Inlander 12/12/2019

DECEMBER 12-18, 2019 | FREE!

PAGE 26

ZAGS VS. UNC 45 HOLIDAY COCKTAILS 49 JUMANJI 51 ATARI FERRARI 54

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2 INLANDER DECEMBER 12, 2019

INSIDE

ZESTY PEPP

VOL. 27, NO. 9 | COVER PHOTO: YOUNG KWAK

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EDITOR’S NOTE

C

raig Meidl had his work cut out for him when he became Spokane’s new POLICE CHIEF. We said as much when we reported on his surprise appointment three years ago. He was inheriting a fractured organization still reeling from a scandal that forced out the previous chief and very nearly took down Mayor David Condon in the process. Besides, Meidl had some old baggage of his own to contend with that left many in the community leery from the start.

Now, with a new mayor set to take over City Hall and, with it, oversight of Meidl, we decided to examine the state of the police department. Lately, the news hasn’t been good. For starters, a Spokane officer was charged last month with raping a woman — herself an alleged victim of domestic violence whose case the officer was supposed to investigate.

But at the same time, Meidl has made notable inroads with a lot of people who had been initially skeptical of him and, by certain measures, confidence in the department is rising.

Still, clearly work remains to be done, and staff reporter Josh Kelety digs into the urgent issues confronting Spokane police and its chief in a must-read special report beginning on page 22.

— JACOB H. FRIES, Editor

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Cranberries.

Why do you enjoy cranberries?

I’m a vegetarian, so I don’t eat most of the holiday food. And I really like how tart and sweet they are.

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CAROLINE MAGER There are so many good ones. I really love eggnog lattes, it’s one of my favorite seasonal drinks.

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COMMENT | CULTURE

FAMILY LAW Divorce Spousal Maintenance / Alimony Child Support Modifications Parenting Plans

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What We Celebrate Wealth is not an accomplishment

BY JOHN T. REUTER

W

e love the wealthy in America. Oh, sure, occasionally some politicians or activists rail against the one percent — and it’s pretty easy to find billionaires and mere millionaires whining about class warfare.

But our public policy, media and culture all tell a different tale.

In modern history, we’ve never taxed wealth less or had more vehicles to shelter wealth from taxes altogether. With Citizens United, we’ve freed the wealthy to spend unlimitedly to influence elections and, through other legal entities, shape public policy.

This combination of low taxation, electoral power and legislative influence all reinforce each other. This creates a political sphere where, despite each person having one vote, the wealthy

SAY WHAT?

DO SOMETHING!

“I’ve lived in a bunch of places, and I’ve never seen a place so averse to stop signs.”

FAMILY HOLIDAY POWWOW: The Gathering at the Falls Powwow committee hosts their inaugural Spokane Family Holiday Powwow, an event open to families and kids of all ages with dancing, contests, special appearances and chances to win gifts. For this non-contest powwow, kids aren’t required to be in regalia to participate, and all are welcome. Sat, Dec. 14 from 5-9 pm. Free. Downtown Spokane Library, 906 W. Main. facebook.com/ RiverfrontParkPowwowSpokane

Says Patrick McKann, who has been trying to bring more stop signs to his Lincoln Heights neighborhood on Spokane’s South Hill. The city, meanwhile, prefers other “traffic calming” measures. Why? Find out on page 13.

6 INLANDER DECEMBER 12, 2019

wield disproportionate clout — including over whether people are actually able to wield their one vote in practice.

TV shows, podcasts and music are all filled with celebrations of wealth.

From the now nearly ancient MTV Cribs to Donald Trump’s Apprentice to the lyrics coming from the latest hit on the radio, it’s suggested that wealth is the ultimate accomplishment. Even when our media mocks the wealthy, it also celebrates them.

From Billions, Silicon Valley, and Succession, we mock but also celebrate the wealthy.

This admiration for the wealthy is hardly

just an American phenomenon. However, our nation’s puritan founders did put a unique spin on it, suggesting both that anyone might become wealthy and that wealth was a sign of godliness.

But here’s the thing: The best way to predict whether someone will be incredibly wealthy is if their parents were. It’s a fact that is difficult to reconcile with our celebration and reverence for the wealthy. Merely being lucky enough to be born into the right situation hardly seems like a reason for disproportionate power and respect.

But, of course, there are those rare people who build fortunes rather than inherit them — although often these fortunes rest more in luck than skill.

That said, I believe just as the wealthy should not be automatically admired, they also shouldn’t necessarily be scorned.

There are a number of real accomplishments a person can achieve. Some come with wealth and some don’t.

Building a successful business that reshapes the world or even improves a neighborhood is an accomplishment. Releasing a popular album, selling out an arena or winning an Olympic medal are all accomplishments. So are raising a thoughtful and kind child, graduating from high school, passing a bill that improves people’s lives, or founding a nonprofit that successfully reduces homelessness.

My point is that we would LETTERS be better served as a society Send comments to if we stopped making money editor@inlander.com. such a primary indicator for measuring success. It’s not a particularly accurate one and it screws up who we think is worth listening to and who we believe we can safely ignore.

This starts by requiring the wealthy to loosen their grip on their, to put it bluntly, wealth. Yes, in the simplest terms, this means a higher rate of taxation, where decisions about our communities’ and nation’s future are truly democratized. But it also means to stop celebrating the accumulation of money and stuff, and to start celebrating actual accomplishments.

In this new world, business leaders could still be seen as icons, but they would be judged more by the impact they have on others rather than their ability to effectively hoard resources.

We should start to look skeptically at large net worths and instead consider impact.

For this recalibration to be effective, it would mean reconsidering how we judge public corporations and understand their purposes. As recently suggested by leading CEOs themselves through the Business Roundtable, we must look beyond just shareholder value (i.e., wealth creation) to the actual public impact.

This won’t be an easy journey, but this reassessment of what to value is the only way we will build a world based on our values. n John T. Reuter, a former Sandpoint City Councilman, has been active in protecting the environment, expanding LGBT rights and Idaho’s Republican Party politics.

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DEC. 10, 2009: This week we ran our gift guide, with gifts for every personality on your list. One such list, intended for the technologically inclined, included a GPS system for car navigation. “Remember the days when people used to write directions down by hand to properly navigate their automobiles?” our own Daniel Walters asked. Now it’d be: Remember when we had to buy a GPS to properly navigate our automobiles? Technology is truly the gift that keeps on giving.

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northwestmuseum.org

DECEMBER 12, 2019 INLANDER 7

COMMENT | NEWSMAKERS

Q&A FREYA LIGGETT The MAC’s curator of history talks to us about the museum’s explosive new exhibit on Mount St. Helens’ 1980 eruption

BY QUINN WELSCH

F

reya Liggett is no stranger to volcanoes.

The Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture’s new(ish) curator grew up in Mount Shasta, California, which last erupted about 200 years ago. But since she was hired at the MAC earlier this year, she’s been engrossed in a Washington volcano that erupted much more recently.

Liggett says she’s “been living, eating, breathing and dreaming volcanoes” in preparation of the museum’s upcoming exhibit Mount St. Helens: Critical Memory 40 Years Later, which opens on Dec. 21.

We spoke with Liggett about the importance of the Mount St. Helens’ eruption and the MAC’s exhibit. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

INLANDER: What is the significance of Mount St. Helens and this exhibit?

LIGGETT: The 40th anniversary isn’t, itself, significant as an anniversary unless you think “who still has a memory” of that event. Most of the folks who experienced that were children or young adults. That older generation has now passed, so really this is our last chance for people to tell their stories. Really not just the survivor stories, but stories that forward our understanding of the science of the eruption or the social impacts. I think it’s really interesting to look at the Eastern Washington perspective of that.

Can you tell us more about the Eastern Washington perspective?

The east side of the state had a tremendous amount of ash fall. So that was impacting travel and just life in general. You couldn’t go outside without feeling like you had a sack of flower tossed on your head. It’s interesting that it happened on this bright sunny day in May. People captured it in photographs and video. There’s a real wealth of that kind of information out there, really just becoming the start of what becomes “the digital age.”

That’s one of the things I’ve tried to imply throughout the exhibit, is the form by which people try to communicate their memories of Mount St. Helens. Whether that’s eruptions prior to 1980 and the stories we received from different legends in the Pacific Northwest or documentation from artists or travelers. It’s also really focusing on the concept that everyone has a story to share that is relevant, not just to the 1980 experience, but just the culture of living with volcanoes in the Pacific Northwest. We understand the prospects for what a Rainier eruption could be like because of the study surrounding the St. Helens eruption and every study they’ve done since then.

So that has helped inform some practical studies.

And not just practicalities for the Pacific Northwest, but St. Helens has really had a tremendous effect for the studies of volcanoes worldwide. It was really the first eruption of its kind to be documented, photographed, monitored.

I read that you use to play roller derby.

I did play with the Long Island Roller Rebels when I was in New York and decided to try again the year before last. I spent a year with the Columbia Basin Roller Derby.

Do you have a cool roller derby name?

My nickname was “Tripping Daisy.” I think it’s a really positive activity, especially for women.

There aren’t as many contact sports like that for women to participate in. That’s just an outlet that’s hard to find.

Is there anything you like about being in Spokane?

I’m just so happy to be around pointy trees again. It feels like the city is growing. There’s a nice balance between progress and preservation. They both seem to be something with weight here. n

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DECEMBER 12, 2019 INLANDER 9

M A R T I N

W O L D S O N

T H E A T E R

A T

T H E

F O X

CALENDAR OF EVENTS WHITWORTH UNIVERSITY CHRISTMAS FESTIVAL CONCERT: LOVE BE OUR SONG

Spokane Symphony

Spokane Symphony Pops

Saturday, Dec. 14, 8pm Sunday, Dec. 15, 3pm

Saturday, Jan. 11, 8pm At the Knitting Factory

Saturday, Feb. 1, 8pm

WHAT MORE ASTOUNDING: THE OAKS ANNUAL CHRISTMAS CONCERT

EL GRAN FESTIVAL DE MUSICA CUBANA

Tuesday, Dec. 17, 7pm

CENTRAL VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL HOLIDAY CONCERT: A SOLITARY WISH

Wednesday, Dec. 18, 7pm Spokane Symphony Pops

HOLIDAY POPS WITH VANESSA WILLIAMS

Saturday, Dec. 21, 8pm Sunday, Dec. 22, 2pm

THE M SHOW WITH MATEUSZ WOLSKI

CHERRY POPPIN’ DADDIES

Spokane Symphony Masterworks

MUSIC FOR VALENTINE’S

Saturday, Jan. 11, 7pm

Saturday, Feb. 8, 8pm | Sunday, Feb. 9, 3pm

SPOKANE YOUTH SYMPHONY: 70 YEARS OF EDUCATION

Spokane Symphony Chamber Soirées

Sunday, Jan. 12, 4pm

SOIRÉE ON THE STAGE: VALENTINE’S

Fox Presents

Tuesday, Feb. 11, 7:30pm Wednesday, Feb. 12, 7:30pm

Wednesday, Jan. 15, 7:30pm

GONZAGA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA WITH MIDORI

JAY AND SILENT BOB REBOOT ROADSHOW WITH KEVIN SMITH

Spokane Symphony Masterworks

BEETHOVEN’S 250TH BIRTHDAY

Thursday, Feb. 13, 7:30pm

SPOKANE STRING QUARTET WITH SPOKANE KANTOREI CHOIR

NEW YEAR’S EVE: TUESDAY, DEC. 31 SPOKANE SYMHONY: BEETHOVEN’S NINTH

Saturday, Jan. 18, 8pm Sunday, Jan. 19, 3pm

Sunday, Feb. 16, 3pm

PUTTIN’ ON THE RITZ GALA

Spokane Symphony Movies & Music

Spokane Symphony Movies & Music

Saturday, Jan. 25, 7pm | Sunday, Jan. 26, 3pm

Friday, Feb. 21, 8pm

Martin Woldson Theater at The Fox, 7:30pm Historic Davenport Hotel, 9pm to 1am

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Dec 21 8PM

Dec 22 2PM

American pop icon Vanessa Williams stars in this season’s Holiday Pops, singing hits from her two holiday albums, and more. Holiday Pops is a beloved event that brings joy to the whole family.

NEW YEAR’S EVE

Dec 31 7:30PM Concert 9PM Gala

10 INLANDER DECEMBER 12, 2019

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Jan 25 7PM Jan 26 3PM

•

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This stunning, multi-media family show features montages of memorable clips from all of Pixar’s 14 films — from the Toy Story trilogy to The Incredibles, Cars, UP, and more, all accompanied by live symphony orchestra.

Conductor: Morihiko Nakahara

Sponsors: Billie M. Severtsen, Martin and Betty Deeg

Sponsored By: Residents of Rockwood Retirement Community and

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PIXAR IN CONCERT

Puttin’ On The Ritz Gala follows at the Davenport.

Tickets sold separately.

Conductor: James Lowe Spokane Symphony Chorale

Tickets

Join millions around the globe in this New Year’s tradition — Beethoven’s Ninth — a triumphant exhilarating testament to the human spirit. A one hour concert.

Spokane Symphony Movies & Music

Presentation licensed by Disney Concerts. © All rights reserved

•

FoxTheaterSpokane.org

COMMENT | FROM READERS

Readers respond to the Inlander’s interview with Rob McCann, CEO of Catholic Charities of Eastern Washington, who spoke about attitudes toward homelessness downtown in Spokane (12/5/19):

CONRAD BAGLEY: I agree there is a level of discomfort, which should not dismiss the fact that there is criminal and dangerous behaviors also present.

TERRY PARKER: He is spot on. I remember downtown Spokane before Expo. People who think it is dangerous now are a bunch of snowflakes who need to get lives. And yet back then, not a peep from people being afraid to conduct their business downtown.

The streets and stores were packed. … These are your fellow citizens. We are each others keeper or we aren’t.

Decide and quit whining.

TINA THORSON: As someone who is on foot down there every single day, I’m so appreciative that you’ve chosen to stereotype both me and the people I encounter. When I say that I feel unsafe sometimes, it’s because I feel unsafe sometimes. No decoder ring required.

MIA ADAMS: I’ve lived [downtown] for a few years and I’ve walked and ridden the bus all hours of the night and day. I’ve never felt unsafe. I’ve felt annoyed, but people act like they’ve never lived in a city before.

Spokane is a city. There’s going to be drugs, crime, gangs, etc., but it’s really not very bad. n

Commodores Thu, Jan 16 / 7:30pm Queensrÿche Dec 15 New Year’s Eve Disco Bash Dec 31 With The Bootie Shakers Sawyer Brown Jan 30 Brian Regan Feb 12 & 13 Sara Evans Feb 23 Rodney Carrington Mar 22 Australia’s Thunder From Down Under Mar 27 & 28 Champions of Magic Apr 11 Charley Pride May 3 Celtic Woman May 16 & 17

Breean Beggs was unable to rally enough support on council to pass a package of proposed tenants rights ordinances. DANIEL WALTERS PHOTO

Readers respond to the Spokane City Council’s decision to delay discussion of a tenants-rights ordinance until March (“‘Totally Broken Right Now,’” 12/5/19):

LAURA MCNIEL: There are some things in the proposed tenants ordinance that are absolutely ridiculous and need to be taken out. I’m glad it was delayed.

BECKIE SHELLY: If property taxes go up on the landlord then why can’t they pass the expenses onto the renter? My bill goes up every year...... so should rent.

DAVE DORAN: Cold homeless people or victims of real estate profiteers — Spokane is on the case!

Uh, next spring maybe or sometime if we get around to it. n

877.871.6772 | SPOKANE, WA

DECEMBER 12, 2019 INLANDER 11

You’re so money. financial educ ation presented by stcu.

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It ’s understandable, but they inf luence more of your life than ever before. T hey can af fect the pr ice of your cellphone bill or insur ance, rent or mor t g age — and now, employers are r unning credit repor t s on prospective hires.

To set you up for success, we reached out to Jill Bath, STCU’s Lear ning and Development Facilitator ( loan of f icer tr ainer ex tr aordinaire) for guidance on credit repor t s — one of life’s g reat myster ies.

eport Credit R

The basics.

What ’s a credit score? A number r anging f rom 300 -850 that measures your credit wor thiness. T he higher the score, the bet ter.

Who keeps score? T he three main credit bureaus: Equif a x , E xper ian, and Tr ansUnion.

How do they keep score? “Payment histor y makes up a huge por tion of the score. Missing payment s decreases the score sig nif icantly,” Bath said. Amount owed on a loan or credit card is another big f actor. “Higher balances don’t repor t as well as lower balances…if a card is ma xed out, there’s no limit available and that doesn’t repor t well, either.”

Check yourself out.

How of ten should you check your credit? Bath says once a year is plent y. STCU members can get a high-level credit repor t for f ree when they access online banking. Anyone can get one f ree f ull-f ledged credit repor t per year at annualcreditrepor t.com. And now on to the most impor tant subject — you.

On your repor t, check the following for accur ac y: Personal infor mation — name, address, bir th date, and Social Secur it y number.

Open account s — creditor name ( bank or credit card issuer), account number, credit limit, and payment histor y (including late payment s).

Closed account s — creditor name, who closed the account, and payment histor y.

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12 INLANDER DECEMBER 12, 2019

Patrick McKann has been working with his neighbors to ask the city for help slowing down traffic in Lincoln Heights.

TRANSPORTATION

STOP SIGN AVERSION

Some neighbors in Lincoln Heights want stop signs, but Spokane leans toward “traffic calming,” and there’s a reason

BY SAMANTHA WOHLFEIL

YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

M

ove to Spokane from another small or mid-sized city, and one of the first things you may notice is the lack of stop signs in residential neighborhoods.

At least, that’s one thing that stood out right away for Patrick McKann, who now lives in the Lincoln Heights neighborhood on Spokane’s South Hill.

“I’ve lived in a bunch of places, and I’ve never seen a place so averse to stop signs,” says McKann, a former statistician now working to start a company that makes yurts.

A small yellow “Please Slow Down” sign sits outside his home off the residential loop that starts on East North Altamont Boulevard. Just up the block, off one branch of a Y-intersection, another neighbor has the same sign. A few houses away on the other branch of the Y, another neighbor has a child-sized plastic green man holding a flag at the end of their driveway.

Their reminders are meant to slow down the drivers who come peeling in off the Altamont arterial, where the speed limit is 30 mph. A series of Y-intersections and a lack of signs in the loop seems to encourage a slingshot effect, with people accelerating into the neighborhood where McKann often walks with his 7-year-old daughter and 9-year-old dog. ...continued on next page

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But in Spokane, unless there is a side street meeting a main arterial, there’s a preference for “uncontrolled” intersections, where drivers should follow the right-of-way. A refresher for those who haven’t taken a driver’s test recently: that means slowing down as you approach an intersection, scanning for traffic, and if there’s a vehicle coming on the right, you yield to that vehicle. If there’s a vehicle on the left, and no one to your right, you have the right-of-way.

The city is just following federal guidance for what works best, explains city spokeswoman Marlene Feist.

“Stop signs are not intended to be traffic calming, they’re intended for specific collision reduction,” she says. “The research we’ve read is if you overuse stop signs, people ignore them. One of the challenges is that you have to use what is going to be an effective tool.”

BY THE NUMBERS Total intersections in Spokane: 6,876 263 are controlled with signals 18 have roundabouts or traffic circles 62 have one or more yield signs 2,389 have one or more stop signs 4,144 are uncontrolled

Read All ! m E ’ t u Abo t!

if G t a e r G a e k a M s ie r to Inlander His Available at INLAND NORTHWEST HISTORY

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f you call yourself an Inlander, you need to know the stories. Do you remember those ancient ivory tusks pulled from a farm down on the Palouse? What happened after fur trappers set up their first trading post on the Spokane River? Or how a local basketball team captivated the nation? What about “The Biggest Thing That Man Has Ever Done”?

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But a lot of people don’t remember or follow the right-ofway properly, McKann says, and all it takes is spending a short amount of time on his street to see why he and others worry that something terrible could happen if traffic isn’t slowed down.

“There’s a huge amount of pedestrian traffic and these huge intersections,” McKann says. “So when you’re walking your dog or whatever, someone will come around the corner and you hope they see you.”

For more than a year, a handful of passionate neighbors in Lincoln Heights have tried to get the city to help slow traffic through the area, asking the police to enforce speeding in the area and specifically requesting stop signs from the street department.

That’s how McKann says he learned the city prefers other “traffic calming” measures, such as bumping a sidewalk curb out further into the street, or creating a traffic circle, which forcibly slows vehicles and can’t be ignored as easily as a stop sign.

But in most cases, getting traffic-calming measures can take years, leaving the concerned neighbors to question why there isn’t a faster way to get people to slow down.

B

y the time McKann really got interested in slowing traffic in front of his house earlier this year, he learned others in his area had been trying to do so for years. Finally meeting up with each other this spring, they approached the city’s street department and asked for help.

The group soon learned that aside from asking for a police officer to come enforce traffic violations for a day, many more steps would be needed for things to change.

First, the neighborhood needed an updated traffic study to show the number of cars that travel through their area and how fast they’re going. City traffic engineers laid out cables to track traffic volumes and vehicle speed this spring, and also looked at crash data to see whether any intersections would qualify for a stop sign.

In some places along the loop, as many as 67 percent of drivers were speeding faster than the 25 mph speed limit, and in all testing locations, 37 percent to 67 percent of drivers were breaking the 25 mph speed limit.

That should be enough to warrant stop signs at least somewhere, right?

Not exactly.

As city engineer Bob Turner wrote to McKann and others who’d asked for the help, stop signs have specific federal guidelines for when and where they should be installed, and “they are

not to be used for speed control.”

“Installing a stop sign where the traffic volume is relatively low can create an unsafe situation,” Turner writes in a March email. “If there is not a lot of traffic volume, a person stopping at the stop sign may not believe it is necessary and then roll through LETTERS it or not stop at all which is even Send comments to more dangerous.” editor@inlander.com.

Guidelines in the “Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices,” issued by the Federal Highway Administration, say stop signs should only be used at 1) an intersection of a less important road with a main road where relying on right-of-way could be dangerous 2) a street crossing at a through-highway or street 3) an intersection without a signal in an area that uses signals elsewhere or 4) where there are high speeds, a restricted view or crashes that indicate a need for one.

If none of those apply, traffic calming such as “traffic circles, bump outs, interactive speed signs, and other options” could be used.

Based on the average to below average data from the Lincoln Heights study, Turner encouraged the neighbors to create a traffic subcommittee of their neighborhood council to potentially apply for money from the traffic-calming fund, which is generated by red-light-camera revenue.

To apply for a project from traffic-calming funds for the coming year, the neighborhood council would need to apply between January and March. After projects are selected, the City Council will vote on which projects to ultimately approve in November or December 2020. In the fastest example, design for the project would take another year after that, and then potentially go out for bid and construction in 2022.

Steak in a stocking would be weird.

“We just don’t understand why we can’t do a cheap solution. ... I’m pretty sure stop signs would take care of a lot of this.”

While it’s definitely possible for projects to get fast-tracked if a real emergency exists, Feist says, projects typically are included on the city’s 6-year plan for roads, meaning it could be years before a traffic-calming project is built, even after it is approved.

There’s even more uncertainty as the city waits to see how Initiative 976, which dropped car tabs to $30, will reduce the city’s ability to get grants from the state. If it holds up in court, the measure will already have put a $3 million per year dent in the city’s budget for road projects by eliminating the local Transportation Benefit District.

“We just think they’re crazy,” McKann says of the city. “We just don’t understand why we can’t do a cheap solution. Instead, the road that we’re down now is we’re going to ask for hundreds of thousands of dollars to put in a roundabout, and do all this stuff that OK, it’ll work, too, but I’m pretty sure stop signs would take care of a lot of this.”

There are plans to add stop signs in the Lincoln Heights area on Mount Vernon and Fiske streets where they intersect with 27th Avenue, which is being turned into an arterial, Feist says. The City Council will be considering an update to the city’s arterial map on Dec. 16, which could also result in more stop signs along streets that get the faster designation as a main route.

Still, it leaves McKann and his neighbors waiting for a solution outside their homes. At the end of the day, they really just want people to slow down, whether that’s with a stop sign or not.

“We were just looking for the cheapest, quickest way to do that,” he says. “Maybe in two years, our proposals happen. But in the meantime? Nobody’s been killed yet. We just don’t want that to happen.” n samanthaw@inlander.com

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DECEMBER 12, 2019 INLANDER 15

NEWS | BRIEFS

The Kids Aren’t Alright

protocols to serve them. The researchers found that when compared to boys, previously incarcerated girls who were in foster care were more likely to receive outpatient treatment for mental health or substance use, but less likely to be sentenced to adult prison.

