General Excellence by Methow Valley Publishing

THE WEEK AHEAD – DEC. 6-12 THURSDAY: Partly cloudy FRIDAY: Partly cloudy SATURDAY: Mostly cloudy SUNDAY: Partly cloudy MONDAY: Partly cloudy TUESDAY: Partly cloudy WEDNESDAY: Partly cloudy

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Tough talk

LBHS debate team hosts ‘forensics’ tournament

Classic tale A Christmas Story at Merc this weekend

SPORTS, Page B2

Yeah, we’re confused too.

ARTS, Page A7

Methow Valley News

PUBLISHED WEEKLY SINCE 1903

TWISP, WASHINGTON

VOL. 110 NO. 30

DECEMBER 5, 2012

It’s no simple task to define Methow ‘brand’ By Don Nelson One word couldn’t do it. Nor could five. By the time a group of about 40 valley residents finished two hours of free-form brainstorming last Saturday, they had come up with a long list of words and phrases to describe the Methow Valley’s attractions. Those included magical, practical, enchanting, mythical, real-life, inclusive, back-to-basics, friendly, accepting, expansive, authentic, hopeful, unpretentious, intentional (as in, you have to really intend to be here), passionate, a retreat, a lifestyle, a sanctuary, a place with soul, a strong sense of being “home.” The public session at the Twisp Valley Grange was billed as a “Made in the Methow Branding Roundup.” It was part of a process launched by TwispWorks to develop a logo and Methow Valley “brand” to promote local agricultural products – and by extension, anything else created here – for sale beyond the Methow. The effort is funded by a federal grant, part of a program to support rural agriculture.

Distilling all those thoughts and images into a representative symbol and effective marketing strategy is TwispWorks’ next task. Amy Stork, the public development authority’s executive director, said a core group of volunteers, many from the local agriculture community, will synthesize the ideas offered last weekend and those collected in an informal public survey TwispWorks has been conducting for the past several weeks. The broader goal, Stork said, is to promote the Methow’s overall economic vitality. The logo will be created by local designer Corin McDonald, who created the TwispWorks logo. He talked, listened and doodled spontaneous impressions on the butcher paper that covered tables in the Grange Hall at Saturday’s session. “It’s about community,” he said of the branding process, adding that “everyone is a brand ambassador.” Architect and designer Brice Butler led the informal discussion, prompting attendees to elaborate on their reasons See BRANDING on Page A2

Photo by Don Nelson

Okanogan County Commissioner Bud Hover, right, observes the manual vote recounting process for the District 2 commissioner race on Monday. Hover trailed challenger Ray Campbell by 10 votes in machine counting, and the margin did not change after the recount. Chief Deputy Auditor Mila Jury, standing in the center, supervised the recount.

Campbell edges Hover after vote recount By Don Nelson and Ann McCreary

Photo by Don Nelson

Designer Corin McDonald was thinking graphically when he made these doodles at the TwispWorks “Made in the Methow Branding Roundup” event last weekend.

After a manual precinct-by-precinct recount, challenger Ray Campbell has unseated incumbent Okanogan County Commissioner Don R. “Bud” Hover to represent District 2 on the three-member commission. The recount, completed Tuesday (Dec. 4), showed Campbell with 7,190 votes and Hover with 7,180 – maintaining the original 10-vote margin after the general election vote tally. In

the initial machine count, Campbell received 7,194 votes and Hover got 7,184, according to the county auditor’s website. The recount – required by state law because of the close margin – began Monday in the county auditor’s office. The county Canvassing Board will meet to certify the recount at 10 a.m. Thursday (Dec. 6) in the auditor’s office at the courthouse in Okanogan. The meeting is open to See CAMPBELL on Page A3

Photo by Sue Misao

Ray Campbell

Hartnett moving from Twisp to Winthrop Marshal’s Office By Laurelle Walsh Winthrop is finally making some progress – albeit temporary – in getting its police force back to full strength. Winthrop Mayor Dave Acheson said this week that “as of the first of the year, for all practical purposes, [the Winthrop Marshal’s Office] will be fully staffed and back up to three officers.” Acheson said that Mike Hartnett – currently an officer in the Twisp Police

Department, whose position there won’t be funded after this month – will be working “a couple shifts a week” in Winthrop through the month of December, while continuing to work full-time in Twisp. Starting in January 2013, Hartnett will work approximately 30 hours per week as Winthrop’s second deputy marshal, in a temporary part-time position for a maximum of four months, as allowed by state law, Acheson said. “During that time, we should get our permanent hiring process

completed,” the mayor said. The Winthrop Marshal’s Office has been running short-staffed since the departure of a deputy last May, with Marshal David Mike Hartnett Dahlstrom and Deputy Ken Bajema stretched to cover the town. Hartnett, an experienced officer

who specializes in drug enforcement, said he intends to apply for the permanent position in Winthrop and hopes the department will consider a lateral transfer instead of having to go through the entire hiring process through the Public Service Testing organization. “I’ve had 33 years already in this line of work; the PST process is more geared toward entry level hiring,” Hartnett said. “It has been kind of rough getting laid off by the Town of Twisp,” said

Hartnett, who was hired by that town around a year and a half ago with help from a federal grant that has expired. “I appreciate the Town of Winthrop for extending a hand to me during this time of uncertainty. I want Marshal Dahlstrom to know that I will be a dedicated employee and work for all the citizens of Winthrop.” Dahlstrom said, “Having a third officer on will be some relief to our force. The Winthrop Marshal’s Office

See HARTNETT on Page A3

Survey: Local teens use alcohol, tobacco more than their peers By Marcy Stamper Methow teens use alcohol, marijuana and tobacco in greater numbers overall than teens in the rest of the county or state, according to the Healthy Youth Survey administered by the state to sixth, eighth, 10th and 12th graders every other year. Moreover, while it is too early to see an impact, the fact that virtually all federal and state funding for prevention was cut in 2009 has limited the local resources for directly addressing the problem, according to Lois Garland, student and family advocate for the Methow Valley School District. The anonymous, voluntary survey asks about everything from exercise habits to school safety to drug and alcohol use. The most recent survey was administered in October and results will be available in the spring. Although Methow’s survey participation numbers are small, which can make the results less representative of overall trends, many local statistics show a statistically signifi-

cant difference when compared with Okanogan County and the state. In the 2010 survey, nearly twice as many Methow students who filled out the survey reported they had consumed a drink (a beer, glass of wine or hard liquor) once or twice within the past 30 days when compared with the rest of the county, and the number was even higher when matched with statewide results. (Selected results are in the accompanying box.) When researchers looked at binge drinking, there were also more young people in the Methow who reported having had five or more drinks at one sitting in the past two weeks. The survey asked how many times students had consumed five drinks; Methow teens who participated in the survey reported drinking this amount one-and-a-half to four times as often as their peers, depending on the frequency of the binges.

in the county and the state, with 40 percent of 12th graders who completed the survey having smoked it in the past month, 36 percent of 10th graders,

Pot, tobacco use also higher

A higher percentage of Methow Valley students said they had consumed a drink in the past 30 days compared to students in the rest of the county, according to a state-administered survey.

Marijuana use in the Methow was also more widespread than elsewhere

and 17 percent of eighth graders (in the county and state, it ranged from 9 to 26 percent). More than twice as many 12th

graders surveyed in the Methow (28 percent) had smoked one or more cigarettes in the past month than in the rest of the county. Numbers were higher for 10th graders as well, but tobacco use among eighth graders was about equal in the Methow, the county and the state. The survey also asks how young people obtained cigarettes and alcohol. Most said they gave someone else money to buy cigarettes; others borrowed a cigarette. Most kids in the Methow said they had obtained alcohol at a party, although many got it from friends or gave someone money to buy it. Statewide, alcohol was most commonly obtained from friends.

Cautions on small numbers

Photo by Marcy Stamper

MVN, pg 1

Garland cautioned that small shifts in small numbers can have a big impact on the data, but was nevertheless concerned about the degree of experimentation and use in the Methow. See TEENS on Page A6

Page A2

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

BRANDING

Comment on Twin Lakes storage project There is just over a week to submit comments to help the Washington Department of Ecology and Okanogan County determine what questions to address in the environmental review of a proposal to use the Twin Lakes to store water from the Methow River. The project would restore water levels in the lakes and nearby aquifers and enhance recreational trout fishing by pumping water during high flows from an aquifer fed by the Methow River via a 2.3-mile buried pipeline. Approximately 70 percent of the water would gradually seep back into the aquifer and river, according

to the project design. The proposal by the Twin Lakes Aquifer Coalition is also intended to restore riparian and lowland habitat for aquatic species and mammals near the lakes, located between Winthrop and Twisp. If it goes forward, the Twin Lakes Water Storage Project would have to meet the criteria of Ecology’s Office of Columbia River, which seeks to identify programs that would provide water through storage for in- and out-of-stream uses and for fisheries, according to Joye Redfield-Wilder, public information manager for Ecology.

Okanogan County and Ecology, the lead agencies for the project, determined that the proposal may have a probable significant adverse environmental impact and may require an environmental impact statement (EIS). This round of comments will help set the scope of the EIS and any topics that should be addressed, such as alternatives, fish issues and probable adverse impacts. Written comments will be accepted through Friday, Dec. 14, at dsan461@ecy.wa.gov. For more information, call Okanogan County Planning at (509) 422-7160 or visit www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wr/ cwp/tlws.html.

Two state parcels bought at auction Two transactions for state land auctioned this summer by the Washington Department of Natural Resources have closed, netting almost half a million dollars for the state’s school trust program. Gaye Pigott purchased a 40-acre parcel south of Winthrop, on the west side of Highway 20 and north of Twin Lakes Road, adjacent to land she already owns, according to Bob Winslow, DNR transaction project manager. Piggott was

the sole bidder, purchasing the lot for the minimum bid of $380,000. The second parcel is in the Chiliwist, near Malott, and was bought by Richard and Bonnie Fuller, who also own adjacent property. The Fullers were the sole bidder and paid the minimum asking price of $63,500. DNR offered three other parcels in Okanogan County at the auction but, despite considerable interest in the properties, only these two drew bids.

Methow Valley News

The parcels were offered for sale because they produced little or no income for the trust, according to DNR’s communications manager. The Winthrop parcel did not earn any income for the state. The Chiliwist parcel raised $35.12 annually from a grazing lease, which was voluntarily surrendered, according to the agency. Proceeds from the sales will be used to purchase replacement property for DNR’s school trust program.

www.editor@methowvalleynews.com

for living in and appreciating the valley. “We are looking for a common sound, a rhythm” that helps define the Methow, Butler said. “We want to see what comes out of the collective thought.” There was no shortage of heartfelt, sometimes impassioned offerings by long-time residents and relative newcomers alike. If there was a common theme, it was that most came to the valley, or came back after leaving, or have always lived here because of a deep-seated sense that this is where they belong. Jim Salter of the Partnership for a Sustainable Methow – which for a time operated a Made in the Methow store in downtown Twisp – said that earlier effort didn’t reach outside the valley. He said a broader effort has been needed for some time. Jonathan Baker, a freelance industrial designer who recently moved to the valley from the east coast, said he was drawn here because “there is something energetic about this place.” He said he sees a lot of “smart, talented” people who have the ability to turn ideas into sustainable products. John Morgan, co-owner of Lost River Winery, said the Methow “is a big part of our identity.” His business is bolstered by the affection of frequent visitors and part-time residents for the Methow mystique, Morgan said. “They will

From Page A1

Photo by Don Nelson

Brice Butler, standing, kicks off a two-hour discussion at the “Made in the Methow Branding Roundup” last weekend. be evangelists for your brand,” he said. Lori Loomis, co-owner of Backcountry Coffee Roasters in Winthrop, said the valley “gets under your skin … intangibles draw us here. The sense of community is very strong and welcoming.” She also cited “tolerance for different types of people.” Tori Karpenko, a local artist who also works at TwispWorks, cited “passion” as a strong force in the community, and added that the small population in a remote area creates “a sense of human scale … you can help write the story of this place.” Steve Mitchell, co-owner of the Rocking Horse Bakery in Winthrop, said that the Methow is full of “average people trying to make a difference… we’re all resourceful … we need to help each other survive.” Phyllis Daniels, who over-

sees the Teen Center at TwispWorks, said it’s important to “spread the possibilities around the whole community,” and to focus on a sustainable future for the valley’s children. Kristen Smith, who is the marketing director for the Winthrop Chamber of Commerce and the Methow Valley Sport Trails Association, pointed out that the valley has a “fanatical following” and “we need to get over the fear of that.” To a large extent, Stork said, “what we are is already a brand” because the valley is well known as a beautiful place with a wide range of activities to lure people and keep them coming back. “The Methow is delivering on its brand promise already,” she said. “How we represent that brand to help people in the valley sell more things to people outside the valley” is TwispWorks’ goal.

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MVN, pg 2

Methow Valley News

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

CAMPBELL the public. Campbell and Hover are both Republicans who live in the Methow Valley. Hover has served two terms on the commission. Campbell will join newly elected District 1 commissioner Sheilah Kennedy, a Republican, who defeated Democrat Albert Roberts. The third commissioner, Jim Detro, was not up for re-election. “It’s been a close race and a tough race. It’s kept us both on edge here for the last few weeks,” said Campbell, who spent much of Tuesday sitting in on a County Commission meeting. “I look forward to rolling up my sleeves and getting to work,” he said. “I’ll be meeting with different groups from here on out, and try to bring people together. I’ll try to keep an

HARTNETT is looking forward to working with Mike. He will be a valuable asset to the town.” The town’s civil service commission, which is in charge of hiring a new officer, has been working since September to develop a set of rules by which to operate. According to Acheson, the draft rules are currently being revised by the town’s attorney. “I had certainly hoped

Naked Eye

From Page A1

open mind and try to work with everyone I can in this county.” “This county, this state and nation have a lot of hard struggles ahead of us. Economics are a big concern,” Campbell said. Hover kept his hopes up as the vote tallies changed with each recount, but said he is ready to move on after learning of the final, close results. “If you believe in the system you’ve got to allow the system to dictate what’s going to happen. It doesn’t matter if it’s 10 votes or 10,000 votes. I’ve got to congratulate Ray,” Hover said. Hover completed his master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Washington earlier this year, and expects to continue working in public service.

“I have had different people approach me. I’ve made a lot of connections over the last eight years. I’ve learned a lot in the course of being a commissioner,” Hover said. Hover said he leaves a county that is in good fiscal shape. The county is currently in the process of refinancing its debt, Hover said. “Because of the management policies and fiscal policies we’ve had in place in the last eight years, the county got an A-plus bond rating. That will allow the county to refinance and save over $300,000 and reduce interest to an effective 1.9 percent on these bond,” Hover said. “I would say as I leave the county is in good shape. Its fiscal house is in order. I feel good about that,” he added.

The end of the world – or not

A rogue planet four times the size of Earth has been lurking unseen behind the sun for years. Suddenly, without any warning, it leaps out from hiding and crashes into Earth, blasting it to smithereens. Our sun aligns with the galactic center and extreme gravitational forces tear our little world asunder. A calendar belonging to some ancient people living somewhere south of us hundreds of years ago rolls over and Earth, on cue, selfdestructs. Circle Dec. 21 in red on your calendar because all these events and more are supposed to occur on that date. The universe no doubt is a dangerous place. Our expanding sun will boil away our oceans and eventually engulf the earth in its fiery grasp. Sooner or later a large asteroid like the one that struck our planet 65 million years ago David Ward and wiped out the dinosaurs and many other species will slam into us, ridding Earth of all higher life forms. A star in our neighborhood could explode, scorching our planet like a badly burned piece of toast. My personal prediction is that none of these events, whether real or imagined, will happen this Dec. 21. Keep checking off your Christmas gift list. Dec. 25 will almost certainly arrive on schedule this year as it always does. Assuming I am right and if we have some clear nights, here are a few things to see up there after dark. That very bright yellowish object that is shining steady, not twinkling like the stars, is the planet Jupiter, after the Roman name for the king of the gods. It is hard to miss since it is the brightest thing up there besides the moon. You can see it all night long and it reaches its peak brightness this month. The star close by is Aldebaran, the red eye of Taurus the

From Page A1 to have it finalized by now, but we’re getting there,” Acheson said. Winthrop’s gain is Twisp’s loss, although the towns had nothing to do with that. The federal Department of Justice (DOJ) grant that has provided funds for police salaries in Twisp during the past two years is coming to an end, and so far the town hasn’t been able to

Page A3

find money in the proposed 2013 budget to replace the federal grant. That will leave Twisp, with about 1,000 residents, with two full-time positions while Winthrop, with about 400 residents, will have nearly three full-time equivalents. “The loss of the DOJ grant is too much of a loss to absorb,” Twisp Mayor IngMoody said recently.

bull. To the west a bit, the Pleiades star cluster gleams like a tiny box of jewels. The main planet show is on display in the early morning just before sunrise. If you can see low in the southeast, Mercury, Venus and Saturn adorn the morning twilight. Venus is by far the brightest of the three. Look for a thin crescent to almost kiss Venus on the morning of Dec. 11. Clouds spoiled our view of the Leonid meteor shower in November but we have another great display coming up on the night of Dec. 13. The Geminid shower is predicted to be awesome this year with possibly as many as 100 shooting stars an hour. The moon is completely out of the way, so if it is clear we should be treated to something grand. On Christmas Eve look for the Northern Cross standing up right in the northwest. The longest night of the year occurs on Dec. 21. We reach that point on Earth’s orbit known as the Winter Solstice at 3:12 a.m. that day Those of us living in the Methow Valley are very fortunate to be enveloped by a very dark sky at night. Like the mountains surrounding our valley, dark night skies and the sights of the cosmos they reveal can inspire us, humble us and give us a new perspective on our lives. Much of the civilized world has lost this treasure to the hazy glow of light pollution. At this time our darkness is being threatened by government agencies trying to force their unnecessary and unwanted regulations on us. Join Bill Hottell, Howard Johnson and myself for a celebration of the dark sky at the Methow Valley United Methodist Church on Dec. 6 at 7 p.m. Hope to see you there!

Cassie Marchbank

The support you provide when you buy local helps ensure the longevity of our local businesses. When you shop at a locally owned business, the whole community benefits. You have a choice where to spend your money; spend it here this holiday season!

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MVN, pg 3

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Page A4

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Opinion

No Bad Days

Keeping it real Listening to the discussion during last weekend’s “Made in the Methow Branding Roundup,” I was reminded of an encounter many years ago in the aisle of a grocery store in Bend, Ore. Walking toward me was gentleman dressed in new, crisply creased jeans, plate-sized belt buckle, gleaming, expensive cowboy boots, a fancy, filigreed western shirt, a black leather vest and a flawless, cream-colored cowboy hat. He looked like he had stepped out of the pages of Cowboys & Indians magazine, a slick publication that has little to do with cowboys or Indians and a lot to do with high-end western furnishings, art, real estate and couture. If you want to outfit your Montana lodge with the furnishings of the stars, and dress like a dude ranch dandy, it’s the place to shop. Around the corner, in front of the beer display, I found another fellow. This one was dressed in muddy, worn-at-the-heel boots, faded, scruffy jeans, chambray work shirt, stained Carhartt vest and a battered cowboy hat that shaded a creased, work-worn face. You tell me: Which was the real cowboy? I thought of that because much of the discussion last weekend was about the Methow Valley’s authenticity, back-toDon Nelson basics grounding and real-life practicality. In other words, if the valley was a cowboy, it would be more like the guy looking at the beer shelves, not the one in Tony Llamas shopping for a good chardonnay. That’s worth keeping in mind as the community works toward crafting a “brand” that represents the valley outside of the valley. TwispWorks – which sponsored last week’s idea-generating session – is developing a logo and marketing program to promote Methow agriculture and other local products more effectively to the greater world. It’s a project that has great potential to boost the local economy. The branding roundup – two appropriate words, I suppose, given the valley’s western heritage – was well attended by local artisans, businesspeople, entrepreneurs, creative types and community activists who have a stake in the valley’s economic success. It was, as one participant observed, a self-selecting group of energetic, involved people – not a bad thing, as it’s usually the people who show up who get things done. Less well-represented were folks who also have made their own commitments and investments here, and whose lives are also tied to the Methow’s economic well-being. Many of them are logging, ranching, farming, cleaning rooms, waiting tables, drilling wells, wiring, plumbing, pounding nails, pouring concrete, pumping septic tanks, fixing cars, punching a cash register, pulling espresso shots, baking, cooking, snow-plowing – you get the idea – the other working people who keep the Methow going and treasure it deeply. I like to tell my friends in the newspaper business – many of whom fantasize about running a small-town paper in a gorgeous setting – that yes, I’m living the dream, but I’m also working the reality. And the reality is not easy. I suspect a lot of local folks feel the same way. This has never been a place that was afraid of hard work, whether for individual survival or for the community good. At the same time, the Methow has a way of leaving people dumbstruck with its beauty and determined to be part of the community. That combination of affection and commitment is what will make the Made in the Methow branding effort successful. Don Nelson is the publisher of the Methow Valley News.

Methow Valley News PUBLISHED WEEKLY SINCE 1903 101 N. Glover St., P.O. Box 97, Twisp, WA 98856 Telephone: (509) 997-7011 FAX: (509) 997-3277 Email: editor@methowvalleynews.com Homepage: www.methowvalleynews.com Don Nelson, PUBLISHER/EDITOR Marilyn Bardin, OFFICE MANAGER Robin Doggett, ADVERTISING MANAGER Sue Misao, PHOTOGRAPHY/DESIGN Callie Fink, ADVERTISING Marcy Stamper, REPORTER Janet Mehus, OFFICE ASSISTANT Ann McCreary, REPORTER Dana Sphar, AD DESIGN/PRODUCTION Mike Maltais, SPORTS Linda Day, AD DESIGN Laurelle Walsh, REPORTER/ PROOFREADER Jay Humling, DISTRIBUTION contributors

Erik Brooks, Tania Gonzalez Ortega, Sally Gracie, Patrick Hannigan, Jim & Jane Hutson, Rosalie Hutson, Ashley Lodato, Patrick McGann, Sam Owen, Joanna Smith, Bob Spiwak, Solveig Torvik, Dave Ward

Display advertising deadline for this newspaper is on the Friday previous to publication at 5 p.m. Classified advertising deadline is Monday at noon. The deadline for news items is Monday at noon.

Member of the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association.

THE METHOW VALLEY NEWS (USPS Publication No. 343480) is published weekly by MVN Publishing, LLC, 101 N. Glover St., Twisp, WA 98856. Subscription rates: $30 inside Okanogan County, $40 outside of Okanogan County and $50 outside of Washington State per year (in advance). Periodical class postage paid at Twisp, Washington, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to THE METHOW VALLEY NEWS, P.O. Box 97, Twisp, WA 98856. THE METHOW VALLEY NEWS does not refund subscription payments except to the extent that the newspaper might fail to meet its obligation to publish each week of the individual subscription period, in which case the prorated cost of those issues missed would be refunded.

Box 97: Letters to the editor

Methow Valley News

Tania Gonzalez Ortega

Thanks for XC article

Dear Editor: Thanks to Mike Maltais for his fine article on our 1998 cross-country team. Coaching long-distance runners ranks as one of the most rewarding things I’ve done. The ultimate reward is to watch these athletes continue on after graduation with a lifelong passion for endurance sports. I need to correct one slight misquote: Heidi Rhinehart and Danielle Bradshaw both graduated prior to 1998 and were not on the 1998 or 1999 teams. They did, however, distinguish themselves with outstanding performances and appearances on the medal podium at state between 1993 and 1996. Cliff Johnston Tacoma

Not here, please

Dear Editor: In the Nov. 14 issue of this paper I voiced my fears about turning our town into a “whacky, outrageous” stage set on a reality show drummed up by TV producers Micheal Parks and Erich Lyttle. Every time I appeared in town and in

crowds after my letter was published people rushed up to me to thank me for my letter, saying it was their sentiments exactly. I’d guess at least 25 people said that to me. And continue to do so. Not one person told me I was full of it. I mean, who really would want to be on national TV and be made to look like a spectacle? Then, the following week, in the Nov. 21 issue, Parks wrote to say he’d been

“overwhelmed by the positive response we’ve gotten from valley residents to our proposed reality show “Twisp (I Mean It’s Crazy!).” Really? Not in my neck of the woods. Not on main street. Again, let me bellow: No! Take your TV cameras back to California and leave us in peace. Diana Hottell Twisp

Letters to the editor must be fewer than 350 words and may be edited for libel, grammar and taste. Send to: Methow Valley News P.O. Box 97, Twisp, WA 98856 FAX: 509-997-3277 e-mail: editor@methow valleynews.com or drop by 101 N. Glover St., Twisp

My turn

Ditch company is not negotiating in good faith

The Town of Winthrop has been trying to work with the trustees of the Foghorn Ditch Company (FHD) to reach an agreement regarding the next phase of the Susie Stephens Trail for some time now but has been unsuccessful. Throughout the process, I have sought to remain professional and courteous and not engage in point by point rebuttal or offer/counter-offer type communication feeling that would create an unnecessarily adversarial tone. At times, the FHD trustees have characterized this approach as “casual,” “lacking urgency,” or “unresponsive.” Unfortunately, they apparently have not shared a desire to avoid being unnecessarily adversarial. Given the actions of the FHD trustees over the past two months, I feel that it is an appropriate time to comment on the path that led to this point. The proposed trail route was identified through an Dave Acheson extensive public process that began in the late 1990s. In the mid 2000s, the town with the state’s help began to piece together a funding package that would make this project a reality. Prior to formally engaging the Foghorn Ditch in discussions regarding trail design and crossings, Town Planner Rocklynn Culp and Jennifer Knauer of Sahale (the town’s expected trail contractor) met with Ron Vander Yacht, understood by the town to be the chair of FHD trustees at that time, to discuss preliminary design concepts. In March 2009, Culp attended the Foghorn’s annual meeting to discuss the trail project. Following this meeting, the trustees expressed concerns about liability and maintenance issues and requested that a letter be drafted by the town to be sent to the shareholders requesting their agreement for locating the trail near the ditch and clarifying the town’s intention to work cooperatively to address their concerns. Less than three weeks later, after receiving the requested draft letter from the town, the trustees responded by stating that “at this time it would be premature” to send out the letter to their shareholders. To my knowledge, that letter was never shared with FHD shareholders until relatively recently being posted on the foghorn. info website. In April 2009, my understanding of the FHD’s position was that it did not wish to spend time or resources on this discussion until such time as the town could provide

specific, preliminary designs for FHD’s review. Due to complications with the bridge portion of the project, our initial funding was insufficient to complete the full length of the proposed trail. Because of this, the town has not yet contracted for design of the section of trail including the crossings of the Foghorn Ditch and will not until funding is secured for Phase 2. The trustees have been repeatedly advised of that fact. Also in 2009, the town was searching through Okanogan County records for any documentation describing the FHD’s easement or right-of-way. The title reports received by the town during the acquisition process for trail right-of-way did not turn up any ditch documentation either. We proceeded with those acquisitions based on the understanding that the FHD’s easement was prescriptive in nature and undocumented (a position the FHD itself represented until late July of this year). The town consulted legal counsel as to what the FHD’s easement likely was based on prescriptive claim and was advised that it was likely 20 feet wide centered on the ditch. Our right-of-way acquisitions proceeded based on this information and we chose the right-of-way location to be well clear of the likely prescriptive ditch easement other than at proposed crossings to minimize impacts on the ditch. While the FHD trustees have stated at various times that the town does not understand the nature of prescriptive easements, I can assure you that we do and that we reached that understanding through research and legal counsel. The FHD has a prescriptive claim based on historical use. That does not equal a defined and specific easement. Only a court decision or other agreement between landowners can specify the dimensions, location, rights of use, etc. relating to that claim. In a letter in March 2010, the FHD trustees claimed an easement extending 25 feet from the centerline of the ditch. At the end of July 2012, FHD provided documentation indicating it is 15 feet from centerline for the only portion they have been able to produce records. The town does not dispute that the FHD has a prescriptive claim to an easement and right to operate its ditch and included provisions reflecting that in its most recent proposed agreement with the FHD. However, given the documented changing of the FHD’s own understanding of its property ownership and rights, it seems unfair to accuse the town of not respecting the FHD’s easement in its planning of the trail. Over the last few months, the FHD trustees have sought to have the funding for Phase 2 of the Susie Stephens Trail blocked. In October, FHD trustees Dale Sekijima and Danny Yanarella traveled to

MVN, pg 4

Olympia and presented the FHD’s formal request that the project be removed from the Recreation and Conservation Office’s (RCO) Funding Board’s list of projects recommended for funding in fiscal year 2014. Town Planner Culp and I also traveled to Olympia to be present for any questions the funding board might have of us. It was made clear to all in attendance that the town and FHD had until late summer of next year to reach a solution granting the town “tenure and control” of the necessary right-of-way for the trail. Both the town and Sekijima were asked by the Funding Board chairman if we were willing to continue to work towards an agreement. The director of RCO offered to meet with both parties to see if that would help. Mr. Sekijima and I both indicated that we were willing to continue to work towards a resolution. Mr. Sekijima’s own email to FHD shareholders indicates that the RCO director’s involvement would be “an important starting point for negotiations.” I was surprised to hear then that since that trip to Olympia, the FHD trustees have been in touch with state Sen. Linda Evans Parlette’s office to again request that the project be removed from the RCO Funding Board’s recommended list of projects that will be approved by the legislature in this upcoming session. This is not negotiating in good faith. Perhaps before entering these discussions, I should have given more weight to the email I received from Mr. Sekijima in 2009, who was not a trustee at that time, stating that he would oppose any proposal by the Town of Winthrop to construct a trail crossing the Foghorn Ditch. It is becoming clear to me that the only acceptable solution to the FHD trustees is to have the Susie Stephens Trail nowhere near the Foghorn Ditch. Both the town and the FHD have expended valuable time and financial resources on this discussion and I hate to think that those efforts have been wasted in what was only intended to be a show of being open to discussions when only one outcome was acceptable to the FHD trustees. I find it ironic that Highway 20 is 5 to 10 feet from the ditch for most of the section at issue and that for well over a decade the FHD presumably had no issues with the MVSTA-operated trail that crossed the ditch. I remain committed to working to address the Foghorn Ditch’s concerns to the greatest extent responsibly and legally possible and to provide a solution that benefits the community, the trail, and the Foghorn Ditch. To do that the town will need a good faith counterpart sitting across the table. Dave Acheson is the mayor of Winthrop.

