Inlander 12/30/2021

DECEMBER 30, 2021 - JANUARY 5, 2022 | THE NEW YEAR HAS TO GET BETTER, RIGHT?

Spokane Valley firefighter Nikko Humphry administers the COVID-19 vaccine to Spokane Fire Department dispatcher Sara Thomas at a first responders vaccine clinic in January.

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INSIDE

Here for health and happiness in the new year.

VOL. 29, NO. 12 | COVER PHOTO: YOUNG KWAK

COMMENT NEWS COVER STORY CULTURE

5 8 14 22

FOOD SCREEN MUSIC EVENTS

27 30 32 34

I SAW YOU GREEN ZONE ADVICE GODDESS BULLETIN BOARD

36 39 42 43

EDITOR’S NOTE

I

f a picture is worth a thousand words, then you have a lot of reading to do in this final Inlander for 2021. Each year we turn over our cover story at year’s end over to photographer Young Kwak, the Inlander’s expert lensman who spends his days taking photos for all manner of Inlander stories. He covers breaking news, the arts, sports and more, always with a unique perspective and discerning eye. Delve into the YEAR IN PHOTOS (Page 14) as you get ready to launch a brand new year.

Also this week, our news team looks back at the most-read news stories on inlander.com in 2021 (Page 8), Chey Scott and Carrie Scozzaro review the year in the local food scene (Page 27), music editor Seth Sommerfeld shares his picks for the best music of the year (Page 32), and Carrie also introduces us to Spokane’s first commercial Spanish-language radio station (Page 22).

Happy New Year!

— DAN NAILEN, editor

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INLANDER

SPOKANE • EASTERN WASHINGTON • NORTH IDAHO • INLANDER.COM

1227 WEST SUMMIT PARKWAY, SPOKANE, WA 99201 PHONE: 509-325-0634 | EMAIL: INFO@INLANDER.COM THE INLANDER is a locally owned, independent newspaper founded on Oct. 20, 1993. It’s printed on newsprint that is at least 50 percent recycled; please recycle THE INLANDER after you’re done with it. One copy free per person per week; extra copies are $1 each (call x226). For ADVERTISING information, email advertising@inlander.com. To have a SUBSCRIPTION mailed to you, call x210 ($50 per year). To find one of our more than 1,000 NEWSRACKS where you can pick up a paper free every Thursday, call x226 or email frankd@inlander.com. THE INLANDER is a member of the Association of Alternative Newsmedia. All contents of this newspaper are protected by United States copyright law. © 2021, Inland Publications, Inc.

CANCER HASN’T STOPPED AND NEITHER WILL WE. Community Cancer Fund works collaboratively with existing regional cancer organizations to identify and fund gaps in services provided to cancer patients. We are committed to investing donated funds in local programs that benefit cancer patients, their families, and the Inland Northwest organizations that serve them.

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DECEMBER 30, 2021 INLANDER 3

HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS Monday, January 24 Spokane Arena

4 INLANDER DECEMBER 30, 2021

COLE SWINDELL Saturday, February 26 First Interstate Center for the Arts

TOBY MAC Sunday, February 27 Spokane Arena

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

WHAT’S THE BEST THING THAT HAPPENED TO YOU IN 2021?

JANA SMITH: I got a life-saving kidney and pancreas transplant.

J. Jeremy McGregor (x224) GENERAL MANAGER

EDITORIAL

ALEX COX: I finally feel like I know who I am and what I want in life. It’s just too bad it took so much time, wasted potential and loss for it to happen. Forgiving myself for not “getting it” for so long is going to take some time.

Dan Nailen (x239) EDITOR

Chey Scott (x225) ASSOCIATE EDITOR Derek Harrison (x248) CREATIVE DIRECTOR Wilson Criscione (x282) NEWS EDITOR

SCOTT D SMITH: I lived through it. So far, anyway.

Samantha Wohlfeil (x234) BREAKING NEWS EDITOR Daniel Walters (x263) SENIOR INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER Seth Sommerfeld (x250) MUSIC EDITOR

Carrie Scozzaro (x232) STAFF WRITER

Chris Frisella

Every week, we ask our followers on social media to share their thoughts.

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TRACY LAWSON: Visited my family in California.

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OPERATIONS Dee Ann Cook (x211) BUSINESS MANAGER Kristin Wagner (x210) ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE

TOM SANDERSON: Don’t rush it… I got a few more days for it to happen!

LILLY WALLACE: Got pregnant with my rainbow baby, due in five weeks!

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ERIC REIS: Seeing My Morning Jacket at the Riverfront Park Pavilion. Maybe the best live show I’ve ever seen at what I consider the best venue in Spokane.

MATTHEW WEAVER: Got to hug my mom, dad and brother again.

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KATE POGUE RAU: Got to celebrate my mom’s 90th birthday with her after not seeing her for almost two years! My daughter fledging and learning just how super-capable she is was also fantastic!

KAREN MOBLEY: Just one? I published a book, had an art show and made some new friends.

DEBORAH JOYNER: Getting vaccinated so I could hug my mom without being afraid of getting her sick.

CHRIS WARREN: Hip replacement surgery. Luckily was able to get it done between COVID hospital surges.

DOOLIN DALTON: My neighbors took down their campaign and pickup truck flags. Yep, not my best year. n

DECEMBER 30, 2021 INLANDER 5

COMMENT | CHARITY

Charity is not a strategy for social change.

Changing

the Way We Give Triage aid, jumping from crisis to crisis, is an understandable response, but may not be the best strategy to create lasting progress

BY JAC ARCHER

T

he holiday season is also the giving season. Charities have been holding their year-end fundraisers, clothing drives and food drives. In our malls and our parks, we found Christmas trees whose ornaments offer opportunities to provide Christmas dinner or winter clothes for children. It’s beautiful and encouraging to see so much generosity on prominent display.

It’s also short term.

If you are lucky enough to be able to donate to a worthy cause, I’m going to suggest something that may sound counterintuitive: shift your giving toward change.

Let me start by admitting that I’m not saying anything original here. What I hope to offer is not a unique take, but a simple one: Charity is not a strategy for social change and cannot solve our community’s problems.

Triage aid — what we often think of when we talk about charity — is when resources are offered to address an urgent crisis, such as children without coats, unhoused people without socks or gloves, or families without food over the holidays.

That coat, pair of socks or food delivery can

6 INLANDER DECEMBER 30, 2021

make a world of difference to the individuals who receive it. But when charity is framed as a complete strategy for healing a community, it can actually do more harm than good.

Here’s why: Charity is often rooted in convenience. The appeal to “give until it hurts,” which has gained popularity in the last few years, wouldn’t be considered edgy or revolutionary if it didn’t run counter to the common understanding that charity comes from personal excess. Instead of focusing on how we can effectively join with our neighbors to build a community that cares for everyone, the Charity Strategy tells us we can simply skim our social contribution off the top of our comfortable existence. “Here’s a few spare bucks, hope that helps. My obligation to you is now complete.”

The Charity Strategy allows us to withdraw from our neighbors and mentally insulate ourselves from the struggles of others.

A change mindset embraces the discomfort of active empathy, which comes with uncomfortable conversations, demands personal growth and requires collaboration within community.

Charity assumes money can solve our problems. Charitable giving is often framed as a one-stop strategy for “doing your part.” This mindset is reinforced when we’re encouraged to “shop” for positive outcomes. “For only $25 you can fund a family’s Christmas dinner!” “For $30 you can ensure three children have winter coats!” The immediate results are good, but triage charity doesn’t touch the systems that led to underfed families or cold children. Triage aid stops the proverbial bleeding. It doesn’t sew up the wound.

Money can’t build solidarity between community members across economic classes. It can’t write the policy needed to combat homelessness or food insecurity. It can’t be the voice of everyday people in rooms often filled with corporate interests and privileged perspectives.

Many direct service organizations also have community outreach and public policy arms. What if instead of giving a larger percentage of our earnings once a year, we offered our time and skills to help with outreach and policy work throughout the year?

A change mindset challenges us to ask ourselves how we can offer our time and talent to address the systems that create a need for charity.

Charity makes the middle and upper classes arbiters of worthiness, and forces the recipients of charity to prove they “deserve” help. Many (though not all) charities require lengthy applications to access their services, or they only offer services to people who meet very strict criteria. There are many complex reasons for this, some reasonable and practical, others arbitrary or unhelpful. Regardless, there are always going to be people who fall between the cracks of what resource gatekeepers consider “acceptable.”

“What would it mean for us to consider that lacking basic necessities is not a sign of personal failure?”

Charity requires people — usually poorer people — to justify their needs and choices, while middle- and upper-class people, who are the majority of donors and charity administrators, decide if their justifications are adequate to receive help with basic necessities like food, heat, clothing and shelter. Very rarely do those of us on the giving side of the charity equation have to submit to that level of scrutiny of our daily lives.

What would it mean for us to consider that lacking basic necessities is not a sign of personal failure or untrustworthiness, and thus access to basic necessities should not be dependent on submitting to paternalistic supervision and scrutiny? What would it mean to embrace the idea that people who struggle do not need to wear that struggle on their sleeve, perform poverty in an acceptable way, or be paragons of good judgment and virtue (as someone else defines it) to be worthy of food, shelter and clothing? And what would it mean to view those who struggle as equals and as people we should partner with to build communities where everyone’s needs are met?

Charity, as a stand-alone act, can make a positive difference in the lives of many individuals, but it is not a strategy for building a better community. To do that we have to invest in our neighbors year-round, in ways that aren’t tax deductible. We have to build relationships, we have to leverage our skills, and we have to spend our time.

This coming year, let’s start moving beyond charity to embrace a change mindset. n Jac Archer (they/them/theirs) is a local activist, organizer for the Peace and Justice Action League of Spokane, and educator in the fields of diversity, equity, civic engagement and sexuality.

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DECEMBER 30, 2021 INLANDER 7

Murder, bankruptcy, public agency woes and more, here are the most-read news stories on Inlander.com in 2021

Danielle Martini says Perrenoud Roofing caused damage to asbestos siding at her duplex this summer. Our investigation found the company regularly skips inspections. YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

BY WILSON CRISCIONE, SAMANTHA WOHLFEIL AND DANIEL WALTERS

A

t the Inlander, we don’t measure success in clicks.

Reporters are generally clueless about how many views our stories receive online, because we know stories with the most profound impact on the local community often don’t go viral.

Still, we’ll admit that sometimes at the end of the year we, like journalists everywhere, can get curious which articles did well on the web. It can be valuable as an indicator into what is most meaningful to readers. Other times, it can make a journalist cringe — “That story was the most popular? Really?”

Thankfully, Inlander readers know good journalism when they see it. None of our top news stories, those you read the most online in 2021, were clickbait throwaways.

No, this Top 10 list consists of major local news scoops, in-depth coverage of undercovered topics, and investigations into wrongdoing. It shows that, like us, you value real news. And we plan on giving that to you for years to come.

— WILSON CRISCIONE, news editor

ONE OF SPOKANE’S BIGGEST ROOFING 1CITY-MANDATED CONTRACTORS SKIPPED THE VAST MAJORITY OF ROOFING INSPECTIONS FOR OVER A DECADE — AND ALMOST NOBODY NOTICED (NOV. 4)

Perrenoud Roofing had a good word-of-mouth reputation in Spokane, as roofing companies go.

But then Spokane’s Danielle Martini, in the midst of a dispute with the roofing company over damage to her property, made the discovery: Not only had Perrenoud never scheduled the legally mandated inspections of her property, they hadn’t scheduled inspections for 1,300

8 INLANDER DECEMBER 30, 2021

other properties in Spokane either. That included roofs ranging from North Bowl to a City of Spokane Parks Department building to even a house previously owned by former Mayor David Condon. The Inlander later discovered 300 additional Spokane County properties also had never been inspected.

The City of Spokane told Martini that they plan to propose reforms to their inspection process, but two months later, no specific reforms have been proposed.

“What a shit show,” Martini says in an email. “I am pretty angry about this.”

At least her roof, a few days after the Inlander article was released, finally got inspected. (DW)

SINKING SHIP’: AS MORE STAFF FLEE, CITY OF 2 ‘ASPOKANE HAS NO HOMELESS RESPONSE TEAM (OCT. 4)

One of the biggest stories in the city of Spokane this year was the massive exodus of staffers leaving Spokane’s Community, Housing and Human Services department.

By October, the city’s entire homelessness team had resigned, retired or transferred to another department.

And former City Council President Ben Stuckart was horrified, calling for the city to scramble to hire consultants to help finish grant applications the city risked losing.

