voters won’t start paying attention until we see jack-o-lanterns again, but when they do stare at their ballot, they will make their decision based on the issues they care about.

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s political commentator John Carlson pointed out about Washington state, “the Republican brand isn’t popular, but Dave Reichert is. The Democratic brand is more popular, but Bob Ferguson is not. If the issues trend Reichert’s way, he could be the first Republican governor in 40 years.” Carlson’s right. If the issues undecided voters care about 11 months from now are crime, homelessness, public safety, and the rising burden of taxes and regulations, then Reichert shatters the glass ceiling. But if Trump, democracy and issues like reproductive freedom and health care are what these 360,000 voters care about next fall, then Ferguson extends the Democrat’s sweep. n Bill Bryant, who served on the Seattle Port Commission from 2008-16, ran against Jay Inslee as the Republican nominee in the 2016 governor’s race. He is chairman emeritus of the company BCI, is a founding board member of the Nisqually River Foundation and was appointed by Gov. Chris Gregoire to serve on the Puget Sound Partnership’s Eco-Systems Board. He lives in Winthrop, Washington.

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The Trent shelter is in a former warehouse just north of the county fairgrounds near a sprawling BNSF Railway terminal. YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

Off-TRAC POLITICS

The city’s homeless shelter will likely remain in the hands of the Salvation Army — despite an overwhelming vote to hand control to Jewels Helping Hands BY NATE SANFORD

he future of the city’s flagship homeless shelter on East Trent Avenue has never been more uncertain. Mayor-elect Lisa Brown has called the warehouse shelter — the Trent Resource and Assistance Center, or TRAC — a “financial and humanitarian disaster” and has called for it to be replaced over the coming year. But someone has to keep it running in the meantime. And the process of choosing an organization to do so has been plagued with delays and communication challenges that now threaten to disrupt 300-plus people who stay there nightly. “Everything has been so disorganized,” says Council member Karen Stratton. For a brief moment, it seemed like Jewels Helping Hands would be taking over management of the Trent shelter. The nonprofit homeless service provider previously managed Camp Hope, the large homeless encampment in East Central. It’s also led by Julie Garcia, who outgoing Mayor Nadine Woodward frequently clashed with and accused of conspiring against her.

8 INLANDER NOVEMBER 30, 2023

Jewels was one of three organizations that applied to take on the city contract to run the Trent shelter in 2024. The Salvation Army — which currently runs the shelter through a contract with the city that expires at the end of December — also applied for the 2024 contract. But the city committee tasked with reviewing applications thought Jewels’ application material was stronger, citing the nonprofit’s depth of services and lower price tag. During a Sept. 6 meeting, members of the city’s Community Housing and Human Services board voted overwhelmingly to recommend Jewels for the 2024 contract and pass on the application to City Council for final approval. But the process stalled. Repeatedly. For more than two months. Now, as the end of the year approaches, the window of time for an orderly transition to Jewels is shrinking. The Woodward administration is proposing extending the Salvation Army’s contract for four months into 2024 for $3.2 million — despite the CHHS board’s belief that Jewels would offer better services at a cheaper price.

Council President Betsy Wilkerson, who sits on the CHHS board along with Stratton, says she thinks chronic short-staffing in the mayor’s CHHS department played a role in the delay. (The director of the department announced her resignation one day after the CHHS board voted to recommend Jewels.) Jewels’ application included a partnership agreement that would see the Spokane Low Income Housing Consortium provide administrative and data support at the shelter. Ben Stuckart, the director of the consortium who helped draft Jewels’ application materials, says the whole process was frustrating. “I don’t know if it was just lack of staffing down there or if it was intentionally delayed,” Stuckart says. “But regardless, it was a messy process that should have never happened.” On Nov. 16, council members met with the CHHS board and members of the Woodward administration to try to piece together what happened and come up with a way forward. They walked away frustrated and with a lot of still-unanswered questions. “There has been a lack of transparency,” Wilkerson told the board, adding that if she were in their shoes, she would be “pissed.” ...continued on page 10

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NOVEMBER 30, 2023 INLANDER 9

NEWS | POLITICS

“OFF-TRAC,” CONTINUED...

CUTTING SERVICES

Jewels’ proposal also included a partnership agreement with Revive Counseling — which does peer navigation work at the shelter through a separate city contract. (Both Jewels and Salvation Army asked for roughly $9 million in their applications, but Jewels’ proposal was ultimately cheaper because the organization factored services from Revive and the Housing Consortium into the total bill.) Revive’s current contract with the city is set to expire at the end of this year. But unlike with Salvation Army, the city does not currently have a proposal to extend it into 2024. “Closing services for over 300 guests who are in the middle of an engaged recovery and housing process with their Revive case managers will be inhumane,” Lane Pavey, executive director of Revive, wrote in an email to city officials earlier this month. On Monday, Kim McCollim, the director of the city’s Neighborhood Housing and Human Services division (which houses CHHS), told council members that she was talking with Pavey and trying to find ways to keep Revive on board for the winter.

SEARCHING FOR $9 MILLION

Woodward called for a pause in the process of awarding the Trent shelter contract immediately after the CHHS board voted to recommend Jewels on Sept. 6. She cited concern about a lack of identified funding sources and uncertainty about how plans for a regional homeless authority would impact the Trent shelter. Woodward didn’t mention Jewels as a reason for the pause. But in a series of evening tweets on Oct. 5, Wood-

10 INLANDER NOVEMBER 30, 2023

Mayor-elect Lisa Brown has said she will close the Trent Resource and Assistance Center, or TRAC. YOUNG KWAK PHOTO ward referred to Garcia as Brown’s “partner-in-crime” and expressed incredulity about the fact that Garcia was applying to operate the Trent shelter, despite having repeatedly criticized the shelter as insufficient and inhumane. “UNBELIEVABLE!” Woodward wrote. Wilkerson is hesitant to speculate whether Woodward’s well-documented dislike of Garcia played a role in the delays. “I’m not going to call that one,” Wilkerson says. “I think people can read between the lines.” Brian Coddington, the mayor’s spokesperson, says that Woodward’s personal relationship with Garcia is irrelevant and that funding was the only issue. But throughout the fall, members of the City Council and the Woodward administration seem to have been on wildly different pages about whether or not funding for the shelter was actually in place. When the City Council voted on Oct. 23 to move $6.1 million in unspent federal pandemic relief money to help cover shelter operations, Wilkerson said it was her understanding that the contract could then move forward. It didn’t. When the Inlander asked Coddington what the holdup was in early November, he said the contract was still on pause because the federal pandemic money only covered two-thirds of the $9 million needed for the entire yearlong contract. But Wilkerson says she was under the impression that funding for the full year was already identified. Weeks earlier, on Oct. 5, Skyler Brown, the city’s grants and contracts manager, had emailed council members and members of the Woodward administration to say that the state Commerce Department had indicated it would be

OK for Spokane to use the department’s inflation grants to help cover costs at the Trent shelter. When the City Council’s budget director, Matt Boston, emailed with Skyler Brown to compare Trent shelter funding notes on Oct. 23, both had the combined federal pandemic relief money and several pots of Commerce money adding up to just over $10 million, “which gets us above and beyond the number we were looking for,” Boston wrote. (Coddington says it’s his understanding that the Commerce money has been identified, but not yet “fully confirmed” by the state agency.) Boston kept trying to move the contract forward — emailing City Administrator Garrett Jones and McCollim on Nov. 1 to say that the City Council was in “critical need” of an update on the status of the contract. “We know that we need to fast-track the contract to get the new provider started prior to January 1,” Boston wrote. Boston added that the topic would be coming up at the CHHS board meeting scheduled that night and that it would be helpful to have an update for them. The CHHS board members did not receive an update that night. “People have been asking us, and we don’t know” where the contract is, Wilkerson told the board. “I guess there’s an appeal process pending?”

AN APPEAL PROCESS?

The Salvation Army had filed its formal letter asking the CHHS committee to reconsider its decision on Sept. 22. Kelly Cain, a captain with the local Salvation Army, wrote that it would be a “disservice to our guests to inter-

rupt shelter operations with another provider change” and that the organization had “many success stories that can be shared” about its work at the shelter. The letter was addressed to Jenn Cerecedes, the former CHHS director who had announced her resignation two weeks earlier. McCollim was included in the letter’s recipients. Members of the City Council and the CHHS board were not informed of the appeal. Wilkerson said she only heard about it shortly before the Nov. 1 CHHS board meeting. “It was pretty disappointing and frustrating that that information had been kept from Council,” Wilkerson says. Council members and the CHHS board didn’t receive an actual copy of the appeal until Nov. 16. During a meeting that day, McCollim said the appeal wasn’t forwarded because there wasn’t a process in place for how to handle it. “When I was told there was no process, I was as upset as you are,” McCollim said. Members of the City Council and the CHHS board spent a lot of time fretting about the appeal, but Coddington says the appeal didn’t actually have anything to do with the pause. He stresses that lack of funding was the sole reason. “We’ve gotten to the point where we’ve identified two-thirds

“I don’t know if it was just lack of staffing down there or if it was intentionally delayed. But regardless, it was a messy process that should have never happened.” of those funds solidly, and the other third, at this point, fairly solid,” Coddington says. “But because time has passed, circumstances have changed, now it’s most prudent to be able to provide the mayor-elect” flexibility. On Monday, McCollim briefed council members on the request to extend Salvation Army’s contract. She said the extension was necessary to give Brown time to develop her plan to wind down the shelter and to avoid disrupting guests with a service provider change in the middle of winter. The proposal included an additional $730,000 to cover Salvation Army going over budget to accommodate extra people during extreme weather earlier this year. Council member Zack Zappone said he was uncomfortable with the proposal, noting that the Salvation Army has already gone over budget several times this year, including in September, when the City Council voted to increase the organization’s contract by $3.5 million. “My real concern is we don’t have options,” Wilkerson said. “The amount of money that’s being requested is more than we can truly afford.” The extension will likely come to a vote next week. Council members aren’t happy about once again being forced to choose between spending money the city doesn’t have or kicking 350 people out into the cold. As frustrations flared on Monday, outgoing Council President Lori Kinnear asked her colleagues to cut the city’s CHHS department some slack. “When you have so much turnover, things are going to fall through the cracks, it’s inevitable,” Kinnear said. “We just have to move forward… Let’s just get this done so people aren’t freezing on the street.” n nates@inlander.com

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NOVEMBER 30, 2023 INLANDER 11

NEWS | RESEARCH

Sonified Symphonies Eastern Washington University professor Jonathon Middleton is working to transform complicated datasets into musical outputs BY COLTON RASANEN

ave you ever wondered what a cloudy day sounds like? Or possibly what tune your heart beats to? Maybe you’re curious about trees falling in the woods when you aren’t there to hear them? Well, thanks to research spearheaded by Jonathan Middleton, that may soon be possible. Middleton, a professor of theory and composition in Eastern Washington University’s music education program, recently published a research paper in Frontiers in Big Data — “Data-to-music sonification and user engagement” — which looks to reveal how musical characteristics can have analytical purposes. He worked Spokane Preservation Advocates hosts the Annual Historic Preservation Awards ceremony to celebrate those individuals or organizations who have contributed significantly to the preservation of Spokane’s city and county cultural heritage. The mission of Spokane Preservation Advocates is to preserve and enhance the historic character of Spokane and Spokane County through advocacy, education and preservation.

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with 10 other researchers hailing from Finland’s Tamit’s completely overcast. pere University, EWU’s school of business and Bentley At first, Middleton’s algorithm played a higher pitch University in Massachusetts. for the higher-okta cloudier days, and a lower pitch for Essentially, he’s turning data into music. sunnier days, so he flipped the pitch scale. Now, when a “We live with sounds all the time,” he says. “It’s only day is bright and sunny, his algorithm produces a higher a matter of time before phones can play a musical riff that pitch and a lower sound for cloudy days. tells you the weather for today.” By programming a data-to-music mapping software his isn’t a new discovery for Middleton, who’s over three years, Middleton and his research team were been thinking about algorithms that can take able to create an algorithm that outputs different music a source of data and translate it into musical depending on the data input. Different sounds for nearly two decades now. In datasets can be assigned specific musical 2004, he and a team of EWU computer attributes, such as pitch, rhythm, duration science students created a tool — musicaland scale. gorithms.org — that allows folks to create Take the weather, for example, one mumusical representations of the data they sical stream may represent the cloud cover want to input. for the day while another might represent “We feel like we can graph anything, the wind speed, according to Middleton’s but that usually comes as a visual display,” paper. The two streams can then be played he says. “I think adding an auditory display together to make a more complete and may help some data scientists better undercomplex string of music. stand their research.” As you can imagine, Middleton had He believes that this work offers a symto get creative with how he directed the bolic fourth dimension to the way people program to convert data points into musical understand their datasets. Unfortunately, notes in order to produce something that his most recent research doesn’t dig deep both sounds pleasant and makes logical Jonathan Middleton enough for Middleton’s curiosity. sense. “The paper I wrote isn’t the paper I For instance, meteorologists assess wanted to write,” he explains. “It was the cloud cover at their weather station in “oktas” — a unit paper I had to write because there wasn’t any paper like of measurement that splits the sky into eight sections of it yet that took the leap of faith that you can mix musical a circle to estimate how much is covered by clouds. Zero ideas as a representation of data. oktas means it’s a completely clear day, while eight means “A lot of researchers in the community are very hesi-

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tant to cross the line into making musical sounds out of the data, so I had to write something that would cross that line,” he continues. Middleton says that his recent research essentially created the field that he wants to play on. Moving forward, he wants to examine how musical datasets can be put to use in practical applications. If all goes well, he hopes that this data-to-music research could be used in the medical field. “If I could help doctors diagnose diseases, that would be truly amazing,” he says.

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But even then, he doesn’t think this type of work will make its way into the mainstream for a while. “We’ll need like 10 of these types of studies to firm up the research,” Middleton says. “It might take awhile, but I think this will help researchers understand and engage with their data in new, accessible ways. “ If all goes well for Middleton, he hopes to have his next research paper published by June 2025. n coltonr@inlander.com

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NEWS | ENVIRONMENT as a hopeful sign. “We support our sister tribes in their recovery efforts,” Wheeler says. “I think it’s only going to help people understand the importance of salmon in the water.”

nake River chinook and sockeye are considered “threatened” and “endangered” under the Endangered Species Act. The tribe’s fisheries department also closely monitors other declining anadromous fish — which transition from freshwater to saltwater and back to spawn — including steelhead and lamprey. “For spring chinook and steelhead, those species are incredibly important because they range throughout such a massive amount of the Snake River basin that is encompassed by wilderness,” says Dave Johnson, Nez Perce fisheries department manager. “We can’t really do much to fix that habitat that’s in the wilderness area, and our ability to apply some other tools like hatchery programs is really limited.” Fall chinook spawn in the main stem of the river, Johnson says, where it’s easier to supplement the wild population with hatchery fish. “The tribe has been successful in bringing back Snake River fall chinook,” Johnson says. “But steelhead and The Nez Perce Tribe’s right to hunt, gather and fish on its lands was part of an 1855 treaty with the U.S government. COURTESY PHOTO spring chinook are really in trouble, and we can’t do much other than to address the dams.” To see salmon return to healthy levels, where there documentary Covenant of the Salmon People, which was first are plenty of fish to catch, eat and sell, about 4% need released this spring and has been airing on PBS throughto survive from the time they’re juvenile smolts to adult out November. fish returning to their home waters to spawn. They face a For decades, the conversation has focused on whether gantlet of predators, dams and warm water along the way. or not to breach the four lower Snake River dams to reKnown as the smolt-to-adult return rate, a 2% survival store the flow of the river, which has artificially stagnated rate would simply hold the population steady, with for hydropower, barging and irrigation. enough survivors to replace the parents, says Jay Hesse, But Shannon Wheeler, chairman of the tribe’s execudirector of biological services in the tribe’s fisheries departtive committee, says the story is larger and more interconment. nected for the Nez Perce. “Four percent allows those populations to grow over “There’s more to it than just dams versus salmon,” time and provide some increased harvest opportunity,” Wheeler says. “It’s not only a tribal injustice story, but Hesse says. environmental injustices that are happening here with the As shown in the documentary, because the runs have system.” been so low in recent years, the tribe It took about two years from has had to curtail its early catch in conception to the release of the docuZone 6. Previously each family might Find more about the documentary mentary, which was made by Swiftwareceive dozens of fish, but recently it’s and upcoming showings at ter Films. The film has already won been more like a third to a half of a CovenantOfTheSalmonPeople.com. awards and will be entered in more fish per person. festivals as the tribe continues to get its “Activities involved with getting message out to a broader audience. fish, harvesting fish, taking care of fish, they can’t exist “We want to give people a true understanding of the when you only have a handful of fish coming back,” BY SAMANTHA WOHLFEIL position we’re up against right now,” Wheeler says. Johnson says. The film takes viewers to an impressive number of But as long as the fish aren’t extinct yet, there’s hope his time three years ago, the Nez Perce Tribe locations, from the tribe’s restoration site at the Crooked to restore that important relationship. Chairman Wheeler shared what’s at stake if salmon populations in the River in southeastern Idaho to the inner workings of the imagines a time decades from now, after runs have been Columbia-Snake river system don’t recover. dams hundreds of miles away that block the natural route restored, when someone can take their daughter, son or The extensive story in the Seattle Times by Lynda from the mountains to the sea. grandchild fishing. Mapes outlined the ongoing fight to remove dams that Viewers go on a journey to catch spring chinook in “It could be a day trip or a weeklong camping trip, have devastated salmon runs over the last century, and “Zone 6” along the Columbia River, a 147-mile stretch but somewhere along that line you’ll be in the water,” highlighted the tribe’s thousands of years of connection between the Bonneville and McNary dams where treaty Wheeler says. “You may have one splashing on the bank with the land in what’s now known as Idaho, Oregon and tribes have the exclusive rights to commercial fishing. and the excitement that comes from that, but also the Washington. The ceremonial first salmon of the year are packed on ice spirituality that comes from that, and the respect you have Salmon once made up 60% to 70% of the Nez Perce and taken back to the tribe’s reservation east of Lewiston, for a brother or sister salmon that swam to the ocean and diet, but as the river systems were dammed and the fish where the catch is shared in a first foods ceremony in came back — the ultimate range animal.” runs became threatened, the health of the tribe’s members Lapwai and delivered to members in Orofino and other The experience and the meal you share together cresuffered as well. towns. ates an impactful memory, he says. When that grandchild This despite the fact that the right to hunt, gather and As shown in the documentary, the tribe also works to takes their grandchild fishing, they’ll say your name as fish in usual and accustomed areas was explicitly guarraise awareness in Congress, which has the final say on they continue the tradition. anteed under an 1855 treaty with the United States. As dam removal. “You create a legacy with this,” Wheeler says. “Those Mapes’ sources pointed out, treaties are the supreme law Wheeler says he applauds the Biden administratypes of interactions with the land and with the salmon, of the land, but those 170-year-old promises have not been tion’s September agreement with the Upper Columbia you can’t make those up. You have to live that, and things upheld. Just as the land that was once guaranteed to tribes United Tribes (including the Spokane, Coeur d’Alene will change for you, things will come to you in a good has shrunk over time, so have the natural resources. and Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation) to way. And salmon means that to us.” n The article laid the groundwork for the tribe’s recent restore salmon in the upper Columbia Basin, and sees it samanthaw@inlander.com

Salmon Salvation

The Nez Perce Tribe shares its work to restore balance in the documentary ‘Covenant of the Salmon People’

14 INLANDER NOVEMBER 30, 2023

NEWS | BRIEFS

Dining Headline Escape & Relax

Brake for the Bear State officials want a new fire-focused license plate. Plus, Spokane leads the nation for housing innovation; and Spokane library and EWU partner up for the arts.

hile Smokey Bear probably wouldn’t approve of you doing donuts, he may soon be on one of the personalized license plate options in Washington state. Public Lands Commissioner Hilary Franz is working to create a Smokey Bear license plate, with the proceeds going to wildfire prevention and support for wildland firefighters. The plates would need to be approved with legislation, and the Department of Natural Resources is gathering signatures to get the plate considered by the Department of Licensing. That signup can be found at dnr.wa.gov/smokeybear. “A Smokey Bear license plate would let people show their support for the firefighters who put their lives on the line every season to keep us, our property and our lands safe from fire,” Franz said in an announcement. “Putting his image on vehicles across Washington will increase wildfire awareness by reminding everyone of his signature catchphrase: Only You Can Prevent Wildfires.” (SAMANTHA WOHLFEIL)

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HOUSING BOOM

In a victory for housing advocates, Spokane passed a sweeping slate of reforms last week that make it legal to build diverse types of housing in almost every part of the city. Duplexes. Triplexes. Fourplexes. Cottage housing. Courtyard apartments. Townhomes. In-law units. Even six-plexes. The new law makes permanent a temporary zoning law that earned Spokane national attention when it launched as a pilot program last year. “Spokane can plausibly claim to be the leading city for housing innovation in America right now,” the prominent, California-based writer and environmental advocate Alex Steffen wrote on X (formerly Twitter). Many cities have tight zoning restrictions, which have increasingly drawn criticism for prioritizing single-family homes and exacerbating housing affordability issues. City Council members passed the new law unanimously last week after hearing overwhelmingly supportive testimony. Council member Jonathan Bingle noted that the housing reforms had united groups of people who usually disagree. “But on housing, we’re sort of together,” Bingle said. “There’s a real alignment on housing and neighborhood walkability and this entire idea of making our communities smaller and more accessible.” (NATE SANFORD)

HEARD THE BUZZ?