Methow Valley News

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Page A5

Twisp struggles to come up with fire protection contract proposal By Ann McCreary The nation has its “fiscal cliff.” Twisp has its “fire gap.” Twisp Town Council members spent two hours combing through line items in the town’s proposed 2013 budget Monday evening (Dec.3), trying to find money to bridge a gap in the price being negotiated with Okanogan County Fire District 6 for fire protection. Six weeks of negotiations, including a joint meeting Nov. 28 between town and district officials, have failed to produce a mutually agreeable contract. The district and town were about $7,000 apart on a contract price after meeting last week. With the current contract for fire protection expiring Dec. 31, Twisp officials said Monday they feel pressure to come up with an offer that the district will accept. Clay Hill, the Town Council’s newest member, questioned whether town contracts with planners, judges, building inspectors and other professionals could be reduced to come up with money for the fire contract. “What about $500 from each … to fill the fire gap,” Hill proposed. Mayor Soo Ing-Moody said she and department heads have spent two months paring down the proposed budget, including eliminating a half-time police officer position, to try to balance it. “There’s nothing else left (to cut) in a nutshell,” she said. “You’re saying there’s no give here, and if that’s the case,

we’ve got a problem,” said council member John Fleming. “If there’s no room to budge there’s no room to augment what we were prepared to offer (the fire district) a week ago.” The three-man commission that runs the fire district has insisted on two principal points. They want Twisp to give the district the full amount of the town’s annual fire budget, or about $41,000 based on the 2012 budget. District officials also contend that town taxpayers would contribute less to fire protection than other district taxpayers, even under a $41,000 contract, and want the contributions to be equal. The fire district levies a tax of 60 cents per $1,000 of assessed property valuation on residents in the district. Ing-Moody said Monday that Twisp residents would actually pay more than other taxpayers in the fire district if the town agreed to District 6 contract terms. Based on 2013 budget projections, town residents would pay the equivalent of 69 cents per $1,000 assessed property valuation for all costs related to fire protection, or 9 cents more than other district taxpayers. Ing-Moody said she asked Twisp Clerk-Treasurer Jackie Moriarity to calculate the costs to the town for fire protection that include “hard fixed costs” that the town continues to pay while it contracts for fire protection. Those costs include debt service and insurance on the town-owned fire engine and Second Avenue fire hall, and

secretarial costs related to fire protection. The engine and fire hall are used by District 6, while the costs of insurance and debt payments are carried by the town. The calculation does not include the town’s investment in the municipal water system and fire hydrants that are used by District 6, Ing-Moody said. Town officials hashed out an array of contract options Monday, eventually settling on offering the current amount budgeted for fire protection, and subtracting costs that the town will continue to pay related to property and liability insurance and some secretarial expenses. The total amount equals about $35,000, which council member Hill, who was recently appointed to serve as the town’s principal negotiator, said he hopes the fire district will consider. Council members said they would have to cut an additional $5,000 from other parts of the budget to fund the proposed contract offer. At contract discussions last week, fire district officials said they wanted the amount Twisp pays to equal Winthrop’s contract, which was $44,000 this year. The Winthrop Town Council last month rejected a 20 percent increase proposed by the district for next year’s fire contract. The fire district initially asked for $48,000 next year from Twisp, but dropped the request to $41,000. “You need us,” said Commission Chairman Roy Reiber last week. “We don’t think we’re gouging you.”

said the organization received donations of $1,000 from the Senior Center and $1,000 from Moccasin Lake Foundation, as well as many smaller donations from individuals. Hank and Judy Konrad pledged to donate whatever was needed to bring the total from Friends of the Pool to $5,000, Bristol said. Friends of the Pool is working to raise an additional $5,000 to pay for installation of the new boiler. The organization will be selling food at the Cascadia Holiday Concerts on Dec. 10 and 11 to raise money. Friends of the Pool also raises money through business sponsors whose names are listed on fish that decorate

the front of the swimming pool building. “There’s just no way that the pool can pay for itself,” said Bristol, who takes water aerobics classes at the pool. “Such a small place – the Town of Twisp – has to pay for the pool, yet all of us in the valley use it.” Howard Moss, Twisp public works superintendent, said he learned last week that the fundraising goal to purchase a new boiler had been reached. He said as far as he knows, the propane boiler was installed when the pool opened in the 1970s. The new boiler will not only be more reliable, but much more energy efficient, Moss said.

Ron Baker is now in charge at the Twisp Post Office.

Local postmasters change posts Customers will find some changes at local post offices, with former Carlton postmaster Ron Baker now working as officer-in-charge in Twisp. Former Twisp postmaster Dario Vizcaria has been reassigned to the Okanogan branch, closer to his home on the other side of the Loup.

Thanks to donations from the community, a new $15,000 boiler will be installed at Wagner Memorial Pool by next summer to keep water temperatures comfortable. That’s good news for swimmers who endured teethchattering conditions when the old boiler at the pool would periodically go on the fritz. Friends of the Pool headed up the fundraising effort, contributing $5,000. The Methow Valley Killer Whales Swim Team and Kiwanis Club each contributed $5,000 as well. Josephine Bristol of Twisp, president of Friends of the Pool,

Officer-in-charge is a temporary assignment until the position of postmaster is officially filled. Baker was postmaster in Carlton for more than four years, but had been helping out in Twisp since September. Pat Ebbert is serving as officer-in-charge in Carlton.

By Ann McCreary Twisp won the dubious distinction last year as having the crummiest streets of any municipality in Okanogan County, which has the worst streets in eastern Washington, according to the state Transportation Improvement Board (TIB). Now, being the worst is apparently paying off. The town was notified recently that it will receive $314,700 from the TIB, a state funding agency, to pay for three street improvement projects in 2014. “It’s a pretty good hunk of change,” said Howard Moss, Twisp public works superintendent. The state funding will allow

the town to resurface Twisp Avenue between Highway 20 and Magers Street. That project will also install a sidewalk on the north side of Twisp Avenue, between Highway 20 and Magers Street, including the stretch beside the Twisp River Pub. “It’s a good, viable project because there is a lot of activity in that area, and a lot of pedestrian traffic,” Moss said. A second project will reconstruct Third Avenue and install sidewalks on both sides of the street from Highway 20 to Glover Street. Moss said that street also gets a lot of foot traffic, especially during the Farmers Market. The third project will reconstruct the road surface of Second Avenue between Highway 20

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and Glover Street. Moss said each project connects side streets to arterial roadways, and the sidewalk projects will improve pedestrian safety. Those factors probably helped win the state funding. The town applies for TIB funding every year, but has not been allocated any money for the past two years, Moss noted. Work on the projects funded by TIB will take place in 2014. Every four years TIB surveys pavement conditions of municipal streets in Washington cities. In the survey conducted last year, state transportation engineers gave Okanogan County – and Twisp – the lowest scores in eastern Washington.

Page A6

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

TEENS

Methow Valley News From Page A1

Methow Valley Superintendent Mark Wenzel agreed. “It’s important not to generalize too much from such a limited sample size,” he said by email. “A number of students drink alcohol and use marijuana. But many do not. At school, we see limited drug use. And we take immediate action when we do see it.” Another factor that must be taken into account in interpreting the survey results is the participation rate. In 2010, depending on the grade, between 56 and 98 percent of students here filled out the survey. (In fact, the official number for 8th-grade participation was 112 percent, because actual enrollment was higher than the estimate used by researchers.) Researchers also calculate a range that they are confident reflects the true value of responses, which tends to be much wider with small populations. In the Methow, these ranges were generally from 8 to 16 percent; they were lower for the county and state samples (2 to 5 percent). “The concern with using results if the sample size is very low and participation rate is also low is that the students who did not take the survey may differ in important ways from the students who took the survey,” said Vivian Hawkins, an epidemiologist with the Office of Healthy Communities for the Washington Department of Health.

Prevention education zeroed out

Before the budget cuts three years ago, Garland spent about six hours each week teaching prevention to classes in the elementary and junior-senior high schools. In the elementary school, she focused on social skills intended to give students the confidence to resist pressures when they are older. Garland also talked to individual students and community groups as part of the prevention efforts. With the prevention curriculum eliminated, Garland’s emphasis on substance abuse is now restricted to intervention, generally working oneon-one with kids who are caught with drugs or alcohol. Students still receive instruction in the high school health class about the implications of drug use and the effects of marijuana and alcohol on the brain, decision-making and memory. “The research

is clear that brains are not fully developed until young people reach their mid-20s,” said Wenzel. The prevention program had been administered by the North Central Educational Service District (NCESD). “All federal money for the program has been cut. It’s a sad, sad state of affairs,” said Mike Lynch, managing director of the program. Lynch said Washington’s focus on prevention education and intervention had been shown to be effective. But because the federal funds could be used for almost two dozen programs, from bullying prevention to videomonitoring equipment, it was hard for some states to prove their efforts were working, said Lynch. Money used for tobacco prevention has also dried up, according to Lynch, who said he wouldn’t be surprised to see smoking rates rise. Since so many factors influence use and abuse, Lynch said he did not know whether the cuts in prevention activities have contributed to an increase in substance abuse. The NCESD now has only four people in 22 school districts – one per county – working on prevention. In Okanogan County, the remaining prevention money was directed to Omak, which received $10,000, said Megan Azzano, co-program director of Drug Free Communities in the county.

Highlights of Healthy Youth Survey, 2010 Students who said they had ever had more than a sip or two of beer, wine or hard liquor Grade 12 88.0% 71.6% 70.6%

Methow Valley Okanogan County Washington

Grade 10 66.7% 65.6% 56.9%

Grade 8 66.7% 55.0% 38.4%

Students who said they had a glass, can or bottle of alcohol (beer, wine, wine coolers or hard liquor) during the past 30 days Grade 12 72.0% 36.6% 39.9%

Methow Valley Okanogan County Washington

Grade 10 45.5% 33.6% 27.5%

Grade 8 39.6% 20.3% 14.0%

Students who said they had five or more drinks in a row (a glass of wine, a bottle of beer, a shot glass of liquor or a mixed drink) over the past two weeks, and how many times they did 1x 16.7% 11.9% 10.6%

Methow Valley Okanogan County Washington

Grade 12 3–5x 12.5% 3.1% 5.0%

1x 9.1% 9.8% 6.9%

Grade 10 3–5x 6.1% 3.3% 2.5%

1x 6.3% 3.8% 3.6%

Grade 8 3–5x 6.3% 4.1% 1.2%

Students who said they had used marijuana in the past 30 days Grade 12 40.0% 20.4% 26.2%

Methow Valley Okanogan County Washington

Grade 10 36.4% 25.1% 19.9%

Grade 8 16.7% 13.9% 9.2%

Students who had smoked a cigarette during the past 30 days Grade 12 28.0% 13.1 19.1%

Methow Valley Okanogan County Washington

Grade 10 21.2% 15.2% 12.4%

Grade 8 6.3% 6.3% 6.4%

Source: Healthy Youth Survey, 2010 Because of the small population in the Methow, researchers calculate a range that they are confident reflects the true value. In the Methow, these ranges were generally from 8 to 16%; they were lower for the county and state samples (2 to 5%). Participation rates: Methow Valley 8th grade: 112%, 10th grade: 92%, 12th grade: 56%. (Percents greater than 100 are because the enrollment was higher in 2010 than it had been expected to be based on 2008 estimates.)

Social attitudes

Social attitudes typically influence young people’s tendency to experiment, based on access and acceptance, said Azzano. “Even when we’re trying to rebel, we still follow normal human behavior and pick a behavior most people are using,” she said. Some parents want their children to experiment while they are available to coach them, said Garland. Others recall the marijuana from their youth, which was 15 to 20 times less potent than it is today. Still others may offer their kids drinks to be “buddies,” she said. Society often views alcohol as a rite of passage, said Lynch. “Overall, many community members seem to have a permissive attitude about marijuana and alcohol. This can carry over to students, many of whom see such drug use

as ‘no big deal,’” said Wenzel. “Other students who do not use drugs have expressed remorse at their parents’ drinking or recreational drug use.”

Other resources

Although there are no programs explicitly geared toward prevention, some school programs indirectly help students steer clear of drugs, alcohol and tobacco. “Sometimes drug use comes from depression, which can be diagnosed and treated. Counseling services help us a lot here,” said Wenzel, noting that the hours of the district’s mental health counselor have been expanded. A peer-mediation program, which offers students in all grades an opportunity to work with classmates trained to talk through problems, also helps them take responsibility

for their actions, said Garland. Coaches also play a big role in counseling students about healthy lifestyle choices, particularly since two-thirds of students play sports, said Wenzel. The Valley Teen Center in Twisp, which has provided a twice-weekly gathering spot since it opened four months ago, has been a key resource for teens. The Center has attracted 441 kids since it opened, often two dozen on a given day, said executive director Phyllis Daniels. All participants sign a pledge not to use drugs, alcohol or tobacco. Room One in Twisp sponsors several support groups that promote healthy attitudes among youths and thereby decrease their chances of abusing substances, said Garland. Local Alcoholics Anony-

mous groups invite young people to attend meetings, but those who do attend have been directed to do so by the court system, according to a member of a local fellowship. Many seem reluctant to be there and tend not to listen, she said. “Our job with young people is to plant the seed that there is help – all they have to do is come back,” said the member. “We ask ourselves all the time, ‘How can we attract more kids and a greater cross-section of the community?’”

Prescription-drug abuse

Methow Valley teens have apparently not joined the growing number of Okanogan County youths using prescription painkillers to get high – in fact, not a single student in any grade in the Methow reported use of prescription painkillers

(such as Vicodin, Oxycontin or Percocet) for a high. But the problem more than doubled among 10th graders elsewhere in the county from 2008 to 2010, although it dropped for other age groups, according to Azzano. Twisp police chief Paul Budrow said the biggest problem with prescription-drug abuse in the Methow appears to be among people aged 18 to 30, many of whom are already addicted. Some find ways to obtain more than one prescription and sell one of the bottles, with individual Oxycontin pills going for as much as $50, he said. Budrow said his team has been concentrating on narcotics, urging anyone who is using to come forward for help. “We understand addiction,” he said. “They won’t get arrested.”

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Methow Valley News

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Page A7

Arts Culture and

Funny, familiar fantasies in A Christmas Story

Dress to the max, or to relax, at Confluence party Confluence Gallery’s annual holiday party on Saturday (Dec. 8) combines bling and blue jeans with the theme, “Black Tie: Denim and Diamonds.” Elegant evening attire or cowboy duds are welcome at the event, which takes place 7-10 p.m. at Confluence Gallery. The gallery’s holiday art exhibit, “Festival of Light,” provides a creative backdrop. Guests will be able to do

By Marcy Stamper A dozen local actors take to the stage in the comic holiday show known for zingers like “You’ll shoot your eye out” as Ralph Parker reminisces about the BB gun he was convinced would bring him eternal happiness when he was a boy. The Merc Playhouse production of A Christmas Story, opening this Friday (Dec. 7), is based on the popular 1983 movie. It is largely faithful to the screen version and includes many beloved scenes, such as when a boy gets his tongue stuck to a flagpole and another kid submits to having bad words washed away with a bar of soap, said director Julie Wenzel. Encounters with rival classmates, malfunctioning appliances and general mayhem make for a diverting show. “It starts out funny and is funny all the way through,” said Wenzel, who is also artistic director for the Merc. Sometimes you just know that a certain something – whether it’s a BB gun or some other bauble – will make your life complete, said Wenzel. Equally familiar will be the steady drumbeat of opposition from well-meaning friends and adults who foresee the folly in that desire. “Audiences – all ages – will come away having had a really positive, entertaining experience at the theater,” said Wenzel. “A lot of people can relate to this,” said Wenzel. “Even if they never wanted a BB gun, there was always something that represented the quest for everlasting happiness. It’s easy to get caught up in commercialism,” but the play’s theme of the essential importance of love, family and friends will resonate with audiences, she said. The play features seven children and five adults,

some holiday shopping in the gallery’s gift shop while enjoying the festivities, or bid on work by artists who exhibit at Confluence Gallery in a silent auction. The evening includes a complimentary glass of champagne on arriving and elegant appetizers. A no-host bar will serve specialty cowboy drinks and musician David Weidig will entertain with fingerstyle guitar music.

Methow Valley Inn is offering a special half-price room rate on Saturday for people who are attending the party. Rooms for two are $45 with shared bath or $60 for private bath, and include breakfast. The inn requests that room reservations be made by noon on Friday (Dec. 7). Tickets are $20 each or $35 per couple. For reservations contact Confluence Gallery at 997-2787.

Musicians tune up for holiday concerts By Ann McCreary

Photo by Sue Misao

Evan Grant plays Ralphie in A Christmas Story. including Merc veterans and actors new to the local stage. Sixth-grader Evan Grant, who has appeared in Merc holiday shows for the past five seasons, stars as 9-yearold Ralphie, while Kelly Donoghue is the grown-up Ralph, who muses about his childhood yearnings. A father-son duo comes up from Chelan – sometimes by plane – and several Methow residents have also joined the troupe, including Mike Hilton as Ralph’s father and Heidi Steckler as his mother. Producing A Christmas Story has been on the Merc’s list for some time, but the show required intricate staging and sets, so they took their time planning it, said Wenzel. A trio of new volunteers built the two-story set for the Parkers’ house,

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and Wenzel and her crew devised a flexible system of sets for Ralph’s school and several outdoor scenes. Lisa Doran brought her flair to costumes, helping create the aura of the 1930s. A silent auction, to raise money for the Merc, runs concurrent with the show, with bidding starting on opening night and closing at the final performance. A Christmas Story opens Friday (Dec. 7) at the Merc Playhouse in Twisp and continues through Sunday, Dec. 23. Performances are Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m. Admission is $15, and $5 for those 18 and under. A pay-what-you-can performance will be held on Thursday, Dec. 13, at 7 p.m. For more information call 997-PLAY.

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student musicians. “That’s one of the neat things about Pipestone Orchestra.” Weaver said. “We invite advanced students to join this group. The youth orchestra is preparation for moving up to the adult orchestra.” She encourages concertgoers to arrive early to hear the Pipestone Youth Orchestra, “a marvelous young group of musicians,” playing pre-concert music starting at 6:30 p.m. The official program begins at 7 p.m. as the orchestra brings in the choir with a “surprise,” Weaver said. The holiday concerts are presented by Cascadia, the Methow Music Association. “This is Cascadia’s gift to the community,” said Carolanne Steinebach, Cascadia’s board president. No admission is charged, but donations are welcome, Steinebach said. Snacks, desserts and beverages will be provided by Friends of the Pool and the Methow Valley Nordic Team. For more information, call 997-0222.

Photo by Marcy Stamper

Dana Stromberger leads the Cascadia Chorale in a recent rehearsal.

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A longtime Methow Valley holiday tradition – the annual December community concerts – will herald new leadership for Pipestone Orchestra and Cascadia Chorale. Tara Kaiyala Weaver, Pipestone Orchestra conductor, and Dana Stromberger, Cascadia Chorale director, will debut in their new roles in performances Dec. 11 and 12 at the Methow Valley Community Center. Both women have been active for many years in the organizations they now enthusiastically lead. “We’re both really excited and honored at the opportunity,” said Weaver, who was concertmaster of the orchestra before being named conductor when Terry Hunt resigned this year. “It’s a blast. It’s a real treat.” Stromberger began singing in the chorale 22 years ago, and directed the Methow Valley United Methodist Church choir for 12 years. She replaces Suzanne Johnson, who directed the Cascadia Chorale for many years. Directing “a larger and more challenging choir … (is) a dream come true,” Stromberger said. Bringing their own musical tastes and styles to the performances, Weaver and Stromberger have chosen some of their personal favorites for the concerts. “The program is a mix. I’ve chosen music I like for one reason or another,” said Stromberger. The chorale is singing 12 pieces that they’ve never seen before, including classic carols, contemporary music, and a spiritual, she said. In addition, local musician

Wayne Mendro has arranged a four-song medley for the chorale. The vocal group is the largest is a while, with 41 community members participating, Stromberger said. The orchestra will accompany the choir for one piece, and smaller musical ensembles will accompany other choral pieces. Nancy Acheson will accompany on piano. For Weaver, the concerts will provide a chance to realize a long-time dream – to present the movement known as “Shepherd’s Hymn after the Storm” from Beethoven’s “Sixth Symphony (Pastorale).” “This is certainly one of the most beautiful pieces of music ever written and a dream of mine to perform for many years,” Weaver said. The program also includes a familiar holiday classic, the Russian Dance, or “Trepak,” movement from Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker Suite.” The orchestra has 27 members this year, including some

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featuring

Friday, December 7th 5-8pm

Coffee

Free Baked Good Samples

We will be closed from October 30 to November 14 Reopening Thursday, November 15

Join the following Winthrop Merchants on the boardwalk for a night of shopping and fun!

