Inlander 12/10/2020

DECEMBER 10-16, 2020 | VISIT INLANDER.COM/INSIDERS

WHAT LIES BENEATH PAGE 20

TEN IMPORTANT STORIES BEING UNDERREPORTED BY THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA

SPECIAL PULLOUT INSIDE

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EDITOR’S NOTE

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his week we’re spotlighting 10 important national stories that were underreported by the mainstream media. We’re publishing the list in partnership with PROJECT CENSORED, which since 1976 has issued an annual report of the “news that didn’t make the news.” As with all lists, it invites second-guessing and debate. But what is not debatable is the crisis facing journalism in America: U.S. newspapers have cut tens of thousands of jobs — shedding half their newsroom employees since 2008. And that was before the pandemic hit.

So far this year, 16,000 newsroom jobs have vanished. Poof, gone, and now we have 16,000 fewer people attending government meetings, poring over budgets, asking questions and demanding answers from people who’d prefer no one was looking. So, this week, of all weeks, I’ll be thinking about them and about a broader concept of “censorship,” one that is less about mustache-twirling corporate fat cats and more about all the stories that go untold when newsrooms go dark.

Here in the Inland Northwest, we’re pretty lucky, certainly better off than the 1,800 communities in America that are now considered “news deserts.”

But we should take nothing for granted. Protect the news outlets you rely on; to learn how you can support our reporters and editors, visit Inlander.com/ insiders. Hopefully, this much we can all agree on: No news is very, very bad news for everyone.

— JACOB H. FRIES, Editor

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PAGE 10

INLANDER

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SPOKANE • EASTERN WASHINGTON • NORTH IDAHO • INLANDER.COM THE INLANDER is a locally owned, independent newspaper founded on Oct. 20, 1993. It’s printed on newsprint that is at least 50 percent recycled; please recycle THE INLANDER after you’re done with it. One copy free per person per week; extra copies are $1 each (call x226). For ADVERTISING information, email advertising@inlander.com. To have a SUBSCRIPTION mailed to you, call x213 ($50 per year). To find one of our more than 1,000 NEWSRACKS where you can pick up a paper free every Thursday, call x226 or email frankd@inlander.com. THE INLANDER is a member of the Association of Alternative Newsmedia. All contents of this newspaper are protected by United States copyright law. © 2020, Inland Publications, Inc.

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4 INLANDER DECEMBER 10, 2020

COMMENT STAFF DIRECTORY PHONE: 509-325-0634 Ted S. McGregor Jr. (tedm@inlander.com)

WHAT’S THE BEST TAKEOUT MEAL FROM A LOCAL RESTAURANT?

PUBLISHER

SHANNON REEVES KAPEK: Fiesta Mexicana on South Grand. They have a huge variety and it’s always excellent. They have the most consistent quality we’ve ever experienced.

J. Jeremy McGregor (x224) GENERAL MANAGER

EDITORIAL Jacob H. Fries (x261) EDITOR

MANAGING EDITOR/ARTS & CULTURE

Chey Scott (x225) FOOD & LISTINGS EDITOR Nathan Weinbender (x250) FILM & MUSIC EDITOR ART DIRECTOR

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Wilson Criscione (x282), Daniel Walters (x263), Samantha Wohlfeil (x234) STAFF WRITERS

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ILLUSTRATOR

EDITOR’S NOTE

Normally, we ask our question of the week of people we randomly encounter on the street. But with the coronavirus pandemic, we instead asked our followers on social media to share their thoughts.

MISTY JENSEN: Had a delicious chicken and biscuit from Bruncheonette and any and all pizza and burrito specials from Iron Goat.

DAN WILSON: Kokoro Ramen and Boba Tea Time — no doubt, some of [the best], if not the best, in Spokane and it’s in the Valley, which is pretty rare to have a place blow my mind.

Amy Alkon, Mindy Cameron, Will Maupin, John T. Reuter, Quinn Welsch

JANELLE CAMPASINO: Downriver Grill: French dip and chicken wrap.

Lauren Gilmore

SEAN WRIGHT: Spicy lamb chops and takoyaki from Umi, Beef Wileyton from Wiley’s Downtown Bistro, and Sumatran beef rendang from D’Bali Asian Bistro. I feel like I’ve been training for this my whole life.

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ADVERTISING Kristi Gotzian (x215) ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Carolyn Padgham-Walker (x214), Emily Walden (x260) SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Mary Bookey (x216), Jeanne Inman (x235), Rich McMahon (x241), Autumn Adrian Potts (x251) Claire Price (x217), Wanda Tashoff (x222) ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

Kristina Smith (x223) MARKETING DIRECTOR Houston Tilley (x247)

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PRODUCTION & SUPPORT Wayne Hunt (x232) DESIGN & PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Ali Blackwood (x228)

ALYSON MARIE: Hang 10 BBQ is a new one and they are killing it! We have also loved Ruins, Republic Pi, Stella’s and No Naansense!

SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNERS

Jessie Hynes (x231) GRAPHIC DESIGNER Frank DeCaro (x226) CIRCULATION MANAGER Travis Beck

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GIFT CARDLES! AVAILAB

Spokane 509-309-2722 3904 N Division St CDA 208-930-1476 2506 N. 4th St booking online at hankshatchets.com The holidays can be the hardest time of year for families living in critical conditions.

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LINDSEY TREFFRY: Dirty fries from Rüt Bar & Kitchen or the tofu panang curry from Our Thai House.

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CHRISTINA WEBER: Wiley’s Downtown Bistro! I ordered from them for my husband and my anniversary and it was about as fancy as you can get for delivery! And so delicious.

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RANDY TREADWELL: Apricot curry chicken entree from Ambrosia Bistro and Wine Bar in Spokane Valley.

ERICA SWENSON: Couple of peanut butter and Nutella shakes from Spokane Shake Company!

DOUG REECE: Gander and Ryegrass.

I had a turducken sandwich. For lunch. It was amazing! n

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COMMENT | POLITICS

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AUTO INJURY • CIVIL LITIGATION

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The author argues that “racism is an early political invention to divide a population.” YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

The Strategies of the Elite How they divide and conquer us

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6 INLANDER DECEMBER 10, 2020

yvfwc.com

ne of the greatest challenges in politics is how to win when most people don’t agree with you. Historically, monarchs and dictators have often addressed this rather directly through a combination of propaganda and military force.

This approach has been challenged, to varying degrees of effectiveness, by democracies dating back to the city-state of Athens. These early democracies served to both expand who shared in decision-making and ensure others remained locked out — by defining in slowly increasingly narrow terms who qualified as a citizen.

The founding of the United States was a bold step forward for both expanding and limiting who might count and by how much — quite literally — in a democracy. The founders sought to take power from a monarch and distribute it to all white, landowning men.

Even on those morally compromised terms, it was a radical idea.

Victory was only possible if they stuck together. Or as Ben Franklin observed, “We must all hang together or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately.”

The reality was that to build a new system of power with themselves at the top, they needed to remain united both in challenging England’s monarch and in ruling over the population in their newly established democracy.

I don’t mean to suggest that all the Founding

Fathers were merely powerhungry cynics (although some clearly were). Rather that there was a limit to the application of their idealism. They planted ideological seeds for universal enfranchisement but did not tend to them as faithfully as they ought.

As the right to citizenship and the vote slowly expanded through a combination of self-interest and moral righteousness, new broad agreements began to spread among the electorate. Folks felt that they ought to make a living wage, have access to health care and be able to retire with the comfort of knowing they’d have a roof over their heads.

To be clear, people throughout time have generally wanted these basic human rights.

The change was an expansion of self-rule that gave them the hypothetical power to give it to themselves.

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any in the elite — meaning the folks who already had all this stuff and more — didn’t love the idea of having to share. But the expanded distribution of political power made the job of keeping it all for themselves a bit more complicated.

This threat to elite, resource-hogging power

actually began quite early in our nation’s history, as did the elite’s “solutions.” These “solutions” have become so baked into our culture and politics that it can be easy to take them for granted rather than recognizing them as tools to maintain political power.

There are many, but what they share in common is a “divide and conquer” strategy — encourage the general populace to live in conflict with one another to stop them from uniting against those currently in power.

The two “solutions” of the elite I want to tackle briefly here are racism and partisanship.

Racism is an early political invention to divide a population.

Its purpose is not only to suppress Black people and other people of color, but White people outside the elite.

Let me be clear: Racism harms Black people and other people of color the greatest. And it also harms White people. It does this by separating people who share a set of material interests in opposition to an elite.

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he tactical nature of partisanship, which has increasingly merged with racism, is perhaps even more evident.

Right-wing anti-government activist Grover Norquist in the early 2000s was repeatedly quoted talking about the need to spread “bitter nastiness and partisanship to state legislatures” across the country — having already succeeded in D.C. in the 1990s.

Why would anyone want to spread “bitter nastiness and partisanship?” The answer is rather straightforward: Because their ideas were and continue to be hugely unpopular. People want to tax the wealthy elite and pay for public education, expanded access to health care, housing, living wages, and other basic human rights.

The elite’s solution is to divide people against their own shared interests. Too often the left has fed into this strategy by reinforcing partisan messages and further strengthening this tactic of division.

In this moment, there have been many calls for White people to find solidarity with people of color — and I would echo them.

I think solidarity, though, isn’t about flipping the power dynamic between various competing groups of working people, but rather a realization of community and common cause.

Recognizing our shared interests is ultimately the tactical response that will defeat racism, partisanship and the other tactics of an increasingly hostile elite. n John T. Reuter, a former Sandpoint city councilman, has been active in protecting the environment, expanding LGBT rights and Idaho’s Republican Party politics.

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“This threat to elite, resource-hogging power actually began quite early in our nation’s history.”

While the right-wing of modern American politics often tactically fans the flames of racism, the left frequently fails to recognize the actual dynamic at play.

Sure, those on the left see that racism is being used as a campaign tactic, but they are still far too ready to condemn poor and working-class White voters for falling victim to a racist strategy — mocking in crude and cruel terms the folks they should also be trying to help. They feed into a narrative of White vs. Black through “woke” arguments that reinforce racial essentialism by flipping on its head: White people are bad; Black people are good.

Alternatively, they ignore racism and argue for a purely economic critique. But ignoring the tactic that’s being used to divide people allows it to fester unchallenged and spread.

Ian Haney López, a professor of public law at Berkeley, has argued for a more effective approach — backed by research — that directly tackles and reveals how racism is being used by the elite to harm all of us, making anti-racism a unifying countermeasure rather than simply joining the more righteous side of a race war.

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COMMENT | FROM READERS MICHAEL MENTZER: Thank you, Gary Crooks.

This is not a kumbaya moment. We are at war with fascists and phony Christian sheep following wolves to the slaughter. I will not chill until every Republican voter is disabused of their patriotism and made to see that their actions are antithetical to a truly Christian democracy.

SAMANTHA CARROLL: There aren’t enough scientific facts or death toll stats in the world that can make people empathize and care about other people. Even if you believe the flu kills more people or the death rate isn’t that high for COVID, or that masks aren’t 100 percent effective, on the outside chance that you might save one life, why wouldn’t you? Some people simply don’t care.

JESS PONIKVAR: Look at all the triggered responses from those whom this article offended.

Protesters marching in April against Idaho’s stay-home order aimed at slowing the spread of COVID-19.

YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

Readers respond to an opinion column (12/3/20) by Gary Crooks in which he asks, “We’re supposed to be kind to the fine folks prolonging this pandemic?”

KENNETH BURCHELL: Zero tolerance for Covidiocy and mask-tyranny nonsense. It will only stop when it is confronted, called out, and the humanoid ding-dongs are driven back under their rocks.

JOJO K NIHILI: Although he’s one of my all-time favorites, I was disappointed by his close. He’s too good for this sort of thing. Previous to the middle finger remark, he did a superb job detailing what “be kind” really means: Don’t you dare call me out for being selfish and for doing whatever I want no matter what. Just don’t do it!

GINNY KASCHMITTER: Amen and thank you, Gary Crooks, for putting into words my frustration with well-meaning, but airheaded folks.

DREW MCELVANEY: They are immune to the facts and proudly flaunt their callous disregard. Let me correct that for you. Here: They are infinitely stupid, disregarding the facts, disregarding the science, they revel in their stupidity and insist on flaunting it in America’s face.

GISELA HANKS: Thank you for that piece! Spoken from my heart, but way more eloquently than I could ever express it.

MELISSA ROSE: Honoring our fellow citizens’ right to life by honoring public health mask mandates during a deadly pandemic is the patriotic thing to do. Those who may be high risk, who care for or drive cancer patients, who have high-risk family members, etc., do not have any “choice” in having to enter stores for essential groceries.

JOE WICK: Stupid Trumpers will continue to spoil everything for everyone just because they don’t want to accept the fact that over 3,000 people a day are dying from this virus and 550,000 will be dead by March if we don’t mask up!

STEPHANIE WALLIS: I’m so over the nonmaskers and the non-vaxxers. n

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DECEMBER 10, 2020 INLANDER 9

dining • shopping • culture Businesses are working hard to serve customers and stay safe: Support them and you support our region’s recovery.

the machine had been sitting in the storeroom waiting for the right opportunity.

“That was a benefit. We’re doing all of our beers that way. We’ve got about 11 on tap right now,” says Buddy Giese, the brewery’s manager. Customers can simply walk in or call ahead to request crowlers of their favorite brew. “It takes just two minutes, and then you’re out the door.”

To make better use of its small kitchen space and to pair the take-home beers with a more suitable to-go menu, the brewery also adapted its food offerings.

“We changed up to more of a Tex-Mex menu,” says Giese. “One person can put that out really fast compared to our other menu, which was a lot bigger and more complex.

We’ve had some really good feedback about it. People are like, ‘This is awesome.’ And every month we’ll switch it up and add some new burritos.”

But, thankfully, some things have stayed the same. For the holiday season, the brewery is still planning on continuing its red envelope tradition. With every purchase, customers will get a sealed red envelope that they can redeem — one per

VEDA LUX

Getting Creative in South Perry Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the resourcefulness and adaptability of many small businesses has been their saving grace.

At VEDA LUX, a mainstay of Spokane’s trendy South Perry District, owner Summer Hightower has weathered the topsy-turvy stages of the pandemic through a little retail ingenuity.

“With the first shutdown, I thought, ‘OK, we have so many gift items in the shop.’ So I actually came up with gift package ideas. Basically, we put together curated gift packages like crystals and gems, snarky gift packs for people who are a little more edgy, care packages for yogis — all different types of people, even for kids,” she says.

The packages were such a hit that Hightower started thinking of different ways to apply the concept. That led to hand-delivered “fashion snack packs,” which are suitcases full of Veda Lux’s vintage clothing. Hightower picks items to suit the customer’s style, packs them into the suitcase, then drops it off for safe try-ons at home. Unwanted items go right back in the suitcase for return.

For the holiday season, she’s extending her idea to “mys-

tery surprise care packages” offered at price points between $25 and $150. There might even be “secret Santa stockings” for Christmas.

“We’re just doing what we can to make shopping easy and convenient for everyone,” she says. “We’re happy to drop stuff on people’s porches, happy to gift wrap—whatever it takes to get people out there to support small businesses.”

And with Veda Lux, shopping local actually has a national impact.

“In our tiny little shop, we support over 30 small businesses across the country. I make all the jewelry for all of our gift items, but we also go out and look for really cool makers all across the U.S. You’re not just supporting one maker when you come into our store, you’re supporting many.”

The South Perry District’s many independently owned eateries — places like THE GRAIN SHED, THE LANTERN TAP HOUSE, WISCONSINBURGER, THE WELLNESS TREE JUICE BAR and more — are improvising, too. At PERRY STREET BREWING, they quickly rolled out their unused crowler (a portmanteau of can and growler) machine to distribute their craft beer safely in 32-ounce portable containers. Previously,

BACK TO BUSINESS PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS

10 INLANDER DECEMBER 10, 2020

SPONSORED CONTENT

PERRY STREET BREWING visit — after the New Year. Prizes can range from South Perry Brewing swag to big-ticket items. ◆ Veda Lux is located at 1106 S. Perry St. Visit vedalux. com to check out the latest curated collections or call 475-1674 to ask about gifts, clothes or personalized package deals. Perry Street Brewing’s current beer list and menu is online at perrystreetbrewing.com. Call ahead to 279-2820 with your crowler and to-go order, then pick it up at 1025 S. Perry St. Weather permitting, they have outdoor dining as well.

community and enjoy the best beers craft breweries have to offer and scratch-made food from our kitchen. Bring the whole family to where friends meet and make new friends.

For now, call 418-2904 for to-go orders.

1004 S. Perry St., facebook.com/The-Lantern-Tap-House

URM CASH & CARRY WINDFALL

BELLA COVA ENTERPRISES FAMILY RESOURCES | SOUTH HILL When we pioneered a natural living center for families in Spokane in 2012, “Bella Cova,” our community responded with an overwhelming, YES! We won two awards within the first three months we were open.

Today, we are still dedicated to nurturing and empowering young families with highquality early childhood education and parenting resources, outstanding green-friendly and sustainable living products and rebuilding the village mentality in our community!

We have a new website with many new toys and instruments, and offer curbside pickup and local delivery. Shopping only online and by appointment, currently. 869-1797, 3324 S. Grand Blvd., bellacovaspokane.com

CHENEY'S PET PARADISE PET SHOP | CHENEY A local Cheney pet store for 17 years, we carry kittens and puppies at times. Also other small animals like hamsters, guinea pigs, rats and mice, even reptiles like snakes and bearded dragons. Also, a wide variety of animal supplies, with many animal food brands to choose from. We can also do special orders if we don’t have it in stock.

We are asking for people to wear masks when they are in the store. 235-7387, 1814 Second St.

CLEARWATER MUSIC MUSIC | NORTH SPOKANE Clearwater Music opened to put the needs of the musician first. From lessons, instruments, repairs, supplies, print music, events and more, we are here for community music at all levels. We even give the first lesson free to any beginner. Let us help you succeed! Clearwater Music believes in the

concept that family happiness and safety come first, therefore we strive to make our customers feel like family, comfortable and secure in knowing they are being looked after during these uncertain times. We have taken extra measures in our store by having 12 air purifiers throughout the building, live plants, full-spectrum lighting, and daily cleaning and disinfecting to ensure the protection of our musical family! Plus, for your convenience, we do pickup and delivery of both repairs and sales. Clearwater, where customers become family. 892-3809, 9107 N. Country Homes Blvd., clearwatermusicserves.com

HAMMER & STAIN DIY | SPOKANE VALLEY Hammer & Stain is a do-it-yourself studio specializing in home decor. We offer all types of home decor projects from wall signs and porch decor to chunky knit blankets and functional decor. We will walk you through the process step by step, sharing our tips and painting techniques to add texture and visual interest to your one-of-a-kind handmade projects. We want you to make something you’ll display proudly. We also provide custom services and would love to help you bring your vision to life. We practice social distancing with limited capacity and table spacing to make sure we follow state guidelines. We clean and sanitize and follow the mask mandate. We also provide take-home kits as well. 121 S. Sullivan Rd., 474-9702, hammerandstainspokanevalley.com

THE LANTERN TAP HOUSE PUB | SOUTH PERRY The Lantern Tap House is a community focused tap house in the heart of the South Perry Neighborhood. Come be part of the

Fresh sheet deals • specials • updates ROW ADVENTURE CENTER SPOKANE [ DOWNTOWN ] $10 off Spokane Rafting day trips when booked and paid in full by 12/21/20.

209 S Washington St

TWO SPOKANE AREA LOCATIONS A different kind of grocery store. Starting in the ’50s, URM started operating a group of small regional distribution centers called Cash & Carry, which provide small stores, restaurants and similar business operations with a full selection of grocery, food service, frozen foods and perishable products.

Today, Cash & Carry stores operate as retail stores open to the public and featuring institutional products as well as retail items.

No membership is required, and we accept Mastercard, VISA, American Express and EBT. We have placed plexiglass barriers, and we have a cleaning and sanitizing program in place. 489-4555, 902 E. Springfield Ave., and 777-4876, 16808 E. Sprague Ave. urmcashandcarry.com

SPOKANE [ NORTH ] Santa and his elves will be at CBD of SPOKANE every Friday and Saturday starting through Dec. 19. Free photo and gift bag.

220 East Wellesley Avenue

VALLEY CANDLES, BATH & HOME

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HOME | SPOKANE VALLEY Valley Candles hand pours our signature soy candles and melts in small batches. We create our nourishing bath bombs, soaps and bath salts with the highest quality ingredients.

And we hand select seasonal home décor that is sure to put a smile on your face! In the candlemaking business for seven years in Spokane Valley and over 15 years total. We know what we want in a high-quality product and are bringing it to our customers! We offer porch pickup and ship all over the US for just $5 on your entire order. 201-7667, 4918 N. Evergreen Rd., valleycandlesllc.com

WINDFALL HOME/APPAREL | AIRWAY HEIGHTS A one-of-a-kind retail experience you’ll only find at Northern Quest. Shop all of your favorite home, outdoor and jewelry brands in a uniquely modern space. And use your Camas Rewards card to redeem points and comps for merchandise or earn points for a windfall of future fun. 100 N. Hayford Rd. (inside Northern Quest Resort & Casino), 481-4900, windfallnq.com

ABOUT Back to business • These weekly pages are part of a local marketing effort in support of the hospitality

sector brought to you by leading institutions and businesses to help promote the Spokane County economy, supported in part by Cares Act funding. With the goal of balancing commerce and public safety, you can follow along here in the Inlander, and via the links below, as local restaurants, shops and more share their stories and invite your support.

BLOSSOM'S ANTIQUES SPOKANE [ NORTH ] Small Business Saturday every Saturday until Christmas! 10% off Christmas and 20% off your first regular-priced item. Gift with purchase NMBD Bag (wsl) 2415 N Monroe

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SPOKANE [ NORTH ] Our 12 Days of Christmas special is underway! Every day will be a different special on a great holiday decoration or gift.

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FRESH SHEET CONTINUES ON THE NEXT PAGE

more to come • Through the end of the year, watch

the Inlander for special Back To Business guides, along with special editorial sections, sharing more recovery stories and community business features.

Safe business practice resources KindnessNotCovid.org • Financial resources for businesses InlandBizStrong.org

DECEMBER 10, 2020 INLANDER 11

Fresh sheet deals • specials • updates VINO! A WINE SHOP

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restaurants across Spokane County have been dialing in their takeout game to invite their fans in to support them. And it’s no different at Wooden City Spokane, except that they had barely settled in after a late summer opening when Washington’s four-week dine-in shutdown hit. Without a large patio space to safely seat customers outdoors, the past few weeks have hit the restaurant hard, says co-owner Jon Green.

To encourage guests to try its menu of casual American dishes with a bit of French and Italian influences, all crafted with a careful attention to detail, Wooden City tweaked its to-go menu to highlight dishes that travel better. For now, pasta-focused entrees are gone in favor of woodfired pizzas (try the bacon pesto with white sauce, gorgonzola, red onion and aged balsamic) and several sandwiches, among them the must-try “Fancy” burger with mushrooms, onion jam, garlic aioli and aged balsamic, as well as a fried chicken and a chicken parm. Wooden City’s famous stuffed Hungarian waxed peppers (pictured above) also remain on the takeout menu. A wide variety of pre-mixed cocktails include a 32-ounce bottle of its draft old fashioned (about 10 drinks!).

Online ordering has been implemented to make grabbing dinner to-go as easy as possible; Wooden City is currently open daily for takeout from 4 to 8 pm. Order at woodencityspokane.com.

So check in with some of our great local restaurants during this challenging time for them — chances are their takeout offerings are better than ever. ◆

MORE FRESH SHEET follow up-to-date info at btb.inlander.com 12 INLANDER DECEMBER 10, 2020

SPONSORED CONTENT

POLITICS

THE FOURTH COMMISSIONER State Rep. Marcus Riccelli keeps remaking Spokane County’s governing bodies — and raising the ire of Commissioner Al French

As a state representative, Marcus Riccelli pushed legislation to expand representation on the Spokane County commission. YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

BY DANIEL WALTERS

T

he way Spokane County Commissioner Al French tells it, state Rep. Marcus Riccelli was explicit about his plans when he pitched him on a bill to remake the county board, expanding the number from three countywide commissioners to five districtelected commissioners.

“Before he floated the bill in 2017, he and I had breakfast down at Perkins,” French asserts. “He told me straight to my face: He wanted to run for county commissioner.”

He says it with the tone of reciting an obvious fact that, of course, everybody already knows.

That’s totally false, says Riccelli, D-Spokane.

“I have never expressed to Al French that I am running for county commissioner,” he chuckles. “He’s not telling the truth.”

(Local community activist Sheila Collins, who also attended the meeting, backs up Riccelli’s account, testifying that she’s never heard Riccelli say anything of the sort.)

Still, while plenty of people have asked him if he’s going to run for commissioner, in some ways Riccelli holds more power now to influence county affairs than if he were a commissioner.

Sure, commissioners like French may dominate the

state of play in the county on the surface. But Riccelli has been shifting the ground beneath the playing field — rewriting rules and redefining boundaries — that could change how the political game is played in the region for decades.

He’s passed or proposed legislation aiming not just to reshape the board of county commissioners itself, but the health board and local transportation agencies.

“I think it’s important for there to be balance in our county commission,” Riccelli says. “I think it’s important for there to be balance in our health district, and that people feel that they have a responsive government.”

Yet Riccelli’s actions have frequently put him on a collision course with French, who portrays these bills as reckless power plays rather than solid policy.

“I want to have a good relationship with Commissioner French,” Riccelli says. “I want to work on things.

I just think he’s out of sync with what my constituents want right now.”

THE RULE OF FIVE

The last, best hope for French to stop Riccelli’s changes to the county board died this past Tuesday.

The Washington state Supreme Court had already

unanimously swatted down a lawsuit, driven by French and the Washington State Association of Counties, to overturn Riccelli’s 2017 bill expanding the county commission.

French’s final move? Convince his fellow commissioners to put a “freeholder process” on the April ballot, asking voters to pick a team of citizens to quickly write an entirely new charter that would override Riccelli’s law before it takes effect in 2022.

But the other commissioners, questioning the cost, timeline and lack of citizen demand for such a process, nixed his plan to put the freeholder process on the ballot directly.

“They wanted to force me to collect 29,000 signatures in a climate of pandemic, where that kind of conduct is not only not allowed by the governor, but it’s not safe,” French says.

Riccelli, meanwhile, was “very pleased” that French had been “rebuffed.” He argues that five commissioners could better deal with the workload to manage a county of over 500,000 people and that, by electing them by district, voters would get more responsive commissioners.

“It brings representation closer to the people,” he says. ...continued on next page

DECEMBER 10, 2020 INLANDER 13

NEWS | POLITICS

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County Commissioner Al French suggests that those who wanted to expand the commission really want to run for commissioner themselves. YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

“THE FOURTH COMMISSIONER,” CONTINUED...

After all, while there are a lot of Democrats in Spokane County, the county hasn’t elected a Democratic commissioner in 14 years. Depending on how the bipartisan redistricting commission draws the new boundaries, a Democratic commissioner could be practically guaranteed.

Still, instead of passing a purely partisan bill, Riccelli managed to recruit a sizable contingent of local Republican allies, including even famously combative far-right Republican Rep. Matt Shea, to back his bill.

Rep. Mike Volz, a Spokane Republican and co-sponsor of the legislation, argues that Republicans made the bill better and that he agrees with its central idea.

“The county is fairly diverse, we have from farm lands to downtown Spokane, to the valley. economically and socially and politically, there’s diversity,” Volz says. “The board should reflect that.”

But French sees more political calculation — arguing that the GOP legislators might also be envisioning running for county commissioner, a job where the salary is a lot better and the commute is a lot shorter.

Of course, how the new commission boundaries are drawn could end up effectively making it impossible for French, who currently represents the most liberal district of the three, to win another term.

But French dismisses that possibility, arguing his passionate opposition is about honoring voter intent. In 2015, Spokane voters explicitly rejected an initiative to move the county to five commissioners.

Still, even if the new makeup of the board doesn’t topple French, it’s sure to dilute his influence. And to Riccelli, that’s just another upside of his proposal.

“It will bring more voices to the table,” Riccelli says. “Right now I do believe that there is one voice there that is wielding more power than is proportionate.”

MEDICAL INTERVENTION

French was one of the members of the Spokane Regional Health District board who enthusiasti-

14 INLANDER DECEMBER 10, 2020

cally backed district administrator Alicia Clark’s recent decision to fire Dr. Bob Lutz, the county’s health officer, during the pandemic. And French was the person who handpicked Lutz’s replacement.

Watching the public health board drama unfold from a distance, Riccelli was outraged.

“What I saw and the rest of the community saw is that it was not a health-care-driven decision,” Riccelli says. “That was a decision that was done recklessly and without concern to our community being in a COVID crisis.”

And so Riccelli has reacted by drafting a new bill: Right now, the health board is composed almost entirely of politicians. His bill would require that there be just as many public health professionals on the board as elected officials.

French counters that since Riccelli hasn’t served on the board, he doesn’t know what he’s talking about.

“His lack of knowledge has never interfered with his ability to do legislation,” French says.

“You don’t rebuild the engine without knowing how the engine works.”

For his part, he denies that Lutz’s firing was political.

“Who appointed Bob Lutz to the health district?” French says. “Me. I appointed him because of his credentials, even though I knew that, politically, we didn’t align.”

When the pandemic hit, French, Lutz and Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich were the triumvirate leading the Emergency Operations Center to respond to the virus. And French strenuously disagreed with some of Lutz’s decisions. French accuses him of unilaterally deciding to implement expensive programs — like building an isolation center — without conducting any kind of fiscal analysis.

“It was the Bob Lutz Show, and the rest of us were just a cast of characters,” French says. “And of course he didn’t have to worry about paying any of the bills.”

French didn’t suffer quietly. Starting around April, French says, he complained about Lutz for months to health district administrator Amelia Clark. And when Clark asked for official board

approval to fire Lutz, French publicly agreed that Lutz was insubordinate and argued that the health officer had deeply undercut his authority by attending a Black Lives Matter rally in defiance of lockdown restrictions.

