Inlander Health & Home 08/03/2020

AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 2020

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Inside

AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 2020

ON THE COVER: PHOTO COURTESY OF TAMMIE LADD DESIGN

Etc.

Health

PG. 8

SUMMER’S BOUNTY QUESTIONS OF FAITH

Home

STEPPING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION PUT TO THE TEST • SPROUTING UP

PG. 20

Food

PG. 38

REMOTE POSSIBILITIES • BEFORE & AFTER CURATING A LIFE • HOUSE HUNTING

IN HIS ELEMENT • RECIPES RIDING THE CREST

Family

People

PG. 44

TOUCHING THE THIRD RAIL STRETCHED • VIRAL CONUNDRUMS

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PG. 54

CAUTIOUS OPTIMISM — BETSY WILKERSON

Inlander.com/Health&Home 4

PG. 10

AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 2020

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FROM THE EDITOR SPOKANE • EASTERN WASHINGTON • NORTH IDAHO also at inlander.com/health&home

Stay Connected Email Health & Home Editor Anne McGregor at annem@inlander.com.

The conversation continues on the Inlander Facebook page, and stay in touch with us at Inlander.com/Health&Home.

1227 W. Summit Parkway, Spokane, Wash. 99201 PHONE: 509-325-0634

EDITOR Anne McGregor

annem@inlander.com

MANAGING EDITOR Jacob H. Fries ART DIRECTOR Ali Blackwood

Theory Into Practice

BY ANNE McGREGOR

I

n the early days of the pandemic, I watched one of the Great Courses called “Introduction to Drawing,” which is available, along with a multitude of courses covering a world’s worth of interesting topics, on Kanopy using your Spokane Public Library card.

It was a fascinating class taught, as it happened, by professor David Brody from the University of Washington. And as is so often the case, learning about one subject inevitably spilled over into other parts of my life. Among the pearls from the class was this quote from Matisse: “Don’t wait for inspiration. It comes while one is working.”

So often, just getting started is what really matters; pretty soon, the rest will follow. LeAnn Bjerken’s story on doing the things we know we should be doing to stay healthy, “Stepping in the Right Direction” (page 10), explores creative ways to ease into those kinds of changes.

I’ll confess I had to dip out of the drawing class about the time the instructor urged finding someone to pose — nude — for figure drawing sessions. That was definitely not happening in our current living situation. Still, I’ve applied his advice on composition — “Are there dead areas?” — to rearrange our house. That’s why there’s now a desk in our living room.

If you’re also considering new ways to work from home, I think you’ll enjoy the ideas in this issue’s cover story, “Remote Possibilities” (page 22).

EVENTS EDITOR Chey Scott CONTRIBUTORS Stacey Aggarwal, LeAnn Bjerken, Mindy Cameron, Kimberly Curry, Jonathan Hill, E.J. Iannelli, Young Kwak, Robert Maurer, Dan Nailen, Carrie Scozzaro, Matt Thompson, Daniel Walters, John R. White, Samantha Wohlfeil DESIGN & PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Wayne Hunt ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Kristi Gotzian MARKETING DIRECTOR Kristina Smith ADVERTISING SALES Autumn Adrian, Mary Bookey, Jeanne Inman, Rich McMahon, Claire Price, Carolyn Padgham-Walker, Wanda Tashoff, Emily Walden SALES COORDINATION Camille Awbrey, Sydney Angove DESIGN AND PRODUCTION Derrick King, Tom Stover, Rachael Skipper

Be Kind!

DISTRIBUTION MANAGER Frank DeCaro

CONTRIBUTORS

BUSINESS MANAGER Dee Ann Cook CREDIT MANAGER Kristin Wagner PUBLISHER Ted S. McGregor Jr. GENERAL MANAGER Jeremy McGregor

DANIEL WALTERS has been a staff writer with the Inlander, and its sister publications like Health & Home, since 2008. During that time he’s covered City Hall, including conflicts between the mayor and the city council, battles over homelessness and housing policy, and a scandal involving the firing of the police chief. In this issue’s People profile, he talks with Spokane’s newest city council member, Betsy Wilkerson.

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Health& Home

LEANN BJERKEN is a poet, mermaid performer, and regular Health & Home contributor.

“While I always enjoy trying fun new health trends, it’s harder to find enthusiasm for more routine health habits, such as drinking more water. For this piece, I explored just why it’s so hard to stick with good habits, and what steps we can take to improve our lifestyles even in hard times,when anxiety is high and our daily routines are changing.”

Health & Home is published every other month and is available free at more than 500 locations across the Inland Northwest. One copy free per reader. Subscriptions are available at $3.00 per issue: call x210. Reaching Us: Editorial: x261; Circulation: x226; Advertising: x215. COPYRIGHT All contents copyrighted © Inland Publications, Inc. 2019. Health & Home is locally owned and has been published since 2004.

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Summer’s Bounty R ejoice! Local produce season is at its peak.

Whether you’re enjoying the year’s freshest fruits and vegetables now, or preserving them for the cold months to come, here’s when — and where — you’ll find find them.

• Apples, August through November • Blueberries, through September • Blackberries, through September • Cucumber, through October • Grapes, through October • Garlic, through November • Huckleberries, through August • Melons, August through October • Peaches, through August • Pears, August through November • Plums, August and September • Raspberries, through August • Sweet Peppers, August through October • Tomatoes, through October • Winter Squash, starting in September • Watermelon, August and September

FARMER’S MARKETS

Chewelah Farmers Market Fridays from 11 am3:30 pm through Oct. 16. At Chewelah City Park, Chewelah. chewelahfarmersmarket.com

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Clayton Farmers Market Sundays from 11 am-4 pm through Sept. 27. At the Clayton Fairgrounds, 4616 Wallbridge Rd., Clayton. Facebook: Clayton Farmers Market and Small Farm Animals Emerson-Garfield Farmers Market Fridays from 3-7 pm through Sept. 25. At the IEL Adult Education Center, 2310 N. Monroe St., Spokane. market. emersongarfield.org Fairwood Farmers Market Tuesdays from 3-7 pm through Oct. 13. At the Fairwood Shopping Center, 319 W. Hastings Rd., Spokane. fairwoodfarmersmarket.org

Hillyard Farmers Market Mondays from 3-7 pm through Oct. 19. At 5102 N. Market St., Spokane. facebook.com/hillyardfarmersmarket Indian Trail Night Market Saturdays from 4-8 pm through Sept. 12. At Sundance Plaza outside Happy Trails to Brews, 9025 N. Indian Trail Rd. facebook. com/indiantrailnightmarket Kendall Yards Night Market Wednesdays from 5-8 pm through Sept. 30. On West Summit Parkway between Cedar Street and Adams Alley, downtown Spokane. kendallnightmarket.org

Kootenai Farmers Market Saturdays from 9 am-1:30 pm through October (Highway 95 and Prairie, Hayden) and Wednesdays from 4-7 pm through September (Fifth and Sherman, downtown Coeur d’Alene). kootenaifarmersmarkets.org Liberty Lake Farmers Market Saturdays from 9 am-1 pm through Oct. 10. At Town Square Park, 1421 N. Meadowwood Ln., Liberty Lake. libertylakefarmersmarket.com Millwood Farmers Market Wednesdays from 3-7 pm through Sept. 30. At Millwood Park, 9103 E. Frederick Ave., Millwood. farmersmarket.millwoodnow.org Moscow Farmers Market Saturdays from 8 am-1 pm through October. At Friendship Square, Fourth Avenue and Main Street, Moscow. ci.moscow.id.us N.E.W. Farmers Market Wednesdays and Saturdays from 9 am-1 pm through October. At 121 E. Astor St., Colville. newfarmersmarket.org Newport Farmers Market Saturdays from 9 am-1 pm through October. At 236 S. Union Ave., Newport. Facebook: Newport Farmers Market Pullman Farmers Market Wednesdays from 3:30-6:30 pm through Oct. 14. At the Brelsford WSU Visitor Center, 150 E. Spring St., Pullman facebook.com/pullmanmarket Sandpoint Farmers Market Saturdays from 9 am-1 pm through Oct. 10. At 231 N. Third Ave. (city lot across from Joel’s Mexican), Sandpoint. sandpointfarmersmarket.com South Perry Thursday Market Thursdays from 3-7 pm through Oct. 29. At Perry St. and 10th Ave. (behind the Lantern Taphouse), Spokane. thursdaymarket.org Spokane Farmers Market Saturdays from 8 am-1 pm through Oct. 31; Wednesdays from 8 am-1 pm through Oct. 28. At 20 W. Fifth Ave., Spokane. spokanefarmersmarket.org Spokane Valley Farmers Market Fridays from 5-8 pm through Sept. 18. At CenterPlace Regional Event Center, 2426 N. Discovery Place, Spokane Valley. spokanevalleyfarmersmarket. org Wonder Saturday Market Saturdays from noon-4 pm through October 10. At the Wonder Building, 835 N. Post St., Spokane. wondersaturdaymarket.com —CHEY SCOTT

Questions of Faith S.M. Hulse’s new Eden Mine will linger in readers’ minds long after the last page

E

DEN MINE by S.M. Hulse, formerly of Spokane, is a compelling story for our time and our place. An act of terrorism shocks a small, former mining town in northwestern Montana. The perpetrator flees, but a surveillance camera identifies him as a local resident, Samuel Faber. What follows is both a page turner about the search for Samuel and a character study of Jo, his sister, and first-person narrator of the story.

Jo is in her early 20s; Samuel is seven years older. They have lived on their own for nearly a decade, since their mother was murdered in the home by a violent boyfriend. Jo was injured in the shooting, a spinal injury, and she hasn’t walked since. Their father had died in the Eden Mine collapse when Jo was just one year old.