Miller says she thinks the report will influence the Legislature to act.

“I suspect it will influence policy,” Miller says. “Some of the big takeaways were the high rates of mental illness and substance abuse in dual populations, so focusing more on better treatment for those kids might be helpful.”

(WILSON CRISCIONE)

A new report identifies challenges for youth in foster care and the justice system

LOAN, BUILD, DRINK

Y

outh who have been involved in both the foster care and juvenile justice system have higher rates of mental health illness and substance use disorder than kids who weren’t in foster care, according to a new state report.

The research, released recently by the Washington State Institute for Public Policy, sheds light on the unique challenges facing youth in CHILD WELFARE. Kids who have been incarcerated may be more likely to have undesirable outcomes, but those impacts were significantly magnified when those kids were at one point involved in the foster care system.

“The size of the difference was stunning,” says Marna Miller, a senior researcher with the institute.

For instance, 79 percent of girls and 74 percent of boys who were involved in both juvenile justice and foster care, referred to as “dually involved” youth, had some indication of mental illness by age 18. But for kids

16 INLANDER DECEMBER 12, 2019

Airway Heights continues to get water from the city of Spokane.

YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

in juvenile justice only, that fell to 36 and 30 percent, respectively. More than 40 percent of dually involved kids had substance use disorder, while less than 20 percent of juvenile justice only kids did.

Dually involved youth also had higher rates of emergency room visits, less employment, fewer earnings and they were more likely to use public assistance programs, the report found.

While the report examines outcomes for both boys and girls, the state Legislature directed the institute to compile the report to specifically look at the needs of dually involved girls and to survey whether other states had

The ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY is giving Washington more than $52 million in grants for drinking water and wastewater treatment projects throughout the state, which will be partially matched with state funding and given to projects as below-market rate loans.

Of the drinking water projects targeted to start in 2020, there’s a little more than $3 million earmarked for the city of Spokane to build a 4.5-million-gallon reservoir to continue providing drinking water to Airway Heights.

Since water there was found to be contaminated with PFAS chemicals, which are persistent in the environment and believed to cause health issues in people in very low quantities, Airway Heights has been getting water to its citizens with help from Spokane.

The reservoir is expected to help maintain reliability even more, as Airway Heights continue to figure out a long-term solution with the Air Force, which is the likely source of the contamination.

Among several other projects that were approved, the town of Cusick, in Pend Oreille County, also will receive

$660,000 to upgrade its surface water treatment plant. (SAMANTHA WOHLFEIL)

AFFORDABLE HOUSE HUNTERS

Earlier this year, with much of Washington experiencing a housing crisis, the state Legislature approved a new stream of money — a sales tax rebate — for local governments to use to build affordable housing. But first, these local governments had to pass a “resolution of intent” that they would implement the sales tax rebate credit.

On Monday night, the Spokane City Council voted to do just that, opening up approximately $7 million to support AFFORDABLE HOUSING units. The decision was praised by the Landlord Association of the Inland Northwest. “We’re struggling with the housing crisis, and it’s hard oftentimes to separate the LETTERS need to attack the symptoms Send comments to and the cause,” Landlord Assoeditor@inlander.com. ciation President Steve Corker says. “This is an example of a program which attacks the causes and provides resources for the community.”

Corker says the association supported “working with council members to come up with constructive solutions that don’t exacerbate the problem.” The association has tried to discourage the City Council from fighting the housing crisis with tenant protections that restrict landlords.

Outgoing City Council President Ben Stuckart says that right now, local housing providers are seeing financing holes of about $40,000-$50,000 a unit — and if the city partners with other local governments like Spokane County and Spokane Valley, they’d have as much as $20 million to help construct needed housing.

“What we’re not building in our community, is we’re not seeing any low-income housing built specifically for seniors, and they’re getting displaced,” Stuckart says. (DANIEL WALTERS) n

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SMELTER SLOWDOWN Two groups of residents who oppose a silicon smelter planned near NEWPORT cheered a decision by the Pend Oreille County Commission Monday, as the commissioners opted not to rezone all public land in the county as rural, for now. The county had proposed rezoning all public land to allow for more development, including on the site where the proposed PacWest Silicon smelter would go. Instead of voting on that now, the commission opted to look at that proposal next year, when it goes through the update process for its overall Comprehensive Plan.

(SAMANTHA WOHLFEIL)

THE THREATS THEY FACE In the news section this week (on page 20), we have a piece on how the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is caught in the middle of the fight between environmentalists and ranchers. But on Inlander.com, we dive deeper into the social-media threats from WOLF LOVERS that contributed to the cancellation of 14 wolf meetings in August. It’s just not errant comments on social media — Fish and Wildlife officials testify that they’ve been followed to their Spokane home by wolf advocates and have had their residences photographed.

(DANIEL WALTERS)

INMATE DEATH An inmate in the SPOKANE COUNTY JAIL died last Friday after reportedly jumping off a guardrail on a mezzanine within the facility and landing headfirst on the concrete floor below, according to a news release. The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the incident. The inmate, Robert Abraham Taitch, was booked into jail two days earlier on charges including Controlled Substances Homicide and first-degree theft. His death is the latest of a series of inmate deaths inside the jail: Since June 2017, 10 inmates have died in total. Taitch is the second inmate to die this year. (JOSH KELETY)

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DECEMBER 12, 2019 INLANDER 19

NEWS | WOLVES

Everybody Hates Fish and Wildlife The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is caught in the crossfire between wolf lovers and haters

BY DANIEL WALTERS

M

atthew Konkle, a state Fish and Wildlife official stationed in northeast Washington, forwarded an email to his colleagues in September with a picture attached: A yellow “Pavement Ends” sign sits with a forest in the background. Stuck to the front of the sign is what looks like a customized bumper sticker: “WDFW = Enemy.”

“The struggles in my district appear to be escalating faster than solutions are being provided by our decision makers,” Konkle wrote in the email to the Fish and Wildlife executive team. “I strongly appreciate the moves recently taken to protect the safety of my staff such as addressing recent safety concerns with impending meetings.”

At the end of the August, Fish and Wildlife announced it was canceling 14 meetings about wolf recovery because of safety concerns. An Inlander public-records request turned up a slate of angry rhetoric, much of it directed toward the Fish and Wildlife staffers.

In early August, the Center for Biological Diversity called its Facebook fans to action, warning them that, in the name of protecting cattle, Fish and Wildlife was planning to kill more members of the Old Profanity Peak pack in Ferry County. Despite the environmental group’s attempts to filter out the uglier comments, death threats toward the Washington state department got through.

“Kill the state officials responsible for the crime,” one commenter demanded.

Other comments on other pro-wolf Facebook pages featured similarly threatening comments, like “I wish someone, ANYONE, would shoot the sharpshooters!,” and “Shoot them in the knee caps as they are not human.”

Fish and Wildlife concluded that the best course of action was to cancel the public meetings and hold a series of online webinars instead. But while the cancellations were greeted with relief by some nervous Wildlife staffers, other groups reacted with cynicism.

Wolves continue to divide northeast Washington — not just when it comes to policy, but also culture and values.

20 INLANDER DECEMBER 12, 2019

“The state knows very well that the vast majority of people will come out to the hearing and tell them to stop killing wolves. They don’t want that,” says Kieran Suckling, executive director of the Center for Biological Diversity. “The state represented at the end of the day the interest of a small group of ranchers, but not the interests of the majority of citizens.”

But Diamond M Ranch’s Len McIrvin, one of the northeast Washington’s most vocally anti-wolf ranchers, also saw conspiracy, but in the other direction.

“It had nothing to do with safety.” McIrvin says.

“Fish and Wildlife has an agenda and that’s to put us out of business with the wolves.”

BARED TEETH

You can trace Washington’s fight over the fate of wolves and cattle to 2012, when Fish and Wildlife used a helicopter to kill wolves in the “Wedge pack,” which the department concluded had been eating McIrvin’s cattle.

To environmentalists it was an atrocity — seven different conservation organizations sent a letter to the governor condemning it. But to conservatives like Steve McLaughlin, who once ran for state commissioner of public lands, the state’s policies have been “hog-tying” ranchers’ ability to pursue a more aggressive removal of wolves.

“Bottom line is, they want us off the land,” McLaughlin said at last year’s Marble God and Country rally in Stevens County, arguing that wolves were being intentionally used by “the communists and the New World Order … to depopulate the West.”

In 2013, Fish and Wildlife tried to bring together ranchers, environmentalists and hunters as a part of a Wolf Advisory Group to develop clear standards for when a wolf pack needed to be killed, says Donny Martorello, the state’s wolf policy lead.

“The ideas that we put on the table, everybody hated,” Martorello says. “We thought, ‘Hey, everybody dislikes us and we’re in the middle and that puts us in a good spot.’”

But Martorello quickly realized they were wrong. If anything, the mutual distrust of his agency was exacerbating the tensions.

Each time wolves were killed, a national outcry would follow, unleashing a flood of phone calls, emails and comments on social media that went from angry to downright sinister.

“We’ve had staff take it to the level where they needed to change how they look, change their hairstyle, grow out their hair, because of their concerns for their personal safety,” Martorello says.

A few years ago, Martorello says, he got a series of “I’m coming for you” emails from someone angry about Fish and Wildlife killing wolves. It concerned him so much he put his family in a hotel room for two days.

PACK MENTALITIES

The fights aren’t just about policy, Marterollo says, but also about culture and values.

“On the surface, it’s about the lethal removal of wolves,” says Martorello. “But there’s a deep-rooted identity-based conflict beneath that.”

The agency spent $1.2 million over three and a half

years to bring in a nonprofit to begin to heal the divide, according to the Washington Post. Francine Madden, executive director of what’s now the Center for Conservation Peacebuilding, tried to mend some of the underlying wounds hobbling the debate.

The strategy: Set the wolf-and-cattle issue aside at first, and help each side build relationships and understand each other.

“There were so many moments where people amazed themselves that they could engage in this constructive problem-solving and come up with stuff that they could live with,” Madden says.

Madden helped the Wolf Advisory Group find consensus, developing a new standard for how the state should handle conflicts between wolves and livestock, getting some ranchers to agree to deal with wolves through non-lethal methods and some conservationists to sign off on wolves being killed in rare circumstances.

The problem? Some participants found themselves targeted by those on their own side for being sellouts.

Chase Gunnell, spokesman for Conservation Northwest, says that they’ve “received threats for collaborating with ranchers and agencies,” generally from “hardcore environmentalist” groups out of state.

Meanwhile, on the other side, you have some northeastern Washington ranchers like McIrvin, who blames Fish and Wildlife bureaucrats for inciting death threats against him and refers to environmentalists as “animal worshippers” and “degenerates.”

“I don’t care if everybody in Seattle says they want wolves, I still have a constitutional right to defend my property,” McIrvin says. “I have every right to eliminate those wolves.”

The rhetorical climate, Madden argues, is a reflection of the national climate of zero-sum partisanship.

“If your take is, ‘It’s my way or the highway’ and you try to annihilate the other side, then you’re probably going to be disappointed when society comes together,” Madden says.

STILL IN THE HUNT

For all the progress that Fish and Wildlife officials felt they made over the last few years, it didn’t prepare them for a month like August.

That’s the month when the Center for Biological Diversity successfully won an injunction to stop the state from killing more members of the Old Profanity Peak pack — but just hours earlier, state officials had killed almost all remaining wolves in the pack. That same month, the Stevens County Cattlemen’s Association offered a $15,000 reward for information leading to the identity of the person allegedly shooting cattle, suspecting retaliation for wolf deaths. The month ended with the announcement that they were cancelling the wolf meetings.

Still, the department plans to schedule wolf meetings next year. They haven’t solved the conflict that has spanned generations, Martorello says, but today he feels like they have the tools to begin to try.

“There were many people who get into this business because they like to get outdoors and like to deal with wildlife,” Martorello says. “We weren’t necessarily trained for the social conflict of this.” n danielw@inlander.com

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DECEMBER 12, 2019 INLANDER 21

Craig Meidl at the Aug. 1, 2016, press conference where the mayor announced he would be Spokane’s new police chief. YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

22 INLANDER DECEMBER 12, 2019

Chief Among Them Sex. Violence. Transparency. Race.

While many point to progress made by the Spokane Police Department, others see a string of controversies involving cops behaving badly.

How is the department doing after three years under Chief Craig Meidl?

BY JOSH KELETY

C

raig Meidl didn’t get any honeymoon from the community. The moment he was named Spokane’s new police chief in August 2016, the announcement was met with shock and outrage. A “back door appointment,” one community activist complained.

A slap in the face, said another.

Part of the issue was the fact that Meidl, a longtime veteran of the department, said he didn’t want the job and, as a result, hadn’t applied for it or been subjected to the same interviews and the public scrutiny that two finalists for the job endured.

Besides, there was Meidl’s history of supporting disgraced Spokane cop Karl Thompson, who was sent to federal prison in connection with the 2006 beating death of an unarmed disabled man. Meidl had been one of the officers who stood and saluted Thompson in the courtroom after the guilty verdict was read.

City leaders and activists wondered if Mayor David Condon’s surprise pick was really the guy who could bring stability to the department. SPD was still reeling from the chaotic tenure of the previous chief, Frank Straub, who was ousted in September 2015 amid concerns about his divisive management style as well as allegations of sexual harassment.

“There had been a crisis of leadership at the very top,” says Jim McDevitt, a former U.S. Attorney who Condon brought in to temporarily run the department after Straub was forced to resign.

Fast forward to now: At the end of this month, Mayor-elect Nadine Woodward will take over City Hall and, with it, oversight of Meidl. She declined to comment on whether she planned to keep Meidl or any of the current city-department heads. However, the Inlander spoke with elected officials, former cops, law enforcement experts, community advocates and Meidl himself to assess how the department is faring under his leadership.

It’s a mixed bag of sorts. Many say Meidl has stabilized the department after the Straub scandal and credit him with reform-minded initiatives like pairing mental health professionals with patrol officers to get people help and keep them out of jail. But controversy continues to dominate the headlines.

Last month, an officer was charged with rape after allegedly sexually assaulting a victim of a domestic violence crime that the officer was investigating. The month before, Meidl and the department brass faced withering

criticism for defending an officer who shouted profanityladen threats and sicced a police dog on a suspect who appeared to be surrendering.

“It’s been a fast three years and it’s been a long three years,” Meidl tells the Inlander in a recent interview.

“We’re continuing to learn, we’re continuing to grow.”

BUILDING BRIDGES

When asked about Meidl’s tenure, observers frequently point to his approachable personality and efforts at proactive outreach with the community. Meidl himself says it’s a high priority for him.

“When I took over the position, one of the priorities for me was connecting with the community, building bridges with the community. There had been some turmoil, obviously, with the transition from the prior chief,” Meidl says. “I felt like we really needed to engage with the community and make sure we were out in the community.”

Rick Eichstaedt, the former director of the nonprofit Center for Justice, says that Straub projected a “it’s my way or the highway” attitude, while Meidl brings a more accessible and collaborative temperament to the job.

“Craig seems like he is open to new ideas, he is very approachable,” he says. “He has a very different demeanor.”

While Straub started several programs like the Police Activities League — which organizes summer activities like basketball games to foster trust between cops and youth — city leaders and other officials say that Meidl doubled down on intensive community outreach and has fostered that attitude among his subordinates.

“The Police Activities League and the youth police interactions program — those started before him, but he has kept them well-resourced,” says City Councilman Breean Beggs.

Kurtis Robinson, president of the Spokane chapter of the NAACP, says that Meidl and his command staff have been proactive about reaching out to him and other community members for feedback on various issues, such as how to recruit more officers of color or their youth programming.

“More than a handful of times I have been approached by Chief Meidl and his staff about what they need to do to engage communities of color,” he says.

“They have really ramped up their level of collaborative

community engagement.”

He adds that he regularly gets phone calls from either Meidl or his direct subordinates notifying him when there is a police shooting involving a person of color.

Similarly, after Spokane police officers shot seven people in 2017 — three of whom were Native American — the department signed a memorandum of understanding to establish lines of communication with the local Native American community.

“I think he’s fairly diligent about making those calls,” says NATIVE Project CEO Toni Lodge, who helped craft that agreement.

In 2018, the department conducted a survey of local residents to gauge its public standing. An estimated 87 percent of respondents agreed that the police department was successfully working to improve its relationship with city residents. That’s up from 56 percent when a 2015 survey asked the same question.

“It was already on the upswing, but overall the public confidence in the police department has risen,” Beggs says.

SEX AND COPS

Spokane Police Officer Nathan Nash was charged with rape in November after he allegedly sexually assaulted a domestic violence victim involved in a case he was investigating. (Through a lawyer, Nash has denied the allegations of sexual assault.) Investigators also found that Nash had a “common practice” of giving out his personal cell phone number to other victims.

The allegations made against Nash come after a string of cases involving Spokane cops accused of sexual misconduct. In 2018, a jury convicted former Sgt. Gordon Ennis of rape for sexually assaulting another police officer in 2015. And in early 2016, an officer was suspended for having a consensual yet inappropriate sexual relationship with a woman days after he took a domestic violence report from her.

“Our organization is concerned with the pattern of behavior that we’ve seen from the Spokane Police Department officers over the last several years,” Mariah McKay, a member of the Spokane chapter of the National Organization for Women, tells the Inlander. “The frequency of these incidents should be cause for concern and is indicative of a culture that needs to change.”

The incidents raise questions about the internal ...continued on next page

DECEMBER 12, 2019 INLANDER 23

POLICE “CHIEF AMONG THEM,” CONTINUED... culture of the department, and whether it tolerates sexual harassment and misconduct. Research indicates that sexual misconduct — ranging from consensual on-duty sex to rape — is common within law enforcement agencies nationwide.

“It’s a pretty egregious act for these types of allegations to be coming forward on a regular basis,” McKay says. “The repeated, different scenarios cannot be ignored as just a few bad apples.”

Meidl denies that the internal culture of the department suffers from issues with sexism or misogyny.

“Do I feel that there is a gender bias or anything like that? I don’t believe there is,” he says. “I think we have some officers and allegations of officers engaging in inappropriate conduct that absolutely nobody could have predicted.”

When asked by the Inlander if he is taking any specific measures in response to the incidents, Meidl says he plans to meet with staff from the YWCA to discuss potential next steps.

“My quest is to determine: Is there more we should be doing based on their expertise, and what is that?” he says. “I definitely think that there is more that we need to do, undoubtedly.”

Meidl adds that all new officers participate in city-mandated sexual harassment training during their orientation. In 2017, all officers received additional sexual harassment training.

McKay says that sexual harassment training is the “bare minimum” and the incidents show that the department would benefit from specialized trainings regarding gender, power dynamics, rape and sexual assault. “It’s much more complicated than, ‘Don’t hit on your coworkers,’” she says.

Penny Harrington, former chief of the Portland Police Bureau and founding director of the National Center for Women and Policing, argues that the fact that law enforcement agencies are male-dominated contributes heavily to how departments view sexual harassment and misconduct.

“The gender composition really has an effect,” she says. “You have to have a certain percentage of a minority in the majority group before they have any power or an effect on culture.”

Harrington points to the Madison Police Department in Wisconsin, where about 30 percent of the officers are women. And it’s been that way for almost two decades.

In contrast, only an estimated 9.6 percent of the uniformed officers in the Spokane Police Department are women, according to a 2016 report from the city’s Gender and Race Pay Equity Taskforce.

Joe Walker, a former lieutenant who retired in 2017 after 29 years with the department, says the agency is “absolutely” a tough work environment for women because it is male-dominated. He thinks the department could do more to encourage women to rise up the ranks.

“It doesn’t seem like there’s the push or encouragement,” he says.

Meidl argues that there aren’t many women who take promotional exams nor are there many women in the department as a whole. He says the reasons that people don’t take the civil service exam to become sergeants are varied, including the high likelihood of working graveyard and the added responsibility of being a supervisor.

As for efforts to diversify the department, Meidl says that the department has been targeting universities and military bases and female-only job fairs to try to recruit more women and people of color. The department is also offering classes specifically for women that cover defensive tactics and stressors that female officers face on the job.

24 INLANDER DECEMBER 12, 2019

Jae Dobbs, a mental health clinician with Frontier Behavioral Health, and SPD Officer Joe Dunsmoor working as one of the department’s co-deployed teams.

YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

“We’re really pushing hard to get a diverse agency,” he says. “So far, I would say it’s working. We’ve got at least four females that will be going through the academy.”

But Meidl stresses that, ultimately, his department can only do so much to identify bad cops before they act out, and that officers like Ennis are not reflective of the department’s culture.

“Despite everything we do, there are going to be people that will exercise that free will and engage in behavior that isn’t appropriate,” he says. “I look at the Ennis thing, that is not a symptom of the Spokane Police Department. That is a symptom of the character of that individual who happened to be employed by the Spokane Police Department.”

OVERSIGHT AND ACCOUNTABILITY

In May, Police Ombudsman Bart Logue — the department’s official watchdog — was tipped off by a local blogger and former cop, Brian Breen, about a controversial arrest from February. Body camera footage would later reveal how Officer Dan Lesser screamed threats like “I’m going to f---ing kill you” and hoisted a police dog into a truck cabin where it attacked a suspect who appeared to be surrendering.

When Logue found out that the case wasn’t being investigated by Internal Affairs, he criticized the department brass in an email for not informing him about the incident or opening up a formal inquiry into potential misconduct — a process that Logue, by rule, is allowed to participate in. Logue eventually filed a complaint, triggering an investigation.

Some critics argue that the way the case was handled is indicative of a broader issue in the police department: By keeping controversial cases away from Internal Affairs — handling them instead with a “chain of command” review — the ombudsman can be kept in the dark.

“Not disclosing the Lesser video to the ombudsman promptly was part of the larger pattern and policy that is going on right now. It’s just a very disturbing manifestation of it,” Beggs says. “This practice of simply not telling the ombudsman and then we wait for Brian Breen to tell us about it, that seems very demoralizing for the community.”

At the time, Meidl pointed to the fact that the department was already conducting a chain-of-command review of the incident — a process where supervisors and command staff assess whether an officer’s conduct fell within

policy — as evidence that the department was handling the matter. In an interview for this story, the chief says there was no effort to undermine oversight of the controversial arrest. “[Officers] don’t get a free pass just because it’s within the chain-of-command review,” Meidl says. “The documentation in [department records] before this became Internal Affairs will show that that was not the case.

There were policy violations identified.”

Ultimately, Lesser was cited for not turning on his body camera sooner and for his demeanor, but not his decision to sic a canine on the suspect. He received a oneday suspension. Meidl says that his decision to issue a one-day suspension took into account the fact that Lesser didn’t have any prior demeanor violations.

Meidl also argues that factoring in all the context of the arrest is important when evaluating Lesser’s conduct: The suspect was wanted on several felony warrants, including unlawful possession of a firearm, and had led officers on a car chase before he was pinned in a snowbank. He also told Lesser that he had a pistol during the arrest. No gun was recovered, however.

“This was not a random traffic stop. This was a very specific person that was very dangerous and said he had a gun twice,” Meidl says. “It does not seem to resonate how dangerous this person is. At some level I’m wondering, do people care about the officer’s safety?”

The decision not to open up an Internal Affairs investigation into the arrest wasn’t unusual, Meidl says.

The department routinely uses its discretion to determine whether a given case rises to the level of excessive force and an Internal Affairs investigation.

“To say this was an anomaly is not correct,” Meidl says. “I don’t know why there is a statement that we’re somehow doing something different on this one when this is how it’s been.”

Logue, the ombudsman, continues to argue that the current system is flawed and doesn’t guarantee scrutiny into potential police misconduct. He argues that if staff within the department flag force as inappropriate, it should be investigated by Internal Affairs. Logue also points out that several supervisors thought Lesser’s use of the police dog violated departmental policy.

“If a supervisor says it’s wrong, it should be looked at,” Logue says. “If there is perceived misconduct, it should be in Internal Affairs. It should be investigated by someone who is not in the person’s chain of command.

That’s the standard in policing.”

Councilman Beggs argues that the department should start proactively informing the ombudsman of potentially serious incidents, regardless of whether they get investigated by Internal Affairs or not. He thinks that the procedure wouldn’t violate the existing police contract.

“There’s nothing that prevents the police department from volunteering information to the ombudsman’s office about matters they’re looking into,” he says. “My proposal is, ‘You do what you want on Internal Affairs, Chief, because those are your resources. But the net for notifying the ombudsman should be very wide.’”

But Meidl argues that the ordinance doesn’t explicitly give him authority to inform the ombudsman of incidents and that doing so may run afoul of labor law. He also says that the ordinance doesn’t give the ombudsman any role in the department’s chain-of-command review process. He also adds that the ombudsman is invited to attend monthly use-of-force review board meetings where incidents are scrutinized.

