Inlander 12/30/2020

DECEMBER 30, 2020 - JANUARY 6, 2021 | GOODBYE 2020 — AND GOOD RIDDANCE!

BOMBSHELLS 2020 WAS FULL OF THEM PAGE 8

BEST PICTURES OUR FAVORITE FILMS OF THE YEAR PAGE 27

2020’S BEST ALBUMS WE LISTENED TO THESE ON REPEAT PAGE 30

G N I R U T P A C Y R O T HIS

H THE 2020 THROUG NDER LENS OF INLA PHER PHOTOGRA AK YOUNG KW Ayerion Pyne at a June 14 protest in Spokane.

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INSIDE VOL. 28, NO. 12 | COVER PHOTO: YOUNG KWAK

COMMENT NEWS COVER STORY CULTURE

5 8 12 18

FOOD FILM MUSIC EVENTS

20 27 30 33

I SAW YOU GREEN ZONE ADVICE GODDESS BULLETIN BOARD

35 36 38 39

EDITOR’S NOTE

ALL THE NEWS THAT FIT PAGE 8

MOVIES OF THE YEAR PAGE 27

PLEASE, NO RERUNS PAGE 18

2020’S BEST ALBUMS PAGE 30

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hile we won’t soon forget 2020 — despite our best efforts to drown it in another afternoon cocktail — we wanted to take a moment to reflect on all on horrible, no-good, wonderful and inspiring things that happened this year.

We have the biggest local news stories of the year (page 8), the brilliance among the wreckage in Culture (page 18), the challenge and resilience of local restaurants in Food (page 20), the year’s best movies (page 27), our favorite albums (page 30) and how cannabis grew like a weed across America (page 36). And for those wanting to give the finger to 2020 and toast the merciful arrival of a new year, we have some options for doing just that (page 33).

Finally, I would like to thank all of the Inlander reporters, editors and photographers who’ve worked tirelessly to report on this epic dumpster fire of a year, and I would like to thank you, our readers, who’ve made it all worthwhile. See you in 2021!

— JACOB H. FRIES, Editor

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WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO IN 2021?

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DEBORAH WASBREKKE: Hugs, travel, hugs, dinners with friends, seeing doctors, nurses and first responders have time to rest and be with their families. Hugs!

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MEGAN BOILEAU: Hoping that we can still really support local businesses like we are now and to be more compassionate towards each other again!

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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.

JUDY SCHEIVE McCARTY: Eating in a restaurant, no more Trump, hopefully no more COVID, seeing people’s smiles and being able to hug, and being able to travel again!!!

ELISABETH PAGE: Seeing my students in person, greeting them at the door with hugs and smiles, and sending my own to school where the only thing I’m worried about them getting is lice.

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DAWN KASPROW WOLSKI: Phew.

Being closer to 2022? I am only cautiously optimistic. The arts are a LONG way out in this state from any shred of normalcy.

KIM KAISER DUPREE: More kindness I hope. I think if we empathized more with our brothers and sisters we may ease up a bit. So many opinions and it’s time to stop hating and belittling even if we disagree. It’s time for perspective and walking in others’ shoes.

REBECCA McLAIN CHESTERMAN: Looking forward to seeing people’s smiles again.

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MICHELLE SHEPPARD-BOWLES: I’m really looking forward to hugging my family again. I miss hugs so much that I might just start hugging strangers as soon as it’s safe.

FELICIA DIAMOND: Seeing my sister.

Hopefully not canceling trips that are planned.

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From the GOP to the POT

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The demise of the Grand Old Party and the rise of the Party of Trump is perhaps the most profound impact of the 2020 election

BY ROBERT HEROLD

Y

ou can call it “autocracy on the move.”

Call it “un-American,” or maybe just “stupidity on display.” Call it any or all of the above, but we couldn’t remotely call it “democracy” — at least until the Supreme Court came to our rescue.

I refer to the wild, Donald Trump-supported lawsuit brought to the Supreme Court by the Texas attorney general. They wanted the court to throw out all the votes in four swing states, but by a 9-0 vote (the second such vote that the

6 INLANDER DECEMBER 30, 2020

court has had to toss out because of the sorry mess the Republican Party has created), the nine justices sent Trump and all who supported him packing.

Unanimous!

Sitting House and Senate Republicans, those who we presume, giving them all the benefit of the doubt, view character and

honor above partisan hackery, must now stand up and openly support the results of the election. Our own member of Congress, Cathy McMorris Rodgers, owes her constituents at least this much. I’m not holding my breath.

N

ow’s probably a good time for lifelong Republicans, whether they be Bush Republicans, Reagan Republicans or even Eisenhower Republicans, to ask themselves, what just happened to their GOP? Do they really want to be viewed as the quasi-secessionist party? If they hang around the likes of Donald Trump and his “Proud Boys” long enough, that’s where they’re headed.

At one time the GOP was the party of principled Republicans of high character, such as Washington Gov. Dan Evans and Oregon Sen. Mark Hatfield. And locally, it was the party of state senator and local physician John Moyer. Now there’s Mitt Romney and… well, that’s about it. Where did Republicans such as these go?

At one time the GOP was the party of principled Republicans of high character, such as Washington Gov. Dan Evans and Oregon Sen. Mark Hatfield… Where did Republicans such as these go?

Well, they’re almost extinct. The Lincoln Project, made up of frustrated Republicans, was formed to take on the problem, but apparently the project had little impact on the election. This is how deep the Trump-disease goes.

The sad truth is that if Joe Biden and his administration think they can somehow fix things by playing nice, they will throw away the only chance they have to make a difference.

Case in point: Sen. Susan Collins, who defended her vote against impeaching Trump by saying, “I think Trump learned his lesson.”

And how did that work out?

Nancy Pelosi has floated the idea of refusing to seat any Republican who supported the Texas initiative to toss out the results of the election. Seems kind of heavy-handed, but doing this, or even just imposing a formal censure, might actually be a start.

We know that Republicans in Congress have managed to effectively shut down the business of Congress anyway, so what would we lose?

E

ffectively shutting down the House might also be a good place to begin questioning our local congresswoman: “Congresswoman Rodgers, you supported your party’s efforts to overturn the presidential election? How do you justify your position?”

If she were to answer truthfully, it would be a denunciation of Trump. She won’t.

Today’s Republicans are making the bet that Trump won’t disappear. That he will run again in four years, and if they don’t toe the line they will be attacked. We are watching the end of a once-great political party playing out in real time. It’s a shocking development, fueled by equal parts cowardice and hunger for power. It says gobs about the GOP, or, more accurately, the Party of Trump.

It’s all the more reason for Democrats to stand up to what’s left of the GOP and their deposed leader, as President Biden is sworn in and a page is being turned on one of the darkest chapters in our history. If they don’t, who will? n

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DECEMBER 30, 2020 INLANDER 7

YEAR IN REVIEW

Bombshell After Bombshell How 2020 changed everything

BY INLANDER STAFF

LOCKDOWNS PITTED “ESSENTIAL” BUSINESSES AGAINST EVERYONE ELSE

Previous years introduced new slang like “manspreading” and “metrosexual” into the cultural lexicon. In 2020? We got phrases like “social distancing” and “essential businesses,” bland jargon that our lives and our livelihoods depended on.

By March 23, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee had officially issued his “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” order, shuttering most businesses in an attempt to slow the spread of the coronavirus before it completely overwhelmed our health care system.

Yet not all businesses were shut down. Grocery stores, of course, were allowed to continue to operate. Everyone could agree on that. But then there were other industries labeled “essential businesses” — like cannabis shops and liquor stores — that were far more controversial.

Then there were those like local Spokane sex shops that claimed to be essential under dubious interpretations of Inslee’s rulings. Others quietly defied the order.

After Washington state launched an online reporting system allowing the public to accuse businesses of violating the stay-home order, tens of thousands of accusations flooded in. Some complaints came from employees, terrified of being asked to work as the pandemic spread. Yet other complaints were from business owners, incensed at watching their competitors get away with breaking the rules while they suffered by following them.

“I was told by the state that residential house cleaning is nonessential,” a local cleaning business owner wrote in

8 INLANDER DECEMBER 30, 2020

one of the complaints obtained through public records.

“Now I’m doing the right thing and competitors are stealing our clients. Not playing fair.”

Meanwhile, when Idaho Health and Welfare put up an online reporting form to report scofflaw businesses violating lockdown orders, it was met with so much backlash that the agency quickly removed it.

As the lockdowns began to be loosened when warmer weather approached, the controversy around who was “essential” began to dissipate.

For all the economic pain that had resulted, the lockdowns seemed to have worked, at least for a time: The infection rate fell, hospitals survived, and we bought time for vaccine research. But when the fall hit, a bigger-thanever viral wave ushered in a new round of lockdown and restrictions.

The good news is we will soon have a trio of new vaccines in our arsenal. But they come with a new ethical dilemma to fight about: With a limited supply of shots, who counts as “essential” enough to get immunized? (DANIEL WALTERS)

CONSPIRACY THEORIES BECAME AN EPIDEMIC

Conspiracy theorists have always been a thriving part of the American culture, offering their outlandish perspective on everything from JFK to the moon landing and 9/11.

And considering that the current president of the United States built his political brand by promoting a particularly noxious conspiracy theory — the lie that Barack

Kim Arrotta, co-owner of Northtown Auto Sales, was frustrated that a next-door business, a sex shop, remained open throughout the spring shutdown. YOUNG KWAK

Obama wasn’t born in the United States — it was, perhaps, inevitable that the Trump era would be defined by bizarre, and even dangerous, conspiracy theories. Indeed, out of the pits of racist troll sites like 4chan emerged the QAnon conspiracy theory that Trump was secretly battling a vast network of cannibalistic, child-sacrificing elite liberal pedophiles.

Then came COVID-19: The science around the coronavirus was so new and tenuous — with expert opinion shifting around questions like masks and airborne spread — that the conspiracy theories grew like weeds between the cracks.

In Idaho, anti-government and anti-vaccine forces merged into the “People’s Rights” movement, led by Malheur National Wildlife Refuge occupation leader Ammon Bundy. They broke a glass door while storming the halls of the Idaho Capitol. They crowded around the Boise mayor’s home with tiki torches screaming about lockdowns.

Even as Facebook began cracking down on pages like QAnon, their site still brimmed with falsehoods about China bioengineering the coronavirus, about sex traffickers using masks to hide duct tape on their victim’s mouths, and about left-wing radical “antifa” members setting wildfires.

It all culminated with the grand finale: a conspiracy theory about a stolen election. Trump spent the last two months of the year denying, despite all evidence, that he had lost the election. ...continued on page 10

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NEWS | YEAR IN REVIEW “BOMBSHELL AFTER BOMBSHELL,” CONTINUED...

“Very big illegal ballot drop that cannot be accounted for,” Trump tweeted on Dec. 21. “Rigged Election!

(Just below his tweet, Twitter issued a rote disclaimer: “This claim about election fraud is disputed.”)

Instead, Trump’s allies spun out an increasingly outlandish series of false claims — that scores of dead people had voted, that voting machines had been manipulated

by Venezuela — only for them to be repeatedly laughed out of court.

Still, even U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers — a politician squarely in the middle of the Republican Party — signed her name to support a lawsuit asking the Supreme Court to overturn the election.

“This case is about the Supreme Court answering those questions for the American people so we can move forward,” McMorris Rodgers said in a press release.

The Supreme Court, including all three of the justices Trump had nominated, refused to even consider such a lawsuit.

But conspiracy theories, as 2020 has shown, have real-world consequences.