Details unfold gradually as the tension around Samuel’s disappearance and the mystery of his motives stymie law enforcement officials, who turn to Jo to learn more about Samuel. As narrator, she moves the story forward even though she has little to tell them about her brother. In an odd narrative twist, Jo develops a friendship with the pastor of the church that was damaged in the bombing. Issues of faith and belief — does God exist? — are explored as their friendship grows and the story turns to a suspense-filled and ultimately satisfying finale.

In Eden Mine, Hulse has created an unusual and compelling lead character, a strong young woman who is faithful to the brother she loves even as she knows he has committed a terrible crime. The story ends, but Jo Faber will linger with readers, along with mysteries of love, truth, faith and friendship.

— MINDY CAMERON AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 2020

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stepping in the right direction 10

Health& Home

You don’t have to overhaul your life.

Healthy habits can start really small.

BY LEANN BJERKEN

L

et’s face it. Most of us are already aware there are healthier things we should be doing (and may have even been asked to do), but we seem to run into trouble when it comes to putting them into practice.

What exactly makes it so hard to get started? According to behavioral scientists, part of it is that we tend to start with a big goal, and then get overwhelmed when we subsequently fail to achieve it.

Instead, we need to think small.

D

r. Robert Maurer is a Spokane-based clinical psychologist with Providence Medical Group, a regular contributor to Health & Home, and an expert on Kaizen, the idea that small, ongoing positive changes can reap significant improvements.

“Kaizen is the notion of making small steps to accomplish large goals, rather than big steps, which are less sustainable over time,” he says. “It’s a method that’s used a lot in business, but can be applied with great success to health and relationships.”

Maurer’s interest in Kaizen led him to write One Small Step Can Change Your Life, a book that outlines seven small steps geared toward helping readers overcome fear and procrastination, build confidence, and achieve so-called “impossible” goals.

Maurer says starting with small changes works better for achieving goals or establishing habits, because it enables us to circumvent our brain’s built-in resistance to new behaviors, while simultaneously quieting fears that are triggered by too much change too quickly.

“Our brain prizes repetition and works to commit cells and energy to the things it uses regularly,” he says.

“Additionally, we know that the amygdala (the part of the brain that controls fear), can be triggered by changes that are too big or made too quickly. So when we’re able to make healthy changes a daily habit, the brain adjusts and that fear response is quieted.”

Maurer says another obstacle to incorporating healthy habits is our tendency to wait for a catalyst before committing to change.

“People often decide to change because of a crisis moment like a health diagnosis, the end of a relationship, or as part of a year-end resolution,” he says. “The trouble ...continued on next page AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 2020

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Having an “accountability partner” can help you stay motivated as you are developing an exercise habit.

“STEPPING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION,” CONTINUED... is that at those moments they’re often very self-critical, angry or disappointed in themselves for not figuring it all out sooner.”

And unfortunately for the self-critical, Maurer says the process of incorporating small changes first can be particularly difficult.

“You see it a lot in people who’re starting exercise. They’ll get a gym membership, but on their first visit they see others around them with toned bodies, get discouraged and give up,” he says. “The idea of taking smaller steps toward being healthy feels too slow, especially when that critical voice inside is telling them they should have been at a healthier level yesterday.”

So what can we do to resist that self-critical inner voice and start getting healthier?

Maurer says the first step is identifying small steps that require minimal effort to achieve. The smaller the step, the fewer excuses you’ll be able to make not to do them.

“If you’re counting on this to become a daily habit, you need to start by choosing something you’re able to do daily, that doesn’t require willpower, discipline or self-control,” he says. “I encourage people

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to find the smallest commitment possible and then stick to it.”

Because we are creatures of habit, Maurer says making an easy task into a daily occurrence helps trick the mind into just making it automatic.

“Many people hate exercising at first, then come to tolerate it, and before they know it they miss it when they go without,” he says. “This works with tasks too, once you start you eventually forget to stop.”

While the CDC recommends about 35 minutes of moderate exercise each day, Maurer says that guideline can be a bit misleading, as it makes people who can’t achieve that amount anxious that they’re not doing enough.

“Too often we think exercising has to be complex, but you don’t need to do much in order to receive a benefit,” he says. “It’s possible to find opportunities for movement throughout your day, whether it’s taking the stairs more often, or parking further out in the lot before work.”

Now, some people struggle with even small movements due to mobility issues, injuries, or excessive time spent in transit. For these groups, Maurer says using a visualization technique can sometimes be helpful.

“This idea is one athletes have used for a long time,” he says. “Basically, you close your eyes and visualize yourself completing the motions, and your brain responds by sending some of the same messages to your muscles. As a result, you can even burn a small portion of the calories you would have had you’d actually moved.”

Pretty soon you can start to tie healthy habits to your regular routines. For example, completing some simple exercises before enjoying your morning coffee, or getting up to move around every time you see a certain commercial on television.

Analyzing what’s in your way when you try to complete your habit can also be helpful. Remove those obstacles to make things easier on yourself. For example, even with the best intentions, time spent searching for the right shoes, figuring out where your workout clothes are, or trying to wash and fill a water bottle can all end up draining your momentum to work out. So, get prepped the night before to be ready to grab and go in the morning.

You can also try rewarding yourself for good habits. In some ways, we’re fairly simple creatures: research suggests that rewards are more effective when they’re kept small and immediate. For example, rewarding yourself with watching the latest episode of a favorite TV show as you jog on the treadmill, or catching up with a friend while the two of you walk through a park.

I

f you’re still struggling to implement long-lasting healthy habits, it might be helpful to consult with a lifestyle expert.

Dr. Angie Eakin is a specialist in lifestyle medicine and serves as clinical faculty for the family medicine residency program at Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center here in Spokane.

She describes lifestyle medicine as the research, prevention and treatment of disorders caused by lifestyle factors such as nutrition, physical inactivity, and chronic stress.

“It emphasizes the importance of having not just a healthy individual lifestyle, but also having community support systems, as both have big impacts on our overall health,” she says.

Eakin says almost everyone has a health condition that’s related to their lifestyle.

Some of the more commonly known conditions include: being overweight, having high blood pressure or high cholesterol, as well as more chronic issues such as irritable bowel syndrome and asthma. ...continued on next page

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“STEPPING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION,” CONTINUED...

“Some of the lesser-known conditions that can be impacted by lifestyle include mental health issues like depression and anxiety, as well as many women’s health issues like polycystic ovary syndrome and fertility,” she adds.

As a lifestyle specialist, Eakin says she helps patients examine their life and habits, determine new healthy goals, and plan how to achieve them.

once you start you eventually forget to stop “Lifestyle medicine emphasizes what we call SMART— Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Time-bound — goals,” she says. “Patients are encouraged to set their own goals, and we help them to recognize and avoid those that are unrealistic or that might leave them overwhelmed.”

“

Like Maurer, Eakin says that focusing on short term behaviors that can be attained within a smaller time frame is the best start toward building lasting healthy habits.

“After a while, it’s something you don’t even have to think about, and after that point it becomes easier to move on to the next step,” she says.

If motivation is a problem for you, Eakin suggests finding a friend or family member who’d be willing to serve as a positive influence.

“It’s sometimes helpful to have an accountability partner,” she says. “Someone who’s able to support you in your goals, whether that’s just listening to you vent, or working out alongside you.”

Another tip Eakin recommends is to focus on the bigger picture. What are your smaller goals leading to?

“Many times we get too focused in on the immediate numbers we see on the scale or the blood pressure cuff,” she says. “But if you look at the long-term goal of say, being able to chase your grandkids, or complete a vacation walking tour, it takes some of that immediate pressure off and allows those numbers to come down without added anxiety.”

Lastly, Eakin says it’s important to remember to be gentle with yourself.

“It’s a journey, and those who are most successful making serious changes are those who’ve fallen many times along the way,” she says. “Don’t give up, because every time you fail you learn something about yourself and that experience will help you to push through next time.”

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At GenPrime’s Spokane lab, Buck Somes says the company’s Reader offers improved accuracy in reading and recording coronavirus test results. YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

Put to the Test In the global fight against COVID-19, one high-tech Spokane company is developing new tools for testing

BY E.J. IANNELLI

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A

long with masks and social distancing, quick and accurate testing is often cited as one of the most essential tools in mitigating the spread of COVID-19.

Testing isn’t just a way to identify infected individuals who need to be isolated and treated. It also allows medical experts to get a fix on the bigger picture. The data provided by testing makes it possible for them to develop working theories on the rates and vectors of contagion. They can even get an idea of how the disease’s symptoms might present differently in different people.

The larger that pool of testing data, the more they can refine those theories. That in turn helps public health officials and lawmakers make more informed decisions and provide better direction.

To aid that crucial flow of information, the Spokane-based company GenPrime has developed a device that’s capable of reading and recording COVID-19 test results with speed and precision. It’s based on an established process known as the immunochromatographic lateral flow assay — in short, it refers to a test strip that’s sensitized to the presence of certain markers. A common example is home pregnancy tests.

The GenPrime Reader uses a sophisticated image-processing algorithm, allowing it to spot faint lines on the test strip — lines that the naked eye wouldn’t always interpret consistently.

“If there’s a line there, our reader is going to read it,” says Buck Somes, GenPrime’s CEO and co-founder. “That takes a lot of subjectivity out of it. At some of those threshold levels, with a set of 10 tests, five [people] would say it’s negative and five would say it’s positive.”

Because it’s both digital and automated, the reader is able to enter the results directly into an electronic database. From there, the data “can be sent to appropriate authorities — the doctor, the clinic, the regional health department, the CDC et cetera — for epidemiological tracking,” he explains. That avoids potential errors in transcription.

The GenPrime Reader’s COVID-19 testing capability is actually an expansion of existing technology, which is how the company was able to respond fairly quickly to the sudden demands of the current pandemic.

The device had first been developed around 2012 with employee drug screening in mind.

