ADVENTURES IN A JEEP Y EVENTS CALENDAR
WENATCHEE VALLEY’S
NUMBER ONE MAGAZINE
June 2019
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JUNE 13
Bring a donation of pet food to the ballpark and get $1 off a hot dog or admission. Meet adoptable dogs from the Wenatchee Valley Humane Society. Get tips on saving energy and staying safe this summer.
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Contents
page 20
100-plus year old farmhouse restored
Cashmere home in 1915 Features
7 ARRIVING IN A SCHOOL BUS
Newlyweds made a multi-state journey to a mountain top outside of Leavenworth, and stayed to make a life
9 adventures in a jeep
Two women, a map and a compass in the middle of a desert? These women would pay money to go on that journey
11 bee love
Couple gets a buzz from this hobby and business — and are eager to share the honey
14 camp tales
If you want to be a member in good standing in this family, you had better love camping
16 learning about hard money of mexico
So... What Brings You Here?
Dale Foreman stumbles across a booth at a market selling well-worn metal tokens and learns some painful history of ag workers
18 family meet-up in copenhagen
Family use clever strategies to see the sights in one of the world’s most expensive cities
20 farmhouse saved from the fire
Master builder and his wife saw the great “bones” in this orchard derelict, and restored the classic house to glory
We’re living The Good Life here… how about you? Tell us your story: What brought you to our area? Was it love of a special person that got you to move, economic opportunity, the weather (300 days of sunshine, right?), the beauty of the four seasons, schools and/or health care facilities, wanting a small community for your children to grow up in? Or, was it something else? Or, were you born here, liked it so much you never left?
Art sketches n Writers group lead by Jim Tarbert, page 28 n Artist Cam Elder, page 32 Columns & Departments 6 A bird in the lens: Flying in from afar, the Gray Catbird 25 Pet Tales: Dog day in the park 26 The traveling doctor: Adults need shots, too 27 June Darling: The healing power of nature 28-35 Arts & Entertainment & a Dan McConnell cartoon 35 History: Long Jim, last chief of the Chelans 38 That’s life: Wisdom from kindergartners June 2019 | The Good Life
Share the story of the moment when you decided you wanted to live here — right here — and perhaps win our best story award of $100 in cool, green cash. Selected stories will be published later this summer. Send stories — along with digital photos — to editor@ncwgoodlife.com Hurry… share your unique story. And then get on back to living The Good Life.
www.ncwgoodlife.com Subscribe online at: www.ncwgoodlife.com www.ncwgoodlife.com
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OPENING SHOT
®
Year 13, Number 6 June 2019 The Good Life is published by NCW Good Life, LLC, dba The Good Life PO Box 2142 Wenatchee, WA 98807 PHONE: (509) 888-6527 EMAIL: editor@ncwgoodlife.com sales@ncwgoodlife.com ONLINE: www.ncwgoodlife.com FACEBOOK: https://www. facebook.com/NCWGoodLife Editor/Publisher, Mike Cassidy Contributors, Amanda Newell, Dale Blair, Teri McGarr, Mary Kostka, Jaana Hatton, Linda Reid, Dale Foreman, Keith Kellogg, Pat KanisWolfe, Bruce McCammon, Donna Cassidy, Jim Brown, June Darling, Dan McConnell, Susan Lagsdin and Rod Molzahn Advertising: Lianne Taylor Bookkeeping and circulation, Donna Cassidy Proofing, Dianne Cornell Ad design, Clint Hollingsworth Video editor, Aaron Cassidy TO SUBSCRIBE: For $25, ($30 out of state address) you can have 12 issues of The Good Life mailed to you or a friend. Send payment to: The Good Life PO Box 2142 Wenatchee, WA 98807 For circulation questions, email: donna@ncwgoodlife.com EVENTS: donna@ncwgoodlife.com BUY A COPY of The Good Life at Safeway stores, Mike’s Meats at Pybus, Martin’s Market Place (Cashmere) and Dan’s Food Market (Leavenworth)
A previous winner in the “Water” category is this photo of a raging water through the Icicle gorge by Dale Blair.
2019 ‘Picture Chelan County’ contest begins
By Amanda Newell
From the ridge tops to the
valley bottom, Chelan County provides residents and visitors alike with a spectacular place to live, work and play. In celebration of everything the county’s natural resources provide, the Cascadia Conserva-
tion District will host a photo contest. Anyone age 13 and up who shares our appreciation for Chelan County’s natural resources is invited to participate. Entries will be accepted from interested members of the public for six categories including: plants, wildlife, agriculture, recreation, landscapes and water. If funding allows, the winning photos will also be included in a 2020 stewardship calendar. The calendar will be designed to include suggestions of things citizens can do to be better
ADVERTISING: For information about advertising in The Good Life, contact Lianne Taylor at (509) 6696556 or lianne@ncwgoodlife.com WRITE FOR THE GOOD LIFE: We welcome articles about people from Chelan and Douglas counties. Send your idea to Mike Cassidy at editor@ncwgoodlife.com
The Good Life® is a registered trademark of NCW Good Life, LLC. Copyright 2019 by NCW Good Life, LLC. CAKE
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natural resource stewards. The contest is open through Oct. 1. Submit entries on the photo contest page of Cascadia’s website: http://cascadiacd.org/ photo-contest_347.html. If you have questions about the contest or would like to be a sponsor contact: AmandaL@ cascadiacd.org.
Amanda Newell is the Education and Outreach Specialist for Cascadia Conservation District.
On the cover Teri McGarr took the photo of a Saskatraz honeybee gathering pollen from an anemone flower. Donna Cassidy took the inset photo of Teri’s “bee-loved” husband Lee. He is not worried about being stung by honeybees that are enjoying a bowl containing Pink Himalayan sea salt. He has only been stung four times in the past four years — not counting the time he was stung three times in five minutes by a hive made anxious by threatening weather.
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editor’s notes
MIKE CASSIDY
Contest: Why did you move here? My wife, Donna, was born
in Wenatchee, so maybe it’s not fair to say “we moved here,” but we did… almost 35 years ago. We were living in a classic, older residential area of Seattle in a fixer-upper we had purchased for about $80,000 (ahhh, those were the days!) when we noticed neighboring homes were selling for over $100,000. Our oldest child was approaching school age, and motivated by an uncertainty about our jobs in the 1980’s economy, and our desire to be in our own business, we found a newspaper broker who steered us to what he called “a great opportunity” in Cashmere at a weekly newspaper that “needed a fresh infusion of energy.” We later learned that “fresh infusion of energy” really meant working six days a week and then cleaning up the odds and sods on Sunday, while pouring whatever profit we made from our house sale into keeping our beloved business alive. But on the perfectly sunny Saturday in June with our broker walking the Cashmere downtown beside us, all we saw was a perfect “model” town, with its own bank, its own bakery (nicely adjacent to the newspaper office), a main street lined with businesses — just needing a little shove from us to become steady advertisers, according to the broker — and all-in-all, a wonderful place to raise an expanding family. His glowing words, along with the fact Donna had family locally, (built-in babysitters, mentioned the broker, for the occasional night when we might work late), sealed the deal and
we moved east. Looking back, it took us a decade or more to reach the level of pay we left behind in the big city, and if we would have just held onto our home there, we likely would be millionaires today. However, as a lifestyle, the move was a wonderful decision, as was our later move to Wenatchee. I was reminiscing about that walk through Cashmere recently as “the moment” when we made the decision to move here. My next thought was: Since I hear anecdotes of people move here for so many different reasons, let’s have a contest asking our readers why did they move here… what was the moment that lit up the light bulb setting the process in motion? So tell us: Was it love of a special person that got you to move, economic opportunity, the weather (300 days of sunshine, right?), the beauty of the four seasons, schools and/or health care facilities, wanting a small community for your children to grow up in? Or, was it something else? Or, if you were born here, tell us a moment that confirmed your reasons for never leaving. We want to publish some of these stories later this summer — and one writer will win our prize of $100 in cool cash. Send your story of 300-500 words or so — along with digital photos you may have — to editor@ncwgoodlife.com. Hurry — people move, and so does time. The right move can be a fresh start at enjoying The Good Life. — Mike June 2019 | The Good Life
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column a bird in the lens
Winging in from afar: the Gray Catbird T
By Bruce McCammon
he birds we see in north central Washington during the summer months are different from those we see other times of year. Migrating birds add variety and mystery to our birdwatching. I don’t know a single bird enthusiast who doesn’t look forward to spring or fall migrations. Different birds Bruce McCammon appear daily is retired, coloror weekly. blind and enjoys Anticipaphotographing the birds in north cention builds tral Washington. this time of year and the birds rarely disappoint. There are about 10,000 bird species around the globe, most of which we will never see in
Know of someone stepping off the beaten path in the search for fun and excitement? E-mail us at editor@ncwgoodlife.com
central Washington. A selection of bird checklists shows that Washington state enjoys nearly 500 species. One of these is a seasonal migrant, the Gray Catbird, which winters as far away as the West Indies and visits us during the summer. This bird is slightly smaller than an American Robin and much more elusive. Robins are easily seen as they cavort in our yards and parks. Catbirds tend to skulk in the
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depths of dense vegetation as they forage for insects, berries or seeds. They are gray-bodied with a black cap — a combination that does not show up readily as they move around in low, dense vegetation at the edges of openings. Finding them usually results from seeing movement or, perhaps, hearing them and following the sounds. The Gray Catbird is a mockingbird and, as such, has a wide variety of songs and calls.
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Mockingbirds can mimic a lot of other bird’s songs or calls. The Gray Catbird will imitate the calls of jays, kingfishers, swallows, grosbeak and others. But their signature sound is when they call out sounding like a cat’s meow. It’s a distinctive sound that you will instantly recognize. Don’t be fooled and look down to find the hidden feline, look up and watch for movement. With any luck, you’ll spot a Gray Catbird.
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MY WORLD // a personal essay
They came in a school bus camper and stayed to make a life Y
By Mary Kostka
esterday, I was going through the mail and looked at the most recent issue of The Good Life and just smiled. I thought to myself, “Yes living here has really been the good life for the past 30 years.” I had returned home from a dinner out with my 20-year-old son, Nikolai. We had just spontaneously joined his preschool “teacher Linda” and her husband for dinner in Leavenworth. The evening was filled with laughter and joyous memories from his third and fourth year of life. He remembered her spring pussy willows brushed on the children’s soft cheeks with their eyes closed and the field trips to the art studio and Dairy Queen. She was sweet and patient with his need to ease in and take it all in at that young age. She was the first step in developing a confident man who loves public speaking. What really got me was the fact that we live in such an amazing community that an evening like this could take place. I never just ran into a past teacher of mine. I grew up in the suburbs of L.A. and Chicago and never imagined in my wildest dreams that I would have spent the past 30 years living in the beautiful Cascade Mountains just outside
We lived in our school bus converted to a camper for five years while we built our home by hand on top of a mountain... the small town of Leavenworth. My husband, Pete, and I ventured out here just after graduating Occupational Therapy school and our wedding in August 1988. We had been attending school in Michigan and knew we wanted to live in a beautiful place. Movies filmed in the Pacific Northwest like Harry and the Hendersons inspired our decision. We lived in our school bus converted to a camper for five years while we built our home by hand on top of a mountain a couple of miles outside of Leavenworth with snowmobile-only access in the winters. (We were ahead of the times with the tiny house movement.) People thought we were crazy. Living off grid was not easy. We had an outhouse for five years and only a makeshift shower — I had to heat up water in a canning pot and had a little elec-
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June 2019 | The Good Life
Mary and Pete Kostka stand in front of their bus just prior to leaving Illinois as newlyweds to head west.
They have snowmobiled for 30 years up and down their road since it is a primitive county road with no snow plowing.
A view of the little kitchen of the bus, with a propane tank running a generator for electricity. www.ncwgoodlife.com
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They came in a school bus...
Over the years, my family left Illinois and moved out here as well. This gave us the opportunity to create a multigenerational home...
}}} Continued from previous page tric pump to move it from the canning pot to the shower. Still, the experience was also pretty amazing. Soon after we arrived, we were blown away when we went back to the bank and they remembered our names! We had never experienced that level of friendliness before. Now we can look back and see that our two boys got to grow up in nature in a loving small town. My oldest, Lukas, was recently supported by local friends and family to take advantage of an opportunity to attend an international zoo design conference in Poland. The support really moved me. Being able to stay here all these years has taken some creative twists and turns professionally. Pete became an electrician through the local program to fit a need in the community after working for Tree Top and Steven’s Pass. I spent a couple of years as a traveling fill-in occupational therapist for a national company — working from two weeks to three months at a time in hospitals, rehabilitation centers and skilled nursing facilities
Pete’s and Mary’s house as it looks now, with the original house on the left half. The larger part on the right is an addition added about 20 years ago to house Mary’s parents who moved here from Illinois.
The bucket list Have you recently crossed out an item on your bucket list — that list of goals you want to reach before you kick the bucket? Send us an e-mail — with pictures if possible — to: editor@ncwgoodlife.
The front porch has grapes Pete planted because they remind him of his grandfather who was saved in the war by eating grapes that he grew on his home in Czech Republic. The people are: back row 20-year-old son Nikolai and Mary’s mom Fran; front row Pete, his cousin Misa who was visiting from Czech Republic, Mary, and 22-year-old son Lukas.