“He does not have a role to play in the use-of-force reviews, per the ordinance,” Meidl says of the ombudsman. “It’s ultimately going to be the city that will pay for any damages if we commit an unfair labor practice.

“I am bound to follow labor law,” Meidl adds. “It’s a fact. And that’s been the biggest crux of where our disagreements have come from.”

McDevitt, the former U.S. Attorney who briefly led the police department after Straub, says that Meidl has multiple constituencies that he balances at any one time.

“He’s got the public pulling in one direction, he’s got the [union] pulling in another direction, he’s got the ombudsman,” he says. “He’s trying to keep all these balls in the air.”

Notably, while the chief reassigned Lesser to a plain-clothes investigative detail after the controversial arrest, Meidli says Lesser could possibly return to patrol at some point.

“He has to get off patrol for a while,” he says of Lesser. “He has to recharge his batteries.”

James Sweetser, a local attorney who represented the family of a man who was shot and killed by Lesser in 2011, James Rogers, says that the city is risking lawsuits by keeping him on the street. Lesser has been involved in five shootings since he joined the department in 1995.

“This is occurring too frequently. It’s starting to be a pattern. It’s starting to be people losing their lives,” he says. Sweetser adds that there’s plenty of other positions that Lesser could be placed in rather than patrol.

“He could be a detective,” he says. “He could be doing something else than be in these high-danger situations where he appears to have a history of escalating situations and being more than willing to shoot.”

Camerina Zorrozua, a staff attorney at the Center for Justice, says that Meidl’s statements defending Lesser’s behavior are troubling, as well as the finding that the use of the police dog was within policy.

“It feels like there was an absence of true leadership in a moment where we were looking to someone like Meidl to play that role,” she says. “If this is going to be how he carries out these duties, I don’t have much faith in him as chief.”

The department also took criticism back in October for changing its internal policy for how use-of-force cases get referred to Internal Affairs. The change effectively removed a requirement that supervisors must initiate Internal Affairs investigations whenever concerns arose about a possible use-of-force violation. Logue slammed the change as an “egregious” step backward.

Meidl argued it was to keep minor policy violations from getting tied up in formal investigations. However, after hearing the criticism, Meidl says that he told his staff to strip the new language from the department policy.

Broadly, Meidl says that the current police oversight system is working effectively: “From my perspective, yes, I am content with the current arrangement with civilian oversight.”

But the recent measures taken by Meidl don’t entirely address concerns that problematic incidents could be kept from the ombudsman and, ultimately, the public.

“Everyone is wondering, ‘What else aren’t we hearing about?’” Beggs says.

RACIAL BIAS

Spokane cops disproportionately contact, arrest and use force on non-white residents, according to the department’s own data.

The city is 85 percent white, roughly 2 percent black, and around 2 percent Native American, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. However, in 2018, while 70 percent of civilians subjected to force by Spokane police officers were white, another 13 percent were black, and 8 percent were Native American, according to the department’s annual use-of-force report. Those disparities have fluctuated but stayed significant over the past few years.

Similarly, a 2015 study conducted by Dr. Edward Byrnes at Eastern Washington University found that 6 percent of civilians contacted by Spokane officers were black while 3 percent were Native American. The margin grew when it came to the demographics of civilians who were arrested: Black people consisted of roughly 10 percent of arrested civilians while Native Americans amounted to 7 percent. An updated version of the study released in 2017 using more data showed similar disparities. Additionally, three of the seven people shot by Spokane cops in 2017 were Native American.

“It feels like there was an absence of true leadership in a moment where we were looking to someone like Meidl to play that role.”

For Center for Justice attorney Zorrozua, the fact the numbers are consistent over the years shows the department that isn’t doing enough to address racial disproportionality in local policing.

“When we actually start looking at what’s gone on since he’s taken this position, many of the concerns are still there,” she says of Meidl. “I’m concerned that internally it’s not a priority.”

“Really, the needle has not moved on use-of-force,” Toni Lodge of the NATIVE Project adds. “We worry about our kids and our grandsons and our sons.”

She adds that at local Native American community meetings, people routinely bring up concerns about getting profiled by the police: “The community says, ‘We’ve got to do something here’ and ‘I’m tired of walking to the 7-Eleven and getting stopped or my son getting stopped.’”

Meidl says that the department is working to address the issue by requiring implicit bias training for its officers, as well as inviting leaders from marginalized communities — including Lodge — to speak to officers about their experiences with police bias. They also are collecting data on self-initiated officer contacts with non-white individuals to help gauge bias among patrol offcers.

But he also argues that some demographics commit crimes at higher rates and are therefore overrepresented in policing data.

“When you’re looking at violent crime in the city of Spokane, over 30 percent of our homicides in the last six years have been committed by African Americans. They make up 2.5 percent of the population,” he says. “But 17 percent, over the last two years, of my aggravated as-

saults, as reported by the community, have been committed by African Americans. Over 10 percent of my rapes, 10 percent of my robberies.

“This is not just us randomly going out and randomly putting those demographics in the box,” Meidl adds.

However, research disputes the argument that racial disparities in policing data stem from disparate crime rates. A 2016 study from the Center for Policing Equity analyzing data from 12 police departments across the country found that racial disparities in police use-of-force persist even when controlling for racial distributions in local arrests. Additionally, several studies have found that black motorists are more likely to be searched than their white counterparts despite the fact that white drivers are more likely to possess weapons or illicit drugs.

Zorrozua objects to Meidl’s argument that racial disproportionality is the result of disparate crime rates.

“Those tropes have been around for a long time,” she says. “It perpetuates certain biases and stereotypes about people of color.”

DIALING BACK THE WARRIOR COP

When it comes to recalibrating the department to embrace the reality that cops frequently serve as the de-facto first response to behavioral health issues like drug addiction and mental health problems, some observers give Meidl and the Spokane Police Department gold stars.

For instance, Meidl, at least initially, worked collaboratively with Ombudsman Logue to develop its new use-of-force policy, which included new sections encouraging officers to use “time and distance” to de-escalate situations, as well as a mandate that deadly force should only be used as a “last resort.”

“We went after force as one of the first big things that we wanted to try and impact during my tenure here.

And that’s a hard one,” Logue says. “When I talk with my colleagues around the country, they say, ‘Pick the low hanging fruit.’ Force is not the low hanging fruit. It’s a hard one to deal with because you’re trying to balance community safety with officer safety.”

“For me, I don’t want us to fall behind in areas that are best practices,” Meidl says. “You have to stay progressive, you have to look at best practices. What was a best practice two years ago or three years ago may not be a best practice any more.”

Additionally, the department has embraced its Community Diversion Unit, which pairs grant-funded mental health workers with patrol officers to help get people into treatment and shelter rather than jail, as well as mandated 40 hours of crisis-intervention training for all officers.

The department’s senior staff has also been through motivational interviewing training.

“I honestly don’t believe that there is a comparable agency of their size doing as much in this realm,” says Steve James, an assistant research professor at Washington State University who works on policing issues.

“That’s a significant investment for an agency of their size.

“The city has got a police force that truly does want to embrace what is out there in the policing world, whether it is the way they teach defensive tactics or crisis intervention or communication styles,” he adds. “Craig is facilitating this.” n ABOUT THE AUTHOR Josh Kelety is a staff writer covering Spokane County government and criminal justice issues. He’s written about how jails are dealing with the opioid crisis, a local addiction counselor who led a double life as a drug dealer, and the ways that telecom corporations profit off of prison inmates. He can be reached at joshk@ inlander.com or at 325-0634 ext. 237.

DECEMBER 12, 2019 INLANDER 25

GIFTS FOR

Stay-atHome Dads Four presents for your friend with little time and little kids on his hands

BY DAN NAILEN

W

hether the stay-at-home dad you know is tending to a newborn or preschool toddlers, or perhaps deep in the taxi-cab mode of tooling adolescents around to school and various recitals, practices and other activities, he deserves a little something special for Christmas. Perhaps it’s a present that lets him enjoy a new hobby during his rare free time, or a tool for making his “dadding” more efficient. Here are a few options:

TECHNICS SL-1300 TURNTABLE (a)

A quality turntable is great for a stay-at-home dad for a couple reasons. One, the 15 or 20 minutes one side of a record takes to listen to might be all the relaxation Dad gets over the course of a day. Also, building a quality vinyl collection is something he can do online or in person at one of our local record stores when he can pull a quick pop-in while the kids are at a playdate. $350 • Go! Records • 635 W. Garland Ave.

BASIC BREW KIT (b)

ILLUSTRATIONS BY ALI BLACKWOOD 26 INLANDER DECEMBER 12, 2019

I’m not suggesting parenthood drives people to drink, but I’m not not suggesting that, either. If the kids are a little older and take a bit less on-hands parenting minute by minute, perhaps dear ol’ Dad

would take to a new hobby like brewing his own tasty beverages. These all-in-one kits will get him started, and he’ll be sipping (after the kids are in bed, of course!) in no time. $90 • Jim’s Homebrew Supply • 2619 N. Division St.

CUISINART AIRFRYER TOASTER OVEN (c)

You know what kids love? Tots. Know who else loves tots? Dads. Airfryers are all the rage because of their ability to deliver delicious “fried” goodies without all the oil from traditional frying. This bad boy does so much more, though — it’s a full-on toaster oven that can also bake cupcakes for the kids or make up to six slices of toast at a time if Dad is tending to a large brood at breakfast. $199 • Huppin’s • 8016 N. Division St.

MY DAD USED TO BE SO COOL (d)

Reading is obviously vital to a child’s development, and your stay-at-home dad is on the case early with this most excellent picture book by Bellingham author Keith Negley. The book’s dad has tattoos, played in a rock band and rode motorcycles, but something’s changed. Father and child can explore what happened together in this fun, colorful tome. $18 • Order it from your favorite local bookstore. n

DECEMBER 12, 2019 INLANDER 27

Unique Gifts & Stocking Stuffers Gift Cards Heated Winterizing Products for your pet

GIFTS FOR

HOLIDAY GIFTS AND DECOR

Happily Single Friends

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Ideas for somebody who’s apparently happy despite not being in any sort of romantic relationship

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veryone has a happily single friend, a friend who will constantly tell you that it’s totally fine that they’re single, that in fact you should be jealous of them for how carefree and unburdened by romantic love and lifelong companionship they are.

But if a person’s already happy alone, what can you possibly get them? I mean, other than a boyfriend or girlfriend, of course.

MOVIE FOR ONE (a)

You know your friend is truly happily single when they’re willing to just straight up go to the movies alone. In fact, going to the movies might even be better alone. No need to coordinate schedules or respond to the whispered questions of an oblivious boyfriend who doesn’t understand the plot. (The clown fish wants to find his son, Gregg. It’s not that difficult.) Best of all, the Magic Lantern offers the sort of chin-stroking experimental fare that not all significant others may appreciate, but your friend, as a happily sophisticated single, certainly will. $9.25 • Magic Lantern Theatre • 25 W. Main Ave.

“PASSIVE-AGGRESSIVE” JOURNAL (b)

Your friend may be happily single, but that doesn’t necessarily stop their parents from making all sorts of comments about how, say, a couple of grandchildren would really add some spatial balance to their family photos.

Your friend could express their frustration with their parents with a direct conversation, but giving them this blank journal with “Passive-Aggressive Comments From

Your Parents about Your Career Choices and Why You Are Still Single (Volume 1)” on the outside cover works just as well. $16 • Boo Radley’s • 232 N. Howard St.

ARKHAM HORROR (c)

Being single gives a person time to become absolutely incredible at one hobby, like juggling, or magic or board games. Unfortunately, most board games require at least two people to have a good time. But that’s not Lovecraftian co-op board game Arkham Horror, which allows a single ambitious player to experience its survival horrors easily on their own. And if they’re not into mind-shattering steampunk terror, you can always just pick them up a pack of playing cards. Solitaire has a single-player mode, too. $40 • Uncle’s Games, Puzzles & More • 404 W. Main Ave.

GIANT ICE CREAM CONE (d)

Sometimes your happily single friend is so happy about being single that they have a desperate urge to drown their glee with a binge of a massive amount of ice cream, and letting their tears of joy splish-splash jubilantly into the creamy vanilla. The best place to get truly absurd amounts of ice cream? Dub’s Drive-In at Sandpoint.

Asked in a phone call if they still have their titanic ice cream cones, the chipper employee responded, “Heck yeah, we do.” They also confirmed they had gift cards, so you don’t have to refrigerate the gift box. Let the loveless couples try to rekindle their relationship at Sandpoint’s romantic beaches. Your single friends will go just for the ice cream. $2.51 for a large cone • Dub’s Drive-In • 703 US-2, Sandpoint n

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“Love fades away. But things? Things are forever.” So give the loveless couple you know some things, and maybe, just maybe, it will spark some romance.

SNARKY MUG (a)

It could be that this couple takes itself too seriously. If that’s the case, help them make fun of themselves a bit. Let them own the fact that they’ve drifted away with this mug that shows it can be a fun thing. How funny: Our poor cat doesn’t know its name because we don’t know how to talk to each other! $12 • Decorum • 126 N. Washington St.

HOLIDAY COOKIE CUTTERS (b)

Try to help this loveless couple find some common ground through a shared activity. Find them this cardboard book of holiday cookie cutters to go with a festive towel and tray. They can actually make something together. It might be the first time they’ve enjoyed making something since their first child. $75 • Savvy Home • 1407 W. First Ave.

GIFTS FOR

Loveless Couples Gifts that can remind a couple why they’re together

BY WILSON CRISCIONE

T

hey try to hide it, but you know something’s missing. It’s the way she gulps down her wine as he retells the story of the bar fight he got in last week. It’s the passive aggressive

comment she makes about always having to clean up his dishes.

It’s the sideways glance he gives her when she brings up the new guy she met at work. As Parks and Rec’s Tom Haverford once said,

WIRELESS HEADPHONES (c)

Maybe what this couple needs is some space away from each other — a way to escape, even if they can’t physically escape each other’s presence. Give them the gift of some wireless, noise-cancelling headphones. It’s the perfect way to pretend that the other person isn’t there, that they aren’t actually yelling in your face, that none of it matters. $299 • Huppin's • 8016 N. Division St.

SPA WEEKEND (d)

There’s no better way to bring back the romance than a weekend getaway, especially when it’s already paid for. With the Stay & Spa Couples Experience package at Coeur d’Alene Resort, couples can stay overnight and get a 50-minute massage for two in one of the more romantic places in the Inland Northwest. $359 • Coeur d’Alene Resort • 115 S. Second St., Coeur d’Alene n

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DECEMBER 12, 2019 INLANDER 31

GIFTS FOR

Rugged Outdoorsy Women Recommendations for nature-loving adventure seekers

BY SAMANTHA WOHLFEIL

K

nown to take off for a quick adventure in the woods at a moment’s notice, the rugged outdoorsy woman in your life usually prefers sleeping under the stars to a weekend binging TV. She often grabs her trusty backpack and tent and takes off to connect with nature on the shores of one of the Inland Northwest’s many massive lakes. Being as prepared as she is, she’s likely already got a decent camping and hiking setup, but here are a few more things that could make her time outdoors even better.

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EAGLES NEST OUTFITTERS SINGLENEST HAMMOCK (a)

Sleeping in a tent is nice, because it keeps the bugs and little critters away, but after a day of hiking around, few things are more relaxing than stringing up a hammock to lounge in and enjoy the view (or a snooze). This hammock for one comes in many colors, and if they don’t have the one you want at the Mountain Gear retail store, you can ask if they’ll bring one over from their online store’s

warehouse. It’s worth noting: This model doesn’t come with straps, but the store also offers a variety of options to help you get in the trees. $60 (hammock only) • Mountain Gear • 2002 N. Division St.

MSR POCKET ROCKET 2 (b)

Whether she’s backpacking or just trying to save space, this teeny pocket-sized stove from MSR can be game-changing for your outdoors adventurer. At only 2.6 ounces, and able to boil water for

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those backcountry meals in less than 4 minutes, the stove packs a deceptively powerful punch. What’s even better, the small (read: packable) fuel canisters for these stoves tend to run only about $5 and can last up to an hour. $45 (stove only) • Hyperspud Sports • 402 S. Main St., Moscow

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SPITFIRE KNIFE (c)

The importance of a good sharp knife should not be underestimated — it can be one of the most essential tools in the outdoors. Buck Knives, based in Post Falls, has known that for more than a century. The Spitfire knife is easy to open and locks in place for safety; plus it comes with a forever warranty that guarantees it’ll be useful for as long as she wants to use it. You can also have it engraved for a few extra dollars. $51 • Buck Knives • buckknives.com

HYBRIDLIGHT PUC EXPANDABLE LANTERN/CHARGER (d)

Similar to that lightweight stove, this lantern can save a ton of space by collapsing down into a 2-inch-tall puck-shaped flashlight. There’s a solar panel to charge the light, as well as a USB port, and with a full charge, it can provide light for 50 hours. What’s more, you can use it to charge a cellphone. $27 • White Elephant Surplus Stores • 12614 E. Sprague Ave., Spokane Valley n

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DECEMBER 12, 2019 INLANDER 33

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GIFTS FOR

Yoga Moms Align your chakras and practice meditation before and after heading into the yoga studio

BY NATHAN WEINBENDER

T

he yoga mom values two things above all else — comfort and efficiency. If you want to stay lithe and limber in between sessions, you have to perfect your sense of balance while also balancing extracurricular activities and school Christmas concerts and 9-to-5 jobs. We’re going to assume that the yoga mom in your life already has all the proper clothes and athletic gear — the mats and the non-slip socks and the Lululemon leggings — so we’re focusing on the accoutrements that will not only make her yoga experience more pleasant and distraction-free but also keep her relaxed when yoga class is over.

MEDITATION BOWL (a)

Ever feel the need to balance your chakras? Sure, who hasn’t? Meditation goes hand in hand with yoga, and these metal alloy meditation bowls from Nepal are a

must-have. Courtesy of the company dZi Handmade, which works with Tibetan artisans to ship their products around the world, the bowls come in two sizes, complete with a wooden baton and an accompanying cushion. Using them is easy: Strike the bowl before your next meditation session, and the sound that resonates is meant to assist you in reaching nirvana. It’s like a tuning fork for the soul. $45 and $98 • Kizuri • 35 W. Main Ave.

WANDERING LEMURIAN HERBS (b)

In order to ensure that you can get into any yoga position more complicated than downward dog, relaxation is key, and that starts before you ever walk into the yoga studio.

Consider the products from Spokane company Wandering Lemurian Herbs, founded by plant forager Aubrey Mundell. The company offers a variety of soothing products

Last minute holiday gifts

Garland Resale Boutique • Mon-Sat 10am-6pm / Closed Sunday

34 INLANDER DECEMBER 12, 2019

Located in downtown Spokane at 11 S. Howard St. • garlandresale.com

this holiday season that are perfect for a post-yoga unwind: Luxuriate in a hot soak with their “sensual” bath salts ($12) and with a steaming cup of one of their all-natural herbal teas ($15), particularly their healing blend that includes peppermint leaf, elderflower and licorice root. From Here • 808 W. Main Ave., Ste. 251

SLOW NORTH NECK WRAP (c)

Regular yoga sessions require you to keep yourself in limber and flexible condition, and that means you need to be taking care of your muscles in between. But not everybody has time for a deep-tissue massage. Consider, then, these neck wraps from Slow North, which are compact but surprisingly weighty and filled with lentils. Unlike most products of this ilk, Slow North’s neck wraps are emblazoned with colorful, eye-catching patterns, so they don’t have the drab, clinical look you’d expect. Pop it in the microwave for just half a minute or leave it in the freezer for a few hours, drape it around your neck and wait for the stress to melt away. $44 • The Lookout • 1516 W. Riverside Ave.

YOGA MAT TOWEL (d)

One of the first things you purchase when you’re getting into yoga is a good non-slip mat. It’s a must. But the more active you are — and especially if you’re doing hot yoga — the grodier that mat’s going to get. Rather than having to keep shelling out for replacements, an absorbent yoga mat towel in the way to go. The yoga gear company Manduka offers a variety of microfiber towels, from solid colors to more playful designs, that are lightweight and quick-dry, and can be converted into a bath or beach towel in a pinch. $38-$42 • manduka.com

NAMASTE NECKLACE (e)

REASONS WHY Locally-owned businesses are good for our economy They create more local jobs They add character to our community They use fresh, quality ingredients Local tastes delicious

You can’t conjure world peace this holiday, but you can share a gift designed to bring peace to the yoga mom wearing it. Fabrica Vida owner Maria Fisher makes many things in this offbeat store, which feels like an oasis of calm and good vibes, located downstairs from Sherman Avenue’s street-level shops.

You might even feel more peaceful from having shopped there. $42 • Fabrica Vida • 414B E. Sherman Ave., Coeur d’Alene (CARRIE SCOZZARO) n JAN, THE TOY LADY, JUST RECEIVED ADORABLE PLUSH FROZEN II DOLLS OF ELSA, ANNA, SVEN, AND, OF COURSE, OLAF:

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DECEMBER 12, 2019 INLANDER 35

FLOAT TANK SESSION (b)

Being a news junkie can be incredibly stressful — especially if the person is routinely reacting negatively to daily headlines (i.e., liberals living through the Trump presidency). That’s why you should get them a float session in sensory deprivation tank.

Studies indicate that the tanks help alleviate anxiety, depression and sleeping issues. Give your favorite news junkie some peace of mind, even if it’s only temporary. $49 • Float Spokane • 4727 N. Division St.

NEWSPAPER SUBSCRIPTION (c)

GIFTS FOR

News Junkies

Get the perfect present for the compulsive news addict in your life

BY JOSH KELETY

B

eing a news junkie in today’s world is basically a full-time job. The news cycle moves at lightning speed, the president regularly posts Tweets that move financial markets, and social media is awash in fake news and conspiracy theories. It’s a lot to sift through — even for the type of person who won’t quit monitoring the news cycle with borderline annoying single-minded commitment. We get it, you’re on top of it. That’s why we’re here to help you help your civic-minded friend, family member or loved one be a better consumer of news and keep those hot takes coming!

PORTABLE PHONE CHARGER (a)

What’s a doomsday scenario for a news junkie that’s just a step below being without internet access? A dead smartphone battery.

The modern news consumer needs Twitter, Facebook, Google News, or any of the host of media outlet-specific mobile apps to keep up with the news cycle. Any news junkie will appreciate a handy portable power bank to keep their phone charged. $19 • REI • 1125 N. Monroe St.

Any decent self-proclaimed news junkie cares about what’s happening in their community and is aware of the dire financial state of local media nationwide. (For those who’ve been living under a rock: Daily papers across the country are hurting and several have closed up for good.) The news junkie in your life will want to support their local daily, so get them a subscription. Both the Spokesman-Review and Coeur d’Alene Press offer digital subscriptions for about $10 a month. (The Inlander, of course, is always free to pick up.)

PROTECT FREEDOM OF THE PRESS (d) Besides the economic turmoil that has hit the news business at large, reporters themselves have become targets — of verbal attacks, nuisance lawsuits and much, much worse. Let us not forget the grisly 2018 murder of the Washington Post’s Jamal Khashoggi. Consider making a donation in the name of your favorite news junkie to one of the organizations fighting to protect press freedom. Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press (rcfp.org) provides legal help and other support to journalists. The Committee to Protect Journalists (cpj.org) promotes press freedom around the worldwide and defends the right to report without fear of reprisal. And Reporters Without Borders (rsf.org) advocates for press freedom and the protection of journalists around the world.

(JACOB H. FRIES) n

the countdown is on ...

GIFTS FOR

Tech Bros

What to get for your extremely techie buddies

BY CONNOR GILBERT

P

revious iterations of our yearly Gift Guide have included categories like “Gifts for Techies” or “Gifts for Geeks.” Well, it’s 2019 now, and there’s a new category for everything. Enter the “tech bro”: a hard-working, teched-out dude that just likes to have a good time. They’re hard to buy for because they already have practically everything, but here are some useful and nerdy gifts they can embrace.

‘LOGAN’ MESSENGER BAG (a)

An elegant messenger bag like this is great for someone who wants to look like they’re always busy and protect the goods at the same time. It has plenty of room for all the work essentials (and some extras), but it’ll still win style points with a seamless design and portable size. $498 • Nordstrom • 828 W. Main Ave.

FUNKO POP! ACTION FIGURE (b)

A tech bro’s desk is incomplete without at least one Funko Pop! figure so they can display their fandom.

This one’s pretty customizable, since there’s a figure

for practically everything you can be a fan of, so it’s hard to go wrong. Anything on the Star Wars spectrum is a safe bet. $25 • Boo Radley’s • 232 N. Howard St.

