Methow Valley News August 17, 2022

Methow Valley News

Housing Trust to build 11 affordable homes in Twisp

Konrads offered property in favorable deal

BY MARCY STAMPER

Eleven affordable homes – from one through four bedrooms – will be built next year in Twisp by the Methow Housing Trust (MHT), thanks to a recent

below-market sale to the trust by Hank and Judy Konrad, owners of Hank’s Harvest Foods.

The sale of 12 “shovel-ready” lots on Riverside Avenue near the Twisp Public Works headquarters closed last week, MHT Executive Director Danica Ready said. Because of the nature of the utility infrastructure, the lots will accommodate 11 homes.

The sale is the final step in a

partnership MHT and the Konrads have been working toward for almost a year, Ready said. “Hank came to me last summer, after a Housing Solutions Network meeting, with an invitation to sell MHT land appropriate for building additional affordable single-family homes on. After doing some basic due diligence on the land, we decided it was a no-brainer,” Ready said. Priced well below market

value, the Konrad property was affordable — the housing trust purchased the property for 55% of the appraised value, Ready said. Knowing that the Konrads intend to put the proceeds from the sale toward another affordable-housing project made it a more meaningful partnership for the whole community, she said.

The property was especially attractive because it already has all infrastructure and water and

Coalition aims to dim valley’s light pollution

Winthrop project

part of goals

BY OLIVIA PALMER

As residents of the Methow Valley take in spectacular starry nights this summer, the Methow Dark Sky Coalition continues to work little by little to make the town of Winthrop a dark sky community.

According to the International Dark Sky Association, an international dark sky community is a city or town that “adopts quality outdoor lighting ordinances and undertakes efforts to educate residents about the importance of dark skies.” Kyrie Jardin, president of the Methow Dark Sky Coalition, said the organization is currently focused on work surrounding light ordinances, community education and monitoring to reduce light pollution and preserve the Methow Valley’s dark skies.

Jardin said the mission to become a dark sky community emerged a few years ago, when Bonneville Power Administration made LED lights available to customers of the Okanogan County Electric Co-op. The new lights, which were brighter and bluer than Winthrop’s existing ones, quickly spurred complaints from neighbors. This response was a catalyst for conversations about preserving Winthrop’s dark skies, as well as the town’s adoption of new lighting ordinances in 2021.

Lighting limits

One initial step for the Methow Dark Sky Coalition was installing cylindrical baffles over the streetlights in

downtown Winthrop. These baffles limit light pollution by directing light straight down, rather than out. More recently, the coalition installed baffles at Winthrop’s Thriftway grocery and Ace Hardware in the spring. The baffles were made by metal artist and fabricator Barry

Stromberger, and installed with a lift provided by Triple T Roofing.

Jardin said light pollution, particularly blue light, disrupts night vision in both humans and animals. He believes that although light is necessary, it should only be used when,

where, and to the extent it’s needed.

“Everything in the world has grown up with a diurnal rhythm of light and dark, winter and summer, dry and wet. And I think when you have lights on

sewer hook-ups, meaning MHT can start construction next year, with the expectation that people can move in in 2024, Ready said.

Many of their employees are struggling to find affordable housing near Twisp, Hank Konrad said. Some drive from Pateros or Lost River and, while he helps pay for fuel, he promised himself he would do something more tangible to address the valley’s housing problem,

Konrad said. The Konrads bought the Riverside Avenue parcels several years ago with the intention of building affordable homes there. But when construction costs increased, the project was put on hold.

Konrad knew MHT was interested in the property. “I felt I had enough things going,” he said

C6 eyes site near Leavenworth for biochar production Search for Methow Valley options didn’t pan out

BY MARCY STAMPER

After an in-depth search for a facility in the Methow Valley for biochar production, C6 Forest to Farm has found what it says is an ideal processing site in Plain, west of Leavenworth.

C6, the Methow Valley–based nonprofit that has been developing plans to make biochar from logging slash and small trees removed in forest-restoration projects, has spent months evaluating properties. The Plain facility would accommodate their pilot project and have the potential for increasing production, C6 board chair Gina McCoy said.

C6 had hoped to set up shop in the Methow, to use biomass from area forests and create local jobs. They evaluated every option in the valley but, with few industrial sites in the Methow — the only industrial zoning is in the towns, where C6 would need a variance — and the high cost of property, C6 cast its net wider, McCoy said.

The Plain property, near Coles Corner, “checked all the boxes,” she said. The C6 board unanimously supported the location and C6 is currently in discussions with the property owner about a lease. If planning goes smoothly, C6 could be up and running in Plain in a year, at the earliest, C6 Executive Director Tom McCoy said.

The site already has a

Neighbors complained about activity on site

BY ANN MCCREARY

Officials from Okanogan County and the Washington Department of Ecology will investigate whether clearing vegetation and other activities on a riverfront property on Twisp River Road violates county or state shoreline and floodplain protection laws.

Submitted photo Twisp River Road residents have complained to the county about a variety of activities on a riverfront parcel that are apparently occurring without any permits.

The county posted a “stop work/possible violation” notice on the property on July 28, after receiving numerous complaints during the past six month from residents of Twisp River Road. Several people who contacted the county said it appeared a sawmill operation had been set up on the property, which is about 6 miles up Twisp River Road. The stop work/possible violation

notice states that “clearing of the vegetation conservation, floodplain and shoreline environment may have been done on your parcel without the proper environmental and permit review. Per Okanogan County Code 14.15.120 Shoreline Master Program, vegetation removal is only allowed in narrow circumstances and would require a permit application.”

The notice was posted on the property after a letter dated June 29 to the property owner, listed as Marjorie Park in county tax records, was returned as undeliverable to an address in Forks, Washington, said Rocky Robbins, a planner in the Okanogan County planning department.

Robbins said officials from the county and Ecology plan to visit the property to investigate possible violations of shoreline and floodplain regulations. “No permits have been obtained for any current

100,000-square-foot steel-frame building, which C6 would share with a composting business that’s setting up operations there.

C6 needs between 8,000 and 20,000 square feet for pyrolysis, the indoor phase of biochar processing. The entire site is 80 acres, with a paved log deck and outdoor storage areas. The building is already equipped with electric infrastructure and fire-suppression equipment, which should significantly reduce capital costs, C6 said.

The potential for working with the composting company would enhance the value of biochar, since combining biochar and compost early in the process — rather than simply adding both to soil — reduces composting time and increases nutrients, Tom McCoy said.

In addition to using the building for pyrolysis, C6 would use outdoor space for unloading trucks, sorting material, grinding trees into smaller pieces, and drying, Tom McCoy said. They would also need space to package and handle the biochar once it’s been produced.

Pyrolysis heats biomass beyond typical combustion temperatures in a nearly oxygen-free environment, which prevents the material from burning and eliminates the volatile compounds, according to C6. When added to soil, it helps retain moisture and nutrients and reduces composting time. Once it’s in the soil, the biochar will sequester biomass from the wood it’s processed from for hundreds of thousands

See HOUSING A2 See

Okanogan County issues stop work order for Twisp River property

activity” on the property, Robbins said in an email.

“There is floodplain on the property. Further investigation is needed to determine if violations have occurred in the floodplain,” Robbins’ email said.

Many complaints

Since spring, several Twisp River residents have sent emails and made phone calls to the county planning department expressing concern about activities on the property. Their emails described cutting trees and vegetation near Twisp River, grading earth and digging large holes, and what some described as a “commercial portable saw mill.” The emails were obtained by a resident through a Freedom of Information Act request and provided to the Methow Valley News.

Photos courtesy of Kyrie Jardin Tuck Stebbins and Troy Triplett installed new baffles on the parking lot lights at Methow Valley Thriftway and Winthrop Ace Hardware.

Before the new baffles were installed ... ... and after.

No big changes in latest update of Aug. 2 primary election results

BY DON NELSON

The latest round of Okanogan County returns from the Aug. 2 primary election, filed on Monday (Aug. 15), continued to show incumbent Sheriff Tony Hawley and challenger Paul Budrow, the police chief in Twisp, as the leading vote-getters to advance to the November general election.

The primary election also narrowed the field in the contest for the District 3 county commissioner seat. And an unexpected race is now on to fill the county coroner’s position.

In the sheriff’s race, Hawley — who is seeking his second term — drew 4,.558 votes

LIGHT

(41%) to Budrow’s 4,234 votes (38.2%) in the updated results posted Monday by the Okanogan County Auditor’s Office. A second challenger to Hawley, Kevin Newport of Omak, trailed with 2,302 votes (20.7%).

In the race to fill the District 3 commissioner seat being vacated by Jim DeTro, Lloyd Caton Jr. of Tonasket (1,597 votes, 37.3%) and Oroville Mayor Jon Neal (1,470 votes, 34.4%) were in a close race to advance to the November election. Two other contenders, Aaron Kester of Tonasket (717 votes, 16.8%) and Kari Alexander of Tonasket (494 votes, 11.5%), trailed. Only District 3 residents vote

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all the time, you disturb that ecological rhythm,” Jardin said.

“You don’t need to light a shrub at three o’clock in the morning, right?”

Looking ahead, Jardin said he hopes to gain a better grasp of lighting ordinances up and down the Methow Valley and see if there is a way to get a unified lighting ordinance for Okanogan County.

A long-term goal for the Methow Dark Sky Coalition is to make the Methow Valley area an international dark sky reserve — an area consisting of

HOUSING

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and, with the lots ready to build on, this seemed a good project to hand over so he could concentrate on the other projects.

For one project, the town of Twisp is considering an application from the Konrads to annex two properties along Highway 20 into the town’s limits to develop affordable housing.

“We have always been committed to helping with local housing, but can’t do it alone,” Konrad said. “I have been watching what the Methow Housing Trust does with their program, and have two employees that already live in MHT homes in Twisp. They are fulfilling an important community need, and we wanted to help them continue to successfully build more homes for local folks as soon as possible.”

“The Konrads have been such leaders in housing for a good long time. We are proud to have their trust and partnership on this project,” Ready said.

Permanently affordable homes

For the Riverside Avenue project, as with all of MHT’s other homes, the homeowner buys the house and gets a ground lease, while the housing trust retains ownership of the land. The resale value of the house is capped at a 1.5% increase per year so that the homes remain affordable in perpetuity, Ready said.

MHT expects to use some of the floor plans they are currently building in Winthrop and may incorporate new designs, Ready said.

MHT has a total of 26

in the primary. In the general election, all county residents will choose between the top two vote-getters from the primary. Rojean (Jeannie) Hughes of Tonasket, the only candidate for county coroner who was listed on the ballot, drew 6,646 votes or 83.4% of the total — but will nonetheless face competition in the November general election. Incumbent David Rodriguez did not file for re-election, but a late write-in effort for Rodriguez generated considerable support, as the 1,325 write-in votes reported by the auditor’s office account for 16.56% of the total cast. If the write-in votes are

validated, Rodriguez will be on the November general election ballot.

The next vote tally was to be issued on Tuesday (Aug. 16) after the News went to press.

In other results:

• An excess tax levy renewal request by Three Rivers Hospital (Hospital District 1) was being approved with nearly 67% of the voters in Okanogan and Douglas counties supporting the request, 2,809 yes to 1,406 no.

• Filing for re-election, and drawing no challengers, were incumbents Assessor Larry Gilman, Auditor Cari Hall and Prosecuting Attorney Albert Lin.

Winthrop’s dark sky regulations

The Winthrop Town Council adopted changes in the town’s outdoor lighting regulations intended to reduce light pollution in July 2021.

The revised regulations, which would particularly affect the downtown area, are intended to reduce “light trespass” and promote public safety. There is a five-year timeline for compliance.

The changes apply to all public and private outdoor lighting, but not to interior lighting. The regulations will require full-cutoff fixtures that

a “dark ‘core’ zone surrounded by a populated periphery where policy controls are enacted to protect the darkness of the core,” according to the International Dark Sky Association.