“There’s nobody there. This is not a ‘cry wolf [situation].’ This is not an exaggeration,” Stuckart told the Inlander. “Literally, our homeless dollars are at risk. Our system will collapse.”

But come the end of the year, disaster has been averted. The city hired part-time employees to help finish

the grant applications, picked a new CHHS director and tasked the city’s chief innovation & technology officer, Eric Finch, with running the Neighborhood Housing and Human Services division. And Stuckart, it turns out, is a big fan of how Finch has been running things.

“Eric Finch is a game changer,” Stuckart says. (DW)

A NATIVE AMERICAN SAYS SHE SHOT HER 3 ALLEGED RAPIST IN SELF-DEFENSE. FEDERAL PROSECUTORS CHARGED HER WITH MURDER (FEB. 25)

When Maddesyn George, a member of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, shot and killed Kristopher Graber in July 2020, she told police she was acting in self-defense. The night before, she said Graber had raped her before she left with his drugs, money and the gun that she later used to shoot him as he confronted her through a car window.

Federal prosecutors charged her with murder anyway, dismissing the self-defense claims. Months after the Inlander first detailed the case, it caught national attention from those who felt the government was unfairly going after George.

George eventually pleaded guilty to manslaughter and possession of methamphetamine and was sentenced to more than six years in prison — a far lighter sentence than prosecutors had sought. George’s mother, Jody George, told the Inlander she was relieved when she heard the sentence.

“We’re thinking she should be home by Christmas of 2025,” Jody George says. (WC) ...continued on page 10

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DECEMBER 30, 2021 INLANDER 9

NEWS | YEAR IN REVIEW

OTHER TOP STORIES

OF THE YEAR EASTERN STATE HOSPITAL DISMISSES DOMESTIC VIOLENCE BEFORE MURDER (MAY 20)

In the spring, a nurse at Eastern State Hospital was accused of murdering a coworker he was dating and stabbing her daughter nearly to death. We uncovered how the hospital ignored previous allegations of domestic violence by the nurse, and months later, top leadership at Eastern State, including the CEO, resigned over the controversy. (WC)

SPOKANE COUNTY DEPUTIES ARREST INNOCENT MAN IN BAR KILLING AS REAL KILLER WALKS FREE (JAN. 28) Spokane Regional Health District continued making headlines in 2021.

YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

“NEWS THAT MATTERS,” CONTINUED...

HEALTH DISTRICT FIRES TWO LEADERS 4 SPOKANE HEAVILY INVOLVED IN PANDEMIC RESPONSE (DEC. 6)

As the pandemic has pushed the dedicated staff of the Spokane Regional Health District to their limits, internal issues between employees and leadership continued to worsen this year, and our readers were paying attention.

In October, we reported how dozens of leaders had left the agency over the past two years. We also shared how staff who raised concerns about a potentially dangerous isolation facility were told not to list those concerns in emails. Why? Because it might show up in a public

10 INLANDER DECEMBER 30, 2021

records request and make the news. Later that month, we summarized former health officer Dr. Bob Lutz’s claim against the district demanding $1.4 million and his job back. As precursor to a lawsuit, Lutz’s claim called his 2020 firing political.

In December, we reported how staff felt blindsided by the new budget’s further cuts to management. Soon after, we reported how Administrative Officer Amelia Clark called the cops on her staff, asking an officer to come take her crime report in person after recordings of an internal staff meeting about the cuts were shared with the Inlander. (SW)

An Army veteran was killed outside Ichabod’s East bar, and deputies arrested a man who looked like the suspect. Only it was the wrong man. Our January cover story delved into how the mistake was made and why the real killer likely got away with it. (WC)

WASHINGTON KNOWINGLY FAILS MENTALLY ILL SUSPECTS (AUG. 12)

Six years after a federal court found Washington was taking far too long to admit criminal defendants to state hospitals for mental health evaluations and treatment, the state is still unable to complete assessments in a timely manner. As chance would have it, an attempted murder case in Spokane County has dragged on without a resolution for the same amount of time, with similar delays slowing it down. (SW)

DELTA WREAKS HAVOC ON HOSPITALS (SEPT. 23)

As the delta variant sent more people to Inland Northwest hospitals than any other wave of the pandemic, health resources were pushed to their breaking points. As protesters claimed doctors were lying about the seriousness of the situation, which by its very nature prevented people from “seeing for themselves,” we gained ICU access to show the true costs as people spent their dying days isolated and surrounded by strangers. (SW)

AS AFGHANISTAN FALLS TO THE TALIBAN, SPOKANITES TRY, MOSTLY IN VAIN, TO RESCUE THEIR AFGHAN FRIENDS AND FAMILY (SEPT. 9) The Inlander followed one Afghan man, whose work for the United States had put him in jeopardy, as he tried and ultimately failed to escape Afghanistan before the U.S. military pulled out in August. It’s a story of both the ugliness of a failed war and the cruelty of a callous bureaucracy (DW)

NORTH IDAHO’S RIGHT-WING REDOUBT NEWS IS MORE THAN JUST A WEBSITE THAT SHAMED AN ALLEGED RAPE VICTIM (AUG. 19)

Redoubt News, a website in North Idaho, had already achieved a kind of crass infamy before an Idaho state representative got into ethics trouble by sharing an article that outed and mocked an alleged rape victim of former state Rep. Aaron von Ehlinger. The Inlander dug deeper into Sharon Dovale, the site’s co-owner and self-proclaimed “Patriot Journalist.” That included talking with Dovale’s daughter about the nuanced and complicated relationship she’s had with her mother and the world of the Idaho Far Right. (DW) n

STATE OWES A BIG DEBT TO ITS EVICTION 5 WASHINGTON MORATORIUM. BUT NOW THE BILL IS COMING DUE (FEB. 25)

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Gov. Jay Inslee had a very good reason to ban landlords from carrying out the vast majority of evictions in Washington: Evictions were always brutal on tenants, but with COVID spreading rapidly through homeless shelters, now they could actually cost lives.

But there was a cost: The eviction moratorium created a perverse incentive, encouraging landlords to sell singlefamily homes they’d been renting out to those who wanted to turn them into owner-occupied housing. There were few evictions, yes, but the rental market was frozen – it was nearly impossible to find a house.

The feared wave of evictions didn’t come, but the rental market hasn’t thawed either. And Spokane, in particular, saw one of the sharpest rent increases in the nation this fall. (DW)

A YEAR AND A HALF AFTER OPENING 6 ITS SPOKANE VALLEY TIMBER FACTORY, KATERRA SUDDENLY SHUTS ITS DOORS (JUNE 10)

When Katerra was preparing to build its timber factory in Spokane Valley in 2017, the company bragged that using tech-style vertical integration would improve the building process and make projects more affordable. The idea was that Katerra, through its various locations, would provide a one-stop shop, freeing customers from hiring the many contractors usually needed for projects and supplies.

The Spokane Valley factory opened in late 2019 with great fanfare and the largest capacity to produce cross-laminated timber, or CLT, in North America. The material has been lauded for its environmental sustainability and beauty.

But it appears the tech-inspired approach led to an epic failure. Katerra’s bankruptcy “wiped out nearly $3 billion in investor money, making it one of the bestfunded U.S. startups ever to go bankrupt,” according to the Wall Street Journal.

On June 1, Katerra abruptly fired most of its employees — 55 in Spokane Valley, and another 117 in Seattle.

Mercer International bought the Spokane Valley factory in August and renamed it Mercer Mass Timber, with plans to restart CLT production by early 2022. (SW) ...continued on next page

Inslee slowly eased off the brakes on evictions, first with a still-restrictive “eviction moratorium bridge,” and finally, at the end of October, by eliminating the eviction moratorium entirely.

Over the course of the year, Inslee slowly eased off the brakes on evictions, first with a still-restrictive “eviction moratorium bridge,” and finally, at the end of October, by eliminating the eviction moratorium entirely. By then, however, there were a number of additional hoops landlords had to jump through.

DECEMBER 30, 2021 INLANDER 11

NEWS | YEAR IN REVIEW

JAN, THE TOY LADY, IS GRATEFUL FOR ALL OF THE SUPPORT SHE RECEIVED IN 2021 AND IS LOOKING FORWARD TO 2022: Abracadabra!

It’s 2022!

River Park Square (509) 456-TOYS Using TikTok, Pepper Fox has brought more attention to the murder of her son, Jason.

“NEWS THAT MATTERS,” CONTINUED...

SPOKANE PUBLIC SCHOOLS PAYS $150K 7 TO FAMILY OF FIRST-GRADER HELD IN ISOLATION ROOM FOR NEARLY 5 HOURS (OCT. 25)

CCGALASPOKANE.ORG

For years, we covered the controversial use of isolation and restraint in Spokane Public Schools.

But it wasn’t until 2021 that public records obtained by the Inlander revealed just how egregious some prior uses of isolation were. One such case occurred in September 2018, when a 6-year-old child at Ridgeview Elementary was locked in a so-called “safe room” for nearly five hours after he had tried to hit and kick staff members.

The school is supposed to let children out of isolation the moment they no longer pose a threat, but in this case, the principal kept the child locked in the room for the entire day, even after the child’s grandfather arrived to pick him up.

Spokane Public Schools later agreed to a $150,000 settlement. The principal at the school was investigated but ultimately kept her job. The district, meanwhile, agreed before this school year to eliminate isolation rooms in each of its schools. (WC)

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AS THE STORY OF A MURDERED GAY NEWPORT TEEN GOES VIRAL ON TIKTOK, AUTHORITIES STILL HAVEN’T FIGURED OUT A MOTIVE (APRIL 22)

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Last year, the Inlander wrote an in-depth story on the murder of Jason Fox, a gay teenager in Newport. In September 2020, Fox met up with some people at a ranch near Newport, but after that night, nobody ever heard from Fox again.

His body was buried at the ranch with his hands behind his back. Several people who knew Jason were charged in connection with the murder.

As we wrote in April, Jason’s mother Pepper Fox used social media, especially TikTok, to draw national attention to what happened. Her own videos have gone viral, as have those of other prominent TikTok posters with millions of followers who have used the platform to share Jason’s story.

But despite all of the national attention, Pepper Fox remains frustrated that the Pend Oreille County Sheriff’s Office hasn’t charged anyone with a hate crime. (WC)

A MAP OF UNPAID CITY UTILITY BILLS 9 SHOWS JUST HOW MUCH NORTHEAST SPOKANE IS SUFFERING RIGHT NOW (FEB. 26)

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It wasn’t just rent that Spokane residents were struggling to pay in the midst of the pandemic. In February, we released a story focusing on a heat

map of where Spokane households had the most unpaid water, sewer or garbage bills. It showed the unsurprising but stark divide between low-income neighborhoods like Hillyard, West Central and East Central — which glowed red with unpaid utilities — and the upper income South Hill, which was mostly untouched. It also showed how much northwest Spokane had been struggling.

Today, Public Works Director Marlene Feist says the city of Spokane has extended its moratorium on city utility shut-offs until at least March 2022.

“We have about 1,500 customers who have not been able to pay for the entire pandemic period,” Feist says. “It’s those customers I’m worried about. Their balances are becoming daunting for a family.”

Low-income people who qualify for rental assistance, she says, can qualify for funding to help pay outstanding utility bills. And SNAP is ready to launch a new federally funded program to offer further assistance with utilities in January. (DW)

A TOP STATE HEALTH OFFICIAL WAS 10 FIRED OVER A PERSONAL EMAIL TARGETING THE SPOKANE REGIONAL HEALTH DISTRICT FOR OUSTING ITS HEALTH OFFICER (JULY 1)

As we have covered extensively for the last year, the decision by Spokane Regional Health District administrator Amelia Clark to get rid of health officer Bob Lutz has had serious ramifications both inside the health district and for the community. But the impact didn’t end there.

When she heard the news, Erika Henry, then the assistant secretary for emergency preparedness and response for the Washington Department of Health, fired off an email to the Spokane Board of Health that was extremely critical of the decision to fire Lutz. And Henry took aim at Clark specifically.

“You let an insecure weakling of a leader strong-arm you into ousting him based on vague claims of what... personality conflict?” Henry’s email began. “Tell her to grow up and do her job.”

Henry ended up being fired over the email.

We broke the news of Henry’s firing, which she argues raises questions over her right to free speech. Our story also provides insight into the relationship between the local health district and the state health department, and how major players like Clark and health board members wield their power. (WC) n

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14 INLANDER DECEMBER 30, 2021

2021 THROUGH THE LENS OF YOUNG KWAK

DOWN IN THE DIRT

Verdant Hare farm owner Whitney Jacques watches Gloucester Old Spots and Berkshire cross pigs at her farm (Oct. 21).

