Methow Valley News, Aug. 16, 2017 by Methow Valley News

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Methow Valley News

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PUBLISHED WEEKLY SINCE 1903

TWISP, WASHINGTON

VOL . 115 NO. 15

WWW.METHOW VALLEYNEWS.COM

AUGUST 16, 2017

Winthrop hires award-winning state cop as marshal Past record was heavily researched, mayor says By Ann McCreary

Winthrop Mayor Rick Northcott said he “wrestled long and hard” with his decision to offer the job of town marshal to a decorated former Washington State

Patrol officer who has a misdemeanor criminal record, but feels confident that the new marshal will be a “good fit” for the town. Long-time state trooper Daniel Tindall, who has a home near Mazama, was scheduled to be on duty Wednesday, Northcott said Tuesday. He fills the marshal’s position that has been vacant since February; the job pays $63,000 per year. Northcott’s struggle with the decision

was due to the fact that Tindall pleaded guilty in June 2016 to a misdemeanor charge of rendering criminal assistance in a case that involved his teenage son. Northcott said he researched the circumstances of the charge and spoke with many people who know Tindall before offering him the job. Tindall comes to the job with 25 years of law enforcement experience, including working for 11 years on the Washington State Patrol’s executive protection

unit, where he provided security for the most recent three Washington governors. He received the patrol’s highest award, the Award of Honor, in 1993 for his actions on the Evergreen Point Floating Bridge across Lake Washington where a Department of Transportation employee had been shot at and others threatened. In a case that was widely reported in the media, Tindall and his wife were charged with evidence tampering and

criminal assistance in connection with an arson attempt by their teenage son in 2015. The evidence tampering charge was dropped, and Tindall pleaded guilty to second degree criminal assistance, according to court records. “I knew about it. It was public knowledge. It was in the New York Times, the Wenatchee World,” said Northcott. “Everybody knows about it. I’ve had See MARSHAL, A3

Diamond Creek Fire grows beyond wilderness, enters Eightmile drainage Cooler days, higher humidity help slow progress By Ann McCreary

The Diamond Creek Fire advanced south out of the Pasayten Wilderness and into the headwaters of the Eightmile drainage last weekend, and fire crews are working to hold the fire along fire lines about three miles south of the Billy Goat Trailhead. On Saturday (Aug. 12), crews were able to conduct a burnout in the vicinity of the fire lines and create a blackened zone where the fire’s southern perimeter has held, said Jim Archambeault, an information officer with the fire management team. Fire managers had originally hoped to do a burnout above Billy Goat trailhead, “but the fire aligned with wind and they were not able to do the burn,” Archambeault said. “The fire continued to advance down the canyon…and halted at some point between Billy Goat Trailhead and Copper Glance Trailhead.” Cooler temperatures and higher humidity that moved into the area over the weekend allowed crews to conduct a burnout and reduce fuels below Billy

Goat Trailhead, Archambeault said. Helicopters were dropping water on hot areas that are inaccessible to fire crews. “It hasn’t moved at all in any appreciable amount for four days,” he said. A cold front over the weekend produced a small amount of precipitation on Saturday, which “allows very fine fuels to be less receptive to fire,” Archambeault said. The fire was burning on 27,210 acres on Forest Service land as of Tuesday (Aug. 15) and was 8 percent contained. Command of the fire was expected to shift Tuesday from the Nevada Type 3 Team to the Southwest Incident Management Team 5, a larger Type 2 team, which was called in to manage additional resources that have been ordered, Archambeault said. As of Tuesday there were 239 people assigned to the fire, including six 20-person fire crews. Equipment included two helicopters, 15 engines, seven water tenders and three bulldozers. Crews are developing hand lines and bulldozer lines in Eightmile, Falls Creek, Cub Creek, Ortell and Goat Creek area, and tying together old roads, old skid trails, old harvest units and prescribed burns. “They are thinking about contingency lines, should the See FIRE, A2

ree k

Ashnola Mountain

Twisp opens next month, Winthrop has begun construction

Lar ch C

Little Star Montessori School is expanding childcare and early childhood education programs in the Methow Valley, with a focus on the

For more school news, see page A5 community’s youngest and most needy residents. A new early education and childcare center is nearing completion in Twisp, and groundbreaking has begun on a new classroom building adjacent to Little Star School in Winthrop that will be completed in 2018. Both facilities will

serve children 0 – 3 years old and their families. “We’re working to increase opportunities for early learning and childcare across our entire valley,” said Dani Reynaud, Little Star’s executive director. The projects in Winthrop and Twisp are the culmination of several years of information gathering and planning to address a critical shortage of affordable See SCHOOL, A2

Risk affecting access, cost of homeowners’ insurance

Riv er

Renewal criteria shrinks, policies dropped

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Eigh

Lo st

Little Star expands early education and childcare programs valley wide

By Ann McCreary

Drak e Cr eek

By Solveig Torvik

Cree sC

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Mazama 0

Photo courtesy of Lisa Northey

Two summer camp students at Little Star watch equipment breaking ground for a new school building next door, while other students are focused on a smaller scale construction project.

3 miles Graphic by Darla Hussey

The growth of the Diamond Creek Fire is shown in this overlay map. The pink boundary is the fire perimeter on Aug. 8, the orange boundary shows the fire perimeter on Aug. 15. ADDRESS LABEL

Early this spring, Ed Parker and Flora Abuan received a let ter f rom PEMCO, the decade-long insurer of their home on a hillside above Myer Creek up Twisp River. It said an inspector was coming to look at their property, which was damaged by the 2015 Twisp River Fire. They lost six outbuildings, a camper, truck and motorcycle but not their house — which Parker credits to Abuan’s well-watered garden that acted as a greenbelt adjacent to their home.

THURS.

FRI.

The company paid their claim, and Parker, a retired Methow Valley School District math teacher, has high praise for the company adjuster who handled it. PEMCO renewed their policy for 2016. But in May of 2017, the couple received another letter from the company that said: “Because of the increasing risk of wildfire in your area, your home no longer is eligible for coverage with PEMCO.” Since the 2015 fire, Parker and Abuan have had 42 trees removed from their 20-acre property. They have removed the wood siding from their house and replaced it with stucco. They’ve bought tools and equipment to help them clear brush and grass. But that work was not fin-

SAT.

SUN.

Photo by Solveig Torvik

Ed Parker sorts through his burned burned belonging after the 2015 Twisp River Fire. ished before the inspector arrived last April, and they have only one road into property. Although the insurer didn’t provide a specific reason for denying coverage, Parker says he thinks both may have played a role. Parker saw a news report that added to that conviction. According to the report,

MON.

TUES.

Aug. 17

Aug. 18

Aug. 19

Aug. 20

Aug. 21

Aug. 22

Abundant Sunshine

Plenty of Sunny

Mostly Sunny

Some Sun

Partly Sunny

90° 57°

90° 56°

86° 54°

88° 58°

83° 49°

WE ATHER DATA BASED ON ACCUWE ATHER .COM FOREC AST FOR T WISP

86° 46°

residents of a Firewise community in Plain, Washington, also lost their PEMCO policies despite having gone to considerable expense and effort to protect their homes from wildfire. Pa r ke r a nd Abu a n’s home now is insured by See INSURANCE, A3

INSIDE ... OPINION . . . . . . . . . . . SPORTS . . . . . . . . . . . . WHAT’S HAPPENING . ARTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CL ASSIFIEDS . . . . . . . . COMMUNIT Y . . . . . . . . VALLEY LIFE . . . . . . . .

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Wednesday, August 16, 2017

Methow Valley News

County imposing stricter rules for nightly rentals By Marcy Stamper

People who want to rent their homes to tourists are facing stricter county regulations and, at the same time, more competition from a glut of rentals — both legal and illegal — through online sites websites like Airbnb. Nightly rentals have always had to obtain water and safety permits from Okanogan County Public Health. But when property owners sought to renew those permits at the end of last year, they were required for the first time to get a signature from the county either the Planning or Building department certifying that their home was in a zone that allows nightly rentals. In the Methow Valley School District, those zones are very restricted; nightly rentals are allowed only in planned developments (PDs), which have special requirements that dictate larger lot sizes and open space. In the past, it was left to the property owner to take the initaitive to know what regulations applied and seek Planning approval; Public Health had no authority to regulate those permits, said Okanogan County Environmental Health Specialist Mike Harr. The stricter rules apply only to people renting a house for 30 days or less. Homeowners are

FIRE

From Page A1

fire decide to get up and move again,” Archambeault said. With the exception of the fire in the Eightmile drainage, the Diamond Creek Fire remains in the Pasayaten Wilderness. On the east and northeast and northern perimeters “the fire is very

SCHOOL

From Page A1

childcare for infants and toddlers in the valley. They are also the realization of a vision that Little Star’s founder, Rayma Hayes, held for decades, Reynaud said. Hayes founded Little Star in 1982 and taught there until her death from cancer in March this year. “It was Rayma’s dream to serve babies. From the Montessori perspective, everything begins when babies are born,” Reynaud said. “Rayma was with us every step of the way for the visioning, so it feels really good to know we are carrying her decades of work at Little Star forward. Building these spaces is the best way we can honor her legacy.” Hayes was able to see work begin on renovating space at TwispWorks for the Little Star South Collaborative (LSSC), which opens in September, providing childcare and education for four infants and 12 toddlers. The project is a collaboration of Little Star School, TwispWorks and Room One, the valley’s social services agency. An Early Childcare and Education Needs Assessment in 2015 called the shortage of affordable

permitted to do longer-term rentals without the health or planning sign-off. Homeowners who had been renting to tourists for years with approval from Public Health — and who already had bookings for the summer tourist season — were taken aback to find they might no longer be able to rent legally, said Kathleen Jardin, co-owner of Central Reservations. The Mazama Country Inn, which handles reservations for nightly rentals, has always required its homeowner clients to get permits from Planning and Public Health. “But people were confused, because the county didn’t necessarily educate them,” said Bill Pope, co-owner of the inn. Since the renewals went out, Okanogan County Planning Director Perry Huston has been trying to explain the new permitting process. But that process is far from streamlined. “I don’t even have a list of all the nightly rentals in the county,” he said. Some people who weren’t in a proper zone for nightly rentals have now switched to B&Bs, which are permitted in more zones but require the property owner to be on site, said Lauren Davidson, a planner for Okanogan County.

he said. Planning regularly gets complaints about properties people have found through Airbnb. “We have a hell of a time just trying to find out where they are,” said Huston. Listings often don’t include names or exact addresses, so it can be difficult to identify places rented through the online site. While some properties rented through Airbnb are legal and permitted, some are not. Various county departments have talked about ways of trying to police unpermitted rentals, said Davidson. County Commissioner Andy Hover suggested comparing photos on Airbnb with those in the county assessor’s files, she said. Jardin regularly fields calls from people considering buying a vacation property in the Methow who hope to rent it out. “The first thing I do is say, ‘Be sure you’re buying something that’s legal to rent,’” she said. “It’s a hot, debatable subject,” said Schulz. “People think they can do whatever they want with their house. But neighbors wonder about all the cars coming and going overnight.”

The problem with nightly rent-

als is that not all county departments have been enforcing regulations, said Dave Schulz, a former Okanogan County commissioner who’s served on the county’s planning commission for almost 50 years. Some people buy second homes in the Methow and plan to rent them overnight to tourists when they aren’t using them, said Schulz. “They don’t pay [lodging] tax and are making good money without being in compliance,” he said. The county commissioners directed Public Health to coordinate the permit applications because it was the only department that had been pursuing enforcements, said Dave Hilton, the county’s environmental health director. But “it’s not up to us to chase them down on the zoning,” he said. “Our concern was water and facilities.” Although it no longer has adequate staff to do regular enforcement, Public Health will investigate if it receives a complaint, said Harr. After the new round of applications went out, Hilton heard from several people concerned about the permitting change. “I can see both sides of the argument,” he said. For neighbors, having a rotating stream of strangers next door is a concern; on the other hand, some homeowners believe it’s their right to rent their property if they wish,

quiet,” Archambeault said. It has burned into old fire scars, including the Farewell and Falls Creek fires, or has burned into higher terrain with less fuel. On the northwest side there has been slow growth toward Cougar Lake, Island Mountain and Murphy Creek. On the west side there has been some growth in the Rampart Creek area. The Diamond Creek Fire was childcare and early childhood education a “crisis” that affects parents, employers and the health of the valley economy. The study found that up to 60 percent of children 5 and under do not have access to needed childcare services, with an especially critical need among 0 to 3 year olds, according to Elana Mainer, executive director of Room One. “We know that the lack of available, affordable, high-quality early education and childcare in our valley is a relentless struggle for many people,” Mainer said, and is particularly acute for low-income families, those needing care during irregular hours and those living in Twisp. Key recommendations of the needs assessment were creation of an early education center in Twisp and program expansion by Little Star in Winthrop.

Hard to enforce

Growing in Winthrop

The infant and toddler programs at both the new Twisp and expanded Winthrop campuses will follow the Montessori model of early childhood education that guides toddler, preschool and kindergarten programs at Little Star. Montessori education, as described by the American Montessori Society, is a childcentered approach that views

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border. The fire is expected to continue burning until there is what fire managers call a “season-ending event” such as a wetting rain or snow. A large fire area closure is in effect. Eightmile Creek Road (5130) is closed from West Chewuch Road (51) to Billy Goat Trailhead. The Ortell Road (5220) is closed from Cub Pass at the intersection with Sweet-

grass Butte Road (5220-100) to the Eightmile Road. Sweetgrass Butte Road is closed from Cub Pass at the intersection with Ortell Road to Sweetgrass Butte. The entire Falls Creek Road (5140) is closed. Information about the Diamond Creek Fire can be found at www.inciweb.nwcg.gov or on the Diamond Creek Fire Facebook page.

children as naturally eager for knowledge and capable of initiating learning in a supportive, thoughtfully prepared learning environment. It is an approach that values development of the whole child—physical, social, emotional and cognitive. Teachers are attending trainings and receiving mentoring in preparation for the new infant and expanded toddler programs, Reynaud said. Little Star expects to create up to 10 new jobs to serve the added programs, she said. At both Winthrop and Twisp, the schools will provide childcare for infants and toddlers from 7:45 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. every day, and the LSSC in Twisp will offer full-time childcare during summer. When expansion is completed, Little Star expects to enroll 125 students through the school and childcare programs. The new Winthrop building will open in September 2018, and include one infant and two toddler classrooms, a kitchen, a teachers lounge and the school administrative office, which will move from the current Little Star School building next door. It also will include a large “activity space” that will provide a play area when weather doesn’t allow outdoor activities, said Eric Godwin, head of a building com-

mittee overseeing the project. That space can also be used for community meetings and performances, Godwin said. Rayma Hayes, known for staging elaborate student plays, “always envisioned a place where you could get people together to put on a show,” Godwin said. The activity area will open onto an outdoor courtyard, Godwin said. Outside playgrounds will be designed for different age groups, and landscaping and pathways will connect the two school buildings. Designed by Winthrop resident Margo Peterson Aspholm of Prentiss Balance Wickline Architects, the building combines “modern and barnlike” qualities, Godwin said. Jeff Brown of Mazama is the builder.

“wrap-around” support through a family advocate who will help families address needs like housing, health insurance, volunteer legal services, mental health counseling and benefits through the state Department of Social and Health Services, Mainer said. The advocate will also direct families to things like free fresh produce, admission and gear for local outdoor activities, and tickets to arts and cultural events. The family advocate will adopt a “mobile advocacy” approach, meeting parents and families at their homes or in the community if that works best, said Adrianne Moore, associate director of Room One. The advocate also will work with teachers at the schools to identify needs of children and families and best ways to support them. Room One also plans to work with parents at LSSC to establish an advisory committee, which will examine the inequities and barriers the families face, and develop ideas for ways to address those issues, Moore said.

receive some kind of financial assistance. Little Star’s expanded early education and childcare programs complement initiatives undertaken by the Methow Valley School District in response to the 2015 needs assessment, said Superintendent Tom Venable. To complement the new and expanded programs, the Methow Valley School District will offer full-day Head Start programs for preschoolers beginning this fall, and has expanded afterschool childcare and enrichment programs for elementary students — both recommendations of the needs assessment. According to Superintendent Tom Venable, expanding early childhood education for the valley’s youngest children “may be the single most impactful investment (we) can make in support of its long-term health, wellness and economic vitality.” Venable cited a recent University of Chicago study that found a return of $13-$15 for every dollar invested in early childhood education, measured in terms of less crime, incarceration, unemployment and healthcare costs. “It’s hard to imagine a better, long-term, sustainable investment of our community’s limited resources,” he said.

Supporting families

A key element of Little Star’s expansion is providing support — both social and financial — for families of students, Reynaud said. LSSC has designated spaces for children who are part of Room One and other support services and will provide financial aid through a scholarship program. Through Little Star’s partnership with Room One, the families at LSSC will receive

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fire conditions with high temperatures, low humidity and extremely dry fuels that fed rapid fire growth. Fire managers focused early efforts on preventing the fire’s spread toward Canada, and succeeded in setting strategic fires to stop its movement north. The fire perimeter is about 12 air miles north of Mazama, and 5.5 miles south of the Canadian

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first observed on the evening of July 22 by a hiker, who climbed to a ridge to call in a report the next morning. It appears it was human-caused; an investigation is underway. The point of origin was at the bottom of Diamond Creek adjacent to the trail, where evidence of a campfire was found, according to Forest Service officials. The fire began under extreme

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“We’re more

As president of the board of the Methow Housing Trust, Pope brings another perspective to the debate. The trust was formed

Added confusion comes from a clause in the zoning code the county commissioners adopted last year that requires all nightly rentals in the Methow Valley that are not in planned developments to shut down as of Jan. 1, 2021. While the majority of nightly rentals in the Methow are in PDs, about two dozen are considered “legally pre-existing” — that is, they had already been operating when the county first required nightly rentals to be within PDs in the mid-1990s.

Half of the grandfathered nightly rentals are in that group. The rest were allowed to continue in the mid-2000s due to an error in the zoning code. Although the code was subsequently corrected, property owners who’d already set up nightly rentals were allowed to continue, said Pope. T he com m issioners had considered replacing the PD requirement for nightly rentals in the Methow Valley with conditional-use permits. The shut-down clause was proposed to give people time to get those permits, and Pope believes it was mistakenly left in the code even after the commissioners decided to continue PD zoning. “I’ve talked to a lot of people in the valley,” said Hover. “No one thinks the intent was to amortize legally pre-existing rentals.” For all the challenges, Jardin of Central Reservations, supports the county’s requirement for a sign-off from both Planning and Public Health. “The nightly rental business would be ginormous if the regulations weren’t what they are,” she said. “I think our county and our lifestyle will be better for it,” she said. “I’d rather have real neighbors,” she said. The planning commission will meet to consider zoning regulations again, but no date has been set, said Schulz.