Small steps

aim light downwards, and the use of warm-spectrum lighting.

Exemptions would include existing streetlights until they are replaced; emergency lighting; outdoor lighting for temporary events; lighting for public recreation or athletic facilities such as the Winthrop Rink during operating hours; and lighting that illuminates the American flag. The proposal also specifies which types of lighting fixtures will be acceptable, and which will not.

Becoming a dark sky reserve is an ambitious goal. Jardin said for the meantime, Methow Dark Sky Coalition’s team of six is working incrementally to protect

the night sky.

“Because we’re so small, biting off a dark sky reserve is a pretty good chunk to bite off, so we have to work at it little by little in our neighborhoods, and

those houses is resold, it will be offered to the next person on their list and be priced based on that person’s income — that is, it won’t be set at a higher price in perpetuity, Ready said.

Based on MHT’s current policy and pricing, Ready anticipates that the Riverside Avenue homes will start at $180,000 for a 2-bedroom home for someone earning the AMI or below. For people earning between 100 and 150% of the AMI, the same house would cost $240,000.

• Susan Speiker was the only candidate for county clerk.

• Pam Anderson was the only candidate for county treasurer.

• In the 4th District congressional race, incumbent Republican Dan Newhouse had drawn about 25.4% of the counted votes in district-wide returns, while Democrat Doug White was the leading challenger with about 25.2% of the vote. Republican and former gubernatorial candidate Loren Culp was in third with about 21.6%. Five other challengers trailed, none garnering more than 12%. The top two vote-getters advance to the November general election. In Okanogan County, White drew

get more people and get more awareness out there,” Jardin said. “What we try and focus on is inspiration, beauty and education.”

Jardin said contributing to a dark sky community could be as simple as connecting security lights to a motion sensor so they’re only on when they need to be, or painting a door a darker color so lights don’t reflect off it as harshly. Another component of the coalition’s work is education.

Methow Dark Sky Coalition periodically hosts a “Milky Way Social Club” for dark sky and astronomy enthusiasts to meet and discuss recent activities. The social club most recently met Aug. 2 at the Methow Valley Ciderhouse.

30.8% of the votes, Culp 29.7% and Newhouse 22.6%.

• In Washington state Legislative District 7, incumbent state Sen. Shelly Short was unopposed. Incumbent State Rep. Jacquelin Maycumber, who was challenged by Lonny Ray Williams of Republic, drew about 70.8% of the counted district-wide votes to Williams’ 26.8%. In Okanogan County, Maycumber drew about 76.9% of the votes to Williams’ 23.2%. Incumbent state Rep. Joel Kretz had no challengers. For complete statewide results, visit https://results.vote.wa.gov/ results/20220802/default.htm.

As it turns out, the Methow Dark Sky Coalition isn’t the only group that has used the stars to bring people together. Amid the Perseid meteor show, which began July 17 and peaks Aug. 11 and 12, the Methow Conservancy and Sun Mountain Lodge have also hosted “star parties” for the community, complete with remarks from astronomers. The Methow Valley’s stunning night skies offer an option for eco-tourism, particularly during the shoulder season, Jardin said. But to him, they also offer something spiritual.

“We are so tiny-small, we are stardust, you know,” Jardin said. “Truly everything on earth came from a star, and when you look out you see where you came from.”

homes completed and occupied throughout the valley, with another 11 slated for completion in Winthrop next year.

MHT’s first neighborhood was constructed in Twisp, with 13 homes on Canyon Street. Since then, the housing trust has built 11 homes in Winthrop at Cascade Meadows South, across from the post office, and eight in Mazama in the McKinney Ridge development. The Riverside Avenue property will add another 11 homes.

MHT is currently developing infrastructure for 26 homes at Cascade Meadows North in Winthrop, with completion of homes there expected from 2024 through 2027. That will bring the total number of MHT permanently affordable homes to 74, Ready said.

MHT also has a partnership with the Housing Authority of Okanogan County, which is building 22 rental homes at Cascade Meadows North.

Eligibility

MHT neighborhoods are home to a variety of community members, including bakers, store clerks, artists, small business owners, educators and health care workers.

MHT’s eligibility criteria are linked to the area median income (AMI). The AMI for Okanogan County is currently $48,258, according to the Washington State Employment Security Department’s regional labor economist. Initially only people making 100% or less of the AMI qualified for MHT homes but, as the organization found itself turning away people who had no other viable options in the local housing market, the MHT board expanded criteria so that one-quarter of their homes can be sold to people earning up to 150% of the AMI, Ready said.

In those cases, the housing price is adjusted for those who earn more money, but if one of

The 2021, the median home price in the Methow Valley was half a million dollars. A two-person household in the valley would have to earn more than twice the median income to buy a home through the regular real estate market, according to MHT.

At present, a one-person household could earn a gross monthly income of between $2,765 and $6,913 — and have up to $44,240 in assets — to qualify for an MHT home. All criteria are keyed to household size and there are adjustments for retired people.

There are currently 57 people and families on MHT’s waiting list. As homes are completed, they are offered on a first-come, first-served basis.

Information and applications for MHT homes are available at https://methowhousingtrust.org. Anyone interested can set up an interview to review eligibility. MHT helps connect applicants with lenders that are familiar with the community-housing-trust model.

Ready encouraged people to apply. “A lot of people are surprised that they qualify,” she said.

Call 800 660-2129

Photo by Marcy Stamper

The Methow Housing Trust will build 11 affordable homes on this property in Twisp. Hank Konrad, co-owner of Hank’s Harvest Foods, left, and Danica Ready, executive director of the housing trust, have been working on solutions to the housing shortage in the valley for the past year.

After testing, above, the new Mazama fire hydrant is ready for action.

from

Roman Lafferty, Ted Lafferty, David Crosby and Alan Fahnestock participated in the final test of the new hydrant. Fahnestock offered “many thanks to our contributors and all the folks who helped out along the way. Volunteers did the bulk of the grunt work including District 6 firefighters, and quite a few ‘civilians’ helped with digging ditches, lending tools and equipment, and building the well house.”

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of years, Tom McCoy said.

‘Green-forest economy’

C6 is especially enthused about the potential for developing a “green-forest economy” at the site, where outdoor space can be used to sort forest materials for different products. For example, small-diameter trees could be used for higher-value products such as flooring or furniture. Tree tops from larger trees cut for commercial timber and logging slash would be turned into biochar.

C6’s plans call for pyrolyzing between 10,000 and 12,000 tons of green feedstock annually, the minimum that would be economically sustainable. They hope to harness the gas from pyrolysis to generate electricity to run part of the operation, Tom McCoy said.

C6 already has engineering designs for the system and has been in touch with equipment manufacturers around the world. They have a business plan for the facility lease and equipment and are currently raising money to fund operations, Tom McCoy said. Selling carbon-offset cred-

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One resident described “the relatively sudden appearance of...broken machine parts, old tires, dead cars and trucks, heavy equipment.” Another said the property had been unoccupied for many years until last fall, when “someone began cut-

its is a significant component of their business plan.

Although their original vision was to process wood from forests near the Methow, it’s not cost-effective or environmentally sound to truck materials to Plain for processing. C6’s business plan encompasses the entire carbon footprint of making biochar — getting woody biomass from the

ting down trees at night in the dark using headlights of vehicles and headlamps.” The person wrote that in January a gate was installed and logging trucks with full loads began arriving, according to the email sent to county planning.

The property, which is 9.9 acres according to county tax records, is in the Methow Review District Valley Floor

North Cascades is Bear Country!

Did you know: Accidental confrontations are usually the result of a surprise encounter with a bear protecting cubs, space, or food cache. Most confrontations seldom lead to contact. Surprises can be avoided by making noise on the trail and being aware of your surroundings.

forest, processing it, and getting biochar to farmers to use as a soil amendment, Gina McCoy said.

C6 anticipates that producing biochar in Plain would create 16 jobs at the facility, plus additional employment connected with logging and forestry work and with equipment maintenance, Tom McCoy said.

If the pilot project is success-

5 (MRD VF5), Robbins said. “Industrial activities are not allowed in the MRD VF5 zone and sawmills are allowed with a CUP (conditional use permit). However, the Conservancy Shoreline Jurisdiction does not allow any non-water oriented commercial activity,” Robbins said.

The county’s notice to the property owner ordered all work

Tips to recreate successfully in bear country:

If you surprise a bear, remain calm. Do not run. Speak in a low monotone voice so the bear can identify you as human. A bear may charge to try to intimidate you – usually stopping well short of contact. If a bear begins to charge, use bear spray. Compared to firearms, proper use of bear spray has proven to be the best method for fending off unwanted bears. A defensive bear will stop attacking once it feels the threat has been removed.

ful, C6 could easily increase production at the facility, Tom McCoy said. “Going up in scale in 10,000-ton increments isn’t that difficult,” he said.

C6 has been talking with representatives from the U.S. Forest Service and Washington Department of Natural Resources and with logging companies about obtaining forest materials that

to stop immediately “until you are able to come into compliance with all shoreline and floodplain regulations.”

Last week, Robbins said, “I received a call informing me that the activity has continued since the stop work order was placed.” She said she also received an email reporting continued activity on the property. The county’s notice also

don’t have commercial use and would otherwise become slash or be burned, Tom McCoy said.

C6, which was launched in February 2020, is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit that’s funded by donations. The Washington Legislature appropriated $160,000 to C6 for a research and demonstration project toward operation of an industrial-sized facility in the Methow Valley in the 2022-23 budget.

C6 is using the appropriation to develop its business model and for plant design. They’ve also put the money toward data collection for an analysis of greenhouse gas emissions, but need to raise money for a consultant to perform the analysis, Gina McCoy said.

The appropriation was supported by the three lawmakers representing the Methow in the Legislature. The contract officer agreed to the change in focus from the Methow to the Wenatchee area, with the proviso that C6 inform its legislative sponsors and key stakeholders, Gina McCoy said. “We have done so, and the feedback we have received has been uniformly positive,” she said.

“I’m a big supporter of finding creative ways to reduce our risk of catastrophic wildfire.

stated: “All of the information that has been gathered information has been forwarded to other regulatory agencies including but not limited to Department of Ecology, Department of Fish and Wildlife, and Department of Natural Resources. Their review may result in other permits and/ or mitigation requirements or in the assessment of penalties. No permits or other approvals for the

The C6 biochar project is a great opportunity for fire-prone areas in North Central Washington to do just that by processing excess woody debris without burning it,” state Sen. Brad Hawkins (R-12th Dist.) said this week.

C6 kept him abreast of challenges in finding a site in Okanogan County and of possibilities in Chelan County, Hawkins said. A successful C6 demonstration project could support efforts in Okanogan County and could be a first step toward a larger facility (or facilities) in North Central Washington, Hawkins said. “We certainly could benefit by partnering with each other to reduce our wildfire risk, as wildfire knows no jurisdictional boundaries,” he said.

C6’s ultimate goal is to reduce the risk of extreme wildfire by supporting wide-scale forest health treatments and removing small-diameter trees that aren’t commercially viable as timber. Because C6 is a nonprofit, its model doesn’t depend on using only the least-expensive feedstock — the intention is to process the biomass that’s most important for protecting the forest, Gina McCoy said.

“It needs to be soon. Time is the most expensive resource there is,” she said.

development of this property will be given until all requirements are met.”

Robbins said Okanogan County and Ecology “are working together to investigate possible violations.” On Monday (Aug. 15), Robbins said that they had not yet been on the property and so “have not yet fully assessed the activity and possible violations.”

Pateros man dies in collision on Hwy 153

A Pateros man was killed in a head-on collision on Highway 153 on Saturday (Aug. 14) that led to the road being closed for three hours, the Washington State Patrol reported. According to the State Patrol, Tao L. Stettler, 39, was driving southbound at about 5:30 p.m. on Saturday when his vehicle crossed the center line and col-

lided with a northbound vehicle driven by Jason N. Dixon, 49, of Enumclaw. Both drivers were alone in their vehicles. The accident occurred at milepost 1 on Highway 53, just west of the state highway’s intersection with U.S. 97.