More recently, GenPrime began working on a handheld mobile version of its reader that would be easier to use in the field.

“Once the headlines started coming out about it being a potential

5” wide by 7.625” high

pandemic, we started looking into whether or not there were any rapid diagnostic type tests for testing for COVID that we could enable on our reader systems,” says Somes.

“The one test that we’ve enabled on it so far is the best test that’s listed on the FDA’s EUA (Emergency Use Authorization) for clearance to be sold. The beauty of our system is that we’re able to essentially enable our software to read any type of test like this.”

Benchtop and mobile versions of the GenPrime Reader are now undergoing trials in Minnesota and Wisconsin. That puts them in good stead to gain FDA clearance in the very near future.

Coincidentally, this isn’t the first time that GenPrime has pivoted to meet the needs of a national crisis. Back in 2002, the then five-year-old SIRTI-backed company shifted from its work in the dairy and brewing industries to addressing the anthrax scares that followed in the wake of 9/11. Its PrimeAlert detection kit is still used by the United States Postal Service for testing unknown substances in suspicious packages.

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YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

Somes envisions similar widespread frontline use for the GenPrime Reader — especially the mobile variant. In addition to drive-through, pharmacy and employer-based onsite testing, it could even be scaled up to ambitious home-based screenings where “teams of nurses or technicians essentially go door to door and test households.”

“COVID is going to be with us for a while, and it’s probably going to surge again,” he says. “But there’s the potential for many other epidemics and pandemics coming down the line. Our reader isn’t COVID-specific. It’s a platform. Eventually, these types of tests and this type of reading with your phone at your home is a possibility for us.”

Please call: 509-960-2818 to learn more about our clinical research trials •

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SUPERFOOD

Sprouting Up S

prouted grains and lentils are making their way onto grocery store shelves and popping up in our favorite healthy cereals and baked goods.

Sprouting is the act of taking a grain or lentil — which are actually viable seeds — and soaking, then rinsing to stimulate germination and the growth of small sprouts. After sprouting, they are thought to have all the same healthy benefits as their unsprouted counterparts, with more nutrients and better digestibility. Sprouted lentils and grains are versatile little treats that can be dried and made into flour, and can also be easily made at home.

Attributes

Sprouted grains and lentils often have a fresh, earthy taste with a juicy, crunchy texture. Like their unsprouted whole-grain counterparts, they are packed with fiber, protein, B vitamins, and lots of other minerals. All sorts of dried grains and legumes can be sprouted easily at home and added into salads, stir-fries, or eaten raw with a squeeze of lemon.

Super Powers

Increased protein and vitamin C content, and improved quality and quantity of nutrients can be found in sprouted versus unsprouted seeds and grains.

Sprouting also decreases antinutrients, like lectins and phytic acid, that block the absorption of vitamins and minerals. Wholesome, high-nutrient foods have been shown to facilitate better “craving” control, as well as having a positive impact on blood sugar control, heart health and diversity of the gut microbiome.

Weaknesses

Since grains and lentils are agricultural products, washing is important. Unwashed grains and lentils can contain all sorts of things — like dirt, pesticides, and phytotoxins — that you don’t want in your body. Likewise, the nutrient quality of your sprouted grains is directly related to the quality of the grains and lentils that you buy. Be conscious of allergens that may affect you, like gluten in wheat berries. Whenever possible, buy local, fresh agricultural products instead of big brands that have been sitting on the grocery store shelf (sometimes for years!).

PANDEMIC PRACTICES

OTC for Covid-19?

I saw a video that said that drinking tonic water and taking zinc would cure or prevent infection by COVID-19. Is this true?

T

here is a video that has gone viral suggesting this concoction is a “miracle cure” but there is no scientific evidence to suggest that is true.

As with many myths however there is a grain of truth or at least a thread connecting the myth with reality.

Tonic water contains quinine which is chemically similar to hydroxychloroquine. However, there is no data that suggests that quinine is effective against COVID-19.

Zinc on the other hand is a bit more interesting. Some types of common colds are caused by coronaviruses and COVID-19 is a type of coronavirus. The use of zinc supplementation has been associated with a reduction in the time it takes to overcome a cold and with severity of symptoms in some studies. Also, a Cochrane review (a compilation of 18 randomized controlled studies) found that zinc inhibited the replication of the cold virus and reduced the time to cure when the zinc was taken in lozenge or syrup form.

This evidence is compelling enough that zinc has been added as an adjunct to other medications in some of the randomized COVID-19 trials that are cur-

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5” wide by 10.25” high

How to Use It

All sorts of dried grains and legumes can be sprouted. Basically any legume you can imagine — beans, chickpeas, lentils — as well as almost any whole grain. The important thing to look for is that the bean or grain still has its outer shell intact; lentils and grains with skins removed (white rice, red lentils, or split green peas, for example) will not sprout. Soak your lentils or grains for up to 24 hours and drain the water. Then, in a light-proof bowl (any steel or plastic bowl covered with a cloth or an inverted plate will do), rinse and drain two to three times a day for two to three days until the sprouts have reached the desired size. These sprouts go wonderfully in stir-fries, as a topping on burgers or noodles, and make a delicious healthy snack when tossed with some lemon, salt and fresh veggies.

Alternatively, look for sprouted grains as an ingredient in packaged products like cereals or flour in your local grocery store’s health food aisle — you’ll be surprised at what you find!

— STACEY AGGARWAL Stacey Aggarwal received a Ph.D. in pharmacology from the University of Washington. She writes about biology, health and nutrition while running a lavender farm in North Idaho.

We’re Here For You We at the Inlander remain committed to keeping people informed and connected during the coronavirus outbreak, supporting our readers and local businesses in the ways we always have.

Stay connected wherever you are.

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rently underway. However, no results with zinc have been published.

So should you drink tonic water and take zinc for protection or treatment of COVID-19? No. Should you take a zinc supplement? It might be beneficial but there is no direct evidence that proves that it is. If you do decide to supplement with zinc be careful of the dose because you can take too much. For adults, the maximum dosage of elemental zinc is 40 mg; for 14 -18 year olds, the maximum is 34 mg. Children should not be given zinc supplements unless directed by a medical provider. Find more dosing information on drugs.com.

— JOHN R. WHITE John R. White is the chair of the Department of Pharmacology at WSU College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences based in Spokane.

AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 2020

19

REMOTE

POSSIBILITIES The evolution of the home office

20

Health& Home

BY CARRIE SCOZZARO

Design for the PPL's Erin Haskell Gourde redesigned this standard-issue home office for a client who wanted a dramatic Old World feel.

PHOTO COURTESY OF DESIGN FOR THE PPL

BEFORE

H

ome sweet home. It’s what you’ve invested a lot of time and energy into, where the family gathers for meals, where you curl up in your favorite chair to relax after work. Only now, for more of us than ever before, the workday might have occurred just down the hall, at a desk nudged into a bedroom, or at a chair near a plugin in the corner of a quiet room.

But even before recent statewide closures and slowdowns forced people out of the office and into telecommuting, there was a trend toward working remotely. According to FlexJobs and Global Workplace Analytics, over the past ten years, the “remote workforce” has grown by more than 90 percent.

BEFORE

...continued on next page AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 2020

21

Designer Erin Haskell Gourde (right) enjoys a laugh with Eileen Barbieri, in her newly designed home office.

PHOTO COURTESY OF DESIGN FOR THE PPL

DESK PICK

Add a little whimsy with this petite, but perfectly functional desk.

— Signature Design Mirimyn Trestle Desk Runge Furniture in Coeur d'Alene 22

Health& Home

“REMOTE POSSIBILITIES,” CONTINUED...

Global Workplace Analytics further estimates that more than half of the non-selfemployed workforce — around 75 million Americans — could work from home at least part time and that the longer they work from home, the more likely it is that they will never fully return to the conventional office environment.

So how can home offices evolve to meet the needs of a new cadre of stay-at-home workers? Local designers offer ideas on how to create a multipurpose office space that not only meets workday needs, but also offers space for other activities as well.

In their Spokane real estate business, the Fowler Group’s Danielle and Ryan Fowler have noticed an uptick in clients

looking for extra spaces they might convert into home offices. Many transplants, says Danielle, are moving to the Spokane region knowing they’ll be telecommuting.

The Fowlers include themselves in the telecommuting workforce, and like many families, they also needed space where their four children could do schoolwork. So when it came time to build, they incorporated an office into the plan for their still-under-construction Peone Prairie home.

They added steel and glass barndoor-style walls to transform the formal dining room into a roughly 12-by-12-foot, multifunctional office just off the kitchen.

The glass lets light in, allows for two-way visibility, and yet provides a minimal sound ...continued on page 24

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With expansive windows providing views to the stables, this office for a professional equestrian team owner incorporates built-ins to hide office-related equipment, freeing up shelf space for more interesting displays.

PHOTO COURTESY OF DESIGNOLOGY AND MILIEU DESIGN

“REMOTE POSSIBILITIES,” CONTINUED... barrier.

Another consideration in the design, says Danielle, was centralizing paperwork and other frequently-accessed office items, yet hiding clutter through built-in storage.

“I wanted it to be attractive as well,” Danielle says.

Aesthetics and multifunctionality are high priorities for clients, say several local interior designers who, like the Fowlers are seeing increased interest in adding a new office space or converting existing spaces

into ones that accommodate those working from home.

“I would say there is a lot more awareness of how an office is designed within a home — and clients to a degree have been very involved in this desire for dual function and creating beautiful rooms that they are inclined to want to spend time in — that are more fluid and connected with the rest of their homes,” says Tammie Ladd, of Tammie Ladd Interior Design.

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Ample storage in this compact, cottage-styled package — Libby Allyson Park L-Shaped Desk Walker's Furniture ing and design that incorporates personal touches, requests have included maximizing space, from storage units to built-ins to the room itself, Ladd says. For example, she recently completed a dual-functioning yoga studio and office space for a client and created a double workspace for another.