Though French claims that he would be just as horrified if Lutz showed up at a Trump rally, Riccelli cites the episode as an example of how infected with politics these boards could be. Riccelli defends Lutz’s attendance at the rally.

“Racism is a public health issue,” Riccelli argues.

Balancing the board makeup with actual doctors or nurses, he says, is just the beginning.

He’s also been ruminating about a more “transformational” change to public health districts that would guarantee a funding source for the districts and have health officers answer to the state health secretary instead of a local administrator.

“Health care trained professionals should be not only at the decision table, but heavily influencing the direction of our public health,” he says. “We should let science lead, not politicians.”

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TURF WAR

By now, changing who gets to sit on local boards has become a habit for Riccelli.

“There’s absolutely a trend that’s been there,” says Commissioner Kerns.

Not only did Riccelli support state Sen. Andy Billig’s 2018 bill that handed more voting power on the Spokane Transit Authority board to the city of Spokane, last year Riccelli passed legislation guaranteeing tribal representation on the Spokane Regional Transportation Council.

In both cases, it impinged on French’s turf. “I bleed public transportation,” says French, who in both cases bristled at the changes. He argued that cutting back on the influence of smaller towns on the STA made them less likely to support transportation projects and that it made more sense to wait until after the census, when all interlocal agreements would be reassessed, to add the tribes to the Regional Transportation Council.

“It sounds like what Marcus wants to do, he wants to run the [Transportation Council] board instead of having the jurisdictions run it,” French told the Inlander last year.

“My point to Al is: Work collaboratively.

Don’t try to wield power with a heavy hand. Let’s do what’s best for the community.”

But considering how long the tribes had been waiting for inclusion, asking them to wait longer “borders on disrespectful to our tribal partners,” Riccelli argues.

“My point to Al is: Work collaboratively,” he says. “Don’t try to wield power with a heavy hand. Let’s do what’s best for the community.”

But French sees all of these moves by Riccelli as mere “preludes to him running for county commissioner.”

“He wants to prove he’s a different voice,” French says. “He’s a different perspective on the board of county commissioners.

Quite frankly, weakening the position on the county commissioners makes things easier for him [if he wins].”

French even begins to offer to bet the Inlander $100 that Riccelli would run before he stops himself, noting that betting on that sort of thing is illegal in the state of Washington.

Riccelli says he hasn’t told anyone that he’s going to run for county commissioner in 2022. Yet, when the Inlander pressed him to promise he wouldn’t run, he declined, saying he was merely “interested in doing the job” he was “just recently elected” to do.

When the Inlander pointed out that sounded a lot like a politician-style dodge, Riccelli acknowledged at least a scintilla of interest in the position: “I guess I would say, I wouldn’t rule it out.” n danielw@inlander.com

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I

t’s hard to live in survival mode for prolonged periods of a few weeks or months.

It’s even harder when you’ve been living that way for almost a year, with no end in sight, says Meg Curtin Rey-Bear, a licensed mental health therapist who opened Wellness Therapies mental health clinic last year with a colleague.

“When we’re in this event that has already taken nine months and is expected to take many months more, I think we can feel pretty overwhelmed by that and then frustrated we don’t have the control we’d like,” Curtin Rey-Bear says.

The global pandemic has dramatically increased the need for mental health treatment, as many people are newly experiencing anxiety and depression, and as those who already had mental health issues are struggling even more.

Dr. Kimberly Mebust — the neurologist and sleep specialist leading MultiCare’s sleep centers in Spokane — confirms that people are also struggling with “coronasomnia” or pandemic-related insomnia.

“This was a radical change for people in society and how we live,” she says. “There was a fear of the unknown: ‘What will happen to me and my family, and how we interact day to day?’”

It’s hard to quantify the increase in sleep issues, since clinics largely switched to telemedicine this spring before again taking patients in person, but anecdotally, she’s confident the problem has increased and expects these sleep issues to continue for quite some time.

Globally and nationwide, increased need is evident. A Kaiser Family Foundation poll this summer found that one in three American adults reported symptoms of anxiety or depression, compared with one in 10 over the same time last year.

Locally, Curtin Rey-Bear says the plan was always to grow Wellness Therapies over time, but she and her colleagues didn’t expect to more than double their staff within a year of opening to help meet community needs.

“When we opened in July 2019, there were three of us,” she says. “As of September we are now seven therapists … and quite frankly, it’s not enough.”

A full-time therapist is limited to maybe 28 to 32 patients a week at the very most, she says, when accounting for other work that needs to be done.

Needs run the gamut. Some people are drinking or using drugs more often. Health and cognition is waning for some elderly people as they remain isolated. Kids and teenagers are struggling with remote learning as they look toward an uncertain future. Relationships are strained. Meanwhile, the caregivers, teachers, doctors and health care workers we lean on are exhausted.

While the current state of mental health is serious, there are things people can do to help themselves, family and friends, starting with giving themselves some slack, Curtin Rey-Bear says. And while resources may be tough to access at times, they are available.

STRUGGLING STUDENTS

Nobody’s been doing very well this year, but clinical social worker Maggie Rowe, who also works at Wellness Therapies, says her phone has been ringing off the hook with requests to put children and young people on her waitlist.

School routines are important for many children, and teachers have been trying their best to create a new sense of normalcy, she says. But depending on their circumstances, some children weren’t able to pick up the new routines as easily.

Some parents who’d let homework and class attendance slide this spring have struggled to get their kids back into the swing of things this fall.

Many students are missing out on forming and keeping up friendships, and for some kids who rely on positive adult interactions outside their home — through athletics, clubs and school — that support is missing right now, Rowe says.

“I keep seeing that again and again in my own kids and the kids I see here: They’re just needing so much more connection from their parents, sometimes more than their parents can give,” Rowe says.

But even parents dealing with their own exhaustion and struggles can help by trying to say yes when their child asks to do something like play a game, or even by actively watching a movie they pick, without looking at your phone the whole time, she says.

“The kids I counsel, a lot of them are just so lonely for that attention, just wanting somebody to spend some time right in their vicinity, even just coloring together,” she says. “It makes kids feel so special.”

Teens may reach out in subtler ways to talk, and it’s more common for them to feel invalidated by parents.

“Most of the things they report to me are not like outright rude things their parents are saying, they’re just little. Like they say, ‘I’m overwhelmed with school’ and the parents say, ‘Just do it one thing at a time — that’s what I do,’” Rowe says. “That seems reasonable, but sometimes now we’re missing these little clues that my kid is really trying to talk to me even when they’re tough teenagers and isolating themselves.”

WHAT YOU CAN DO

When we’re not coping with stress, anxiety or depression very well, we can sometimes beat ourselves up for that, Curtin ReyBear says, but give yourself some grace.

“This is really hard work,” she says.

With extra stress hormones dumping into our systems as we move back and forth in reopening phases and struggle for a sense of control, our central nervous system is taxed, she says.

Just like on an airplane, she says, you should put on your metaphorical oxygen mask first.

“There’s a reason you can’t go help everyone else first,” Curtin Rey-Bear says. “We’re going to be the best at being generous with ourselves and others if we are getting enough rest, recharging our batteries, emptying our emotional container, taking those breaks.”

It’s OK to not be OK, and it’s OK to be fine, too, she notes.

Some have struggled to enjoy their own happiness as so many others have been negatively affected this year.

For those struggling, mindfulness may help, with a gentle reminder that we can’t change the past that got us here, and it doesn’t do much good worrying about the future, she says. “[Mindfulness] is really about noticing where you are in the moment and what you need,” Curtin Rey-Bear says. “Maybe that’s noticing where you literally are. I’m sitting in my office, the sun is setting, it’s the end of my day.”

To help manage anxiety, sleep and the dark days of winter, it’s good to get up and move or exercise, avoid too much screen time, call a friend and do small acts of kindness like taking in your neighbor’s garbage can from the street, she says.

“Even waving from across the street, those types of things remind us we’re connected,” Curtin Rey-Bear says.

Of course, if you’re having a hard time, reach out to a therapist. She advises people to be persistent, even if it’s hard to find someone accepting new RESOURCES patients or who takes your For an immediate mental health insurance at first. crisis, call 911 or local crisis hotline Unfortunately, people 877-266-1818. who may have lost income and insurance due to the Holy Family’s RISE Program offers inpandemic could be the tensive outpatient behavioral health hardest hit when it comes for teens and adults 252-6446. to finding professional help, she says. Many therapists School districts are offering a wealth will take people without of counseling resources and can help insurance, but the price may your student. be too high, while other providers take a set number of people on state and federal health care plans but rarely have openings for those spots.

“It breaks my heart to know how many people are out there struggling right now that we can’t meet,” Curtin Rey-Bear says.

“I want people to reach out. I don’t want them to think, ‘There’s no help for me.’ But ultimately we’re in a mental health crisis, and we’re running out of [emergency equipment] — in this case, therapists.”

But with so many people needing help this year, it may drive conversations on how to improve care everywhere.

“There’s a part of me that is excited by the idea that this pandemic has pushed and will continue to push mental health into the spotlight,” Curtin Rey-Bear says. “As we enter into a reconstruction phase, one of the most important elements will be healing our mental health.” n samanthaw@inlander.com

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NEWS | SPOKANE COUNTY

Slice of the Pie

How Spokane County has spent its $91 million in COVID-19 relief funding

BY WILSON CRISCIONE

A

s COVID-19 made its first wave across the country, and schools and businesses shut down, Congress passed the CARES Act this spring in an effort to dampen the economic fallout of the pandemic.

Spokane County received about $91 million from the $2.2 trillion stimulus bill, signed by President Donald Trump on March 27. That meant that three Spokane County commissioners — Republicans Al French, Josh Kerns and Mary Kuney — got to decide how to dole out money to affected businesses, government agencies and nonprofits. The money has to be spent by the end of this year.

Thus far, the commissioners have taken a methodical approach. A breakdown of the county’s CARES spending, provided to the Inlander, reveals that the largest chunk — about $32 million — has gone toward supporting and promoting businesses. Another chunk, roughly $18 million, has supported nonprofits, particularly those providing food assistance like Second Harvest. The rest has been devoted to government agencies like the Spokane Regional Health District, public school systems and various county government operations.

“My biggest priorities were food security, and then making sure that the health district had the funding they needed, as far as the COVID response,” Kerns says.

“And then, finally, it was supporting our small businesses.”

The county has received criticism for how it’s used CARES money. Some community advocates, worried about a looming tsunami of evictions once the state moratorium is lifted, have pushed for rental housing assistance, but commissioners have not used any of the $91 million for that. And with the Dec. 30 deadline for allocating CARES funding fast approaching, the county still has more than $12.6 million left to spend or it would need to be returned to the federal government.

Here’s a more detailed breakdown of where the money has gone so far.

HEALTH DISTRICT

The first chunk of the county’s CARES money was $6 million that went to the Spokane Regional Health District on June 2. The health district requested the money to pay for costs associated with contact tracing, testing, equipment, an isolation center, and assistance for businesses and long-term care centers.

Following the initial request, the health district — led by administrator Amelia Clark — came back and asked for $2 million more, which the county granted on July 20.

But the health district, as the Inlander reported last month, has still made cuts to multiple programs and laid off employees, despite the added CARES funding. Commissioner Kuney, also on the health district board, says

18 INLANDER DECEMBER 10, 2020

The Spokane Regional Health District has received about $8 million in CARES funding distributed by the county. those cuts reflect budgeting for next year, when CARES money won’t be available unless the deadline to use it is extended. She adds that the health district has not asked for any more funding since July.

“That’s all they’ve asked for at this point,” Kuney says. “We’re constantly talking to them and figuring out if they need additional funding.”

Kerns says that if Clark asked for more money for the health district, he would support giving it to her.

BUSINESSES

Supporting businesses impacted by COVID-19 shutdowns has been a major focus of the county’s CARES funding. In June, commissioners dedicated more than $11 million to a grant program for small businesses and nonprofits that have fewer than 50 full-time employees. Another $12 million this fall went toward helping the service industry with a hospitality relief grant program, allowing hospitality businesses to apply for a grant of up to $20,000 to offset costs of staying in compliance with COVID-19 safety restrictions.

On top of that, the county approved $3.3 County Commissioner Mary Kuney million for Community Minded Enterprises for distributing grants to child-care providers and child-care tuition grants for families.

“Small businesses are really the heart of the community,” Kuney says. “We wanted to make sure that we could help them weather this storm.”

David Green, who unsuccessfully ran for Kuney’s seat on the county commission this year, argues it’s still not enough money to provide meaningful relief for struggling businesses. He says the county should have been more focused on providing money for people needing

YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

food and housing assistance instead.

“There’s not enough money at the county level to take care of the needs for businesses,” Green says.

Additionally, in July, commissioners allocated nearly $2 million for a marketing campaign promoting local businesses, dividing the money between Greater Spokane Incorporated, the Downtown Spokane Partnership, the Valley Chamber of Commerce and the Inlander. (The Inlander has been allocated $855,000 in CARES funding for the initiative. Editorial coverage operates independently from the marketing campaign.)

Another $2.5 million was given to Visit Spokane for a tourism ad campaign centered on visitor safety, information about what is open, and what to expect when individuals arrive in Spokane.

Green questions, however, whether it was wise to spend money promoting tourism and businesses before the pandemic actually ended.

“The tourism campaign, in hindsight, turned out to be a terrible use of money,” Green says.

But Meg Winchester, CEO of Visit Spokane, says the ad campaign has been “wildly successful” and can get people to dream about visiting Spokane when the pandemic is over.

“Absolutely, this money has been incredibly well spent,” she says.

NONPROFITS AND SOCIAL SERVICES

With the economy reeling, Second Harvest requested CARES money that it argued was necessary to meet the rising need of food resources. Commissioners awarded Second Harvest around $9 million to address food insecurity.

Later, another half-million dollars was awarded to the Inland Northwest Farmers Market for a program that provided community members in need with nutritious boxes of fresh produce.

The county also gave $2.75 million to SNAP (Spokane Neighborhood Action Partners) for the nonprofit’s energy assistance program, which helps households pay electric bills.

But Terri Anderson, director of the Tenants Union

of Washington State, based in Spokane, says the county should use some money to pay for rental assistance. The county did approve a contract with SNAP to administer $5.9 million in rental assistance using CARES money, but it didn’t come from Spokane County’s pot of money; it came from the state’s Eviction Rent Assistance Program grant. Anderson argues it’s not even close to being enough to cover the need.

“I can only assume that the county commissioners do not care that thousands of tenants face eviction as early as January and that landlords will not be paid rent,” Anderson says. “They certainly know the crisis is looming, and they have not given any indication that they care.”

Nicole Bishop, a spokeswoman for SNAP, says an “immense” need for rental assistance remains and that SNAP has spent all of the CARES funding devoted to the cause so far. SNAP, however, hasn’t formally asked the county to give them more money to distribute rental assistance.

Kuney and Kerns agree rental assistance is important. But the county, Kerns says, hasn’t used its CARES money for rental assistance because the commissioners all agreed early on that “if there was another pot of money that could fund something … we were going to let that money fund it and run out first” before tapping into the county’s own pot.

He says he has not been told that SNAP’s rental assistance money has been dried up.

“If those funds are exhausted and no longer there, I would absolutely consider throwing money toward rental assistance,” Kerns says.

Other notable moves include the county spending more than $2 million to help open a new regional homeless shelter at 55 W. Mission Ave., which is being operated by the Salvation Army.

PUBLIC AGENCIES

The rest of the money that the county has allocated went toward public agencies. A significant portion was for software and equipment to help the county’s court system handle virtual hearings, allow county employees to work from home and maintain social distancing for in-person events. Kerns says those expenses will pay off down the road, as he envisions working from home may become the norm for some employees.

“So many aspects of our daily lives have shifted to some form of virtual or some aspect of being remote or virtual,” Kerns says.

“I don’t see that going away when COVID goes away.”

The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office didn’t account for a large portion of CARES money, but it did receive $150,000 to buy 300 face shields with tactical helmets attached. The funding request from the sheriff’s office cites “the increased number of protests and civil unrest regarding COVID-related issues as well as protests tied to Black Lives Matters,” arguing that “rather than face masks, face shields are more appropriate for effective communication” and protection.

The county also devoted more than $6 million to schools, including grade schools and universities. Much of that was for personal protective equipment, though some more rural school districts received money for internet or computer devices to allow for distance learning.

Kerns uses the school funding as an example of why the county has taken a slower approach to spending CARES money.

He says he’s heard criticism that the county hasn’t spent money quickly enough.

“If we had spent all the money in the first month or two, we would not have had any money left when schools needed help to close the digital divide for internet connectivity,” Kerns says. “We would have had to turn our school districts away.”

The commissioners argue that having flexibility is important, especially as it’s uncertain whether the federal government will provide any more COVID-19 relief. But the problem is becoming more immediate because they still have millions of dollars left to spend. They hope that the deadline to spend CARES money will at least be extended past Dec. 30, but the future remains unclear.

“We’re concerned with what’s going to happen once Dec. 30 hits,” Kuney says. “We’re kind of waiting on the feds.” n wilsonc@inlander.com

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Ann Ford, a member of the Coeur d’Alene Tribe, at the Indigenous Peoples March in 2019 where demonstrators raised awareness about missing and murdered Indigenous women. QUINN WELSCH PHOTO

SILENCED Ten important stories being underreported by the mainstream media

BY PAUL ROSENBERG

C

ensorship in an authoritarian society is obvious, from a distance, at least. There is a central agent or agency responsible for it and the lines are clearly drawn. That’s not the case in America, yet some stories rarely, if ever, see the light of day.

Why? One reason: While journalists every day work hard to expose injustices, they work within a system where some injustices are so deeply baked in that stories exposing them are rarely told and even more rarely expanded upon to give them their proper due.

That’s where Project Censored comes in. Founded in 1976 at Sonoma State University, the project tasks academics, students and media experts with researching the most important national stories that were underreported, ignored or censored by the media. Finally, the work of Project Censored is compiled into an annual list, published into a book and shared in articles like the following one written by Paul Rosenberg.

20 INLANDER DECEMBER 10, 2020

MISSING AND MURDERED INDIGENOUS WOMEN AND GIRLS

“In June 2019 the Canadian National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls released its final report, which received widespread news coverage in the United States,” Project Censored notes. “U.S. corporate news outlets have provided nearly nothing in the way of reporting on missing and murdered Indigenous women in the United States.”

That’s despite a problem of similar dimensions, and complexity, along with the election of the first two Native American congresswomen, Deb Holland and Sharice Davids, who, Ms. Magazine reported, “are supporting two bills that would address the federal government’s failure to track and respond to violence against Indigenous women [and] are supported by a mass movement in the U.S. and Canada raising an alarm about missing and murdered indigenous women and girls.”

Four in five Native American women experience violence at some time in their lives, according to a 2016 survey by the Na...continued on page 22

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MEDIA “SILENCED,” CONTINUED... tional Institute of Justice, cited in an August 2019 Think Progress report.

“About nine in 10 Native American rape or sexualassault victims had assailants who were white or Black,” according to a 1999 Justice Department report.

“Although the number of Native Americans murdered or missing in 2016 exceeded 3,000 — roughly the number of people who died during the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attack — the Justice Department’s missing persons database logged only 116 cases that year,” Think Progress noted. “The sheer scale of the violence against Native women and the abysmal failure by the government to adequately address it, explains why the issue was given such prominence during [the August] presidential candidates’ forum in Sioux City — the first to focus entirely on Native American issues.”

But even that didn’t grab media attention.

There are multiple complicating factors in reporting, tracking, investigating and prosecuting, which were explored in coverage by The Guardian and Yes! Magazine, as well as Ms. and Think Progress.

“Campaigners ... identify aspects of systemic racism — including the indelible legacies of settler colonialism, issues with law enforcement, a lack of reliable and comprehensive data, and flawed policymaking — as deep-rooted sources of the crisis,” Project Censored summed up. “As YES! Magazine reported, tribal communities in the United States often lack jurisdiction to respond to crimes.”

This was partially remedied in the 2013 reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, known as VAWA, but “it left sex trafficking and other forms of sexual violence outside tribal jurisdiction, YES! Magazine reported.”

The House voted to expand tribal jurisdiction in such cases in its 2019 VAWA reauthorization, but, Ms. reported, “The bill is now languishing in the Senate, where Republicans have so far blocked a vote.”

Project Censored concluded, “As a result of limited news coverage, the United States is far from a national reckoning on its crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls.”

MONSANTO “INTELLIGENCE CENTER” TARGETED JOURNALISTS AND ACTIVISTS

In its fight to avoid liability for causing cancer, the agricultural giant Monsanto (now owned by Bayer) cre­ated an “intelligence fusion center” to “monitor and discredit” journalists and activists, Sam Levin reported for The Guardian in August 2019.

“More than 18,000 people have filed suit against Monsanto, alleging that exposure to Roundup [weedkiller] caused non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and that Monsanto covered up the risks by manipulating scientific data and silencing critics,” the Hill summarized. “The company has lost three high-profile cases in the past year, and Bayer is reportedly offering $8 billion to settle all outstanding claims.”

“Monsanto adopted a multipronged strategy to target Carey Gillam, a Reuters journalist who investigated the company’s weedkiller,” The Guardian reported.

This took place while also targeting Neil Young (who released a 2015 record, The Monsanto Years), and creating a massive, multimillion-dollar spying and disinformation campaign targeting journalists writing about it, as well as scientists and advocates exposing the risks its product posed. Creating a covert army of seemingly neutral allies to attack its critics was central to Monsanto’s strategy.

The Guardian’s report was based on internal docu-

2

22 INLANDER DECEMBER 10, 2020

The U.S. military is “one of the largest polluters in history ... emitting more cli­mate-changing gases than most medium-sized countries.” ments (primarily from 2015 to 2017) released during trial. They showed that “Monsanto planned a series of ‘actions’ to attack a book authored by Gillam prior to its release, including writing ‘talking points’ for ‘third parties’ to criticize the book and directing ‘industry and farmer customers’ on how to post negative reviews.”

In addition, Monsanto paid Google to skew search results promoting criticism of Gillam’s work on Monsanto, and they discussed strategies for pressuring Reuters with the goal of getting her reassigned. The company “had a ‘Carey Gillam Book’ spreadsheet, with more than 20 actions dedicated to opposing her book before its publication.” They also “wrote a lengthy report about singer Neil Young’s anti-Monsanto advocacy, monitoring his impact on social media, and at one point considering ‘legal action.’”

The entire pool of journalists covering the third trial was also targeted in a covert influence operation, Paul Thacker reported for The Huffington Post. A purported “freelancer for the BBC” schmoozed other reporters, trying to steer them toward writing stories critical of the plaintiffs suing Monsanto. Their curiosity aroused, they discovered that “her LinkedIn account said she worked for FTI Consulting, a global business advisory firm that Monsanto and Bayer, Monsanto’s parent company, had engaged for consulting,” and she subsequently went into a digital disappearing act.

Nor was FTI alone.

“Monsanto has also previously employed shadowy networks of consultants, PR firms and front groups to spy on and influence reporters,” Thacker wrote. “And all

U.S. ARMY PHOTO

of it appears to be part of a pattern at the company of using a variety of tactics to intimidate, mislead and discredit journalists and critics.”

“Monsanto’s campaign to monitor and discredit journal­ists and other critics has received almost no corporate news coverage,” Project Censored notes.

A rare exception was a June 2019 ABC News report that nonetheless “consistently emphasized the perspective of Monsanto and Bayer.”

U.S. MILITARY: A MASSIVE, HIDDEN CONTRIBUTOR TO CLIMATE CRISIS

It’s said that an army travels on its stomach, but the Army itself has said, “Fuel is the ‘blood of the military,’” as quoted in the study “Hidden Carbon Costs of the ‘Everywhere War” by Oliver Belcher, Patrick Bigger, Ben Neimark and Cara Kennelly, who subsequently summarized their findings for The Conversation in June 2019.

The U.S. military is “one of the largest polluters in history, consuming more liquid fuels and emitting more cli­mate-changing gases than most medium-sized countries,” they wrote.

If it were a country, it would rank as “the 47th largest emitter of green­house gases in the world.”

Studies of greenhouse gas emissions usu­ally focus on civilian use, but the U.S. military has a larger carbon footprint than any civilian corporation in the world.

On the one hand, “The U.S. military sees climate

3

cuts, this has not included coverage of lawmakers personally profiting, Project Censored noted.

INEQUALITY KILLS: GAP BETWEEN RICHEST AND POOREST AMERICANS LARGEST IN 50 YEARS

“In public health, decades of research are coming to a consensus: Inequality kills,” DePaul University sociologist Fernando De Maio wrote for Truthout in December 2019.

Even before COVID-19, his research added finegrained evidence of broad trends highlighted in three prominent governmental reports. The gap between rich and poor Americans had grown larger than ever in half a century, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2019 annual survey, with dramatic evidence of its lethal impact: People in the poorest quintile die at twice the rate as those in the richest quintile, according to a report by the congressional General Accounting Office. And, this is partly because job-related deaths are increasingly rooted in the physical and psychological toll of low-wage work, as opposed to onthe-job accidents, as documented by the United Nations’ International Labor Organization.

All these conditions were made worse by COVID-19, but they could have been seen before the pandemic struck.

“The poorest Americans are also more likely than their rich counterparts to face illness or premature death due to the inherent dangers of low-wage work,” Project Censored noted.

As of May 2020, Project Censored had not been able to identify any corporate news coverage of the GAO or Census Bureau reports on inequality and premature mortality, or of the ILO report about work-related illnesses, accidents and deaths that take place when workers are off-duty.

5

Many lawmakers in Congress benefited personally by the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. change as a ‘threat multiplier,’ or a condition that will exacerbate other threats, and is fast becoming one of the leading federal agencies in the United States to invest in research and adoption of renewable energy [but] it remains the largest single institutional consumer of hydrocarbons in the world [and] this dependence on fossil fuels is unlikely to change as the USA continues to pursue open‐ended operations around the globe.”

Not surprisingly the report had received “little to no corporate news coverage” as of May 2020, beyond scattered republication of their Conversation piece.

CONGRESSIONAL INVESTMENTS AND CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

Exposition, political corruption and conflicts of interest are age-old staples of journalism. So, it’s notable that two of the most glaring, far-reaching examples of congressional conflicts of interest in the Trump era have been virtually ignored by corporate media: Republicans’ support for the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, and bipartisan failure to act on catastrophic climate change.

“The cuts likely saved members of Congress hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxes collectively, while the corporate tax cut hiked the value of their holdings,” Peter Cary of the Center for Public Integrity reported for Vox in January 2020.

It was sold as a middle-class tax cut that would benefit everyone.

“The tax law’s centerpiece is its record cut in the corporate tax rate, from 35 percent to 21 percent,” Cary wrote. “At the time of its passage, most of the bill’s Republican supporters said the cut would result in higher wages, factory expansions, and more jobs.

Instead, it was mainly exploited by corporations, which bought back stock and raised dividends.”

Buybacks exceeded $1 trillion for the first time ever the year after the cuts were passed, and dividends topped a record $1.3 trillion high.

4

GAGE SKIDMORE PHOTO

The benefits to congressional Republicans were enormous.

“The 10 richest Republicans in Congress in 2017 who voted for the tax bill held more than $731 million in assets, almost two-thirds of which were in stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and other instruments,” which benefited handsomely as a result of their votes that “doled out nearly $150 billion in corporate tax savings in 2018 alone,” Cary noted. “All but one of the 47 Republicans who sat on the three key committees overseeing the drafting of the tax bill own stocks and stock mutual funds.

“Democrats also stood to gain from the tax bill, though not one voted for it,” he wrote. “All but 12 Republicans voted for the tax bill.”

Two special features deserve notice. First is a newly created 20 percent deduction for income from “passthrough” businesses, or smaller, single-owner corporations.

“At least 22 of the 47 members of the House and Senate tax-writing committees have investments in passthrough businesses,” Project Censored noted.

Second was a provision allowing real estate companies with relatively few employees — like the Trump organization — to take a 20 percent deduction usually reserved for larger businesses with sizable payrolls.

“Out of the 47 Republicans responsible for drafting the bill, at least 29 held real estate interests at the time of its passage,” Project Censored pointed out.

As to the second major conflict, “members of the U.S. Senate are heavily invested in the fossil fuel companies that drive the current climate crisis, creating a conflict between those senators’ financial interests as investors and their responsibilities as elected representatives,” Project Censored wrote.

“Twenty-nine U.S. senators and their spouses own between $3.5 million and $13.9 million worth of stock in companies that extract, transport, or burn fossil fuels, or provide services to fossil fuel companies,” Donald Shaw reported for Sludge in September 2019.

While there has been critical coverage of the 2017 tax

SHADOW NETWORK OF CONSERVATIVE OUTLETS EMERGES TO EXPLOIT FAITH IN LOCAL NEWS

In late October 2019, Carol Thompson reported in the Lansing State Journal that, “Dozens of websites branded as local news outlets launched throughout Michigan this fall … promising local news but also offering political messaging.” The websites’ “About us” sections “say they are published by Metric Media LLC, a company that aims to fill the ‘growing void in local and community news after years of steady disinvestment in local reporting by legacy media,’” Thompson wrote. But it soon emerged that they weren’t filling that void with locally generated news, and the 40 or so sites Thompson found in Michigan were just the tip of the iceberg.

A follow-up investigation by The Michigan Daily reported that “Just this past week, additional statewide networks of these websites have sprung up in Montana and Iowa,” which was followed by a December 2019 report by the Columbia Journalism Review, revealing a network of 450 websites run by five corporate organizations in 12 states that “mimic the appearance and output of traditional news organizations” in order to “manipulate public opinion by exploiting faith in local media.”

All were associated with conservative businessman Brian Timpone.

“In 2012, Timpone’s company Journatic, an outlet known for its low-cost automated story generation, which became known as ‘pink slime journalism,’ attracted ...continued on next page

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DECEMBER 10, 2020 INLANDER 23

MEDIA “SILENCED,” CONTINUED... national attention and outrage for faking bylines and quotes, and for plagiarism,” CJR’s Priyanjana Bengani reported. Journatic was later rebranded as Locality Labs, whose content ran on the Metric Media websites.