The State Patrol said Stettler was pronounced dead at Three Rivers Hospital in Brewster.

Stettler had not been wearing a seatbelt, the report said.

Dixon, who was wearing a seatbelt, was transported to Three Rivers Hospital with injuries, the State Patrol report said.

The State Patrol said it was unknown if drugs or alcohol were involved.

Branches in Twisp, Okanogan & Omak

get a FREE gift!

Photos courtesy of Pat Leigh

Right:

left,

File photo by Marcy Stamper

Materials like logging slash and small branches would be converted to biochar, but C6 Forest to Farm hopes that, through cooperation with other processors, other forest materials can become furniture or flooring.

NO BAD DAYS Time out

For a few hours, time and events stood still. The world shrunk down to a sprawling outdoor amphitheater atop a plateau above the Columbia River on a muggy Saturday evening, where maybe 20,000 people gathered to share music, enthusiasm and a rollicking good time.

The Chicks, the popular trio of multitalented women musicians formerly know as the Dixie Chicks, filled the Gorge entertainment venue with a high-energy concert backed by a tight, boisterous band. We were there to celebrate Jacqui’s 70th birthday, but it was a night when age didn’t really matter — only the unmatchable experience of live music in wide open spaces.

It’s been quite a while since we ventured to the Gorge, or to any concert quite like it.

We were in the sixth row, close enough to catch the performers’ facial expressions and appreciate how hard they were working. It was, to be sure, a bit loud — but then, they were also playing to the people picnicking on the grass a hundred yards or more up the hill. I’m pretty sure everyone got their money’s worth.

It was like a party where everyone was the featured guest. We got into conversations with people all around us, from many places representing many lifestyles. They are had one thing in common: an appreciation for the music. It’s possible that a few of them, including the friendly young woman who kept yelling about the performances at the hearing-impaired side of my head, were a bit overly-appreciative of the available beverages. But hey, it was that kind of evening, and I just nodded and smiled as if I knew exactly what she was trying to communicate.

It took some doing to get there. We drove down from the valley in morning, checked into our motel room in Vantage for a few hours of rest, then headed to the Gorge along with about a zillion other cars creeping toward the parking lots. Then there was the long walk to our seats, past many food, drink and merchandise opportunities and a vast array of port-a-potties. Once we found our seats, we were pretty much in place for the next four-plus hours. For that span, all matters outside of the venue seemed to fall away. It was a brief respite shared with people who came for the same experience.

It’s not that there were no reminders of the issues and conflicts that would face us when we exited the Gorge’s gates and returned to the awaiting real world. Many of the Chicks’ songs are politically charged and achingly honest, one of the things that continues to make them popular across a broad age and gender spectrum.

While the Chicks have a huge, devoted following of women (they are the best-selling female band of all time), there were a lot of men in the audience who were into the music, me among them. Some of them appeared to be even older than I am.

Lead singer Natalie Maines wore a shirt with the words “It’s my body” sequined across the front. Many of the huge graphic images splashed behind the performers were evocative of times, events and personalities that have stirred controversy and conflict over many decades. The Chicks are not shy about using their art form to address these things head-on. Listen to “March March” for a sampler.

The group is remembered by many for Maines’ critical comments in 2003 about then-president George W. Bush during a concert in England. The country-western world that had loved the Dixie Chicks, and seemingly the entire right wing universe of gaslighters, suddenly exploded in a psychotic rage against them, their music, their very existence. God forbid you should say something unflattering about the president. Oh, wait — these were the same people who a few years later went on a prolonged, unhinged, racist tirade against Barack Obama. So, as the Chicks say in one of their songs, “There’s your trouble.”

I think much of the venom hurled at the Chicks was attributable to three things: They are women. They are strong women. And they are women who don’t take crap from anyone. The group suffered because of the backlash, but as another of their big hits asserted, they weren’t ready to make nice or back down. After a hiatus from performing, they were back in full roar for their most recent tour, which concluded at the Gorge.

When it was over and we trudged back to our car for the return trip to our motel, we eased back into the real world. We checked our phones and emails, and caught up on the news. Not much changed in our absence, except perhaps for the worse. But for one evening, the Gorge was the top of the world.

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Send to: Methow Valley News, P.O. Box 97, Twisp,WA98856,faxto(509)997-3277, email editor@methowvalleynews.com

Methow Valley News

Box 97: Letters to the editor

Thanks for hydrant help

Dear Editor:

The Mazama Hydrant Project is complete: we finally have a high-volume dedicated water source for firefighting, accessible to Okanogan County Fire District 6 and, through them, to any agency involved in fire protection.

I’d like to take this opportunity to express huge gratitude to the hundreds of residents of the Methow Valley who contributed their dollars to make this happen. We collected over $120,000 in the spring and were, moreover, able to leverage that support with Okanogan County to obtain up to $75,000 additional dollars from federal ARPA funds to significantly enhance the project. You people, proverbially, rock!

I also want to thank all the folks who helped out along the way: yes, contractors did the fancy stuff like electrical and pump installation, but volunteers did the bulk of

the “grunting.” A lot of them were District 6 firefighters, of course, but quite a few “civilians” stopped by to help out in one way and another: digging ditches, lending tools and heavy equipment, you name it. The list would be too long for this forum, but you all know who you are.

And, of course, thanks is due to the county commissioners, the District 6 commissioners, and Fire District 6 chiefs and captains,

By Len Baublitz

both for all their assistance and for tolerating my primary contribution to the effort: I was a complete pain in the neck, which, as it happens, I’m professionally trained at. It was a lot of work, and seems like a lot of money, for a resource we hope we never have to use in an emergency. But if it saves one house, it’s a bargain.

WRITERS ON THE RANGE Signs of hope in efforts to save Northwest salmon

BY ROCKY BARKER WRITERS ON THE RANGE

For the last 35 years I’ve been covering what we call the “salmon wars” in the Pacific Northwest, writing so many stories about salmon heading toward extinction that I’ve lost count.

The decline occurred year by year while we spent $18 billion on what’s politely called “mitigation.” That meant building fish passages around dams without fish ladders or snatching fish from warming rivers and trucking them around dams before they died. Nothing has ever worked.

The truth is that some dams must be removed if salmon are to have a prayer of leaving the ocean and swimming up rivers to spawn.

Now, finally, there is a sign of hope for the fish even as Snake River salmon in the states of Idaho, Oregon and Washington remain close to extinction.

There’s hope because the Biden administration has been in settlement talks with legal plaintiffs the state of Oregon, the Nez Perce tribe, and sporting, fishing and environmental groups. They have sued the federal government five times over its failed attempts to save salmon under the Endangered Species Act, and each time

Sen. Patty Murray (D)

the government has lost.

Failed policies

Meanwhile, spring chinook, sockeye and steelhead trended toward extinction in the Snake River watershed, which includes their best remaining habitat in the lower 48 states.

In 1997, my newspaper, the Idaho Statesman, wrote a series of editorials calling for breaching the four lower Snake dams in Washington to restore salmon abundance. The editorials urged paying for the impacts on dam removal on power supply, grain transportation and irrigation as a more effective and cheaper fix than continuing failed policies. The federal government chose to spend $18 billion on those failed policies.

But now, the Biden administration and others recognize that restoring our rivers is an issue of tribal justice as well as the only real solution. For far too long, say biologists Rick Williams of Idaho and Jim Lichatowich of Oregon, we have treated salmon as an industrial commodity. Our reliance on hatcheries while we continue to fragment and destroy habitat has been at the root of the fish’s struggles.

But if we remove the chief obstacles that block the fish from their cool, high elevation-habitat, the biologists say, these wild, adaptable fish will recover themselves. “Because of our long reliance on substitute nature, we’ve almost lost faith in salmon to reproduce itself in quality habitat,” Williams says.

Growing support

It has taken decades, but much of the public has come to understand the folly of our industrial fixes for salmon. In the May Republican primary, U.S. Rep. Mike Simpson won re-election by a landslide after introducing a plan to breach the four dams to save salmon and make impacted communities whole. His losing opponent opposed breaching the dams.

More significant, Washington Democratic Sen. Patty Murray, who has long resisted any salmon recovery plan that included removing the four dams, joined with Washington Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee in endorsing a study of how to replace the services provided by the dams.

The study showed that breaching the four dams was the most promising approach to salmon recovery, though it would require

Contact your U.S. representatives

Washington, D.C., office: 173 Russell Senate Office Bldg., Washington, D.C. 20510

Phone: (202) 224-2621

D.C. toll-free: (866) 481-9186

Fax: (202) 224-0238

website and email access: murray.senate.gov

Harts Pass

Joanna Bastian

Shelley Smith Jones

Ashley Lodato

Sarah Schrock

Ann McCreary

Sen. Maria Cantwell (D)

Washington, D.C., office: 511 Dirksen Senate Office Bldg., Washington, D.C. 20510

Phone: (202) 224-3441

Fax: (202) 228-0514

State office toll free: 1-888-648-7328

website and email access: cantwell.senate.gov

spending from $10.3 billion to $27.2 billion to replace the electricity from the dams’ hydropower, plus grain shipping and irrigation.

Murray is the most powerful Northwestern senator in Congress. But she will need the rest of the Democratic delegation to join her if she is going to turn the tide.

Most of all, Washington Democratic Sen. Maria Cantwell and Oregon Democratic Rep. Peter DeFazio will need to join Murray, Simpson, Oregon Democratic Rep. Earl Blumenauer, and outgoing Oregon Gov. Kate Brown, if legislation is going to pass this year.

The resilience of the wild Snake salmon and the quality of the high-elevation spawning habitat has led biologists to predict the fish will reverse the 40-year extinction trend if the four dams are removed. This might just be the year that rivers and salmon are set free, ending the salmon wars. Here’s hoping.

Rocky Barker is a contributor to Writers on the Range, http://writersontherange.org, a nonprofit dedicated to spurring lively conversation about the West. He is a retired reporter who lives in Idaho and is the author of “Saving All the Parts: Reconciling Economics and the Endangered Species Act.”

Rep. Dan Newhouse (R)

Washington, D.C., office: 1641 Longworth House Office Bldg.

Washington, D.C. 20515

Phone: (202) 225-5816

Fax: (202) 225-3251

website and email access: newhouse.house.gov

By Erik Brooks

Erik Brooks

Len Baublitz

Rosalie Hutson

Solveig Torvik

Dave Ward

Alan Fahnestock Winthrop

Rocky Barker

Don Nelson

‘Extreme’ fire risk spurs burn bans in Okanogan County

Campfires prohibited in national forest

BY MARCY STAMPER

The Okanogan County commissioners have imposed a complete ban on all outdoor burning, including barbecues and campfires, because of the potential for large and catastrophic fires. The conditions consulted with the county’s Fire Advisory Committee, which agreed that the current situation is hazardous, according to the resolution signed on Aug. 9.

The ban applies to all private and county-owned land throughout the county, as well as land protected by the state Department of Natural Resources (DNR). The ban took effect on Friday (Aug. 15) and runs through Oct. 15, unless the commissioners change or extend it.

The town of Winthrop doesn’t allow any outdoor burning without a permit from May 1 through Oct. 14. Anyone wanting to have a recreational fire or to burn vegetation in Winthrop must obtain a permit from Okanogan County Fire District 6. The town of Twisp follows the county’s

restrictions.

The commissioners had already banned burning of vegetation and yard waste as of June 15. The current restrictions also ban exploding gun targets and bullet tracer rounds. Orchardists who need to treat trees infected with fire blight can apply for a special agricultural burn permit.

Campfires banned

The Okanogan-Wenatchee

National Forest has banned wood and charcoal campfires throughout the entire forest, including in developed campgrounds and wilderness areas, as of Thursday, Aug. 11.