Earlier this month the Spokane Public Library announced a new partnership with Eastern Washington University’s fine and performing arts department. Each fall two recent graduates from the bachelor of fine arts studio art program will receive a six-month artist residency at the Hive. “The first few years after students graduate can be very hard because they lose their school studio space and everyday guidance,” Joshua Hobson, the director of EWU Gallery of Art, said in a statement. Spokane Public Library Arts Education Specialist Eva Silverstone says this program will produce “a high-quality lineup of emerging artists in our region.” Two graduates, Noelle Bowden and Luu Melon, have already been chosen for this year’s residency due to their overwhelming creativity and exceptional applications, according to a statement. Their work can be viewed from 4-7 pm during Open Studio Wednesdays at the Hive. (COLTON RASANEN)

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NOVEMBER 30, 2023 INLANDER 15

VISUAL ARTS

Bittersweet Biennial Before retiring from Eastern Washington University, ceramics instructor Lisa Nappa partakes in one last faculty art showcase BY CARRIE SCOZZARO

16 INLANDER NOVEMBER 30, 2023

ike many regional colleges and universities, Eastern Washington University regularly showcases its arts faculty’s artwork. This year’s biennial exhibition, however, is bittersweet, with the imminent retirement of two longtime faculty members. “I am really sad about leaving,” says professor Lisa Nappa, who’s retiring after 24 years teaching ceramics. “I love my students.” Nappa’s work is featured in the exhibition running through Jan. 19 alongside work by Annie Cunningham, Chris Tyllia, Greg duMonthier, Jenny Hyde, Jessy Earle, Joshua Hobson, Marc LaPointe, Nancy Hathaway and Rochelle Nielsen, as well as Roger Ralston, who is also retiring. For her farewell exhibition, Nappa has included two of her mixed media stools featuring tufted seats, which she taught herself to create during the pandemic shutdown, and a monochromatic wall-mounted ceramic piece from the artist’s residency in Rome. “We have a lot in common,” says Nappa of her colleagues. Many are also members of Saranac Art Projects, a cooperative gallery in Spokane, which she calls a “gem.” “I think we all have a vision of the arts in our community and keeping it going the best way we can through supporting our students and kind of passing the torch,” says Nappa, whose legacy extends beyond the classroom. “The ceramics facility was in disrepair when I got there” in the mid-’90s, she explains. Together with the art department chair, Nappa wrote a whopping $250,000 proposal (equivalent to around $460,000 today). To her astonishment, it was funded. “We received three gas kilns and four electric kilns and revamped the glazing area’s ventilation to create a really dynamic ceramic studio,” she says. Nappa has been an integral part of the Spokane arts community, too. In addition to teaching, she’s curated and juried

Lisa Nappa has been teaching ceramics at EWU since the mid-1990s. YOUNG KWAK PHOTOS

exhibits, conducted guest lectures, and exhibited work both locally and nationally. In 2004, for example, Nappa worked with Kolva-Sullivan Gallery co-founder Jim Kolva to highlight ceramics in shows and events throughout Spokane, spurred by the 50th anniversary of the Montana-based Archie Bray Foundation for the Ceramic Arts, aka The Bray. She and Kolva also teamed up to curate one of the early “Spokane Collects” exhibits at Gonzaga University’s Jundt Gallery. And she helped found Red Sky Studio and Gallery — now Trackside Gallery — located next door to Kolva-Sullivan Gallery. In addition to curating EWU exhibitions, such as the biennial “2x2 Small Scale Ceramic Sculpture Exhibition,” Nappa has juried work for prominent events such as the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture’s ArtFest, Terrain, and for Spokane Arts’ Chase Gallery.

lthough Nappa teaches ceramics, she also works in other media, including photography and watercolor. Much of Nappa’s work deals with impermanence, especially relating to water, about which she writes in her statement: “It is often the things that we cannot hold on to that intrigue me, shadows on a wall, slight movement within leaves on a tree, reflecting light on a body of water.” Nappa, who grew up in New York, remembers visiting New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art with her mother. Iridescent Persian glass and shimmering impressionist paintings captivated her. In high school, Nappa briefly considered pursuing photography, partially because of the magical feeling of watching an image emerge from the developing tray of chemicals used in photo processing before the digital age.

“I just liked playing in the darkroom and with the possibilities of what would happen in there by chance,” Nappa says. During her junior and senior year in high school, however, Nappa committed herself to working with clay. She credits her art teacher at Gould Academy, a private boarding school in Bethel, Maine, with inspiring her passion for clay, as well as for teaching. An art teacher introduced Nappa to Gerry and Julie Williams, who founded one of the earliest and most successful ceramics trade publications, Studio Potter, in 1972. They mentored Nappa, who describes feeling like part of the couple’s family, as well as a valued employee. “So whenever [Gerry and Julie] needed help with a project, I’d just go live at their house and help them,” says Nappa, who worked for the couple and Studio Potter magazine well into young adulthood, traveling all over the U.S. and absorbing everything she could about working with clay. Nappa ended up in Portland, where she attended Lewis and Clark College and met Ralston, her future husband. Two years into her undergraduate degree, Nappa transferred to New York’s Alfred University for its revered ceramics program, then relocated again to Baton Rouge, where she and Ralston earned their master’s degrees at Louisiana State University. Missing life on the West Coast, the couple contemplated Portland and San Francisco, settling on Seattle, where Nappa eventually ended up as the education coordinator for Kirkland Art Center. “And then the job opened [at EWU] as an adjunct, and I really wanted to teach and there weren’t many teaching jobs then,” says Nappa, who figured she’d try it for a year.

Nappa’s recent creations include these mixed-media, tufted wool and ceramic stools.

ore than two decades later, Nappa is ready to pass the torch and spend more time focused on her own work, travel more, maybe do some volunteer work. “I kind of want to take a break,” says Nappa, who is confident the ceramics program is in good hands with instructors like Chris Tyllia taking over more classes. However, Nappa is also concerned about what she sees as a lack of support for the arts on a larger scale both in the community and in academia. For example, she says, the number of full-time, tenure-track art faculty has dwindled from nine when Nappa first arrived at EWU to three, the balance mostly shouldered by lecturers and other limited contract teachers. And even though EWU has experienced declining enrollment and other financial woes — in January it announced $3.5 million in additional budget cuts — enrollment in arts classes has held steady or increased, she says. The arts are vital for so many reasons, Nappa says, such as teaching critical thinking skills. “And as we get more ambiguous of a world and this looming AI, people need to be able to think for themselves. They need to be able to envision things from multiple vantage points,” she says. “And I think the arts teach that.” n

TWO PERFORMANCES!

2023 EWU Art Faculty Exhibition • Through Jan. 19, 2024; open Mon-Fri from 9 am-6 pm • Free • Eastern Washington University • 140 Art Building, Cheney • ewu.edu/art • 509-359-2494

NOVEMBER 30, 2023 INLANDER 17

CULTURE | THEATER

Not Your Mother’s Mockingbird Aaron Sorkin’s adaptation of To Kill a Mockingbird presents new perspectives on a classic story BY MADISON PEARSON

“Y

ou never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view — until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.” This line uttered by Atticus Finch in Harper Lee’s 1960 novel, To Kill a Mockingbird is, in a way, the central theme of the entire tale. Lee’s novel details a short period in the 1930s in a fictional town called Maycomb, Alabama, through the eyes of Scout Finch, Atticus’ 6-year-old daughter. Readers see Scout learn, grow and mature throughout the novel’s pages as her father defends Tom Robinson, a black man falsely accused of rape. In his 2018 stage adaptation of Mockingbird, coming to the First Interstate Center for the Arts from Dec. 5 to 10, playwright, screenwriter and director Aaron Sorkin imagines what it might be like to climb into the lawyer’s skin and see things from his point of view instead.

18 INLANDER NOVEMBER 30, 2023

Dancer and actress Melanie Moore plays Scout Finch in Broadway’s version of To Kill a Mockingbird. JULIETA CERVANTES PHOTO “With Atticus at the forefront of the production, the publication due to its still-relevant discussion of race and audience gets to see how he grows as a character throughinjustice. out the trial,” says Melanie Moore, who plays Scout The Broadway production of Mockingbird opened in Finch in the production. “It’s a different perspective, and December 2018 and suspended production in March it works well. The humor, tragedy and family dynamics 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. When the show and important questions are there, just presented in a started back up again in 2021, Moore says the story felt different package.” even more poignant after the hiatus. Sorkin’s adaptation has the three children — Scout, “During the lull, we had time to sit on it,” she says. Jem and Dill — from Lee’s original novel acting as narra“Also during that time, there was a move for racial tors and appearing as past, present and future versions of equality with the Black Lives Matter movement. I think themselves. The show relies on flashbacks to drive the plot white Americans thought we had come so far. Now when and the fourth wall is broken numerous times as the chilpeople see the play, they are struck by how many details dren ask questions and discuss the trial among themselves. of it we still see in the United States today.” “From the moment the curtain comes up it feels difSorkin’s play takes the historic tale and addresses modferent,” Moore says. “We are addressing the audience diern American divides that existed in the 1930s, the 1960s, rectly. I’m asking them questions. Aaron is causing people and that still exist today. With discussion of skin color, to sit forward in their seats and be active participants in social class, education and more, it delves deeper into the our play and really listen and put the pieces together with lives of its Black characters than the book or the 1962 film me if they’re willing.” ever did with the help of the inquisitive child narrators. Moore, now 32, tried to connect with her childhood “We hope that the audience is able to sit down with self as she worked with the character of Scout more and themselves afterward and think, ‘Who was I in that play? more. She got her start in the performing world as a Was I someone who sits and watches, or was I one of the dancer, entering competitions at the age of 3 and then kids who asks questions?’ and ‘Why do I have these feelgoing on to win Season 8 of So You Think You Can Dance? ings about people who don’t look like me?’” Moore says. when she was 18. “I hope it will incite questions and “Freedom, joy and laughter.” Moore says. inspire conversations that people MORE EVENTS “That’s what makes Scout such an incredible might not have otherwise.” Visit Inlander.com for character. Not only did Harper Lee write her “People of color, Black people complete listings of as such, but so did Aaron [Sorkin]. She’s full of specifically, have tried to say that local events. spunk and wonder. I channeled my childhood in this is still happening, and it wasn’t Georgia. I identified with her greatly.” until 2020 that we, as a country, re“I play Scout at multiple stages of her life,” Moore alized that we haven’t come as far as we believe we have,” continues. “I play an adult Scout who is looking back, she continues. “I hope that this show inspires people to present moment Scout, and the child version who has get to know their community and then, when the show is already seen the things we’re talking about. That requires revived in the future, hopefully, the world won’t look like me to change my voice and my posture. She’s a thinker this any longer.” n and I relate to that. I’m a very questioning person.” To Kill a Mockingbird • Dec. 5-10; Mon-Sat at 7:30 ockingbird is oft remembered as required reading pm; Sat at 2 pm; Sun at 1 pm and 6:30 pm • $52-$115 in literature curriculums across the United • First Interstate Center for the Arts • 334 W. Spokane States and remains a bestseller 60 years after its Falls Blvd. • broadwayspokane.com

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NOVEMBER 30, 2023 INLANDER 19

CULTURE | DIGEST

THE BUZZ BIN

Benedicto Ixtamer creates vibrant Guatemalan scenes. COURTESY PHOTO

CAPTURING LIFE AND CULTURE

JOIN THE CLUB There’s no doubt that Spokane is going all out for next year’s 50th anniversary celebration of Expo ’74, which laid the foundation for the city’s future as we know it. As the smallest city ever to host the World’s Fair, which was environmentally themed in 1974, Spokane saw its downtown core around the river transformed from a polluted, industrial railyard to the public greenspace now known as Riverfront Park. In preparation for a nine-week 50th anniversary celebration kicking off on May 4, 2024, locals can pitch in by donating $74 to the new CLUB ’74 program. Donors’ support will help fund free, family-friendly activities and programs, ranging from fireworks and other entertainment happening in Riverfront Park and around the community. Members to the club will gain access to special Club ’74 content and events. Learn more at visitspokane.com/expo-50. (CHEY SCOTT)

Painter Benedicto Ixtamer shares scenes of life in Guatemala for Community Building exhibition

BY SUMMER SANDSTROM

sing vibrant, dynamic colors and various artistic styles and perspectives, Mayan artist Benedicto Ixtamer illustrates the culture and scenes of everyday life in his hometown of San Juan La Laguna in Guatemala. “I capture history, I capture life, I capture culture from my country,” he says. “The idea is to rescue our history and bring it through my art, and to share and teach to other people through my art.” A self-taught artist, Ixtamer began painting as a kid, and in 2004 began selling and displaying his art at shows throughout the U.S. His art is currently on display at the Community Building in downtown Spokane until Dec. 15. Many of Ixtamer’s paintings depict scenes of daily life in his hometown, such as one titled “Cosecha de Cafe,” which shows people harvesting coffee beans from a bird’s-eye perspective. Each coffee bean is created using a thick layer of paint that protrudes from the canvas, adding an additional element of depth to the piece. Ixtamer likes to use a variety of perspectives, including a fisheye view that distorts the outer edges of the image. One painting utilizing this technique is “Carencia,” which shows a woman in the painting’s center hugging a large orb of yellow, with various strokes of color encircling her in a warped way, drawing the viewer’s attention. Carencia means lack in English, and Ixtamer says this piece represents the lack of opportunities women in Guatemala have. “The woman is the person without a lot of opportunities or jobs, but is the person who has a lot of knowledge,” he says. “She’s the main person who organizes, the main person who works, and does many things to promote the culture.”

xtamer uses the money from his paintings to give back to his community via food distribution, health care and environmental services, and providing scholarships to kids in San Juan La Laguna.

20 INLANDER NOVEMBER 30, 2023

“Doing shows up here in the states has given me the opportunity to help other people,” he says. Ixtamer, who studied to become a teacher, faced various challenges finding a job after graduating due to political systems that create challenges for many people in Guatemala seeking employment. “In Guatemala to get a job, a formal job, it’s tough. A person needs to get involved in politics,” he says. “When I graduated, I didn’t have that opportunity to find a job because I never got involved in politics.” As a result, he and his wife, Maria, created their own job by starting Eco Spanish School, a Spanish language immersion program that aims to also introduce students to social and cultural activities and events, creating an immersive learning experience. They also offer courses in the Tz’utujil Mayan language, as well as online courses for those unable to travel to Guatemala. “If someone is really looking to get the total immersion, Eco Spanish School is the place to do that,” Ixtamer says. “It’s a place where you can get a real experience of culture. You get directly into what the language is.” While he’s in Spokane, Ixtamer’s art is for sale, and he’ll be teaching classes at Blueprints for Learning in The Community Building. (After he returns to Guatemala on Dec. 15, interested buyers can contact Sandi Thompson-Royer at sandit@hotmail.com.) Ixtamer hopes his art inspires people to work together and support one another while also sharing and preserving his history and culture. “Looking at my painting, it’s bringing you quickly into how Guatemala is,” he says. “These are the colors of Guatemala.” n Benedicto Ixtamer • Through Dec. 15, open MonFri 7:30 am-5:30 pm, Sat 10 am-5:30 pm, Sun 12-4 pm • Free • The Community Building • 35 W. Main Ave. • benedictomayanartist.org • ecolanguages.net

THAT’S THE BOMB Spokane-based, queer-owned small business DOM + BOMB was recently recognized on a national scale for its excellence and commitment to uplifting people of color, women, and the LGBTQ+ community. The inclusive fashion brand — which offers clothing, mending, tailoring, gender-affirming clothing and other services while fighting back against fatphobia and the gender binary — was recently recognized as part of the “Queer to Stay: An LGBTQ+ Business Preservation Initiative” by the national Human Rights Campaign and SHOWTIME network. The program this year recognizes 25 small businesses around the U.S. that are fighting hate and creating inclusive, safe spaces for the queer community. Learn more at domandbomb.com. (CHEY SCOTT)

GET CAUGHT IN THE WEB When kids dream of being Spider-Man, the main appeal often isn’t the super strength, remarkable agility, Spidey sense or any of that — it’s web-swinging through town. The developers of the 2018 PlayStation 4 video game Spider-Man understood this, and it led them to craft one of the greatest video games of all time. The newly released SPIDER-MAN 2 for PlayStation 5 blissfully builds on this legacy. Sure, it’s thrilling to switch between playing as Peter Parker or Miles Morales. Sure, it’s wonderful to beat up henchmen of rogues like Sandman or Kraven the Hunter. Sure, it’s engaging to have a new take on the Venom/symbiote storyline. Sure, all the little science and photographic side quests are a kick. But I could spend hours just swinging around the game’s digital New York City because the scale of the map and the perfected physics engine make the traversal feel… well… super. (SETH SOMMERFELD)

CULTURE | THEATER

Lolita Behind the Wheel Stage Left’s new production of Paula Vogel’s How I Learned to Drive has a half-dozen trigger warnings… and humor BY E.J. IANNELLI

f you had to guess based on nothing more than its title, How I Learned to Drive might sound like a coming-of-age story. And in a way, it is. Paula Vogel’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play is, in very general terms, about a young girl nicknamed Li’l Bit and the driving lessons that shape her maturity into womanhood. Yet that synopsis crucially omits a key figure in all this, Uncle Peck, and the way he uses those driving lessons and other automobile excursions to groom Li’l Bit. As a result, an important phase of her life is warped by his abuse and the sexual relationship that develops between them. “This whole play is Li’l Bit’s memory,” explains Lisa Edwards, who plays the character in a new production of How I Learned to Drive, which opens Dec. 1 for a two-anda-half-week run at Stage Left Theater. “It sees her working through what has happened to her since a young age and how she has come out the other side as a survivor. So we travel all the way from age 11 to 18 and beyond, but it jumps around. One memory sparks another.” “Vogel’s very crafty,” says Susan Hardie, the show’s director. “This method of storytelling reflects how memory works, in that we don’t always remember things in order. And also we don’t always remember things exactly the way they happened.”

By way of example, she points to one flashback scene in the play that depicts Li’l Bit’s “oversexualized” family in a “very broad, satirical” way that sketches them almost like caricatures. It’s a style of storytelling that’s built into the mechanics of How I Learned to Drive. Whereas Li’l Bit and Uncle Peck (played by Danny Anderson) are distinct standalone characters, a Greek chorus of shape-shifting actors — Rebecca Craven, Jennie Oliver and Jeffrey St. George — take on the other roles as they emerge in recollected and half-remembered vignettes. Those free-flowing vignettes are also given a type of structure through the conceit of a driving lesson. “The metaphor of driving is very potent in this play,” Hardie says. “We hear from an offstage narrator who tells us where we’re going. So we switch to the neutral gear at times, and we let ourselves breathe and watch something. Sometimes we go to the reverse gear, and Li’l Bit’s memory winds back. It’s very carefully crafted so we can see the abuse and how it evolves.”

ike Vladimir Nabokov’s novel Lolita, which was a source of inspiration for How I Learned to Drive, Vogel’s play has drawn praise for its nuanced portrait of what is, at its core, a profoundly disturbing and predatory relationship. Edwards says that the script looks at that troubling relationship “through a beautiful lens,”

but her voice rises to a question on the word beautiful. “That’s something that has been challenging to work through in the rehearsal process,” she says. “Sometimes when Danny and I are in a scene, it’s like, ‘This is lovely, this is beautiful.’ And then I’m like, ‘This is not OK.’ Even though Peck is the villain in this show, he’s charming. Even though you know what he’s doing is awful, the character has a certain likability to him at many points.” This production even has its own intimacy director, Nike Imoru, to help everyone involved in the play, the lead actors especially, to work through the sensitive issues and the unsettling interactions. “She’s given us great tools to not only work with this play and these characters but also to take with us as we go into different projects. But it’s also really important that people understand there is no explicit sexual content in this piece. There is no nudity. In fact, there’s very little physical touching in the play at all. All of the activity is inferred and implied,” Hardie says. And to add to the ambivalence, there’s also a lot of humor. “Paula Vogel is very good at crafting a play that allows you breathing room. She talks about a very difficult subject, but she is so good at creating an emotional buffer. You can watch and take it in and still be affected by what’s going on onstage,” she says. The powerful concoction of emotions that How I Learned to Drive evokes is why Hardie and Edwards have both been eager to stage it ever since they first came across it — Edwards as a student at Sarah Lawrence College, Hardie as a theatergoer during its debut off-Broadway run in 1997. “It’s a different time now than when this show was first written and when I first saw it,” Hardie says. “And I think it holds up beautifully. What changes is the audience.” n How I Learned to Drive • Dec. 1-17; Thu-Sat at 7 pm, Sun at 2 pm • $25 • Stage Left Theater • stagelefttheater.org • 509-838-9727

Danny Anderson as Uncle Peck in Stage Left’s How I Learned to Drive. ASHLYN WIKER PHOTO

NOVEMBER 30, 2023 INLANDER 21

Eleanor Barrow Chase standing between her mother, Olive Barrow, and her father, Charles Barrow.

22 INLANDER NOVEMBER 30, 2023

Songs My Mother

COURTESY OF NORTHWEST MUSEUM OF ARTS AND CULTURE

Taught Me

Remember Eleanor Barrow Chase, a voice who championed the health and harmony of Spokane by Eliza Billingham

“M

y dear Mrs. Barrow,” the letter began. “It has come to my notice that perhaps, without intruding, you would like an expression of my impressions of your daughter, Eleanor Barrow, in recital at Bethel Church, the sixteenth.” The sender was Raymond Wheeler, director of Wheeler Music Studios in Portland, Seattle and Vancouver, B.C. On June 16, 1939, Wheeler had listened to Eleanor Barrow give a voice recital at the Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church at the base of the South Hill in Spokane. He was impressed. So impressed, he thought that 20-year-old Eleanor could go pro. So he wrote to her mother — in a letter preserved along with scrapbooks and photographs at the Joel E. Ferris Archives at the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture — hoping to assuage whatever concern she might have about her daughter pursuing an untraditional line of work: “The art of making money in a career is not so far removed from the art of making money in any other honorable manner.” For Eleanor, a young Black woman who had spent her whole life in Eastern Washington, this might have been her ticket out. In her room, Eleanor kept a signed photo from Roland Hayes, one of the first Black tenors to be a classical concert performer, and an autographed program from Marian Anderson, a renowned Black contralto who made history with her rendition of “America (My Country, ’Tis of Thee)” at the Lincoln Memorial just two months before Eleanor’s recital at Bethel AME. Wheeler offered this young artist the chance to chase her dreams of joining Hayes and Anderson on the world stage. But this isn’t a story about chasing fame or fortune. Eleanor didn’t leave Spokane. There’s no record of how Mrs. Barrow responded, but Eleanor said later that it was her choice to stay. Not only did she decide to stay in a city that didn’t offer her many opportunities, but she gave everything she had to create those opportunities for the next generation in Spokane. The daughter of one of the first Black pioneer families in Eastern Washington, Eleanor was steeped in the values of community, optimism and service. Though Eleanor never stopped singing locally, she became a career social worker instead, serving as an infant adoption advocate and a juvenile court officer. Over her lifetime, Eleanor volunteered for at least 32 charitable organizations in Spokane and was awarded nine community service awards. She was appointed trustee for both Whitworth University

and Eastern Washington University. In 1942, she married Jim Chase, and together they went on to be the first and only Black mayor and first lady of Spokane. And yet, for all her work, most people today don’t recognize her name. Waiting in the MAC archives are plenty of collections that tell the histories, especially women’s histories, illuminating where Spokane came from and what the city could grow to be. Some curiosity and a few hours are all it takes to rediscover Eleanor Chase, one of Spokane’s most influential women.