Just as armed vigilantes terrorized a Spokane family in Forks, Washington, because they thought their bus was filled with “antifa” terrorists, this month a former Houston police captain ran a truck off the road and held the driver at gunpoint because the assailant thought the truck was filled with illegal ballots.

Next year, public health officials will try to convince the public to save lives by taking a rigorously tested vaccine. But they’ll be competing against thousands of conspiracy theorists who claim the vaccine is a ploy for Bill Gates to inject you with microchips. (DW)

TRUMP LOST AND MATT SHEA LEFT — BUT THEIR LEGACIES LIVE ON

OK, so there wasn’t exactly a blue wave.

Whether because of a summer of civil unrest, the socialist far-left, weak centrist candidates or just poor Democratic leadership, this November was not the rout Democrats were counting on. The Democratic Party lost ground in the U.S. House and has to rely on a special election in Georgia for a shot at controlling the Senate.

Still, Joe Biden managed to defeat Donald J. Trump to take back control of the White House.

State Rep. Matt Shea, left, didn’t run for re-election, but several of his allies did — and won. YOUNG KWAK PHOTO Local Democrats could also take comfort in the fact that Washington state Rep. Matt Shea — the Spokane region’s most controversial local celebrity since Rachel Dolezal — decided not to run for re-election.

After an independent investigation last year accused him of planning and participating in acts of “domestic terrorism,” the Spokane Valley rep had been booted from the Republican caucus.

10 INLANDER DECEMBER 30, 2020

With Shea not running again, it gave Republicans like Washington state House Minority Leader J.T. Wilcox an opportunity to turn the extremism charge against Democrats, pointing to rioting in Seattle to argue that Democrats “have been scared to death to touch” the topic of “not just the threat of political violence but actual political violence from people on the left.”

Yet the spirit of Matt Shea lives on.

It lives on in Rob Chase, the candidate who ran in Shea’s district and with his endorsement. Chase shares Shea’s penchant for conspiracy theories, dabbling in conspiratorial thinking about everything from QAnon to 9/11 and COVID-19. Running in the deeply conservative Spokane Valley, Chase walked away with 62 percent of the vote.

The spirit of Shea also lives on in Rep. Jenny Graham, a Spokane-area state rep who responded to an Inlander story about her unwittingly sharing links to conspiracy-theory sites by calling the reporter a “c--sucker” and a “lying piece of shit,” falsely claiming she’d been misquoted and threatening legal action. Graham’s profane voicemail received national attention, yet she went on to win her race by more than 8 points.

And the spirit of Shea lives on in Rep. Robert Sutherland, a Snohomish-area Republican who recently called on his followers to “prepare for war,” claiming in Facebook comments that while America was “being destroyed by evildoers,” “good and decent people” would go to war to defend life and liberty.

The spirit of Trump lives on too, naturally. Even though Republican Loren Culp suffered the biggest defeat for a Washington state Republican gubernatorial candidate in 20 years, he refused to admit he lost.

Instead, Culp cried voter fraud, sued Washington state’s Republican secretary of state and claimed that the election itself was illegal.

It puts Republican leaders across the nation in a bind: How does the Republican Party move on from candidates like Trump and Culp, when they won’t even admit they lost? (DW)

IN THE MIDDLE OF A PANDEMIC, SPOKANE’S HEALTH OFFICER IS FIRED

Startling many in the community in late October, Spokane Regional Health District administrator Amelia Clark moved to fire Dr. Bob Lutz, the district’s health officer, after the two butted heads. Clark insisted Lutz was insubordinate, including when he co-signed an op-ed saying not to return to in-person school too soon, and when he emailed local lawmakers a study about reducing child death risks from guns. Lutz insisted his public communications were part of his role as health officer and noted that he’d asked for mediation between him and Clark this summer when multiple issues between them came to light, but it was not provided.

In fact, on Oct. 29, Clark didn’t put Lutz on a disciplinary plan with human resources, as members of the board of health had expected. Instead, when Lutz refused to apologize, Clark says she decided to immediately fire him, demanding his resignation and signature on a nondisclosure form if he wanted to receive severance pay.

She also took his keys and barred him from his office.

But only the health board can actually fire the health officer or administrator. So by Nov. 5, the health board held a special meeting to allow both parties to air their grievances before a majority decided to fire Lutz.

Questions still remain over the firing, which many have pointed to as potentially politically motivated. Many wondered if disagreements over shutdown measures played a role in the decision, as health officers around the country have faced criticism and even threats for their roles during the pandemic.

Spokane County Commissioner Al French, who sits

on the health board, strongly pushed to oust Lutz and replace him with Dr. Francisco Velazquez, whom French nominated to fill the interim role. French was an early advocate of reopening the county as fast as possible.

Clark’s actions — i.e., firing Lutz without the authority to do so — are now under investigation by the state Board of Health. (SAMANTHA WOHLFEIL)

EPIC WILDFIRES RAGED ACROSS THE NORTHWEST

It almost seemed like Washington might escape another devastating wildfire season, with few large fires sparked throughout the summer.

But then came Labor Day, and the landscape throughout the Pacific Northwest lit up like a tinderbox. More than 5 million acres burned across Oregon, California and Washington in the weeks following. In just 72 hours, Washington saw more than 600,000 acres burn, more than half the previous record for an entire year, set in 2015.

Matthew Graham lost his house in the Malden wildfire.

WILSON CRISCIONE PHOTO

In Oregon, towns were devastated and nearly a dozen died as their escape routes were blocked by flames and downed trees. In central Washington, a couple trying to outrun the massive Cold Springs fire on foot were badly burned and their baby boy was killed.

The tiny Whitman County communities of Malden and Pine City were nearly wiped off the map, with nearly every home and city destroyed by flames in just hours.

Yet fire and forestry experts say we know what needs to be done to prevent this in the future. Aside from taking climate change and hotter, drier seasons into account, the area around homes and towns can be landscaped with native and water-heavy plants to discourage fire from getting too close; some also prescribed burning and thinning of forests to help.

Most of all, while fire suppression is absolutely needed, in some cases, it may help to simply let more of the forest burn, as fire has been a natural part of Northwestern forest ecology for ages.

“I don’t think there’s a future without fire and smoke, and as a matter of fact I think we’ll have more of this,” says John Bailey, professor of forest engineering, resources and management at Oregon State University. “For me, it’s clear the choice is to manage our fuels. ... Because the areas that burned this year will burn again.” (SW)

THE LARGEST PROTEST MOVEMENT IN U.S. HISTORY GAINS STRENGTH

Last spring, the nation took to the streets to mourn and protest the police death of George Floyd, a Black man who was killed on May 25 after white Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds. Floyd was being arrested on suspicion of using counterfeit money at a convenience store.

As they have following other outrageous deaths, protests erupted around the country calling for massive

overhauls to criminal justice and policing systems that disproportionately kill and target people of color.

By May 31, the first protest was set for Spokane.

Hundreds gathered in Spokane’s Riverfront Park, as speakers shared local stories of racial profiling. Officers who’d been standing in normal uniforms across the street quickly put on riot gear after one man started acting erratically, but things remained peaceful for hours.

Even as protesters marched to the Spokane County Courthouse and got right in the faces of officers in full helmets and riot gear, no physical clash happened between officers and protesters that afternoon.

However, shortly after things appeared to fizzle out at the courthouse, a small group of people went downtown, where some broke into the Nike store and began looting. From that point on, Spokane police determined that anyone remaining downtown would be treated as a rioter. Whether they be teenagers raising their hands and shouting “hands up, don’t shoot” or young adults sitting crisscross in the street, those attempting to continue to protest faced hours of tear gas, flash bangs, foam bullets and rubber dispersal rounds meant to be fired at the street to scare people off. A city curfew was implemented, and a dozen arrests were made.

Over the following week, protesters gathered nightly at the Red Wagon, before another peaceful protest took place in the park the next weekend. Again, things were peaceful, and this time, rather than confront the crowd in riot gear, police hung back and opted not to engage.

However, a helicopter did swoop the crowd when a small group eventually made its way to the courthouse, where a line of heavily equipped National Guard members and Washington state troopers stood behind barricades.

No tear gas or other less lethal crowd control was used that night, but the community conversation continued as people demanded justice not just for Floyd but for local people of color who’ve disproportionately faced uses of force from regional law enforcement. (SW)

SCHOOLS FACED AN IMPOSSIBLE CHOICE: TO CLOSE OR REOPEN?

By Friday, March 13, with the virus spreading and dozens dead from COVID-19, Gov. Jay Inslee was trying to do what he could to “get ahead of this wave” that was coming. So he made an announcement: For at least six weeks, schools would close.

Meal distribution at a Spokane school.

YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

The school closure would end up lasting much longer than those six weeks — both in Washington and in schools across the country. And it proved to be perhaps the single biggest disruption to daily life for young people and their families during the pandemic.

The school shutdown lasted through the end of the school year, and during that time teachers struggled to teach students remotely. They weren’t always successful.

Some students didn’t have an internet connection and couldn’t be reached at all. Others were more worried about their next meal than trying to navigate virtual learning.

Come summertime, schools faced an impossible choice: Open in the midst of a pandemic, and risk putting students, teachers and families at further risk. Or keep doing distance learning, knowing many students will fall further behind.

Under the recommendation of the Spokane Regional Health District, Spokane Public Schools started schools remotely. Others flouted the recommendation, like Mead, and began with a hybrid model. In Coeur d’Alene, schools went to full-time in-person instruction.

For the schools that opened for in-person instruction, it was a bit of an experiment as to how the virus could spread in schools. The schools that did hold in-person classes had students and teachers test positive, to be sure.

But in most cases locally, the virus wasn’t spreading inside school buildings. A major obstacle, however, was that close contacts of positive cases had to quarantine — in Coeur d’Alene, that resulted in hundreds of students in a school having to go back home, though many weren’t sick.

Yet as the data piled up, health experts began to believe that school classrooms could be relatively safe, as long as proper precautions were in place. This was true for universities, too. Whitworth and Gonzaga, for example, both opened in-person classes and didn’t have any major outbreaks. Yet Washington State University had a major outbreak in Pullman despite most classes being held online. That was because students moved back to Pullman anyway, and held social gatherings where the virus spread.

Ultimately, the community spread remains a problem today. Gov. Inslee has recommended that K-5 students return to in-person school, but districts like Spokane Public Schools remain cautious. That’s partly because with a surge in cases locally, more students will be in classes with the potential to spread COVID. As a new year arrives, and a vaccine is slowly rolled out, schools should start opening up slowly as well. But by that point, some students may have been held away from school buildings for nearly a year. (WILSON CRISCIONE)

THE REGION GRAPPLED WITH SHELTERING THE HOMELESS

The year began with Nadine Woodward, the former local TV anchor, starting her first term as Spokane’s mayor following a campaign that focused on a tougher approach to homelessness.

Quickly, the pandemic brought with it new challenges on addressing homelessness in Spokane. With so many people crammed into a tight space, homeless shelters theoretically presented COVID-19 with a perfect place for a superspreader event. And that fear set into motion a series of events that upended the way Spokane’s shelter system would look.

The city was already short on bed spaces for people experiencing homelessness. And because of COVID-19, local shelters cut their capacity in an effort to maintain social distancing, which further reduced bed spaces.

To make up the difference, Spokane turned the downtown public library into a temporary shelter. A shelter on Cannon Street — operated then by Jewels Helping Hands — provided additional space for unhoused individuals.

When that contract ended, the Spokane Arena served as a temporary shelter over the summer. Then, Spokane County devoted federal aid to help open a shelter at 55 W. Mission, operated by Salvation Army.