People can still used pressurized or bottled liquid-fuel stoves and lanterns, but must ensure there is no flammable material within 3 feet.

The Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest has increased its fire risk to “extreme,” meaning the situation is “explosive” and can result in extensive property damage, because in these conditions, fires will start quickly, spread furiously and burn intensely. It’s usually too dangerous to attack these fires directly, the Forest Service said.

Smoking in the national forest is also prohibited, except in an

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

enclosed vehicle or building, or designated campground where flammable material has been cleared for a diameter at least 3 feet.

The forest has also imposed restrictions on woodcutting and increased the Industrial Fire Precaution Level. Woodcutting has been shut down completely in the valley bottoms and is banned from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. at higher elevations.

Even where woodcutting hasn’t been shut down completely, forest officials urged woodcutters to “hold off a while to do their firewood cutting until weather conditions change.”

Restrictions can be imposed on short notice this time of year, the Methow Valley Ranger District said.

Driving a vehicle off of official Forest Service roads is prohibited. Fireworks and discharging a firearm, except when engaged in lawful hunting, are prohibited throughout the county and in the national forest.

“In addition to adhering to

restrictions, people who use the Okanogan-Wenatchee Forest can help us a great deal simply by being watchful when they are in the woods,” Forest Supervisor Kristin Bail said.

“The public has traditionally provided an important firefighting resource by reporting suspicious smokes and putting out any abandoned campfires they encountered.”

Campfires are also banned in many parts of North Cascades National Park and the Lake Chelan National Recreation Area.

Area wildfires controlled

There are currently four large fires in Washington, according to DNR. This season, more than 38,000 acres under DNR control have burned, virtually all in eastern Washington. The majority of fires this season have been caused by debris burning.

The closest large fire was the Mohr Fire, which burned more than 6,000 acres near Waterville last week. After two days of good

progress, evacuation levels were reduced and fire crews were optimistic about containment on Friday (Aug. 12). The largest is the Vantage Highway Fire, which burned more than 32,000 acres and was 90% contained as of Thursday (Aug. 11).

Thunderstorms on Thursday delivered more than 2,700 lightning strikes in the state and started 13 fires in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, most less than 3/4 acre, the Forest Service reported on Friday (Aug. 12). Most lightning-sparked fires were in the Wenatchee River Ranger District and the Cle Elum Ranger district, with one each in the Chelan and Entiat ranger district.

The largest, northwest of Plain, is about 50 acres and burning in steep, inaccessible terrain in a wetter part of the forest. Fire managers will use retardant and water drops where effective.

A Type 3 Incident Management Team took over management of two of the fires in that area, which were both produc-

ing considerable smoke over the weekend. Recreationists have been advised to stay away from the Wenatchee Ridge area, and trail closures are pending. A small smoke column was observed in the Virginia Ridge area in the Methow early Thursday morning, but it wasn’t picked up by reconnaissance flights on Friday and was still unconfirmed as of Monday (Aug. 15).

Hikers at Harts Pass reported seeing smoke in the Pasayten Wilderness on Saturday (Aug. 13) and rappelers were en route to investigate. No more details were available as of press time.

Since the beginning of August, Okanogan County Fire District 6 and DNR have responded to — and controlled — several small fires, including one on the East Chewuch north of Winthrop and one in the Newby Creek area on Twisp River Road. A fire in timber and understory at Camp Four, a Forest Service campground in the Chewuch, was contained at 1/10 acre last week.

Five conservation groups sue over Fish & Wildlife Commission’s inaction on wolves

Cite Inslee’s order to enact new rules

BY ANN MCCREARY

After Washington’s Fish and Wildlife Commission voted last month not to enact a new rule to manage wolf-livestock conflicts, five conservation groups filed a lawsuit to try to force the commission to take action.

The lawsuit, filed on Aug. 5, asks a state court to enforce an order by Gov. Jay Inslee directing state wildlife officials to enact rules outlining what steps must be taken before the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) can kill gray wolves because of attacks on livestock.

Inslee ordered WDFW to undertake a formal rulemaking process in 2020, after the Fish and Wildlife commission rejected a petition from conservation organizations asking the commission to develop regulations aimed at reducing the number of wolves killed due to livestock conflicts.

Following Inslee’s directive, WDFW developed rules that would have created legally binding protocols for managing conflict and determining when wolves can be killed. But in July, the nine-member Fish and Wildlife Commission, which determines policy and provides oversight for WDFW, voted 5-4 for a “no action” alternative under an environmental study developed as part of the rule-making process. The vote means no changes are required in the way WDFW manages

wolf-livestock conflicts.

“Gov. Inslee recognizes that Washington needs science-based nonlethal strategies to protect wolves and livestock, but some wildlife commissioners are ignoring his request,” said Sophia Ressler. a staff attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity, one of the organizations filing suit.

“We’re asking the court to recognize the governor’s authority and require commissioners to finally approve wolf rules they were supposed to finalize long ago. We need rules that put a check on the state’s trigger-happy approach to managing imperiled wolves,” Ressler said. Gray wolves are listed as an endangered species under state law.

The conservation groups filed a petition with the wildlife commission in 2020 in response to repeated killing of wolves, ordered by WDFW, on behalf of one livestock owner in northeast Washington “where the lack of adequate conflict-deterrence measures has resulted in chronic conflicts,” according to a new release from the organizations.

The proposed rule developed by WDFW would have established “chronic conflict zones” with specific plans for reducing conflict and determining when wolves could be killed. The plans would be written in collaboration with livestock producers, and would require that they implement appropriate measures to deter attacks on livestock before WDFW could order wolves to be killed.

Ignored directive

“The Washington Fish and

Wildlife Commission’s July decision to not enact a rule to better protect Washington’s wolves from agency killing was not only disappointing, but illegal,” said Jocelyn Leroux of Western Watersheds Project.

“The commission ignored Gov. Inslee’s direction to create a rule that would ensure improved livestock-wolf conflict management and save wolves now and into the future,” Leroux said.

The conservation groups are seeking rules “clearly defining standards and processes that government and the public must follow,” said Timothy Coleman, executive director of the Kettle Range Conservation Group. Current wolf management in Washington is “arbitrary,” he said.

WDFW staff had argued that codifying a rule into law wasn’t necessary, because aside from designating conflict zones, most of the proposed rule was already part of wolf-livestock interaction protocols that guide management of wolves in Washington. The wildlife commission’s vote to take no action means that wolves will continue to be managed under the non-legally binding protocols.

“Washington’s wolves needed the commission to put enforceable rules in place requiring livestock producers to use effective nonlethal conflict mitigation measures,” said Lizzy Pennock of WildEarth Guardians. “Instead, five members of the nine-member commission wasted two years of

ARTS BRIEFS

work and voted for the status quo — irresponsible livestock grazing and government-sponsored wolf killing.”

The five commissioners voting for no action on the rule were on the wildlife commission in 2020 when it rejected the petition from conservation groups asking for new regulations on managing livestock-wolf conflicts. The four members who voted to enact the rule have been appointed to the commission by Inslee over the past two years.

Since 2012, WDFW has killed 38 wolves due to attacks on livestock, including two this year, according to WDFW.

Measures to deter wolf attacks on livestock include fencing, radio-activated guard boxes, lights, guard dogs, and range riders. WDFW also provides livestock producers with location data on wolf packs with collared wolves so they can identify areas of high wolf activity.

Gray wolves were virtually eliminated by the 1930s throughout Washington state by hunting and trapping. The Methow Valley’s Lookout Pack, which was discovered in 2008, was the first known resident pack in Washington in more than 70 years.

The groups bringing the lawsuit include Center for Biological Diversity, Cascadia Wildlands, WildEarth Guardians, Western Watersheds, and Kettle Range Conservation Group. The lawsuit was filed in Thurston County Superior Court.

WINNING WRITERS READ

Local winners in the 2021 and 2022 Write on the River writers’ competition will read from their award-winning works at the Twisp library on Wednesday, Aug. 31, starting at 6 p.m. Presenters will include Rebekah Jensen, Ashley Lodato, Nick Hershenow and Rose Weagant.

LIVE MUSIC THIS MONTH

• Thursdays at 6 p.m., Twisp River Tap House, open mic jam and ping pong hosted by Gregg Hardy. No cover.

• Sundays at 5:30 p.m., Twisp River Tap House, classical guitarist Terry Hunt. No cover.

• Aug. 19, 6 – 9 p.m., SweetRiver Bakery, Pateros, Karen & Gil. No cover.

• Aug. 19 and 20, 6:30 – 9 p.m., Methow Valley Ciderhouse, Winthrop, Lance Tigner. Free.

• Aug. 19, Twisp River Suites, Wayne Mendro and Breathe Frue. Free.

• Aug. 19, 7 p.m., Twisp River Tap House, folk singer/songwriter Brittany Jean. No cover.

• Aug. 20, 6 – 9 p.m., SweetRiver Bakery, Pateros, Randy Battle Bluz. No cover.

• Aug. 20, Twisp River Tap House DNR (Duke, Nolet and Russel), jazz and world music with guest trumpeter Bob Hougham. Free.

Passionate about protecting the natural environment

sale 17ft fishing boat & trailer

40HP Evinrude w/ low hours, fish finder, down riggers, new marine battery & boat cover Priced to sell $2100 Also, 14ft fiberglass pool slide $275 Call 509-997-2128

DOUBLE DOODLE PUPPIES

Now available! 5 females, 4 males, mixed colorings vet check, shots, dewormed, hypoallergenic, non shedding, standard size Negotiable price contact 509-863-6289 for pics and details

31 EMPLOYMENT

LINE COOKS

SUN MOUNTAIN LODGE is Hiring Line Cooks!

•Must be able to work weekends and holidays

•Pay will depend on experience, very competitive, with full-time benefits available

•Both AM and PM shifts Apply @ https://www sunmountainlodge com/about/us/employment/

DISHWASHERS

SUN MOUNTAIN LODGE is Hiring

Dishwashers!

•Must be able to work weekends and holidays

•Pay will depend on experience, very competitive, with full-time benefits available

•Both AM and PM shifts Apply @ https://www sunmountainlodge com/about/us/employment/

ASSISTANT PASTRY/BAKER

SUN MOUNTAIN LODGE is Hiring an Assistant Pastry/Baker!

•Day shift

•Must be able to work weekends and holidays

•Pay will depend on experience, very competitive, with full-time benefits available Apply @https:// www sunmountainlodge com/ about/us/employment/

BANQUETS ASSIST. MANAGER

SUN MOUNTAIN LODGE is Hiring a Banquets Assistant Manager!

•This position is a year-round opportunity with full-time scheduling from May through September and part-time scheduling for the remainder of the year Apply @ https://www sunmountainlodge com/about/us/employment/

RESTAURANT SUPERVISOR

SUN MOUNTAIN LODGE is Hiring a Restaurant Supervisor!

•This position requires supervisory skills; good communication skills; interpersonal abilities; organizational aptness; problem-solving orientation; multitasking capabilities

•Must be able to work weekends and holidays

•Pay will depend on experience, very competitive, with full-time benefits available

•Both AM and PM shifts Apply @ https://www sunmountainlodge com/about/us/employment/

RESTAURANT SERVICE STAFF

SUN MOUNTAIN LODGE is Hiring

Restaurant Service Staff!

•Both part-time and full-time opportunities are available

•Both AM & PM shifts

•Previous experience is a plus but not necessary

•No experience is required, we will train Apply @https://www sunmountainlodge com/about/us/ employment/

MV CITIZENS COUNCIL

Methow Valley Citizens Council is hiring a Deputy Director to assist the Executive Director with board support, organizational strategic planning, staffing, development and communications The Deputy Director will spearhead fundraising efforts and build strong collaborative partnerships in the community

This position requires a demonstrated commitment to the values of the Methow Valley Citizens Council, self-motivation, and the ability to work individually and as a part of a team See the full job description at www mvcitizens org

EXECUTIVE CHEF

SUN MOUNTAIN LODGE is Hiring an Executive Chef!