“We’ve added console tables, desks behind sofas in living rooms that can also double as a docking station or place to set up shop and still maintain the enjoyment of one of the best rooms of the home,” Ladd says. “Even in a more traditional styled office with a desk, seating, task chair and built-ins, often media will also be incorporated along with direct visual connections to the main living spaces.”

Designology’s Deanna Goguen and ...continued on page 26

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A desk area can be seamlessly combined with comfortable seating and media, allowing the room to offer multiple uses.

DESK PICK

PHOTO COURTESY OF TAMMIE LADD DESIGN

“REMOTE POSSIBILITIES,” CONTINUED...

Milieu Design’s Sarah McGovern collaborated to overhaul a space for a professional equestrian team owner that also addressed the dual need of multifunctionality and livability.

Taking a design cue from the world of dressage tack, the design features a leatherwork surface and a metal and glass wall to partially enclose the space, which also has a view towards the barn and track so the owner can oversee the horses and team workout areas.

“Built-in shelves showcase awards and original art, while the enclosed cabinets below hide the day-to-day necessities like files and the printer, so that the beautiful parts can take center stage,” McGovern says.

Location of the office within the home is also important. When it’s closer to the front door, for example, that allows for meetings with clients without exposing the more intimate spaces of the home.

In the past, Ladd says, the kitchen was the catch-all, sometimes featuring a little desk tucked in among the cabinets that doubled as an office. Now the kitchen island might get extra outlets and charging ports, functioning more like a docking station with thoughtfully concealed or even portable storage.

Design for the PPL’s Erin Haskell Gourde says sometimes clients don’t know what they want other than what they have isn’t working anymore, especially as more ...continued on page 28

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Health& Home

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Tucked into a long hallway, this docking area offers the perfect location for working, while still enjoying the larger spaces of the home.

PHOTO COURTESY OF TAMMIE LADD DESIGN

“REMOTE POSSIBILITIES,” CONTINUED... people are finding themselves unexpectedly out of their regular office environment and working remotely from home.

At the same time, she notes people may not want to devote space in their homes exclusively to work. “Don’t just design it as an office and that’s

Don’t just design it as an office and that’s it, because things can change. it, because things can change,” she counsels. For example, “A library can be stunningly beautiful and then you can have, you know, cocktails in there.”

Recently she worked with a client to create a dramatic room, featuring office accouterments like a standalone desk and guest chairs, yet also incorporating stylish touches including a range of inset and ceiling lighting and built-in bookshelves, creating an Old World feel. It was the perfect fit for a client who wanted, “A classic beautiful place where she can do her work, but also just want to dwell in, a place where she can just be.”

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Health& Home

GUIDE TO ERGONOMIC S

GUIDE TO ERGONOMIC SEATED POSTURE Head balanced directly over spine

Eyes looking straight ahead

Shoulders completely relaxed; not raised

Top third of monitor aligned with eye height

Adjust monitor to arm’s length away Elbows bent around 90° , tucked in close to body

Upper arm in line with torso

Wrists straight

Entire back making contact with backrest

Lower desk to just below elbow height

Forearm in straight line from elbow to fingertips

Thighs parallel with floor; knees bent at 90° or wider

Armrests set at elbow height or dropped low to pull chair in closer to desk Seat height adjusted so that feet don’t dangle

W

Wit kne tray sho “3 finger gap” between seat edge and back of knee

orking from home might seem comfy and cozy, but we still need to take our bodies into account when we go about creating a home workspace.

“That means practicing self-care,” says Contract Design Associate’s Gwen Marlow. “An office that’s functional makes us feel good.”

Whether it’s a spot on the couch with your laptop or a wraparound desk in your former third bedroom, ergonomics are important.

“We just have to remember: Don’t conform your body to your space,” Marlow says.

Instead, conform your space to support your body. Check your posture — aim for sitting straight up, with your shoulders

Feet flat on floor, supporting weight of legs

relaxed and your feet on the floor. Try using pillows to alleviate pressure and offer support while seated.

If your work from home requires considerable time sitting at a desk, ergonomic seating should be a consideration. A “task” chair with adjustable positioning for the seat, back and armrests can facilitate better body mechanics.

At Contract Design, customers can even take one of 50 available task chairs home for a “test sit,” Marlow notes, adding it can be hard to assess a chair’s features without trying it in your own space, with your own office set up.

Also, Marlow says it’s a good idea to consider an adjustable-height desk, so you can

IMAGE COURTESY OF HERMAN MILLER

alternate between sitting and standing. After all, when it comes to sitting, too much is not a good thing. “Those who sat for more than eight hours a day with no physical activity had a risk of dying similar to the risks of dying posed by obesity and smoking,” according to the Mayo Clinic.

Taking frequent breaks is also good for your eyes, which can suffer from too much screen time. Be smart about glare, Marlow says, and sit next to natural light if possible.

“I think the light makes us feel better,” she says.

— CARRIE SCOZZARO

AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 2020

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Before After M

ore than a year after purchasing and remodeling their lake cabin, new owners Michelanne and her husband still weren’t quite sure what to do about the dilapidated boathouse on the property. “The previous owner had obviously not been down there in decades. We were at a complete loss as to how to even begin to fix it,” Michelanne writes.

Finally, with the help of a rented concrete saw, the huge project got underway. The first step was to even up the building’s roofline and remove its slanted facade. Next they stabilized the back wall, followed by extensive shoring up and sealing throughout. Then it was time to add a new roof. “We built a frame on top of the existing concrete roof to support a new metal roof,’ writes Michelanne. Wood 4x4s and 2x4s were placed along the inside and

outside of the walls and stabilized with Threadall. “We bolted the top, middle and bottom of each support board every 32 inches along the entire wall,” writes Michelanne, who also notes it was difficult to even find information on how to do a project like this.

Two layers of marine grade plywood line the back wall; metal siding halfway up walls and concrete flooring help create an interior that won’t be prone to flood damage. A handmade wooden bartop, with a mini-fridge tucked below, and colorful decor complete the beach bar vibe. “We couldn’t be happier with how it turned out,” writes Michelanne.

Visit Inlander.com/HealthandHome to see more pictures of this amazing boat house transformation.

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Before After IN OUR NEXT ISSUE Have you made an amazing transformation in your home?

Send your Before & After photos, with a brief explanation of what you did, to healthandhome@inlander.com

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Health& Home

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Curating a Life A stroll reveals the many layers of artist Kay O’Rourke’s home, studio and gardens STORY AND PHOTOS BY CARRIE SCOZZARO

K

ay O’Rourke has spent well over 35 years creating: paintings and sculptures both, collaborations with other artists, an eclectic collection of artwork from countless Northwest artists, and elaborately cooked meals featuring ingredients from her expansive garden.

Her home and studio are both an extension of, and central to, O’Rourke the artist, the storyteller.

“It’s always a bit of a wild place,” says O’Rourke, who could as easily be referring to her narrative artwork as the semi-forested, rocky acreage

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Health& Home

where she lives east of the Little Spokane River.

When she moved to the house five years ago, she reminded herself that she did not need or want stairs or a steep driveway. She got both. But working around the property keeps her healthy and active, says the 76-year-old O’Rourke.

“At first I might whine, but it’s worth it,” she says, while seated in one of several garden areas around her 50-something-year-old home. She is wearing peach Converse sneakers, jeans, a cotton top, and an oversize ring that matches both.

She also thought she could live without a garden, explains O’Rourke, who grew up on her family’s Walla Walla farm. She missed having fresh herbs, however, and has begun reclaiming the wildness of her yard, one piece at a time, incorporating art into every space. She expanded an existing seating area that had enough sun to sustain potted tomato plants, recently adding mosaic artwork by friend Melissa Cole.

She filled a below-ground retaining wall area with edible plants and commissioned artist Daniel

Lopez to paint a mural on it. Near the base of the driveway, she installed a fenced, U-shaped garden that deer, turkeys and the other critters that live nearby have yet to get into, though the birds are bent on trying.

“You can grow food anywhere,” says O’Rourke, the oldest of seven children, with parents who valued gardening, food, art, education and family.

It just depends on the amount of work you want to do, she adds.

And work she does. A lot.

In the morning, when the weather is amenable, O’Rourke opens the garage door to what otherwise serves as a frame and prep shop for her prolific canvases stacked six or seven deep in places, many of them 3-feet or larger. Some are propped on easels, instantly recognizable as an O’Rourke: energetic brushwork, a mostly primary color palette tending towards variations of two distinct blues, and her trademark whimsy.

Diners at River Park Square’s food court, for example, would recognize her River Dance, one of numerous commissions and collections throughout the Northwest. Elsewhere, her work can be seen at Sunset Elementary School, at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, at Spokane City Hall, and at Spark Central where 30 paintings commissioned by developer Jim Frank narrate the Spokane River’s history until Expo ’74.

Her exhibition list is mostly Spokane-based, too: the former Lorinda Knight Gallery, Object Space, the MAC, Chase Gallery — or nearby, such as the Art Spirit Gallery and Emerge in Coeur d’Alene, and the Yellowstone Art Museum in Montana. She also had a few

out-of-state exhibitions and has done some unusual collaborations, including one where she tricked out a car for charity, Kay O’Rourke-style.

Her garage-level studio is filled with the makings for assemblages, 3D manifestations

It’s always a bit of a wild place of many of her 2D narratives. An old yard tool, colorful netting, a thick wood cutout in the shape of a bird that’s been painted and holds a turquoise tin in its beak. Several of these pieces populate O’Rourke’s garden and yard, too.

Later in the day she’ll head upstairs to

Created AlexProject Muravev from theby Noun

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LOCAL RESTAURANTS Check out our To-Go Guide paint in her studio there.