ELY-BONES

When Eleanor told her life story, she always began two generations before she was born. Her grandfather, Peter Barnabus Barrow, was born a slave in 1840 in Petersburg, Virginia. He fled slavery and joined the Union Army, marching in General Sherman’s March to the Sea. After the war, he settled in Vicksburg, Mississippi, and represented Warren County in the state Legislature in 1870, after the 1868 Mississippi Constitution empowered Black men to vote and hold office. Barrow had served two terms when Fred Wilson, a friend from Louisiana, wrote to “warn him about Reconstruction Days,” as Eleanor put it in her notes. Wilson had moved to Deer Lake in Stevens County in 1888. He encouraged Barrow to do the same. Soon, Barrow, his wife, Julia, and their seven children joined a wagon train west. They arrived in Eastern Washington shortly after the Great Fire in 1889, as Spokane began to rebuild over 30 city blocks that burned to the ground in one catastrophic evening. In 1890, Barrow built a new house on East Second Avenue. He committed himself to the fledgling Black community by helping found Calvary Baptist Church, the first Black church in Spokane and the oldest Black congregation in the state. He also cultivated 140 acres of apple orchards in Deer Lake. When he died in a streetcar accident during a trip to Seattle in 1905, his legacy continued through his son Peter Jr. and the Deer Lake Irrigated Orchards Co. The orchards eventually employed over 100 African Americans and allowed anyone to invest in its stock. Another son, Charles, got his first job as a printer for the Spokesman-Review. After some years, he decided to found his own paper, The Citizen, to focus on the concerns of the Black population in the city, which ran from 1908 to 1913. ...continued on next page

NOVEMBER 30, 2023 INLANDER 23

Eleanor, third from left, with friends and family. COURTESY OF NORTHWEST MUSEUM OF ARTS AND CULTURE

“SONGS MY MOTHER TAUGHT ME,” CONTINUED... When the paper closed, Charles married Olive Carr, the daughter of a Black pioneer family from Idaho. One year later, in the house that Peter Barrow built, Olive gave birth to a little boy named Kirk, and three years later, a spunky, energetic little girl named Eleanor. Eleanor remembered an idyllic childhood, split between a big porch in Spokane and a big family resort in Deer Lake run by Uncle Peter. She ate fresh corn and strawberries from the orchards, and fresh cinnamon rolls from her mother’s oven. “I remember our home was kind of a meeting place for all the young people,” she said in an interview with the Eastern Washington State Historical Society oral history committee. “The boys would come down and say, ‘Mrs. Barrow, do you have any cinnamon rolls?’ They knew she had them, and so they just loved to come by our house on the way home.” (Eleanor’s childhood home near Helena Street was torn down to build Interstate 90. The home that Peter Barrow built, where Eleanor was born, was demolished more recently in anticipation of the north-south freeway.) Most of the kids her age were boys, and with an older brother, Eleanor was a natural tomboy. She was so gangly that her friends called her “Ely-bones.” “I was strong, wiry and fearless, so I could join them with complete acceptance,” she said. In between swimming, climbing trees,

24 INLANDER NOVEMBER 30, 2023

running track and fishing, Eleanor started playing the piano by ear. When she was 11, she took a year of formal lessons. Twelve months was all it took for her to start playing dances for the kids who stopped by after school. “Those were happy times, and I never feared anything,” Eleanor said. She was track champion, newspaper editor and valedictorian at Libby Junior High School. When she attended Lewis and Clark High School, music teacher George Stout noted her vocal talent and asked her to solo with the orchestra. She made it into news coverage often as a musician and a student, since she went to high school during the years when the highest grade point averages were published in the paper. Someone, presumably Eleanor or her mother Olive, clipped out every mention, underlined Eleanor’s name and taped them onto stiff cardstock to make a scrapbook. Her mother expected Eleanor to get the best grades she could, often excusing her from household chores if she needed more time to study. Olive checked coats at the Davenport Hotel, and Eleanor credits her for being the first social worker in the family. “She loved it because she was right out there with people,” Eleanor said. “She just spent time with anybody, and I think she probably hushed a lot of people that might have a little bit of prejudice in them. It didn’t last too long with Mother.” Olive was an educator at heart. Eleanor

remembered her mother insisting she and her brother “got our lessons — or else.” Teachers ended up being some of the most important people in Eleanor’s life — in her scrapbooks, she also saved newspaper clippings of her most beloved teachers at Libby and Lewis and Clark. “My teachers gave me as much help as was given any other student,” Eleanor said when she won an award from Spokane’s Optimist Club in her adult years. “We had a wonderful rapport.” When Eleanor was 15, a railcar swung into town with three men from El Paso, Texas. Harry Blackwell, Elmo Dalbert and James Chase had finished a stint with the Civilian Conservation Corps and hopped some trains north to find new opportunities. James was 19 and had won a good amount of money by gambling on the train. Spokane’s Black community was small, fewer than 1,000 people in the 1930s and ’40s. Eleanor and James Chase, or just “Chase,” as everyone called him, couldn’t help but get to know each other. He worked at the Davenport’s barbershop, across First Avenue from the original downtown YWCA location, where Eleanor accompanied dance classes. They began to “eye each other,” as Eleanor put it. When Eleanor went to Washington State College for her first year of college, Chase was the one who drove her and her mother to Pullman. The Barrows helped Eleanor pay for college, and she worked as a piano accompanist to earn extra money, but tuition was

“Those were happy times, and I never feared anything.”

still too expensive. Eleanor was homesick for Spokane, and maybe for Jim, too. He and her mother drove back to Pullman to pack her up after her freshman year. She had decided to transfer to Whitworth College instead. At Whitworth, Eleanor thrived. She studied music and started giving concerts at local benefits and churches. She won awards in voice competitions while also accompanying other students on the piano for their performances. She traveled with Dr. Frank Furniss Warren, the new president of Whitworth, to advertise the university at Presbyterian churches around the state. Chase, who she said was “kind of a mascot at Whitworth, too” would tag along. “That’s one thing about Chase,” Eleanor said. “We were inseparable when we started going together.” Raymond Wheeler of Wheeler Music Studios heard her sing during her time at Whitworth. Almost certainly, there were other interested agents and letters to her mother, though other letters weren’t saved. But as soon as she graduated, Eleanor married Chase and decided she didn’t want to spend any more time on the road. In 1943, the newlyweds had their first and only son, Roland, and Eleanor sent the agents away, choosing to stay home with her child instead. Perhaps Eleanor did what was expected of her. After all, Chase had told her he wanted to marry her by saying “These are the hands I want to make my biscuits,” a phrase few women would appreciate today. But it’s hard to go through Eleanor’s collection and feel anything but passion for her life in Spokane. She repeats again and again how much she loved the city. There’s no record of her ever regretting her decision, even though her early years were certainly not as rosy as she chose to remember them.

'YOU BE READY'

In the first half of the 20th century, the Black population grew slowly. Most Black men were only hired for menial labor or construction work, and Black women for low-paying domestic work. In Jerrelene Williamson’s book African Americans in Spokane, early Black pioneer Clarence Freeman said that most foundations in downtown Spokane were laid by Black masons from Virginia, many of whom were his relatives. Almost all of Eleanor’s uncles were servers at the City Club, today known as the Spokane Club. Chase worked in a barbershop during his early years in Spokane because it was one of the only places that would hire him. The only way up for young Black men was to start their own businesses, which Chase did with his friends Blackwell and Dalbert. He started a body and fender repair shop with Blackwell in 1940, helped fix jeeps at Geiger Field during World War II, then started another autobody shop with Dalbert in 1945.

While some discrimination was buried or hidden, other racism surfaced publicly. A man named S.S. Moore sued the Pantages Theater for making him sit in the balcony because he was Black. Jurors eventually found that he should be able to sit wherever he wanted, and they awarded him $200. But when the Harlem Globetrotters came to town in the 1940s, no one else would give them housing. The Davenport Hotel initially refused lodging to both Sammy Davis Jr. and Louis Armstrong.

of your ability I know means more to you than the overwhelming discouragements you have now risen above.” When pressed in an interview later in life, Eleanor eventually acknowledged racism in her childhood. But to her, it was all relative to the experience of her family and friends who had come from Mississippi, Virginia and Texas. She seemed to think that overlooking racism was the best way to overcome it. “I think that coming out from the South, there was a great appreciation for Spokane, really,” she said. “It was a different city in those days. I never heard any of them complain about anything. The thing about it is that, of course there was prejudice. Even when I went to school and all, there would be prejudice. But you don’t pay any attention to it because just as many that are prejudiced, there are just as many that aren’t.”

HUGGY BEAR

While most of Eleanor’s scrapbooks are stuffed with praise-filled newspaper articles and personal notes from peers and society clubs, tucked within them are hints of more painful experiences. A tiny typed note falls out from between two browned pages, sent from Eleanor’s parents to a Rev. McQueen, wishing “to commend and heartily thank you personally for your stand in Eleanor’s behalf in becoming a member of your choir. Our problems could be solved in this U.S. if there were more people like you and your congregation.” Olive and Charles Barrow were convinced that the future would be better, which might have been why Olive was so adamant about education. “My mother used to say, ‘What’s impossible today will be possible tomorrow and you be ready,’” Eleanor remembered. Eleanor must have felt pressure to make tomorrow possible. In May 1940, a friend sent a letter to Eleanor after she was honored in a Canadian voice competition: “I only wish you to know, Eleanor, that you are winning a victory not just for today but for your future. This unbiased rating

For Eleanor, staying home with her son didn’t preclude her from volunteering around the city. “I belonged to so many organizations and had singing engagements that I would just hop on the bus with Roland and go,” she told Spokane Woman magazine. “While I was singing before a group, I looked down and saw that I had milk running down the front of my blouse.” By 1954, when Roland was 11, Eleanor went back to work full time. She studied to be a social worker and took a job with the state for 16 years. She then worked for Spokane County as a juvenile court officer for nine years. She was responsible for recommending to the judge whether a child should be taken away from their family or not. She later admitted that worry often kept her up at night, though she wouldn’t tell her husband so he wouldn’t ask her to stop. She worked predominantly with welfare clients, whom she always stood up for. “Sure, I went into a lot of homes where I wondered if I would be able to get this mother squared away so she would know what she should be doing to care for her kids,” she told the magazine. “But I can honestly say, I never met a family I didn’t like.” She started a new social work service, called the Homemaker’s Service, for families in the now defunct Aid to Dependent Children federal assistance program. Older women would go into homes of younger mothers and help teach cooking and caretaking skills, acting like aunts and grandmothers where no other family structure was present. The service was expensive and only lasted a few years before the state cut funding, but Eleanor said it was one of her proudest achievements. “You’ve got to be able to accept that mother and go with her,” she said later in life. “A lot of times, people give up on people with problems. You should never do that. I think they can tell if you care. You’ve got to care.” ...continued on next page

NOVEMBER 30, 2023 INLANDER 25

“SONGS MY MOTHER TAUGHT ME,” CONTINUED... The Chases became modest celebrities in their East Central community. They helped organize fried chicken dinners to raise money to send low-income kids to summer camp. One of the kids who got to go thanks to the fried chicken funds was Betsy Wilkerson, who was elected Spokane City Council president earlier this month, the first Black woman to ever win a citywide election. “To me, they were bigger than life,” says Wilkerson, who grew up in East Central. “I had never been exposed to Black leadership like that.” Eleanor and her husband built their lives around their values. Chase was president of the NAACP for 17 years and shifted the chapter’s focus toward employment opportunities for Black youth. He encouraged them to notify the Washington State Board Against Discrimination if they faced unfair employment challenges. Chase first ran for City Council in 1969 but didn’t win an election until 1975. He was then reelected in 1979 with three-quarters of the vote, even though Spokane’s Black population was below 2% of the city. Then, Larry Karlson, a friend and fellow educator, stopped into his body and fender shop. “He said to my husband, ‘You are going to run for office,’” Eleanor said. “Chase’s mouth just fell open. It was Larry Karlson that is the one that spearheaded him into office.” By “office,” Karlson meant the mayoral office. Chase decided to give it a try and started campaigning for mayor of Spokane. Eleanor was there for every step. Together with Karlson and his wife, Ruth, Eleanor's mom, Olive, on her Oct. 11, 1914 wedding. COURTESY OF NORTHWEST MUSEUM OF ARTS AND CULTURE they organized informal “coffee hours” for Chase to chat with constituents. Chase was campaigning against Wayne Guthrie, a a white card just as every other citizen was required to. council member and city developer who was involved in Then-Council member Vicki McNeill called to waive the racist redlining of Spokane neighborhoods, a federally the rule, the mayor was overridden 6-1, and Eleanor was approved discriminatory tactic that limited where Black allowed to speak. The incident was reported in multiple families could buy homes. Chase won handily — after newspapers the next day. election night, the Spokane Chronicle reported that Chase Eleanor and Chase always said on record that they earned 60% of the vote, while an article in Ebony a few never faced prejudice in Spokane. To them, promoting years later reported that Chase earned as much as 72% of tolerance and freedom of speech even meant allowing the the vote. Either way, the man nicknamed “Huggy Bear” Aryan Nation to gather peacefully in Riverfront Park in had become not only the first Black mayor in Spokane, 1983, which earned criticism from Carl Maxey and other but the first Black mayor in the state of Washington. civil activists. “That park is open to anyone and everyAs Jim’s involvement in city politics grew, so did Elone, with no discrimination,” Chase had told Spokane eanor’s. In addition to being a soloist at the Westminster City Council Administrator Mary Franklin. Chase atCongregational Church, a board member for two univertended the rally, with heavy police protection. sities, a member of many advisory boards including the Wherever Chase was, Eleanor was, too — in meeting Sports, Events, Arts and Convention Advisory Board, rooms, in photos, on trips across the world and at interthe Friends of Riverfront Park, the Spokane Girl Scouts views in City Hall. She spoke highly of her husband’s Council, and the Spokane YWCA, Eleanor attended mind and ability to speak without notes, though she every single City Council meeting. mentioned that her “mouth would fly open” if she had “I wanted him to have someone to whom he could something to say. talk,” she explained. “It wasn’t important that he have a “I think each partner has to have a deep respect for great big supper when he would get home [at] about 10 their spouse,” Eleanor told the Spokesman-Review. “You or 11 o’clock. No, it was important that we could go by have to be able to look up to them.” Gung Ho Restaurant and discuss the issues.” The two remained inseparable throughout Chase’s entire career, much to the delight of the press and fellow Although they loved their work and were loved by many politicians. Once, when Eleanor stood up in a council in return, Chase didn’t run for reelection in 1985. Batmeeting to speak on behalf of the American Cancer tling cancer began to take its toll, and two years after he Crusade, her husband cut her off, asking her to fill out ended his term as mayor, Chase died. He was 73 years

A STRANGE NEW LAND

26 INLANDER NOVEMBER 30, 2023

old. Over 1,200 people attended his funeral. Eleanor continued to attend City Council meetings and kept up her civic engagement for as long as she could. The same year Chase died, Eleanor helped guide EWU into the Big Sky football conference. She continued trying to improve Spokane for the future, and no one was left out, not even her best friends, the Dalberts, who got a letter from Eleanor in 1988, as a bond to fund law enforcement was on the ballot: “Dear Alta and Elmo, How are you? I hope and pray all goes well with you. I am writing to urge you to vote on September 20th…I am sure we are aware that there are youths with beliefs like those of the Ku Klux Klan and others in the Hayden Lake area that can make us fear for our safety…Therefore, let us vote on September 20th to protect our citizenry by giving our law enforcement agencies the tools which they need to do their work.” But Dalbert said after Eleanor’s death in 2002 that the widow never truly recovered from losing Chase. The couple had been together almost constantly for almost 50 years. One of the most personal records in her archival collection is a letter she wrote to Chase after his death, and a poem she wrote to reckon with losing him, which she titled “Teach Me To Walk Alone.” I live in a strange new land Where I must walk alone Where I must smile without a tear And grief must make no moan My comfort and my guiding star My tower of strength has gone No peace descends to me at dusk No light breaks with my dawn Eleanor began to suffer from Alzheimer’s. As her memory faded and she receded from public life, so, too, did memory of her life and legacy recede from view. TIME magazine misreported that Norm Rice in Seattle was the first Black mayor ever elected in the Northwest. They wouldn’t print a correction, despite letters and a photograph from Eleanor. The devoted wife, community advocate and cherished singer died May 31, 2002. The sole honor preserving Eleanor’s name in Spokane is the Eleanor Chase House Reentry Center on the South Hill, a minimum security state Department of Corrections facility that prepares women to reenter society as they near the end of incarceration. The Department of Corrections felt “her work as a civic leader, her community involvement, her devotion to helping others and involvement in corrections issues were qualities we could honor by selecting her name.” “We actually have a picture of Eleanor Chase and an article about her framed so everyone that comes here [and] the women that stay here know about Eleanor Chase and a little bit about her legacy,” says Michele Mans, the center manager. The Chase name lives on in a few other places around Spokane: Chase Middle School, the Chase Youth Commission and the Chase Gallery in Spokane City Hall are named for her family. Decades ago, former Gov. Booth Gardner named Dec.12 “Jim Chase Day.” But when Betsy Wilkerson, herself a Libby Junior High alum, became an elected official, she learned more about the Chase family than she had ever known as a community member. “When I became elected and got to really experience his legacy and their legacy together, I was even more impressed,” she says. “What [Eleanor] did at Eastern and her music and everything else, what I read about her about a year ago, I didn’t know half that stuff about Eleanor. It’s like it was just buried and not celebrated.” n

NOVEMBER 30, 2023 INLANDER 27

T F I G E D I U G

GIFTS FOR

READERS

Instead of a book they’ve probably read, try these gift options for the bookworm in your life BY MADISON PEARSON

hether they prefer hardcover, paperback or e-book, all readers love receiving a good bookish present. But getting them a title you picked up at Barnes & Noble isn’t gonna cut it if you really want to make them feel loved and appreciated. If you can get the avid reader in your life to pull their nose out of their current read for long enough to open a gift, I’m sure they’ll adore any of the gift options on this list.

AUNTIE’S BOOKSTORE MUGS (a)

There’s nothing a reader loves more than repping their favorite local independent bookstore. In the Inland Northwest, there are plenty to choose from. Dig through the receipts your bookworm amasses from buying new releases every week and figure out where they shop the most. Auntie’s Bookstore in downtown Spokane has the heart of many locals as well as visitors. You truly can’t go wrong when buying a mug for anyone, but especially a reader. Auntie’s currently carries mugs designed by local artist Hannah Charlton in her signature illuminated manuscript style as well as camper-style mugs featuring Aunties’ iconic logo. $12.95-$15.95 • Auntie’s Bookstore • 402 W. Main Ave., Spokane • auntiesbooks.com

CUSTOMIZED MOOSE GIFT BOX

Sometimes, you’ve gotta leave the gift-choosing to the experts. This customized book box from The Well-Read Moose in Coeur d’Alene is a perfect way to show someone you care and that you pay attention to their interests. There’s a theme for every type of reader: “Foodie,” “Train Your Brain,” “Get Outdoors” and even “DOGS DOGS DOGS!!!” for the reader who loves dogs more than anything (along with books). So, choose what kind of reader you’re purchasing for, answer a few more questions, then leave it to the well-read staff at the Well-Read Moose to make the gift box of their dreams. Prices vary • The Well-Read Moose • 2048 N. Main St., Coeur d’Alene • wellreadmoose.com

28 INLANDER NOVEMBER 30, 2023

GIFT GUIDE FOR THE HOLIDAYS

Gift Guide

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BORROW A BOOKSTORE

Choosing what to read can be an overwhelming experience. Take the stress out of book buying with every bookworm’s dream: having the bookstore all to themselves while perusing the limitless options for their next read. The booksellers at Page 42 offer two-hour private shopping experiences for those who just want some time to themselves while they pick out two — or 12 — new books. Included is a $20 voucher to go toward their new books. Page 42 also offers an option to rent out the store for date night that includes dinner, time to shop and a voucher. It’ll make your reader swoon. Trust me. $50-$250 • Page 42 Bookstore • 2174 N. Hamilton St., Spokane • page42bookstore.com

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SPECIALTY BOOKS (b)

If the reader in your life has a specific area of interest that they’re really into (to the point where it’s almost weird), there’s no place better to shop than Giant Nerd Books in the Garland District. Giant Nerd has books about everything from fashion to architecture to occult studies and so much more. There’s also an impressive selection of beautiful editions of classic novels for those who are ride-or-die for some Ernest Hemingway or Virginia Woolf. If they’re into it, you’ll be able to find it at Giant Nerd. And don’t forget to pet Elvira, the bookstore dog, while you’re there picking out the perfect gift. Prices vary • Giant Nerd Books • 607 W. Garland Ave., Spokane • giantnerdbooks.com

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OLD LIBRARY ROOM SPRAY (c)

Any reader will tell you that the atmosphere is everything. That’s why most bookish people prefer to cozy up in a coffee shop or their perfectly curated reading nook for a cover-to-cover reading session. This room spray by Wanderlust Folk Candle Co., a Coeur d’Alene-based company, is the perfect gift for any bookworm who needs just the right conditions to get into the zone. With notes of sandalwood and worn leather, it transports you into an old, quiet library with shelves full of leather-bound books. Who doesn’t love a good dose of dark academia? $9 • Wanderlust Folk Candle Co. • wanderlustfolkcandles.com

The spa closes at 5 PM on December 24TH and is closed on December 25TH.

BOOK JEWELRY (d)

When out in public, book lovers can sniff out other readers on vibes alone. It’s how they make friends when they’re not walking the aisles in their favorite bookstore. If you want to make it easier for the bookworm in your life to make other bookish friends, the Spokane Print & Publishing Center has your back. There, find handmade earrings and necklaces that double as fully functional tiny journals, which are absolutely adorable, works of art and practical for those always writing down their favorite lines. $20-$30 • Spokane Print & Publishing • 1921 N. Ash St., Spokane • spokaneprint.org n

W E LC O M E H O M E .

CASINO SPA

HOTEL

DINING

CHAMPIONSHIP

GOLF

3 7 9 1 4 S O U T H N U K WA LQ W • W O R L E Y, I D A H O 8 3 8 76 1 800-523-2464 • CDACASINO.COM

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GIFET GUID

E S TAT E V I N E YA R D S & W I N E R Y

Christmas gift ideas? Stop in at either location for award winning wines, gift a wine club membership or Rivaura merchandise (shirts, sweatshirts, hats). Do you have upcoming events? Christmas parties, Weddings, Anniversaries, Baby Showers, Bridal Showers, Remembrance of Life, Corporate Events. Email: events@rivaura.com or eventscda@rivaura.com

GIFTS FOR

THE NEWLY ELECTED Ideas for new politicians preparing to take office this holiday season

BY NATE SANFORD

lection season is finally — mercifully — over. But while the rest of us get to sit back and relax this holiday season, a few lucky winners are gearing up to take office. Most freshly elected politicians will be sworn in just after the holidays on Jan. 1, but in some jurisdictions they’ll be taking office in December. The first few weeks on the job will likely be a busy, stressful time for this year’s slate of newly elected city council members, mayors, school board members and other civic leaders. To help make the transition process a little easier, here’s a list of gift ideas for the fresh political face in your life.