Inside Out Home and Garden Retro Pony Courtyard Quail French Quail Aspen Grove The Outdoorsman Robins Egg Bleu The Iron Horse Trails End Bookstore Winthrop Mountain Sports Rascal’s

Free Mini Lattes Local Artisans

25% Off Selected Clothing at the Goat’s Beard

15% Off Selected Outdoor

996-9804 Thank you for a successful summer! 18381 State Route 20, Winthrop, WA

Appetizers * Door Prizes * Special Sales

Gear at the Goat’s Beard Visit our website for more details on our homemade Holiday Specialties: www.themazamastore.com

Mazama Store

996-2855

open 7 am to 6 pm

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Wednesday, December 5, 2012

What’s Happening

Wednesday Dec. 5

Meetings & & weeklies Meetings weeklies

JAZZ: Jazz Journey performs at Twisp River Suites. Free. 997-0100. 6-9pm

Wednesday 12/5

Thursday Dec. 6

Closet Quilters: Open studio, 309 Highway 20, Twisp. Free. 997-7020. Noon-5pm Eagles Auxiliary: Meeting at Eagles Hall, Twisp. 996-3869. 1pm Family Planning Clinic: Room One, 315 S. Lincoln St., Twisp. Info: 997-2050. 1-5pm Winthrop Town Council: At the Winthrop Barn Hen House. 996-2320. 7pm AA: Alcoholics Anonymous meets at the Calvary Chapel, Twisp. 997-0356. 7pm Eastern Star: Meets at Masonic Hall in Okanogan. 9972071. 7:30pm

SKI WAX: Hands-on kick and glide ski waxing clinic at milepost 180 on Highway 20, Mazama. Free. 996-4115. 6:30pm NIGHT SKY: Celebrate the night sky with songs, stories, pictures, poetry and music at MV United Methodist Church. Free. 997-0750. 7pm

Friday Dec. 7

NATIVITY EXHIBIT: Christmas nativities displays from around the world at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 972 Twisp-Carlton Rd. Free. 9969254. Noon-6pm SENIOR DANCE: Hottell Ragtime Jazz Band at the MV Senior Citizens Center, Twisp. Free. 12:30-2pm TEEN CENTER: Come on in for ping pong, video games, wi-ﬁ, dinner and a movie. Free. 997-9211. 4-11pm BOOK DISCUSSION: Jana Mohr Lone discusses her book The Philosophical Child at Trail's End Bookstore, Winthrop. Free. 996-2345. 5-7pm SIP & SHOP: Socialize, eat snacks, listen to music by Lauralee Northcott and Jennifer Epps and shop at Confluence Gallery, Twisp. Free. 997-2787. 5-7pm EVENING ON THE AVENUE: Select stores all around Winthrop stay open late and offer refreshments, door prizes and more. 996-4104. 5-8pm FREESTYLE DANCE: Heart-centered dance at The Studio, Twisp. $5. 9962017. 5:45-6:45pm OPEN MIC: Hosted by Ben Gilmore at Old Schoolhouse Brewery, Winthrop. Free. 996-3183. 7pm

Saturday Dec. 8

BREAKFAST WITH SANTA: At the Twisp Valley Grange. $3-$6 (3 yrs. and under free). 997-8050. 8:30-11am CHRISTMAS BAZAAR: "Reason for the Season" bazaar at the Winthrop Barn. Santa appears from 11am-1pm. 996-3414. 9am-4pm GRANARY TOUR: Open house and tour at Bluebird Grain Farms, Mazama. Free. 996-3526. 10:30am SNOWSHOE TOURS: Guided snowshoe tours highlighting winter ecology. Free. Bring snowshoes and snowshoe pass to Sun Mountain ski shop or North Cascades Basecamp. 996-3287. 11am NATIVITY EXHIBIT: Christmas nativities displays from around the world at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 972 Twisp-Carlton Rd. Free. 9969254. Noon-6pm CONFLUENCE PARTY: "Black Tie: Denim and Diamonds" with hors d'ouvres, champagne, no-host bar, live music and silent auction at Conﬂuence Gallery, Twisp. $20-$35. Reservations 997-2787. 7-10pm BLUEGRASS: Kendl Winter and Pine Hearts perform at the Old Schoolhouse Brewery, Winthrop. Free. 996-3183. 7pm

Sunday Dec. 9

ROLLER GIRLS: Practice session for newbies at MV Community Center, Twisp. Skate rental $3. (509) 795-6544. 6-8pm

Monday Dec. 10

AMERICAN PICKERS: Live screening of Winthrop and Twisp episode of American Pickers at Twisp River Suites. RSVP 997-0100. 5:30pm TEEN CENTER VOLUNTEERS: All welcome to orientation for volunteers

Thursday 12/6 Photo courtesy of Grant Gunderson

Ski movie! The Twisp River Pub hosts the annual ski movie and pasta night on Tuesday to benefit the Loup Loup Ski Bowl. See Angel Collinson, above, and other extreme skiers on high Alaska slopes in the Teton Gravity Research film, The Dream Factory. at the Teen Center, TwispWorks. 9973300. 6pm TRIVIA: Play trivia games at the Old Schoolhouse Brewery, Winthrop. $3. 996-3183. 6pm LINE DANCING: Lessons for beginners and advanced dancers at Twisp Valley Grange. $4. (509) 429-2064. 6:30pm

Tuesday Dec. 11

STORY TIME: Stories and crafts at the Twisp Library. Free. 997-4681. 1pm SKI MOVIE & PASTA: Loup Loup ski movie, Teton Gravity Research's The Dream Factory, and pasta feed at Twisp River Pub. $14-$20. 997-6822. 5:30pm HOLIDAY CONCERT: Cascadia Chorale and Pipestone Orchestra perform in the MV Community Center, Twisp. Free/ donations. 997-0222. 7pm

Wednesday Dec. 12

STORY TIME: At the Winthrop Library. Free. 996-2685. 1:30pm TEEN CENTER: Come in for the ping pong and video games, stay for the wi-ﬁ and snacks. Free. 997-9211. 4-8pm SINGER/SONGWRITER: Emele Clothier performs at Twisp River Suites. Free. 997-0100. 6-9pm HOLIDAY CONCERT: Cascadia Chorale and Pipestone Orchestra perform in the MV Community Center, Twisp. Free/ donations. 997-0222. 7pm AWANA: Fun and games for ages preschool through 6th grade at Cascade Bible Church, Twisp. 997-8312. 7-8:30pm

Friday Dec. 14

STUDENT RECITALS: Pipestone School of Music students perform at the MV Senior Center, Twisp. 997-7722. Noon SIP & SHOP: Socialize, eat snacks, listen to live music by Emele Clothier and shop at Confluence Gallery, Twisp. Free. 997-2787. 5-7pm ROCK'N'ROLL: Whiskey Syndicate performs at the Old Schoolhouse Brewery, Winthrop. Free. 996-3183. 7pm BLUEGRASS: The Blackberry Bushes string band performs at Twisp River Pub. Free. 997-6822. 8pm

Saturday Dec. 15

HOLIDAY BIATHLON: For experi-

enced biathlon racers ages 9 and up, at the Mazama Biathlon Range. $25-$35. 996-3159. 10am-3pm LOCAL ARTISANS: Meet local artisans at "Handmade for the Holidays" at Local 98856, Twisp. Cookies and coffee! Free. 997-0978. 10am-4pm MOSAIC MANDALAS: Class with Margaret Kingston at Conﬂuence Gallery, Twisp. $45. 997-2787. 11am-2pm WINTERFEST: Open house party at TwispWorkds with food, drink, bonﬁre, art studios/shopping, the unveiling of the Spartan Art Project, and live music by the Dainty Saints. $5. Info 997-3300. 5-9pm BLUEGRASS: The Blackberry Bushes perform at the Old Schoolhouse Brewery, Winthrop. Free. Info 996-3183. 7pm

Sunday Dec. 16

CHRISTMAS CONCERT: Okanogan Valley Orchestra and Chorus present "Blessed Are They" featuring Handel's Messiah, Russian Christmas music, sing-alongs and more at the Omak PAC. $8-$12 (under 12 free). (509) 422-2456. 3pm COMMUNITY BREAKFAST: All welcome to free breakfast at Friendship Alliance Church, Winthrop. (509) 6991062. 7:30-8:30am

Monday Dec. 17

TRIVIA: Play trivia games at the Old Schoolhouse Brewery, Winthrop. $3. 996-3183. 6pm

Tuesday Dec. 18

AUDITIONS: Men and women ages late 30s to late 40s audition for God of Carnage at the Merc Playhouse, Twisp. 997-7529. 6pm

Friday Dec. 21

SIP & SHOP: Socialize, eat snacks, listen to music performed by Ken Bevis and shop at Confluence Gallery, Twisp. Free. 997-2787. 5-7pm

Saturday Dec. 22

SNOWSHOE TOURS: Guided snowshoe tours highlighting winter ecology. Free. Bring snowshoes and snowshoe pass to Sun Mountain ski shop or North Cascades Basecamp. Info 996-3287. 11am

Methow Valley United Methodist Church

1st

place

Pastor Mike Lawson

7pm • No Cover

www.oldschoolhousebrewery.com

509.996.3183

155 Riverside, Winthrop, WA

Monday 12/10 County Commissioners: Open meeting, Okanogan County Admin. Bldg., 123 Fifth Ave. N., Okanogan. (509) 422-7100. 9am-5pm Speak French: Revive or improve your French in the Hank’s deli. 997-0717. 4:30-5:30pm Game night: Darts, cards and free pool at the Eagles Hall, Twisp. 997-8133. 5:30pm Fire District 6 Commissioners: Public meeting at Twisp ﬁre

Holiday Treats Await! Pies, Holiday Breads & Rolls & World Famous FRUIT CAKE! Open Mon - Sun • 6 am - 3 pm

% OFF Everything

4. address of event 1. the title of event 2. a short description 5. cost of event 3. date/time of event 6. phone number

Deadline: Fridays at 5pm

(Excludes consignment items)

The jewelry store with a twist!

Holiday hours: Monday-Saturday 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m.

The

Ho Ho Ho

Mon. 4-8pm • Thurs. 4-8pm Fri. 4-10pm kitchen closes at 9pm Sat. Noon-10pm kitchen closes at 9pm Sun. Noon-8pm

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6pm • $3 per person

www.gbgm-umc.org/methow/

Ho Ho Ho

Trivia Night

997-9292

Ho Ho Ho

7pm • No Cover

Sunday 12/9

NA: Narcotics Anonymous meets at Horseshoe Mobile Home clubhouse, 305 Magers St., Twisp. (509) 826-6371. 4pm AA: Alcoholics Anonymous meets at the Masonic Hall, Twisp. 997-0356. 6:30pm

Thursday 12/13

Winthrop Chamber: Meets at the Winthrop Barn. 8:30am Twisp Chamber: Board meeting at Confluence Gallery, Twisp. 11am Spinners & Weavers: Meets at 137 Old Twisp Highway. 9975666. 1pm Food Bank: “More than just food” at The Cove, 128 Glover St., Twisp. 997-0227. 1-4pm Pipestone Orchestra: Rehearsal at MV Community Center, Twisp. 997-0222. 6:30pm Twisp Library Friends: Meets in the library. 997-4681. 7pm American Legion: Regular meeting at the Legion Hall, 626 Bridge St., Twisp. Info: Gus 9974481. 7pm Firefighters District 6: Training and meetings at local fire halls. 997-2981. 7pm MV Masonic Lodge #240: Meets at Masonic Hall, Twisp. 997-5423. 7:30pm AA: Alcoholics Anonymous meets at the Friendship Church, Winthrop. 996-8174. 7pm NA: Narcotics Anonymous meets at Horseshoe Mobile Home clubhouse, 305 Magers St., Twisp. (509) 826-6371. 8pm

sue@methowvalleynews.com

Worship & Children's Sunday School 10 a.m.

Ben Gilmore

Kendl Winter opens

Saturday 12/8

TaiChi/Quigong: At The Studio, Twisp. Free. 996-2017. Free/ donation. 9-10am AA: Alcoholics Anonymous meets at the Winthrop Fire Hall, 223 Englar St., Winthrop. 9968174. 7pm

Wednesday 12/12

Moms & Toddlers: Open gym at MV Community Center for moms/caregivers and children. Free. 997-2926. 10amnoon Closet Quilters: Open studio, 309 Highway 20, Twisp. Free. 997-7020. Noon-5pm Family Planning Clinic: Room One, 315 S. Lincoln St., Twisp. Info: 997-2050. 1-5pm MV School Board: Meeting at MV Elementary School board room. 996-9205. See agenda: www.methow.org, click “school board and staff.” 5:30pm Twisp Valley Grange: Potluck (5:30pm) and meeting (6:30pm) at the Grange Hall. Info: 997-8050 or 997-4841. AA: Alcoholics Anonymous meets at the Calvary Chapel, Twisp. 997-0356. 7pm MV Eagles Aerie #2584: Meeting at Eagles Hall, Twisp. 997-8133. 7pm

Sunday, Dec. 9th Nursery care available

Pine Hearts,

Friday 12/7

Doctor: Free health care to uninsured people 18 and under at The Country Clinic, Winthrop. Appointment: 996-8180. Al Anon: Support group for families of those with chemical dependencies meets at the Masonic Hall, Twisp. 997-9243. 8:30am Bingo: Play at the Eagles Hall, Twisp. 997-8133. 6pm AA: Alcoholics Anonymous meets at the Friendship Church, Winthrop. 996-8174. 7pm

Tuesday 12/11

TOPS: Take Off Pounds Sensibly at MV United Methodist Church, between Twisp and Winthrop. 997-0102. 8:30-10am County Commissioners: Open meeting, Okanogan County Admin. Bldg., Okanogan. (509) 422-7100. 9am-5pm TwispWorks: Tour the site in Twisp. 997-3300. 11am Healthy Steps: Therapeutic exercise class at the Twisp Valley Grange. Free/donation. 9962017. Noon-1pm Herbal Health: Consultations at Room One. $0-$50 sliding scale. Appointment (509) 5573660. Noon-4pm MV Garden Club: Call 9970515 for this week's location. 1pm AA: Alcoholics Anonymous meets at the Masonic Hall, Twisp. 997-0356. 6:30pm Twisp Town Council: Meets at Town Hall. 997-4081. 7pm MV Irrigation District: Regular meeting at the Riverbank building in Twisp. 7pm

What’s Happening

Friday, Dec. 7th

Bluegrass

Women, Infants & Children: WIC help with nutrition, health care and food. Room One, 315 S. Lincoln, Twisp. Call for hours 997-2050. Spinners & Weavers: Meets at 137 Old Twisp Highway. 9975666. 1pm Food Bank: “More than just food” at The Cove, 128 Glover St., Twisp. 997-0227. 1-4pm Suicide Bereavement: Support group meets at Room One, Twisp. 997-2050. 5-7pm Public Transportation: The Okanogan County Public Transportation Benefit Area (PTBA) board meeting at Koala Street Grill, Omak. (509) 663-9059. 5:30-7:30pm Pipestone Orchestra: Rehearsal at MV Community Center, Twisp. 997-0222. 6:30pm MV Backcountry Horsemen: Meeting at MV Senior Center, Twisp. 7pm Firefighters District 6: Training and meetings at local fire halls. 997-2981. 7pm AA: Alcoholics Anonymous meets at the Friendship Church, Winthrop. 996-8174. 7pm ATV Club: ATV recreation, trail & campsite maintenance, and roads discussed at Eagles Hall, Twisp. 996-3321. 7pm NA: Narcotics Anonymous meets at Horseshoe Mobile Home clubhouse, 305 Magers St., Twisp. (509) 826-6371. 8pm

hall, 434 W. 2nd Ave., Twisp. Info: 997-2981. 6pm AA: Alcoholics Anonymous meets at the Masonic Hall, Twisp. 997-0356. 6:30pm Mindfulness Meditation: Guided meditation, informal teaching and discussion at MV Wellness Center, Winthrop. Free/donations. 997-2152. 6:308:15pm Community Center Board: Room 4, MV Community Center, Twisp. 7pm

(Between Twisp & Winthrop)

Open Mic hosted by

Saturday, Dec. 8th

Methow Valley News

P r◆i◆c◆k◆l◆y ◆

4 N. Main St.

Downtown Twisp 509.997.5030 Free Internet Access

P e◆a◆r ◆

509-422-9832

Omak, WA

MVN, pg 8

RED DAWN

Action/Starring Chris Hemsworth, Josh Hutcherson, Brett Cullen Fri: 6:45, 9:45 Sat: *3:45, 6:45, 9:45 Sun: *3:45, 6:45 Wkdays: 6:45

FLIGHT

TS AR ST IdAy FR

114 min PG13

Rise Of The Guardians

Animation/Adventure/Family Starring Chris Pine, Alec Baldwin, Hugh Jackman, Isla Fisher Fri: 6:45, 9:15 Sat: *4:30, 7:00, 9:30 Sun: *4:30, 7:00 • Wkdays: 7:00

97 min PG

*Matinée Sat. & Sun. • All Seats $5

TS AR ST IdAy FR

Drama/Starring Denzel Washington, John Goodman, Don Cheadle Fri: 6:30, 9:45 Sat: *3:15, 6:30, 9:45 Sun: *3:30, 6:45 • Wkdays: 6:45

139 min R

Twilight Breaking Dawn Pt 2 Adventure/Drama/Fantasy Starring Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner Fri: 6:30, 9:30 Sat: *3:30, 6:30, 9:30 Sun: *4:00, 7:00 • Wkdays: 7:00

116 min PG13

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Methow Valley News

Sports and

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

The Liberty Bell High School varsity wrestling team debuted its season and more than held its own against tough competition at the Omak Pioneer Invitational Tournament last Saturday (Dec. 1). In the face of stiff competition from a preponderance of 1A division schools at the 10-team competition, Mountain Lion grapplers Trent Skelton and Justin McMillan won their respective 106- and 126-pound classes. The Mountain Lions team arrived with a roster of 10 wrestlers who competed in 10 weight divisions, from 106-pound sophomore Skelton to 220-pound junior Colt Jack. Following a first-round bye, Skelton pinned Riley Prescott of Okanogan in 2 minutes, 16 seconds to advance to the championship round. There he defeated Chelan’s Angel Hernandez, 6-0, to take the Omak title. “Trent looked as good as ever dominating his opponents through the finals,” said coach Paul Schmekel. “I don’t think anyone is going to stop him from getting to the state championship this year.” S k e l t o n i s c u r re n t l y ranked at the top of the 1B/2B 106-pound weight class by the Washington Wrestling Report (WWR) and placed second at state last year in that category. McMillan pinned Okanogan’s Randy Hamilton in 55

seconds to advance into the semis against Justin Buyas of Chelan. Buyas took McMillan into four minutes before the Mountain Lion pinned the Goat in 4:37. The championship match pitted McMillan again Warden’s Ramses Rodelo. McMillan won that match by decision, 4-0. “Justin didn’t miss a beat,” Schmekel said. “He’s wrestling as good as he ended last year, easily walking his way through to a championship.” McMillan, a junior who won second at state last year at 126 pounds, is currently ranked second by WWR at 132 pounds. Senior Taylor Woodruff, a two-time state medalist and ranked second behind Skelton at 106 pounds by the WWR, wrestled at 120 pounds at the Pioneer Invitational. Following a first-round bye, Woodruff defeated Warden’s Tyson Yamane, 6-4, to advance to the championship round. Woodruff lost “an extremely close one in the finals to Tonasket,” Schmekel said. Woodruff appeared to score a near fall that would have tied the match in the final seconds, but the referee didn’t call the point and the Tigers’ Collin Aitcheson won by a narrow 9-8 decision. Freshman Meritt Fink got by Omak’s Brandon Newman, 8-1, but lost a 5-2 decision to Ethan Visser of Cashmere. In the consolation round, Fink outscored Warden’s Conner

Recreation

Photo by Mike Maltais

Freshman Jacob McMillan works to gain advantage over Chelan’s Chris Truini during last Saturday’s Pioneer Invitational Tournament in Omak. McMillan eventually lost to the Goat by decision but went on to place third in the 140-pound division. Massa, 4-0, but dropped an 8-6 overtime decision to Julio Vera of Chelan to finish fourth. “Meritt is a freshman and is going to have a lot of people looking at him,” Schmekel predicts. Emmett Fink beat Tonasket rival Dylan Walton, then lost to a Republic opponent before defeating Walton a second time to place third at 138 pounds. Addressing Emmett Fink’s

only loss, Schmekel said “I can guarantee he will not lose to him again the rest of the season. Emmett has his eyes set on the state championship this year.” Freshman Jacob McMillan entered a tough junior varsity weight class of 140 pounds and still managed a third-place finish with three pins over Cascade, Okanogan and Omak opponents. Junior Milo Holston pinned

B Section

Skelton, McMillan win big at Omak Tourney By Mike Maltais

his first 145-pound opponent, Tonasket’s Zach Lofthus, in 1:30 but lost the next round to state medalist Alex Aguilar of Omak. Holston then pinned Bryant Bubel of Cashmere and Garrett Burris of Cascade to place third. “All in all, it was a good first tournament of the year,” said Schmekel. “The guys were in better shape than all of the other wrestlers.”

Though he lost his first two matches to Okanogan and Tonasket, freshman Gage Cotner “wrestled the best I’ve seen him all year,” Schmekel said. “He gets better and better every day.” Freshman Tyson Coleman was another newcomer competing in a tough 160-pound weight class, the coach said. Coleman lost his first two matches against strong rivals from Tonasket and Chelan. “I do expect Tyson to come a long way this year,” Schmekel said. Colt Jack competed in the highest weight class for the Mountain Lions at 220 pounds, but lost to Brewster and Chelan to finish fourth. Schmekel noticed that the good conditioning of his athletes was evident in some of the long, close matches that never saw a tired Mountain Lion falter in the stretch. Liberty Bell finished fifth with 110 team points behind 1A competitors Chelan (195), Tonasket (154), Warden (139), and Omak (133.5), but ahead of 1A Brewster, Cascade, Okanogan, Cashmere and 1B Republic. Liberty Bell’s 2B league rivals this season include Bridgeport, Lake Roosevelt, Manson, Oroville, Kittitas, Riverside Christian and White Swan Following a trip to Tonasket Thursday (Dec. 6), the Mountain Lions will host the Liberty Bell Invitational Saturday (Dec. 8) starting at 10 a.m.

Varsity girls open season against Okanogan, Tonasket By Mike Maltais If you’re a basketball team just starting the season with a roster of new, young players and a defending state champion on your schedule, you’d best get that game behind you as quickly as possible. That’s exactly what the Liberty Bell High School Mountain Lions girls varsity basketball team did in its very first game at the Okanogan Jamboree Nov. 27. The Mountain Lions faced reigning 1A state champs

Okanogan in the two-game jamboree, and according to new head coach, Ed Smith, “We just got killed.” The Bulldogs lost few players and none of their moves from last season and had no trouble handling a largely inexperienced Liberty Bell team that is still working hard on getting the basics of the game down. Game two against the Tonasket Tigers treated the Mountain Lions a little better as Liberty Bell stayed close to their 1A opponent but eventually lost the abbreviated game 17-13.

This week in sports Thursday, Dec. 6 Basketball: Omak vs LBJV boys @ Eagle Gym, 4:30pm Omak vs LBJV girls @ Mt. Lion Gym, 4:30pm LBJH @ Bridgeport, 5pm Omak @ LBHS, girls, 6pm, boys, 7:30pm Wrestling: LBHS @ Tonasket, 6pm

Saturday, Dec. 8 Wrestling: LBHS Invitational, 10am

Lions split first road games By Mike Maltais They only had one quarter apiece to do it, but the Liberty Bell High School boys varsity basketball team showed that they can give some 1A rivals a run as they demonstrated at the Okanogan Jamboree Nov. 27. In their first outing of the season the Mountain Lions turned away host Okanogan, 21-18, in a one-quarter scrimmage and lost a close game to Tonasket, 21-11. At Tonasket Friday (Nov. 30) Liberty Bell got a whole game look at the Tigers and got within two points of their hosts before Tonasket won in the stretch, 60-50. Coach Kyle Acord said he was pleased with the way the Mountain Lions came back in the second half of play after trailing the Tigers by 13, 33-20, at the break. Led by the scoring of guard Austin Watson with 17 points and post Logan

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Szafas with 10, Liberty Bell closed within two points of the Tigers before fouls committed by the Mountain Lions while trying to regain possession of the ball gave Tonasket the breathing space it needed to win the game. “They’re all working really hard right now,” Acord said of his roster of young players. With just one senior, guard Mikey Michael on the squad, there is plenty of playing opportunity for underclassmen who can make the cut. They’ll get another chance against Omak when the Pioneers come to town Thursday (Dec. 6) followed by Waterville on Tuesday (Dec. 11). Both games are non-league and start at 7:30 p.m. The Mountain Lions were scheduled to host 1B Pateros Tuesday (Dec. 4) at 7:30 p.m. Liberty Bell will meet its first league opponent Jan. 4 when the Kittitas Coyotes invade Mountain Lions territory.

“We went there figuring we would concentrate on the simple things,” coach Smith said. “Man-toman defense and fundamentals.” Three days later on Nov. 30, Liberty Bell traveled to Tonasket for a full game against the Tigers. The Lady Lions got off to a slow start early in the game while Tonasket applied steady defensive pressure. “Our girls just couldn’t generate any offense in the first quarter as Tonasket took advantage of turnovers and we fell behind, 21-2,” Smith said.

Liberty Bell settled down in the second quarter and “some of the girls did some things pretty well.” Smith said. In the end the Lady Lions put together good second and fourth quarters to develop some offense together and hit some baskets. The final score was 65-35 Tonasket. “Sarina Williams had a good game and scored 16 points,” Smith said of the sophomore veteran. With only one full and two partial games behind them the Lady Lions

are still struggling as eligibility and illness continue to keep players off the practice floor. Liberty Bell was scheduled to host 1B Pateros Tuesday (Dec. 4) at 6 p.m. in non-league play, followed by 1A Omak Thursday (Dec. 6) at 4:30 p.m. Next Tuesday (Dec. 11) at 6 p.m. Liberty Bell will welcome the Waterville Shockers. The Lady Lions do not meet their first league opponent until after the Christmas break when they host Kittitas Jan. 4.

Big buck comes off Pearrygin unit By Mike Maltais Patience – and some luck – paid dividends for deer hunter Denny Smith of Mazama last month. Smith filled his special deer permit drawn for the Pearrygin game management unit (224) with a trophy-size mule deer buck early in November. And he wasn’t even hunting. Smith was cutting wood in Mazama with son, Jeremiah, when the monster muley was spotted in the Pearrygin area on Nov. 3. Since the modern firearms general season ended in October, the search was on to find one of the lucky hunters who was holding one of 15 special permits that allowed the holder to hunt the Pearrygin unit from Nov. 1-20. “I got a call from Aaron Burkhart who wanted to know if anybody had a quality tag,” Smith recalled. “He told me to grab my rifle and orange vest and get down to the Hagemeister place on Bear Creek road.” Burkhart is the owner of Early Winters Outfitting & Saddle in Mazama. When Smith and his son arrived, Burkhart was there waiting. “He told me to look up on the hill with my spotting scope,” Smith said. “I saw a couple of bucks with three or four points. Aaron said ‘You’re looking in the wrong spot. Look farther down the hill.’ The buck was lying down and I saw a nose and that huge set of antlers.” Smith and his son began ascending the mountainside to close in on the trophy. “We crawled up the last 40 yards

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MVN, pg 1

Photo courtesy of Aaron Burkhart

Denny Smith sits at the spot where it all took place when he shot this monster three-point mule deer buck on the Pearrygin game management unit during the special permit season last month. The antlers boasted a spread 23 inches wide and 25 inches high. and a doe was watching us all that time.” Smith said. “The buck stood up and just as I was putting my finger on the trigger he took off.” As the buck crested a ridge Smith’s son “let out a war whoop” and the buck stopped. Smith was shooting a .270 Remington bolt-action rifle firing 140-grain hand loads and fitted with a Leopold 3x9 power scope. “I shot at about 200 yards and saw him fall,” Smith said. The big three-point muley was carrying a 23-inch spread of bigbeamed antlers 25 inches high.

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“Aaron Lee is a packer,” Smith said. “He told me the deer is probably one of the biggest he has seen,” Burkhart estimated the buck to be about 5 years old and weighed around 230 pounds. Smith, who has lived in the valley 41 years, admits to “being pretty much retired” but does some work at the Master’s Christian School in Twisp. “Normally I get a license for deer, bear and cougar but since the prices went up I only got the deer permit this year,” Smith said. Good choice.

Page B2

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

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Methow Valley News

LBHS debaters ready to argue their cases at tournament By Laurelle Walsh

Liberty Bell High School hosts its first-ever forensics tournament this Saturday (Dec. 8) from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Forensics, you ask? Will high school students be solving cold cases, digging up bodies and collecting criminal evidence? Not exactly. Forensics, in this case, means “the art or study of argumentative discourse,” according to Webster’s dictionary. And at Saturday’s forensics tournament, one may expect to see well-dressed teenagers speaking in complete sentences, following rules of etiquette and debating complex topics they have thoroughly researched in their spare time. For fun. Forensics is the raison d’être of Liberty Bell’s speech and debate team, now in its second year of existence following a successful debut last year, according to team adviser and district superintendent Mark Wenzel. Four other school teams – Cascade of Leavenworth, Ephrata, Moses Lake and Wenatchee – will be competing in Saturday’s tournament, the second competition of the year for Liberty Bell. LBHS students will compete in public forum debate in teams of two, or in any of 10 individual events: Dramatic Interpretation, Dual Interpretation, Editorial Commentary, Expository, Extemporaneous, Humorous Interpretation,

Impromptu, Interpretive Reading, Oratory and Tall Tales. The public forum debate topic, or resolution, is published a month in advance by the National Forensic League, the national organization that governs the club sport. December’s resolution is, “Resolved: The United States should prioritize tax increases over spending cuts.” November’s resolution was, “Current U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East undermines our national security.” At the tournament, teams of two will debate the topic before a panel of judges in a style comparable to a nationally televised debate, such as “Crossfire.” Teams must be prepared to argue both for and against the resolution, since their positions are decided by coin flip at the start of the debate. “Debate incorporates logic, public speaking and critical thinking, skills that are highly prized by universities and the work force,” coach Wenzel said. “The topic is incredibly relevant to the national political conversation, and students must have a deep conceptual understanding of the topic.” Prior to each tournament, LBHS speech and debate team members research topics, write out their cases pro and con, and get together before and after school to practice. “There’s a lot of camaraderie among the students,” Wenzel said. And in spite of the competitive atmosphere,

Photo courtesy of Mark Wenzel

Liberty Bell High School debaters, from left, Jacqueline O’Keefe, Tom Zbyszewski and Kathleen Chavey-Reynaud discuss the impending federal budget’s “fiscal cliff” and whether the elimination of loopholes and deductions can be considered a tax increase. The speech and debate team hosts its first-ever home tournament all day Saturday at the high school. “students root for each other. There’s a nice sense of sport.”