She’ll walk past a sign that features the word “WakeRobin” It’s a literal nod to the wake-robin trillium flower from where she used to live, and also incorporates a leaping bunny with wings, a fitting embodiment of her boundless energy and creative spirit.

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33

IT’S PROJECT TIME

Lighted Patio Planters T

his inexpensive, simple DIY is great for beginners who want to add more lighting to their outdoor space without breaking the bank. Health & Home Art Director Ali Blackwood tackled this project in just a few hours — not counting the time it took for the cement to set.

IMPORTANT NOTE: When choosing a planter, It’s important to get one that has a wide, flat base so it’s not prone to tipping. Make sure to fill it only halfway with cement, leaving room for the soil and plants.

1

1. Tape the level to the side of your fencepost, and hold the post in place, centered in the planter.

3

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Health& Home

MATERIALS:

• Pressure treated 4x4 fencepost • Fast setting concrete mix • Hanging plant brackets • Medium-large planter pot (Plastic or wood) • Plastic sheeting • Potting soil • Flowers • Outdoor string lights

TOOLS:

• Drill • Level • Masking tape • Trowel

2

2. According to the directions, add the cement and required water to the planter, while holding the fencepost steady (this is a two person job). We used one bag of cement per planter — and it filled up about halfway. Use your trowel to mix the cement as you go, if needed.

4

5

3. Brace the fencepost so that it stays level while the cement sets.

We braced ours up with tables to hold them in place.

4. Cover the planter with plastic and tape securely — this keeps the top from drying out too quickly so that the cement will set evenly.

5. When the cement is set, drill holes around the side of the pot, just above the cement line. These holes will allow drainage for the plants.

6

7

8

6. Lay down on its side, and attach the plant brackets or hooks to the fencepost. Stand back up.

7. Fill the rest of the planter up with soil, and add plants — we used petunias.

8. Arrange however you’d like around your patio, string lights to the hooks and you’re done!

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Despite the pandemic, Spokane’s real estate market remains competitive for buyers as home prices continue to climb. YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

House Hunting Even though home sales are down over 2019, prices are still rising

BY SAMANTHA WOHLFEIL

A

s people around the world were told to stay home and shelter in place last spring, home sales around the country took a dramatic dip, with the nation seeing its largest month-to-month decline in sales since the fallout from the Great Recession.

For a few short days after Gov. Jay Inslee shut down restaurants, bars and most “nonessential” businesses in mid-March, it didn’t even look like realtors would be allowed to show clients homes, says Tom

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Health& Home

Clark, president of the Spokane Association of Realtors.

“We were dead in the water for like three days, and then came back on like a life support system,” Clark says.

Since those first restricted days, real estate agents have been allowed to show homes to prospective buyers with safety measures (masks, wiping surfaces) and strict limits on how many people may be in the house at one time. At first, Clark says he could only take one other person in the

house at a time, making things awkward for couples who had to take turns walking through. In Phase 2, showings are limited to three people.

TIGHT MARKET

The good news is, this economic crisis is not expected to result in a housing crisis like the Great Recession, which was largely caused by the subprime mortgage scam and resulted in many foreclosures.

That’s not to say there won’t be major impacts, though. Clark says he thinks we haven’t truly seen the economic fallout yet, since most people got $1,200 stimulus checks, and those on unemployment benefited from an additional $600 a week from the federal government. Plus, evictions and foreclosures have not been allowed under moratoriums. Not to mention, we have yet to see how many of the restaurants, bars and other businesses that were forced to shutter will not reopen, he says.

“I think that’ll probably affect the real estate market to some degree, but again we still have more qualified buyers than homes,” Clark says.

There may also be a silver lining from COVID closures, he notes: More people than ever are realizing they can work effectively from home, and maybe don’t have to live near their offices to do their jobs.

Plus, rural areas with more space are more appealing than ever.

“I think the pandemic will be somewhat of a blessing in disguise for rural communities, for those of us in the less densely populated areas,” Clark says “We still have more people moving in than moving out.”

With Amazon’s warehouse set to add about 2,000 employees this year, and other economic opportunities, the economy in this region remains strong, he notes.

“Overall the economy is still fairly strong in Spokane, and Spokane is a much more desirable location to people than it used to be,” Clark says. “Honestly in my heart of hearts, I can’t think of a reason the Spokane economy and real estate market is going to do anything other than continue on the strong path it’s on.”

Things aren’t all doom and gloom for millennials and other first-time homebuyers either, he says.

The main struggle is the increase in home prices, which have gone up about 10 percent, he says. While that’s great for sellers, Clark says he prefers an annual increase closer to 3 percent so it’s not too hard on the market for buyers.

But knowing that essentially all of the single-family lots in Spokane that can be developed are in the process of being developed, Clark says that many potential buyers are acknowledging that waiting isn’t going to save money.

“The prices aren’t going down tomorrow, they’re going up. So today’s a good day to buy,” Clark says. “If they’re gainfully employed, most millennials I know are buying. They’re not putting off the fact they’re going to live indoors most of the rest of their life, so they’re doing it now.”

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In His Element 38

Health& Home

I

Honey Eatery and Social Club’s Justin Klauba blends art and science in the kitchen STORIES BY CARRIE SCOZZARO | PHOTOS BY YOUNG KWAK

f he hadn’t been a chef, he might have been a chemist, says Justin Klauba. As executive chef at Coeur d’Alene’s Honey Eatery and Social Club, he gets to do both, putting his own twist on the restaurant’s signature approach to comfort food.

The seemingly simple avocado toast he prepared for Health & Home (recipe, p.41), for example, is a thoughtful composition of flavors and textures. Nine-grain bread forms the foundation, while avocado adds creaminess. The shaved radish is crunchy and bright, while Klauba’s nori (seaweed) seed blend adds umami and saltiness. The real kicker, however, is the preserved lemons, which he makes himself.

“I’m a food nerd,” says Klauba, who gets excited about creating in the kitchen, from crafting mother vinegars, to the extensive process to make his own kimchi for the restaurant’s dim sum breakfast experience.

Klauba credits several sources for his fascination with cooking, including his grandmother, a pastry chef, whose memorable cinnamon raisin bread created a strong sensory experience. Every dish is, in a way, an attempt to invoke a similar response in his diners.

“You want to have [each dish] entice your palate,” explains Klauba, who started in the restaurants of his native Chicago as a young man.

His big break came by accident when he spilled a tray of wine glasses onto then-Mayor Richard Daley’s wife’s dress. Another restaurant owner took pity on him and invited him into his restaurant, where Klauba had his first crack at cooking. He found his niche and began a bit of a culinary odyssey.

In Philadelphia, he worked at Olivier de St. Martin’s Caribou Café, then at Cuba Libre Restaurant and Rum Bar and Davio’s Northern Italian Steakhouse before moving on to Fuel in Wilmette, Illinois. In Las Vegas, he worked at Rick Moneen’s RM Seafood at Mandalay Bay, then moved farther west to San Francisco to become executive sous chef at Alexander’s Steakhouse.

The learn-by-doing schooling he got in America’s kitchens took a toll, however.

“I’ve been yelled at and I’ve been that person yelling,” says Klauba, who aspires to be a leader in the kitchen. For him, that means taking on whatever task is necessary — scrubbing dishes, taking out the trash — and elevating his teammates.

The difference between the chef he was then and the chef he is now?

“I’m sober,” he says, the words hanging in the air a bit.

After San Francisco, Klauba tired of the urban experience so he and his wife returned to her native Idaho roots, where her friendship with EatGoodGroup founder Adam Hegsted provided an entrée to the regional food scene.

Klauba worked at EatGood’s Le Catering a bit, then at both Scratch and Steamplant Grill in Spokane before joining Hegsted’s Honey Eatery and Social Club as executive chef in 2019.

“It’s gone from a career to a craft,” Klauba says.

AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 2020

39

TRY IT YOURSELF MOROCCAN CHICKPEAS Get acquainted with a good quality spice provider such as Spokane’s Spiceology for this recipe, which includes the Moroccan ras el hanout, a complex spice mix that contains cumin, cardamom, ginger, chili pepper, fenugreek and more. The cinnamon used here is Sri Lankan Ceylonese, versus the more common Indonesian or Chinese cassia cinnamon. Klauba wraps fresh lemons in foil and chars them (the barbecue grill is ideal) until they resemble briquettes, then purees them to create a pungent, charred, lemony powder.

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil • 1 tablespoon chopped garlic • 1 onion, diced small • 4 green onions, green and white parts both, chopped • 1 teaspoon charred lemon powder • 1 tablespoon ras el hanout • 2 teaspoons kosher salt • 2 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper • 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes

• 1 Ceylonese cinnamon stick • 2 tablespoons lemon juice • 3 14-ounce cans garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed • 1/2 cup chopped cilantro • 1/4 cup chopped mint • 1/4 cup green olives, sliced • 1/4 cup golden raisins • 1/4 cup tomato paste • 1 cup water

1. Combine all ingredients in a rondeau, large Dutch oven or wide, shallow roasting pan and cook at 350 degrees for 1 hour uncovered. This will make a large batch and several hearty meals.

2. Remove cinnamon stick when done and stir.

3. Serve with garnishes (over the top of the dish or on the side): poached eggs dusted with Aleppo pepper, pickled jalapenos, chopped cilantro, several slices of toasted whole-grain bread, or julienne-sliced preserved lemon.

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INGREDIENT SPOTLIGHT

PRESERVED LEMON

AVOCADO TOAST Chef Justin Klauba likes the balance of tastes, textures and colors in this dish that pairs a North African condiment with a spice blend featuring nori, or seaweed often found in Japanese dishes.

Details matter. The thinness of sliced elements and use of specific spices allow each ingredient to heighten the flavors of the others.