Nightly rentals vs. yearround housing

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earlier this year to create affordable housing in the valley. If nightly rentals are allowed in any zone, it could have a big impact on affordable, long-term rentals, said Pope. “In the end, that’s what convinced the commissioners to maintain the status quo” and keep the PD requirement intact, he said. ”There’s also the effect on residential neighborhoods — they get hollowed out if they’re rented to other people for a short time,” said Pope. Jardin is concerned about the potential impact of unregulated nightly rentals on the valley’s housing market, because people can make so much more money renting to tourists. Nightly rentals in the Methow can bring in $110 to $180 per night, with some high-end homes charging $300 or more.

Shutting down rentals?

Investing in children

To assist families with tuition, Little Star is planning to expand its scholarship fund, Reynaud said. Up to 60 percent of the 125 students enrolled are expected to

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Methow Valley News

News briefs Comment on marijuana moratorium

Public input is sought about a moratorium on marijuana operations in Okanogan County that’s been in place until an advisory committee can review the county’s zoning and land-use policies. The six-month moratorium, which affects new operations to grow, process or sell marijuana, as well as the expansion of existing operations, was imposed by the county commissioners at the end of June. The moratorium was enacted following complaints from members of the cannabis industry and the general public. Members of the marijuana industry have complained that current land-use regulations do not provide an acceptable level of guidance and certainty for those applying for permits. Members of the public have said

Wednesday, August 16, 2017

that current land-use regulations concerning cannabis don’t provide adequate controls over where operations are located or provide enough controls over existing marijuana businesses. The commissioners are proposing an advisory committee with representatives of the cannabis industry and the public. The committee would review where marijuana businesses are permitted in the county and whether the permission would be subject to conditions. The hearing is Monday (Aug. 21) at 1:30 p.m. in the commissioners’ auditorium in Okanogan. Verbal testimony is limited to three minutes per speaker. Written comments may be submitted at the hearing or in advance to ljohns@ co.okanogan.wa.us. For more information, contact Planning Director Perry

INSURANCE

the other policies cost slightly less. “It’s about a wash,” she said. “I’m happy with it.”

Safeco — at a a higher cost. So is the home of former PEMCO customers Libby Hillis and John Sunderland, who live five miles up Lost River Road beyond Mazama. They were notified last fall that PEMCO would not renew their policy. Hillis and Sunderland created a Firewise home after they had to evacuate during a fire 15 years ago. Trees and vegetation were removed and there’s adequate access and turnaround space for fire trucks, says Hillis. They live in a riparian area with thimbleberry and snowberry bushes and a conifer forest 80 feet from the home. PEMCO again gave no explanation for not renewing coverage, but Hillis suspects their home’s distance from the Mazama fire station may have been a deciding factor. “I’d been with them for 29 years,” said Hillis, a woodworker who had five other policies with PEMCO — on three other homes and two vehicles — all of which she has since dropped. While she now pays slightly more for Safeco insurance on their primary home,

More restrictions

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MARSHAL

From Page A1

people come up to me and talk to me about it.” Northcott said he made the job offer only after speaking with numerous people in law enforcement and criminal justice who knew Tindall. “People stood up for him and said this (incident) wasn’t

In the wake of escalating losses from wildfires, home insurers are tightening their criteria for issuing policies, both for renewals and new policies. “They’ve become more restrictive,” confirmed independent agent Melinda Bourn, owner/ agent of VIP Cascades Agency (formerly Melbourn Agency). Homeowners in the Methow Valley who are dropped by their insurer still can get policies from other firms, some of which specialize in higher risk properties, Bourn said. But it’s likely to cost more. About a dozen people have come to the Bourn agency - the valley’s largest — after having their previous insurance dropped following the 2015 Carlton Complex fire, and all have found new coverage, added office manager Korrie Bourn. The agency does not represent companies such as State Farm or Farmers, which sell policies only through their own agents. PEMCO has not stopped selling homeowners’ policies in the Methow Valley, company in character … he was trying to keep his son out of prison,” Northcott said. “I would feel much differently if he had rendered criminal assistance to someone other than his family.” Okanogan County Sheriff Frank Rogers said Northcott called him “at least two or three times” to talk with him about Tindall, who worked for a while as a state trooper in this area. “I know a lot of guys around

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Huston at (509) 422-7218 or phuston@co.okanogan.wa.us.

Wedding/event center proposed

Okanogan County has issued a mitigated determination of significance in the environmental review of a proposal to use an existing barn as an event center for up to 12 weddings or other events per year. The facility would accommodate from 40 to 200 participants. The plans for Gardner View Ranch would also provide accommodations for up to two people. Gardner View Ranch is on the Methow River and accessed from the Twisp-Winthrop East Side Road, 1.3 miles south of Winthrop. The proposal envisions using an existing 36-by-48-foot barn on 18.5 acres (where there is also a residence), which adjoins

an undeveloped 10-acre parcel. Part of the property will continue in agricultural use. The proponent plans to use temporary portable bathrooms. The event center would be served by a group B water system using an exempt well. The county planning director issued a mitigated determination of significance because the water used for events would be from an interruptible supply. Outdoor lighting would need to be shielded to minimize glare and music and other amplified sound would have to end at 10 p.m. The proponents have applied for a conditional-use permit. The public can comment on the project in writing until Aug. 16. The public hearing has not been set, nor has review of the project itself. For more information or to

comment , contact Pam Wyllson at (509) 422-7122 or pwyllson@co.okanogan.wa.us.

Public comment sought on ATV road access

The public is invited to provide input at a public meeting on a proposal that would open some county roads in Commissioner District #3 (northeastern Okanogan County) to wheeled all-terrain vehicles (WATVs). Roads under consideration would have a speed limit of 35 miles per hour (mph) or lower. WATVs are a special class of off-road vehicles that have safety equipment such as lights and mirrors, plus a special license. The public meeting will be held at 6 p.m. Tuesday (Aug. 22) in the county commissioners’ auditorium in Okanogan. There will be a brief presentation about the road openings, fol-

Among factors driving the company’s decision not to renew some policies is “climate change” that has increased risks of wildfire in some areas, according to Wing. And even if a home has been brought up to Firewise standards, there is no guarantee it will be re-insured, he said. Some of the risk factors that might cause coverage to be declined: Steep terrain. “Dangerous terrain will likely only receive air support and if the planes are needed to support ground efforts they may not get any firefighting support,” Wing said. Narrow roads or just one road into a property. Extensive decking and soffits where embers may be trapped. Flammable materials near the home, such as wood piles and propane tanks.

When a homeowner seeks to buy fire coverage, the first thing an insurer does is check how far their residence is from the nearest fire station and how long it takes to travel that distance, according to Korrie Bourn. That initial readout alone can determine whether the request for coverage is accepted or declined by an insurer, she added. The Washington State Rating Bureau rates homes from 1 through 10 for insurance purposes based on distance from fire stations. Residents of Winthrop and Twisp rate 6 on that scale; people outside town limits rate higher. The higher the number, the higher the cost of insurance. And, perhaps, the higher the chances of being dropped from coverage. When people are rated 9 or

10, “That’s where the problems start,” Melinda Bourn said. All but one of the customers who came to her after being turned down for renewal due to fire risk had PEMCO policies, Bourn said; that person was insured by Nationwide. Farmers Insurance has not dropped any Methow Valley polices due to fire risk, according to agent Audie Gann in Omak, nor does it routinely send inspectors into high fire risk areas before renewing policies. State Farm did not respond to a request for comment. Several years ago Allstate started sending letters to its customers stating: “As part of your policy renewal this year, we have arranged for an exterior inspection of your home.” Allstate agent Dave Keen said that was done as part of an overall review of the company’s risk, and was not triggered by any specific risk in any locations. The majority of insurers now send inspectors to assess whether Methow Valley homes are acceptable risks for new fire insurance, according to Bourn, who sells policies for about 20 insurers. But she said inspections are becoming more common for renewals as

here who have worked with him over the years and have respect for him,” Rogers said. “I honestly think he’ll be a good fit for the town. He understands the dynamics” of law enforcement in the Methow Valley. With regard to hiring a law enforcement officer with a criminal charge on his record, Rogers said, “everybody has done stupid stuff.” The sheriff’s department won’t hire people who have a felony conviction, he said. But in the case of lesser offenses,”it doesn’t eliminate someone from applying.” Rogers recalled his own encounter with the law, many years ago, when he was charged with “minor in possession” of alcohol. He said he has fired some deputies for criminal offenses, only to have them returned to their jobs by arbitrators. “We live in glass houses,” he said. “We’re cops, but that doesn’t mean we don’t make mistakes.” Northcott said he has met with Tindall three or four times

and discussed past complaints against him, including the criminal assistance charge. Northcott said he also looked into an occasion in which Tindall had been reprimanded for “improper use of a patrol vehicle” that came up on a background check. “He was conducting private business using a patrol car,” Northcott said. He provided no details about that complaint. “I’ve asked point-blank questions,” he said. “I wanted to know the answers.” Tindall successfully passed a background check and polygraph and psychiatric tests required of marshal applicants, Northcott said. Although the mayor has full authority to hire the marshal, Northcott said he met individually with Winthrop Council members before hiring Tindall “to give my thoughts and get their thoughts.” Council member Joseph O’Driscoll said he appreciated Northcott’s decision-making

process. “I really respect the fact that he wanted to bring everybody in and get input. He went to Olympia to get some records that you have to look up yourself. He really went over it thoroughly.” “L oca l law en forcement … spoke well of him (Tindall) and had no qualms working with him,” O’Driscoll continued. “He probably made a mistake … but people deserve a second chance and he’s motivated.” Council member Ben Nelson said he supports Tindall’s hire: “It definitely gave me pause, but after learning a bit more about the situation, it seemed like it shouldn’t automatically preclude him from hire.” “It wasn’t an on-the-job kind of incident … and it was familyrelated and a little more complex than just looking at the police report. You take that into consideration,” Nelson said. “His work history as a whole” is positive. “He received high recommendations from local law enforcement

spokesman Derek Wing told the Methow Valley News. But it has decided that a “small percentage” of policy owners in rural Washington and Oregon whose properties fall “outside our profile” will not be renewed, with decisions made on a “case by case basis.”

Climate change

Home is in an isolated area. “Firefighting resources will be directed to higher population areas.” Fuel for fire. “Even though a customer may Firewise their property, adjoining properties may have significant combustible vegetation such as sagebrush or grass,” Wing said.

Page A3

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lowed by a question-and-answer period. Comments gathered will be used to draft a formal proposal for public review. The commissioners opened all roads and road segments with speed limits of 35 mph and below to WATVs in 2014, but the expanded routes were put on hold because of a legal challenge. The commissioners’s ordinance opening the roads was rescinded earlier this year after a ruling in the Court of Appeals ordered the commissioners to evaluate the potential environmental impacts from the vehicles first. The judge ruled in a lawsuit brought by the Methow Valley Citizens Council and Conservation Northwest. For more information, contact Planning Director Perry Huston at (509) 422-7118 or phuston@co.okanogan.wa.us. well, so even long-time customers should expect one. “They don’t like peeling paint. Or clutter and debris around the house. They like pride of ownership,” Bourn said of insurers. Other red flags to insurance inspectors: trees hanging over roofs or growing too near buildings, burnable vegetation growing near houses, and decks that are not screened to prevent blowing embers from igniting a fire. After inspections, some companies send customers letters explaining what they should do to their homes to qualify for renewal, said Bourne. Others don’t bother. Some insurers such as Safeco now offer customers in high-risk wildfire areas a free service that deploys a wildfire protection team from Wildfire Defense Systems, Inc., (WDS) when homes are threatened. WDF dispatches fire engines and personnel to prevent or mitigate damage, including removal of vegetation and application and removal of fire prevention gel on buildings. For the insurers, the cost of providing this service is less than paying claims for lost homes, said Korrie Bourn. “They pay a little to save a lot.” folks who had experience with him.” Northcott said input from people who know Tindall and his own assessment made him feel comfortable about “the high character of this man … I’m willing to take the chance,” he said. “Given his background of 25 years of experience … I just didn’t know if we’d get this kind of opportunity again,” Northcott said. Winthrop has been plagued with a long string of issues that have left the town’s police department understaffed or without any police officers at all on several occasions in recent years. Most recently, Marshal Hal Henning was fired in February by former Mayor Anne Acheson over an undisclosed personnel matter. Acheson subsequently resigned, largely because of ongoing controversy in the community and dissension on the Town Council over her decision to fire Henning. Winthrop has been contracting for police protection from Twisp since May.

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Opinion

Page A4

Wednesday, August 16, 2017

No Bad Days

On the inside, looking out

An extended hospital stay compresses every aspect of your life. You exist in a relatively small space that comes with necessary limitations. The outside world — even the hallway or the bathroom, if you are not very mobile — can seem unreachable. Watching TV — certainly the news, but even the commercials — is a reminder of just how small a patch of earth you inhabit. Time slows Don Nelson down, delineated by the expectation of required events — meals, medicine, blood draws, IV infusions, dressing changes, tests, checks on your vital signs. These happen at all hours, disrupting your rhythms. Meanwhile, the world outside continues at full speed. Your absence is duly noted, but things get done without you. It’s easy to feel left out, and left behind. Your emotions become self-centered, even as the support of family and friends overwhelms you with a gratitude you don’t have the energy to express. You want to not be sick and don’t have a lot of control over that. You want to think about what you’re going to do post-discharge, but it’s hard not to be consumed in the moment. In a complex full of several hundred people, you are predominantly alone. More than anything, you want to get out. By the time most of you read this, I will have been in Central Washington Hospital in Wenatchee for three weeks, and likely will be here for a few more. I don’t like being here and I miss life in the valley. But I don’t resent my stay, I don’t resist it and I am determined not to lament the lost time. There are many dedicated health care professionals here and they want to help any way they can. I intend to be a fully engaged partner with them in my recovery, to do what it takes to get as well as I can as fast as I can. If the people who are taking care of me are, when the time comes, happy to see me go, I want it to be because I’m healthy and ready, not because I was a pissy patient. Thanks to physical therapy and consistent — if incremental — healing, I am now allowed to rove the hospital without accompaniment, even go outside if I like. I can wear civilian clothes in the Transitional Care Unit, where I was transferred to a few days ago, after a week in the acute care surgical unit. I can buy a latte and a newspaper in the hospital’s main entrance lobby, or visit the cafeteria for snacks. The smallest things — walking; browsing the hospital gift shop; using the bathroom without assistance; getting calls, cards or visits from friends and family — take on outsized significance. That is as close to normal as I can approximate, and makes me yearn even more for the day I can return to the Methow community — a community where the true understanding of that word has been underscored in its attention to my sudden and sustained absence. I still tire easily but am finding moments of energy to do some work. In some meaningful ways, I feel like I’ve crossed over to the opposite side of sick — a good thing, but a challenge to my notoriously limited patience. Oddly, this is the second time I’ve been through such an episode — a virulent infection that required back surgery followed by weeks of intense IV antibiotics. Does it help to know the drill? Only in that I understand what’s going on and what’s necessary. I don’t waste time on “why me” introspection. Looking forward is the only workable frame of mind. Most of the time I’ve been here, the immediate outside world, viewed through my small windows, looks a lot like the Methow Valley and the rest of north Central Washington did. An acrid scrim of smoke from the Canadian wildfires settled and stayed. Temperatures nudged 100 degrees. Then on Sunday everything cleared up. I could see blue skies and lovely clouds. The temperature dropped and a breeze came up. Walking outside even for a few minutes reminded me that beyond the hospital campus lies the rest of the world. A world I am eager to return to. A world that, from here, seems limitless.