There was optimism among local leaders that going into the winter, the city wouldn’t be scrambling for more bed spaces like in years past. Indeed, the shelter system

has grown since prior years, but those working with unhoused people worry that it’s still not meeting the need.

And meeting that need remains crucial to the city’s effort to direct homeless people to services. Shelter space is necessary for enforcing laws against public camping or sitting and lying on downtown sidewalks, according to a federal court ruling, but an Inlander investigation this fall found that Spokane police sometimes still cite people for those violations even when there’s no shelter space available.

In March, Daniel Siffing cleans the tent he was living in.

YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

Finally, this year ended with yet another controversy surrounding shelter space. Spokane received a grant for a new young adult shelter that came with a deadline to find one by the end of the year. But Woodward didn’t want the shelter inside city limits, causing discussions over where to put it to stall. City and regional leaders eventually landed on a plan to temporarily add those bed spaces to existing shelters while a permanent location is found. Woodward softened on her stance against the shelter being in Spokane when it was agreed that the shelter operator — not the city — would do neighborhood outreach wherever the shelter goes, says City Council President Breean Beggs. “[Woodward] feels like people blame her for having a shelter near them,” Beggs says. “She says she doesn’t have the bandwidth to deal with general unhappiness about shelters.” (WC)

THE CARES ACT STAVED OFF THE WORST — FOR A WHILE

With millions of people out of work and the economy reeling from the pandemic, the federal government made an attempt to provide some relief this spring.

The $2.2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act gave people $1,200 checks, and it gave people who lost their jobs added unemployment benefits. It also established a Paycheck Protection Program to assist businesses in paying employees.

But it didn’t always go smoothly. Unemployment agencies were overloaded, leading to long delays for some people to receive unemployment benefits. It didn’t help that fraudsters took advantage of a software vulnerability to steal $600 million from the Washington Employment Security Department.

Meanwhile, the relief may not be enough to prevent people from losing their homes. Housing advocates fear that a tsunami of evictions will occur once the state eviction moratorium ends. Locally, they’re asking Spokane County commissioners to use some of the CARES dollars they received for rental assistance.

The county, as of this writing, still has CARES money to be spent, but the deadline to spend it was extended in the new stimulus bill to the end of 2021. (WC) n

DECEMBER 30, 2020 INLANDER 11

2020 THROUGH THE LENS OF INLANDER PHOTOGRAPHER YOUNG KWAK

HEAT CHECK

Mohammad Keshtkar, a volunteer with the Spokane Regional Health District, checks Amanda Stockton’s temperature while conducting a COVID-19 screening at the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena on July 13.

12 INLANDER DECEMBER 30, 2020

SHORT WAIT

Workers conduct COVID-19 drive-thru testing at the Spokane County Fair and Expo Center on March 20.

SURPRISE ENDING

Shadle Park High School parents Christina Petit (center) and Kathy Mellstrom hand yard signs to seniors on May 8. Caps and gowns were distributed as a drive-up event as schools in the state remained closed due to the pandemic.

HEAVY MESSAGE

A sign stating “Stay home, limit travel, save lives” is displayed over I-90 near Freya Street on March 24.

TIGHT QUARTERS

The Way Out Shelter guest Jo Tabor, who has been homeless for a year and a half, speaks with the Inlander on Sept. 25.

DECEMBER 30, 2020 INLANDER 13

PHOTOS

THESE STREETS

Social-justice rallies after George Floyd’s murder were a recurring part of summer 2020.

14 INLANDER DECEMBER 30, 2020

keep washing your hands. (it's icky not to!)

DECEMBER 30, 2020 INLANDER 15

PHOTOS

MASKED UP FOR ART

Artist Amber Hoit paints a mural of Aku Aku, a character from Crash Bandicoot, at Stockwell’s Chill n Grill in Spokane Valley on Sept. 9.

PARADE PARTY

Taylor Brayton carries her 7-year-old son Owen Knight during a drive-by parade on April 29. Owen was scheduled for surgery in Seattle on May 5 to remove a benign brain tumor, and Owen’s mother Taylor Brayton organized the parade as a way for people to show support for him while maintaining social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic.

KITTY’S GOT CLAWS

7-year-old Gunner Yake plays with Henry at Kitty Cantina on June 19. All of the cats at Kitty Cantina are available for adoption through SpokAnimal.

LAST CALL

Baby Bar co-owner Patty Tully pours Townsend Red Table Wine while making a New York Sour on March 12.

VIRTUAL RUNWAY

Lita Mön-Kaine performs during a drag show that is live streamed from Globe Bar & Kitchen on Sept. 19.

16 INLANDER DECEMBER 30, 2020

SCENE SURVIVAL

Luis Mota (right) and Norman Robbins before the start of a live streamed show at Neato Burrito on Oct. 9.

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Tiar Atoigue rides a Spokane Transit Authority bus home from work at Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort Hotel on Feb. 20.

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YEAR IN REVIEW

PLEASE, NO RERUNS

This year was devastating for the arts and culture community, but there was brilliance among the wreckage

Jess Walter, left, and Emma Noyes YOUNG KWAK PHOTOS; DEREK HARRISON ILLUSTRATION

BY DAN NAILEN

L

et’s be clear: 2020 absolutely sucked. For pretty much everyone. (I gather Jeff Bezos and some other billionaires did just fine, but I digress.) And it especially sucked for the arts community, a world that operates on a shoestring even during the best of times.

We’re obviously not close to the best of times, or even so-so times.

The national response to the pandemic when it comes to arts organizations, artists and businesses dedicated to the things that make life worth living — concert halls, theaters, clubs, etc. — is an embarrassment. Anyone wanting to make the case for Americans being an uncultured mob with no regard for anything but money need look no further than how we’ve treated artists during the

18 INLANDER DECEMBER 30, 2020

pandemic. I’d love to say the state response was better, but Washington’s support in terms of CARES Act funding aimed at the arts pales compared to many states.

While other decimated sectors like retail and restaurants could at least open to some degree for much of the year, the performing arts have been shuttered since March. The Spokane Symphony pushed its entire 75th season back a year. The stages at the Bing and First Interstate Center for the Arts remain dark nine months after the first state shutdown, as do those at the Lucky You Lounge, Big Dipper, Berserk, Spokane Comedy Club and others. The Pin! closed permanently, as did local treasure the Richmond Arts Collective. If this pandemic goes on much longer, we’ll likely lose more arts venues,

and who knows how long it will take for nationally touring events like Broadway shows or pop concerts or, hell, Disney on Ice to get revved up again?

But I’m not here to simply recount the horrors of the recent past. No, I’m actually here to recognize that among the shitpile of 2020 bloomed some incredible creativity in the Inland Northwest, giving us things we’ll remember fondly long after we’ve put 2020 in the rearview.

Seriously!

Just take a look at our local literary scene. Not only did JESS WALTER’s latest novel, Spokane-set The Cold Millions, land on several year-end “best books” lists, but LEYNA KROW saw one of her short stories picked up to be made into a movie by Hollywood heavyweights

Jordan Peele and Issa Rae. EMMA NOYES’ fun-for-all-ages book Baby Speaks Salish was published in September, and CASSANDRA TATE’s Unsettled Ground arrived in the fall, offering a revealing new look at the Whitman Massacre. Not only that, but the SPOKANE LIBRARY SYSTEM and AUNTIE’S BOOKSTORE found ways to ramp up author “visits” via Zoom that included pretty cool events almost every week, including stops by Mike Birbiglia and Roxane Gay, among others.

Local theater groups obviously struggled without their planned seasons to produce, but nearly all of them pivoted to some kind of online performances. The SPOKANE CIVIC THEATRE showed old productions and produced new virtual shows, STAGE LEFT hosted monologues from community talents, and the INLAND NORTHWEST OPERA in Coeur d’Alene created “operagrams” that sent their talented performers out to sing socially distanced arias on demand. We had an operagram in my front yard over the summer, and it was amazing. And the Spokane Theater Arts Council didn’t let the pandemic slow down its work to make Spokane stages more inclusive for actors of color and other historically underrepresented groups, meeting over Zoom with veterans in the fight for making life onstage look more like the community offstage.

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Area stages remain dark heading into 2021.

YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

The visual arts had it a little better than the performing arts, with museums and galleries able to open for much of the year, with restrictions in place. The NORTHWEST MUSEUM OF ARTS AND CULTURE had a banner year, truly, with hugely popular shows dedicated to artifacts from Pompeii, Pop Art and Mount St. Helens. TERRAIN had to cancel its namesake event and summer and winter markets, but managed to support local artists via its gallery and shifting focus on online showcases. And SPOKANE ARTS offered massive support to visual artists (and everything from culinary artists to filmmakers to musicians), doling out some $645,000 in grants to individual artists, organizations, collectives and creative businesses to help them all navigate a brutal year. The region’s visual artists also helped brighten our locked-down lives, whether through new murals and public art pieces in the community, or pieces inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement that dotted downtown Spokane after the George Floyd protests in early June.

The arts and culture scene is vital to our sense of community, and that’s how we see sports in the Inlander as well. Our collective fandom leads to some of our best local events, and everything from HOOPFEST to BLOOMSDAY to the book-centric GET LIT! festival had to adapt to do events without filling the streets and salons of Spokane.

Some of the virtual events worked better than others, but it’s safe to say all of us are itching to get together again, in person, to compare notes on a new art show, to have an author visit in the flesh, to laugh at a comedian as a group or to ring in the new year with Beethoven’s Ninth and the Spokane Symphony, then hit the town.

Maybe when “normal” returns in 2021, we can appreciate all the more all the things we took for granted in 2019. As for 2020?

As my Italian grandfather would say, maybe fuhgetaboutit! n

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The Spokane Hospitality Coalition formed to help local restaurants.

YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

YEAR IN REVIEW

Ups and Downs

The region’s restaurant industry was devastated by COVID-19, but there are still bright spots to celebrate

BY CHEY SCOTT

A

s 2020 reaches a close, restaurants are in a perilous place.

The current indoor dining ban in Washington has several more days to go until Jan. 4 and a potential return to limited dine-in seating. Takeout-only sales, paired with limited outdoor seating in the heart of winter, have not been enough for the majority of local, independent eateries to make it out of the red after nine months of pandemic-hindered activity.

The list of restaurants in the Inland Northwest that permanently closed this year in connection with the pandemic is likely to grow, and already includes GENO’S PUB, PAPER & CUP, FLEUR DE SEL CREPERIE, TOMATO STREET in River Park Square (the North Side location remains open), RIVER ROCK TAPHOUSE and CHEAP SHOTS bar.

Meanwhile, dozens of local restaurants and bars

20 INLANDER DECEMBER 30, 2020

opted to close for most of the year, hoping to wait it out and reopen at full capacity when they can. Among those pressing pause are BABY BAR/NEATO BURRITO, MIZUNA, STEELHEAD BAR & GRILLE, EYVIND and SATELLITE DINER, plus many others.

While COVID-19’s bleak impact has shaken our region’s blossoming food culture to its core, signs of hope endure. Residents with the financial means continue to support favorite restaurants by ordering takeout as often as possible, buying gift cards to spend in better days to come, and taking to social media with unsolicited, heartfelt praise of the hospitality industry.

Local philanthropists and food bloggers rallied throughout the year to boost awareness of the industry’s struggles. The week of Christmas, SPOKANE QUARANTEAM founder Rick Clark announced plans to spend $40,000 donated toward his efforts to aid local restaurants.