MAKING MAGIC

Artist Reinaldo Gil Zambrano reveals a print of a wood block titled “Monroe Street Bridge” that he made on a Laguna Etching Press at the Spokane Print & Publishing Center (Nov. 21).

DECEMBER 30, 2021 INLANDER 15

POWERFUL MOMENT

Gonzaga players, coaches and staff kneel in support of social justice during the national anthem before a basketball game against Pepperdine (Feb. 25).

THIS BLOWS

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COURT PRESENCE

Artist Joshua Martel paints a mural called “Over The Heart” on a Hooptown USA basketball court in Riverfront Park (June 16).

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Seattle Kraken defenseman Jamie Oleksiak (24) and Vancouver Canucks center Matthew Highmore (15) go after the puck during a Seattle Kraken preseason game held at the Spokane Arena. Seattle’s team is the NHL’s newest franchise, and found an eager fanbase in the Inland Northwest (Sept. 26).

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Spokane Indians outfielder Niko Decolati gets the ball in quick after running it down in a game against the Eugene Emeralds at Avista Stadium in Spokane Valley (May 4).

THEATER AL FRESCO

Chad Herrmann, left, and Sarah Plumb rehearse the new Spokane Shakespeare Society’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Pavilion in Riverfront Park (Aug. 1).

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RADIO

SOUNDS

GOOD

Rafael Cárdenas interviews Latinos en Spokane co-founder Jennyfer Mesa over the phone during La Voz del Pueblo. YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

Ke Buena, Spokane’s first commercial all-Spanish-language radio station, reflects a growing community

BY CARRIE SCOZZARO

R

afael Cárdenas’ mother wanted him to be a priest, but the young boy from western Michoacán, Mexico, had other ideas. Although he had a heart for serving the community and was a scripture reader during Sunday Mass, Cárdenas aspired to be an engineer or some similar profession.

In a way, mamá prevailed.

The best part of his job as a radio DJ is connecting and encouraging people, says Cárdenas, who spent nearly 30 years with various all-Spanish language radio stations in Tri-Cities. In July 2020, he helped launch the Spokane-based Spanish-language radio station Ke Buena, and is its main DJ. Ke Buena is colloquial for “that’s a good one,” according to Ben Reed, who manages the station out of his southern Idaho home and whose distinct baritone can occasionally be heard on the air.

Broadcasting at FM 95.7 and AM 1330, Ke Buena is the Inland Northwest’s first truly local commercial Spanish-language radio station, but not the first such

22 INLANDER DECEMBER 30, 2021

estación de radio in Spokane. From 2014-2016, KMBI broadcast in Spanish – coincidentally on the same frequency as Ke Buena – with content originating from its nonprofit owner, Moody Bible Institute. KMBI eventually became the rock station KYOZ, or OZ 95.7, but when that station folded in June 2020, it opened the door for new ownership and a new format.

Ke Beuna is a mix of locally produced and syndicated programming. On the weekends, for example, Cárdenas hosts La Voz del Pueblo, or “The Voice of the People,” from 10-11 am. It’s co-sponsored by two local outreach organizations, Mujeres in Action (Women in Action) and the Comunidad Cristiana de Spokane (Spokane Christian Community) church. A third of the hour is also available — free — for local organizations, such as Latinos en Spokane and Spokane Association of Hispanic Business Professionals, whose message is geared toward the Spanish-speaking community.

Following Cárdenas’ weekday morning show, Ke Buena fills the airwaves with syndicated programming.

MLC Media’s La Numero Uno from 10 am-2 pm is mostly contemporary Mexican music, while from 2-7 pm, Hispanic entertainer Oswaldo Diaz embodies three radio personalities for the popular humorous broadcast from Entravision called Erazno y La Chokolata.

During the day listeners within roughly 60 miles of the Spokane transmitter should be able to hear both the FM and AM broadcast, which is also available online at kebuena957.com. At night, Ke Buena’s AM signal and coverage drops to around 10 miles in any direction.

B

efore launching Ke Buena, Reed says, research revealed a growing Spanish-speaking market in the Inland Northwest. Census data, Nielsen reports and other sources suggested that potentially 50,000 people within listening range of Ke Buena speak Spanish, says Reed, who grew up speaking Spanish in Arizona.

In many Latinx communities, radio is culturally more important than in other communities, Reed says. ...continued on page 24

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CULTURE | RADIO

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“SOUNDS GOOD,” CONTINUED...

“It has the same pull it did with Anglos 40-50 years ago,” says Reed, who hosted a radio show while living in Argentina, and lived, taught and earned a theology degree while living in Mexico, where he maintains dual citizenship.

“His Spanish is perfect,” says Cárdenas admiringly of Reed, whom he met in 2015 when Cárdenas was a DJ at a Tri-Cities station known as La Ley. Then as now, both men are Cárdenas (left) and La Voz del Pueblo co-host Luis Hernandez YOUNG KWAK PHOTO better known by their nicknames.

Reed is el Chupacabra, the mythical creature instead found his voice as an advocate for Spanalleged to suck the blood (chupa) of livestock, ish speakers and culture. including goats (cabras).

He marched with activist Cesar Chavez Cárdenas’ nickname has also been the name (Martin Luther King is another of his idols) and of his radio shows: Pichakuas, a word beyond the became involved in local radio, first as a volunabilities of Google translate (and this writer). teer, then as a paid DJ in 1991 with KDNA in Fortunately, we are meeting at Marando’s Tri-Cities. He worked at several more stations, Bar & Restaurant, where Cárdenas and some including La Reyna. And he’s spoken up about friends are waiting for the World Cup soccer treatment of undocumented workers. qualifier between the U.S. and Mexico to start “Some people are scared of public speaking,” (U.S. won the game). Marando’s co-owner, Mario says Cárdenas, “but I like it.”

Ruiz, provides an assist: As Cárdenas makes a So every weekday morning, he’s up well hopping motion with his hand, Ruiz explains that before dawn to greet listeners on El Show de Pipichakuas relates to a happy bird. chakuas, from 6-10 am. He plays music, and reads Cárdenas earned the nickname as a foreman the weather, traffic and local headlines. He also in Central Washington’s apple orchards, where shares a daily motivational reading. he’d worked during the mid-1980s. He’d hoped “That’s my favorite thing,” says Cárdenas. “I to earn enough money to return to Mexico, but like to help people, lift them up.” n

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CULTURE | DIGEST

THE BUZZ BIN

Not a bad seat in the house at Climate Pledge Arena.

THE KRAKEN OF DAWN

SETH SOMMERFELD PHOTO

Is it worth traveling to Seattle to catch a Kraken game?

BY SETH SOMMERFELD

W

atching hockey live rules. Out of all the major pro sports, it’s the one that gains the most from seeing it in person rather than watching it on TV. So the addition of the Seattle Kraken to the Washington sports scene this year is inarguably a boon. Having NHL hockey a mere four-hour drive away makes hopping over the Cascades for a game a realistic day or weekend trip for curious sports fans.

But is Kraken hockey worth the journey?

I drove over for a December showdown with the Edmonton Oilers to find out.

C

limate Pledge Arena is… strange.

While called a “renovation” of Seattle Center’s famed KeyArena, they essentially built a brand new $1.15 billion-dollar complex beneath the old roof.

The money spent shows up in the most crucial area possible: sightlines. There does not appear to be a single bad seat to watch a hockey game. I ventured to the highest corner nosebleed seats to check out the vantage point, and even those offered very good views.

While the puck is in play, it’s tough to find fault with the new confines. It’s just the rest of the time when things feel off.

Amazon purchased the sanctimonious naming rights for the building, and the arena vibe has all the fingerprints of how Amazon has transformed Seattle for the worse over the past decade.

It’s the posh bar levels that are visible — but inaccessible — for average fans. It’s the narrow concrete walkways and the difficulty in being able to find stairs, which seem designed by an algorithm, not humans. It’s the walls with greenery growing on them juxtaposed with energy-draining LED screen entryways. It’s calling

26 INLANDER DECEMBER 30, 2021

the two scoreboards “The Twins,” which sounds Coors Light ad cringy. Most unsettling and anti-true Seattle of all, it’s how the goal celebration music is Nirvana’s “Lithium,” but with Kurt Cobain’s vocals posthumously chopped up to turn “I’m not gonna crack” into “Let’s go Kraken.” Yikes.

There’s also a weird element of pseudo-gaslighting that occurs throughout the game by the in-arena hosts. The amount of times they said the exact phrase: “Climate Pledge Arena, the world’s most beautiful and sustainable arena” started to make me queasy. Calling this character-free slab of concrete “beautiful” is an outright lie. Perhaps even more absurd was the repeated claim that Kraken fans are the “loudest in the NHL.” I believe this is a false attempt to co-opt the famed loudness of Seahawks fans, but it’s hilariously false.

And that’s actually the point that makes me most hesitant to recommend making the road trip: Kraken games just lack fan energy at this point.

Once the puck drops, it’s pretty dead. I don’t blame the fans, really. The Kraken have the undeniable task of building a fan base where hockey isn’t embedded in the culture. And the team basically eliminating itself from the playoff hunt by mid-November ruined any chance of gaining the first-year bandwagon fans.

There were only two organic “Let’s go Kraken” chants, and the crowd really didn’t make much noise until the final minute, when the Kraken valiantly fended off a 6-on-4 advantage to secure a 4-3 win. For comparison, the next day in Climate Pledge, Gonzaga basketball fans were roughly three times louder at tipoff than Kraken fans were when celebrating a W. NHL action is great. The Kraken could be unleashed at some point. But for now, your best hockey option for fun, environment and cost remains staying home and cheering on the Spokane Chiefs. n

PICTURE THE NEW MOON East Sprague is looking pretty spiffy with newly paved roads, upgraded sidewalks and refreshed landscaping, but those aren’t the only visual improvements. New Moon Art Gallery is sporting a new exterior mural. Designed and executed by local artist Mallory Battista, the mural features a female figure with arms outstretched facing away from the viewer toward — appropriately — a new moon. At her feet are moonflowers, whose white blossoms open only at night in real life. It’s meant to symbolize new beginnings and blooming in dark times, says Battista, who approached New Moon’s Michele Mokrey about doing a mural after Battista exhibited at the gallery this summer. Visit facebook.com/newmoonspokane or check out the mural in person at 1326 E. Sprague Ave. (CARRIE SCOZZARO) RENEGADES UNITED Last spring, a Black guy and a White guy created a podcast called Renegades: Born in the USA. Both gifted storytellers — one a public servant, the other a musician — the men conversed widely, candidly, about race and more, and with much laughter, music and historical clips for context. The podcast morphed into a new book by the same name, bursting with photos and commentary. Written by former President Barack Obama and rock legend Bruce Springsteen, neither podcast nor book will be universally embraced, but the duo conveys hope that America is still big and strong enough to handle disagreement, even as Renegades challenges us to focus on what unites — versus divides. (CARRIE SCOZZARO)

COMFORT COMEDY Don’t take that headline to mean Jackie Kashian’s standup comedy lacks teeth. The comfort I find in the longtime comic’s material is in her Midwestern bullshit detector that reveals the hilarious absurdity in situations that too many of us just take for granted as innocuous or harmless. Her new special Stay-Kashian was honed over dozens of online Zoom “shows” through the pandemic, and skewers sexism and stupidity while also finding universal laughs in her Armenian family and love of all things nerdy. Give this special a spin while it’s streaming free on YouTube, and better yet, check Kashian out on her next swing through Spokane Comedy Club. (DAN NAILEN) n

YEAR IN REVIEW

Recovery &

FROM LEFT: Vieux Carre’s shrimp and grits, Patty Tully at the Baby Bar and Little Noodle’s Asian-inspired eats. YOUNG KWAK PHOTOS

Regrowth A recap of happenings in the Inland Northwest’s dining scene throughout 2021

BY CHEY SCOTT AND CARRIE SCOZZARO

W

hile 2020’s pandemic-inflicted upheaval of the hospitality industry remains unprecedented — and with enduring fallout — this second full year of COVID-19 also leaves some lasting marks: staffing woes, supply chain snags, new virus variants, unruly customers, permanent business closures and more.

Yet even among these hardships, and as restaurants continue to recover, there were also bright spots. By spring, diners could eat indoors again without major limitations. Ordering takeout keeps getting easier. Fortunately, many small, local restaurants also bounced back fairly quickly after lockdown rules lifted. Some even expanded!

There’s certainly been no shortage of food-related news to cover this year, so let’s recap some of what we ate, drank and wrote about in the Inlander’s food section throughout 2021.