“The different websites are nearly indistinguishable, sharing identical stories and using regional titles,” Michigan Daily reported. “The only articles with named authors contain politically skewed content. The rest of the articles on the sites are primarily composed of press releases from local organizations and articles written by the Local Labs News Service.”

“Despite the different organization and network names, it is evident these sites are connected,” Bengani wrote. “Other than simply sharing network metadata as described above, they also share bylines (including “Metric Media News Service” and “Local Labs News Service” for templated stories), servers, layouts, and templates.”

Using a suite of investigative tools, CJR was able to identify at least 189 sites in 10 states run by Metric Media — all created in 2019 — along with 179 run by Franklin Archer (with Timpone’s brother Michael as CEO).

Although The New York Times did publish an article in October 2019 that credited the Lansing State Journal with breaking the story about pseudo-local news organizations, Project Censored notes that “corporate coverage has been lacking…. The Columbia Journalism Review’s piece expands on the breadth and scope of previous coverage, but its findings do not appear to have been reported by any of the major establishment news outlets.”

UNDERREPORTING OF MISSING AND VICTIMIZED BLACK WOMEN AND GIRLS

Black women and girls go missing in the United States at a higher rate than that of their white counter­parts. And that very fact goes missing, too.

“A 2010 study about the media coverage of missing children in the United States discovered that only 20 percent of reported stories focused on missing Black children despite it corresponding to 33 percent of the overall missing children cases,” Carma Henry reported for the Westside Gazette in February 2019.

But it’s only getting worse.

“A 2015 study discussed in the William & Mary Journal of Race, Gender, and Social Justice found that the disparity listed in the 2010 study between the reportage and the reality of missing Black children had increased substantially,” Project Censored noted: 35 percent of missing children cases vs. just 7 percent of media stories.

That discussion appeared in a paper that made two other pertinent points. First, that Black criminal perpetrators are overrepresented in the media, while Black victims are underrepresented; and second, “because racial minorities are identified as criminals more often than not, non-minorities develop limited empathy toward racial minorities who are often perceived as offenders.”

Non-minorities in the media are obviously not exempt.

“Media coverage is often vital in missing person cases because it raises community awareness and can drive funding and search efforts that support finding those missing persons,” Project Censored noted.

Blacks are also overrepresented as victims of sex trafficking, according to statistics from Human Trafficking Search: They account for more than 40 percent of confirmed victims compared to 13.1 percent of the population.

While there is some coverage from small independent sources, “this gap in coverage of missing Black women

7

24 INLANDER DECEMBER 10, 2020

Rising sea levels and warmer waters will pose increased risks of nuclear disasters, Project Censored concludes. and girls has gone widely underreported,” Project Censored noted.

It cited two exceptions (one from ABC News, another from CNN).

“But, broadly, U.S. corporate media are not willing to discuss their own shortcomings or to acknowledge the responsibilities they neglect by failing to provide coverage on the search for missing and vic­timized Black women and girls.”

THE PUBLIC BANKING REVOLUTION

The year 2019 marked the 100th anniversary of the USA’s first publicly owned state bank, the Bank of North Dakota (BND), and in October, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the Public Banking Act, authorizing up to 10 similar such banks to be created by California’s city and county governments.

In response, the cities of San Francisco and Los Angeles both announced plans to do so. It was the culmination of a decadelong effort that began in the wake of the Great Recession that’s also been taken up in nearly two dozen other states. Beyond the benefits North Dakota has reaped in the past, such banks could have greatly assisted in responding to COVID-19’s economic devastation, and could yet help fund a just transition to a decarbonized future, along the lines of a Green New Deal.

Yet, despite California’s agenda-setting reputation,

8

Project Censored notes that “no major corporate media outlets appear to have devoted recent coverage to this important and timely topic.”

“The Bank of North Dakota was founded in 1919 in response to a farmers’ revolt against out-of-state banks that were foreclosing unfairly on their farms,” Ellen Brown, founder of the Public Banking Institute, wrote for Common Dreams. “Since then it has evolved into a $7.4 billion bank that is reported to be even more profitable than JPMorgan Chase and Goldman Sachs, although its mandate is not actually to make a profit but simply to serve the interests of local North Dakota communities.”

“The state of North Dakota has six times as many financial institutions per capita as the rest of the country and it’s because they have the Bank of North Dakota,” Sushil Jacob, an attorney who works with the California Public Banking Alliance, told The Guardian. “When the great recession hit, the Bank of North Dakota stepped in and provided loans and allowed local banks to thrive.”

As a result, “North Dakota was the only state that escaped the credit crisis,” Brown told Ananya Garg, reporting for Yes! magazine. “It never went in the red, [had] the lowest unemployment rate in the country, the lowest foreclosure rate at that time.”

In short, “from efforts to divest public employee pension funds from the fossil fuel industry and private prisons to funding the proposed Green New Deal and counteracting the massive, rapid shutdown of the economy caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, public banking has never seemed more relevant,” Project Censored wrote.

RISING RISKS OF NUCLEAR POWER DUE TO CLIMATE CHANGE

As early as 2003, 30 nuclear units were either shut down or reduced power output during a deadly European summer heat wave in Europe.

But almost two decades later, the corporate media has yet to grasp that “nuclear power plants are unprepared for climate change,” as Project Censored notes. “Rising sea levels and warmer waters will impact power plants’ infrastructure, posing increased risks of nuclear disasters, according to reports from the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and Truthout from September 2019,” Project Censored explains. Yet, “Tracking back to 2013, corporate news media have only sporadically addressed the potential for climate change to impact nuclear power plants.”

“Nuclear power is uniquely vulnerable to increasing temperatures because of its reliance on cooling water to ensure operational safety within the core and spent fuel storage,” Christina Chen wrote for NRDC. In addition, Karen Charman, reporting for Truthout, noted that “nuclear reactors need an uninterrupted electricity supply to run the cooling systems that keep the reactors from melting down,” but this will be “increasingly difficult to guarantee in a world of climate-fueled megastorms and other disasters.”

Sea level rise — combined with storm surges — represents the most serious threat. That was the focus of a 2018 report by John Vidal from Ensia, a solutions-focused media outlet, which found that “at least 100 U.S., European and Asian nuclear power stations built just a few meters above sea level could be threatened by serious flooding caused by accelerating sea-level rise and more frequent storm surges.”

There have been more than 20 incidents of flooding at U.S. nuclear plants, according to David Lochbaum, a former nuclear engineer and director of the nuclear safety project at the Union of Concerned Scientists.

“Many of the world’s new nuclear plants are being built on the coasts of Asian countries, which face floods, sea-level rise and typhoons,” Vidal wrote. “At least 15 of China’s 39 reactors in operation, and many of the plants it has under construction, are on the coast.”

“Nuclear stations are on the front line of climate change impacts both figuratively and quite literally,” leading climate scientist Michael Mann told Vidal. “We are likely profoundly underestimating climate change risk and damages in coastal areas.”

9

ism was also urgently needed. “In the face of this pan­demic, the public needs good, economically secure journalists more than ever,” separating fact from fiction and holding politicians and powerful institutions accountable,” Aaron wrote in the Columbia Journalism Review.

Aaron’s organization, Free Press, placed journalism’s needs at $5 billion in immediate emergency funds, “less than half of 1 percent of a trillion-dollar recovery package” and asked that “Congress put a foundation in place to help sustain journalism over the long term.”

Aaron presented a three-pronged plan: First, “doubling federal funds for public media,” not for Downton Abbey reruns, but “earmarked specifically for emergency support, education and especially local journalism.” For example, “the Los Angeles Unified School District teamed up with PBS SoCal/KCET to offer instruction over the airwaves

“On the question of cost, we must first remind ourselves that a viable press system isn’t a luxury — it’s a necessity.”

REVIVE JOURNALISM WITH A STIMULUS PACKAGE AND PUBLIC OPTION

In late March, Congress passed and President Trump signed a $2.2 trillion coronavirus rescue package, including direct payments of $1,200 per adult and more than $500 billion for large corporations. Before passage, Craig Aaron, the president of Free Press, argued that a stimulus package for journal-

10

while kids are out of school, with separate channels focused on different ages.”

Second, “direct support for daily and weekly newsrooms,” which have lost tens of thousands of jobs over the past three decades. “Direct, emergency subsidies of say $25,000 per newsgathering position could make sure reporters everywhere stay on the local COVID beat,” he wrote. “Just $625 million would help retain 25,000 newsroom jobs.”

Third, “new investments in the news we need … for a major investment in services that provide community information [and] to support new positions, outlets and approaches to newsgathering, [which could] prioritize places and populations that the mainstream outlets have never served well.”

Arguing that a “resilient and communitycentered media system” is necessary to get through the pandemic, Aaron concluded, “Now is the time to act. We need sig­nificant public investments in all corners of the economy, and journalism is no exception.”

In an article in Jacobin, media scholar Victor Pickard advanced a more robust proposal, for $30 billion annually (less than 1.4 percent of the coronavirus stimulus package, Project Censored noted).

“On the question of cost, we must first remind ourselves that a viable press system isn’t a luxury — it’s a necessity,” he wrote. “Similar to a classic ‘merit good,’ journalism isn’t a ‘want,’ but a ‘need.’ ... Democratic nations around the globe heavily subsidize the media while enjoying democratic benefits that put the U.S. to shame.”

“While corporate news outlets have reported the ongoing demise of newspapers and especially local news sources, they have rarely covered proposals such as Aaron’s and Pickard’s to revitalize journalism through public funding,” Project Censored wrote. n To learn more about Project Censored, visit projectcensored.org. Paul Rosenberg is senior editor at Random Lengths News.

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f you were born before the 21st century, it’s possible that you’ve never spent a second of your life on TikTok. The China-based social media app allows users to shoot, edit and score seconds-long videos and send them out to their followers, and it’s with more than 2 billion downloads around the world. Because of that popularity, a handful of young, enterprising TikTok users have actually mined their virality to tremendous success, and the odds are good that the teen in your house considers themselves a TikTok star in the making. Here are a handful of non-tech gifts that could help your techobsessed kid improve their online presence.

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TIKTOK GUIDE BOOKS

As is the case with any technology that blows up seemingly overnight, there are already how-to manuals and guide books on the market for navigating TikTok and establishing the largest possible footprint on the platform. TikTok: The Ultimate Unofficial Guide! is a slim,. kid-friendly book courtesy of Scholastic, which teaches young readers the ABCs of the app, and includes quizzes about and features on the most in-demand TikTok stars.

For something more interactive, consider The TikTok Challenge (releasing on Dec. 15), a game book that tests your mettle with various dances and lip sync challenges to determine who is the ultimate TikToker. Both books are available to order through Auntie’s and Wishing Tree bookstores. $8.99-$14.99 • Auntie’s Bookstore • 402 W. Main • Wishing Tree Books • 1410 E. 11th Ave. n

Offering FREE 1/2 hour Private Shopping Appointments to help you shop safely.

Store Open: Wed - Fri 10AM-5PM Sat 10AM-7PM Appointments Available: Sun - Tue 10AM-3PM – SHOP ONLINE • PORCH PICK UP AVAILABLE – Call for details and Shop Local!

1410 E. 11th Ave (In the Perry District) · (509) 315-9875 · wishingtreebookstore.com

DECEMBER 10, 2020 INLANDER 27

be particularly loud in North Idaho, where a man named Allen Banks made it onto the Panhandle Health Board and recently said, “Something’s making these people sick, and I’m pretty sure that it’s not coronavirus.” It’s possible you know someone from North Idaho who shares this belief. If so, they will be proud to represent their region.

Buy them this North Idaho thermal long sleeve, or another piece of clothing with the words “North Idaho” on it. $28 • CDA Idaho Clothing Company • 210 Sherman Ave., Suite 117, Coeur d’Alene

CHIEFS OR SHOCK TICKETS

Gifts for

COVID-DENIERS

For the people you love who just won’t accept reality

BY WILSON CRISCIONE

M

aybe you have a family member who believes the people dying from COVID-19 are actually dying from something else. Maybe you know someone who believes COVID-19 is no more dangerous than the flu, choosing to ignore the fact that COVID-19 kills about as many Americans in one month as is typical for an entire flu season. Maybe you have a friend who does think COVID-19 is a concern, but believes the best solution is to simply let the virus run its course, killing tens of thou-

28 INLANDER DECEMBER 10, 2020

sands of people just before a vaccine arrives that could have saved their lives. You might be frustrated with the people who believe these things, but you also might care for them and want them to be happy this holiday season. If that’s the case, here are some gifts for you to consider.

NORTH IDAHO SHIRTS

There are COVID-deniers everywhere, of course. But they seem to

A vaccine is coming soon, but it remains to be seen how long it will take before it is safe to, for example, attend a Spokane Chiefs or Spokane Shock game. COVID-deniers, however, will have no reservations, and are probably itching to go watch a hockey or football game. The Chiefs are opening their season soon, and the Shock in a few months, so look into buying them tickets. The teams are doing all they can to make the games safe if fans are allowed to attend, so it’s a win-win. Price varies • SpokaneChiefs.com or theSpokaneShock.com

FCK INSLEE MASKS

For COVID deniers, the virus isn’t the problem. The real problem is Washington Gov. Jay Inslee. How dare he mandate that people wear a mask, they think. These anti-Inslee masks are a perfect gift for them. They allow people to express their displeasure with Inslee while also protecting those around them. $8.89 • Etsy.com

CHEEKY NAPKINS

Some COVID-deniers may simply take some small satisfaction in being a rebel. These napkins, then, with messages like “we solemnly swear we are up to no good” above a group of people drinking together will be right up their alley. $7 • Southern Specialties • 307 E. 18th Ave. n

HOME GOODS Dandles Candles Traeger | Pendleton

G I F TS & J E W E L RY Montana Silversmith Hobo | Shwood Bulova

GIFTS GALORE. With 13,000 square feet of your favorite home, outdoor and jewelry brands, you’re sure to find the perfect present. Now through December 31, when you spend $50, you’ll get $10 to spend on a future purchase. We’re open from 10am-8pm every day. Shop now at Northern Quest.

A P PA R E L Ugg | Lucky Brand | Prana Filson | Danner

ONE CARD FITS ALL. Our gift cards are perfect for everyone on your list. Purchase at any Northern Quest venue or northernquest.com

DECEMBER 10, 2020 INLANDER 29

Gifts for

REMOTE-LEARNING KIDS More than ever, kids this year could use some help

F

BY SAMANTHA WOHLFEIL tal patience and increased student stress. Kids finally get to say they need to be on the computer even as they concoct clever ways to skip class with pre-recorded Zoom windows and “connectivity issues.”

More than ever, kids this year could use some help, not just with making their online lives more comfortable, but with reminders of the fun they can have away from the screen. From squishy

fidget toys to affordable hands-on activities that won’t feel like school while being educational, there are tons of ways to keep those home-learners entertained this season.

ARTISTIC MYSTERY

Whiz Kids is full of fun sensory and screen-free gifts, from NeeDoh

[drink responsibly]

or many kids and parents, 2020 is the year they’ll remember as having the spring break that never ended, with many students going home for break then not returning to the hallways and lockers they’re used to. Rather than a never-ending snow day daydream, many have experienced something more like learn-from-home growing pains. Restrictions have stretched paren-

lidays NEW Hooked Oanil Hino a Can Spiced Cockt LOCALLY OWNED | LOCALLY MADE | LOCAL INGREDIENTS 1003 E. Trent #200 | SPOKANE | 509.489.2112 | dryflydistilling.com 30 INLANDER DECEMBER 10, 2020

stress balls filled with interesting textures ($3.99) to puzzles for all ages ranging from four pieces to 2,000 pieces ($10 to $27). Plus, they have board games, science kits, hands-on art kits and classic toys like Slinkys and marbles. One of their most unique coloring book options are the Mystery Mosaics, which have you color in squares and triangles by number. Before the squares are filled, the picture hidden in the grid is a total mystery! $7.99 • Whiz Kids • 808 W. Main Ave. Suite 320

WIRELESS HEADPHONES

At Huppin’s you’ll find a variety of tech options to help with this increasingly internet-connected life both in store and online. With the JBL Quantum 600 wireless gaming headphones, your online learner can also connect with friends via video games, as it comes with surround sound and a built-in microphone for online gaming. A dial allows you to balance the sound of the game with the voices of other players so you don’t miss a thing. $99.95 (with rebate) • Huppin’s • huppins.com or 8016 N. Division

PASSBACK FOOTBALL

While isolating from friends and family has been hard on all of us, it’s easy to miss the simple pleasures of things like a game of catch. Spokane-based Passback Sports makes it possible to practice a little football by yourself, no matter what’s going on in the world. One end of the football is flattened so you can practice nearly anywhere there’s a sturdy wall. With a variety of sizes and materials, Passback has options for everyone from newbies to the pros. $12.95 to $32.95 • Passback Sports • passbacksports.com

What can you give this week?

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES VOLUNTEERS AND DONORS NEEDED INNOVIA FOUNDATION

This giving season, Innovia is asking for your support to help the families impacted by the devastating September wildfires in Malden and Pine City. Innovia is seeking volunteers to help with shopping, wrapping gifts and delivering presents.

They are also looking for people to sponsor families impacted by the fires or to donate funds and items. Some items on the wish list include: • Art supplies

• Legos

• Barbies

• Winter gloves and hats

• Monster trucks

• Books

• Pajamas

• Winter coats

To sponsor a family, make a donation or volunteer, visit Innovia’s website.

STEAM KIT

Mobius Discovery Center may be closed for the time being, but they’re still here to help kids and their families with hands-on science kits that are fun and educational without requiring screen time. Dissect flowers or owl pellets, create a sock monkey, or learn about space. There are a ton of options for all ages in the variety of kits offered by the center. $16 or $13 for Mobius members • Mobius Discovery Center • mobiusdiscoverycenter.org/learn/kits n

MAKE YOUR HOLIDAYS BRIGHT

innovia.org

Volunteers wanted - THE SALVATION ARMY The Salvation Army is asking for your help to “rescue Christmas” this year for local families. Volunteers are needed to receive donations for the Adopt-A-Family program on Dec. 14 and 15 from 7:30 am to 6 pm. Help is also needed distributing those gifts on Dec. 17 from 7:30 am to 6 pm. Volunteers are also needed to pack food boxes and stock food pantry shelves Mon-Fri from 8:30 am to 5 pm. Register on the website in the “volunteer with us” section, or contact Joshua Schulz at Joshua.schulz@usw.salvationarmy.org or 509-329-2721. spokane.salvationarmy.org

DONATE Sponsor a Holiday Bag - PROJECT BEAUTY SHARE Each year, Project Beauty Share fills 2,000 holiday gift bags with brand new products that its social service partner agencies distribute to those in need over the holiday season.

For many local women, this is the only gift they will receive. Sponsor a holiday bag by donating $25 to Project Beauty Share. Your $25 donation will make a woman feel special, beautiful and loved this holiday season. projectbeautyshare.org

Hope for the Holidays - YWCA In these difficult times, your contributions are so meaningful and will make this season a little brighter for those impacted by domestic violence, homelessness and unemployment. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, YWCA’s Hope for the Holidays looks a little different this year. To reduce potential exposure, our Domestic Violence Safe Shelter and Women’s Opportunity Center are asking for gift card donations. YWCA families will then be empowered to buy their own gifts. A gift card allows a mother to experience the joy of picking out personalized items for her children and families to make their own special holiday meal. To learn more, email hopefortheholidays@ywcaspokane.org or visit YWCA’s website. ywcaspokane.org

Inlander.com/giveGUIDE2020

SHOP IN STORE, ONLINE, OR BY APPOINTMENT. 21950 E COUNTRY VISTA DR STE 600, LIBERTY LAKE • (509) 701-2711 LORRAINEFINEJEWELRY.COM

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DECEMBER 10, 2020 INLANDER 31

Help them work out at home

BY QUINN WELSCH

W

hen most of us learned that the COVID-19 lockdowns were going to be a long-term effort, we coped by doing one of two things: 1) Threw on a pair of stretchy pants (that many of us still haven’t taken off), embraced the “work-from-home” lifestyle and generally gave up on outward appearances; or 2) welcomed the apocalypse by doubling down on our fitness routines and carved our bodies into muscle-bound temples of flesh.

The gyms may be closed or at limited capacity, society may be under indefinite quarantine, but that’s no excuse to fall out of shape. Instead, think of it as a challenge to stay fit. Here are a few gift ideas for the fitness freak on your holiday shopping list.

KETTLEBELL

There are few things as multifaceted as the kettlebell. More flexible to use than your average dumbbell, you only need one or two of these bad boys.

Best of all, they don’t take up a ton of space and

are fairly inexpensive. You can stick to your normal workout routine at home, working on your squats, tricep extensions and deadlifts, but you can also incorporate hand-to-hand swings and kettlebell swings. Price varies, $25-$50 for smaller weights • Better Body Fitness • 165 S. Pine St.

EXERCISE CLASS

Before the COVID-19 shutdowns began, I had the chance to hit the Union a few times for some spin classes. It was challenging. Intense. Profound. Dare I say... spiritual? Things are obviously still very weird during the pandemic, but you could always purchase a class (or group of classes) from the Union, which can be used at a later point in time.

Five classes $89 • The Union • 7704 N. Division St., Unit A; 1309 W. First Ave.

DRINKS AND SNACKS

There’s perhaps no better stocking stuffers for a fitness freak than Nuun and GU (pronounced

We are still here for holiday shopping!

“goo”), and you can pick up both at Fleet Feet.

Need to replenish those electrolytes after an intense sweat sesh? Purchase one of the many flavors of Nuun tablets that you can pop into your water bottle. Need a calorie boost during a distance run? GU packets also come in a variety of flavors, and they’re actually pretty tasty. (So good it almost feels like cheating.) $7 for Nuun, $1.50 for GU packet • Fleet Feet • 1315 W. Summit Pkwy.; 10208 N. Division St. #103; 13910 E. Indiana Ave., Spokane Valley

HEADLAMP

The thing about the Inland Northwest in the winter is that it will be cold until about March, making running after work hours potentially hazardous. One of the best gadgets a runner can have in the winter is a light, like the Biolite Headlamp. It will keep your runner lit up like a Christmas tree while also helping them spot patches of ice or clumps of snow in front of them. $60 • REI • 1125 N. Monroe St. n

H O M E G R OW N H O L I DAY S !

Let us send your loved ones special gifts from your heart!

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Free local deliver y!

Use code HOLIDAYSHIP when ordering on-line!

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Open Tue-Sat 10am-3pm 509

838-7699 • southernspecialtiesspokane.com

32 INLANDER DECEMBER 10, 2020

319 west second avenue, spokane | (509) 747.2867 | lolospokane.com

INSIDE:

INLANDER ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO THE

Partner Organizations

Spokane County, Washington

Recreation•Entertainment•Cooking Sports•Staycations•Galleries BACK TO BUSINESS

A GUIDE SUPPORTING BUSINESSES AND ORGANIZATIONS IN OUR COMMUNITY

Guide

PULL OUT AND KEEP

ARTS & CULTURE

FITNESS FREAKS

ARTS & CULTURE

PRESENTED BY

VOLUME 6

Gifts for

VOLUME 6 PRESENTED BY

ARTS & CULTURE

Guide A GUIDE SUPPORTING BUSINESSES AND ORGANIZATIONS IN OUR COMMUNITY

INSIDE:

Recreation•Entertainment•Cooking Sports•Staycations•Galleries BACK TO BUSINESS Partner Organizations ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO THE INLANDER

Spokane County, Washington

Think you can’t build that home office?

Join a bank that believes you can.

Whether you’re looking for a personal line of credit to build a new office or a loan to take your business to the next level, we’re here to help.

Visit watrust.com to get started.

2

VOLUME 6

SPONSORED CONTENT

STAGE LEFT THEATER MANAGING DIRECTOR JEREMY WHITTINGTON

INSIDE Defying Conventions............ 6 You Gotta Laugh................. 10 Staying Flexible...................14 Bouncing Back.....................18 The Great Outdoors............ 22 In the Spotlight................... 26 Cinematic Escape............... 30 Colorful Days Ahead.......... 34 Close to Home.................... 38 Health Bumpers.................. 42 Art in Flux........................... 46

On The Cover The First Interstate Center for the Arts overlooking the Spokane River

Long Time Coming We thought things would be better by now.

Back in March when the pandemic first caused shutdowns, we thought the closures and restrictions aimed at controlling COVID-19 would be over before summer. When the case numbers dipped with warmer weather and many businesses were able to reopen, albeit with safety measures still in place, we thought maybe by summer’s end we’d be back to some sense of “normal.” Then school started, cases began to rise again at a frightening clip, and we again see our community and local economy battered by a disease and a renewed round of restrictions.

In other words, it’s been a really rough year. And typically when we all go through a rough patch, we’re able to help each other through by gathering for a concert, or playing basketball at the Y, or having drinks and watching a standup comedian bring some laughter to soothe whatever pain we’re experiencing.

The pandemic has taken that from us, and while retail and restaurants have been able to at least muddle through with the help of our community, some businesses have barely been able to open their doors; some haven’t been able to at all.

The performing arts are at a standstill. No Spokane Symphony season. No Broadway shows at the FIC. No concerts at Berserk or Lucky You Lounge or under the Pavilion at Riverfront Park. Movie theaters were only open for a few weeks before being forced closed again. Local museums had a longer window after reopening, but closed again in the latest round of health restrictions. All the businesses and buildings dedicated to keeping Spokane County entertained

are going to need our help, whether it’s by purchasing gift cards for future shows, or attending everything you can once they’re able to fully reopen and fire up their spotlights again.

“We’ve been closed for months with no end in sight and, you know, bills to pay and staff with families to feed,” Spokane Comedy Club co-owner Adam Norwest says in this sixth edition of Back to Business, describing how instead of delivering laughs to survive, the club started delivering pizzas and milkshakes.

Back to Business is a local marketing effort developed by the Inlander and several community institutions, including GSI, STCU and Washington Trust Bank (see page 5 for more details). These partners recognize the struggles of our local arts and entertainment entities, and their importance to making life worth living in the Inland Northwest.

This issue is the sixth in a series, and this one is dedicated to supporting local businesses. Inside you’ll learn how our local theater companies are surviving the pandemic, where you can get a safe gym or yoga workout, what’s happening with the convention and tourism business during this trying time, what’s the latest from our local professional sports teams, and much more.

Life is going to look a lot different on the other side of the pandemic, but we know we need artists and the venues that support them to make it, for the good of Spokane County’s soul. And we’re going to want to go to a ballgame, or a movie, or take an art class with our friends again. It’s good to know we can all have a hand in making sure that happens. ◆

PLAY TIME! Grab the next Back to Business Guide on Dec. 23 when Volume 7 will be inserted in

the Inlander. Find resources and details about this ongoing project at btb.inlander.com.

VOLUME 6

3

INTRO

NORTHWEST MUSEUM OF ARTS & CULTURE

How to Do...

Everything

The Back to Business marketing campaign is all about helping our local community successfully and safely navigate the pandemic.

Here’s how you can get involved.

How to...

...Support Local Arts, Culture and Entertainment business: Our arts, culture and entertainment industries are critical to the Inland Northwest, and we all need to do our part to help them survive a devastating year. Fortunately, there are a lot of attractive reasons to shop local. Spending your hard-earned cash in local museums, theaters, concert venues and gyms helps the local economy, keeps your neighbors employed and generates much-needed revenue for our local governments. So go buy some tickets to a future show, sign up for an art class or get some gift cards for Christmas presents for your friends and family. Also, help spread the word about what our local shops are doing well, and what great buys you’ve found. Finally, tell your friends and family to pick up this guide!

...Use this Guide: Inside you’ll find

lots of inviting stories about how Spokane County businesses are figuring out ways to thrive in these difficult times. But importantly, you’ll also see over 150 ads

4

VOLUME 6

promoting area businesses. Each includes all you need to know about your favorite local retailers, restaurants and arts entities. Spend a moment with each of them, and remember that each individual business represents

Over 100 Businesses WHO WE ARE DECK OUT YOUR HOLIDAY • Live Interactive Virtual Classes with your favorite instructors!

• Pre-recorded On Demand Virtual Take Home Paint Kits • Self-guided Take Home Paint Kits Everything you need to create an amazing painting is sent with you – canvas, brushes, paint, cup and paper towel.

Be sure to stay tuned for when we reopen for in-person classes.

QUICK LOCATOR

PinotsPalette.com/Spokane || 509.290.5098

SPOKANE [ DOWNTOWN ]

319 W SPRAGUE AVE

Check Out Each Business In The Guide

something so much bigger: These are our friends and neighbors, they are major employers who make our SPONSORED CONTENT

lives a little better, and they also pump money back into our local communities as a whole.

...Keep Up on the Latest Developments: This Back to Business is

the sixth in a series that will be published in the coming weeks and months. In the meantime, find Back to Business pages in the Inlander every week through the end of the year; these pages feature our Fresh Sheet with the latest news, deals and specials being offered by area businesses. Find more at BTB.Inlander.com.

...Stay Safe as a Consumer or Business Owner: For starters,

follow public health guidelines about social distancing and mask-wearing. Here’s an easy way to remember what to do: Spread Kindness. Not COVID-19. (Find out more about that countywide awareness effort at kindnessnotcovid.org.) As a business owner, there are a lot of resources available to help you, starting with Back to Business and all of its partners. Additionally, visit inlandbizstrong.org for other resources. ◆

WELCOME

About Back to Business This guide is part of a local marketing effort in support of

Together, We're Greater This year started as they all do for most of us: a fresh start, a blank slate and ripe with opportunity. A New Year celebration to enter 2020 held promise and hope. As we all know, we took a hard turn in March and are forever changed.

We can collectively agree this is hard. When the questions came more quickly than the answers, this community pressed on. For many businesses, promise and hope have been hard to find in 2020. What has kept us going? New and deepened partnerships and the realization that we all have the power to improve our communities’ health and our economy.

Yes, this is hard, but THE POWER OF WE will get us back to enjoying this region and everything it has to offer. THE POWER OF WE will help us turn the page on this most difficult year. THE POWER OF WE will continue to move obstacles that none can move alone. By keeping our family, neighbors, friends, and businesses in mind, WE will transform our community — for the better.

Spreading Kindness has always been about THE POWER OF WE and about being part of the solution. And the sooner we are all back healthy, we will be Back to Business. We will innovate, adapt, and grow stronger, continuing to spread resiliency, compassion and, yes, kindness, along the way.