Throughout the pandemic, Clark has been raising money during Facebook Live streams to spend at struggling restaurants, with food purchased going to area nonprofits or freely given to the public. In recent weeks, daily donation totals ranged from $2,000 to $11,000. The SPOKANE EATS food and lifestyle blog also recently raised $8,000 to distribute as tips for area restaurant staff.

Another collective effort to help prop up the industry is the SPOKANE HOSPITALITY COALITION. The recently founded group’s mission is to promote public health safety among member restaurants and share creative efforts to sustain business. BIG TABLE SPOKANE, an existing nonprofit that aids hospitality workers facing hardship, has also seen unprecedented demand in 2020 for its financial assistance, as well as mental health support. ...continued on page 22

2020 IS OVER. LET’S CELEBRATE! NEW YEAR’S DAY BRUNCH | 9AM – 3PM

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DECEMBER 30, 2020 INLANDER 21

FOOD | YEAR IN REVIEW “UPS AND DOWNS,” CONTINUED...

D

espite the stagnation and setbacks of a year beset by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Inland Northwest still saw plenty of new arrivals to the region’s dining scene.

Many of these establishments’ owners planned their openings well before the pandemic’s onset, and with construction underway and rent contracts already inked, they had no choice but to move forward. In some ways, opening during a prolonged “slow” time was actually a benefit, allowing for a gradual adjustment to the ebb and flow of restaurant operations.

Among the many openings in 2020, downtown Spokane saw the arrival of several anticipated new spots that have received much acclaim. On downtown’s west end, MAGNOLIA AMERICAN BRASSERIE inside the newly restored historic Hotel Indigo had its debut in late summer. With a kitchen under the direction of chef Steven Jensen, Magnolia offers a fresh, French-inpired take on upscale yet approachable dining.

A few blocks west, BRICK WEST BREWING opened its doors pre-pandemic in early January, offering pub snacks and a wide variety of craft beer. Next door, WATTS 1903 SPIRITS & EATERY also launched just before COVID-19 hit; it’s owned by the folks behind Saranac Public House on downtown’s east end.

WOODEN CITY SPOKANE is another newcomer to the downtown core. Opening in late summer, the eatery has a sister location in Tacoma. Chef and co-owner Jon Green brings experience at two Michelinstarred restaurants, Gramercy Tavern and French Laundry.

Pets and food may seem like a chaotic pairing, but Spokane saw the 2020 debut of not one, but two places

Feast World Kitchen’s Ross Carper and Maisa Abudayha. that serve food and house adoptable animals. SPOKANE KITTY CANTINA opened midyear, offering coffee and cafe-style eats with a separate onsite room of adoptable cats and kittens that guests can socialize with.

A similar spot called BARK, A RESCUE PUB, arrived in early fall, offering a full-service pub-style menu and separate areas to house and care for adoptable dogs and cats of the Spokane Humane Society.

In North Idaho, an area with much looser restrictions for restaurants during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Southern-inspired IZZY’S COMFORT KITCHEN in Coeur d’Alene and Post Falls’ authentic INDIA HOUSE are two notable 2020 openings.

More noteworthy debuts from the year include the refugee-supporting nonprofit FEAST WORLD KITCHEN, bakery and cheese shop RIND &

Vanessa Swenson DESIGN & ILLUSTRATION

Jiemei Lin DESIGN & ILLUSTRATION

22 INLANDER DECEMBER 30, 2020

WHEAT, Garland’s seasonal ramen and pho kitchen LITTLE NOODLE, the Hillyard-based MARKET STREET PIZZA, and downtown teahouse REVIVAL TEA COMPANY. Even more new arrivals or expansions announced in 2020 remain on the horizon. CASCADIA PUBLIC HOUSE in Five Mile is growing with a second location in the Logan neighborhood near Gonzaga. Spokane’s first New Orleans-inspired eatery, VIEUX CARRE, is moving into a historic West Central building, and a downtown location of Seattle restaurateur Ethan Stowell’s pasta concept TAVOLATA is on the way.

There were lots more highlights and lowlights throughout this rocky past year. Here’s to hoping our current situation turns the corner in 2021 for the sake of all: local restaurant owners, their employees and supporters. n

HIRE A LOCAL ARTISTS MAKE OUR COMMUNITY AND LIVES BETTER.

Joshua Thomas LEJIT DESIGNS

YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

Visit spokanearts.org/artists to find a full roster of working musicians, designers, visual artists, photographers and more for all your special projects, virtual lessons and unique creative needs.

Our New Year’s resolution: to never speak of 2020 again.

Happy New Year from STCU!

Here for good.™ (509) 326.1954 | stcu.org

DECEMBER 30, 2020 INLANDER 23

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

BLAKE BRALEY

Keep the Music Playing New Year's Eve is synonymous with celebration, especially at a time when we’re hoping that the coming year is going to be better than the last. But the very circumstances that made 2020 such a slog will keep festivities muted as the clock strikes midnight. The music venues that would be filled any other year will remain closed until COVID-19 is under control.

Spokane-based soul singer Blake Braley has been lamenting the absence of live music as much as anyone.

Under normal circumstances, he would almost certainly be entertaining audiences as they rang in the new year. Live performances like that are both a source of income and a creative outlet for him.

“I, as well as every member of my band, we’re all super hardworking musicians,” says Braley. “We gig a lot to make ends meet. For instance, in normal times, I’m usually down at

Zola one or two nights a week and playing somewhere else the other two or three. Most of my income is supplemented through the music and live shows.”

That’s prompted musicians like Braley to lean a little harder on selling merchandise. He recently added T-shirts and stickers to his website’s merch corner, and he’s been doing what he can to spread the word about the self-titled EP he released near the start of the pandemic. However, the loss of his biggest promotional tool — live gigs — makes it harder, and streaming services like Spotify or Apple Music are no substitute.

“The streaming services just aren’t paying artists the money they deserve. As much as I’m going to continue making music, and I feel like I’m speaking for a lot of artists when I say this, you don’t make much money off of that unless you’re getting millions of streams. And even then, it’s ridiculously low

BACK TO BUSINESS Partner Organizations 24 INLANDER DECEMBER 30, 2020

SPONSORED CONTENT

for what it should be.”

Fortunately, Braley himself has been able to fall back on a “side hustle day job” in retail. But he acknowledges that many musicians don’t have that luxury during public health closures, particularly in artist-friendly industries like food service.

To help keep the music playing despite darkened venues, this year STCU has created short holiday music videos featuring local artists. One showcases Braley in Riverfront Park singing a cover of the perennial holiday hit “Merry Christmas Baby.”

“Like the videos say, we wanted to give everyone a moment of cheer, just a break from the craziness,” says Ryan Throckmorton, creative services officer at STCU. The credit union also worked with Serie Dos (singing “Feliz Navidad”) out of the Tri-Cities and The Powers (“Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”) out of North Idaho.

“Obviously, live entertainment has been hit really hard, and we just wanted to get some happiness out there and give some musicians a chance to play,” Throckmorton says. “It’s a small gesture, but if we can get the word out about these artists and get them some more fans, maybe that will help them a little bit.”

For Braley, the 30 seconds of publicity through STCU is a welcome bonus. He hopes that it reminds listeners to find ways to support their favorite artists, to seek out new music and to share the songs they love with others.

“Right now, buying merch is huge — buying hard copies, buying digital downloads off Bandcamp, as well as just sharing music, talking about it with your friends. The best promotion we have is having a loyal fan base that is passionate about the music and wants other people to know about it.”

Doing any or all of those things will help to ensure that local musicians and bands are ready to retake the stage as soon as it’s safe to do so. As Braley says, “It’s important to stay optimistic. There’s going to be a time when we can dance again until 2 am.” ◆ You can listen to Blake Braley’s music or purchase merchandise online at blakebraley.com. STCU’s “A Moment of Cheer” spots and other videos can be viewed for free on its YouTube channel @STCUOnlineMedia.

To donate and lend your support to independent music venues, visit the Keep Music Live website at keepmusiclivewa.com.

heated igloo, November-February (3-8 pm). 598-4300, 333 W. Spokane Falls Blvd., davenporthotelcollection.com

NO NAANSENSE NORTH SPOKANE We bring authentic Indian flavors to your front door! Our menu consists of family recipes for traditional Indian dishes and curries. We also have weekly specials highlighting our unique Indian food fusions, like our popular NAAN pizzas!

Currently, No NAANsense is doing dinner deliveries for the greater Spokane area Monday thru Friday evenings. 381-8589, 4750 N. Division St., nonaansensespokane.com

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EAGLES ICE ARENA NORTH SPOKANE When you think of ice skating, you think of the Olympics! Whether it’s U.S. vs. Canada playing hockey or figure skaters showing their grace on the ice. We are an ice skating rink that hosts youth hockey, figure skating, the Spokane Braves and adult leagues.

We have daily public skating sessions.

When open, we follow strict protocols to keep everyone safe. We limit the number of people on the ice to levels even lower than the mandates. We have frequent disinfecting in place. 489-9303, 6321 N. Addison St., eaglesicearena.com

FERY'S CATERING DOWNTOWN We are a catering company with a takeout storefront, so our menu changes daily, with the exception of our flagship items, which are always available. Our cuisine includes Mediterranean, Middle Eastern and American. Whether it’s lunch or dinner for one or 10 (or more in non-COVID times!), we are happy to help! Customers are encouraged to order by phone and pay ahead, and we deliver the food to their car when they pull up for minimal contact and no wait times.

458-5234, 421 S. Cowley St., feryscatering. com

FIRST INTERSTATE CENTER FOR THE ARTS DOWNTOWN A legacy from Spokane’s World Fair in 1974, the First Interstate Center for the Arts has hosted everyone from Jerry Seinfeld to The Lion King. The elegant 2,609-seat First Interstate Center for the Arts is the premier performing arts and entertainment venue in the Spokane region and has been hard at work making safety upgrades and enhancing every aspect of operations to ensure the utmost well-being of our guests. We can’t wait to welcome you back! 279-7000, 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd., firstinterstatecenter. org

THE GRAND TERRACE DOWNTOWN Perched atop the Davenport Grand Restaurant & Lounge sits the Grand Terrace – an outdoor oasis where we invite you to enjoy small-bite appetizers with a refreshing cocktail, frozen drink, wine or ice cold beer amidst tranquil breezes and Riverfront Park views. Multiple gas fire-pit tables keep guests comfortable. During the winter months, six igloos are added for the ultimate winter experience. Enjoy cocktails and charcuterie boards from inside your see-through,

AIRWAY HEIGHTS Spokane’s premier destination for Vegasstyle casino gaming with world-class hotel rooms and suites, a luxury spa, over a dozen restaurants and lounges, and bigname entertainment. 871-6772, 100 N. Hayford Rd., northernquest.com

O'DOHERTY'S IRISH GRILLE DOWNTOWN Spokane’s favorite Irish Pub, featuring Fish & Chips, Corned Beef and Cabbage, Irish Stew and our famous Hooligan & Hannigan Reuben style sandwich! Sing a song and put your dollar on the wall to join 30 years of tradition. Locals and visitors alike continue to vote this restaurant one of the friendliest places in our city. Open for patio dining and takeout. 747-0322, 525 W. Spokane Falls Blvd., odohertyspub.com

RIND AND WHEAT DOWNTOWN Rind and Wheat is your go-to for a great food experience. Artisan breads, handcrafted pastries and specialty cheeses, and all under one roof! Come in and let us curate a pastry or cheese box, grab a loaf of bread and it’ll turn any meal into a memorable experience. Our shop has no seating. We hope to curate an experience for you that isn’t meant to enjoy within our walls, but to take with you wherever you may go. 596-9900, 1516 W. Riverside Ave., rindandwheat.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.