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in the U.S. to keep us moving forward and then 10 years ago created my dream job by starting a pediatric private practice, ’Ohana Occupational Therapy after spending 17 years working in schools. I also created a community activity center, which was another dream come true. I think most people would be surprised to learn that Leavenworth has really diverse activities. I have enjoyed being part of the community through being part of a traditional hula halau (school) with Momi Palmieri for the past 15 years and have also had my own karate school, Dragon Mountain Martial Arts, for the past 13 years. Pete says if I don’t do both I get too grumpy. Another activity that keeps me happy is serving through our Leavenworth Rotary Club for the past 10 years. I love being part of the Youth Exchange Program and spending time with teens from all around the world. The one thing they consistently say about their experience here is how friendly everyone is. Over the years, my family left Illinois and moved out here as well. This gave us the opportunity to create a multi-generational home like Pete had in the Czech republic when he was a young boy. We have carved out a wonderful life here in the Upper Valley and never take it for granted. We feel blessed to be part of this community and are so glad we made the journey west in our old bus.
Two women and a Jeep equals adventure H
By Jaana Hatton
ere’s my question, even if you are the daring kind, would you volunteer to drive over 1,000 miles in the desert without a GPS, a cellphone or any other device other than a map and a compass? Tana White and Judy Russell cannot wait to do just that in Judy’s Jeep. The two friends — team “Do It Anyway” — are getting ready to participate in the Rebelle Rally in Oct. 10-19. A rally is a race for motor vehicles, traveled over a long distance usually with timed checkpoints. Their team name comes from Judy’s attitude, a slight defiance she has had since childhood about restrictions as to what a
girl can actually do. The limits to her life were based on medical issues: Judy had heart surgery at the age of five. Since then, she’s heard the constant warnings from family and doctors about not doing this, not doing that in case she exerts herself too much. In her young mind she decided to do it anyway. Still does. Tana will be going to the rally a second time. She completed it last year and loved it. Tana is familiar with Jeep travels through her husband and a group of overland drivers. Considering that Tana works as an occupational therapist and is the mother of young twin boys, she becomes someone different when she enters the rally. A Rebelle, for sure, a “I’ve-got-this”
Tana White, left, and Judy Russell aren’t afraid of bouncy rides and clouds of dust in the upcoming Rebelle Rally, or anywhere else on the backroads, as they navigate Judy’s Jeep on their adventures.
kind of a gal. What is the rally all about, then, what is the pull? “It’s about bonding,” Tana said. A drop-jaw moment for me. A bonding rally?
“It’s a race, but the teams do help each other,” she explained. “In the evenings, we share and get to know each other.” An incident that took place
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Tell us your secrets!
What are your favorite places and activities to keep summer visitors happy?
M
is always right when they’re staying at your house.
ow that lawn, trim those trees and send your Roomba on a search-and-destroy mission for any off-season dust and dirt because you have friends coming to town. Yes, folks, it’s time again for that annual spring and summer migration of out-oftown friends and relatives to our beautiful North Central Washington. They know a good thing when they see it. And no doubt they’ve seen it many times before as they all make a point each year to remember that you happen to
Cary Ordway, Central WA Experience
live in one of Washington’s premiere travel destinations. And, of course, they all know the price June 2019 | The Good Life
But our question to you is: how do you keep them happy? How do you quench their thirst for discovery and adventure as you put on your tour guide hat and hustle them around town -- or around the region? They may have wintered in Rome or summered in the Swiss Alps, but you want to make their visit to Wenatchee just as enjoyable and memorable. We really want to know. What are your secrets for showing them a good time around these www.ncwgoodlife.com
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parts? What’s always been especially well-received? What are the places and activities that always send your relatives home with a big smile on their faces. Kids activities? How about the older folks? What are some places and activities that might be kind of surprising? With your permission we’re going to pass some of those tips on to our Good Life Magazine readers later this summer. 1/ Email: getawaymediacorp@ gmail.com 2/ Text: 760-5216901 or 3/ Snail Mail: GMC, PO Box 2338, Chelan WA 98816
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last year during Tana’s participation illustrates the bonding aspect: Tana was the navigator, but the driver disagreed with the guidance and took a different route. A bad thing happened — the Jeep got stuck atop a large rock, becoming a see-saw. The vehicle would not move forward or backward; it just simply swayed atop the obstacle. Luckily another team came by and instead of waving Tana’s team good-bye, they stopped to help. Both teams were able to continue on and finish the day’s mileage. What’s more, Tana didn’t get any more arguments from the driver for the rest of the rally. Last year, Tana took turns between navigating and driving, but this year, she only wants to be the map reader. “It’s hard to switch back and forth between the two positions,” she said. “I just want to focus on navigating.” Now, let’s imagine for a while: she cannot use any technology to aid her in staying on course, just a printed map and an old-fashioned compass. And her brain. As the driver deals with the gas pedal and the steering wheel, the navigator has to look at the surroundings and transfer that mental image onto the map, constantly making sure the team is headed in the right
direction. It’s a bit like watching a movie in fast-forward and keeping up with the plot. There are times when the navigator has nothing to focus on but sand dunes. No landmarks, no roads, just sand. That’s when the compass is the only friend the team has — and the brain, in calculating distances driven. “We are going to start practicing together soon,” Judy said. Tana lives on the east side of the mountains, in Cashmere, while Judy is from the west side. However, Judy and her husband have a second residence near Cashmere, where they also spend time. They are also going to participate in the training class, which the organizers of the Rebelle Rally offer before the actual race. The Rebelle Rally webpage describes the race as “not a race of speed, but a unique and demanding event based on the elements of headings, hidden checkpoints, time and distance using maps, compass and road book.” It covers over 1,243 miles across the Nevada and California desert land. There is something else that can happen during the intense week of competition: an internal transformation, a journey of the soul. “My husband said I was different when I came back,” Tana said, referring to last year’s experience. “Different in a good
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way.” She acted more confident. Her work skills improved. She gave birth to their twin boys and later, earned a promotion. Tana found her “I’ve-got-this” groove. After all, when you are responsible for finding the way along unknown, unpaved and even unmarked terrain, only relying on your skills with the compass and map, it must feel pretty good to end up at the intended spot every night, knowing you did it, and will do it again tomorrow. For Judy, such mental transformation has been happening all along the way, even before the rally. First, due to her physical issues in childhood and later, having to prove that she can, indeed, handle a Jeep. “I had wanted a Jeep for 30 years,” she said. “I was always the passenger — now I’m driving.” That was milepost one. Then, she gained prestige in the ranks of overland drivers: milepost two. “Last year, I was the sweeper, the last one in the line of vehicles.” The sweeper follows the rest of the group, making sure nothing and no-one is left behind. And probably, the position involves eating a lot of dust. “Now I’m leading,” Judy said with a smile and sitting a little taller. Judy has to feel in charge and capable while caring for
her four-year old grandson and 94-year old mother. Navigating daily life when two people rely on you has its demands. The Rebelle Rally is one of Judy’s bucket list items. She has the enthusiasm, the know-how in driving on rough terrain and the team spirit. And of course the 2016 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, Judy’s “go everywhere” vehicle. The race is done safely and with strict rules: the rulebook is 25 pages long. Helmets are required and a long list of other items relating to safety. Every night, the teams end up at a camp where showers and food await. Everyone is accounted for and there is help in case of injuries and vehicle issues. It’s not about making things hard, but making things right. Rebelle Rally is not free: the cost for a two-member team is $12,000. That is just the basic fee, not including getting there, gas and any other additional expenses. On the other hand, the rally provides the participants with three meals a day, water, shelter and facilities. For more information, go to www.rebellerally.com. Jaana Hatton is a Wenatchee resident of five years. She loves the outdoors better than the indoors and can be found roaming around on two feet or two wheels. Life is full of adventures, sometimes two miles from home, sometimes 2,000, and every day a possibility to embark on a new one.
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Wenatchee Racquet & Athletic Club
Bee the solution Beekeeping is a way to help planet Earth, but hey, it’s a buzz, too
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By Dan McConnell
ee McGarr is an electrician who works for Beckstead Electric or BE for short... and speaking of BE, he’s a BEe man. We met Lee and Teri McGarr through Lee’s job on our kitchen remodel. He walked into our house on the first day of his job with us and told me he’d gotten stung while feeding his bees a protein pack and sugar mix to keep them healthy during the Arctic cold we were getting that week. For his compassionate care, he got stung. “No good deed goes unpunished,” so they say. But on the bright side, he gets relief from the arthritis in his hand from the bee stings... after the swelling goes down. Lee and his wife Teri own Wenatchee Valley Bee and Supply LLC. Their motto is “By Beekeepers, for Beekeepers.” When they are not working with their own hives, they are mentoring new beekeepers from all over the valley. Initially before this whole bee adventure got started, Teri found she had time on her hands and wanted to start some kind of business. The three main possibilities that sounded good to her were Avon and Tupperware and bees. Lee really liked the idea of working with bees as much as Teri did, and so it began. Teri and Lee started as bee hobbyists, then another hive was given to them from Lee’s dad. And since the hives grow on their own, exponentially, they’ve gone from one hive to owning eight at last count. Initially Teri and Lee were drawn to bees because of their concern for negative environmental impacts they had read about causing hive declines and also from the news that bees were dying for several reasons associated with the impact of environment and pesticides. Having been an orchardist myself, I knew how cautious we had to be about perfectly timing our spray applications before the arrival of the bee hives in our orchard for the pollination season. We needed to give them four full days after spraying before the hives were brought into the orchard. By that time the sprays have dissipated from the sun and time and are no longer deadly to the bees.
Lee and Teri McGarr constructed a large climate-controlled shed in their backyard to protect the hives over the harsh winters.
Teri and Lee jumped into the bee business convinced becoming beekeepers would be good for them, good for the bees and subsequently good for the planet. In order to get started, they read all the books they could find on bees, plus online June 2019 | The Good Life
www.ncwgoodlife.com
information... but mostly books. Two of their favorites are Beekeeping for Dummies and Idiots Guide to Beekeeping. From their research, they felt confident enough about this idea of raising bees and
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Food & Drink Guide BEE Prefer To Relax At Home?
the solution }}} Continued from previous page
230 Grant Road, East Wenatchee
Order Out Your Favorite Meals To Go!!
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that it could blossom into something beneficial for all involved, bees and humans; they joined a beekeeping club and bought some bees. A few years later, as they were looking for supplies, they discovered there were no sources for bee supplies locally. They had bought their equipment and supplies online previously, so, undaunted, they decided to become beekeeping suppliers themselves. They now serve people from Okanogan and the greater Wenatchee Valley, on down to Yakima. In addition to the help they’re giving to the community of beekeepers and the environment, they’re about to embark on another important pilot project involving beekeeping combined with helping military veterans, called Beekeeping with Vets. Lee’s dad was a Korean War vet and so Lee is very excited about working with veterans who may be dealing with the after effects of war experiences. Giving the vets an opportunity to invest their time and focus (you have to be very focused when you’re working with bees) and energy in the worthwhile endeavor of raising bees is therapeutic, believes Lee. Last year, the McGarrs gave honey to cancer patients and to several charities: the Wellness Place, the VFW and the Lupus Foundation. They plan to have a “pet” charity again this year. Lee and Teri drew out more than 500 pounds of honey from their bees last year, leaving more than that for the bees themselves to live on. As each bee can produce 1/12th of a teaspoon of honey, that equaled
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Lee has a special beekeeper’s suit for granddaughter Jadelynn to work with the bees.
the work of a lot of bees. Before they started adding beehives to their place, Lee had a beautifully manicured, lawn and yard. Every weekend he weeded it. He thatched and mowed the lawn and the entire area was something to be proud of. Now, his landscaping has gone to a freer style. Lee and Teri’s lawn is covered in clovers and dandelions, and they leave the weeds for the bees so the pollen from all those flowers, clovers and various weeds will get into the honey for people with allergies. (When a person eats local honey, they are thought to be ingesting local pollen. Over time, a person may become less sensitive to this pollen. As a result, they may experience fewer seasonal allergy symptoms. One study found honey eaten at a high dose did improve a person’s allergy symptoms over
A bee in the hand: One of the joys of backyard beekeeping is sitting on the back deck, watching the critters at work... and sometimes close-up views by landing on you, say Lee and Teri.
A new queen (in the white box called a queen cage) is introduced to a hive, and the other bees work to free her.
a period of eight weeks. These studies were done with a small sample size so further largerscale studies are required. From Healthline.com) They have massive flowerbeds of wildflowers for the bees and watering stations all over the yard for the bees. They currently have water bowls out on their deck and in those bowls are sponges and wood chips. It’s like a little exquisite day spa for the bees. Lee decided to do an experiment and put pink Himalayan salt onto the sponge. Oh my, do the bees love it. You’d think he had put sugar out! From my years of growing tree fruit, I know it’s “Bee kind
to Bee’s Day” every day… and if you get stung your arthritis pain may go away… as soon as the swelling goes down. Lee’s and Teri’s company is Wenatchee Valley Bee & Supply LLC. Their apiary is Sierra Vista Bees, you can find them both on Facebook and at wenatcheevalleybeeandsupply@ gmail.com and Sierravistabees@ gmail.com Dan McConnell has lived in the Wenatchee Valley for 45 years on his pear/apple orchard (mostly pears) with his wife, Ann. He worked the orchard with his wife for 20 years and then leased it to his neighbor since then. These days he does cartoons most every day for The Good Life magazine and other lesser known publications. June 2019 | The Good Life
Lee installs a package of bees into an eight-frame hive. Each year, the McGarrs choose a charity to donate the honey from one hive to, with sales of honey from this hive going to the psp.org in memory of a friend’s wife who died recently from the rare, incurable neurological disease. Last year, Lee and Teri donated five gallons of honey to the lupus fund, which was sold for $447. www.ncwgoodlife.com
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Camp tales The itch to camp propels family into the outdoors, where sometimes, adversity makes the best stories — afterwards By Linda Reid
After a mostly sleepless night, we spent the next day having to carry Jason everywhere since the painful, itching blisters had spread to cover the bottoms of his feet.