That’s how this community was built, and how WE will build it again — with a New Year celebration to enter a 2021 filled with promise, hope and opportunity.

the hospitality sector developed by leading local institutions and community-minded businesses to help promote our region’s recovery. The project was unanimously approved for support by Spokane’s County Commissioners through the CARES Act with the express goal of supporting affected businesses. It should be noted that the Inlander’s editorial coverage remains separate and independent from this marketing effort.

Volume six is focused on supporting arts and culture in our region. Through the end of the year, watch the Inlander for more special Back To Business guides focused on businesses in our community, along with special features, sharing even more recovery stories.

BUsinesses are working hard to serve customers and stay safe. Finding ways for everyone to connect with area businesses is critical in keeping our community moving forward during this challenging time.

Find deals, specials and business updates from area businesses at BTB.Inlander.com

HANK'S HATCHETS

NORTH SPOKANE indoor is an upbeat, urban Hank’s Hatchets Soft drinks available food axe-throwing venue. we allow in outside for purchase, and in Coeur beverages. Also Hatchets and non-alcoholic N. Fourth St. Hank’s are d’Alene, at 2506 group, and masks sanitizes after each moving checking in and space to required when There is plenty of around the building.

3904 N. between groups. maintain distances hankshatchets.com Division St., 309-2722,

ng · culture

dining · shoppi

and stay safe: hard to serve customers Businesses are working recovery. support our region’s Support them and you will depend But much of that 2021-22 season. the ever-changing for the coming receptivity and on resources, audience ground. situation on the online performance to exploring new itself in a slightly When it comes BachFest has found models, the Northwest turbulent course of the last nine the better position over not knowmonths. for this new chapter, “We’ve been preparing going to be what it was,” says chapter was who also serves ing that the new cellist Zuill Bailey, for internationally acclaimed “We’ve been expanding just we artistic director. as the festival’s all ready to go, moment. We were exact this to years it faster.” to had to implement limited-run festival moving from a In anticipation of and the Northwest calendar, Bailey creating a video a year-round event spent several years community engageBachFest had already and educational catalogue of concerts for example, is a pay-to-view Miles, YouTube ments. Across the BachFest’s private streams via the are just $20 per concert series that for individual performances channel. Tickets

household. that Using “mini-concerts” AT THE FOX, PRE-COVID in Spohe recently recorded able to SPOKANE SYMPHONY also still kane, Bailey is during do community outreach putting COVID-19 without at risk. setback to be overcome. himself or others the first serious and circumKershner, this isn’t have rallied time “Under normal years, Spokanites has been on be going into Over the past 75 orchestra.

COVID-19 pandemic especially tough stances, I would their hometown ZUILL BAILEY it’s been various difficult playing for time again to support and hospitality, imposthe hospitals and has been through Faced with the industries like retail “This organization nurses as well say that this is more and playentertainment sector. the doctors and although I would taking the videos to on the culture and for the foreseeable In this case, we’re periods in its history, concert “But we’re going live performances had to as the patients. gets a personal vom Saal says. what it Symphony have sibility of offering room, so everyone severe than others,” and that’s really like the Spokane while still ing them in each our community, you future, organizations health guidelines once. survive. We have energy here that to adapt to public from us,” he says. for thousands at There’s some unique figure out ways I can now play our comes down to.

“During this time, the panto enrich and inspire staying afloat. arts organizations, to that community don’t find elsewhere.” increases our reach nitely performing testament ◆ infi other That further like is “Just financial well-being,” The recent gala through music education.” in November, the devastating to our He next generation that one-night event demic has been And while executive director. benefit support. During the symphony’s about 80 in raising over $165,000.

Tree The Sound of Spokane out says Jeff vom Saal, has been cut by Jim Kershner’s symphony succeeded Associates’ annual Christmas or find operating budget Proceeds from there estimates that the To place your order the Spokane Symphony been postponed until 2021, hard. the Spokane Symphony.news about the 2021-22 season, has in it’s been doubly percent. for and its players Elegance fundraiser the Fox Theater, BachFest’s paythat we more while waiting to support the symphony on spokanesym“Because we own .org. The Northwest — not just the things are other ways button performance So it been canceled visit spokanesymphony Find the “Support” Relief Everything has we rent the venue. concerts and upcomingseason packages, this difficult time. to the Musicians’ the events where to-view streaming you can donate tickets and produce but also phony.org, and including individual both. times.” or of — Program schedule, Fund number a Protection hits us Director James nwbachfest.com.

Fund or the Annual from the Paycheck that prescan be found at vom Saal and Music And with funding Saal acknowledges In the meantime, or streaming events to run out, vom out virtual concerts in The Sound of (PPP) loan soon Lowe haven’t ruled However, as chronicledlocal author Jim by sure is only building. history of the symphony new a Spokane,

s On The Band Play As hard as the

BACK TO BUSINESS

PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS

8 INLANDER

Alisha Benson | CEO

1889 SALVAGE

CO

] SPOKANE [ NORTH 1-4 now through Open Sunday 1 Dec. 20.

Street 2824 North Monroe

PAINTING WITH

A TWIST

FRESH SHEET CONTINUES ON THE NEXT PAGE

along hospitality Back To Business guides, effort in support of the the Inlander for special and community of a local marketing more recovery stories weekly pages are part County economy, supported special sections, sharing business · These promote the Spokane along here in the and businesses to help business features. safety, you can follow by leading institutions commerce and public your support. sector brought to you ng.org With the goal of balancing and more share their stories and invite shops in part by Cares Act funding. businesses InlandBizStro resources for links below, as local restaurants, Inlander, and via the ovid.org • Financial 9 resources KindnessNotC OCTOBER 1, 2020 INLANDER more

ABOUT Back to

Safe business

SPONSORED

sheet Fresh · updates deals · specials

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AFAR and by themselves and safely enter and Outside, Sunset, clean and Haven, as it is dubbed Travel+Leisure, creating a safe, policies FRESH DESIGN LLC their peers. The is just are hard at work full update to travel and your gaming community, and more! Read our to welcome you members of the GALLERY & RENTALS, with other fun environment 413COVID-19 operations safely meet up including a full MEDICAL LAKE s.com/ W. Sprague Ave., that: a place to by its family soon. 901 gift cerat www.rowadventure over 20 years ago om mitigation plan Purchase 2 paddleboard has gamers. Founded ation. 209 S. Washington 2915, bingcrosbytheater.c gift certificates the Gamer’s Haven current-travel-inform r.com tificates or 2 kayak owner Bob Kelley, to receive and adapt, continuDec. 31, 2020, St., 770-2517, rowadventurecente before continued to evolve EPICUREAN DELIGHT pinnacle purchase. bar higher as the $10 off the total version of Epicurean ally setting the We FOLK FESTIVAL Street to This re-imagined Inland Northwest.

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OCTOBER 1, 2020

... and in the weekly Back to Business pages in the Inlander

Support provided from Spokane County through the CARES act

BACK TO BUSINESS Partner Organizations VOLUME 6

5

TOURISM

Defying Conventions With the convention business dead for now, Spokane’s tourism industry has had to improvise

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VOLUME 6

SPONSORED CONTENT

For decades, local tourism-focused groups like Visit Spokane, the Spokane Sports Commission, and the Spokane Public Facilities District have been centered on one united mission: How can they bring as many tourists to Spokane as possible, packing them into big events like track meets and conventions, so the whole local economy would flourish?

But then, last March, that entire premise came to shuddering halt. Instead, they faced a slew of new questions.

How could you pack the Arena when sports and concerts were all canceled? How could you promote tourism when interstate travel was dangerous? How could you hold conventions when the convention business effectively ceased to exist?

And most importantly: what now?

First, it meant assessing the damage. Spokane County Fair and Expo cut their staff in half. Visit Spokane laid off their entire sales staff.

“I’m presenting a budget to my board today that shows us losing $4 million next year,” says Stephanie Curran, CEO of the Spokane Public Facilities District, which runs Spokane’s Arena and convention center. “This morning, I was thinking never would I have ever thought in my lifetime I would present a budget that was going to lose even $1 million, nevermind $4 million.”

Meg Winchester, president of Visit Spokane, says things may not truly get back to normal until 2023. Even once most people are vaccinated, a fear of travel may linger.

But each of these groups has found ways to adapt, to find the opportunities scattered among the ashes.

“I, from the beginning, have refused to be a victim of this,” says Curran. “A lot of venues across the country have just laid everybody off and shut down. But we’re kind of small and mighty in Spokane.”

The Spokane County Fair and Expo couldn’t hold the Interstate Fair. So they had drive-in movies and held a fair-food drive-thru event.

Eric Sawyer, CEO of the Spokane Sports Commission, says his team even tried to pitch a West Coast college basketball version of the NBA bubble — they’d play in the Arena and the convention center and attend classes in Spokane hotel rooms. But with the patchwork of different state and local rules, it was too difficult to make it work.

Still, those local tourist groups have also found ways to turn their empty buildings and unused lots into an asset to fight the virus and the challenges it posed.

The fairgrounds opened for use in drive-thru COVID testing. And in the same way that nearly a century ago one of Spokane’s Prohibition-shuttered breweries became housing for transients, the Spokane Arena was turned into a temporary homeless shelter.

“The mayor called me and she’s like, ‘I’m in a desperate situation,’” Curran recalls “‘We need to find a [place for homeless people to stay] because of social distancing,’ I was like, ‘Great, we’re the perfect place.’

Normally, we couldn’t do stuff like this because we would be booked.”

VISIT SPOKANE'S MEG WINCHESTER

And when air quality turned dangerous, the Arena again became a shelter.

Meanwhile, they’ve turned to how they can prepare for the future.

With a reduced staff, Visit Spokane partnered with sales staff at Curran’s Public Facilities District and looked for openings to make a pitch for the promise of Spokane.

Visit Spokane found 20 high-end event planners and, instead of giving them a tour in person, they did it virtually. They sent them bottles of wine from Barrister Winery and coffee beans from Indaba. So, when Visit Spokane presented the merits of our fair city to the region over video chat, the event planners could sip some of Spokane’s finest beverages while watching.

“They were like ‘Wow!’ afterwards,” Winchester says. “We’d never done anything like that before. It was actually very successful.”

Not only that, but the dearth of tourism-related travel, Curran says, gave Spokane a chance to get in front of the sorts of influential event planners who would never have given the Lilac City a second look before.

“There was one in particular; he said, ‘OK, fine, you’ve convinced me. I’ll come to look at Spokane,’” Curran says.

Using $2.5 million of CARES Act money, Visit Spokane has been running ads all over the place, including in Seattle and Portland.

It may seem odd to spend money on tourismrelated advertising during a time when tourism is so limited. But Winchester argues that it makes perfect sense. It’s about planting a seed that, by the time restrictions are finally lifted, has blossomed into fullgrown Spokane-bound wanderlust.

“People are dreaming right now,” Winchester says.

“Our job is to get people to dream and commit.”

And that’s where Sawyer, with the Sports Commission, sees a lot of hope.

“There’s going to be some tremendous opportunities for those communities around the country who have survived COVID,” Sawyer says. They’re lining up events for the third and fourth quarter next year.

In one sense, Spokane got lucky.

For years, the delays and setbacks getting the Podium — the $53-million state-of-the-art sports tourism megaplex — off the ground had been a source of frustration. Think of all the economic impact we were losing out on!

It turns out, it was more like missing a flight for a plane that ended up crashing. The Podium’s soft opening is scheduled for next fall, right when — hopefully — the virus has been beaten back enough to take advantage of the megaplex.

“Maybe we’re all vaccinated,” Sawyer says. “Who knows what’s going to happen.”

And when the time comes for vaccinations, the facilities district knows of a few huge, well-ventilated facilities perfect for administering those vaccinations.

“At the convention center, they are ready to possibly become one of the locations for vaccinations,” Winchester says. ◆

VOLUME 6

7

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VOLUME 6

9

HUMOR

COMEDIAN CASEY STRAIN AT NEATO BURRITO

You Gotta Laugh Spokane’s comedy community is working to keep the funny alive If there was ever a time we could all use a good laugh, it’s 2020. But of all the sectors of the economy punished by the pandemic, it’s arguably been the worst for live entertainment venues and the artists that fill them.

For the Spokane comedy scene, the various shutdowns and gathering restrictions have meant no live shows on local stages, from the tiniest open-mic nights at bars and restaurants to the big-name headliners like Jo Koy or Kevin James who had to cancel tour stops in the Lilac City at the FIRST INTERSTATE CENTER FOR THE ARTS and the FOX THEATER, respectively.

The SPOKANE COMEDY CLUB relies on a combination of touring comedians and local talent to fill its stage every week, and they’ve had to completely pivot their business plan since March in the hope of surviving to host real standup shows again.

The club is booking touring headliner comedians for the months ahead while hoping restrictions ease, including Pauly Shore (Jan. 21-23), Bobcat Goldthwait (Feb. 26-27), Jen Kirkman (March 4-6) and Spokane’s own Kelsey Cook (June 3-5). But waiting for a real reopening, the business has converted into a restaurant

10

VOLUME 6

called SPOKANE SHAKE COMPANY to keep its staff working and building open. It offers 30 flavors of milkshakes as well as pizzas, gourmet hot dogs and more.

When able to be open under limited capacity, the club hosted trivia nights and comedy shows on video, and it pivoted yet again to takeout-only when the latest shutdown kicked in.

“We’ve been closed for … months with no end in sight and, you know, bills to pay and staff with families to feed, and we realized we needed to do something for the club to survive and thrive longterm,” co-owner Adam Norwest says. “As soon as something happens that allows us to have comedy, we’ll have it again.”

Open-mic nights at spots ranging from NEATO BURRITO to the KNITTING FACTORY-adjacent DISTRICT BAR to the RIDLER PIANO BAR, among others, have obviously been put on hold, meaning local standup talent has been forced offstage. Some of them have enhanced their profile online, including long-time Spokane comedian Deece Casillas, who hosts THE SOCIAL HOUR podcast, as well as short video clips.

Others, like Phil Kopczynski, have managed to do SPONSORED CONTENT

some tour dates in states with different regulations governing gatherings, but haven’t been able to perform in Spokane since March. Spokane’s preeminent improv theater group, BLUE DOOR THEATRE, hasn’t opened its doors for live shows since March, but has filled the void by creating videos for YouTube.

Some comedians have tried doing live shows via Zoom, but Casillas says those shows just lack the energy bouncing between performer and audience that comedy requires to satisfy anyone.

“There’s an energy and vibe with it that just gets disrupted over online when you just have people staring at you through a screen,” Casillas says.

While comedy fans will have to wait until venues reach Phase 4 of the state’s reopening guidelines, barring some change from Gov. Jay Inslee, Casillas is confident the audience will be there.

“The audience will be grateful, comics will be grateful, everyone will be grateful,” he says. “We’ll have a better perspective of what we have in the ability to go out and enjoy a night of laughter instead of the chaos we have been more accustomed to these days.”

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VOLUME 6

11

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VOLUME 6

13

HEALTH

Staying Flexible Local gyms and yoga studios keep adjusting to ongoing pandemic If you had just gotten back into your gym routines, the

FARMGIRLFIT CO-FOUNDER JENNI NIEMANN 14

VOLUME 6

SPONSORED CONTENT

new, in-person restrictions from Gov. Jay Inslee may have thrown you a bit of a curveball. Like all industries, exercise spots are having to adjust to a new climate of uncertainty, balancing financial pragmatism with their longterm commitments to community health.

After all, we exercise to stay healthy; no one wants to pick up the virus along with their barbells. While it may be frustrating to have to adjust your exercise routine, there are many local businesses looking to assist you, and waiting eagerly to welcome you back once it’s safe for them to do so.

One of the more fascinating and uplifting elements of the pandemic has been seeing the response of local communities to rally and support one another. For instance, FARMGIRLFIT, a woman-owned gym with locations in East Spokane and Coeur d’Alene, posted their surprise when one of their members reacted to the new restrictions by designing a shirt for the business that they could sell to raise money. They also have branded masks available for purchase, as does SPOKANE BOXING GYM. Another locally owned studio, SPOKANE BARRE, has been similarly innovative, spending the past few months creating a library of video workouts for members to watch at home.

More traditional gyms have also been impacted by this yo-yo of restrictions and relaxations of guidelines. In response to the new closure, MÜV FITNESS, with locations scattered across the Spokane area, is in the process of developing virtual classes to post online.

PLANET FITNESS, famous for its incredibly affordable plans, has been doing an excellent job uploading regular content to support home workout routines, as has the YMCA OF THE INLAND NORTHWEST. Gyms like ANYTIME FITNESS are recognizing their role in providing health and fitness information that can help keep the community healthy. Other gyms, like SNAP FITNESS, have their eyes on re-opening after this phase is over.

In the meantime, they are suspending all membership dues.

One exercise experience that can be harder to re-create at home is the yoga studio. Many of us go to yoga classes precisely to escape our daily routines, to settle into a place specifically set aside for meditation, focus and self acceptance. SHALA LIVING YOGA, which recently moved into a new home studio, is currently live-streaming classes. BEYOUTIFUL, a hot yoga studio with locations around the area and a connected business, HOME GROWN KIDS YOGA, is also running virtual classes which can be booked through the Mindbody app. HARMONY YOGA, a long-standing studio on the lower South Hill, is also offering Zoom classes.

Since all of these flows are happening at home, distances that might have previously kept you from a particular studio do not exist anymore.

Maybe you’ve always lived in Spokane, and the trek to MELLOW MONKEY YOGA in the Valley wasn’t feasible. Now, you can stream their live classes from your house and skip the commute. On the flip side, if you are in the Valley and have been curious about the relatively new ABIDE YOGA COLLECTIVE, located near Gonzaga University, now you can stream those classes. If there is a silver lining to all this, fitness-wise, it’s that we are in a unique position to reassess our exercise routines, creating habits that work for us as individuals. ◆

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www.CusterShows.com SHOP NOW THRU DEC. 25TH!

To submit a Deal, Special or Business Update

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SPOKANE

Chapter Two

Inland Pacific Kitchen and Hogwash Whiskey Den continue serving creative drinks and dishes after ownership shift

Enrolling until Januar y 16th!

DANCOEL

SCHO981! since 1

Offering class in-house and virtual!

PreSchool since 2016!

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Classical Ballet •Jazz• Hiphop• Tap• Lyrical• Tumbling•Ages 3 to 99 448.2464 • dancecenterofspokane.com SPOKANE

SPOKANE [ SOUTH ]

1407 E 57TH

VOLUME 6

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WIN A LITTLE EXTRA FOR YOUR HOLIDAY STOCKING WHEN YOU SUPPORT LOCALLY-OWNED BUSINESSES Learn how at www.downtownspokane.org

or more information about Back To Business

Visit BTB.Inlander.com

SPOKANE [ DOWNTOWN ]

To inquire about being included in day Holieditions future Back To Business Special Deal!

Learn to Skate! A ges 3-8 $ 5 Gif t Card mail BackToBusiness@Inlander.com Classes run all year 2 $ ! for only 20

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ing Sessions •Year -Round Skat Sessions •Drop-In Hockey e!

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6321 N ADDISON ST

save the date!

ella's supper club

FIRST WEDNESDAY OF EVERY MONTH

May 8, 2021

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3-course meal live music entertainment

for updates! 509-624-5412 • WEDONTHAVEONE.COM

SPOKANE [ DOWNTOWN ] BROWNE’S ADDITION

16

EWU CAMPUS

wh com en e to it vis do is s it so afe

Fingers Crossed!

CHENEY

VOLUME 6

141 S. CANNON

3th floor of the newly renovated HISTORIC MONTVALE EVENT CENTER where the original Ella's Supper Club used to be!

SPOKANE [ DOWNTOWN ]

SPONSORED CONTENT

509.655.0836 info@ellassupperclub.com 1019 W 1ST AVE

EMBRACE WASHINGTON’S

39th Annual 2020 Epicurean Delight presents “Bites and Delights”

Backwoods Flannel Tailgating Party

Bites and Delights offers two package options with 36 complementary items from your favorite restaurants, wineries & breweries. Vouchers are valid for take-out options and accepted through August 31, 2021.

Visit www.epicureandelight.org to purchase yours through Dec. 15th!

Sat, March 10th  4:30 to 10pm



Save the date for Embrace Washingtonʼs Backwoods Tailgating Party to raise funds for our foster youth in care to attend summer activities such as camps, sports, fencing, and art therapy. This is event will be an exciting outdoor adventure to sport your best flannel and enjoy a tailgating experience filled with entertainment, delicious food, and fun for the whole family.

Bites and Delights

SPOKANE [ DOWNTOWN ]

210 W CATALDO

Northern Quest Casino 

For more info visit www.embracewa.org or following us on SPOKANE

Spring for Hope 2021

POWERED BY

Fundraising event for FailSafe for Life

APRIL 18TH  24TH

Local business advocates came together to ensure easy access to the resource, relief and assistance to assist businesses of all sizes in finding support.

Live event on the evening of April 24th For more details or to register go to: https://www.failsafeforlife.org/get-involved

https://failsafeforlife.org Strength not only lies in our words, but in our actions as well. Our mission is to end suicide in Spokane FailSafe for Life inspires action through education, instilling hope, and connecting communities.

We provide education in a virtual format when we are able to better reach our community. In addition, we have created content specific to the COVID-19 pandemic and it’s impacts on mental health.

MEAD

SPOKANE [ DOWNTOWN ]

Businesses can use this valuable tool to determine which resources are applicable for your unique business!

InlandBizStrong.org

15615 N MEADOWGLEN CT

334 W SPOKANE FALLS BLVD

SPOKANE [ DOWNTOWN ]

818 W. RIVERSIDE

VOLUME 6

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SPECTATORS

SPOKANE SHOCK

Bouncing Back It won’t be long before sports are back in Spokane In March, the SPOKANE SHOCK — a name once thought to be no more when the Arena Football League franchise folded in 2015 — were almost back. The first game of the year was days away for the Indoor Football League team.

But then, of course, the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

For team owner Sam Adams, the COVID-19 pandemic was — for lack of a better term — a major shock.

“We were ready to go,” Adams says. “And then it was kaput.”

Adams, a retired Seattle Seahawks defensive tackle, says he thought it might only delay the season by a few months. But ultimately, the Indoor Football League canceled the season.

Today, however, Adams is optimistic that the next season will start on time, almost exactly a year after the pandemic first hit. The Shock will host the Tampa Bay Tornadoes in a preseason game on March 21 before the season officially starts on April 2.

The IFL announced that season tickets will go on sale at the end of November, and all season ticket holders from 2020 will have their tickets rolled over for 2021.

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What will the games look like? That’s still up in the air. Adams says he doesn’t know yet if Spokane will be able to have fans at the games, adding that he will rely on the advice from state and local health officials. He has strong belief, however, that a vaccine will be distributed to enough people to allow fans in the Spokane Arena.

“I believe we will have a vaccine. I believe we will be able to have fans at the beginning of the season. I believe we will be able to have fans in the stands. How many? I’m not sure,” Adams says. “We have every inclination that we will be able to do it.”

If a vaccine doesn’t slow the pandemic by then, they still plan to play the games and test players regularly.

“We’re going to go out there and play in a parking lot if we have to,” Adams says.

For now, the players are all training in different areas of the country, sending videos to the coach of their training regimen. Adams can’t wait for them to return to Spokane in the coming months.

“The Shock are coming back, and we’re going to SPONSORED CONTENT

be here for a long time,” Adams says. “We have big plans for the community.”

Meanwhile, they will monitor how things go for other Spokane-area sports teams, including the SPOKANE CHIEFS, who are scheduled to begin a truncated season starting Jan. 8. It remains unclear whether fans will be permitted into any of those games, too. The Western Hockey League says a final determination has not been made, since it will be decided by local health authorities.

“The WHL looks forward to continuing work with government and health authorities in our region and will implement any measures that are necessary to protect our players, staff, officials and fans during the COVID-19 pandemic,” the league announced in a news release.

The SPOKANE INDIANS are looking forward to next season, too. They had their entire season canceled in June, the first time Spokane went a summer without baseball since 1957. The organization did hold other events, however, including Ballpark Dinners to Go for people to get a cheap dinner and the Infield Cafe lunch service at Avista Stadium. ◆

Small Gaming Events

Coming B Soaocnk!

Family Game Night

check website for updates

Spend the Day on Garland SHOP • DINE • DRINK • PLAY

Legendary Precautions Temperature taken

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SPOKANE [ NORTH ] GARLAND DISTRICT

! u o Y S s i M e W

loOking forward to seEing you as soOn as we can To Support the Theater Please Purchase Gift Cards at Garlandtheater.com SPOKANE [ NORTH ] GARLAND DISTRICT

Partner

It’s all about our community and creating a vibrant region that is connected, inspired and driven to succeed. We can’t do this work alone. We work with local businesses, our community, non-profits, and the surrounding region to build a robust regional economy. It’s this partnership that helps create the place where organization come together to advocate for the region, drive strategic growth, and champion a talented workforce.

TOGETHER WE’RE GREATER. GreaterSpokane.org

924 W GARLAND AVE

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S o aneGolfS ow.com for details

And that’s just for starters! So on your mark, get set, and go to our website to learn more about what we offer and support our programs: www.gotrspokane.org.

SPOKANE [ NORTH ]

4918 W WELLESLEY AVE

SPOKANE

ONLINE ONLY

VOLUME 6

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Live Entertainment,

Streamed Safely.

Drag Bingo Mondays Live Performance Fridays Runway: Drag Show Saturdays streamed weekly G LOB E S P O K A N E.CO M /L I V E

or more information about Back To Business

Visit BTB.Inlander.com

SPOKANE [ DOWNTOWN ]

204 N DIVISION

Now Booking Holiday Parties

SANTA DRIVE THRU

us Saturday, December 12th 4:30-6pm ToJoin about being included in forinquire a Santa Drive Thru!!

Collect a special bag of goodies from all the 4 Green Bluff future Back To Business editions organizations: Grange, Chruch, Growers and Home Ec. Fire District 4 will be present too!

mail BackToBusiness@Inlander.com Give back to Toys for Tots too!

Please bring an unwrapped/ new toy or check.

Hammer & Stain is a Do it Yourself Studio specializing in Home Decor. Attend a Public Workshop, Book a Private Party, or just spend time crafting during the day with us.

Wall Signs, Porch Decor, Chunky Knit Blankets, Take Home Kits and Functional Decor.

Optional photo shoot for those who would like to do so with their family.

For more information email gbgrange300@gmail.com COLBERT GREENBLUFF

Now Booking Holiday Parties • (509) 474-9702 • hammerandstainspokanevalley.com Open Mon - Sat 9am-5pm • Sunday by appointment • Parties after 5pm by appointment

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booking online at hankshatchets.com SPOKANE

SPOKANE • CDA

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VOLUME 6

SPONSORED CONTENT

The “Movin Marmots” meet Mondays at 7pm.

You’re Invited!

We hope to get the club going again in April. All runners get food and drink specials after their run.

Launch your weekend every First Friday with a night downtown filled with wine and art.

VISIT US FOR RETAIL PURCHASES & CURBSIDE PICKUP

Thursday-Saturday: 2 pm - 5 pm SPOKANE [ DOWNTOWN ]

TASTING ROOM • SPOKANE

HELIXWINE.COM 824 W. SPRAGUE AVE

(509) 863-9235 SPOKANE [ DOWNTOWN ]

122 S MONROE ST

Partner

WHILE WE KNOW TRAVELING LOOKS DIFFERENT

right now, we want to assure you that Spokane is focused on keeping you and your family safe and healthy. We encourage locals and visitors alike to be socially responsible to help ensure the health and safety of others.

VisitSpokane.com MEAD GREENBLUFF

Open

Mon - Fri 10am-5pm

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Harmon Pa

rk in the Historic Hilly District of Spokanard e Vendors Wanted

SPOKANE [ NORTH ] HARMAN PARK

VOLUME 6

21

NATURE

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SPONSORED CONTENT

The Great Outdoors Spokane’s natural environment and outdoors industry offer myriad ways to get out of the house Just because it's winter doesn’t mean you have

MOUNT SPOKANE STATE PARK

to be stuck inside. Our region offers ample opportunities to explore, from weather-dependent activities like skiing to endeavors that simply require a slight seasonal adjustment.

Fishing, for example, easily adapts for year-round enjoyment, says Sean Visintainer of SILVER BOW FLY SHOP, whose slogan is “Making fish nervous since 1988.”

The Spokane River is one of the best cold weather fisheries around, says Visintainer.

“The river temps stay warmer than other waters, it never freezes, has plenty of access, and you don’t have to travel far!” Check Silver Bow for gear, then check out more recommendations — the fly shop’s crew members love to share their expertise — including Rocky Ford Creek, a year-round spring creek in central Washington, and the Snake River for steelhead.

SPOKANE PARKS & REC is another trusted name in outdoor activities. Find a park to explore on their website, my.spokanecity.org/parksrec, which lists more than 120 regional parks, community centers and aquatic facilities.

Their winter activity guide includes both crosscountry skiing and snowshoeing, where you can learn and explore with area experts like Cris Currie, author of several guidebooks on Spokane-area skiing.

“The best route for beginning snowshoers at Mount Spokane is the Lower Kit Carson Loop Road to Smith Gap and the snowshoe hut,” says Currie, who will lead several skiing and snowshoe classes for Spokane Parks & Rec this winter.

“There is a Sno-Park lot right across from the trailhead, 1.8 miles up from the park entrance. Trail 100 can be used for the return route and is single-track.”

Of course Parks & Rec has kids’ programs, too, like during winter break for ages 9-12 at Mount Spokane State Park.

With hundreds of miles of biking, hiking and horse trails, MOUNT SPOKANE STATE PARK has been a mecca for outdoor enthusiasts since opening in 1927.

In the winter, get your Sno-Park permit, register the sled and go explore 18 miles of groomed snowmobiling area. Work for it with Nordic or alpine skiing, as well as snowshoeing.

Or head over to nearby MT. SPOKANE SKI AND SNOWBOARD PARK, which is ready for winter with skiing and snowboarding lessons, rentals and lift tickets.

Check out the Ladies Only clinics through March 2021.