O

ne of the earliest 2021 restaurant debuts was Adam Hegsted’s BABA in Kendall Yards, the Mediterranean-inspired spot that replaced Wandering Table. Other new arrivals to the neighborhood are THE TEA boba bar, and, most recently, MOLÉ RESTAURANT where Central Food was. Nearby is another of the year’s most-buzzed-about new food spots, VIEUX CARRÉ NOLA KITCHEN, serving Cajun and New Orleans-style eats.

Several places that closed for long periods due to the pandemic also saw welcomed returns. Downtown hangouts the BABY BAR and NEATO BURRITO reopened in May, and South Perry’s Southern food eatery CASPER FRY came back in March. Chef Chad White’s ceviche spot ZONA BLANCA celebrated moving to a bigger, fully renovated space in central downtown after

several months closed. NORTH HILL ON GARLAND reopened under new ownership, while the formerly seasonal ramen and pho spot LITTLE NOODLE this fall moved permanently back into the space it initially borrowed to test out its concept. The neighborhood’s beloved bar BON BON, attached to the historic Garland Theater, also reopened after closing for 18-plus months.

The Garland District also got its first-ever brewery when GARLAND BREW WERKS opened in August.

And just down the hill, Spokane’s first pop-up beer trailer, CAMP TAPS, set up seasonally in the North Monroe Business District at the vintage shop 1889 Salvage Co. In late summer, DRY FLY DISTILLING debuted its new, state-of-the-art distillery in the heart of downtown Spokane. ...continued on next page

DECEMBER 30, 2021 INLANDER 27

FOOD | YEAR IN REVIEW

Newcomers The Bad Seed in Hillyard (left) and Terazza Waterfront Café in Coeur d’Alene.

YOUNG KWAK PHOTOS

“RECOVERY AND REGROWTH,” CONTINUED...

Midyear also saw the downtown debut of Seattleoutdoor dining was possible, and virus transmission was based Ethan Stowell Restaurants’ TAVOLATA across a bit lower. (In 2022, the event returns Feb. 24 through from Riverfront Park, where housemade pasta, a superMarch 5.) Earlier in the year, however, THE GREAT affordable happy hour and a laid-back vibe have since DINE OUT encouraged locals to support local restaustood out. Stowell’s pasta and panini counter BOSCO rants via takeout while many dining restrictions were also opened inside the historic Wonder Building. still in place. While the 85th annual GREEK FOOD Waffles, coffee and craft cocktails unite at two new, FESTIVAL squeezed in a takeout-only run between sumconnected spots where the Observatory bar used to be, mer’s COVID case spikes, PIG OUT IN THE PARK PEOPLE’S WAFFLE and EMMA RUE’S. Everything just before then was once again postponed. on both menus is gluten-free.

While prior owners closed it at the beginning of here were more openings than closings in North the year, a new owner since renamed and brought the Idaho during the past year, including a few SOUTH PERRY LANTERN back with a refreshed Washington originals now operating on both look and menu in midsummer. Located in a historic train sides of the state line. STUPID COW CAFÉ opened in car, KNIGHT’S DINER in East Spokane’s Hillyard area Hayden and STORMIN’ NORMAN’S SHIPFACED also reopened with new owners after a recent closure.

SALOON opened in Coeur d’Alene.

Hillyard, meanwhile, is quickly becoming a hot new The panhandle welcomed several startups, too. Athol dining destination, with the fall debut of KISMET, got two new pizza places: IRON PIZZA and BEAserving a Latin-influenced menu, and THE BAD SEED, CON PIZZA TAP HOUSE. In Sandpoint, BREAD + where Tex-Mex is served in a historic former BONES began offering scratchlibrary. (A couple other food-and-drink spots made sourdough and broth in seENTRÉE underway in the neighborhood aim to open in lect markets and online. TETON Get the scoop on local 2022.)

HOUSE RESTAURANT opened food news with our weekly Also in the fall, diners and fans of chef Tony in Post Falls and TAYSTY’S Entrée newsletter. Sign up Brown’s eateries were glad to learn that RUINS EATERY replaced Sandpoint’s at Inlander.com/newsletter. wasn’t closing for good, just relocating and Cedar Street Bistro following a replacing the short-lived EYVIND on Riversimilar menu. side. Brown also moved around STELLA’S CAFE and Coeur d’Alene’s Riverstone complex bustled with McRUINS, the latter his take on fast food. activity this year. CRANBERRY ROAD WINERY While our own INLANDER RESTAURANT brought its unique wines from Western Washington to WEEK in 2020 ended just weeks before COVID-19 hit occupy a prominent corner spot, while nearby TERthe U.S., 2021’s version was pushed out to summer when RAZA WATERFRONT CAFÉ started serving Latin

T

28 INLANDER DECEMBER 30, 2021

American cuisine with flair in May 2021. ROKKOS TERIYAKI moved to Sherman Avenue, and PHO LE took their Riverstone spot. Vine & Olive opened VICINO PIZZA. Many businesses moved into permanent spots or upgraded their locations. TRAILS END BREWERY transitioned into a brick-and-mortar location in late 2020, while OLIVE’S PASTRY AT THE PIE BARN moved into the building next to Curley’s Junction after functioning mostly as a pop-up. FLAME & CORK moved its wood-fired pizza oven into a newly constructed spot in Hayden and closed its former location.

Several Idaho faves grew with new locations. Serving wood-fired pizza, EMBERS BY THE GREEN at Highlands Golf Course is the second location for owners of Embers by the Lake in Hauser. PANHANDLE CONE & COFFEE, originally in Sandpoint and Moscow, added a spot in Coeur d’Alene, while BIRDIE’S PIE SHOP expanded to Hayden. Serving Mexican food since 2015, LA CABAÑA added a second Post Falls location in the Riverbend Commerce Park.

Sandpoint, meanwhile, saw several longtime eateries shutter, including IVANO’S RISTORANTE, which had occupied several spots since 1984. FORTY-ONE SOUTH at the Long Bridge and adjacent restaurant SHOGA SUSHI also both closed.

In Moscow, BLOOM recently closed up shop while SANGRIA GRILLE, which shuttered its Palouse Mall location in the spring, is moving forward with big plans for its downtown spot (look for news in late 2022).

Finally, Post Falls’ acclaimed FLEUR DE SEL bid adieu to diners in 2021. n

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DECEMBER 30, 2021 INLANDER 29

French Exit

BEST OF 2021

WEIRD YEAR

No Sudden Move

In a challenging year for the movie business, these 10 films were the best to hit screens large and small

BY JOSH BELL

W

Passing

hat even is a 2021 movie? That seems like a pretty basic question, but the continually evolving state of pandemic-era movie releases has made it tougher to answer. The Oscars and most awards-giving organizations decided that 2020 extended into the first couple of months of 2021, leaving them with a 10-month year to consider this time around. As movie theaters reopened, movies didn’t necessarily follow, and it’s harder than ever for viewers to figure out how and when to watch any given movie.

As more and more feature films debut on VOD and streaming services, the definition of what qualifies as a “movie” is also blurring. Are the three interconnected Fear Street movies, released weekly on Netflix, three separate feature films, or a three-part TV series? Is Peter Jackson’s three-part, nearly eight-hour Disney+ Beatles documentary Get Back just a really long movie? Does it even matter?

Whether you’re comfortable returning to movie theaters or you prefer watching everything at home, whether you’re a purist about the format and presentation of a feature film or you’re platform-agnostic, one constant is that the movies keep coming. There are amazing pieces of art to experience, no matter how or where they arrive. Here are the 10 that I found to be this year’s best.

1

The Vigil

30 INLANDER DECEMBER 30, 2021

FRENCH EXIT

Released during the weird early 2021 interregnum that was considered the previous year’s awards season, Azazel Jacobs’ witty magical-realist dramedy stars a mesmerizing, award-worthy Michelle Pfeiffer, giving her best performance in years. She plays a doomed socialite who loses her inheritance and takes refuge in a friend’s Paris apartment, along with her son (Lucas Hedges). The entire cast fully commits to the dry, absurdist humor, playing characters who are ridiculous but also genuinely soulful. Streaming on Starz.

2

NO SUDDEN MOVE

Steven Soderbergh’s pivot to streaming exclusivity seems to have lowered his profile, but he’s as daring and assured a filmmaker as ever, and this star-studded 1950s-set crime drama ranks among his best work. Don Cheadle and Benicio Del Toro play low-level criminals hired for what seems to be a simple job, which of course quickly becomes far more complicated.

The deliberately byzantine plot is deceptively profound, the dialogue is sharp and funny, the characters are well-drawn, and the various narrative threads come together in satisfying ways.

Streaming on HBO Max.

3

PASSING

In 1920s New York City, Black middleclass wife and mother Irene (Tessa Thompson) runs into her childhood friend Clare (Ruth Negga) and is shocked to discover that Clare has been passing for white. Actress Rebecca Hall’s writing and directing debut examines how different kinds of passing affect the lives of both women, with fantastic performances from Thompson and Negga, along with gorgeous black-and-white cinematography and an evocative piano-based score. Passing looks and sounds like an old-fashioned drama, while carrying strong contemporary resonance. Streaming on Netflix.

4

THE VIGIL

The set-up for writer-director Keith Thomas’ debut feature sounds like dozens of other horror movies: A man experiences terrors while spending the night in a creepy house alongside a dead body. The Vigil is a top-notch version of that stock horror premise, but what makes it remarkable is the way it ties its horrors to a specific social context, Brooklyn’s Orthodox Jewish community, and connects the religious and cultural upheaval of Dave Davis’ main character to his terrifying ordeal. Streaming on Hulu.

5

SUGAR DADDY

This small-scale Canadian drama is an excellent showcase for star/writer Kelly McCormack, who plays an aimless aspiring musician turning to sex work to make some extra money. Director Wendy Morgan stages experimental music video-style interludes that blur the line between the main character’s life and her art, and McCormack (who also performs the original songs) creates a vivid portrayal of a complex, sometimes infuriating young woman.

Streaming on Amazon Prime and Hoopla.

6

motion, as Danielle careens from one uncomfortable encounter to another, just trying to find her place in life (and eat a bagel in peace).

Streaming on HBO Max and Kanopy.

7

OXYGEN

With essentially a single location and a single actor, director Alexandre Aja creates a tense, surprising sci-fi thriller, anchored by a bravura performance from Mélanie Laurent.

She plays a woman trapped in some sort of futuristic medical pod, who has to figure out who she is and why she’s there before her air runs out.

Laurent is bolstered by simple but powerful set design and visual effects, conjuring a vast world beyond the cramped pod. Streaming on Netflix.

8

JOHN AND THE HOLE

Why does 13-year-old John (Charlie Shotwell) decide one day to drug his parents and sister and trap them in a concrete hole in their backyard? This coldly disturbing drama has no answers, instead simply following the budding sociopath, who’s sometimes cruel and calculating, and sometimes just a kid who wants to eat sweets and play video games. Either way, he’s one of the most memorable movie characters of 2021. Available for VOD rental.

9

COMING HOME IN THE DARK

Dark is certainly the word for this relentlessly bleak New Zealand thriller, in which a pair of criminals kidnap a seemingly innocent married couple on vacation. As the kidnappers sadistically toy with their victims, the movie reveals a complex, sickening moral dilemma at the heart of its cruelty. Director James Ashcroft forces the audience to confront the same harsh realities as the characters. Streaming on Netflix.

10

LICORICE PIZZA

Filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson returns to his beloved home base of the San Fernando Valley with this delightfully shaggy 1970s-set coming-of-age story about a teenage actor and aspiring entrepreneur (Cooper Hoffman) and his slightly older but equally immature object of desire (Alana Haim).

Hoffman and Haim make striking screen debuts, and Anderson builds a wonderfully immersive world around them.

Now playing in theaters. n

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NEW YEAR!

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SHIVA BABY

Writer-director Emma Seligman delivers a sustained anxiety attack in film form with this sometimes brutal comedy about neurotic college student Danielle (Rachel Sennott) facing both her ex-girlfriend and her current (married) hookup while attending a shiva for a deceased relative.

Seligman keeps her characters in constant

Licorice Pizza

Learn more and order takeout: feastworldkitchen.org

DECEMBER 30, 2021 INLANDER 31

BEST OF 2021

Winning Listens The Inlander Music Editor’s picks for the best albums the year had to offer

BY SETH SOMMERFELD STAR-CROSSED

MAGIC MIRROR

DANDELION

Nothing gold can stay. After the dreamy bliss of the instant classic Golden Hour, Kacey Musgraves’ marriage fell apart. Star-Crossed serves as her divorce album. Fully stepping away from her country roots for a more adult pop sound, Musgraves wrestles with the muddle of post-breakup emotions (“Justified”), the weight of carrying a one-sided relationship (“Good Wife”), and gets her claws out with a brutal warning about her insecure ex wanting to bask in her spotlight and fortune (“Breadwinner”). But she refuses to be fully vindictive, instead trying to find spots for optimism (“Keep Looking Up”) and nostalgic grace, even when scrolling through the modern torture of old photos on your phone (“Camera Roll”).