EXERCISE YOUR FREEDOM. Letters must be fewer than 350 words and may be edited for libel, grammar and taste. Send to: Methow Valley News, P.O. Box 97, Twisp, WA 98856, fax to (509) 997-3277, email editor@methowvalleynews.com or drop by 502 S. Glover St., Twisp

Methow Valley News PUBLISHED WEEKLY SINCE 1903

502 S. Glover Street • P.O. Box 97, Twisp, WA 98856 (509) 997-7011 • FAX (509) 997-3277 editor@methowvalleynews.com www.methowvalleynews.com Don Nelson, PUBLISHER/EDITOR Marcy Stamper, REPORTER Ann McCreary, REPORTER Matt Taylor, INTERN Darla Hussey, PUBLICATION DESIGN Rebecca Vaughan, OFFICE MANAGER Sheila Ward, SALES ASSOCIATE Dana Sphar, AD DESIGN•PRODUCTION Mark Hutson, DISTRIBUTION

CONTRIBUTORS:

Erik Brooks Joanna Bastian Mandi Donohue Ashley Lodato Sarah Schrock Tania Gonzalez Ortega Rosalie Hutson Solveig Torvik Dave Ward

Display advertising deadline for this newspaper is on the Friday previous to publication at 5 p.m. Classified advertising deadline is Monday at noon. The deadline for news items is Monday at noon. THE METHOW VALLEY NEWS (USPS Publication No. 343480) is published weekly by MVN Publishing, LLC, 502 S. Glover St., Twisp, WA 98856. Subscription rates: $33 inside Okanogan County, $44 outside of Okanogan County and $55 outside of Washington state per year (in advance). Periodical class postage paid at Twisp, Washington, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to THE METHOW VALLEY NEWS, P.O. Box 97, Twisp, WA 98856. THE METHOW VALLEY NEWS does not refund subscription payments except to the extent that the newspaper might fail to meet its obligation to publish each week of the individual subscription period, in which case the prorated cost of those issues missed would be refunded. Member of the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association

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Box 97: Letters to the editor

Methow Valley News

By Tania Gonzalez Ortega

Climate Solutions a breath of fresh air

Dear Editor: At a time when partisan divide leads the most pressing issues to an impasse in D.C., it is a breath of fresh air to see the newly formed Climate Solutions Caucus already in action, reminding us once again what can be achieved when both parties commit to work in a constructive, respectful and bipartisan manner. Since its beginnings within the 115th Congress, the Caucus has been rapidly growing, with an equal number of Democrats and Republicans joining, already reaching fifty two members. There was a beautiful display of unity when the Caucus recently voted unanimously against the amendment to strip out any mention of climate change as a national security threat in the defense bill, effectively blocking the amendment. In contrast, our congressman Dan Newhouse, who has yet to join the Caucus, voted “Yes” for the amendment, missing a golden

opportunity to score political points with his constituents. The hope is that with further growth the Caucus will have enough sponsors to introduce legislation that rapidly reduces our greenhouse gas emissions in the coming years, putting our great country on a path of sustainable economic growth pow-

ered by 100% renewable energy. Our congressman, who has never shied away from working across the aisle his entire political career, should not fall in the trap of partisan politics now. Instead he, too, should join the Caucus. Cigdem Capan Richland, Washington

What would the rural West do without volunteer firefighters? By Maddy Butcher Writers on the Range

If the universe wanted to challenge volunteer firefighters, it would arrange for a fire emergency right smack in the middle of a small town’s annual festival, when fire crews are busy helping run the parade and other events. In this case, lightning started a fire sometime between Saturday night and Sunday morning during Mancos Days, a July celebration in this town of 1,400 in southwestern Colorado. Five members of the 15-member Mancos Fire and Rescue crawled out of their beds and responded when the wildfire was reported at about 5:30 a.m. on Sunday, July 30. As if to test their mettle, smoke was coming from a hard-to-reach cranny of a canyon, with steep terrain full of scrub oak, cedars and pine at an elevation of 7,800 feet. The blaze was also close to homes and less than a mile from the harsh remnants of the devastating Weber Fire, which burned 10,000 acres and caused dozens of evacuations five years ago. Massive fires tend to dominate the headlines. But people often forget that even the biggest conflagration starts out as a flicker, and that the first sighting is often responded to, not by helicopters and Hotshots, but by local volunteers with day jobs. Before sunup in Mancos that Sunday, the crew headed east up Highway 160 in three Type 6 brush trucks, specially outfitted pickup trucks loaded with 200 gallons of water and many yards of hose. They continued as far as they could on private gravel roads, and got closer

in an all-terrain vehicle driven by a local resident. Then they bushwhacked for 30 minutes to get to the fire, according to Mancos Assistant Fire Chief Ray Aspromonte, who was on the crew. Aspromonte, who works in town as a diesel mechanic, was joined by Gene Smith, a machinist in a local lumber mill; Tavis Anderson, a welder for a local construction company; David Franks, a park ranger at Mesa Verde National Park; and Drew Simmons, a planner for neighboring La Plata County. Of the approximately 30,000 fire departments nationwide, nearly two-thirds are run solely by volunteers, according to a 2017 study by the National Fire Protection Association, a Massachusetts nonprofit established in 1896. In communities with populations under 2,500, more than 90 percent of the fire departments are all-volunteer. By about 8 a.m., at the site of the fire, the crew had felled a burning tree and dug a perimeter around it. The plan was to monitor the blaze. Lacking much water, they hoped that the tiny but volatile fire would sputter out from lack of fuel and lack of wind. They’d carried in 15 gallons of water weighing 125 pounds, along with fire shelters, tools, first aid kits, and the chainsaw. They rested briefly before picking up hoes and Pulaskis to resume their work. Most members of this crew are married, with children, and have been responding to calls for years. They are a busy bunch, attending training sessions every Monday and handling calls almost every day. Last year, they handled 340 calls within a district that spans about 200 square miles.

They were the first responders to the Weber Fire five years ago, and they stayed on it for 10 days. They responded to a ninealarm fire at the Western Excelsior mill this spring and to a recent double-fatality caused by a motor vehicle accident. After a man and his son died on Highway 160, firefighter David Franks realized that the pair, along with the rest of their family, had been part of a tour he’d led earlier of the Cliff Palace at Mesa Verde. As the sun climbed, the crew began dissecting the dead tree to locate its hottest segments. They split the wood and doused the embers with water. They extinguished any persistent flames and relayed information on their radios. Sometime after noon, they gathered their equipment and headed back to the trucks. Meanwhile, at the Mancos Days festival, the Water Fights, an annual contest between local fire departments, were underway. Firefighting teams from the towns of Mancos, Dolores, Lewis-Arriola and Rico competed, and the Mancos women’s team triumphed. Though there’s only one woman in the fire department, other firefighters’ wives joined her to complete the team. The men’s team fell to Lewis-Arriola in the finals. It’s unlikely that many spectators knew about the volunteers who’d been up before dawn to fight a nearby fire. “I’m sure there are some who don’t care,” said Aspromonte, but “most people seem to think we do good.” Maddy Butcher is a contributor to Writers on the Range, the opinion service of High Country News. She writes in Mancos, Colorado.

Montana shouldn’t hurry to hunt recovering grizzlies By Rick Bass Writers on the Range

There are maybe a thousand reasons to urge restraint on the part of the state of Montana — that it not rush into allowing trophy hunting of Yellowstone grizzly bears. The first is prudence, to avoid the risk of an economic boycott of the kind that Alaska experienced when it proposed wolf hunting back in the early ’90s. Science, too, should be an element in this discussion, despite the false testimony in the state Legislature that Montana’s grizzly populations are freely exchanging genes. This is simply not true; Montana’s three grizzly populations are more isolated than ever, not less. When the Yellowstone grizzly population is truly recovered, a key sign will be that more bears leave Yellowstone and travel successfully across their former range to breed with other populations. That is not happening now — not in Yellowstone, not in the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem, and certainly not in the Yaak Valley. There, the Forest Service has declared its intent to execute another kind of “taking” by giving passive authorization to trail building on public land. Trails mapped and co-opted by a thru-trail hiking association, the Pacific Northwest Trail Association, will send thousands of thru-hikers into the heart of designated endangered Yaak grizzly habitat. Another reason why Montana shouldn’t leap into killing grizzlies is that the planning for hunting the bears has not been deliberate or thorough. You might almost say that the state’s wildlife agency is behaving in a half-cocked manner. What will become of wounded bears that go back into the park? What will Montana deer and elk hunters

do if they come upon wounded bears in our woods? No one knows. Multi-state management of Yellowstone grizzly habitat that encompasses millions of acres is the definition of balkanization, especially after the tribes and many federal biologists are cut out of the discussion. Montana doesn’t need to be a leader in this kind of fragmented management, which exudes more of the scent of politics than science or emergency management measures. What’s the rush? This is how mistakes get made. For instance, many of the proposed hunting districts west of Yellowstone are in the very corridors grizzlies would be using to accomplish one of the goals of their not-yetachieved recovery — expansion into other ecosystems, such as the Bitterroots. But perhaps the clearest reason not to rush into a trophy season may be the most bureaucratic: No one knows if Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke’s order to delist the grizzly will hold up in court. Some scientists have compelling scientific data — not just math and numbers, but true science — showing the scale and dynamics of a population in peril. Age demographics of the Yellowstone population, distribution by age and sex, isolation from all other populations, and the collapse of the whitebark pine are all very real parts of this science, weakening dramatically the one-dimensional — though easily digestible — snapshot-in-time numbers. Modeling by David Mattson, former member of the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee and former biologist for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, shows that a grizzly trophy hunt would result in adult male grizzlies becoming extinct in the Yellowstone ecosystem outside park boundaries within eight years. Another issue is global warming, which

has not been scientifically factored into the delisting and hunting proposal, but is instead being brushed entirely aside as a non-issue. This would not be surprising in a Donald Trump administration, but Montana is its own place, independent and, many of us like to think, fairly wise. Implicit in the decision by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to drop grizzlies from the endangered species list is the assertion that global warming isn’t really happening, and that even if it is, it’s not a bad thing. Regardless of where one stands on the issue of trophy-hunting Yellowstone’s grizzlies, I’d like to know how it helps bears, or for that matter Montanans, to open a hunting season we know full well is quite likely going to trigger an injunction from environmental groups, possibly culminating in a legal reversal. It seems like a lot of unnecessary effort and energy and stress. For now, the state of Montana should do the prudent thing, and abide. We don’t have to be in a rush to be the first to be wrong, certainly not with so vital and integral an ecological driver as the grizzly. The rush to get a hunting season out this year is unseemly. If this were a less politicized animal, one wonders whether a more involved discussion and examination would take place. These are hard times. Leadership with dignity and caution is greatly desired in this matter, as is the wisdom of the courts. Much has been said on both sides of the issue, but nothing has been decided yet. In the meantime, the rush to a trophy grizzly hunt makes no sense. Rick Bass is a contributor to Writers on the Range, the opinion service of High Country News. He is a writer and board member of the Yaak Valley Forest Council.

Methow Valley News

Wednesday, August 16, 2017

Page A5

District emphasizes technology and reading in coming year opment as a reader or in math,” said Venable. “The technology Technology and reading top itself is not the goal — the goal the list as educational priorities is to develop readers, writers and the Methow Valley School Dis- mathematicians who can think trict gears up for the new school critically and solve problems.” Smith-Rouse will address year. sp e ci f ic ne e ds The district has of teachers and hired Liberty Bell classes, compleHigh School grad menting the work Jessica Sm ithof D r ew Si m Rouse as technolmons, who takes og y i nt eg r at ion on an expanded specialist to incorrole as the direcporate the latest tor of teaching and technology in all learning/technolsubjects. For many ogy and categoriclasses that means cal programming. providing computSi m mons is ers and software. charged with creBut the push to Jessica Smith-Rouse ating a curriculum bring technology up to date will also encompass for students from pre-kinderspecialized equipment used in garten through 12th grade that construction, photography and in incorporates technology and culinary arts, said Methow Val- computer science, said Venable. ley School District Superinten- As part of this effort, the district will evaluate research on the dent Tom Venable. Smith-Rouse, who spent eight appropriate level of technology years teaching in Omak, will for its youngest students. The district is also buying 120 work closely with teachers and students to make technology a laptops — adding to the 300 purregular part of instruction at all chased in recent years — which moves it closer to the goal of havschools in the district. Learning to use technology “is ing a computer for every student. no different than a student’s devel- Students will be able to check

By Marcy Stamper

out the laptops for home use. The beefed-up program will also include adaptive technologies for students who need specialized accommodations. Smith-Rouse’s position and the computer purchase are funded by the $2.2-million technology levy approved by voters in 2016.

New science teacher

Liberty Bell welcomes Genny Rice as a new science teacher. Rice, who has taught sea kayaking and mountaineering at the Northwest Outward Bound School in Mazama for the past eight years, replaces Melody Beavon, who retired after 16 years with the district. Rice, who has degrees in music and biology, specializes in outdoor education. She was a fieldscience instructor for NatureBridge, where she led outdoor classrooms Genny Rice in Olympic and Yosemite national parks, and was an educational naturalist in the Puget Sound area.

The district is still recruiting a reading enrichment coordinator to work with elementary students, primarily in after-school activity clubs and child care program so students won’t miss other classes during the regular school day, said Venable. The reading specialist will be hired through the Washington Reading Corps, a division of AmeriCorps.

IB authorization

Just a few weeks after the new term begins, the district will host two teams from the International Baccalaureate (IB) organization, who will evaluate the district’s progress in meeting IB guidelines. After two years as a ca nd id ate school for the primary years (kindergarten through sixth grade) and middle years (seventh through 10th grade), the district applied for formal authorization this past spring. The IB program emphasizes the interdisciplinary nature of subjects. For example, teachers organize

Key school dates: First day of school

Liberty Bell Jr.–Sr. High School

Tuesday, Sept. 5

Methow Valley Elementary Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., starting Aug. 21: Register, update information, pay for lunches More information: 996-2186

lesson plans around a central idea, using topics like science, music and phys ed to show how the subject recurs in different fields. The teams will assess each program in two separate two-day visits. “The intent is to describe what they see and the next steps, not to say ‘You’ve made it,’” said Venable, who said that even if the school receives formal authorization, teachers will continue to develop new IB units and refine existing ones. The decision on authorization is expected next spring.

New buses

The district got delivery of three new school buses this week. Added to two buses

Wednesday – Thursday, Aug. 23 – 24: Register (new and returning students), update information, pay lunch and activity fees More information: 996-2215 bought last year, that brings new vehicles in the 13-bus fleet to five. The district plans to purchase three more buses next fall, so that 80 percent of the 10 main routes will be served by a new bus, according to Bud Hover, the district’s director of operations and capital projects. Three older buses are still on hand for emergencies. The oldest buses have already been sold as surplus, said Hover. Purchase of new buses is supported by a $800,000 voterapproved levy. Former bus driver Bill Bailey has stepped into the job of mechanic, replacing Rand Martin, who retired earlier this year. Robert James has been hired as a bus driver.

New preschool options include full-day Head Start By Marcy Stamper

Methow Valley Head Start, the free pre-school program that prepares kids for kindergarten through instruction in vocabulary and math, socialization and physical activities, has expanded to a full day this year — and there are still openings. Head Start reserves the majority of its slots for children from families in poverty or who have other challenges, but there are also places available for children who don’t meet those federal guidelines. The program in the Methow Valley accommodates up to 18 children from ages 3 to 5. The local Head Start program — based at Methow Valley Elementary School — received a $234,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Education last year, allowing it to expand from four to seven hours, five days a week. “This is the only full-time program in the county. We’re pretty excited,” said Vicki Good, program director for Head Start/ Early Head Start in Okanogan County. The full-day program will have structured small- and largegroup activities, as well as opportunities for kids to pursue things

they’re curious about, said Good. Children will also get breakfast, lunch and a snack. In addition to classroom activities, Head Start assists families with parenting skills, goal-setting, and connecting with social

“There’s the

potential that a child can be enrolled from before they’re born till kindergarten. — Vicki Good, program director for Head Start/ Early Head Start in Okanogan County

”

services, said Good. The Methow’s Early Head Start program is also taking new enrollments for children from birth to age 3, including prenatal mothers. The Early Head Start teacher makes weekly home visits, which focus on parent-child interactions and child develop-

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ment. They also have twicemonthly group activities and field trips for socialization. “There’s the potential that a child can be enrolled from before they’re born till kindergarten,” said Good. The expanded Head Start program will have two teachers — one in the morning and one in the afternoon — plus a full-day assistant and two aides who will help in the classroom and on the bus. Head Start teachers Summer Treise and assistant teacher Charlotte Wilson are both returning, as is Early Head Start teacher Jennifer Ellsworth. Head Start is integrated with the Methow Valley School District’s International Baccalaureate (IB) program, and the teachers meet weekly with other school staff. Like IB, the Creative Curriculum used in Head Start encourages questioning and exploration and builds activities around children’s interests, said Good. To be eligible for Head Start, families generally must meet income guidelines based on the federal poverty level. For all six Head Start programs in the county, 55 percent of families must be at or below the poverty line, 35 percent can earn up to 130 percent of the poverty level, and 10 percent have no income cap, said Good. This distribution

Photo courtesy of Methow Valley Head Start

Kids in Head Start are introduced to reading and math, and also have time for physical activities and play. applies to the entire county, not the individual Head Start programs. The 2017 poverty level is an annual income of $20,420 for a family of three and $24,600 for a family of four. People may be facing risks other than income — for example,

loss of a home or health issues, said Good. “We strongly encourage everyone to apply. We want to serve the children and families who need us most,” she said. The expansion of Head Start is one of several initiatives undertaken by the school district after a 2015 assessment found a

widespread need for affordable childcare and early childhood education in the Methow Valley. To apply for Head Start, call 996-2202. For Early Head Start, call 997-0019. Information and applications for both programs are also available through the county office at (509) 826-2466.

Motorcyclist killed in accident on Twisp-Carlton Road

A Mesa, Arizona, police officer was killed in a motorcycle accident that occurred Monday (Aug. 14) while he was riding on Twisp-Carlton Road, Okanogan County Sheriff Frank Rogers said in a press release Tuesday (Aug. 15). Kurt A. Carlson, 42, was riding with two other friends when

the accident occurred at about 7:10 p.m., Rogers said. According to Rogers, Carlson apparently became separated from his companions. When they realized he was not behind them, the other two riders backtracked and found the accident scene in the vicinity of 887 Twisp-Carlton Road, Rogers said.

First responders found Carlson and his motorcycle, a Honda ST1300, in the Methow River, the sheriff said. Carlson was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the release. “It appears that Carlson had lost control and left the road, and went down an embankment into the river,” Rogers said. “It

is unknown what caused Carlson to leave the roadway, but there were no skid marks or any other vehicle involved in the collision.” Rogers said the accident remains under investigation by the sheriff’s office and by Okanogan County Coroner Dave Rodriguez.

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Page A6

Wednesday, August 16, 2017

Sports & Recreation

Smoky air sends local athletes indoors to catch a breath of fresh air By Matt Taylor

While the Methow Valley got a brief break over the weekend from the smoke, the clear conditions did not last. With the return of poor air quality, valley athletes and coaches wait and adapt, hoping for a more permanent reprieve. “This is definitely a challenge for our teams,” said Liberty Bell Athletic Director Chase Rost. “We’ll get by, but it’s a pain.” With practices for all high school fall sports starting within the week, coaches are apprehensive. According to state guidelines, outdoor practices are only permitted as long as air

quality is measured below 150 ppm. In recent weeks, air quality has consistently been measured above that threshold. Indoor practices present coaches with unique challenges. “We don’t have room to do certain things you can do outside,” said Liberty Bell Football coach Bob Bucsko. “We’re really hoping the air is clear by then,” said the Mountain Lions’ women’s soccer coach, Lincoln Post. If not, “we’ll just have to adapt.” Rost anticipates that the conditions will be particularly challenging for the school’s cross country runners. “I don’t know how many laps they would have to run around the halls to get a full workout,” he

said. Though conditions are less than ideal, the smoke shouldn’t put Liberty Bell athletes at a competitive disadvantage. All of the Mountain Lions’ competitors are struggling with similar conditions. “We have to remind ourselves that we’re not the only ones,” said Rost. The Methow Valley Nordic Ski Team, which trains year round, has also been forced to take extreme measures to adapt to the challenging conditions. “When we’ve been there [in the valley], we’ve had to cancel workouts,” said coach, Leslie Hall. Many athletes, determined to not derail their training, are doing workouts, including distance and interval

training, on treadmills in gyms. The team’s camp, hosted every August at Lake Pearrygin, was relocated at the last minute to Oakridge, Oregon, a small town west of the Cascades near Salem. Despite the move, the camp retained the majority of its participants. Competitive athletes are not the only ones who been affected by the smoke. Business is booming in valley gyms. “We’ve definitely had more drop-ins,” said Brett Kokes, co-owner of Winthrop Physical Therapy and Fitness. “On your average day we’ll have 3-5 non-members come in. Recently, it’s been closer to 5 – 10.”