Enjoying competition

Freshman Julia Schrum enjoys the competitive aspect. “I was surprised I liked the competition so much,” Schrum said. “I really can’t explain it; I think it’s one of those things you really have to experience to understand.” Schrum, who came to the team this year via her involvement in theater, said, “I’m sticking with speech events for now

Mazama’s Sadie Bjornsen made it a weekend to remember on the SuperTour circuit at Bozeman, Mont., last weekend. Bjornsen won the women’s classic sprint held at Bohart Ranch on Saturday (Dec. 1) and followed with a win in the 11-kilometer classic on Sunday (Dec. 2). Bjornsen, who races for Alaska Pacific University, led her APU teammates in a near sweep of Saturday’s sprint. Bare inches behind Bjornsen in second place

Sadie Bjornsen was teammate Lauren Fritz. In close succession placing fourth, fifth and sixth were

with who you are.” LBHS senior and club president Nick Saunders is on the team for the second year. He is also administrator of the team’s Facebook page, where team members and their adviser communicate with each other and share research materials. Saunders will compete in two events next week, public forum debate and original oratory speech. In original oratory, students research, write and memorize an original speech,

WDFW debuts Lloyd Ranch trail

Bjornsen wins at Bozeman, makes World Cup team

By Mike Maltais

because I’m more attracted to drama.” Schrum competed in her first tournament in Snohomish last week, and made it to the finals. She’s impressed by the important skills young people learn through speech and debate. “You’d be really surprised when you go to a tournament. You see normal teenagers dressed nicely and following rules of etiquette,” Schrum said. “You are judged on poise, so you have to be comfortable

up to 10 minutes long, on a topic of their choosing – Saunders’ topic is motivation. “It’s totally up to you to choose your topic,” Saunders said, “but the strongest oratories have a strong personal story. The judges can tell if the topic is something the speaker can relate to.” Saunders enjoys the friendly, yet competitive aspect of speech and debate. “You make a lot of friends this way,” Saunders said. “Even the competitors are friendly; although, during the debate rounds things can get a little vicious.” LBHS speech and debate team members are ninth graders Clayton Avery, Santana Johnson, Brion Keeling, Eliza Kammerling-Brown, Rowan Post, Julia Schrum and Sam Thomsen. Sophomores are Emily Alexander and Hannah Hogness. Juniors are Olivia Bowers, Kathleen ChaveyReynaud, Olivia Ekblad, Dawn Smith and Grace Bitzes Thomas. Seniors are Sage Abate, Jake Davie, Rachel Layne, Jacqueline O’Keefe, Nick Saunders, Zane Stanberry and Tom Zbyszewski. Saturday will be Liberty Bell’s only home forensics tournament of the year. The team will continue to compete at tournaments around the state until the state finals in March. For more information, go to the team’s website at http:// methow.org/activities/speechdebate/.

By Mike Maltais What began as a bright idea last winter has become a reality this winter on Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife property near Pearrygin Lake. A new 3-mile, multi-use winter trail will debut on the Lloyd Ranch as soon as sufficient snowfall allows grooming to begin. The new trail is the brainchild of Tom McCoy, manager of the Methow Wildlife Area at Pearrygin Lake. “It got this idea late last winter for a trail that would form a three-mile loop on the Lloyd Ranch property,” McCoy said. “ I ran it by the Citizens Advisory Group last spring and by our WDFW district team this summer.” McCoy said the new trail will mostly follow the existing

other APU skiers. After taking an early lead in Sunday’s 11K classic Bjornsen was overtaken midway through the race before battling back to regain the lead and win going away by 17 seconds. Bjornsen, and brother Erik, both members of APU’s Nordic team, are current point leaders on the North American SuperTour circuit. Both have also been named to the American team that will compete in the World Cups at Canmore and Quebec City in Canada this month.

Got Sports? sports@methowvalleynews.com

road system on the 400-plus acre Lloyd Ranch. Some portions will be groomed trail on the bigger flat areas of the property where there are no roads. “We are avoiding peripheral areas that shelter wildlife and concentrate on ground where there’s no habitat,” McCoy added. “This is a trial period to see how it goes,” he stressed. McCoy said he discussed the project with the Methow Valley Sport Trails Association and that group has agreed to supply the trail groomer while WDFW provides the snowmobile to pull it. Joe Brown and volunteers at Methow Cycle and Sport will operate the grooming equipment. A parking area at the Lloyd Ranch access will also be plowed and maintained.

Across the road, Pearrygin Lake State Park is unveiling a similar though slightly longer trail of its own that will follow the 3.1-mile cross-country course used by Liberty Bell’s XC team. Park manager Rick Lewis said the Pearrygin trail will have connections at both the east and west campgrounds where parking areas will be maintained. The park will have the same cooperative maintenance arrangement with MVSTA and Methow Cycle and Sport. Both trails will be open for fat tire bikers, cross country skiers, and snowshoers. Dogs on leashes will be allowed at Pearrygin whereas no dogs are permitted at Lloyd Ranch. Discover passes will be required for vehicles using the parking lots at both sites.

The 9th annual

Loup Loup Ski Movie & Pasta Feed Tuesday December 11th Doors Open 5:30 • Movie 7pm

Jack’s Hut activity center located on the MVSTA trail system

All-you-can-eat Pasta Dinner $20 adults • $14 students

Now Open every day!

at the TWISP RIVER PUB

Stop in & warm up by the fire with a hot buttered rum & a snack Sandwiches • Panninis • Drinks Great gear by Marmot, Columbia & KAVU Maps & equipment rentals Fri - Tues 9:30 am to 5:30 pm, Wed & Thurs 10:30 am to 5:30 pm

996-3906

•

freestoneinn.com

presents

Dec. 7-23, 2012 Thurs., Fri., Sat. 7 pm Sun. 2 pm Tickets online or at the door Adults $15 Youth 18 & Under $5 Based on the motion picture. Adapted by Philip Grecian • Directed by Julie Wenzel

www.mercplayhouse.org 509-997-7529 101 S. Glover Street, Twisp

A video blog for the Methow valley. Videos about the valley and the people that live here. Arts, agriculture, outdoors, lifestyles, history, music and more.

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MVN, pg 2

Methow Valley News

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Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Page B3

From Back Issues 20 years ago - December 3, 1992

40 years ago – December 7, 1972

Valley’s People Say ‘Thanks,’ Dr. Malzacher

In respect to Dr. John W. Malzacher the meaning of the words “friends” and “patients” are practically synonymous. This was particularly true Sunday afternoon at a reception in his honor at the Masonic Temple in Twisp. Friends, patients and former patients gathered to say “Thank You” to the doctor who has served the valley people for over 40 years. Dr. John, as most everyone calls him, has closed his office in the Benson Building. His practice in the Methow Valley began with contracts with the Dept. of Labor and Industries and General Sickness for the Alder Mines and with the old Civilian Conservation Corps. As many will recall, those were the depression days. Some of his pay ranged from cabbages to cows.

Compiled by Janet Mehus

Miss Geraline Risley as teachers. The Guild will meet in the new church for the first time this Friday afternoon, and the vicar, Rev. Gerald R. Minchin, will hold a service of holy communion.

Municipal Christmas Tree Ordered Placed

The Boy Scouts have again graciously accepted the annual honors of selecting and delivering to the public square the municipal Christmas tree, which is to grace the public square within the near future, the town’s contribution to a merry Christmas to its people and to all comers. The job has repeatedly been turned in to the Scouts because they no doubt excel in delivering the goods, each successive tree being, if possible, just a little better each year. The Commercial club will do the decorating and illuminating.

100 years ago – December 6, 1912

60 years ago – December 4, 1952

Town Election Was Terrible Avalanche

Rambling Thoughts In Our Valley–

We are glad to know that Bill Lawrence recovered his turkey for his Thanksgiving dinner. It seems he really got the bird! Wednesday morning it was missing, and Bill was seen stalking the bird with a shotgun…it was a good thing that Teddy Malfield took a hand in the matter and recovered the turkey…Bill probably would have missed, anyway! We have heard of bankers being locked in the vault…but Wednesday Fred Bigelow got locked in the cloakroom at the bank…this hasn’t happened to Fred since he was in the sixth grade…Chet Endrizzi had taken the doorknob off the door and Fred added a new experience. He was rescued in time for Kiwanis club, when George Gibson arrived and made inquiry as to where Fred was…a tapping in a back room solved the riddle.

80 years ago – December 2, 1932

Episcopals moving In – Services Announced Another pretty picture – Karen Flagg prepares for upcoming Christmas Bazaars

The Episcopal church will open in their new log church, their Sunday school this coming Sunday with Mrs. Mahlon McCain in charge as superintendent, assisted by Mrs. C. A. Jones and

Crushing defeat met the attempt of the Tammany organization to again palm off on the public their bunch of candidates for councilmen, at the hands of the voters of the municipality Tuesday, when one of the largest votes in the history of the village was polled. The early morning set in with a heavy snow, but ere a half hour had passed this cleared away and all was bright sunshine. The polls opened at nine o’clock, and from that hour on until they closed, the hordes sallied forth to the conquest, with the result that there were few who did not vote and some that did vote whose right might have been questionable. Simultaneously with the opening of the polls the Risley automobile was brought out, and all day long was kept on the high gear, bringing out the lady voters – the enterprise of supporters of a different type of town administration than has been handed out by the present push. The “Tammany” ticket, designated on the ballot as the “Citizen’s” ticket made up of those who have had charge of affairs of the town heretofore, went down by a decisive defeat. The Independent ticket, made up of clean business men of the town, was an easy winner. Following was the result of the election: Citizen’s Ticket – Risley/55, Burton/56, Ruark/66; Independent ticket – Rice/112, Johnson/123, Magee/109.

Service Directory

Service & Health Directories ~ Deadline for ad placement & changes is Friday at 5 pm for insertion in the next Wednesday’s paper. Directory ads are $8 per column inch. Additional charges may apply for color. To have your service listed please call 997-7011. Attorneys

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Get your business listed in the Service Directory for as little as $8 per week!!! (509) 997-7011 or advertising@methowvalleynews.com

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MVN, pg 3

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WeLL DrILLInG

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Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Methow mayors featured in city magazine By Ann McCreary

The Methow Valley’s two town mayors are profiled in the most recent issue of Cityvision Magazine, a publication of the Association of Washington Cities (AWC). The article focuses on the ways that Soo IngMoody of Twisp and Dave Acheson of Winthrop collaborate to help their towns. The article opens with: “Nine miles of mountain wilderness separate Twisp and Winthrop, but mayors Soo Ing-Moody and Dave Acheson run their towns like back-fence neighbors seeking shared success.” The mayors discuss sharing employees and grant funds to avoid costly duplication. For instance, the towns pooled grant money obtained through AWC to purchase a sewer camera to do inspections. “There only needs to be one of those in the valley,” Acheson said. “We share the fact that we have needs,” IngMoody said. “We try to see where we can work

together on addressing some of those needs. You need to work with other municipalities and leverage your resources.” Asked how often they collaborate, Ing-Moody replied, “We are always available for each other and we often pick up the phone and call each other. We try to have lunch on a somewhat regular basis, taking turns between my town and his town.” “We’re going through our budget process, and it’s hard to find dollars,” Acheson said. Noting that most cities and towns are struggling financially, Acheson advised other municipal officials to “take a look around to see what you can’t do by yourself but may be able to do together.” “Remain open-minded,” Ing-Moody recommended. “If you’ve been doing something the same way forever, you may find that forever needs to change.” AWC is a private, nonprofit organization that represents Washington cities and towns.

Methow Valley News

Outfitters permitting decision due in January By Ann McCreary

Mayors Soo Ing-Moody and Dave Acheson were interviewed for Cityvision Magazine.

A final decision on permits for local backcountry guides and outfitters is expected to be issued by the U.S. Forest Service in mid-January. The permitting process has been under review by the Forest Service for 12 years. The decision will address issues including the length of permits, the number of trips allowed into the backcountry, the size of the groups permitted on trips, and the allowable impacts of campsites in the wilderness. The Forest Service decision will be issued with a Final Environmental Impact Statement in January. In a draft EIS two years ago, the Forest Service recommended resuming a previous practice of issuing 10-year permits to commercial saddle and pack outfitters that lead trips into wilderness areas surrounding the Methow Valley. For the past 12 years the Forest Service has considered a number of environmental studies and encountered numerous delays in coming up with policies and regulations

that meet the needs of outfitters while protecting the wilderness as required by the federal 1964 Wilderness Act. While the studies were under way, outfitter-guide companies have been issued only temporary, one-year permits to take customers into the wilderness. Outfitters said the temporary permits meant a continual state of uncertainty for their businesses. The Forest Service received 247 letters, ranging from one sentence to 130 pages, in response to the 2010 draft EIS, said Jennifer Zbyszewski, recreation program manager for the Methow Ranger District. She said the final EIS is expected to be completed by the middle of December. The final document will be more than 700 pages long. The area analyzed in the study includes the Pasayten and Lake Chelan-Sawtooth wilderness areas, North Cascades Scenic Highway corridor, Sawtooth backcountry, the Bear/Ramsey/Volstead area, and other adjacent national forest system lands.

Classifieds CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING - 997-7011

75................................... WANTED

E-MAIL TO frontdesk@methowvalleynews.com

20.......................... REAL ESTATE

PUBLISHER'S NOTICE: All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Fair Housing Act which makes it illegal to advertise “any preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin, or an intention, to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination.” Familial status includes children under the age of 18 living with parents or legal custodians, pregnant women and people securing custody of children under 18. This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. Our readers are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal opportunity basis. To complain of discrimination, call HUD toll-free at 1-800669-9777. The toll-free telephone number for the hearing impaired is 1-800-927-9275.

34.................................SERVICES

UPS SHIPPING! Monday-Friday, 9-5, 109 S. Glover, Twisp. Sunny FM building. 509.997.3837. 32 TRIPLE T ROOFING, Inc.Your snow country specialists, 509.996.3808, tttroof@centurytel.net . 33 AUTOMOTIVE DETAILING. Top to bottom, inside & out. Free quotes. Mobile. Gift certiﬁcates available. The Detail Guy. 509.714.3001. 30

TWISP FEED & RENTAL OLDER 3BR on Burgar St., Twisp $150,000. 509.997.7777. 21tf 24................................ FOR RENT

RIVERFRONT HOME near Winthrop, 3BR 1.5BA, nice kitchen, laundry, basement, garage, carport, garden, pets negotiable, $900/mo,1st/last/$500 deposit. 509.996.2860. 30

Small Engine Service & Repair for all equipment

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TRIPLE T ROOFING, Inc.Your snow country specialists, 509.996.3808, www.tripletrooﬁng.com . 33

EDEN PURE HEATERS now in stock - NAPA at Twisp Auto Parts. 509.997.2461. 32 CABLE CHAINS – used, ﬁt 14 inch tires - $15. 509.997.0026, msg. 30

31......................... EMPLOYMENT

METHOW VALLEY SCHOOL District is accepting applications for a HS head boys’ soccer coach, HS asst. wrestling coach and JH head wrestling coach. Visit the district website for application procedure. Submit application by Dec. 14, 2012. Positions open until ﬁlled. Methow Valley School District, 18 Twin Lakes Rd. Winthrop WA 98862, 509.996.9205. www.methow.org/district . EOE. 31 REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL, WinthropWashington.com Website Development. TheWinthrop Chamber of Commerce seeks an independent contractor or website design ﬁrm to perform design services and possible hosting for a new Winthrop Washington website. Scope of work, submission instructions and details on the December 15, 2012 RFP deadline can be found at www.chamberwinthrop.blogspot. com 30

10.................................FOR SALE

30.. BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES

LUCRATIVE & THRIVING business in Twisp. “Turnkey” ready. Rocking Goat Thrift Store. $25,000. Please call 509.997.4628. 32

FOR SALE ................................10 YARD SALE ..........................14 FARM EQUIPMENT ..............15 AUCTIONS ............................16 REAL ESTATE ..........................20 MOBILE/MFD. HOMES ........22 FOR RENT ............................24 WANTED TO RENT ..............25 EDUCATION .............................29 BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES ..30 EMPLOYMENT .........................31 10.................................FOR SALE WORK WANTED ..................32 EDEN PURE HEATERS now in SERVICES ............................34 stock - NAPA at Twisp Auto Parts. CARS & TRUCKS .....................40 RVS .......................................42 509.997.2461. 32 ANIMALS ..................................50 CABLE CHAINS – used, ﬁ t 14 inch LIVESTOCK ..........................52 tiresHORSES - $15. 509.997.0026, msg. 30 ...............................54 PETS .....................................56 MISCELLANEOUS ...................70 WANTED ...................................75 THANK YOU .............................80 COMMUNITY EVENTS .............83 PERSONALS ............................85 FREE .........................................90 LOST & FOUND........................95

24.....................FOR RENT, Con’t.

HOUSE on horse property, Twisp River. 2BR 1BA, W/D, wood/elec. heat. 360.600.3701. 33 SOUTH TWISP Private 2BR/1BA home on creek with yard. Everything brand new, with all appliances. No smoking and no pets. $800/mo. + deposit +utilities, 509.449.0552. 30 OFFICE SPACE avail. in Chewuch Professional Bldg., Winthrop. Highspeed internet, ﬁber optics, conference room, PLUS gorgeous river views and common kitchenette. 509.996.2820. 34tf

Directory

Volunteer ombudsmen are needed in Chelan, Douglas, Grant and Okanogan Counties. Ombudsmen help residents in long term care settings. Volunteers receive free training and will be certified by the State Ombudsman upon completion. n’

Prepayment required to qualify.

Classified display ads: $10.00 per column inch. Deadline for CLASSIFIED DISPLAYS & LEGAL NOTICES: Friday, 5 p.m.

Vulnerable & honored seniors

All classifieds to be prepaid. Deadline: Monday, Noon. Weekly: $6.75 for 15 words or less. $8.75 with email or web site address. 20 cents for each additional word. CLASSIFIED SPECIAL: Buy 3 weeks, get 4th week free. No refunds or changes please.

Help us serve our most

For more information, please call

aging & adult Care of Central Washington at (509) 886-0700 ext. 215 or visit our website at www.aaccw.org 85............................ PERSONALS

PREGNANT? Feeling trapped? Thinking you have no option but abortion? We are here to support you and discuss your options in this confusing and frightening time. Please give us a call. Conﬁdentiality assured. CARE NET - 1.800.395.HELP, 509.422.5506. Sponsored by St. Genevieve Catholic Church. 34tf 90......................................... FREE

RENT-FREE HAY PASTURES, irrigated, level, 15 plus acres call 206.527.2824 and ask for Owen. 33 STATEWIDE ADS ADOPTION ADOPTION: Adoring Successful Magazine Journalist, Travel, Close-knit, Happy, Loving Family awaits 1st baby. Expenses paid. Alison 1-888-843-8969 EDUCATION/CAREER TRAINING ATTEND COLLEGE online from home. *Medical *Business *Criminal Justice. *Hospitality. Job placement assistance. Computer available. Financial Aid if qualiﬁed. SCHEV certiﬁed.. Call 866483-4429. www.CenturaOnline.com EVENTS-FESTIVALS ANNOUNCE your festival for only pennies. Four weeks to 2.7 million readers statewide for about $1,200. Call this newspaper or 1 (206) 634-3838 for more details. FINANCIAL LOCAL PRIVATE INVESTOR loans money on real estate equity. I loan on houses, raw land, commercial property and property development. Call Eric at (800) 563-3005. www.fossmortgage.com HELP WANTED NOW HIRING: Easy Work, Excellent Pay, Assemble Products From Home. No Selling. $500 Weekly Potential. Start Immediately. Info Call 1-985646-1700 DEPT. WA-5990 Peoples Lifestyle

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STATEWIDE ADS, Cont.

LEGAL ADS, Cont.

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Town of the type of assistance required. Persons wishing to view project information may contact Twisp Town Hall, 118 S.Glover Street between the hours of 9:00am until 5:00pm Monday through Thursday. For further information contact Kurt Danison, Town Planner at (509)997-4081. Published in the Methow Valley News November 28 and December 5, 2012. LEGAL NOTICE Notice of Meeting Date Change and Cancellation. Notice is Hereby Given that the regularly scheduled monthly Three Rivers Hospital Board Meeting to be held on the 24th day of December, 2012, has been cancelled. The meeting will be held on Monday, December 17, 2012, commencing at noon, in the Hillcrest Commons Area in the Administration Building of Three Rivers Hospital located at 415 Hospital Way, Brewster, Washington. Published in the Methow Valley News December 5, 2012. LEGAL NOTICE Negotiation of State Leases with Existing Lessees Between January and March 2013 Expires: May 2013. 10-A52923-GRAZINGE1/2E1/2, Section 1; E1/2NE1/4, NE1/4SE1/4, Section 12; all in Township 33 North, Range 24 East, W.M. 10-C68168-GRAZING-All of Section 25; All of Section 36; all in Township 35 North, Range 20 East, W.M. 10-A53337-GRAZING-E1/2, E1/2NW1/4, SW1/4NW1/4, SW1/4, Section 36, Township 34 North, Range 21 East, W.M. 10-A55346-GRAZINGW1/2W1/2, Section 28; NE1/4NW1/4, N1/2NE1/4, Section 29; N1/2NE1/4, SW1/4NE1/4, Section 32; all in Township 31 North, Range 22 East, W.M. Written request to lease must be received by January 4, 2013, at Department of Natural Resources, 225 S Silke Rd, Colville, Washington 991149369. Each request to lease must include the lease number, the name, address and phone

number of applicant, and must contain a certified check or money order payable to the Department of Natural Resources for the amount of any bonus bid plus a $100.00 deposit. The envelope must be marked “Sealed Bid” and give lease number, expiration date of lease applied for and give applicant’s name. The applicant must be prepared to purchase improvements that belong to the current lessee. Persons wishing to bid to lease any of these properties can obtain more details, bid packet, and qualification requirements by contacting the Colville office or calling (509)684-7474. Published in the Methow Valley News December 5, 2012. LEGAL NOTICE Notice of Adoption: Ordinance No. 650 - an Ordinance of the Town of Twisp, Washington fixing the amount of the EMS levy for the year 2013. Said ordinance may be examined at the Twisp Town Hall during regular business hours or mailed upon request. This notice is given by order of the Town Council and pursuant to RCW 35.27.300. Dated this 27th day of November, 2012. Jackie Moriarty, Clerk/Treasurer, Town of Twisp, Washington. Published in the Methow Valley News December 5, 2012. LEGAL NOTICE Notice of Adoption: Ordinance No. 653: an Ordinance of the Town of Twisp, Washington, amending Title 3 – Revenue and Finance, Chapter 3.40 - Credit Cards for Official Purchases, Sections 3.40.020 and 3.40.050 of the Twisp Municipal Code. Said ordinance may be examined at the Twisp Town Hall during regular business hours or mailed upon request. This notice is given by order of the Town Council and pursuant to RCW 35.27.300. Dated this 27th day of November, 2012. Jackie Moriarty, Clerk/Treasurer, Town of Twisp, Washington. Published in the Methow Valley News December 5, 2012.

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LEGAL NOTICE Notice of Open Record Public Hearing. Notice Is Hereby Given that the Town of Twisp Planning Commission will hold an open record public hearing at 6:00pm on Wednesday, December 12, 2012 at Twisp Town Hall. The purpose of the hearing is to take testimony and establish the record on an application for an amendment to the Town of Twisp Official Zoning Map to change the zoning of the lot located at 223 West Twisp Avenue from R3 to C2 and to modify the preliminarily approved Twisp River Suites Planned Development submitted by Joe Marver of Twisp, Washington. The modification of the planned development includes use of the existing structure at 115 Johnson Street for 3 hotel suites and/or other uses permitted in the C2 zone, modification of the site plan to incorporate the lot at 223 West Twisp Avenue as part of the PD including use for off-street parking and use of the existing structure on the lot for a laundry and storage facility appurtenant to the operation of the Twisp River Suites. Use on the additional parcel is also proposed to permit any permitted uses within the C2 zone. Project approval will be conditioned for compliance development standards set forth by the Town of Twisp Codes 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18. The planned development entails parcels 2640030200 located at 223 West Twisp Avenue, 2640030100 located at 115 Johnson Street and 2640010503 occupied by the Twisp River Suites main building. All interested persons are invited to attend and be heard. Those requiring assistance are requested to contact Town Hall a minimum of 24 hours prior to the scheduled hearing to notify the

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Methow Valley News

Okanogan County Superior Court

Jeffrey Scott Taylor, 52, of Winthrop, pleaded guilty to Reckless Endangerment and Resisting Arrest. He was sentenced to 364 days with 362 suspended and 90 days with 88 suspended. He was also fined a total of $1,010.50. Stewart James Fling, 39, of Twisp, pleaded guilty to second-degree Vehicle Prowl. He was sentenced to 90 days with 88 suspended and fined a total of $500.

Okanogan County Sheriff’s Office Nov. 25

BURGLARY: A residence on Wolfden Road, Winthrop, had its door kicked in, but nothing appeared to be missing. MALICIOUS MISCHIEF: It was reported that a window at a residence on Pine Lane, Twisp, was shot out with a pellet or BB gun. The reporting person told a deputy that a neighbor has outstanding warrants. Deputies subsequently took a person into custody. SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY: It was reported that three vehicles had been parked along Highway 153 near Methow for the previous hour, with people in and out of the vehicles, and a

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Wednesday, December 5, 2012

News of Record chainsaw was heard. A deputy contacted the people, who said two of the vehicles had problems but they were being repaired and the people would leave soon.

Nov. 26

THEFT: It was reported that a license plate was stolen off of a U.S. Forest Service trailer on Gold Creek Road, near Carlton.

Nov. 27

NON-INJURY ACCIDENT: An accident was reported on East Chewuch Road, Winthrop, but the vehicle had been removed when a deputy checked the area.

Nov. 28

MISSING PERSONS: It was reported that an elderly couple on Chokecherry Road, Winthrop, had gone shopping 13 hours earlier and had not returned and had not responded to cell phone calls. When finally contacted, the couple said they had been shopping in Omak and were on their way back home. TRESSPASS: Resident of Twisp-Carlton Road reported that a man had been looking in their windows with binoculars. ASSAULT: A woman on Roses Hill Road, Winthrop, reported that her husband had punched her in the face. The woman said she was going to her residence with her mother to get her baby, but said the

baby was in no danger from the husband. Later, a man was taken into custody on an assault charge. NON-INJURY ACCIDENT: A non-injury, one-car accident was reported on Highway 20 near Twisp, after a car went into the ditch.