KEANU REEVES CANDLE (c)

This is a pretty universal one. Not many people would be unhappy with being given a Keanu Reeves devotional candle. Bros love Keanu and nerdy dudes like Keanu. Allow your that person in your life that’s kinda in between those two to fully show their commitment as a true disciple. Boo Radley’s • 232 N. Howard St.

ELEMNT BOLT GPS BIKE COMPUTER (d)

You know that sustainable and healthy bicycle commute to work your friend keeps bringing up to make you feel bad for driving a car to your job? Give them something to brag about. This bike-mounted GPS and mini computer includes Bluetooth and dual-band technology (whatever that is) to ensure that every trek is as high-tech and smooth as possible. $250 • Wheel Sport Valley • 606 N. Sullivan Rd., Spokane Valley n

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Animal Lovers What to get doting dog moms, urban wildlife observers and the bleeding hearts of animal rescue

BY CHEY SCOTT

F

or the proud cat ladies, the dogs > people crew, and the aspiring wildlife charmers a la Snow White, the best gifts should honor their indomitable love for the animal world. Do not — I repeat, do not — however, interpret this infatuation as due cause to unexpectedly gift said animal lover with another living being. From puppies to goldfish, kittens to reptiles, pets are not appropriate holiday gifts unless — and only if — you and the intended recipient have planned far in advance in order to properly and responsibly care for said living creature for the remainder of its lifespan. OK, great.

Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s begin.

ADOPTION / KENNEL SPONSORSHIP (a)

Since the aforementioned animal lovers you know are likely living in a full and fur-covered house, running a small nonprofit rescue or fostering kittens in their spare bedroom — yet would own more pets if they could — do the next best thing. Sponsor the adoption fee for a local shelter animal in their name, and include a photo of the chosen animal and a little bit about it inside a nice card.

Or consider sponsoring a shelter kennel for an entire year, which includes a nice plaque that hangs on the kennel door with your own message of tribute or honorarium.

Independent since 1978

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38 INLANDER DECEMBER 12, 2019

(509) 624-0957 15 W Main Ave Spokane, WA 99201 www.merlyns.biz

Kennel sponsorships at the Kootenai Humane Society are $100 or $250, with your choice to display on a dog or cat unit. At the Spokane Humane Society, both cat and dog kennels are $100 to sponsor for a year. Details at spokanehumanesociety.org, kootenaihumanesociety.com

THE WHITWORTH UNIVERSITY

CHRISTMAS FESTIVAL CONCERT

CANINE / FELINE HEALTH TEST (b)

For the dog/cat people in your life who place their fur-kids before themselves, consider Spokane-based company Paw Print Genetics’ new Canine HealthCheck test. While not a breed identification test, the genetic screening can provide insight into more than 250 inherited diseases and traits, including coat colors. The results, prepared within two weeks of the lab receiving your kit back, can help a pet owner and their veterinarian make informed decisions about preventive health care and potential future medical issues. Paw Print Genetics also offers a cat version through its brand CatScan, which tests for 75 diseases and traits. $60/ cats; $180/dogs • Online at caninehealthcheck.com or mycatscan.com

SATURDAY, DEC. 14 | 8 P.M. SUNDAY, DEC. 15 | 3 P.M. MARTIN WOLDSON THEATER AT THE FOX Tickets available at foxtheaterspokane.org, 509.624.1200 or the Fox Theater Box Office $20 regular | $15 students/seniors

BIRD FEEDER (c)

Hardcore animal lovers don’t discriminate. They want to feed, care for and house every living creature on god’s green earth, and that includes the hungry little birdies in the backyard. Consider, then, a bird feeder to stock with healthy seeds to fill the bellies of local robins, starlings, sparrows and other feathered brethren. Many bird feeder models are also made to be squirrel resistant, so that your recipients’ efforts to feed the intended species are not all for naught. ~$50 • Sculptured Gardens • 15614 E. Sprague Ave., Spokane Valley

FEATURING MUSIC OF THE ENGLISH CHORAL TRADITION

CAT LADY / DOG MOM SWAG (d)

For the pet parent not ashamed to flaunt it, fur and all, consider the wide variety of options for pet people stocked at Spokane Valley gift shop Simply Northwest. A sizeable nook of the store is overflowing with chic and simultaneously cutesy dog mom and cat lady gear, including mugs and decorative signs with sayings like “all you need is love and a cat,” “dogs make everything better” and “my kids have paws.” With so many styles and choices, and items at every price point, from $5 and up, you’re sure to find the perfect present. Varies • Simply Northwest • 11806 E. Sprague Ave.

PET RELEAF LIPOSOMAL HEMP OIL (e)

If the animal lover on your list might bristle if you omit their “fur baby,” get something the whole family will appreciate: Pet Releaf Hemp Oil. Because even IF junior doesn’t suffer from the ailments hemp oil claims to address — inflammation, pain, suppressed immune system — the poor critter likely experiences anxiety (from helicopter parents). Bonus: This hemp oil is organic because, you know, nothing’s too good for the baby. $23 • ShakaPaw Pet Market • 120 Cedar St., Sandpoint (CARRIE SCOZZARO) n

BROWNE’S BISTRO Come and check out our new

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Tues-Sat 10am-11pm • Sun 10am-3pm • Closed Mondays 1924 West Pacific Ave • Browne’s Addition • 509-315-8861

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Enhance your travel-loving grandparents’ adventures with these must-haves for global romping

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Talk with members of the 1914 Campbell household as they prepare for the holidays.

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our grandparents are nearing the end of their lives and have some cash to blow. But they’re the type who sure as hell aren’t going to spend it on you. Instead, they’re travelling the world with youthful enthusiasm, gleefully posting pictures of their latest escapade on social media with astonishing frequency and hitting all the spots that you with your meager bank account balance haven’t been to (and likely never will).

One “upside” is that you can live vicariously through them; seeing pictures of your relatives having a ball in Istanbul is basically the same as going there yourself, right? Another is that you always know what to get them for the holidays: travel gear! Here are a few suggestions.

EYEGLASSES STRAP (a)

Your grandfather has bad vision. He needs his glasses. But he also loves climbing volcanoes in Indonesia, peering over the steep Cliffs of Moher in Ireland, and strolling the windy beaches of the Netherlands. If he’s travelling extensively, there’s a high probability that those specs will go flying right off his face never to be seen again. Don’t let him go blind. A strap for their eyeglasses is a highly practical and low-cost gift. And he’s old so he won’t give a hoot about criticisms that the strap isn’t stylish. $4 • Eyeglasses World • 6029 N. Division St.

SONY MIRRORLESS CAMERA (b)

The Sony A6000 is a perfect entry-level mirrorless camera that is highly compatible with a traveler’s needs: it’s compact, lightweight, good quality and comes at a decent price point (it’s been on the market for awhile).

While it has point-and-shoot capabilities, it also has all the basic features of heftier DSLR cameras so photography enthusiasts can get technical. Sony also offers fixed lenses for their mirrorless cameras. It’s a spendier gift, but your grandparents will appreciate a travel-friendly camera to document their adventures. $448 • Huppin’s • 8016 N. Division St.

Made in Spokane 509-484-6454

1419 E Holyoke Ave, Spokane, WA 509-487-3238

1025 W. 1st Ave., Spokane, WA

hallettschocolates.com

TRAVEL CRIBBAGE SET (C)

The image of seniors playing cribbage is something of a stereotype. But it’s also a very popular game. And your grandparents will need something to do when they’re riding the Trans-Siberian railway from Moscow to China. It’s generally played with two players, but the set-up can be modified to accommodate more in teams. Plus the games industry offers a variety of small and compact cribbage sets that are perfect for travel. $10 • Uncle’s Games • 404 W. Main Ave.

NECK PILLOW (d)

Every traveller could use a neck pillow. But since you’re grandparents are off having way more fun than you right now and spending lots of time on trains, planes and buses, they definitely need one with a greater sense of urgency.

Neck pillows are getting fancy these days — you can only source it online, but check out the goofy-looking Trtl Pillow Plus — but the classic models are abundant and inexpensive. That person sitting next to your grandmother on a long-haul international flight probably won’t love it when she falls asleep on their shoulder. Get her a neck pillow. $42 • REI • 1125 N. Monroe St. n

REGION’S ONLY COMPLETELY GLUTEN-FREE RESTAURANT Dairy Free, Vegan and Keto options also available.

Order your Gluten-free Holiday desserts, pies and rolls today!

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DECEMBER 12, 2019 INLANDER 41

GIFTS FOR

Adventurous Drinkers Ideas for the next-level boozehound on your list

BY DEREK HARRISON

W

e get it. It’s not easy to shop for the self-proclaimed craft connoisseur who chases all the latest drinking trends. You sit there clueless asking yourself, “Bacon fat-infused cocktails? Does that even taste good?”

The answer is probably no. But hey, we’re not here to judge your adventurous drinker. Here’s a few of our suggestions to help you keep their drinking adventurous.

CAMP CRAFT COCKTAIL KIT (a)

The adventurous drinker is always searching for new craft cocktails. This year, give them the gift of saving money by helping them make a tasty drink at home. The Lookout, located on the edge of Browne’s Addition, offers a variety of Camp Craft Cocktail kits. Each kit comes with a jar containing simple ingredients. Check out the Aromatic Citrus, for example. This one includes oranges, rosemary, thyme and bitters-infused organic sugar. The directions are easy: Add 12 ounces of your

choice alcohol, then refrigerate for three days. That’s it. It makes eight servings, and can even be infused twice for a total of 16 servings. $18 • The Lookout • 1516 W. Riverside Ave.

TRIP TO YAKIMA (b)

For the beer snob on your list, consider skipping the shopping trip and instead plan a trip to Yakima Valley. I know, I know.

This might sound like a lame suggestion for the uninitiated, but Yakima produces more hops than any other region in the world. Along with that, the valley is home to 15 breweries and cideries. That means these people are only using the freshest of ingredients during harvest season. Plan a weekend getaway full of beer tasting and farm touring — the latter might want to wait until after the snow is long gone. If you need some brewery recommendations, our favorites are Bale Breaker Brewing Company, Single Hill Brewing Company and Varietal Beer Co. visityakima.com

483-3033 • 102 E. Francis | 926-5009 • 15530 E. Sprague

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42 INLANDER DECEMBER 12, 2019

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HAMMERED HEROES (c)

Give your drinker a break from all the adventure with a solid game night addition. Hammered Heroes is an alcohol-themed battle card game made right here in Spokane. It’s quick to learn and includes characters like Hot Buttered Nun and Brass Monk Qi. It gets even better when you realize each quest card also has a drink recipe at the bottom. Go grab a copy from Dragon’s Fury Games, crack a cold one with your adventurous drinker and have some fun. You can also find it at Boo Radley’s and the Comic Book Shop in NorthTown Mall. $20 • Dragon’s Fury Games • 41 E. Queen Ave.

VACU VIN WINE SAVER (d)

Being an adventurous drinker can also mean being a wasteful drinker. Sometimes they just want to sit back, relax and open a bottle of that Chilean wine that’s been collecting dust in their cellar. However, your adventurous drinker might not be able to finish a $70 bottle in just one night. Don’t let them let that fancy wine go to waste.

Head over to the Kitchen Engine in the Flour Mill and pick up the Vacu Vin Wine Saver. This thing comes with two bottle stoppers and a vacuum pump that removes air from the bottle to keep their wine tasting fresh. It’s also great for the adventurous drinker who has a massive collection of fancy beer bottles they’re afraid to open. $12 • The Kitchen Engine • 621 W. Mallon Ave. n

3017 S. Grand Ave.

by Manito Tap House

southernspecialtiesspokane.com 509 838-7699

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GIFTS FOR

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Local Nonprofits

Home

BY CONNOR GILBERT

BOO RADLEY'S DOWNTOWN SPOKANE • HOWARD ST.

A T T I C U S

Current Shows: OFF-BROADWAY Producer ALL IS CALM: THE CHRISTMAS TRUCE OF 1914 BROADWAY Co-Producer COME FROM AWAY

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Food Family People

Keep difference-making organizations on your holiday shopping list this season

T

hink local, give local? If you want to see your charitable donations directly affect your own community, look no further. Here’s some local nonprofits that could benefit from many kinds of gifts and could even make you feel good, too.

SPOKANIMAL

Every pet deserves a home, and SpokAnimal wants to make that a reality. Through a variety of specialized programs, the organization seeks to find a companion for every furry friend, no matter the situation. Adopting is great, but if you can’t talk yourself into that, there’s still lots of ways to help out. They’re currently in need of cat and dog food of any kind as well as cleaning and office supplies, but gladly accept any donations. SpokAnimal • 710 N. Napa St. • spokanimal.org • 534-8133

DISHMAN HILLS CONSERVANCY

December/January edition on Inlander stands now

44 INLANDER DECEMBER 12, 2019

Protecting the environment is important; we should all know that by now. Doing it locally is even more crucial.

For over 50 years, Dishman Hills Conservancy has worked with state and county agencies to protect over 2,500 acres in one of the biggest outdoor recreational areas in Spokane. As part of a plan to acquire 1,200 acres by 2022, they plan to buy 137 more on Willow Springs Road.

However, land isn’t free, and every donation helps. Check out their website for membership, volunteering and

donation details. Dishman Hills Conservancy • P. O. Box 8536 • hnaa.wildapricot.org • 598-0003

BLESSINGS UNDER THE BRIDGE

What started with 40 brown bags and a case of water has turned into a full-blown ministry that serves over 300 homeless people every Wednesday night at the I-90 overpass. Blessings Under the Bridge serves Spokane’s homeless with food, clothing and other resources, and accept donations of all kinds. You can even prepare or serve meals for their weekly feeds, so there’s no limit to the ways to contribute. Blessings Under the Bridge • 10212 E. Ninth Ave., Bldg 600, Spokane Valley • butb.org • 869-6697

SPOKANE CENTER FOR INDEPENDENT LIVING

Originally started as a support group, SCIL provides services that make life easier for people with disabilities in the local area of all walks of life and levels of need. This winter, they’ve expanded to hosting events benefitting needy children and the homeless and are looking for toiletries and apparel as well as monetary donations. Spokane Center for Independent Living • 8817 E. Mission Ave., Spokane Valley • scilwa.org • 326-6355 n To find other worthy nonprofits, check out the Inlander’s annual Give Guide at Inlander.com/GiveGuide2019.

An extra few days in Spokane on Christmas break is well worth it for some Zags fans given North Carolina’s visit.

YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

SPORTS

Christmas Break Goes to the Dogs Gonzaga’s game against North Carolina is a matchup between two blue-blood programs.

For students staying in town to watch, it means much more

BY CONNOR GILBERT

I

t’s almost always a given that any athlete or coach, if asked, will say that every game the team plays is important, that they don’t overlook any opponent.

But for Gonzaga men’s basketball, we know that’s not exactly true. GU’s home matchup with the University of North Carolina Tar Heels Dec. 18 in the McCarthey Athletic Center is unequivocally the most important game in this young season so far for GU — and arguably the most significant home game in program history.

The Bulldog-Tar Heel rivalry stems back to their first meeting in 2006, an 82-74 GU upset win in New York’s Madison Square Garden. But it began in earnest in 2017, when UNC broke the hearts of Zags fans by stopping them just short of their first NCAA championship. UNC has won six national titles and made a whopping 20 Final

Fours, while that 2017 run was the first time GU had made it that far. Most of GU’s current seniors were freshmen for that matchup, and they haven’t forgotten.

“After the buzzer rang, it was silent among everyone for the first time that game,” says Lindsey Gallop, a senior who traveled to Phoenix her freshman year to see that championship game in person. “God, it sucked.

People around us were crying. It was so sad.”

“I don’t even care if this isn’t the same UNC team that beat us back then,” she adds. “I still want us to crush them.”

It’s certainly good for entertainment value, but it’s good for value value too, with the cheapest tickets selling online for a minimum of $800 and most going for upwards of $1,000.

Lucky for GU students, the price of admission is free,

and close to 1,000 have gotten their student tickets.

But there’s a problem.

T

he game is Dec. 18, but the semester ends Dec. 12, and those living on campus — almost all underclassmen — must vacate the dorms by Dec. 14. As The Gonzaga Bulletin reported, the school is firm on keeping the dorms closed. As exciting as squatting in the dorms and hiding from custodial staff may seem, campusdwelling students have to find another place to stay for four days if they want to attend the game.

Those passionate students make up GU’s rowdy student section, and they’re a huge reason why the Bulldogs win almost 93 percent of their games in McCarthey.

Calling themselves “the Kennel Club,” they take pride in ...continued on next page

DECEMBER 12, 2019 INLANDER 45

CULTURE | SPORTS “CHRISTMAS BREAK GOES TO THE DOGS,” CONTINUED...

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making home games hazardous for the Bulldogs opponents.

Between ridiculous red, white and blue outfits, a coordinated pregame group dance to a song by German DJ Zombie Nation and a surplus of chants and cheers, the student section has given the McCarthey Athletic Center an entirely different feel since the club’s inception in 1984.

“No one can replicate the energy the students have,” says senior Matt Cranston, the club’s president. “Without us, they would lose a bit of that home court advantage. That’s what makes playing in the Kennel so special.”

Sophomore Austin Versteeg, the Kennel Club’s Tent City coordinator, is one of the faithful. He didn’t go to GU during their run to the championship game, but he understands its significance.

“It’s really cool to see the program grow, between the seniors feeding off that chip on their shoulder and the underclassmen wanting to help take this program and get it established just as much as North Carolina,” he says. “I think that combination is going to create a chemistry in the Kennel that, frankly, I don’t think we’ve felt before.”

Another sophomore, Cassie Lee, is a resident assistant in GU’s Madonna dorm, and she plans on using her status to stay in the dorms over break.

“I hate North Carolina, so this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me,” she says. “The Kennel better be full, because I told my dad I couldn’t fly home until the 19th, just for this game.”

C

oach Mark Few at one point estimated the students give his team roughly a seven-point advantage in any given game, and while it’s a bit dubious to try and quantify it in that way, if the coach says it’s a thing, you ought to believe it’s a thing.

“Once the students get back in here, the band is going, the people are on their feet, then it becomes one of the best venues in college basketball,” Few said back in 2017 after thumping archrival St. Mary’s at home.

So yes, if it’s going to be a legit game, the students should be there.

And those freshmen and sophomores have a few options to make staying for the game a reality. Versteeg is planning on crashing with some upperclassmen who live in a house off campus, but he knows other sophomores and freshmen who are splitting Airbnb’s or staying with family in the area. A few, though, had to give up their tickets to other students or decided to head home and come back just for the game because they couldn’t stay for the intervening few days.

“People have approached me, asked to stay at my house, my buddy’s houses, and we’re taking them in as we can,” says Cranston, who lives in an off-campus house. “We want as many people here as possible.”

As for the upperclassmen who largely live in off-campus houses in the Logan Neighborhood, it’s worth holding off on going home. The seniors are the largest group staying by far, hoping to get the most out of the biggest game in their four years on campus.

“I wanted to stay because I’ve been a Zag fan since the Adam Morrison days,” says Brian Bowers, a senior from the Seattle area who also lives in the Logan Neighborhood. “I’ve never seen a game this big come to the Kennel.”

Everyone on campus expects a student section stuffed with 20-somethings ready to lose their voices for a win.

“In terms of what this game means for GU and for our class, it can’t be put into words very easily,” says Curtis Baker, another senior and one of Bowers’ housemates. “We’ve gotta take this opportunity when they come to town and show them we remember 2017.” n Gonzaga vs. North Carolina • Wed, Dec. 18 at 6 pm • The game will air on ESPN2, and Hoopfest organizers are hosting a free Watch Party at the Pavilion in Riverfront Park; visit hooptownusa.com for tickets.

CULTURE | DIGEST

F***ING ADULTING At the heart of the darkly funny British series The End of the F***ing World is an exploration of just how far people are willing to go in their desire to be loved. In Season 2, now on Netflix, what started as an angsty teen love story turns into an adult story of survival as the characters cope with emotional scars. From the death of a lover to the trauma of losing family, the murderous plotline takes the viewer from devastatingly tearful moments to laughter in an instant. Love it or hate it, just as the characters will never fully be able to go back to their bright-eyed, innocent beginnings, neither will the show. (SAMANTHA WOHLFEIL)

Considering the Crown

I

BY CONNOR GILBERT

n its third season, Netflix’s The Crown continues to make Elizabethan scholars of us all. A spike in Wikipedia page views related to the royal family is evidence of a common curiosity in the differences between real life and the series.

Despite how interesting those differences may be, they might not really matter.

It’s historical, but it’s not a documentary. It’s a drama — if the Hans Zimmer soundtrack didn’t immediately tip that off. The series lies closer to The Tudors or The White Queen than A History of Britain.

The show takes plenty of creative liberties to keep us from getting too weary of the House of Windsor. We know pretty much everything Prince Philip said and did in season two didn’t happen, but he bounces off of Elizabeth’s amiable nature well as the show’s resident asshole. Princess Alice’s conversation with a journalist at

THE BUZZ BIN

THIS WEEK’S PLAYLIST Some noteworthy new music arrives online and in stories Dec. 13. To wit: BLAKE SHELTON, Fully Loaded: God’s Country.

Not sure if ol’ Blake intentionally referenced a Herbie/Lindsay Lohan flick or not. He plays Spokane Arena Feb. 15.

HARRY STYLES, Fine Line. Still a few years until Harry hits his Timberlake “mountain man” album.

EMINEM, The Slim Shady LP (Expanded Edition).

Twenty years later, Eminem’s debut re-released with a bunch of extra goodies including, for some reason, instrumentals. (DAN NAILEN)

The Guardian in season three didn’t happen either, but it gives us needed insight to her past. The Crown isn’t entirely the product of those ventures into the fictional, but they definitely help.

Some might feel betrayed by that — there’s plenty of online articles “fact checking” the show’s content. But let’s think about why people watch the show in the first place.

In season three, even with a time jump and different cast, the characters age gracefully. Olivia Colman replaces Claire Foy as Elizabeth and Tobias Menzies is now Philip. It’s been a while since season two in 2017, but it feels like we’re starting over fresh, and an older Colman and Menzies do well jump-starting us into considering the breadth of their characters’ lives. It requires some gutsy acting to pick up a character someone else played for two seasons, but they are never just doing an impression of someone else’s work.

The turnover isn’t limited to the queen and prince.

The supporting cast is now deeper and more complex, thanks to actors who breathe new life into characters who suddenly are a lot more interesting.

Helena Bonham-Carter’s Princess Margaret is vivacious and dynamic — even as her personal life feels like it’s closing around her on all sides. Erin Doherty’s Princess Anne and Josh O’Connor’s Prince Charles tout a fresher, younger perspective, especially considering their characters weren’t born when the second season ended.

Maybe it’s an American thing to be fascinated with the royal family, with its outsized personalities.

Or maybe it’s just a damn good show for making the pseudo-history so compelling and human. Take your pick. n

IMMERSIVE AND OLD-TIMEY Return of the Obra Dinn is a gloriously strange game: You’re commissioned with figuring out what killed each crew member of an 1803 English merchant vessel, using only a notebook, a manifest, some illustrations, and a magical pocketwatch that lets you see the exact manner of a corpse’s death. Simply figuring out who is who takes some clever detective work.

That’s the strangeness. The glory comes from the throwback look, riffing on the “1-bit” black-and-white graphics from the earliest Macintosh games. The art style gives the grim proceedings a surreal feel, almost like you’re walking around inside a 19th-century woodcut. (DANIEL WALTERS)

GET WHAT YOU WANT Five months after founding member Brian Jones died, and a mere day before their Altamont Speedway concert erupted in violence, the Rolling Stones released their jaundiced, world-weary masterpiece Let It Bleed. The album turned 50 last week, and an interactive website (letitbleed50.com) has been launched to commemorate the occasion. It’s like a musical version of CliffsNotes: You can scroll through the timeline of the record’s inception, and see and hear footage of the thencurrent events — escalation in Vietnam, the moon landing, Nixon’s inauguration — that shaped its jaded and debauched sensibilities. (NATHAN WEINBENDER)

CHEERS No-Li Brewhouse took home the People’s Choice Award on the first day of Seattle’s Winter Beer Festival held Dec. 6-7. The Spokane brewery’s Salted Caramel Porter proved the audience favorite of the special seasonal brews on hand. (DAN NAILEN)

DECEMBER 12, 2019 INLANDER 47

CULTURE | BOOK REVIEW DRINKS, FOOD, DANCING & LIVE MUSIC

One Strong Woman John Keeble’s The Appointment: The Tale of Adaline Carson is a rich, sprawling dive into the Old West

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he Appointment is a sprawling novel of the gold rush years in the American West embroidered with the authenticity of historical facts woven into the mostly fictional story of Kit Carson’s daughter, Adaline. Little is known of her other than her birth to an Arapaho woman and that, as a young child, Carson sent her to relatives in Missouri. Few details exist about her death.