Methow Valley News

Sports briefs State seeks comment on outdoor recreation plan

The Washington State Recreation and Conservation Funding Board wants to know what you think the priorities should be for outdoor recreation. They have a draft plan with priorities and actions, viewable at www.rco. wa.gov/StateRecPlans, designed as a guide for the next five years. Comments can be submitted to policychanges@rco. wa.gov or by mailing them to Recreation and Conservation Office, P.O. Box 40917, Olympia, WA 98504. Comments are due September 10, 2017.

Physicals for high school athletes

Family Health Centers in Twisp is offering free sports

physicals for high school athletes until Sept. 15. Call (800) 660 – 2129 for an appointment. Students need not be Family Health Centers patients to make and appointment. The physicals are also being offered in Tonasket, Omak, Brewster and Bridgeport.

Liberty Bell Junior/High School student athletes can now register online for sports activities through FamilyID at sports/ activities at www.familyid.com/ methow-valley-school-district. For families that do not have access to the online program, there will be access available at the high school during the Aug. 23 – 24 registration session between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.

BACK TO SCHOOL BACK TO SCHOOL Liberty Bell Jr/Sr High School Registration Information

OPEN HOUSE BBQ Wednesday, September 6, 5:30pm to 7:00pm Registration at LBHS for new and returning students: Wednesday, August 23, 2017 9:00am to 3:00pm Thursday, August 24, 2017 9:00am to 3:00pm (Schedule changes may be made with Mrs. Knob during registration) NEW AND RETURNING STUDENTS: Complete the Registration Packets at registration The school supplies provided by the district may be picked up at this time Skyward Family Access: Verify and update all student information, phone numbers, emergency contacts and email addresses within Skyward. For assistance, call Jill White at 996-2215 or email jwhite@methow.org. TO PAY FEES: Food Service: Fees will be available at registration General Fees: The following fees may be paid with one check (separate from Food Service) ASB: ASB Activity Card (required for all sports) Each Sport: (Football, Volleyball, X Country, Soccer, Basketball, Wrestling, Track, Tennis, Softball, Knowledge Bowl) Traffic Safety (1/2 required to start class) PSAT Test: Wednesday, October 11, 2017 (Waiver available for qualifying students) Yearbooks will be ordered online at TreeRing.com Softcover, approximately $25.00 HS Edition Hardcover, approximately $30.00 School pictures: Wednesday, September 6, 2017 (Each student will receive a free photo ID card) 2017-2018 SCHEDULE: First Day of School: It is a White Day: Daily Schedule Classes: Morning Break: JH & HS Lunch:

$50.00 $35.00 $460.00 $15.00

Liberty Bell Junior/Senior High School 18 Twin Lakes Road, Winthrop, WA 98862 www.methow.org • 996-2215

Anyone interested in helping students with school supplies or sports fees can do so by making donations to the InvestED Grant. Please contact Debbie Bair for details. 996-2215

Supply Information

LIBERTY BELL WILL BE FURNISHING THE FOLLOWING SUPPLIES THIS YEAR:

Binders, dividers, notebook paper, pencil pouches, pencils and pens, and composition books.

Methow Valley Elementary

Registration and Supply Information FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL Tues, Sept. 5, 2017 Daily Classes: 8:30am to 3:10pm

All student supplies will be furnished by the school this year. FOOD SERVICE: Fees will be available at registration OFFICE REOPENING: Monday, August 21 Open Monday through Friday 9:00am to 3:00pm

Tuesday, September 5, 2017 Blocks 5-8 8:24am to 3:20pm 9:41am to 9:51am 11:58am to 12:38pm

DONATE TO HELP STUDENTS

Liberty Bell Jr/Sr High School

bookbags, notebooks, calculators and pens, late nights studying and good memories with friends

Returning families may come in during this time to update contact information and pay lunch money. New families are welcome to register their child during office hours.

Methow Valley Elementary School 18 Twin Lakes Rd, Winthrop, WA 98862 www.methow.org • 996-2186

Methow Valley School District No. 350 Contact Information

2017-2018 School Bus Routes To view: go to www.methow.org

Liberty Bell Jr.-Sr. High, Winthrop 996-2215 • Deborah DeKalb, Principal Methow Valley Elementary, Winthrop 996-2186 • Robert Winters, Principal MV Independent Learning Center, Twisp 997-8006 Superintendent’s office, Winthrop 996-9205 • Tom Venable

KINDERGARTEN: Kindergarten Orientation Camp Thurs., Aug. 31, 9:00am to 12:30pm at MV Elementary School FIRST DAY oF KINDERGARTEN Mon., Sept. 11, 2017 • More info at methow.org

Methow Valley News

Wednesday, August 16, 2017

Page A7

Costly repairs covered by Friends of the Pool “helpers” By Ann McCreary

One donation at a time, from as little as $10 to a whopping $50,000, Friends of the Pool has raised all the money needed to pay for last year’s repairs to the Wagner Memorial Pool in Twisp. Friends of the Pool recently received a final donation toward

the $189,000 spent last year to repair leaks in the 51-year-old pool. “We just asked nicely, and people came through,” said Patty Yates, president of Friends of the Pool, a local nonprofit organization devoted to sustaining the public swimming pool. “We got a check for the final amount,

Photo courtesy of Lori Rodio

Treading water provides a workout to participants in a morning water aerobics class at the Wagner Memorial Pool.

$1,548, three weeks ago,” Yates said. Twisp officials have been grappling with the pool leakage problem for years, and determined that the pool needed to be resurfaced to repair cracks in the plaster lining that were the suspected culprits for the water loss. The lining of the pool had deteriorated so badly that officials were reluctant to fill the pool until repairs were made. But lack of adequate money in the town budget jeopardized opening the pool at all last summer. As they have in the past, Friends of the Pool stepped up and offered to raise the money needed for repairs. The organization got its started about 13 years ago when the Twisp Council threatened to keep the pool closed in order to balance the town’s budget, Yates said. “We said how much money do you need to open the pool?” Yates said. “We thought we’d be done really quickly. Whatever they needed, we just went out and got it. There’s not a municipal pool in this country that pays for itself. They all need help, so we’re the helpers.”

How are the pool’s helpers so successful at raising money? “We write letters. We pigeonhole people. We make lists of people we’d like to ask. We just keep asking. We are beggars,” Yates said. “We’re good. But you know who’s really good? This whole valley.” Yates and several other members of Friends of the Pool are fans of the morning water aerobics classes. But she said the real motivation is helping children learn to swim. “People understand how important it is to have our children learn to swim. We have rivers and lakes everywhere. That is my main message to people,” she said. “Of course, it’s important the aerobics ladies get their chance too.” Donations for last year’s pool repairs came from many sources, including the Winthrop Kiwanis. Many donors, including a $50,000 contributor, requested to remain anonymous, Yates said. Money came in from as near as Lost River and Pateros to as far as Seattle, North Carolina and Arizona. Many of the more distant donations came from people

who have lived in the valley, or have family here, she said. As part of their fundraising efforts, Friends of the Pool several years ago initiated a project that sells colorful painted fish with donor’s names on the concrete wall at the pool entrance. Yates, an artist, has been the primary fish painter. Many businesses have purchased the fish as advertisements, and pay Friends of the Pool each year. Other fish are purchased by family members and friends in honor of someone. “We have family fish, grandparent fish, grandchildren fish,” Yates said. Twisp has faced a perennial issue in maintaining the pool, which serves not only Twisp residents but the entire valley. A foundation created by Ernst and Kathrine Wagner, after whom the pool is named, provides about $16,000-$17,000 a year for pool operations and scholarships for swim lessons. The resurfacing work that was completed last year appears to have successfully stopped leaks from the structure of the pool, said Andrew Denham, Twisp

public works director. However, there still seems to be some leaking in the pool’s pressurized circulation system. That leaking was more noticeable at the beginning of the summer, and has decreased as the season has gone on. The overall water loss “is significantly less than last year,” said Denham, who said the source of the leak will be investigated. Friends of the Pool recently paid for a new cover for the kiddie pool, and to upgrade the reel that winds up the cover on the main pool. Those funds were raised during last fall’s Give Methow campaign, conducted by the Methow Valley Fund. While committed to keeping the outdoor pool open every summer, Yates said Friends of the Pool has a grander vision – a year-round, indoor pool. “What we really need is a big fat endowment,” she said. “We just have to gear up for someone to give us $1.5 million.” For information about Friends of the Pool, call 997-2910. Donations can be made to Friends of the Pool, P.O. Box 438, Twisp, WA 98856.

BACK TO SCHOOL BACK TO SCHOOL The Master’s Christian School

Methow Valley Community School

Registration and Supply Information

Call 997-4060 to apply for any level

ENROLLMENT IS STILL OPEN! Join our crew of learners! We currently have space for students in grades 1-4. Applications can be found at our website or by contacting the school. Scholarships are available.

KINDERGARTEN: Crayons & washable markers - 8 basic colors only #2 pencils Glue pen Tennis shoes

OPEN HOUSE, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 30, 5-7PM We are excited to introduce our new teacher, Michaela Precourt! Visit the school, meet our Staff and Board, and hear about the year’s Expedition and other curricular offerings.

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL - Wednesday, September 6, 2017 K-12 Registration open year round

GRADES 1 – 12: King James Bible - large print #2 pencils (No Mechanical pencils for Grades 1 and 2) Eraser - pink or white Three 1-subject notebooks Tennis shoes Crayons (Grades 1 & 2) or colored pencils Blue ink pen Clipboard Ruler with centimeters Glue pen 5X7 pencil box

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2017 Supplies are provided by the school for a small fee.

The school day runs from 8:30-3:00, and our school year follows the Public School Disrtict’s calendar. Bussing is available from most locations in the valley. Contact the school for more information.

The Community School offers experiential, project-based learning with a focus on local and global communities, the natural environment, and whole child development. We have a strong arts program, including painting and drawing, drama, music, fiber arts and crafts. Students spend one day a week outdoors ‘learning in the field’, and one afternoon a week working in the garden at Red Shed or cooking in the school’s kitchen.

201 S. Methow Valley Hwy. PO Box 546, Twisp, WA 98856 www.mvcommunityschool.org 997-4447

GRADES 7 – 12: One 5-subject notebook (returning students have one at school) 3 folders Compass & protractor Calculator - high school only Please, no tape, staplers, staples, extra tacks, paper clips, or white out. If mechanical pencils are used, the students must provide their own lead. MCS has plenty of scissors.

997-4060 1119 N. Methow Valley Hwy. Twisp, WA 98856 Registration Is Open for the 2017-18 School Year

WELCOME BaCk!

t Greaol Scho Year!

An Eclectic Shopping Adventure...

Scar ves, jewelr y, leg g ings, and more

Open Monday - Saturday 509.997.0416 • 117 West 2nd Ave, Twisp

HOMETOWN PIZZA The coolest accessories

25 YEARS!

Grades 1-6 Schedule a Visit!

THANK YOU for your support!

Scholarships Available

dine in•take out take ‘n bake

Open House • August 30 Wednesday, 5-7pm

997-2100

Stop by and meet our teaching staff!

MV Community Center, Twisp (Lower Level)

Children Welcome

For More Info: 997-4447 • mvcommunityschool.org

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Backpacks, lunch boxes, alarm clocks and more.

THROUGH SEPT. 23

What’s Happening Wednesday, August 16, 2017

Meetings, etc.

WALKING THE WILD EDGE: Art that explores the wild side of life; at Confluence Gallery. Free. 997-2787. Hours vary ART EXHIBIT: Biota by Stephanie Hargrave runs Aug. 12 to Sept. 23 at Confluence Gallery. Free. 997-2787. Hours vary

and other weekly things Wednesday 8/16 AWANA: Games, songs and story time for 3-year-olds to 6th graders, at Cascade Bible Church, Twisp. 977-8312. 6:30-8pm WINTHROP TOWN COUNCIL: At Winthrop Barn Hen House. 996-2320. 7pm EAGLES AUXILIARY: Meeting at Eagles Hall, Twisp. 322-3341. 7pm LBHS BOOSTER CLUB: Meeting at LBHS library. 996-3766. 7pm

WEDNESDAY AUG. 16

FREE SKATING FOR KIDS: Kids 17 and younger roller skate for free at Winthrop Rink. 996-4199. 4-8pm

THURSDAY AUG. 17

SPINNING: Bring your wheel and join other spinners at Twisted Knitters at 109 N. Glover St., Twisp. Free. 997-0233. 1-4pm ULTIMATE FRISBEE: Play pick-up games of ultimate Frisbee at Twisp Town park. Free. 449-2346. 5:30pm COUNTY HISTORY: Jon Hawley presents “Signs and Wonders: An Okanogan County Pilgrimage,” at Twisp library. Free. 997-4681. 6pm ROCK: Stubborn Son plays the Old Schoolhouse Brewery. No cover. 996-3183. 7pm SOUTH AMERICAN SOUNDS: Arco Voz, a group including New York jazz violinist Jim Nolét and popular Brazilian singer Marcia Lopes, performs at the Merc Playhouse. $12-15; firefighters free. (800) 838-3006 or www.brownpapertickets. com. 7pm DRUM CIRCLE: Drum circle around the fire pit at Methow Valley Ciderhouse, Winthrop. Free. 341-4354. 7:30pm PRESENTATION: Stories and inspiration from the Methow’s Wild Side, hosted by Methow Conservancy, in conjunction with art exhibit; at Confluence Gallery. Free. 997-2787. 7:30-9:30pm

FRIDAY AUG. 18

BASKET WEAVING: Experienced weaver teaches ancient art of weaving baskets from pine needles at the MV Interpretive Center. $10. 9970620. 12-4pm VALLEY TEEN CENTER NIGHT: Teens can drop by for games, socializing and a meal, at Valley Teen Center on TwispWorks campus. Free. 449-8041. 4-9pm TOWN HALL: Democratic candidate for 4th Congressional district, Christine Brown, holds a town hall at MV Community Center. Free. (509) 433-8550. 6 pm NOBACON: Danbert Nobacon, eclectic English folk rocker, at the MV Ciderhouse. No cover. (509) 341-4354. 7pm AMERICANA: Alki Jones plays the Old Schoolhouse Brewery. No cover. 996-3183. 7pm

SATURDAY AUG. 19

METHOW VALLEY FARMERS MARKET: Local produce, arts and crafts, food and music at MV Community Center, Twisp. Free. www. methowvalleyfarmersmarket.com. 9am-noon MAJESTIC METHOW WRAP UP: National Forest Foundation celebrates five years of habitat restoration at Mazama Country Inn. Free. pshannon@nationalforests.org. 1:30-3:30pm MUSIC: Rico Stover and Joe Marver at Twisp River Suites. Free. 997-0100. 5-7pm LOCAL ROCK: "Honey and the Killer Beez" at the MV Ciderhouse. $5 cover/under 13 free. (509) 341-4354. 7pm

SUNDAY AUG. 20

FREESTYLE DANCE: Drop-ins welcome, at the Twisp Movement Studio, $5. 996-2017. 9-10am WINTHROP MARKET: Food vendors, local arts and crafts and entertainment at Mack Lloyd Park, Winthrop. Free. www.winthropmarket.com. 10am-2pm

TUESDAY AUG. 22

ADVENTURE READING PROGRAM: For home-schooled kids ages 7-14 at Twisp library. Free. 997-4681. 11am

Photo courtesy of stubbornsonmusic.com

Rebellious rockers

Stubborn Son plays the Old Schoolhouse Brewery on Thursday at 7 p.m.

WEDNESDAY AUG. 23

BASICS OF MEDICARE: Learn about Medicare in seminar at Pateros Brewster Community Resource Center. Free. 670-1381. 6pm CRUISE-IN: Classic cars, trucks, motorcycles and more are welcome, hotdogs and pop available, at Twisp Airport. Free. 6-8pm

THURSDAY AUG. 24

STORIES AND SONGS: With Rico Stover at Twisp library, for all ages. Free. 997-4681. 11am SPINNING: Bring your wheel and join other spinners at Twisted Knitters at 109 N. Glover St., Twisp. Free. 997-0233. 1-4pm MODEL STRUCTURES: Make a model structure with architect Margo Peterson-Aspholm at Winthrop library. Free. 996-2685. 3-5pm ULTIMATE FRISBEE: Play pick-up games of ultimate Frisbee at Twisp Town park. Free. 449-2346. 5:30pm BASICS OF HEALTH CARE: Seminar on health care options, at Pateros Brewster Community Resource Center. Free. 670-1381. 6pm DRUM CIRCLE: Drum circle around the fire pit at Methow Valley Ciderhouse, Winthrop. Free. 341-4354. 7:30pm

AUG. 25–27

MOUNTAINFILM ON TOUR: Three nights of select films from Mountainfilm, at Mazama Trailhead, near the Mazama Ranch House. $8-$35. northcascadesmountainhostel.com. 8pm

FRIDAY AUG. 25

PINE NEEDLE BASKETS: Learn the ancient art of pine needle basket weaving at MV Interpretive Center. $10. 997-0620. 12-4pm VALLEY TEEN CENTER NIGHT: Teens can drop by for games, socializing and a meal, at Valley Teen Center on TwispWorks campus. Free. 449-8041. 4-9pm

SATURDAY AUG. 26

CUTTHROAT CLASSIC TRAIL RUN: 11mile trail run through the North Cascades. $75. 996-3287. 8am METHOW VALLEY FARMERS MARKET: Local produce, arts and crafts, food and music at MV Community Center, Twisp. Free. www. methowvalleyfarmersmarket.com. 9am-noon HALF-PRICE SKATING: Half-price off of roller skating admission and rentals for adults at Winthrop Rink. 996-4199. 4-8pm MUSIC: Rico Stover and Joe Marver at Twisp River Suites. Free. 997-0100. 5-7pm

SUNDAY AUG. 27

FREESTYLE DANCE: Drop-ins welcome, at the Twisp Movement Studio, $5. 996-2017. 9-10am

WINTHROP MARKET: Food vendors, local arts and crafts and entertainment at Mack Lloyd Park, Winthrop. Free. www.winthropmarket.com. 10am-2pm NATIVE HISTORY: Dr. Karen Capuder presents “Unceded territories: A brief history of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation” at MV Interpretive Center. Free. 997-0620. 5-6:30pm LAST SUNDAY PRESENTATION: Topic and speaker to be announced, at MV Interpretive Center, Twisp. By donation. 997-0620. 5pm

TUESDAY AUG. 29

ADVENTURE READING PROGRAM: For home-schooled kids ages 7-14 at Twisp library. Free. 997-4681. 11am READING PROGRAM PARTY: Summer reading program party at Winthrop library. Free. 996-2685. 2pm

WEDNESDAY AUG. 30

SUMMER READING PARTY: Twisp library's summer reading program party and craft day at MV Community Center gym, for all ages. Free. 997-4681. 11am

THURSDAY AUG. 31

SPINNING: Bring your wheel and join other spinners at Twisted Knitters at 109 N. Glover St., Twisp. Free. 997-0233. 1-4pm ULTIMATE FRISBEE: Play pick-up games of ultimate Frisbee at Twisp Town park. Free. 449-2346. 5:30pm DRUM CIRCLE: Drum circle around the fire pit at Methow Valley Ciderhouse, Winthrop. Free. 341-4354. 7:30pm

FRIDAY SEPT. 1

VALLEY TEEN CENTER NIGHT: Teens can drop by for games, socializing and a meal, at Valley Teen Center on TwispWorks campus. Free. 449-8041. 4-9pm

SEPT. 2 – 3

METHOW VALLEY RODEO: At rodeo grounds on Twin Lakes Road between Twisp and Winthrop. $10. www.methowvalleyrodeo.com. 1pm

SATURDAY SEPT. 2

BOOK SALE: at MV Community Center Gym. $1 or less. 449-2594. 8:30am-12:30pm METHOW VALLEY FARMERS MARKET: Local produce, arts and crafts, food and music at MV Community Center, Twisp. Free. www. methowvalleyfarmersmarket.com. 9am-noon MUSIC: Rico Stover and Joe Marver at Twisp River Suites. Free. 997-0100. 5-7pm

SUNDAY SEPT. 3

FREESTYLE DANCE: Drop-ins welcome, at the Twisp Movement Studio, $5. 996-2017. 9-10am

Stand out from the crowd!