Twisp Police Department Nov. 23

911 CALL ABUSE: Dispatcher received a hang-up 911 call from Airport Road; the number did not answer when the dispatcher called back. FIREARMS: It was reported that juveniles were shooting into an orchard on Twisp-Carlton Road, and that a white pick-up truck was seen leaving the area. Officer was not able to locate any vehicle matching that description.

Nov. 24

TRESPASS: A person on Lincoln Street reported that a man was trespassing in a trailer on the site. The man was contacted, and collected the rest of his things and left. FIREWORKS: Aerial fireworks were reported in the area of Fifth Avenue; the fireworks had stopped when an officer investigated. UNSECURED PREMISES:

Page B5 Compiled by Don Nelson

An open door was reported at a building on South Glover Street, but upon investigation it did not appear the door had been forced open. The building was secured.

Nov. 29

SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY: It was reported that a man at a location on West Twisp Avenue had grabbed a knife, and was playing with it and scaring other employees. Aero Methow Rescue was requested to evaluate the situation. NON-INJURY ACCIDENT: Officer responded to a report of a non-injury accident on Bridge Street, Winthrop, where a vehicle was off the roadway. The vehicle was removed by a private party, but a no-parking sign had been partially knocked over. Winthrop Town Hall was contacted.

Winthrop Marshal’s Office Nov. 23

FRAUD: It was reported that a person at a motel on Riverside Avenue had her credit card rejected but would not speak to the credit card company. The woman eventually paid her bill and left. CITIZEN ASSIST: A person was given a courtesy ride to a location on Wolf Creek Road.

Photo by Sue Misao

Hot & cold

Temperatures in Twisp reached 199 degrees even as the snow fell last Thursday morning (Nov. 29), according to the Hank's sign. It takes a special kind of snow not to melt under those circumstances.

Powerline condemnation appeal gets February appeal date By Marcy Stamper The appeal of the PUD’s efforts to condemn state land for its Pateros-Twisp powerline has been scheduled in the Washington Court of Appeals in Spokane for Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2013. Attorneys for Commissioner of Public Lands Peter Goldmark and the Okanogan County Public Utility District will each have 15 minutes to

present oral arguments to a three-judge panel. The hearing comes after a more than two-year battle by Goldmark to appeal a May 2010 ruling in Okanogan County Superior Court granting the PUD the right to condemn land for the transmission line. The state Department of Natural Resources has maintained that the land is already dedicated to a public use – namely, for

grazing – that earns money for Washington schools. This appeal comes after the state Supreme Court ordered Attorney General Rob McKenna to appoint a special attorney to handle the case after McKenna refused to pursue the appeal. The primary issue in the case is whether state trust lands managed by DNR are subject to condemnation by a local public utility district. DNR argues that

the trial court erred in finding that the powerline and the existing and long-term use of the land are compatible. The PUD argues that utilities have the express statutory authority to condemn school trust lands and that such condemnations have been permitted for more than a century. The PUD began planning for an upgrade of its existing transmission line that serves the

Methow in 1996 and analyzed seven alternatives, selecting the 28-mile Pateros-Twisp route in 2006. The transmission project has been through numerous legal battles – over the need for an environmental review, challenges to condemnation of private and public land, and the tussle over Goldmark’s representation. There is a court-imposed stay on determining the value

Fire safety during the holiday season The State Fire Marshal’s office has offered its seasonal advice on how to be safe from fire during the holidays, especially Christmas trees. Here are some pointers included in a recent press release: • Needles on fresh trees should be green and hard to pull back from the branches, and the needle should not break if the tree has been freshly cut. The trunk should be sticky to the touch. Old trees can be identified by bouncing the tree trunk on the ground. If many needles fall off, the tree has been cut too long, has probably dried out, and is a fire hazard. • Do not put a live tree up too early or leave it up for longer than two weeks. Keep

the tree stand filled with water at all times. • Keep trees away from heat sources including fireplaces and heat vents. The heat will dry out the tree, causing it to be more easily ignited by heat, flame or sparks. Be careful not to drop or flick cigarette ashes near a tree. • Never put tree branches or needles in a fireplace or wood-burning stove. When the tree becomes dry, discard it promptly. The best way to dispose of your tree is by taking it to a recycling center or having it hauled away by a community pick-up service. • Inspect holiday lights each year for frayed wires, bare spots, gaps in the

the Big Day only happens once

insulation, broken or cracked sockets, and excessive kinking or wear before putting them up. Use only lighting listed by an approved testing laboratory. • Do not link more than three light strands, unless the directions indicate it is safe. Connect strings of lights to an extension cord before plugging the cord into the outlet. Make sure to periodically check the wires – they should not be warm to the touch. • Use only nonflammable decorations. All decorations should be nonflammable or flame-retardant. • If you are using a metallic or artificial tree, make sure it is flame-retardant.

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(509) 997-7011

Friday and Saturday

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Worship & Meditation Community Mindfulness Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses Meditation 19 Airport Road, Twisp 104 Glover Street, 997-4803 Twisp 997-2152 Wednesday 6pm Mazama Community Church Cascade Bible Church 18202 Hwy 20, 1119 S. Hwy 20, Twisp Mazama 996-7801 997-8312 Sunday 11am Sunday 10:30am Calvary Chapel of the Methow Valley 20077 Hwy 20, Twisp 997-9673 Sunday 10am

MV United Methodist Church 193-B Old Twisp Hwy, Twisp 997-9292 Sunday 10am

Church of Jesus Christ Methow of Latter-day Saints Community Church 972 Twisp-Carlton Road, 1103 N. Hwy 153, Methow Twisp 997-3032 923-2782 Sunday 9am Church on the Rise (Assemblies of God) Sabbath Fellowship 1 Twin Lakes Access Rd, American Legion Hall, Winthrop 996-2323 Twisp 997-3333 Sunday 10am & 7pm Saturday Noon Community Covenant Church 710 Hwy 20, Twisp 997-5428 Sunday 10am

St. Genevieve Catholic Church 403 Burgar Street, Twisp 997-4201 Sunday 10:30am

Friendship Alliance Church 809 Hwy 20, Winthrop 996-8111 Sunday 10am

The Local Church 2252 Highway 153, Carlton 997-0977 Sunday 10:30am

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of the land in question, pending the outcome of the condemnation appeal. An audio file of the proceedings will be posted on the court’s web site at www.courts. wa.gov under the Appellate Court Division III docket after the hearing. A decision is expected within six months of the oral arguments, according to the court clerk.

On Highway 20, Twisp

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916 Koala, Omak, WA 98841

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509-826-7919

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Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Exactly one year after opening Methow Valley Veterinary Hospital in Winthrop, Heather and Dr. Michael Marrone have added dog and cat grooming to their services. “I had a lot of clients asking me about grooming, and since the only other groomer in the valley was scheduled about two months out, I knew there was room for another groomer here,” Dr. Marrone said. Marlene Firth is running the grooming facility. She received special training for the job after having been a veterinary assistant at the hospital for six months. It’s a career change for Firth, who worked as a CPA in the valley for many years, including nine years as comptroller at Sun Mountain Lodge and several years with Bart Bradshaw CPA in Winthrop. “It never occurred

Hello kitty

Methow Valley Veterinary Hospital has rescued kittens available for adoption. A $40 fee covers the costs of spay/neuter, deworming, vaccination and wellness exam, and goes straight to the nonprofit Okanogan Regional Spay and Neuter Project, (OKSNIP), of which Dr. Marrone is medical director.

to me I’d want to be a pet groomer, but I thought it might be time to get out of the accounting business,” she said. In August Firth began training with two professional groomers – Lyn Maus in Tonasket and Amy Denton of Omak – while taking an online accredited diploma course covering current equipment and techniques, first aid, physiology and pet breeds. “I think it’s a Photo by Laurelle Walsh healthy transition Pet groomer Marlene Firth trims fur around the paws of her rescued dog, for me, and learning Polly, in preparation for snow season. more about pets has really opened my Dogs stand on the work table lump under the fur, she can call world,” Firth said. “My main emphasis is to or in the tub, secured by a harness the doctor in to take a look at it. provide a good experience for that supports the hips. Larger or She can also assist with emerthe animals and me,” Firth said. geriatric dogs walk from a ramp gencies at the hospital when necessary. “I want them to be as relaxed as into the tub or onto the table. “I’m really pleased to be “Cats are really different,” possible.” working with [Dr. Marrone],” Firth said. “You can’t tell them To facilitate a stress-free said Firth. “His philosophy is to sit or stay, and they don’t like experience, she plays low, ambilet’s be gentle and calm.” restraints.” ent music while working on the These days Firth said she is On the grooming table, cats animals. “Research has shown that the tones create a physi- lie on a towel, “and I mostly getting a lot of phone calls from ological response of relaxation,” just hold them loosely. They like people who want “snow clipto feel like they have room to ping,” a trim which prevents Firth said. She also sprays the work move,” Firth said. When bathing active dogs from getting clumps surface with feline or canine cats, Firth scoops water over the of icy snow in their fur. A complete menu of groompheromones that “provide re- fur, rather than spraying. ing services and prices is availShe uses quiet, cordless, lowassurance to the pet,” she said. To calm fears of the dreaded vibration clippers for trimming able on the website, http://www. blow drier, after bath time dogs fur, and prefers a Dremel Tool for methowvalleyvethospital.com. The Methow Valley Veterinary Hosand cats get to wear a “happy pain-free nail clipping. One advantage to doing pet pital is located at 910 Highway hoody,” a stretchy fabric band that Firth slips over the ears to grooming within the veterinary 20, behind Pardner ’s Mini muffle sounds and protect the hospital, Firth said, is that if she Market in Winthrop. The phone feels something unusual like a number is 996-3231. ears while the animal dries.

Arts shorts

Methow Valley News

New pet groomer opens in Winthrop By Laurelle Walsh

Neighbors Helping Neighbors cranks up holiday food drive nal intent was to help families who lost jobs when CETA, a federal government program to employ people in public agencies, was no longer funded. A small group of volunteers raised money and food for a onetime emergency aid for families in need. The program was so wellreceived by the people of the Methow Valley that the community has kept it alive, according to information provided by Neighbors Helping Neighbors. Vo l u n t e e r s w h o have been with Neighbors Helping Neighbors for many years recall washing old clothes and piecing together used toys. For 22 years, Miki Eiffert, owner of Mick & Miki’s Red Cedar Bar in Twisp, bought and wrapped new toys for children until she retired three years ago and Manger Mall was started. This year, food baskets will be delivered on Dec. 22. If anyone knows of people in need of a holiday food basket, please contact the Cove in Twisp at 997-0227. For information on Neighbors Helping Neighbors, call Jennifer Elden at 996-4343.

Neighbors Helping Neighbors, the Methow Valley’s annual holiday food drive, is gearing up to provide food for local families for the 34th year. The nonprofit’s holiday drive serves up to 150 families and individuals each year. More than 75 volunteers help make the program happen. Donations come from school food drives, and from drop-offs at the Red Apple market in Winthrop, Hank’s Harvest Foods in Twisp, and the Carlton and Mazama stores. Also, donation jars have been distributed from Mazama to Carlton. Next, food sorters, packers, car loaders, drivers and numerous other people will collaborate to make the program come to life. Okanogan County Fire District 6 will conduct food pick-ups at homes within the Twisp and Winthrop town limits on Dec. 13 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Residents are asked to leave their porch lights on. The program was started 34 years ago by Harry Eiffert and Gloria Moriarty as a grassroots organization working through the police department. The origi-

Harts Pass

By Erik Brooks

Merc auditions

The Merc Playhouse in Twisp will hold auditions on Dec. 18 at 6 p.m. for men and women to play characters aged late-30s to late-40s in the theater’s production of God of Carnage. Rehearsals start the week of Jan. 14. Performances run March 1-17. For more information, or to request a different audition time, call 997-7529.

Pipestone students perform

Students from the Pipestone School of Music will offer a free performance at noon on Dec. 14 at the Senior Center in Twisp. The performance is open to the public. For more information, call 997-7722.

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custody of children under 18. This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. Our readers are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal opportunity basis. To complain of discrimination call HUD toll-free at 1-800-669-9777. The toll-free telephone number for the hearing impaired is 1-800-927-9275.

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rations and gifts to choose from. We will be selling up to Dec. 21. Friday is dance day. This will be the Christmas dance. We have all kinds of programs coming up this month – a concert by the Pipestone students on Dec. 14, and Santa Claus and the gift exchange on Dec. 21. When was the last time you were out in shirtsleeves and had the doors open in December? I am not complaining, I am enjoying it. It won’t last. Rosalie Hutson

Senior menu Thur, Dec. 6: Beef stroganoff, tossed vegetable salad, beets, blueberries, whole wheat roll, frosted cake. Fri, Dec. 7: Pork roast, mashed potates and gravy, lettuce and tomato salad, green beans, chilled apricots, whole wheat roll, applesauce cake. Mon, Dec. 10: Cheese ravioli with meat sauce, Mediterranean salad, Italian vegetables, chilled peaches, garlic bread, sherbet. Thur, Dec. 13: Meat loaf, mashed potatoes and gravy, vegetable soup, lettuce and tomato salad, whole wheat roll, apricot crisp.

ladies night out,” Price added. Other participating merchants include Retro Pony, Courtyard Quail, French Quail, Aspen Grove, The Outdoorsman, Robin’s Egg Bleu, The Iron Horse, Trail’s End Bookstore, Winthrop Mountain Sports, and Rascal’s. Shops will offer special discounts on that evening only, as well as door prizes and refreshments. “It’s a fun time to get out and see what there is in Winthrop,” said Price. Trail’s End Bookstore will also be hosting a discussion and book signing of the new book The Philosophical Child with Mazama author Jana Mohr Lone from 5-7 p.m.

Twisp River Suites offers the perfect setting for your holiday party!

River Rock Fireplace • Full Gourmet Kitchen • Catering Available Complete Audio & Video System with Projector • Outdoor Firepit Comfortable & Stylish

www.TwispRiverSuites.com • 997-0100 140 West Twisp Avenue, Twisp WA

Obituaries

Ruth I. Johnson

Archer Liam Johnson

Archer!

Amber (Hutson) Johnson and Aaron Johnson, of Hollywood, Calif., announce the birth of their son, Archer Liam Johnson, Oct. 31, 2012. He weighed 6 pounds, 9 ounces and measured 19½ inches at birth. Archer is welcomed

by grandparents Dwain Hutson and Shari Graham; great-grandparents Chuck and Rosalie Hutson and Dave and Sharon Austin; aunt Cassandra (Hutson) Mitchell; uncle Dustin Hutson; and great-uncle Dale Hutson.

School menu

Mon, Dec. 10: Egg and cheese mufﬁn, potatoes, carrots, fruit, milk. Tue, Dec. 11: Chicken fajitas, peppers and onions, black beans, salad/fruit, milk. Wed, Dec. 12: Spaghetti, seasoned roll, salad/green beans, fruit, milk. Thur, Dec. 13: Pizza, salad, broccoli/corn, fruit, milk. Fri, Dec. 14: No school (Professional day).

Holiday shopping in Winthrop this weekend Winthrop offers two unique shopping experiences this weekend: Evening on the Avenue Friday night (Dec. 7), and the Reason for the Season Christmas Bazaar all day Saturday (Dec. 8). Downtown shops will stay open late Friday for the second annual Evening on the Avenue, which runs from 5-8 p.m., and features special offers and holiday cheer from 10 different Riverside Avenue merchants. “The focus is on supporting locals,” said organizer Terri Price, proprietor of Inside Out Home and Garden. “It makes a great date night or

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Community

MENUS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE

By Laurelle Walsh

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Senior news We have lost two of our original long-time members in the last few weeks – Camille Neubert and Ruth Johnson. Both were active members for many years, and I believe about the last of the original members that started the Senior Center in the 1970s. Our condolences to their families. Ruth’s services will be at the Methow Valley United Methodist Church on Friday (Dec. 7) at 11 a.m. We had another big Saturday Christmas sale, selling a lot of things, but there are still lots of deco-

Call Price at her shop for more information, 996-4104. The Reason for the Season Christmas Bazaar runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday at the Barn. Fifty vendors and local organizations will fill the main floor, kids’ activities will be happening in the Hen House, and Santa will make a special appearance from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Handmade chocolates, jewelry, gift baskets and photographic prints are some of the locally made items for sale, according to organizer Jessica Sheehan. Illustrator Erik Brooks will have a booth of his framed cartoons and signed prints, and the Shafer

Museum will be selling books by local authors. Two Liberty Bell High School classes will be fundraising at the bazaar. LBHS junior class Close Up students will be raffling tickets for a “Mystery Grand Prize” and 40 other prizes, and selling Booth Orchard pears and taking orders for California oranges and grapefruit. The LBHS senior class will be selling holiday wreaths and swags. Sunflower Catering will serve up snacks, beverages and light meals from the Barn kitchen all day, with seating available in the Hen House. For more bazaar information, call Sheehan at 996-3413.

You have the power to build a young person’s future!

Please make a tax deductible donation to help fund further education for Methow Valley Students

Helping hard working students since 1984

www.mveducationfoundation.org PO Box 3056, Winthrop, WA 98862

Ruth I. Johnson, 96 years Auxiliary and the Rebekahs. Survivors include two old and a 43-year resident of Twisp who was living at daughters, Alberta Chapman of Brewster and Brewster, died Nov. Charlene Linzy of 29, 2012. Rochester, Wash., She was born eight grandchildren Dec. 14, 1915, at and 12 great grandTurtle Rock, Wis., children. In addition the daughter of to her husband, she Albert and Inga was also preceded (Tuftin) Hollerud. in death by a sister, After spending her Linda Harrison. early years there, A tribute sershe was married to vice will take place C.L. “Dick” JohnRuth I. Johnson Friday (Dec. 7) son. They later reat 11 a.m. at the sided in Minnesota until 1946, when they moved Methow Valley United Methodist Church, with Pastor Mike to Pateros. They then moved to Twisp Lawson officiating. Committal in 1960 and Mr. Johnson pre- services and interment will follow at Sullivan Cemetery, ceded her in death in 1977. Since 2003, she has resided Winthrop. Services have been at Harmony House Care Center. entrusted to Barnes Chapel, She was a member of the Eagles Brewster.

Ellis L. Peters Jr.

Early on Oct. 7, a close friend of many, Ellis L. Peters Jr., passed away peacefully in his sleep. Ellis, or to his closer friends, Pete, lived a very colorful life. He touched many with his conversation but mostly through his music from the day he was born on May 2, 1936. Pete’s straightforward personality and his “tell you where you stood” directness could leave one either offended, amused or waiting for more. If you stopped by to visit, you were in for just what you hoped – exactly what was on his mind. For dear friends, neighbors and passers-by that earned a nickname, you truly were special to him and he held your friendship very dear. Pete’s extensive knowledge of Model-T Fords and ability to shoot the bull put him in a key position to volunteer at Winthrop’s Shafer Museum for more than a decade. Driving and maintaining the museum’s Model T was his ongoing pride. Our local ’49er Days Parade and Antique Auto Rallye were

on his top list of community functions that he chose to attend. Being from Mazama in an era of hard work, hard winters and hard times – all with little reward – Pete definitely appreciated what he had with extreme pride down to his most simple possessions. Our family would like to thank everyone who has helped with his comfort and care during Pete’s last few months – Jamie’s Place Hospice, Methow Valley Family Practice, Wenatchee Valley Hospital, The Rosegarden Care Center, and all the individuals who made his day or night and stayed close through his time of need. Ellis is survived by his sister, Margie; son, Kelly Peters; five grandchildren, one great-grandchild, and many cousins, nieces and nephews, who, throughout his life, made for many wonderful memories. In honor of Pete’s wishes, friends and family will gather in remembrance of his life at the home of his son this summer.

[\[\

OVOC presents Christmas concert The Okanogan Valley Orchestra and Chorus will present their “Celebration of Christmas” on Dec. 16 at 3 p.m. at the Omak Performing Arts Center. The chorus will perform several favorites from Handel’s Messiah, including “And the Glory of the Lord” and the

“Hallelujah Chorus.” “Carol of the Bells” by Leonovich and “Russian Christmas Music” by Alfred Reed will be performed by the orchestra. Adult tickets are $12, seniors $10, and youth $8. Children under 12 are free. For more information, call (509) 422-2456.

Birth announcements, engagements, weddings and obituaries, up to 350 words, are published at no charge and are subject to editing. Charges may apply to longer submissions. Photos may be included. Send to: editor@methowvalleynews.com

Holiday House

SaleS event

Storewide Savings Now through Dec. 22

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Classes to fit any level, any need Reg. $479

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SALE $349

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Delivery available in the Methow Valley

10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday

dan@websterfurniture.com • www.websterfurniture.com

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Back by popular demand

Local’s Special!

Lodge Rooms, Any Night from $95.00 + tax*

Flow Yoga Gentle & Therapeutic Yoga

9 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Friday

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Classes are FREE for MEMBERS Join now! Drop-ins welcome Classes 5 days per week Check our website for a full list of times

www.winthroppt.com 996-8234 C Y

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MVN, pg 7

Dinner Specials will also be offered! 3 course dinner, $35 + gratuity & tax.

Valid December 7-20, 2012 Call today for reservations! *Subject to availability. Lodge rooms only. Excludes suites.

800-572-0493 or (509) 996-2211 Winthrop, WA ~

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www.sunmountainlodge.com

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I have never been to the Aleutian Islands, and looking out the window all this past week gives rise to the thought that our current weather must be similar to that Bob Spiwak place in early spring. Granted, we did get a few fleeting sun breaks, but otherwise it was a salad of rain, snow, clouds and fog. Lots and lots of fog, such as what is hanging over the valley at this Monday moment. And snow is again falling with the portent of heavy amounts, up to 7 inches over the next couple of days. I got some interesting news from a friend last week. If you were born after 1960 you may not be too

In an uncharacteristic reversal of generational expectations, Saturday night found much of the valley’s over40 crowd at the burlesque show Ashley Lodato at the Barn, while the members of Jane Orme’s high school drama club spent Sunday afternoon immersed in Shakespeare. The adults shucked off Sorels in favor of sequined slippers and velvet dresses while the kids … well, they were in velvet dress and fancy slippers, too, thanks to Wenatchee’s Shakespeare coach Rod Molzahn, who is working with the kids on their upcoming play, Two Gentlemen of Verona. And Verona provides a convenient segue to the rest of this column, which focuses on purposeful international travels. Liberty Bell High School Chinese teacher Eveline Wathen recently returned from Beijing, where she visited three Liberty Bell students who are currently studying at the Beijing Royal School. Eveline stayed with Katherine Tannehill, John Sinclair and Patty Watson in their dorm, went to two full days of classes with them, and explored the areas of Beijing that the trio has discovered during their three months in China. Eveline, who recently became one of only a few non-Chinese teachers certified to teach secondary-level Chinese language classes in Washington, reports that the kids are having a great time. Before they return at the end of January, they’re going to host a photography exhibit in Beijing’s art district. Meanwhile, Pam Jenkins spent part of this fall in Uganda volunteering at an orphanage and primary school two hours outside of the country’s capital, Kampala. Before traveling to the orphanage, Pam flew to Tanzania to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro, which was, she says, the fulfillment of a dream she’s had since 1992, when she first caught sight of the mountain during a previous missionary trip to East Africa. Pam’s eight-day trek along the Shira Route was, she says, “not difficult but beautiful,” and her three British fellow trekkers kept her laughing the whole time. After Tanzania, Pam headed to the Ugandan school with several other valley residents, including Linda Schneidler, Jeanie and Jonathan McMillan, and Jim Martins. At the school they played soccer, jump rope, and ball games, and made crafts, sang and danced. The students at the orphanage school are all sponsored, many by residents from this valley and from around the region. Pam reports that the students are profoundly grateful for the opportunity provided for them by these sponsors, without whom they would not be able to attend school. “They all kept asking us if we knew their sponsors,” Pam reports. “They wanted fresh news of their sponsors and they wanted us to make sure their sponsors knew what a difference they were making in these kids’ lives.” A beautifully simple reminder of the gratitude that most of us should be feeling, especially at this time of year.

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Dale’s steed Buttermilk for $25,000, the dog for $35,000. Miscellaneous other stuff went for big bucks. What intrigues me the most was Roy’s white ’64 Pontiac Bonneville convertible that sold for $254,500. It had six-shooters mounted on the front fenders, and Winchester model 94 lever action rifles on the sides of the rear fenders. Steer horns decorated the grille. Speaking of happy trails, driving to Mazama last Thursday, my car was skating a mite going down the highway. There was a skim of snow on the road where the plow had gone through. I give the highest marks to the Washington Department of Transportation crews who keep the road drivable. When people come here for the first time and ask if we mind being as close to the road as we are, my response is invariably, “Not in the winter.” Anyhow, I wrote to colleague Jeff

Adamson of DOT in Wenatchee, who puts out weekly notices of highway conditions in North Central Washington, telling him that it appeared the de-icer had not yet been applied this year. His response would fill a page of Wikipedia, and is very informative. We are pressed for space here but he did explain that the de-icer had been previously applied when the road was dry and that there are levels of priority for the plows to operate. When the pass closes, the road up here drops to level 4, where a 3-inch cover is required before the plows come through. Winthrop to Twisp is level 3 (2 inches) and then it goes to Highway 97, which is level 2, a 1-inch accumulation. There is much more explanation, including how and when solids such as salt and sand are applied, but we’ll continue this in a later column. Thanks a bunch to Jeff, and to the plow crews – both state and county.

Photo by Don Nelson

Bucket list

Twisp Public Works Director Howard Moss finished off stringing holiday lights on a tree at the north end of Glover Street last week.