• 2 slices whole-grain bread (try La Brea brand) • 1/2 an avocado, sliced thin • 1/2 of a preserved lemon, sliced thin • 1 teaspoon nori seed blend (recipe below), toasted • 1/4 teaspoon Aleppo pepper (available locally where gourmet spices are sold) • 4 slices paper-thin radish (try cherry bomb) • Pinch of flaked sea salt 1. Lightly toast the whole grain bread on both sides.

2. Lay half of the sliced avocado on each piece of toast, fanning out slices.

3. Top each piece of toast with half the preserved lemon, followed by the pepper, seed blend, salt and radish.

NORI SEED BLEND • 1 cup raw, unsalted pepitas (pumpkin seeds) • 1/2 cup raw, unsalted sunflower seeds • 1/4 cup raw, unsalted sesame seeds • 1/4 cup flax seed • 2 tablespoons poppy seeds • 1 tablespoon kosher salt • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil • 1 tablespoon ground nori 1. Combine all ingredients in a nonreactive bowl.

2. Pour onto sheet pan and toast at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Rotate the tray and bake 6-8 minutes or until the pepitas are somewhat brittle.

RECIPES SHARED BY JUSTIN KLAUBA, HONEY EATERY AND SOCIAL CLUB

Preserved lemons are a staple of Moroccan cooking, and often appear in salads and tagines, which refers to both a stew-like dish and the covered, clay casserole in which it is traditionally cooked.

Inherently acidic, lemons need only be paired with salt and the anaerobic environment of a sealed jar to transform over a few weeks from a firmfleshed, tangy lemon into something much more complex, pitting the punch of pickled food against lemony floral notes.

They can easily be made at home with storebought lemons and will keep in the refrigerator for up to a year if continuously submerged in liquid (add lemon juice and shake the jar as needed). Or they can be purchased in the specialty food aisle of Preserved Lemons from Honey. YOUNG KWAK PHOTOS many local grocery stores including My Fresh Basket, Huckleberry’s Natural Market and Damas Middle Eastern Grocery Store.

A little goes a long way in a dish, although store-bought might be less pungent than homemade. If making your own, rinse and pat dry to remove excess salt as needed.

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ARBOR CREST PHOTO

YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

Jim and Kristina van Loben Sels team up to run Arbor Crest Winery; she specializes in wine making while he works on concert and event planning.

Riding the Crest Spokane’s Arbor Crest winery pairs a dramatic venue with food-friendly wines

BY LEANN BJERKEN

P

erched 450 feet above the river in Spokane Valley sits the “Cliff House,” a historic property designed and built in 1924 by inventor Royal Riblet, which now serves as home to Arbor Crest Wine Cellars.

Started in 1982 by Harold and Marcia Mielke, Arbor Crest is currently owned by the Mielkes’ daughter Kristina van Loben Sels and her husband Jim. “They had the initial vision and passion,” she says. “Dad was originally from Spokane and when they moved back to this area they decided they wanted to start a winery.”

Arbor Crest actually has operations on two properties in the area, the Cliff House estate, and a production facility on nearby Buckeye Avenue along the river.

“The production facility was the main operation for my grandfather’s business, Mielke Orchards, which produced cherry

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pie filling for Hostess and Dolly Madison,” Kristina says. “My parents and uncle converted it into a winery in 1982, and today that site holds both our winemaking facility and my brother John’s brewery operations.”

She says the Mielkes purchased the nearby Riblet Estate in 1984, and soon decided to move everything but the winemaking to that site.

In addition to the Cliff House, the property now also includes a tasting room, several office buildings, and a warehouse.

The surrounding grounds feature cliffside views, crumbling rock buildings and walls, a pool, a checkerboard, several gardens, a vineyard and a cherry orchard.

“The family was always into the agriculture business and they looked to capitalize on Washington’s potential as a great growing region for good wines,” Jim van Loben Sels says. “Their decision to purchase the Royal Riblet Estate was the

linchpin that established us as a winery here.”

Jim says he and Kristina took over the business in 1999, and implemented changes that they hoped would result in further growth. “We were able to build up programs like the concerts, weddings and events, as well as create a tasting room space,” he says. “We took the business from a three-month model to what’s now a 12-month operation, that’s sustainable on retail rather than wholesale.”

Kristina has a degree in winemaking and spent many years in California making wine before coming to Arbor Crest. “My role at Arbor Crest is more CEO with direct focus on winemaking, but we do have a winemaking team in place that operates the day-to-day,” she says.

Arbor Crest has 10 full-time employees and about 25 seasonal employees.

She says Jim also touts a strong back-

ARBOR CREST PHOTO

ground and interest in viticulture and the winemaking process, but has a slightly different role with the winery.

“His strength has always been to build new programs and look long term,” she says. “He, along with our team have grown our concert and event program into what it is today.”

Although they have tried expanding to add a downtown tasting room, the van Lo-

Pairings to Try

Arbor Crest’s Dionysus ages well and pairs with many different foods, but Kristina van Loben Sels particularly recommends serving it with a filet mignon. Her husband Jim, “makes a really good version that’s drizzled with Gorgonzola sauce that I just love,” she says.

Jim says his favorite pairing, blackberry cobbler with ice cream alongside Arbor Crest’s cabernet franc, a combo that was introduced at a winemakers’ dinner held at Spokane’s Steamplant Grill years ago.

“I was blown away by the combination, and it still stands out in my mind as simply delicious,” he says. ben Sels’ say they’re currently firmly focused on the Cliff House estate.

“We’d tried several times to bring our wines downtown, but found that people are always more driven to visit our historic grounds and have that tasting room experience,” he says.

The two say Arbor Crest specializes in Bordeaux wines, with its sauvignon blanc serving as its flagship wine, followed by the Dionysus (a Bordeaux blend), and the cabernet.

“Arbor Crest produces and sells an average of 15,000 cases of wine each year,” says Kristina.“We’ve added other varieties over the years but reds are really our showcase.”

Arbor Crest’s grapes are supplied by various vineyards including Bacchus, Dionysus, Stillwater Creek, Gamache, Wooded Island, Weinbau and Conner Lee. Kristina says Arbor Crest is best known for the Dionysus, which contains five Bordeaux varietals and has consistently garnered awards.

“It’s one that I love to make, because that’s where the art of winemaking really comes in,” she says.

“Our wine style is balanced and food-friendly, and meant for everyday consumption,” Jim says. “The other thing we offer is outstanding service, taking great pride in giving customers a special experience that they’ll remember fondly.”

and trying to plan ahead for how things might work after COVID-19,” he says.

Kristina says that prior to COVID-19, Arbor Crest typically hosted about 40 concerts and between 20-30 weddings and other private events annually.

“We won’t be able to host our typical concerts, but we will be focusing on a culinary experience with wine and beer along with some lighter, background entertainment,” she says. “Once we are able, we will return to our concert program but it may look a bit different.”

She says the venue will continue to host weddings, albeit on a smaller scale than usual, and plans to use its outside venue to accommodate larger groups.

“Our current goal is to keep our focus on the estate, and how we can ensure everyone is able to continue to experience all that’s wonderful here,” she says.

Jim says Arbor Crest has also used this time to reconnect with wine club members, offering small group tastings, and a new membership tier that grants them access to a special blend called Rendezvous.

“We’re thankful for the support from our wine club members, and enjoy being able to offer them this small-batch, exclusive item,” he says.

A

s the restaurant industry struggles to adjust to changes brought on by COVID-19 closures, the van Loben Sels’ say they’ve been using this time to recharge and refocus.

“This time of year we’re usually ramping up with concerts and large events, but the current environment has caused us to switch our focus to small scale events with limited people,” says Jim. He says Arbor Crest had been approached last fall by local chef Chad White, about a food program partnership, but the timing wasn’t right.

“We decided to use the time while the tasting room was closed to renovate, add some restaurant equipment, obtain a permit, and plan how to provide gourmet, restaurant-quality food and service to match our wines,” he says. “We figured the time was finally right to partner with Chad, so we’re going to give it a go.”

Arbor Crest has previously allowed guests to bring their own food on campus, but now that it plans to offer its own food, van Loben Sels says that option may be scaled back.

“We’re still figuring some things out,

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JONATHAN HILL ILLUSTRATION

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Touching the Third Rail Discussing political processes and issues with your kids might not be easy.

But that doesn’t mean you should avoid it

BY E.J. IANNELLI

A

s another national election approaches, conversations about politics — never the most benign topics to begin with — can become even more fraught. Entering into casual political discussions naturally calls for a bit more forethought and strategy than usual. Especially if we hope to remain on speaking terms with our wider circle of friends after Election Day. For parents, negotiating political conversations with their own children can be even trickier. Most parents, for example, aim to strike a balance between protecting their children from the harsh realities of the world and preparing them for the raw truths they’ll inevitably face as adults.

They also want to foster independence of thought and behavior in their children.

But parents, like all humans, welcome the validation that comes from seeing their own deeply held values mirrored by those they hold dear.

That ends up changing the basic parameters of political conversations. What is it safe to assume they already know? Are some topics entirely off-limits? At what point does parental guidance on political issues become parental pressure? And how can the learning process extend to both parent and child?

Erin Pahlke is an associate professor of psychology at Whitman College in Walla Walla. She’s also a parent of two children herself. Over the years she’s conducted several studies that might help to answer some of these questions from a scientific standpoint.

“We did a study back in 2008 looking at kids’ knowledge about the presidential election. We interviewed kids both before and after the election. And then we did it again in 2016,” she says. To give some idea of their sample, the 2016 study during the Clinton-Trump race involved 187 elementary students across five different US cities.

Based on those results, Pahlke says there’s a good chance that children aged 5 to 11 will have some awareness of what’s happening in the national political arena.

“The vast majority of them knew the names of the presidential candidates, and they knew information about the candidates. Ninety percent of the kids could tell you at least one thing about their characteristics or their policies.” The students who participated also claimed to have an active interest in politics.