Fresh sheet deals • specials • updates OVER THE MOON RELICS LLC SPOKANE [ NORTH ] Monday & Tuesday is by appointment.

Contact Over The Moon Relics at 509-9904325. We also participate in the Garland District’s Shop Small Business Saturdays.

604 W Garland Ave

SPOKANE PUBLIC RADIO SPOKANE [ DOWNTOWN ] SPR provides high-quality informational, educational, and artistic programming to 750 communities across 20,000 square miles of the Inland NW 1229 North Monroe Street

SPOKANE PUBLIC LIBRARY SPOKANE [ DOWNTOWN ] Aims to inspire a city through cultural and educational opportunities. An award-winning library that spans six branches, circulating 2 million items 906 West Main Avenue

DANCE CENTER OF SPOKANE SPOKANE [ SOUTH ] We offer a diverse range of styles: Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Contemporary, Lyrical, Hiphop, Modern, Tumbling and more. We are a licensed Silver Swans Studio 1407 East 57th Avenue

VALLEYFEST SPOKANE VALLEY Valleyfest, a 501(c)(3) organization, produces community driven, safe, family oriented, visually dramatic festivals in Spokane Valley, WA. 10814 East Broadway Avenue

FAILSAFE FOR LIFE MEAD FailSafe for Life is driven by a firm belief in the power of understanding, and the knowledge that the pain that surrounds suicide can be treated.

15615 North Meadowglen Court

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 30, 2020 INLANDER 25

Fresh sheet deals • specials • updates BELLA COVA ENTERPRISES LLC

SCRATCH KITCHEN & LOUNGE

SPOKANE [ SOUTH ] Today, we are still dedicated to nurturing and empowering young families with high quality early childhood education and parenting resources!

3324 South Grand Boulevard

SPOKANE [ DOWNTOWN ] We utilize the freshest, organic and locally sourced ingredients to prepare unique and tantalizing meals that changes with the seasons.

1007 West 1st Avenue

CYT SPOKANE

SLICK ROCK BURRITO

SPOKANE [ EAST ] CYT Spokane is a non-profit theater arts training organization that focuses on developing character and creativity in kids of all ages through theater 301 East Main Avenue

SPOKANE [ SOUTH ] Serving Spokane for over 20 years. We make everything from scratch daily using only the finest ingredients. Stop in for takeout.

2926 South Grand Boulevard

TRACKSIDE STUDIO CERAMIC ART GALLERY

YAYA BREWING COMPANY

SPOKANE [ DOWNTOWN ] Trackside Studio Ceramic Art Gallery, is both a working ceramic studio and an elegant sales gallery featuring monthly ceramic exhibits.

115 South Adams Street

SPOKANE ART SCHOOL SPOKANE [ NORTH ] We’ve helped thousands of Spokane children and adults become more creative and innovative thinkers by gaining skills to involve themselves visually 811 West Garland Avenue

ZEPHYR LODGE LIBERTY LAKE With sleeping accommodations for up to 60, and multiple gathering spaces – the lodge is the perfect setting for events of any size when allowed.

1900 South Zephyr Road

KSPS PBS SPOKANE [ SOUTH ] We have provided a “virtual venue” for “live” performances by local artists though a new program called Inland Sessions. The performances air FREE! 3911 South Regal Street

DINARDI'S PIZZA & PASTA SPOKANE [ DOWNTOWN ] We serve delicious New York style pizza and Italian pastas, check out our website for take-out and more!

829 East Boone Avenue

SPOKANE VALLEY Two brothers as passionate about the community in which we live as we are about the beer we produce. Plenty of rotating beers so look on the website!

11712 East Montgomery Drive

SYDNEY SWEENEY IN AMAZON'S NOCTURNE

THE MIX SALON & DAY SPA SPOKANE VALLEY Elevated experience coupled with a staycation like atmosphere! Our skilled professionals pride themselves with keeping you looking & feeling your BEST 11205 East Dishman-Mica Frontage Road

MAIN MARKET CO-OP SPOKANE [ DOWNTOWN ] Exists to nourish the greater Spokane community. We do this by contributing to a healthier & more resilient Inland NW, one bite at a time.

44 West Main Avenue

CHOCOLATE APOTHECARY SPOKANE VALLEY Gourmet chocolate, caramels, gelato, coffee, and tea. Bean to Bar Chocolate made in store. Stop in and find your chocolate prescription!

11425 East Trent Avenue

DECORUM GIFTS SPOKANE [ DOWNTOWN ] From the humorous to the heartfelt we have the perfect gift for any occasion . We also carry a wide selection of cards!

126 North Washington Street

Help from Hollywood

Spokane native Sydney Sweeney is just 23, yet she’s been working as an actress since 2009; now, with a number of high-profile roles to her credit, she’s clearly on the path to stardom. To help restaurants and the homeless in her hometown, she recently donated $12,000.

“I’ve been seeing the struggles my hometown has been going through and how hard this crisis has been affecting families, homeless and the restaurants,” Sweeney told KXLY. “I wanted to do something to spread love and kindness for those in need.”

In partnership with the City of Spokane, Spokane County, US Foods, Visit Spokane and Washington Hospitality Association, Sweeney and the team provided funding to 12 Spokane area restaurants to deliver to a different shelter in the 12 days leading to Christmas.

Restaurants tapped to help include the Italian Kitchen, 24 Taps and Frank’s Diner.

Born and raised in Spokane, where she attended St. George’s, Sweeney and her family moved to Los Angeles to pursue her acting career. She has since appeared in The Handmaid’s Tale, Sharp Objects and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, also sharing the screen with the likes of Zendaya, Amy Adams, Andrew Garfield and Halsey.

And her effort in her hometown has been contagious, inspiring LifeWise Health Plan of Washington, Washington Trust Bank and Spokane County to each match her donation, extending the program beyond the holidays and through February.

“By helping each other,” Sweeney says, “we can get through these trying times together.” ◆

MORE FRESH SHEET follow up-to-date info at btb.inlander.com 26 INLANDER DECEMBER 30, 2020

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YEAR IN REVIEW

Cinematic Superlatives Our picks for the best films of 2020

BY NATHAN WEINBENDER

I

n the final moments of 2020, it’s time to bid adieu to a year full of shocking twists. Theaters around the world have closed, reopened and then closed again. Hollywood has either postponed its biggest titles or relegated them to streaming platforms in unprecedented marketing maneuvers.

But good movies were somehow still abundant in this otherwise cursed year — you just had to hunt a little harder for them. Looking at the 10 titles I plucked from my master list, I see a lot of smaller, less mainstream movies that messed around with form, obliterated convention and took wild swings with their tones and styles.

Here are my favorites of the year.

lot of emotional truth in the overheard flirtations, confrontations and heart-to-hearts between its lost souls.

For rent on Amazon Prime, YouTube and Google Play.

True to its title, this Icelandic film is chilly and shrouded in fog, plunging us into the mental deterioration of an off-duty cop when he discovers his late wife was unfaithful. Part wounded revenge thriller, part meditation on masculinity and grief, its moments of pummeling violence are interspersed with unnerving stillness, and it’s all driven by a commanding, sinewy performance from Ingvar Sigurdsson. For rent on Amazon Prime.

It sounds like the stuff of after-school specials — a teenager from small-town Pennsylvania travels to the big city to get an abortion — but Eliza Hittman’s terrific human drama is about so much more than hotbutton issues. It’s about friendship, income inequality and the imminent threat of predatory men, and it showcases a stunning performance from newcomer Sidney Flanigan, particularly in the quietly devastating scene that lends the film its name. Streaming on HBO Max.

10 A WHITE, WHITE DAY

9 BLOODY NOSE, EMPTY POCKETS

Unlike any other movie I’ve seen, the latest experiment from Bob and Turner Ross appears to be a verite documentary about barflies eulogizing a shuttering Vegas watering hole. But the bar is actually a set and the patrons are actors (the booze, however, was real), and though that setup seems misleading, there’s a

8 FIRST COW

Kelly Reichardt tends to take grand historical canvases and zoom in on a single brush stroke, and in this case it’s two men — an itinerant baker and a Chinese convict — who attempt to settle in the Oregon territory of the mid-1800s and are eventually undone by a capitalist monopoly. It’s told with the gentleness and restraint of a fable, all while puncturing the mythos of the American Western in heartbreaking ways. Streaming on Showtime.

7 NEVER RARELY SOMETIMES ALWAYS

6 DA 5 BLOODS

Spike Lee has never been a disciplined filmmaker, a trait that has produced as many masterpieces as messes. In the case of this Vietnam epic about aging Black vets returning to the jungles that took so much from them, his unruliness is in keeping with

the turbulent history of our country. It’s a sweeping, satirical American patchwork about institutional racism, political division, false memory, PTSD and the glorification of violence, and at the heart of it is old pro Delroy Lindo giving the performance of the year.

Streaming on Netflix.

5 I’M THINKING OF ENDING THINGS

I’m sure Charlie Kaufman’s latest brain teaser will be on just as many worst-of lists, which is probably how it should be. And how to even describe it?

It’s droll, creepy, unsettling, maddening and very, very sad, and it continues Kaufman’s ongoing fascination with decay and death, with dispossessed and romantically spurned men, and with the notion of being so consumed by art — film, literature, theater, dance — that it becomes indistinguishable from your own memories. Streaming on Netflix.

4 SOUND OF METAL

Riz Ahmed stars as a noise-rock drummer who loses his hearing, and then finds benevolence in a sober living facility where he learns to live as a deaf person. With its engrossing sound design, the film captures the frustration, panic and confusion that would no doubt come from the world abruptly going silent. But what surprised me most about director Darius Marder’s narrative debut is how empathetic and life affirming it ultimately is, how many rich supporting characters it contains, and how many cliches it dodges in its depiction of a person accepting their disability. Streaming on Amazon Prime. ...continued on next page

Riz Ahmed in Sound of Metal

DECEMBER 30, 2020 INLANDER 27

FILM | YEAR IN REVIEW “CINEMATIC SUPERLATIVES,” CONTINUED...

3 AMERICAN UTOPIA What can you give this week?

A testament to the healing salve that is live music, this concert film of David Byrne’s recent Broadway residency is a perpetual motion machine of joy, and it’s a shame most of us will never see it on the big screen. Byrne and his band — barefoot, dressed in matching suits, carrying their instruments with them — cover every inch of the stage, performing a conceptual set full of lesser-known songs and well-worn classics. This the second film on my list directed by Spike Lee, and his treatment of the Janelle Monae cover “Hell You Talmbout” is the most breathtaking individual sequence of 2020. Streaming on HBO Max.

SUPPORT NEEDED MEMBERS WANTED - WOMEN HELPING WOMEN FUND Women Helping Women Fund is excited to launch a giving community that will allow you to magnify your impact and take an active role in local philanthropy while improving the lives of women and children locally. Collective giving is a rapidly growing, philanthropic movement that empowers you to give together and strengthen our community. Learn more about individual, group or young philanthropist memberships online. whwfspokane.org/give-together

DONATIONS NEEDED - NEW HOPE RESOURCE CENTER New Hope Resource Center is seeking donations to help north Spokane County low-income families and senior citizens with rent, utilities, toiletries, emergency food and more. They also are collecting warm winter socks for their clients as well as 30 houseless adults staying in a warming center. Donations can be mailed to or dropped off at 4211 E Colbert Rd, Colbert, WA 99005, Tues & Thurs 9:30am -1:30pm.

Donations can also be made online.