Off the Wall

Birth of The Goat

The first time I was published nationally was for a small magazine called The Buckskin Report. It was written for the muzzle-loading firearm community around the country and I wrote columns, quizzes and crossword puzzles. This was in the mid 1970s and I was paid in free copies. This was the normal pay for typed and copied publications of the precomputer days. I had other one-off contributions to magazines and newspapers, and throughout had the urge to publish my own Bob Spiwak rag. The opportunity arose in the early 1980s when we felt that Mazama Community Club members ought to have a newsletter. As there was never a whole lot of news, it was augmented by the kind of stuff you read in this paper. It was free to members. I would type copy on my little Olivetti clacker and thanks to the huge generosity of Sam and Pat Duncan, then neighbors, I had access to their Panasonic copier and their home. The newsletter was printed on legal-sized paper and stapled. I used this until I got my own Xerox copier, a $1,200 monster which I still have and

it still works. Circulation was done door-to-door, except for mailed copies to out-of-town members. Door-todoor frequently involved long visits, several cups of coffee, Bess Karro’s cookies or chocolate cherry brownies, and other perks. I had started with the Methow Valley News in 1982, and in mid-decade decided to go upscale with a small magazine format. I took a yearlong hiatus from the newspaper. Mary Sharman and I cannot remember how we got together on this project, but it was a blessed combination. Every issue of The Goat Wall Street Journal (later shortened to The Goat) had a full cover photograph by me, with a fictitious credit and on the masthead inside. Mary had an equally silly one for herself as layout designer, proofreader, ad designer, galley printer and unremembered other tasks. I paid her what she asked for in real money, and remembering the Bucksin Report’s free copies, paid outside writers $25 a pop. This was good pay for beginners and wannabe writers. We had a bevy of “Bureau Chiefs” on the masthead, garnered from my years with the Golf Writers of America, as far reaching as Tokyo, Jakarta, North Seattle, Further North Seattle (the late Archie Satterfield) and even one from The Twilight Zone. Some of these were professional golf

Methow Valley News

Valley Life familiar with Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, let alone his horse Trigger and German shepherd named Bullet. They all starred in movies and then on television, their exit being a song called “Happy Trails to You” (“until we meet again” was the second line). This of course brought to mind the exit gate from Old West (ahem!) Winthrop with the first four lines on it. The story I get had nothing at all to do with Winthrop, however. As a matter of interest when Trigger died years ago there was a flap because Roy had the horse stuffed and mounted – in his house, as I recall. Time passed and Roy and Dale opened their own museum in Branson, Mo., with horses and other memorabilia. Roy’s instructions to his son, it is said, were that if the place ever began to lose money he was to sell it. And recently it went on the auction block. Trigger sold for $266,500, his saddle and bridle for $306,500,

writers paid up to a dollar a word in Golf Digest and Golf Journal, but who luxuriated in off-the-wall craziness we encouraged. We did have some serious stuff as well, but essentially it was like “Saturday Night Live” in print. The ads were either sold or bartered. My favorite was free massages from Lynda Zbigley, whose motto was “Limp In, Leap Out.” Subscriptions were $10, half-page ads were $14. And classifieds were a nickel a word. Of all the goofing off as well as serious stuff my favorite part (and may be again) were the letters to the editor. My usual responses were snide, sometimes off-color, but always opening the door to the writer to riposte. Some of the letter writers were more talented than some Bureau Chiefs, especially the contribution I got from my correspondent in Tokyo – in Japanese. Mel Tucker printed it expertly in his dungeon print shop under the pawn shop in Winthrop. We had a high of 340 subscribers; copies were sent bulk mail. The expenses were far outstripping revenues and we folded after a year. Do I miss it? Every time I run across a back copy I want to start again. And by golly, one of these days I just might. I’ll bring some copies to the Mazama Bazaar and you can judge for yourself. Bring a few bucks, just in case.

The local outcry against a dusk-to-dawn beacon light at the Methow Valley Inter-City Airport prompted Howie Johnson to create an event to “Celebrate the Night Sky.” The Sally Gracie program is at the Methow Valley United Methodist Church on Thursday (Dec. 6) at 7 p.m. Bill Hottell, the valley’s resident historian, will open with a talk about what the night skies have meant to humans through history. Next, Mishon Catlin, Ken Bevis and Lynette Westendorf will sing three songs, including “Vincent (Starry Starry Night)” by Don McLean. David Ward will speak about the night sky from the astronomer’s perspective, and Jane Pappidas will give a dramatic reading from Romeo and Juliet. Howie will conclude the program with an update about the response from the DOT regarding the airport beacon. Dress up or dress down, but don’t miss Confluence Gallery’s annual fundraiser and holiday party this Saturday night (Dec. 8). Your ticket – $20 for singles and $35 for couples – includes a complimentary glass of champagne and fabulous finger food. The no-host bar will serve beer, wine and Blue Denim martinis (in keeping with event’s name “Black Tie: Denim and Diamonds”). Call 997-2787 to put your names on the list. Fresh Grand and Noble firs are waiting at the Hank’s Harvest Foods parking lot for you to transform into sparkling Christmas trees. Prices are $25 to $55; sizes range from tabletop to 7-8 feet. All proceeds will help the Community Center to continue improvements there. The End of Your Life Book Club by Will Schwalbe has touched me so much – emotionally and intellectually. It will be a while before I can pick up another book, as this one has left me so much to think about. Schwalbe’s very accomplished family are great readers. He grew up in a home with bookshelves in every room, and he and his mother have always begun conversations with the question, “What are you reading?” When Schwalbe’s mother is diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and her son begins to accompany her to chemotherapy sessions and doctors’ visits, they begin to share and read all sorts of books together, from Wallace Stegner’s Crossing to Safety to Stieg Larsson’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. As the two discuss the literary merits of their shared reads, Schwalbe finds that many of their books provide opportunities to speak indirectly about what’s on their minds: illness, loss and death. I loved this book because it’s about loving and sharing books. It’s also about courage, fear, hope and family. I hope you will let me know how you feel about this wonderful little book once you have read it. I also hope you will help me with an upcoming column about books. What is the best book, published in 2012, that you have read? Tell me about it in an email: sgracie@centurytel.net. I’m especially interested in reviews on Louise Erdrich’s The Round House and Katherine Boo’s Beyond the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity, winners of the National Book Awards for fiction and non-fiction. The runners-up for these awards are in our library and deserve a mention. Reviews of genre fiction are also welcome. What did you think of the new Robicheaux novel by James Lee Burke? The new Scarpetti? The new Michael Connelly novel? The bestselling Defending Jacob? Please help me share your “Best of 2012” with the community. Send me a brief review before Dec. 14.

Contact your local representative Mazama: Bob Spiwak 996-2777 or badwater@centurytel.net • Twisp: Sally Gracie 997-4364 or sgracie@centurytel.net • Winthrop: Ashley Lodato 996-3363 or ashleylodato@alumni.stanford.edu • Carlton: Sue Misao 997-7O1l or sue@ methowvalleynews.com • Methow: Joanna Smith (509) 341-4617 or MethowJoanna@gmail.com

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MVN, pg 8

THE WEEK AHEAD: DEC. 13-19 THURSDAY: Snow showers FRIDAY: Mostly cloudy SATURDAY: Snow showers SUNDAY: Cloudy MONDAY: Cloudy TUESDAY: Mostly cloudy WEDNESDAY: Mostly cloudy

28 29 30 28 30 31 30

22 23 22 22 23 20 21

Hear this

Seasonal music abounds all around the valley

Hold ’em

LBHS wrestlers host an invitational meet

ARTS, Page A5

The lows look optimistic.

SPORTS, Page B1

Methow Valley News

PUBLISHED WEEKLY SINCE 1903

TWISP, WASHINGTON

VOL. 110 NO. 31

DECEMBER 12, 2012

Two towns, one police force? Possibility on the table again By Don Nelson As the towns of Winthrop and Twisp both deal with staffing challenges for their police departments, the possibility of merging the two forces has been raised again. Mayors Dave Acheson of Wi n t h ro p and Soo Ing-Moody o f Tw i s p support exDave Acheson ploring the idea, as do Wi n t h ro p Marshal Dave Dahlstrom and Twisp Police Chief Paul Budrow. “I’m in favor of it,” IngMoody said in an interview. “Dave [Acheson] and I have been talking about it. I’m looking forward to the discussion.” “I think it’s a fabulous idea,” said Budrow, who has raised the possibility in the past. He said he believes that the two towns could save money, and have better police coverage, with one five-officer department than they do with two three-officer departments. The issue was raised at last week’s Winthrop Town Council meeting in an informal discussion among council members

that was prompted in part by Acheson’s introduction of a temporary new deputy for the Marshal’s Office, and in part by concerns brought to Acheson’s attention by an Okanogan County sheriff’s deputy. Acheson announced that Twisp police officer Mike Hartnett – whose position in Twisp won’t be funded after this month – will be hired in January for approximately 30 hours per week as Winthrop’s second deputy marshal, in a temporary part-time position for a maximum of four months. Winthrop has not been able to fill an open position on its three-person force since a deputy left last May, leaving Dahlstrom and Deputy Ken Bajema stretched to cover the town. Winthrop’s civil service commission, which is in charge of hiring a Soo Ing-Moody new officer, has been working since September to develop a set of rules by which to operate. According to Acheson, the draft rules are curren tly

See POLICE on Page A2

Early newspaper deadlines coming Because of the holidays, the Methow Valley News will have different production schedules, with earlier deadlines, for its end-of-the-year issues. The Dec. 26 issue will go to press on Friday, Dec. 21. News deadlines will be Thursday, Dec. 20. Advertising deadlines will be 5 p.m. Wednesday, Dec.19. The Jan. 2, 2013, issue – the Year in Review edition – will go to press Monday, Dec. 31. News deadlines will be Friday, Dec. 28. Advertising deadlines will be 5 p.m.

Thursday, Dec. 27. Both those issues will be available on newsstands and at the News office on their regular publication days – Wednesday, Dec. 26, and Wednesday, Jan. 2 – and will be mailed to arrive at local addresses on Thursday. The News office will be closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and will re-open on Dec. 26. The office will be open all day on New Year’s Eve and closed New Year’s Day. For more information, call 997-7011.

Photos by Don Nelson

Local artists Jeff Winslow, left, Steve Ward and Matt Armbrust in the gutted interior of the Spartan travel trailer they are turning into a mobile art gallery.

Spartan simplicity Reclaimed travel trailer will be a home for local art By Don Nelson It started, as so many ideas do, with some people sittin’ around talkin’. Three Methow Valley artists were wondering if there might be a way to find a space with low or no overhead – “an empty room somewhere,” is how Matt Armbrust describes the initial concept – to display local artists’ work. An egalitarian gallery, as it were, free and open to the public on an “honor system” basis. The artists – Armbrust, Jeff Winslow and Steve Ward, who were ruminating in Ward’s studio – recalled hearing about an Airstream travel trailer that had been converted to a mobile art display. Maybe

that could work. “I’ve got the trailer,” Armbrust remembers Ward saying. Ward, an admitted Craigslist prowler, didn’t actually have the trailer, but thanks to online browsing he knew where to find it. Down in Malaga, near Wenatchee, some folks were trying to sell a 1951 Spartan Imperial Mansion travel trailer – a 36-foot model that had once been the king of the road in post-World War II America. A top-of-the-line Spartan like this one – something akin to the Cadillac of travel trailers – cost about $6,000 new. The deteriorated hulk in Malaga was going for $800. Ward and Armbrust

The 36-foot Spartan Imperial Mansion sold for about $6,000 new in 1951. drove down to take a look. On first inspection, it didn’t look like much of a bargain. “It was pretty grim,” Armbrust says. “I looked at it and said, ‘no way.’ Then we got obsessed with it.” That was last summer. This weekend, the Spartan

will be on display – far from finished, but looking much better than the vermin-infested wreck the artists imagined so much potential in. The trailer will be parked at TwispWorks See SPARTAN on Page A3

Legal marijuana: weeding out the details By Marcy Stamper Although Washington voters have made marijuana legal, the details remain hazy, as agencies from the Washington State Liquor Control Board to law enforcement to prosecutors figure out how to handle pot’s new status. “The initiative creates a closed, highly regulated industry that does not presently exist anywhere,” said the Washington Office of Financial Management, aptly summing up the challenge in its analysis of the initiative, which was approved by a 12-point margin in November. While it is now legal in Washington for people over the age of 21 to possess up to an ounce of marijuana (28.3 grams), there is still no law-

ful way for them to acquire it. People cannot grow, buy or sell it. “The main thing is, marijuana is legal, but there’s no legal way to get it yet,” said Twisp Police Chief Paul Bud-

row. “The logistics don’t make sense right now for us.” The Liquor Control Board has a year to create a system for marijuana sales and distribution. The board has just begun the process for making rules

MV News photo

While smoking marijuana in the privacy of one’s home is now legal, there is still no lawful way to obtain pot to smoke. C

for producers, building the system, as they put it, “from seed to sale.” Besides there being no legitimate way to get it, marijuana is still illegal under federal law. The U.S. Department of Justice is reviewing marijuana’s new status in Washington, but the department’s responsibility to enforce the Controlled Substances Act remains unchanged, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington. He reminds people that it is against federal law to bring any amount of marijuana onto federal property, including national parks and forests. “Presently Washington state residents involved in marijuana production/retailing could still be subject

MVN, pg 1

to prosecution if the federal government chooses,” said the Liquor Control Board in its summary of the law. At present, only those who have authorization for medical use have legal access to marijuana.

Few local impacts

In Okanogan County, police officers will probably not take any action on small amounts of marijuana, following directives from the Washington State Patrol and county prosecuting attorney Karl Sloan, said Okanogan County Sheriff Frank Rogers. Okanogan County voters approved legalization by a fourpoint margin, one of only five counties east of the Cascades to back the initiative. In recent years, local law enforcement has not placed

a major emphasis on people using small amounts of marijuana, said Rogers. “We may occasionally have written a ticket, but it was getting so lax, because people were getting marijuana from the medical side,” he said. Meth and abuse of prescription painkillers, because they are so addictive, are a more serious problem in the county and a bigger focus for law enforcement, said Rogers. “It’ll be interesting to see how this goes. I don’t think this [the marijuana law] will be a huge impact for us,” he said. Using marijuana in public will be treated the same as drinking in public, with police issuing a ticket that carries a $103 fine, said Ken

See MARIJUANA on Page A3

Page A2

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Petitioners ask FAA to OK pilot-controlled beacon Airport Systems. The rotating navigational beacon was installed in July as part of the Methow State’s milliondollar Airport Improvement Program. FAA regulations require airports with runway edge lighting, such as Methow State, to operate a lighted beacon from dusk to dawn. Public complaints by Methow Valley neighbors prompted WSDOT to turn off the new beacon only four days after installation. A visual analysis test conducted in early November tested options for reducing the impacts of the flashing light on the surrounding area, and public comments were solicited. WSDOT Aviation communications officer Nisha Marvel said earlier, “There are a lot of unknowns at this time, but if the FAA denies our request, the next step will be looking into how much it would cost to reimburse the government for the cost of the beacon in order to make it pilot controlled. We don’t know what the reimbursement cost would be because the beacon was part of a bigger lighting package.” A final decision will likely come from the FAA’s national headquarters in Washington, D.C., Marvel said. Last spring the FAA denied a request by the city of Cle Elum for a pilot-controlled beacon. A dusk-todawn beacon began operating at WSDOT-operated Cle Elum Municipal Airport in January 2012, as part of its Airport Improvement Program. Complaints by irate airport neighbors prompted Cle Elum city administrator Matt Morton to make a request for a variance to the FAA’s lighted beacon requirements, which the agency denied.

Now that the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) has said it will ask the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to allow the new, rotating navigational beacon at the Methow Valley State Airport to be pilotcontrolled, local residents are organizing a petition drive in hopes of persuading the FAA to agree. The petitions – which will be sent to the FAA and WSDOT – were available last week at the “Celebrate the Night Sky” event, organized in support of keeping the valley’s skies free of the light pollution that would be caused by the beacon’s continuous dusk-todawn operation as required by FAA standards. Copies of the petition are also available at www. methownet.com/beacon. The petitions should be sent to Howard Johnson – a valley resident who has been a leader in opposition to the beacon’s all-night operation – at P.O. Box 1309, Twisp, WA 98856. Johnson said at last week’s event that the petitions are precisely worded, in bureaucratic language, to address specific issues raised by the beacon’s operation and funding. WSDOT said earlier that “In the event the FAA Headquarters in Washington, D.C., does not approve the modification request, WSDOT will work closely with our partners at the FAA Seattle Airports District Office in Renton to determine the appropriate reimbursement of federal funding required to permit the state to operate a non-standard beacon (pilot-controlled).” Methow Valley State Airport is one of 3,400 airports around the nation eligible for federal funding through the National Plan of Integrated

Forest Service proposing grazing allotment changes The Methow Valley Ranger District of the U.S. Forest Service is proposing to revise the livestock grazing allotment management plans for the Boulder and Wolf allotments between Winthrop and Mazama, and is seeking public comment. The proposed action includes closing the Boulder allotment and portions of the Wolf allotment, and describes

where livestock will be allowed to graze and new fences will be constructed. For more information or to comment on the proposal, contact the ranger district office in Winthrop at 996-4000, write to District Ranger Mike Liu at 24 West Chewuch Road, Winthrop, WA 98862, or email to comments-pacificnorthwestokanogan-methowvalley@fs.fed. us.

POLICE

Methow Valley News From Page A1

being revised by the town’s attorney. Acheson said a sheriff’s deputy had recently raised concerns about how often deputies have been asked to respond to calls in Winthrop. The sheriff’s office patrols the valley’s rural areas, but the agencies all help each other out if necessary. D a h l s t ro m t o l d t h e Winthrop council that some of those calls would have been handled by a third officer. With three officers on duty, the Marshal’s Office will have a much more visible presence in the town, he said. At the Winthrop council meeting, councilmember Rick Northcott said he would support looking into a merger, or alternatively asking the Okanogan County Sheriff’s Office about providing coverage for the town. Twisp had contracted with the sheriff’s office for police protection several years ago, but dropped the contract and reintroduced its own police force after one year. Winthrop council members Sue Langdalen and Mort Ban-

asky also supported exploring an alliance with Twisp – a change of position for Banasky, who had opposed the idea in the past. She said the timing is better now to consider a merger, but urged caution in determining how a merger might work. Acheson recommended that town officials talk to other jurisdictions that have merged f o rc e s t o Dave f i n d o u t Dahlstrom more about how it was handled. He said the towns should look at the valley as a whole to determine “what is the best way to get the most law enforcement.” Northcott also said that in considering combined forces, “we need to take the personalities out of it.” Dahlstrom echoed that sentiment. Those comments apparently were in reference to inci-

dents earlier this year that led Twisp to cancel its mutual police aid agreement with Winthrop because of concerns about the Winthrop force’s operations. Hartnett and Budrow had both been critical of the Winthrop department at the time. Those issues seem to have been smoothed over. At last week’s Winthrop meeting, Hartnett – who has more than 30 years of experience including a long tenure with the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office – said that between the towns, there would be enough personnel to offer more consistent coverage than either town has now. At the same time, he suggested proceeding carefully. “It’s a big deal to give up your police department,” he said. The towns would need to sort out issues such as command structure (there would probably be just one chief), pay scales, benefits, office space, administrative support, budgeting for the towns, scheduling, vehicles, equipment – in other words, a long list of operational and financial questions that would

have to be resolved. Budrow said that cost savings might not occur right away, but in the long term a combined force would be less expensive. He said he’d support keeping “marshal” in the title of a combined department, to stay consistent with Winthrop’s westernization theme. Hartnett said he intends to apply for the perm a n e n t Paul Budrow position in Winthrop. His position in Twisp has been funded by a federal grant that expired, and the town has not been able to find enough money in its 2013 budget to continue supporting the position. That leaves Twisp with Budrow and officer Ty Sheehan to patrol the town, although there is a small amount of money in the 2013 budget for temporary help during the summer and hunting season.

Five groups share salmon grants in county By Marcy Stamper Five organizations in Okanogan County – four in the Methow – will share $737,000 in state grants for salmon recovery, part of more than $19 million awarded across the state. The projects are intended to aid endangered salmon by replanting riverbanks, protecting wetlands, restoring beavers, removing irrigation diversions, and improving road crossings and culverts. The projects focus on three rivers and two creeks and will benefit coho, spring Chinook and steelhead salmon, as well as other resident fish species. “Healthy salmon popula-

tions mean a healthy Washington,” said Bud Hover, chair of the Washington Salmon Recovery Funding Board and an Okanogan County commissioner. “What salmon need to survive is good for other wildlife and for humans. And it’s good for businesses.” The Okanogan County projects are as follows: • The Cascade Columbia Fisheries Enhancement Group received $80,000 to replant banks of the Methow River that had been damaged by grazing and agriculture. The project is on land owned by the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife. • The Methow Salmon Recovery Foundation received

$87,340 to purchase a conservation easement to prevent development of more than 13 acres of floodplain along the Methow River. The Foundation anticipates that the restoration will reconnect the wetlands and floodplain with the river during high flows. • The Methow Salmon Recovery Foundation received $359,550 to remove an irrigation diversion and pump station on the Twisp River and Poorman Creek to allow pasture areas to be restored. • The Methow Conservancy received $44,652 to restore beaver colonies on the Chewuch River. The Conservancy will trap beavers that create problems for landown-

ers and release the beavers in the Chewuch River, where their dams will retain water, making it available during low flows, and provide resting places for salmon. • Trout Unlimited received $165,783 to improve three road crossings and culverts on Ninemile Creek, a tributary to Lake Osoyoos near the Canadian border, the northernmost tributary for migrating fish in the U.S. Funding for the grants comes from the federal Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund and the sale of state bonds. Total grants to counties range from $25,000 for Kitsap County to $1.8 million for Skagit County.

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Live Music in our Main Lobby at no charge St. Genevieve’s Choir will sing at 5 PM Dec. 23 Terry Hunt with music students. Dec. 28, 7-8 PM. Tara Kaiyala Weaver, violin and guest pianist Nancy Acheson. Student Ella Hall will also join them. Dec. 27, 7-8 PM.

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Methow Valley News

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Page A3

SPARTAN during the development authority’s first Winterfest, from 5-9 p.m. Saturday (Dec. 15). The celebration also is a “Kickstarter” party to help fund what’s being called the SpARTan Art Project – in reference to the online fundraising website www.kickstarter. com, where people will be able to make a donation to the project. A Kickstarter effort was to be launched this week by the artists. Kickstarter is an all-ornothing proposition. The Spartan project only has a month to solicit donations, and if they don’t raise the total amount, they don’t get any of the money. What people will see Saturday is a dull aluminum trailer with some windows missing, still sporting a bit of the ghastly green paint in which it had been swabbed years ago (the rest was blasted off). Inside, they’ll see bare aluminum ribs, plywood subflooring and not much else. Even when it’s finished, visitors shouldn’t expect anything that looks like the luxurious Spartan that rolled out of the Oklahoma factory where it was built. This is not a restoration, the three point out. It’s a reclamation.

From Page A1 At that, the Spartan’s classic, dignified lines are still evident. “There was something about the pure design of it,” Armbrust said. “It sort of advertises itself,” Ward says.

A simple plan

Spartan Aircraft AllAluminum Trailercoaches, which resemble Airstream trailers because of their smooth, shiny exterior, were manufactured from 1946 to 1960 by Spartan Aircraft Company of Tulsa, Okla. At that time, the company was owned by legendary industrialist J. Paul Getty. Spartans were high-end travel trailers noted for their quality. These days, old Spartans are scattered around the country in various states of disrepair. It’s easy to find Spartans for sale, as Ward did. Deciding to buy it and getting it to the Methow were separate challenges. That was resolved when valley resident Steve Morse agreed to tow the trailer back to the Methow, rolling on temporary tires Ward removed from a truck he owns. At first, the trailer was parked at Slagworks, metal artist Barry Stromberger’s

studio on the Twisp-Winthrop Eastside road. That’s where the “gutting” occurred. The three artists estimate that they stripped at least 2,000 pounds of stuff out of the trailer – everything but the skin – and it

sculptor Bernie Hosey’s spread, where the renovation work is going on. Hosey died in August, but his wife, Christiana, still accommodates the trailer – which is easily visible from the road. “Christiana cleans up after us,” Armbrust says.

found those on Craigslist, too – that will be stained. “It was cheaper than any other flooring we could find,” Armbrust says. The Spartan will be insulated, wired and have solar panels to power itself, Ward says.

Taking a chance

WinterFest at TwispWorks Music, food, liquid refreshment, art shopping and a bonfire will all be part of the scene when TwispWorks hosts its first WinterFest celebration on Saturday (Dec. 15). The event will be from 5-9 p.m. All ages are welcome. Admission is $5. Tickets can

was nasty work. None of it was worth saving. “Horrible condition. Hornets and hanta virus,” recalls Armbrust, who was stung while working on the trailer. The artists wore respirator masks and employed gallons of bleach. Eventually, the Imperial Mansion was hauled a few miles south to renowned

be purchased at http:// www.brownpapertickets.com/event/302479. Art studios at TwispWorks will be open. The Dainty Saints, an acoustic group from Ellensburg, will provide musical entertainment. For more information, call 997-3300.

The completed interior will be plain and functional – a Bauhaus look, Armbrust says. “It’s essentially just a tube,” he says. The plan is for bare, birch walls, some halogen spotlights, and a wooden floor, to be assembled from old lumber kiln slats rescued from a closed plant near Leavenworth – Ward

MARIJUANA

The artists – who represent three different generations – say they complement each other, and haven’t encountered anything yet that they couldn’t do themselves, other than getting it here. “Steve can fix anything,” Armbrust says. “Jeff brings a sense of beauty and care. It’s a wonderful group effort.” The three – who have done all the work and provided the materials – are hoping to raise $6,000 on Kickstarter to finish the job. “We want to do it right,” Armbrust says. Although the Spartan will be parked at TwispWorks as its home base, it is also intended to be mobile, to export the community’s art outside the valley. The ultimate fantasy, Ward says, is to have a restored vehicle of the same vintage to tow the trailer. Displays in the trailer

From Page A1 evidence of having consumed alcohol, said Budrow. “It has always been a crime to drive while impaired by drugs, whether they be illegal, legal or even medically prescribed,” said the Washington State Patrol in a statement. “This new law does not change how troopers will determine impairment at the side of the road.” On the other hand, the presence of marijuana in a car or the smell of smoke would not on its own be sufficient to justify a blood test if a driver does not show signs of impairment, said Budrow. The law also does not address employee drug testing, leaving employers discretion in the matter, according to the Liquor Control Board. The law does not alter any provisions of Washington’s medical marijuana law, in effect since 1998. The Office of Financial Management estimates that marijuana will cost $12 per gram (about $340 per ounce). The law imposes a

Bajema, deputy marshal with the Winthrop Police Department. Officers have always had discretion in dealing with people using marijuana – whether to write a ticket or just “confiscate and educate,” said Bajema. In Winthrop this past summer, there were only three or four cases of people smoking pot in public, he said.

Sorting out the details

Certain aspects of the law are clear – marijuana use or possession by anyone under 21 is illegal, and anyone who appears to be impaired when driving faces serious consequences and the possibility of arrest, said Rogers. It will still be a misdemeanor for anyone over 21 to possess between 28 and 40 grams of marijuana, and a felony to have more than 40 grams. The law also creates new categories for driving under the influence, making it easier for an officer to order a blood test for marijuana if someone appears to be impaired but does not show

Christmas

at the VERY end of the Road

25-percent excise tax for each level of the distribution system, and tax revenues could be as high as $2 billion over the first five years, according to the Liquor Control Board. Also unresolved is the law’s impact on local police departments that receive federal grants, which require that the department be 100-percent drug-free, said Budrow. He said the law raises questions about how to handle an employee who possesses a legal substance.