“EXTREME” SKATEBOARD (a)

Estate Vineyards & Winery Tasting Room: 21622 Rivaura Ln, Juliaetta, ID

Winery Tasting Room – Coeur d’Alene

505 E Sherman Ave, Coeur d’Alene

Both locations open Wed-Sun Rivaura.com

30 INLANDER NOVEMBER 30, 2023

During this election season, conservative groups ran attack ads that attempted to paint the progressive candidates running for Spokane city office as “extreme” defund-the-police leftist types. The candidates said the accusation was totally false, and Paul Dillon, who won the race for South Spokane’s District 2, mocked the characterization by releasing a video of himself skateboarding and holding up a rock-fist hand gesture over edgy uptempo dance music. Now that the election is over, you can help the newly elected liberal in your life embrace their extreme side with a sick radical skateboard of their own. Prices vary • Shred Sports • 4505 N. Division St., Spokane

“I ♥ SPOKANE” SHOT GLASS

If there’s one thing everyone who ran for office this year agreed on, it’s that they love the city of Spokane. No campaign speech or debate statement was complete without

at least one mention of how beautiful the Lilac City is. Now the elections are over, you can help them show that love and unwind from the stress of committee meetings with an “I ♥ Spokane” shot glass! You can find Spokane shot glasses designed by Renken Creations, a local arts and crafts company, in the Small Biz Shoppe, located in the basement of River Park Square Mall (locally distilled whiskey not included). $6 • Small Biz Shoppe • 808 W. Main Ave., Spokane

THOMAS HAMMER GIFT CARD (b)

Located just a block and a half away from Spokane City Hall, Thomas Hammer Coffee Roasters’ downtown location is the perfect spot to grab a quick coffee with a constituent — or to escape the prying eyes of City Hall. In addition to being convenient and discrete, Thomas Hammer has a delicious mix of coffee blends and tasty pastries. $5 to $250 • Thomas Hammer Coffee Roasters • hammercoffee.com

STA BUS PASS (c)

Do you want to be forced to ride the bus? Maybe not, but we think the people who control the levels of power in Spokane should be. Commuting by bus might not come with the speedy, quiet luxury of a car, but it is a great way to get to know the city — and see what things are like from the perspective of people who navigate the city by foot. You can buy an STA Connect Card for the newly elected official in your life online or at the STA Plaza downtown. Just be sure to follow up and make sure they actually use it. $5 to $60 • STA Plaza • 701 W. Riverside Ave., Spokane or staconnectcard.com n

GIFTS FOR

LUDDITES

How to shop for the monkeywrench-er on your list

BY NICHOLAS DESHAIS

uddites are back! The movement that began among 19th century textile workers protesting the use of machines to replace them has roared back to the mainstream. (Thanks, Hollywood writers and autoworkers for telling AI where to stick it!) But how do you shop for someone who is against industrialization, automation and computerization? Easy. Help your giftees unplug from the chaos with these simple, non-digital gifts and remember what it was like to be human before the fall.

PORTABLE TURNTABLE (a)

Forget arguments of fidelity or authenticity. Imagine listening to music and not being tracked by a faceless corporation that throws your “habits” into an algorithm. That’s what a turntable can do for you. Just put that glassy black disc down, place that stylus with the utmost care, and listen. If you’re a nostalgic sort, this 2-pounder is perfect for you. Originally released in 1983 as an answer to the ubiquitous Sony Walkman, which came out in 1979, this classic Sound Burger has been updated with a rechargeable battery and Bluetooth capability. $200 • Entropy • 101 N. Stevens St., Spokane

BICYCLE (b)

Admit it. Having to drive everywhere is a drag. The traffic. The road rage. The potholes. The price of gas. Bicycles — simple machines that spawned the plane and the car — are a balm for the world’s problems. Bikes are instant joy creators that can last decades with very little upkeep. No fuel is necessary, and therefore there are no emissions. And a recent study in the Journal of Environmental Psychology found that people who ride bikes care more about the common good than motorists, which gets right to the whole “Peace on Earth, Goodwill to All Humankind” thing. Stuff that in your Christmas stocking! A good entry-level bike that’s good for all kinds of riding, is the

Trek Marlin 5, which is available in all kinds of colors and sizes. $600 • North Division Bicycle • 10503 N. Division St., Spokane

COFFEE DATE

Online conversations usually go something like this: Hey, check out this cool thing I found! It sucks and you suck. Oh really?! Yep. Burn in hell! It doesn’t have to be this way. Buy your loved one a gift card to Rocket Bakery (or any preferred local cafe) with one precondition: They have to use it with you, and all technology has to be stowed for the entire time. Let the conversation rip. You’ll be surprised how interesting people are IRL. $20 • Rocket Bakery • Various locations

LETTER WRITING KIT (c)

Texts, DMs, IMs, emails. No thank you. How about an oldfashioned, hand-written letter? Paper Nerd Stationery Co. in River Park Square has you covered. First, buy a calligraphy set, complete with three calligraphy pen nibs, one fountain pen nib, three pens and 20 assorted color ink cartridges. Then, grab a beautiful set of botanical stationary, which comes with notes and envelopes. Finally, buy some stamps. Wrap it all up, give it to a loved one and let the United States Postal Service do the rest. $50 • Paper Nerd Stationery Co. • 808 W. Main Ave. (third level), Spokane

TOOLS (d)

Being a Luddite isn’t a rejection of tools. It’s a rejection of machines taking jobs away from people who use tools. Ipso facto, Luddites love tools. So get them this new book by Theodore Gray, who wrote the equally beguiling The Elements. With profiles and photos of 500 tools, this book will surely inspire your workshop-bound gift getter to monkeywrench their way to greatness. $35 • Auntie’s Bookstore • 402 W. Main Ave. n

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GIFTS FOR

THE GOLDEN HEARTED

DOG TAG CHARM (a)

Two-for-one gifts to delight recipients while also supporting important causes

A $125 donation to the Spokane Parks Foundation allows you to claim a unique, stainless steel fence charm inscribed with a personalized message — use the space for the recipient’s name or the name of a precious pet. Charms are currently hanging on the old Howard Street blue bridge but will someday, thanks to donations like yours, find a permanent home at the Riverfront Park Paw Park when it’s completed. Choose from charms shaped like dog bones, butterflies or a simple circle. $125 • givebutter.com/charms

BY ANNE MCGREGOR

DINNER BASKET (b)

ere’s the deal: There are oodles of causes that deserve a donation in lieu of a gift in someone’s name, and there’s no denying that’s a meaningful present, especially for folks who already have everything. But there’s also no denying it’s fun to have something tangible to open on Christmas morning. Luckily, unlike most other problems (I’m looking at you, 2023), this situation offers the opportunity for a win-win solution! Here are gifts that not only bring Christmas morning delight, but also benefit worthy causes.

Christ Kitchen’s assorted and beautifully packaged gourmet foods and mixes are created by women experiencing poverty, whom the organization serves through fellowship and support as well as critical job training and work experience. Consider the dinner basket ($46), which includes a whole meal’s worth of mixes: vegetable soup, rice, cornbread and a choice of desserts. There are loads of options at a wide range of price points, from $3.50 for “soulful cider” to the $225 “epic assortment.” $3.50 to $225 • 2410 N. Monroe St. • christkitchen.org • Select items also sold at local grocery stores.

SPOKANE SYMPHONY TICKETS

SANTA EXPRESS SHOP

For people already coping with bulging closets, consider the ethereal gift of music, and grab a pair of tickets for the Spokane Symphony Masterworks “Holly Rachs” concert on Jan. 20 and 21. Rising star conductor Holly Hyun Choe is a champion of women composers. She’ll be joined by pianist Charlie Albright, who’s passionate about music education, graces stages all over the world and was born in Centralia, Washington. Your gift-ees will thrill to Rachmaninoff’s dazzling “Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor” and swoon over Brahms’ passionate “Symphony No. 3 in F Major.” $19$68 • spokanesymphony.org

32 INLANDER NOVEMBER 30, 2023

Kids need to get in on the act of giving, and there’s no better place for them to shop than at the annual Santa Express. Each kid, aged 4 to 12, receives assistance from a volunteer elf who will help them select items ranging from $1 to $12 for everyone on their list. The elf also helps wrap the presents! All proceeds go to Vanessa Behan, a center offering short-term emergency child care, parenting classes, crisis counseling and more, all with the goal of keeping children and parents safe and healthy, which is a pretty awesome gift. Open through Dec. 22 • $1-$12 • Spokane Valley Mall • 14700 E. Indiana Ave., Spokane Valley

CAMERA READY

CARE AFFAIR TICKETS

Coeur d’Alene is a world-class destination, and serving all those tourists (and us locals) requires a battalion of restaurant and hospitality industry workers. It’s a tough, often seasonal, industry. CDAIDE helps North Idaho hospitality workers with financial aid, access to health care, and mentoring. Help them out in their mission, while ensuring your giftee has an evening to remember, by grabbing tickets to the annual Care Affair on April 11, 2024. The soiree features a meal created by Sysco, appetizers created by local chefs and a chance to keep the giving going by bidding on auction items. $75 per ticket • cdaide.org

MINECRAFT MERCH (c)

Museums offer the amazing gift of opening our eyes to other ways of seeing and thinking, and our vibrant Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture is a real gem. There’s still time to visit its current Minecraft exhibit through the end of the year. And the museum’s gift shop is the perfect place to find a plethora of Minecraft merch, with a portion of sales supporting the museum’s ongoing culture and education efforts. Of course, there are also plenty of other gift options at the shop, including a small-but-delightful selection of books, as well as artwork, puzzles and craft kits. Parking’s free and you don’t need to pay for admission to shop. Prices vary • The MAC • 2316 W. First Ave. • northwestmuseum.org

CONSCIOUS STEP SOCKS (d)

Toasty warm socks are something everyone can use, and at Kizuri, you’ll find a compelling selection of Conscious Step socks. As you browse the array of colors and clever designs, know that every purchase supports one of Conscious Step’s partner organizations in efforts including everything from saving cats and dogs to supporting mental health and treating HIV. And keep in mind Kizuri’s own niche, which is to offer products that are ethically sourced, fair trade, earth friendly or local. $15 • Kizuri • 35 W. Main Ave. n

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GIFET

wildlife. Each day, they can enjoy the beauty of nature and birdsong, creating a tranquil outdoor haven right at their doorstep. $33-$47 • Pet Vittles - Wild Bird West • 919 N. Argonne Rd., Spokane Valley

GUID

CAT TALES SPONSOR A SPECIES

Nothing embodies the spirit of a wildlife lover more than a commitment to species protection. By making a donation to Cat Tales Wildlife Center’s Sponsor a Species program in the recipient’s name, they’ll receive a digital certificate of sponsorship, a photograph and interesting facts about their chosen species. Choose from the 12 species at Cat Tales, such as Bengal tigers, wolf dogs, pumas and black bears. This is a great way to make a meaningful impact as sponsorship funds help provide direct care to the animals in Cat Tales’ care, which have all been rescued from heartbreaking situations. $25-$35 • cattales.org

GIFTS FOR

WILDLIFE LOVERS

URBAN TRAILS: SPOKANE AND COEUR D’ALENE (b)

Gifts for backyard birders, green-thumb gardeners and anyone who loves animals

Tailored specifically for outdoor enthusiasts in the Inland Northwest, this comprehensive guidebook is a great adventuring companion. Explore the natural wonders of Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho, from Riverside State Park to Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge, as well as Coeur d’Alene’s Tubbs Hill and Canfield Mountain. This comprehensive book is a super-handy resource for discovering the region’s rich wildlife and natural areas. $16.95 • Wishing Tree Books • 1410 E. 11th Ave., Spokane

BY AMELIA TRONCONE

ANIMAL WATERING CAN (c)

mid the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, there’s no better way to find solace than by reconnecting with nature and wildlife. Whether that means embarking on a backpacking trip or simply sitting outside in the backyard, here is a curated list of gifts that the wildlife lover in your life will be sure to go wild for.

! u o y k than

RUSTIC FARMHOUSE BIRDHOUSE (a)

Delight the wildlife lover on your gift list with the joy of their very own backyard bird sanctuary. This rustic farmhouse-style birdhouse is not only a charming decoration but provides a cozy home for feathered friends. With this addition to their outdoor space, your giftee won’t need to venture far from home to experience the local

It’s likely that the nature lovers you know have a bunch of plant pals, indoors or out. Enhance their gardening experience with a unique watering can that serves as both fun decor and a practical tool for flora care. Choose from a variety of options like cans shaped as a toucan, cow, frog or flamingo! These watering cans can help make every watering session a fun and stylish affair. $14.95 • Parks Place Plants • 1510 N. Argonne Rd., Spokane Valley n

Make your life-saving blood donation appointment today!

34 INLANDER NOVEMBER 30, 2023

1 PT (ONE PART) INFUSION KIT (b)

This glass bottle with a walnut cap has a stainless steel infusion basket inside so your mixologist can make their own infused spirits. The brand also offers infusion packs to get you started, with flavors such as spiced vanilla or barrel blend (sold separately). The infusion bottle holds up to one half of a standard spirit bottle and comes with a tasting straw. $54 • Mix It Up Gift • 513 E. Sherman Ave., Coeur d’Alene

REVEL COFFEE BEANS (c)

GIFTS FOR

THIRST-QUENCHERS What to get for the person who always seems to have a glass, mug or water bottle in hand BY SAMANTHA WOHLFEIL

hether your thirsty loved one is a total booze hound or a teetotaler who prefers, well, tea, the Inland Northwest is filled with shops ready to help wet their whistle. From items that’ll push them to be more involved in the “craft” part of making craft cocktails at home to beautiful vessels for their drink of choice, here are a few gifts that’ll make cozying up with a drink by the fire that much more interesting.

FLAVORED VINEGAR (a)

Your at-home bartender is likely no stranger to homemade syrups and concoctions, so the idea of making a fruit shrub — a mixture of fresh fruit, sugar and vinegar — to level up a cocktail should be an easy sell. Ampersand’s huge selection of white wine and balsamic vinegars can help get those creative juices flowing, with flavors such as prosecco, tarragon, crème brûlée, cucumber and more. $10$11 • Ampersand Oil & Vinegar Tap House • 519 S. Main St., Moscow

For true coffee lovers, finding local, small-batch roasts can help keep things interesting and flavorful as they seek that morning caffeine fix. Revel 77 takes pride in its selection of fluid-bed roasted coffees that bring out an array of natural flavor notes that are often burned out of the beans in other roasting processes. $15-$20 • Revel 77 • 3223 E. 57th Ave., Spokane

LODGEPOLE PINE TREE LEATHER MUG

Whether you’re drinking hot coffee or sipping on an iced cocktail, the stylish handcrafted leather-wrapped mugs from Colladay Leather bring art to the outside of the glass (while leaving you to concoct the artistic drink inside it). The stamped and dyed leather sleeve can be removed for easy cleanup, too! $49 • Colladay Leather • colladayleather.com

MUG WITH TEA INFUSER (d)

Why should infusion be left to just the spirit drinkers? The Tealyra peak ceramic mug includes an infuser and a ceramic lid to keep everything nice and warm while your loved one’s tea is steeping. The lid then serves as a built-in plate to rest the loose leaf tea basket while you’re sipping. The set can be found at Atticus near its extensive loose-leaf tea collection (ahem, maybe grab some of that too, while you’re there). $25 • Atticus Coffee & Gifts • 222 N. Howard St., Spokane n

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GIFTS FOR

MUSIC LOVERS Have a harmonious holiday season

eing a music lover comes in all shapes, sizes and tones. Music provides the propulsive heartbeat for many of our lives, but nobody plays to exactly the same beat. For some, music is a blissful solitary escape to be listened to alone to drown out the cacophonous sound of the hustling and bustling world around us. For others, music is the ultimate live communal experience, one where thousands of strangers can pack themselves together under one roof to sing along with their favorite tunes at the top of their lungs. Folks can also experience music as a personal craft or creative hobby, bringing new music into the world via the instruments they play and the songs that they sing. Sure, this can make it somewhat hard to know exactly what to get for the music lovers in your life, but here’s a few gamut-spanning suggestions.

2024 CONCERT TICKETS

Will we ever do a gift guide for musical lovers that doesn’t include concert tickets? Probably not. Why mess with a slam-dunk gift? There are many noteworthy shows on the 2024 calendar for the concert fiend in your life. No matter what local venue is their go-to, there are already a plethora of options: Knitting Factory (Zeds Dead, Silversun Pickups, Plain White Ts, Sarah Jaroz, Dirtwire), Spokane Arena (Blake Shelton, Bryan Adams), The Fox (Pink Martini, Postmodern Jukebox), Northern Quest (Melissa Etheridge, Hinder), Spokane Tribe Casino (Flogging Molly), The District Bar (Slothrust), etc. Already dreaming of outdoor concerts next

36 INLANDER NOVEMBER 30, 2023

BY SETH SOMMMERFELD summer? Blink-182, Noah Kahan, Tyler Childers, and King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard have all locked in dates at The Gorge, while Northern Quest’s summer lineup already has booked shows featuring Sammy Hagar, Needtobreathe, Jordan Davis, Riley Green, and Boyz II Men. Plus, concert tickets are one thing you can also buy for yourself to accompany the giftee and feel way less guilty about it. Prices vary • Available via online ticket sites

CUSTOM LEATHER MUSIC JOURNAL (a)

While we may be going to an ever more digital world, having a tactile version of one’s musical works feels essential for any real musician. Enter Coeur d’Alene-based Hank Belle Journals, which specialize in handcrafting sewn-bound leather journals. Among the Etsy shop’s robust offerings are custom music journals that can be filled with all musical staves or ones that have a combo of musical staves on one page and standard journal pages for notes/lyrics on the facing page. Coming in a variety of styles, these handsome journals might actually encourage musical creation because the recipient will want to be seen carrying them around, so they’ll alway be on hand when inspiration strikes. $64-$94 • etsy.com/shop/HankBelleJournals

THE LONG EAR TOTE BAG

There are plenty of great record stores in the Inland Northwest, but there’s only one that celebrated its 50th anniversary this year. Coeur d’Alene’s The Long Ear has been making North Idaho sound sweeter

for a half century, so why not show off one’s vinyl aficionado bona fides by carrying around records in one of the shop’s extremely pricefriendly tote bags? There are two options of totes (one is a 50th anniversary edition), which both sport the Long Ear’s logo with its laid back, headphone-adored rabbit vibing out while resting against a mushroom. For a more robust gift, deliver the tote filled with some of the Long Ear’s extensive collection of used vinyl, CDs (they’re weirdly trendy with kids these days!) or some of 2023’s best new albums (Boygenius’ The Record was still in stock last time I popped in). $5 • The Long Ear • 1620 N. Government Way, Coeur d’Alene

MUSIC LESSONS

There are few gifts that keep on giving as much as music lessons. Whether they’re for a music-loving kid in your life or an adult who’s always wanted to learn an instrument but hesitated to take the plunge, getting that ball rolling could provide years of musical joy to the giftee’s life. In Spokane, Music Plus Learning Center has teachers who specialize in violin, voice, percussion, piano, flute, cello, bass and ukulele. Out in the Valley, the Imaginative Music Studio in Spokane Valley can teach piano, guitar, voice, bass, cello and songwriting to the young’uns. Just remember, only gift lessons for an instrument that won’t drive you mad if you have to constantly hear it being practiced! $16-$150 • Music Plus Learning Center • 7315 N. Wall St., Spokane • The Imaginative Music Studio • 15803 E. Sprague Ave., Spokane Valley

GIFTS FOR

SOMEONE WHO’S ALWAYS COLD SHEET MUSIC PAPER FLOWERS (b)

While musical notation on the page can be intimidating to anyone who can’t read music, the notational markings can be a thing of beauty for musicians. Spokane artist Helen Bixby makes music on the page beautiful to everyone with her handcrafted flowers made from pages of sheet music and hymnals. From singular blossoms to extravagant colorful bouquets, these paper craft creations are ideal floral decorations to spruce up any space in the home that needs a little more sonic joy (they’d look absolutely stunning in a vase on a piano). And like music itself — and unlike actual flowers — there’s no threat of their beauty withering away. $5-$125 • etsy.com/shop/HBixbyArtworks

STEHR GUITARS (c)

Anyone with enough cash can hop down to Hoffman Music or any other Spokane instrument shop and pick out a guitar off the wall, wrap it up, and slide it under the Christmas tree. But if you’ve got really deep pockets this holiday season, why not go above and beyond and commission a custom guitar from a local luthier? Stehr Guitars made by Joel Stehr are gorgeous works of wooden art that can sound as good as they look. While they cost more than a pretty penny, Stehr makes each beaut by hand and customizes each one based on the buyer’s desires. If you’ve got a guitar collector in your life, picking up a Stehr might absolve you from needing to buy another gift for years. $9,500+ • stehrguitars.com

“VINTAGE” GREEN DAY IN SPOKANE PRINT OR SHIRT (d)

Before Green Day became rock superstars with the release of 1994’s Dookie, the trio served as kings of the underground punk scene. Those early days included a 1990 stop in Spokane for what was an undoubtedly sweaty, smelly and blissful night of moshing. Vintage Print + Neon commemorates that pre-fame stop in our neck of the woods with a new concert poster design for the Peaceful Valley Jam show that features the Monroe Street Bridge arching over the Green Day font logo (plus the other bands on the bill that August 1990 night). The image is available both as a print for the recipient to hang on their wall or screened across a green T-shirt. Just don’t act like you were there if you weren’t. Being a poser ain’t punk. $25 each • Vintage Print + Neon • 914 W. Garland Ave., Spokane n

Keep your loved one’s toes, fingers and hearts warm with these thoughtful, cozy gifts

BY AMELIA TRONCONE n the Inland Northwest, navigating the winter chill is a seasonal rite of passage. However, braving the frosty months can be a greater feat for some, particularly for those who seem to carry a perpetual chill. Consider gifting the following items to keep the person in your life forever in pursuit of warmth shielded from the cold.

COZY SOCKS (a)

Cold feet are a constant complaint this time of year, so Maggie’s Organic Snuggle Socks are a great gift to keep toes warm. Made from ethically sourced wool, these socks are able to absorb up to 35% of moisture, keeping feet both cool and dry. Beyond providing insulation, they’re also a sustainable and eco-friendly choice. With fun holiday patterns and colors, the snuggle socks also blend coziness and style. Give the gift of warmth and fashion this season. $18 • Huckleberry’s Natural Market • 926 S. Monroe St., Spokane

SNOW DAY COFFEE (b)

Nothing hits the spot on a cold day like a steaming cup of coffee. For the snowy winter days of winter, buy the perpetually cold person on your list a bag of Anvil Coffee’s Snow Day coffee. This rich medium roast is a blend of Anvil’s Costa Rica coffee and java, with earthy and sweet undertones.This aromatic coffee not only provides a delightful beverage to stay warm with, but also creates a cozy ambiance that’s perfect for chilly holiday mornings. $12 • Anvil Coffee • 304 W. Pacific Ave., Spokane • anvilcoffee.com

SCENIC PUZZLE (c)

Staying inside is, of course, the best way for someone who’s always cold to stay warm. With a scenic puzzle, there’s no need to brave the cold while enjoying an outdoor scene, nestled in the warmth of one’s own home. Your giftee can experience the beauty of the Northern Lights or a lush forest from their living room. Whether it’s 500 or 1,000 pieces, a puzzle is a relaxing yet engaging activity when the temperature’s too low to venture out. $19 • Figpickels Toy Emporium • 210 E. Sherman Ave., Coeur d’Alene

WOOL HAND WARMERS

Keeping hands warm during the winter can be a difficult task for people who are always cold. These hand-knitted hand warmers are the perfect remedy, as they’re crafted from water-resistant wool. In addition to being a functional method of protection from the nippy weather, they also serve as a stylish accessory. Available from Le Beau Boutique, a vendor sold at Paint in My Hair, these hand warmers make for the perfect gift to ensure your loved one’s hands stay comfortably toasty throughout the season. $18 • Paint in My Hair • 3036 N. Monroe St., Spokane n

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GIFTS FOR

TECH NERDS

What to get that person who always has to be on the cutting edge BY NATE SANFORD

t’s been a year of crazy tech innovations. AI chatbots. Self-driving cars that sometimes work. The coolest by far is probably the Las Vegas Sphere — a $2.3 billion, 366-foot-tall structure that hosts concerts and displays smiley-face emojis blown up to the size of gods on its 580,000 LED light exterior, which is reportedly visible from space. Tickets to the Sphere are expensive — upward of $1,000. Thankfully, there are cheaper, readily available ways to help the tech nerd in your life experience the wonders of innovation right here this holiday season.