That’s helpful in identifying the starting point for political talk. But Pahlke is quick to note that broad awareness and interest doesn’t necessarily equate to a fundamental grasp of processes and situations.

“You will talk to some kids who have clearly talked to people in their lives about the Electoral College, and you’ll get a second-grader who can explain the Electoral College, but then you’ll also get elemen...continued on next page AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 2020

45

“TOUCHING THE THIRD RAIL,” CONTINUED... tary-school-aged kids who, for example, think that Trump won because had the biggest airplane with his name on it. Or kids who know that there’s voting involved, but they think that judges get to pick.”

Some of that haziness comes down to where children get their information. In the absence of a trusted, reliable source, there’s a risk that they’ll pick up gossip, stereotypes and half-truths from playground peers or social media.

Furthermore, children of a certain age are primarily drawn to “concrete details” and “personal traits,” Pahlke notes, which makes it harder — though not impossible — for them to appreciate nuance and abstractions. Younger children also have a fondness for tidy narratives. That can lead them to invent questionable explanations for social phenomena. During the 2016 survey, for instance, the students were asked why there had never been a female U.S. president.

“Only twenty-five percent attributed it to anything related to gender discrimination,” she says. “The others said things like,

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‘It’s because men are smarter and they read more books’ or ‘Men are better leaders.’

We saw similar responses back in 2008 when we asked before the election why there had never been a non-White president before.”

I

n later years, however, children do start to appreciate the larger social and cultural forces that shape today’s political

landscape. That’s what Michael Buckley has found during his 24 years of teaching politics-related courses at the university level. In his political science class at Spokane Community College, he sees students as young as 15 as part of the school’s Running Start program.

“If something’s going to be graphic, I let students know. But we talk about some very heavy stuff. And the vast majority of

students are able to handle it. I would say to parents, trust your [teenage] children. Don’t be afraid to go there,” he says.

As an instructor, one of Buckley’s biggest concerns isn’t students who are too vocal about their politics. It’s those who are reticent and apathetic toward politics in general. That’s why he encourages parents to discuss politics with their children from a young age.

“The reason I got interested is because my parents talked about politics at home, at the table. I remember my mother and father talking about Watergate.

So if you listen to podcasts with your children and then have a conversation about those things, it’s a great way to engage them.”

And if those discussions get heated, parents need to be the role model and not let things devolve into name-calling. The risk of disagreement also isn’t a reason to avoid political discussions altogether. In fact, disagreements can make for breakthrough, revelatory moments.

“Whether they’re a strong liberal or conservative, if a parent is really trying to figure out how to get their kid to engage in discourse, it’s incumbent upon the parent to understand the argument they disagree with,” he says. Above all, “parents need to let their children know how important it is to understand government, because government affects so

much of our lives.”

Pahlke acknowledges that there’s currently “so much rancor in politics” that it can be tough to talk about something as straightforward as the role of the city council or congressional term limits. “But you have to.”

When voting guides and ballots arrive in the mail, she suggests that parents review them with their children to pass along

The reason I got interested is because my parents talked about politics at home, at the table. “some of that basic civic education.”

“Children are paying attention to politics from a young age, and they’re trying to make sense of what they see and hear,” she says. “We as adults need to help them to understand the process in order to keep them engaged and interested in politics as they grow older.”

For 60 years, Rockwood Retirement Communities has enjoyed serving Spokane seniors and their families.

Locally owned and operated, we want to thank our founders for their vision and foresight. Our dedicated team members and extraordinary residents make our Rockwood communities truly shine.

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AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 2020

47

Colchuck Lake is beautiful, but is it worth it?

Stretched How a very long hike produced moments of clarity

BY KIMBERLY CURRY

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W

ith quarantine and social distancing in full swing, I’ve exhausted most of the local hikes over the last few months, so my husband Robert and I ventured a few hours west and tried a new, more challenging walk in the woods.

Up until that point, we’d stuck to easy and intermediate trails, hikes we could do with the kids, so that I could blame my exhaustion on the 5-yearold who “needed a break.” I’d used her as an excuse to stop and sit on many a rock at Bowl and Pitcher, Mt. Spokane, Palisades Park and Rocks of Sharon, which had been my own personal Everest.

We naively decided to hike the first part of the Enchantments to Colchuck Lake. It’s the hardest hike I’ve ever done — nine miles, big elevation gain, rated difficult, not stroller accessible like I prefer. I felt totally out of my league.

At the trailhead there were avid hikers, stretch-

ing with their fancy gear: poles, Camelbacks, bug spray. I felt out of place because all I did to prepare was eat Dairy Queen the night before and wear Tevas instead of Birkenstocks. Tennis shoes and socks make my feet feel like they’re suffocating, and you can’t convince me otherwise. I’ll take a mask over closed-toe shoes any day.

I didn’t even remember to bring a hair tie, so by mile one I was feeling very unsure of myself. I told Robert that maybe we should’ve just THREE MORE FUN, stayed home and FAMILY HIKES eaten bratwurst or something more Finch Arboretum our speed instead of Essentially a flat walk, abundant with driving all the way trees and flowers as well as a babbling to Leavenworth to brook. Lots of open areas to explore. hike nine miles. But Easy Papa PepTalk kept encouraging me Hog Lake at Fishtrap with his “glass half Recreation Area downhill” motivaThis two-mile loop offers seasonal tional speeches, even waterfall views, though the path can be though we were overgrown. technically walking Intermediate, but almost easy uphill — one-and-ahalf Empire State Iller Creek/Rocks of Sharon Buildings worth of Spectacular views of the Palouse are the rock stairs. reward for a long uphill climb. The round Just when trip totals out at 6.5 miles. the side cramp, Difficult drenched neck — KIMBERLY CURRY and burning calves trifecta seemed too much to bear, I met a trail angel who gave me a rubber band from her snacks to put up my sweaty hair, which brightened my mood. That combined with the Swedish Fish that Robert would dangle in front of me at the top of each incline gave me the strength to carry on.

B

y the time we finally got to the top, it was about to be Upchuck Lake instead of Colchuck Lake, because I was close to throwing up from exhaustion. The panoramic view, however, made the rugged hike worth all the effort.

It took us seven hours up and down, which is the longest I’ve ever hiked and also probably the longest I’ve ever gone without soda.

We got passed a lot by other hikers, and I learned that slow and steady definitely does not win the race (so that tortoise was lying) but who cares. We all ended up on top eventually, and it was breathtaking.

I’m sure this hike is a piece of cake for people who eat less cake than I do, but it certainly stretched me far beyond what I thought my limits were, which ironically seems to be the theme of 2020.

I’m so happy I kept going and didn’t give up. And in these crazy, overwhelming and heart-wrenching times, that sentiment applies to more than just hiking.

Kimberly Curry has a degree in Family Studies from Arizona State University, teaches preschool and enjoys taking her four kids on adventures.

LISTEN UP

What’s Your Inner Voice Saying?

I

f you think about it, we are never actually responding to an event, we are responding to the conversation in our head about it. This is good news and bad. The bad news is that we cannot blame our circumstances for our unhappiness. The good news?

We have the potential to change our emotional response in any situation.

This is not to deny that life can be very very difficult and some challenges are heartbreaking. But knowing we have the possibility, though difficult, to change our response to a disturbance can give us hope for a better present and future. The challenge is to become aware of what we say to ourselves when life is not going well. In hard times, do we nurture and encourage ourselves or does a harsh inner voice punish and judge ourselves, making a bad situation worse?

The steps to “reprogramming” the harsh inner voice are, as they say in AA, simple but not easy. The first step is to ask yourself, “If I had the choice, what would I rather be feeling right now?”

This question and answer changes nothing in the moment but sets a goal for a gentler, kinder inner life. The brain can only do what it can imagine. The next step is to write out a “script” of what you would say to someone you love who was facing the same challenge. Then, rehearse the voice, preferably out loud , three or four times a day.

With practice, this new, nurturing voice becomes your ally in hard times. As William Shakespeare said in Hamlet, “There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking made it so.”

— ROBERT MAURER Robert Maurer is a Spokane psychologist and the author of One Small Step Can Change Your Life.

AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 2020

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Viral Conundrums The confounding challenges of the novel coronavirus

BY MATT THOMPSON

I

n the last issue of Health & Home, I wrote about preparing for a long haul with social distancing and life at a different pace than we’re used to. Not much has changed in that regard; in fact, attempts to resume life closer to usual have just emphasized that we are in a highly reactive time with seemingly small changes yielding significant consequences.

Opening the social spigot a bit (or a lot in some regions) has been followed by spikes of viral circulation. It is true that some of those spikes are a result of greater availability of viral testing. It is likely there has been a substantial proportion of asymptomatic or presymptomatic citizens walking

around, we just were not as aware of this until greater testing capacity arose.

Still, what is clear now is that this is a sneaky virus, lurking around amongst the outwardly well-appearing and mobile masses, permitting passage to the vulnerable.

Complicating matters is the difficulty we Americans seem to have with tolerating infringement upon our independence and choice. While individualism has been a historical feature of American life, collectivism appears to be a far more functional approach to dealing with a pandemic.

There has been a muddling of medical and political priorities in the U.S. that has increased the internal resistance of an

already complex circuitry, and wires are getting hot. To mask or not to mask? Is three feet of distancing not much worse than six feet of distancing? What is worse: aerosols, droplets or drips? How do you compare the cost of millions of school-age children suffering at home with their unemployed guardians, to thousands of elders and others suffering, even dying in the hospital? The compass seems to spin with a different north for each guide we turn to for navigation. Pressures and priorities vary for local, state and federal leadership in the domains of governance, health, education, and labor.

As time goes on we are less in the dark with this crisis, but it is important to consider this: It is most dangerous traveling at dusk or dawn. The contrast between a light sky and a dark road, the glare of a low sun,

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the sleepiness that tends to border the start and end of night, all compound the peril.