•Culinary leader who desires to buy local when possible

•Understands the dynamics of a hotel, outdoor events, & pleasing the local demographic

•Creative seasonal menu offerings

•GREAT community relations/ skills & ability to connect with local “partners”

•Experienced with managing large, diverse, and somewhat remote lodge/resort F&B program including Banquets/Events

•Supportive of new ownership and management

•Previous banquet/events experience is preferred but not required

•Experience operating a F&B program at a 4-5 star/diamond lodge/ ranch/resort is highly preferred!!

APPLY @ https://theapplicantmanager com/jobs?pos=QH231

FAMILY HEALTH CENTERS FHC is a great place to work and we are looking for you to join our team!

Twisp

• LPN or Medical Assistant Certified - 3K Sign on Bonus

• Patient Registration Representative We will train you!!! See www myfamilyhealth org for job descriptions and to apply online Submit cover letter, resume and application to FHC, c/o Human Resources, PO Box 1340, Okanogan, WA 98840 or email: HR@fhc us Open until filled FHC is an EE0 Employer CLASSIFIED AD DEADLINE is noon Monday

MARKETING MANAGER

SUN MOUNTAIN LODGE is Hiring a Marketing Manager!

• FT/Hours Variable: Monday-Thursday, 9 AM-5 PM or as required

• Organize and carry out all BRANDING AND Marketing efforts

• Implement all marketing activities and strategies of the Lodge in accordance with the annual or budgeted marketing goals

• Support the Sales Manager’s direct solicitation of group business

• Develop and organize marketing efforts, including: Advertising and ad approval; working with agency and media buyers; promotions; PR; FAM tours; press releases; direct and e-mailings; collateral; trade shows; website; photography

• Participate with Revenue Manager in last minute movement of inventory and other rooms related specials & packages

• Prepare a marketing plan for the Sales & Marketing annual budget

• Member of the Executive Committee

• Lead creation of special SML packages (rooms + F&B + activity)

• Develop partnerships with local, regional and statewide industry groups and associations

• Attend all required meetings and assist Accounting with budget planning related to marketing, room revenue etc

• Qualifications: 4 years college with a degree in Hotel Management, Business or Marketing; 4 years sales experience, preferably in hotels and resorts or destination/ remote properties Outstanding communications skills and out of the box creativity

• COMPETITIVE BENEFIT PACKAGE: MEDICAL/DENTAL/VISION/PAID VACATIONS, PAID HOLIDAYS; PAID SICK LEAVE; 401K PROGRAM Apply at https://www sunmountainlodge com/about-us/employment

TOO MUCH STUFF?

Pick up extra cash by selling it in the Methow Valley News

HOUSEKEEPERS

SUN MOUNTAIN LODGE is Hiring Housekeepers!

•Wage - $17+

•The Housekeeper performs all daily cleaning tasks necessary to maintain the cleanliness of each of our guest rooms

•Clean assigned areas as directed by management, by performing the following tasks:

•Change linens and make beds

•Dust and clean all furniture, picture frames, mirrors, windows, baseboards, carpet edges, inside and outside door panels, door ledges, and thresholds

•Clean bathrooms, showers, tubs, empty trash Etc

•AM shifts, Full Time, Part Time, Seasonal Apply @https://www sunmountainlodge com/about/us/ employment/ JANITOR

SUN MOUNTAIN LODGE is Hiring for Janitor!

•Wage - $16+

•The Janitor performs all daily cleaning tasks necessary to maintain the cleanliness of the public areas, public bathrooms, and offices

•Clean assigned areas of the property as directed by management, including:

•Cleaning public bathrooms

•Emptying trash

•Cleaning offices

•Dusting, moping, vacuuming public areas

•Supporting the laundry operation as needed with distribution of linen and other tasks Etc

•AM and PM shifts, Full Time, Part Time, Seasonal Apply @https:// www sunmountainlodge com/ about/us/employment/

OVERNIGHT KITCHEN

CLEANER (experienced) We are looking for an experienced overnight restaurant kitchen cleaner to perform the following duties:

•Clean kitchen hoods

•Sweep and mop kitchen and storage area floors

•Clean kitchen equipment and floors under equipment

•Wipe done walls

•Sweep/mop stairway and delivery elevator

•Vacuum restaurant dining room

•Compact box’s as needed

•Clean up loading doc

•$18/hr + DOE Apply at https:// www sunmountainlodge com/ about-us/employment”

DOUBLE EXPOSURE

Your MVN ad is in print and on line

LAUNDRY ATTENDANT

SUN MOUNTAIN LODGE is Hiring for Laundry Attendant!

•Wage - $16+

•The Laundry Attendant performs all daily laundry tasks necessary to maintain the hotels laundry program, such as:

•Collecting dirty laundry

•Washing, drying, and folding laundry in hotel provided machines

•Loading carts with clean laundry for distribution around property

•Emptying carts of dirty laundry and processing in washer, dryer, and ironer

•Supporting the laundry operation as needed with distribution of linen and other tasks

•AM and PM shifts, Full Time, Part Time, Seasonal Apply @ https:// www sunmountainlodge com/ about/us/employment/ BARTENDERS

SUN MOUNTAIN LODGE is Hiring Bartenders!

•Both part-time and full-time opportunities are available

•Both AM & PM shifts

•Previous experience is a plus but not necessary

•No experience is required, we will train Apply @https://www sunmountainlodge com/about/us/ employment/

FULL TIME CUSTODIAN

METHOW VALLEY SCHOOL District is accepting applications for a full time Custodian Visit the district website at http://methow org/ district/employment/ to view full job descriptions and to submit an online application Positions are open until filled

METHOW VALLEY SCHOOL DIST is accepting applications for an Outdoor Recreation Program Coordinator and the following coaching positions: HS Girls Soccer Asst

Coach, HS Boys Basketball Assit

Coach, HS Girls Basketball Asst

Coach, JH Wrestling Head Coach, HS Baseball Asst Coach Visit the district website at http://methow org/district/employment/ to view full job descriptions and to submit an online application Positions are open until filled

HELP WANTED: HANK’S

Harvest Foods and Hank’s Mini Market has openings for evening shift 12pm-9pm including weekends Competitive pay and yearround work with benefits available Apply in person in customer service No phone calls please

NIGHT AUDIT/FRONT DESK

SUN MOUNTAIN LODGE is Hiring for Night Audit/Front Desk!

•NEW HIGHER RATES

•$20/hr to train on all shifts

•$24/hr once on your own for Night Audit Shifts

•$20/hr for day Shifts

•3 night shifts/2 days shifts

•+ benefits

•Overnight shift is 12am to 8am

•Day shifts are either 8am-4pm or 4pm-mindight

•Greeting and welcoming guests

•Guest check-ins/outs

•Enters data into accounting systems

•Creates reports for operations and accounting needs Apply at https:// www sunmountainlodge com/ about/us/employment/

METHOW AT HOME is hiring an Executive Director to execute the MAH mission of supporting our members who wish to age in place The Executive Director will implement MAH’s strategic plan, oversee all staff and operations, steward MAH technology needs, build relationships with potential partner organizations and ensure MAH fund development plan sustains operations

The successful candidate will have: leadership experience in a community-based non-profit, demonstrated ability to develop and manage partnerships, strong technology skills, experience in revenue generation and will champion an inclusive, respectful and nurturing culture See the full position description on Methow At Home’s website:methowathome org

TWISPWORKS

seeks an experienced Facilities

Manager to manage the daily functions of the campus; including maintaining the aesthetic appearance of the campus, oversight of seasonally relevant grounds-keeping, and the management of buildings, repairs, tools and equipment

This hourly position is 32 hours/wk Pay is negotiable depending on experience, and ranges from $20-23/hr and includes medical, dental and vision insurance as well as generous paid time off benefits plus professional development opportunities A full job description is available in the TwispWorks lobby or may be viewed at https://twispworks org/about/ jobs/ To apply, please email your resume and a cover letter addressing your qualifications and experience to jobs@twispworks org Application reviews will be ongoing with the first review date set for August 15

Vote on Twisp annexation to District 6 likely next year

BY DON NELSON

The Town of Twisp had been hopeful of placing a proposed annexation to Okanogan County Fire District 6 on the August primary election ballot, but it now looks like a vote won’t occur until next year.

The town and fire district have been negotiating the details of a pre-annexation agreement that would be finalized before a proposal to annex the town to District 6 goes before voters. Earlier this year, the town and district were aiming for placement on the Aug. 2 primary ballot, but they could not conclude the pre-annexation agreement in time.

At last week’s Town Council meeting, council member Aaron Studen — who represents the council on the Public Safety Committee, which is negotiating with the fire district over terms of the pre-annexation agreement — said discussions are going well, but some details still need to be resolved.

However, Studen said, it’s unlikely an agreement can be reached in time to put the annexation proposal on the November general election ballot. The next opportunity would be in February 2023, he said.

Mayor Soo Ing-Moody agreed that the negotiations are not contentious, just complicated. “It’s not disagreement so much as digging into details,” she said. Among those are how to deal with town and fire district properties and equipment.

Voters in both the town and the fire district must approve a proposed annexation. If Twisp becomes part of the fire district, town residents will be eligible to vote in elections affecting Fire District 6 operations, and will be eligible to run for positions on the district’s board of commissioners. Currently,

MV CITIZENS COUNCIL

Methow Valley Citizens Council is hiring a part time Digital and Social Media Coordinator to assist the Communications Manager in growing MVCC’s digital audience, assisting with graphic design and website updates and promoting outreach events. 10hrs/week. See the full job description at www. mvcitizens.org

THE WINTHROP STORE has year-round positions available, both assistant manager and parttime, to assist with Deli, Espresso & Retail. Looking for motivated self-starter who enjoys making espressos and Guido’s Deli menu items and provide great customer service. Hourly wage is DOE/DOQ with weekend hours at $18. Employee discounts. Training available. Send resume to: winthropstore@ gmail.com or apply in person.

NORTH CASCADES BANK

Come build your career with us at North Cascades Bank! We offer the benefits and perks you deserve with

•2-4 weeks paid vacation

•Paid Holidays

•Annual Bonus

•401k with employer match and Profit Sharing Contribution

•Medical, Dental, Vision, and Life Insurance for you and your family Apply with us at NorthCascadesBank.com/Careers

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

METHOW VALLEY NEWS has an IMMEDIATE need for a GRAPHIC DESIGNER! Experience with designing editorial and advertising content for print publications including newspapers and magazines is required, as is fluency in Adobe’s print production suite and WordPress Familiarity with social media platforms would be a plus! Some work may be possible remotely, although residency in (or near) the Methow Valley is preferred Send a resume, cover letter and/or portfolio examples to editor@methowvalleynews com

FREESTONE INN

is hiring seasonal, part-time and full-time positions for, Jacks Hut Cooks, Bartender, Server, Housekeeping, Front Desk & Line Cook. Guaranteed Tips. Full time employees are able to receive full benefits including medical, dental, & 401K after 60 days. Please reach out to Marvin Sutton at msutton@ freestoneinn.com, or stop by our front desk to fill out an application.

CLASSIFIED AD DEADLINE is noon Monday for publication the following Wednesday. Call (509) 997-7011 or email frontdesk@methowvalleynews.com or stop by our Twisp Works offices.

Twisp residents have no direct say in the operation of the fire district.

In 2021, the town renewed its fire protection contract with District 6 for at least one more year, at a cost of $60,000. The town will need to extend that contract even if annexation is approved, because the transition and tax adjustments will take some time.

The Town of Winthrop annexed into the fire district in 2017, leaving Twisp as the only town still contracting for protection.