N
o one has ever asked me to submit a camping resume to prove my expertise but I am prepared, just in case it happens, which would be most likely at this time of year when outdoor enthusiasts begin to anticipate summer camping trips. My resume would go something like this: First camping trip with my parents at age three in an improvised pup tent. Subsequent camping from British C0lumbia and Alberta to most of the WestLincoln Rock State ern states, all done in Park a VW bug with a topWe have been heavy, home-designed camping at Lincoln roof carrier. Rock since it first My future husband Three generations of campers (Linda and Ken Reid at right rear, plus their son, daughter and her two opened in 1981 when had to commit to children) rough it at Dungeness Spit on the Olympic Peninsula for some family time together back in our kids were just becoming a camper 2010. three and six. It has before marrying into my family. camping as long as we can still name a few of our favorites. Now become a place where we bike Our two children promised to light a Coleman stove without Lincoln Rock is 25 minutes from (now connected to the Apple Capital Loop Trail), walk, picbecome life-long campers after injury, can find our way to and our front door. nic during all four seasons and their first camping trips at ages from our destinations, and sucThe memories we have over reminisce about one of our most 4 months and 11 months, respec- cessfully back our little trailer the decades make these places unforgettable camping trips. tively. into our garage. and many others our anchors We might call it, “The Itch to As fourth generation campers, One of our criteria for choosto this part of the state. The Camp.” our grandchildren promised to ing Wenatchee as our retiresense of place they provided for We should have had the good carry on this legacy when they ment location was the proximity us beckoned us to not only visit sense to turn back to Seattle were initiated at 9 months and 2 of camping possibilities. The NCW but to make our home when our son, Jason (age 7), years, respectively. mostly reliable weather and the here. starting itching in Leavenworth. In 2016, after many decades of wide variety of natural beauty Now I invite you to step into Not yet knowing for sure what tenting, my husband and I broke make it irresistible to us. a few of our camping stories was causing his distress and protocol and bought a A-liner, We had spent a lifetime that just might motivate you to being the intrepid campers we pop up trailer, although we still traveling across the Cascades to create some camping memories were, we stopped and bought do at least one tenting trip every enjoy places like Lincoln Rock, of your own with your family or some calamine lotion and jouryear. Icicle River (Leavenworth), Lake friends. neyed on. We have plans to continue Wenatchee and Lake Chelan, to
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It soon became obvious this was the much-feared childhood disease of chickenpox. After a mostly sleepless night, we spent the next day having to carry Jason everywhere since the painful, itching blisters had spread to cover the bottoms of his feet. By late that afternoon we acknowledged we had been defeated, packed up our gear, waved farewell to Lincoln Rock and headed home. Camping adversities make the best stories later.
campsites occupied. Post Labor Day camping is one of the gifts I most appreciate as a retired teacher. I am guessing that some of you who have been reading this might not feel the same motivation to leave the comforts of home behind and follow “the call of the wild” to a campground, but we can’t imagine not having been life-long campers. Why is that true? There are many ways to answer that question, but the most important thing for us about camping has been the way all of those family camping trips bonded us to our kids through shared experiences that we still retell and pass on to the next generation 30-plus years
Icicle River Road The campgrounds on Icicle River Road are hard Ken and Linda always find camping a way to simplify their life, connect with nature and reto resist, with hiking charge their batteries. paths along the River and trails that climb up to pristine there with our kids and grandlater. camping adventures there took mountain lakes with perfect kids. They had a great time I put a book of “Grandma’s place when our daughter, Kimpicnic locations. building an almost seaworthy Camping Stories” together for berly, was about six years old. We took one of those lovely raft from wind-fall branches and my grandchildren for Christmas When Mom, Dad and little hikes and were ready to drive brother woke up in the morning, bungee cords. They also took ad- when they were four and seven. back to our campsite when we vantage of the still-almost-new The last page has a little poem she was missing. arrived at the trailhead and playground. I wrote for them, which I would She had decided to dress and discovered a ruptured radiator That following fall we atlike to also share with you. quietly slip out of the tent on hose in our 1977 Dodge Sportstended a lecture and film at the her own for an early morning man van. The only nearby water exploration (perhaps thinking it Wenatchee Valley Museum and Why Do We Camp? source was the river, so we filled would earn her the much covCultural Center and found out We love to sit by the campfire the radiator, opened our first aid eted “Junior Ranger” badge). an interesting fact: right after at night kit and bandaged the hose with the trees were planted at the And to sleep in our tent seems We flew out of the tent just adhesive tape, then “nursed” the in time to see her sheepishly Entiat Park, beavers planned just so right. van down the road (at least 10 an invasion and in one night’s Cooking outside and eating climbing up the bank from the miles) to have repairs made in worth of chipping away and there too creek behind our campsite, Leavenworth. chewing, they destroyed every Makes everything taste so soaking wet and covered with Camping offers you opportulittle tree, all of which needed to good, it’s true. mud. Let’s just say, it was a monities to be inventive. Watching for wildlife and takment to remember. It has always be replaced and beaver-proofed. Camping helps you appreciate ing a hike been a favorite camping story to Lake Chelan wildlife, seen or unseen. In the great outdoors, that’s tell her children. The land for Lake Chelan State what we like. She learned that camping Park was set aside in 1943. I have makes you a survivor. Lake Wenatchee and The mountains, the forest or a black and white snapshot of Crescent Bar right by a lake, myself camping there in the We are huge fans of Lake We love to camp and we know Entiat City Park Campground early 1950s. Wenatchee State Park, especially what to take. This lovely park opened in its We made numerous camping in the fall when we can camp Camping is something our current configuration in May of trips there when our kids were surrounded by bright-red vine family just does, 2015. young. We do it together and that’s We camped there with friends maple trees, with the additional To this day, we love to take our the weekend it opened. The advantage of it being too cold for what we love! Linda and her husband Ken live in tent and camp in one of those the local population of mosquilandscaping was immature but East Wenatchee where they can drive remarkable spots right on the toes. it looked like it had been well almost any direction for about an Lake shore, especially in the fall thought out and had the potenWe also enjoyed the new hour and enjoy a camping experiwhen it is quiet and peaceful. campground at Crescent Bar last tial for one day creating shade. ence. What a rejuvenating place to One of our most memorable October. There were only three The next summer we camped live. June 2019 | The Good Life
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Monedas Jornaleras — day laborer money — was issued by different haciendas and carried many different designs.
Dale Foreman learns the
HARD HISTORY behind Mexico’s HARD MONEY
F
By Dale Foreman
or many of the last 35 years my wife, Gail, and I have been travelling to Mexico. We have gone on business trips, selling apples and pears. I have visited the huge produce markets in Mexico City and Guadalajara as a Washington Apple Commissioner. I visited Oaxaca as a part of a NCW Community Foundation study tour. We took vacations with our children to Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta when they were young, and now that we are grandparents, we have been able to watch each of our grandchildren enjoying the sunshine and friendly hard working people of Mexico. One of our activities is to visit the local markets. Each town has a weekly outdoor market and they all have fresh fruits and vegetables, clothing, electronics, hardware and tools, fish, meat, taco stands and all kinds of food. This year, I found a lady who was selling hard money — old copper coins she called Monedas Jornaleras. Her table was piled high with coins and old paper money, just past the tomatoes and surrounded by used pots and pans. Later that day I did some on-
line searching and learned that these are also known as “Hacienda money.” They are tokens that day laborers, farm hands, pickers, got for each day of hard work. They could then use them as money at the local stores: Hard money for food and drink, a hard way to make a living. As a Washington Apple Commissioner, one of my tasks was to work on the ag labor problem in Washington D.C. Each year from 2002 until I left the Commission in 2013, we had long discussions with our Congressmen and Senators about the need for a steady, reliable and legal work force to prune and pick our apples, pears and cherries. I cannot think back on those long meetings without disgust, so much wasted time meeting with politicians who failed, year after year, to fix our broken immigration system. I was unable to convince the hard line partisans of either party of the wisdom of compromising. I believe we should create a system for good workers to come north to work and then return to Mexico during the winter. Why did so many people from Mexico want to come north and do hard, physical labor? They came because the economic opportunity was so great. Most of
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Dale Foreman and the coin lady of Bucerias market: Not real money, but real work went into earning the tokens.
the pickers in Washington earn more than $125 per day, all earn at least the minimum wage. In Mexico they frequently earn $25-$30 per day. The history of agricultural laborers in Mexico is very sad. Millions of oppressed people, many illiterate during the 1700s and 1800s, forced into near slavery by absentee landlords who not only paid a bare survival wage, but then paid in a currency that could only be spent at the local, company owned store.
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“What are these?” I asked the lady selling old coins in the Bucerias market place. “Those are Monedas Jornaleras,” she smiled. It was hard to hear her in the hustle and hubbub of the market. I asked her to say it again and she picked up a pen and wrote the words down on a scrap of paper and handed it to me. “Day laborer money” was how I translated it. Not real money. Not issued by the government. Not silver or gold, just shapes
The reverse side of the coins on the previous page.
of copper with some words or designs stamped on it. Some were round, like a 50-cent piece, but others were rectangles or triangles or squares. The oldest one was dated 1750. The coin was for eight reals, that is roughly a dollar in purchasing power. It was issued by a hacienda with the initials JR. Someone was given that coin after a day of hard labor and it has been passed around Mexico for nearly 270 years. That coin is older than the USA. I turned the coin in my hand and wondered who worked and sweated under the hot sun to earn this coin. And how did they spend it? How many times was it recirculated, earned, spent, earned, and spent again? The old Mexican labor system was great for the bosses, but it was a terrible life sentence for the workers. I looked at each of her tokens. She had a fabulous square coin dated 1814, that is the year Napoleon was defeated by Wellington at Waterloo, and some poor peasant was working at a hacienda in central Mexico, earning his daily tortillas by stoop labor. The coin is stamped: “Hacienda de Santa Cruz” and has a beautiful cross. The reverse says: “Vale Por Una Tarea de Lena.” Now what is Lena? I looked in my Spanish dictionary and learned: Firewood. Worth one tarea of firewood. I pondered, would I rather have been a soldier in the mud of Waterloo or a worker in the fields of this Mexican farmer working for a load of firewood to keep my family warm at night? There were others, one from
And so I held history in my hand and thought about ag labor and the human beings who worked so hard for their life-sustaining food. 1821, it reads: “Jornalada de la Flor” and has a beautiful rose on the reverse. What kind of work did they do to earn that one? And one from 1822 that says: “1/8 RM Jalapa,” and a fancy artistic logo that must have been the insignia of the proud Jalapa family. I presume 1/8 refers to the value, or 1/8 of a silver eight reales piece. In 1822 that would have bought food for a couple days. And so I held history in my hand and thought about ag labor and the human beings who worked so hard for their lifesustaining food. I asked her where she got these wonderful old coins? She smiled a coy smile and said, “secreto mio.” I asked her how much she wanted for them. She said, $25 each, and I bought them all. The next Sunday, I returned to the market and saw her standing at her table in the same location. “Hola” I greeted her. “Tiene usted algo monedas jornaleras?” Yes, she smiled and showed me some additions to her inventory. I bought the 1845 from Zacatecas, which was the wages for picking one carga of maiz. How long did it take that worker to pick a carga of corn? June 2019 | The Good Life
My dictionary says a carga is a load. How many pounds of corn does it take to fill a carga? And I bought an undated rectangle from Guadalupe, Zacatecas with a huge muscular bull standing to the right, the reverse says: “Tienda Carga Metal.” So this one was for hard work, but was it at a cattle ranch or a mine? A coin from 1862 from the Pueblo of Zayvla was worth one litre of frijoles — beans, good protein, but what a hard life. The 1870 coin from Hacienda de Tepa uses the official Mexican symbol of an eagle perched on a cactus with a snake in its beak. It is not an official government coin, but the symbol of fierce independence fitting for the men who minted these and the workers who earned them. The 1875 piece from Hacienda San Jose Del Valle was for digging up a carga of carbon, that must mean a lode of coal. I love the one from 1887 for cutting sugar cane. The Hacienda de Tovar Arandas, Vale por Carga de Cana. How hot was it when he cut a load of those razor sharp stalks of sugar cane? Blood, sweat and tears takes on a new meaning when you think how these poor people suffered to win their daily bread. I returned to the little lady with the old copper tokens every week and some times she had found new coins, often she had not. But I bought every one she had. And what a story they tell. Now we are back home in Wenatchee, and I am researching the history of day laborers in Mexico and Hacienda tokens. Just a few key strokes on Wikiwww.ncwgoodlife.com
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pedia and the tragic history is revealed. During the 1800s, the government of Mexico did not want to deal with the labor issue either. There were no worker safety standards. There were few labor laws. Unscrupulous bosses terrorized the workers, raped the girls and beat the men. For their efforts they were paid in filthy copper tokens that could only be used at the local tienda, or store. The government minted gold and silver coins for the people who had money. They minted some copper coins for the masses, but it was uneconomic to spend so much effort making many coins of little value. Private enterprise had to fill the gap and make their own money, tokens, for the poor to spend. The owners of the haciendas, the Hacendados, made their money and paid the peones with the oddly shaped bits of copper or brass. When I hold these coins, my heart is filled with sorrow for the people who earned them. And I think of our faithful, hardworking ag laborers here in Washington. The system has always been stacked against the poorest, least well-educated folks. They have always looked for a better life. I wonder: Will our generation of growers and politicians help solve the ag labor problem in our own state, in our own time? Dale Foreman is a lawyer and orchardist in Wenatchee. He served as Majority Leader of the State House of Representatives and Chairman of the Washington Apple Commission and the US Apple Association.
Family meet-up in Copenhagen
Bicycles stacked up outside of bus station: An impressive percentage of the Copenhagen population ride bicycles.