YOU can make a life-long impact. Give TODAY to help build affordable homes for Spokane families to truly THRIVE.

MATCH!

habitat-spokane.org | (509) 534-2552

38 INLANDER NOVEMBER 30, 2023

Donate & Be a Change-Maker!

LOGIBLOCS SMART CIRCUITS KIT (a)

For the younger tech nerd in your life — or the adult who never bothered with the “science” side of it all — a Smart Circuits Kit is a great introduction to the basics of electricity. The plastic circuitry components come in easy, color-coded blocks that can be mixed and matched to create a variety of neat gadgets, including a water detector, intruder alarm, metal detector and a something called a “banana bleeper.” Adult supervision recommended. $16.95 • Whiz Kids Toys • 808 W. Main Ave., Spokane

RECORDS FOR ALL 1000 plus vinyl records in stock NEW ARRIVALS EVERY FRIDAY

Large stock of used vinyl, CDs, cassettes, stereo equipment & clothing!

LIME SCOOTER GIFT CARD (b)

We walk past them piled up on the sidewalks every day. Spokane’s vast network of Lime scooters is so prolific, they can almost start to feel like part of the city’s landscape. But think about how shocked someone from two decades ago would be if you told them you could use your (mobile!) phone to find a scooter lying on the street, unlock it and zoom away without needing to push with your feet. It’s a modern marvel, frankly. This holiday season, give the gift of electric rental scooters. (Lime is owned by Uber, so you’ll have to buy gift cards through their website.) $25 to $200 • uberus.launchgiftcards.com

STANDING DESK (c)

Spending all day hunched over your computer like a hermit crab is bad for you, apparently. This is bad news for tech nerds who don’t want to leave their computers. Thankfully, Kershaw’s Office Supply & Furniture stocks a variety of standing desks that you can easily raise and lower from a sitting or standing position with the touch of a button. You can keep it in the standing position on days when you feel energized, and lower it when you feel lazy. Most models come with a keyboard stand and plenty of desk space for multiple monitors. Basic models start at $290 • Kershaw’s Office Supply & Furniture • 119 S. Howard St., Spokane

ALWAYS BUYING willing to travel to you!

W HAVE GE CARDSIFT !

IN THE GARLAND DISTRICT 905 W. Garland Ave • Spokane 509-325-0486 • bigfootrecordsspokane.com Monday-Saturday 10-5 Sunday 10-3

PORTABLE PHONE CHARGER (d)

Contrary to stereotypes, tech nerds do, in fact, enjoy going outside. But those outdoor excursions are often stymied by limited cellphone batteries, and the horror that comes with being unplugged. Thankfully, REI and other outdoor retailers stock a variety of portable phone chargers that can extend a phone’s battery life for hours on end. The BioLite Charge 40 PD Power Bank has a lithium ion battery with capacity for 37 watt hours, two USB-A charging ports and one USB-C charging port. The gadget is super portable, rugged as hell and perfect for anyone who can’t bear to unplug. $59.95 • REI • 1125 N. Monroe St., Spokane

Christmas Craft Faire

WINDOWS OPERATING SYSTEM TUNE-UP

Does the tech nerd in your life have a PC that groans and wheezes like a wounded water buffalo every time they try to open more than two apps at once? Is their hard drive packed to the brim with junk files? If so, consider paying for the experts at RecycleTechs to scrape out the junk and get their operating system buzzing like it’s new again. $100/hour (average cost is $60-$100) • Recycle Techs Computer Sales and Services • 6810 E. Appleway Blvd., Spokane Valley n

SPOKANE CIVIC THEATRE PRESENTS a show to fall h over heels foread

Artisans, Bakers, Live Music, Cookies, Apple Cider, Drawings, and More!

Saturday

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City Sidewalks

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Downtown Chewelah • chewelah.org • chewelahfarmersmarket.com NOVEMBER 30, 2023 INLANDER 39

City Sidewalks DowntownSpokane.org

WANDERLUST DELICATO

EXPERIENCES

T FLATSTICK PUB

Learn to Cook, Paint and Putt

here’s something fun and a little thrilling about presenting someone with a physical gift — something they can hold, wear or display. And yet there are times when it’s far more rewarding to give someone an experience, whether that be learning a new skill or taking part in an activity that they’ll never forget. There are many downtown destinations that make it possible to do just that. “This holiday season at Wanderlust, you can shop, eat and learn,” says Amber Park the owner, manager and cheesemonger at WANDERLUST DELICATO (421 W. Main Ave.). “We have seasonal wine, cheese, charcuterie and accoutrements to shop, beautiful platters to eat, and lots of cooking and wine classes. You can find gifts for the hard-to-shop-for person or gift the experience of a cooking class.” To be the first to know about their pop-up deals and specials, be sure to follow Wanderlust on social media. THE KITCHEN ENGINE inside the Flour Mill also holds cooking classes in its state-of-the-art kitchen classroom for the aspiring chef or the home cook who wants some schooling in the basics. With a culinary class gift card in hand, your giftee can learn how to bake the perfect loaf of bread, make ravioli from scratch or even experiment with the cuisine of other countries. The number of available classes is as vast as their selection of cookware and time-saving gadgets. Or maybe you know someone who would rather learn to paint? At PINOT’S PALETTE (319 W. Sprague Ave.), they can try their hand at pop art, blacklight painting, seasonal scenes or cute holiday critters, all while sipping a glass of Washington wine or locally brewed ciders and beers. To turn it into a group activity, Pinot’s also welcomes holiday parties. For arts coupled with exciting first-hand interaction with STEM elements, there’s MOBIUS DISCOVERY CENTER (331 N. Post St.). “Mobius Discovery Center is where kids play to learn and their adults learn to play. It’s a hands-on and fun place to build memories together,” says Mobius’ Marketing Manager Amanda Gilliam. They have gift certificates for family memberships, too, so you can treat an entire household to the magic of the natural world. “Science, technology, engineering, arts and math — STEAM for short — will spark curiosity and ignite imagination.” STEAM-loving families will also enjoy the national Minecraft exhibition at the NORTHWEST MUSEUM OF ARTS & CULTURE (2316 W. First Ave.), where you can step into one of the most popular video games of all time. In addition to getting some facetime with life-size characters from the game, newbies and fans can get the chance to explore and build in its digital world. The exhibition runs until the end of the year. Sportier folks might secretly prefer FLATSTICK PUB (618 W. Main Ave.), which offers mini golf and several other golf-style hybrid games, such as Duffleboard, pockets and wickets. On tap you’ll find local craft brews from Lumberbeard, YaYa and Uprise alongside signature cocktails. It’s perfect for a date night or a larger social outing. 

Watch for more City Sidewalks every week through Christmas! 40 INLANDER NOVEMBER 30, 2023

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art of the fun of downtown Spokane during the holidays is creating an itinerary of the special seasonal sights. And any walking tour simply has to include the HOLIDAY WINDOW DISPLAYS at the Davenport Grand. Since making their return in 2018 after a 30-year absence, these unique window displays featuring historic Crescent Department Store figurines have reestablished a holiday tradition that was equally beloved by longtime Spokanites and downtown visitors alike. Once again, five window bays on the south side of the Davenport Grand will feature these fun and charming refurbished figurines in newly designed settings, presented by Global Credit Union. This year, local artists Mallory Battista and Moth Rosenau have gone with a Nutcracker theme. Each of the five windows will depict a different scene from the famous seasonal ballet. 

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nother essential stop on your downtown holiday itinerary should be the HORSE AND CARRIAGE RIDES through Riverfront Park. Right up until Christmas Eve, couples, friends and families have the opportunity to take in downtown’s festive atmosphere from the cozy seats of an iconic horse-drawn carriage. If the mood strikes you, you can even complete the scene by singing some carols. Thanks to generous sponsorship from Wheatland Bank, these rides are free, which means everyone can enjoy them and take part in this more than 20-year tradition. The rides are available from noon to 5 pm on Saturdays and Sundays, ending on Christmas Eve from noon to 3pm. The pickup spot is right near the holiday tree in Riverfront Park. 

DOWNTOWN SPOKANE | RIVERPARKSQUARE.COM

NOVEMBER 30, 2023 INLANDER 41

City Sidewalks FOOD

Holiday Meals to Remember

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hen we think of the holidays, we might think of snow, decorations or gifts. But the true hallmark of the season might really be spending meaningful time with family and friends. And when we gather, meals are what traditionally brings us together. So why not make it a meal to remember? TABLE 13 at the Davenport Grand features the culinary inspirations of chef Eric Nelson — with an emphasis on fresh, local ingredients. That’s why you’ll find a small-plate artichoke dip that incorporates a blend of WSU’s Cougar Gold cheese or a roasted half-chicken entrée that’s seasoned with a chipotle spice blend from Spokane-based brand Spiceology. The selection of main dishes is a carefully curated menu that prioritizes quality over quantity, although it does have plenty of variety as well as seasonal offerings. You might open by sharing the beer-battered cauliflower with lemon preserve relish and chili puree for dipping and then move on to the pan-seared sea scallops THE BOWERY with goat cheese and lemon risotto or the filet mignon that’s drizzled with shallot herb butter. When it comes to libations, Table 13 also has an eyepopping wine collection and cozy whiskey bar. “Every food comes from French food, even the simple, three-ingredient Italian food,” says chef Todd Andrews of THE BOWERY (230 W. Riverside Ave.). “It’s not necessarily that it’s a French dish, but the idea behind it — the technique behind it, the prep behind it, how we approach it and how we look at it — is almost

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purely based in French cuisine.” That’s why the Bowery is fully committed to authenticity. That begins with the hors d’oeuvre, which include signature French dishes like duck confit or gougère (baked savory choux pastry with jamon, gruyere, onion compote and scallion). It continues with entrées like Parisian gnocchi (brown butter, soubise, toasted hazelnuts, thyme) or steak frites (garlic aioli, bordelaise, bone marrow butter, thyme). And it carries all the way through to the modest but tantalizing dessert menu, where you’ll find crème brûlée cheesecake or a pot de crème with figs and fermented honey. When you’re bringing the entire family out for a meal, choosing a restaurant that everyone can agree on might seem like a tall order. At WILEY’S (421 W. Main Ave.), both the menu and the atmosphere are intended to make everyone feel at home. “Everyone, if they want, should be able to experience our quality, caring, thoughtful service and food. We’re here to share what we love: food and drinks,” says chef-owner Michael Wiley. “So everyone is welcome here — even that one uncle!” The smoked mozzarella or ahi tower are good for sharing, should you be able to bring yourself to do so, and main dishes like the braised short ribs, crab-topped salmon or classic Caesar salad ought to appeal to all palates. The wine list features an incredible variety of reds and whites from Washington, California and Europe. 

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or kids and creators, the recent arrival of THE LEGO STORE in downtown Spokane’s River Park Square is some of the most exciting news they’ve heard all year. “Our Lego Stores and lego.com are the ultimate destinations to shop this holiday, adding joy to the holiday gifting season,” says Molly Martin, a brand relations manager for Lego. “We have the largest selection of Lego sets to choose from for all ages, interests and building ability, making it a one-stop shop for every builder on your list.” Along with sets, you can even buy or order replacement bricks if one has gone missing. Insider tip: Enthusiasts who sign up for the Lego Insiders loyalty program will have a chance to get special Check out the latest in Downtown perks and access to limited-edition sets. Spokane in next week’s edition If casual fashion is more your jam, then of CITY SIDEWALKS inside the URBAN OUTFITTERS (702 W. Main Ave.) is where Inlander. Find out about new you’ll find the latest trends in street chic. From local restaurants that started out timeless classics like Converse and UGG to as food trucks, along with how neoteric labels like iets frans and Baggu, Urban the one and only Atticus Finch Outfitters has a wide selection of hats, coats, tees, has come to Spokane. leisurewear, denim, footwear and bags to add effortless style to your wardrobe. There’s also a huge range of lifestyle items, like music, books, games and even accessories for pets, so you can kit out your entire living space. While it’s great to see more nationally recognized stores coming to downtown Spokane, there’s a lot to be said for the stores that you simply can’t find outside of it. ATTICUS (222 N. Howard St.) is one of them. When you want a gift that’s both thoughtful and quirky, their eclectic handpicked inventory of local art, drinkware, candles, stationery and more is sure to hold something that speaks to the unique and special people in your life. Plus you can warm up with a cup of freshly brewed tea or coffee before or after you shop. 

COMING NEXT WEEK

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twice! Downtown Holiday Events Numerica Lights Up The Night Stroll through Riverfront Park while viewing light displays, lit up trees and more scattered throughout the park. Daily through Jan. 1, free, Riverfront Park, riverfrontspokane.org

Inlander Histories Volume 1 & 2

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Oh – and we have stocking stuffers galore!

Brick West Brewing Co. & North Ridge Farms Christmas Tree Farm Purchase a Christmas tree grown by North Ridge Farms. The Brick West Plaza will be full of pre-cut Douglas Fir trees for you to choose from. Drinks and snacks are available from Wandering Tin Can. Through Dec. 9; Fri from 3-6 pm, Sat from 2-6 pm, $60-$85, Brick West Brewing Co., 1318 W. First Ave., bit.ly/brickmastree

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Bing Crosby Holiday Film Festival Screenings of popular Bing Crosby holiday films including “White Christmas,” and “Birth of the Blues.” The event also features live entertainment from local bands as well as personal home movies and photos from Crosby’s private collection. Sat, Dec. 9 from 10 am-10 pm, $22, Bing Crosby Theater, 901 W. Sprague Ave., bingcrosbyadvocates.org

BrrrZAAR Over 70 local artists and makers sell their arts, crafts and various wares at this art market hosted by Terrain. Sat, Dec. 16 from 10 am-8 pm, free, River Park Square, 808 W. Main Ave., terrainspokane.com

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Coffee, grape leaves, frozen meals — Lebanon Deli & Grocery has it all. YOUNG KWAK PHOTOS

OPENING

HIGHWAY TO HUMMUS A new Lebanese grocery store on the Newport Highway lets more people bring Middle Eastern flavors home BY ELIZA BILLINGHAM

hole cardamom pods. Shawarma marinade. Camel milk. If you’re missing an ingredient for your next Mediterranean meal, the new Lebanon Deli & Grocery Store probably has it. Saif Alazrai, owner of Lebanon Restaurant & Cafe on the lower South Hill, opened the new shop for Middle Eastern groceries on the Newport Highway in a strip mall in front of the Home Depot. As a chef, Alazrai knew how difficult it was to find authentic Lebanese and Jordanian ingredients in Spokane. He began to source his favorite childhood brands and decided to make them available to anyone in the city. Now, the shelves at Lebanon Deli & Grocery are stocked with high quality tahini, Lebanese coffee, Halal meats and pita bread, both standard and gluten-free. The store also offers pre-made falafel, marinades and condiments to make cooking Lebanese food at home less intimidating. A cold case is full of ready-to-eat, madefrom-scratch hummus, baba ganoush and baklava that were previously only available at the restaurant. The

46 INLANDER NOVEMBER 30, 2023

small-but-expanding store is making za’atar, saffron, sumac and many other flavors of the Levant more accessible to everyone in Spokane. Alazrai grew up in Jounieh, a coastal Lebanese city about 10 miles north of Beirut. His father owned restaurants around the country. While Alazrai was in school, he spent his summers in restaurant kitchens, mostly at his family’s resort in the semi-desert northeastern region of the country. That part of Lebanon was quiet and still, Alazrai remembers, with no electricity poles. It was a popular destination for tourists, which are Lebanon’s primary source of income, Alazrai says. “So we were [serving] breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day, and I was spending most of my time in the kitchen with the chefs there,” Alazrai says. “I was really just waiting for the summer to go there.” He liked the work so much, his father encouraged him to study hospitality in college. Alazrai got a degree in hotels and restaurant management from the Hashemite University in Zarqa, Jordan.

While Alazrai grew up, his mother took trips to Spokane to visit her mother who lived here. About 10 years ago, violence kicked up again in Lebanon and tourism suffered. Alazrai’s family decided to move to the U.S. permanently and settled near his grandmother in Spokane.

aturally, Alazrai wanted to open a Lebanese restaurant in his new home. Two years ago he opened Lebanon Restaurant & Cafe in the Cooper George apartment building on Fifth Avenue, near MultiCare Deaconess Hospital. It quickly became a go-to lunch spot for hospital employees and patients for its fresh, healthy food that’s delicious but also amenable to plenty of different dietary preferences, including glutenfree, vegetarian and vegan. Seven older Lebanese women, including Alazrai’s mother, wake up early to stuff grape leaves, fold cheese pies, make hummus and shape falafel for the restaurant. “These ladies used to make grape leaves for 50 years at least,” Alazrai says. “They are moms. They have their

own houses. They are known in Spokane that they make very good food, especially in the Arab community. So we are lucky to have them here. We are like a family working together. They love the place and we love them. It’s like their own place.” The backbone of Lebanese cuisine is fresh, high quality ingredients, Alazrai says. He won’t put anything on his menu that he can’t source good ingredients for. As he tried to get more and more Lebanese ingredients to Spokane, he came up with the idea of opening an entire grocery store. Alazrai and his brother, Yazan, traveled to California and Chicago, where most Middle Eastern food is first imported into the U.S. They picked out the nostalgic brands they grew up with, but also a large selection of important products, like 15 different kinds of tea and a dozen brands of Turkish coffee. They chose a huge selection of spices, many of them whole to hold flavor longer. The new grocer offers multiple brands of za’atar, a memorable Levantine spice mix with sesame, sumac, oregano, marjoram and coriander, plus unique products like white chickpeas and whole honeycomb. “We also went to the next level,” Alazrai says. “Not only the ingredients, but we made things that [will make it] very easy, especially for local people, to cook Lebanese food, or to just need maybe a step or two to finish it.”

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Yazan Alazrai, Saif’s brother, runs the family’s new grocery store. Alazrai made sure to stock jars of toum, a popular but finicky Lebanese garlic sauce. Prepared shawarma marinade guarantees the right flavor every time. Whole falafel is ready to be fried, baked or microwaved. And a rotating selection of specialty items like amba, an Iraqi fermented mango sauce, can elevate the simplest dish into something new and delicious. Against one wall of the small store, a cold case offers some of the grape leaves, dips and desserts that Alazrai’s team of Lebanese mothers make for his restaurant. Starting on Dec. 15, both the restaurant and the grocer will offer special gift boxes of handmade baklava ($20-$30) for the holidays. Ironically, many families in Lebanon don’t go grocery shopping very often — many people grow most of their food, and trade with one another for what they can’t grow. In Lebanon, Alazrai’s family had an olive grove, which provided olive oil to eat and to trade for labneh and other dairy products from his uncle’s sheep herd. But for now in Spokane, Alazrai is excited to do what he can to bring new flavors and old traditions to his new home. “You can be successful anywhere, not necessarily just in your own country, if you have the know-how and the passion,” he says. “Nothing is easy, actually, there or here. Nothing is easy, but like everything else, we have to work hard to give the best to our community to our customers.” n Lebanon Deli & Grocery Store • 9222 N. Newport Hwy. • Open daily 10 am-7 pm • facebook.com/lebanongrocery

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ALSO OPENING THE SHIFT

Christian film distributor Angel Studios offers up a sci-fi retelling of the Book of Job where the stand-in for Satan has the power to shift people across different alternative realities, thereby tempting the film’s protagonist to do his bidding in order to be reunited with his long lost wife. Not rated

RENAISSANCE: A FILM BY BEYONCÉ

REVIEW

When Dreams Become Nightmares Nicolas Cage delivers a stellar understated performance in Dream Scenario, but the movie’s messaging loses the plot

Not to be fully upstaged by a certain Ms. Swift, Beyoncé enters the theatrical concert film fray to try to restake her claim as the Queen B of pop music. Not rated

SILENT NIGHT

Iconic action film director John Woo dropkicks his way into the Christmas movie conversation with this film about a father (Joel Kinnaman) seeking violent revenge after his son is killed in the crossfire of a gang battle. The twist? The fatal shootout leaves him mute, meaning the movie is dialogue-free. Rated R

Nicolas Cage’s Paul is decidedly not living the dream in Dream Scenario.

BY MARYANN JOHANSON

he term “Cage Rage” is fondly used by fans of the over-the-top acting style that Nicolas Cage sometimes deploys in his film performances, usually in movies that feature extreme violence and explore deranged personalities. There’s so much unhinged fury as his eyes bulge and he screams furiously. Cage told Indiewire in a 2018 interview that his technique is “all very thought out and carefully planned” and that he finds it “frustrating” that those performances are often detached from their cinematic contexts and edited by fans into long montages of, well, Cage Rage. They amuse fans. They don’t amuse Cage. So it’s easy to see what may have drawn Cage to Dream Scenario, and why he’s so profoundly moving in it. If only the film was more deserving of what he’s doing here. Cage plays mild-mannered college professor Paul Matthews, who — for mysterious and unexplained reasons — starts appearing in the dreams of people all over the world. Once it becomes known that the strange bystander everyone is seeing in their dreams is an actual real person, Paul becomes a bit of a media sensation, much to his baffled (but maybe secretly pleased) surprise. This is not a Cage Rage performance — quite the opposite. Cage is so naturalistic, so down-to-earth that he induces cringes via Paul’s awkwardness and his desperation to be liked. His work here is comedic in a dry, subtle, nakedly painful way. And it becomes even more so when Paul’s benign presence in people’s dreams turns nasty and violent, and suddenly this harmless schlub is a menacing

48 INLANDER NOVEMBER 30, 2023

figure lodged in the collective subconscious. displeasure with how his work is sometimes received It’s explicit that writer/director Kristoffer Borgli fuels his portrayal of both dream Paul’s outrageous viowants to examine modern concepts of fame, especially lence and actual Paul’s bewilderment. But that’s tangential when it is unexpected and unwanted. “How does it feel behind-the-scenes color, and not anything to do with to go viral?” one of Paul’s students asks. But where the what Dream Scenario is actually about. filmmaker takes it from there never quite gels. Metaphors Sadly, the longer Dream Scenario goes on, the less don’t have to be perfect analogs to be effective, but it confident Borgli seems about any of it. The only vibe the seems that even unexpected and unwanted fame is the movie gives off — and this sneaks up until it felt like an result of overt actions on someone’s part, even if they unpleasant certainty — is one not of the vagaries of fame, never wanted those actions to be made quite so public. but the terror too many men have now that our society is Just because, say, a surreptitiously shot video of an angry beginning to hold them to account for their bad behavior Karen demanding to speak to a manager went viral (such as the #MeToo movement). doesn’t mean that it’s not an accurate representation of But of course, #NotAllMen. Not Paul! He’s harmless, her behavior. as we can plainly see. He wouldn’t hurt a fly. And yet But poor Paul! People are suddenly terrified of him people — men as well as women — are suddenly afraid because of things that he didn’t do, that he of him merely because they imagined wouldn’t do. Paul wouldn’t mind recognition him doing something awful. It’s not DREAM SCENARIO for his work: His field is the evolutionary right. It’s unfair! Rated R biology of insects, and he has a book about Paul doesn’t deserve what he gets Directed by Kristoffer Borgli “antelligence” that he’d love to write and get here. The way people around Paul — Starring Nicolas Cage, Julianne Nicholson a little bit famous for it, but he’s so inefsuch as his wife, Janet (Julianne Nichfectual that the book is only the germ of an olson) — react to the whole situation idea. Paul isn’t even a threat to his own procrastinating feels wildly implausible. Either the calculus of Borgli’s tale ineptitude. Cage crafts a palpable misery in Paul’s stuckness is off and he derailed his own intriguing concept because in his own life, in his befuddled benign neglect of himself. he didn’t know where to take it... or he really is saying, This is a horror movie about the insipid inability to fol“Won’t someone think of the trauma of men — innocent low through on one’s ambitions. men, I tell you! — who are being subjected to — (gasp) conThe violent dreams Paul appears in are practically sequences — now that women are speaking out?!” And that parodies of memeified Cage Rage. Surely the actor’s own takeaway is not very dreamy. n

SCREEN | REVIEW

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MOVIE TIMES on

A Monstrous World

The old kaiju’s still got it...