Consulting contract

In other business, the council approved a $25,000 contract with Beckwith Consulting Group of La Conner to implement a Housing Action Plan Implementation grant agreement with the state Department of Commerce to fund a study of the area’s housing needs and potential strategies for meeting those needs.

The Town of Winthrop received a similar grant amount, and the two towns will pool their funds to hire a consultant to conduct the study. Approval of a similar contract with Beckwith is on the Winthrop Town Council agenda for Wednesday (April 17).

Studen and council member Mark Easton were part of an informal group including representatives from Winthrop that met to review applications for the consulting contract that were submitted by three firms. Studen said the group unanimously selected Beckwith after the firm’s “impressive presentation.”

In a memo prepared for this week’s Winthrop Town Council meeting, Town Planner Rocklynn Culp said that Beckwith “offered a skilled team that has worked on many housing plans … They did extensive research on the economy and housing situation in the Methow Valley, which was reflected in their proposal.”

TWO LOCAL HOTELS looking for Two enthusiastic, dependable employees to join our Front Desk team. Applicants do not require previous experience; we will train the right candidates. Starting wage is $18.00 per hour, and negotiable depending on experience. Applicants must be able to work holidays and weekends. Position: Full Time. Please send resume to: tawny@frankhotels.com or call/ Message 360.324.8995

TWO LOCAL HOTELS looking for enthusiastic, dependable employees to join our team. Applicants do not require previous experience; we will train the right candidates. Starting wage is $21.00 per hour, and negotiable depending on experience. Applicants must be able to work holidays and weekends. Position: Full Time/Part Time. Please send resume to: tawny@ frankhotels.com or call/Message 360.324.8995

CINNAMON TWISP BAKERY

An exciting opportunity awaits you at the Cinnamon Twisp Bakery. We have job openings in our baking positions: bread, pastry and night prep baking. Join the fun in a fast paced, supportive work environment. Send a resume to info@cinnamontwispbakery.com

BUS DRIVER/OPERATOR

TranGO is hiring drivers; Full-time (36+ hours per week) positions available now; hourly non-exempt.

Compensation is $19.82-$21.44 per hour, DOE. Benefits include health, dental, vision, life insurance, retirement, sick leave, and vacation. Must have a Commercial Driver’s License with Passenger Endorsement. Please visit www.okanogantransit. com for required qualifications, application, and job description. A complete application including a resume and cover letter must be submitted in order to be considered for a position. E-mail your completed application to financehr@ okanogantransit.com, mail it to TranGO, PO Box 507, Okanogan WA 98840, or drop it off at 303 S 2nd Avenue, S, Suite A, Okanogan. Application Deadline: Application review will continue until the positions are filled. Okanogan County Transit Authority is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

34 SERVICES CLEAN UP AND HAUL AWAY

Wood debris, pallets, fencing, lumber, brush and lawn clippings. “Fireproof your property”. Metal scrap, steel, iron, aluminum, etc., and basic garbage cleanup hauled to the dump. Call 509-997-2128 for free estimates.

COMMUNITY BRIEFS

LOWER VALLEY MEETING

Okanogan County Commissioner Andy Hover has scheduled a public meeting to get community feedback on land use issues in the Lower Methow Valley on Thursday (Aug. 18), at 7 p.m. The meeting, which will include a question-and-answer session, will be in the Methow Community Center in the town of Methow, at the south end of Main Street.

Stephanie Palmer, director of the Okanogan County Planning and Development Department, will be present at the meeting to answer questions about the Citizens Advisory Committee. Deadline for membership application submission is Sept.15.

GRAND OPENING FOR NEW STATION

Okanogan County Fire District 6 invites the public to a dedication and grand opening ceremony for the district’s new fire station and regional training center in Winthrop on Saturday, Aug. 27, starting at 11 a.m. The station is at 33 Horizon Flat Road. Tours of the new station will be available and there will be a lunch after the ceremony. RSVP at eilleenowen999@gmail.com so organizers will know how many attendees to expect.

REPAIR CAFÉ IN TWISP

Methow Recycles’ next Repair Café will be on Saturday (Aug. 20) at Dwight Filer’s shop at the far end of the Methow Valley Farmers Market, next to the vehicle licensing office. Free repairs will be available from 10 a.m. – noon for a variety of items including bicycles, electrical devices, small appliances, backpacks and more, along with sewing and mending and tool sharpening. There is no limit to the number of items you can bring, nor do you need to make an appointment. Just show up and volunteer fixers will do their best to repair your stuff. Items must be small enough to carry; and must not be leaking fluids or be hazardous in any way. You must stay with your item during its repair. For more information, visit http://methowrecycles. org/index.php/repair-it.

GARDENING CLINIC

WSU Okanogan Extension is offering a free Master Gardener clinic at the Twisp Valley Grange, 344 W. Second Ave., Twisp, on Aug. 22 from 9 a.m.

noon.

ELIMINATE GUTTER CLEANING

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83 COMMUNITY EVENTS TOWN OF TWISP

If you have an interest in caring for our town and serving our community, the Town of Twisp needs volunteers for the following positions: Civil Service Commission (three positions open, Twisp resident), and Planning Commission (one position open, at large). Please submit a letter of interest or an application (available online at www.townoftwisp.com) to the Clerk/Treasurer at 110 E. 2nd, PO Box 278, Twisp, WA 98856 or email clerktreasurer@ townoftwisp.com

STATEWIDE

HEALTH & WELLNESS

PAST LIVES - DREAMS - SOUL TRAVEL

. Be the master of your spiritual destiny, here & now. If you seek spiritual truth, visit ECKANKAR.org or for local info visit ECKWA.org

ANNOUNCEMENTS ADVERTISE STATEWIDE with a $325 classified listing or $1600 for a display ad. Call this newspaper or 360-344-2938 for details.

ARE YOU BEHIND $10K

OR MORE ON YOUR TAXES? Stop wage & bank levies, liens & audits, unfiled tax returns, payroll issues & resolve tax debt FAST. Call 866-9731302 (Hours: Mon-Fri 7am-5pm).

BEAUTIFY YOUR HOME  with energy efficient new windows! They will increase your home’s value & decrease your energy bills. Replace all or a few!  Call now to get your free, no-obligation quote. 866944-4248.

DONATE YOUR CAR

TO CHARITY. Receive maximum value of write off for your taxes. Running or not! All conditions accepted. Free pickup. Call for details, 855-635-4229.

TOO MUCH STUFF?

Pick up extra cash by selling it in the Methow Valley News Call (509) 997-7011 to place your ad

For information, call (509) 422-7245 or visit Okanogan. county@wsu.edu.

LABOR DAY BOOK SALE

The Methow Valley Community Center in Twisp is getting ready for its Labor Day weekend book sale to benefit the Twisp library, and is collecting donated books now. Bring gently used books, DVDs and CDs to the gym entrance of the community center and leave them outside the door. The sale will be on Saturday, Sept. 3, from 8:30a.m. – 12:30 p.m. for information, call (509) 449-2594.

TWISPWORKS’ ‘FOURTH FRIDAY’

TwispWorks’ “Fourth Friday” event on Aug. 26 will feature open artists’ studios from 4 – 7 p.m.; a live demonstration on video game development by Masha Falkov from 5:30 – 6:30 p.m.; live music by local band Danville from 7 – 9 p.m.; lawn games; a scavenger hunt; and information tables for Room One and Aero Methow Rescue Service.

Sept. 23’s “Fourth Friday” event will include open studios from 4 – 7 p.m.; a live demonstration on indigo dying at Culler Studio from 4:30 – 5:30 p.m.; a photo exhibit by Wil Chandler at the Pavilion from 6:30 – 8 p.m.; a scavenger hunt; and information tables for Room One and Aero Methow Rescue Service. For information, visit twispworks.org.

BIKE RIDE WITH TED

Methow At Home hosts a free bike ride with Ted Young on Thursday (Aug. 18), starting at 9 a.m. from the Winthrop Town Trailhead. Route to be determined. E-bikes welcome. Register at methowathome.com.

RODEO QUEEN TRYOUTS

The Methow Valley Horsemen will conduct tryouts for the 2023 Methow Valley Rodeo Queen, which will be held on Monday, Sept. 5 (Labor Day) at 10 a.m. at the Rodeo Grounds off Twin Lakes Road in Winthrop. The potential queen must have her own horse and trailer. The young woman selected will represent the Methow Valley for one year, starting Oct. 1, 2022, traveling to multiple rodeos, parades and luncheons. Interested candidates can simply come to the tryouts on Labor Day. If you have questions, call Lynn Clark at (360) 318-6358 or Dennis Gardner at (509) 846 -9880.

Ave N Suite 130, Okanogan, WA 98840 or at pwyllson@co.okanogan.wa.us.

Date of Publication: August 10 and 11, 2022 and August 17 and 18, 2022

Information regarding this proposed ordinance can be obtained from: Okanogan County Office of Planning and Development. Direct questions to Pete Palmer Director of Planning (509)422-7160 or spalmer@co.okanogan.wa.us . Documents prepared for the proposal may be viewed on the Okanogan County Planning web page https:// okanogancounty.org/government/ planning under Projects & Plans, Cannabis Code Update.

Published in the Methow Valley News August 10, 17, 2022; Okanogan Valley Gazette-Tribune August 11, 18, 2022. OVG960483

PUBLIC NOTICE

Boundary Line Adjustment: (parcels 3122160052, 3122160055, 3122160051, 3122160062, 3122160050, 3122160061, 3122160054, 3122160063 & 3122160059)

Proponent: Donald & Karrie

Scott and Brian & Ferra Sherlock

Decision: Approved The Okanogan County Office of Planning and Development made a final decision on the above-noted projects. Within 20 days of publication, parties with standing may appeal these decisions to the Okanogan County Hearing Examiner at 123 5th Ave. N. Suite 130, Okanogan, WA 98840, pursuant to OCC 2.67.010. An appeal must include the $1,250.00 appeal fee.

Published in the Methow Valley News August 17, 2022; Okanogan Valley Gazette-Tribune August 18, 2022. OVG960982

17A.220 DISTRICT USE

CHART NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN: Okanogan County Department of Planning & Development, working with the Okanogan County Regional Planning Commission, has proposed an ordinance that would amend Okanogan County Code 17A.290, Cannabis Operations and OCC 17A.220, District Use Chart. If adopted, the revised codes would impose new regulations on Cannabis Operations throughout the county and amend the District Use Chart to identify by zoning the areas compatible for various cannabis operations.

The SEPA Responsible Official has reviewed the SEPA comments received and has determined that no further review is needed, therefore the SEPA determination of non-significance is upheld. A public hearing has been scheduled with the Okanogan County Regional Planning Commission. The public hearing will be conducted on August 22, 2022 at 7:00 p.m. in the Commissioners Hearing Room in the Virginia Grainger Building in Okanogan, WA. You may also attend the meeting through Webex the link will be posted on Planning’s web page. Meeting link: https://okanoganwa.webex.com/okanoganwa/j. php?MTID=m6b9e845b084619cd18ea0251e01f7a8e Or by phone 1-844-992-4726 United States Toll Free, +1-408418-9388 United States Toll Meeting number (access code): 2493 711 1611

Meeting password: NHdamYF3p58

Verbal testimony will be taken with a time limit of 5 minutes per speaker. Written comments will be accepted prior to the hearing. Written comments must be submitted no later than noon on August 22, 2022. Comments may be submitted in writing or electronically to Pam Wyllson, Planner I, at 123 5th

Okanogan County Public Works, Anna Randall, 1234A 2nd Ave S Okanogan, WA 98840-9723, is seeking coverage under the Washington State Department of Ecology’s Construction Stormwater NPDES and State Waste Discharge General Permit. The proposed project, Salmon Creek Drainage, is located at Milepost 3.049 of OCR# 9221 Salmon Creek Rd., Okanogan WA in Okanogan in Okanogan county. This project involves 0.3 acres of soil disturbance for Highway or Road construction activities. The receiving waterbody is Salmon Creek. Any persons desiring to present their views to the Washington State Department of Ecology regarding this Application, or interested in Ecology’s action on this Application, may notify Ecology in writing no later than 30 days of the last date of publication of this notice. Ecology reviews public comments and considers whether discharges from this project would cause a measurable change in receiving water quality, and, if so, whether the project is necessary and in the overriding public interest according to Tier II anti-degradation requirements under WAC 173-201A-320.

