Every week, we go out and ask people a question related to the week’s paper. We call them “Peeps,” short for “Person on the Street.” For our 30th anniversary issue, we sought out folks who we thought would have something interesting or unique to say about the Inlander and the work we’ve done over the past thirty years.
Here’s what they had to say.
SHARMA SHIELDS
Author and writing education specialist at Spokane Public Libraries
Why is the Inlander important to you?
No one covers the arts in our town like the Inlander — it’s how I learn about exhibits, emerging artists, music performances, forthcoming books from local writers, and more. And as a public library employee, it is such a benefit to the library programming I run when the Inlander features one of our events. Thank you for always spreading the word and making our town a more literary and artistic space!
Why do you pick up the Inlander each week?
To engage with my community, especially the arts community.
Do you have a favorite memory associated with the Inlander or a favorite story that you remember?
The first memory that comes to mind was Mike Bookey’s article about me when my first novel, The Sasquatch Hunter’s Almanac, was published [“Monsters & Demons,” Jan. 22, 2015]. I was terrified for the article to be published, because I came clean to all of Spokane in it, admitting to lies I’d told publicly when I was in high school (lies that landed me on the front page of the Spokesman-Review and much more) and spoke about my getting sober. I expected all of Spokane to react angrily to the piece—letters to the editor about what a horrible person I was, like I endured when I was 17—but this didn’t happen; the effect was healing for me. Young Kwak took a great photo for the cover of me standing in a haunted forest, and the profile was nominated for an Association of Alternative Media Award. I’m grateful to the Inlander for the chance to be so vulnerable in my hometown and to have my novels uplifted in this profound way. Keep doing what you do! (MADISON PEARSON)
AL FRENCH
Republican Spokane County Commissioner
Why do you pick up the Inlander each week?
I appreciate the coverage you provide and having a balanced source of news. Doing what you’re doing, reminding the community about the role you’ve played in shaping Spokane in the last 30 years is important because a lot of the time we have a tendency to forget that. This serves as a friendly reminder to say, “Oh yeah, I remember that.”
Do you have a favorite story that we’ve written?
Oh, I’ve been here since the beginning of time, so there are way too many to count. (COLTON RASANEN)
TANYA RIORDAN
Policy and Advocacy Director for Save Our Wild Salmon
Why is the Inlander important to you?
Important topics and community conversations can often get prematurely swept away by the next big headline or news cycle. The Inlander is often one of the only local news formats that provides thoughtful, accessible journalism regarding important community issues — creating a more thorough and lasting dialogue and understanding.
Why do you pick up the Inlander every week?
Mostly I read the Inlander to hear and learn more about pressing community issues — and the various perspectives that the Inlander shares and represents. I don't always agree of course, but it's helpful to understand how others are approaching issues.
What's your favorite Inlander story you've read?
Some of my favorite and most memorable articles have been written by community activists challenging the status quo, speaking up about harmful systems and ideologies, and offering a glimpse into the impact on people's lives through sharing their personal stories and experiences. (SUMMER SANDSTROM)
RICH COWAN
Producer at Studio A and co-founder of North by Northwest
Why is the Inlander important to you?
I think it's essential for the vibrancy of our community. It’s a fantastic, weekly paper that is really up on things. They're doing in depth journalism. I think that's essential for any community, particularly a community the size of Spokane.
Why do you pick up the Inlander each week?
I pick it up because I want to stay in touch with the community. I mean, I also subscribe to the Spokesman and listen to KPBX…. but The Inlander basically fills a lot of the gaps that the other sources of information just can't do now.
Do you have a favorite or most memorable story from the first 30 years of the Inlander?
It might be a little self-serving, but back in 1998 we did a movie here called The Basket. And The Inlander did a cover story on it [“Homegrown Cinema,” Aug. 18, 1999]. And I think that really helped spark interest in that [film]. It started playing at the AMC and played for 12 weeks there. But it spurred interest and then MGM bought it. So I think you could say The Inlander contributed to the success of that [movie]. It really opened the doors to other clients. It had a long-term positive benefit for the arts community.
Do you have a favorite local movie from the past 30 years?
There's a really cool movie we did called Mozart and the Whale. It starred Josh Harnett, Radha Mitchell, and was written by the guy who wrote Rain Man. It's a good movie.
Do you have any favorite moviegoing experiences from the past three decades?
The Basket came out in the theaters here when the AMC [River Park Square] first opened. It was sort of the feature movie of the grand opening. My son Casey was in the [film], playing Karen Allen’s nine-year old son. And I remember it was really cute… one afternoon, [my son’s school] came to watch the movie.
Are there any Spokane news stories that you feel like should be adapted into a movie?