And although Mt. Spokane Ski and Snowboard Park is not offering tubing this season, they recommend fun-seekers seek out BEAR CREEK LODGE, also in Mead, for an excellent time slipping and sliding your way through winter.

For that all-important winter gear, skiers and boarders should head to SHRED SPORTS OUTLET, DICK'S SPORTING GOODS, REI SPOKANE or the SPOKANE ALPINE HAUS, which boasts more than 40 years in the biz.

Done with that equipment or looking for the most affordable way to ease into the winter sport season?

Check out PLAY IT AGAIN SPORTS for pre-owned gear that fits your shoe size and your budget.

Visit either SPORTSMAN'S WAREHOUSE location (Spokane Valley and Spokane) and NORTH 40 OUTFITTERS for a range of outdoor gear, like binoculars, for a low-impact winter activity that will have you seeing the Northwest in a whole new light.

This is a perfect time to get outside to go BIRDWATCHING, specifically ducks, says Alan McCoy, president of the Spokane Audubon Society, who describes the quackers as “some of the most beautiful birds on the planet in their very freshest and brightest plumage.”

McCoy recommends Mount Spokane, Liberty Lake, Iller Creek, Stevens Creek in general and this handy guide from Audubon Washington: wa.audubon. org/birds/great-washington-state-birding-trail. If you’re specifically looking for ducks, geese or swan, try Slavin Conservation Area, Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge or the Spokane River.

“Even though waterfowl are out in the open and just ‘sitting ducks,’” says McCoy, “when humans approach they will gradually make their way to the other side of the lake or river or abruptly fly away to another spot even farther away.” The best way to view them is a slow and careful approach, leaving the pooch at home and limiting your talking to a whisper.

You’ll need good binoculars for general birdwatching, says McCoy, but for watching waterfowl, he recommends a spotting scope or a camera with a good zoom lens. Another helpful tool: free, downloadable apps that help you identify what you’re seeing.

“But you don’t have to have anything at all to appreciate these wonderful creatures,” says McCoy. “You just need to get outside to a nearby lake or river and watch and listen!” ◆

VOLUME 6

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or more information about Back To BusinessUSE CODE: HOLIDAY20

Visit BTB.Inlander.com To inquire about being included in future Back To Business editions

valid thru 12/17/20

SPOKANE VALLEY AVISTA STADIUM

Presents

7PM

MONDAYS

8PM LIVE

mail BackToBusiness@Inlander.com Any food or growler purchase gets you 1 card HOW TO PLAY

SPONSORED BY

per item purchased. We start handing out BINGO cards on Thursday the week before.

The game takes about an hour to play, it is Blackout Bingo and winner takes all.

VIA

WEDNESDAYS Any food or growler purchase gets you a trivia question packet. At that point you will get on the zoom meeting(zoom address and log in is handed out with each packet), then send your answer sheet at the end of each round to the number provided.

PRIZES FOR TRIVIA ARE 1st and 2nd place & Best Team Name.

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2020 Sad we couldn’t have shows in in 2021!

Looking forward to seeing you Follow us on Facebook for more info and updates SPOKANE

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SPOKANE

SPONSORED CONTENT

CULINARY CLASSES at the Kitchen Engine Here at The Kitchen Engine, we have culinary classes for the seasoned chef or the fresh new cook. From Classic Soups to Sushi making; The Kitchen Engine is where you can Discover Your Inner Chef!

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SPOKANE • CDA

SPOKANE [ DOWNTOWN ]

Supporting Local Performing Artists with a ‘Virtual Stage’

621 W MALLON

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VOLUME 6

25

STAGE

FIRST INTERSTATE CENTER FOR THE ARTS

In the Spotlight Forced to cancel shows, local theater groups are navigating COVID challenges with the creativity they’re known for Nine months ago, local theaters — like all performing arts venues — had to make the difficult decision to postpone the few remaining shows in their 2019-20 seasons. As the pandemic grew in severity, however, they found themselves facing an indefinite period of closure.

Many venues chose to make the most of the downtime. Instead of the usual nonstop cycle of staging one production while preparing for the next, they seized the opportunity to concentrate on general housekeeping, long-neglected inventories and future programming.

“We’ve never been paused this long,” says Jake Schaefer, creative director at the SPOKANE CIVIC THEATRE. “And so, consequently, we’ve never had this much time to pay mind. All that ‘non-space’ space is finally getting looked at. We’ve reorganized. We’ve cleaned up areas. A lot of the backstage areas and storage areas are being evaluated for safety.”

Other theaters, like STAGE LEFT, took the time to strengthen their grant-writing chops. That has since helped them secure much-needed funds from organizations like ArtsWA and the National Endowment for the Arts.

At the same time, Spokane’s theater community is driven by a perpetual desire to create and perform. As the cancellations that cleared their performance schedules in spring and summer extended into fall, the actors, crew and staff looked for new ways to bring entertainment and escape to their socially distant audiences.

In October, for instance, Stage Left debuted Masterpiece Monologues, a prerecorded collection of regional actors performing 13 one-person plays written by regional playwrights. It cleverly (and safely) filled

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the strange void left by empty seats and empty stages.

And now that winter’s upon us, local theaters large and small are working as hard as ever to continue filling that void. Stage Left is getting into the holiday spirit with An Evening of Carols on Dec. 15 at 7 pm.

Hosted by Molly Allen, this livestreamed evening of songs and stories will feature Abbey Crawford, Amber Fiedler, Alyssa Day, Mathias Oliver and many other favorites of the local stage. See facebook.com/ StageLeftTheater for updates.

The holidays are also causing SPOKANE CHILDREN'S THEATRE to break out in song. On Dec. 20, SCT is planning to host its first-ever Family Christmas Sing-Along. It will be all the fun of doorto-door caroling but from the comfort of your own home. To find out how and when to participate, visit spokanechildrenstheatre.org.

In collaboration with SPOKANE PUBLIC RADIO, the Civic is presenting an updated version of a play that has long been a fixture of the theater’s holiday programming: Minneapolis playwright Barbara Field’s adaptation of A Christmas Carol. This year, Field has restyled her work once again — but this time it’s for the radio.

On Dec. 11, audiences will be able to tune into this audio version of Dickens’ classic live on 91.1 FM. Afterward you can stream it online right up to Dec. 24.

The cast is a veritable who’s who of Spokane’s theatrical talent, including Bryan Harnetiaux, Dawn Taylor Reinhardt, Patrick McHenry-Kroetch, Patrick Treadway, Melody Deatherage, Troy Nickerson, Bill Marlowe and many, many others. You can also catch fun nonholiday-themed performances from the theater’s Civic Presents series at vimeo.com/spokanecivictheatre.

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If improv is more your thing, BLUE DOOR THEATRE has been busy putting its own twist on TV. Over the past few months they’ve built up a collection of Zoom-style sketches about chicken nuggets, TikToks riffing on Earth Day as well as different punchlines to Furby jokes. To watch these improv episodes and whimsical thought experiments, visit bluedoortheatre.com and follow the links to their YouTube channel.

For a little more Broadway-style glitz and pizzazz, the acclaimed cast of Jagged Little Pill is reuniting to perform selections from the recent Tony-nominated rock musical as part of a live concert in New York City. Tickets are available through STCU BEST OF BROADWAY, and they’re good for the livestreamed premiere on Dec. 13 at 5pm as well as on-demand access until Dec. 15. Just a few days after that, on Dec. 19 at 7pm, the FIRST INTERSTATE CENTER FOR THE ARTS is presenting The Hip Hop Nutcracker as a streaming event. This is an updated, high-energy dance spectacular set to Tchaikovsky’s iconic music and enhanced by digital graffiti and other cool visuals.

For tickets, show details and viewing info, head to firstinterstatecenter.org.

For those who are inclined to charitable giving around the holidays, please bear in mind that nearly all of the theaters mentioned here have donation buttons on their websites. Your support helps them keep creating and operating in the midst of so much uncertainty.

Also, during an already trying time, IGNITE! COMMUNITY THEATER has found itself looking for a new host venue. To offer this resilient troupe advice or a helping hand as they search for a new home, reach out to them via igniteonbroadway.org. ◆

Live Music returns on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, just as soon as possible!

Meanwhile, take-out some great food and wine!

Lights the Way 10 thAnnual Gala A Vibrant Virtual Fundraiser, February 6th at 5:30 PM Register at LeadershipSpokane.org

SPOKANE

ONLINE ONLY

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108 N WASHINGTON

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ONLINE ONLY

CARMEN JANE

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1406 S INLAND EMPIRE WAY

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AT

ENJOY FIVE VIRTUAL CONCERTS FEATURING 10 OF YOUR FAVORITE LOCAL SPOKANE ARTISTS

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WATCH NOW AT LUCKYYOULOUNGE.VEEPS.COM

SPOKANE [ DOWNTOWN ] BROWNE’S ADDITION

VOLUME 6

1801 W SUNSET BLVD

27

or more information about Back To Business

Visit BTB.Inlander.com

SPOKANE [ DOWNTOWN ]

25 E 3RD AVE

To inquire about being included in future Back To Business editions

mail BackToBusiness@Inlander.com

WE’LL BE BACK! MagicLanternOnMain.com |

SPOKANE [ DOWNTOWN ]

210 W SPRAGUE AVE

SPOKANE [ DOWNTOWN ]

25 W MAIN ST.

Join us in providing every homebound senior in Spokane a joyous gift this holiday season!

We are collecting Christmas gifts starting now through the week before Christmas to deliver to our clients Visit us online at www.mowspokane.org/holiday to purchase a gift that will be delivered by our volunteers.

SPOKANE • SPOKANE VALLEY • LIBERTY LAKE • CHENEY • MEDICAL LAKE • AIRWAY HEIGHTS • DEER PARK

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SPOKANE [ DOWNTOWN ]

SPONSORED CONTENT

1222 WEST 2ND AVENUE

SPOKANE VALLEY

404 N HAVANA ST

SPOKANE [ DOWNTOWN ]

827 W 1ST AVE

POWERED BY

Local business advocates came together to ensure easy access to the resource, relief and assistance to assist businesses of all sizes in finding support.

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LEAGUE SPONSORED BY

Dec 31 – Sammy Eubanks & The Work’in Class with Chris Rieser & The Nerve Jan 1 – Smash Hit Carnival Jan 2 – Almost Human KISS Tribute Plus, DJ Stud in EPIC all three nights.

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1326 E SPRAGUE AVE

AIRWAY HEIGHTS NORTHERN QUEST

100 N HAYFORD RD

VOLUME 6

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SCREEN

MAGIC LANTERN THEATRE MANAGER JOE SHEEHAN

Cinematic Escape Hollywood has taken a hit during the pandemic, but Spokane’s theaters are still hanging in there Going to the movies is an experience like no other.

It’s solitary, because you let yourself get swept up in the story on screen, but it’s also communal, because you’re surrounded by other people doing the same.

It’s that latter aspect that has presented movie theater owners with some challenges during the coronavirus pandemic, as well as bringing Hollywood’s release schedule to a standstill. Although Washington theaters have mostly been closed throughout the pandemic — save for a brief window when they were able to reopen at limited capacities — our city’s big screens are still there, waiting to transport viewers to far-off worlds again. Here’s a rundown of the area’s movie theaters, which will hopefully be projecting great cinema soon.

AMC RIVER PARK SQUARE 20

This is the area’s largest multiplex, boasting a whopping 20 screens on the top floors of the downtown River Park Square shopping center. Spokane’s AMC location offers something for everyone: You can check out all the biggest blockbusters in Dolby sound and on IMAX screens, but you’ll also be able to feed your brain with the indie, arthouse, foreign films and documentaries that the theater books through its Artisanal Films series. 808 W. Main, amctheatres.com, 877-262-4450

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THE GARLAND THEATER

REGAL CINEMAS

MAGIC LANTERN THEATRE

VILLAGE CENTRE CINEMAS WANDERMERE & AIRWAY HEIGHTS

First opening in 1945, the Garland Theater had a long history of management changes and business models before settling into its status as Spokane’s favorite and longest-running discount movie theater.

You only have to wait a few weeks after its initial release date to see a major movie at half the price of a regular ticket, and with its attached craft cocktail bar, Bon Bon, and recently updated food menu, the Garland is one of the best places in town to enjoy a night out. 924 W. Garland, garlandtheater.com 327-2509 Another cinematic Spokane institution, the Magic Lantern first started screening arthouse offerings in 1973 in a location on Wall Street. It closed and reopened, and closed and reopened again, and it’s been in the Community Building on Main Street since 2007. In all that time, however, the Lantern’s commitment to the out-there and the offbeat hasn’t changed, and you can always expect to see something challenging and insightful on either of its two screens. Enjoy beer and wine alongside the bottomless popcorn. 25 W. Main, magiclanternonmain.com, 209-2383 SPONSORED CONTENT

One of the biggest movie theater chains in the country has two locations in Spokane — one in the Northtown Mall, the other in the Valley Mall — both of which have been bringing cinematic treasures to the Inland Northwest for at least a couple decades now. Enjoy the most talked-about films from their comfy reclining seats, and signing up for the Regal Crown Club program gets you rewards and freebies the more often you go to the movies. 4750 N. Division and 14760 E. Indiana, Regmovies.com, (844) 462-7342

The Village Centre theater chain isn’t anywhere near as big as AMC or Regal, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t equally committed to crystal clear picture, rumbling sound and a diverse roster of cinematic offerings.

Its Wandermere and Airway Heights locations are regional favorites, and you’re just as likely to see a family-friendly box office hit as a more obscure drama for grownups on their screens. 12622 N. Division and 10117 W. State Route 2, spokanemovies.com, 2327727 ◆

Wrap up Boz, Brantley, Ice Cube, or maybe those Celtic Women.

Gift a great night out with a Northern Quest concert experience.

Choose from our current indoor lineup or already-announced outdoor summer shows.

Tickets on sale now at northernquest.com

877.871.6772 | SPOKANE, WA

AIRWAY HEIGHTS NORTHERN QUEST

100 N HAYFORD RD

MAC’s

Festive lights and some arts and culture-style activities - all outdoors!

Celebration

Vintage Crescent Department Store window display

Ho-ho-holiday

1100 N. SULLIVAN RD

Partner

Scavenger hunt Campbell House Holidays video along with the cook’s pre-packaged sugar cookies

Saturdays, 4-6 pm Dec 5, 12, 19 & 26 Holiday family fun at the MAC

SPOKANE VALLEY

Museum store open for holiday shopping Register in advance.

Suggested donation $5.

WHILE WE KNOW TRAVELING LOOKS DIFFERENT

right now, we want to assure you that Spokane is focused on keeping you and your family safe and healthy. We encourage locals and visitors alike to be socially responsible to help ensure the health and safety of others.

VisitSpokane.com

northwestmuseum.org

SPOKANE [ DOWNTOWN ] BROWNE’S ADDITION

2316 W 1ST AVE

Virtual Events via Zoom!

Schedule paint therapy with friends and family on paintingwithatwist.com

We Are Open!!

Pick up your kit curbside.

For carry-out Food & Drinks or hang-out on our patio

Open Tues-Fri 12pm-8pm • Sat & Sun 10am-8pm Help us keep the party going until we can dance again in 2021 delivery available SPOKANE [ DOWNTOWN ]

nynebar.com

509-474-1621 232 W SPRAGUE AVE

509-413-9892 • PAINTINGWITHATWIST.COM SPOKANE VALLEY

11703 E SPRAGUE AVE STE B3

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DECK OUT YOUR HOLIDAY • Live Interactive Virtual Classes with your favorite instructors!

• Pre-recorded On Demand Virtual Take Home Paint Kits • Self-guided Take Home Paint Kits Everything you need to create an amazing painting is sent with you – canvas, brushes, paint, cup and paper towel.

Be sure to stay tuned for when we reopen for in-person classes.

or more information about Back To Business PinotsPalette.com/Spokane || 509.290.5098

Visit BTB.Inlander.com

SPOKANE [ DOWNTOWN ]

319 W SPRAGUE AVE

We’re affordable, we’re professional, we’ll make your every event more memorable!

To inquire about being included in future Back To Business editions

mail BackToBusiness@Inlander.com

LIVE MUSIC IS BEST!

(509) 328-5253 • www.afm105.org SPOKANE [ DOWNTOWN, NORTH ] • SPOKANE VALLEY VALLEY MALL, PINES RD

The Beauty is in the Giving!

SPOKANE [ NORTH ]

1912 N DIVISION LL 105

The Rock Rollers Club of Spokane is bringing back the

Gem, Jewelry & Mineral Show March 26, 27 & 28

Spokane County Fair & Expo Center • 404 N. Havana, Spokane

Each year, Project Beauty Share fills 2,000 holiday gift bags with brand new toiletries and beauty products for women in need over the holiday season. For many women, this is the only gift they will receive during the holidays.

Featuring over 40 dealers and 60 display cases, fossils, crystals, minerals, handcrafted jewelry, lapidary supplies, demonstrations, hourly door prizes, and children’s activities.

Please follow Covid-19 guidelines.

Visit our Facebook page: Spokane Rock Rollers Gem Mineral & Jewelry show

December 1–31 • $25

sponsor a bag at www.projectbeautyshare.org SPOKANE [ EAST ]

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2718 E SPRAGUE AVE

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SPOKANE VALLEY

SPONSORED CONTENT

404 N HAVANA ST

WE’RE STILL HERE FOR FAMILIES, THANKS TO SUPPORTERS LIKE YOU! We are so grateful for the generosity of our community, donors, volunteers, and staff who join us in comforting and supporting families during the toughest times. As the world changes around us, the one constant is the need for our essential services. Without your support, we wouldn’t be able to do what we do! From our families, staff, and volunteers at the House, we are wishing you a Happy Holidays.

There is still time to help provide a ‘Home-Away-From-Home’ for our families for the holidays.

DONATE TODAY HERE: rmhcinlandnw.org SPOKANE [ DOWNTOWN ]

1028 WEST 5TH AVENUE

SPOKANE [ DOWNTOWN ]

209 S WASHINGTON

SANTA EXPRESS will be returning for 2020 as an online store allowing kids ages 4 - 12 (encouraged) to experience the joy of holiday giving safely from their home. Kids will submit a wish list with gift ideas for their loved ones, and a special Santa Express Elf will prepare the surprise gifts for pick up before Christmas.

Partner

Shop or donate at santaexpress.org ONLINE STORE DATES: Nov. 23 - Dec. 23 100% OF PROCEEDS BENEFIT

PICK UP LOCATION: 5004 E. Sprague Ave. (Across from Walmart) GIFT WRAP SPONSOR

BOUTIQUE SPONSOR

SILVER SPONSOR

WestPlainsChamber.org

Columbia Bank, George Gee, Kaiser Permanente, Yoke’s Fresh Market

SPOKANE VALLEY

SINCE 1942, the West Plains Chamber has served the business community in Airway Heights, Cheney, Medical Lake, Fairchild AFB and West Spokane County. Today we are over 320 members strong and one of the most engaging and dynamic chambers in the state and serving one of the fastest growing areas in the state.

5004 E SPRAGUE AVE

Capture holiday magic with a virtual visit with Santa For a $50 suggested donation to Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, your child can spend 15 minutes on a personalized video call with Santa.

100% of your donation stays local to support patients at Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital.

r o f m a e r C Ice y a D t s a f k a e Br Follow us on FB and Insta for more details

Space is limited, so book your visit today: give.providence.org/ewash/Santa

February 6, 2021 TheScoopSpokane.com

SPOKANE

101 W 8TH AVE

Kendall Yards 509-703-7042 South Hill 509-535-7171

SPOKANE [ DOWNTOWN, SOUTH ] KENDALL YARDS

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ART

Colorful Days Ahead The pandemic offers the perfect time to explore your creative side We're pretty sure math genius Albert Einstein meant it positively when he reputedly said, “Creativity is contagious. Pass it on.” And how apropos to 2020 when many people have rediscovered their inner artist, especially while spending more time at home and in need of outlets for their creative energies. Whether you’re just starting out or an experienced maker, there are three avenues to consider: art and craft supplies, take-home kits, and classes or events designed to spur you on.

SPOKANE ART SUPPLY

They’ve been the go-to art supply depot since 1954, beloved by experienced and would-be artists alike.

How about a traveling watercolor kit for the many, many (many) jaunts you’ve been taking outdoors lately? Discover a range of painting and drawing media and benefit from their expert advice, including recommendations for gift ideas for all the other budding artists you know. 1303 N. Monroe St., spokaneartsupply.com, 327-6628

ART SALVAGE

Other than a friendly staff excited to share the latest donations they’ve received in their northside store, you never know what you’re going to find at Art Salvage.

The region’s first retail outlet for repurposed, recycled and related arts and craft materials is geared toward any level of maker. Let their ever-changing inventory inspire your next project or check out one of their many craft kits like the DIY Wine Cork Board kit. 1925 N. Ash St., artsalvagespokane.com, 598-8983

SPOKANE PRINT & PUBLISHING CENTER

Located next door to Art Salvage, this innovative space offers hands-on workshops in all manner of printing. Although classes are on hold for now, consider a gift certificate for a future class, such as learning to use the letterpress or creating your own screenprint.

1921 N. Ash St., spokaneprint.org, 443-3399

NORTHWEST MUSEUM OF ARTS AND CULTURE artist Nicholas Sironka 34

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For everyone looking forward to 2021, the MAC offers yet another reason to do so. In January, they’ve scheduled a batik class with artist Nicholas Sironka, which bodes well for future classes at everyone’s favorite museum. 2316 W. First Ave., northwestmuseum.org, 456-3931 SPONSORED CONTENT

POLKA DOT POTTERY

Four locations dot the Spokane-area map for this fun ceramic arts center: Northwest Boulevard, Pines in Spokane Valley, Spokane Valley Mall and River Park Square. Reserve a table where you can glaze your own pre-made clay items (masks required, limited capacity), create a to-go kit to do at home, or choose a pre-made kit. Once your painted pieces are finished firing, they’re ready for pickup and, since you’re there, you’ll probably want to see what else you can try.

2716 W. Northwest Blvd., 327-5437; 808 W. Main Ave #225, 624-2264; 118 S. Pines Rd., Spokane Valley, 924-2292; 14700 E. Indiana Ave., Spokane Valley, 596-8076; polkadotpottery.com

PINOT'S PALETTE

They started as the perfect pairing, adult beverages and art, but the plethora of paint-and-sip venues have become a fun entrée into making art, with or without the wine. Pinot’s Palette on Sprague Avenue offers both virtual classes — use your own supplies or purchase theirs — and assorted take-home painting kits that appeal to all ages. 319 W. Sprague Ave., pinotspalette.com/spokane, 290-5098

PAINTING WITH A TWIST

Find more paint-to-go kits at this Spokane Valley store, with either prerecorded virtual instruction or live instruction via Zoom. Stay tuned to their website, which is teeming with events, including transitioning back to in-studio painting sessions so you and your friends can make a date out of it. 11703 E. Sprague Ave., #B3, Spokane Valley, paintingwithatwist.com, 413-9892

BOARD & BRUSH

Similar to paint-and-sip locations, Board & Brush offers in-person workshops (currently on a limited basis) and at-home kits to help you paint, letter and craft ordinary wood into ornaments, signs and other home décor. 1314 S. Grand Blvd., #3, boardandbrush. com/spokane, 821-0105

SPOKANE COUNTY LIBRARY

Looking for something crafty to do with the kiddos?

Your local library has you covered with Family Creativity Kits at various locations throughout the month of December. You get supplies and directions for several thematic activities, a recommended reading list, and suggested ways to continue exploring. And guess what? It’s free! Visit scld.org and click on Events ◆

ONLINE

Bringing families and community together in music, movement & arts

$45 CLASS + KIT 4 CLASSES TO CHOOSE FROM THUR - 12/24/20 @ 6:30PM FRI - 12/25/20 @ 1:30PM SAT - 12/26/20 @ 10:30AM & @ 4:30PM

509-768-1458 • facebook.com/sipnpaintstudio SPOKANE [ NORTH ]

9718 N NEWPORT HWY

SPOKANE [ SOUTH ]

1309 W 14TH AVE

SPOKANE ART SCHOOL Spokane’s only community-centered Podcasting platform that’s completely free to anyone and everyone.

Ornament and Small Work Show Open Fridays and Saturdays 10 - 5 through Dec 19 and on December 23

Come start your podcast with us today

SpeakPodcasting.com

spokaneartschool.net SPOKANE [ DOWNTOWN ]

SHOP & SUPPORT LOCAL Check out the SPOKANE ARTS ARTIST ROSTER to find local artists working across every discipline!

SPOKANE

530 W MAIN AVE SUITE 203

SPOKANE [ NORTH ] GARLAND DISTRICT

811 W GARLAND

www.spokanearts.org/artists/ Visual

Music

Cultural

Stage

Fashion

Words

Film

Dance

SPOKANE [ NORTH ]

2727 N MADELIA STREET

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or more information about Back To Business

Visit BTB.Inlander.com

SPOKANE [ DOWNTOWN ]

Spokane Folklore Society Presents

l Virtua

To inquire about being included in future Back To Business editions

315 W SPRAGUE AVE

2020

Fall Folk Festival Celebrating Our Cultural Diversity, Virtually

Saturday

Sunday

November 14

November 15

mail BackToBusiness@Inlander.com 11am - 1pm

1pm - 3pm

LISTEN ON KPBX 91.1 FM

Nov 14 to Dec 30 at SpokaneFolkFestival.org Become a Friend of the Festival Need more info? call 509-828-3683

SPOKANE VALLEY

4322 N ARGONNE RD

Enjoy amazing big-band jazz from the most talented jazz musicians in the Northwest.

SPOKANE

Early childhood music program for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, kindergartners and the adults who love them!

SJO concerts are a great value and great entertainment.

Entrance from back parking lot

Sign up for info when concerts resume at Spokanejazz.org/contact

Pre-Register for In-Person AND Online Classes Today!

MusicTogetherSpokane.com • 509-624-SONG (7664)

SPOKANE

36

SPOKANE [ SOUTH ]

VOLUME 6

SPONSORED CONTENT

1309 W 14TH

Now more than ever, our community needs open spaces to stay safe, stay distant, and stay active.

Join us and donate today to help preserve YOUR local parks!

SpokaneParksFoundation.org/donate or text “parks” to 202-858-1233

SPOKANE

SPOKANE

222 W MISSION AVE SUITE 240

SPOKANE [ DOWNTOWN ]

720 W MALLON AVE

SPOKANE [ NORTH ]

1229 N. MONROE

Spread Kindness.

It's Contagious!

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GETAWAYS

THE HISTORIC DAVENPORT

Close to Home Why go when you can staycay?

Traveling to far and distant places always makes for a welcome change from the familiar. But, let’s face it, it can also be a pain in the neck. Planning, packing, missed connections, long layovers, unfamiliar streets, stressful interactions — these are the kinds of things that make us need a post-vacation vacation. And these days, we also can’t forget that even a short domestic flight carries some additional risks requiring extra precautions.

Hence the beauty of the staycation. It’s a break from the mundane but without the hassle of being in transit. You get to leave behind your predictable routines and the boredom of the ordinary, yet you’re still close enough to nip back home and triple-check that you locked the back door and turned off the oven. That’s the peace of mind that makes for a truly relaxing time.

Here are five local spots that can help you escape the monotony of sheltering at home without having to work too hard for it.

MIRABEAU PARK HOTEL

Of the 235 spacious guest rooms at Mirabeau Park Hotel, those with fully equipped kitchenettes might be best for enjoying top-notch takeout for two from the hotel’s Max restaurant and lounge. And during the holiday season, the hotel’s stunning light display makes things even more festive. This year, its “Home for the Holidays” promotion (Dec. 20–26) is perfect for staycationing couples. It includes two complimentary glasses of wine or beer, and guests who pay for two nights get a third night free. 1100 N. Sullivan Rd., Spokane Valley, mirabeauparkhotel.com, 924-9000

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HOTEL INDIGO SPOKANE

Hotel Indigo might be the new kid on the block, but this dog-friendly boutique hotel pays plenty of homage to the history of its building as well as its city. Each of its elevator lobbies takes a cue from one of the hotel’s previous names: Atlantic, Earle, Milner, Otis and Willard.

And each of its 108 rooms features a mural of Spokane past or present. The onsite restaurant, Magnolia American Brasserie, serves dishes inspired by rustic French cuisine as well as perennial favorites for domestic palates. 110 S. Madison St., ihg.com, 862-6400

NORTHERN QUEST CASINO & RESORT

Far enough outside Spokane to feel like a minibreak, close enough to be, well, super close, Northern Quest gathers every amenity you could want and puts it under one roof. La Rive Spa pampers you while also practicing safe public health guidelines. Masselow’s Steakhouse offers premium three- or four-course curated meals, whereas EPIC Sports Bar lets you indulge your comfort food cravings in style. And, of course, there’s always the chance to win big at the casino itself.

100 N. Hayford Rd., Airway Heights, northernquest. com, 877-871-6772

RUBY RIVER HOTEL

For riverside relaxation with proximity to downtown, nothing beats the Ruby River Hotel. On brisk winter mornings, you might wake up and see the steam wisping off the Spokane River. Better still, it’s close to SPONSORED CONTENT

walking, jogging and cycling paths like the Centennial Trail — which, incidentally, will be lit in grand style in front of the hotel to celebrate the holiday. The in-house Osprey Restaurant & Bar pairs handcrafted cocktails with seasonal, regional ingredients. 700 N. Division St, rubyriverhotelspokane.com, 326-5577

MONTVALE HOTEL

Back in 1899, you could rent a room at the Montvale for $5 per month. Today, Spokane’s oldest boutique hotel still remains affordable — though not quite to the same degree. Its historic charm and downtown location make it ideal for a cozy, upscale retreat, even if the free WiFi lets you stay connected with the wider world.

Downstairs you’ll find the Gilded Unicorn, which makes a fine signature mac ’n’ cheese and some excellent cocktails to go. The bonus? As a guest, you get 10 percent off there. 1005 W. First Ave., montvalespokane. com, 624-1518

THE HISTORIC DAVENPORT

There are few places in Spokane that are more synonymous with the history of the city than the Davenport Hotel. Today, this regal landmark continues to offer more than just luxury lodging and premium amenities. With its magnificent architecture and impeccable service, it’s something closer to the experience of being transported to a world of timeless grandeur that exists outside the here and now. What better spot for an overnight getaway? 10 S. Post St., davenporthotelcollection.com, 800-899-1482 ◆

s pok a n e RIVERKEEPER

®

It’s Your River. We Protect It.