Seeing one of the world’s most expensive cities on a fairly frugal family budget By Keith Kellogg
In early 2018, I began
Our room was comparable to the sleep quarters in a submarine. It was small and very cramped.
planning a bow hunting trip to Greenland, only to discover that flights there are very limited, either connecting through Iceland or Copenhagen, Denmark. At the same time, I was trying to organize a family vacation and while we usually take our family was classified as being a vacation in the winter to luxury hostel. We were get away from the cold, I set, and on Aug. 4, we all thought a change would met at the Steel House, be fun. which, located downThough my family has town, was great for all of traveled extensively, we our excursions. had not been to Europe, Our room was compaso for a change I asked rable to the sleep quarters my daughters, Inga and in a submarine. It was Kirsten, if they were insmall and very cramped. terested in meeting up in Daughter Inga and grandson Az visit a petting zoo: One of the best days as kids love animals. There were two sets of Copenhagen. They were all in. daughter named Rosalia, who that Copenhagen is one of the bunk beds and a small bathSo I began hotel research was just under 3 at the time of most expensive cities in all of room, and that was about it. for five. Inga has a son named the trip. Europe. There wasn’t even a chair, but Azuruya (Az or Azzie), who was As I did my research I was in I persisted with my research, we made do. about 20 months old at the time awe of the prices — the very and eventually found a location To save money we cooked of the trip, and Kirsten has a high prices. I quickly learned called the Steel House, which most of our meals in a commu-
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I quickly noticed that fast food restaurants were practically nonexistent... nal kitchen. Though crowded, I actually found this to be quite enjoyable. We met people from all over the world, and it was fun to watch persons from other cultures cook and socialize. Copenhagen is a city of approximately 777,000, but the greater metropolitan population is a little over 2 million. From what I saw and read, Denmark and specifically Copenhagen has invested greatly in clean technology and Copenhagen has seen a large investment in its institutions and infrastructure. Public transport (buses and trains) is huge in Copenhagen, and due to very flat terrain a very impressive percentage of the population ride bicycles. In the mornings we would be engulfed by huge waves of bicyclists, one right after another, and at bus and train stations there were literally hundreds of bicycles staged in storage areas as the people moved on to their daily activities. I quickly noticed that fast food restaurants were practically nonexistent, and from what I could tell food portions were much smaller than we generally see in the U.S. As a result there seems to be little problem with obesity in Denmark. My daughters were happy to see that there were lots of vegan or gluten-free options everywhere we went, and small friendly restaurants were everywhere. Everyone we dealt with was friendly, and it came as no surprise that everyone spoke some level of English. In fact everyone seemed to want to show off their English speaking abilities, so a simple question often led to a friendly conversation. Overall I was very impressed with how clean everything was
in Copenhagen, and we never felt threatened in any way. At the time of our trip Copenhagen was in the middle of a drought and heat wave, so with two children under 3 we had to be careful with overdoing. In the Copenhagen environment we were on a fairly tight budget, so we did lots of walking, but also used taxis, buses and trains to get around. We tried to get out early to avoid the heat, and did lots of free or low to medium fee activities. This may have been limiting to many people, but we like the idea of seeing the culture at ground level. Recent archeological finds date Copenhagen back to the 11th Century, and with such a long history the city is full of interesting architectural buildings and historic sites. For a history buff such as myself this was perfect for our self-designed walking tours. I would highly recommend the National Museum of Denmark.
It was extensive, and because of my Scandinavian background I found the portions dealing with historical Vikings to be quite interesting. The kids, though, loved the associated children’s museum, which allowed for more of a “hands on” experience. There is an extensive canal system in Copenhagen, and we took a relaxing and informative boat tour. This was a great way to see different areas of the city, and to gather historical facts. We also visited the Rosenborg Castle, which was surrounded by beautiful gardens. This 400-year-old castle was filled with art treasures, crown jewels, and other items surrounding generations of royalty. Maybe our best overall day was when we visited Copenhagen’s excellent zoo. Most every child loves animals, and especially baby animals and we saw plenty. By the time we were done with the day we were all pretty wiped
out, but it was great. During our wanderings we found a couple of city parks that had excellent toys dedicated to children. These parks proved to be a perfect distraction for my young grandchildren, who quickly grew bored with our wanderings. One day we took the train to Malmo, Sweden, which was not only easy via the well-organized transport system, but very enjoyable as well. There turned out to be a big festival going on in Malmo, so we had the opportunity to listen to music, sample different foods, and explore a new culture. All in all the week went too fast. We had a safe healthy trip, learned about new cultures, met many interesting persons, and above all had quality family time. Get out there and see the world. It’s a wonderful place. Keith Kellogg is a retired Wenatchee police officer who loves traveling with his family, and enjoys everything outdoors.
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Before: Proud owners of a big old farmhouse, Terry and Nancy pose in 2002 on the porch of their new acquisition. They wanted a fix-up project in a rural setting.
After: Their work over 16 years in the house shows in the glowing paint, cedar shingles, welcoming porch and new windows. Two massive trees were uprooted, opening the house to sunlight.
Saved from the fire On the eve of destruction, couple stepped in to restore a former beauty in a pear orchard Story by Susan Lagsdin Photos by Donna Cassidy Every old house holds memories — historic, sentimental, comical and commonplace. You can experience the lives, past and present, of six of them on the self-guided Cashmere Historic Home Tour on Saturday, June 1. (Nancy Fike, the owner of this featured home, is on the organizing committee for the museum fundraiser.)
West of Cashmere’s down-
town, uncrowded roads, mostly paved, loop past orchards where hundreds of rows of trees are visual delight in all seasons. The area has become a magnet for local bikers and walkers.
Many times on their jaunts around the area, Terry and Nancy Fike had gazed at a decrepit old house, deeply shaded behind overgrown trees. In the autumn of 2000, she said, “One day we noticed that the renters were gone — maybe it was for sale.” It was. They approached the-then owners, Dick and Judy Milner, who said yes to their offer, and the adventure began. The Fikes had been searching for 1) an old house 2) on a small lot 3) in the country 4) for a reasonable price — not a combo that’s easy to find. They couldn’t have predicted that it would take over 18 months of back and forth paperwork to even legalize the new lot
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LIVING ROOM TOWARD FRONT: Nancy loves prowling antique stores and yard sales for the perfect pieces to complement her century-old house. Old trunks are re-purposed, hanging lights lovingly burnished and used again, metal doo-dads become collage art, and old brick and lumber is sourced from local tear-downs. The piano — that two of their children learned to play on — came as a discard from a boys home in Mabton. LIVING ROOM/DINING ROOM: An eightfoot extension to the west and a handier back door added usable space to the compact living room. Original flooring and trim was kept throughout, complemented by new vintage-look wainscoting and wallpaper. SCREEN DOOR: The attic of the nearby fruit shed yielded some almost-buried treasures like this original front screen door, which was replicated for use in two more places. (Nancy said, “It even slams!”) June 2019 | The Good Life
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Before: Nancy strips the kitchen floor in the process of removing years of other people’s choices. The Fike family bunked happily in an across-the-driveway fruit shed during much of the restoration. After: Airy, sunny and spacious, the remodeled kitchen with its carefully-selected farmhouse features makes a good gathering place.
Saved and restored }}} Continued from page 20
division to the county’s satisfaction. They did learn, however, that the empty home, built in 1910, had been imminently slated as a practice burn for the Cashmere fire department. What else they learned about the property, about the people they love and about themselves
has been part of an enlightening 18-year journey. They knew they’d need financing; but old homes often mean high interest. Nancy said, “We had to take out a really bad loan until we made improvements.” Terry, a master builder, had confidence in the house. They knew the place was solid and
right-angled, with lots of salvageable features, most notably the window trim, doors and fir floors. But they learned that years of deferred maintenance and remodeling with varying degrees of taste and money meant they would need to dig down to those good bones. They proceeded, working long hours for a few years — while Terry worked long hours away
from home — to make the place even habitable for their family of six. “You could say I’m a stripper if you like,” suggested Nancy. “I scraped every bit of old wall paint and flooring off this place, the entire stairwell…” In some places there were 10 layers of paint. They gave special attention to walls. The exterior ones were gutted for new insulation, with
801 Briarwood Dr. Enjoy the Sunset’s from this Briarwood home! 4 bedrooms, 3 baths Over 3,300 sq. ft, .34 acre Three car garage
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Restored classics on parade
It’s Year 60 of the town’s be-
loved museum and Year 1 of the Cashmere Historic Home Tour. In celebration of its birthday, the Cashmere Museum and Pioneer Village on Cottage Avenue invites all architects, builders, history buffs and house lovers to tour six restored vintage homes on Saturday June 1. Ticketholders will also have rare behindthe-scenes access to the Horan, Weythman, and Richardson cabins in the Pioneer Village, and as well as free admission to the Museum for that day. You’ll be able to walk through two Craftsman-style homes close to downtown on Cottage Avenue and Riverfront Drive, built in 1908 and 1927 respectively; and four restored farmhouses on Tigner, Pioneer and Hinman Roads built between 1901 and 1920. These six homes were chosen both for the rich traditions of the past they represent and for the respect given to their origins while updating them for 21st Century life. Orchardists, business people, craftsman and community notables and their families have lived and worked in them over the years, and the most current owners have been careful to restore or replicate the spirit of the time they were first built. Tours are self-guided, with a descriptive brochure and driving map available when you buy a ticket at the Museum ($20 general public,
These six homes were chosen both for the rich traditions of the past...
BATHROOM: It’s one of the ironies of emptynesting. Just this winter, a small upstairs space became this period-tiled second bathroom, a new luxury for the couple who’d long shared the downstairs one with their kids.
$15 Museum members, purchased beforehand or the morning of). Owners of the homes will welcome visitors all day Saturday from 10 a.m., until 4 p.m. Key organizers of the event are museum director Lexie Palmer, the Cashmere Chamber of Commerce and its manager Gina Imperato, and Nancy Fike with sponsor GTC Technical Support. All proceeds benefit the Cashmere Museum and Pioneer Village. Questions: 782-3230 or info@ cashmeremuseum.org. June 2019 | The Good Life
sheetrock over all of them. Just the stairwell was kept in original lathe and plaster, with a peek of its layers showing for history’s sake. Terry hand-textured paint on all the resulting surfaces. They knew they were surrounded by a working orchard; they learned the insidious spray that coats the new blooms seeps into everything, goes everywhere. “The exterior color choice is deliberate,” Nancy said, mostly serious, “I call it ‘Pear Clay Spray.’” www.ncwgoodlife.com
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Major rehab items were the plumbing and electrical systems, all new. “We put in electric wall heaters; there’s no need for air conditioning.” (They are content with breeze through screened windows.) A friend in California made all the kitchen cabinetry. But old treasures, they realized, were close at hand. Nancy said, “The packing shed attic was filled with 100-year-old stuff like the original screen door and light fixtures.” Demolition
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PATIO: Textured concrete, wood decking and a pergola make a perfect three-season outside living room, and the wood-fired, brick-lined pizza oven gets a workout at least once a week. Its iron door is stamped “Pybus.” CHIMNEY: Terry, a master builder, created not only a pizza oven and a traditional living room fireplace but this accompanying chimney, which he chose to make a quirky and very functional work of art. “We’re known as the home with the chimney,” said Nancy.
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of the Cashmere Fruit Exchange yielded all the bricks; deck and pergola wood came from the Cashmere Middle School teardown. The first years on Hinman Road, first in the speedily cleaned-up adjacent fruit packing shed and then in the uncompleted big house, were a lesson in communal living. Nancy is delighted that at least three of their four children, who’ve now established homes and families of their own, would seriously consider restoring an old house. The children were 18, 16, 13 and 10 when they started bunking in the upstairs bedroom
and survived the total restoration quite well. Nancy thinks that she and Terry did the right thing. “We were careful not to slave-drive them — they helped a lot on some projects, but we never pushed them. It was our dream to live here, not theirs.” Part of the appeal of being in an old farmhouse out of town was the privacy it afforded. But when their friends Brian and Dana Lowe needed temporary digs for a while as they sought a home to buy, the Fikes invited them to stay in the shed, which the two couples soon fixed up into an even more livable apartment. That was years ago — the
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Lowes settled in, in love with their little house, and the two families remain not only close neighbors (across the drive) but even closer friends. “It’s been really great. We usually have dinner together,” Nancy said. “Or we’ll at least trade leftovers if we don’t.” The peaceful neighborhood, with its orchard tradition and its quiet roads, makes a perfect haven for friends to grow old together. Will there ever be a respite from home-improvement? Maybe not, but the Fikes seem to have a love of labor. The period-tiled upstairs bathroom was just recently added. Nancy’s already looking at refinishing the kitchen cabinets, and she’d like to hand-texture the walls
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of one small room that was sprayed. There’s more work to be done on the garage as it transitions into Terry’s workshop and Nancy’s potting shed. Oh, and the yard needs landscaping… Nancy said, after she happily listed the future projects, “You know, we love working on the house, but you really have to have a passion for this kind of thing.”
Have an idea for a home we should feature?
If you’d like us to consider your remodel, a new home, or historic, unique, grand, or otherwise intriguing house, please submit a brief project summary to Susan Lagsdin at sjlagsdin@yahoo.com.
PET tales
Tells us a story about your pet. Submit pet & owner pictures to: editor@ncwgoodlife.com
Wanted: Your favorite pet photos
Forest Dunn, Vantage, comes to
Wenatchee twice a week to shop, have lunch and then walk off that lunch with her dog, Cayllou. Cayllou is a Native America Indian dog and is 4 years old. Forest says she loves Cayllou’s temperament, “He is a mellow loving dog. He loves everyone and loves life and is happy.” Forest also said she loves coming to Wenatchee because “it is such a beautiful city particularly the Riverfront Park.”
B
ailey Trainor, Wenatchee was out walking her dogs, Kendrick and Phoebe. Kendrick, 4, is a Golden Retriever and Border Collie mix. Bailey said she loves Kendrick’s loyalty and that he is calm and cuddly. “He likes to play and loves to swim. He will swim all day if I let him.” Phoebe, 2, is an English Bulldog and loves to sleep. “She has a big personality and can be very playful.”