On Magic Mirror, Pearl Charles manages to distill Los Angeleno musical nostalgia into a sweet apéritif without ever coming across as rote. With a light twang in her voice, the singer-songwriter sways through sleek disco pop numbers with an effervescent retro style (“Only for Tonight,” “Imposter”), gets lost in the bass grooves (“What I Need”) and feels right at home basking in the warmth of the slide guitar on desert drifter rock songs (“Slipping Away”). All the while, Charles strives to put aside any imposter syndrome in the hopes of finding and accepting her fully realized self (“It’s the best that I’ve ever felt / And I don’t even feel like myself”).

“You can find the joy in every agonizing moment of existence on this planet.” The bridge lyric from Said the Whale’s sugary single “Honey Lungs” doubles as the thesis statement for the Canadian pop-rock group.

In the face of the overwhelming world around them, Said the Whale turns around and delivers an unrelenting array of love songs without ever seeming cloying. The band’s deft musical touch — from the kinetic drums crashing on “The Ocean” to the symphonic grandeur of the instrumental track “February 15” — and its elite knack for writing hooks boosts all the sentimental words they surround. Whether singing about love that can dig you out of the holes you get lost in (“Show Me Everything”), seems to go on endlessly (“99 to the Moon”), or floats on the breeze an air of heartmelting tenderness (“Dandelion”), the band aims straight at the most cynical parts of our hearts and hits the mark.

KACEY MUSGRAVES

LET ME DO ONE MORE ILLUMINATI HOTTIES

No one captures the rubberbanding of emotional extremes brought on by late capitalism dread quite like Sarah Tudzin of Illuminati Hotties. At times it’s the hyperactive anxiety of an overstimulated brain musing about relationship insecurity over buoyant pop punk (“Pool Hopping”) or rattling off rapid ADHD lines about refusing to take anything seriously with snotty, eye-rolling, bratty bravado over clanking off-kilter angular guitar noise (“MMMOOOAAAAAYAYA”). But she’s also able to effectively throttle things way down and share her loving desires in delicate, detail-rich tenderpunk tunes (“Threatening Each Other re: Capitalism,” “Growth,” etc.). Let Me Do One More finds the musical truth in the balance between those polarities.

32 INLANDER DECEMBER 30, 2021

PEARL CHARLES

JUBILEE

JAPANESE BREAKFAST

Japanese Breakfast had long been a live act I adored, but Michelle Zauner’s infectious live energy and charm had never fully been captured on her band’s nebulous LPs. Jubilee rectifies that. The album is a kaleidoscope, shining Zauner’s warmth through a dazzling array of sonic colors and shapes. “Paprika” pulsates with a magical glittery marching-band heartbeat.

“Be Sweet” bathes in sophisticated bliss in a way that modernizes the ’80s synth rock single template. The musical variation keeps things fresh throughout, be it foreboding electronic swells (“Posing in Bondage”), a dusty meadow string section (“Kokomo, IN”) or sultry sax over staccato guitar licks (“Slide Tackle”). The confident strength that radiates from every note and lyric on songs like “Savage Good Boy” only further underscores just how much Jubilee captures an artist at the peak of her powers.

SAID THE WHALE

SCREEN VIOLENCE CHVRCHES

Scottish synth-pop trio CHVRCHES excels when mixing a haunting sense of melancholy with forever youthful yearning. Screen Violence strips things back to the group’s roots to fully soak in that psychic territory.

Singer Lauren Mayberry sorts through her fears of intimacy and disconnect in a world of screens (“Lullabies”) with her usual radiant timbre, which acts as the glitter thrown on top of the bed of synth-pop alienation. CHVRCHES even ropes in the Cure’s Robert Smith for some empathetic brooding (“How Not to Drown”). There are simply no lulls in this incredibly catchy collection of songs.

HEY WHAT LOW

UPCOMING SHOWS SPOKANE SYMPHONY: BEETHOVEN’S NINTH Fri, Dec. 31 at 7:30 pm The Fox Theater $18-$62 MASTERCLASS BIG BAND NEW YEAR’S EVE MASKUERADE BASH Fri, Dec. 31 at 9 pm Knitting Factory $35-$100 BLAKE BRALEY, THE DESPERATE 8’S, STORME Fri, Dec. 31 at 9 pm Lucky You Lounge $20 KADABRA, THE SMOKES, TWIN VOID Fri, Dec. 31 at 7:30 pm The Big Dipper $10-$15 HOT CLUB OF SPOKANE Sat, Jan. 8 at 7 pm Lucky You Lounge Free VIVIAN LEVA AND RILEY CALCAGNO Mon. Jan. 10 at 8 pm Lucky You Lounge $12 JOJO SIWA Thu, Jan. 13 at 7 pm Spokane Arena $40-$201 SUBTRONICS Sun, Jan. 16 at 7 pm Knitting Factory $30 BIG HEAD TODD AND THE MONSTERS Tue, Jan. 18 at 7 pm Bing Crosby Theater $29-$49 JESSE COOK Wed, Jan. 19 at 8 pm Bing Crosby Theater $25-$45 MILITARIE GUN, SUPERCRUSH, SHINE, LIPSICK Fri, Jan. 21 at 7 pm The Big Dipper $15 Be sure to check with venues about vaccination/COVID test requirements.

HEY WHAT sounds like the world is ending, but there’s beauty to be found in the finality. Minnesotan rock duo Low ride the cutting edge of the noise-andharmony plain, crafting meticulously engineered and overwhelming walls of harsh, violent and flickering sound counterbalanced with the compassion in Alan Sparhawk’s and Mimi Parker’s voices. The tweaking soundscapes feel like hypnotic warning sirens (“I Can Wait,” “More”), which only underscore the confusion Low attempts to sift through. At its best, on a song like “Days Like These” where crystal clean guitar lines timidly peak out before being blitzed by distorted crunch and Sparhawk delivers his words like a hymnal, HEY WHAT feels like sacred music — Gregorian chants for our age — tapping into a spirituality that’s innately human.

SOMETIMES I MIGHT BE INTROVERT LITTLE SIMZ

British-Nigerian rapper Little Simz didn’t limit her scope on Sometimes I Might Be Introvert. A creative tour de force, the hourplus album takes listeners on a journey through the varying facets of what it takes to be a woman.

The MC delves into being present for love (“I See You”), African female swag (“Woman”), daddy issues (“I Love You, I Hate You”), maintaining a healthy level of uncertainty (“Miss Understood”), and a host of other concerns with an HONORABLE uncanny lyrical MENTIONS flow that feels Green to Gold - The Antlers smoothly neverHall of Fame - Polo G rushed while Live ‘95 - Mega Ran still embodying Little Oblivions - Julian Baker a no-nonsense Shake the Spins - Kinter blunt edge. The Infinite Granite - Deafhaven album is pepSling - Clairo pered with scored Valentine - Snail Mail interlude tracks, Ignorance - The Weather Station which, rather than slowing the pace, almost give the presentation a Disney-esque magical floating feeling. From the bombastic horn of the opener “Introvert” to the minimalist slow stoner burn beats of “Rolling Stone” to the clattering African rhythms of “Point and Kill,” the soundscape never gets complacent.

And neither does Little Simz.

TAKE THE CORNERS GENTLY STEADY HOLIDAY

meditation on steadfastly striving forward in spite of backsteps. From the sparse acoustic strums of “Love Me When I Go to Sleep” to the lush indie layering of “Living Life” to the darker rock bite of “Tangerine,” Babinski expertly matches the tones of her music and vocals to maximize the emotional resonance. Take the Corners Gently emphasizes that being delicate shouldn’t be seen as a weakness, but a form of self-care.

HOME VIDEO LUCY DACUS

No songs from 2021 felt more lived-in than the ones found on Home Video. Lucy Dacus’s songwriting hits new heights on her third album, painting lyrical scenes rich with color, personal details, enlivening emotions and agonizing ones. Home Videos is an album of compassion. It showcases young love discovery in bursts of rock bliss (“First Time”) and pain (“Partner in Crime”). “Please Stay” unflinchingly confronts the feeling of helplessness when trying to get through to a suicidal friend, with each passing line stinging evermore. But compassion also needn’t be weak. It can be furious, as illustrated by “Thumbs” and its suppressed murderous thoughts toward a partner’s emotionally taxing father, or the anger at a love settling for less on “Christine.” Most vitally, the songs Dacus writes here are beacons of representation for queer kids seeking love while growing up in Christian communites of repression (see: the taboo exploration of “VBS” — vacation bible school). The album closer “Triple Dog Dare” gracefully encapsulates the album’s emotional essence — despite family drama, unspoken feelings, fears and seemingly no path forward, hold on to any glimmer of hope you can. Find your love. Run away from it all.

Simply love. n

Lucy Dacus made the best album of the year.

EBRU YILDIZ PHOTO

In a world so chaotic, it can be hard to find time for self-reflection and taking in the little moments in life. On Take the Corners Gently, Steady Holiday (aka Dre Babinski) attempts to take those tiny, challenging steps through sophisticated indie pop. Babinski’s voice carries notes with a faint melancholy that acknowledges inherent sadnesses without letting them crush her. “White Walls” confronts her need to stay busy for busy’s sake with a serene sway. “Sunny in the Making” turns up the bass for a danceable

DECEMBER 30, 2021 INLANDER 33

ALICIA HAUFF PHOTO

MUSIC GETTIN’ LUCKY ON NEW YEAR’S

Blake Braley believes it’s gonna get better, and we believe him, too. Listening to his soulful, body-swaying sound is just what the doctor ordered to end a tumultuous 2021. Blending the vocal style of legendary R&B singer Sam Cooke and some of Curtis Mayfield’s funkified groove, Braley is bringin’ music from the heart. Join him and Zola’s Friday night houseband, the Desperate 8s (for whom Braley also plays piano), on New Year’s Eve at Lucky You. Order some eats, have some drinks, snap a few keepsake photos at Electric Photoland’s fun little booth, and sit back (or stand) as you usher in (hopefully) a groovy new year.

— CARRIE SCOZZARO New Year’s Eve at Lucky You • Fri, Dec. 31 from 9 pm-2 am • $20 • 21+ • Lucky You Lounge • 1801 W. Sunset Blvd. • luckyyoulounge.com • 509-474-0511

GET LISTED!

Submit events online at Inlander.com/getlisted or email relevant details to getlisted@inlander.com. We need the details one week prior to our publication date.

34 INLANDER DECEMBER 30, 2021

COMMUNITY ICE TO MEET YOU, 2022

If you’re looking for an exciting way to ring in the new year, step onto the ice and skate your way into 2022 at CDA On Ice this New Year’s Eve. Along with this special two-hour skate session, guests will also have an incredible view of the Coeur d’Alene Resort’s two fireworks shows, at 9 pm and midnight. This NYE celebration includes a live DJ, two fire pits for warmth, family friendly games throughout the night and furnished igloos that are available to reserve during the skate session. Weather permitting, a balloon drop over the ice happens when the clock strikes midnight, with complimentary sparkling apple cider for all guests to toast in the new year.

— MADISON PEARSON New Year’s Skate Session • Fri, Dec. 31 from 10:15 pm-12:15 am • $20-$25 • McEuen Park • 420 E. Front Ave. • cdaonice.com • 208-277-8069

MUSIC ROCKIN’ EVE

Rocking around the clock always makes the most sense at a New Year’s Eve concert, as our eyes are already glued to midnight’s approach. With that in mind, the Big Dipper is the place to be this 31st to take in a great local rock lineup. Kadabra caps a big 2021 — which saw the trio put out its debut LP, Ultra — with a set of heavy, fuzz stoner rock that’s sure to get headbanger hair flowing.

The Smokes, who have a new album in the works for 2022, always blends bitingly sarcastic social commentary with its brand of garage punk. Rounding out the bill, Twin Void mixes crunchy metal riffs with psychedelic vocal howls.

— SETH SOMMERFELD Kadabra, The Smokes, Twin Void • Fri, Dec. 31 at 7:30 pm • $10-$15 • All ages • The Big Dipper • 171 S. Washington St. • bigdipperevents.com

CDA RESORT PHOTO

COMMUNITY SEE YA, 2021

Bundle up for a chilly Northwest night outdoors, or find a good, out-of-theway parking spot and sip a hot drink in the heated comfort of the car while taking in some of the region’s New Year’s Eve fireworks displays. Riverfront Park’s sparkly transition into 2022 happens early, at 9 pm, making it ideal for families who prefer to get home to beat the midnight rush, and even get to bed early. The Coeur d’Alene Resort is also hosting an early fireworks show at 9 pm, as well as a traditional midnight display. A ticketed, formal masquerade for adults at the resort kicks off at 6 pm, but fireworks are viewable to all from many vantage points across the Lake City.