SPOKANE [ DOWNTOWN ]

35 WEST MAIN

SPOKANE [ DOWNTOWN ]

157 S HOWARD ST

SPOKANE’S PREMIER HOLIDAY ATTRACTION

Postponed to a COVID Christmas in Spring or Summer 2021.

See you then. get updates at:

POWERED BY

Local business advocates came together to ensure easy access to the resource, relief and assistance to assist businesses of all sizes in finding support.

Businesses can use this valuable tool to determine which resources are applicable for your unique business!

www.spokanesymphonyassoc.org

InlandBizStrong.org

SPOKANE [ DOWNTOWN ]

A SAFER PLACE TO GAME DAILY HOURS: 8 A.M. – 3 A.M. Three Peaks, Table Games and Slot Floor are open.

Enhanced cleaning and sanitizing measures for your safety.

SPOKANE [ DOWNTOWN ]

818 W. RIVERSIDE

AIRWAY HEIGHTS

14300 W SR2 HWY

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FARMERS MARKET Fresh local produce & fruit F S C FL S

FOOD TRUCKS, LIVE MUSIC & 40+ VENDORS

Shop local, shop sa e, shop outside

Coffee, chocolate, peanut brittle, cotton candy, caramels, + more F S D DS

Breweries, cideries, meaderies

Located in Centerplace Parking lot near Discovery Playground 2426 N Discovery Pl For more information visit SpokaneValleyFarmersMarket.org

or more information about Back To Business

Visit BTB.Inlander.com

SPOKANE VALLEY

2426 N DISCOVERY PL

Sunset Orchard

A Holiday Adventure for Whole Family inquirethe about being included

To in pre-cut trees • Grand Firs & Spruces • 5-20ft future Back To Business editions

mail BackToBusiness@Inlander.com Thurs - Sat 6pm to 8pm New Shows Monthly Always Free 304 W. Pacific Ave terrainspokane.com

(509) 954-2692 • No Reservations • 9am-5pm Monday-Sunday COLBERT

BEST COVER BAND

8110 E GREENBLUFF ROAD

304 W PACIFIC AVE

SPOKANE [ DOWNTOWN ]

115 S ADAMS ST

Contact for 2021 bookings: X24lucas@hotmail.com www.rubtherub.com • Follow The Rub on

SPOKANE

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SPOKANE [ DOWNTOWN ]

ONLINE ONLY

VOLUME 6

SPONSORED CONTENT

SAVE THE DATE > OKTOBERFEST 2021 SEPTEMBER 25TH & 26TH

(509) 473-9766 • wedonthaveone.com SPOKANE

ONLINE

SPOKANE [ SOUTH ]

2727 SOUTH MT. VERNON #5

Playing Andrews Sisters to 80’s Covers & more!

Remember us for future LIVE Entertainment 509-869-1797 SPOKANE

SPOKANE

ONLINE ONLY

Join us for the 27th Annual

NW Unity, Stronger Together Region’s Largest Multi-Cultural Celebration!

Career, Education and Health Fair Cultural Village Activities for All Ages Live Entertainment Free K-8 School Supplies Free Kids Helmets (while supplies last) Senior Resource Area

Saturday, August 21st • 10am - 4pm • nwunity.org Family friendly and free to all ages.

SPOKANE [ DOWNTOWN ] RIVERFRONT PARK

SPOKANE VALLEY

10814 E BROADWAY AVE,

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LANES

Health Bumpers Local bowling alleys face unique challenges with COVID restrictions Unlike some activities, bowling really can’t be replicated on Zoom. For one, carrying a bowling ball around your home sounds like a recipe for squashing a toe or giving a cat a heart attack.

Whether you bowl professionally or just like having the option for date nights, family-friendly excursions, bachelorette parties or other outings, you have probably felt the absence of another of our communal escapes. Like movie theaters, bowling alleys in the Spokane area are temporarily closed, and with them has disappeared the familiar smell of french fries, squeak of bowling shoes and sound (or, for the less talented among us, lack of the sound) of pins crashing.

Below you’ll find some information on our local bowling alleys, the steps they’ve taken to comply with pandemic guidelines, and the outlook for these businesses moving forward.

NORTH BOWL

If you were to choose a bowling alley on food alone, you’d be hard pressed to find a better option than North Bowl. Their extensive menu includes lots of meat and vegetarian options, and is available for takeout. Equipped with a pub, pro shop and nightly light effects, North Bowl is a great option for kid-friendly get togethers, as well as those looking to perfect their skills. 125 W. Sinto Ave., (509) 328-7090

VALLEY BOWL

Valley Bowl makes joining a league welcoming and nonintimidating. They have leagues for all ages and skill levels, encouraging community and growth. Their website features a detailed schedule for when leagues meet, including groups called Senior Slickers and Valley Ladies Scratch. They also have a trophies and award shop, where you can get custom engraved gifts. 8005 E. Sprague Ave., (509) 926-6245

LILAC LANES AND CASINO

If you follow them on Facebook, you know Lilac Lanes and Casino has been maximizing its time during shutdowns to improve their space, working on repairs and renovations that will make reopening even more exciting for patrons who’ve missed their lanes.

While the bowling side of the business is closed, the casino is open, as well as the pro shop where you can get any supplies and equipment that you need. 1112 E. Magnesium Rd., (509) 4675228

CHENEY LANES

WE'LL BE BACK TO THROWING STRIKES BEFORE YOU KNOW IT. 42

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SPONSORED CONTENT

Located inside Rosa’s Pizza, Cheney Lanes is a cozy spot for gettogethers and a staple activity for EWU students. While the lanes are temporarily closed, takeout and delivery is still available for the pizza side of things. Cheney Lanes has worked hard to follow all health and safety protocols, and looks forward to welcoming guests back once it is safe to do so. 1706 2nd St., Cheney, 2355263 ◆

LIVE Entertainment will return

Remember...

Sultry blues and jazz duos & trios featuring Heather Villa, formerly of 6 Foot Swing VillaBluesandJazz.com • 509-869-1797 SPOKANE [ SOUTH ]

1309 W 14TH

SPOKANE [ NORTH ] WANDERMERE • AIRWAY HEIGHTS

Partner

DOWNTOWN SPOKANE PARTNERSHIP

Checkout our Facebook Page for upcoming Vino virtual Tastings | 509-838-1299 | www.vinowine.com SPOKANE [ DOWNTOWN ]

is dedicated to the creation of a dynamic, safe, vital, livable, and sustainable downtown as the basis of an economically healthy region.

DowntownSpokane.org

222 S WASHINGTON ST

NOW IS THE TIME!

UPGRADE YOUR AUDIO, LIGHTING, RIGGING, AND VIDEO SYSTEMS AND BE READY TO MAKE SOME NOISE IN 2021!

NEED STREAMING SOLUTIONS?

WE CAN HELP! FROM CHURCH SERVICES TO VIRTUAL EVENTS, WE HAVE OPTIONS TO TAKE YOUR EVENT TO THE NEXT LEVEL.

COOKING CLASSES OFFERED when it is safe to do so

Check out our website for the most up-to-date information

GIFT CERTIFICATES MAKE GREAT GIFTS! 509.822.7087 WanderlustDelicato.com

RENTALS AVAILABLE BY APPOINTMENT

509.747.4804 • vipproductionnw.com SPOKANE [ EAST ]

724 N MADELIA ST

SPOKANE [ DOWNTOWN ]

421 W MAIN AVE SUITE 103

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BROADWAY WILL BE BACK!

RETURNING TO SPOKANE IN FALL 2021

THE REMARKABLE TRUE STORYOF THE SMALLTOWN THAT WELCOMED THE WORLD

OCT 26-31, 2021

DEC 28, 2021 – JAN 2, 2022

TO BE ANNOUNCED

MAY 3-22, 2022

AUG 9-14, 2022

SEASON TICKETS & GIFT CARDS AVAILABLE NOW

or more information about Back To Business

BroadwaySpokane.com | 509.818.3440 |

Visit BTB.Inlander.com To inquire about being included in future Back To Business editions

FIRST INTERSTATE CENTER FOR THE ARTS

SPOKANE [ DOWNTOWN ]

HANG IN THERE WE’RE HERE TO STAY

mail BackToBusiness@Inlander.com

GIFT CARDS S

LIDAY FOR THE HO

Back in Action Early 2021

(509) 455-9596 WILDWALLS.COM

whitworthpirates.com SPOKANE [ NORTH ]

Friday,

300 W HAWTHORNE RD

SAVE THE DATE:

e n a k o p S E T S TA

2021 h t 5 y r a u Febr

SPOKANE [ DOWNTOWN ]

FALL / WINTER INDOOR FARMERS’ MARKET

filled in us for a fun jo d n a e ir tt a est r favorite 50’s f Spokane’s fin o s Dress up in you le p m sa d n ll sips a evening of sma weries! ineries and bre o from restaurants, w Resort & Casin t es u Q n er h rt e Join us at No e money for th is ra p el h d n a 7-10 pm undation!

Wishing Star Fo hes never

Granting wis good! tasted so

SPOKANE [ DOWNTOWN ]

44

The Wonder Building | 9 S. WASHINGTON, SUITE #420

VOLUME 6

SPOKANE [ DOWNTOWN ]

SPONSORED CONTENT

202 W SECOND AVE

DEC.12 & DEC. 19

10AM - 2PM

@thewonderbuilding 835 N POST ST

Support WSU Athletics CAMPAIGN

GO COUGS!

JOIN THE

1500

Domestic Violence Helpline Calls

#WSUPledgePerWin | Cougar Athletic Fund

Make your pledge at wsucougars.com/ppw SPOKANE [ NORTH ]

SPOKANE • PULLMAN

930 N MONROE ST

Historic wedding & events venue on 56 acres Sleeping accommodations for up to 60 Multiple gathering spaces

Dreaming of the day we will see you again, Spokane!

Stay ‘tuned’ . . . !

Stay in one of our lake view suites for an intimate weekend away, or book the whole lodge for a summer wedding.

(509) 994-8262 • zephyrlibertylake.com • LIBERTY LAKE

1900 S ZEPHYR RD

zolainspokane.com SPOKANE [ DOWNTOWN ]

22 W MAIN

FOR NOW, NOT FOREVER Keep Wearing a Mask

Keep Washing UP

Keep DISTANCING

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GALLERIES

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VOLUME 6

SPONSORED CONTENT

Art in Flux Many local galleries remain open under COVID-19 restrictions, in addition to hosting virtual exhibitions for at-home viewing While museums across Washington state were recently forced to close their galleries to the public yet again, a good chunk of small, local art galleries that showcase regional artists’ work remain open.

And while its exhibit halls are closed for now, the Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture has figured out creative ways to engage the public.

In-person visits to these spaces are subject to wearing a face mask, using hand sanitizer and staying 6 feet from others. Many of the region’s galleries, full of locally made gift ideas, are also encouraging visitors to schedule appointments to visit to further ensure safety.

Many galleries remain closed, opting to move exhibitions online. This includes most of the region’s universities, as well as some of the area’s larger public galleries.

While viewing art online might not offer the same emotional response as seeing a piece in person, one benefit of these online shows is increased access for art lovers near and far.

Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture

While folks hoping to see the four current main exhibitions — ranging from pop art to a World War II retrospective — will have to wait until Dec. 15 or later, the museum is engaging the public in several other ways in the meantime. The MAC store — a great place to find local gifts — remains open with limited hours, Friday through Sunday from 10 am-3 pm, during the temporary closure. Other activities centered on the holiday season, like festive fun at the historic Campbell House, also continue. Each Saturday in December, for a $5 suggested donation, families can enjoy a socially distanced, outdoor experience that includes a light display at the Campbell House and a vintage Christmas window display from the old Crescent department store, among other activities. Follow the MAC on social media or head to its website for the latest updates on the reopening of its galleries, and for more news on special events. 2316 W. First, northwestmuseum.org, 456-3931

Pottery Place Plus

GINGER EWING (LEFT) AND JACKIE CARO AT THE TERRAIN GALLERY

This downtown mainstay inside the historic Liberty Building has long been a haven for local artists working in media of all types seeking exposure, and for art lovers to consistently find high-quality gifts, decor, fine art and one-of-a-kind pieces. Pottery Place Plus debuted as an artist cooperative in 1978, and is member owned and operated. Throughout this pandemic-shadowed year, the gallery/shop has continued to host monthly, featured guest artists alongside its members’ work. Pottery Place is open daily for in-person viewing and shopping, but also has an online store and gallery for direct purchases

and inquiries. Gift cards can also be purchased there.

Additionally, the website features an artist page where supporters can find links to each member’s personal website. 203 N. Washington St., potteryplaceplus.com, 327-6920

Spokane Art School

Although its popular classes led by some of the region’s most recognizable artists — Tom Quinn, Karen Mobley, Megan Perkins, Liz Bishop and many more — have been on pause since March, Spokane Art School has thankfully continued sharing art in other ways. Through its small gallery space, the nonprofit has kept people connected with the local art scene, including via its current Small Ornament and Small Works Show, through early January. Spokane Art School also has an online gallery and storefront for those who’d like a glimpse of what’s new without leaving home. If you visit in person, the school is currently open on Fridays and Saturdays from 10 am to 5 pm. 811 W. Garland Ave., spokaneartschool.net, 325-1500

Terrain Gallery

While Terrain lost its flagship events in 2020 to COVID-19, including the titular one-night arts festival and two seasonal artisan markets, the nonprofit’s physical gallery has remained open. While its recent printmaking show Huella Dactilar just wrapped up, arts supporters can expect another exhibition to go up in its place for December, and more in the new year. As with many of its counterparts, Terrain’s staff has also been posting images of recent shows’ art to a virtual gallery space, where purchases can also be made. The Terrain gallery is currently open Thursday through Saturday from 6-8 pm with new showcases debuting the first Friday of the month from 5-8 pm. 304 W. Pacific Ave., terrainspokane.com

Trackside Studio Ceramic Art Gallery

Each December, Trackside Studio on downtown’s west end hosts its annual Cup of Joy invitational, featuring handmade vessels — cups, mugs, steins, bowls, etc. — from artists around the region and the country.

The seventh iteration of the exhibition is open and continues through mid-January. To visit the gallery and working ceramic studio, home to local clay artists Gina Freuen, Mark Moore and Chris Kelsey, current hours are Wednesday through Friday from 11 am to 5 pm, and Saturday from noon to 4 pm. Only three guests are allowed at a time, and face masks are required. The gallery has also launched an online store for those who can’t visit in person. 115 S. Adams St., tracksidestudio. net, 863-9904 ◆

VOLUME 6

47

Dear 1,233 members with season tickets to Best of Broadway, thanks for keeping the arts alive.

STCU and The Inlander are teaming up to support local businesses during COVID-19. To learn how to help and find great deals at local shops, go to btb.inlander.com.

EVEN THOUGH THE PANDEMIC IS BEHAVING JUST LIKE THE GRINCH WITH A HEART TWO SIZES TOO SMALL, JAN, THE TOY LADY, HAS FUN THINGA-MA-JIGGER TOYS FOR ALL THE WHOVILLE GIRLS AND BOYS:

SHIN Y!

River Park Square (509) 456-TOYS

WONDERS OF THE WORLD One of a kind world import shop

Gifts for

NEW PET PARENTS

Four presents for the new animal lovers in your life

I

BY DAN NAILEN

n some ways, getting a new pet is like having a baby in the house. There are suddenly a lot of new routines, different foods, upgraded cleaning products and fantasies of how much sleep you used to get. It’s a joy, and it’s work, and presents for pet parents and their new furry friends can go a long way toward keeping all involved happy. Here are a few suggestions:

BULLY STICK

You might think to yourself, “Do I really want to give a dried out bull penis to my friends’ dog as a present?”

Yes, yes you do. A bully stick, like those made by Red Barn Naturals, is a must-have for anyone dealing with a puppy, its razor-sharp teeth and its need to chew, well, everything. This is a gift that will thrill the dog, and give the puppy parents some peace and quiet for a bit. That’s called a win-win. $8 • Yuppy Puppy Downtown • 830 W. Sprague

HEMP CATNIP MOUSE

Some cats are notoriously aloof creatures, keeping to themselves and rarely giving their human food providers the time of day. As a dog owner, it really makes me wonder why anyone ever gets a cat. But I digress. One way to get your cat energized and playful is to lure the critter

with some catnip stuffed inside a little “mouse” made from hemp by From The Field. They’ll play for hours with these sturdy little mice. $6 • Prairie Dog Pet Mercantile Kendall Yards • 1206 W. Summit Pkwy C106

DRINKING FOUNTAIN

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Cats and dogs like their water moving — who knew?

So skip the old bowls-on-the-floor routine, and pick up something like the Raindrop drinking fountain from Pioneer Pets. It’s easy to clean, plugs into a standard outlet (and has a pet-safe cord, naturally), and it will keep the critters hydrated year-round. $21 • The Urban Canine North • 6320 N. Ash

GLACIER PEAK PET WELLNESS LIFE STRESS SCAN

Becoming a new pet owner is fun, sure, but it can be stressful, and not just for the human part of the equation. Hook up a friend or loved one with this scan using saliva and hair samples, and they’ll get a three-page biofeedback analysis that can identify “over 300 food and environmental factors that may disturb an animal’s energy balance.” Eliminating any negative factors could be a gift that lasts a pet’s lifetime. $99 • Pet Vittles & Wild Bird West • 919 N. Argonne, Spokane Valley n

25% OFF

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Limit one (1) coupon per purchase • expires 12/24/2020

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DECEMBER 10, 2020 INLANDER 33

CO

EUR D’ALENE FOR THE

Holidays

Give the gift of pizza Vine & Olive's sister restaurant & Riverstone's newest addition 100% Italian Wine List NFL Sunday Ticket on 5 TVs VICINOPIZZA.COM (208) 758-7997 2385 N. OLD MILL LOOP

Five lanes of tubing fun are open at Silver Mountain

This is Where the Magic Happens

Make holiday memories to last a lifetime in Coeur d’Alene

J

ust a short drive away, the holiday spirit is on full display in Coeur d’Alene. More than a million holiday lights sparkle off the lake, and downtown Coeur d’Alene’s Sherman Avenue is lined with locally owned shops decked for the season. It’s the perfect destination to make some memories with your family this holiday season.

intimate, safe holiday dinners for 10

208.758.7770 • vineandolivecda.com

2037 N Main St, Coeur d’Alene, ID IN RIVERSTONE

34 INLANDER DECEMBER 10, 2020

For a magical weekend or just one special night, escape to THE COEUR D’ALENE RESORT where nightly cruises venture all the way to the North Pole to visit Santa’s workshop and where cookies and milk are delivered right to your room by Santa’s elves. In the evening, adults can indulge with a hot toddy, while children will be delighted during fireside storytime. The Santa’s Family Getaway package includes it all — cruise tickets, a $30 breakfast credit, cookie delivery and overnight stay.

To create even more magic this holiday season, the resort is decked out with all new, handmade holiday decor. Guests and visitors will be delighted by 9-foottall nutcrackers in BEVERLY’S and a giant cupcake-holding Santa at DOCKSIDE (and know that the desserts at Gooey’s at Dockside are also oversized!). Two waterside igloos on the boardwalk outside WHISPERS also make for an unforgettable holiday dining experience.

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Plan an outdoor adventure your whole family won’t forget at SILVER MOUNTAIN. A short freeway drive, with no mountain passes, will deliver you to the world’s longest gondola and five lanes of tubing fun. There’s no hiking back to the top of the hill, thanks to Silver’s magic carpet that whisks you and your snow tube back to the top for another run. The resort’s indoor water park, SILVER RAPIDS, and the glades and bowls on its ski hill also deliver adrenaline-inducing fun.

Crisp, cool winter days are perfect for snowshoeing, and when there’s enough snow, there are options just minutes from downtown Coeur d’Alene. You can rent snowshoes at a number of businesses like VERTICAL EARTH or TRI STATE OUTFITTERS and then head to TUBBS HILL, CANFIELD MOUNTAIN or MINERAL RIDGE where you’ll be rewarded with sweeping lake views.

When it’s time to warm up and fuel up after a day outside, FIRE in downtown Coeur d’Alene is one of our favorite family-friendly destinations. The wood-fired pizza oven adds some extra warmth, in addition to baking the perfect pies. MOONTIME, HONEY EATERY, and CROWN AND THISTLE are also great options for cozy dining complete with family-friendly comfort food. continued on page 34

Wild Harvested, Handmade Wreaths

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WestwoodGardensID.com 208-687-5952 • Hours: 11am-7pm Daily 15825 N Westwood Dr • Rathdrum, ID

Taste The Quality

At Rogers we’re committed to serving you Quality!  Our Burgers-We start with fresh 100% vegetarian fed Country Natural Beef. It is

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raised sustainably and naturally, with no growth hormones or antibiotics EVER. When ordered we season and sear the beef to a rich brown and serve it with fresh cut lettuce, tomato, onions on a butter grilled bun with our house made burger sauce.

 Our Fries & Kettle Chips - Cut Fresh daily with Idaho Potatoes fried in 100%

Rice brain oil.

 Our Shakes & Malts - Made the old fashion way using premium hand scooped

ice cream & whole milk blended to order.

 Healthier Options -We offer a Garden burger, turkey burger and you can substitute

your bun for lettuce wrap on any burger.

 We offer many of your favorite Beers, Hard Ciders, and Seltzer.

(Roger’s Burgers locations Only)

 All this with Better Prices than our competition and your eating 100% REAL food

done the old fashion way.

Shop, Dine, Play in Downtown CDA

Roger’s Ice Cream & Burgers 1224 E. Sherman Ave. Coeur d’Alene, ID 83814 208-930-4900 Roger’s Burgers 2420 Government Way. Coeur d’Alene, ID 83814 208-930-4274 Roger’s Burgers 403 N Spokane St. Post Falls, ID 83854 208-773-6532 Roger’s Burgers 8833 Hess St. Hayden, ID 83835 208-772-6205 Rogersicecreamburgers.com

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cdadowntown.com

NOVEMBER DECEMBER 26, 10, 2020 INLANDER 35

Accessories, Gifts and Home Decor

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EUR D’ALENE FOR THE

Holidays

Specializing in Industrial and European Vintage

CRAFT COCKTAILS. LOCAL FOODS.

cdawinter.com

GIFT CARDS FOR THE

Want to turn a mundane shopping trip into an afternoon that will delight your children? Grab a hot chocolate from EVANS BROTHERS COFFEE, and then set out to find that sneaky ELF ON THE SHELF. Actually, dozens of elves are hidden throughout downtown Coeur d’Alene every Saturday and Sunday through Dec. 22. Find an elf, and get your passport stamped.

The more stamps you get, the better chance you have to win some amazing prizes like Seahawks tickets, an overnight stay at the Coeur d’Alene Resort and gift cards from local businesses.

HOLIDAYS 317 e sherman ave. (208) 930-1514 @HoneyEatery #EatINW

In Italian Migliore means “the best ” Purveyor of Olive Oil’s, Vinegars, Salts & Other Fine Delicacies

Experience a Taste of Ultra Premium Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Discover a passion for the culinary and medicinal dimensions they provide.

For more information about the Elf on the Shelf passport and all of these holiday activities, go to cdawinter.com.

DONT MISS

A Magical Holiday Art Walk Dec 11

Weave your way through the festive streets of Downtown Coeur d’Alene sipping wine and enjoying all the art it has to offer. With thirteen locations to peruse, shopping for the holidays was never so easy or this much fun. Make a night of it and check out all the lights around the town and dine in one of the many restaurants in the heart of the city. Event is free and runs from 5 - 8pm.

For more events, things to do & places to stay, go to cdawinter.com

miglioreoliveoilcda.com • (208) 930-0995 512 E Sherman Ave • Downtown CDA

ZIPLINE ADVENTURE Open 10a - 6p, Tues - Sat 110 N 4th St. Coeur d’Alene, ID 83814 208-691-1231

magpieidaho.com 36 INLANDER DECEMBER 10, 2020

COEUR D’ALENE

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the

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HOURS: MON-SAT 9am-6pm | SUN 10pm-5pm HOLIDAY HOURS: (NOV 29TH - DEC 28TH) MON-SAT 10am-8pm | SUN 10am-5pm

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Women’s Clothing Boutique

Stunning fireworks shows on every cruise, every night!

Experience the magic on our Journey to the North Pole cruises.

Packages Include: Overnight accommodations Two Journey to the North Pole adult cruise tickets $30 breakfast credit at Dockside Restaurant or via room service Special milk & cookie delivery to your room

by Santa’s Elves!

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Coeur d’Alene, ID

FOR RESERVATIONS VISIT CDARESORT.COM OR CALL 855.388.0540

2027 Main St • Riverstone Village CDA • 208-292-4543 8134 N Government Way • Hayden • 208-635-5427 404 Sherman Ave • Downtown CDA • 208-765-2583

SPONSORED BY THE COEUR D’ALENE CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU

DECEMBER 10, 2020 INLANDER 37

Gifts for

WORKFROMHOMERS

Gifts with form and function to make that home-office lifestyle a breeze

BY CHEY SCOTT

T

his holiday season, treat yourself, your spouse, your mom, and your overwhelmed sister with two remote-schooled kids whose home office is the only refuge from chaos. After all, it’s looking like we’ll have several more months of life in quarantine, not to mention the multitudes of desk workers who’ve already gotten the go-ahead to work from home full-time in the post-pandemic world. May as well make things cozy, functional and inspiring for the long haul.

38 INLANDER DECEMBER 10, 2020

ELECTRIC DESK RISER

While many of us gladly ditched stressful commutes in 2020, moving routinely from bed to desk to couch throughout each sedentary work-from-home-day can also take a toll on the body, causing aches, pains and stiff muscles. Help relieve your giftee of these discomforts with a standing desk, offering healthy breaks from all that prolonged sitting. While standing desks could cost a pretty penny even a few years ago, locally owned

Kershaw’s Office Supply (operating since 1900!) stocks several incredibly affordable options. To easily convert any tabletop into a sit-stand workspace, consider a desk riser. This one (ask for model number LLR99552) even has a quiet electric motor to make lowering and raising a breeze, and if something is accidentally placed underneath, like a coffee cup, it’ll automatically stop moving. $269, Kershaw’s Office Supply & Furniture, 119 S. Howard St., kershaws-spokane.com, 456-6500

THOMAS HAMMER COFFEE SUBSCRIPTION

Coffee is the essential fuel that fires all hard-working desk warriors. Make sure the pot doesn’t run out for your WFH family member with a delivery subscription to Thomas Hammer Coffee Roasters. Sure, you can find the Spokane-based roasters’ products at several area grocers, as well as the numerous Hammer cafes around town, but why not have it conveniently porch-dropped each month?

Options abound, from the lightly roasted White Zombie to a traditional French roast, but you also can’t go wrong with Thomas Hammer’s most popular, its Signature blend, offering a balanced acidity and notes of raisin, toffee, spice and chocolate. Add a mug or Hammer-branded, vacuum-insulated stainless tumbler for the ultimate functional gift package. 1-pound bags start at $11.75, with a 5 percent discount for subscriptions. Thomas Hammer Coffee Roasters, hammercoffee.com

KNIGHTLIGHTS CANDLES’ PARKS COLLECTION

Most professional workplaces don’t allow candles, scented wax warmers or essential oil diffusers for safety and sensitivity reasons, but you get to set the rules in your

home office. Sometimes, all it takes to settle into a day of productive, sweatpant-powered work is good ambiance — sounds, sights, scents all in harmony. A flickering candle flame illuminating yet another dark winter evening in quarantine can also be unexpectedly comforting. Lucky for gift givers and candle collectors alike, the Inland Northwest is home to several artisan candlemakers, including Knightlights Candles. The company’s Spokane Parks Collection offers another layer of comforting nostalgia with scents inspired by the city’s iconic public parks. During those long, dull Zoom sessions, your gift recipient can pretend they’ve been transported to a sunny day in Cannon Hill Park via notes of apple and evergreen, or Huntington Park overlooking Spokane Falls where sweetgrass and violet linger on the breeze. $12-$32, From Here, 808 W. Main Ave., fromherespokane.com

APPLE AIRPODS PRO

If you’re the type who likes to give (or receive) the most practical gifts possible, look no further than Apple’s high-end earbuds, the Airpods Pro. OK, yes, we realize that not everyone out there is an Apple acolyte, but those who are are likely to use these buds daily during work and play. They’re ideal for video meetings and phone calls, and even puttering around the kitchen looking for a third (or fourth, or fifth) snack of the day while engrossed in a podcast. Having recently purchased these for my partner, who uses them daily for fun, and to focus, I can definitely vouch. Noise-canceling tech is also useful when the rest of the house is abuzz but you’re not done working for the day. Pricing for the Pros is pretty much the same no matter where you shop, so consider supporting local and hitting up Huppin’s, which sells this model in-store only. $250, Huppin’s, 8016 N. Division St., huppins.com, 893-5588 n

Fine Crafted Unique Gifts All Locally Handmade

Bring Home Wonder

Shop in person (Covid safety precautions strictly followed) Shop online for in store or curbside pickup. We also ship!

203 N. Washington Next to Aunties Bookstore 509-327-6920 • potteryplaceplus.com

DECEMBER 10, 2020 INLANDER 39

IN STORE SPECIAL:

Buy 4 Beyoutiful Brand Items and Get 1 FREE

ducts Watch pro in store e d a m g bein ral with natu ts. ingredien

ONLINE SPECIAL: 20% Off order, use code 2020

BeyoutifulBathbombsandMore.com Located in the Northtown Mall

Home Decor, Gifts, Antiques & Vintage Goods

Gifts for

UNCLE MILITIA & AUNT TIFA Gifts for your gun-waving uncle and your radical leftist Aunt Tifa

Y Tues - Sat 11am-6pm

2012 E Sprague Ave

BY DANIEL WALTERS

our Uncle “Militia” Mike and your Aunt Tifa have always had a bit of an opposites-attract thing going on. But this summer the tensions between the two escalated, what with your aunt calling your uncle a “bastard cop” after he started guarding the fridge with his AR-15, claiming he was protecting the last piece of cheesecake from “looters.”