Newhoperesource.org

DONATIONS WANTED - SECOND HARVEST Second Harvest is facing an unprecedented demand for food. This holiday season, Bank of America will TRIPLE your gift with a matching gift up to $75,000.

Please be as generous as you can to bring food and hope to families facing hunger. Donate online today.

2-harvest.org/donate

2 PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE

Though technically a 2019 release, Céline Sciamma’s seaside romance didn’t open in most parts of the U.S. until the first few months of 2020, so I’m including it here. (Besides, linear time barely exists anymore.) It’s one of the most ravishing films of recent years, about the clandestine love affair between two women — a nobleman’s fiancee and the artist commissioned to covertly paint her portrait — who are isolated both by society’s strictures and the windswept landscape that dwarfs them. Sciamma is one of contemporary cinema’s foremost purveyors of the female gaze, and here she applies it to a story of the emotional context that goes into a work of art. Streaming on Hulu.

WISH LIST ITEMS NEEDED Spokane HOPE (Hearing Oral Program of Excellence) has a mission of helping children who are deaf or hard of hearing reach their full potential. HOPE partners with parents and provides highly specialized education and therapy. To assist in its work, HOPE needs the following items from its wish list: • New printer for classroom • Printer ink cartridges • Laminating sheets 8½ x 11 - 3 mil • Lysol disinfecting spray • Lysol disinfecting wipes • Baby hand wipes • Speech language kits There are several Speech-Language Assessment kits needed for the 2021 preschool sessions. If you are interested in learning more, feel free to contact Kim Schafer, development director at 509-863-7097 or kim@spokanehope.org.

Donations can be dropped off at HOPE, 502 E. Fifth Ave., Spokane.

Inlander.com/giveGUIDE2020

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28 INLANDER DECEMBER 30, 2020

1 DICK JOHNSON IS DEAD

2020 had one of the strongest rosters of nonfiction films in recent memory, many of which cheekily blurred the line between reality and fantasy. The best of the lot: Dick Johnson Is Dead, a tender, funny, surreal and ultimately remarkable work in which director Kirsten Johnson points her camera at her own father, a retired psychologist, as he succumbs to dementia. By documenting him, Johnson wonders if she can somehow cheat his inevitable death, and she extends the metaphor in a series of increasingly outlandish fantasy scenes in which Dick is gruesomely killed and finds himself in heaven. Johnson captures at least a dozen moments — some comic, some poetic — that I won’t soon forget, including a staged funeral that had me crying and laughing simultaneously. This is not only a fascinating consideration of the ethical boundaries we might overstep in preserving a legacy, it’s one of the best movies I’ve ever seen about the weird and oftentimes contradictory ways we confront our own mortalities. And if you don’t fall in love with Dick Johnson himself, I don’t know what’s the matter with you. Streaming on Netflix. n

THE NEXT 11

The also-rans, all of which are now available to stream: And Then We Danced, a bittersweet queer love story that stirred controversy in its home country of Georgia (Amazon Prime) Mads Mikkelsen does stellar work in Another Round, Thomas Vinterberg’s offbeat consideration of intellectual means justifying destructive ends (Digital rental) Kitty Green’s The Assistant, a quotidian study of complicity and open secrets surrounding a Weinsteinesque executive (Hulu) The Portuguese genre hybrid Bacurau, a weird, wild, gory middle finger to colonialism, appropriation and subjugation (Digital rental) From Romania, Collective is a propulsive documentary about a tragic nightclub fire that reveals the corruption at the core of the country’s health care system (Digital rental) The moving doc Crip Camp, reflecting on a summertime sanctuary that spawned a disability rights movement (Netflix) The Forty-Year-Old Version, the exciting debut of writer-directorstar Radha Blank, that takes a knife to the art world’s jugular (Netflix) I’m No Longer Here, starring firsttime actors in a gritty, empathetic story of refugees, language barriers and Cumbia music (Netflix) A slow burner about emotional trauma that unwinds into a loopy, bloody sci-fi thriller, The Invisible Man reimagines a story I didn’t think needed reimagining (HBO Max) The great Ken Loach captures the current climate in Sorry We Missed You, wherein small domestic inconveniences snowball into ruin (Kanopy) I can’t forget about Steve McQueen’s Small Axe (streaming on Amazon Prime), a quintet of films about the Black experience in London that inspired a pedantic debate about whether it should count as TV or cinema. Regardless of its medium, I think its running motifs resonate most strongly when you consider its five chapters as one big, overwhelming entity, so while I’m not including it among the individual films, it deserves a shoutout. — NATHAN WEINBENDER

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YEAR IN REVIEW

SIMPLY THE BEST Folk, funk and Fiona Apple: We run down our favorite albums, old and new, of 2020

BY DAN NAILEN AND NATHAN WEINBENDER

I

f 2020 were a mixtape, it would be a little bit… well, chaotic. But eclecticism is a virtue, and considering how tumultuous the last nine months have been, hopping around between disparate genres, tones and styles was a coping mechanism unto itself.

Since most of us haven’t experienced live music since at least the spring, we’ve disappeared into albums both new and old to fill the void. And since 2020 was a weird one, we decided to do something a little bit different and cull our individual picks for the year’s best into a single list of 10 titles, with an extra hat tip to a classic artist we discovered midquarantine.

now? But in a year when so many of us resorted to comfort listening to help get through our physical and emotional lockdowns, hearing an old favorite come roaring back to life and sounding as great as ever was a true gift. The off-kilter harmonies of co-vocalists John Doe and Exene Cervenka, the rockabilly riffs of prodigal guitarist Billy Zoom, the complex rhythmic drive of DJ Bonebrake — it all comes together on songs like “Water & Wine,” “Free” and “Angel on the Road.” For an album that sounds like one of their classics, the lyrics are rooted in the Right Now. (DAN NAILEN)

FIONA APPLE

Future Nostalgia It’s fitting that, in a year as unforgiving as 2020, the best dance record in ages would be released mere weeks after dance clubs everywhere closed down. Its title is fitting, too, because Dua Lipa and her team of producers are pushing the boundaries of contemporary Top 40 by way of golden-era disco and the plastic Euro-pop of the ’90s, and even a stick in the mud like me couldn’t resist it. Future Nostalgia is an 11-song sugar rush, delivering one monster hook after another, while somehow taking the time to say something serious and cogent about the social norms of our era. (NW)

Fetch the Bolt Cutters The definitive 2020 album, the long-awaited comeback from a reclusive pop genius that grappled with timely themes of alienation and isolation and was filled with the ambient sounds of being stuck inside — weird echoes, doors slamming, floorboards creaking, dogs barking. And yet Fetch the Bolt Cutters is as lively and unruly a record as Fiona Apple has ever produced, and its central thesis is one of breaking free from captivities both literal and figurative, societal and self-imposed. The songs swoop and lunge between time signatures, cluttered with squeals and yowls and meows. The lyrics tumble out at us, as if they can’t be contained by the speakers. But as atonal and angular as it sometimes is, it invites you into its secrets the more time you spend with it, revealing perfectly accessible, deceptively catchy songcraft. “Kick me under the table all you want,” Apple taunts. “I won’t shut up.” Here’s hoping.

(NATHAN WEINBENDER)

X

ALPHABETLAND X’s latest, the first set by the band’s original lineup in 35 years, won’t win Grammys or sell millions of copies. Being commercially underappreciated is incredibly on-brand for these Los Angeles-bred punk and roots-rock legends, so why should that change

30 INLANDER DECEMBER 30, 2020

DUA LIPA

WAXAHATCHEE

Saint Cloud I’ve certainly enjoyed past albums by Katie Crutchfield, delivered under her Waxahatchee nom de plume, but none struck me as immediately with the force of Saint Cloud. It’s not because the songs got louder or more abrasive; if anything, this slice of sparse Americana is a smooth trip. Lyrically, though, she’s as expansive as ever on songs like “Ruby Falls” and “Oxbow.” Much has been made of Crutchfield getting sober before this album — in that sense, it reminds me of Jason Isbell’s Southeastern — and Saint Cloud is the sound of an already fine artist finding new purpose and clarity. It’s her best work to date. (DN) ...continued on page 32

DECEMBER 30, 2020 INLANDER 31

MUSIC | YEAR IN REVIEW “SIMPLY THE BEST,” CONTINUED...

RUN THE JEWELS

RTJ4 Released when the summer’s Black Lives Matter protests had reached their fever pitch, the fourth collab between Killer Mike and El-P is boiling over with righteous anger and frustration, all while the production pushes the swirling beats and thudding bass to a breaking point. The two MCs seem to always be circling each other, their verses loaded with double entendres and sly pop culture references, and they pay tribute to their forebears by way of cameos from Greg Nice, DJ Premier and Mavis Staples. (NW)

FANTASTIC NEGRITO

Have You Lost Your Mind Yet? Seems like at least once a year I fall in love with a new (or new to me) soul project, and Fantastic Negrito’s latest release is my 2020 crush. Not that you can simply label it soul, though: This fellow sprawls into blues, rock, hip-hop, funk and R&B as well. Songs like “Chocolate Samurai” and “Justice in America” veer from stunningly sexy to politically savvy, and Negrito is a remarkably dextrous frontman on this joyful release that will make you think while you shake your ass.

(DN)

PHOEBE BRIDGERS

Punisher Phoebe Bridgers’ sophomore LP is such a grower, and one that I keep returning to because it unfolds almost like a great anthology of short stories. It has so many quirky supporting characters, clever turns of phrase and hyper specific details in it — Bridgers wandering around Elliott Smith’s old neighborhood, hanging out in the Goodwill parking lot with her brother, watching her friend eating saltines on the floor while rolling on MDMA — all of which are shoehorned ever-socasually into lush folk-adjacent ballads. (NW)

THIS YEAR I REALLY GOT INTO…

SAM COOKE

This pandemic year made me treasure new releases even more, and had me seeking comfort in old favorites. But my musical horizons expanded in unexpected directions despite my physical self being pretty much stuck inside my house, and one of those was classic soul music. I’ve always dabbled in Aretha, James Brown and the like, but this year I became obsessed with the “king of soul” Sam Cooke, and specifically the collection 30 GREATEST HITS: PORTRAIT OF A LEGEND 19511964. Cooke’s biographer Peter Guralnick called this set “a guide to Sam at his very best,” and there’s no arguing that. He had 30 Top 40 hits between 1957 and 1964 and most are included, along with some of his gospel tunes from when he led the Soul Stirrers. I’d certainly heard most of these songs — “Twistin’ the Night Away,” “Cupid,” “Bring It on Home to Me” — but listening to this entire set repeatedly through 2020 has given me an entirely new appreciation for Cooke’s voice, songwriting and serious soul.

— DAN NAILEN

BOB MOULD

Blue Hearts I didn’t expect this after Mould’s shimmering, bright 2019 release Sunshine Rock, but 2020 gave all of us ample reason to be angry. Mould embraces the rage familiar to fans of his Hüsker Dü days for Blue Hearts, a viciously loud assault on President Trump, homophobia, evangelicals, climate change deniers, etc. Some four decades into a career that’s seen him explore punk, pop, folk, even electronic music, the best Bob is still the Raging Guitar Bob, and he’s fully present on his 14th solo album. (DN)

PERFUME GENIUS

Set My Heart on Fire Immediately As Perfume Genius, Michael Hadreas has often mined queer identity and the toll of physical pain for heartbreaking beauty and introspection, and this fifth studio album is his best and most diverse collection yet. It’s an extension of Hadreas’ love of interpretive dance, and it pirouettes from the glittery dancepop of “On the Floor” to the darkly pulsating “Nothing at All” to the gentle falsetto of “Jason,” a bittersweet snapshot of a one-night stand. (NW)

LILLY HIATT

Walking Proof Hiatt’s 2017 album Trinity Lane was a revelation, the daughter of John Hiatt coming into her own as an Americana powerhouse with deeply personal songs. On her fourth album, Hiatt’s worldview and sonic approach both expand greatly, and the result is an insistent collection of songs easy to imagine her delivering in a big room as much as in a tiny dive.