June 2019 | The Good Life
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The Good Life loves animals! Send us a favorite photo of you with a pet... and share in a few sentences what makes your pet special. Send photos to: editor@ncwgoodlife.com Remember to tell us something fun about your pet!
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column THE TRAVELing DOCTOR
jim brown, m.d.
Adults need vaccinations, too Vaccinations to prevent vari-
ous diseases are one of the great medical achievements in history. They not only have proven to be safe but also life saving. Historically, vaccines were deemed “only for children,” however with the continued development of effective vaccines now, many vaccinations are recommended for adults including ”seniors.” Recently, a 43-year-old Israeli EL AL airline flight attendant developed measles ending up in a coma for weeks after supposedly being exposed to an infected passenger or someone in New York City where the flight originated. Robert Murphy, M.D. professor in medicine at Northwestern University, says measles can run the spectrum from a rash and sore throat to total multi-organ failure and even death. The measles virus can incubate in the brain for years and later reactivate up to 10 years
ask the doctor
Are there medical topics you would be interested in knowing more about? Send your ideas to: editor@ncwgoodlife.com.
later causing a progressive brain inflammation in about 1 in 600 infants after they had measles. Recently, we have heard a lot about the outbreak of measles nationally and in Washington State in particular. There had been no reported cases in the United States of this disease known as measles or rubeola in 2000, so this serious disease was considered eliminated. Unfortunately, it has now returned. Cases have been reported primarily in travelers getting affected abroad and returning home. By 2019, the case count was the highest recorded in 25 years. It is thought that measles outbreaks are on the rise here because of low vaccination rates among some children. In our country some parents had decided not to vaccinate their children because of erroneous claims that the MMR vaccine was connected to autism. Unfortunately, President Donald Trump made that claim as well although he has now changed his mind and now declares there is no connection. He is currently recommending that children should get their measles vaccination. With our daily news filled
There have been many vaccines developed in recent years...
with stories about measles and the need for the MMR vaccination, adults including seniors began to wonder about their need to be vaccinated or revaccinated. I also wondered if I had had the disease as a child. I assumed I probably had, but I didn’t have my Mom here to tell me. The good news is for those of us born before 1957, it is now assumed, hopefully correctly, that we are immune to measles because we had likely been exposed to it in some fashion before there was a measles vaccine. There have been many vaccines developed in recent years that it is hard to keep track of all of them here. As a physician I am a believer in vaccinations that have been proven effective in preventing so many potentially serious diseases. There are some contraindications to getting some vaccines if one is currently ill, has certain chronic illnesses, is pregnant or has some kind of immunodeficiency. These need to be discussed with your personal
physician. In general here are the most common vaccinations that are recommended for older adults, particularly for seniors. 1. Influenza vaccine annually. 2. Pneumococcal pneumonia vaccine for age 65-plus. 3.Tetanus vaccine every 10 years. 4. Zoster (shingles) vaccine. Since this isn’t 100 percent effective, the newer Shingrix shot is now considered the gold standard. There is a helpful on-line adult vaccine self-assessment tool from the CDC that I would recommend which tells you what vaccines you need and at what age you should get them and frequency you should consider getting them. After using this tool, the next step is to discuss your results and concerns with your own physician. The self-assessment tool can be found at: https://www2.cdc.gov/nip/ adultimmsched/. Jim Brown, M.D., is a retired gastroenterologist who has practiced for 38 years in the Wenatchee area. He is a former CEO of the Wenatchee Valley Medical Center.
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column moving up to the good life
june darling
Get de-stressed: As easy as sitting outside For several months I had
relentless diarrhea. (Yes, embarrassing and possibly disgusting, but stick with me. I’m going somewhere with this.) The runs would go away and come back later. Eventually, at my wits end, I went to my general practitioner. I love my doctor. I usually feel better before I walk out the door. He’s bright, he’s calm and level-headed, he talks aloud to himself and to me. He had several ideas about what could be causing the problem, but I suspected that I knew the major culprit though it was difficult to really believe. Stress. Really? Stress is the catch all term for our brain’s belief that we are in danger, that a significant threat exists, and we don’t have the resources to cope, whether it is true or not. Stress is not always bad. We shouldn’t aim for a stress-free life — that isn’t realistic or optimally healthy. According to a special report called “The United States of Stress 2019” conducted by Everyday Health, however, people in the United States are uniquely chronically stressed. That’s not good. Here were some key takeaways from the report for me: n Almost one-third of those surveyed say they visited a doctor about something stressrelated. n 57 percent of the survey respondents say they are paralyzed by stress. n 52 percent of Gen Zers (people born from mid-1990s to the early 2000s) have already been diagnosed with a mental health issue. Other research points to increasing anxiety, drug use and
Researchers have suggested ... we find the stress reducers difficult to do particularly when we are stressed. suicide, which some researchers believe are unhealthy ways we respond to stress. Researchers agree that we need effective stress reduction techniques. And we know what they are. Sound sleep, exercise, proper diet, meditation, breathing techniques, getting together with good friends, practicing gratitude and noticing the good things in our lives, listening to certain types of music, disputing irrational thoughts and many other practices. Pick one. So what’s the problem? Even though we know destressers, we don’t consistently practice them. In fact, the more stressed out we are, the more we may be likely to drop our meditation, exercise and sound diet. Why? Researchers have suggested it could be because we find the stress reducers difficult to do particularly when we are stressed. That idea has merit. It could also be we don’t believe those behaviors actually work to reduce our stress, so we eventually stop practicing them. Well, here’s one practice that has tons of research behind it and could not be easier. Go outside in nature and … nothing… just sit (of course, it’s fine to eat, sleep, exercise, read, meditate, or talk as well). The point is to experience nature. Tons of top-notch research support the efficacy of being exJune 2019 | The Good Life
posed to nature to de-stress and improve health and well-being. This has led to civic organizations and non-profits supporting nature-well-being treatments such as the Mood Walks program in Canada, the Dose of Nature project in the United Kingdom and the Coastrek program in Australia. The nature prescription is not news. But there have been questions. How long do I need to be out in nature? How often? What is “nature” exactly? The latest research from Frontiers in Psychology, an environmental psychology journal, suggests the right dosage is to be in nature daily for 20 to 30 minutes. Staying outside longer continues to de-stress us, but not so much. What about that “nature” question? Does “nature” mean a certain amount of green foliage or light? Trees? Water? What? Go anywhere outside that makes you feel like you’ve interacted with nature. It’s subjective. If you think you are experiencing nature, you are. But really, how good is the nature prescription? Researchers have several ways of biologically measuring stress. The nature prescription decreases stressful body chemicals (like cortisol) by 21 to 28 percent. That’s big.
A day of sunshine could mean a day without running to the bathroom. But that’s me (and yes, I am doing better). You may need to talk with your doctor and experiment. June is the perfect month and the Wenatchee Valley is the perfect place for giving the nature prescription a try. How might you move up to The Good Life by getting into nature for 20 to 30 minutes daily? June Darling, Ph.D. can be contacted at drjunedarling1@gmail.com; website: www.summitgroupresources. com. Her bio and many of her books can be found at amazon.com/author/ junedarling.
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Telling stories... better Writers group helps ‘turn writing from boring to interesting’
Y
By Susan Lagsdin
ou might hear, “I don’t quite know how to write the ending,” or “I’m really nervous about reading aloud,” or “I’ve marked a few typos for you — the rest is great,” but something you’ll never hear from the folks in the Wenatchee Senior Writers Group is “I don’t have anything to write about!” Their problem is not paucity of ideas but finding time to write them all. With decades (a group accumulation of maybe 30,000 days total) of jobs, adventures, tribulations and joys stored in the memory bank, the content is there to draw from, so these writers can concentrate fully on how to shape their stories, what genre to choose and what voice to use. The writing group meets twice every month at the Wenatchee Valley Senior Activity Center on Maple Street. Jim Tarbert, who says he landed the job of group facilitator “because I have a very good voice, and I’m not bashful,” ably leads the Tuesday morning sessions. They give each other positive “critique” rather than negative “criticism,” a fine point of distinction that keeps their responses to each other’s work supportive and kind. Their process is simple: By 9:30 everyone signs in. If they want to share their writing that day, they pick a numbered poker chip that designates the order of reading. When their time comes, they hand out print copies and read their piece aloud. Whether the members bring a much-revised draft or a brandnew endeavor, the range of writing is wide. On a recent Tuesday the group heard a short nostalgic scene of
Donna Luebber reads aloud a newly-crafted, wry reminiscence of rock-clearing while fellow writers smile in recognition. She said she’d loved writing years ago, but then life got complicated — now she’s happy to share her work regularly.
an injured toddler being carried to the doctor’s home circa 1941, an essay on preparedness based on a hypothermic misadventure on a snowy hike in the wilderness and a comically agonizing description of a couple clearing their land of endless rocks in the bloom of youth and later as retirees. Some listeners comment with proofreading and editing advice, others chose to write responses and hand back their copies. Coffee, cookies, and a little socializing (who’s been where and done what, who’s not there and why) soften the edges of the standard writers group protocol. Whether the focus is on fiction, technical writing or poetry, the wisdom of maturity allows them not only to trust their own writing voice but to be sensitive to that of others, and a willingness to learn is as a strong a cur-
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“The first time I read my work aloud I was more nervous than I was for my first surgery.” rency as writing expertise. Attendance in the group is flexible (12 on some days, six when life gets complicated), and though some are charter members, a few joined only a few months ago. Dr. John Gallanis said, “The first time I read my work aloud I was more nervous than I was for my first surgery,” but he went on to win awards in two Write On The River competitions. Retired research biologist Everett Burts credited the group
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for “helping me turn my writing from boring to interesting.” Donna Luebber, who came back to writing after years away, especially values “the encouragement and suggestions.” Ron Griffith, who helps air the group’s work on LocalTel’s Sharing our Stories program, has written two very different memoirs: one about the Vietnam war and one about long-haul trucking. Joe Matt said, “I write just to get things off my mind,” and he creates rhyming poetry to do so. Susan Shell, who has no family in the area, says she loves the sociability of the group; former Wenatchee World employee Jean Smith now shares lively scenes from family history. Dale Crouse, who said he’d been told all his life his writing was bad, is learning to love it again, and newest member
fun stuff what to do around here for the next month We want to know of fun and interesting local events. Send info to: donna@ncwgoodlife.com
Rocky Reach Hydro Project, now through 11/1, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. Museum, café, balconies that offer panoramic views to the dam and grounds, juvenile fish bypass system. A 90-seat theater shows movies and ample parking for recreational vehicles and buses. Guided tours by appointment. Info: facebook.com/visitrockyreach.
In his element among hundreds of books at the At the Wenatchee Valley Senior Activity Center, Jim Tarbert leads enthusiastic writers in a bi-monthly critique group, now in its 21st year, that’s designed to motivate and encourage all kinds of writing.
George Sikora said at every meeting he learns something new about improving his own writing. Their leader Jim, now 81, first joined the group in 2005, hoping to formally publish his Scottish family’s history. He found his fellow writers had been relying on a downtown printer and spiral-bound paper editions, which spurred him to research more cost-effective online publishing options. He taught those strategies to the group, creating a written tutorial that changed their literary lives. Now some members savvy with the process boast continued publication as a personal writing goal, and their occasional group publication (like 2018’s Holiday Tales) looks slick and is definitely sellable. Jim, who lives with his wife Sue in East Wenatchee, followed his own family genealogy with Lake Chelan Revisited, stories based on his childhood home, and subsequently 10 fiction novels available on Amazon.
I get a great deal of pleasure watching people improve their skills and gain the confidence needed to publish their first book.” No life experience goes unused for this prolific writer: a technology teacher, surveyor, avid builder, fisherman, leather crafter and taxidermist, Jim has explored and hunted from the Rio Grande to the Arctic Circle and across Africa. Not slowed much by age, on long vacations he still loves to roam the many steep hillsides of his Hunter, Washington ranch property seeking out shed deer horns. In addition, he said, “I write every day, I’m in several writers groups, I work out at the gym and I continually resist the urge to go out and build someJune 2019 | The Good Life
thing.” He adds, “Writing is the last thing I expected to be doing at this stage of my life… I get a great deal of pleasure watching people improve their skills and gain the confidence needed to publish their first book.” Jim knows that trying out a new art form at a later age is pretty scary, but he offers nervous writers this bit of wisdom: “Hey, I actually flunked second grade. What did I learn? They’re not going to shoot you for failing.” >> RANDOM QUOTE
To succeed, you need to find something to hold on to, something to motivate you, something to inspire you. Tony Dorsett www.ncwgoodlife.com
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Homegrown Oldies Jam, every first and third Monday, 7 to 10 p.m. Riverside Pub. Cost: free. NCW BLUES JAM, every second and fourth Monday. 7 – 10 p.m. Riverside Pub. Cost: free. Wenatchee Paddle Club, every Tuesday, 9:30 a.m. open paddle, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 6 p.m. novice kayak paddle group, Saturdays, 7 a.m. masters crew rowing. Info: wenatcheepaddle.org. Upper Valley Running Club, every Tuesday, 4:30 – 6 p.m. Check-in at the gravel lot across from O’Grady’s Pantry. Maps will be available for a marked 3-mile trail route, partly along Icicle Creek. Run or walk, by yourself, with a friend or with your family. Participate 10 or more times and earn an Upper Valley Running Club tech tee. Info: sleepinglady.com. 1 million cups, every first Wednesday of the month. 7:45 a.m. sharp. Entrepreneurs discover solutions and thrive when they collaborate over a million cups of coffee. Come join this supportive, dynamic community and hear from two businesses that are between 1 – 5 years old. Discover how we can help move them forward in a positive environment, fueled by caffeine. Coffee provided by Mela Coffee Roasting. Wenatchee Valley Chamber office, 137 N. Wenatchee Ave. Shrub-steppe poetry podium, every last Wednesday, 4 – 5 p.m.