So what do you get the folks on the radical right and the radical left in your life?

GUN SAFETY CLASSES

For all your Uncle Militia loves his guns, sometimes you wonder if he’s equally passionate about gun safety. It bothers you, for example, about that time he pulled out his unlicensed gun during a road rage incident, and the way that he sometimes gestures at you with the barrel for emphasis. Fortunately, gun ranges like Sharp Shooting offer classes on topics like “Handgun Safety & Marksmanship” and “Firearms Ownership And You” where your

!

S D R A C T F I G YOUR DINING TABLE AWAITS YOU! Follow us on FB and Insta for more details Kendall Yards 509-703-7042 South Hill 509-535-7171 thescoopspokane.com

40 INLANDER DECEMBER 10, 2020

Enjoy the eclectic dining experience that you’re accustomed to from MAX at Mirabeau!

Private Dining & Room Packages starting at

149

$

(based on double occupancy)

PLUS TAX AND SERVICE FEES

– includes $100 dining credit toward dinner and breakfast.

(Offer valid now through December 14, 2020) a maximum household occupancy of 5 people

Located at: Mirabeau Park Hotel 1100 N Sullivan Rd • Spokane Valley 509.924.9000 • mirabeauparkhotel.com

Gift Guide GIFT CARDS AVAILABLE AT ALL LOCATIONS. SHOP WITH YOUR COEUR REWARDS POINTS AT ALL LOCATIONS.

uncle can not only learn some trigger discipline, but also important legal facts like the concept that Washington state law lets you use your gun to protect lives, but not property. $65 to $120 • Sharp Shooting Indoor Range & Gun Shop • 1200 N Freya Way

“DON’T TREAD ON ME” AND “THIN BLUE LINE” FLAGS

Your Uncle Militia loves his flags as much as he loves his guns. Only a “Don’t Tread on Me” Gadsden flag can capture his utter contempt and distrust of governmental authority. And only a pro-cop “Thin Blue Line” flag can capture Uncle Militia’s unabashed love and unconditional defense of governmental authority. After all, he already flies the US flag on the same flagpole that he flies the symbol of an army of traitors that attacked the United States. The man already contains multitudes. A few more multitudes won’t hurt. $25 to $35 • Uncle Sam’s Flag and Gifts • 14109 E Sprague Ave, Suite 7A

SECRET HITLER OR GUILLOTINE

Mountain Lodge Gift Shop MONDAY – THURSDAY | 9 AM – 11 PM FRIDAY & SATURDAY | 9 AM – 11 PM SUNDAY | 9 AM – 10 PM Open 7 days a week, all year.

Jewelry, casino logo items, holiday decor, Native American artwork, premium and imported cigar gift boxes and more.

Circling Raven Pro Shop NOVEMBER 27 TH – DECEMBER 23 RD WEDNESDAY – SATURDAY | 10 AM – 6 PM SUNDAY | 10 AM – 4 PM

Closed Monday – Tuesday. The Circling Raven Pro Shop is closed December 24TH and 25TH.

If there’s one thing your Aunt Tifa loves to do, it’s accuse people of being Hitler. Secret Hitler is an Among Us-style board game about doing exactly that, as your team of antifascists try to root out the Hitlers among you. If you can’t find it locally, swing by Uncle’s to pick up Guillotine, in recognition of your Aunt Tifa’s love of the French Revolution, that time when the people rose up to overthrow the elite and surely everything worked out and nothing bad happened. Guillotine is all about collecting a bunch of, uh, severed human heads. Good clean fun for the whole family. $14.99 (for Guillotine) • Uncle’s Games • 404 W Main Ave.

NON-MOLOTOV COCKTAIL KIT

Your Aunt Tifa looooves herself some cocktails. Unfortunately, the only cocktail recipe she knows involves a liter of gasoline, a rag and a match. Help her diversify her tastes with a cocktail kit from Wooden City. Pick from a wide range that includes Vesper Martinis to Old Fashioneds to Negroni to the blackberry-infused “bramble.” Mix and match four bottled cocktails that, if they don’t set the world on fire, will at least make for a pretty amazing night. $40 • Wooden City • 821 W Riverside Ave. n

Shop the award-winning Pro Shop to find unique gift items. Our Circling Raven Advantage or Player Development Cards make the perfect gift.

Purchase these and other golf accessories at cdacasino.com/shopping.

Spa Ssakwa’q’n Boutique SUNDAY & MONDAY | 10 AM – 6 PM TUESDAY & WEDNESDAY | 10 AM – 4 PM THURSDAY | 10 AM – 6 PM FRIDAY & SATURDAY | 10 AM – 8 PM

The spa closes at 4 pm on December 24TH and is closed on December 25TH.

BABOR cosmetics, NuFace Microcurrent products, Miracle Hair Oil, Spa Ssakwa’q’n Spa Scents Eucalyptus products and leading professional skin care lines such as BABOR, Farmhouse Fresh, Blue Beautifly and Naturopathica.

Visit www.cdacasino.com/holiday today!

JOIN US FOR TAKE OUT AND DELIVERY ORDERS All toppings free - your burger exactly the way you like!

!

DON’T FORGET

GIFT CERTIFICATES

DOORDASH • UBER-EATS • GRUBHUB • POSTMATES • FIVE GUYS ONLINE Call in or order online www.FIVEGUYS.com 9502 N. Newport Hwy Phone: 509-928-2921

10 N. Sullivan Road Phone: 509-927-2840

Hours: 11am-10pm Every Day

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DECEMBER 10, 2020 INLANDER 41

RESKUED.COM

@tinroofreskued

Spokane Folklore Society Presents

l Virtua

2020

Fall Folk Festival Celebrating Our Cultural Diversity, Virtually

Gifts for

BOOZEHOUNDS Recommendations for people who want to catch a buzz at home

Available online at

spokanefolkfestival.org until December 31, 2020 Shopping for Christmas?

Visit the Virtual Marketplace at www.spokanefolkfestival.org/marketplace.html

Become a Friend of the Festival Need more info? Call 509-828-3683

VINTAGE JEWELRY LOCAL GIFTS Voted #1 Best Vintage in the Inland Northwest!

W

ith a lot of bars closed for the time being, many of us are left reminiscing about socializing with friends over a few drinks on a Saturday night. While there’s no way to replace that, you can help the boozehound on your list bring an elevated drinking experience home. Here’s a few gift ideas to add some enjoyment to their long winter nights indoors.

DIY ARTISAN BITTERS KITS

If you know a craft alcohol connoisseur, odds are they took up an interest in building a home bar during quarantine. At this point, they’ve hopefully mastered their home bartending skills. Help them take it a step further by supplying them with the tools needed to create their own bitters — a staple for any amateur mixologist.

Raising the Bar’s DIY Artisan Bitters Kits come in five options with different botanical and herb mixes. Each kit includes an eyedropper bottle, funnel, cheesecloth, labels, instructions and even some drink recipes to get started.

Available at From Here in River Park Square. $26 • From Here • 808 W. Main Ave. • fromherespokane.com

HANDMADE WOOD BOTTLE STOPPER

1106 S Perry St • (509) 475.1674 • Vedalux.com

42 INLANDER DECEMBER 10, 2020

BY DEREK HARRISON

When you’re drinking alone at home, it’s not always easy to finish an entire bottle of wine. That’s why, for the wino on your list, you should get them a better alternative than just reusing a cork. Palouse Craftworks offers bottle stoppers made from various woods, like redwood or black cherry burl, and food grade stainless steel. Each piece

is uniquely crafted by Cheney-based woodworker Keith Tyler. If you also need a gift for the beer drinker on your list, the Palouse Craftworks Etsy shop also has bottle openers available. $39 • Palouse Craftworks • etsy.com/ shop/PalouseCraftworks

EMBOSSED STEMLESS WINE GLASS

Maybe your boozehound has been drinking out of the same dull glass for several months now. It’s probably time for them to upgrade their drinkware. Head to Pottery Place Plus’ online store and find them their new favorite drinking vessel. The Liberty Building art gallery offers a shop of crafts made by local artists, like the embossed stemless wine “glass” by Kerri Rodkey Pottery. The porcelain cups boast a raised grapevine design and have two color options. $25 • Pottery Place Plus • 203 N. Washington St. • potteryplaceplus.com

INSULATED CAN COOLER

There’s a good chance someone on your list is missing the time spent actually hanging out at their favorite craft breweries. Get them a gift that reflects the distinctive features of their local watering hole. At Lumberbeard Brewing, a miniature version of its Spokane-inspired taproom mural is now available on 16-ounce insulated can coolers. So your boozehound can keep their beer cold and get a small taste of the brewery’s taproom anywhere. $22 • Lumberbeard Brewing • 25 E. Third Ave. • lumberbeardbrewing.com n

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BOOK REVIEW

Global Perspective In Caste: The Origins of Our Discontent, Isabel Wilkerson explores what really divides humanity

BY MINDY CAMERON

C

aste is an important book for this time, for any time. But it may wind up being to the literary world as oatmeal is to the dietary world — important but not widely consumed.

Those of us who treasured Isabel Wilkerson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning The Warmth of Other Suns may be disappointed with Caste, which lacks the compelling narrative thread and personal storytelling that made her first book highly readable as well as necessary to a fuller understanding of Black life and history in America.

In Caste Wilkerson builds a sturdy case for recognizing the history of race as “the hidden work of a caste system that has gone unnamed but prevails among us.” This is more than merely changing terminology. She calls out the underlying fallacy of race as a real thing, citing noted geneticist J. Craig Venter of gene-mapping fame who calls race “a social concept, not a scientific one.” In fact, the study of the human genome established two decades ago that all human beings are 99.9 percent the same. This is the essential foundation to Wilkerson’s argument that race is an idea fostered and perpetuated by the privileged class to defend its privileges.

I visited Seattle’s Pacific Science Center several years ago to see an exhibit called “Race: Are We So Different?” It began with a screen display of three faces, and I watched as the facial features — skin color, shape of eyes and lips, hair texture — gradually changed. There was no clear line between racial groups. It was a memorable visual demonstration of the race fallacy that is the basic building block of Wilkerson’s case that caste, not race, is the real fault line in American history and today’s lived reality.

One striking section of Caste draws historical parallels between Hitler’s Germany and the eugenics movement in America in the early 1900s. Readers with only passing knowledge of this deeply troubling era will be appalled at the connection Wilkerson brings to life. She quotes race historian George M. Fredrickson: “American laws were the main foreign precedents” for Germany becoming a “full-fledged racist regime.” What laws? U.S. miscegenation laws, also known as Blood Laws, that defined who could and could not marry.

In Hitler’s Germany, the beliefs supporting such laws led to mass extermination of Jews. In the U.S., the beliefs led to more discriminatory laws, decades of degradation and not infrequent lynchings of the Jim Crow era that lasted more than half a century until the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

To most of us, the word “caste” reminds us of India, where its rigid hierarchy of caste is well-known, if not well understood.

44 INLANDER DECEMBER 10, 2020

Wilkerson visits India, and like Martin Luther King Jr. who visited years earlier, is immediately recognized as a Dalit, the lowest rung of India’s complicated and multilayered caste system. In occasional vignettes throughout the book, the author reveals personal experiences — in an airplane first-class section, at a fine New York restaurant with a white friend — where she was clearly treated as a low caste American. Baseball fans will appreciate Wilkerson’s telling of how the caste system undermined the career of the man who is probably the greatest baseball player in American history — Satchel Paige.

So how does Wilkerson square the caste reality with the 2008 election of Barack Obama? Quite neatly, actually. Obama’s origin story — white mother from Kansas, immigrant father from Kenya, raised in Hawaii — freed voters in the dominant caste “from having to think about the unsavory corners of American history (i.e. slavery). They could regard him with curiosity and wonderment.”

Americans of both parties claimed the election of a Black president represented progress against racism; some even touted a new, postracial era. Wilkerson quickly points out, however, that the majority of white voters did not support Obama in either 2008 or 2012. Lyndon Johnson, she notes, was the last Democrat elected president with a majority of the white electorate. The demographic forecast of a non-white majority by 2042 has led to more aggressive voter suppression efforts and an increasing number of race-based hate groups. Wilkerson calls it “anticipatory fear.”

Caste is not an easy read, but in the midst of the 2020 electoral drama it is a book that digs deep and offers new understanding for the precarious times ahead. Wilkerson’s imagined “world without caste” seems mere fantasy but, by leading readers along a path of real-world hard facts and brutal history, she invites us to imagine along with her a better way of surviving together. n

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CULTURE | DIGEST

MOMMIE DEAREST The new Hulu thriller Run resembles its own title: It’s short, direct and kinda forgettable. But it’s predicated on two excellent performances — Kiera Allen (making an impressive feature debut) as a chronically ill teenager with college aspirations, and Sarah Paulson as her single mother, who may be hiding some dark secrets from her only daughter. I was a fan of director Aneesh Chaganty’s first film, the found-footage mystery Searching, but this follow-up is far less unpredictable and much more conventional, and its story unravels like a thrift-store sweater, going from unnerving to unbelievable to unintentionally comic. If you’re a die-hard Paulson fan, though, you probably won’t be disappointed. (NATHAN WEINBENDER)

Ending My 20s in 2020

T

BY SAMANTHA WOHLFEIL

his year, the last year of my 20s, was going to be epic.

I was going to see more live music than ever.

In January, friends and I got on a 10-month payment plan for music festival tickets and started lining up other shows. How were we supposed to know the world was about to change?

But it did.

To save lives, nearly every way we spent time together was restricted. No catching up in bars; no dancing or playing pool. We weren’t supposed to even hang out together at home. We celebrated several early spring birthdays over Zoom, sending best wishes and laughter with an awkward, few-second delay.

THE BUZZ BIN

THIS WEEK’S PLAYLIST Some noteworthy new music hits online and in stores Dec. 11. To wit: THE AVALANCHES, We Will Always Love You. The Australian crew collaborates with Rivers Cuomo, Nenah Cherry and many more on a dreamy new set.

GUIDED BY VOICES, Styles We Paid For. The third album this year from lo-fi genius Robert Pollard and Co. M. WARD, Think of Spring. We’re trying, M. Ward, we’re trying! (DAN NAILEN)

46 INLANDER DECEMBER 10, 2020

The concert cancellations and postponements poured in this spring: Steve Aoki at the Knit, Louis the Child at the new Pavilion venue, Beyond Wonderland and Tame Impala at the Gorge. Even Austin City Limits, slated for mid-October, was postponed.

This year I was going to get my first tattoo. That way, when people asked about it for the rest of my life, I could just say “Eh, I got it in my 20s.” But between the popularity of the artists I admire and fewer appointments this year, I missed the window to get in before this week. Maybe I’ll just say “I got it in the ’20s” instead.

Dating in the time of quarantine? Forget about it.

Aside from the obvious lack of places to comfortably meet someone new, now we had to worry about spreading a virus while even just talking? This year also made it hard to be OK with myself, let alone someone else. How fun is it to scroll through profiles when you’re stressed out about the future of your career and whether your out-of-work friends are alright and if the world will ever feel normal again?

But while I could look at my 29th year as one of lost opportunities or remember how I cried more than ever, it also gave me an incredible gift: Me and my friends – my chosen family – grew closer than ever.

Some friends haven’t gotten holidays or weekends off in years. But with messed up schedules, we were able to go camping together. We spent several long weekends enjoying the woods and the lake, laughing and sharing stories around the campfire, and gazing awestruck at shooting stars. We got to pretend for a minute that the world was totally OK, and so were we.

We kept each other sane during an insane year, and I could ask for no greater gift than that love, acceptance and support. If we made it through this, I think our 30s will be just fine. n

BATTING CLEANUP The Spokane Indians were recently recognized as the Washington State Recycling Association Recycler of the Year, and you might be thinking, “Well, sure, that’s probably pretty easy when there weren’t any actual games in 2020.” But the award is actually a reflection of the minor-league baseball team’s work in 2019 with its Zero Waste Campaign.

The team added 60 recycling stations around Avista Stadium, invested big in compostable beer and soda cups, lids and straws, and ultimately kept 12 tons of compostable materials from heading to the landfill. Kudos! (DAN NAILEN)

BURN IT DOWN Email your worst fears, hatreds, losses and struggles directly to an actual dumpster fire — the epitome of 2020 — and watch it all burn, baby, burn. A live feed at hey. science/dumpster-fire reveals each typed confession before it’s devoured by flames in an incredibly cathartic form of group therapy. Just in the last hour I’ve seen several photos of Trump turned into ash, alongside Amazon’s logo, an ode to the late Alex Trebek and a poor soul bemoaning their pandemic breakup. (CHEY SCOTT)

FINALLY, GETTING IT RIGHT Anyone who’s read The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass knows the dark series lived up to its name His Dark Materials, with good and true evil battling it out over the souls of children. Now, a decade after the first attempt to portray the series on the big screen never received a sequel, His Dark Materials is finally bringing the story to life under a BBC One/HBO collaboration. With star power (hello James McAvoy, Ruth Wilson and Lin-Manuel Miranda) and the budget to give the fantasy story its due, it’s worth catching up on the series and tuning in for the second season, coming out each Monday through December. (SAMANTHA WOHLFEIL)

A Claus for celebration!

STCU members get $10 o socially-distant pics with Saint Nick at River Park Square when using your STCU credit or debit card.

Join us at stcu.org/join, then redeem your member discount online at riverparksquare.com/events/santaphotos.

We think that's worth two exclamation points!!

The Jamboni at Hogwash Whiskey Den YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

ROUNDUP

CHICK-FIL-WHAT? Skip the chain, eat these local chicken sandwiches instead

BY INLANDER STAFF

L

ast week, a popular, national fast-food chain serving fried chicken (Chick-fil-A, for those not in the know) opened in North Spokane. Customers lined up for blocks in their cars, waiting hours to place an order.

It prompts one to wonder: What if this was the kind of reaction folks had each time an independently owned, local restaurant opened?

With Washington state’s pandemic-prompted dine-in ban lasting at least until Jan. 4, it goes without saying that local restaurants could use even a fraction of this level of support.

Thus, a few Inlander staff members penned odes to a handful of our favorite chicken sandos on menus around the region. We’ve also added a list of spots with fried chicken just as worthy, among them many that will deliver it right to your door, or have it ready for pickup within minutes, hot and fresh from the fryer.

CASCADIA PUBLIC HOUSE

6314 N. Ash St., 321-7051 What we got: Crispy chicken sandwich ($16) I’d just started high school in the mid-’80s when I first encountered Chick-fil-A. It was one of the few food options in my town’s mall, and the only reason we ever went there instead of grabbing pizza was because some friends liked the waffle fries. The chicken sandwich? Pretty run

48 INLANDER DECEMBER 10, 2020

of the mill. Nothing to make it stand out from a KFC or Popeye’s, certainly. Worth sitting in a drive-thru line for hours? Definitely not — and yes, I’ve tried one since that long-ago mall shop.

Know what has changed? The quality of Spokane’s restaurant scene the past decade or so, and there are plenty of places offering damn fine fried chicken sandwiches, all without your money going to a company based in Georgia with a long history of anti-LGBTQ donations.

One of my favorites is from Cascadia Public House.

Their crispy chicken sandwich, like most of their menu, leans on remarkably fresh produce (butter lettuce, tomato) as well as thick Montana-raised bacon, a spicy aioli and pepperjack cheese to give its thick, juicy organic chicken breast a boost toward greatness. Put it on the locally made Alpine Bakery bun, and you’re there. It’s served with fries, fruit or a salad. (DAN NAILEN)

LUCKY YOU LOUNGE

1801 W. Sunset Blvd., 474-0511 What we got: Crispy chicken ($15) In some ways, Lucky You’s delicious crispy chicken sandwich is remarkably similar to Chick-fil-A’s signature menu item. It looks simple, just a fried chicken breast with some spiced mayo, lettuce and pickles (the CfA version is just pickles on a buttered bun). But Lucky You’s transcends its simple approach, with the flavors of that

spiced mayo bringing out the best in the chicken breast.

The first time I ordered it, it was one of those panic orders when I just couldn’t decide and went with something I considered a “safe bet.” I’ve ordered the Lucky You chicken sandwich many times since and never been disappointed. It’s served with a side of chili, soup, salad or fries. For vegans, there’s a meatless version, too. You’ll have to wait a bit to get into either, though, as Lucky You recently announced they were ceasing doing takeout for the immediate future. (DN)

CHICKEN-N-MORE

414 1/2 W. Sprague Ave., 838-5071 What we got: Tiger Double Chicken Patty ($5.09) Chicken-N-More’s menu features a wide selection of Southern food options, from chicken dinners to ribs and catfish. But I have to be honest: Every time I go, I order one thing, and one thing only, the Tiger Double Chicken Patty. There’s not much to it. It’s two chicken patties inside a hoagie and drizzled with barbecue sauce. Add some hot sauce, have some hand wipes ready and dig in. Not only is it delicious, but at just $5.09, it’s a cheap way to stuff yourself. You may find yourself coming back again and again for more, just like I have since high school.

The Tiger is an homage to Lewis and Clark High School’s mascot, and it’s long been a go-to choice for

lucky teenagers who go to school just blocks from Chicken-NMore. I was one of those students more than a decade ago. At lunch — back when LC had no cafeteria — my options were either to go to one of the nearby fast food restaurants for a chicken sandwich, getting back just in time for fourth period, or walking a little longer to Chicken-N-More and paying about the same for a better sandwich. On Fridays, I’d choose the latter. Was I sometimes late for fourth period? Yes. Do I have any regrets? Absolutely not. And neither will you if you opt for this chicken sandwich and skip the drive-thru. (WILSON CRISCIONE)

THE ELK PUBLIC HOUSE

HOGWASH WHISKEY DEN

304 W. Pacific Ave., 464-6541 What we got: The Jamboni ($16) While I’ll be the first to (blasphemously) admit here that fried chicken is usually not my first pick on most menus, it is top of the list at Hogwash Whiskey Den. Chef CJ Callahan’s The Jamboni is a tasty classic with a twist: buttermilk-soaked fried chicken topped with ham, Swiss, honey mustard, house pickles and white barbecue sauce. The Swiss melts into all those tiny, crispy crevices of the fried chicken, and layers of salty ham push this creation over the top. According to legend, Callahan was inspired by a similar sandwich once tasted at a truck stop. We hope the Jamboni never departs the menu, but knowing it’s a consistent bestseller gives us confidence it won’t. Fried chicken in other forms grace Hogwash’s menu, including the “Chick Korea” sandwich ($16), a version with American cheese, housemade kimchi and togarashi aioli. When weekend brunch service is offered, you can also bet on the classic chicken and waffles and Callahan’s own twist on the Jamboni when it takes a biscuit form, topped with fried eggs for just a buck more. (CHEY SCOTT) n

AHANA Continues to Help Multi-Ethnic Businesses Survive COVID-19.

We are helping micro and small businesses apply for local, state, and federal CARES Act funds and business loans during COVID-19, including the Wa. State Small Business Resiliency Grant.

As the only multi-ethnic business association in the Inland Northwest, AHANA has become the primary source and trusted messenger for outreach and technical assistance to ethnic and culturally diverse businesses in Spokane.

We also council businesses on how to expand or pivot in order to survive, have a Mentor/Protégé program, and we are working to ensure that multi-ethnic businesses have the same opportunities when it comes to obtaining loans and receiving local and state government contracts.

If you own a multi-ethnic or multi-cultural business and need help, please give us a call. If you would like to get on our mailing list to be informed of grant and other COVID-19 funding programs, please send us an email or visit our website.

Contact: Ben Cabildo at (509) 999-5365 ahana.meba10@gmail.com www.ahana-meba.org AHANA.MEBA

on

MORE FRIED CHICKEN TO DEVOUR

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1931 W. Pacific Ave., 363-1973 What we got: Santa Fe Chicken ($15) In the depths of the pandemic, when my cupboards run bare, when I’m too hungry to cook, The Elk hears my voice on the other end of the phone once again, with the same old story: “Santa Fe Chicken, with a side of corn pasta.” The chicken breast is breaded just enough to complement the chicken but not distract from it. And Downriver Grill, it’s topped with creamy Nashville hot chicken sandwich ($15) melted Monterey Jack, roasted poblano pepRepublic Kitchen + Taphouse, pers and honey cream twice fried chicken sandwich ($14) cheese that bumps the sandwich up from mere Stella’s Cafe, “delicious” to “hedoNashville hot chicken sandwich ($10) nism.” And every time, in those brief moments Logan Tavern, between when I pop Chicken Lil Sammy ($7; Thursday only) open the to-go box and scarf down the No-Li Brewhouse, sandwich, I forget this hot chicken sandwich ($15) flawed world, with its misery and its loneliRüt Bar & Kitchen, ness and its politics fried not-chicken sandwich ($15; vegan) and virus and death and grief. Quiet, I say.

Wooden City Spokane, I’m eating here. There is fried chicken sandwich ($15) a void inside me, but one that can be filled, Brucheonette, if oh-so-temporarily, by fried chicken sandwich ($14) a damn good chicken sandwich. I swear, I do believe in variety, in expanding my palate, in trying new things, in not being so predictable. But with a sandwich that tasty on the menu, does it really make sense to ever order anything else? (DANIEL WALTERS)

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DECEMBER 10, 2020 INLANDER 49

FOOD | TO-GO BOX

Hot Treats

tions were initially announced, but since then many others have joined the ranks. The dine-in ban is set to last until Jan. 4, if not extended by Gov. Jay Inslee.

Here’s a roundup of heated, outdoor dining options: NORTH SPOKANE Prohibition Gastropub The Flying Goat Bigfoot Pub and Eatery 5 North Brewing Co. Jackson St. Bar and Grill Happy Trails to Brews Twigs Bistro and Martini Bar (Wandermere) Lost Boys Garage

Hot cocoa bombs, markets move outdoors, and restaurants take it outside with heated patios

BY CHEY SCOTT

E

arlier this fall, TikTok and Instagram were abuzz with the discovery of hot cocoa bombs: hollow spheres of chocolate filled with cocoa mix, marshmallows and other goodies that melt into a delectable drink when hot milk is poured over them. While there are plenty of recipes online if you’d like to try making your own, locals don’t have to look too far.

SWEET FROSTINGS has added a boxed set of four hot cocoa bombs ($28) to its holiday treat inventory. Other seasonal treats (all can be ordered online for pickup or delivery at sweetfrostingsbakeshop.com) recently introduced include candy and cookie boxes, as well as seasonal flavors of its signature cupcakes.

THE VILLAGE BAKERY in Coeur d’Alene, currently operating as a home bakery under Idaho’s cottage food laws but planning to open a storefront next year, is also selling hot cocoa bombs through its Facebook page.

In Spokane Valley Mall, hot cocoa lovers can find these trendy treats at BIG BEAR CHOCOLATES, including a huckleberry hot chocolate flavor.

Finally, the locally owned FLUFFY’S CANDY in North Spokane is selling house-made, dozen-count boxes ($60) of hot cocoa bombs, which must be preordered.

The decadent treats are filled with a scratch-made cocoa mix and Fluffy’s own vanilla marshmallows. Flavors include peppermint, milk chocolate, dark chocolate and dark chocolate sea salt caramel. Preorders are still available for pickup on Dec. 14 and Dec. 21; more at fluffyscandy.com.

RIVERFRONT PARK PAVILION HOSTS WINTER MARKET

While the region’s fall harvest has already come and gone, there are still plenty of local goods to be found at area farmers markets, several of which have transitioned to wintertime operations for the first time this year. That includes the new winter farmers market at Riverfront Park each Wednesday, from 3-7 pm, in December and January. About 20 local vendors are expected to participate in the outdoor market beneath the park’s iconic, recently renovated Pavilion.

50 INLANDER DECEMBER 10, 2020

EAST SPOKANE Checkerboard Taproom Red Wheel No-Li Brewhouse SOUTH SPOKANE South Perry Pizza Luna Press Perry Street Brewing Remedy Kitchen and Tavern

Hot cocoa bombs are hitting the region.

COURTESY OF SWEET FROSTINGS

Most of those vendors are veterans of the Fairwood Farmers Market, offering prepared food and drink items (Liberty Cider, Mamma Torrez Salsa, the Scone Ranger, Big Barn Brewing and others), in addition to locally made non-food items like art and beauty products (Functional Pottery, Marketplace Botanicals).

“We are thrilled to offer a way to connect local small businesses with customers in a safe and festive environment at the Pavilion,” says Spokane Parks Director Garrett Jones in a release about the market. “We’re all focused on doing what we can to support our downtown and neighborhood shops, and this farmers market is one piece of that effort citywide.”

MORE RESTAURANTS OFFER HEATED, OUTDOOR DINING

When Washington state’s four-week indoor dining ban was enacted in mid-November, dozens of local restaurants scrambled to move tables back outdoors, where guests from the same household can still gather to enjoy a meal.

Of course, one major detail hindering the success of such an arrangement is falling winter temperatures, meaning these new outdoor dining rooms also need to shelter guests while keeping them warm. We published a list of venues quick to adapt when the statewide restric-

SPOKANE VALLEY / LIBERTY LAKE True Legends Grill Millwood Brewing Co. Charlie P’s Stormin’ Norman’s Shipfaced Saloon The Rock Bar and Lounge Twigs Bistro and Martini Bar (Spokane Valley Mall) DOWNTOWN Osprey Restaurant Globe Bar and Kitchen Borracho Taco and Tequileria Brick West Brewing Browne’s Bistro Pacific Ave Pizza Davenport Grand Bark, A Rescue Pub Saranac Public House Nectar Wine and Beer Veraci Pizza Iron Goat Brewing Co. CHENEY Wild Bill’s Longbar PULLMAN Merry Cellars n

keep washing your hands. (it's icky not to!)

DECEMBER 10, 2020 INLANDER 51

REVIEW

RAISING

KANE David Fincher’s Mank is a reverent but curiously flat tribute to the greatest of American films

BY NATHAN WEINBENDER

52 INLANDER DECEMBER 10, 2020

O

Gary Oldman (left) plays Mank, hard-drinking screenwriter of the classic Citizen Kane.

ne of the most iconic moments in Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane comes near the end, as the aging and once-powerful newspaper tycoon Charles Foster Kane, now at the lowest point in his life, shuffles down a corridor between mirrors on opposite walls. Dejected and deflated, his ghostly pallor is reflected infinite times, appearing to get smaller and smaller as he shrinks into the void.