Spokane writer John Keeble has used a novelist’s imagination and the hard truths of that murderous era to create a compelling drama of a young woman who returns West with a cousin traveling in a wagon train. Adaline is proud of her father’s legacy and as she matures is determined to become skilled and independent, like her father, despite dangerous times. In Keeble’s telling, her Native heritage instilled in the girl a finely tuned sensitivity to the many tribal people she encounters, including a gruesome killing field of starving Natives.

Although Kit Carson is the historical linchpin of the novel, his association with John C. Frémont provides the intellectual underpinning.

Frémont and Carson were famous explorers of the West. Frémont was well educated and kept detailed journals, maps and physical locations of the territory they traveled. Carson was uneducated and probably illiterate, which took nothing away from his courage and skill as an explorer.

Frémont eventually became a wealthy landholder and businessman in the gold rush era and, in 1856, a Republican Party presidential contender.

Eventually, he plays an important role in the life Keeble imagines for Adaline.

In his story Adaline excelled at school in Missouri, and traveling west her most prized possession was a collection of Frémont’s journals and maps that had been given to her as a gift.

The historical backdrop to the story is both a strength and occasional weakness of the novel.

The introduction of family history and the names and details of relationships tends to bog down the emerging story, at times giving it the pace of the lumbering wagons crossing the plains. Keeble rescues his story when Adaline finally reunites with her father. Soon she confronts his expectation that she will marry a young man he has selected for her.

As her story unfolds against the backdrop of Western landscapes and history, we learn secrets of her early life. She develops a romantic interest in a young man other than Louis, the man chosen by her father. This new friend instilled in her the notion of the “day’s possibles,” ideas carried in the mind not in the pack for the trail.

Keeble acknowledges in the postscript the challenge of a white man writing from the point of view of young, half-Arapaho woman “who lived in a willfully spirited, mercenary world.” I appreciate the author’s honest concern about an issue — appropriation of other voices and cultures — which is very alive in today’s world of writing and storytelling, but, as a reader, I was not concerned. Keeble’s Adaline is a strong young woman who “accepted nothing at face value.” In the scene with her father about marrying Louis, Carson asks her, “He does not displease you?”

“Displease?” she says.

“It hadn’t occurred to her to think of it in that way.

She only felt an inertia, a pleasuring in things just as they were, though she knew things would have to change. It was the ‘possibles’ again, but of a life, not a day.”

In this passage the reader is on Adaline’s side, worried along with her about marrying Louis.

Years later, when we see her as an intrepid traveler, a lone horseback rider dragging a travois to carry her belongings through mountains and among mining camps, we are rooting for her.

It would be unfair to Keeble to discuss this book without mentioning a sub-theme he calls out in his postscript: racism. This novel, he says, is “a fragile testimony to my efforts to understand the durability of American racism.”

Read this book and you will find that theme.

It’s there in the treatment of Chinese and other immigrants in the mines, the subhuman treatment of Miwoks and other indigenous people across the West. It is there in the hypocrisy of Frémont and others who supported abolition even as their workers in the mines and elsewhere in the region were virtual slaves.

The Appointment is a multi-layered novel about a strong young woman set against the true story of Western settlement, and about the endurance of family ties amidst the cruel clashes of invaders from the East and the South against those who, for centuries, had called this land home. n

From left to right: Chai-infused old fashioned, whiskey sour and Farmer’s Bishop punch. YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

DRINKS

WINTER WARMERS Local cocktail experts share tips and party-perfect recipes to make entertaining this holiday season a breeze

BY CHEY SCOTT

P

laying host this holiday season doesn’t have to be a headache. Setting up a festive, well-stocked bar without needing to purchase cartfuls of mixers or spirits not already in your bar is possible, and plenty of prep can be done ahead to save time and stress.

To find out how, we sat down with two of the region’s top cocktail experts: Simon Francis Moorby of Hogwash Whiskey Den and Inland Pacific Kitchen; and Renée Cebula of Raising the Bar, a vintage barware shop and expert source on cocktail culture and history. Both also shared several of their favorite festive and seasonal recipes that can spice up any holiday gathering between now and New Year’s.

“Of course you want to use quality, but I wouldn’t break the bank as far as product goes,” Moorby advises.

“There are quality products that are far less expensive, like Grey Goose [vodka] and Maker’s Mark [whiskey].”

Cebula recommends setting up your bar so guests can have fun making their own drinks (also leaving you free from playing bartender all night) using creatively displayed recipe cards and all the required ingredients, like juice or simple syrups, in ready-to-pour bottles.

“The host can start and then people can see how” to make their own, she says. “You don’t have to have a bar, you can do it on a sofa table, buffet or kitchen island.”

To simplify the process even more, make a punch.

“Punch is America’s first drink, and the beginning of American hospitality,” Cebula notes. “It’s easy peasy for the host, and people help themselves.”

Moorby suggests infusing spirits to take classic recipes to a new level, like the standard old fashioned. “[Infusions] can be really inexpensive and can take

as few as a couple hours to a couple days, and it really transforms your product into something more seasonal,” he says.

His wintertime go-to is a chai-infused bourbon, made by steeping several standard tea bags in the spirit, either with heat, using a sous vide device, or letting time do the work.

Both experts also offer tips to ensure those choosing not to consume alcohol aren’t left out.

“At your set up for your bar, also have some ginger beer and apple cider because people can take fresh juices over ice and ginger beer,” Cebula says. “Have a couple containers of garnishes and everyone can get creative regardless of what’s in the glass.”

“As far as mocktails go, keeping a quality mixer” on hand is key, Moorby echoes. “If the bar is properly set up, it’s really easy to create from that.”

SHERRY FLIP

By Simon Francis Moorby, Hogwash Whiskey Den Ingredients 2 ounces Lustau Pedro Ximenez sherry 1 dash Bitterman’s Chocolate Molé bitters 1 whole egg Nutmeg to garnish Instructions Combine sherry, egg and bitters in a Boston shaker. Using an agitator (a protein mixing ball or citrus peels), “dry shake” the concoction vigorously for about 60 seconds, or until sound in tin softens. Next, completely fill the

shaker with ice, and shake again for about 60 seconds, or until sound in tin softens. Strain into a coupe glass and microplane fresh nutmeg to garnish.

CHAI OLD FASHIONED

By Simon Francis Moorby, Hogwash Whiskey Den Ingredients 2 ounces chai-infused bourbon 1/4 ounce simple syrup 3 dashes angostura bitters Orange peel twist to garnish Instructions Add 1/4 ounce of simple syrup to a mixing glass (a pint glass will do). Add 3 dashes of angostura bitters, and 2 ounces of chai-infused bourbon. Add ice to the combined ingredients and stir with a bar spoon until chilled and diluted. Pour over ice in a rocks glass and finish with a wide piece of orange zest, expressing oils over the glass before sinking.

Bartender’s Notes The centerpiece of this rendition of the American classic is the chai-infused bourbon. I use Four Roses’ Yellow Label. It’s a high-quality well, but for in-home purposes feel free to choose something more price appropriate. Evan Williams should suffice, but grab the liter.

For the infusion, I’ve worked several variations.

While finer teas are available (there’s a wonderful loose chai spice by Firefly at Main Market Co-op), I’m pretty ...continued on next page

DECEMBER 12, 2019 INLANDER 49

FOOD | DRINKS

FOOD | TO GO BOX

Locust Opens Downtown Plus, more Secret Burger events; a Coeur d’Alene brewery closure

A

Local craft cocktail experts Simon Francis Moorby and Renée Cebula.

YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

“WINTER WARMERS,” CONTINUED... sworn to using the Stash Tea brand.

For 1 liter of infused bourbon, use six tea bags; if using a sous vide method, stick to just three. For the sous vide method, steep for 2 hours at 130 degrees, and be sure to ice bathe the spirits when finished.

Without heat, I recommend a 24 to 48-hour infusion in a mason jar. The finished product should be full of aromatics with a dry finish. If you’re unable or unsure about infusing, make a chai simple syrup (1:1 water to sugar ratio).

Dried Lemon Wheel Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Thinly slice lemons and place on parchment paper lined baking sheet. Mix 1/4 cup sugar with 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger and a dash of sea salt. Sprinkle slices with sugar mixture. Bake for 2.5 to 3 hours until dry. Turn slices halfway through baking time.

Remove from oven and sprinkle both sides with powdered sugar, transforming the lemon wheels into “moons.” The inspiration for this drink is from Temple Distillery.

GEORGE LASSOS THE MOON

FISH HOUSE PUNCH

Ingredients 2 ounces gin 1 ounce fresh lemon juice 1/2-3/4 ounce clove-infused syrup (see below) 2-3 dashes absinthe Dried lemon wheel to garnish (see below)

Ingredients 1 cup sugar 4 lemons, peeled (just the outer zest layer, not the white pith) 1 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice 4 cups black tea, warm 4 cups Jamaican rum 2 cups cognac 1/2 cup peach brandy Block of ice (make ahead and add citrus wheels, star anise, or other festive garnishes) Freshly-grated nutmeg

Adapted by Renée Cebula, Raising the Bar

Instructions Measure ingredients into a shaker, add ice. Shake for 20-30 seconds.

Strain into a chilled coupe glass.

Float the prepared dried lemon wheel to garnish.

Clove-Infused Syrup Bring to boil 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water. Stir to dissolve sugar. Add 1/4 cup whole cloves. Remove from heat and infuse for 1 hour. Strain, discard cloves, and store syrup in a glass bottle. Refrigerate.

50 INLANDER DECEMBER 12, 2019

From the Schuylkill Fishing Company; shared by Renée Cebula, Raising the Bar

Instructions The day before or morning of party, add sugar and lemon peels to a large bowl. Massage the peels into the sugar to release the oils. This is called oleo-saccharum. Put into a lidded jar and let set for a minimum of 30 minutes.

To put together the punch, dis-

solve the oleo-saccharum (sugar and lemon peels) with the warm black tea. Strain out peels. Add lemon juice and all liquors. Add a block of ice to chill. Add freshly grated nutmeg and carefully float lemon wheels. To serve, ladle into punch cups.

Bartender’s Notes Punch was America’s first mixed drink. It’s easy on the host since you can prepare it hours before guests arrive. And if you’re doing punch, why not serve the oldest continuously served punch? Fish House Punch has been served for the holidays (and year-round) since 1732 at the Schuylkill Fishing Company club house in Philadelphia.

GINGER SOUR (MOCKTAIL)

By Renée Cebula, Raising the Bar Ingredients 3/4 ounce fresh lemon juice 3/4 ounce simple syrup (or use cloveinfused syrup) 1 egg white Ginger beer Luxardo Maraschino cherry garnish Instructions Add lemon juice, syrup and egg white to a shaker. Drop in the spring from a cocktail strainer. Dry shake for 20-30 seconds. Open shaker and add ice. Shake again for 20-30 seconds. Strain into a coupe glass. Top with ginger beer and add garnish. n

Washington state-based cider and beer maker has joined the ranks of brew purveyors in downtown Spokane.

Locust Cider & Brewing Co. opened its downtown Spokane tasting room at 421 W. Main Ave. over Thanksgiving weekend. The new taproom joins a growing list of Locust locations in Seattle, Tacoma, Walla Walla and Woodinville, Washington. The company — founded in Woodinville in 2015 by brothers Jason and Patrick Spears — also has locations in Fort Worth, Texas, and Boulder, Colorado.

The family-friendly taproom offers 16 taps dedicated to Locust’s cider and beer lineup, including cider flavors like dark cherry, vanilla and honey pear, along with special seasonal varieties, heirloom blends and more. Locust’s beer selection focuses on traditional styles, with a few rotating handles featuring guest breweries.

For food, the taproom is serving a menu of flatbreads and pub snacks. While they sip, guests can play ping pong, retro video games and board games. (CHEY SCOTT)

SECRET BURGER SECRETS

Secret Burger, the pre-ticketed, off-menu dining series that launched in mid-2019, has a few upcoming exclusives on the calendar.

On Sat, Dec. 14, Boombox Pizza in downtown Spokane is offering a lobster Bloody Mary, consisting of a double shot of Tito’s Handmade Vodka in a 20-ounce goblet and topped with pickled veggies, condiGET LISTED! ments, an “assortment Submit events online at of meats” and a “bulgy Inlander.com/getlisted or bun stuffed with fresh email related details to chunks of lobster.” Tickgetlisted@inlander.com. ets (six left as of this writing) are $37 each.

Just after the new year, local diners can sample a Southern delicacy when the Black Diamond in Spokane Valley serves alligator sandwiches on Wed, Jan. 8. The $25 ticket gets you an 80/20 alligator tail and bacon patty grind infused with Cajun spices and served with a side of crispy fried okra.

Tickets to these and other upcoming Secret Burger events are at secretburger.com. (CHEY SCOTT)

SLATE CREEK BREWING CLOSES

It wasn’t the cold weather that dammed the flow at Coeur d’Alene’s Slate Creek Brewery, but rather a divergence between owners Danica Gilbert and Andy Neels.

It started this summer, says Gilbert, when they got repeated offers to buy the brewery, even though it wasn’t for sale.

Even then, Gilbert was leaning into her focus as a community events organizer, producing activities like the full moon bike ride, and the recent Sober Sunday Winter Market featuring local vendors. So when the most recent offer came in from a Portland-based startup planning on producing hard tea under a different brand, Gilbert and Neels decided the time was right to sell.

Part of her recent to-do list was organizing a farewell party packed with well-wishers. “It just shows how much love was there,” says Gilbert, who can be found at the next full moon ride, hosted by Heart City Tattoo on Thursday, Dec. 12. (CARRIE SCOZZARO) n

GAME OVER

Jumanji: The Next Level continues a one-joke franchise that wasn’t all that funny to begin with

BY MARYANN JOHANSON

W

elcome back to the jungle. And welcome to an unfortunate new Christmas movie tradition: the Jumanji movie. And don’t think we ain’t gettin’ another one in 2021 after this one makes a bazillion dollars, because moms and dads are desperate to divert the kids over the long Christmas break. It’s happening and we can’t stop it. We are all at the mercy of our Hollywood overlords.

Apparently moviegoers of all ages enjoy watching Dwayne Johnson and Jack Black nominally sending themselves up by pretending that non-Dwayne Johnson and non-Jack Black people are inhabiting their bodies and pop culture personas. In theory, that sounds like it should be highly amusing — I like both these guys, and I like their comic chops. But these movies just make me want to sob my eyes out at the abysmal lack of fun they exhibit, even as they think they are all about imagination and adventure.

This is more of the exact same tedious nonsense we saw back in 2017’s Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, when a quartet of high schoolers magically entered a 1990s-era video game and were transformed into “hilariously” opposite avatars (scrawny nerd JUMANJI: becomes buff swashbuckler, shy girl becomes scantily clad “dance THE NEXT LEVEL fighter,” etc.) to solve a jungle adRated PG-13 venture puzzle. Here, in The Next Directed by Jake Kasdan Starring Dwayne Johnson, Level — no new levels are actually achieved here — the one-joke Kevin Hart, Jack Black, wonder is painfully extended by Karen Gillan

having two grandpas join the shenanigans.

Now, it’s “hilarious” that squawky curmudgeon Danny DeVito lands in the body of the Rock (and later in the body of the awesome Awkwafina as an in-game cat-burglar character) and a loquacious Danny Glover becomes “boy scout” Kevin Hart, the game’s linguist and general info-dumper. Karen Gillen also returns as a scantily clad riff on Lara Croft. The movie doesn’t even bother to note that she is half naked while the male characters are all more appropriately fully clothed for their exploits. Awkwafina gets to be fully dressed but she’s always inhabited by male players, and yes, that is sexism in a nutshell.

Look, I cut my cinematic teeth on Raiders of the Lost Ark, to which these movies owe an immense debt even as they utterly fail to capture any of those Indiana Jones thrills. (The Next Level is directed and co-written by Jake Kasdan, son of legendary Raiders writer Lawrence Kasdan.) But Kasdan directs action sequences as if he intends to suck all the excitement and suspense out of them.

There’s one potentially clever bit involving the jungleadventure trope of rope bridges that need to be navigated video game-style, and the most it rouses in you is the desire to scream at the screen that it shouldn’t be this dull and lifeless.

The stakes remain way too low to generate much suspense. As in the previous film, everyone gets another life when they “die” in the game, up to three new lives.

But we still don’t know what happens if someone

were to use up their three lives: It seems entirely reasonable to suppose that that would simply throw the human player out of the game and back into the real world. But everyone here continues to insist that they would actually, literally die. There’s no basis to think that. (I am not suggesting that we need another movie to explore this idea. Although maybe after three 21st-century Jumanji movies, the franchise would die?)

This isn’t an action adventure so much as a bodyswap comedy, minus any real laughs. But hey, let’s talk about why — in this second outing into the game — the humans trapped in digital avatar bodies would discover a feature in the game that allows them to switch avatars for the purposes of further body-swap mischief. This suggests a literal whole new level of horror — whoever programmed the game knows that it is sucking in players, and wants to mess with them — except the movie doesn’t even realize it.

I’m not sure there’s anything worse, speculatively speaking, than a fantastical story that seems not to understand the very speculation it’s engaging in. But I’m sure the next Jumanji movie will show me. n

DECEMBER 12, 2019 INLANDER 51

FILM | SHORTS

OPENING FILMS BLACK CHRISTMAS

As a college campus clears out for holiday break, a masked killer wreaks havoc on a sorority house in this remake of the 1974 slasher classic. (NW) Rated R

LEVEL

Black Christmas

NOW PLAYING 21 BRIDGES

A detective (Chadwick Boseman) chases two drug runners through the streets of New York, only to find he’s after the wrong villains. A decent, meat-andpotatoes cop thriller that nearly derails in its third act. (NW) Rated R

A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD

A lovely ode to the power of kindness, with an Esquire journalist learning to live more authentically after writing about none other than Mister Rogers.

Tom Hanks, Hollywood’s nicest man, plays the beloved TV personality. (MJ) Rated PG

DARK WATERS

The true story of a corporate defense attorney (Mark Ruffalo) who uncovers a conspiracy that has kept DuPont’s reckless pollution under wraps. A sturdy, old-fashioned polemic about a contemporary issue. (NW) Rated PG-13

FANTASTIC FUNGI

The culinary, medicinal and psychotropic properties of mushrooms are explored and celebrated in this scientific nature documentary. At the Magic Lantern. (NW)

FORD V. FERRARI

From director James Mangold, a slick dramatization of the relationship between the Ford auto designer (Matt Damon) and the pro driver (Christian Bale) who set out to beat Ferrari in the ’66 24 Hours of Le Mans race. (ES) Rated PG-13

FROZEN II

Solid sequel to the Disney juggernaut, with Queen Elsa, Princess Anna and friends venturing into the wintry wilderness to save their kingdom from a mysterious force of the past. There’s no “Let It Go,” but it’s good enough. (NW) Rated PG

THE GOOD LIAR

Ian McKellen is a career con artist who

52 INLANDER DECEMBER 12, 2019

worms his way into the life of a widow played by Helen Mirren, who has secrets of her own. The central performances are fun; the plot is preposterous. (NW) Rated R

Another week, another unnecessary sequel. The teens from the first Jumanji return — with their grandpas this time — and leap back into the video game realm to rescue a missing friend. (MJ) Rated PG-13

THE INLANDER

HARRIET

HONEY BOY

Powerful performances define this metatextual memoir, with Shia LaBeouf (who also scripted) playing a fictional version of his own overbearing father and manager, and Noah Jupe as his child actor son. (NW) Rated R

THE IRISHMAN

JOJO RABBIT

In Taika Waititi’s WWII-set satire, a little boy with an imaginary friend who looks just like Hitler befriends the Jewish girl being hidden by his mother. Its juggling tones and bleak subject matter might not work for everyone. (ES) Rated PG-13

JOKER

The Clown Prince gets his own origin story, with Joaquin Phoenix as a failed stand-up who violently lashes out at society. A Scorsese pastiche that’s not nearly as edgy as it thinks it is. (MJ) Rated R

KNIVES OUT

Rian Johnson’s all-star whodunit centers on the death of a wealthy patriarch, and the craven relatives that would profit off his demise. As a mys-

Imelda Marcos, the former first lady of the Philippines, sits down with documentarian Lauren Greenfield to rewrite her own corrupt political history. At the Magic Lantern. (NW) Rated R

RICHARD JEWELL

Clint Eastwood takes on the FBI and the media in his portrait of the security guard wrongfully accused as the bomber of the ’96 Olympics. Indifferently structured and styled, it aims at big targets and misses. (MJ) Rated R

CRITICS’ SCORECARD

The humanitarian and abolitionist Harriet Tubman finally gets a biopic deserving of her legacy, anchored by an electric performance by Cynthia Erivo.

Old-fashioned filmmaking of the highest order. (MJ) Rated PG-13

Martin Scorsese’s decades-spanning epic is one of his best, the saga of a mid-level gangster (Robert De Niro) who cultivates a relationship with the ill-fated Jimmy Hoffa (Al Pacino). At the Magic Lantern. (NW) Rated R

JUMANJI: THE NEXT

THE KINGMAKER

NEW YORK TIMES

VARIETY

(LOS ANGELES)

METACRITIC.COM (OUT OF 100)

A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD

80

DARK WATERS

73

FROZEN II

65

HONEY BOY

73

KNIVES OUT

83

QUEEN & SLIM

75

WAVES

81

DON’T MISS IT

WORTH $10

tery, it’s merely OK. As an evisceration of the one percent, it’s satisfying. (NW) Rated PG-13

MALEFICENT: MISTRESS OF EVIL

The Sleeping Beauty villain returns, again played by Angelina Jolie and here going cheekbone to cheekbone with wicked queen Michelle Pfeiffer. The few good ideas of the original are traded in for endless spectacle resembling a video game cut-scene. (NW) Rated PG

MIDWAY

The 1942 Battle of Midway gets the noisy epic treatment from schlock king Roland Emmerich, with a sprawling cast that includes Woody Harrelson and Dennis Quaid. (NW) Rated PG-13

PARASITE

Satire, slapstick and secrecy collide in Bong Joon-ho’s twisty, Palme d’Orwinning contraption, about a poor South Korean family that insinuates itself into the lives of an upper class clan.

Surprises abound. At the Magic Lantern.

(NW) Rated R

WATCH IT AT HOME

SKIP IT

PLAYING WITH FIRE

John Cena stars as the captain of an elite firefighter squad that meets its match when it takes in a trio of troublemaking kids. (NW) Rated PG

PLAYMOBIL: THE MOVIE

Human siblings are sucked into the world of the smiley plastic toy line, and the results are lifeless and corporate. The Lego Movie, this is not. (MJ) Rated PG

QUEEN & SLIM

A black couple are pulled over on their first date, the cop ends up dead and they go on the run, becoming villains and folk heroes in the process. Daniel Kaluuya and Jodie Turner-Smith star.

(NW) Rated R

WAVES

Told with dizzying style and wall-towall music, the half-tragic, half-uplifting story of a teenage brother and sister who have very different upbringings in southern Florida. For fans of the experimental. (NW) Rated R n

FILM | REVIEW

MOVIE TIMES

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Media Martyr

Richard Jewell is little more than a screed.

Clint Eastwood’s true-life drama Richard Jewell takes aims at big targets, and misses

BY MARYANN JOHANSON

O

nce upon a time, Clint Eastwood, a notoriously outspoken conservative in supposedly liberal Hollywood, had no problem at all with cops who employed their own unconventional extra-legal brand of law enforcement (see: Dirty Harry). Today, in Richard Jewell, he really doesn’t like the FBI. Bizarrely, Eastwood and screenwriter Billy Ray don’t seem to have any interest whatsoever in depicting security guard Richard Jewell (Paul Walter Hauser) as anything other than a completely reasonable suspect for the FBI to hone in on, after a bomb detonated in Atlanta’s Olympic Park in the summer of 1996 killed two people and injured many more. Jewell here comes across as a simpleton with a fixation on police work, a man who has failed in a career in law enforcement, a wannabe hanger-on and an object of ridicule to real cops.

We, the audience, may see that Jewell does nothing at all criminal, and we may know that he had absolutely nothing to do with the bombing, but there’s also not a single thing here to counter the notion that he looked legitimately suspicious to the FBI and that they investigated him in good faith. Jon Hamm’s lead investigating FBI agent could be, without any alteration whatsoever, the hero here, though he is shoehorned into the villain slot. And yet the man the movie wants to champion is a lazily drawn, stereotypical Hollywood doofus.