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WHAT TO DO
We want to know of fun and interesting local events. Send info to: donna@ncwgoodlife.com
}}} Continued from previous page A free, poetry-only public reading. Read your own poems or the work of a favorite poet. The Radar Station, 115 S. Wenatchee Ave. Info: sfblair61@gmail.com. Leavenworth Community Farmers Market, every Thursday through August, 4 – 8 p.m. Offers everything from local eggs, meats, cheeses and bread to local produce, fruits, prepared foods, local crafts and more. Lions Club Park, Leavenworth. Weekly Club Runs, every Thursday check in between 4:30 and 6:30 p.m. at Pybus Public Market south entrance. Either a 5k or 10k walk or run on the Apple Capital Recreation Loop Trail. Complete 10 weekly runs and receive a free shirt. Cost: free (other than a smile). 2 Left Feet, every Thursday, 7 – 9 p.m. 2 Left Feet is a loose organization of local dance enthusiasts who would like to see more dancing in the Wenatchee Valley.
Beginner lesson at the top of the hour followed by carefree social dancing. No partner necessary to join in the fun. Dance style will be 1940s swing with a bit of salsa, blues, waltz or tango thrown in. Pybus Public Market. Cost: free. Info: pybuspublicmarket.org. Game Night, every 4th Friday. Board games, card games or any games you bring. Open to families and all ages. Hosted by Pacific Crest Church. Pybus Public Market. Cost: free. Info: pybuspublicmarket. org. Wenatchee Valley Farmers market, every Saturday, 8 a.m. – 1 p.m. Local farmers, artisans, winemakers, bakers and chefs make up the friendly, hardworking vendors. West parking lot of Pybus Public Market. Jam at the Crow, 7 – 10 p.m. Every first Sunday. The Club Crow in Cashmere, 108 1/2 Cottage Ave. Cost: free. Village Art in the Park, now thru 10/21. Friday through Sunday and Thursdays will be added during the months of July and August. 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. The Pacific Northwest’s longest continually run outdoor
art show. Downtown Leavenworth. Commissions are used as: $8,000 scholarships for students pursuing a higher education in the arts, financial support for art programs in local schools and community projects that are of an artistic nature. Info: villageartinthepark.org. Apple Century Bike Ride and Sunrise Rotary Club, 6/1. Sag wagon support, pit stops, post ride fest, 25, 50 and 100 mile routes. Info: applebikeride.com. Red Devil Challenge 50k, 25k, 10k Trail Runs, 6/1, 6:30 p.m. Wenatchee National Forest, Cashmere. Info: runwenatchee.com. Sleeping Lady Bird Walk, 6/1, 8 – 9:30 a.m. Join retired wildlife biologist, nature journalist and artist, Heather Murphy for an informative walk. Meet at the gazebo in the organic garden at Sleeping Lady. Cost: free. Info: sleepinglady.com/ event-calendar.php?page=may. Coyote off road motorcycle rally, 6/1, 2, 8 a.m. Annual riverto-ridge dual sport event. Chelan County Expo Center, Cashmere. Firefighters pancake breakfast, 6/1, 8 a.m. – noon. Fluffy blueberry and buttermilk pancakes with baked ham, scrambled eggs, juice and coffee all prepared and served by the Chelan Firefighter Assoc. Join Sparky, Chelan 7’s mascot, on the restored vintage parade truck for a cruise around town. Lake Chelan Fire Department. Cost: $5 suggested donation. Info: lakechelan.com. Cruizin Chelan, 6/1, 2, 9 a.m. Car and motorcycle show. Downtown Chelan. Info: lakechelan.com. Pro BBQ Classic, 6/1, 2. Watch BBQ masters in action while you sample some of the best BBQ in the Pacific Northwest. Face painting, hula-hoops and more! Riverwalk Park, Chelan. Cost: $2 a sample. Info: lakechelan.com. BAVARIAN BIKE AND BREWS, 6/1, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. The course consists of a spectacular but rigorous 8-mile loop, boasting four creek crossings, a challenging single track climb (totaling an 1,800’ vertical gain), and a RAD flow trail descent through spectacular scenery, complete with massive wall rides and berms. Not for the faint of heart. Info: Leavenworth.com/events. Grand Coulee Geology Tour, 6/1, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Led by Brent Cunderla. Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center. Cost:
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$40-$45. Info: wenatcheevalleymuseum.org. Maker Faire, 6/1, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. The Wenatchee Mini Maker Faire is a unique opportunity for all makers to tell their story, showcase their products and projects, and sell their work. Town Toyota Center. Cost: free. Info: Wenatchee.makerfaire.com. Cashmere Historic home tour, 6/1, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. A self guided tour of Cashmere’s historic homes. All proceeds benefit the Cashmere Museum. Cost: $20. Info: info@ cashmeremuseum.org or 782-3230. Stage Kids presents James and the Giant Peach JR, 6/1, 1:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., 6/2, 4 p.m. Featuring a wickedly tuneful score and a witty and charming book, this adventurous musical about courage and self-discovery is destined to be a classic. Numerica Performing Arts Center. Cost: $13-$22. Info: numericapac.org. Justice Gala “We Rise by lifting others”, 6/1, 5 p.m. Live music, awards, auction, dessert dash and inspiration. Wenatchee Convention Center. Cost: $50. Info: cdcvas.org. Music in the park, 6/2, 2 – 4 p.m. Enjoy a family friendly Sunday afternoon at Riverwalk Park Pavilion, Chelan. Cost: free. Info: lakechelan. com. AppleSox opening day, 6/3. Celebrating their 20th year. Paul Thomas Sr Stadium. From scratch, 6/4, 4:30 – 6 p.m. Every Tuesday in the Cashmere Valley Bank Community Kitchen at Pybus Public Market, Linda Brown will be cooking meals made from scratch for you to take home. Order ahead of time on her website and pick up from 4:30 – 6 p.m. Info: fromscratchatpybus.com/welcome. Firewise Landscaping, 6/4, 5:30 p.m. See how a little elbow grease can transform a piece of land from overgrown to beautifully wildfireready. Join Susan Ballinger for this short trailhead talk to explore the work that has been done at Jacobson and ways that local homeowners can use the same techniques to prepare their own shrub-steppe landscapes. Jacobson Preserve Trailhead. Cost: free. Info: cdlandtrust.org. Theatre Apple awards, 6/5, 7 p.m. Honoring local individuals and programs who have demonstrated excellence or innovation in theater. Entertainment by Music Theatre
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WHAT TO DO Wenatchee Ave. Ste 2.
We want to know of fun and interesting local events. Send info to: donna@ncwgoodlife.com
*RadarStation, 6/7, 4 – 9 p.m. 115 S Wenatchee Ave.
of Wenatchee and Fabulous Feet Dance Studio. Numerica Performing Arts Center. Cost: $10. Info: numericpac.org.
*Tumbleweed Bead Co., 6/7, 5-7 p.m. Refreshments served. 105 Palouse St. Cost: free. Info: tumbleweedbeadco.com.
Mountain Home birds and blooms walk, 6/6, 6 – 8:30 p.m. Explore wildflowers, birds, animal tracks, geology and more on this evening walk. Join Susan Ballinger for this two-hour walk. Mountain Home Preserve. Cost: free. Reservations: cdlandtrust.org. or 667-9708.
*Two Rivers Art Gallery, 6/7,
5 – 8 p.m. Featured artist Suzi Lane. Suzi is a watercolorist who loves capturing people engaged in outdoor activities. Music by harpist Suzanne Grassell. Complimentary refreshments. 102 N Columbia, Wenatchee. Cost: free. Info: 2riversgallery.com. *Wenatchee Valley Chamber of
Vintage Lake Chelan, 6/7, 6 – 8 p.m. Reception at the Lake Chelan Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center in downtown Chelan, plus two tasting seminars and a grand tasting at Larc Hill Vineyard Ranch on the South Shore. Info: lakechelan.com. First Friday Events Include: *Guided Art Tours, 6/7, 5:30 p.m. First Fridays with professional artist talks, mini lessons, and collector prints. All tours begin and end at Columbia Station. Tours help familiarize you with local art venues and artists. Wenatchee Valley Museum Curator of Exhibits Kasey Koski leads this talk highlighting an exhibit celebrating 100 years of Apple Blossom. Includes gowns and crowns to pins, sheet music and photography. Cost: free. Info: 664-7624. *Wells House First Friday Open house, 6/7, - 7 p.m. Come take a look inside the beautifully restored historic Wells House. Off Ninth St at the end of Nelson on the Wenatchee Valley College campus. *Class with a Glass, 6/7 5 – 8 p.m. 10 S Columbia St. *Collapse, 6/7, 4 – 9 p.m. 115 S Wenatchee Ave. (in front of RadarStation). *Gypsy Lotus, 6/7, 5 – 8 p.m. 1 S Wenatchee Ave. Cost: free. *Lemolo Café and Deli, 6/7, 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. 114 N Wenatchee Ave. *MAC Gallery, 6/7, 5 – 7 p.m. Wenatchee Valley College Music and Art Center, 1300 Fifth St. *Mela, 6/7, 5 – 8 p.m. Nosh provided. Cost: free. 17 N. Wenatchee Ave. Cost: free. *Mission Street Commons, 6/7, 5 – 8 p.m. 218 S Mission St. *Pans Grotto, 6/7, 4 – 9 p.m. 3 N June 2019 | The Good Life
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Commerce, 6/7, 5 – 8 p.m. 137 N Wenatchee Ave. *Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center, 6/7, 5. – 8 p.m. Light refreshments. Cost: free. Info: Wenatchee.org. *Ye Olde Bookshoppe, 6/7, 5 – 8
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The Art Life
// SKETCHES OF LOCAL ARTISTS
Not going to waste it Self-admitted tumbleweed has tried many things, but stayed true to her art
H
By Susan Lagsdin
eritage Heights, a senior living facility in Chelan, is full of history and lively personalities. Last winter, six local artists eagerly captured those elements as they painted portraits, or in a few cases abstract representations, of individual residents. The project was initially prompted by watercolorist Cam Elder, who had participated in a similar endeavor at the Seattle women’s shelter, Mary’s Place. Barbara Koenig of the Chelan Arts Council and director Amanda Ballou of Heritage Heights brought the idea to life, and the portraits were exhibited in the Chelan library before coming back home to the hall walls. The idea caught on — now, a second hallway is slated for the same loving attention by a new wave of artists. Cam is pleased the collaborative project went well, though she’s humble about her role in it. Refreshingly objective about her skills, she would say she’s not so much driven and passionate as “darn good.” With minimal formal training, she’s experimented and switched media, endured the inexplicable fallow period common to many artists and finally arrived, post-retirement, at a comfortable place, both literally and figuratively. Years of happily vacationing here culminated in a full, postretirement move to Chelan in April of 2018, where Cam appreciates the arts community and values the camaraderie of other creatives. She lives contentedly single in her spacious condo, surrounded by artworks she admires and productive in her tidy studio.
TOP: Detail of Leaf Lady, acrylic and Flair pen on autumn leaf, a gift for friend. Cam said, “it’s about as big as your phone.” TOP: Horses and art have been constants in Cam Elder’s life, so she’s sold several but kept a copy of this lost wax bronze piece in her home collection. Photo by Mike Irwin ABOVE: This four-foot salmon was part of a group installation (with 350 artists) welcoming visitors on I-5 to the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, Canada.
She was frank about her career. “I’ve sold a lot of pieces over the years, but really — I’m
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a hobbyist.” She cited a 1/10th of 1 percent figure — people who can support themselves with
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ABOVE: Cam‘s portrait of Heritage Height resident Theresa Hoback has a special gift on the back: the artist‘s conception of a horse from the subject‘s childhood.