Godzilla Minus One might be the best Godzilla movie since the 1954 original BY MARYANN JOHANSON

debut, positing what would happen if the (Minami Hamabe), who most emphatically kaiju showed up to stomp Tokyo in 1945, does not believe that any kamikaze should the same year the nukes dropped and long have avoided his divinely appointed fate. before the postwar American occupation Profound trauma haunts him, and everyone ended in 1952. he encounters. It’s heartbreaking. Never mind whatever you have been The film builds so much bittersweet culturally programmed to think is the drama in the large concepts at its outset — cheesiness of Godzilla movies: This latest “reject the past” and “hope for the future” is maybe the closest to the unironic horrors and “build your own family out of the of the 1954 original that we’ve seen in the ashes” — that you kinda forget that we’re many, many Godzilla films since. This is the waiting for a giant stomping lizard. It’s all first Godzilla movie that is a period piece, genuinely lovely how these people find that has the hindsight to look back on what something to live for and build upon amid Godzilla might mean to us in retrospect the ruins and the chaos. today rather than what it looked like at And then Godzilla arrives. the time of its creation. And it doesn’t have The beast appears in a horrific sequence much to say that is generous about what that appropriately calls to mind nuclear we’ve brought upon ourselves. bombing (complete with terrifying mushIn the new film, World War II has just room cloud, though this one is called up by ended when former kamikaiju fire breath). Ackaze pilot Koichi Shikishima GODZILLA MINUS ONE claimed filmmaker and (Ryunosuke Kamiki) returns Rated PG-13 visual FX artist Tahome to Tokyo... and don’t kashi Yamazaki, who Directed by Takashi Yamazaki think that the status of “forwrote, directed and did Starring Ryunosuke Kamiki, mer kamikaze pilot who actu- Minami Hamabe, Hidetaka Yoshioka the VFX for this flick, ally survived the war” isn’t just lets Koichi scream a thing. As a Westerner, I cannot recall an in fear and outrage and grief when he witinstance of a film asking, softly and compasnesses that kaiju mushroom cloud and the sionately, whether the sacrifice of kamikazes devastation it leaves in its wake. was worth it and whether it was cowardice This is not the only recent film that just or wisdom that guided some to avoid it. It lets people scream in agony in the face of shocked me, in the best way, to see that in unimaginable disaster. It feels like both an Godzilla Minus One. important step in our appreciation of how Koichi is a gentle soul, and the movie we approach trauma and a harbinger of is kind to him. Amid this post-war conuncinematic depictions to come. The world is drum, Koichi returns to his bombed-out filled with so much trauma that even I want home to find rubble, an orphaned infant to scream out loud on the regular… and and an angry neighbor in Noriko Oishi I’ve never even seen a kaiju. n

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ext year will mark the 70th anniversary of the debut of Godzilla, the now legendary kaiju, who made its first appearance in the 1954 Japanese film that bears its name. I’m dating myself when I say that my first exposure to Godzilla came via a 1970s TV broadcast of the appalling Westernized version of the film, re-edited to shoehorn in Raymond Burr as an American reporter covering the kaiju attack on Japan. I have vivid memories of being a kid riveted to the screen (even by the Burr version)... and even more vivid memories of seeing the original Burr-free version during a big-screen revival showing as a grownup in the ’90s and being like, damn, this is cinema. ’Cause the authentic 1954 Godzilla is pain personified (socialified?). It is Japan’s collective horror post-World War II — the horror about the nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, made plain, inescapable and, well, monstrous. This giant lizard movie is judging America — and maybe also Japan itself — and that’s completely fair. And now we have Godzilla Minus One, a reboot of the king of all monsters, and not too long after the reboot that was Shin Godzilla less than half a decade ago. Huge kudos to Japanese film studio Toho for taking Godzilla in multiple directions at once. Because Shin was all “What if Godzilla didn’t make his first appearance until the 2010s?” in an obvious but totally appropriate nod to Japan’s then-recent horrors (2011’s tsunami and the Fukushima nuclear meltdown). And now Minus One rewinds the big lizard guy to before the 1954

SON OF BRAD DECEMBER 2 • CHALICE BREWING CO.

PAGE 52 NOVEMBER 30, 2023 INLANDER 49

MODERN CLASSICAL

O Cello Night

Portland Cello Project brings some holiday cheer while continuing to think outside the musical box BY SETH SOMMERFELD

enre blending has become more and more the norm these days. We’re long past the point where mixing rap and rock, EDM and pop or funk and jazz feel like novelties. That said, there are few groups that can cover as much sonic ground over the course of a single concert as the Portland Cello Project. “The Portland Cello Project is a classical music-looking ensemble that plays all sorts of music with the goal of bringing together many different musical communities onstage,” says Douglas Jenkins, Portland Cello Project’s artistic director and a cellist with the grou. “So you might hear classical music for a minute, and then that might turn into jazz, and then that might turn into Taylor Swift, and that might turn into Pantera. We just try to celebrate

50 INLANDER NOVEMBER 30, 2023

the best of all types of music and see what they’re like if you do it on the cello.” The group initially only formed for one of those increasingly omnipresent let’s put classical music in an atypical space concerts, originally getting nine cellists together for what most imagined would be a one-off performance at Portland’s Doug Fir Lounge in 2006. But the enthusiastic response from Portlanders spurred the collective to do more. They quickly pivoted off of staying only in the classical lane and played shows with arrangements of popular music ranging from Radiohead to Kanye West. (The group’s cover of Ye’s “All the Lights” has over 1 million views on YouTube.) “Portland Cello Project is definitely something we

always thought would be a flash in the pan, but for some reason isn’t,” says Jenkins. “I think a lot of that is just the focus on trying to keep things quality, trying to mix things up, and not really falling into a box so quickly. That’s had its pros and cons over the years. Like back when we’re doing Kanye West covers and stuff like that, we could have probably just really driven that into the ground for a year and probably would’ve made a ton of money, but then we probably wouldn’t exist anymore.” Portland Cello Project also doesn’t feel the need to be all cello all the time, expanding its sounds with singers and full rock band accompaniment at times. This allows them to play everything from concert halls to punk clubs without missing a beat. While there’s a core group of

1,700 pieces in its playable repertoire, and the reason that PCP is able to cover so much musical ground lies in the inherent sonic scope of the cello itself. “The cello has the range of the full human voice from the lowest bass to the to the highest soprano. We can play all the voices, which not every instrument can do,” says Jenkins. “I think that’s probably the main technical reason that lets us be as versatile as we are. But I think there are other reasons [audiences like the cello] too. Just visually, it’s like we’re dancing with the instrument — the way it looks and the way we’re sitting with it.”

Seasonal strings via the Portland Cello Project. JASON QUIGLEY PHOTO

regular cellists in the group (around a dozen), there’s a larger pool of local players who have taken turns bringing the music to life onstage. “There has always been a community of cellists here in Portland who like doing this. We’re all classically trained, and it’s different than what we normally get to do,” say Jenkins. “It’s playing venues we don’t normally get to play. And I think we all feel very grateful and lucky for that. So it’s always been the mission to find a way to do something that keeps it sustainable and keeps it fun and keeps it working for everybody.” The range of the Portland Cello Project is actually kind of astronomical. The group has over

ortland Cello Project’s upcoming stop at District Bar shall take the collective in a festive direction, as the group tours behind its new holiday EP, Under the Mistletoe (out Dec. 8, but available a day early at the show). The touring ensemble this time out will feature five or six cellists, a bassist, pianist, drummer, trombone player, and singers headlined by Saeeda Wright, who sings on the EP and was part of Prince’s New Power Generation. Under the Mistletoe’s five songs keep listeners on their… well… toes. Jenkins raves about the new arrangements by collaborator and pianist Alex Milstead saying they’re “just a little bit outside the box. Like rhythms are going to be in different places than what you’re expecting.” The album includes a “Winter Wonderland” bursting with jazzy pep, a more classical take on “O Holy Night,” a rendition of “Do You Hear What I Hear” that boasts soft funk undertones, a rhythmically explorative “What Child Is This,” and the less well-known seasonal song “What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve?” The concert will expand on what Under the Mistletoe offers, featuring everything from Christmas music to Hanukkah medleys to traditional Solstice tunes (and, sure, maybe a little Taylor Swift thrown into the mix). Jenkins isn’t sure what’s next for Portland Cello Project after this holiday tour, but that not knowing is part of the thrill for the project’s players. The pure malleability of the niche that the Portland Cello Project has carved out for itself means that anything and everything can be on the proverbial table. “It’s always been about going where the wind blows. And the nice thing is you never quite know where it’s gonna blow next,” says Jenkins. “So I don’t know what our next step is or our next iteration, I feel like I’ve never been in a place where I know less than I know right now about that. It just doesn’t feel like there’s a very obvious path forward, because there are so many good paths forward we could take. We could just do a really wild jazz album... we could go in just a much more classical direction, which we haven’t done either, believe it or not... we’ve actually never done just a pop music cover album, which seems odd because we have so many videos that have like a million hits on YouTube or whatever that are pop music… maybe we should just do that. [Laughs]” n Portland Cello Project • Thu, Dec. 7 at 8 pm • $20 • 21+ • District Bar • 916 W. First Ave. • sp.knittingfactory.com

Gonzaga Jazz: Christmas Concert Thursday, Nov 30, 7:30pm

Free 60-minute concert featuring songs from A Charlie Brown Christmas and Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker Suite”

Gonzaga Wind Ensemble Saturday, Dec 2, 2:00pm

Free concert featuring the music of Michael Markowski, Eric Whitacre, Cait Nishmura, James David, John Mackey, and Julie Giroux

Gonzaga Symphony Orchestra: Young Artists Winners Monday, Dec 4, 7:30pm

“Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique, Op. 14” GSO will showcase Young Artists Competition winners as they perform various concertos and arias

Gonzaga Choirs: Candlelight Christmas Saturday, Dec 9, 7:30pm Sunday, Dec 10, 3:00pm

Featuring special guests St. Aloysius School Choir and Spokane Brassworks

211 E. DeSmet, Spokane 509-313-2787 | myrtlewoldsoncenter.org

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MUSIC | SOUND ADVICE

ROCK MAMMOTH WVH

t may be a dying platform (thanks Elon, you insecure little tool!), but Wolfgang Van Halen had one of the all-time Twitter clapbacks earlier this spring. The son of rock icon Eddie Van Halen has carved out a path for himself with some good ol’ straightforward hard rock riffing in his own band, Mammoth WVH, but that doesn’t stop moronic randos from spewing hate at him on social media. When one such dope tried to nepo baby shame him by typing, “If a person wants to make a name for themselves they wouldn’t take advantage of their famous father’s last name & band name,” Wolfgang was delightfully blunt with his factual response: “Van Halen is literally my f—ing name you grape.” Grape. He insulted the bro by calling him a grape. A+ stuff. Mammoth WVH playing songs from its new album Mammoth II is an ideal choice if you’re in the mood for a little non-jingle bell rock to start your December. Just don’t be a grape. — SETH SOMMERFELD Mammoth WVH, Nita Strauss • Sat, Dec. 2 at 7:30 pm • $25 • All ages • Knitting Factory • 919 W. Sprague Ave. • sp.knittingfactory.com

J = THE INLANDER RECOMMENDS THIS SHOW J = ALL AGES SHOW

ROCK BUSH

Thursday, 11/30

t may seem like an absurd thing to say about a band that has literally sold over 20 million albums, but Bush has gotten an unfair rap. Emerging from London right after the Seattle grunge boom of the ’90s, they’ve largely been critically lambasted as grunge posers — overseas interlopers who took the popular sound and put a too-clean commercial spin on it while having the audacity to have a gorgeous frontman (Gavin Rossdale). Bush’s massive success was seen as almost a death knell for the “true” grunge movement by large swaths of rock critics. But that’s all unfair comparative contextualization. There’s a reason millions of people responded to mammoth singles like “Glycerine” and “Machinehead” — they’re absolutely killer rock songs (ones that would’ve been seen simply as sublime hard rock tunes if the band hadn’t happened to breakthrough so close to the peak grunge era). So don’t let any pretentious folks make you feel an ounce of shame for rocking out when the band heads to the Fox. Besides, they’re not even close to cracking the list as the most problematic Bushes of the ’90s… — SETH SOMMERFELD

ARBOR CREST WINE CELLARS, Scott Ryan Ingersoll CHAN’S RED DRAGON ON THIRD, Thursday Night Jam CHECKERBOARD TAPROOM, Weathered Shepherds J QQ SUSHI & KITCHEN, Just Plain Darin RED ROOM LOUNGE, Hip-Hop Night RIVERSIDE PLACE, Calcium ZOLA, The Night Mayors

Friday, 12/1

ARBOR CREST WINE CELLARS, Lyle Morse J THE BIG DIPPER, All Hallows’ Christmas Eve: The Nightmare Before Christmas Themed EDM & Hip Hop Party BOLO’S BAR & GRILL, Dangerous Type CHAN’S RED DRAGON ON THIRD, Tuck Foster and the Tumbling Dice CHINOOK LOUNGE (CDA CASNIO), KOSH J CORBIN SENIOR CENTER, Ben Klein & Family: From Swing to the King, Let Christmas Ring! FIRST INTERSTATE CENTER FOR THE ARTS, Kidz Bop Live! J THE GRAIN SHED, Haywire IRON HORSE (CDA), Chasing Eos KNITTING FACTORY, The Taylor Party: Taylor Swift Night MOOSE LOUNGE, Laketown Sound J NORTHERN ALES, Dave & Rey

52 INLANDER NOVEMBER 30, 2023

Bush, Bad Wolves, Eva Under Fire • Wed, Dec. 6 at 7 pm • $50-$380 • All ages • The Fox Theater • 919 W. Sprague Ave. • foxtheaterspokane.org RED ROOM LOUNGE, Live DJs THE RIDLER PIANO BAR, Just Plain Darin

Saturday, 12/2

ARBOR CREST WINE CELLARS, Wyatt Wood J THE BIG DIPPER, All Hallows’ Christmas Eve: The Nightmare Before Christmas Themed EDM & Hip Hop Party BOLO’S BAR & GRILL, Dangerous Type J CAFE COCO, B CHALICE BREWING CO., Son of Brad CHAN’S RED DRAGON ON THIRD, Slap Shot CHINOOK LOUNGE (CDA CASINO), KOSH

IRON HORSE (CDA), Chasing Eos J J KNITTING FACTORY, Mammoth WVH, Nita Strauss MOOSE LOUNGE, Laketown Sound RED ROOM LOUNGE, Live DJs J J REVIVAL TEA COMPANY, Rosie Cerquone J THIRST TAPHOUSE, Wiebe Jammin’ ZOLA, Blake Braley

Sunday, 12/3 HOGFISH, Open Mic

Monday, 12/4

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

RED ROOM LOUNGE, Open Mic Night

Tuesday, 12/5

J THE BIG DIPPER, Jason Michael Carroll, Robbie Walden, Joey Anderson, Joel Haugen J HISTORIC DAVENPORT HOTEL, Brent Edstrom LITZ’S PUB & EATERY, Shuffle Dawgs

Wednesday, 12/6

THE DRAFT ZONE, The Draft Zone Open Mic J HISTORIC DAVENPORT HOTEL, Dr. Kate Skinner RED ROOM LOUNGE, The Roomates J J THE FOX THEATER, Bush, Bad Wolves, Eva Under Fire

J TIMBERS ROADHOUSE, Cary Beare Presents J ZEEKS PIZZA, Nate Ostrander ZOLA, Brittany’s House

Coming Up ...

J THE DISTRICT BAR, Portland Cello Project, Dec. 7, 8 pm. J KNITTING FACTORY, Highly Suspect, Carr, Dec. 7, 8 pm. J THE FOX THEATER, Tower of Power: Holidays & Hits Tour, Dec. 8, 7:30 pm. J J KNITTING FACTORY, TV Girl, Jordana, Dec. 8, 8 pm. J THE BIG DIPPER, Rock Club Winter Showcase, Dec. 9, 4-9 pm. THE DISTRICT BAR, Hayden Pedigo, Dec. 14, 9 pm.

December 2023 December 1ST — 4TH

December 15TH — 18TH

Regular Session Matinee Session Regular Session SUN Regular Session – $5 Buy-in (minimum electronic buy-in $25). All regular games pay $1,000. MON Monitor Bingo Monday Night Bingo

FRI

SAT

December 8

— 11

Regular Session Matinee Session Regular Session – $5 Buy-in. (minimum electronic buy-in $25). All regular games pay $1,000. SUN Regular Session MON Monday Night Bingo FRI

Regular Session – $5 Buy-in (minimum electronic buy-in $25). All regular games pay $1,000. SAT Matinee Session Regular Session – $5 Buy-in (minimum electronic buy-in $25). All regular games pay $1,000. SUN Regular Session – $5 Buy-in (minimum electronic buy-in $25). All regular games pay $1,000. MON Monitor Bingo

Admissions opens Session begins

FRI & SAT

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December 29TH — 31ST Regular Session Matinee Session Regular Session New Year’s Eve Bingo A $55,000 Session To Remember Twenty regular games all pay $1,024. One $15,000 progressive guaranteed. Admissions opens at 1 pm Session starts at 4 pm

FRI SAT

Monday Night Bingo

SAT

REGULAR BINGO SESSIONS

Matinee Session Ugly Holiday Sweater Contest Regular Session Three cash prize winners. Buy-in required to participate. SUN No Bingo Christmas Eve MON No Bingo Christmas Day SAT

SUN

December 22ND — 25TH FRI

Regular Session – $5 Buy-in (minimum electronic buy-in $25). All regular games pay $1,000.

MATINEE-STYLE BINGO SESSIONS Admissions opens Session begins

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4 PM 6 PM

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NOVEMBER 30, 2023 INLANDER 53

COMMUNITY LET THERE BE LIGHT(S)

Most folks love the illuminated wonders that pop up around Christmastime. Most folks also hate being cold. For the very large Venn diagram of those overlapping populations, Northwest Winterfest hits the festive sweet spot. The indoor, self-guided walking tour at the Spokane County Fair and Expo Center features an array of lighted lanterns depicting holiday favs like Santa, reindeer, and a host of hand-painted trees that each has a cultural focus, from a Pakistani tree to a Norwegian one. With live music, food and holiday beverages also offered up, Northwest Winterfest brings some cheer to the season that the whole family can enjoy (kids 10 and under get in free with an accompanying adult admission). — SETH SOMMERFELD Northwest Winterfest • Through Dec 31; Fri from 5-8 pm, Sat from 4-8 pm, Sun from 3-6 pm (also Dec. 28 from 5-8 pm) • $10-$15 • Spokane County Fair & Expo Center • 404 N. Havana St. • northwestwinterfest.com

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54 INLANDER NOVEMBER 30, 2023

MUSIC JINGLE BELL SWING

Kick off the Christmas season in style with the Spokane Jazz Orchestra at The Bing. Join internationally acclaimed vocalist Sacha Boutros as she and the band honor Nancy Wilson’s beloved Christmas album. For decades, Wilson’s velvet voice has warmed hearts and homes with her renditions of “Silver Bells,” “Sweet Little Jesus Boy,” “O Holy Night,” and Vince Guaraldi’s “Christmastime is Here.” Boutros comes to this corner of the world from Paris to pay tribute to Wilson. One can only expect that she’ll reinterpret Wilson’s version of “White Christmas” in Bing Crosby’s hometown. Settle in for a soulful, swanky evening. — ELIZA BILLINGHAM Spokane Jazz Orchestra with Sacha Boutros • Sat, Dec 2 at 7:30 pm • $27-$37 • Bing Crosby Theater • 901 W. Sprague Ave. • bingcrosbytheater.com • 509-227-7404

COMMUNITY CRYPTID CLAUS

Not to be a Grinch, but staying in the holiday spirit for the entire month of December can be exhausting. Sometimes, the red and green is too much, and the smell of pine can become nauseating after a while. Trade your sugar cookies and twinkling lights for sacrifice and goat hooves when Krampus — a horned, anthropomorphic figure from European folklore who punishes poorly behaved children with birch rods — makes his way to Petunia & Loomis every Saturday in December. For these occasions, Krampus is putting down his birch rods and inviting kids, pets and adults alike to snap a photo with him. Whether you’ve been naughty, nice or something in between, Krampus doesn’t judge. He welcomes you onto his throne with open… hooves. — MADISON PEARSON Pictures with Krampus • Dec. 2-23, Sat from 11 am-6 pm • Free • Petunia & Loomis • 421 W. Riverside Ave. • petunialoomis.com • 509-498-0259

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DANCE MAGICAL NUTCRACKER

Witness a magical adventure with dazzling fairies, menacing mice and a nutcracker springing to life during Allegro Dance Studio’s performance of the classic Nutcracker ballet. This is the studio’s second annual production of The Nutcracker and features its member dancers on stage as local musicians perform the score. Allegro in Sandpoint offers classes for dancers of all ages across a variety of styles including ballet, contemporary, jazz and more. Prior to Saturday evening’s performance, the studio is holding a black-tie gala hosted by Trinity Cafe at its Main Street location. Proceeds from the gala support the studio’s scholarship program, which provides financial support to their dancers. — SUMMER SANDSTROM The Nutcracker • Fri, Dec. 1 at 7 pm; Sat, Dec. 2 at 2 pm and 7 pm; Sun, Dec. 3 at 2 pm • $40-$80 • Panida Theater • 330 N. First Ave., Sandpoint • panida.org • 208-263-9191

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WORDS STRENGTH TO CARRY ON

Esther Basch did not celebrate her 16th birthday in 1944. Instead, on that day she and her parents arrived in a packed cattle car at Auschwitz, the hell-onearth concentration camp where more than a million Jewish, Polish, Romani and other prisoners of war were murdered by the Nazis. Today, at age 95, Basch continues to share her firsthand story of bravery, hope and forgiveness to younger generations to help ensure nothing like the Holocaust ever happens again. While a documentary about Basch’s experiences and life is in the works, she regularly tours the U.S. to share it with audiences, including during a forthcoming stop hosted by Chabad of Spokane County. Basch shares why she was nicknamed “honey girl,” and how she found the emotional and physical strength to overcome the horrors she lived through during one of the world’s darkest moments. — CHEY SCOTT

Flu & COVID-19

Flu & COVID-19 srhd.org/breathineasy

Esther Basch: The Honey Girl of Auschwitz • Sun, Dec. 3 at 7 pm • $15-$180 • Spokane Convention Center • 333 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. • ticketswest.com

NOVEMBER 30, 2023 INLANDER 55

SAFER HIKING/BIKING Cheers to the volunteer(s) who repaired the trail along the Spokane River below the SFCC Magnuson Building. Regular walkers and mountain bikers appreciate the effort. Beautiful job! Also thanks to those who periodically clean up the riverbank next to the old water main bridge. It has looked much better the past few summers. RE: MAKING A FREE LEFT I must’ve been taught wrong in Drivers Ed, or been told wrong by family because I learned something new today. I had to double-check my sanity and found I was indeed wrong. Thank you, kind Inlander, for pointing out the error of my ways. I have been learned.