Even given all that, it’s difficult to get past the feeling that Eastwood, with a style that is even more cluelessly simplistic than his other work of late, is pointlessly striving to exonerate a man who was exonerated by the FBI almost immediately after they concluded that he was not involved in the bombing. Jewell was never charged, never even arrested. He was treated appallingly by the press, Eastwood’s other Big Baddie. There’s an undertone of railing at the “Fake News” in Richard Jewell, though that hardly

tracks, either: When the Atlanta Journal-Constitution names Jewell as the FBI’s main suspect and ignites a media shitstorm that engulfs Jewell and his mother (Kathy Bates), there’s nothing fake about it. It’s true.

The relevant bit of the Richard Jewell story — the explosion of media interest that coalesced around a man who turned out to be wholly innocent — is a sideshow in Richard Jewell, one that ignores all the context in which it happens.

There’s zero appreciaRICHARD tion for how this was the beginning of the 24/7 JEWELL news cycle and cable Rated R Directed by Clint Eastwood news that was coming to Starring Paul Walter Hauser, rely more on sensational Sam Rockwell, Kathy Bates “breaking news” rather than in-depth, carefully reported journalism.

(The infamous O.J. Simpson Bronco chase, arguably the instigating event for this new kind of “urgent” live TV, occurred only two years before this.)

There absolutely is criticism of the media to be examined here, but Richard Jewell isn’t up to the task. Instead, it cheaply invents a reporter (Olivia Wilde) who trades sex with Hamm’s FBI agent in exchange for Jewell’s name as their suspect. This is an appalling slander on the real journalist who broke the story, Kathy Scruggs, a woman who is no longer around to defend herself. (She died in 2001.) The film also implies that she didn’t even write her own article but handed over that chore to a male reporter.

Ironically, Wilde’s performance is one of the highlights of this otherwise intensely bland and directionless movie; even Sam Rockwell as Jewell’s lawyer is pretty muted, though he and Wilde do briefly spar entertainingly. They are but a momentary respite, however, from a story too poorly structured and too seemingly unaware of its own core to make any sort of point at all. n

+

Now on Inlander.com: National and international stories from the New York Times to go with the fresh, local news we deliver every day DECEMBER 12, 2019 INLANDER 53

ROCK

Matthew Hughes fronts Atari Ferrari at this past May’s Volume Music Festival.

Electric Warriors Local rockers Atari Ferrari wear their ’70s influences on their sleeves

BY NATHAN WEINBENDER

I

n the living room of Matthew Hughes’ small secondfloor apartment, the five guys in Atari Ferrari are setting up their makeshift practice space.

Their audience this evening is the collection of framed pictures of Hughes’ musical heroes — Joni Mitchell, Kate Bush, David Bowie, Chrissie Hynde of the Pretenders — staring back at them from all directions. In the corner is a small shrine to his idol Marc Bolan: A pair of thigh-high leather boots that the T. Rex frontman actually wore are illuminated under a hanging lamp, shining on them like a spotlight.

They pick up their instruments and check their levels. “Did you warn your neighbors?” someone asks Hughes. He did not. So they decide on a song that’s not too loud — it’ll be a quick practice anyway — and light into the moody, ’80s new wave-inspired pop of “El Camino.”

They follow that up with a newish track called “Mad Man,” which opens with strummy acoustic guitar beamed right out of “Space Oddity.”

“We haven’t played in a while,” drummer Robert Shugert says as the final note fades out, “but we sound pretty good.”

And it’s true. Atari Ferrari has been playing since 2016, and in that time they’ve become a well-oiled pop machine. Its members first performed together, fittingly enough, at a Bowie tribute show, and the chemistry was so immediate that they kept getting together. Their camaraderie goes back a ways: Frontman Hughes is a former student of guitarist Eric Woodard, who teaches at Lewis and Clark High School; childhood friends Woodard and Shugert previously played with the Camaros, and they

54 INLANDER DECEMBER 12, 2019

often shared bills with bassist Scott Schultz when he was a member of Myth Ship.

Hughes is Atari Ferrari’s primary songwriter, though this is the first real band he’s been in. Since he was a teenager, he’s been recording glam-inspired music with his solo project Automatic Shoes (that moniker comes from a lyric of the T. Rex song “Telegram Sam”), releasing more than a dozen EPs and full-lengths but hardly ever performing live.

“I’d been waiting to have my T. Rex moment for 12 years,” Hughes says with a laugh.

Those Automatic Shoes albums are made up primarily of covers and first-draft songs that Hughes wrote quickly and recorded by himself. Being in Atari Ferrari has challenged those quick-and-dirty instincts, he says: His bandmates might push back on a melody that isn’t quite working, or encourage him to rework a song’s structure, and they’re also dusting off tunes that Hughes abandoned years ago.

“They’re songs that I love but never had the balls to play in front of anybody, or were halfway finished,” Hughes says.

“I think Matthew used to write a song and then say, ‘I’m done,’” Woodard says. “And now I think Matthew writes something and says, ‘Here’s a draft. Let’s think about how to improve this.’ I think he’s been more thoughtful about that.”

Woodard also contributes songs — “El Camino” is his — but the band is still primarily a vessel for Hughes’ material, and a showcase for his ethereal vocals.

“All anybody ever talks about after our shows is

YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

[Matthew’s] voice,” Woodard says, “so whatever we can do to highlight his voice and get out of the way is the most important part.”

Y

ou might also notice that Atari Ferrari has an intergenerational lineup: It started out as three Gen Xers and a millennial, and then Schultz’s 17-year-old son Henry joined the fray earlier this year, playing synthesizers and rhythm guitar.

“It’s not something I’m really conscious of,” Henry Schultz says of the age gap. “I mean, sometimes I’ll be like, ‘Huh, I’m in a band with guys who are way older than me.’ I don’t really think it affects the music that much.”

“I’ve always wanted to draw on the influence of older music, but pick out the influences of modern music like Arcade Fire or Lorde,” Hughes says. “So it’s kind of natural to play with older people, because it’s like I’m from a different generation.”

That sentiment is reflected in the band’s single “Born in the Wrong Time,” the second track on their 2018 album Rebel. It’s a bright, catchy song about contemporary strife and the security blanket of nostalgia, and you could easily mistake it for a long-lost Pretenders gem.

The song is really Atari Ferrari in a nutshell: It walks a fine line, paying obvious homage to another artist while still sounding like an original creation.

“I will try and cross two or three influences together, because if you just try and sound like one thing, it comes across as [derivative],” Hughes says.

“That’s my struggle,” Woodard adds. “I start a lot of songs and I’ll go, ‘That’s derivative.’ … I don’t want to sound like that other person. I want to be inspired by them.”

“You just have to be yourself,” Shugert says. “Don’t try to play like John Bonham. What would you play?

You’re just stripping yourself of all artistic identity.” n Stone in Love with Moving in Stereo and Atari Ferrari • Fri, Dec. 13 at 8 pm • $20 • All ages • Knitting Factory • 919 W. Sprague • sp.knittingfactory.com • 244-3279

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spokanecenter.com DECEMBER 12, 2019 INLANDER 55

MUSIC | SOUND ADVICE

METAL QUEENSRŸCHE

A

mere two months after the band’s original singer Geoff Tate came through town, the current lineup of Queensrÿche arrives in Airway Heights to show they’re not simply a retro act but one still creating powerful new music with frontman Todd La Torre. Their latest album, The Verdict, boasted more of a thrashy vibe than the prog-metal they were known for back in the ’80s, but — rest assured — they’ll be playing the hits from iconic LPs like Operation: Mindcrime and Empire, too. There’s no way Queensrÿche leaves a stage without playing “Silent Lucidity,” right?

— DAN NAILEN Queensrÿche • Dec. 15 at 7:30 pm • $39-$59 • All ages • Northern Quest Resort & Casino • 100 N. Hayford Rd., Airway Heights • northernquest.com • 481-2800

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

Thursday, 12/12

A&P’S BAR AND GRILL, Open Mic Night with KC Carter BERSERK, Vinyl Meltdown BEVERLY’S, Robert Vaughn BOLO’S, Inland Empire Blues Society Monthly Blues Boogie with Still Kickin’ J BOOTS BAKERY & LOUNGE, The Song Project BRIDGE PRESS CELLARS, Dillon Carmichael & Jesse Quandt J BUCER’S COFFEEHOUSE PUB, Open Jazz Jam with Erik Bowen CRUISERS, Open Jam Night THE FISCHIN’ HOLE SALOON, Dallas Kay, 3D Band FIZZIE MULLIGANS, Country Dance GLOBE BAR & KITCHEN, Late Night Snaq J HOUSE OF SOUL, Jazz Thursdays J KNITTING FACTORY, Static-X, Wednesday 13, Davey Suicide, Society 1 LION’S LAIR, Karaoke with Donny Duck LUCKY YOU LOUNGE, B Radicals, Lucas Brown, Jason Perry MATCHWOOD BREWING CO., Bare Grass MOOSE LOUNGE, Country Night with Last Chance Band MY PLACE, DJ Dave NIGHTHAWK LOUNGE (CDA CASINO), PJ Destiny THE NYC PIANO BAR, Dueling Pianos THE RIDLER PIANO BAR, Dueling Pianos feat. Christan Raxter & Steve Ridler TAPP’D OFF, Karaoke on the Patio YAYA BREWING COMPANY, Jonathan Tibbetts ZOLA, Blake Braley Band

56 INLANDER DECEMBER 12, 2019

PARTY WINTER FORMAL

D

ig to the back of your closet, pull out that ruffled dress shirt and crushed blue tuxedo that fits tighter each year, and get down. The Baby Bar’s annual winter formal is an excuse to put on your fanciest duds and relive your high school glory days, with a greyhound in one hand and a Thai burrito in the other. Dance to the sounds of Jeff Peterson, Milonga and DJ Ca$e. Take homecoming photos with your date. Vote for formal king and queen.

One thing’s for sure: It’ll be way more fun than your senior prom.

— NATHAN WEINBENDER Baby Bar Winter Formal with Jeff Peterson, Milonga and DJ Ca$e • Sat, Dec. 14 at 7:30 pm • $5 • 21+ • 827 W. First Ave. • 847-1234

Friday, 12/13

219 LOUNGE, Brenden Kelty Trio 1210 TAVERN, River Boat Dave A&P’S BAR AND GRILL, DJ Skwish ARBOR CREST WINE CELLARS, KOSH J BABY BAR, Headless//Heartless, Portable Morla, SOT J BERSERK, Balonely, Pink Clouds, Guilt Gift BEVERLY’S, Robert Vaughn J THE BIG DIPPER, Throneburner, Dark White Light, Trash Casket BIGFOOT PUB, My Own Worst Enemy J BING CROSBY THEATER, Mat Kearney BOLO’S, Karma’s Circle BOOMBOX PIZZA, Karaoke BOOMERS CLASSIC ROCK BAR & GRILL, Barking Katz THE BULL HEAD, Intentionally Blank CHINOOK STEAK, PASTA AND SPIRITS (CDA CASINO), Daniel Hall CORBY’S BAR, Karaoke COSMIC COWBOY GRILL, Kicho THE COUNTRY PLACE, James Motley CRUISERS, Karaoke with Gary CURLEY’S, Dangerous Type

IDAHO POUR AUTHORITY, Mike & Shanna Thompson J IRON GOAT BREWING CO., Mikey & Tyler IRON HORSE (COEUR D’ALENE), The Nudge THE JACKSON ST., Random Generation JOHN’S ALLEY, General Mojo’s J J KNITTING FACTORY, Stone in Love, Moving in Stereo, Atari Ferrari (see page 54) KOOTENAI RIVER INN & CASINO, Harold’s IGA LEFTBANK WINE BAR, Joshua Belliardo LUCKY YOU LOUNGE, DJ ROSETHROW MAX AT MIRABEAU, Kosta La Vista MICKDUFF’S BEER HALL, The Other White Meat MOONDOLLARS BISTRO, Steve Fleming MOOSE LOUNGE, Mad Love MULLIGAN’S BAR & GRILLE, Son of Brad MY PLACE, DJ Dave NASHVILLE NORTH, Ladies Night with Luke Jaxon and DJ Tom

NIGHTHAWK LOUNGE (CDA CASINO), Nightshift NORTHERN QUEST RESORT & CASINO, Tom Pletscher THE NYC PIANO BAR, Dueling Pianos OLD MILL BAR AND GRILL, Pamela Jean ONE WORLD CAFE, Beautiful Flaw PACIFIC PIZZA, Jason Perry Trio PATIT CREEK CELLARS, Ken Davis In Transit J THE PEARL THEATER, Hillstomp PEND D’OREILLE WINERY, Red Blend Trio THE PIN, Misfit Hour II RICO’S, Horace Alexander Young Quartet THE RIDLER PIANO BAR, Dueling Pianos feat. Christan Raxter & Steve Ridler J SARANAC COMMONS, Kevin Partridge SPOKANE VALLEY EAGLES, Stagecoach West STORMIN’ NORMAN’S SHIPFACED SALOON, DJ Danger ZOLA, Pastiche

Saturday, 12/14

219 LOUNGE, Naughty Pine 1210 TAVERN, Black Jack Band A&P’S BAR AND GRILL, DJ Kevin ARBOR CREST WINE CELLARS, Isaac Walton J BABY BAR, Winter Formal with Milonga, Jeff Peterson & DJ CA$E (see above) BEVERLY’S, Robert Vaughn BIGFOOT PUB, My Own Worst Enemy BOLO’S, Karma’s Circle BRANDYWINE BAR & BOTTLE SHOP, Katie Fisher BRIDGE PRESS CELLARS, Bobby Patterson Band THE BULL HEAD, Holiday Party feat.

Jan Harrison Blues Band CHINOOK STEAK, PASTA AND SPIRITS (CDA CASINO), Daniel Hall COSMIC COWBOY GRILL, Bill Bozly CURLEY’S, Dangerous Type GARLAND PUB & GRILL, Still Kickin’ HOP MOUNTAIN TAPROOM AND GRILL, Dallas Kay J HOUSE OF SOUL, Motown Soulful Christmas Party ft. Nu Jack City

J HUCKLEBERRY’S NATURAL MARKET, Into the Drift IDAHO POUR AUTHORITY, Brad Keeler J IRON GOAT BREWING CO., Dario Ré feat. Michael Starry & Zack Zuniga IRON HORSE (COEUR D’ALENE), The Nudge THE JACKSON ST., Karaoke JOHN’S ALLEY, Solid Ghost J KNITTING FACTORY, Granger Smith feat. Earl Dibbles Jr. and Casey Donahew LEFTBANK WINE BAR, Jonathan Tibbitts LUCKY YOU LOUNGE, DJ Official Caleb MARYHILL WINERY SPOKANE, The Ronaldos MAX AT MIRABEAU, Kosta La Vista MOOSE LOUNGE, Mad Love NASHVILLE NORTH, Ladies Night with Luke Jaxon and DJ Tom NIGHTHAWK LOUNGE (CDA CASINO), Nightshift NORTHERN QUEST RESORT & CASINO, Tom Pletscher

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.

THE NYC PIANO BAR, Dueling Pianos PEND D’OREILLE WINERY, Bright Moments THE PIN, Virtual Riot with AyZiM, Subcool, Blackout & Sickle POST FALLS BREWING COMPANY, Kyle Swaffard THE RIDLER PIANO BAR, Dueling Pianos feat. Christan Raxter & Steve Ridler SANDPOINT EAGLES LODGE, CobraJet, Jacob Vanknowe, High Treason Ammunition SEASONS OF COEUR D’ALENE, Son of Brad STORMIN’ NORMAN’S SHIPFACED SALOON, DJ Danger V DU V WINES, Big Red Barn WESTWOOD BREWING CO., Pat Coast WHIM WINE BAR, Schuyler Dornbirer ZOLA, Pastiche

Sunday, 12/15

1210 TAVERN, Jan Harrison Blues Experience CRAVE, DJ Dave DALEY’S CHEAP SHOTS, Rev. Yo’s VooDoo Church of Blues Jam GARLAND PUB & GRILL, Karaoke HOGFISH, Open Mic IRON HORSE (VALLEY), Sara Brown LINGER LONGER LOUNGE, Open Jam MARYHILL WINERY SPOKANE, Nick Grow J J NORTHERN QUEST RESORT & CASINO, Queensrÿche (see facing page) THE NYC PIANO BAR, Dueling Pianos O’DOHERTY’S IRISH GRILLE, Traditional Irish Music

PEND D’OREILLE WINERY, Piano Sunday with Peter Lucht RED ROOM LOUNGE, Jason Perry Trio THE ROXIE, Hillyard Billys ZOLA, Glass Honey

ON SALE FRIDAY, DEC 13 AT 10AM

Monday, 12/16

THE BULL HEAD, Songsmith Series J CALYPSOS COFFEE ROASTERS, Open Mic COSMIC COWBOY GRILL, Echo Elysium CRAVE, DJ Dave EICHARDT’S, Monday Night Jam with Truck Mills THE NYC PIANO BAR, Dueling Pianos J THE PIN, Fine Line ft. 10s Around, Snacks at Midnight, Late for the Parade RED ROOM LOUNGE, Open Mic with Lucas Brookbank Brown

Tuesday, 12/17

219 LOUNGE, Karaoke with DJ Pat BOOMBOX PIZZA, Karaoke CRAVE, DJ Dave GARLAND PUB & GRILL, Karaoke THE NYC PIANO BAR, Dueling Pianos RAZZLE’S BAR & GRILL, Songsmith Series feat. Zaq Flanary THE RIDLER PIANO BAR, Country Swing Dancing THE ROXIE, Open Mic/Jam SWEET LOU’S RESTAURANT AND TAP HOUSE, Christy Lee TAPP’D OFF, Karaoke on the Patio THE VIKING, Songsmith Series feat.

Darren Eldridge ZOLA, Desperate 8s

Wednesday, 12/18

219 LOUNGE, Truck Mills & Tito Huizar BEVERLY’S, Robert Vaughn J BLACK DIAMOND, Songsmith Series feat. Shaiden Hutchman CRAVE, DJ Dave CRUISERS, Open Jam Night Hosted by The Jam Band GENO’S TRADITIONAL FOOD & ALES, Open Mic with Host Travis Goulding IRON HORSE (COEUR D’ALENE), Open Jam THE JACKSON ST., Karaoke LEFTBANK WINE BAR, Carey Brazil LUCKY’S IRISH PUB, DJ D3VIN3 MAD BOMBER BREWING COMPANY, Open Mic THE NYC PIANO BAR, Dueling Pianos J RED DRAGON CHINESE, Tommy G RED ROOM LOUNGE, Blowin’ Kegs Jam Session THE RIDLER PIANO BAR, Dueling Pianos feat. Christan Raxter & Steve Ridler STORMIN’ NORMAN’S SHIPFACED SALOON, Sara Brown ZOLA, Cruxie

Coming Up ...

J KNITTING FACTORY, Blue Christmas with Sammy Eubanks & Tuck Foster and the Tumbling Dice, Dec. 21 WASHINGTON CRACKER CO. BUILDING, Young Neves, Dec. 21

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MUSIC | VENUES 219 LOUNGE • 219 N. First, Sandpoint • 208-2639934 A&P’S BAR & GRILL • 222 N. First, Sandpoint • 208-263-2313 ARBOR CREST WINE CELLARS • 4705 N. Fruit Hill Rd. • 927-9463 BABY BAR • 827 W. First Ave. • 847-1234 BARLOWS • 1428 N. Liberty Lake Rd. • 924-1446 BEEROCRACY • 911 W. Garland Ave. BERSERK • 125 S. Stevens • 714-9512 THE BIG DIPPER • 171 S. Washington • 863-8098 BIGFOOT PUB • 9115 N. Division St. • 467-9638 BING CROSBY THEATER • 901 W. Sprague Ave. • 227-7638 BLACK DIAMOND • 9614 E. Sprague • 891-8357 BOLO’S • 116 S. Best Rd. • 891-8995 BOOMERS • 18219 E. Appleway Ave. • 755-7486 BOOTS BAKERY & LOUNGE • 24 W. Main Ave. • 703-7223 BRIDGE PRESS CELLARS • 39 W. Pacific • 838-7815 BUCER’S COFFEEHOUSE PUB • 201 S. Main, Moscow • 208-882-5216 THE BULL HEAD • 10211 S. Electric • 838-9717 CALYPSOS COFFEE & CREAMERY • 116 E. Lakeside Ave., CdA • 208-665-0591 CHECKERBOARD BAR • 1716 E. Sprague Ave. • 535-4007 COEUR D’ALENE CASINO • 37914 S. Nukwalqw Rd., Worley, Idaho • 800-523-2464 COEUR D’ALENE CELLARS • 3890 N. Schreiber Way, CdA • 208-664-2336 COSMIC COWBOY GRILL • 412 W. Haycraft, CdA • 208-277-0000 CRAFTED TAP HOUSE • 523 Sherman Ave., CdA • 208-292-4813 CRAVE• 401 W. Riverside • 321-7480 CRUISERS • 6105 W Seltice Way, Post Falls • 208773-4706 CURLEY’S • 26433 W. Hwy. 53 • 208-773-5816 DALEY’S CHEAP SHOTS • 6412 E. Trent • 535-9309 EICHARDT’S PUB • 212 Cedar St., Sandpoint • 208-263-4005 FIRST INTERSTATE CENTER FOR THE ARTS • 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. • 279-7000 FIZZIE MULLIGANS • 331 W. Hastings • 466-5354 FOX THEATER • 1001 W. Sprague • 624-1200 THE HIVE • 207 N. First, Sandpoint • 208-457-2392 HOGFISH • 1920 E. Sherman, CdA • 208-667-1896 HONEY EATERY & SOCIAL CLUB • 317 E. Sherman, CdA • 208-930-1514 HOUSE OF SOUL • 25 E. Lincoln • 598-8783 IRON GOAT BREWING • 1302 W. 2nd • 474-0722 IRON HORSE BAR • 407 E. Sherman Ave., CdA • 208-667-7314 IRON HORSE BAR & GRILL • 11105 E. Sprague Ave., CdA • 509-926-8411 JACKSON ST. BAR & GRILL • 2436 N. Astor St. • 315-8497 JOHN’S ALLEY • 114 E. Sixth St., Moscow • 208883-7662 KNITTING FACTORY • 911 W. Sprague Ave. • 244-3279 LAGUNA CAFÉ • 2013 E. 29th Ave. • 448-0887 THE LANTERN TAP HOUSE • 1004 S. Perry St. • 315-9531 LEFTBANK WINE BAR • 108 N. Washington • 315-8623 LION’S LAIR • 205 W. Riverside • 456-5678 LUCKY YOU LOUNGE • 1801 W. Sunset LUCKY’S IRISH PUB • 408 W. Sprague • 747-2605 MARYHILL WINERY • 1303 W. Summit Pkwy, Ste. 100 • 443-3832 MAX AT MIRABEAU • 1100 N. Sullivan • 924-9000 MICKDUFF’S • 312 N. First Ave., Sandpoint • 208)255-4351 MONARCH MOUNTAIN COFFEE • 208 N 4th Ave, Sandpoint • 208-265-9382 MOOSE LOUNGE • 401 E. Sherman • 208-664-7901 MOOTSY’S • 406 W. Sprague • 838-1570 MULLIGAN’S • 506 Appleway Ave., CdA • 208- 7653200 ext. 310 NASHVILLE NORTH • 6361 W. Seltice Way, Post Falls • 208-457-9128 NORTHERN QUEST RESORT • 100 N. Hayford Rd., Airway Heights • 242-7000 NYNE • 232 W. Sprague Ave. • 474-1621 O’SHAY’S • 313 E. CdA Lake Dr. • 208-667-4666 PACIFIC PIZZA • 2001 W. Pacific • 443-5467 PEND D’OREILLE WINERY • 301 Cedar St., Sandpoint • 208-265-8545 THE PIN • 412 W. Sprague • 385-1449 POST FALLS BREWING CO. • 112 N. Spokane, Post Falls • 208-773-7301 RAZZLE’S BAR & GRILL • 10325 N. Government Way, Hayden • 208-635-5874 RED ROOM LOUNGE • 521 W. Sprague • 838-7613 REPUBLIC BREWING • 26 Clark Ave. • 775-2700 RIDLER PIANO BAR • 718 W. Riverside • 822-7938 SEASONS OF COEUR D’ALENE • 209 E. Lakeside Ave. • 208-664-8008 THE SHOP • 924 S. Perry St. • 534-1647 SOULFUL SOUPS & SPIRITS • 117 N. Howard St. • 459-1190 SPOKANE ARENA • 720 W. Mallon • 279-7000 STORMIN’ NORMAN’S SHIPFACED SALOON • 12303 E. Trent • 862-4852 ZOLA • 22 W. Main Ave. • 624-2416

DECEMBER 12, 2019 INLANDER 57

FILM INSTANT VACATION

It isn’t really the yuletide season until National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation plays on cable at least once. But what’s better than watching the 1989 holiday favorite on your living room TV? Seeing it with a packed audience at the Garland Theater during the Inlander’s upcoming Suds & Cinema event, wrapped in your favorite cozy sweater and with a boozy beverage in hand. It’s not just about the movie: Rainier is on hand to hand out suds throughout the evening, and you’ll be able to taste sodas and sparkling waters courtesy of Merchant’s Craft.