Debate continues on whether we are in the evening twilight or we’ve made it to dawn, but in either case visibility is poor.

Some of our Southern states have volunteered to demonstrate the consequence of a hasty attempt to return to normalcy — at press time, their rates seem to set new records daily. In a few weeks, these same states will demonstrate for the rest of the nation what a quick and beautiful complete reopening of the schools will look like — it may take two to three weeks to see the consequences.

the second most common virus to cause the common cold.

VIRAL TESTS look for genetic material from the virus (slower, but more accurate results), or viral proteins (faster, but less accurate results) that if found in sufficient quantity indicate infection is currently present.

Timing is important. The virus has to begin replicating and eventually rise to a

...continued on next page

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H ELP FIG HT CHILDH OOD CAN CER!

I

don’t think any of those observations are very helpful, and are in fact quite discouraging and depressing.

Here’s some information I think will be useful.

Containment of this virus is key until we can get a vaccine, or until by some chance this virus mutates to a less deadly version.

Essential to this effort is identification, whether by symptoms, testing or contact tracing; followed by separation of those identified for a time sufficient to minimize the likelihood of them infecting others.

Let’s look at testing.

ANTIBODY TESTS look to see if an individual has markers of past infection, not present infection. There are numerous reasons these types of tests are not very practical or useful right now.

At this time it is not known which or how many antibodies correlate with protection from reinfection. Or even if these antibodies are protective at all.

There are also numerous different antibody tests and not all antibodies are specific to the novel coronavirus SARS CoV-2 that causes COVID-19. Some may be due to other coronaviruses, which are

level in the body that the tests can detect.

This can take anywhere from two to 14 days, but on average four to five days. So, testing the day after a known exposure is too early to yield a reliable result.

Instead, tests should be done either at the onset of symptoms, or between five and seven days after a known exposure.

When will you get your answer? The

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51

Who Gets What and For How Long?

A

s with everything about this virus, things get complicated. Here’s the rundown.

ISOLATION is separating someone who is contagious, whether with or without symptoms, from those that are not infected.

QUARANTINE is separating an exposed individual from others who they have potential of infecting, should they become contagious.

An individual who is symptomatic and confirmed positive with a test, or is symptomatic and presumed positive because of a known exposure should ISOLATE away from others until 10 days after the start of symptoms, or for at least 72 hours after the end of symptoms, whichever is longer. So an individual with 10 days of symptoms would need to isolate for 13 days, and an individual with three days of symptoms would need to isolate for 10 days.

An individual who is asymptomatic but tests positive should ISOLATE for 10 days

from the day the positive test was obtained.

So if it took seven days for a test to return positive, the person should isolate another three days after the result returns. If someone becomes symptomatic after a positive result (so they were really presymptomatic, rather than asymptomatic), they need to follow the ISOLATE guidelines: 10 days from the start of symptoms or at least 72 hours after the end of symptoms, whichever is longer.

An individual with a significant exposure to a known positive (unmasked, within 6 feet for 15 minutes or longer), whether awaiting a test result or not, should QUARANTINE for 14 days from the last day of exposure to the positive individual. This is a tough category to be in, because the person in quarantine may feel fine the whole time, and depending on their exposure, they may be out of circulation longer than a peer that tested positive and was out of isolation after 10 days.

—MATT THOMPSON

“VIRAL CONUNDRUMS,” CONTINUED... more accurate test that looks for genetic material from the virus itself, returns results in two to 10 days, while results for the less accurate test that looks for viral proteins can come as quickly as 15-30 minutes.

Keep in mind that while a positive result for either test is probably accurate, negative results have to be interpreted with caution, as false negative results are quite common.

So, a negative viral test today does not mean it will be negative tomorrow, or up to 14 days after exposure.

Given the fact that the available tests are not perfect in terms of availability, accuracy and expediency, we’re left with containment, which relies on utilizing isolation and quarantine strategies and pursuing rigorous contact tracing when possible.

Whew. Here’s my takeaway:  While it is hard to imagine anyone choosing to run a world, nation, state, city or home this way — it seems the map used to navigate this crisis will be drawn by the many lessons learned here and abroad through trial and error, apparently with the

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Southern states choosing to go first.

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 Containment is key and while viral testing is an important part of that, it is not perfect.

shops allowed under RCW 69.50, RCW 69.51A, HB0001 Initiative 502 and

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This is in fact the first rodeo for all of us, and while we will get through it, we are going to need to ride this bull for a lot longer than eight seconds. Hold on.

Matt Thompson is a pediatrician at Spokane’s Kids Clinic.

CBD products made from cannabis that are only legal to purchase where allowed under specific state laws, as in Washington’s retail cannabis Senate Bill 505t2. (For more information, consult the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board at liq.wa.gov.) Neither CBD product contains the psychoactive properties of cannabis flowers and extracts.

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AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 2020

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Cautious Optimism Spokane City Councilwoman Betsy Wilkerson balances her desire for caution with her desire for change STORY AND PHOTOS BY DANIEL WALTERS

A

long time ago, Betsy Wilkerson thought about running for public office — but her mentor changed her mind.

“I realized that I could have as much impact not being in office as being in office,” she concluded.

That mentor’s name, she says when asked, was Jim West.

It was a curious pairing — West, the outed mayor of Spokane, under siege by accusations that he’d misused the power of his office to pursue young men, and a middle-aged Black woman, sitting together as buddies at a predominately Black church. West had started attending the Bethel AME church in the wake of the scandal, and even though others raised their eyebrows, seeing cynical political calculation, Wilkerson believed he was genuine.

“I think he was looking at something, and he found it at Bethel,” Wilkerson says. “He was at church like we all are, trying to save our souls and do good.”

Today, 14 years later, Wilkerson finally is in public office. She beat out six other finalists to be appointed to the Spokane City Council’s District 2 seat that opened when Councilmember Breean Beggs became council president.

Her friendship with West foreshadowed a councilwoman who reaches across the aisle, even literally, to seek out any perspective.

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CONSENSUS AND CAUTION

On the one hand, Wilkerson calls herself a “bleeding heart social worker.” On the other, she stresses that she’s “fiscally responsible.”’

She’s cautious — and that’s not an accident.

While Councilwoman Kate Burke has been more than willing to vehemently object to the actions of business groups, city staffers and even her council colleagues, Wilker-

son, as a Black woman, doesn’t believe she has the same luxury.

“If that was me, I would be labeled,” Wilkerson says. “I’d be the ‘Angry Black Woman.’.”

So Wilkerson emphasizes caution. In June, the council narrowly voted to pass an ordinance banning “mosquito devices” — high-pitched noisemakers intended to discourage young people from loitering around downtown businesses.

Yet Wilkerson pushed for a compromise. She said the council had discussed putting a sunset on the mosquito ban — and proposed amending the ordinance to force the council to reassess the ban at the end of 2021. And initially, a majority of the council rejected her compromise.

But after Mayor Nadine Woodward vetoed the ordinance, the power was back in Wilkerson’s hands. She agreed to override the veto — but insisted that the implementation of the rule be delayed to give the businesses more time to adjust.

board’s vote to run the ad, but she also says she agrees with the ad’s message.

Wilkerson, like every other member of council, voted against the contract. But she says she was particularly deliberate about it. “I’m really fighting my own biases,” Wilkerson says. “I’ve had my own personal interactions with the police. Having to put that aside has been my own personal challenge.”

Like a lot of Black mothers, Wilkerson says she’s had “the talk” with her son, the one about how to survive encounters with law enforcement.

“I said, ‘BJ, All you got to do is to live to fight another day,’” Wilkerson recalls telling her son. “You’ve got to get home safe, and we’ll take it on, but you can’t do it if you’re not alive.”

Wilkerson brings that experience to the council dais. But she also stresses how much she doesn’t want to be tokenized or reduced to a councilwoman who only represents the Black community. She

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I feel like I’m on a trapeze wire. My fall could be real heavy and hard.

THE BLACK LENS

But some votes hit harder than others. A month after Spokane Police launched tear gas at both looters and peaceful protesters demonstrating against police brutality, Wilkerson had to decide whether to agree to vote for a proposed Police Guild contract that was met with unprecedented community opposition.

“NO POLICE CONTRACT Without Complete Independent Oversight” read a full-page black-and-white advertisement in the Spokesman-Review, arguing that the contract chipped away at police oversight.

The ad was signed by 21 African-American leaders, including Black Lens publisher Sandy Williams, the heads of the NAACP and Spokane Community Against Racism, and a number of Black pastors.

It was all paid for by the Carl Maxey Center, an African-American community center. Wilkerson — the first Black woman on the Spokane City Council since Roberta Greene stepped down in 2003 — serves as the president of the Carl Maxey Centery’s board.

Wilkerson says she abstained on the

describes the precarious balancing act of both representing her own experience and representing everyone in her district.

“I feel like I’m on a trapeze wire,” Wilkerson says. “My fall could be real heavy and hard.”

As a councilwoman, she went on a police ride-along and got the opportunity to look through the eyes of an officer.

“My problem isn’t the police. I have met some amazing men who are committed to caring for us in the community,” Wilkerson says, explaining her vote. “I too support the police. ... Don’t get this twisted.”

But she also says that she doesn’t want Black children to grow up fearing those who are supposed to protect them. “’You cannot allow the police to investigate themselves,.’” she says, quoting Carl Maxey — the Black civil rights lawyer for whom the Carl Maxey Center is named: “We are in a nation where many Black voices are being heard, and many for the first time,” Wilkerson says. “As an African American councilwoman, as a Black woman, I want to say, ‘I hear you, I see you, and I feel your pain.’”

35 W. Main, Spokane Mon-Sat 12-5:30 and by appointment (509) 464-7677 • kizurispokane.com

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