Thursday 8/17 GERMAN CONVERSATION: An informal group of conversational Germanspeakers at all levels. Rocking Horse Bakery, 265 Riverside Ave., Winthrop. 557-5769. 9-10am SPINNERS & WEAVERS: Meets at 137 Old Twisp Highway. 997-5666. 1pm FOOD BANK: “More than just food” at The Cove, 128 Glover St., Twisp. 997-0227. 1-4pm METHOW WATERSHED COUNCIL: Discuss implementation of plan at 206 Glover St., Twisp. 341-4260. 5-7pm FIRE DISTRICT 6: Training and meetings at local fire halls. 997-2981. 6:30pm Friday 8/18 BINGO: Play at Eagles Hall, Twisp. 997-8133. 6pm Saturday 8/19 OKANOGAN COUNTY DEMOCRATS: Meeting locations vary, call 826-9492. Noon AMATEUR RADIO: Anyone interested in ham radio invited to a meeting at Hometown Pizza, Twisp. 996-2545. 5pm Sunday 8/20 FAMILY CAREGIVERS: Support group meets at Room One. 997-2050. 1-2:30pm Monday 8/21 COUNTY COMMISSIONERS: Open meeting, Okanogan County Admin. Bldg., 123 Fifth Ave. N., Okanogan. 422-7100. 9am-5pm SPEAK FRENCH: Revive or improve your French in Hank's deli. 997-0717. 4:30-5:30pm GAME NIGHT: Darts, cards and free pool at Eagles Hall, Twisp. 997-8133. 5:30pm Tuesday 8/22 WINTHROP KIWANIS: Meets at the Winthrop Barn. 997-1086 or 997-5666. 7am TOPS: Take Off Pounds Sensibly at MV United Methodist Church, between Twisp and Winthrop. 997-2242. 8:30-10am COUNTY COMMISSIONERS: Open meeting, Okanogan County Admin. Bldg., 123 Fifth Ave. N., Okanogan. 422-7100. 9am-5pm TWISP TOWN COUNCIL: Meets at Town Hall. 997-4081. 5:30pm Wednesday 8/23 WOMEN RECOVERING FROM ADDICTION: Support group at Room One. 997-2050. 9:30–11am CLOSET QUILTERS: Open studio, 309 Highway 20, Twisp. Free. 997-7020. Noon-5pm NOXIOUS WEED CONTROL BOARD: Commissioners’ hearing room, County Courthouse in Okanogan. 422-7165. 4pm MV SCHOOL BOARD: Meeting in the school district office. See agenda: www. methow.org, click “District,” then “School Board.” 996-9205. 5:30pm AWANA: Games, songs and story time for 3-year-olds to 6th graders, at Cascade Bible Church, Twisp. 977-8312. 6:30-8pm MV EAGLES AERIE #2584: Meeting at Eagles Hall, Twisp. 997-8133. 7pm Thursday 8/24 GERMAN CONVERSATION: An informal group of conversational Germanspeakers at all levels. Rocking Horse Bakery, 265 Riverside Ave., Winthrop. 557-5769. 9-10am SPINNERS & WEAVERS: Meets at 137 Old Twisp Highway. 997-5666. 1pm FOOD BANK: “More than just food” at The Cove, 128 Glover St., Twisp. 997-0227. 1-4pm FIRE DISTRICT 6: Training and meetings at local fire halls. 997-2981. 6:30pm Friday 8/25 BINGO: Play at Eagles Hall, Twisp. 997-8133. 6pm Monday 8/28 COUNTY COMMISSIONERS: Open meeting, Okanogan County Admin. Bldg., 123 Fifth Ave. N., Okanogan. 422-7100. 9am-5pm

MIRAGE THEATER

Friday 9/1 BINGO: Play at Eagles Hall, Twisp. 997-8133. 6pm Monday 9/4 COUNTY COMMISSIONERS: Open meeting, Okanogan County Admin. Bldg., 123 Fifth Ave. N., Okanogan. 422-7100. 9am-5pm AMERICAN LEGION AUXILIARY: Unit 120 meets at Winthrop Barn.996-3522. Noon SPEAK FRENCH: Revive or improve your French in Hank's deli. 997-0717. 4:30-5:30pm GAME NIGHT: Darts, cards and free pool at Eagles Hall, Twisp. 997-8133. 5:30pm WINTHROP BARN: Board meeting. 996-2117. 6pm BEAVER CREEK CEMETERY: Board meeting at Cascade Center, 125 Hwy. 20, Rm. 2. 997-3569. 6pm Tuesday 9/5 WINTHROP KIWANIS: Meets at the Winthrop Barn. 997-1086 or 997-5666. 7am TOPS: Take Off Pounds Sensibly at MV United Methodist Church, between Twisp and Winthrop. 997-2242. 8:30-10am COUNTY COMMISSIONERS: Open meeting, Okanogan County Admin. Bldg., 123 Fifth Ave. N., Okanogan. 422-7100. 9am-5pm Wednesday 9/6 WOMEN RECOVERING FROM ADDICTION: Support group at Room One. 997-2050. 9:30–11am CLOSET QUILTERS: Open studio, 309 Highway 20, Twisp. Free. 997-7020. Noon-5pm AWANA: Games, songs and story time for 3-year-olds to 6th graders, at Cascade Bible Church, Twisp. 977-8312. 6:30-8pm WINTHROP TOWN COUNCIL: At Winthrop Barn Hen House. 996-2320. 7pm EAGLES AUXILIARY: Meeting at Eagles Hall, Twisp. 322-3341. 7pm EASTERN STAR: Meets at Masonic Hall in Okanogan. 997-2071. 7:30pm Thursday 9/7 WOMEN, INFANTS & CHILDREN: WIC help with nutrition, health care and food. Room One, 315 S. Lincoln, Twisp. 997-2050. Call for hours GERMAN CONVERSATION: An informal group of conversational Germanspeakers at all levels. Rocking Horse Bakery, 265 Riverside Ave., Winthrop. 557-5769. 9-10am

The Nut Job 2:

*all phone numbers are 509 area code except where noted

Comedy-Regina Hall, Queen Latifah, Jada Pinkett Smith 122 Min Fri: 7:15 • Sat: *3:15, 6:15, 9:15 R Sun: *3:15, 6:15 • Mon-Thurs: 7:15

Deadline: Fridays at 5pm

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108 N. Main

THE HITMAN’S BODYGUARD Action/Comedy-Ryan Reynolds, Samuel L.

Jackson, Gary Oldman Fri: 6:30, 9:30 • Sat: *3:00, 6:00, 9:00 118 Min R Sun: *3:00, 6:00 • Mon-Thurs: 7:00 www.omaktheater.com Adult $9.00 • Child $6.50 • Matinee $6.50 * G rated-Children under age 4 admitted * R rated-Under 17 with own parent, photo ID required

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Back on the field

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Mountain Lions drop home opener to Brewster

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PUBLISHED WEEKLY SINCE 1903

TWISP, WASHINGTON

VOL. 114 NO. 18

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SEPTEMBER 7, 2016

MV Citizens Council celebrates 40 years of activism

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Fight against ski resort launched broader agenda By Ann McCreary

For many Methow Valley residents, the battle fought over a downhill ski resort in Mazama is a distant memory, or was over before they moved here.

But lessons learned during that conﬂict still guide the Methow Valley Citizens Council (MVCC), created four decades ago to lead the ﬁght against the proposed Early Winters ski area. “Forty years is a long time,” said Maggie Coon, who helped found MVCC in 1976, and has been involved in the organization for 15 of its 40 years, including her current position as chairman of the MVCC board of directors. “MVCC has had significant influ-

ence on the way the Methow Valley has grown and developed over the last 40 years. We’ve helped … instill a culture of advocacy, which is very much alive and well in the Methow Valley today,” Coon said. One of those early environmental advocates was Isabelle Spohn, who learned about plans for a destination ski hill at Sandy Butte soon after moving to Mazama in 1978. Spohn became involved in the new grassroots

group ﬁghting the resort, and remained actively involved for 35 years. “It seemed to me that many people [in the valley] hadn’t seen that kind of [development] happen before, and didn’t understand how quickly something like that could happen,” Spohn said. “It had the possibility of having an enormous impact on the valley. It was so out of scale for the valley,” she said. Even before MVCC was officially incorporated in 1976, some local citi-

zens were raising alarms about rumors that Aspen Ski Corp. was making plans for a destination ski resort called Early Winters that could accommodate as many as 10,000 skiers a day — at a time when the entire population of the valley was only about 3,500 year-round residents. Bev and Jeff Zwar had recently moved to McFarland Creek when they

MON TWISP BAKE NA

50 Lost River Road

Thursday 8/31 GERMAN CONVERSATION: An informal group of conversational Germanspeakers at all levels. Rocking Horse Bakery, 265 Riverside Ave., Winthrop. 557-5769. 9-10am SPINNERS & WEAVERS: Meets at 137 Old Twisp Highway. 997-5666. 1pm FOOD BANK: “More than just food” at The Cove, 128 Glover St., Twisp. 997-0227. 1-4pm FIRE DISTRICT 6: Training and meetings at local fire halls. 997-2981. 6:30pm

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Wednesday 8/30 WOMEN RECOVERING FROM ADDICTION: Support group at Room One. 997-2050. 9:30–11am CLOSET QUILTERS: Open studio, 309 Highway 20, Twisp. Free. 997-7020. Noon-5pm AWANA: Games, songs and story time for 3-year-olds to 6th graders, at Cascade Bible Church, Twisp. 977-8312. 6:30-8pm

GIRLS TRIP

Horror/Mystery/Thriller-Stephanie Sigman, Miranda Otto, Lulu Wilson 110 Min Fri: 7:30 • Sat: *3:30, 6:30, 9:30 R Sun: *3:30, 6:30 • Mon-Thurs: 7:30

Mazama’s only gear & clothing shop!

Tuesday 8/29 WINTHROP KIWANIS: Meets at the Winthrop Barn. 997-1086 or 997-5666. 7am TOPS: Take Off Pounds Sensibly at MV United Methodist Church, between Twisp and Winthrop. 997-2242. 8:30-10am COUNTY COMMISSIONERS: Open meeting, Okanogan County Admin. Bldg., 123 Fifth Ave. N., Okanogan. 422-7100. 9am-5pm HOSPITAL BOARD: Three Rivers' Board of Commissioners in the McKinley Building Conference Room, 507 Hospital Way, Brewster. 689-2517. 11am

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SPEAK FRENCH: Revive or improve your French in Hank's deli. 997-0717. 4:30-5:30pm ELECTRIC CO-OP: Board meeting at the OCEC office, Winthrop. 996-2228. 3pm GAME NIGHT: Darts, cards and free pool at Eagles Hall, Twisp. 997-8133. 5:30pm

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Animation/Adventure/Comedy-Voices Of Will Arnett, Katherine Heigl, Maya Rudolph 91 Min Fri: 7:00 • Sat: *3:00, 6:00, 9:00 PG Sun: *3:00, 6:00 • Mon-Thurs: 7:00

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THESE BIG PIGS WENT TO M ARKET Bear Fight scientist discovers evidence of water on Ceres Vital information transmitted by Dawn mission spacecraft By Ann McCreary

Photo by Marcy Stamper Emily Paul put her pig, Darwin, on a diet to be sure it qualifies for the market auction. A high school junior, Paul said raising pigs for the fair has made a big difference in her college fund. In addition to the pig, she plans to exhibit homemade caramels.

Local 4-H swine raisers look forward to county fair, auction By Marcy Stamper

Cody Wottlin wrapped his shoelaces in duct tape because his pig Schnizel ﬁnds them so irresistible. But nibbling on the shoelaces is just for entertainment, said Wottlin, since Schnizel (formally known as Frederick Esquire III) is hardly lacking for nourishment. In fact, this year several of the pigs being raised by the Methow Valley Cascaders 4-H Club are on diets because they’re already nearing the maximum weight to be auctioned at the Okanogan County Fair. (Pigs need to be between 230 and 290 pounds to qualify for the market auction at the fair.) McKenna Ott is dealing with the opposite problem — she’s raising a pig from a late litter and it may not weigh enough for the auction. “You never know till you show up — as soon as you cross the scales,

there’s no turning back,” said Erin White, the 4-H swine leader. Every year there are a few pigs that don’t qualify for the weight class. “Kids are devastated, but the parents are a lot more devastated,” said White. “It’s hard to watch the kid put in all that work.” If a pig is over or underweight, the child can still compete in ﬁtting and showing, but will have to sell the animal privately, which rarely brings as much money as the auction at the fair. “It was a cake-walk with these pigs — you could go right up to them from two months,” said Wottlin, an eighth-grader who speculated that the pigs he and his brother raised this year were so calm because they’d been handled from birth. “They’re pretty goodlooking, too,” he said.

Learning experience

Methow Valley kids expect to bring some 6,000 pounds of pork to the county fair this year — 22 kids have spent the past six months raising pigs. “Kids tell their friends how fun it was, so lots join,” said White. It is not uncommon for kids to sell a

pig at auction for $4 or $5 per pound, and some have scored as much as $7 per pound, earning more than $1,000 to put toward a college fund or a car. The fair guarantees a price of 60 cents per pound, but that doesn’t come close to covering the typical $500 investment in the pig, food and supplies. Emily and Bodie Paul like pigs for their generally equable disposition and the ability to earn money for college. Their older brother raised steers, but steers demand a longer commitment and a bigger investment. They also tend to have less predictable personalities, said Emily, a junior in high school. She remembered one steer that was so gentle that her brother could read a book while lying on its back, but other steers would attack everything in sight, including the fence. 4-H exposes kids to a lot more than raising an animal. “It’s part of life — they learn that even if they feed the animals every day and do everything they’re supposed to do,” sometimes it just doesn’t work out, said See FAIR, A3

A scientist at the Bear Fight Institute near Winthrop has described the first and only confirmed detection of water-rich material at the surface of Ceres, a dwarf planet in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Jean-Philippe Combe authored a research article published Friday (Sept. 2) in the journal Science, detailing the discovery of water ice on Ceres. Information leading to Combe’s discovery was transmitted by NASA’s Dawn spacecraft, which is orbiting Ceres. The detection of water ice on Ceres is inherently intriguing, Combe said in an interview last week. “Anything that involves water is very interesting and exciting. Water is an essential substance in the general evolution of any planet, and also for the creation of life, the type of life that we know anyway,” Combe said. “Water in our solar system is potentially related to creation of life. You have to start with detection of H20 to go further,” he said.

That’s not to imply that Ceres provides any indication of supporting life, Combe said. Of interest, though, is the presence of the water ice on the surface of Ceres, Combe said. Planetary scientists have long suspected that the interior of Ceres is composed of large amounts of water or ice, Combe said. “We knew that from the measurements of density of Ceres there has to be some ice in the bulk of Ceres. It is not dense enough to be made entirely of rocks. The obvious component was ice,” he said.

A surprise

Finding the water ice on the surface was surprising, Combe said. The water ice was detected using a Visible and InfraRed Mapping Spectrometer (VIR) carried aboard the Dawn spacecraft, which began orbiting Ceres in March 2015. The VIR measures the sunlight scattered on the surface of Ceres in a range of wavelengths from the near ultraviolet to the near infrared. Data obtained through VIR reveals mineral and molecular composition, and in this case revealed the presence of water. The water ice was observed in a 10-kilometer-wide crater named Oxo. See CERES, A3

Photo courtesy of Bear Fight Institute Jean-Philippe Combe of the Bear Fight Institute near Winthrop has identified the presence of water ice on the dwarf planet, Ceres.

At 100, Enid Shaw reflects on a Methow Valley life well-lived

Friday night light

By Marcy Stamper

Photo by Don Nelson

“I don’t know if people are making a fuss, although I have seen more people than in a long time,” said Enid Shaw, just over a week shy of her 100th birthday. “It’s a lot of attention — that’s all I can tell you.” Enid Pauline Gobat was born in Pateros on Sept. 16, 1916, and grew up there, literally among horses and buggies. This week, she was visiting with her granddaughter Amber at her home in Carlton, sharing memories about a century of change.

when she was in her early 20s, after studying typing and commercial subjects in Spokane. She married Roy Richard Shaw (known as “Dick”) in 1937. They raised their five children in a rudimentary two-room cottage that had once served as a teacher’s residence at the old Beaver Creek schoolhouse. They used to carry water up from the creek in 10-gallon cream cans. “It was a hill to climb, but not bad,” said Shaw. Dick also hauled water from town when he went to work. When she was growing up, Enid’s

Photo by Marcy Stamper

Let Us Eclipse Your Expectations!