Horizon Credit Union also hosts a costume contest — bring your best Cousin Eddie robe — a photo booth and a holiday relay race, and you’ll have opportunities to win some sweet Rainier swag throughout the two showings.

— NATHAN WEINBENDER Suds & Cinema Presents National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation • Thu, Dec. 19 at 6 and 9 pm • $5 • Garland Theater • 924 W. Garland Ave. • presale tickets available at the box office • 327-1050

58 INLANDER DECEMBER 12, 2019

MUSIC ENTER THE CHAMBER

THEATER TRADITIONAL TYPES

Turtle Island Quartet • Sat, Dec. 14 at 2 pm • $20-$40 • Myrtle Woldson Performing Arts Center • 211 E. Desmet Ave. • gonzaga. edu/mwpac • 313-4776

Traditions of Christmas • Dec. 13-23, times vary • $21-$34 • Kroc Center • 1765 W. Golf Course Ln., Coeur d’Alene • traditionsofchristmasnw.com • 208-292-8750

Since 1985, the Turtle Island Quartet has been pushing the limits of what they can play and still be considered “chamber music.”

The quartet led by David Balakrishnan has taken their violin/viola/ cello instruments and delved into everything from bluegrass and swing music to funk and hip-hop. On their “Winter’s Eve” tour, they explore sounds from around the world, leaning into jazzy renditions of songs from Celtic and Irish winter celebrations as well as songs from Jewish and Hindu traditions. If you’re tired of the same ol’ same ol’ when it comes to holiday tunes, the Turtle Island Quartet could be your answer. They’ll also stick around to chat with the audience after the matinee show.

— DAN NAILEN

Sometimes you just need a little bombast in your life, some over-the-top entertainment to really get the holiday spirit moving.

If that’s the case, you can do a lot worse than the Traditions of Christmas show, appearing for its eighth year in Coeur d’Alene.

With a cast of 72 and 500 (!) costumes involved, there’s a lot going on. You get Rockettes-style kickline dance numbers, you get a massive salute to the military, you get a live Nativity scene, and yes, Santa’s workshop is involved, too. It takes some serious skills and work to get all that in one performance, and producer Laura Little has a growing team of holiday-loving pros to help pull off what has become one of the Inland Northwest’s holiday favorites.

— DAN NAILEN

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.

COMEDY THAT’S THE TICKET

Jon Lovitz joined the cast of Saturday Night Live in its 1985 season, generally considered the worst in the show’s long history. It’s a testament to his talents, then, that he managed to become a breakout star despite the series’ behind-the-scenes turmoil, with memorable recurring characters like Tommy Flanagan, a not-exactly-smooth pathological liar (“Yeah! That’s the ticket!”) and the overeager thespian (“Acting!”). Lovitz has also had supporting roles in such modern movie classics as Big, A League of Their Own and ¡Three Amigos!, and has worked extensively as a voiceover artist, most notably as persnickety movie reviewer Jay Sherman in the cult animated series The Critic. Stand-up was a late career development for Lovitz, but with his crack comic timing and sly, ain’t-I-a-stinker delivery, we’re pretty confident that he’ll have you in stitches.

— NATHAN WEINBENDER Jon Lovitz • Thu-Fri, Dec. 12-13 at 7:30 pm and Sat, Dec. 14 at 7:30 and 10 pm • $25-$35 • 21+ • Spokane Comedy Club • 315 W. Sprague Ave. • spokanecomedyclub.com • 318-9998

ARTS GIFTS GALORE

Perfectly timed between the early season sales and last-minute shopping rush, Terrain’s annual winter artisan market BrrrZAAR is here to make supporting local — and checking names off your nice list — super easy this holiday season. Featuring nearly 70 local artists, makers and craftspeople, BrrrZAAR spreads out across all three levels of River Park Square for a onestop shopping trip. Chances are high your favorite local makers are on the vendor list; to see them all and a preview of their wares, check the link below.

Besides shopping galore, the festive event includes family-friendly activities, live music, a beer garden and an adults-only afterparty with “Bad Santa” at the new and nearby Flatstick Pub starting at 7 pm. Bring your reusable shopping totes, a full wallet and wear comfy shoes to shop ’til you drop.

— CHEY SCOTT

DECEMBER 12, 2019 INLANDER 59

v

Terrain’s BrrrZAAR • Sat, Dec. 14 from 10 am-9 pm • Free admission • River Park Square • 808 W. Main Ave. • terrainspokane.com/brrrzaar

WOW. PARTY CITY PRETTY Saw you down the aisle at Party City. Can’t deny how awesome you looked in that Iron Man getup. I think we should play dress-up sometime!

CHEERS

I SAW YOU GLOBE 12/6/2019 You struck up a convo with me while waiting at the bar and think you noticed me when first coming in the door. Commented on your accent, it’s cute, you’re cute... kicking myself for not chatting longer or asking for your number. So C from T working at RBA get in touch.

LOST CONNECTION I saw you @ Drop Your Drawers in The Garland District.

A few weeks back.You were wearing a red plaid coat.We discussed Art. You are rad!I was wearing all red and talked about how it felt like capitol hill in Seattle.Coffee?Email lostconnection637@yahoo.com if you are interested in getting coffee!

GARLAND DISTRICT Two beautiful girls working @ Drop Your Drawers!I love The Garland District!I stopped in on small business Saturday.I purchased some roller skates.I will be back!Thank you so much!I will be back.Tell Sarah I said hello!:+) ALL YOU CAN EAT PASTA AND PRETTY BOY I saw you at the north Olive Garden on Sunday. Even if you had a meatball trail, you had a smile that’d melt any parm. You were laughing and giddy and amazing. Unlimited breadsticks on me next time?

NEW TO TOWN I am new to Spokane.

I love to craft and wanted to meet new people so I created Knit Knite at Elliotts an urban kitchen on Monroe. We’ve met up on three Wednesday evenings now and are growing friendships as well as knitted projects. The first Wednesday we had three experienced knitters and four newbies. Last week two of the newbies started different projects and we gained two more fresh-to-knit friends. I would call it a Stitch and Bitch but we don’t really bitch. We keep conversation positive and definitely funny.

Our sharing ranges from travel to cooking to photos of our kiddos and pets to pop culture and technology. Last week we explained the eggplant emoji to one of our expert knitters. This came up when we were discussing texting and Using emojis. I brought up how a guy friend of mine back in Anchorage was using lots of emojis and his friends were like, “Why does he keep sending me the eggplant?!” I’m inviting new and old knitters to our group as I meet people. My CHEERS is to my newly found crafter friends and to Raelene and Tony, the wonderful owners of Elliotts, for reserving the big front table for us and being so lovely to our group.

YOU RETURNED THE $100 “Hi good samaritan, thank you so very much for being an honest man!! I got $100. from a self checkout at the Northside Winco, Dec. 3, but forgot to grab it (a lot on my mind). You saw it and took it to customer service. I am a single woman trying to save to buy my first house.

That money was going into my savings.

May our Heavenly Father bless you for your values and integrity. Thank you so very much!!”

SAVING THANKSGIVING Cheers to Nick at Fred’s Appliance! Our oven went out on Tuesday and we rushed to get a new

one. Nick assisted us and we found just what we were looking for and luckily they had one in stock. The next hurdle was the delivery and the need to have it

by Wednesday even though the schedule was already full. Nick made some calls and after some hurdles was able to schedule it for us to be delivered and

“

BK COUPONS DON’T EXPIRE, BUT YOU CAN’T USE THEM My wife became disabled about 5 years ago and my daughters family came to live with us to help me care for my wife. With six of us living here, including two grand kids, I take care of preparing most meal for all of us. To get a break, for the last

for pedestrians..... They’ll stay alive and you’ll stay out of trouble.

MEAN OLD MAN We are new here.

We just got a puppy We googled dog friendly hikes. Painted rock trailhead came up. We were so busy coaxing the puppy to walk on his lease. We didn’t

If you receive scented body products, please enjoy them in the privacy of your own home.

installed. He gave us his cell phone and said not to hesitate to call if there were any problems/issues. He went above and beyond and we are grateful that he was there that day!

TO MOZE Thanks for being one of my favorite brothers. I miss you when I am at college sometimes. I love you!!

I’M SORRY ABOUT MY DOG To the young woman walking her bull dog near Corbin Park: I’m so sorry my dog scared you and your dog when he jumped out of my truck and ran over to you. I know how frightening off-leash dogs can be. Again, my apologies.

JEERS MAKE “I SAW YOU” GREAT AGAIN Boo to all the “I saw yous” written to significant others. This section is for writing about a stranger you bumped into but did not exchange contact info with. It is not for writing to someone you intimately know. Happy about your anniversary? Write a love letter. Take your sweetheart out for dinner. Send them balloons at work. Whatever. But stop clogging the “I saw” you section with odes to those you have known for metaphorical eons.

four years, I got in the habit of going to Burger King on Sprague near Pines, to get meals for all of us. I always keep a lot of BK’s coupons around and each person picks what they would like and I would cut out coupons to help save a little money on the food. Even with the coupons, our bill would run between $25 and $35 a visit and I would get food there a couple of times a month and use 5 or 6 coupons each visit. a week or 10 days ago I made a food run to that BK and I was told that I could only use three coupons in one visit. I decided then and there that there was no use saving coupons that don’t expire, if I couldn’t use them. There are several fast food places in the valley that will take my coupons and money without silly rules and restrictions.

THERE’S A CROSSWALK THERE! I often use the cross walk at Walnut &Fourth and EVERYTIME I cross the street, there are several drivers that almost hit me.

I wait until I’m told to safely cross and I’m still at risk of getting ran over by the people getting off the freeway.

There’s a daycare at that intersection!

You people need to slow the heck down before someone gets hurt! How bad would you feel if you killed someone?

If you don’t care about others, consider the tickets, court dates and possible jail time you will have to deal with. Watch

AIR POLLUTION It’s the gift-getting season! If you receive scented body products, please enjoy them in the privacy of your own home. It will be appreciated if you do not wear them to workplaces, houses of worship, restaurants, theaters, sporting events, etc. Not everyone shares your tastes and some people have serious allergies. n

THIS WEEK'S ANSWERS C A M U S

E V E N T S

A I S F A A P H U I N C O

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.”

Christmas dinner

HOME STYLE BREAKFAST, LUNCH & DINNER SERVED 6AM -6PM MON - SUN BREAD BOWL SCRAMBLE

”

read the sign. We were about a 1/4 of a mile up knob head. This old man came up screaming at us about the dog. He took our picture. Then pretended to call the police. We said we googled it and it said this was a dog friendly trail.

The mean old man said we were lying.

There was zero reason to be a nasty old rude man. Shame on you

D A D D Y O

E L I E

N O O R

S O H U V E R A I R B N E A D I M B L F O A X

O S I N C R E D O G S E W A L H A G E T R Y A R R E N O E B E T O R S E A

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

M U L L A H

E A N P O N A K E

L I L A I R E E L R E I N T A E S

A W N A O G N F E R G I E

A S S N S

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.

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EVENTS | CALENDAR

BENEFIT

MILLIANNA JEWELRY HOLIDAY SALE Shop the local designer fashion house at prices up to 70 percent off, with 10% of proceeds supporting Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Inland Northwest.

Includes wine and hors d’oeuvres. Dec. 12, 3-7 pm. Millianna, 905 W. Riverside., Suite 608. millianna.com TREE OF SHARING The annual gift giving event supports families and children in need. Visit a gift table and pick a tag from someone’s wishlist, then shop and drop your gift off by Dec. 16. Tables at Spokane Valley, NorthTown and River Park Square malls. treeofsharing.org SPOKANE BLOWS 2019 An annual toy drive event, with a raffle, food, local glass products and more. Doors open at 8 pm with a screening of the movie “The Night Before” at 9 pm. Dec. 14, 8 pm. Garland Theater, 924 W. Garland. (327-1050) COMMUNITY CANCER FUND HOLIDAY BASH FT. RANDY HOUSER The 5th Annual Holiday Bash is presented by the Kalispel Tribe of Indians and Northern Quest and features country artist Randy Houser performing at Gonzaga’s Martin Centre following the EWU vs. Gonzaga men’s basketball game. Proceeds support the Community Cancer Fund. Dec. 21, 4:30 pm. $25-$300. Gonzaga University, 502 E. Boone. CCFBash.com

COMEDY

SEASON’S GREETINGS Join the BDT for a night of laughs and improvised comedy celebrating the holiday season. Fridays in December at 7:30 pm. ​$8. Blue Door Theatre, 815 W. Garland. (747-7045) SAFARI The BDT’s version of “Whose Line,” a fast-paced short-form improv show. For mature audiences. Fridays at 7:30 pm. $8. Blue Door Theatre, 815 W. Garland Ave. bluedoortheatre.com THE SOCIAL HOUR COMEDY SHOWCASE Featuring comics from the Northwest and beyond, and hosted by Deece Casillas. Sundays from 8-9:30 pm. Free.

The Ridler Piano Bar, 718 W. Riverside Ave. socialhourpod.com (822-7938)

COMMUNITY

A CONTEMPLATIVE CHRISTMAS An open house style walk-through featuring 25 themed trees that tell the story leading up to Christmas. Donations benefit A Chıld’s Hope Spokane, a local nonprofit adoption agency. Dec. 11-15 from 4:30-8:30 pm. Corbin Mansion, 815 W. Seventh Ave. facebook.com/AContemplativeChristmas CHRISTMAS TREE ELEGANCE The 37th annual fundraiser for Spokane Symphony Associates features 18 holiday displays valued up to $5,000 that are raffled off to support the Symphony. At the Davenport Hotel and River Park Square. Through Dec. 15. spokanesymphony.org HOSPICE OF SPOKANE MEMORIAL TREE CELEBRATION Honor loved ones by decorating a paper dove in their memory and hanging it on the tree. Mon-Sat 11 am-7 pm, Sun 12:30-4:30 pm through Dec. 15. Free. River Park Square, 808 W. Main. riverparksquare.com (456-0438) JOURNEY TO THE NORTH POLE Take a festive cruise across Lake Coeur d’Alene and view more than 1.5 million holiday lights on the way to visit Santa at a waterfront toy workshop. Through Jan. 1; daily at 5:30, 6:30 and 7:30 pm. Kids 5 and under free. $8.50-$23.25. Coeur

d’Alene Resort, 115 S. 2nd. cdaresort.com OPEN HOUSE: SANTA CLAUS & HIS FIREFIGHTER HELPERS Spokane County Fire District 9 personnel host multiple open houses with Santa, as well as escort him through selected neighborhoods.

The District also hands out goodies to kids and is collecting donations for the Mead food bank. Through Dec. 21, daily from 6-9 pm. Free. Fire Station No. 91, 616 W. Hastings Rd. scfd9.org SANTA EXPRESS The annual holiday retail store for kids (ages 4-12) offersgift items priced from $1 to $10. Proceeds from the store benefit the Vanessa Behan Crisis Nursery, a safe shelter for kids in crisis situations. Nov. 23-Dec. 23; Mon-Fri 11 am-8 pm; Sat 10 am-8 pm; Sun 11 am-6 pm. This year located at 221 N. Wall (old Runner’s Soul space). santaexpress.org SANTA’S REINDEER AT RITTERS Before their big night out, Santa’s magical reindeer are hanging out at Ritters; includes Santa photos. Through Dec. 22, daily from 9 am-6 pm. Free. Ritters Garden & Gift, 10120 N. Division St. bit.ly/2KpiLLh VOLUNTEER ORIENTATION Attend an orientation to learn more about joining Spark’s superhero team. Second Tuesdays from 5:30-7 pm. Free. Spark Central, 1214 W. Summit Pkwy. spark-central.org WINTER GLOW SPECTACULAR Orchard Park is lit up with holiday lights and displays, including animation and music.

Walkable or drivable around the perimeter.

Through Jan. 1. Orchard Park, 20298 E. Indiana. facebook.com/spokanewinterglow HOLIDAY LIGHTS AT MANITO The Gaiser Conservatory is decked out in holiday lights throughout the holiday season, offering wonderful photo ops and a festive setting. Dec. 13-31 from 12-7:30 pm (closed 12/25). Free, donations accepted.

Manito Park, 1800 S. Grand Blvd. thefriendsofmanito.org (456-8038) STAR WARS INFLATABLE CHRISTMAS SPECTACULAR See a 16-foot-tall Darth Vader and more than a dozen other Star Wars Christmas inflatables. Includes a meet-and-greet with various characters and more. Bring a donation for Toys for Tots and the Salvation Army. Dec. 13-15 from 6-8 pm. At 15604 N. Freya St., Mead. bit.ly/2KphuUv BREAKFAST, PHOTOS & STEEL DRUM MUSIC WITH SANTA Enjoy breakfast and take photos with Santa and his North Pole teddy bears. Includes steel drum Christmas music by Taylor Belote. Professional photos are printed on the spot; photos with pet(s) are 12:30-1 pm. Dec. 14 and 21, 9 am-noon. $4-$15. Southside Community Center, 3151 E. 27th Ave. sssac.org (509-535-0803) CAMPBELL HOUSE HOLIDAYS Explore the house, enjoy Christmas decorations, participate in a craft and interact with living history characters: Joseph Rainsberry (coachman), Helen Campbell (family member), Hulda Olson (cook), Ingeborg Johnson (maid), and Edith Johnson (maid). Dec. 14-15, 17-22 and 26-29 from 12-4 pm. $7-$12. The MAC 2316 W. First Ave. northwestmuseum.org (456-3931) ELVES WORKSHOP Drop in and make cards and gifts for your loved ones and yourself this holiday season. Dec. 14, 10 am-noon. Free. Spark Central, 1214 W. Summit Pkwy. spark-central.org FRIENDS OF MANITO HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE Families can decorate holiday cookies, visit Santa and see this year’s display. Dec. 14-15 from 3-6 pm. Free.

Manito Park, 1800 S. Grand Blvd. thefriendsofmanito.org (456-8038)

GREENBLUFF CHRISTMAS EXPERIENCE Take a 20 minute horse-drawn sleigh or wagon ride across the bluff, through the trees and back. Offered Dec. 14-15, 21-23 from 10 am-3:30 pm. $15$20. High Country Orchard, 8518 E. Green Bluff Rd. bit.ly/32Iv63y (509-238-9545) HILLYARD NORTH POLE A community event with Santa photos, a tree lighting, hay rides, caroling, a food drive, cookies, hot cocoa and more. At 6018 N. Regal St. Dec. 14, 2-6 pm. bit.ly/2CHAYzu HOLIDAY ON THE AVE Celebrate the holidays with Sprague Union District retail shops and eateries. Activities include live reindeer, photos with Santa, holiday shopping, ice carving demos, a scavenger hunt and local bites at vendors throughout the district. Dec. 14, 10 am-6 pm. Free. Sprague Union District, 24001600 E. Sprague Ave. bit.ly/376V5oN HOLIDAY SING-ALONG The eighth annual “Holiday Sing Along With Mudgy & Santa.” This year, a new book, “Mudgy & Millie Adventures: Costa Rica” is read by the author as favorite characters take to the air in their hot-air balloon to visit their animal friends in foreign countries.

Dec. 14, 11 am. Coeur d’Alene Public Library, 702 E. Front Ave. cdalibrary.org HOMEBUYER EDUCATION SEMINAR Explore all the major aspects of the home-buying process in an unbiased format with SNAP Spokane instructors certified by the Washington State Housing Finance Commission. Registration required. Dec. 14, 9 am-2 pm and Jan. 11, 9 am-2 pm. Free. Argonne Library, 4322 N. Argonne Rd. snapwa.org (319-3040) JACK FROST FEST An event to celebrate all that winter has to offer, with music, food, beverages for all ages, and a celebration of nonprofits that make the winter season brighter and safer. Dec. 14, 4:30 pm. $11.49-$32.49. Heartwood Center, 615 S. Oak St., Sandpoint. heartwoodsandpoint.com (208-263-8699) LADIES’ HOLIDAY TEA Complete with live music, refreshments and games.

Ages 16 and up; registration requested.

Dec. 14, 1-3 pm. Free. Post Falls Library, 821 N. Spokane St. (208-773-1506) A NIGHT IN BETHLEHEM Featuring authentic food, activities for children, live animals, shops, actors and a live production about the night that Jesus Christ was born. Dec. 14-15 and Dec. 21-22 from 3-6:30 pm. Free. Stateline Speedway, 1349 N. Beck Rd. anightinbethlehem. info/event-schedule/ (208-773-0100) PHOTOS WITH SANTA Support Teen & Kid Closet Charity through this Santa photo event, offering a 10-min private visit with Santa, activities, apple cider, an instant 4x6 photo magnet. Pets welcome. Monetary and clothing donations for Teen Closet also accepted. Dec. 1415. $30. Creative Catch Studio, 1804 E. Sprague. santa.thecreativecatch.com RE*IMAGINE CHRISTMAS WINTER FESTIVAL Visit downtown Medical lake and step back in time for a 5K, kids’ activities, crafts, a petting nativity, live reindeer, horse and wagon rides, parade and the annual tree lighting and fireworks show, followed by the free bus tour of lights.

Dec. 14, 1-5 pm. Free. Medical Lake. medicallake.org/wf (939-9589) SANTA’S BREAKFAST Spokane Valley hosts the 12th annual holiday event, with proceeds supporting the Salvation Army.

Includes a brunch buffet, pictures with Santa, and free breakfast for ages 12 and under. Dec. 14-15 from 8 am-1 pm. Reservations requested. Mirabeau Park Hotel, 1100 N. Sullivan. mirabeauparkhotel.com

SPOKANE FAMILY HOLIDAY POWWOW For this non-contest powwow, kids aren’t required to be in regalia to participate, and anyone can come enjoy the powwow. Dec. 14, 5-9 pm. Free. Downtown Spokane Library, 906 W. Main. facebook. com/RiverfrontParkPowwowSpokane BRRRZAAR Terrain’s holiday marketplace throughout all three floors of River Park Square features all regional vendors of handmade, artisan goods for gift giving, along with family friendly activities, a beer garden, live music, photo booth and more. Dec. 14, 10 am-9 pm. Free.

River Park Square, 808 W. Main. terrainspokane.com/brrrzaar (624-3945) WINTER WONDERLAND ON GARLAND The third annual family-friendly event unites Garland District Businesses and the community for a day of food, festive activities, entertainment, and more. This year’s charity beneficiaries are Fostering WA and Embrace WA. Dec. 14. Free. Garland District. garlanddistrict.com THE GREAT GINGERBREAD HOUSE COMPETITION Edible wonderlands can be found at the Historic Davenport, Davenport Grand and the Centennial Hotel.

This year’s theme is Vintage Christmas.

Guests can vote for their favorite display.

Dec. 16-25. Free. Historic Davenport Hotel, 10 S. Post St. bit.ly/38n5RrK LAND USE WORKSHOP Do you have questions about land use laws, the Washington Growth Management Act, expanding urban growth areas, annexation and zoning laws, comprehensive plans and etc.? RG * NEW hosts this workshop featuring Tim Trohimovich, Futurewise Director of Planning and Law, AICP, to discuss the legalities surrounding the proposed silicon smelter’s zoning along the WA-ID border. Dec. 17, 5-7:30 pm.

Free; donations accepted. Camas Wellness Center, 1821 N. LeClerc Rd. rgnew.org JINGLE & MINGLE A holiday celebration featuring complimentary refreshments, music and prizes at the Colfax Library.

During a special ceremony at 7 pm, the Colfax Chamber of Commerce honors the best holiday windows and winners of the Festival of Trees with gift certificates to local businesses. Dec. 18, 5-8 pm. Free. visitcolfax.com (397-4366) MONARCH MIGRATION CELEBRATION Learn about the fantastic migration of monarch butterflies and celebrate by decorating and eating an ice cream cone with frosting and butterfly-themed elements. Grades K-6; kids under 8 should be accompanied by a caregiver. Dec. 18, 3:30-4:30 pm. Free. Hillyard Library, 4005 N. Cook St. (509-444-5300) LILAC CITY LIVE! Hear from local authors, musicians, artists, comedians and more. Dec. 19, 8-9 pm. Free. Downtown Spokane Library, 906 W. Main Ave. spokanelibrary.org (444-5300)

FILM

LEVEL 1 - ROMANCE Level 1’s last annual ski film, with a raffle and gear giveaway.