their art. Watercolor with mixed media is her most recognizable genre,
After a few marriages, she decided against that institution — volunteering a wedding ring/ noose metaphor. but she also does photography and small sculptures and is currently having an enjoyable fling with copper. Cam said, “I seem to have been blessed with some skill in art, and now I’m not going to abuse it… not going to waste it.” From her teen years (Edmonds High School ’58) where her posters filled the halls to this latest creative partnership in her new hometown, a surprising amount of her work has been made, like the Heritage Heights project, in conjunction with other people. In addition to being in juried shows and art fairs over the years, she’s joined in the worldwide Art Abandonment Project (you leave a small piece of finished art just about anywhere, for anyone…), the Fish project for the Canadian Olympics and The Sketchbook Project for the Brooklyn Library Museum. For the Arlington/Camano Island Banner Project, she explained, “We made avenue banners, painted on both sides — and the whole auction’s highest bid was for my Uncommon Llama piece.” And uncommon transitions characterize her life. Cam would say she was raised a little rough — enough so that the day after graduation she headed south and essentially never went home again. After she stepped off the bus near Imperial Beach in San Diego at age 17, she recalls, Cam started to sell her paintings almost immediately. She’s lived and worked up down and over in the West — Alaska to Mexico,
Reno, Portland, Wenatchee for a while, circling back to Deer Island and Everett. After a few marriages, she decided against that institution — volunteering a wedding ring/noose metaphor. In that peripatetic life (“I’ve always been a tumbleweed,” she said), Cam has accumulated skills beyond her artistry. She competed in timed riding events as a teen and later raised and showed Arabian performance horses. She can read, write and speak Greek and has been a dog obedience trainer. She once came in second in autocross at the Nationals for British Sportcars with her Triumph Spitfire, and she’s enjoyed boating for years in the San Juans with a friend. As Cam described the work that’s occupied most of her adult years (not the early bulltrucking or bean-picking, or the cookie-decorating or cracker factory quality-control gig), she realized that she might have made a good detective; also that her sensitivity to mood may have helped her become a portrait artist. She was essentially a bill collector, a skip tracer, the archetypal “bad cop.” Turns out she made it an artform: Cam was a wiz at gentling and cajoling people in the accounts receivable department of banks, credit unions, a hospital and in doing FBI fingerprint checks for Snohomish County. Cam looks back with wisdom and good humor on her adventures and a few misadventures, saying, “I’ve never regretted anything I’ve done… Just a quiet life, kinda.” Now with a stunning view of Lake Chelan out her front window and a little visibility for her work in the regional arts scene, she’s looking forward to quieter explorations. She’ll make art for herself — and maybe join with others again to make art that enriches the community June 2019 | The Good Life
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WHAT TO DO
We want to know of fun and interesting local events. Send info to: donna@ncwgoodlife.com
}}} Continued from page 31 p.m. 11 Palouse St. Seth Garrido, 6/7, 7 – 9 p.m. Live performance on the rail car. Pybus Public Market. Cost: free. Info: pybuspublicmarket.org. Sole 2 Soul run/walk, 6/8, 8:30 – 10:30 a.m. 5k run will start and finish at Pybus Public Market’s north parking lot. Fully staffed aid/ hydration station at the turn around point (Walla Walla Point Park). Kids 1k run, too. All proceeds benefit the scholarship fund for The King’s Garden, a ministry of Lighthouse Christian Ministries. Cost: $20, children free. Register: Lindsay Kane, lakeane12@gmail.com. Lions Club community breakfast, 6/8, 7 – 11 a.m. All you can eat pancakes, eggs, sausage, coffee and milk. Proceeds go to Lions Club projects, locally and worldwide. Lions Club Park, Leavenworth. Bike n’ Juice, 6/8, 9 a.m. – noon. Ages, 4 – 12. Dust off your helmets and come out and race. Includes race, lunch (kid sized), juice and cookie and a kids bike quick tune from Arlberg Sports Haus in Leavenworth. Bike decorating, obstacle course and booths. Leavenworth Ski Hill. Cost: $10. Info: Trail Maintenance in the upper valley, 6/8, 9 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Work may include trail maintenance, sign installation and brush removal and could involve hiking 2-3 miles using hand tools. CDLT will provide instruction, snacks, lunch, and water to refill your bottle, gloves and tools. Info: 6679703. Vintage Lake Chelan, 6/8, 10 a.m. – noon. Tasting seminar: The Pioneers of the Lake Chelan AVA. At 1:30 – 3:30 p.m. Tasting seminar: Lake3 Chelan AVA – A Balancing Act from North to South. At 6 – 7 p.m. Grand Tasting: Celebrating the food and wine of the Lake Chelan Wine Valley. Info: larchill.com. Sleeping Lady Organic Garden Tour, 6/8, 10 a.m. Join garden staff for a tour, learn about environmentally friendly gardening techniques; and earn your Sleeping Lady Green Thumb patch. In addition to using natural fertilizers, and regular crop rotation to improve the soil, the staff attracts beneficial insects to maintain the health and sustainability of the
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garden. The tour will include a stop in the greenhouse, which extends the growing season providing the Sleeping Lady culinary team with fresh produce and herbs throughout the year. Info: sleepinglady. com. Historical walking tours of Leavenworth, 6/8, 10 a.m. Town walk will take you down into town and see the rail road tracks, city hall, movie theater and tell about he history of Leavenworth. Walks start at the Lions Club Park. Cost: $5 donation. Info: Upper Valley Museum, 548-0728. Downtown Walking Tour, 6/8, 10:30 a.m. 0 2:30 p.m. Linda Boese of NCRL and Debbie Sawyer of WVMCC will begin the tour at the Wenatchee Valley Museum with a demonstration of the Wurlitzer pipe organ. The tour will visit Liberty Theater, the original home of the 100 year-old organ, and the Chamber of Commerce for wine tasting and light refreshments. Then on to the North Central Regional Library, the former home of the Wenatchee Bottling Works and Mela Roasting for coffee tasting. Learn about the downtown buildings and their history. Cost: $45. Info: wenatcheevalleymuseum.org. Sustainability series: what you can do, 6/10, 6:30 p.m. Presenter Jana Fischback from Sustainable Wenatchee will talk about changes we can make in our day to day lives to reduce plastic use and waste. The Barn at Wenatchee River Institute. Cost: $2 suggested donation. Info: wenatcheeriverinstitute.org. Chef Fest, 6/12-15, First Bite Wine Walk, 6/12, 6 – 8:30 p.m. Icicle Creek Center for the Arts, Suds and Sliders, 6/13, 6 – 9 p.m., Bierwerks, Hot Stove Society, 6/14, 7 – 9 p.m. Silvara Winery, Chef Fest The Main Event, 6/15, 6 – 9:30 p.m. Icicle Creek Center for the Arts. Six chefs face off in a friendly and delectable competition: Battle Surf, Battle Turf and Battle Veg. Fundraiser for Icicle Creek Center for the Arts. Raffle and win a culinary dream trip for two to Napa Valley. Info: icicle.org. Comedy @ the Grizzly, 6/13, 7:30 p.m. Live performance by Tyler Boeh. Red Lion Hotel’s Grizzly Lounge. Info: wenatcheecomedy. com. Wenatchee River Bluegrass Festival, 6/14-16. Featured performs; Michael Cleveland, and Flamekeeper, Mile Twelve, Jeff
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WHAT TO DO
We want to know of fun and interesting local events. Send info to: donna@ncwgoodlife.com
}}} Continued from previous page Scroggins and Colorado, Ned Crisp and Bottomline and Modern Tradition. Chelan County Fairgrounds. Info: wenatcheeriverbluegrass.com. The Nate Weakly Project, 6/14, 7 – 9 p.m. Live performance on the rail car. Pybus Public Market. Cost: free. Info: pybuspublicmarket.org. Concert at Ohme Gardens, 6/14. Ohme Gardens is celebrating its 90th year with a rockin’ performance by the Seattle band The Dusty 45s. Proceeds from the event will go towards the Garden’s goal of raising $90,000 for its 90th year. Tickets at www.ohme90.eventbrite. com. Hike for health series, 6/15, 9 – 11:30 a.m. Improve your health, be part of a team, take home prizes and be entered to win one of the many prizes at the end of the hiking season. Clara Lake. Cost: free. Info: cdlandtrust.org. or 662-6000 ex. 1090. Sleeping Lady Bird Walk, 6/15, 8 – 9:30 a.m. Enjoy a morning bird walk with leader Heather Murphy, local wildlife biologist, nature journalist and artist. Meet at the gazebo in the organic garden at L=Sleeping Lady. Cost: free. Info: sleepinglady.com. Perri the poetry fairy, 6/15, 10 – 11 a.m. Enjoy the magic of poetry. Children ages 4-10 and their caregivers are invited for silly poems, funny poems, story poems, limericks and more. Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center. Cost: free. Info: wenatcheevalleymuseum.org. Bee a junior pollinator biologist, 6/15, 10 a.m. – noon. Buzz through family-friendly, sciencebased stations to earn your certification. Community Education Garden, 1100 N Western Ave. Cost: free. Wenatchee Riverfront Railway, 6/15, 1 – 5 p.m. Home of the Nile Saunders Orchard mini train. All train runs are weather permitting. Birthday rents available by appointment. Wenatchee Riverfront Park. Cost: $2. Info: Steve Sleeman 663-2900. Fabulous Feet Dance Studio #30: Don’t Stop us now, 6/15, 2 and 7 p.m. Live performance.
Riverside Playhouse. Cost: $24, $18. Info: numericapac.org. Music in the Park, 6/16, 2 – 4 p.m. Enjoy a family friendly Sunday afternoon in the park listening to live music. Bring a picnic. Entertainment for all ages. Riverwalk Pavilion, Chelan. Info: lakechelan.com. Cascade Golf Classic, 6/17, A scramble best ball tournament. Full day of fun, food and competition. Occasional and seasoned pros welcome. Fundraiser for Cascade Medical Foundation, raising funds for 3D mammography equipment. Leavenworth Golf Club. Cost: $100. Info: cascademedicalfoundation. org. Leavenworth Unplugged, 6/17, 7/15, 8/19, 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. Presented by Friends of Northwest Hatcheries and hosted by the Leavenworth Fish Hatchery. This event is focused on goal/theme and activities for kids and adults to spend more time outdoors together, unplugged from technology and to reconnect with nature and each other. Leavenworth Fish Hatchery. Cost: free. Info: friendsofwhateries. org. Mid Week Farmers Market, 6/19 and every Wednesday, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. South parking lot of Pybus Public Market. Shop local fruits and vegetables. Community Science: ebird monitoring at Horse Lake Reserve, 6/20, 6 – 11:30 a.m. Would you like to spend a weekday morning hiking, viewing wildlife, wildflowers and snow-capped mountains, while being part of a small team collecting bird species data? Learn more about becoming a CDLT citizen scientist volunteer by contacting Susan Ballinger at susan@cdlantrust.org or 667-9708. Leavenworth International Accordion Celebration, 6/2023. Celebrate accordion music from ethnic to jazz. Featuring performances in the Leavenworth Festhalle, Chumstick Grange and Front Street Park gazebo. Enjoy competitions, workshops, jam sessions and free accordion lessons. Cost: free. Info: accordioncelebration.org. Solstice Run 5k, 6/20, 6 p.m. The run course will begin and end outside Pybus Public Market. Runners and walkers will travel by Badger Mountain Brewery, 509 Bierwerks, Columbia Valley Brewery and Wenatchee Valley Brewery – four breweries that make up Wenatchee Brewers Row craft brewery district.
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A post race party will be held in the Local Tel events center at Pybus to celebrate the Solstice. Each brewery will be pouring their beers. Giveaways every hour and live music. Info: runwenatchee.com. Insect Management Using growing degree days, 6/20, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Learn how to calculate degree-day heat units and use in an IPM program to help manage pest problems, presented by Paula Dinius. Sponsored by Chelan County PUD and WA DNR Urban and Community Forestry. Info: pdinius@wsu.edu Comedy @ the Grizzly, 6/20, 7:30 p.m. Live performance by Gina Brillon. Red Lion Hotel’s Grizzly Lounge. Info: wenatcheecomedy. com. Guided Travel Tours for kids, 6/21, 9:30 a.m. These tours are designed for children and their caregivers seeking ways to explore interesting and fun destinations, which are easily accessed with Link Transit’s fixed-route system. A fun adventure to the beautiful walking trails near Leavenworth. Enjoy a leisurely stroll while stoking children’s curiosity of the natural world. Pack a picnic blanket and lunch for a sedate day in the park and on the grounds of the Upper Valley Museum and Wenatchee River Institute. All tours begin and end at Columbia Station. Cost: free. Info: 664-7624
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or sdanko@llinktransit.com. A rotten apple special comedy event, 6/21, 22, 9:30 – 11 p.m. Fill the Ruby Theatre in Chelan with laughs and stand-up comedy. Cost: $25-$35. Info: rottenapplepresents. com. Scotia Road, 6/21, 7 – 9 p.m. Live performance on the rail car. Pybus Public Market. Cost: free. Info: pybuspublicmarket.org. Lions Club community breakfast, 6/22, 7 – 11 a.m. All you can eat pancakes, eggs, sausage, coffee and milk. Proceeds go to Lions Club projects, locally and worldwide. Lions Club Park, Leavenworth. Lake Chelan Century Challenge, 6/22, 7 a.m. The bike route is a cloverleaf design passing through orchards and vineyards into the mountainous terrain surrounding Lake Chelan. Info: lakechelanrotary.org. Lake Chelan Cycle de Vine, 6/22, 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. Departing from and returning to Vin du Lac winery, the route will follow the north shore of the lake, including Manson before crossing the lake to Lake Chelan State Park. New this year is a poker run contest; riders will obtain playing cards at participating wineries and create the best poker hand for a grand prize at the ride’s end. Info: lakechelanrotary.org.
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column those were the days
rod molzahn
Long Jim – last chief of the Chelans Innomosecha (Rainbow
Robe), Long Jim’s father, was chief of the Chelan people in 1855 when the Yakima treaties were signed but he did not attend the council. Lahompt, a young Entiat, and Tecolekun, a P’squose, did attend. Tecolekun signed in exchange for the promise of a one- mile square fishery reservation at the Wenatchee/Icicle confluence. Innomosecha insisted the Chelans were not a party to the
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treaties and would stay on their ancestral lands. The signing of the treaties brought war not peace to the Kittitas, Yakima and Klickitat valleys and episodes of violence to north central Washington. The first major battle between Indians led by Yakima Chief Kamiakin and troops led by Major Granville Haller was fought at Union Gap along the Yakima River in October of 1855. Innomosecha, the Warrior Chief, joined the fighting along side his Sinkiuse cousins, Quiltenenock
and Quetalecan (later Moses), his friend Namunkin, an Entiat Warrior and Sarsarpkin, a northern Okanogan Chief described by Lt. Parnell in 1879 as “being a bad, dangerous, treacherous Indian.” The Indians defeated Haller’s troops. When Quiltenenock was killed by a white miner near the Wenatchee River in 1858, Quetalecan became Chief Moses. In retribution for the killing of his brother, Moses planned an attack on a group of miners
heading north to Canada. He enlisted his cousin, Innomosecha, to help. The Chelan Chief sent his warriors north to join other Okanogan fighters led by Chief Sarsarpkin in the attack on the 150-man party in a canyon south of Tonasket now called McLoughlin Canyon. Three years later, 16-year-old Jack Splawn, on a cattle drive to Canada, met Innomosecha at a
monitoring at Mountain Home Preserve, 6/27, 6 – 10:30 a.m. Would you like to spend a weekday morning hiking, viewing wildlife, wildflowers and snowcapped mountains, while being part of a small team collecting bird species data? Learn more about becoming a CDLT citizen scientist volunteer by contacting Susan Ballinger at susan@cdlantrust.org or 667-9708.
son Preserve trailhead area and get shuttled to the Saddle Rock Trailhead where the hike begins. Cost: free. Info: cdlandtrust.org or 6679708.