— CHEY SCOTT

COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER I FOR MORE INFORMATION ON HOW TO APPLY GO TO SREC911.ORG OR CALL (509) 532-8911

• ANSWERS EMERGENCY & NON-EMERGENCY CALLS • OUTSTANDING CUSTOMER SERVICE SKILLS • FULL TIME - $47,632 - $57,886 ANNUALLY • EXCELLENT BENEFITS • APPLY HERE: WWW.GOVERNMENTJOBS.COM/CAREERS/SREC FOLLOW US

Riverfront Park NYE Fireworks Show • Fri, Dec. 31 at 9 pm • riverfrontspokane.org • Coeur d’Alene Resort NYE Fireworks • Fri, Dec. 31 at 9 pm and midnight • cdaresort.com

MUSIC A SYMPHONIC SALUTE

In Spokane, performing Beethoven’s Ninth as one year yields to the next is a tradition that dates back to the arrival of Spokane Symphony Music Director James Lowe’s predecessor, Eckart Preu, who himself imported the tradition from his native Germany. There, as well as in Japan, New Year’s Eve performances of the Ninth Symphony have been common since around the time of World War I, largely because of the work’s sense of uplift and renewal rather than its ease of execution. “It’s a wonderful choice of music to perform at this time of year because it ends with this astonishing message of hope and unity,” Lowe reflects. “It’s not just about this hope for a great future. It’s also a piece that talks about when we all unite together, we can really experience joy and move humanity forward.”

— E.J. IANNELLI New Year’s Eve: Beethoven’s Ninth • Fri, Dec. 31 at 7:30 pm • $25-$62 • Martin Woldson Theater at the Fox • 1001 W. Sprague Ave. • spokanesymphony.org • 509-624-1200

DECEMBER 30, 2021 INLANDER 35

your potentially contagious droplets all over the food others may be taking to their homes that night, I couldn’t help to notice that while you may feel like a rebel who can’t be bothered to follow a basic safety rule intended to protect the most vulnerable in our society, you look like an absolute moron who can’t figure out how to put a mask properly on your face. We are so close to maybe being past the worst of this pandemic. Please keep wearing your masks in public for just a little while longer. Thanks.

I SAW YOU SENT WITH A STAMP I am part of you. You will always be part of me. You can take the girl out of Hillyard and Spokane, but ya can’t take Spokane or Hillyard out of the girl. I MISS YOU ... With Love Arkansas...

RED STRING TUGGING I saw you so many years ago / I saw a future, I had dreams / They crashed into a bitter reality / I left.

It’s over. It’s done. / It’s clear you were not the one / I move on. I crashed and burned / I tried again with a lesson learned / Now you are back full of ambiguity / I can’t do this to you or me / Please dont tug the string / Its strain I can no longer endure / You were once my everything / And I was a mat at your door / Please don’t tug, don’t try to pull me back / I left, I’m gone / There is no happy ending / Only memories of a time long ago / A time when I loved you so / And you said no. / Please just let me go. / Let us stay friends, / With a caveat, / let us not utter a word of the things we are not / Of the things which make me weak / The feelings that leave me meek / My soul cannot endure a trip down this lane /​Into the memories of what could have been.

IN THE PRODUCE SECTION I saw you in the produce section of the grocery store carefully squeezing the lemons, trying to find the best one. You caught my eye, and I was struck... by the sight of your nostrils hanging out above your mask rendering it so completely ineffective. As you breathed

CO FREDDY To all those years ago you took my breath away and you don’t even know how much I still think of you ;) I wish I had my life together to actually have a chance with you <3 truth is I’m still trying to find my grounds since my identity felt so miserably taken. I had some bumps on the road (yes, you would know), but you were there to make me smile and take my mind off things. I should have taken the chance when I had it. The truth is I wouldn’t know what to do with a guy like you, and I am a #screwup #gettingoverthatlife #2ndtime #embarassed. If you actually read this, I don’t expect a response back, but I just have to put this out there. My feelings for you are never going anywhere.

CHEERS BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY A very busy new Mom was shopping at Michael’s while trying to mix formula, feed a hungry baby and find cash in her wallet to pay for her crafting goods. The lovely lady clerk stopped ringing up the sale to reach under the glass partition to feed the baby her bottle so that the new Mom could finish the transaction. They didn’t miss a beat!

That is customer service!!!

POST OFFICE POSITIVE Thank you for your kind gesture. After I already had been up to the counter and sent away twice by the old man, I finally had my package ready to be shipped. This time I got the window with the nice lady and when it came time to pay, I pulled out my phone and was informed that the United States Post Offices were not equipped with card reader that could take Samsung Pay. So there I am after I had been sent away from the counter twice already, now I got to leave and go online to pay... when the

young manager asked, “How much is it?”

And the lady responded “23 and change.”

He then said, as he pulled his debit card from his wallet, “I got it.” He then inserted his card into the chip reader and paid for my shipping. I just wanted to say thank you, Jeremy, and thank you, U.S. Postal Service, for having wonderful People in the Manager position that are good.

“

handicap spot you have to be old or use a cane, etc. It’s hard for me to walk; I have neck, shoulder and back problems. And the watery eyes. :) You never know what someone is going through. I don’t know if you read the Inlander, but I wanted to say thank you. It still makes me cry because kindness is hard to come by these days.

So, thank you to the lady in the white car

get involved. Then you’re stupid to think he’s going to change, and you end up bringing innocent life into the mess you created. I blame you girls!! You’re the ones responsible for your body and the life you carry. The world needs more men, stronger women and less losers!!!

It still makes me cry because kindness is hard to come by these days.

THANK YOU Thank you to the person who found my wallet at the Cheney Safeway and returned it to customer service. After a near-miss with a car in the parking lot, I was clearly thinking of other things and left it in my cart. You are the very best of folks.

CHEERS TO THE PERSON WHO JEERED THEMSELVES As I opened the cheers/ jeers section of the most recent issue, I noticed an exuberant amount of jeers.

Yours fortunately was at the top of the list. It caught me off guard to see someone actually go through some selfreflection and apologize for something so seemingly insignificant as possibly showing annoyance to others. The world has become full of jerks and what you wrote has proved to me that there are still good people out there. Cheers to you.

BLESS YOUR HEART To the woman in the car next to me at Rosauers on 14th today,around 11. You pulled up next to me.

I was in the handicap spot but hadn’t put my placard on yet; I was trying to wipe my eyes and nose so I could put on my mask.

I caught a glimpse of your son (?) flipping me off. I could be wrong. Watering eyes are just one of many issues. Anyway, when I got back to my car, my eyes were going crazy, and I was having a hard time seeing. You pulled out, rolled down your window and told me to have a nice day.

I didn’t hear you so I said, “What?” You said, “Have a nice day.” I got in my car and cried. People think because you park in a

next to the silver car at Rosauers on 14th today, March 4th. Bless your heart.

JEERS YOU MAKE THE CALL It’s easy — either get the shot and potentially be one of the rare hundreds who experience a breakthrough COVID infection and survive, or don’t get the vaccine and be one of the millions who have died from COVID-19...YOU make the call... It’s a no-brainer... The folks who aren’t getting the vaccine do exhibit signs of not having a brain, soooo?

LOST GIRLS & NO MEN “Welcome to a world of stupid girls and no men! There once was a time when girls had selfrespect and dignity — when they wouldn’t ever dream of hooking up with low-class trash who have no job and multiple baby mamas. What in the world do you girls see in these losers?? They are not MEN — they are boys in adult bodies who want to act like a man — but NO MAN! A man takes care of his family, holds a job and doesn’t stand on the corner looking for a handout or robbing from people who are trying to make a living your loser dude refuses to do. The verbal abuse alone is enough to stay away, let alone the physical abuse you choose to take. In this world when one has so many resources available to help you girls stay away and out of these relationships, you still desire to stay with these losers. Why — a thousand why’s — do you ever even look at them, let alone

THIS WEEK'S ANSWERS H A M S U P

B L A I S E

G I R S O O W I T W E O L

SOUND OFF

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

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

FAMILY

FEAST NIGHT Thu. 12/30

vs

Seattle Thunderbirds

Enjoy discounted concession items, including $2 hotdogs, Coca-Cola products and more.

36 INLANDER DECEMBER 30, 2021

O L O A L L D R I G E R R A S R F O T Z O R R E E C A S U T H A A C L P A R S A G O D G E S S E N S

O M A N

M D I V A E D I K I D L E V A D A E E L S G G Y B O T R O M E F R A N T R E A T F R I C A A I T T S U N K N T S A A G A M I R R A F T

E R T T O R D I E O T I C

M G O M L A E

P H O E B E

D O W N E R

S U N T A N

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

WASHINGTON’S LOTTERY NIGHT

Sat. 1/1

vs

Tri-City Americans

Win great prizes courtesy of Washington’s Lottery throughout the game.

Presented By:

Presented By:

Game Times:

”

URGENT CARE To the person that drives a blue truck that works at (or at least parks in front of) Franklin Park Urgent Care everyday. I first noticed your derogatory bumper stickers about a year ago, and I have avoided that urgent care location ever since. I have changed my families default urgent care to another company due to this vehicle that displays several Trump stickers, anti-LGBTQ with automatic weapons above the letters and an “all lives matter” sticker. Are you just trying to offend everybody? I get free speech, don’t get me wrong, I am glad you’re proud of what you believe in, but to park this offensive billboard at the front doors of this “professional” practice everyday? A bit much. I will continue to go elsewhere due to this, I hope you’re glad that your location is losing money due to your racist and bigoted arrogance that you feel you must display. n

7 PM

Buy Tickets @ spokanechiefs.com

Buy Tickets

EVENTS | CALENDAR

BENEFIT

FILL-THE-BAG BOOK SALE Stop by any branch of the Spokane County Library District to buy a bag full of books (while supplies last). Reusable totes are $5 at the service desk, then fill it with used books, CDs, DVDs and more. Through Dec. 31. scld.org

COMEDY

CHRIS PORTER Best known for his third place finish on season 4 of Last Comic Standing, Chris can also be seen on his own “Comedy Central Presents” special and “Live at Gotham.” Dec. 30-Jan. 1 at 7:30 pm; also Dec. 31 and Jan 1 at 10 pm. $12-$24. Spokane Comedy Club, 315 W. Sprague. spokanecomedyclub.com SAFARI A “Whose Line”-esque, fastpaced short-form improv show relying on audience suggestions. For mature audiences. Saturdays at 7:30 pm. $8.

Blue Door Theatre, 815 W. Garland Ave. bluedoortheatre.com (509-747-7045) BEN BRAINARD Ben Brainard has toured across the country and has also produced several shows for Army Reserve units; now he’s in Spokane for one night only. Jan. 5, 7:30 pm. $20.

Spokane Comedy Club, 315 W. Sprague. spokanecomedyclub.com NEW YEAR, NEW YOU The Blue Door players take New Year’s resolutions and show you how it could go in this all-improvised spoof of your best intentions. Fridays in Jan. at 7:30 pm. $8. Blue Door Theatre, 815 W. Garland Ave. bluedoortheatre.com ADRIENNE IAPALUCCI Fans might recognize Adrienne as a semifinalist on season 7 of NBC’s Last Comic Standing or her recent appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman. Jan. 6-8, Thu-Sat at 7:30 pm, Fri and Sat also at 10 pm. $12-$26. Spokane Comedy Club, 315 W. Sprague. spokanecomedyclub. com (509-318-9998)

COMMUNITY

CRESCENT HOLIDAY WINDOWS Five window bays on the south side of the Grand display scenes featuring refurbished figurines rescued from the basement of the former Crescent Department Store. Windows were designed by local artists Stephanie Bogue, Melanie Lieb, Derrick Freeland and Jazmin Ely under the creative direction of Tiffany Patterson. Window painting by Mallory Battista. Through Jan. 2; Fri-Sat from 12-10 pm and SunThu from 3-8 pm. See more display items from the Crescent at the Fox and the MAC. Free. Davenport Grand Hotel, 333 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. davenporthotelcollection.com DROP IN & PLAY Join staff, volunteers and other members of the creative community to play board and card games together in a relaxing, positive environment. Play a game you already know or learn how to play a new one.