Making the rules

The Liquor Control Board has begun the process of setting rules for marijuana producers and is soliciting public comment about how the license should work and what type of regulations should accompany it. The agency has set a tentative timeline, under which it would accept input through February, issue a draft rule in March, and hold public hearings in April. They currently aim to have rules

for marijuana producers next May. Similar procedures will be announced for licenses for processors and retailers. The law establishes an application fee of $250 and a $1,000 renewal fee for each of the three licenses. The same entity can get a license to produce and process marijuana, but not to sell it as well. The Liquor Board will determine the number of licenses and retail outlets. Stores cannot be within 1,000 feet of a school, child-care center, public park or library. A farm cannot simply convert its crop to marijuana, but would have to obtain a license as a producer, according to the Liquor Board (“and undoubtedly, some way to safeguard the crop from theft,” they said). The Liquor Board has until Dec. 1, 2013, to write the new laws governing producing, processing and selling marijuana. Anyone wishing to comment can contact rules@liq.wa.gov.

will be juried by the three artists. During the day, the Spartan will be unlocked and unstaffed. The artists hope to open the first curated show in June 2013. The goal is to create a different kind of outlet for community art. “It’s a good place to take a chance” with art, Ward says. The artists also contemplate other uses, such as for films, performance art or intimate musical presentations. Ward says one reason they pursued the project is because it’s the kind of thing the valley tends to support. “People like to rally around stuff,” he says. “From our perspective, it’s a dream come true,” said TwispWorks Executive Director Amy Stork. “The vision for TwispWorks has always been that partners on site will collaborate to come up with things that could not have done on our own. This is a very visible, tangible example.” “TwispWorks has been awesome to work with,” Armbrust says. “It’s been inspiring.” “Project is a perfect term,” Ward says. “It’s always going to be a project.”

Conservancy announces annual conservation awards The Methow Conservancy presented its 2012 Methow Conservation Awards to John Hayes, Vicky Welch, and Aaron and Becky Studen at its annual holiday social on Dec. 4. Since 2005, the Conservancy has annually recognized community members for their outstanding work on behalf of conservation in the Methow Valley with their Ken White and Susie Stephens awards. The Ken White Awards, given to individuals with a long-standing history of inspiring conservation efforts in the Methow, went to Hayes and Welch. Hayes has been instrumental in creating the Methow Community Trail from Winthrop to Mazama and has been an advocate for nonregulatory, incentive-based land use tools as well as good local planning, the Conservancy said. Welch was cited as “a tireless believer in conservation as a public process.” The Susie Stephens Award, which acknowledges outstanding volunteer service to the Conservancy’s efforts, went to the Studens. They own the Twisp River Pub, which has hosted many local events for nonprofits in the Methow Valley. About 300 people attended the event in the Winthrop Barn.

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MVN, pg 3

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Page A4

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Opinion Editorials Just the ticket

If you’ve paid any attention to the 2013 budget deliberations for the towns of Twisp and Winthrop, you know that city officials have labored to cut, squeeze and massage the numbers so that expenses don’t exceed income. In Twisp, that meant a sizable reduction from this year’s budget, leading to the conclusion that absent federal support the town could no longer afford a three-officer police force. Winthrop, meanwhile, was looking to fill a vacancy in the Marshal’s Office, and hired the Twisp officer who is being laid off – Mike Hartnett – on a temporary basis. Winthrop law enforcement has been short-handed for months, and people noticed. Now Twisp, a much larger town, will be short-handed compared to the staffing it has maintained for more than a year. That’s likely to be noticed as well. The recent shuffling has prompted the resurrection of an on-again, off-again idea that has never moved much beyond the speculative: Should the two towns combine their resources and merge police forces? The mayors and top cops in both towns think it’s worth serious consideration, as do many town council members. Theoretically, it makes sense to create a critical mass of five or six officers, who could cover more shifts, share equipment and rely less on the Okanogan County Sheriff’s Office to fill in the gaps. Theory smacks up against reality pretty quickly. Turf, jurisdiction and leadership issues would be challenging to sort out. There’s only going to be one person in charge. An equitable agreement for sharing costs will take some negotiating, as would other logistical considerations. And then there’s the matter of civic pride. As Hartnett told the Winthrop Town Council last week, it’s not easy for a community to give up its own police force. Twisp tried it for a year, contracting with the county for law enforcement coverage, before going back to a town department. Many long-timers in the valley still remember the emotional wrenching when the Twisp and Winthrop school districts were united 40 years ago. Graduates continue to hold reunions for each district, and will as along as any are still around. It’s hard to give up that identity. Yet as a practical matter and budgetary imperative, the towns can’t ignore the potential advantages of a combined police force. Ultimately the towns’ residents will care less about the name on the side of the police car than about how well their local law enforcement officers are looking after their communities.

Not exactly high times

Smoke ’em if you got ’em, they used to say in the military, and that seems to be the general rule – with appropriate restrictions – under the state’s new law governing the use of marijuana. But getting ’em is the issue for now. It’s still illegal to grow, buy or sell marijuana for the general retail trade (medical marijuana rules are different). What’s more, the feds haven’t indicated yet how they will deal with Washington’s new law. In a sense, very little has changed, other than the ability for adults to possess a small amount of weed. It’s not exactly party time. Possess more than an ounce, or violate any other of the state’s statutes related to marijuana use, and you’re still in trouble. At the same time, law enforcement hasn’t made small-scale marijuana use a priority for its attention. Until the state comes up with rules for producing and distributing marijuana, recreational tokers should probably keep a low profile. –Don Nelson Send letters of fewer than 350 words to: Methow Valley News, P.O. Box 97, Twisp, WA 98856; FAX: 509-997-3277; email: editor@ methowvalleynews.com; hand deliver to 101 N. Glover St., Twisp.

Erik Brooks, Tania Gonzalez Ortega, Sally Gracie, Patrick Hannigan, Jim & Jane Hutson, Rosalie Hutson, Ashley Lodato, Patrick McGann, Sam Owen, Joanna Smith, Bob Spiwak, Solveig Torvik, Dave Ward Display advertising deadline for this newspaper is on the Friday previous to publication at 5 p.m. Classified advertising deadline is Monday at noon. The deadline for news items is Monday at noon.

Member of the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association.

Box 97: Letters to the editor

Methow Valley News

Tania Gonzalez Ortega

Fixing wrong streets

Dear Editor: When I read the article about the future plans to repave some of the streets in Twisp, I was surprised to see the ones planned for repaving. I can tell you right now, there are streets in this town that need it worse than the ones mentioned. Take a look at Second Avenue east from Lincoln Street down to the low-rent apartments. There are so many potholes you can’t possibly miss them all! Then there’s Methow Street between Second and Third that’s the same way. Sidewalks are more bother than they’re worth as they eliminate parking spaces and require extra work in the winter to keep snow removed from them. On top of that they’re dangerous with the ice that gets built up on them. I’d rather walk on the street from my place to town in winter as the street is safer to walk on! Al Ames Twisp

Double standards

Dear Editor: A decision by the U.S. Forest Service on outfitter permitting is due soon (Methow Valley News, Dec. 5). I hope you’ll be keeping a close watch on the Forest Service and its double standard for regulation and enforcement (or lack thereof) of federal rules when “old boys” and commercial operations are involved. The record doesn’t look good. You previously reported on a heli-ski operation that had been repeatedly cutting trees to create unauthorized helicopter landing sites on federal lands (Oct. 2). They had cut at least 21 trees, and possibly many more, even after being warned against further cutting by the Forest Service. They mainly cut white bark pines, an endangered species very important to many birds and animals, as well as the high country ecosystem. The trees were cut in places where it isn’t feasible to replant them. The main reason the trees are not yet listed under the Endangered Species Act is because of a lack of U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service resources to process the proposal. Had they been listed, the intentional cutting would have been a criminal act. Instead, the Forest Service punishment was “increased scrutiny” of their operations (paid for by

taxpayer dollars if the Forest Service actually does it), an undisclosed restitution amount, and (watch out, the Forest Service says this is supposed to sound really tough) a “law enforcement warning letter.” There have been similar reports of alleged wilderness damage and repeated permit violations by a few of the pack outfitters who are now awaiting long-term permit renewals. I’ve not read of any prosecutions or permit revocations. It appears that there is a lot of leeway for doing repeated damage as long as one has a commercial permit. Contrast this with the harsh treatment of a tiny, primitive skills training program operating in the national forest. It operated without a permit but did little damage, other than allegedly cutting a few small trees. The operator was arrested, criminally charged, fined, and banned from the national forest for a year. This followed an expensive, three-year undercover investigation (Methow Valley News, Sept, 22, 2010). Randy Brook Twisp

Real restoration

Dear Editor: It’s interesting, a well as disgusting and wasteful, that $2 million in taxpayer funds were spent to put 400 trees in the Methow River in the name of “salmon restoration,” while the U.S. Forest Service spends hundreds of thousands keeping cattle in critical salmon habitat like Libby Creek. Are the public agencies, Bureau of Reclamation and others, interested in

protecting and restoring full watershed function in the tributaries of the Methow? The Forest Service and NOAA spent funds for a Libby Creek Biological Opinion, an Environmental Impact Statement, Revised Allotment Management Plan, Monitoring Plans, and agreed-on mitigation measures. Most of this was expensive paperwork without the ability or will to carry through to see that cattle did not continue to degrade watershed function and critical salmon habitat by trampling springs and wetlands while present twice as long as planned (until October rather than July). “Planning” for protection of wetlands, springs, riparian areas, and beaver colony restoration is a useless waste as long as top priority is keeping a few – in many cases less than 300 – cattle on these watersheds degrading fish and wildlife habitat. The salmon habitat and water problems of the Methow can be more effectively and efficiently dealt with at the top – the upland tributaries. Get the cattle out of those drainages (eliminating degradation of springs, wetlands, and riparian areas) and, when their food sources come back, restore beaver colonies and downstream problems will be alleviated over time. These agencies should do the job of protecting and restoring our public resources or defer the funds for the many other needs of taxpayers, such as education, and perhaps future generations will do better. Don Johnson Libby Ceek Watershed Association LaPaz, Mexico

My Turn

Gambles paid off for ‘audacious dream’

Now that the Spring Creek Bridge in Winthrop has been in use for about a year, the bills are all paid and all the paperwork is completed and filed away, it seems like a good time to pause and look back on all the hopes and events that aligned to produce the bridge and adjacent trails. Work on the bridge began more than 12 years ago. Over that period there have been countless people meeting and working to form the dream of a river crossing and bring that dream into reality. In 2002 the town commissioned Sahale LLC to study the project and propose a possible bridge design. Sahale’s feasibility study showed that a design-build method could produce a structure that was a fraction of the cost of a typical state-designed bridge. This study was supported by the character of Sahale’s owner, Carroll Vogel. For those of us lucky enough to work with him and get to know him, he was a person of vision and drive. Over the period that the Spring Creek Bridge was in gestation, his firm constructed the Tawlks-Foster Bridge near Mazama and the Sa Teekh Wa Bridge in Winthrop. Carroll’s vision was supported by the common sense in the valley community, and was led by other dedicated town members. All were willing to push for grants and approvals for this bold method of construction mainly because they believed it could be done. Town Planner Rocklynn Culp and Mayor Dave Acheson and others went to Olympia to press the case for special legislative conditions to allow the project to be constructed with a design-build method, which is used on larger projects but rarely on public projects. It was a big gamble. Over the years, as the legal issues were resolved and permits were issued, the town was awarded two grants. The town could be reasonably sure that the grants were adequate to fund the cost of the bridge and some part of the trail work, but both

of these designs were very schematic, and there were many problems ahead. In fall 2009, OAC Services Inc. won the bid to manage the project and it was quickly launched to meet the completion deadline in the grant of July 2010. As a consultant to the town, I quickly got to know the town staff and Carroll Vogel. I learned of his vision of a bridge of modern materials which would match the design and character of the bridges built in America in the late 19th century, when Winthrop was founded. Culp, Acheson, Mel Hartwig and I worked through the public work process of selecting a designbuilder, and Sahale won the bid in February 2010, fair and square. John Battle Tragically, Carroll succumbed to cancer within a few months and died before the contract was fully approved. On Labor Day weekend that year, after analyzing all the options, Mayor Acheson and the council authorized me to advertise the project again and re-bid it. With less than 10 months before the expiration of the grant, we invited three design-build contractors to submit their designs and associated cost proposals. By February 2011 we had selected Mowat Construction. Culp had obtained a six-month extension on the deadline for completion on the grant. Another gamble paid off. Mowat Construction was very experienced with steel structures, highways and bridges and they fast-tracked the project; and expedited the basic design in order to establish the sizes and quantity of the steel members so that the mills could start to roll the steel. The steel mill that provided the sockets on the end of the cables has provided cable sockets continuously since the late 19th cen-

MVN, pg 4

tury. As the mills were rolling the steel and weaving the cables, the design continued. As soon as the steel was delivered to the steel shop in Redmond, fabrication of the pieces began in earnest. Over the summer, the design was finalized and Mowat was able to get the completed designs into the fabrication process “just in time” to supply the erection on-site. The pieces were prefabricated as large as possible and still be allowed on the highway. As soon as the ground thawed in spring 2011, Mowat was ready to start digging and driving piles. There was one huge challenge that we knew we had to overcome – whatever it took – and that was to get the foundations in place before the spring thaw caused the river to rise, flood the ground and make it unsuitable for bearing the bridge. This was the last big gamble caused by our schedule. Bridge construction always starts with foundation excavation and concrete construction during the river’s lowest flow, in the late summer and fall. Always, except when the project had to be completed in seven months when the winter cold and snow would stop the work and the grant would expire. Miraculously, Mowat worked without a break and completed the foundations in early June a few days before the river flooded the foundation area from a record snow-pack that year. Another gamble paid off. From there the bridge went up pretty much as planned, but there were many design challenges and a few “aw shucks.” But all these have been healed and resolved. The elevation of the bottom of this bridge is well above the other town bridges and is above the level of the floods of 1948 and 1972. If people were packed in like sardines, it is theoretically possible that 2,500 people could stand on the bridge and it is designed to hold their weight. Because the bridge is 30 times longer than it is wide, it will sway in certain rare

Continued on next page

Methow Valley News

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Arts

More opinion Cont. from previous page conditions, but it is very strong. In the event of an emergency, the bollards at each end can be removed and a 10,000 pound vehicle can pass over the bridge. Looking at the bridge from either side, one can see through the simple, elegant side trusses and notice that the walking deck is set high so there is a space under the deck. This space is reserved for as many as five 6-foot diameter steel pipes which can be installed in the future. Those floating down the river can see penetrations have been prepared for these pipes. Yes, this bridge is very strong to carry all these people and (someday) these pipes full of liquid! All the steel is either galvanized or self-weathering, and will never need paint. The designers expect the bridge to last 60 to 100 years before major repairs are needed. I think Carroll Vogel put it best in one of our first meetings, when he philosophized about the many ways a bridge spans: “A bridge spans over the river, and this one does it elegantly, allowing visitors to view the river and the salmon spawning, enhancing one’s awareness and appreciation of our natural environment.” “A bridge spans over generations.” The town’s ability to produce the Spring Creek Bridge stands on the shoulders of those who started working on it years ago, and on our shoulders will stand those who go on to develop the trails, ice rink, and a potential river walk for a community that will use them for decades. “A bridge spans over a community.” This bridge was born of an audacious dream, led by dedicated people, supported by a community that values safe access by pedestrians and bikes, treasures the environment and has a commitment to the western motif of the late 19th century. It was an honor and a privilege to be involved in a dream come true. Thank you, Winthrop.

Finely tuned music for the season By Marcy Stamper Find you can’t stop humming “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”? Craving a jazzy rendition of some of your favorite carols? Live music with a holiday theme – and without, if you want bluegrass, good ol’ rock ’n’ roll or violin concertos – will be liberally sprinkled throughout the area over the next several weeks. You can dine, enjoy a hot toddy or glass of wine, or just join the audience to take in the music (sometimes for free). The Okanogan Valley Orchestra and Chorus present “Blessed Are They,” featuring selections from Handel’s Messiah and Russian Christmas music on Sunday, Dec. 16, at 3 p.m. at the Omak PAC. Later that day, the Methow Valley United Methodist Church presents “Let the Whole World Sing,” a free concert featuring the church choir, handbells and selected ensembles at 7 p.m. Sun Mountain Lodge hosts a series of seasonal concerts. On Sunday, Dec. 23, the St. Genevieve’s Catholic Church choir performs Christmas carols in the lobby at 5 p.m. All are invited to join them in song. The Sun Mountain lobby fills

File photo by Sue Misao

everyone. Twisp River Suites is offering music and refreshments every Wednesday throughout the season – in fact, until the end of April – in their club room from 6 to 9 p.m. Singer-songwriter Emele Clothier performs original music and favorite holiday songs there on Dec. 12. The following week, Clothier is back to lead the audience in a holiday sing-along. A songbook with 18 selections, recently compiled by the Suites’ staff, will be on hand for those who don’t quite recall all the verses. HO HO HO HO HO HO HO HO HO “We found out last time Emele was here that everyone just joins in, so we put it together,” said Twisp River Suites owner Joe Marver. “We’ll probably do all the SANTA STOCKS UP HERE songs on the 19th.” with Bakery Gifts A special Sunday performance will be held at ❄Gift cards ❄Aprons ❄T-shirts Twisp River Suites on Dec. ❄Granola ❄Fruitcake! 23, when jazz vocalist Nancy Open Mon - Sun • 6 am - 3 pm Zahn comes for an upbeat Downtown Twisp and seasonally sultry night 509.997.5030 of Christmas and holiday Free Internet Access

with the virtuosity of violins on Thursday, Dec. 27, at 7 p.m. Violinist Tara Kaiyala Weaver and her student Ella Hall play a double violin concerto by Antonio Vivaldi, and Kaiyala Weaver performs a solo concerto by Camille SaintSaëns, both accompanied by pianist Nancy Acheson. Guitarist Terry Hunt and students will serenade the crowds with festive music the following night, Dec. 28, at 7 p.m. The Sun Mountain concerts are free to

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John Battle, of OAC Services Inc., is a designer and architect who has been coming to the Methow Valley for more than 30 years and owns a home here.

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tunes, accompanied by Glenn Isaacson on piano and Pat Thompson on bass, also from 6 to 9 p.m. Those attending music nights at the Twisp River Suites can have a buffet dinner (by reservation) or stop by for free to listen to the music. The only Wednesday to be a silent night there is Dec. 26. Music resumes in their club room Jan. 2 with Jazz Journey. Regular music nights continue at several local restaurants, including Tappi in Twisp, which re-opens for the holidays on Friday, Dec. 21, with jazz by Breathe at 6:30 p.m. The eatery also offers acoustic rock and live jazz on Saturdays and Sundays. Confluence Gallery stays open late on Fridays this month, luring shoppers with refreshments and music. Emele Clothier is at the gallery on Dec. 14 and singer-songwriter and guitarist Ken Bevis plays and sings on Dec. 21, both from 5 to 7 p.m. Toast the old year or ring in the new one in Sun Mountain’s Wolf Creek Bar & Grill with folk and Americana from Gideon’s Daughter from 9:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. on Sunday, Dec. 30, and Monday, Dec. 31. The Twisp River Pub also brings in a live band for music and dancing on New Year’s Eve. If you want to show off your own rendition of “Feliz Navidad” or “O Holy Night” (or timeless hits for any occasion), head to BJ’s Branding Iron Saloon in Twisp, where there is karaoke every Friday and Saturday night from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. While this may not be on everyone’s holiday schedule, you can celebrate the end of the world (according to the Mayan calendar) with the local rock band Magpie Jones at Mick & Miki’s Red Cedar Bar in Twisp on Friday, Dec. 21, starting at 9 p.m., and ending....

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Page A6

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

What’s Happening

Wednesday Dec. 12

Meetings weeklies Meetings & weeklies

TEEN CENTER: Come in for the ping pong and video games, stay for the wi-fi and snacks. Free. 997-9211. 4-8pm singer/songwriter: Emele Clothier performs at Twisp River Suites. Free. 997-0100. 6-9pm HOLIDAY CONCERT: Cascadia Chorale and Pipestone Orchestra perform in the MV Community Center, Twisp. Free/ donations. 997-0222. 7pm AWANA: Fun and games for ages preschool through 6th grade at Cascade Bible Church, Twisp. 997-8312. 7-8:30pm

Wednesday 12/12

Closet Quilters: Open studio, 309 Highway 20, Twisp. Free. 997-7020. Noon-5pm Family Planning Clinic: Room One, 315 S. Lincoln St., Twisp. Info: 997-2050. 1-5pm MV School Board: Meeting at MV Elementary School board room. 996-9205. 5:30pm Twisp Valley Grange: Potluck (5:30pm) and meeting (6:30pm) at the Grange Hall. Info: 997-8050 or 997-4841. AA: Alcoholics Anonymous meets at the Calvary Chapel, Twisp. 997-0356. 7pm MV Eagles Aerie #2584: Meeting at Eagles Hall, Twisp. 997-8133. 7pm

Thursday Dec. 13

FOOD DRIVE: Leave nonperishable food on your porch, with the light on, within the city limits of Twisp or Winthrop. 997-7997. 6:30-8:30pm THEATER: A Christmas Story at the Merc Playhouse, Twisp. Pay-what-youcan. 997-PLAY. 7pm

Thursday 12/13

File photo by Sue Misao

’Tis the season!

Friday Dec. 14

STUDENT RECITALS: Pipestone School of Music students perform at the MV Senior Center, Twisp. 997-7722. Noon TEEN CENTER: Christmas party with candy-making and card-making. Bring inexpensive gift to share. Free. 9979211. 4-11pm FREESTYLE DANCE: Heart-centered dance at The Studio, Twisp. $5. 9962017. 5:45-6:45pm SIP & SHOP: Socialize, eat snacks, listen to live music by Emele Clothier and shop at Confluence Gallery, Twisp. Free. 997-2787. 5-7pm THEATER: A Christmas Story at the Merc Playhouse, Twisp. $5-$15. 997PLAY. 7pm ROCK'N'ROLL: Whiskey Syndicate performs at the Old Schoolhouse Brewery, Winthrop. Free. 996-3183. 7pm BLUEGRASS: The Blackberry Bushes string band performs at Twisp River Pub. Free. 997-6822. 8pm

Saturday Dec. 15

COMPUTER VIDEO CLASS: Learn to use free applications for video chats, computer phone calls, picture sharing and more at InventionWorks computer lab, 502 S. Glover, Twisp. $15. 9973300. 10am-noon HOLIDAY BIATHLON: For experienced biathlon racers ages 9 and up, at the Mazama Biathlon Range. $25-$35. 996-3159. 10am-3pm LOCAL ARTISANS: Meet local artisans at "Handmade for the Holidays" at Local 98856, Twisp. Cookies and coffee! Free. 997-0978. 10am-4pm MOSAIC MANDALAS: Class with Margaret Kingston at Confluence Gallery, Twisp. $45. 997-2787. 11am-2pm SNOWSHOE TOURS: Guided snowshoe tours highlighting winter ecology. Free. Bring snowshoes and snowshoe pass to Sun Mountain ski shop or North Cascades Basecamp. 996-3287. 11am

Holiday Blues? Let the Omak Clinic help you.

Methow Valley News

You have one more chance to hear the Cascadia Chorale and Pipestone Orchestra’s annual Holiday Concert, tonight (Wednesday) in the MV Community Center. LINE DANCING: Lessons for beginners and advanced dancers at Twisp Valley Grange. $4. (509) 429-2064. 6:30pm

WINTERFEST: Open house party at TwispWorks with food, drink, bonfire, art studios/shopping, the unveiling of the Spartan Art Project, and live music by the Dainty Saints. $5. Info 997-3300. 5-9pm THEATER: A Christmas Story at the Merc Playhouse, Twisp. $5-$15. 997PLAY. 7pm BLUEGRASS: The Blackberry Bushes perform at the Old Schoolhouse Brewery, Winthrop. Free. Info 996-3183. 7pm

STORY TIME: Stories and crafts at the Twisp Library. Free. 997-4681. 1pm AUDITIONS: Men and women ages late 30s to late 40s audition for God of Carnage at the Merc Playhouse, Twisp. 997-7529. 6pm

Sunday Dec. 16

Wednesday Dec. 19

COMMUNITY BREAKFAST: All welcome to free breakfast at Friendship Alliance Church, Winthrop. (509) 6991062. 7:30-8:30am CHRISTMAS CONCERT: Okanogan Valley Orchestra and Chorus present "Blessed Are They" featuring Handel's Messiah, Russian Christmas music, singalongs and more at the Omak PAC. $8$12 (under 12 free). (509) 422-2456. 3pm ROLLER GIRLS: Practice session for newbies at MV Community Center, Twisp. Skate rental $3. (509) 795-6544. 6-8pm CHRISTMAS CONCERT: "Let the Whole World Sing" featuring choir, handbells and more at MV United Methodist Church, 193 B Old Twisp Highway. Free/donations. 997-9292. 7pm THEATER: A Christmas Story at the Merc Playhouse, Twisp. $5-$15. 997PLAY. 2pm

Monday Dec. 17

TRIVIA: Play trivia games at the Old Schoolhouse Brewery, Winthrop. $3. 996-3183. 6pm

It’s that time of year again, when into the dark months of December and January we squeeze Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, New Year’s Eve, and other celebrations. Throw into the mix a generous dose of unrealistic expectations, budget-busting shopping, darker days, colder weather, excess eating and drinking, and no wonder that along with “peace on earth, goodwill toward men,” come anxiety, exhaustion, and depression.