Romance captures a modern-day Golden Age in skiing, featuring a generation of talent that came of age in the best time to ever do it. Dec. 13, 7 pm. $10/$12. Panida Theater, 300 N. First Ave. panida.org BING CROSBY HOLIDAY FILM FESTIVAL The 14th annual festival, featuring some of the best-loved films of Spokane’s own Bing Crosby, along with a gallery of photos, film clips and a special live musical performance by Bing’s nephew Howard Crosby and the Zonky Jazz Band. See link for schedule. Dec. 14, 10:30 am-7:30 pm.

$10. Bing Crosby Theater, 901 W. Sprague Ave. bingcrosbyadvocates.org STUDIO GHIBLI FEST: THE TALE OF THE PRINCESS KAGUYA From Studio Ghibli comes a powerful and soaring epic that redefines animated storytelling. Dec. 16 (dubs) and Dec. 18 (subs) at 7 pm. Regal NorthTown and Riverstone; AMC River Park Square. $12.50. fathomevents.com MOVIE NIGHT: JINGLE BELLS ROCKS! A backstage pass into the underground world of alternative Christmas music.

Starring The Flaming Lips, Run DMC and John Waters, plus two dozen original songs. Dec. 18, 6-7:45 pm. Free. Downtown Spokane Library, 906 W. Main Ave. spokanelibrary.org (444-5300) SUSTAINABLE A film about a group of farmers moving to more sustainable practices and their journey. Beth Robinette from LINC, Pauline Druffel from 350 and local chef Andrew Larson speak at this Meaningful Movie Spokane with UUCS event. Dec. 18, 5:30 pm. Free, donations accepted. Magic Lantern Theatre, 25 W. Main Ave. bit.ly/343jclt (209-2383) SUDS & CINEMA: NATIONAL LAMPOON’S CHRISTMAS VACATION The Inlander, Horizon Credit Union and Rainier Beer host this annual holiday tradition, with pre-show activities, prizes, a costume contest, beer specials and more.

Dec. 19 at 6 and 9 pm. $5. Garland Theater, 924 W. Garland. bit.ly/2OPs8oT

FOOD

HOLIDAY FAMILY VOLUNTEERING + TREATS AND CRAFTS Spend an evening with the family while supporting Second Harvest Food Bank this holiday season, with one part volunteering and one part holiday treat making and crafts. Dec. 12, 5:30-8 pm. $15. Second Harvest Food Bank, 1234 E. Front Ave. secondharvestkitchen.org (509-252-6249) TASTEFUL THURSDAYS The series highlights local brewers, winemakers and artisans who meet the public while offering free samples, gift ideas and information about their goods. Held on the first three Thursdays of November and December, from 5-7 pm. Free. Moscow Food Co-op, 121 E. Fifth St. moscowfood.coop ABOMINABLE WINTER PARTY WITH FREMONT BREWING A night of barrelaged goodness, tapping the 2018 and 2019 BBomb and BBADS (Bourbon Abominable and Barrel Aged Dark Star) along with coconut and coffee variants of each. Includes a special appearance by the Abominable Snowman for photo-ops and more. Dec. 13, 5-11 pm. $5 suggested donation. The Steel Barrel Taproom, 154 S. Madison. thesteelbarrel.com BAD SANTA PUB CRAWL Check in at Borracho between 5-8 pm and donate a new, unwrapped toy for a chance to win prizes. After hitting all the stops, head back for an after party, costume contest and live DJ. Dec. 14, 5 pm. $20. Downtown Spokane. spokanepubcrawls.com BEER + DONUT PAIRING W/ HELLO SUGAR Get a flight of beers, paired with Hello Sugar donuts. Three reservations/ sessions available: Dec. 14 from 12-2 pm; 2-4 pm and 4-6 pm. $15-$20. Nectar Wine and Beer, 1331 W. Summit Parkway. bit.ly/2PpAR1u (509-290-5239) COOKING WITH CHEF RICKY: HOLIDAY ENTERTAINING Learn a few tricks to entertain stress-free and in style this holiday season from award-winning Spokane chef Ricky Webster. Dec. 14, 11 am-noon.

Free. Shadle Library, 2111 W. Wellesley. spokanelibrary.org (444-5300)

DECEMBER 12, 2019 INLANDER 61

LEGISLATION

Capitol Steps Congress moves forward on cannabis proposals

BY WILL MAUPIN

A

s the United States Congress continues on the path towards impeachment, a common refrain from those opposed is that all the fuss is keeping Congress from doing its actual job: legislating. That’s not been the case when it comes to cannabis.

Last week Congress acted twice to move forward with a more sensible federal policy on marijuana. On Friday, Dec. 6, Democratic Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman of New Jersey introduced a resolution that would radically transform the war on drugs, which Watson Coleman’s resolution explicitly calls out as racially charged. That same day, a bipartisan group from the House and Senate sent a letter to Attorney General William Barr requesting a policy change in how the federal government regulates cannabis research.

Neither action is a brand new idea. Rep. Watson Coleman introduced a similar resolution last year, but it

went nowhere.

Republicans are no longer in control of the House of Representatives, which gives Rep. Watson Coleman’s resolution a greater chance of passing a floor vote this time around. Should it pass, Congress will declare the war on drugs to be a failure and immediately halt any actions that further the current goals of the war on drugs.

The congressional view on drug use would change from criminal-focused to a public-health approach.

It is similar to the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act (MORE Act), which passed through the House Judiciary Committee last month. The MORE Act goes further by decriminalizing marijuana at the federal level while Rep. Watson Coleman’s resolution does not.

The other action undertaken last week is basically ...continued on page 66

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LEGISLATION “CAPITOL STEPS,” CONTINUED...

Congress giving the Drug Enforcement Administration a kick in the pants.

In September the DEA announced it would allow for the production of more marijuana available for scientific research than ever before.

The problem is, there’s still only one federally approved manufacturer of research-grade marijuana: a farm at the University of Mississippi.

In the letter, lawmakers are calling for the DEA to allow federally approved researchers to study marijuana obtained from state-approved producers. Essentially, it would allow the scien-

tific community to study the same marijuana that people actually consume.

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This letter requests a response from the DEA by Dec. 20.

Congress often comes across as a dysfunctional place where nothing gets done. Broadly speaking, that might be true. When it comes to marijuana, though, lawmakers have been working harder than ever. n

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RELATIONSHIPS

Advice Goddess THE NOBEL SAVAGES

My husband’s parents interact with our 3-year-old in upsetting ways. They overfocus on her appearance, asking whether she’s washed her hair or where her comb is. (She has naturally stringy hair.) They constantly quiz her, making her name colors, numbers, etc. They once spent an entire dinner trying to train her to use a napkin. My husband finally exclaimed, “She’s not a performing seal!” After their last visit, she started showing AMY ALKON anxiety that her hair doesn’t look nice. How can I keep my daughter’s spirit from being squelched by her grandparents? ­ —Worried It’s cute to see your kid playing doctor on her stuffed animal ­— until you find out she’s gotten a head start on a residency in plastic surgery: “Teddy felt bad about his big furry stomach, Mommy, so I’m giving him a tummy tuck and then we’ll talk about laser hair removal.”

Assuming Grandpa and Grandma aren’t sadists with a thing for toddler torture, they’ve probably just succumbed to the widely believed myth that little Aristophanes or Clove will have an edge over all the other diapered Harvard hopefuls by being drilled in academics from the binky years on.

Their premature focus on your daughter’s appearance probably comes from a similar place: “Can’t start too early on thinking about how you present yourself!” Um, actually, you can. Research by experimental psychologist Rick M. Gardner found that girls as young as 6 had negative thoughts and feelings about their appearance. Because men evolved to prioritize physical attractiveness in a partner, women evolved to be sensitive about their looks and their placement on the prettiness totem pole. This can lead to crippling insecurity and body dysmorphia ­— unfortunate at any age, but especially at age 4.

Rushing what researchers call “direct instruction” on toddlers ­— expecting them to memorize and recite colors, numbers, and facts ­— actually seems to set them back, harming them socially and emotionally, as well as...get this: academically!

Psychologist Gabrielle Principe explains in “Your Brain on Childhood” that neuroscience research suggests it’s play, not academics, that’s vital to young children’s brain development. For example, when children use their imagination — ­ by improvising with props, creating their own games, developing storylines — ­ they stimulate the growth of brain cells in the frontal cortex. This area is involved in “self-regulation -- a critical skill for controlling emotions, resisting impulses, and exerting self-control and discipline.”

Principe traces the myth driving today’s joyless, test-prep-filled childhoods to 1960s research by UC Berkeley’s Mark Rosenzweig comparing rats with super-stimulating stuff in their cages -- wheels, slides, tunnels, etc. — ­ with rats raised in the equivalent of empty closets. Rat Disneyland occupants did better on intelligence tests than those raised in Rat Closetland, and that’s what the media reported. What the media did not report was that the rats that did best of all were the ones raised in nature, dealing with spiders, snakes, cats, fleas, and boxing matches with their rat buddies. Unfortunately, this “let the natural environment do its job” finding doesn’t sell learning toys or suggest to parents that they can give their kid a leg up by treating him or her like a jar to cram with information.

Though your daughter is only 3, even slightly older children seem to be harmed by being hammered with early academics. Psychologist Peter Gray writes: “The research is clear. Academic training in kindergarten has no long-term benefit. ... It slightly increases academic test-scores in first grade, but by third grade the benefit is lost and, according to some of the best studies, by fourth grade those subjected to academic kindergartens are doing worse” academically “than those who were in play-based kindergartens.”

Ultimately, it’s particularly unhelpful to treat child development as a sort of race.

Take the age that children start walking. Psychologist and pediatrician Arnold Gesell noted that some children walk as early as 9 months, while others start as late as 15 months. Ultimately, the early walker is no better a walker than the later one.

As for getting the grandparents to stand down, start positive: Tell them you know they love their granddaughter and want the best for her. Next, explain the research findings on both learning and appearance. Then explain that for you, what matters is that your daughter has a happy, meaningful, productive life, and this starts with her not being pushed to do things she isn’t developmentally ready for.

Be prepared to remind them a few times when they forget or, um, “forget.” (Wellmeaning grandparents can have something in common with stubborn toddlers.) On a positive note, they did wait till after the kid was born to go all psycho “Harvard or bust!” instead of getting down by your big pregnant belly and yelling calculus theorems into your uterus. n ©2019, 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)

68 INLANDER DECEMBER 12, 2019

EVENTS | CALENDAR GINGERBREAD HOUSE DECORATING Decorate a pre-assembled gingerbread house with supplies from Sweet Frostings’ decorations. Dec. 14, 2-4 pm. $40.

Sweet Frostings Blissful Bakeshop, 10406 N. Division St. bit.ly/2QB1zqd HISTORY OF YUM: GINGERBREAD Spice up your holiday season with this popular class on the history and creative art of festive gingerbread. Dec. 14, 11 am-12:30 pm. $22.50/$25. The MAC, 2316 W. First. northwestmuseum.org GINGERBREAD HOUSE DECORATING Get creative and decorate a gingerbread house while sipping on some hot cocoa. Offered Dec. 14 at 1 and 4 pm. $29. My Fresh Basket, 1030 W. Summit Pkwy. myfreshspokane.com (558-2100) SANTACON SPOKANE SantaCon is free to attend; simply show up dressed as Santa. Event starts at Garland Pub & Grill and continues through the Business District. Dec. 14, 6 pm. Garland District. facebook.com/santaconspokane HOLIDAY KAMAYAN FEAST Traditional meets modern Filipino cuisine, all served Kamayan style. Dec. 15, 6 pm. $35. D’Bali Asian Bistro, 12924 W. Sunset Hwy., Suite 6. dbaliasianbistro.com VINTAGE CHRISTMAS DINNER The holiday edition of the venue’s farm-totable dinner series, with a menu by chef LJ Klink and live music. Dec. 15, 4:308 pm. $65. Mont Lamm Events, 7501 Enoch Rd. montlamm.com SCOTCHY SCOTCH SCOTCH DINNER A customer appreciation scotch pairing dinner. See full menu at link. Dec. 17, 5:30-8:30 pm. $75. Hogwash Whiskey Den, 304 W. Pacific Ave. bit.ly/38n5e1m

MUSIC

CHRISTMAS BY CANDLELIGHT Chorale Coeur d’Alene presents Benjamin Britten’s “A Ceremony of Carols.” Features guests from the Crescendo Community Chorus, and a sing-along. Dec. 13 at 7 pm, Dec. 14 at 2 pm. $15-$25.

Trinity Lutheran, 812 N. Fifth St., CdA. choralecda.com CIRQUE NOEL An unconventional and depiction of the Christmas story told by local aerialists, stilt-walkers, illusionists, dancers, musicians. Dec 13-14 at 7 pm; Dec. 14-15 at 4 pm. $15; $40/family.

Redeemer Lutheran Church, 3606 S. Schafer Rd. redeemeralive.org U OF IDAHO HOLIDAY CONCERT Hundreds of are school-aged singers join the University of Idaho’s Jazz Choir for the 30th annual Jazz Choirs Holiday Concert. Dec. 13, 7 pm. Free; donations accepted. Kibbie Activity Center, 1000 Stadium Dr. uidaho.edu/uss/kibbie DEAR HEARTS & GENTLE PEOPLE: NORMAN ROCKWELL IN WORDS AND MUSIC In conjunction with “Norman Rockwell’s America,” Donivan Johnson and vocalist Phaedra Parker present a multimedia program on the influence of Rockwell on words and music. Dec. 14, 2 pm. $10 suggested donation. The MAC, 2316 W. First. northwestmuseum.org HANDEL’S MESSIAH SING-ALONG CONCERT The annual holiday season Messiah sing-along concert. Dec. 14, 3-5:30 pm. Free. First Presbyterian Church, 318 S. Cedar. spokanefpc.org TURTLE ISLAND QUARTET: WINTER’S EVE From ancient songs of the Celtic winter solstice and Yuletide reels from Ireland, to festive Brazilian chorinho music and a Miles Davis holiday classic, Turtle Island delves into music that’s

been an integral part of wintertime festivities for centuries. Dec. 14, 2-4 pm. $20-$40. Myrtle Woldson Performing Arts Center, 211 E. Desmet. (313-2787) WHITWORTH CHRISTMAS FESTIVAL CONCERT The production features 120 student performers, including members of the Whitworth Choir, the Women’s Choir and the Men’s Chorus, as well as instrumentalists and narrators. Dec. 14 at 8 pm; Dec. 15 at 3 pm. $15-$20.

Martin Woldson Theater at The Fox, 1001 W. Sprague. (624-1200) AFFINITI: A CELTIC CHRISTMAS The group’s annual show at the Bing is special due to their deep and long-lasting friendship with Howard Crosby, Bing’s nephew, who joins them on stage. Dec. 15, 7 pm. $22. Bing Crosby Theater, 901 W. Sprague. bingcrosbytheater.com THE SPOKANE BRITISH BRASS BAND PRESENTS: THE HOLLY & THE IVY The 29-person ensemble performs Christmas classics. In the SFCC Music Bldg. Dec. 15, 3-3:15 pm. $10; free/students and children. SFCC, 3410 W. Fort George Wright Dr. sbbb.org AFFINITI CELTIC CHRISTMAS Affiniti’s Celtic Christmas features favorites such as their chart-topping version of “O Holy Night” and “Walking in the Air” alongside some of Ireland’s most beloved music. Dec. 16, 7 pm. $26.

Kroc Center, 1765 W. Golf Course Rd. kroccda.org (208-667-1865) CLARION BRASS: THIS IS WHAT CHRISTMAS SOUNDS LIKE Merriment in the form of beautifully rendered carols and quirky original takes on holiday favorites. Dec. 17, 7:30-9:30 pm. $28.

Myrtle Woldson Performing Arts Center, 211 E. Desmet Ave. figarotunes.com

THEATER

12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS Christmas is just around the corner, and Shirley the Partridge is nervous for her first time carrying out the family tradition of singing of “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” Through Dec. 15; Thu-Sat at 7 pm, Sat at 3 pm, Sun at 2 pm. $12-$14. TAC at the Lake, 22910 E. Appleway. tacatthelake.com A CHRISTMAS STORY The musical adaptation follows 9-year-old Ralphie Parker and his quest for the Holy Grail of Christmas gifts. Thu-Sat at 7:30 pm, Sun at 2 pm through Dec. 15. $23-$25.

Lake City Playhouse, 1320 E. Garden Ave. lakecityplayhouse.org ELLEN TRAVOLTA PRESENTS: CHRISTMAS MIRACLES Starring Ellen, sister Margaret Travolta, daughter Molly Allen and featuring Abbey Crawford, and directed by Troy Nickerson. Thu-Sat at 7:30 pm, Sun at 5 pm. through Dec. 22. $27.50. The Coeur d’Alene Resort, 115 S. Second. cdaresort.com IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE The saga of George Bailey, the Everyman from Bedford Falls whose guardian angel descends on Christmas Eve to save him from despair. Thu-Fri at 7:30 pm, Sun at 2 pm through Dec. 22. $15-$35. Spokane Civic Theatre, 1020 N. Howard St. spokanecivictheatre.com LITTLE WOMEN: THE MUSICAL This timeless story of sisters Jo, Meg, Beth and Amy March. Dec. 14 at 2 and 7:30 pm; Dec. 15 at 2 pm. $6-$22. Hartung Theater, 875 Perimeter Dr. uidaho.edu/ class/theatre/ (208-885-6111) PROJECT HOPE A performance by Ferris Drama students, who chose an issue and put on a play regarding it; this year,

LGBT+ rights, producing The Laramie Project. Dec. 12 and 13 at 7 pm. D$5.

Ferris High School, 3020 E. 37th Ave. ferristheatrearts.com HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL Tiger Drama students adapt the popular Disney musical film. Dec. 12-13 at 7 pm, Dec. 14 at 2 pm. $8-$10. Lewis and Clark High School, 521 W. Fourth. (509-354-7000) A CHRISTMAS CAROL The holiday classic, performed as a radio drama.

Dec. 13-15 and 19-22. Pullman Civic Theatre, 1220 NW Nye St. pullmancivictheatre.com ELEMENTARY HOLIDAY A series of 36 holiday mini-plays written by local elementary kids and performed by teens and adults. Through Dec. 15; Fri-Sat at 7 pm, Sun at 3 pm. $7-$12. Pend Oreille Playhouse, 236 S. Union Ave., Newport. pendoreilleplayers.org MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET A reader’s theater radio production of the 1947 Lux Radio Theatre classic. Dec. 13 at 7 pm, Dec. 14 at 6 pm and Dec. 15 at 3 pm. $5-$10. StageWest Community Theatre, 639 Elm St., Cheney. stagewestct.org TRADITIONS OF CHRISTMAS A Radio City Music Hall-style show featuring kickline numbers, a USO performance, grand nativity and Christmas classics.

Dec. 13-14 and 19-22 at 7 pm; Dec. 14-15 and 20-23 at 3 pm. $21-$34. Kroc Center, 1765 W. Golf Course Rd. traditionsofchristmasnw.com ‘TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS It’s four days before Christmas, and the New York Evening Post needs a holiday feature story, but writer Clement Moore has writer’s block. Fri at 7 pm; Sat-Sun at 2 pm through Dec. 22. $12$16. Spokane Children’s Theatre, 2727 N. Madelia. spokanechildrenstheatre.org A CHRISTMAS CAROL An original presentation of the classic Dickens tale.

Dec. 14-15 and 21-22; Sat at 7 pm and Sun at 2:30 pm. $5. Jacklin Arts & Cultural Center, 405 N. William St., Post Falls. thejacklincenter.org EUGENE BALLET’S THE NUTCRACKER For the 32nd year, Clara’s adventures twith the Nutcracker Prince come to life during this holiday performance.

Dec. 18, 7 pm. $13.59-$32.49. Panida Theater, 300 N. First Ave., Sandpoint. artinsandpoint.org

ARTS

SHOW OPENING: RANDY PALMER, TYLER WHITE, TODD MIRE A showcase featuring watercolor illustrations, surreal landscapes and drawings. Dec. 13, 5-8 pm. Free. Emerge, 208 N. Fourth St., CdA. emergecda.com YIPPIE KAI YAY, YA FILTHY ANIMAL!: A night of art based on Home Alone and Die Hard! A portion of proceeds support the cancer relief funds of Kelly Vaughn. Dec. 13, 6-9 pm. Free. Resurrection Records, 1927 W. Northwest Blvd. (503-853-0591) CERAMIC ORNAMENT CLASS A weekly class, offered each Saturday with different themes: first/third Saturday is “Pottery and Pints” ($45); second/ fourth Saturday is an all-ages session ($35). Dec. 14, 6:30-8 pm. $35. Pyrofine Arts, 1114 S. Perry St. pyrofinearts.com CHRISTMAS BY THE CREEK Shop for heartfelt gifts made by local artists. Dec. 14-15 from 10 am-5 pm. Free.

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n the first day of Christmas, according to the classic song with 12 verses, someone got a bird in a tree, but we have something better: 12 awesome ways to enjoy Coeur d’Alene, one for each of the 12 days prior to Christmas (and beyond).

to the Kroc Center bringing the sweet melodies of classic holiday music, as well as Irish favorites (facebook.com/ events/kroc-center-theater). The event features storytelling by none other than the nephew of Mr. White Christmas himself — Bing Crosby. Tickets are $26.

Dec. 13, swing into the Enjoy the snow at SILVER season with a VINTAGE For more information MOUNTAIN (silvermt.

CHRISTMAS SWING com), open daily on these events or DANCE at the Jacklin through the season holiday happenings Arts & Cultural Center (once snow permits).

VISIT CDA4.FUN (cdaballroomdancing.

Ski, snowboard or slide com). Lessons start at down the mountain on a tube and 7:30, dancing at 8:30. Tickets are $15, consider making it an overnighter with $20 at the door. ski-and-stay packages (starting at $81) or take advantage of mid-week lift ticket It’s CHRISTMAS BY CANDLELIGHT at and lodging specials.

Trinity Lutheran, featuring Chorale CDA rejoicing in song (choralecda.com). This Get in the spirit at CHRISTMAS BY THE not-to-be-missed event runs Dec. 13-14.

LAKE, a unique shop in downtown Tickets are $15-$25.

Coeur d’Alene featuring all things Christmas, from hundreds of types of Who doesn’t love little Ralphie Parker ornaments to extraordinary decorations and his oddball family in A CHRISTMAS (christmasatthelake.com).

STORY? Enjoy Lake City Playhouse’s musical rendition through Dec. 15 Celebrate the TRADITIONS OF (lakecityplayhouse.org). Tickets are CHRISTMAS, a heart-warming $23-$25. play featuring Christmas song and dance numbers from throughout On Dec. 16, a CELTIC CHRISTMAS comes the ages and around the globe

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Seahawk Tickets, Overnight Stay at the CDA Resort, VIP Mac & Cheese Festival Tickets, and Gift Cards A Celtic Christmas (top image) and Traditions of Christmas put the holiday spirit on center stage in Coeur d’Alene.

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(traditionsofchristmasnw.com). This Radio City Music Hall-style production returns for its eighth year at the Salvation Army Kroc Center, and runs from Dec. 19-23.

Tickets are $21-$34.

Have a listen to A CHRISTMAS CAROL, narrated like a live-radio broadcast and based on Charles Dickens’ classic story. Performed by members of Coeur d’Alene Summer Theater (cdasummertheatre.com), this lively performance runs Dec. 19-22 at the Innovation Den. Tickets are $27.

The delightfully witty Ellen Travolta and her talented friends return to the Coeur d’Alene Resort for another year of music, stories and plenty of laughter with CHRISTMAS MIRACLES (cdaresort.com/play/events/holiday_show) through Dec. 22. Tickets are $27.50.

The 12 SKATES OF CHRISTMAS at Frontier Ice Arena will have you smiling ear to ear as you circle the glorious Christmas tree in the center of the rink (frontiericearena. org). This family-friendly event runs Dec. 22-Jan. 2. Skate rentals are $2, admission $7.

It’s a trip that will see you clear to the New Year! Take a JOURNEY TO THE NORTH POLE via Lake Coeur d’Alene on a cruise boat truly decked out for the holidays. Cruises run through Jan. 1 (cdacruises.com/daily-cruises/ journey-north-pole). Tickets are $8.50-$23.25.

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