Thursdays from 12-2 pm. Free. Spark Central, 1214 W. Summit Pkwy. sparkcentral.org (509-279-0299) JOURNEY TO THE NORTH POLE A cruise across Lake Coeur d’Alene while viewing more than 1.5 million holiday lights, ending with a visit to see Santa Claus and his elves. Daily departure times offered through Jan. 2. $10.50$26.50. The Coeur d’Alene Resort, 115 S. Second. cdacruises.com

LIGHT UP THE NIGHT Riverfront’s holiday tree walk shines a light on Spokane’s nonprofit, communitycentered organizations. Groups were invited to decorate a tree highlighting their organization’s mission. View the window display and outdoor trees at the Riverfront Pavilion and visit the Trail of Lights all around the park. Through Jan. 2. Free. Riverfront Park, 507 N. Howard St. riverfrontspokane.org LOUIS COMFORT TIFFANY: TREASURES FROM THE DRIEHAUS COLLECTION A celebration of the artistry and craftsmanship of the Tiffany artworks from Chicago’s distinguished Richard H. Driehaus Collection, highlighting masterworks never before presented in a comprehensive exhibition. Open Tue-Sun from 10 am-5 pm through Feb. 13. $7-$12. Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture, 2316 W. First Ave. northwestmuseum.org MAKING SPIRITS BRIGHT Every year, the Extreme Team lights up Cowley Park for the kids at the Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital. This year, a few additional trees were decorated, and inspirational messages fill the sidewalks. Through Jan. 31; site music daily from noon-9 pm. Free. Cowley Park, Sixth Ave. and Division St. kxly. com/features/extreme-team/ NORTHWEST WINTERFEST A holiday lantern display and cultural celebration featuring dozens of holiday lantern displays and immersive experiences in holiday cultures of the world. Open daily from 5-9 pm through Jan. 2. $12$18. Spokane County Fair & Expo Center, 404 N. Havana St. northwestwinterfest. com (509-477-1766) VIRTUAL WINTER CAMP READ-ARAMA Have some winter fun reading books and doing camp activities, including crafts, music, games and more. Grades 2-5; registration required.

Dec. 27-30. Free. scld.org WINTER GLOW SPECTACULAR The annual outdoor holiday lights display returns, offering the option to drive and view the display, or walk through the park. Through Jan. 1. Free.

Orchard Park, 20298 E. Indiana Ave. winterglowspectacular.com JOYA-E NEW YEAR’S EVE BUDDHIST SERVICE Ring out 2021, and ring in 2022 during this service in which everyone rings the Kansho bell a portion of 108 times. The service can also be viewed via Zoom and Facebook. Email SpokaneBuddhistTemple@gmail.com to get a link. Services at 5:30 and 6:30 pm, seating is limited. Reservations, masks and proof of vaccination required. Dec. 31, 5:30-6:15 & 6:30-7:15 pm. Spokane Buddhist Temple, 927 S. Perry St. SpokaneBuddhistTemple.org NEW YEAR’S EVE FIREWORKS AT RIVERFRONT This year marks the return to the tradition of a vibrant fireworks show in the heart of downtown. The family-friendly fireworks show begins at 9 pm, and the Numerica Skate Ribbon offers extended hours from 10 am-10 pm. Dec. 31, 9 pm.

Free. Riverfront Park, 507 N. Howard St. riverfrontspokane.org (509-625-6600) BUILDING WITH BOOKS: LEGO STORYTIME Enjoy listening to a fun read-aloud story. Afterwards, recreate a part of the story, such as a character, scene or setting, using LEGO bricks or other craft materials in your home. Then, share your creations with the group. For all ages

and families. Registration required for each session. Jan. 4 and Jan. 18, 4-4:45 pm. Free. scld.evanced.info/signup/ list?df=list&nd=150&kw=LEGO HORTICULTURE CLASS SERIES An introduction to the principles and practices involved in the identification, selection, development, production and care of horticultural plant material.

Completing the full Horticulture Series earns a program certificate; up to 29.75 ISA (Arborist) and 21 WA State Pesticide Applicator continuing education credits (CEU). Jan. 6, 9 am. $132.24-$315.99.

WSU Spokane County Extension, 222 N. Havana St. extension.wsu.edu/spokane (509-477-2048) ONLINE STORYTIME Children have fun learning while reading stories, singing songs and sharing fingerplays during storytime. For ages 2-5 and their families. Registration required. Weekly on Thursdays from 6:30-7 pm and Fridays from 9:30-10 am through Jan. 28. Free. scld.evanced.info/signup/list? df=list&nd=150&kw=Online+Storytime

FILM

UNITED BY WATER In conjunction with the MAC’s exhibit “Awakenings,” are regular public screenings of the documentary “United by Water” created by the Upper Columbia Unified Tribes (UCUT). The film follows the first tribal canoe journey and gathering at Kettle Falls, Washington, since the Ceremony of Tears in 1943. Saturdays at 1 pm; first and third Wednesdays at noon through Jan. 31. Included with admission. Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture, 2316 W. First Ave. northwestmuseum.org (509-456-3931)

THE

COURSE THE

THE

PEOPLE IES

MEMOR

FOOD & DRINK

MIDNIGHT MASQUERADE Celebrate NYE with a grand dinner buffet, live music, two fireworks shows and a hosted champagne toast at midnight.

Arrive outfitted in your finest formal cocktail attire and don’t forget a jacket to view the fireworks. Dec. 31, 6 pm. The Coeur d’Alene Resort, 115 S. Second. cdaresort.com/play/events/new_years MOCHIFEST Eating mochi is a Japanese New Year’s Day tradition. Pre-order mochi (four for $5) by Dec. 26, and pick up on Dec. 31 from 5-7:30 pm. Proceeds fund minister education. Dec. 31, 5-7:30 pm. $5. Spokane Buddhist Temple, 927 S. Perry St. SpokaneBuddhistTemple. org (509-534-7954) ROCKET WINE CLASS Rocket Market hosts weekly wine classes; sign up in advance for the week’s selections.

Fridays at 7 pm. Call to reserve a seat, or register online. Price varies. Rocket Market, 726 E. 43rd Ave. rocketmarket. com (509-343-2253) KILL THE KEG & SERVICE INDUSTRY NIGHT This weekly special includes $2 off select GHP beer, $1 off select guest beer and a 20% discount for service industry patrons. Tuesdays from 3-9 pm. The Golden Handle Project, 111 S. Cedar St. goldenhandle.org MEDICAL PERSONNEL APPRECIATION NIGHT All medical and healthcarerelated personnel, students, staff and professionals get a 20% discount on all GHP beer and food. Wednesdays from 3-9 pm. The Golden Handle Project, 111 S. Cedar St. goldenhandle.org

SUNDAY, MAY 1 REGISTER ONLINE AT

BLOOMSDAYRUN.ORG $28 ENTRY FEE

VIRTUAL OPTION ALSO AVAILABLE

DECEMBER 30, 2021 INLANDER 37

HOME OF THE SPOKANE SYMPHONY

THE FOX THEATER Spokane Symphony

NEW YEAR’S EVE: BEETHOVEN’S NINTH James Lowe, conductor Fri., Dec. 31, 7:30pm

Spokane Symphony Masterworks

ECKART RETURNS

Eckart Preu, conductor Sat., January 15, 8pm • Sun., January 16, 3pm Fox Presents

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC LIVE: THE SECRET LIFE OF BEARS Wed., January 26, 7pm

Spokane Symphony Pops

PINK MARTINI

Sat., January 29, 8pm Spokane Youth Symphony

REJOICE IN CREATIVITY Sun., January 30, 4pm

Spokane Symphony Masterworks

PICTURED WITHIN

James Lowe, conductor Mateusz Wolski, violin Sat., February 5, 8pm • Sun., February 6, 3pm Knitting Factory Presents

PATTON OSWALT LIVE: WHO’S READY TO LAUGH? Sat., February 19, 7pm

HEALING HARMONIES: A BENEFIT CONCERT FOR CANCER CARE NORTHWEST FOUNDATION with Collin Raye and The Frontmen of Country Thurs., February 24, 8pm Fox Presents

BLACK VIOLIN

Thurs., March 3, 7:30pm JAMES LOWE CONDUCTS

BEETHOVEN’S NINTH FRI, DEC. 31 7:30PM

JAMES LOWE, MUSIC DIRECTOR

Box Office 624-1200

SpokaneSymphony.org • FoxTheaterSpokane.org Chec k websit e for COVID-19 Safety Prot ocols

38 INLANDER DECEMBER 30, 2021

EVENTS | CALENDAR WINTER MARKET Sip on local beer and shop from local vendors at Lumberbeard’s Winter Market, happening select Sundays through March. Upcoming markets on Jan. 9, Jan. 16 and Jan. 30 from 2-4 pm. Free.

Lumberbeard Brewing, 25 E. Third Ave. lumberbeardbrewing.com

MUSIC

DJ NIGHT ON THE ICE Get your ‘skate’ on with DJ A1 for themed nights, music, lights, contests and more, Fridays from 6-9 pm in December and January.

Numerica Skate Ribbon, 720 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. riverfrontspokane. com (509-625-6600) NEW YEAR’S EVE MASKUERADE BASH Live music and dancing all night from local artists. The show opens with the award winning Bobby Patterson and the Two Tones playing blues/rock and transitions to selections from the MasterClass Big Band featuring Jim Swoboda. Prizes are given to guests with decorated masks throughout the show. Dec. 31, 9 pm-1 am. $35-$100.

Knitting Factory, 919 W. Sprague Ave. knittingfactory.com (509-224-3279) NEW YEARS EVE PARTY Celebrate the New Year at The Roxie. Cash prizes, free non-alcoholic drinks and live performances. Dec. 31, 8 pm. $45$75. The Roxie, 5201 N. Market St. theroxiespokane.com (509-475-2500) SPOKANE SYMPHONY NEW YEAR’S EVE: BEETHOVEN’S NINTH Spokane Symphony Music Director James Lowe conducts his first New Year’s Eve concert of Beethoven’s Ninth — one of Spokane’s great traditions. Join us for the exhilarating and inspiring work dedicated to freedom, joy and brotherhood. Dec. 31, 7:30 pm. $18-$62.

Martin Woldson Theater at The Fox, 1001 W. Sprague Ave. spokanesymphony.org WEDNESDAY EVENING CONTRA DANCE Join the Spokane Folklore Society each Wednesday for contra dancing. First-time dancers get a coupon for a free dance night. Contra is danced to a variety of musical styles: Celtic, Quebecois, Old Time, New England, or Southern Appalachian music from live bands. All dances are taught and walked through, then called to live music. Events feature a different band and caller each week.

Come 15 min. early for a lesson. Proof of vaccination required. Wednesdays from 7:30-9:30 pm. $7-$10 (18 and under free). Woman’s Club of Spokane, 1428 W. Ninth. (509-869-5997)

SPORTS & OUTDOORS

CROSS COUNTRY SKI LESSON Learn the basics of cross-country skiing at Mt. Spokane. Lessons are taught

by Spokane Nordic Ski Association’s certified instructors. Fee includes equipment rental and two hours of instruction. Show up a half hour prior for gear fitting. Sno-Park Permit required. Additional info emailed after registration. Offered select dates from December through March, from 10 am-2 pm. Upcoming sessions: Dec. 30, Dec. 31, Jan. 3, Jan. 7, Jan. 10, Jan. 13, Jan. 16 and Jan. 17. $34/$59. Register at spokanerec.org EAGLE WATCHING CRUISES A twohour cruise on Lake Coeur d’Alene to view some of the 100s of American bald

eagles on their annual migration each winter, stopping to feed on lake-bound salmon. Cruises offered daily from 12-2 pm, Dec. 26-Jan. 2. $16.50-$22.50. The Coeur d’Alene Resort, 115 S. Second. cdacruises.com (208-765-4000) HOLIDAYS AT SCHWEITZER Enjoy all the holiday season has to offer on the mountain and in Schweitzer Village.

Special events and promotions for the holidays offered through Jan. 2. See website for details. 2022.

Schweitzer, 10,000 Schweitzer Mountain Rd. schweitzer.com/event/ christmasholidays-2021 SPOKANE CHIEFS VS. SEATTLE THUNDERBIRDS Regular season match. Face coverings required for all guests ages 5+. Dec. 30, 7 pm. $17-$37.

Spokane Arena, 720 W. Mallon Ave. spokanechiefs.com (279-7000) COEUR D’ALENE ON ICE A special twohour skate session on the outdoor rink in view of the Coeur d’Alene Resort’s two fireworks shows (9 pm and midnight). Includes a live DJ, family friendly games, fire pits, igloos and more. Dec. 31, 10:15 pm-12:15 am. $20$25. McEuen Park, 420 E. Front Ave. cdaonice.com (208-769-2252) NEW YEAR’S EVE AT SCHWEITZER Celebrate New Year’s Eve at Taps with live music, specials and more. 21+.