Comments can be submitted to:

Washington State Department of Ecology, ATTN: Water Quality Program, Construction Stormwater, P.O. Box 47696, Olympia, WA 98504-7696 or ecyrewqianoi@ecy.

wa.gov Published in the Methow Valley News August 10, 17, 2022; Okanogan Valley Gazette-Tribune August 11, 18, 2022. OVG960379

OKANOGAN COUNTY

NOTICE OF FINAL DECISION

Boundary Line Adjustment: (parcels 4029040001 & 4029040003)

Proponent: Douglas & Jacquelyn Lotz Decision: Approved

Exempt Segregation/ Boundary Line Adjustment: (parcels 3629101004)

Proponent: Joel & Ann Gossett

Decision: Approved Boundary Line Adjustment: (parcels 7900680005 & 7900670000)

Proponent: Donald & Karrie

Scott and Brian & Ferra Sherlock Decision: Approved

NOTICE TO PUBLIC Okanogan County 2023 to 2028

Six Year Transportation Improvement Program

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that a public hearing in the matter of the Okanogan County Six-Year Transportation Improvement Program for the years 2023 through 2028 per R.C.W. 36.81.121 will be held in the Hearing Room of the Okanogan County Board of Commissioners at 123 Fifth Avenue North in Okanogan, Washington at 11:00 A.M. on August 30, 2022. The purpose of this hearing is to discuss County Road construction projects only. Road Maintenance issues will not be addressed at this hearing.

All interested parties may be heard in this matter. Please send written comments to Okanogan County Department of Public Works, 1234-A, Second Ave. South, Okanogan, WA 98840. Dated this 9th day of August 2022, at Okanogan, Washington. Josh Thomson, P.E. Okanogan County Engineer

Published in the Methow Valley News August 17, 24, 2022; Okanogan Valley Gazette-Tribune August 18, 25, 2022.OVG960861 METHOW VALLEY IRRIGATION DISTRICT

NOTICE TO VENDORS

VENDOR LIST

In accordance with District Resolution 16.07 and RCW 39.04.190, the Methow Valley Irrigation District maintains a list of vendors for the purchase of materials, supplies, and equipment wherein the dollar amount of each purchase is between $20,001 and $50,001.

This notice is to solicit the names of vendors for that list. If interested, submit the vendor’s name, address, and telephone number, a copy of the vendor’s business license,

Tim Lewis follows the bouncing ball to officiating accolades

LBHS grad is state boys basketball referee of the year

BY ASHLEY LODATO

Liberty Bell High School graduate Tim Lewis has been named Boys Basketball Official of the Year by the Washington Officials Association (WOA).

Lewis, Liberty Bell 2013 and Washington State University 2018, seems to have been destined for a life of athletics early on. “I played baseball from Little League through sophomore year at Liberty Bell, ran the 800 and 1,600 meters in track my junior and senior years, and ran cross country from seventh grade through my senior year,” he said.

Lewis said he also “adored” basketball and football but couldn’t play those two sports in high school because he was “built lanky and awkward,” which made baseball a challenge as well.

“My ‘winter sport’ was Knowledge Bowl,” Lewis said, adding that it was fitting, since he has “always been enamored with the intellectual side of athletics.” His deepest passions, though, have always been basketball and baseball.

Lewis played sports but also took note of the officials.

“It’s hard not to notice the referees when your dad is one of them,” he said. Lewis’s father, Rick (who is, among other things, the sports writer for the Methow Valley News), refereed high school games when Lewis was growing up, and he often took his son along with him to games. But if Rick planted the seed, it was young Lewis who grew it into a career. “Officiating was something I fell in love with very much on my own,” Lewis said.

Lewis clearly remembers the night he saw the path toward officiating. “My dad had a game at Tonasket one night during my freshman year of high school and we drove through Omak and picked up one of his partners,

Marty Palmanteer,” he said.

“On the ride up to Tonasket, Marty whips his head around unprompted and says, ‘Why the hell ain’t you doing this?’ I didn’t have an answer. There was a rush in my head.”

Two questions filled Lewis’s mind. “Yeah, why aren’t I reffing?” and “Wait, can I actually ref at this age?” It turns out he could, and the next winter Lewis started attending the Okanogan County Association’s initial trainings and began reffing in 2010.

“That was the moment that finally pulled the trigger,” he said

of the interaction with Palmanteer, adding, “Marty was a kick. He passed in 2016 and every day that goes by I still wish he were here to bust my chops about stuff I was doing wrong on the court.”

Dream is born

Looking back now, though, Lewis said a seminal moment had occurred several years prior to that. “The dream was really born” on his first trip to the state Class B basketball tournaments. “I’d been to a couple of state 1A tournaments in the SunDome in Yakima, but in 2008 the Liberty Bell boys went on a tear and

made it to the state semifinals on Friday night of the tournament. They ended up placing third on Saturday afternoon.”

“State B is a different event,” Lewis said. “The moment you walk into the Spokane Arena, you get chills everywhere. It climaxes with the fanfare before the championship games: the lights go out and the PA system gets turned up just a little louder.”

Palmanteer, who was officiating that tournament, was selected out of 12 officials to be one of the three in the championship game. Lewis said, “That championship game Marty officiated that night was a one-point game between Toutle Lake and Northwest Christian of Colbert. With a crowd of some four or five thousand, all that fanfare, and a back-and-forth barnburner of a game, that was the moment the dream of not just being a referee, but a damn good one, was born. That was the moment I began dreaming of being in a state championship game myself, as a referee.”

Although Lewis didn’t start officiating high school varsity games until his sophomore year in college, he had four years officiating under his belt at that point. In seasons six through eight he officiated district tournament games as well as regional matches in the preliminary round of the WIAA state basketball tournament. In his eighth season, Lewis took over as the vice president and trainer for SEWBOA, the Southeast Washington Basketball Officials Association.

Steve Simonson, who is the vice president of the WOA and has been a basketball referee for more than 40 years, cannot speak highly enough of Lewis. Simonson says he met Lewis at a summer basketball league in Cashmere about eight years ago and knew right away that Lewis was special. “I saw it in him then — he knew how to carry himself, how to conduct himself. He showed this potential very early.”

Simonson said that Lewis is somewhat unique in his dedication to high school sports. “Some of these younger referees have

their eyes on college sports, and Division I, but Tim seems like he’s really rewarded by his work with high school sports,” Simonson said.

He added, “One of my career highlights was when we got to work a championship game together.”

Credit to parents

Lewis credits his family and his Methow Valley upbringing with his development as an official. “My parents both played significant roles. Mom wasn’t shy to let me know where she thought I did well … and [where I] could improve. Growing up my mom really was my best coach, although a thorn in my side sometimes during cross country season, but she invested more in challenging me than anyone,”

Lewis said. “My dad was an outstanding teacher and brought me along to a certain point. Their greatest gift, both of them, but particularly my dad, was recognizing when to step back.”

“The freedom I’ve had to go after officiating and create my own path is why I’m where I am,” Lewis said, “and it’s thanks to two parents who allowed me the breathing room to do that.”

Lewis also expressed appreciation for the Methow Valley community for “raising me with the fundamentals that make me successful in this passion that I have and for supporting me in it.”

None of this is full-time work.

(“Only the officials at the highest level — D1 collegiate and Professional Leagues — can do this full-time to pay the bills, and even most of them have day jobs as well,” Lewis said.) Lewis works seasonally in Archaeology and Recreation with the U.S. Forest Service, typically May through November, a creative use of the B.A. in history that he earned from WSU. But his winters are devoted to mentoring, training and officiating.

Simonson noted that Lewis’s contribution to sports officiating is both broad and deep. “He’s a referee, a recruiter, a teacher, a mentor. He not only officiates at basketball games, but he’s an

official for football and baseball as well. He’s worked state football, state baseball, and state basketball finals. He’s just allaround outstanding.”

More responsibility

A fundamental understanding of the rules of each sport is essential, Simonson said, but “Certain attributes carry over. We’re really in the people business, and that skill set carries over. Tim is always deliberate, always professional. It’s one of the things that makes him such an exceptional official.”

“He’s even taking on some of my duties at the WOA,” Simonson said.

For a WOA conference that Simonson was unable to attend, he asked Lewis to assume his responsibilities. “He organized the entire basketball breakout session, including lining up speakers — everything,” he said. “Tim works tirelessly to improve himself and other officials. He is contributing so much statewide. He seems to have unlimited potential.”

Of the Boys Basketball Official of the Year award, Simonson said, “Tim is deserving of this recognition. He’s an exceptional official and an even better person.”

Sports officials work notoriously long and late hours, put tens of thousands of miles on their vehicles, and endure verbal abuse from parents, armchair quarterbacks, and anyone else whose opinion disagrees with an official’s call. So why does Lewis do it?

“As tough a time as it can be to be an official, it’s still the most fun thing I’ve ever done,” he said. “Sure, my goal is to be my best for the student athletes, but it’s more than that. A lot of us say that the best-officiated game is where you don’t notice the officials, but I disagree. Whether it’s a player or someone in the crowd, I want people to notice how much fun I’m having. It’s an unrealistic goal, but every night I want someone in the gym to see me and say, ‘I want to be a part of that.’”

LBHS three-on-three tournament a success

Liberty Bell High School hosted a three-on-three basketball tournament over the weekend of July 23-24, attracting nine teams and 35 players. Tournament organizer Liam Daily said most of the participating athletes were either former or current Liberty Bell students.

Teams were separated into two divisions: high school and open. The high school division included two junior high teams from Brewster and the Methow Valley; the open division was mostly local adult teams.

Here Comes Trouble, a team consisting of current Liberty Bell students Mac Surface, Morgan Spellman, Brody Barnhart and Bodie Thomson, won the high school division. Prancing Ponies, a blend of local and west-

ern Washington residents Carlos Cadena, Jacob Cadena, Brandon Brown and Ben Goodman, took the open division.

“Overall, I thought the tournament ran really well,” said Daily, a teacher and multi-sport coach at Liberty Bell). “The games were competitive, fast-paced, and a lot of fun to watch. We had the help of 10 amazing volunteers and I would like to especially thank those volunteers for helping out.”

Daily plans to make the summer three-on-three tourney a regular event. “Everyone I talked to said they had a great time playing/spectating some summer hoops,” he said. “We’ll be back next year bigger and better, so keep an eye out for an announcement later on in spring 2023.”

Photo courtesy of Rick Lewis Tim Lewis refereeing a state tournament game this year: “An exceptional official and an even better person.”

Obituaries

Charlene Faye Thew

Charlene Faye Thew passed away Sunday, Aug. 7, 2022, in Wenatchee, Washington.

Charlene was born Dec. 30, 1942 in Whitefish, Montana. She graduated from Whitefish High School in 1960 and matriculated at Montana State University the following fall. She quickly discovered the nursing program was not for her so she made her way to Seattle, checked into the Y and got herself a job as a switchboard operator for Pacific Bell. Marriage took her to the Methow Valley in 1965. When things didn’t go as planned, she found herself a new path.

In 1978, Charlene started working as a para-educator at Allen Elementary School. She continued to pursue her higher education at every opportunity and earned her teaching certification in 1989. For the next 20 years, she taught primarily fourth grade for the Methow Valley School District. Char-

SENIOR NEWS

August is going fast. It won’t be long until it will be time for the Western Sale on Labor Day weekend, Sept 3. Lots of great things have been collected. Then the next weekend will

lene was a dedicated and passionate teacher who challenged and nurtured her students. She believed there was no such thing as finished and did her best to instill that love of continued learning in everyone who entered her classroom.