I SAW YOU DAMN! I WISH I WAS YOUR LOVER… You. Deep brown beautiful eyes, settled under a perfect blanket of lashes. Smile half agape. You’ve lived many lives, it’s almost like you should be 200, some sort of vampire. You’re special. I wish you could see that I’m also special and could look beyond my physical form. I wish I could be the one to celebrate you, and your ambitions and successes. RE: PROVE IT I’m sorry I am not the one who you are seeking. For some reason I felt like I was. Hope you find who your looking for. TB HAPPY BIRTHDAY Happy Birthday Brock. I am here wondering how long it will take you to awake? Sending love vibes. TREAD CAREFULLY Re: Hey W... Our friend dated this guy. We came to realize he is a womanizer, gambler, p-rn yuckster, and a bully. He had several long-term affairs on “the road” while in a long marriage. Stay clear if you don’t want to be gas-lighted by this one. Charming but outted. Does not care about you, any one in your life, or anything, but what he can get from your “deal.” Run. Don’t look back.

CHEERS SANTA GRAFFITI Cheers to whoever painted the adorable powder puff Santa behind the Starbucks on Ruby and Sharp. It’s so freakin’ cute and brings me joy every time I see it!

I HOPE YOU SEE THIS BOOBEAR I love you with all me heart, boobear. Thank you for loving me through so much, especially understanding my self-sabotaging ways. You’ve always been my cheerleader, and I love you even more for that. I love you with all my heart Alicebamboosly! You and Ry are what keep me motivated in life. WOMAN WHO LIKES MY PARENTS’ HALLOWEEN DECORATIONS Cheers to the woman who drives down Bowdish to work every morning. She took the time out of her busy day to knock on my parents’ door and compliment their Halloween decorations. I just wanted to apologize if my dad seemed grumpy. He was expecting me, his daughter, to be coming by that day, and he was confused as to who was at the door. My parents have not stopped talking about how much it meant to them that you stopped by. Thank you again for your kindness to my parents. TEACHERS A special shout-out cheers to the teachers at TSHS. The work you do with your students is life changing. You are making a difference each and every time you show up. Things don’t go the right way every time for most people working with adolescents, remember to breathe, you got this! Teachers everywhere are incredible! We need you, the students need you. Thank you for being you! THERE’S GOOD PEOPLE OUT THERE So I was diagnosed with cancer in July. I lost my hair, and it cost me my self-esteem. I couldn’t get a free wig because they don’t do that for men. Well, I had a GoFundMe, and I was truly shocked by the generosity of the people around me. I saw a jeer about someone getting upset about another person buying them dinner or something. You know, sometimes this world is a dark, evil place. It’s full of pain and misery, which

is why it’s so important to cherish the good we see in it. Be grateful for the small acts of kindness, and the large ones. I don’t know if I’m going to be here in the next five years, but you can bet I’m going to do what I can to pay forward the love I was shown. I am so grateful to my community, friends and family. Remember you matter. You are loved and you are not alone.

“

JEERS

IS CMR NEXT? While watching the Sept. 18, 2018, debate between Cathy McMorris Rodgers and Lisa Brown, moderated by Nadine Woodward, the constant rude and abusive behavior of CMR supporters toward Brown swung my vote to Lisa Brown. Nadine Woodward’s defeat begs the question, is CMR next? I think the taxpayers are fed up with giving “her” welfare. Just look at her inactive record. Of course, as we saw on TV, she was happily there to congratulate the new ultra-conservative speaker of the House. Trump also sent his congratulations. Just saying. TECH BROS TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OUR TOWN Lime Scooter is making us look dumb, citizens and especially the City Council for allowing this. Lime scooters take advantage of our existing infrastructure, use low-paying gig labor, and create constant danger for pedestrians. There are rules for operating a Lime Scooter. In Washington state, you have to wear helmet, it’s the law. In downtown, you can’t ride on the sidewalk. Neither of those laws get enforced. Because who would have to enforce them? Our local and famously understaffed police department. That means that to keep our own citizens safe from Lime Scooters we once again have to provide the resources. Lime Scooter is a California-based corporation with no vested interest in our community. They don’t care about our town and that is apparent. What happens when some student comes bombing down the sidewalk at 25 mph toward a blind corner and kills a toddler. Once again Lime will be able to blame us

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.”

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ILL-MANNERED MANAGERS Since having foot surgery I have encountered the occasional rude shopper while I roll around

Better than the cheap, disposable ones at the shelters, right? Wrong! Shelter animals make the best pets and don’t come with all the health problems of purebreds. It’s sickening how many animals are killed daily in this country from “throw away” pets, some even purebreds. If you purchase a pet this holiday season, please accept the responsibilities that come with it. Animals can take months

Shelter animals make the best pets and don’t come with all the health problems of purebreds.

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.

Qualified Health Plan

for not enforcing the law. And why are we debating who needs to remove the Lime Scooters from the river? Who do they belong to? Spokane City Council, stop letting Lime make you look stupid.

on my knee scooter — but nothing could prepare me for the ill-mannered managers at a well-known grocery store on Indian Trail. So yeah, to the two managers standing right inside the door chit-chatting when I entered the store.... I’m so sorry, was I in your way? I know you saw me. You gave me the up and down, looked at my scooter, and then panned back up and made eye contact with me only to keep casually talking with your co-worker. You both watched as I struggled to reroute my scooter and eke my way around the two of you. Neither of you made any attempt to move... not one inch. Your “look at me, I’m important” stance with wide feet apart, mean mugs and combative arms folded across your chest sent a clear message — and spoiler alert, it wasn’t friendly or very professional. So, you block the entrance of your store, see a clearly disabled woman struggling to get past, and you do and say absolutely nothing. Hey thanks! Shameful... but it kind of adds up. If this is the attitude and tone that managers are setting, no wonder your cashiers and employees are so rude. You have provided them with an excellent example. PLASTIC SPOON VS. SILVER SPOON The expression “silver spoon” is synonymous with wealth, someone born into a wealthy family. They are said to have been “born with a silver spoon in their mouth.” Trump was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and over the years he has taken that spoon out of his mouth and put it up his butt, so now that’s what he talks through. BREEDERS ARE BAD The classifieds in the daily paper are full of animal ads to put money in greedy pockets. People buy from you believing they are getting something special.

”

to adjust to a new environment and shouldn’t be abandoned, ever. Most importantly ADOPT, don’t shop (from breeders). They will come fixed, vaccinated and ready to love you until the day they die. YOU I consider, that you are mistaken. I can defend the position. Write to me in PM. BAD MEDICINE Our health care system is broken, and nowhere is this more obvious than in Spokane. Incompetence, indifference and greed have made getting sick a death sentence. The insurance companies are in business to maximize profits, and that means declining referrals and treatment by default. It’s time for universal health care and an overhaul to this corrupted system. BUSH LEAGUE Gramps... ya might wanna back off braggin’ ‘bout your baby boy bein’ such a “stud”... makin’ it all happen?” The kid has potential, but really, who’s payin’ for the “makin’ it happen” portion of the ride? Your stats are skewed in that game. Your numbers are more than a little... off. Seems she’s the one that wins this tournament... n

THIS WEEK'S ANSWERS T H I S B E T A D A M C O S U N O R O U N C E S T H I S T L E C L O U D S W E E C R I P K A R L P A N A M S H I N E T H O M A S T H I T H E R I V O H A T A O N R I G H T A F T E R T H I S A U D E W E I R A C H I A P E T M T E T N A T H O N G C O M E A T H O R J U S E T T A T H O R A X E A T S O U T A L S A B U E L O E V E R E S F Y I G O T T E N

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EVENTS | CALENDAR

BENEFIT

HUTTON SETTLEMENT CHRISTMAS TREE FARM FUNDRAISER The Settlement’s annual tree farm sale offers a wide selection of pre-cut wild and farmed trees, fresh garland, and wreathes for purchase. All proceeds fund the Hutton Settlement’s on-campus, youth-led educational programs. Through Dec. 15; MonFri noon-6 pm; Sat-Sun 10 am-6 pm. Hutton Settlement Children’s Home, 9907 E. Wellesley Ave. huttonsettlement.org WINTER WANDERLUST GALA This event includes live music, local artist exhibit by Katherine Mandley, cheese and dessert tables, drink tickets and chef demos. Proceeds from the event benefit the Lands Council. Dec. 3, 5-8 pm. $125. Bowery, 230 W. Riverside Ave. boweryspokane.com (509-842-4103) PROJECT ID 8TH ANNUAL WINTER ELEGANCE This evening features a dinner, live and silent auction, a raffle and more to benefit Project id. Dec. 8, 5-9 pm. $100. Historic Flight Foundation, 5829 E. Rutter Ave. projectidspokane.org WEST PLAINS ANGELS GOLDEN WINGS MOBILE PET FOOD PANTRY A spaghetti feast (meat and veggie options available) with salad and garlic bread prepared by the Harvester Restaurant. Proceeds benefit the Golden Wings Mobile Pet Food Pantry. Mon.-11 am-2 pm through Dec. 22. $15. The Harvester Restaurant, 401 W. First St. west-plainsangels.square.site

COMEDY

HA!!MARK The Blue Door Players improvise a holiday movie full of twists, turns and romance. Fridays in December (Dec. 1, 8 and 15) at 7:30 pm. $9. Blue Door Theatre, 815 W. Garland Ave. bluedootheatre.org (509-747-7045) YANNIS PAPPAS Pappas is a regular on The Tim Dillon Show, 2 Bears 1 Cave and hosts his own podcast. Dec. 1, 7:30 & 10:15 pm and Dec. 2, 7 & 9:45 pm. $25-$33. Spokane Comedy Club, 315 W. Sprague. spokanecomedyclub.com SAFARI The Blue Door Theatre’s version of Whose Line, a fast-paced short-form improv show with some twists and turns. Dec. 2, 7:30-8:45 pm. $9. Blue Door Theatre, 815 W. Garland Ave. bluedoortheatre.org (509-747-7045) CHRISTOPHER TITUS Titus has six comedy specials and a show on Fox called Titus. Dec. 7, 7:30 pm, Dec. 8, 7:30 & 10:15 pm and Dec. 9, 7 & 9:45 pm. $25-$40. Spokane Comedy Club, 315 W. Sprague. spokanecomedyclub.com FUNNY FUNNY FUNNY JOKE JOKE JOKE: SAM MILLER A show combining stand-up comedy, live sketches and other mixed-media comedic bits. November’s line up features Sam Miller, Imani Denae, Jared Lyons-Wolf and host Josiah Carlson. Dec. 7, 7-9 pm. $15. Garland Theater, 924 W. Garland Ave. garlandtheater.com

COMMUNITY

CHRISTMAS TREE ELEGANCE The annual raffle of custom-decorated trees supports the Spokane Symphony, through the Spokane Symphony Associates, and includes trees on display at River Park Square. Through Dec. 10, 10 am-9 pm. Free. Historic Davenport Hotel, 10 S. Post St. spokanesymphonyassoc.org CRESCENT HOLIDAY WINDOWS Five window bays on the south side of the

Grand display scenes featuring refurbished figurines from the former Crescent department store. Through Jan. 1; Fri-Sat from 12-10 pm and Sun-Thu from 3-8 pm. Free. Davenport Grand Hotel, 333 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. davenporthotelcollection.com ELF ON A SHELF Elf on a Shelf characters are hidden around downtown Coeur d’Alene. Find one of the dozen Coeur d’Alene Scout Elves and win a prize from Santa. See website for a list of participating locations. Daily through Dec. 17. Free. Downtown Coeur d’Alene, Sherman Ave. cdadowntown.com (208-415-0116) GROSSOLOGY: THE SCIENCE OF THE REALLY GROSS Explore the gross science of snot, boogers and farts with some hands-on activities. Ages 10-13. Nov. 30, 4-5 pm. Free. Airway Heights Library, 1213 S. Lundstrom St. scld.org JOURNEY TO THE NORTH POLE CRUISES A 40-minute holiday cruise across Lake Coeur d’Alene to view holiday light displays and visit Santa Claus and his elves. Through Jan. 2; daily at 4:30, 5:30, 6:30 and 7:30 pm. $12.50-$ 27.50. The Coeur d’Alene Resort, 115 S. Second. cdacruises.com (208-765-4000) KIDS HOLIDAY HUNT Look for hidden characters with secret words in 25 downtown businesses and organizations to win prizes. Through Dec. 20; daily from 10 am-8 pm. Free. Downtown Spokane. downtownspokane.org LIBERTY LAKE WINTER GLOW SPECTACULAR Various holiday light displays are spread throughout the park. Through Jan. 1, daily. Free. Orchard Park, 20298 E. Indiana Ave. winterglowspectacular.com NATIVITY COLLECTION DISPLAY See 1,000+ Nativity scenes from all over the world in varied art mediums and forms. Through Dec. 10; Sun-Fri from 9 am-4 pm, Sat from 10 am-7:30 pm. Free. St. Mary Presentation Catholic Church, 509 E. Sixth St. stmarypresentationcc.org NUMERICA LIGHTS UP THE NIGHT Walk through the park and see dozens of trees lit up with holiday lights. Through Jan. 1. Free. Riverfront Park, 507 N. Howard St. riverfrontspokane.org CHRISTMAS TREE FARM Purchase a Christmas tree grown by North Ridge Farms. The plaza is filled with pre-cut Douglas firs to choose from. Through Dec. 9; Fri from 3-6 pm, Sat from 2-6 pm. $60-$85. Brick West Brewing Co., 1318 W. First Ave. bit.ly/brickmastree JOURNEY TO BETHLEHEM This walkthrough Christmas pageant features a cast of over 100 actors from eight denominations and many live animals, including sheep, goats, donkeys and a camel. Dec. 1-3; Fri from 6-8 pm, Sat-Sun from 4-7 pm. Free. South Hill Seventh Day Adventist Church, 5607 S. Freya St. journeyspokane.com (509-448-6425) NONPROFIT SHOWCASE An opportunity to connect with over 40 nonprofit organizations doing work in the greater Spokane Valley area and discover ways to engage and volunteer for organizations. Dec. 1, 11 am-2 pm. Free. CenterPlace Regional Event Center, 2426 N. Discovery Pl. spokanevalleychamber.org NORTHWEST WINTERFEST A holiday lantern display and cultural celebration featuring dozens of holiday lantern displays and immersive experiences in holiday cultures of the world. Dec. 1-31; Thu-Fri from 5-8 pm, Sat from 4-8 pm and Sun from 3-6 pm. $10-$40. Spokane County Fair & Expo Center, 404 N. Havana St. northwestwinterfest.com

ARTISTS & CREATIVES HOLIDAY SHOW & SALE A holiday arts and crafts vendor market in conjunction with Chrysalis Gallery. Dec. 2-3, 10 am-5 pm. Free. Woman’s Club of Spokane, 1428 W. Ninth. thewomansclubofspokane.org BLITZEN BASH Enjoy balloon art, face painting and a visit from one of Santa’s friends. Dec. 2, 11 am-3 pm. Free. River Park Square, 808 W. Main Ave. riverparksquare.com (509-624-3945) CHRISTMAS FAIRE & CITY SIDEWALKS CELEBRATION A citywide celebration featuring arts, artisans, dancing and singing. Local businesses open their doors and the farmers market brings its local artisans with gifts and stocking stuffers. See website for a full schedule of events. Dec. 2, 10 am-3 pm. Free. Chewelah, Wash. chewelah.org FESTIVE FAMILY HOLIDAY FUN Celebrate the holiday season with cookies, holiday arts, hot cocoa, and a “Selfie With Santa” photo op. The historic home is decorated for the season and is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year. Hour-long sessions available at 11 am, 12:30 pm and 2 pm. Dec. 2, 11 am-3 pm. $10. Corbin Art Center, 507 W. Seventh Ave. spokanerec.org HOLIDAY EXTRAVAGANZA ARTS & CRAFT FAIR Cheney High School’s annual holiday craft fair features home and holiday decor, jewelry, bath and body items, gourmet food items, candles, metal and more across 190 vendors. Dec. 2, 10 am-4 pm. Free. Cheney High School, 460 N. 6th St. facebook.com/holidayextravaganzaatcheneyhighschool HOLIDAY ON THE AVE This celebration features ice carving, live caroling, popup shops, photos with Santa, flash sales, discounts and more. Dec. 2, 10 am-6 pm. Free. Sprague Union District, 2400-1600 E. Sprague. spragueuniondistrict.com HYGGE HOLIDAY MARKET This holidaythemed market features jewelry, vintage goods, ornaments, art and more from various local artists. Dec. 2, 2-6 pm. Free. Bellwether Brewing Co., 2019 N. Monroe St. bellwetherbrewing.net PICTURES WITH KRAMPUS Take a photo with Krampus. Adults, kids and pets are welcome. Dec. 2-23, Sat from 11 am-6 pm. Free. Petunia & Loomis, 421 W. Riverside Ave. instagram.com/petunialoomis RIDGELINE HIGH SCHOOL 2ND ANNUAL CRAFT & VENDOR FAIR This craft fair features over 180 creative vendors. Baked goods and concessions are also offered. Dec. 2-3, 9 am-4 pm. $2. Ridgeline High School, 20150 E. Country Vista. ridgelinebandboosters.org THE STOREHOUSE CHRISTMAS MARKET POP-UPS Shop a curated market featuring handcrafted art, jewelry, gift items, homemade jams and baked goods, locally raised USDA prime beef, fresh herbs and more. Through Dec. 23, Sat from 10 am-5 pm. Free. The Storehouse, 107 W. Lake St. medicallake.org WHITE CHRISTMAS OPEN HOUSE Explore the museum’s memorabilia and decorations. The first 50 visitors receive a limited-edition vinyl pressing of Bing Crosby’s take on “The Night Before Christmas.” Dec. 2, 1-4 pm. Free. Crosby House Museum, 508 E. Sharp Ave. bingcrosbyadvocates.org WINTER WONDERLAND MARKET Rotating vendors sell gifts, crafts, food and more. Seasonal movie screenings are also shown. Through Dec. 23, Sat from 10 am-2 pm. Free. The Wonder Building, 835 N. Post. wondermarketspokane.com

RITTERS NORTH POLE EXPERIENCE This event includes live reindeer viewing, Santa and Mrs. Claus and a picture with Santa. Dec. 3, 11 am-3 pm. $30. Ritters Garden & Gift, 10120 N. Division St. 4ritter.com (509 467-5258) PET PHOTOS WITH SANTA You and your furry friend are invited to take photos with Santa. Dec. 4, 4-7 pm. $20-$50. River Park Square, 808 W. Main Ave. riverparksquare.com (509-624-3945)

FILM

2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY A showing of Stanley Kubrick’s classic as part of the Science on Screen series. Nov. 30, 7-10 pm. $8. The Kenworthy, 508 S. Main St., Moscow. kenworthy.org BACKCOUNTRY FILM FESTIVAL This film festival celebrates human-powered, backcountry-inspired stories rooted in wild snowscapes and stewardship. Fundraising from the film festival will go towards IPAC, and the Lands Council. Nov. 30, 6-9 pm. $12. Garland Theater, 924 W. Garland. spokanemountaineers.org MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL Celebrate the 48 1/2 anniversary of Monty Python and the Holy Grail with an all-new quote-along created exclusively for this anniversary release. Dec. 3-4, 7-9 pm. $8. The Kenworthy, 508 S. Main St. kenworthy.org (208-882-4127) BING CROSBY HOLIDAY FILM FESTIVAL Screenings of popular Bing Crosby holiday films including White Christmas, and Birth of the Blues. The event also features live entertainment from local bands as well as personal home movies and photos from Crosby’s private collection provided by Robert Bader, president of Bing Crosby Enterprises. Dec. 9, 10 am-10 pm. $22. Bing Crosby Theater, 901 W. Sprague Ave. bingcrosbytheater.com

FOOD & DRINK

BEVERLY’S SIGNATURE CULINARY CLASS: WELLINGTON WORKSHOP Learn how to make beef Wellington from selecting the finest cuts of beef to creating flaky pastry. Nov. 30, 6-8 pm. $80. Beverly’s, 115 S. Second. beverlyscda.com KITCHEN COOKING CLASS: RAVIOLI Commellini Estate’s executive chef teaches how to make ravioli in this hands-on class. The class culminates in a family-style meal. Nov. 30, 6:30-9:30 pm. $85. Commellini Estate, 14715 N. Dartford Dr. commelliniestate.com S’MORES BY THE SHORES Make s’mores while gathered around one of the resort’s firepits. Through Dec. 30, daily from 3-9 pm. $75. The Coeur d’Alene Resort, 115 S. Second. cdaresort.com (208-292-5678) BROWNE FAMILY SPIRITS DINNER A six-course meal accompanied by spirits from Browne Family Vineyards and knowledge from distillery representatives. Dec. 1, 6-9 pm. $125. Beverly’s, 115 S. Second St. beverlyscda.com COOKING IN THE GREENHOUSE Chef Teague Tatsch teaches how to make Mexican street corn salad with sichuan ingredients. Dec. 2, 12-1 pm. $40. Ritters Garden & Gift, 10120 N. Division St. 4ritter.com (509 467-5258) CIDER DINNER This dinner hosted by Cochinito and Liberty Cider Works includes six courses paired with six single-varietal ciders. Reserve by phone. Dec. 3, 6-9 pm. $95. Cochinito Taqueria, 10 N. Post. co-

chinitotaqueria.com (509-474-9618) BREAD BAKING CLASS WITH JEFF HALFHIDE Learn how to make soft triticale sandwich bread. Discuss the basics of yeast breads, including loafing, shaping and texture. Dec. 4, 5:45-8:15 pm. $85. The Kitchen Engine, 621 W. Mallon Ave. thekitchenengine.com SMALL VINEYARDS IMPORTS WINE DINNER Tuscan winemaker Antonio Sanguineti pairs five wines with courses including prawns, lamb loin, halibut and more. Dec. 5, 5-7:30 pm. $150. Gander & Ryegrass, 404 W. Main Ave. ganderandryegrass.com (509-315-4613) TOAST: ELEGANT AND EASY ENTERTAINING Create four simple starters plus an easy dessert, eating each of your creations as you go. Dec. 6, 12-2 pm. $65. The Kitchen Engine, 621 W. Mallon Ave. thekitchenengine.com (509-328-3335)