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Methow Valley News Wednesday, August 16, 2017

B Section

Eclipse viewing safety: Don’t look without proper eyewear Even — or perhaps especially -during an eclipse, looking at the sun with the naked eye can cause permanent damage to the retina. Those viewing next week’s total solar eclipse — likely to stare at the sun for an extended time — are encouraged to take extra precautions to ensure their safety. The eclipse will only be safe to look at with the naked eye during the one to two-and-a-half minutes of totality. Since the Methow Valley will never experience totality, it will not be safe to view the eclipse from here with the naked eye at any time. The eclipse should only be watched through certified glasses. Normal sunglasses, welding goggles or welding masks are not sufficient. When wearing eclipse glasses, the only thing visible should be the sun.

Some viewers recalled The path of totality, described here by a grayed band, will pass over mid-Oregon early in the day.

Map courtesy of NASA

Millions prepare for rare solar eclipse “Path of totality” will cross from Oregon to South Carolina coasts By Matt Taylor

Next Monday, a rare and significant astronomical event will draw millions of Americans to a long strip of geography that cuts a horizontal arc across the heart of the country, from Oregon to South Carolina. This is the range for ideal viewing of what is being billed as the “Great American Eclipse,” and has captured the fascination of citizens and scientists from around the world. It will be the first total solar eclipse to completely traverse the continental U.S in recorded history, making it easily accessible and visible to millions. The last total solar eclipse was Feb. 26, 1979, but was fully visible across only a section of the Pacific Northwest before passing into Canada. Next week’s eclipse will cast its first land shadow in Lincoln City, Oregon,

and travel 1,660 mph towards the coast of South Carolina. It will cover 2,500 miles and pass over 14 states in just over one and a half hours. “It’s a huge deal that we can see this,” said Dave Ward, who writes an astronomy column for the Methow Valley News. A total solar eclipse occurs when the sun’s light is completely blocked out by the moon, essentially creating “nighttime in the middle of the day,” said Dr. Jean-Philippe Combe, planetary scientist and researcher at the Bear Fight Institute, a small research organization outside of Winthrop. The conditions necessary to create this effect are extremely rare. In order for this to happen, the sun, moon, and Earth need to line up exactly, and the moon must appear large enough in the sky to completely block the sun’s light. That makes for a rare occurrence, since the moon is approximately 400 times smaller than the sun, while the sun is 400 times further away from Earth. “It is an absolutely astounding coincidence,” said Ward.

MOON SUN EARTH Graphic courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

A total solar eclipse occurs when the sun’s light is completely blocked out by the moon

However, the orbits of the moon and Earth are not lined up, so “most of the time, the shadow of the moon misses the Earth,” said Combe. Additionally, the moon’s orbit is elliptical, meaning the moon appears to change size in the sky, depending on the day. If the apparent size of the sun and the moon doesn’t match, then a ring of direct sunlight is left around the shadow of the moon, negating the effects of totality. This is known as an annular eclipse. A partial eclipse happens when the moon passes in front of just a portion of the sun’s diameter. Because the moon is drifting away from Earth at a rate of a few millimeters per year, total solar eclipses will not happen forever. That won’t happen for an estimated 500 millions of years, give or take, but “enjoy it while you can,” said Dr. Tom McCord, director of Bear Fight Institute.

Total vs. Partial Eclipse

At 10:15 a.m. on Aug. 21, Americans gathered on the central Oregon coast will become the first people to witness the total eclipse. The edges of the sun will begin to be covered about an hour before totality begins, as the moon begins to pass in front of it. Approximately 5 to 10 minutes before totality, those gathered “will notice the light get very strange,” said Ward, the astronomy buff. “Even familiar objects will start to look alien.” The sky will turn a shade of blue “you’ve never seen before,” said Ward, and a series of strange patterns, known as shadow bands, will start to wave

As the eclipse drawers nearer, many advertised eclipse glasses have been recalled due to a lack of certification. Here’s what to look for to ensure glasses are certified: • ISO number 12312-2 • CE Marking • Produced by a reputable vendor Go to eclipse2017.nasa.gov/safety to view a list of approved vendors,

across the ground, “like little snakes.” These shadow bands are a result of wind in Earth’s upper atmosphere, and will closely resemble the moving patterns seen on the bottom of swimming pools, said the Bear Fight Institute’s Combe. Just before the moon completely obscures the light of the sun, the last few rays of sunlight will shine through the moon’s craters, mountains and canyons, creating an effect known as the diamond ring, or Baily’s beads. But even those filtered sun rays can cause serious eye damage, so viewers are warned not to remove their protective eyewear quite yet. Moments later, the shadow of the moon will completely obscure the sun, allowing for the viewing of the sun’s corona with the naked eye. “It is an extremely spectacular sight,” said Ward. “It’s the only time we get to see it.” From that moment on, totality will last for between one to two-and-a-half minutes. During this time, it will be as if night has temporarily settled over the landscape. The stars and planets will be visible, birds will return to their nests, and chickens and other barn animals will be drawn back to barns and coops. After a few minutes, the diamond ring will once again appear on the far side of the moon, and daylight will return. Unfortunately, the Methow Valley will not experience totality, so none

along with other safety tips.

The pinhole camera option

If you cannot acquire a pair of eclipse glasses by Aug. 21, you can still safely view the eclipse by making an eclipse projector, like an oldfashioned pinhole camera. To do so, you need: • An empty cereal box • One piece of white paper • Glue • Scissors • Aluminum foil • Tape • A small nail Glue the white piece of paper to the inside bottom of the box. Using the scissors, cut two rectangular openings on either end of the top of the box. Tape aluminum foil over one of the openings. Using the small nail, punch a hole through the foil. Standing with the sun to your back, hold the completed eclipse projector so the sun shines through the hole in the foil. Look into the box through the other opening, and move the box around until you find the image of the sun projected on the paper. This is an alternative, safe way to view the eclipse. Go to eclipse2017.nasa.gov/ how-make-pinhole-projector-viewsolar-eclipse for more information. of those effects will be observed here. Instead, locals can witness a partial eclipse, which will last for approximately two hours, but, “it will be a completely different experience,” said Combe. (That viewing still requires proper eye protection.) Here, 88% of the sun will be covered by the moon’s shadow. However, the sun is still powerful enough that it shouldn’t drastically impact light in the valley. “It will be hardly noticeable,” he said. “A partial eclipse is not 1/1000 as good as a total eclipse,” said Ward. He will travel to central Oregon, near Bend, to get the full experience. He is not alone. Many staff members and researchers at the Bear Fight Institute are traveling to the path of totality as well, journeying to prime viewing locations across the West. Towns across the path of totality are bracing for massive waves of visitors. With more than 1 million people expected to descend on Oregon alone, the Oregon State Department of Transportation is predicting the worst traffic in state history. Madras, Oregon, a town of just over 6,000 people that has been named the best place in the U.S. to view the eclipse, is expecting more than 100,000 visitors. But, don’t let that dissuade you. The next total eclipse visible from anywhere in the northwest won’t occur until August of 2044, when one will sweep across northern Montana.

Final all-school reunion attracts storytelling Yellowjackets By Karen West

Tall tales and insults flew around the Methow Valley Community Center gymnasium Friday (Aug. 11) as alumni of the old Twisp School started gathering for an open house at the former school’s final all-class reunion. Leroy Lemaster, Class of ’55, took

Virginia “Ginger” Howe Winters looks up her classmates in the 1959 yearbook.

one look at Les Taylor, ’52, and said, “You kicked me all over the football field.” That sparked a group reminiscence about how every boy played football and seniors initiated freshmen with some pretty rough treatment. But there were no hard feelings on Friday, just good-natured joshing and laughter. Lemaster, who has worked at Lakeland Village in Medical Lake, Washington, for the past 56 years, is the grandson of Cynthia Lemaster Bailey. According to early valley history, Bailey arrived in the Methow via horsedrawn stagecoach on a sweltering July day in 1910. She told people that after seeing rattlesnakes that first day she prayed all night that she’d live ‘til morning so she could leave “this boiling hell.” But she stayed and helped populate the place with kids and grandkids. She became known as the legendary “Mother of the Methow Valley” for her cooking at a string of cafes she owned and for her kindness. She fed all comers whether they could pay or not, including throughout the Great Depression. At the reunion, Lemaster recalled the delicious dinners and pies he ate at his grandma’s. “Your grandmother put the first clothes on my bare bottom,” added Taylor, who claimed he was born outdoors on a rock. Asked where he lives now, a straightfaced Taylor took full advantage of the moment. “I got me a hole dug in a bank out here. I crawl in and sleep on a buffalo robe, wrapped in a couple of bear skins.”

Then a twinkle lit up his eyes: “I live in a motorhome up the Twisp-Winthrop road.” “Heck,” said a bystanding crony, “I wanted to hear how you got the bear skins.” Donna Filer Schulz, Class of ’60, was a leader of the reunion organizing committee. “I grew up surrounded by men like these,” she said. “You could never believe anything they said.” Schulz, who has no regrets about returning home to Twisp after a stretch on The Coast, as natives of Eastern Washington call everything west of the Cascade crest. She has deep family roots here; the first Filer moved to the valley in 1888. Carol Filer, who married into the family, has been the all-class reunion ticket and money lady for some years, and maintains the official class records. Filer said the work of organizing reunions falls to aging alumni who live in Twisp, which is why this was the final all-class gathering. She and Schulz were assisted by Billie and Chas Somerville, Rita Hanan, Karen Dahl and Loretta Maltais. Friday’s open house was followed by dancing to live music by the Hottells, and a sold-out dinner on Saturday. The food was prepared by Kathy Borgersen’s Sunflower Catering. Her late mother was a Twisp School alum. Donn Bigelow, 91, who graduated in 1944, was the oldest Twisp High School graduate at the dinner, said Filer. Cecelia Stokes Campbell, 96, who graduated in

Photos by Karen West

Two sets of brothers and Les Taylor, on far left, joshed with each other at Friday’s open house. Taylor, Class of ’52, lives in the valley. The others are, from left, Leroy Lemaster, ’55, Medical Lake; Jim Lemaster, ’61, Conconully; Marv Johnson, ’62, Coulee City and Richard Johnson, ’55, Shelton. They swapped stories of their childhood days, when all kids played outside until dark and everybody helped each other. 1938, came for part of the day. The oldest surviving graduate is 104-year-old Helen Watson Krinke from the Class of 1931 who lives outside Twisp. She was unable to attend. Krinke and Campbell both grew up on Beaver Creek. Twisp and Winthrop school reunions gather more valley history into one room than you’re likely ever to find in one spot — descendants of first settlers and those who planted themselves here later as the valley grew. The former Twisp School building,

now the Methow Valley Community Center, opened in 1912 and housed all grades. The first eight grades were on the main floor and high schooler had the second floor and basement. The first high school commencement was in 1912 at the Twisp Opera House. There were 10 graduates, including a Filer. The last graduating class was 1973 just before the school district was consolidated and the rival Twisp Yellowjackets and Winthrop Pirates became the Liberty Bell High School Mountain Lions.

Arts & Culture

Page B2

Wednesday, August 16, 2017

Methow Valley News

Mountainfilm fest moves to Mazma, adds days By Karen West

The fifth annual outdoor Mountainfilm Festival is expanding to three nights at a new, larger venue. The festival, scheduled for Friday, Aug. 25 through Sunday, Aug. 27, will include two nights of feature-length documentaries and one night of short subjects, according to Paul Smotherman, who first brought a one-night festival to the Methow Valley in 2013. He also announced the festival’s move to a large field at the Mazama trailhead adjacent to the Mazama Ranch House, a more spacious site than Winthrop’s town park, where it was held previously. Smotherman, owner of North Cascades Mountain Hostel in Winthrop, personally selects the films. He said he used to choose from catalog descriptions but has attended the “inspiring” Tel-

luride Mountainfilm Festival in Colorado the last two years. HHe said he tries to see as many of the short-subject films as possible. This year he also screened two of the feature-length films to be shown in Mazama. Documentary films are submitted to the annual Telluride festival held each May. Following that festival a selection of films becomes available for tour to events worldwide. “We were just looking for traveling film festivals,” Smotherman said of the original idea to start the local Mountainfilm Festival in 2013. He liked what Telluride offered because it “seemed to be a little different and included cultural, enviro, and human interest films, not just sports.” Thus an annual event was born, more local sponsors signed on, the audience grew and one night has stretched to three.

Magic treehouse at the Merc

T he fol lowi ng prog r a m notes describing the films to be shown are condensed from more detailed information available at www.mountainfilm.org.

Friday, Aug. 25

“Fishpeople,” a Patagonia film, tells the story of surfers, a photographer and a swimmer, among others, who’ve found their purpose in the sea. “Into Twin Galaxies” follows a trio of Arctic explorers who cross 600 miles of glaciers and crevasses in Western Greenland to run an Arctic river that spits them into the Arctic Ocean.

Saturday, Aug. 26

A dozen short films will be shown. The selection focuses on individuals and groups passionate about their pursuits. Single adventure stories include those of a pilot who flies in Alaska, a mountain

biker, a free skier and a falconer. Collaborative stories include those of a Russian scientist and his son who are trying to recreate Ice Age habitat and animals to help reverse climate change, and the attempt by members of the U.S. Rafting Team to set a new speed record by rowing 277 miles down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon in 34 hours.

Sunday, Aug. 27

“No Man’s Land, a “rigorously nonjudgmental” film directed by David Byars offers an inside view of the 2016 occupation by brothers Ammon and Ryan Bundy and their supporters at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon. Byars was embedded with the occupiers. His film answers the question: Why did a group of heavily armed, self-described patriots occupy the refuge?

Festival gates will open at 7 p.m. each evening. The films, which are projected onto an 11-by-20 foot screen, start at 8 p.m. Aud ienc e m emb e r s a r e encouraged to bring blankets, warm coats, chairs, picnics and sleeping bags to bundle up the kids. Alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages will be on sale “and maybe even popcorn,” Smotherman said.

The festival coincides with Methow Trails’ popular Cutthroat Classic, an 11-mile run to be held Saturday, Aug. 26. Smotherman added that the Mazama Country Store will be having its summer weekend Beers and Brats nights both Friday and Saturday. For ticket price details and advance ticket purchases go to www.northcascadesmountainhostel.com.

Arts briefs South American sounds at Merc Playhouse

Photo by Missi Smith Friday and Saturday at the Merc Playhouse, members of the Merc’s musical theater camp performed “Pirates past noon,” an adaptation of a book from the popular children’s Magic Treehouse series.

Photo courtesy Telluride Mountainfilm. “The Time Travelers,” one of a dozen films on the Saturday program at the upcoming Mountainfilm Festival in Mazama, takes viewers along as members of the U.S. Rafting Team attempt to set a speed records as they row the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon.

New York jazz violinist Jim Nolét and popular Brazilian singer Marcia Lopes from São Paulo join forces to form Arco Voz, performing Thursday (Aug. 17) at 7 p.m. at the Merc Playhouse. Arco Voz is said to capture the poetry and sounds of the Orixás of Brazilian-African mythology. Tickets are $12-$15 and can be purchased at arcovoz.brownpapertickets.com or by calling (800) 838-3006. Firefighters will be admitted free to the performance.

Experiential portraiture

oil paint but students may use any medium. All levels are welcome. Workshop costs $225 per student, with a materials list provided upon registration. To register, or find out more, contact Confluence Gallery at 997-2787 or email salyna@confluencegallery.com.

Plein Aire Painting Workshop

Hank Cramer will perform at the Twisp Valley Grange on Thursday, Sept. 14, at 6:30 p.m. Admission is by donation and all funds raised will benefit Methow at Home. The event is BYOB plus some finger food to share. Contact methowathome@gmail. com for more information.

Join Confluence Gallery artist-in-residence Tess Jenkins on Sept. 6, from 6–8 p.m., for a class in experiential portraiture. The class costs $15 per student.Register at 997-2787. Workshop will be held at Confluence Gallery. Join master painter Rod Weagant for a two-day workshop painting en plein aire on Sept. 15 – 17. Weagant will teach strategies for seeing with a painter’s eye and how to paint in the open air. Demonstrations will be in

Methow at Home benefit

Service Directory

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

AUTO PARTS/TOWING

COOLING & HEATING

ELECTRICIANS, Cont.

GARBAGE COLLECTION

Fisher refrigeration

MILSTEADT ELECTRIC MILSTEADT ELECTRIC (509) 996-2748 • (509) 429-7468 Rich Milsteadt

CASCADE

Family owned & operated since 1927

Heat Pumps & Geo-Thermal Heat Pumps New Installations & Retrofits Duct/Ductless Systems Heating/Air-Conditioning Annual Equipment Service Central HVAC/R System Design

PACIFIC PRIDE/CARWASH Precision Exhaust • Custom Tire

Commercial & Residential Service 24 Hour Emergency Service

1421 MV HWY E, TWISP 997-2513 www.kingstire.biz

License #’s: Fisher*87093, Fisher*870R3

CONTRACTORS

All your excavation & construction needs.

996-8178 cell 509-322-3032 PALMCCI953CW

BUILDING DESIGN

Over 35+ years local experience

OWNER

full-service recycling & garbage collection

509-322-5087 milsteadtelectric.com P O Box 1317 Winthrop, WA 98862 lic # MILSTEI999DE

509-997-8862

wastewisemethow.com

agricultural commercial industrial residential solar

997-3769

SPECIALIZING: zimmatic generac outback power

Custom Log Stairs & Railings Timber Frame • Custom Log Furniture Log Trusses • Additions & Outbuildings Ed Rogers 997-0250 • Cell (509)322-3040 ed091@centurytel.net Lic.#EAGLAHH940PZ

ELECTRICIANS

(509) 997-5420

(509) 997-2572 cell Rebuild Restoration Radiant Floor Heat

recycle•your newspaper

Use it for place mats, napkins, a shower curtain, a beach towel, a wash cloth, bed sheets, blankets, curtains, seat covers, lamp shades, stationer y, tablecloths or wall hangings.

Lic.#JELECJE881BS Serving all the Methow Valley since 1999 from Carlton, Wa.

Subscribe to the Methow Valley News. Call 997-7011

twispministorage.com

997-8072 SURVEYING

TA C K M A N

SURVEYING PLLC

Installed Insulation & Garage Doors We now install seamless gutters!