There's a book that Timothy Egan wrote called Breaking Blue. It's about Tony Bamonte solving a murder case that was active for about 50 years. And I'm actually working on that project right now, working on the script for it and developing it. It’ll be an eight-part TV show, not a movie, but it’s a significant event and a great story. (SETH SOMMERFELD)
LARAE WILEY
Executive Director of the Salish School of Spokane
Why do you read the Inlander?
To see what’s going on in the arts world, to check the ads for new restaurants, to see honest treatment of our local struggles to build a good society.
Is there a specific type of story you look to read when you pick up a copy?
Arts and equity are the big grabs for me. Interesting, non-commercial music, dance and theater, and stories that confront inequity and inspire us to action.
Do you have a favorite story that we’ve published?
Many years ago, like maybe 12, 13 years, the Inlander did a cover story on local efforts to revitalize Salish languages. The piece was written by Kevin Taylor, and it was, and may still be, one of the best pieces written about the work to bring back our local Indigenous languages [“Saving Salish,” May 27, 2009]. It was ground-breaking to have that as the cover story, and it began something big that culminated in the Salish language Inlander cover from the fall of 2022.
What’s the best way to celebrate a 30-year anniversary?
The best way to celebrate a 30-year anniversary is to recognize what has been accomplished in truth telling and ending oppression and understanding that there is still a lot to do to bring important, authentic stories to the forefront.
What can we do to better?
Keep being brave! Tell truth to power! Bring out community visions for what our future can hold if we work together to beat inequity, and take responsibility for climate change. (COLTON RASANEN)
BRIAN RITTER
General Manager of the Fox Theater
Why is the Inlander important to you?
I appreciate the arts coverage and the support that the Inlander gives to all of the performing arts.
Why do you pick up the Inlander each week?
To find out what's going on in town. And I also appreciate the coverage of local news.
Do you have a favorite local concert you’ve seen over the past 30 years?
Well, there were two. We did a concert with David Byrne in 2009 here at the theater [“It Will All Make Sense,” Feb. 12, 2009]. That was amazing. And then we also did a solo Chris Cornell concert in 2016 [“Chris Cornell mesmerizes for three hours at The Fox,” ran online July 21, 2016]. Both days were pretty electric in the halls. When you have the opportunity to present someone who you personally admire and are a fan of, that can also be that bonus.
Do you have any favorite local performers from the past three decades?
You know, I was a big fan of Supersparkle. (SETH SOMMERFELD)
RICK MISTERLY
Co-owner of Quillisascut Farm
Why is the Inlander important to you?
Until quite recently, a copy of the Inlander was my usual request for anyone coming up from Spokane if they asked, “What can I bring?” For someone in rural Stevens County this method or a trip to Spokane was the only way to stay informed with what was happening in the big city. As someone who likes to keep up on the “news,” there were other forms of media that would suffice but the Inlander filled in those blanks left out by the mainstream sources. For an independent perspective, the Inlander provides the best coverage of many topics but the Arts and Culture stories are my favorites and what I would otherwise miss without it. Also, when we are lucky enough to read a piece of short fiction by one of Spokane’s talented writers we should all realize how lucky we are that this publication exists. I am happy to say that now I can pop into my local branch of the Stevens County Rural Library and grab a copy. That is if I get there before they have all been snatched up by others in my community eager for a good dose of progressive reportage and culture. Congrats on your 30th anniversary. (ELIZA BILLINGHAM)
AMBER WALDREF
Democratic Spokane County Commissioner
Why do you read the Inlander?
What I love about the Inlander is that, obviously, it’s free to the reader which makes it accessible to everyone in our community. It’s a wonderful way of leveling the field of access. It covers a variety of things from arts to politics to culture, to what’s going on in our region. It’s pretty amazing that a publication can cover key news but also arts and culture in the same newspaper, and it’s done well.
Do you have a favorite story that we’ve published?
I definitely have a favorite cover, the one in the Salish language [Editor’s note: “es yoyotwíl̓šm n̓qelixʷcnm” or “The Salish Resurgence,” Nov. 17, 2022]. I loved it! It was such an amazing way to recognize history and culture. We’re so used to picking things up primarily in English but the entire cover was in Salish, which reminds folks of where we all came from and who was here before us. I also enjoy your coverage of affordable housing and homelessness. The Inlander has done a good job of digging deep into the why — not just that homelessness has increased — but looking at the root causes. You’ve done a good job at having some really challenging pieces. It’s writing that’s just as good as you would see in other larger publications that people have to pay for. (COLTON RASANEN)
DAVE SCHAUB
Executive Director of the Inland Northwest Land Conservancy
Why is the Inlander important to you?
I love the format, first of all. A local weekly is just a way to deliver content and update the community about events and happenings in a way that is really digestible for me.
Why do you pick up the Inlander every week?