Her lyrical focus expanded to include characters from around Nashville, and the songs are slathered in fiddles, pedal-steel and big rock guitars. It’s an assured next step in an exciting young career. (DN) n

32 INLANDER DECEMBER 30, 2020

THIS YEAR I REALLY GOT INTO…

EMITT RHODES

I had only a cursory knowledge of Emitt Rhodes’ work before the singer-songwriter died earlier this year, but all the rock critic retrospectives and obits inspired me to finally give a listen to THE EMITT RHODES RECORDINGS (1969-1973). And man, what a revelation. Rhodes first gained prominence as vocalist and songwriter for the chamber-pop band the Merry-Go-Round, and he later recorded a quartet of well-received but commercially ignored solo albums in the early ’70s.

The impossible demands of a contract with ABC Records reportedly inspired him to bow out of the spotlight, working mostly as an engineer before dropping one final LP in 2016, 43 years after his previous release. His impeccable pop songcraft certainly deserves more recognition, and you can draw a straight line from Rhodes to Todd Rundgren and Big Star, and on to the Bangles, Matthew Sweet and Mac DeMarco. The aforementioned Rhino collection includes all of Rhodes’ gorgeous ’70s albums, and his swan song Rainbow Ends is also available digitally.

— NATHAN WEINBENDER

COMMUNITY EXPLOSIVE END

A group of community partners is coming together to offer a big bang of an ending to what we can all probably agree is a year worth celebrating the end of — 2020. The Spokane Indians, city of Spokane, Spokane County and Spokane Public Schools are throwing four fireworks shows on New Year’s Eve, so you can pick the one most convenient for your viewing pleasure. The fireworks will happen at Avista Stadium, Ferris High School, Dwight Merkel Sports Complex and Plante’s Ferry Sports Complex, and they’ll blast off at 9 pm so the whole family can stay awake for the fun. Either watch from home or join the socially distanced drive-in party in one of the venues’ parking lots starting 90 minutes before show time. Don’t be late, because even the parking spots are spread out for safety, and they’ll fill up fast.

— DAN NAILEN 2021 New Year’s Eve Drive-In Fireworks • Thu, Dec. 31 at 9 pm • Free • Avista Stadium, Ferris High School, Dwight Merkel Sports Complex and Plante’s Ferry Sports Complex • Details at spokaneparks.org/NYEfireworks

COMMUNITY SEE YA, 2020

It’s bittersweet irony that we won’t be able to come together in person to raucously send off 2020, the worst year ever, in fitting fashion. That doesn’t mean, however, you can’t get a little bit rowdy with members of your own household this NYE. Spokane Public Library is transitioning its popular, kid-friendly “Noon Year’s Eve” celebration to the virtual sphere. This year’s event offers guided crafts and activities, along with the streaming of a special New Year’s Eve-themed episode of the long-running PBS kids show Arthur. Register at least 24 hours in advance on the library’s website to receive a Zoom link, and head there for a list of supplies you’ll need to follow along during a crafting session to make noisy water bottle shakers, pompom “poppers” and more.

— CHEY SCOTT Noon Year’s Eve! • Thu, Dec. 31 at 11:15 am • Free • Online; details at spokanelibrary.org

MUSIC RESOLUTION TO ROCK

If you’re going to miss ringing in 2021 crammed shoulder-toshoulder inside Baby Bar — an annual tradition for so many — you can still experience it this year, albeit virtually. The New Year’s Eve Time Machine is an upcoming livestream hosted by local actor and funnyman Mark Robbins from downtown’s beloved tiny bar, and the evening will feature performances by a bevy of Spokane bands — BaLonely (pictured), Fun Ladies, Pit, Big Raffle and Dark White Light — alongside artists from all over the map, including Flowers for Whores from the Czech Republic, Chicago’s Che Arthur, Austin-based Frosty Palms and more. (You can see the full lineup at nyelivestreamtimemachine.com.) The show is also a fundraising benefit for a number of arts-related organizations, including Art with Impact and the Washington Keep Music Live initiative, helping performers and venues in the era of COVID. — NATHAN WEINBENDER New Year’s Eve Time Machine livestream • Thu, Dec. 31 at 8:30 pm • $10 • Streaming at babybarneatoburrito.veeps.com

DECEMBER 30, 2020 INLANDER 33

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New Year’s Eve with the Spokane Symphony is one of the major events on the Inland Northwest’s social calendar each year. And while we can’t pack into the Fox together for a blast of Beethoven’s Ninth this year, the symphony isn’t letting the end of 2020 go by without a celebration. And the end of 2020 is definitely worth celebrating. This online show comes from what’s been a too-quiet stage at the Martin Woldson Theater at the Fox, and will include the symphony’s string section and concertmaster Mateusz Wolski performing a few classics and the horn section delivering a jazzy version of Cab Calloway’s “Minnie the Moocher.” Local celebs Cami Bradley (pictured) and Jess Walter are joining the fun, too, and there surely will be a few surprises along the way.

— DAN NAILEN New Year’s Eve with the Spokane Symphony and Friends • Fri, Dec. 31 at 4 pm; streaming until June 30, 2021 • $20, or free for health care workers and economically challenged • Online; details at spokanesymphony.org

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OUTDOORS SCENIC SKI Vols. One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six & Seven

Find them at an area grocery store near you...

Start off 2021 from great heights by spending a day on the snowy peaks of Mount Spokane to learn an ideal form of winter recreation: cross-country skiing. The Spokane Nordic Association and Spokane Parks & Rec are teaming up to offer beginner-friendly lessons for ages 13 and up. You’ll first need to sign up via Spokane Parks’ website. Each session has a max of 10 participants, but there are several sessions offered each week throughout January and into February. The class fee includes two hours of instruction from certified instructors, plus gear rental that’s good for the whole day, so you can practice on groomed trails in the park’s nordic area. You’ll also need a Sno-Park permit to visit the mountain, and after signing up, park staff will provide additional info to know before you go.

— CHEY SCOTT Cross-Country Ski Lessons at Mount Spokane • Sun, Jan. 3 and Mon, Jan. 4 from 10 am-noon; plus more dates • $53 • Mount Spokane State Park Selkirk Lodge and Nordic Area • Details at spokanerec.org

34 INLANDER DECEMBER 30, 2020

CHEERS KARMA FINALLY SHOWED UP Mr. Bacon, you made 2020 end on a high.

Thank you for bringing Karma in with the snow! Hell has frozen over and it feels so good!

I SAW YOU WOMAN! The person “loving” you is grasping and clinging to any shred of hope that you won’t come to know that argumentative PASSION(?) and CHEMISTRY(?) is “their” persuasive manipulation that has kept you offering multiple chances. Accusations and breaches of trust are the least of your problems. Be careful of that controlling theme. Abuse might be the shadow clouding your view. Look into the definitions, available at Domestic Abuse Services sites. Consider reading: “How To Be An Adult in Relationships” (Richo). “Safe People” (Cloud..?)

“Proper Care and Feeding of Relationships” (Schlessinger). Abuse, addiction, and affairs are huge, high mountains to climb, but there is a clear view on the other side. Don’t look back, at least not now. Consider this glaring reality: Is there a good reason the person loving you can’t write and mail a thoughtful letter of apology and intent and send it to you in the mail? Why such a public forum for the regret? Stick to your decision if you are on a healthy path. Stay the course. There is love that is real and honest in life. Don’t settle for bad habits. Let’s hope the person “loving” you is plea-ing from a healthier place on their own journey. Stay well.

Stay happy. Stay hope-filled for your best life.

ROCKET BAKERY PASTRY DONATION To the generous donor of the Rocket Bakery pastries to the Respiratory Therapy Department at Sacred Heart Medical Center, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!! Our morale has been in need of a little boost. We are so grateful to you and to all the other generous donors of food and other miscellaneous items/treats. Thank you for supporting us and thank you for supporting our local businesses!

ENCOURAGING WORDS “Christina, Patient Advocates’ Office and staff of Appeals-CITC of our Spokane VA

“

HAPPY 30TH BIRTHDAY To the greatest best friend a girl could ask for. I hope that your day is filled with murder mysteries and boardgames. Made with Love pop tarts and key lime pie. Corn dogs and a Sonic slushy. Overall I hope it is filled with you knowing how much I appreciate you. No matter what has happened, you’ve always been standing beside me. I can’t tell you what it means to know that you’ll always be here. We survived our 20s together, now it’s time to take on the 30s. Happy birthday Leah :) SMILE WITH YOUR EYES Cheers to the elderly couple I saw at the grocery store.

Even though you were wearing masks, I could tell you were smiling at people.

Way to spread positivity.

MEANINGFUL MERLYN’S Thank you to the man and child who asked me to take their picture at Merlyn’s with the dragon. It was so lovely to see you both

luck, support and a strong sense of community. We may not be as close and things have changed, but there is good in the world. It’s OK not to feel good though, and sometimes the best thing a human can do is just sit with another in the dark. So when you read this, please know someone is thinking about you. I wish you the best of luck.

JEERS DISCRIMINATION OF A NEW KIND To all those terrible restaurants & businesses out there that won’t take your order over the phone, shame on you.

Not everyone has or trusts the internet.

My Grandma does not have the net or a smart phone. I don’t trust the net enough to shop & pay for things on it.

I know lots of people who have been scammed. Money is money; take the money that’s offered and be grateful!!

There’s debit options for curbside pick

I know lots of people who have been scammed.

Money is money; take the money that’s offered.

Medical Center. I had a dispute with the Veterans Administration and its overwhelmingly intimidating and impersonal bureaucracy, and was about to give up dealing with it. Christina, on her own initiative, spoke with the local VA Appeals person/people and then called to tell me they had a way for me to continue my appeal, ultimately resulting in my success and the VA reimbursing — saving me over $1,000. Christina’s and the Appeals staff’s encouraging words, care for this veteran, initiative, and advocacy made all the difference. Thank you, Christina and the Appeals staff.

Thank you, Charles D. and Shane B., staff members of US Rep. C.M. Rodgers’ office, Their help in resolving my dispute with the Veterans Administration was crucial in its successful resolution.”

SOUND OFF

having such fun while being masked up and socially distant. Having such a normal interaction in these abnormal times made my whole day!

IN A HARSH WORLD To the person reading this, I feel like it’s important for you to hear this. You a beautiful person, someone worth happiness and love.

We make mistakes in our lives but that doesn’t mean we are our mistakes, we just need to learn from them. There are so many people on this planet, but not a single one of them are like you. You are important, you are worthy of love and support. You reading this, please remember that even through this hardship, you aren’t alone. I truly hope, reader, that the rest of this year and the rest of your life brings you happiness,

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

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

+

”

up or ask for numbers over the phone for delivery. How about accepting your eatery’s gift card over the phone? Think about it next time you’re crying that there aren’t many customers.

TRANSPHOBIA IN ‘RACISM AT MUSIC STORE’ JEER Being angry that your partner was treated badly by racist people is understandable. Racism is not acceptable. But “genderly confused”?

That is transphobia, and also unacceptable. Shame on you, asking for more respect while simultaneously disrespecting people.