119 Glover Street in Twisp 509.996.3409 tackmansur veying.com

NORWIEI941BK

•Spray Services •Landscape Spraying •Fertilizing and Weed Control Serving all of Okanogan County (509) 826-2162

R O O F I N G

Snow Country Specialists

All your roofing needs Lifetime labor warranty

Tom Triplett

509-996-3808 / 509-630-2100

Troy Triplett

206-375-6943

e ca Umberger dig i n t! Excavation LLC. We will meet all your excavation needs

PROPANE SALES

tttroof@centurytel.net tttroofing.net

TIRE SERVICE

yOuR TIRE STORE

TIRES • WHEELS BRAKES • SHOCKS BATTERIES • ALIGNMENT

(509) 997-2026 • 216 S. Hwy. 20 • TwiSp

www.lesschwab.com

#TTTCO1*066DU

WELL DRILLING SAND & GRAVEL

509-429-6262 509-923-2015

LIC#: JOHNWWU863NH & Bonded

B & B Excavating, Inc. Backhoe Dozer Dump Truck Excavator

997-0082 Lic. #BBEXCI*000PL

Serving the Methow Valley for Over 35 Years

FINANCIAL

Cheryl Mamiya

KEEP IN TOUCH!

ROOFING

Office (509) 486-2624 Cell (509) 429-0417

PEST CONTROL

Handcrafted Homes CUSTOM LOG HOMES • • 30+ Years Experience • •

WA lic# METHOHW847DT

www. meth o wh o u se wa tch . co m

ALL VALLEY INSULATION, LLC

MID-VALLEY PEST CONTROL

BUILDING SUPPLIES

509.996.3332

TWISP MINI STORAGE

INSULATION

EXCAVATION

Eagle

Property Maintenance, Cleaning and Security Visits

STORAGE

NORWIL ELECTRIC INC.

www.palmconstructioninc.com

Handyman Services • Remodels New Construction (509) 341-9292 General Contractor LIC#NOAHCCL858K2

PROPERTY MAINTENANCE

Financial Advisor 32 N Main Street Ste A Omak, WA 98841 509-826-1638

For All Your Concrete Needs

(509) 996-2435

melissa@casconcrete.com Horizon Flats, Winthrop

List your business for just $8 a week. Call (509) 997-7011 or email advertising@ methowvalleynews.com

www.methowvalleynews.com

Methow Valley News

DEADLINE: MONDAY, NOON ~ ALL CLASSIFIEDS TO BE PREPAID

Weekly: $6.75 for 15 words or less. $8.75 with email or web site address. 20 cents for each additional word.

CLASSIFIED SPECIAL: BUY 3 WEEKS, GET 4TH WEEK FREE. No refunds or changes please. Prepayment required to qualify. Classified display ads: $10.00 per column inch.

DEADLINE FOR CLASSIFIED DISPLAYS & LEGAL NOTICES: MONDAY, NOON

Directory

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

AKC GOLDEN RETRIEVERSKing Louie & Queen Leila of the Methow have only 2 princes left. First vaccination and dewormed. Ready to go. Local special $650.00. Call 509-9232030. 15 1972 SECURITY CAMPER 11ft. good condition, $300.00. 1963 Scott fiberglass boat hull with 15ft trailer and Mercury outboard motor, $100.00. 1995 utility trailer, $100.00. Call 509-885-5684. 15 HELPING TO MAKE your time on the trails the best it can be. Hand-picked & trail tested packs, shoes, tents, sleeping bags, trekking poles, super-light sleeping pads and more. Cascades Outdoor Store, downtown Winthrop. Open every day, year-round. 509996-3480. 15 2004 HYNDAI SANTA FE 147,000 miles, front wheel drive, sun roof, $3200. Call 509-9232030. 15 LOPI WOOD STOVE, $850 OBO. Rear blower, brown enamel finish. 206-450-9936. 18 SWISHER 34 TON log splitter. 4 way grenade, 11.5 engine, $1000. 206-450-9936. 18 14 ................................. YARD SALE

MULTI-FAMILY SALE ON Saturday, August 19, from 9amNoon. 106 Bluff Street Winthrop. Dishes, household goods, decor, saddles, furniture, bike, linens, and MUCH MORE! Don’t want to miss it! 15 16 .................................. AUCTIONS

1997 HYUNDAI ELANTRA (green). LIC BFH6833. VIN KMHJF34M4VU493534. 8/23/2017, 10:00am, 20356 HWY 20, Twisp, Wa 98856. 15 20 .............................. REAL ESTATE PUBLISHER'S NOTICE: All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Fair Housing Act which makes it illegal to advertise “any preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin, or an intention, to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination.” Familial status includes children under the age of 18 living with parents or legal custodians, pregnant women and people securing custody of children under 18. This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. Our readers are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal opportunity basis. To complain of discrimination, call HUD toll-free at 1-800-669-9777. The toll-free telephone number for the hearing impaired is 1-800-9279275.

FRANK KLINE Managing Broker

Successfully Listing Homes & Land Since 1974—“now that’s huge!”

509-341-4347 COLDWELL BANKER WINTHROP REALTY

frank@cbwin.com

Kristin Devin

Real Estate Broker 30 Years of Real Estate Experience in the Methow Valley

509-996-4400 www.kristindevin.com 24 ................................... FOR RENT

PRIVATE RV CAMPGROUND on 40 acres with outdoor kitchen and fireplace. 1-50amp & 2-30amp hook-ups. Available monthly until November 1st. $350mo. 509-997-2128. 15 WOULD YOU LIKE to live in Winthrop every winter from October 1st to April 15th? Enjoy the Methow riverfront in a 3 bedroom, 1 1/2 bath, long covered carport. Completely furnished. Just bring your skis and your toothbrush! Pets allowed. No drugs/smoking. $1000/mo. Damage deposit. Personal references a must! 509-996-3569 OR 360-701-8443. 15 30 ......... BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY

BUSINESS FOR SALE in downtown Winthrop: The Iron Horse. Strong business with a loyal customer base. Very popular store in a great retail location. Serious inquiries only. 509-996-3674. 21 31 ............................ EMPLOYMENT

METHOW VALLEY NEWS is looking for a full-time office assistant while the current office manager is on maternity leave. The position will transition into a parttime, job sharing opportunity once the office manager returns from maternity leave in February 2018. Training for the position will begin September 6, 2017. Requirements: Attention to detail, ability to work under strict deadlines, multi-tasking, advanced skills in Quickbooks 2017, bookkeeping and accounting, courteous and professional customer service, proofreading skills, Microsoft Word and Excel, excellent computer skills, and other duties as assigned. Applicant must be reliable. Previous accounting/bookkeeping experience preferred, but will train the right person. To apply, please submit a cover letter, resume and references either by email, mail or fax. Email: frontdesk@ methowvalleynews.com. Mail: PO Box 97, Twisp, Wa 98856. Fax: 509-997-3277 34 ....................................SERVICES

ART OR MAGIC? Face painting makes every party or event more fun! Email darlahussey@yahoo.com or call/ text 509.488.5930 for a quote. 20 PHOENIX WINDOW CLEANING and Pressure Washing. Tree pollen stuck on your home and windows?! Call us for free estimates. Licensed, bonded, insured and references! 509-429-4129. 18

Pennock’s Excavation, LLC Toby Pennock

P.O. Box 1152, Twisp, WA Lic #PENNOEL831D2

Owner/Operator toby.pennock@yahoo.com (509) 429-2695

J. HAASE EXCAVATING Lic.# JHAASHE896MN

ea l’n

METHOW VALLEY SCHOOL District is accepting applications for substitute teachers, substitute paraprofessionals, food service and bus drivers. For complete job descriptions and online application go to http://methow.org/district/ employment/ (509) 996-9205. Applications due August 25, 2017. 16 RIVER’S EDGE RESORT is hiring for a Front Desk Agent. We are looking for an individual who is reliable, enjoys providing excellent and professional customer service, can problem solve, prioritize daily tasks, perform light maintenance and be a team player. 36 hrs/week, $20/ hr, permanent position, must be flexible with scheduling which will include some holidays and weekends. Send resume to heidi@ riversedgewinthrop.com or stop by resort office with your resume to meet Heidi or Jim. No phone calls please. 18 WENATCHEE VALLEY COLLEGE in Omak is looking for a SCIENCE LAB TECHNICIAN (Instruction and Classroom Support Technician 2). Half-time, ninemonth, cyclic position starting at $1761 per month plus benefits. See application materials, qualifications and description at www.wvc.edu/ jobs. AA/EOE. 18 WENATCHEE VALLEY COLLEGE in Omak is looking for a part-time biology instructor. Masters required. Send resume and cover letter to Dr. Lori Keller at lkoblenz@wvc.edu. AA/EOE. 18 LINE COOKS, DISHWASHERS needed at Sun Mountain Lodge, immediately. To apply, look online at www.sunmountainlodge. com for a printable employment application on our employment page, pick up a form at the front desk, or call Leslie for more information or an appointment. 509-996-4720. 17

OFFICE ASSISTANT

“D

NEW LOWER PRICE! No more camping next to strangers. Tall pines, open fields, cool breezes overlooking the Twisp. 15 minutes to Black Pine Lake. Short 4-wheel to Sawtooth Chelan Wilderness. Share the views with family and friends from this 3.6 acre private retreat. Better call Val! (206) 310-1036, licensed WA Broker, Blue Sky Real Estate. 8 NEW, MODERN CONSTRUCTION in Mazama! New price $369,000- Visit: www.tiny.cc/31 for open house info. By appointment only: laurie@hiltonconstruction.com or cell/text: 509-341-4561. 18

20 ................... REAL ESTATE, Cont.

31 ................. EMPLOYMENT, Cont.

RIVER’S EDGE RESORT is hiring for part-time housekeeper to join our team. Must be team-spirited and enjoy housekeeping. $13/hr. Send resume to heidi@riversedgewinthrop. com or stop by the resort office to complete an application. 15 BROTHERS FIRE LLC continued their work this spring thinning and building burn piles at the ski area on both sides of Bulldog. We need to cover the piles with paper beginning in mid August working into October. The Forest Service will burn the piles built last summer and this summer in the fall allowing us to open these areas this coming season for some tremendous glade skiing. You can earn a full season pass by working 40 hours or earn credit toward part of a pass. For every 4 hours worked, you will earn a 10% share of a pass. Please email manager@skitheloup. com if you would like to help us so we can open more terrain for this next season. 15 THE TOWN OF Twisp is seeking to fill one of the following positions. Public Works Operator 2- Candidates should have one or both: WWTPO 2, WDM 2 and experience with water distribution and wastewater treatment operations, State regulations and preparing required reports, road maintenance, as well as written, verbal and skills. $22.94 per hour. Public Works Operator 1- Candidates should have one or both; WWTPO 1, WDM 1 and experience with: water distribution and wastewater treatment operations, State regulations and preparing required reports, road maintenance, and written, verbal and computer skills. Pay $20.57hr. Public Works Operator in Training-Familiarity with: General maintenance, operation and repair of public works facilities. Operation of equipment: mowers, loaders and power tools. Perform heavy manual labor under adverse climatic conditions. Experience in written, verbal and computer skills. Pay scale is $17.48hr. An application packet and job description can be obtained by visiting Town Hall, 118 S. Glover St., Twisp, online www.townoftwisp.com, email: clerktreasurer@townoftwisp. com. Open until filled. 17

t”

E-MAIL TO frontdesk@methowvalleynews.com

31 ................. EMPLOYMENT, Cont.

CUSTOMER SERVICE/TELLERNORTH Cascades Bank has an opening for a teller in our Twisp branch. You will fill a key customer service role and be an integral part of our daily operations. Experience is preferred but we will train the right applicant. Bilingual skills are helpful in this position. If you are an energetic, highly detailed individual who is committed to providing exceptional customer service and are looking for a company with the same qualities, please apply at www. ncnbank.com/careers.php. Click on Employment Opportunities and search for open jobs by “city”. Equal Employment Opportunity. 16 FAMILY HEALTH CENTERS -Your Family, Your Health, Your Choice. Are you looking for a great place to work? We are looking for YOU to join our team! We are dedicated to our employees’ job satisfaction and take pride in providing a place to work that encourages growth, teamwork, communication and positive employee/supervisor relationships. We offer a generous benefits package, including employer paid Health & Life Insurance and vacation/sick leave to full-time employees. Pro-rated benefits are available to part time employees (over 20 hrs. per wk.). You may also choose to participate in our 401K, Dental and Short Term Disability programs. Okanogan: Accounts Payable Specialist- full time. Omak: Lead RNfull time, Pharmacy Assistant- full time- Bilingual English/Spanish required, MA-R/Phlebotomistfull time. Brewster/Bridgeport: Behavioral Health Specialist- full time. Bridgeport: Dental Patient Registration Rep- full time, Bilingual English/Spanish required, Lead RN- full time. Brewster Indian Ave: Promotor(a)- full time- Bilingual English/Spanish required. Dental Clinics: Must be available Saturdays. Dental Assistants- 8 Full time & per diem (as needed basis)- Bilingual English/Spanish required. All locations. See www.myfamilyhealth.org for job descriptions. Submit cover letter and resume or application to FHC, c/o Human Resources, PO Box 1340, Okanogan, WA 98840 or email: HR@myfamilyhealth.org. Open until filled. FHC is an EOE.17 METHOW VALLEY SCHOOL District is accepting applications for paraprofessionals for the after school childcare program. For complete job description and online application go to http://methow.org/district/ employment/ (509) 996-9205. Please apply by August 23, 2017. 15 OLD SCHOOLHOUSE BREWERY is hiring for Line Cooks, Prep Cooks and Dishwashers. Must be available weekends through Labor Day. Pay is DOE. Please pick up an application at 155 Riverside Ave., Winthrop. Or online at www.oldschoolhousebrewery.com/employment. 16 SUN MOUNTAIN LODGE has a position available for Houseman/ Laundry Attendant. Come by the front desk for an employment application, or to find a printable employment application see our website at www.sunmountainlodge. com on our employment page. Call Leslie for more information or an appointment. 509-996-4720. 15 METHOW HOUSING TRUST is hiring! The Outreach & Communications Coordinator is a 20/hr per week position with the valley’s newly established Community Land Trust. Applications due August 25th. See full job description at methowhousingtrust.org 509-996-5943. 17 ROCKING HORSE BAKERY is looking for energetic, reliable, friendly individuals to join our team of rockin’ baristas. Morning and afternoon shifts available, 4-5 days per week. These are permanent, year-round positions. Stop by the bakery to complete an application or email us at rockinghorsebakery@ gmail.com. No phone calls, please. 16 RIVER RUN INN is seeking a self motivated person for housekeeping, who can work independently and with a team. Must be available to work Sundays. Year-round position. Fun place to work. Please pick up an application at the office. Or email your resume to rooms@riverruninn.com. 16 ALPINE WELDING IS now hiring for 2 Fitter/Welder positions. Applicant must have current certification with WABO in FCAW. Must be able to lift 100 lbs. Must have minimum 5 years experience in custom or structural fabrication and be willing and able to work on projects out of town and in adverse conditions. Excellent pay with health insurance after probationary period. Please send resume to: alpine025@centurytel. net. 15

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING - 997-7011

FOR SALE .......................................10 YARD SALE................................14 AUCTIONS .................................16 REAL ESTATE.................................20 MOBILE/MFD. HOMES ..............22 FOR RENT..................................24 WANTED TO RENT ....................25 BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES ........30 EMPLOYMENT................................31 WORK WANTED ........................32 SERVICES ..................................34 CARS & TRUCKS ...........................40 RVS.............................................42 ANIMALS-PETS, HORSES, LIVESTOCK................................... 50 MISCELLANEOUS ..........................70 WANTED .........................................75 THANK YOU ....................................80 COMMUNITY EVENTS...................83 PERSONALS...................................85 FREE ...............................................90 LOST & FOUND ..............................95

Page B3

Classifieds

ISE ADVERT ! E R HE !!

Wednesday, August 16, 2017

with

and all your Excavating needs!

509-341-4109 996-2595

40 ......................... CARS & TRUCKS

1996 DODGE DAKOTA, NEED someone to put linkage back on. Please call 509-431-4992. 16

80 ................................THANK YOU

I WOULD LIKE to thank all of the people who helped out when my Tennessee Walker Ebby was in distress. The key to his recovery was the vet rolling him over to his other side. Many thanks go to Jake Lynch (vet), Bob Boyce, Carl & Roxie Miller, Claude Miller, Barb, Betsy DevinSmith, and Terri DeWeert. They all have one thing in common - their love of horses. My love of animals is profound, especially the equine. Thank you all so much, Jackie Iddings “God gave man two legs, one for each side of a horse.” Winston Churchill. 15 STATEWIDE ADS EVENTS-FESTIVALS PROMOTEYOUR REGIONALEVENT for only pennies. Reach 2.7 million readers in newspapers statewide for $275 classified or $1,350 display ad. Call this newspaper or 360-344-2938 for details. ANNOUNCEMENTS IF YOU HAD HIP OR KNEE REPLACEMENT & suffered an infection between 2010-present, you may be entitled to compensation. Call Attorney Charles H. Johnson, 1-800535-5727. NEW PSYCHIATRIC VIRTUALCLINIC accepting new patients in Washington. Appointments are provided via secure videoconferencing platform. Call us at 813-955-2827 or visit us at http:// amoma.clinic/ WASHINGTON DIVORCESEPARATION, $155. $175 with children. NO COURTAPPEARANCES. Includes property, bills, custody, support. Complete preparation of documents. Legal Alternatives, 503772-5295. www.paralegalalternatives. com STOP OVERPAYING for your prescriptions! SAVE! Call our licensed Canadian & International pharmacy, compare prices & get $25 OFF your first prescription! CALL 1-855-543-2095, Promo Code CDC201725. A PLACE FOR MOM. The nation’s largest senior living referral service. Contact our trusted, local experts today! Our service is FREE/no obligation. CALL 1-866-916-7507. GOT AN OLDER CAR, BOAT OR RV? Do the humane thing. Donate it to the Humane Society. Call 1-855-706-7910. LEGAL ADS PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN by the Board of Okanogan County Commissioners that a Public Hearing is set for 11:30 AM on Monday, August 21, 2017 to consider a supplemental appropriation in the amount of $25,000 from Current Expense Investment Interest and will be used for Superior Court Jury Fees, Witness Fees, Court Reporter, and various operation costs. The hearing will be held in the County Commissioners’ Hearing Room located at 123 5th Avenue North, Okanogan, Washington. Persons wishing to comment may attend the hearing or submit their comments either by email to ljohns@co.okanogan. wa.us or in writing to the Commissioners’ Ofﬁce at 123 5th Avenue North, Rm 150, Okanogan, Washington 98840. Published in the Methow Valley News August 9, 16 2017 and Okanogan Valley Gazette-Tribune August 10, 17 2017. OVG#770745 NOTICE TO PUBLIC Okanogan County 2018 to 2023 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 2018 through 2023 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 10:30 A.M. on August 22, 2017. 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 24th day of July 2017, at Okanogan, Washington. Josh Thomson, P.E., Okanogan County Engineer. Published in the Methow Valley News on August 9, 16, 2017; the Okanogan Valley GazetteTribune on August 10, 17, 2017. OVG#770769 NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING LAKE MANAGEMENT DISTRICT #1 BALLOT PROPOSAL NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Okanogan Board of County Commissioners will conduct a continued public hearing on August 29, 2017 to take public testimony regarding a resolution stating the intent to form a Lake Management District on Lake Osoyoos in accordance with RCW 36.61. If the Board decides to move ahead with the formation of the district a mailed ballot will be issued for the property owners within the proposed district boundaries to determine if the district should be formed. The public hearing will review the boundaries of the district