Dec. 31. Schweitzer, 10,000 Schweitzer Mountain Rd. schweitzer.com FIRST DAY HIKES State parks across Washington host free, family-friendly activities on New Year’s Day, and visitors don’t need a Discover Pass to park on state recreation lands. First Day Hikes range in difficulty from paved, flat ADA-accessible trails to moderate hill climbs. Jan. 1. Free. Event details at parks.state.wa.us/1230/EasternRegion-First-Day-Hikes MT. SPOKANE SNOWSHOE TOUR Learn the basics of snowshoeing during this guided hike on snowshoe trails around Mount Spokane. Pre-trip information emailed after registration.

Fee includes snowshoes, instruction, walking poles, trail fees, guides and transportation. Meet at Yoke’s Fresh Market in Mead. Ages 13+. Jan. 1, Jan. 8, Jan. 22, Feb. 6, Feb. 13, Feb. 19 and March 5, from 9 am-1 pm. $25/$29.

Register at spokanerec.org SPOKANE CHIEFS VS. TRI-CITY AMERICANS Regular season match.

Face coverings required for all guests ages 5+. Special: Washington’s Lottery Night. Jan. 1, 7 pm. $17-$37.

Spokane Arena, 720 W. Mallon Ave. spokanechiefs.com (279-7000) CROSS COUNTRY SKI LESSON Learn to cross country ski the trails of 49 Degrees North’s nordic area with certified ski instructors. Fee includes instruction, equipment, trail pass and a guided tour after lunch (BYO). Ages 13+. Jan. 2, Jan. 29, Feb. 19 and March 5, from 10 am-2 pm. $53. 49 Degrees North, 3311 Flowery Trail Rd. Register at spokanerec.org (509-755-2489) CHEAP SKATE TUESDAY Free skate rentals are included with each paid admission, every Tuesday (10 am-9 pm) through Feb. 22. $5.95-$7.95. Numerica Skate Ribbon, 720 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. riverfrontspokane.com SPOKANE CHIEFS VS. EVERETT SILVERTIPS Regular season match.

Face coverings required for all guests ages 5+. Special: Coeur d’Alene Casino night. Jan. 7, 7 pm. $17-$37.

Spokane Arena, 720 W. Mallon Ave.

spokanechiefs.com (279-7000) SKATE SKI INTRO LESSON Skate skiing is done on groomed ski tracks and resembles a skating motion with skiers pushing off laterally and using both poles at the same time to propel forward. This basic class covers using your equipment, body position, stopping, slowing, cornering, balance, push off, momentum and glide. Additional info emailed after registration. Meet at Mt Spokane Selkirk Nordic Area. Jan. 8, 10 am-noon and Feb. 26, 10 am-noon. $35/$75. Register at spokanerec.org (509-755-2489)

THEATER

ANASTASIA From the Tony Awardwinning creators of the Broadway classic Ragtime, this dazzling show transports us from the twilight of the Russian Empire to the euphoria of Paris in the 1920s, as a brave young woman sets out to discover the mystery of her past. Dec. 28-Jan. 1 at 7:30 pm, Jan. 1 at 2 pm, Jan. 2 at 1 and 6:30 pm. $42-$100. First Interstate Center for the Arts, 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. broadwayspokane.com MET LIVE IN HD: CINDERELLA In this New Year’s Day performance, Laurent Pelly’s storybook staging of Massenet’s Cendrillon, a hit of the 2017–18 season, is presented with an all-new English translation in an abridged 90-minute adaptation. Jan. 1, 9:55 am and Jan. 3, 6 pm. $15/$20. The Kenworthy, 508 S. Main St. kenworthy.org (208-882-4127) THE SHAPE OF THINGS BY NEIL LABUTE Join the Upstart Players for two performances of this thrilling and dark romantic comedy that shows us a semester in the lives of four deeply connected individuals. Jan. 7 and 8 at 7:30 pm. $10. The Art Spirit Gallery, 415 Sherman Ave. fb.me/e/2KET7Z7t4

VISUAL ARTS

MINI ART SHOW: CALL FOR ARTISTS Let your creativity shine and submit a 3x3-inch piece of art for display at your local library. Registered participants are given supply kits of paints and a mini canvas while supplies last. Through Jan. 20. Registration required at scld.org MYA CLUFF: WHERE DO I END, AND YOU BEGIN? Mya Cluff is a visual artist focused primarily on figurative ceramic sculpture. As a mother and an artist, she searches for the beginnings and endings of self-hood as she navigates relationships with herself, her children, her family and society within a maternal context. Jan. 4-Feb. 8, open Mon-Fri 8:30 am-3:30 pm. Free. SFCC Fine Arts Gallery, 3410 W. Whistalks Way, Bldg. 6. spokanefalls.edu/gallery

WORDS

DROP IN & WRITE Bring works in progress to share, get inspired with creative prompts and spend some focused time writing. Hosted by local writers Jenny Davis and Hannah Engel.

Tuesdays from 5:30-7 pm. Free. Spark Central, 1214 W. Summit Pkwy. sparkcentral.org (509-279-0299) 3 MINUTE MIC Spokane’s long-running first Friday poetry open mic. Readers can share up to three minutes’ worth of poetry. Jan. 7, 7 pm. Free. Auntie’s Bookstore, 402 W. Main Ave. auntiesbooks.com (509-838-0206) n

2021 was a big year for weed legalization and spending.

YEAR IN REVIEW

Cannabis in 2021 For the second straight year, the pandemic wasn’t able to slow the cannabis news cycle

BY WILL MAUPIN

I

t’s been a busy, eventful year in the world of cannabis.

Legislative efforts progressed around the country, a ton of money was spent, and designer drugs made their way into the marketplace. Take a look back at some of 2021’s biggest cannabis stories.

Meanwhile, decriminalization came to Louisiana, while Alabama and South Dakota approved medical cannabis. Even Idaho, arguably the most anti-cannabis state in the union, saw some change as it became the final state to legalize hemp.

LEGALIZATION MARCHES ON

SPENDING KEEPS CLIMBING

The wave of legalization really started building on Election Night 2020, when four states voted to legalize recreational cannabis. Of those, Arizona, Montana and New Jersey’s legalization took effect in 2021. Those states were subsequently joined by Connecticut, New Mexico, New York and Virginia, each of which legalized cannabis through its state legislature or executive branch in 2021.

The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, a federally recognized tribe in North Carolina, also legalized recreational cannabis in 2021.

Data released by the state of Washington shows that a record $1.49 billion was spent in the state’s legal market during fiscal 2021, up from $1.27 billion the previous year. That spending resulted in a record $533.9 million of tax revenue being brought in through the legal market.

Spokane County saw $164 million spent in 2021, up from $135 million the previous year.

Research from MJBizDaily estimated the nationwide economic impact of the legal cannabis industry at $92 billion in 2021, up from $70 billion in 2020.

CANNABIS DESIGNER DRUGS

A chemical known as delta-8 THC flooded into the market in 2021 after some manufacturers began exploiting a loophole in federal hemp regulations. An isomer of delta-9 THC, the chemical normally referred to as simply THC, delta-8 THC is present in small amounts in cannabis. Delta-8 creates similar effects as regular THC, and it can be synthesized from the CBD present in legal industrial hemp. This loophole led to delta-8 products flooding into states with and without legal markets.

Delta-8 falls into a legal gray area, but has been treated as effectively legal at the federal level. To counter this, numerous states, including Washington in April, opted to clarify policies banning the substance at the state level. Despite that ban, delta-8 products are still advertised specifically to Washingtonians online. n

DECEMBER 30, 2021 INLANDER 39

GREEN ZONE

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

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This product has intoxicating effects and may be habit forming. Marijuana can impair concentration, coordination, and judgment. Do not operate a vehicle or machinery under the influence of this drug. There may be health risks associated with consumption of this product. For use only by adults twenty-one and older. Keep out of the reach of children.

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DECEMBER 30, 2021 INLANDER 41

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NOTE TO READERS

GREEN ZONE

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 NEW YEAR NEW PRODUCT NEW SPECIALS felony under federal law.

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Advice Goddess RUST ISSUES

My husband and I are in our 50s, married 25 years. I married for life, but I didn’t expect our initially happy marriage to turn into a dull housemates situation. With our children away at college, there’s no distraction from my husband’s lack of interest in having a fun, interesting life or even trying to be interesting to me. Most disturbingly, he isn’t interested in sex — at least with me — though I’m fit and still get called “beautiful.” I can pleasure myself, but I’m despondent AMY ALKON at the prospect of spending the last decades of my life no longer being desired or even seen as a sexual person. I’m envious of my 50-something friend, now shacked up with her new partner. They are so effusively fulfilled together — domestically and sexually, I’m told — it makes me want to vomit whenever we meet for dinner. I can only imagine the fun and sex they’re having. Do you think I should follow their lead?

—Sex-Starved Bored Wife There’s “Marriage, The Fantasy” — the gauzy gloriousness you see in wedding dress commercials — and then there’s “Marriage, The Unadvertised Reality”: Eventually, your spouse could die at the breakfast table, and you might not notice till dinner.

Couples whose spousalship erodes to this point tend to feel guilty (yet mystified at where they went wrong). They’re unaware they’ve been set up to fail thanks to impossible-to-meet modern expectations for marriage. “For thousands of years the theme song for most weddings could have been ‘What’s Love Got to Do with It?’” observes historian Stephanie Coontz.

Until about 200 years ago, marriage was a vital system for powerful moneybags families to forge political alliances, merge fortunes, and even make peace treaties (lest Europe play host to the, um, Hapsburgs and the McCoys). We of the stinking masses did this on a smaller scale, like by marrying off our daughter to the son of the farmer with the enviable potato fields butting up to ours.

In other words, the common modern expectation that a spouse be one’s lifetime romantic and sexual excitement provider gives marriage a job it was never set up to do — and really can’t do — just when medical advances have us taking longer than ever to go facedown in the Cream of Wheat.

Marriage modern-style has its pluses: among them, an on-site best friend, a stable environment for raising kids, two-fer tax benefits, and higher living standards. And let’s be frank: It’s ideal to live with someone who’ll do more than lick his paw while you thrash around on the living room floor from a seizure.

Unfortunately, there’s no stopping the “hedonic adaptation,” the inevitable dulling of marital excitement. “Hedonic,” from the ancient Greek word for pleasure, with “adaptation” describes how we quickly habituate to changes in our lives, positive or negative. That boob job or the bummer diagnosis stops giving us the lift or gut punch it first did, and we swing back to our baseline level of happiness or gloom. In a marriage, assuming things don’t go ugly, the early lusty romance gives way to “companionate love,” the comfy dog-chewed old slippers of long-term partnership.

There is a defibrillator of sorts for flatlining marital excitement: an ongoing variety of surprising experiences — big and small, daily and weekly. Neuroscientist Wolfram Schultz finds that “unpredictable rewards” — aka surprises — can be three or four times as exciting to us as those we’re used to. To take advantage of this, spouses might alternate weeks bringing each other on a mystery date — taking into account personal preferences and medical issues, lest the surprise take a surprise turn: “Betcha didn’t guess we’d be drinking Benadryl nightcaps in the ER!” Admittedly, this is rather weak tea to throw at the problem disturbing you most: being sexually abandoned by your husband. It’s probably impossible to solve and likely would be even if he wanted to want you again. We’re sexually excited by the new and out of reach, and you can’t become a sexy stranger for him to pursue — or even fake it plausibly.

You went into marriage with the best of intentions — marrying “for life” — but you’re now left with two options: 1. Part company with having any sort of sensual relationship that doesn’t require vow breakage. 2. Part company with your husband. If you’re inclined toward the latter, some inner voice might rise up to scold you, “Whatever happened to ‘Till death do us part’?!” Sure, that’s the deal you signed up for, but consider whether you think living the next 30 years like you’re sexually embalmed should count. Personally, as a never-married, seize-theday type, I’m planning to be the hussy of the senior care facility — the subject of endless gossip by resentful elderly busybodies. n ©2021, Amy Alkon, all rights reserved. • Got a problem? Write Amy Alkon, 171 Pier Ave, #280, Santa Monica, CA 90405 or email AdviceAmy@aol.com (www.advicegoddess.com)

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10. “La ____ Más Fina” (Corona slogan) 11. Approx. takeoff hour 12. Chess piece between dame and fou 13. “Boyz N the Hood” protagonist 18. Trio in elem. school 21. “Oy ____!”

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