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WHAT TO DO
We want to know of fun and interesting local events. Send info to: donna@ncwgoodlife.com
Lake Chelan Arts Festival, 6/22, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. 6/23, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Over 30 exhibitors featuring beautiful, juried works of art and a silent auction. The Heritage Heights Portrait Project will be on display. Live music by Scotia Road, Waking Maya, The Beatdown Saints, And Then the Rain, plus other bands. Food and children’s activities, fun for the whole family. Riverwalk Park Chelan. Cost: free. Info: artinchelan.com. Sleeping Lady Organic Garden Tour, 6/22, 10 a.m. Join garden staff for a tour, learn about environmentally friendly gardening techniques; and earn your Sleeping Lady Green Thumb patch. In addition to using natural fertilizers, and regular crop rotation to improve the soil, the staff attracts beneficial insects to maintain the health and sustainability of the garden. The tour will include a stop in the greenhouse, which extends the growing season providing the Sleeping Lady culinary team with fresh produce and herbs throughout the year. Info: sleepinglady. com. Foster Care Fair, 6/22, noon – 3 p.m. Learn how to become a foster parent and/or volunteer. Pybus Public Market. Info: pybuspublicmarket.org.
Next Step Dance Studio presents In the spotlight, 6/22, 1 and 6 p.m. Live performance by talented dancers ages 3 to adult. Numerica Performing Arts Center. Cost: $15-$25. Info: numericapac. org. Spay-ghetti and no balls, 6/22, 5 – 8 p.m. An evening of fun and food that benefits the WVHS Spay and Neuter Fund. Enjoy a meal and pie, prepared by and held at Blueberry Hills Farm in Manson. Local wines and raffle items. Cost: $35. Info: wenatcheehumane.org. Twilight Alphorn Serenade, 6/22, 8 p.m. End your day with the soothing tones of the Leavenworth Alphorns. The evening serenade is followed by a brief demonstration with information and fun facts about this alpine folk instrument. Front Street Park, Leavenworth. Cost: free. Info: leavenworth.com. Book-it Theatre presents The Odyssey, 6/24, 2 – 3 p.m. A live theatrical performance. An exploration of myth, magic and monsters. Pybus Public Market. Cost: free. Info: pybuspublicmarket.org. Check out nature with these backpacks, 6/25, 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. Learn how to use binoculars, compass, magnifying glass, an insect catcher, identify plants and animals, and learn about cool hikes in our valley. Saddle Rock. Cost: free. Info: cdlandtrust.org. Community Science: ebird June 2019 | The Good Life
Comedy @ the Grizzly, 6/27, 7:30 p.m. Live performance by Jimmy Shubert. Red Lion Hotel’s Grizzly Lounge. Info: wenatcheecomedy. com. Kids Makers Market, 6/27, 4 – 8 p.m. Kids bring their homemade art, crafts, non-edible creations and services to the Leavenworth Farmers Market where they practice their entrepreneurial skills and earn bucks. Lions Club Park, Leavenworth. Cost: free. GWRRA Gold Wing motorcycle rally, 6/28, 29, 30. Chelan County Expo Center, Cashmere. Founder’s Day, 6/28, 5 p.m. Join us downtown Cashmere for Founder’s Day night activities. 6/29 The Crunch Pak Grand Parade, 7 p.m. Info: 782-7404. Up and over saddle rock: evening hike, 6/28, 7 p.m. Hike up to the top of Saddle rock and take a little snack break while enjoying the view. Hike back down the Jacobson Trail. Park at the Jacob-
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The Saddle Rockers, 6/28, 7 – 9 p.m. Live performance on the rail car. Pybus Public Market. Cost: free. Info: pybuspublicmarket.org. Trivia Night, 6/28, 7 – 9:30 p.m. Librarians from Wenatchee Public Library host this fun night of trivia for teens and adults. Teams of 2 – 8 players compete for top prizes. Snacks provided by the Friends of the Wenatchee Public Library. Pybus Public Market. Cost: free. Info: pybuspublicmarket.org. Dog Days: A Family Show, 6/29, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Well behaved dogs welcome and must be on a leash. Stations include: dog rally, kids vet clinic, agility training, vendors, trinity inflatables and education. Some stations cost $1. Town Toyota Center. Cost: free. Info: towntoyotacenter.com. 100 years of music: organ concert and silent film, 6/30, 2 – 4 p.m. Learn about the history of our pipe organ, enjoy a concert and silent film then join us for birthday cake. Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center. Cost: $7. Info: wenatcheevalleymuseum.org.
THOSE WERE THE DAYS
Long Jim became chief when father and brother died }}} Continued from previous page camp north of the Chelan River, on Chelan traditional land, about where the city of Chelan is now. Splawn later described the “noted warrior” writing, “his was not a pleasant face to look upon; a sullen, cruel expression and a combative head marked him as an ugly foe.” With the Chief was his 16-year-old son, Innomosecha Bill. Splawn and Bill were the same age and became close friends. Eight years later, also at the Chelan River, Bill saved Splawn’s life when a group of Indians attacked Splawn in an attempt to steal cattle. In 1879 the Moses/Columbia Reservation was created by presidential order. It eventually included all the land from the south shore of Lake Chelan north to the international border and from the crest of the Cascades to the Columbia and Okanogan Rivers. The two aging chiefs, Moses and Innomosecha, rode with General O.O. Howard to look at the proposed site for Camp Chelan, the army post that would oversee the new reservation. In his memoirs General Howard wrote kindly of Innomosecha calling him, “a peaceful old Indian Chief.” He may have mellowed in his age but perhaps he was content that all the Chelan lands would be protected by the new reservation. In 1881 Lt. Thomas Symons was sent to survey the upper Columbia to judge its potential for navigation. At Chelan Falls Symons found the old Chief fishing. He was ill by then but still following his traditional ways. He died the next year. His son, Bill, who would have become chief, also died that year, possibly on the same day. He was 36. His friend, Jack Splawn, wrote that Bill’s death
With no more land and no more people there was no more need for a chief. Long Jim was held in the guardhouse for nine weeks...
Long Jim: Named for his height of six feet and the fact he walked and rode like a chief. Wenatchee Valley Museum & Cultural Center 012-51-1034
was alcohol related but gave no further details. Innomosecha Jim, the chief ’s younger son, was 18 when his father died. With his older brother also gone Jim became Chief Jim. At that time the Chelans numbered about 70 men, women and children. Most of them lived on ancestral lands along the foot of the lake north of the Chelan River. Changes to the Moses/Columbia Reservation were on the wind by late 1882 and became
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reality in February of 1883 when, under pressure from white miners and ranchers, the government removed a strip of land 15 miles deep from the top of the reservation and opened it to non-Indians. Moses was angry. Sarsarpkin was furious. His people had always lived on land within the 15-mile strip along the border. The Okanogan Chief threatened violence at a meeting with Col. Merriam, commander of the army post at the mouth of the
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Spokane River. E. Richard Hart wrote that Merriam recalled Moses, Sarsarpkin and the “young Innomosecha” were present. However, Chief Jim was not along later that year when Moses, Sarsarpkin and Chief Tonasket traveled to Washington D.C. for meetings with the government. Those deliberations resulted in the entire 6,962 square-mile Reservation being returned to the public domain in exchange for a number of considerations including payments to the chiefs and permission for Sarsarpkin’s people to remain on their ancestral homeland. The Chelans were not so fortunate. Their traditional lands that had been swallowed by the Moses/Columbia Reservation were now opened to non-Indian settlement. In exchange the Indians could claim allotments on land within the boundaries of the reservation. They were given two years to make a claim or move to the Colville Reservation. Innomosecha Jim refused to have the Chelan’s land surveyed and refused to take an allotment, as did most of his followers. He held to a belief followed by many Native Americans. The land was sacred, given to them by the Creator. Any effort to divide it into pieces owned by individuals was sacrilege. Called Long Jim for his six-foot
height and his bearing (it was said that he always walked and rode like a chief) he made clear that he would never relent and take an allotment. Wapato John, an Entiat, had great respect for Long Jim and the Chelans. He waited until he was sure that the Chelans would not take allotments before he and his extended family claimed 10 parcels along the north shore of the lake including Wapato Point and the Manson area. Long Jim and his small group of followers continued to live in their traditional village at the foot of the lake and ignored the two-year deadline to claim allotments. In 1890 troops came to forcibly remove the Chelans to the Colville Reservation where most of them stayed and settled. With no more land and no more people there was no more need for a chief. Long Jim was held in the guardhouse for nine weeks then released to return to Lake Chelan where he discovered that Charles Ballard had finished platting the new town of Chelan in the heart of Jim’s ancestral land. In spite of Long Jim’s continued opposition to allotments, the government awarded him 525 acres on the north shore including Spader Bay. Long Jim was tired of the conflict and saddened by all that had happened and refused to live on his allotment. With his wife, Annie, he moved to the Brewster area and sold his lakeside allotment for $2,000. Much of it soon became part of the growing city of Chelan. Long Jim, the last chief of the Chelans, eventually moved to the Colville Reservation where he died May 28, 1931, age 71. Historian, actor and teacher Rod Molzahn can be reached at shake. speak@nwi.net. His third history CD, Legends & Legacies Vol. III - Stories of Wenatchee and North Central Washington, is now available at the Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center and at other locations throughout the area.
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the back page: that’s life
Wisdom from kindergartners By Pat Kanis-Wolfe
W
hen I inquired at the office, I was directed down the hall, first door on the left. I found the door quickly enough, but stopped before opening it. A mild panic started to consume me. I wasn’t sure what I was doing there. Why was I there? This wasn’t like me. I don’t remember ever wanting to do this and yet I had deliberately come. Pretending. That’s it, I was pretending. Pretending to be someone that I’m not. A mistake. Yes, it was a big mistake. I could turn around right this very minute and make a beeline back to my car, never looking back. And yet... here I was, standing outside this door... down the hall, on the left. With unwavering courage, I decided to make my move. Taking a deep breath, I turned the doorknob and walked in. And then I saw him standing there... curly dark hair, big brown eyes and a smile to melt my heart. His name was Andre and he was five years old. They were all five years old. Welcome to Kindergarten 101. What’s that on your eyelid? (A skin tag.) What’s that on your chin? (A mole.) Why are your teeth so yellow? (They’re old.)
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By day three, I was greeted by all 18 children with one giant group hug that nearly knocked me off my feet. I was in heaven! Children are so amazing. After spending three years volunteering in a kindergarten classroom, I can honestly say that those years were some of the happiest, most precious of my life. From the very beginning, I was smitten, although I have to admit that in the early days the kids made me a nervous wreck: yak, yak, yak… run, run, run... turn upside down, lay on the floor.. run, run, run some more. But soon I acclimated to the pace at which a kindergarten operates and went with the flow (although I never did lay on the floor). Energetic, candid, eager, compassionate... these are some of the words that describe five-year olds, but I never expected them to be so affectionate. For instance, one morning when I came into the classroom, one of the little ones, upon seeing me come through the door, got up out of his seat and walked over to hug me “hello.” So sweet! The next day, three of the kids >> RANDOM QUOTE
Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier. Colin Powell 38
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greeted me in the same fashion. By day three, I was greeted by all 18 children with one giant group hug that nearly knocked me off my feet. I was in heaven! The group hug went on for a couple of weeks before it came to an abrupt end (teacher intervention) when waving hello replaced mobbing. It was both a disappointment (loving that group hug) and a relief (fearful that I might be knocked over... after all, I was 55 yeas old... I mean 58 years old... all right, all right I was 63 years old and not as stable on my feet as I would liked to have been). As time went on, my duty was to work one-on-one with those students who needed extra help in some area, say recognition of letters of the alphabet or numbers. Yes, unlike in the olden days when I went to kindergarten (half-day) where the focus was on nursery-rhyme activities (“Farmer in the Dell”) or group games (“Duck, Duck, Goose!”), today’s kindergartners are required to be able to read! I was also asked to work with those students who were advanced in one area or another, giving them more challenging activities. With the school’s permission, my husband made me a long, but not very deep, table to push against a wall in the hallway across from the classroom. I reupholstered a thrift shop chair (plush zebra) and voila... adult size chair to sit at kid-size table. I don’t have to tell you, though, that I never got to sit in that zebra chair. I guess I didn’t run fast enough. And so I worked in the hall, one-on-one or one-on-two and sometimes one-on-four, depending on the need. In my time in kindergarten, here is a sampling of what I
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learned from the kids: “When I grow up and move to my own house, I’m only going Pat Kanis-Wolfe to take my is originally from grandma.” Akron, Ohio and “I’m now lives with her husband, Tom, in hungry.” (I Leavenworth. heard this a lot.) “We got up too late and missed free-breakfast ’cause daddy didn’t get us here on time. “My dad was sick again last night. He promised me that he wouldn’t get sick, but then he did. Then he didn’t go to work again today.” Serious social agreement: “Do you want to be my friend?” “O.K.” “My dad is picking me up today. He’s taking me to the doctor, because I have a sore throat.” (Oh, great.) Me: “You’re doing a great job cutting with scissors. I don’t think I could cut as nicely as you.” Kindergartner: “That’s because you’re a grandma.” (Remind me to get my roots done, will you.) Boy: “I’m happy.” Girl: “I’m happy, too.” Boy: “I’m happy, because I get to come to school.” Girl: “I’m happy, because I get to come to school, too. “This is waaay better than daycare!” Non-kid quote: (custodian walking down the hall with a mop and bucket): “Is there anyone in this school who isn’t sick?” Never under-appreciate the wisdom of children. Their world is how the real world should be.
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