MUSIC

GONZAGA ANNUAL JAZZ CHRISTMAS CONCERT This performance features the Gonzaga Jazz Ensemble, Jazz Combo, and Jazz Choir performing the music from A Charlie Brown Christmas and Duke Ellington’s arrangement of Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite. Nov. 30, 7:30-8:45 pm. Free. Myrtle Woldson Performing Arts Center, 211 E. Desmet Ave. gonzaga.edu/music (509-313-2787) 3CS COEUR D’ALEERS CHRISTMAS CONCERT The Coeur d’Aleers present their annual free choral Christmas concert featuring holiday music. Proceeds from the will offering benefit Kootenai County cancer charities. Dec. 1, 7-8:30 pm. Free. Trinity Lutheran Church, 812 N. Fifth St. 3cscda.com (253-686-7367) ADRIANO FERRARO : A JAZZY CROONER CHRISTMAS The Singing Server, Andriano Ferraro, a local Christian artist, performs holiday music in a jazzy style. Dec. 1, 7-8:15 pm. $22. Bing Crosby Theater, 901 W. Sprague Ave. bingcrosbytheater.com (509-227-7638) AN EVENING OF BLUEGRASS Bluegrass music performed by Nick Dumas, Chris Luquette and Andrew Knapp. Dec. 1, 7 pm. $20. The Jacklin Arts & Cultural Center, 405 N. William. thejacklincenter.org RINGING IN THE HOLIDAYS CONCERT Heather Villa, Villa Blues n’ Jazz, Ukuladies of Spokane, Gatieh Nacario, Dave Ribble, Michael Swain, Scott and Judi Jamison, Spirit Voice and the Unity Choir perform holiday music. Dec. 1, 6:30-8 pm. $20. Unity Spiritual Center Spokane, 2900 S. Bernard St. unityspokane.org CDA SYMPHONY: HOLIDAY MAGIC The Coeur d’Alene Symphony performs classic holiday tunes with Chorale Coeur d’Alene. Dec. 2, 7:30 pm. $15-$35. Schuler Performing Arts Center, 880 W. Garden Ave. cdasymphony.org (208-769-7780) GONZAGA WIND ENSEMBLE & WIND SYMPHONY: THE BLUE MARBLE This concert features a recent composition by composer Julie Giroux, titled “The Blue Marble” performed by Gonzaga’s wind ensembles. Dec. 2, 2-3:30 pm. Free. Myrtle Woldson Performing Arts Center, 211 E. Desmet Ave. gonzaga.edu/mwpac WSU SCHOOL OF MUSIC HOLIDAY CELEBRATION A musical program that includes a sing-along led by a “Special T. Guest.” The concert also featrures WSU’s major instrumental and vocal ensembles with a silent auction. Dec. 2, 2-4 pm. Free. Bryan Hall Theatre, 605 Veterans Way. music.wsu.edu (509-335-7696)

NOVEMBER 30, 2023 INLANDER 57

EVENTS | CALENDAR SPOKANE JAZZ ORCHESTRA WITH SACHA BOUTROS The Spokane Jazz Orchestra performs the Christmas music of Nancy Wilson with guest vocalist Sacha Boutros. Dec. 2, 7:30-9:30 pm. $27-$37. Bing Crosby Theater, 901 W. Sprague Ave. bingcrosbytheater.com GONZAGA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA WITH YOUNG ARTIST COMPETITION WINNERS In addition to showcasing the music students at Gonzaga, the Winners of the Young Artists Concerto/Aria Competition perform Saint-Saens Cello Concerto No. 1, Symphonie Fantastique, Op. 14 and more. Dec. 4, 7:30-9 pm. $15-$18. Myrtle Woldson Performing Arts Center, 211 E. Desmet Ave. gonzaga.edu/music THOMAS PLETSCHER Jazz pianist Tom Pletscher performs jazzy holiday tunes and other selections. Dec. 4, 7-10 pm. Free. Historic Davenport Hotel, 10 S. Post St. davenporthotelcollection.com SING ALONG WITH JUST PLAIN DARIN Sing along with local singer-songwriter Just Plain Darin to the best songs of the 60s, 70s, and 80s. No prior singing experience is required. Dec. 5, 7-8 pm. Free. Argonne Library, 4322 N. Argonne Rd. scld.org (509-893-8200) HOLIDAY JAZZ CHOIRS CONCERT The University of Idaho Lionel Hampton School of Music Jazz Choirs are joined by hundreds of local high school musicians, university student ensembles and faculty guests for this holiday program. Dec. 7, 7:30 pm. Idaho Central Credit Union Arena, Stadium Drive, University of Idaho Campus. uidaho.edu/class/music

SPORTS & OUTDOORS

DJ NIGHT ON THE ICE Skate around the Numerica Skate Ribbon with tunes provided by DJ A1. Dec. 1-Jan. 26, Fridays from 6-9 pm. $6.95-$9.95. Numerica Skate Ribbon, 720 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. riverfrontspokane.org (509-625-6600) BEGINNING BEEKEEPING CLASSES This introductory course provides beginners with the information to decide whether to engage in beekeeping. Class is available via Zoom. Dec. 2 & 9, 10:30 am-2:30 pm. $50. Cheney Library, 610 First St. wpbeekeepers.org (801-923-3797) COACHES CORNER Coaches from Spokane Figure Skating Club offer tips and guidance to emerging skaters. Dec. 2-Jan. 26, Saturdays from 11 am-1 pm. $6.95$9.95. Numerica Skate Ribbon, 720 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. riverfrontspokane.org RUN RUN RUDOLPH 5K This fourth annual run begins at Schmuck Park and loops around MacDonald Park. Check-in begins at 9:15 am. A trucker hat is given to all participants. Dec. 2, 9:15 am. $25. Colfax. raceentry.com SPOKANE CHIEFS VS. PRINCE GEORGE COUGARS Promotions include Teddy Bear Toss. Dec. 2, 6:05 pm and Jan. 26, 7:05 pm. $13-$32. Spokane Arena, 720 W. Mallon Ave. spokanechiefs.com SPOKANE CHIEFS VS. VANCOUVER GIANTS Promotions include Neurodiversity Awareness Night. Dec. 3, 5:05 pm. $13$32. Spokane Arena, 720 W. Mallon Ave. spokanechiefs.com

THEATER & DANCE

A CHRISTMAS CAROL Ebenezer Scrooge, an elderly miser, is visited by

58 INLANDER NOVEMBER 30, 2023

the ghost of his former business partner Jacob Marley and the spirits of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come. Thu-Sat from 7-9 pm through Dec. 9. (Sat, Dec. 9 performance from 2-4 pm only.) $12. Ferris High School, 3020 E. 37th Ave. ferristheatrearts.com (509-354-6000) A SHERLOCK CAROL When a grown-up Tiny Tim asks Sherlock Holmes to investigate the peculiar death of Ebenezer Scrooge, the great detective must use his tools of deduction to get to the bottom of the crime. Thu-Sat at 7:30 pm, Sun at 2 pm through Dec. 17. $15-$38. Spokane Civic Theatre, 1020 N. Howard St. spokanecivictheatre.com (509-325-2507) SPOKANE SYMPHONY: THE NUTCRACKER BALLET Along with the State Street Ballet and over 70 local dancers, the Spokane Symphony performs Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite. Nov. 30, 7:30 pm, Dec. 1, 2 pm, Dec. 2, 7:30 pm and Dec. 3, 3 pm. $29-$109. The Fox Theater, 1001 W. Sprague. foxtheaterspokane.org WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME This play highlights the good and the bad in regard to the U.S. Constitution and explores the effectiveness of the document. Nov. 30-Dec. 3; Thu-Sat at 7:30 pm, Sun at 2 pm. The Forge Theater, 404 Sweet Ave. uidaho.edu/class/theatre DASHING THROUGH THE SNOW Trina, the innkeeper of the Snowflake Inn, is frantically trying to prepare for the holidays while dealing with a mixed bag of challenging guests and employees who leave comedic chaos in their wake. Dec. 1-2 and 8-9 at 7 pm, Dec. 3 and 10 at 3 pm. Pend Oreille Playhouse, 236 S. Union Ave. pendoreilleplayers.com ELF: THE MUSICAL Once an orphan raised by elves in the North Pole, Buddy travels to New York city. There, he seeks to discover his true identity and save Christmas. Fri-Sat at 7 pm, Sat-Sun at 2 pm through Dec. 17. $12-$16. Spokane Children’s Theatre, 2727 N. Madelia. spokanechildrenstheatre.org HOW I LEARNED TO DRIVE The play follows the strained, sexual relationship between Li’l Bit and her aunt’s husband, Uncle Peck, from her pre-adolescence through her teenage years into college and beyond. Dec. 1-17; Thu-Sat at 7 pm, Sun at 2 pm. $25. Stage Left Theater, 108 W. Third Ave. stagelefttheater.org SHE LOVES ME Set in a 1930s European perfumery, shop clerks Amalia and Georg more often than not don’t see eye to eye. Dec. 1-17; Wed-Sat at 7:30 pm, Sun at 2 pm. $15-$33. Spokane Civic Theatre, 1020 N. Howard. spokanecivictheatre.com SNOWFLAKE SHOWCASE A seasonal show featuring work from the Boundless student-taught dance classes and select academic classes. Dec. 1, 6 & 8 pm. $8-$10. Myrtle Woldson Performing Arts Center, 211 E. Desmet Ave. gonzaga.edu/ mwpac (509-313-4776) TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD This play follows Atticus Finch, a lawyer in 1930s Alabama, as he defends Tom Robinson, a black man falsely accused of rape. Dec. 5-10; Mon-Sat at 7:30 pm, Sat also at 2 pm; Sun at 1 pm and 6:30 pm. $52-$100. First Interstate Center for the Arts, 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. firstinterstatecenter. org (509-279-7000) IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE Based on the 1946 film, this musical follows George Bailey’s life from his childhood dreams to his midlife disappointments and beyond. Dec. 8-17; Thu-Sat at 7 pm, Sat-Sun at 2 pm. TAC at the Lake, 22910 E. Appleway Ave. tacatthelake.com

VISUAL ARTS

ANNUAL ORNAMENT & SMALL WORK SHOW This annual holiday show features over 30 participating artists showcasing ornaments and small works. MonFri from 10 am-5 pm, Sat from 10 am-4 pm through Dec. 23. Free. Spokane Art School, 503 E. Second Ave. spokaneartschool.net (509-325-1500) 27TH ANNUAL SMALL WORKS INVITATIONAL A small works show and sale that features works by over 100 artists, small enough to give as gifts this holiday season. Thu-Sun from 11 am-6 pm through Dec. 24. Free. The Art Spirit Gallery, 415 Sherman Ave. theartspiritgallery.com (208-765-6006) EWU FACULTY ART EXHIBITION The exhibition includes a diverse array of art in a variety of media including, but not limited to, painting, sculpture, printmaking, ceramics, photography, video, digital art and augmented reality. Open Mon-Sat from 9 am-6 pm through Jan. 18. Free. EWU Gallery of Art, 140 Art Building. ewu.edu/cahss GORDON WILSON: EMERITUS A selection of works created over the last 50 years by the Whitworth professor emeritus of art and design. Mon-Fri from 10 am-4:30 pm, Sat from 10 am-2 pm through Jan. 24. Free. Bryan Oliver Gallery, Whitworth, 300 W. Hawthorne Ave. whitworth.edu (509-777-3258) KEITH HARROP: THE WHIMSICAL WORLD OF KEITH HARROP Harrop’s pencil drawings depict animals drawn in a whimsical style. Through Dec. 30, daily from 11 am-7 pm. Meet the artist Fri, Dec. 1 from 5-9 pm. Free. Liberty Building, 203 N. Washington St. potteryplaceplus.com LYNN HANLEY: RHYTHMIC ABSTRACTS Hanley’s colorful, semi-abstract oil paintings aim to evoke the rhythm of music. Tue-Fri from 10 am-6 pm, Sat from 10 am-4 pm through Dec. 23. Free. William Grant Gallery & Framing, 1188 W. Summit Pkwy. williamgrantgf.com MAKING THEIR MARK Four SFCC graduates who work as professional tattoo artists display recent work. Artists include: Bradley Delay, Andi Demitri, Junior and Mike Maloney. Mon-Fri from 8:30 am3:30 pm through Dec. 7. Free. SFCC Fine Arts Gallery, 3410 W. Whistalks Way, Bldg. 6. sfcc.spokane.edu NANCY ROTHWELL: FREEDOM AND JOY IN THE PALOUSE This exhibit showcases how the artist’s color palette and content shifted after moving from western Washington to eastern Washington. Mon-Sat from 10 am-6 pm through Jan. 31. Free. The Center, 104 S. Main St. whitcolib.org (509-397-4366) REGIONAL WATERCOLOR INVITATIONAL A group exhibition curated by Tobe Harvey featuring watercolor and water media works by Megan Perkins, Kate Lund, Megan Martens-Haworth, Amailia Fisch and others. Fri from 4-7 pm, Sat from 10 am-3 pm through Dec. 9. Free. Gonzaga University Urban Arts Center, 125 S. Stevens St. gonzaga.edu/gonzagauniversity-urban-arts-center BAYLEEJOEE, ABE KENNEY, MISSY NARRANCE, JON SWANSTROM & SUSAN WEBBER Various artworks by local artists. Dec. 1-Jan. 1; daily from 11 am-6 pm. Free. Entropy, 101 N. Stevens St. explodingstars.com FIRST FRIDAY Art galleries and businesses across downtown Spokane and beyond host monthly receptions to showcase new displays of art. Dec. 1 from

5-8 pm. Details at firstfridayspokane.org. MOM’S CUSTOM TATTOO STAFF: FIRST FRIDAY This First Friday celebration features work by staff, plus fun holiday activities in the shop. Dec. 1, 5-8 pm. Free. Mom’s Custom Tattoo & Body Piercing, 1226 W. Summit Pkwy. momstattoo.com ROBERT BANGER: CABINET PICTURES OF MY GARDEN FRIENDS ALS IK KAN A selection of cabinet paintings (small paintings) of animals. Dec. 1, 6-9 pm and Dec. 1-31 by appointment only. Free. Hamilton Studio, 1427 W. Dean Ave. hamiltonstudio.com (509-327-9501) GINGER OAKES Oakes is December’s guest artist. She creates sculptures that tell stories and reflect personal life experiences. Dec. 1-31, daily from 11 am-7 pm. Free. Pottery Place Plus, 203 N. Washington St. potteryplaceplus.com JERRY WHITE & KATRINA BRENNAN White showcases woodburning art and Brennan presents acrylic paintings. Dec. 1-31, Thu-Sat from 11 am-4 pm. Free. Avenue West Gallery, 907 W. Boone Ave. avenuewestgallery.com KATHERINE MANDLEY Work by local artist and Gonzaga graduate, Katey Mandley, featuring oil paintings of people and landscapes. Dec. 1, 5-8 pm. Free. Bowery, 230 W. Riverside. boweryspokane.com ALEXANDRA IOSUB: BETWEEN KNOWING AND BEING This exhibition encapsulates the culmination of the artist’s eight-year project, ‘Making Room,’ which explores creating personal space in the world. Dec. 1-30, Thu-Sat from 4-7 pm. Free. Terrain Gallery, 628 N. Monroe St. terrainspokane.com ALL MEMBER EXHIBITION: MEMBERS ONLY Members of the Saranac Art Projects display new works as well as work from the archive. Dec. 1-30, Fri-Sat from 12-8 pm. Free. Saranac Art Projects, 25 W. Main Ave. sapgallery.com THAT, THROUGH WHICH WE SEE...DIFFERING POINTS OF VIEW A group show featuring Lexie Biggs, Larry Ellingson, Mary Benham, Kay O’Rourke and more. Dec. 1-30. Free. Kolva-Sullivan Gallery, 115 S. Adams St. kolva-sullivangallery.com 10TH ANNUAL CUP OF JOY A holiday exhibit of over 150 ceramic cups made by local, regional and national artists. Dec. 2-Jan. 13, Wed-Fri from 11 am-5 pm. Opening reception: Fri, Dec. 2 from 5-8 pm. Free. Trackside Studio, 115 S. Adams St. tracksidestudio.net (509-863-9904) HOLIDAY ARTIST STUDIO TOUR This annual tour features the work of local artists whose creations range from ceramics, jewelry, and painting to leather goods and fiber arts. Dec. 2 from 11 am-5 pm. Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture, 2316 W. First Ave. northwestmuseum.org POTTERY NIGHT: RAKU EXPERIENCE Raku is an ancient Japanese low-fire process distinctive for the unpredictable metallic colors and unique surface. Co-op members guide students through the whole process. Dec. 2, 5-7 pm. $95. Urban Art Co-op, 3209 N. Monroe. facebook.com/urbanartcoop CHILDREN’S PAINTING LESSONS An introductory painting class for children. Bring your own supplies. Ages 10+. Every Sunday from 3-4:30 pm. $10. Spokane Art Supply, 1303 N. Monroe St. spokaneartsupply.com (509-435-8210) YARN GNOME ORNAMENTS Customize a yarn ornament to take home with you. Registration required. Dec. 3, 2-3 pm. Free. South Hill Library, 3324 S. Perry St. spokanelibrary.org (444-5331)

HANDMADE HOLIDAY ORNAMENTS: Celebrate the holidays by making ornaments with provided supplies. Dec. 4, 4-5 pm. Free. Moran Prairie Library, 6004 S. Regal St. scld.org (893-8340) MAKE YOUR OWN PENDLETON BEAR WORKSHOP Make your own stuffed Pendleton Bear featuring the bold geometric prints that Pendleton is known for. Dec. 3, 1-4 pm. $75. Coeur d’Alene Casino, 37914 S. Nukwalqw. cdacasino.com HANDMADE HOLIDAY ORNAMENTS Celebrate the holidays by making ornaments with provided supplies. Dec. 6, 3:30-4:30 pm. Free. Deer Park Library, 208 Forest St. scld.org (509-893-8300) STAN MILLER Miller, a Spokane artist, exhibits his paintings, watercolors and egg temperas at his home studio. Dec. 8, 6-9 pm, Dec. 9, 12-6 pm and Dec. 10, 12-4 pm. free. Stan Miller Gallery, 3138 E. 17th Ave. stanmiller.net (509-768-9354) AMULET & ILLUMINATION: ART OF VISUAL SYMBOLISM Gay Waldman with Artwork and Wearables and Ruly Deen with Silver Element Jewelry sell their work which focuses on emotinal symbolism and personal meaning. Dec. 9, 10 am-5 pm. Spokane Art School, 503 E. Second., Ste. B. spokaneartschool.net THE FRONT PORCH ROCKERS: ART, WINE & TREATS An auditory and visual experience featuring a mix of music from the soundtrack of life in variety genres performed by the Front Porch Rockers. The event also includes an art showcase plus wine and treats. Tickets must be purchased by Dec. 1. Dec. 9-10, 3-5:30 pm. $10-$15. New Moon Art Gallery, 1326 E. Sprague Ave. newmoonartgallery.com

WORDS

SPEED DATE A FEW BOOKS Find your next great reads, speed-dating style. Come prepared to talk about one book you loved and one you didn’t. Nov. 30, 4:30-5:30 pm. Free. Deer Park Library, 208 Forest St. scld.org 3 MINUTE MIC A poetry open mic where readers may share up to three minutes’ worth of content. Open to all ages. Dec. 1 from 7-8:30 pm. Free. Auntie’s Bookstore, 402 W. Main. auntiesbooks.com HOLIDAY STORYTIME Celebrate the season with stories and songs. Dec. 2, 10:3011 am. Free. Airway Heights Library, 1213 S. Lundstrom St. scld.org (893-8250) AUNTIE’S BOOK CLUB: SCIENCE/NATURE Discuss The Book of Eels by Patrik Svensson. Dec. 3, 6 pm. Free. Auntie’s Bookstore, 402 W. Main Ave. auntiesbooks.com (509-838-0206) HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR SPEECH Esther Basch shares her first-hand account of surviving in Auschwitz. Dec. 3, 7-9 pm. $25-$180. Spokane Convention Center, 334 W. Spokane Falls. spokanecenter.com BROKEN MIC Spokane Poetry Slam’s longest-running, weekly open mic series. Wednesdays at 6:30 pm. Free. Neato Burrito, 827 W. First Ave. bit.ly/2ZAbugD DROP IN & WRITE Bring works in progress to share, get inspired with creative prompts and spend some focused time writing. Thursdays from 5:30-7 pm. Free. Spark Central, 1214 W. Summit Pkwy. spark-central.org PRESCHOOL STORYTIME PLAY& LEARN Share books, songs and fun. Afterwards, spend some time in open play with learning activities. Wednesdays from 10-11 am. Free. South Hill Library, 3324 S. Perry. spokanelibrary.org n

INSURANCE

Where There’s Smoke, There’s Savings A study says states with medical pot see decreasing insurance premiums BY WILL MAUPIN

ou don’t need a green card to see green. Just living where medical marijuana is legal can save you money. A study published this fall in the International Journal of Drug Policy shows that states that legalized medical marijuana have seen a drop in health insurance premiums across the board, regardless of whether people use medical marijuana. The study, from researchers at Illinois State University and Bowling Green State University, found that health insurance premiums are falling in states

which have legalized medical marijuana. Researchers found that premiums — the amount individuals pay simply to have insurance, often up-front on a monthly basis — have fallen over the years in states which have legalized medical marijuana, relative to states which have not. Cannabis use, on a case-by-case basis, could normally be cause for increased premiums, much like tobacco or alcohol consumption. Cannabis use can be viewed as a risk, and risks tend to lead to increased cost. What these researchers have found is the opposite in aggregate. “Our findings suggest that households that obtain their health insurance on the individual (i.e., not employer sponsored) market in states with [legalized medical cannabis] appreciate significantly lower premiums,” the researchers state. The insurance industry operates on the law of large numbers. When more people have insurance, the insurance companies have a better idea what the statistically

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average cost will be for each individual they insure. “In this study, we provide evidence of a statistically significant reduction in individual market premiums starting seven years after the implementation of medicinal cannabis laws. Because of the pooled nature of insurance, the lower premiums benefit cannabis users and non-users alike in medical cannabis states. Our results are important as health care expenses, including health insurance premiums, have been growing faster than inflation and comprise an increasing share of a household’s budget,” the researchers state. This study finds that in states where medical marijuana has been legalized, insurance companies believe their cost will be less per person, and as a result they can pass on lower costs to their consumers. Simply put, this study finds that insurance companies are increasingly diminishing their view of the risk they take on from people who live in medical marijuana states, whether those individuals smoke or not. n

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