This is a fitting image, because Kane is itself a hall of mirrors, one that unintentionally reflected the future downfall of its most boisterous creators.

David Fincher’s Mank adds another metatextual layer to the puzzle. It’s basically a Citizen Kane origin story, detailing the real-life social and political turmoil that inspired the film’s ripped-from-theheadlines themes. It also apes the arch tone and heightened style of 1940s cinema, down to the black-and-white cinematography, monaural sound mix and fake reel-changing cigarette burns in the corner of the screen. And like Kane, it merges myth and history in its romantic, seriocomic portrait of a man who lived larger than was physically and mentally possible — in this case, Kane screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz, better known as “Mank.”

And yet the film is curiously flat and uninvolv-

ing, buzzing through signposts in Hollywood history — the studio system tightening its belt during the Great Depression, the 1934 California gubernatorial elections, the birth of the Red Scare, the writing of an influential movie — without ever generating sparks, dramatic or otherwise. Even Gary Oldman’s central performance, as loquacious and flashy as we expect from him, feels a bit perfunctory. As a storyteller, Fincher isn’t exactly known for his altruism (in fact, his best movies are his coldest), and maybe that’s why Mank’s attempts at humanizing historical figures ring sort of hollow.

Mank was, by all accounts, a man of bottomless appetites, and his heavy drinking brought about his death at 55. (Oldman, by comparison, is 61, playing Mank in his late 30s and early 40s.) A reporter turned prolific screenwriter, he headed Paramount’s script department at the height of his career and contributed to dozens of films, including The Wizard of Oz, The Pride of the Yankees and several Marx Brothers pictures.

Orson Welles, meanwhile, was a 24-year-old neophyte when he met Mank, a cause celebre who had built buzz around his edgy Mercury Theatre productions and his infamous War of the Worlds radio

broadcast. The two men concocted an idea, inspired by Mank’s fractious relationship with publishing magnate William Randolph Hearst, that would eventually coalesce into Citizen Kane, and it was a collaboration that would not only cement their legacies but definitively end their working relationship.

Fincher’s film begins in 1940, as Mank, recovering from a car accident that left his leg in a cast, retreats to a lake cabin in Victorville, California, to start work on his script (then titled American). Mank spends his days furiously dictating dialogue to his secretary, Rita (Lily Collins), sending off reams of pages via Welles’ right-hand man, John Houseman (Sam Troughton), and drinking bottles of Seconal smuggled to him in straw-filled shipping containers.

The movie adopts a flashback-heavy structure similar to Kane, retreating into the past as a means of explaining our present-day hero and introducing us to figures who would directly influence his greatest achievement as a writer. Sometime in the mid-’30s, we see Mank get chummy with Hearst (Charles Dance, an inspired casting MANK choice), whose fluctuating fortunes and Rated R failed political aspirations were transmuted Directed by David Fincher into the doomed protagonist of Kane. Mank Starring Gary Oldman, also gets wrapped up in MGM’s producAmanda Seyfried, Arliss tion of fake newsreels smearing then-DemHoward, Charles Dance ocratic governor candidate Upton Sinclair (MGM head honcho Louis B. Mayer was California’s Republican Party chair), a scheme that is echoed in Kane’s attempts to fabricate his own political legacy. (In a bizarrely timely touch, Kane loses the governor’s race and orders his papers to run ginned-up stories about “fraud at the polls.”)

And then there’s the business of Marion Davies, William Randolph Hearst’s much younger mistress, whose transition from vaudeville to the big screen was seen as a blatant act of nepotism.

Amanda Seyfried plays Davies as a headstrong, hyper-aware person, who develops a kinship with Mank because they both seem to recognize the bullshit that goes into making it in Hollywood.

So why, then, would Mank create such an unflattering facsimile of Davies in the form of Susan Alexander, Kane’s pathetic second wife? The movie doesn’t really seem to know, and Fincher stages the final confrontation between Mank and Marion indifferently, so that their conversation takes on an almost robotic approximation of remorse and forgiveness. (The less said about how flippantly Mank treats Welles, the better.)

There’s so much fascinating lore surrounding the making of Kane, and I kept waiting for Mank to reach the feverish intensity and breathless pacing of the film it’s about. Maybe it’s unfair to stack up any movie against an all-time great, but Mank tees itself up for those comparisons, particularly in its “look at me” visual allusions to Kane cinematographer Gregg Toland’s groundbreaking deep-focus photography: An empty bottle tumbles out of Mank’s hand like Kane’s fabled snowglobe, for instance, and Marion and Mank wander through Hearst’s animal sanctuary in an obvious nod to Kane’s opening crawl through the haunted Xanadu estate.

Mank seems just as much a tribute to Kane as it does to Fincher’s own late father, Jack, who wrote the screenplay 20-some years ago in hopes that he could eventually make it with his son. You’d think, then, that the movie would have more passion and bluster in it, more humanity and less slick but empty craftsmanship.

What’s remarkable about Citizen Kane is that it’s both technically awesome and overflowing with feeling. I’ve seen it countless times, but whenever I return to it, I’m stunned all over again by how fresh and contemporary it seems, and how heedlessly it unfolds. Hearst famously hated Kane, and yet looking back on it, it’s a remarkably empathetic portrait of a man who kept building an empire in the hopes that someone would come along and love him, all while that very empire drove away everyone he ever trusted. I don’t know how Mank would feel about the movie that now bears his name, but I think he would have wanted to see the script and make some rewrites. n

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DECEMBER 10, 2020 INLANDER 53

RETROSPECTIVE

WINGSPAN Paul McCartney is releasing his 25th solo album, so we’re ranking his post-Beatles career highlights

BY NATHAN WEINBENDER

B

y the time the Beatles broke up in 1970, the four members had already started work on their respective solo debuts. John Lennon produced the raw, vulnerable, critically lauded Plastic Ono Band. George Harrison’s monumental All Things Must Pass sprawled over three vinyl records. Ringo knocked out two LPs within the span of five months — one a collection of jazz standards, the other a country album he cut in Nashville.

Paul McCartney’s solo debut, simply titled McCartney, was the most modest of the lot, a series of doodles and improvs whose release coincided with a press release officially confirming his departure from the Beatles. It was the first public acknowledgment that the most successful band of all time had called it quits, and it unfairly marked McCartney as the true saboteur behind the Fab Four’s demise (in fact, Lennon had privately “divorced” himself from the band the previous year).

But McCartney’s career continued unabated, and his 25th studio LP, McCartney III, hits digital platforms next week. Like we recently did with Bruce Springsteen’s discography, we’re culling Sir Paul’s post-Beatles output down to his 10 best studio LPs — and yes, the Wings albums will be included in the mix.

54 INLANDER DECEMBER 10, 2020

10. McCARTNEY II (1980) The great sore thumb of McCartney’s catalog, a sporadically brilliant swipe at new wave experimentation that’s full of blippy electronic sequencing and caterwauling synths. Its most tedious moments sound like Paul randomly pressing buttons on his Moog to see what kind of noises they make, but its highlights — the Talking Heads pastiche “Coming Up,” the jittery nonsense of “Temporary Secretary” — sure are high.

9. EGYPT STATION (2018) McCartney has always tried to stay hip to new sounds — he recorded a hit with Kanye and Rihanna, after all — which has naturally resulted in the occasionally embarrassing old-man moment. So there are certainly a couple face-palm moments on his most recent release Egypt Station (even the title of the single “Fuh You” is a bit cringey), but it’s otherwise solid and sonically diverse, featuring some of his best late-period compositions.

8. VENUS & MARS (1975) The critical establishment never stopped thumbing its nose at McCartney’s supergroup Wings, which featured

he and his wife Linda, guitarist Denny Laine and a revolving roster of side musicians. But their chart-topping soft-rock mostly holds up today, and this bestseller is shot through with some welcome eccentricity, blending arena-ready anthems with McCartney’s penchant for department-store pop, old-timey vaudeville and skiffle.

7. TUG OF WAR (1982) McCartney was mere days into recording Tug of War when John Lennon was murdered, and it changed the course of the album. As if to recapture the spirit of his most successful collaborations, McCartney enlisted Beatles producer George Martin and Ringo Starr, and penned the lovely Lennon tribute “Here Today,” now a live staple. Those moments are so bittersweet that I’m willing to forgive the album for closing with the awful Stevie Wonder duet “Ebony and Ivory.”

6. BACK TO THE EGG (1979) Wings’ swan song has long been considered the definitive flop of the band’s discography, but Back to the Egg actually isn’t bad at all. In fact, it’s damn good. Originally intended as a loose concept record about the travails of touring,

it fell apart right along with the band, and you can hear the wear and tear in McCartney’s ragged vocals. The pompous production can’t disguise his fatigue, but he still manages to sneak in a bunch of terrific songs, including the power-pop gem “Getting Closer.”

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5. McCARTNEY (1970) Most of the tracks on McCartney’s official solo debut are a tad on the flimsy side, but it remains a fascinating snapshot of his feelings of loss and betrayal at the time. Reeling from the dissolution of the Beatles and isolated in his Scottish country home, McCartney’s distinctly DIY aesthetic ended up influencing a score of lo-fi and bedroom recordings, and standouts include the soaring ballad “Maybe I’m Amazed” (a McCartney signature) and the lovely, whimsical “Junk.”

4. FLAMING PIE (1997) Like every other over-the-hill rocker in the ’90s, McCartney called on Jeff Lynne for production help on his 10th LP, and the ELO svengali’s distinctly plasticine style is all over Flaming Pie, which gets its name from an old John Lennon joke. This is where you really hear Paul finally and comfortably leaning into his role as aging rock legend, and the easy sentiment and seasoned confidence of these songs earned him his best reviews in years and reinvigorated his solo career.

3. CHAOS

AND CREATION IN THE BACKYARD (2005)

I may be overrating this album a bit due to nostalgia, since it came out when I was a teenager and really struck a chord at the time. With Nigel Godrich, best known for working with Radiohead, at the production helm, sessions for Chaos nearly spanned the length of McCartney’s brief, much-publicized marriage to Heather Mills, capturing the peaks and troughs of a disintegrating relationship. This is another of McCartney’s “I played everything” albums, and yet it’s hardly indulgent, a string of gentle, even playful songs befitting the cover image of a teenage McCartney practicing guitar in his parents’ garden.

2. BAND ON THE RUN (1973) ’73 was a good year for Wings: They scored a No. 1 hit with “My Love,” and their Bond theme “Live and Let Die” became an instant franchise highlight. That year also produced their third LP, Band on the Run, which would turn out to be not only their finest hour but one of the very best Beatles solo albums. First and foremost, it’s a showcase for McCartney’s superpower for crafting slick radio hits — the epic title tune was a chart topper, while the ever-accelerating “Jet” and the chugging “Helen Wheels” cracked the Billboard Top 10 — but it’s also a glimpse into his harried mental space at the time. Its songs convey a sense of displacement, of parties that have gone on too long, of artists in the throes of obsolescence, and yet all that desperation is stowed away in the Trojan horse of sunny hooks and instantly hummable melodies.

1. RAM (1971) As was the case with most of McCartney’s early solo output, contemporary critics despised Ram. Rolling Stone slammed it as “monumentally irrelevant,” while self-appointed rock dean Robert Christgau called the album’s No. 1 single “Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey” a “major annoyance.” McCartney’s former bandmates even badmouthed the record to the press — even Ringo! — no doubt a knee-jerk response to lyrics that not-so-covertly dripped with contempt for them (“You took your lucky break and broke it in two,” McCartney sniffs on album opener “Too Many People,” an obvious dig at Lennon’s unceremonious departure from the Beatles). But time has been kind to Ram: It’s one of the best singer-songwriter albums of its era, quirky and unpredictable and even a bit naughty, filled with weird little detours into foot-stomping country, dance-hall jaunts and raucous blues. Credited to both Paul and Linda, the record radiates the freedom they must have felt throwing everything they had at the studio walls and seeing what stuck. A lot of it does, and it remains McCartney’s finest solo collection, ’70s critics be damned. n

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T i m e l e s s Ta l e s o f S p o k a n e a n d t h e I n l a n d N o r t h we s t , Vo l u m e 1 EDITED BY TED S. McGREGOR JR.

I

f you call yourself an Inlander, you need to know the stories. Do you remember those ancient ivory tusks pulled from a farm down on the Palouse? What happened after fur trappers set up their first trading post on the Spokane River? Or how a local basketball team captivated the nation? What about “The Biggest Thing That Man Has Ever Done”?

A World’s Fair?

Those are just a few of the tales that define the rich history of the Inland Northwest — stories that were first retold in the pages of the Inlander newspaper starting in 1993. In Inlander Histories, you’ll meet Nell Shipman, the silent film star who launched her own studio on the shores of Priest Lake. You’ll hop a flight over Mt. St. Helens on a particularly memorable day. And you’ll learn how Walt Worthy kept the dream of Louis Davenport alive in downtown Spokane.

Noted local historians Jack Nisbet, Robert Carriker and William Stimson join Inlander staff writers, including Sheri Boggs, Andrew Strickman and Mike Bookey, to take you on a tour of some of the most important moments in the region’s past. Collected together for the first time, Inlander Histories pieces together the tapestry of Eastern Washington and North Idaho culture, creating a rare document of life in the “inland” part of this corner of the continent. $14.95

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DECEMBER 10, 2020 INLANDER 55

MUSIC PARTY WITH LUDWIG

Believe it or not, award-winning pianist Adam Golka has a direct connection to Ludwig van Beethoven, through four teachers connecting the 32-year-old musician with the legendary composer celebrating his 250th birthday this December.

Gorka is paying homage to ol’ Beethoven by tackling all 32 of his Sonatas for Piano, and three of them will be captured for a special edition of Northwest BachFest’s Across The Miles series of online shows. Gorka’s performances will be streaming on an exclusive YouTube channel for four days leading up to Ludwig’s real 250th b-day on Dec. 16. Consider it a perfect way to celebrate both the season and a classical legend.

— DAN NAILEN Across The Miles: Beethoven’s 250th Birthday Bash! • $20 • Dec. 11-14 • Online; details at nwbachfest.com

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

56 INLANDER DECEMBER 10, 2020

COMMUNITY TIME WALK

The 2020 holiday season has been hampered by COVID-19 in many ways, but locals can find a small spark of nostalgic joy in a series of recently installed, holiday-themed window displays at the Davenport Grand. Vintage displays from Spokane’s once iconic Crescent department store — salvaged after being forgotten in a basement storage space for decades — are delighting sidewalk strollers along the hotel’s south face on Main Avenue. A group of local artists helped bring the charming scenes, featuring retro, midcentury animatronics of woodland creatures, ballet dancers and more, to life with hand-painted backdrops and other details. See the historic holiday displays in all their glory daily through early January; lights and motion are turned on at the designated times, listed below.

— CHEY SCOTT Crescent Windows at the Grand • Through Jan. 3; Fri-Sat from noon-10 pm, Sun-Thu from 3-8 pm • Free • Davenport Grand Hotel • 333 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. • bit.ly/CrescentWindows

MUSIC LAYERS OF LIGHT

Light your candles and pour your family some hot chocolate — Gonzaga’s annual Candlelight Christmas Concert is coming to your living room. A landmark event every winter, this year’s programming presents a unique layering of times and places, including choral arrangements recorded before students departed for Thanksgiving, a virtual octet of remote students, the Spokane Brass Quintet, and guitar, violin and percussion faculty. Recorded segments will be interwoven with the event’s host, Timothy Westerhaus, who will be live at the piano in the Myrtle Woldson Performing Arts Center. You can access the concert through the Gonzaga choir’s YouTube channel for free, but donations will be gratefully accepted.

The organizers recommend keeping your smartphone nearby for interactive elements to the livestream.

— LAUREN GILMORE The Night Gives New Light: Candlelight Christmas Concert • Sat, Dec. 12 at 7 pm & Sun, Dec. 13 at 3 pm • Free or by donation • Online; details at gonzaga.edu

GOING OUT

OF BUSINESS

THEATER CHRISTMAS PRESENT

This holiday season Spokane Civic Theatre, one of the Inland Northwest’s mainstays for great onstage entertainment, is producing a version of the beloved Charles Dickens novella A Christmas Carol and broadcasting it as an old-fashioned radio play, using nothing but transformative vocal performances and evocative sound effects to get you involved in the drama. The story, in which the holiday-hating miser Ebenezer Scrooge has his worldview transformed, is a classic for a reason, and you can curl up next to your living room radio and pretend you’re living in a time before television and WiFi were household conveniences. The program premieres on Spokane Public Radio station 91.1 FM the evening of Dec. 11, and will be rebroadcast multiple times throughout the month.

— NATHAN WEINBENDER A Christmas Carol Radio Play • Premieres Fri, Dec. 11 and Wed, Dec. 16 at 7 pm; also airing Sun, Dec. 20 at 4 pm; Thu, Dec. 24 at 2 pm • Broadcast on KPBX 91.1 FM • Details at spokanecivictheatre.com and spokanepublicradio.org

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THEATER TIS THE SEASON

If there’s one part of our lives that might feel natural moving online, it might be the various holiday celebrations that once took us out to the streets or local theaters. After all, we’re all used to piling in front of the TV for an animated Christmas classic or some Hallmark holiday schmaltz (or is that just me?). Stage Left Theater is hosting “An Evening of Carols” hosted by Molly Allen and featuring some serious pipes bringing the cheer straight to your computer or phone, including (but not limited to) Abbey Crawford, Izzy Mesenbrink, Olivia Davies and many more. Charley’s Grill & Spirits is putting together some special holiday fare available to order for you to nosh while you listen to the songs and stories, with some of the proceeds going to support Stage Left.

— DAN NAILEN Stage Left Theater’s “An Evening of Carols” • Tue, Dec. 15 at 7 pm • Free, donations accepted • Online; details at facebook.com/stagelefttheater

DECEMBER 10, 2020 INLANDER 57

I NEEDED THAT To the man out early walking his dog in Browne’s Addition: We don’t know each other but you waved at me last Monday at the roundabout. I don’t know if you routinely wave at every passing car or you just sensed I needed a boost. I’m a nurse at Sacred Heart and had just finished my night shift. I was feeling really emotional and had been crying on my drive home. But your wave lifted my heart and I am grateful for your kindness. Thank you!

I SAW YOU BROTHER You’re sportin’ our colors.

You’re sportin’ our wings. Remember, please, Integrity First. Hoping you’re getting the right kind of help on the journey. Seems you’re “raging” quite.

Reach out to any of us. Reach out to a Veterans’ assistance group. You can do it, but keep it simple. Treat that “one” like you’d treat any of “us.” You wouldn’t talk to “us” the way you do, there. You’ve come too far to keep it cloudy. Clarity, Brother. We want the best for you!! Lean. Learn. Breathe. Life isn’t as serious as you’re makin’ it. Step back and quiet that storm.

ALBERTSONS I went through your line a couple of months ago and your cuteness caught me off guard. I’ve been going to this grocery store for over a year and I’ve never noticed you before.

Now I feel like I see you every time.

I keep trying to think of an excuse to talk to you, but I convince myself not to. “That would be awkward.” So here’s a weird “I saw you” instead. I saw you, I see you, and I think you’re cute. I believe your name is Max? If you’re at all curious. zabajabaa@ gmail.com

CHEERS

when you go, it’s pretty damn good.)

A TOUCH OF KINDNESS MADE A GOOD DAY GREAT! Thank you for the people in the red Scion ahead of me at Elixir on Dec. 5th. I was standing in the drive-through line because I went out for a walk. I must have looked

“

THOUGHTFUL EARLY MORNING GESTURE December 2, 7:40 am, Starbucks on Ruby and Sharp — THANK YOU to the person in the car in front of me who paid for my drink and panini! Very thoughtful of you! What a positive start to my day!

CHIK-FIL-YES TO DANIEL WALTERS I’m a huge fan of the Inlander, but was a little bummed when I read the article hating on an objectively delicious sandwich. I love Spokane and am constantly supporting local restaurants but why make it sound like we have to choose either/or? Why can’t I love my Chik-fil-A and eat at local establishments? This seems to be the problem with our country today. We make things so divisive and force people into a camp. You’re either a homophobic, bigoted, Trump supporter or a communist liberal who supports the “murder of babies.” WHAT IF I (AND MOST OF US) ARE NEITHER? Cheers to Daniel Walters for recognizing that this establishment has brought a tiny sliver of hope. No it’s not local — but with millions of canceled weddings, funerals, graduations, missed holidays, missing our niece’s turning 1 — it’s one bright light in many people’s lives right now. Let’s not make more reason for division and polarization, Spokane.

Let’s come together and love one another. Thanks Daniel for taking a step towards unity with us. (Oh, and you should totally get the number 1

denial or ignorantly blind. That having been said, I propose that we start fresh and forget about the things that we have said out of anger. I cannot speak for you, and I will respect your decision, no matter what... but as for myself, I am truly sorry for the things that I have said and done and I release

in Dr. Velazquez though.

RACISM AT MUSIC STORE Jeers to the “genderly confused” employee at a Spokane music store. My black fiance went in to make a large purchase and was treated with such disrespect it makes me sick. Not only did not 1 of

If you and I fail to see the passion and chemistry between us when we argue, then we are either in denial or ignorantly blind.

silly (and maybe a tad sad) standing amongst vehicles in the cold. Actually, I was having a pretty good day. The sun was out, which was nice even with the cold temps. I was getting some exercise and escaping cabin fever at the same time. I was shocked when I walked up to the window and the nice lady said, “Yeah those folks bought your coffee.” Awesome! My day went from an 8.8 to a 10.2 (on a 10-point scale). On the rest of my walk home I was waving to everybody driving by as if we were close friends, because that’s how I felt. Thank you red Scion people for making Dec. 5th great! Next year on Dec. 5th I will do something random and nice to a stranger making Dec. 5 great again!

YOU AND I First off... I love you for not only who you are but for who you were. It has not been easy for me to understand you at times and I feel that you don’t understand me at all sometimes, which has fueled endless arguments. However, if you and I fail to see the passion and chemistry between us when we argue, then we are either in

all resentments and forgive you 100% for anything that I either thought you had done or otherwise. I trust you and will not go on treating you as if I don’t.

I love you, woman!

JEERS DISGUST WITH BOARD OF HEALTH AND ADMINISTRATION I continue to be disgusted with the way the Board of Health (BOH) and the Administrator have handled the dismissal of Dr. Lutz. It was glaringly obvious that his removal was personal and political. Sit in any meeting with the administrator and/or the BOH and you can see just how controlling Amelia Clark is.

She doesn’t stay in her lane, not even close. Her Veruca Salt type behavior is offensive and unprofessional. She panders to politicians as well as another elected official. When you have brought on two lawsuits, a state level investigation, as well as a letter of No Confidence from staff in barely a year of employment, you need to be shown the door! They all got their “YES MAN”

”

the 4 deadbeat employees at the front counter even approach him, when he confronted an employee (after 10 minutes of being ignored) was blatantly rude and racist to him, even insinuating that he was using a stolen card! I went in about an hour later for the same transaction just to see if it was just poor customer service, but was met by multiple employees who dropped everything to help me in a quick and respectful manner. When I spoke to the manager about the horrible experience and let them know they lost our business, he didn’t seem to care. Don’t support racism. n

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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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C A N E D

THE UNITED STATES

Expect a new level of dunking creativity now that the NBA has stopped testing for cannabis.

NEWS

Heating Up Cannabis news from around the globe

BY WILL MAUPIN

T

he first week of December was a big one for cannabis policy, with three massive organizations taking steps to loosen their rules surrounding the drug. Get caught up on who did what about weed last week.

THE UNITED NATIONS

Last Wednesday, the U.N. Commission on Narcotic Drugs voted to remove cannabis from Schedule IV of the Single Convention of Narcotic Drugs, a U.N. treaty dating from 1961. Cannabis had been listed among the most dangerous drugs known to man, alongside heroin, in a grouping meant for substances whose medical value is far outweighed by the danger they present.

Clearly, cannabis isn’t as dangerous as heroin. Now, nearly 50 years after claiming that it is, the U.N. has reversed course. This is a largely symbolic move, but it does show that the world’s largest intergovernmental organization is willing to get with the times in regards to cannabis policy.

A deal a Day to celebrate holidayz with Toker Friendly

On Friday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act of 2019. Should the MORE Act become law, it would decriminalize cannabis at the federal level. That’s likely not happening, considering the vote was largely along party lines. Only five Republicans voted for it, and notably, our representative, Cathy McMorris Rodgers, was not among them despite cannabis being legal in her district and her past support of other cannabis bills in Congress.

It’s now up to the Republican-controlled Senate to pass its version of the bill, which needs to be done before Congress adjourns on Jan. 3. While that’s unlikely, this is still an important and historic moment. It is now a fact that legislation to decriminalize cannabis has been taken up and passed on the floor of the U.S. House.

THE NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION

While not as big or important as the United Nations or the U.S. government, the NBA’s decision from last week is perhaps the most impactful. The NBA and NBA Players Association agreed to remove cannabis from the list of substances players can be tested for.

The NBA initially removed random cannabis testing when the league restarted the 2020 season in a bubble environment over the summer. That policy will now continue into the upcoming season as well. An NBA statement lists uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic as the impetus for this decision, so it will be interesting to see if they return to testing in the coming years. n

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BE AWARE: Marijuana is legal for adults 21 and older under Washington State law (e.g., RCW 69.50, RCW 69.51A, HB0001 Initiative 502 and Senate Bill 5052). State law does not preempt federal law; possessing, using, distributing and selling marijuana remains illegal under federal law. In Washington state, consuming marijuana in public, driving while under the influence of marijuana and transporting marijuana across state lines are all illegal. Marijuana has intoxicating effects; there may be health risks associated with its consumption, and it may be habitforming. It can also impair concentration, coordination and judgment.

Do not operate a vehicle or machinery under the influence of this drug. Keep out of reach of children. For more information, consult the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board at www.liq.wa.gov.

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RELATIONSHIPS

Advice Goddess FLEE BITES

I broke up with my boyfriend because he didn’t prioritize our relationship and wouldn’t commit. He now wants to get back together and has been sending me cards and letters for weeks. Is it foolish to give him another shot?

—Red Flag?

A man who’s all, “Forget the Tinder randos! I need you!” is a man whose sexual freedom means less to him than being with you. It’s basically like a lion knocking on AMY ALKON the door of the zoo: “Got a cage for me?”

Still, it’s natural you’re giving his pleas to get back together the side-eye: “Hmmph. So...I wasn’t good enough for you before, but I’m suddenly good enough for you now?!” However, his unwillingness to commit may have had little to do with you.

There’s this myth that you just need to find “the right person” and then you and Senor Perfecto ride off into the sunset together to Happily Ever After. In fact, clinical psychologist Judith Sills explains that you need to find not just the right person, but the right person at the right time: when both you and he are ready to commit. “Readiness” doesn’t strike lightning bolt-style; it develops. It’s a psychological shift that acts as a “catalyst for commitment”: for the intimacy, vulnerability, and responsibility for another person that commitment entails.

Evolutionary psychologists David Buss and David Schmitt observe that having sex can ultimately cost women vastly more than it costs men: nine months of pregnancy plus a squalling kid to feed versus a teaspoon of sperm plus a wave goodbye.

So, for men, “a short-term sexual strategy” — casual sex with a variety of women — has “reproductive benefits,” allowing them to leave more descendants carrying their genes (in contrast with a “long-term sexual strategy,” commitment). However, which strategy is optimal for an individual man or woman is context-dependent.

Contexts that motivate a man to commit include wanting a family, a meaningful partnership, and/or a “highly desirable woman” who can afford to put her foot down: “Relationship or bust, Bob.” Chances are the “foot” scenario is behind your previously blase Bob’s transformation (probably along with how we don’t always realize what we have until we’ve lost it). Tell him something soon — either that you’ll hear him out or that it’s over. If it’s the latter, knowing now will allow him to go out with dignity — before he scrapes bottom on chick flick lines to poach for his letters and decides begging for love can be genderfluid: “I’m also just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her.”

ALL NIGHT YAWN

I’m a 32-year-old woman with a pattern of getting into relationships and then not wanting to have sex. I’m really into sex when the relationship’s new. But about a year in, I stop wanting to have sex, even when the emotional part of the relationship is good. Why does this happen, and is it preventable?

—Dismayed Over time, everything gets old. Even men and women who are into the freakiest sex eventually look over at their partner all, “Ugh. Not another night of the same old-same old in the sex dungeon.”

Where men and women tend to differ is in their motivation for having sex once they’re in a relationship. There’s an assumption that, in relationships, women’s sexual desire will work just like men’s — that is, rise up out of nowhere (like teenage boys’ inappropriate erections). Sexual medicine specialist Rosemary Basson, M.D., finds that this “spontaneous hunger” to have sex is a thing for women in the initial dating stage and for some women in relationships, especially if they and their partner are apart for a few weeks.

But many women in long-term romantic partnerships stop having the physical craving to get it on — the urge for sexual “release.” However, they might still be motivated to have sex for other reasons, like to feel close to their partner. Unfortunately, like you, they and their partners often assume their sexual desire is dead and gone. But Basson explains that a woman’s desire is probably arousable, meaning triggerable. (It just needs waking up.)

In practical terms, if a woman who wants to want sex starts making out with her partner, she’s likely to get turned on. This becomes the springboard to her feeling that physical urge to have sex. However...this assumes she was seriously attracted to him to begin with and didn’t just succumb to advice to be “open-minded” about a great guy she found sexually meh. Initially, excitement over what’s new (new guy!) is often mistaken for the excitement of finding somebody hot. However, if actual attraction wasn’t there at the start, there’ll be nothing to revive once the early sexual disbelief — “How do you even do that? Are you double-jointed? In Cirque du Soleil?” — erodes into “Cirque du So Tired Of This.” n

©2020, Amy Alkon, all rights reserved. • Got a problem? Write Amy Alkon, 171 Pier Ave, #280, Santa Monica, CA 90405 or email AdviceAmy@aol.com (www.advicegoddess.com)

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