I pick it up because I know that there will be something engaging, interesting and provoking that I find in its pages.
What's your favorite Inlander story that you've read or that you remember reading?
Most recently I loved Tim Connor's piece on swimming in the Spokane River with Redband trout [“Wild Redbands, the River and Me,” Sept. 14, 2023]. And that's really tied to the work that we do at the Inland Northwest Land Conservancy. I like your environmental coverage and that one in particular was a great personal narrative of Tim's relationship with Redband trout, and by extension the river and the people that work to protect the river. (SUMMER SANDSTROM)
KURTIS ROBINSON
President of the Spokane NAACP, founder of I Did the Time
Why is the Inlander important to you?
You all have had such an intentionality about being authentic about the subjects that you’re going after. You take a real look. You walk it through: How do we get a balanced perspective about this, what’s the real truth? And you try to tell that story in a way that not only captures the meat of the issue and the context that people need to know, but you present it in a very palatable way that’s easy to digest.
Do you have a favorite story that you remember?
One story that meant something to me, Daniel [Walters] did it, on the Larry Haskell’s wife issue and naming the cognitive dissonance that people have [“Lesley Haskell, wife of Spokane County Prosecutor, calls herself ‘White nationalist,’ uses N-word as slur,” ran online Jan. 27, 2022]. I appreciate that when I pick up the Inlander it’s not just gonna be about the meaty stuff, it’s community, and human family, arts, festivals, places to eat, I just love it. (SAMANTHA WOHLFEIL)
CELESTE SHAW
Owner Chaps, Cafe Coco, Lucky Vintage
Happy anniversary Inlander. There is commitment in your reporting. It's complicated to be the voice with a focus on ordinary and extraordinary people. You are the storytellers with diligent purpose. Your story and my story became our story. For 30 years within your pages our history has been revealed only to be eclipsed by objective stories of here and now, or in the pursuit of an inspiring future. You have blazed the trail to illuminate our community as an unbiased, impartial resource. (ELIZA BILLINGHAM)
JESS WALTER
Author
Why is the Inlander important to you?
I’m constantly impressed by the paper, its features, its in-depth reporting and writing, and its arts coverage. I think it has been a big part of the growth and renaissance of Spokane over the past 25 or 30 years. At a time when more than a fourth of all newspapers have folded, and when so many alternative papers have struggled or cut their production or gone out of business (from the Village Voice to the Stranger), it’s remarkable to have such a smart, steady second source of written news in Spokane. (ELIZA BILLINGHAM)
CHANDLER WHEELER
Outreach Manager at Odyssey Youth Movement
Why is the Inlander important to you?
I grew up in Harrison, in rural North Idaho, and the Inlander was a window into news in the broader Inland Northwest; reading the Inlander gave teenage me the ability to envision a future beyond my small hometown. I have many great memories of reading the Inlander with my mom when we'd visit the Jamba Juice in Coeur d'Alene, particularly the Cheers & Jeers section.
Why do you think we're important to the community in the Inland Northwest?
The Inlander is one of the few print news sources that is completely free for folks to read, which is incredibly important in a day & age where much of our civics education is locked behind a paywall. The ability to engage in current events without needing to buy a subscription or have access to a digital platform is essential to accessibility.
Is there an ideal way to celebrate a 30th anniversary?
I work at Odyssey Youth Movement and last year was our 30th anniversary. We had a very fun, very gay brunch at the Ruby River Hotel where we debuted our archive collection with pics & documents dating back to the very early days of Odyssey's existence. But, we also set aside time at the brunch to look ahead to the next 30 years; to how we can continue to build on the work we've done to expand the fight for LGBTQ+ youth equity. Honoring the past by looking towards the future seems like a pretty ideal way to celebrate! (COLTON RASANEN)
ANA TRUSTY
Communication Director for Mujeres in Action
Why is the Inlander important to you?
I think it keeps me up to date with local happenings and also the news portion is pretty in depth. It has serious stories that I get to learn more about what’s going on in the area. I like that it’s readily available and it’s free.
Do you have a favorite story that you remember?
I actually went back to the archives to see if any story kind of spurred my memory and saw the Rachel Dolezal one. Just the title itself is hilarious [“Black and White,” June 18, 2015]. I was impressed that, wow Spokane, there’s a lack of diversity here if that happened. You all do such an amazing job. It’s real journalism and it’s readily available. I also like the fun part, like the Jeers and I Saw You part, those are what I read first. (SAMANTHA WOHLFEIL)
BILL BROOKS
Republican Kootenai County Commissioner
Why is the Inlander important to you?