Tuesday Dec. 18

STORY TIME: At the Winthrop Library. Free. 996-2685. 1:30pm TEEN CENTER: Come in for the ping pong and video games, stay for the wi-fi and snacks. Free. 997-9211. 4-8pm AWANA: Fun and games for ages preschool through 6th grade at Cascade Bible Church, Twisp. 997-8312. 7-8:30pm

Thursday Dec. 20

THEATER: A Christmas Story at the Merc Playhouse, Twisp. $5-$15. 997PLAY. 7pm

Friday Dec. 21

SIP & SHOP: Socialize, eat snacks, listen to music performed by Ken Bevis and shop at Confluence Gallery, Twisp. Free. 997-2787. 5-7pm THEATER: A Christmas Story at the Merc Playhouse, Twisp. $5-$15. 997PLAY. 7pm END OF THE WORLD: Party to celebrate the end of the world, according to the Mayan calendar, with local rockers Magpie Jones at Mick & Miki's Red Cedar Bar. Free. 997-6425. 9pm-the end

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Winthrop Chamber: Meets at the Winthrop Barn. 8:30am Twisp Chamber: Board meeting at Confluence Gallery, Twisp. 11am Spinners & Weavers: Meets at 137 Old Twisp Highway. 9975666. 1pm Food Bank: “More than just food” at The Cove, 128 Glover St., Twisp. 997-0227. 1-4pm Pipestone Orchestra: Rehearsal at MV Community Center, Twisp. 997-0222. 6:30pm Twisp Library Friends: Meets in the library. 997-4681. 7pm American Legion: Regular meeting at the Legion Hall, 626 Bridge St., Twisp. Info: Gus 9974481. 7pm Firefighters District 6: Training and meetings at local fire halls. 997-2981. 7pm MV Masonic Lodge #240: Meets at Masonic Hall, Twisp. 997-5423. 7:30pm AA: Alcoholics Anonymous meets at the Friendship Church, Winthrop. 996-8174. 7pm NA: Narcotics Anonymous meets at Horseshoe Mobile Home clubhouse, 305 Magers St., Twisp. (509) 826-6371. 8pm

Friday 12/14

Al Anon: Support group for families of those with chemical dependencies meets at the Masonic Hall, Twisp. 997-9243. 8:30am MV Roundtable: Community social service groups meet at Twisp Valley Grange. 997-4905. 10am Doctor: Free health care to uninsured people 18 and under at The Country Clinic, Winthrop. Appointment: 996-8180. Bingo: Play at the Eagles Hall, Twisp. 997-8133. 6pm AA: Alcoholics Anonymous meets at the Friendship Church, Winthrop. 996-8174. 7pm

Saturday 12/15

TaiChi/Quigong: At The Studio, Twisp. Free. 996-2017. Free/ donation. 9-10am Okanogan County Democrats: Meets at Sun Valley Restaurant on Highway 97, Okanogan. (509) 422-5531. Noon Amateur Radio: Anyone interested in ham radio invited to a meeting at Hometown Pizza, Twisp. (509) 588-1212. 5pm AA: Alcoholics Anonymous meets at the Winthrop Fire Hall, 223 Englar St., Winthrop. 9968174. 7pm

Sunday 12/16

Breast Cancer: Support group meets at Room One, Twisp. Drop-ins welcome. 997-2819. 3-5pm NA: Narcotics Anonymous meets at Horseshoe Mobile Home clubhouse, 305 Magers St., Twisp. (509) 826-6371. 4pm AA: Alcoholics Anonymous meets at the Masonic Hall, Twisp. 997-0356. 6:30pm

Methow Valley United Methodist Church (Between Twisp & Winthrop)

Sunday, Dec. 16th Worship, Children’s Christmas Program & Children's Sunday School 10 a.m. Nursery care available

7 p.m. Christmas Cantata & Program Pastor Mike Lawson 997-9292

www.gbgm-umc.org/methow/

ISSUE #31, 2012

Methow Valley Unitarian Fellowship

RED DAWN

Intergenerational Musical Pageant Sunday, Dec. 16 - 10 am 916 Koala Drive (509) 826-1800 wvmedical.com

FLIGHT

Drama/Starring Denzel Washington, John Goodman, Don Cheadle Fri: 6:30, 9:45 • Sat: *3:15, 6:30, 9:45 Sun: *3:30, 6:45 • Wkdays: 6:45

The hobbiT: An Unexpected Journey

Adventure/Drama/Ang Lee Film Starring Suraj Sharma, Irrfan Khan, Gerard Depardieu, Rafe Spall

966-8050 • www.methowunitarians.org

TS AR ST IdAy FR

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LIFE OF PI

at the Methow Valley Community School, at 31 W. Chewuch, Winthrop Religious Education & Child care available

Tuesday 12/18

TOPS: Take Off Pounds Sensibly at MV United Methodist Church, between Twisp and Winthrop. 997-0102. 8:30-10am Methow Restoration: Council meeting open to the public at the Riverbank building, 206 Glover, Twisp. 997-0038. 9am County Commissioners: Open meeting, Okanogan County Admin. Bldg., 123 Fifth Ave. N., Okanogan. (509) 422-7100. 9am-5pm Family Caregivers: Support group meets at Room One. 9972050. 10:30am-Noon TwispWorks: Tour the site in Twisp. 997-3300. 11am Healthy Steps: Therapeutic exercise class at the Twisp Valley Grange. Free/donation. 996-2017. Noon-1pm Herbal Health: Consultations at Room One. $0-$50 sliding scale. Appointment (509) 5573660. Noon-4pm AA: Alcoholics Anonymous meets at the Masonic Hall, Twisp. 9970356. 6:30pm

Wednesday 12/19

Moms & Toddlers: Open gym at MV Community Center for moms/caregivers and children. Free. 997-2926. 10am-noon The Mothering Group: Support for mothers of young children at Room One, 315 S. Lincoln St., Twisp. 997-2050. 10:30am-12:30pm Closet Quilters: Open studio, 309 Highway 20, Twisp. Free. 997-7020. Noon-5pm Eagles Auxiliary: Meeting at Eagles Hall, Twisp. 996-3869. 1pm Family Planning Clinic: Room One, 315 S. Lincoln St., Twisp. Info: 997-2050. 1-5pm LBHS Booster Club: Meeting at LBHS library. 996-3766. 7pm AA: Alcoholics Anonymous meets at the Calvary Chapel, Twisp. 997-0356. 7pm Winthrop Town Council: At the Winthrop Barn Hen House. 996-2320. 7pm

Thursday 12/20 Women, Infants & Children: WIC help with nutrition, health care and food. Room One, 315 S. Lincoln, Twisp. Call for hours 997-2050. Spinners & Weavers: Meets at 137 Old Twisp Highway. 9975666. 1pm Food Bank: “More than just food” at The Cove, 128 Glover St., Twisp. 997-0227. 1-4pm Grief & Loss: Support group meets at Room One, Twisp. 9972050. 5:30-7pm Pipestone Orchestra: Rehearsal at MV Community Center, Twisp. 997-0222. 6:30pm Firefighters District 6: Training and meetings at local fire halls. 997-2981. 7pm AA: Alcoholics Anonymous meets at the Friendship Church, Winthrop. 996-8174. 7pm NA: Narcotics Anonymous meets at Horseshoe Mobile Home clubhouse, 305 Magers St., Twisp. (509) 826-6371. 8pm

ST. GENEVIEVE CATHOLIC CHURCH

CHRISTMAS SCHEDULE Wed., Dec. 19th Advent Penance Service 6:00 pm

Mon., Christmas Eve Mass

Action/Starring Chris Hemsworth, Josh Hutcherson, Brett Cullen Fri: 6:45, 9:45 Sat: *3:45, 6:45, 9:45 Sun: *3:45, 6:45 Wkdays: 6:45

Program:

Monday 12/17 County Commissioners: Open meeting, Okanogan County Admin. Bldg., Okanogan. (509) 422-7100. 9am-5pm Speak French: Revive or improve your French in the Hank’s deli. 997-0717. 4:30-5:30pm Game night: Darts, cards and free pool at the Eagles Hall, Twisp. 997-8133. 5:30pm AA: Alcoholics Anonymous meets at the Masonic Hall, Twisp. 9970356. 6:30pm Mindfulness Meditation: Guided meditation, informal teaching and discussion at MV Wellness Center, Winthrop. Free/donations. 997-2152. 6:308:15pm

Adventure/Fantasy Starring Ian Mckellen, Martin Freeman, Andy Serkis Thurs. 12/13: Midnight: 12:00 Fri: 6:00, 9:45 Sat: *2:15, 6:00, 9:45 Sun: *3:15, 7:00 • Wkdays: 7:00

6:00 pm

Tues., Christmas Day Mass 10:30 am

Tues., Jan. 1st, 2013 New Year’s Day 6:00 pm

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170 min PG13

403 Burger St. Twisp

Sports

Methow Valley News

and

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Recreation

Lions tackle Tonasket, host Invitational By Mike Maltais Following their solid fifthplace showing against 1A schools at the Omak Pioneer Invitational Dec. 1, the Liberty Bell High School varsity wrestlers went one-on-one against the Tonasket Tigers on the road Thursday (Dec. 6) and hosted four schools at their own Liberty Bell Invitational on Saturday (Dec. 8). There are two routes to winning for a varsity wrestling team: The first is on the mat and the second is on the scoreboard. The Mountain Lions defeated the host Tigers in individual competition on the mat at the dual meet last Thursday but lost by default points when they could not produce wrestlers in the heavier weight classes of 152, 170, 182, 195, 220, and 225 pounds. “Tonasket was already up 30 points on us before the match even started,” said coach Paul Schmekel. In spite of the roster deficit at the heavier weights, the Mountain Lions pinned or outscored the majority of Tigers in the lighter weight classes from 106-pound Trent Skelton through 145-pound Milo Holston. Junior Colt Jack, who normally competes at 220 pounds, was out of the lineup after sustaining a concussion at the Omak tourney. Liberty Bell’s own tournament was the first it has held in the past five or six years, Schmekel said. Teams from Okanogan, Brewster, Oroville and Pateros responded to the invitation.

Photo by Mike Maltais

Junior Milo Holston works to gain advantage over Raf Varales of Brewster during the Liberty Bell Invitational last Saturday. Holston went on to defeat his Bear rival to win first at 145 pounds. “The competition just started to fade,” Schmekel said in recalling why the school pulled away from hosting its own show until once again giving it a try this season. Holston beat a tough Raf Varales from Brewster to win the 145-pound division. Skelton and teammate Danny Humiston were second and third at 113 pounds. In the combined weight

Thursday, Dec. 13

Basketball: Okanogan @ LBJH (boys) @ Eagle Gym, 5pm

Friday, Dec. 14

Basketball: LBHS v Entiat @ Toyota Center, girls 4pm, boys 5:30pm

Saturday, Dec. 15

Skiing: Loup Loup Ski Bowl opens Wrestling: LBHS @ Okanogan, 10am

Lady Lions struggle in early season games The Liberty Bell High School girls’ varsity basketball team hosted 1B Pateros Dec. 4, and 1A Omak two days later, but the home court advantage wasn’t much help as the Lady Lions lost to the Nannies, 55-11, and were felled by the Pioneers, 74-28. The young Liberty Bell team has been struggling through a challenging early season schedule of mostly older, more experienced opponents as it continues to build teamwork and confidence in the face of tough rivals. Neither Pateros nor Omak made that process any easier. “Both teams share the same style of play,” coach Ed Smith said of the Nannies and Pioneers. “They came out with a full-court, manto-man defense and played very aggressively.” P a t e ro s b ro u g h t a smothering defense that keyed on Lady Lions’ passes

Sports briefs The Loup

This week in sports

By Mike Maltais

B Section

as the team brought the ball past half court. Omak had solid outside shooting and posted a 20-point lead before Liberty Bell was able to get into some rhythm and start adding some points of their own. As the Lady Lions work their way past six more nonleague opponents before their first league contest just after the first of the year, Smith said he is pleased with the progress some of his players are making. “Tamara Klein did a good job for us against Omak,” Smith said. Klein’s six-foot height is filling a void left by sophomore veteran Whitney Moore who has transferred to school out of state. The Lady Lions were scheduled to host Waterville Tuesday (Dec. 11). They will meet Entiat on the road at Toyota Center in Wenatchee Friday (Dec. 14) and host the Tonasket Tigers four days later on Tuesday (Dec. 18) at 6 p.m.

class of 120-126, Justin McMillan outscored Taylor Woodruff. Jacob McMillan defeated Meritt Fink at 132 pounds and Emmett Fink beat Ivan Johnson by technical fall at 138 pounds. Tyson Coleman placed second at 160 pounds. Sophomore Gage Cotner was sidelined with a knee injury sustained in an earlier practice. The Mountain Lions will

travel to Okanogan Saturday (Dec. 15) to compete against 10 to 12 other teams at the popular Okanogan Tournament. Both Skelton and Justin McMillan will miss the multischool Okanogan meet while they compete at the prestigious Tri State Tournament in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. The two Liberty Bell wrestlers were invited on the strength of their second-place wins at state last

season. The two-day, 32-man bracket meet pits the top wrestlers from Washington, Oregon, and Idaho against one another irrespective of school size. “The best Liberty Bell has ever done at the Tri State was a fifth place by Maverick Port.” Schmekel said. On Tuesday (Dec. 18), Liberty Bell will be back at Okanogan for a dual meet against the Bulldogs.

Lions beat the Billygoats, edged by Omak in OT By Mike Maltais

In a game that they should have won – and eventually did – the Liberty Bell High School boys’ varsity basketball team surged in the final minutes of play to defeat Pateros, 46-41, Dec. 4, and almost toppled Omak in overtime two days later. The Mountain Lions opened with a three-point lead over Pateros through the first quarter but could not shake the persistent Billygoats. Despite uninspired shooting from around the perimeter Pateros managed to hit the basket enough to take a one-point, 23-22 lead into halftime. Paced by the 22 points from junior guard Austin Watson, Liberty Bell remained consistent through the third quarter but only led by one point, 33-32, when the period ended. Watson got scoring help from Jaymis Hanson and Logan Szafas, with nine and six points respectively, to help Liberty Bell gain its biggest lead of the game, four points, seconds before the buzzer sounded. Szafas, Hanson, and Daily did a good job clearing the offensive boards to keep Pateros from getting second shots. Daily added five points while Cesar Dominguez and Wes Pilkinton scored two apiece. Points, rebounds: Watson 22/0, Hanson 9/6, Szafas 6/8, Daily 5/6, Pilkinton 2/3, Dominguez 2/0, Mikey Michael 0/3, Daniel Sonnichsen 0/3, Willy Duguay 0/2.

Photo by Mike Maltais

Junior guard Austin Watson gets some air as he banks in a lay-up against Pateros during home court action last week. Liberty Bell held on to defeat the Billygoats , 46-41, with a final surge late in the fourth quarter. behind the Caribou Trail League rivals. The Mountain Lions gained a point on Omak in the third quarter and closed the gap in the fourth. Unfortunately a last-second shot by Liberty Bell missed the mark and sent the 48-all game into overtime, where Omak closed the door, 56-52. Points, rebounds: Szafaz

The Mountain Lions got off to a slow start against Omak and had to climb out of a nine-point hole in the first quarter to make a game of it in the second. Behind the 19 points of post man Szafas, Liberty Bell outscored the Pioneers by seven to enter halftime only two points

Biathlon The Methow Valley Biathlon Team will host the first biathlon race of the winter season at 11 a.m. Saturday (Dec. 15) at the Methow Biathlon Range in Mazama. A full schedule of Methow Valley Biathlon events can be viewed at www. methowvalleybiathlon.com. Questions may be directed to MVB coach Betsy Devin-Smith at 996-3159.

Ski bus

Omak squeaks by

The Loup Loup Ski Bowl will be open for downhill skiers on Saturday (Dec. 15), according to general manager Sandy Liman. The ski shop and office will be open from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on Thursday and Friday this week to sell tickets and provide rentals, Liman said. Cross country skiers can use the area for free until Saturday, Liman added. During Christmas week and the following week, the area will be open daily with the exception of Christmas day, according to the Loup website. The Loup offers 1,240 vertical feet with 10 cut runs on Little Buck Mountain, plus 23 kilometers of groomed track Nordic trails. There is one fixed-grip quad chair, one platter surface tow and a rope tow. The lodge offers food, beverages, a meeting room, restrooms, an equipment rental shop and a first aid room. For more information, call (509) 557-3401. For information about daily and seasonal pass prices, visit www. skitheloup.com.

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19/5, Watson 8/3, Daily 8/1, Hanson 7/2, Duguay 4/6, Dominguez 4/0, Michael 2/3, Sonnichsen 0/3. The Mountain Lions were scheduled to host Waterville Tuesday (Dec. 11). Liberty Bell will play Entiat at Wenatchee’s Toyota Center Friday (Dec. 14) and host the Tonasket Tigers Tuesday (Dec. 18) at 7:30 p.m.

If enough students sign up to ride it, a weekly ski bus will begin operating between Winthrop, Twisp and the Loup Loup Ski Bowl starting Jan. 5 and continue through six consecutive Saturdays thereafter. Heather McArthur, who is coordinating the program on behalf of the Methow Valley School District, said a minimum of 26 students from the fifth through 12th grades is needed to fund the service. The cost is $85 per student and the registration deadline is Dec. 21. Registration packets are available at the school offices at Methow Valley Elementary School and Liberty Bell High School. The Saturday ski bus will leave the parking lot at the Winthrop Barn at 7:30 a.m. and return at 5 p.m. It will depart from the parking lot at the Twisp Community Center at 8 a.m. and return to TCC at 4:30 p.m. Fifth graders ski free at the Loup and special program rates for passes, tickets, lessons, and rentals will be available for other student participants. For more information contact McArthur by email at heather@methow. com or by phone at (509) 449-0552 days or 997-0176 evenings.

Page B2

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Knowledge Team takes fourth at Tonasket By Mike Maltais Despite a lineup depleted by illness and absence, the Liberty Bell High School Knowledge Bowl Team made a strong debut at the group’s first competition at Tonasket on Dec. 3. A solid roster of returning veterans and new faces has turned out for the team, but of those, five were unable to make the trip into Tiger territory. That forced coach Leverett Hubbard to make adjustments to his ideal composition of team numbers. “I had to make do with teams of two and three rather

than the preferred four members,” Hubbard said. However, those Mountain Lions who did compete made up for their lack of numbers with strong performances. Behind Okanogan with 63 points and Tonasket’s One and Two teams with 53 and 52 points respectively, Liberty Bell Three placed fourth with 44 points, followed by LBHS Four with 43. Omak placed sixth, with LBHS One and Two taking seventh and eighth. “We had four teams in the top eight,” Hubbard said of the Tonasket results. “Tonas-

WDFW addresses sportfishing, hunters

ket had two while Okanogan and Omak had one apiece.” Other schools at the tournament included Chelan, Pateros, and Brewster. Liberty Bell will play host for the next tournament Jan. 16. The Knowledge Bowl Team will host the next of its five remaining tournaments on Jan. 16. The remaining schedule will be on the road at: • Chelan Jan. 28 • Manson Feb. 4 • Oroville Feb. 11 • Okanogan Feb. 25 • Wenatchee (regionals) Feb. 27 • Arlington (state) March 23

A couple of announcements have come from the offices of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife in Olympia during the first week of December, one that extended a program and the other that curtailed one. WDFW extended the time it will receive comments regarding changes to state sportfishing rules through Jan. 29,more than a month longer than previously announced. To review and comment on the proposed rules visit WDFW’s website at wdfw. wa.gov/fishing/regulations/ rule_proposals/. In another announcement the WDFW froze enrollment in the Master Hunter Permit Program after numbers approached 2,000 members. The freeze is designed to allow WDFW time to absorb the increase in Master Hunter numbers and clearly define the program’s role. Started in 1992, the Master Hunter program provides a pool of highly skilled volunteers to assist WDFW in controlling wildlife damage.

Whooping cough still a threat By Marcy Stamper While new cases of whooping cough (pertussis) have slowed considerably since the peak in May, the disease continues at epidemic levels throughout the state, with 4,593 cases through the end of November, compared with 699 during the same period last year. There have been 14 confirmed cases in Okanogan County, all but two in the Methow Valley. A new case of pertussis was confirmed last week at Liberty Bell High School in someone who was not immunized, according to Lauri Jones, community

health director for Okanogan County. While the majority of confirmed cases have been in the Methow, the incidence of the disease was certainly more widespread in the county, since dozens of people were treated for symptoms without a test to confirm the disease, said Jones. Pertussis is a bacterial infection that causes a longlasting and often severe cough. The illness and its symptoms are most serious for infants and toddlers. Health officials urge all children and adults to be sure their pertussis vaccinations and boosters are up to date. The first vaccine is generally

Methow Valley News

given at two months, with three more doses due by 18 months. A booster is due at age 5. One more booster is given at age 11 or 12. The Okanogan County Health Department is offering the adult vaccine at cost – $50 – and has a limited number of free vaccines for people who are uninsured or underinsured. A walk-in vaccine clinic for adults is open every Wednesday from noon to 4:30 at the Health Department in Okanogan, or call (509) 4227140 for an appointment. Free vaccines are available for children through local physicians.

Got Sports? sports@methowvalleynews.com

Higbee resigns from Three Rivers Board; new director sought By Ann McCreary Winthrop resident Larry Higbee has resigned from the Three Rivers Hospital Board after serving as a director of the hospital district for more than a decade. Higbee said he became interested in the hospital while working as an Emergency Medical Technician and transporting patients to the facility. He was appointed to the board of directors in 2001. Three Rivers Hospital, known as Okanogan-Douglas District Hospital until changing its name this year, has been through difficult financial times in recent years. The hospital has struggled with a high volume of charity and unpaid care, as well as a decline in admissions. Higbee said the hospital appears headed in a positive direction. “The most significant changes I have seen during my years as a board member have been in the last year with the hiring of Bud Hufnagel as the new CEO. He has taken great strides toward pulling the hospital into the black and going forward into the future in a positive way,” Higbee said. “He also has boosted morale

among staff members, which I think is very important.” Higbee will continue working as Okanogan County Deputy Coroner, a job he has held for 15 years. A reception will be held at the hospital on Dec. 17 at noon, for Higbee and Bill Bayless, also a previous board member. The reception will take place in the Hillcrest House Administration Building Commons Area. The hospital is seeking candidates to replace Higbee on the board. Candidates must be registered voters within the hospital district. The term for the appointed board member will be thru 2014. If the board member chooses to continue in the position, they would need to run for the office for a six-year term. Letters of interest may be mailed to Rebecca Meadows, P.O. Box 577, Brewster, WA 98812, emailed to rmeadows@ oddh.org, or dropped off at the Hillcrest House Administration Building in Brewster. For more information call (509) 689-2517 ext. 3416. At the hospital board meeting on Jan. 28, the board will interview each of the candidates, and a new board member will be chosen and sworn in.

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WELL DRILLING

Methow Valley News

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Page B3

Twisp to act on 2013 budget with uncertainty about fire coverage By Ann McCreary As Twisp Council members prepared to adopt the town’s 2013 budget Tuesday (Dec. 11), one significant element was still up in the air – the cost of the town’s contract for fire protection from Okanogan County Fire District 6. The town and district were still at an impasse Tuesday over terms of a five-year contract, after both the town and district drafted new proposals last week that brought them only slightly closer to resolution. District 6 commissioners announced Friday that they would accept the town’s suggested price of $35,000 for fire protection services next year, but that’s as far as the agreement went. The town proposed annual 5 percent increases starting in 2014 based on the $35,000 starting price, which means the town would pay $36,760 in 2014. The district proposed boosting the contract price by 20 percent to $42,000 in 2014, with 5 percent annual increases after that. “It adds up to a $22,000 difference over the life of the contract,” said Clay Hill, the Twisp Town Council member who has been negotiating for the town. “I’d be shocked if the

cally back to a 1997 agreement that provides for “joint operations of fire and emergency medical protection facilities.” The current contract stipulates: “In the event that the parties do not agree on an extension of this agreement … the parties agree to revert back to and continue to be bound by the terms and conditions of the 1997 agreement.” Whether that means that the district would respond to fires within the town, “would be dependent on Chief (Don) Waller’s interpretation,” Ing-Moody said. In a budget message prepared for the Twisp Council, Ing-Moody said the town faces significant financial challenges, including declining revenues from taxes and the end of a federal grant that has paid a police officer’s salary for the past two years. “Many of these difficult budget discussions have necessarily centered on how to make the cuts necessary to both effectively balance the budget while also being able to maintain the ability to responsibly provide essential services to our community members,” Ing-Moody said. Twisp’s police force will drop from three to two full-time officers as a grant from the Department of Jus-

council accepted. Their offer drives us farther apart.” Fire commissioners were standing firm on their “final offer,” said Roy Reiber, chairman of the threeman board. “We pretty much have hit the bottom line,” he said Tuesday. The commission held a meeting Monday and Reiber said there was “no movement” on their contract proposal. The current contract began last July, a few months after Twisp disbanded its municipal fire department, and ends Dec. 31. Asked if the fire district would respond to a fire within the Twisp city limits after that date, Reiber responded, “I don’t know that for sure.” Mayor Soo Ing-Moody said Tuesday morning that the Town Council could consider a couple of options in dealing with the fire contract. One possibility would be to approve the contract price for 2013 and continue negotiations on the terms for subsequent years. “The one year seems to be the one thing we can agree on,” IngMoody said. “The stumbling block is 2014.” The other option, Ing-Moody said, would be to let the current contract lapse, and revert automati-

tice, part of the federal job-stimulus package, comes to an end. Mike Hartnett, who was hired through the grant, will stop working for Twisp at the end of the year and has been hired by Winthrop as a temporary, parttime officer beginning in January. The town has allocated some funds for temporary, part-time coverage during busy times including summer and hunting season. Police Chief Paul Budrow said that with only himself and officer Ty Sheehan covering shifts, “the public won’t be able to expect responses as fast as they have been,” to nonemergency calls. Sales taxes, a principal source of revenue for Twisp, were lower than anticipated this year and that trend is expected to continue, Ing-Moody said. In addition, the state is expected to collect liquor taxes next year that normally go to cities and towns in an effort to reduce the state deficit. “Economic uncertainty is expected to be the norm for 2013, with no growth indicators pointing toward revenue increases,” IngMoody said in her budget message. Spending for the town’s general fund, which pays for day-to-day operations, will drop from $906,898 this year to $748,513 in 2013.

Winthrop revises Stephens Trail project The Town of Winthrop announced late Tuesday that it has revised its Phase II plans for the Susie Stephens Trail, after encountering opposition to the town’s planned route from the Fog Horn Ditch Company. Winthrop Mayor Dave Acheson said in a press release that rather than trying to build the trail to the south as far as intended in Phase II, the town will instead extend the existing segment to a crossing at Highway 20 near Pardner’s Mini Market; and will also focus on developing the riverwalk trail north from the Spring Creek Bridge into downtown Winthrop. Acheson said the town worked with the state Resource and Conservation Office’s executive director, Kaleen Cottingham, to revise the scope of Winthrop’s existing application for $365,000 to continue work on the trail. The Winthrop project is high on the state’s list for potential funding next year. The town has yet to resolve its dispute with the ditch company, which has tried to block the state funding process because of concerns about how the trail would affect the ditch’s operation and liability issues. The ditch company has insisted that the town alter the trail’s route, which Winthrop has said it won’t do.

Classifieds CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING - 997-7011

E-MAIL TO frontdesk@methowvalleynews.com All classifieds to be prepaid. Deadline: Monday, Noon. Weekly: $6.75 for 15 words or less. $8.75 with email or web site address. 20 cents for each additional word. CLASSIFIED SPECIAL: Buy 3 weeks, get 4th week free. No refunds or changes please. Prepayment required to qualify.

Classified display ads: $10.00 per column inch. Deadline for CLASSIFIED DISPLAYS & LEGAL NOTICES: Friday, 5 p.m.

20.......................... REAL ESTATE

smckenzie@co.okanogan. wa.us, or 509-422-7160 for additional methods to receive the document. Published in the Methow Valley News December 12, 2012. LEGAL NOTICE Public Notice - Request for Qualifications. The Town of Twisp, Washington is engaged in a project to build a non-motorized public trail in the town limits and is seeking Statements of Qualifications (SOQs) from design companies who specialize in design of nonmotorized urban trails. Firms are invited to submit a letter of interest and five copies of the SOQ by close of business by January 4, 2013 to the Town of Twisp, PO Box 278, Twisp, WA, 98856. For further information, contact Jane Surface at the Twisp Town Hall, (509)9974081 or e-mail at deputyclerk@ townoftwisp.com.

Statements of Qualifications should: contain the names and qualifications of staff who would be involved in the project; describe similar/relevant experience in the design of non-motorized urban trails and references for this work; describe experience working with government agencies or other regulatory entities (e.g. Dept of Ecology, Fish & Wildlife, Transportation, etc.) to address their requirements; be no more than 10 pages in length. Firms selected for projects are required to comply with the applicable requirements of local, state, and federal contracting regulations. The Town of Twisp is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer and women and minority business enterprises are encouraged to submit their qualifications. Published in the Methow Valley News December 12, 2012.

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10.................................FOR SALE

LEGAL ADS, Cont.

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