Charlene was a witty and wonderful woman — a grammarian, doggerel poetess, stubborn task-mistress, devoted friend and cutthroat rummy player. She will be missed. Maybe now — when she talks to the trees — they’ll listen!

Charlene is survived by her son, Timothy, his wife, Lisa, and their son, Cole; and her daughter, Stacey and her husband, John Moss. There will be an informal gathering to celebrate her life and toast her memory in the near future. Interment will be at Glacier Memorial Gardens in Kalispell, Montana.

kick off the Winter Sale, on Sept. 10. Both will be sidewalk sales, weather permitting. There will be bingo after lunch this Thursday.

Rosalie Hutson

Community Foundation of NCW awards grants

The Community Foundation of NCW has awarded $402,000 in Regional Impact Grants (RIG) to nonprofits addressing community needs and enhancing the quality of life in Chelan, Douglas and Okanogan counties, the foundation announced last week.

Methow Valley grants included:

• Classroom in Bloom, $4,000 to support its operations.

• The Methow Valley Beaver Project, $10,000 to support its beaver habitat restoration projects.

• The Pateros/Brewster Community Resource Center, $10,000 to supports its programs.

Also receiving grants were Okanogan Behavioral Health -

Care ($10,000); the Okanogan Economic Alliance ($10,000); the Okanogan Highlands Alliance ($10,000); the Okanogan Long Term Recovery Group ($10,000); Okanogan Regional Humane ($10,000); and the Okanogan Valley Orchestra and Chorus ($4,000).

The RIG provided core operating and project-specific support on a quarterly basis (from July 2021 to June 2022) for nonprofits through two funding levels ($4,000 or $10,000) depending on the size of the organization and the scope of their project or request. There were 55 grants awarded to organizations improving NCW communities, according to a foundation press release.

Throughout the year, the foundation received more grant requests than funding available — but, through the Partners in Giving fund, $40,000 in additional grants were able to be awarded, according to the release.

“Our Partners in Giving provide unrestricted gifts to the Foundation that allow the Board of Trustees additional resources to support grants, scholarships or leverage time-sensitive opportunities” said Beth Stipe, the foundation’s executive director. “Those flexible dollars allow us to make a greater impact in our region, and we are incredibly grateful for those donors that entrust us to make good use of their generous gifts.”

County seeks members for advisory committees

The Okanogan County commissioners are seeking volunteers for advisory committees for Methow Valley subareas B and C, which cover Winthrop and the lower valley.

The advisory groups will help identify a vision for land use. The groups can address things like how close houses can be to one another; set policies for employee housing and commercial development; or develop goals for roads and trails, recreational opportunities, desirable vegetation, and even the preservation of sounds of nature — in essence,

the important details that give the valley its character.

The county’s comprehensive plan directs the commissioners to appoint a diverse group of property owners for the advisory committees. The committees will help draft subarea plans, which would be adopted as amendments to the comp plan. The plan allows individual areas to create their own specialized plans to reflect neighborhood priorities. The plans wouldn’t apply to the county as a whole.

Subarea B takes in Winthrop

and the Chewuch and goes a little south of Twisp, and subarea C goes from south of Twisp to just north of Pateros, including Carlton and Methow. Subarea A, which goes from Mazama to Winthrop, already has an advisory committee appointed by the commissioners. If interested, request an application by sending your résumé and letter of interest to Okanogan County Planning Director Pete Palmer at spalmer@co.okanogan. wa.us. The deadline for applying is Sept. 15.

E T H O W V

Charlene Faye Thew

Mazama

The valley was lit up Thursday (Aug. 11) with the brilliance of the last supermoon for 2022. Four full moons qualified for the “supermoon” designation this year —– in May, June, July and August — by the “Old Farmer’s Almanac” broad definition that they reached 90% of perigee (the point in moon’s orbit where it is closest to Earth).

All supermoons have names that came from a variety of sources including Native American, Colonial American, and European. Last week’s supermoon is most commonly called the Sturgeon Moon named by the Algonquin people because the giant fish in the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain were most readily caught during this part of the summer.

Sturgeon are considered the largest freshwater fish in North America. They can grow up to 1,500 pounds and live to be 100 years old. These giant fish can be found in three rivers in Idaho –— the Snake, Lower Salmon and Kootenai Rivers — where Idaho Fish and Game strictly protects them. They are considered a world-class game fish; however, if caught, the fish must

Valley Life

be released unharmed. It is illegal to even remove them from the water (for photo op!).

Back to the supermoon: The Tlingit people of the Pacific Northwest traditionally call this moon the Mountain Shadows Moon. Appropriately, for the upper Methow valley, the moon sent its glow and its shadows over Grizzly Peak into the meadows below in a spectacular fashion.

If you travel the Methow Community Trail on foot, horseback, or bicycle from Mazama Trailhead to Wesola Polana, you will see the work of the Suspension Reach Fish Restoration Project. Eleven logjam structures near the Tawlks-Foster Bridge are visible. The project managed by the Yakama Nation in partnership with several private and governmental parties is restoring habitat for fish in the Methow River. The work thus far is quite impressive, as gigantic logs with root balls have been carefully placed by helicopter and secured along the banks. Once again trail etiquette reminders are in order. Our

multi-use trail system is world class. Whether you are walking, biking or riding on a horse, there are guidelines and common courtesies. All users yield to horses. Horses are 1,000 pound (plus) creatures that can hurt their riders and the other trail users if they are spooked by an unexpected quick movement; i.e., a bike racing up from behind or careening around a corner. Please be courteous, slow down, stop and ask riders how they would like you to proceed.

Bicyclists also are required to yield to folks on foot. There is never a reason to shout obscenities or other rude comments to others on or near the trails. Respectfulness and kindness be the guide.

You may have noticed the giant yellow duck with sunglasses around town. With the demise of the Bite of the Methow, Winthrop Kiwanis are ramping up the annual Duck Race by adding Duck Days activities at Mack Lloyd Park on Saturday, Sept.4, in addition to the race of the ducks in the Chewuch

TRY YOUR LUCK WITH THE DUCK

River on Sept. 5. This fundraiser is currently the primary source of revenue for the many projects for kids that the club supports

around the valley. Be sure and buy your tickets wherever the big duck is moored, at several businesses around town, or from any

Kiwanian. The first five ducks to cross the finish line will win cash prizes, including a first place prize of $500.

Annie says she tried to give up horses a couple of times, but it never worked. “Wherever I was, I wanted to be around horses.” She fell in love with the Methow Valley for several reasons, but its compatibility with a horsey lifestyle wasn’t insignificant in her decision to settle here.

Another local athlete is headed off to national competition in a couple of weeks.

Annie Budiselich — known to most as Annie B — and her horse, Brushy, have qualified for the American Eventing Championships, which is the pinnacle of the sport for national level riders. Held in Kalispell Montana from Aug. 30-Sept. 4, the championship events include cross country, dressage and show jumping.

Mack Lloyd Park on Sept. 4 from noon-4 p.m.

New Methow Valley Fund Advisory Board members named

The Community Foundation of NCW has selected new members for the Methow Valley Fund Advisory Board: Don Linnertz, Sara Steele, Kelly Wiest and Jacob Young.

The Methow Valley Fund was established in 2006 by donors who wanted to support the charitable causes that make the Methow Valley a thriving community, according to a foundation press release. The Methow Valley Advisory Board was created, comprised of local residents, to help inform grantmaking decisions through the fund.

Last year, the Methow Valley Fund received charitable

bequests by Ken Westman, Mike Real and David Walter that significantly increased its capacity for grantmaking and opportunities for making an impact in the community, the release said. The MVF advisers serve three-year terms. The new members:

• Don Linnertz is the former executive director of TwispWorks. He helped established the Methow Housing Trust, has served on the board of Methow Recycles, and serves on several other boards in the valley and Okanogan County.

• Sara Steele is a documentary filmmaker and experienced

in nonprofit communications. She works with many national, regional and local organizations.

A recent project was creating films for the Methow Headwaters campaign. She has served on the boards of Little Star and Blue Earth and is a Clean Air Ambassador for the Methow Valley Citizen’s Council.

• Kelly Wiesthas been an educator in the Methow Valley for over 15 years and now has two roles at Methow Valley Elementary School: she teaches fifth grade and acts as the Program Coordinator for the International Baccalaureate-Primary Years program. Before taking on the

coordinator position, she spent two years as an educator in India.

• Jacob Young is the general manager of the Old Schoolhouse Brewery. He has extensive experience in event management, logistics, and planning and guiding luxury cycling vacations. He volunteers with the Methow Housing Trust Policy Committee and the Winthrop Riverwalk Committee.

The new members join a team of current advisers including Sarah Brooks, Betsy Cushman, Jane Gilbertsen, Jay Lucas, Don Miller and Barry Stromberger. For more information, visit www. cfncw.org/methowvalleyfund.

Annie grew up in New Hampshire riding horses. “Both of my parents came from horsey families,” she said. “My grandmother rode, and my dad grew up farming with horses. I loved to ride the minute I tried it. My cousins and I were wild riders, just learning how to stay on top facing the right direction.”

Her obsession was nurtured by her parents. “I feel lucky to have been born into this family that ‘got it,’” she said.

Annie’s father owned and operated the local hardware store and lumberyard and, in typical New England fashion, worked six days a week. But he took Sundays off and went on early morning rides with any of his eight children who wanted to go.

“I always had access to riding,” Annie said. “It’s part of why I think Methow Valley Riding Unlimited (MVRU) is so important here. It’s for kids like I was — horse crazy. It’s important to have places where kids can come get their horse and pony fix.”

The American Eventing Championships is kind of like a triathlon, with a partnership between horse and rider. Upholding his end of the partnership, Brushy is, Annie says “like a golden-retriever trapped in a horse’s body — or half golden retriever, half tractor. He’s got a lot of athletic ability and he doesn’t get nervous. He was bred to do these kinds of events. He’s reliable but he can go fast if he needs to.”

A 12-year-old American Warmblood, Brushy was originally going to be ridden by Annie’s partner Bob. But as Bob got to know Brushy, he became convinced that Brushy was right for Annie. “Bob was relentless,” Annie says. “He kept saying, ‘He should be your horse.’”

“I had the horse of a lifetime at age 14,” Annie says, referring to her horse, Othello. “Now I have another one in Brushy.”

Between now and the national championships, Annie will continue training with Brushy at eventing centers, as well as taking clinics and seeking some coaching from her daughter, Tulie, an accomplished rider and trainer.

Two weekends ago Annie went to a United States Eventing Association-recognized event to see how she and Brushy measured up to the competition in terms of training techniques and skill level. Although they did quite well, finishing in second place, Annie says “I didn’t feel like I rode very well, so it’s good that we went. I’m out of practice. There’s still time to get my rear in gear between now and the championships.”

Twisp: Sarah Schrock sjschrock@yahoo.com

Winthrop: Ashley Lodato 996-3363 or ashleylodato@alumni.stanford.edu

Lower Valley: Joanna Bastian MethowJoanna@gmail.com

Mazama: Shelley Smith Jones smithjonesshelley@gmail.com

Shelley Smith Jones

Winthrop

Ashley Lodato

Photos by Shelley Smith Jones

The “Sturgeon Moon” over Grizzly Peak was the last supermoon of the year.

A logjam on Methow River near Tawlks-Foster Suspension Bridge is part of a fish restoration project managed by the Yakama Nation in partnership with several private and governmental parties.

Photo by Alisa Malloch

Winthrop Kiwanians Suellen White, left, and Lisa Johnson sold Labor Day Duck Race tickets under the shadow of a giant inflated duck in Twisp last weekend. Tickets are $5 and can be ordered online at https://winthropkiwanis.com/2022-duck-days. A new event, Duck Days, will be at