I like the Inlander a lot. It’s the depth of the articles. When I was in radio (I love news) I really hated what we used to call rip-and-read news that came in at the radio station on a teletype. You could always tell when somebody dashed into the studio and ripped off the articles that were ticking off, that came in on a long roll of paper. A bad journalist, who wasn’t a journalist at all, would always do rip-and-read, they would never read the story first. They’d run into the control room and read a handful of stories. Some were correct and some were not. Some were accurate and some were not. The Inlander is not rip-and-read. You take your time and you get into a lot of different aspects of the story and don’t just go for the cheap shots.
Do you have a favorite story that you remember?
I thought you did an excellent job on the Béla Kovacs thing [“Appraising Failure, Sept. 29, 2022]. Somebody needed to write that story and do that research, and you guys did. He’s exactly who we don’t want in government. (SAMANTHA WOHLFEIL)
GINGER EWING
Executive Director and co-founder of Terrain
Why is the Inlander important to you?
In a world where 30-second sound bites reign supreme, I appreciate the Inlander’s wide-ranging coverage of various subject matters and the caliber of writers the paper has staffed over the years.
The Inlander, in a way, is also how Terrain began. Our co-founders were introduced to each other after being featured in a 2008 cover story by Luke Baumgarten and Joel Smith [“Twenty Under 30,” April 10, 2008]. And if that weren’t serendipitous enough, it’s also how Luke and I met. He interviewed me for that same story, we began dating, and were ultimately married seven years later. So it’s safe to say that the Inlander has had a huge impact on me both personally and professionally.
Why do you pick up the Inlander each week?
The stories I cherish the most are the stories not being covered by anyone else, and that expose the diverse underpinnings of our city as a whole. That punk show being held in someone’s basement, the pop-up art show focused on Black maternal health, or public fixtures like tambourine man, who make Spokane, Spokane.
What is your favorite memory or moment that you think about when you think of art in Spokane over the past 30 years?
I’m going to be that person and list more than one, cause there’s far too many to narrow it down.
Hip hop shows at the B-Side and any show at the Bartlett. Uncharted: Terrain’s partnership with the Spokane Symphony, and I’ll never forget Harold Balazs standing in the middle of the Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture, his gorgeous, weathered hands raised in the air delightfully exclaiming “Where did all these young people come from,” when Terrain partnered with the MAC for Need/Want and Uncharted back in 2013. NOTE: The Globes and Y La Bamba also played that show. I LOVED the interactive chalk mural by visiting artist Ryan Feddersen at City Hall, Michah P. Hinson's performance at One Heart Native Arts and Film Festival, the many years of Elkfest, and when we met a father/son duo who drove across the country to see the Black Lives Matter mural. Our partnership with Get Lit! when artists Kate Vita, Richard Vander Wende, and Chelsea Hendrickson brought Sharma Shield’s and Benjamin Percy’s books to life. Rajah Bose’s immersive site-specific installation in this year’s Terrain — HE PLAYED FOR 5 HOURS STRAIGHT — and everything by the Divine Jewels. I’d be remiss not to mention Stage Left, and all the incredible work they're producing, as well as Laboratory and their work focused on interactive artists over the years. Like I said, there are so many people creating impactful work, I could go on and on. (MADISON PEARSON)
DENNIS HESSION
Former Mayor of Spokane and City Council President
Why do you pick up the Inlander?
Being a weekly gives you an opportunity to not be just a newspaper. You’re not trying to cover what happens every day, so your focus gets to be a little more directed and you get to focus on specific issues and people. I like the Inlander because it’s a little edgy, often you’re more willing to probe a bit and you get more insights from that that you might otherwise not get covered if you were more superficial.
Do you have a favorite story from us?
I do remember one about the Rookery building, and my efforts to save the Rookery [“Rookery or Snookery?” Nov. 24, 2005]. In my political career, I’ve been a subject of many articles, so I have a bit of a different perspective. You’re not always quite happy how you’re written about.
Do you think we were fair in our coverage during your political career?
I think overall sure. On an individual basis, sometimes I didn’t like that perspective, but overall the commentary and reporting has been fair. (COLTON RASANEN)
AMANDA PARRISH
Executive Director of the Lands Council
Why is the Inlander important to you?
I think that the Inlander is really deeply in touch with our community. I think your stories are just so community driven and I really learn about all parts of the Inland Northwest through the Inlander.
What's your favorite in the story that you've read?
I remember one of the articles that really stands out was all the coverage about Juggalos [fans of the hip hop duo Insane Clown Posse]. I think this was like back in 2010 or 12 or something like that [“A Family Affair,” June 9, 2010]. I just love highlighting all these sort of small, niche community groups that are present in Spokane and in the Northwest and covering their perspectives.
When you pick up the Inlander, what do you look forward to reading the most?
I really appreciate the opinion pieces and the diversity of people that the Inlander has writing those opinion pieces. (SUMMER SANDSTROM)