MALDEN-PINE CITY “Dear Cathy Must Retire, I noticed you have been tapped for a very influential position. What a sick joke. Malden and Pine City burned

over a 105 days ago and FEMA has yet to respond. Your support for the current administration policies have turned our farmers into welfare queens. Our ranchers are at the mercy of huge corporate ranchers and imported beef from thousands of miles away. The head of the VA should have been fired months ago.

Over 100,000 Veterans work at the Post Office, but your vote was against these men and women who have to deal with worn out machinery and an impossible funding of their retirement 75 years in the future. Influential what a joke.”

SAIL ON, STATING THE OBVIOUS I was walking my dog on W Summit this past Sunday close to 4 pm. You, sailing by on your bike, felt the need to state the obvious, “do you know you’re walking in the middle of the road?” I could only think to answer, “yes,” but what I want to have said was so much more. Yes, I’m leaving space for the girl walking towards me on the sidewalk?

Yes, did you know there’s a pandemic on? Yes, did you know that’s none of your business? Yes, and what’s it to you? It’s a small thing, inserting yourself briefly into my life with such a comment, but it’s also so much more — an unwelcome intrusion, and questioning of my judgment when all I wanted was to be considerate. Something that you, zipping by on your bike, apparently know little of. To ameliorate my wounded pride, I just wished you negative karma... slipping a chain or hitting a pothole unexpectedly, something small like that. From one biker to another, sail on in your douche canoe, and here’s to you finding some common decency. n

THIS WEEK'S ANSWERS A C R E

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A T D A J U D O D J U E U R A N R E B A C T S O W T O H E W M R B A S C

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

Now on Inlander.com: National and international stories from the New York Times to go with the fresh, local news we deliver every day

DECEMBER 30, 2020 INLANDER 35

LEGISLATION

A Year of Growth It’s growing like a weed

BY WILL MAUPIN

T A hot commodity gets even hotter.

he cannabis industry and its supporters are among the few people who can look back on 2020 and view it in a positive light. From expanded legalization to historic, if futile, congressional votes, the year was a resounding success for cannabis. 2021 looks to pick up right where 2020 left off here in Washington.

On Dec. 10, state representatives Shelley Kloba and Drew MacEwen, a Democrat and a Republican, respectively, pre-filed a bill for the 2021 legislative session that would allow home gardeners to grow their own cannabis. Currently, that’s only allowed for medical cannabis patients. HB 1019, if passed, would expand it to recreational as well. ...continued on page 38

BE AWARE: Marijuana is legal for adults 21 and older under Washington State law (e.g., RCW 69.50, RCW 69.51A, HB0001 Initiative 502 and Senate Bill 5052). State law does not preempt federal law; possessing, using, distributing and selling marijuana remains illegal under federal law. In Washington state, consuming marijuana in public, driving while under the influence of marijuana and transporting marijuana across state lines are all illegal. Marijuana has intoxicating effects; there may be health risks associated with its consumption, and it may be habit-forming. It can also impair concentration, coordination and judgment. Do not operate a vehicle or machinery under the influence of this drug. Keep out of reach of children. For more information, consult the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board at www.liq.wa.gov.

36 INLANDER DECEMBER 30, 2020

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

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DECEMBER 30, 2020 INLANDER 37

LEGISLATION

GREEN ZONE

“A YEAR OF GROWTH,” CONTINUED...

“It is not a violation of this section, this chapter, or any other provision of Washington state law for a person twenty-one years of age or older to produce or possess no more than six plants on the premises of the housing unit occupied by the person,” a critical portion of the bill reads.

The bill would also up the limit for personal possession of cannabis from 1 to 16 ounces, bringing it in line with the current rules for medical marijuana in the state. Present recreational cannabis regulations state that possession of more than 40 grams, just under 1.5 ounces, or cultivation of any plants is considered a class C felony.

We’ve been here before, though. A few times. As recently as a year ago.

A nearly identical bill was taken up last January but did not make it out of committee. That bill, HB 1131, was actually a reintroduction of legislation initially taken up in January 2019. The state House has addressed, only to turn down, home cultivation at least once every year since 2017.

That year is significant because in 2017 the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board conducted a study on the topic of home cultivation. The LCB presented three options to the LETTERS Legislature: tight state regulaSend comments to tion, more flexible local regulaeditor@inlander.com. tion or continued prohibition.

Of the 466 public comments submitted to the LCB for the study, 347 were in favor of some form of legalized home cultivation. On the other hand, the LCB met with 16 county sheriff’s departments, and they unanimously opposed home cultivation.

Of the 15 states that have legalized recreational cannabis, only Illinois, New Jersey and Washington prohibit home grows outright. n

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STARTTALKINGNOW.ORG 38 INLANDER DECEMBER 30, 2020

RELATIONSHIPS

Advice Goddess MEET JOE SLACK

My boyfriend does everything halfway, save for playing video games and smoking weed. He does sloppy work at his job, just the minimum to get by, and is always late turning things in. He’s gotten away with this so far, maybe because he’s charismatic and fun.

In our relationship, he’ll promise me one thing and do another, and he does sneaky-lazy things like using up my shampoo but leaving the empty bottle in the shower. He’s highly intelligent and could be so much AMY ALKON better than this. Is there a way to get him to change?

—Disappointed Girlfriend Sadly, few companies have the kind of position he’d be ideal for: Vice President of Watching Porn During Business Hours.

Novelist F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote that “action is character.” The way somebody repeatedly behaves reflects the sort of person they are: for example, highly trustworthy or “better lock up the silverware — including the stainless steel!”

Psychologists boil down a person’s typical way of behaving — along with the recurring thoughts and feelings that drive it — as personality traits (for instance, extraversion). Personality traits have a hefty genetic component — maybe even 50 percent — and tend to be pretty consistent over time and in different situations. (A barfighter is a barfighter is a barfighter.)

Like classic Jolly Ranchers, personality traits come in five core “flavors,” which psychologists remember with the acronym OCEAN: Openness, Conscientiousness, Extroversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism (aka emotional stability). Each trait is actually a spectrum ranging from low to high (from very little of a trait to lots and lots of it).

Ethically elastic, lazy sociopotato behavior like your boyfriend’s reflects low conscientiousness. A person high in conscientiousness is disciplined, dependable, and organized, with strong self-control, while someone low in conscientiousness is unreliable, undisciplined, and slothful, with poor impulse control and little concern for how their multislacking affects others. They can be wonderfully spontaneous and a lot of fun — that is, until they spontaneously pawn your dog to stake themselves into high-roller poker.

Being conscientious is one of the most reliable predictors of success — in any job from CEO to dog groomer to Etsy birdhouse magnate. It’s natural to assume low conscientiousness is bad and high is good. But high conscientiousness has a number of downsides, such as buttcheek-clenching inflexibility, crippling perfectionism, and being about as spur-of-the-moment fun as a refrigerated corpse.

Additionally, evolutionary anthropologist Daniel Nettle observes that the benefits of high conscientiousness are “exaggerated” in the “artificial ecologies” of modern workplaces. “Few of our ancestors survived and reproduced by being able to stay in the same place for eight hours a day, quietly getting on with a series of pre-planned or repetitive tasks” like entering sales data into spreadsheets. For an ancestral huntergatherer, life was “a series of urgent improvisations” to manage surprising situations that constantly popped up. “It would really not be a good response, observing a passing herd of wildebeest, to say, ‘Actually Wednesday is my honey-gathering day.’”

Interestingly, research by psychologist Joanna Moutafi and her colleagues finds a relationship between high intelligence and low conscientiousness, suggesting that being brainy allows for slackadaisical behavior. People who are very smart learn that they can goof off and do work at the last minute because they’ve got the mental juice to squeak by.

Can a brainy slothlete like your boyfriend change? Maybe. But the chances of this happening simply because you ask are probably slim. Change is more likely to come through getting hit hard by some catastrophic loss, like getting canned or dumped or driving while sloshed and mowing down the neighbors.

However, you could tell your boyfriend you think he’s awesome in many ways, but you see him doing things halfway, and it makes every area of his life so much less than it could be. Paint a picture of how great things could be if he just put in a bit more effort. Assuming he doesn’t shut you down, suggest an experiment. For two weeks, he could pick a couple of things to do really well every day: one at home (maybe making the bed like they do at a nice hotel) and another at work. During the two weeks, pump him up when he follows through, and afterward, ask him how it made him feel: about himself, his job prospects, and making you feel loved.

Going back to Fitzgerald’s “action is character,” if your boyfriend feels good enough to keep up and expand the changes, you might see that action also becomes character. We can choose who we are (probably more than most of us think) by repeatedly acting like the sort of person we want to be. Accordingly, some committed slackers do finally start climbing the corporate ladder; however, others prefer to keep napping underneath. (“My spirit animal is the sinkhole!”) 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)

355 nder.com 09) 444-7 la PHONE: (5BulletinBoard@In mit Parkway E-MAIL: 1227 West Sum 1 20 N: IN PERSO Spokane, WA 99

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28. Look at creepily 31. Whole 32. Stephen of “V for Vendetta” 33. Weight-ing room?

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Down 1. One of Yellowstone’s 2.2+ million 2. Simon ____ 3. Ships’ quarters 4. “What’s your ____?” (question to a guest en route) 5. California wine region 6. Where Nemo was found in “Finding Nemo” 7. “West Side Story” heroine 8. ‘60s-’70s Mets star ____ Jones 9. Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, according to the Oxford English Dict.

10. Fraternity letter 11. Main event in “The Crucible” 12. Actress Anne of “Donnie Brasco” 13. Check out 18. Expert 19. Sullen 24. Pained cries 25. Treasured

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34. Baseball execs 37. Ginger ___ 38. ... for all you Charlotte Brontë fans 40. L.L. Bean competitor 41. High-____ monitor 42. Mr. T’s crew 43. Prank caller to Moe’s Tavern 44. From ____ Z 45. Opposite of passive 47. ... for all you Virginia Woolf fans 53. ____ sci (college course) 54. Linguine sauce 55. Feeling :-( 58. ... for all you Margaret Mitchell fans 62. Dossier letters 63. Cabinet dept. with a windmill on its seal 64. “Reservoir Dogs” character 65. Blog feed inits.

66. Grammy winner Erykah 67. Items at a haberdashery

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ACROSS 1. Judge 7. 7 1/2-hr. exam 11. First word of every “Friends” episode title 14. Stuffed mouse, maybe 15. Alan with six Emmys 16. Film character’s name whose letters appear in the surname of Daisy Ridley 17. Beverage listed in the cocktail guide “Tequila Mockingbird” for all you Jane Austen fans 20. Language suffix 21. “Blame It ___” (1984 film set in Brazil) 22. Home of Daniel K. Inouye International Airport 23. ... for all you Shakespeare fans 27. “Scram!”

29. It’s north of Afr. 30. They’re often broken before breakfast 31. Instrument with stops

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35. “____ Griffin’s Crosswords” (20072008 show) 36. Place 38. Cancún kitty 39. “What business is ____ yours?”

43. Texter’s “Oh, just remembered ...”

44. Female friend, in France

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45. Inhaler user’s malady 46. Pigeons or doves 47. Kind of test for a baby 48. Corner pieces, in chess 49. Bones next to humeri 50. Chose 51. So-called “architect of India” 52. Jokey suffix

with most 56. “What are you, some kind of ____?”

57. Discord on the far left and far right?

59. Entanglement 60. “How Easy Is That?” cookbook writer Garten 61. Pugilist’s org.

DECEMBER 30, 2020 INLANDER 39

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