LEGAL ADS, Cont. as proposed and the assessments to be collected on an annual basis. The proposed district boundary includes property in the vicinity of Lake Osoyoos. If approved by a simple majority of the property owners the district will conduct control measures for milfoil and other invasive species for 5 years at which time the district will dissolve. An annual assessment of 160 dollars per parcel on all primary properties in the district and $70.00 on all secondary properties in the district will be collected every year for 5 years. Total collections in 5 years will be approximately $180,000.00. The SEPA Responsible Offi cial has determined this proposal is categorically exempt from environmental review in accordance with WAC 197-11-800 (16). The continued public hearing will be conducted on August 29, 2017 at 6:00 p.m. in the Oroville City Council Chambers located at 1308 Ironwood, Oroville, WA. Verbal testimony will be taken with a time limit of 5 minutes per speaker. Written comments may be submitted at the hearing. Written comments will be accepted prior to the hearing and may be submitted in writing or electronically to Laleña Johns, Clerk of the Board, at 123 5th Ave N Ste 150, Okanogan, WA 98840 or at ljohns@co.okanogan.wa.us. Date of publishing is August 16, 2017. Maps of the proposed district boundary may be viewed on the Okanogan County Planning Department website at www. okanogancounty.org/planning. Information regarding this proposal can be obtained from: Okanogan County Office of Planning and Development, Perry Huston, Director of Planning, 123 5th Avenue North, Suite 130 Okanogan, WA 98840 (509)422-7218 or phuston@co.okanogan.wa.us . Published in the Methow Valley News August 16, 2017 and Okanogan Valley Gazette-Tribune August 17, 2017. OVG#769887 SONORA POINT RESORT LLC SP 2017-10 NOTICE OF APPLICATION AND SEPA EXEMPTION An application for a short subdivision has been submitted by NCW Land Surveying LLC on behalf of Sonora Point Resort LLC to divide 3.94 acres into 2 lots, each with an existing residence. The lots will be served with onsite septic. The property is located on Loomis Oroville Rd, approximately 12 miles from the Town of Tonasket, WA, on tax parcel 3826100074. The Okanogan County SEPA Responsible Offi cial issued a final SEPA determination identifying this project is exempt from SEPA review in accordance with WAC 197-11. The comment period for this project ends September 22, 2017 at 5pm. Comments must be submitted in writing. Direct questions and comments to: Charlene Schumacher, Senior Planner, Okanogan County Office of Planning & Development, 123 5th Ave. N, Suite 130, Okanogan, WA 98840, (509) 4227113 or by e-mail at cschumacher@co.okanogan.wa.us. Published in the Methow Valley News on August 16, 2017 and Okanogan Valley Gazette-Tribune on August 17, 2017. OVG#772431 NOTICE OF DECISIONAPPLICATION FOR WATER AVAILABILITY Location: 1) Parcel #3421010017 75 Little Colt Lane, Winthrop WA WRIA #48 HUC #12 Thompson Creek-Methow River 2) Parcel #8846620200 Twisp Airport Road, Twisp WA WRIA #48 HUC #12 Thompson Creek-Methow River 3) Parcel #8846620100 Twisp Airport Road, Twisp WA WRIA #48 HUC #12 Thompson Creek-Methow River 4) Parcel #3520040036 Hwy 20, Mazama WA WRIA #48 HUC #12 Fawn Creek-Methow River 5) Parcel #3222160217 Hwy 153 1 mile NE of Carlton WA WRIA #48 HUC #12 Alder Creek-Methow River 6) Parcel #3521260096 227 Eastside Chewuck Rd, Winthrop WA WRIA #48 HUC #12 Pearrygin Creek-Chewuch River 7) Parcel #3521150097 432 West Chewuck Rd, Winthrop WA WRIA #48 HUC #12 Pearrygin Creek-Chewuch River 8) Parcel #3521100045 #2 Snakedance Rd, Winthrop WA WRIA #48 HUC #12 Pearrygin Creek-Chewuch River 9) Parcel #3521170009 Rendezvous Rd 5.5 miles from Winthrop WA WRIA #48 HUC #12 Pearrygin Creek-Chewuch River 10) Parcel #3521350078 Bella Vista Lane, Winthrop WA WRIA #48 HUC #12 Pearrygin Creek-Chewuch River 11) Parcel #9802150016 Weaver Road and South Fork Gold Creek WRIA #48 HUC #12 South Fork Gold Creek 12) Parcel #8816175102 South Fork Gold Creek, Methow WA WRIA #48 HUC #12 South Fork Gold Creek 13) Parcel #8826050300 14 Stokes Rd, Carlton WA WRIA #48 HUC #12 Texas Creek-Methow River 14) Parcel #9100050100 Mountainside Way and Wolf Creek Rd

Page B4

Wednesday, August 16, 2017

Methow Valley News

Pinetooth Press & Woodshed Ink create locally inspired wearable art “This isn’t just your typical resortwear, it’s local By Ashley Lodato

Bryan Putnam, co-owner of Pinetooth Press and Woodshed Ink, always knew he wanted to make art when he grew up. “I was always drawing,” he says. “I thought I would be a children’s book author.” The 2005 Liberty Bell High School graduate was a student of the late art teacher Sean McCabe, who nurtured his passion for drawing. “I can’t overstate his influence,” says Putnam. Then at Whitworth University in Spokane, Putnam discovered print making, and the connection was instantaneous. “It was such an exciting medium,” he says, “It was this cool extension of drawing and it allowed me to make multiples.” After completing his bachelor’s degree in visual art with a focus in print making, Putnam went on to receive a Master of Fine Arts at the University of Oregon. He stayed another two years as interim department head of the printmaking program, filling in for his mentor, who was on sabbatical. Teaching was rewarding, but Putnam had “an itch to do my own thing.” That’s

apparel that people can be proud of

— Bryan Putnam, co-owner of Pinetooth Press & Woodshed Ink

when he started Pinetooth Press, the retail half of what is now Putnam’s twopronged business model. Putnam and his wife Regan, operated Pinetooth Press— which offered original designs screen printed on apparel—in Eugene, Oregon, for a year, until the lure of the Methow Valley became too strong. The Putnams returned to the Methow Valley in the spring of 2016 with plans to establish Pinetooth Press here, with Bryan running the business and Regan behind the scenes, as well as caring for their infant daughter, Sylvie. But then Methow Arts Alliance asked him to design and print hundreds of custom T-shirts for their annual arts festival. “I kind of stumbled into Woodshed Ink,” Putnam says of the other half of his business—the custom design side. Putnam’s Arts Fest T-shirts were well-received, and similar requests

Bryan’s brother Kyle Putnam inking up a screen for printing on shirts.

”

soon started pouring in from other local businesses. “I was already set up for small-scale printing,” says Putnam, who brought his printing equipment with him from Eugene. “And then through wordof-mouth advertising I started getting other jobs.” In addition to Methow Arts, those core customers now include Methow Trails, Methow Cycle & Sport, Glover Street Market, Blue Star Coffee Roasters, North Cascades Heli and a growing number of other local businesses and non-profit organizations. Putnam guides his business by three basic principles: create an evocative and effective design, use high-quality ink, and print it on first-rate apparel. “I want to make someone’s favorite shirt,” he says, “not just their next garage rag.” Putnam works with clients to develop logos for their apparel. “Mostly people trust me to work with their logo and make it dynamic and more interesting to wear,” he says. “I don’t just want to slap someone’s existing logo on a t-shirt.” Throughout his education Putnam was trained to use water-based, ecofriendly materials and he continues this practice in his work today. “The ink we use is non-toxic,” he says. “This means while we’re printing we’re not breathing in hazardous fumes, and we’re not pouring toxins down our drains.” “I was trained to use olive oil and citrus sprays for cleaning,” he continues, “You can basically eat the things I use for cleaning.” Putnam currently operates both Pinetooth Press and Woodshed Ink out of an old house-turned-business on Riverside Ave in Winthrop (between Hotel Rio Vista and Methow Trails), but in the fall he will move printing production to Twisp to gain more space. (The retail shop will remain in Winthrop, at least through December). The Putnams bought the auto parts store on the corner of Glover Street and Second Avenue and have plans to use the back warehouse

Photos by Ashley Lodato

Bryan Putnam with retail items in their Riverside Avenue store in Winthrop. area for printing and eventually renovate the front space for other uses. “It’s an important location for Twisp,” says Putnam of the corner space. It was also the answer to one of the biggest challenges of operating a small business in the Methow Valley: finding ample and affordable work space. Despite obstacles, Putnam finds the Methow Valley to be quite welcoming of new businesses. “People underestimate how great it is to start a small business in a small town,” he says. “There are so many perks to doing business in the Methow Valley. You can really put yourself out there. The excitement for what you’re doing is palpable.” Pinetooth Press and Woodshed Ink are both at a stage of growth where Putnam needs to add an employee so he

can spend more time growing the businesses. This summer, Putnam’s brother Kyle is helping with the printing to free Bryan up a bit for design work and business growth, including establishing a solid online presence. Pinetooth Press’s retail space is airy and well-lit, and filled with a tantalizing array of locally-inspired T-shirts, sweatshirts, caps, patches and other apparel. Each design is thoughtful. Some are sassy, others stark or whimsical. With his retail designs, Putnam says he is “trying to honor the Methow Valley specifically.” His designs feature local peaks, flora, and fauna, creatively rendered. “This isn’t just your typical resortwear,” says Putnam, “It’s local apparel that people can be proud of.”

LEGAL ADS, Cont.

WRIA #48 HUC #12 Wolf Creek 15) Parcel #3521320060 Lot 3 Perrow Drive, Winthrop WA WRIA #48 HUC #12 Wolf Creek The Planning Department has reviewed fifteen applications for water availability for single family residences at the above listed locations and has determined that the proposed use of a permit exempt well in accordance with RCW 90.44.050 will provide a legal and physically adequate supply of potable water. This decision will not be final until September 5, 2017. Anyone with standing who desires a public hearing be held on this application to determine water adequacy must submit a written request by the deadline listed above. The request must state the basis upon which the request is made which must include a statement that the requesters lawful use of water from a senior source will be impaired if the decision stands. Any request for public hearing must be directed to the Director of Planning at the above listed address and received prior to 5:00 p.m. on September 5, 2017. Information regarding this proposal can be obtained from: Okanogan County Office of Planning and Development, Perry Huston, Director of Planning, 123 5th Avenue North, Suite 130 Okanogan, WA 98840 (509)4227218 or phuston@co.okanogan. wa.us Published in the Methow Valley News on August 16, 2017 and Okanogan Valley Gazette- Tribune on August 17, 2017. OVG#772547 THRESHOLD DETERMINATION OF NON-SIGNIFICANCE PROPOSED ORDINANCE OCC 17A.400 OVERLAYS-Water Availability Study Areas NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Okanogan County Department of Planning & Development has proposed an ordinance that would amend Okanogan County Code by creating a new section 17A.400. OCC 17A.400 would authorize the Okanogan Board of County Commissioners to designate areas in the county as water availability study areas which

would curtail certain land uses that propose to use permit exempt wells for potable water supplies pending the outcome of a defined analysis of available water in the study area. The SEPA Responsible Official has prepared an Environmental Checklist and has issued a Threshold Determination of Non-Significance (DNS) on this proposal in accordance with WAC 197-11-340. Comments regarding the threshold determination may be submitted in writing to the address listed below. Deadline for submitting comments regarding this threshold determination will be 5:00 pm, September 1, 2017. Date of publishing is August 16, 2017. Comments should be submitted to: Roxanna King, Administrative Secretary at 123 5th Avenue North, Suite 130 Okanogan, WA 98840 or rking@co.okanogan. wa.us . Following the initial comment period a public hearing will be scheduled before the Okanogan County Regional Planning Commission. After review and recommendation by the Planning Commission a final environmental determination will be issued and a public hearing will be scheduled in front of the Okanogan County Board of County Commissioners. Information regarding this proposed ordinance can be obtained from: Okanogan County Office of Planning and Development, Perry Huston, Director of Planning, 123 5th Avenue North, Suite 130 Okanogan, WA 98840 (509)4227218 or phuston@co.okanogan. wa.us . Published in the Methow Valley News on August 16, 2017 and Okanogan Valley Gazette-Tribune on August 17, 2017. OVG#772560 OKANOGAN COUNTY NOTICE OF FINAL DECISION Project: Exempt Segregation Parcel 3327060012 Project: Boundary Line Adjustment – Parcels Created by Exempt Segregaton Proponent: Kerry Carden Decision: Approved Appeal Deadline: September 5, 2017

The Okanogan County Office of Planning and Development approved the above-noted project. Within 20 days of publication, parties with standing may appeal this decision 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 $300.00 appeal fee. Published in the Methow Valley News on August 16, 2017 and Okanogan Valley Gazette-Tribune on August 17, 2017. OVG#772580 OKANOGAN COUNTY NOTICE OF FINAL DECISION Project: Daniel & Paula Fletcher Water Availability, ES 2017-4 Decision: Approved Publication Date: August 16, 2017 Appeal Deadline: September 6, 2017 The Okanogan County Hearing Examiner approved the abovenoted project. Within 21 calendar days of the publication date; parties with standing may appeal this decision pursuant to RCW 36.70 C. Published in the Methow Valley News on August 16, 2017 and Okanogan Valley Gazette-Tribune on August 17, 2017. OVG#772589. OKANOGAN COUNTY NOTICE OF FINAL DECISION Project: Brian Obert & Roger Smith Water Availability, ES 2017-5 Decision: Approved Publication Date: August 16, 2017 Appeal Deadline: September 6, 2017 The Okanogan County Hearing Examiner approved the abovenoted project. Within 21 calendar days of the publication date; parties with standing may appeal this decision pursuant to RCW 36.70 C. Published in the Methow Valley News on August 16, 2017 and Okanogan Valley Gazette-Tribune on August 17, 2017. OVG#772594. NOTICE OF APPLICATION Pearrygin Lake State Park Shoreline Substantial Development Permit, SDP 2017-2

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Arnold Larsen, Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission has submitted a Joint Aquatic Resource Permit Application (JARPA) for an Okanogan County Shoreline Substantial Development Permit. The proposed project consists construction of approximately 3,000 linear feet of new two lane paved park entrance, construction of approximately 1,700 linear feet of 10 foot wide paved pedestrian trail between the existing boat launch area and the future proposed west campground area and construction of a new entrance contact station/ranger office with a small onsite septic

system. PROJECT CONSISTENCY: This application will be reviewed in accordance with the Master Program for Okanogan County Shoreline Management, Growth Management Critical Areas Regulations, Okanogan County Code, Title 14 (Environment), Okanogan County Code, Title 15.08 (Floodplain Management) and all other applicable County regulations. The Project has been reviewed and found to be consistent with requirements established by the Master Program for Okanogan County Shoreline Management. COMMENT PERIOD: Any person has the right to comment on this application,

receive notice and participate in, any hearings (if scheduled), and request a copy of the decision once made. Any person may appeal a decision in accordance with RCW 90.58.180. Questions, concerns, and comments regarding this application will be accepted until 5:00 PM, September 22, 2017, and may be directed to: Charlene Schumacher, Okanogan County Office of Planning & Development, 123 5th Ave. North, Suite 130, Okanogan, WA 98840. Published in the Methow Valley News on August 16, 2017 and Okanogan Valley Gazette-Tribune on August 17, 2017. OVG#772643

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Methow Valley News

Wednesday, August 16, 2017

Page B5

Mazama Store owners celebrate 10 years built on history, partnership and community By Mandi Donohue

Gratitude is as rich as the pastry and as abundant as the coffee as Rick and Missy LeDuc mark their 10th anniversary as owners and hosts of the Mazama Store, the community gathering spot at the north end of the Methow Valley. Rick LeDuc extended his thanks to the community, visitors and employees who, he said, “have made this place.” “There’s no one person,” he said. “It’s a collaborative effort.” “We really appreciate everyone and everything,” agreed Missy LeDuc. Since the couple bought the store in 2007, they have transformed it from a small stop-in for essentials and conversation to a destination that boasts “a little bit of everything good.” It has been a labor of vision and love for the former Seattleites, who work to welcome visitors but credit local residents for their success. “I so appreciate the community,” Missy LeDuc said. “When we have our slow times, they’re still coming in.” “I’d like to say ‘Oh yeah, everything here is the way we see it’” Rick LeDuc said. “But really it’s the community soup that people put in so many ideas. It’s a lot of creativity that has come together.”

In return, the Mazama Store has become a town hall of sorts for local residents and a place to for non-valley visitors to grab a substantial nosh and watch their favorite team on the store’s bigscreen TV. “It really has a strategic importance more than economic,” said Rick LeDuc “It’s a warm, fuzzy feeling knowing you can provide things for people when they need them. And hopefully that will continue.” During the massive Carlton Complex fire of 2014, for example, locals gathered to discuss the latest fire information. During power outages, the store’s generator kept people supplied with ice and other essentials. They also have a well that works. “It makes you feel really good if you can help people,” Missy LeDuc said. That help depends on loyal, full-time employees — something that can be hard to find in the Methow Valley. Missy LeDuc said the store has been especially lucky to rely on longtime relationships several of its staff; Lisa Picklesheimer holds the distinction of being with them the longest. As Mazama’s informal gathering spot, the store also becomes a repository of local history, including pranks. One of the LeDucs’ favorite stories involves

Photo courtesy of Rick LeDuc

The building that currently houses the Mazama Store has undergone much renovation over the years to fill its current footprint.

local resident Jay Lucas and the late Red McComb. The two had a fierce bet going on over who would win the Stanley Cup one year. Prize to the winner: a tray of cinnamon rolls made from the Mazama Store bakery. For two weeks prior to the hockey championship final, the store became the site of little tricks: Lucas would hang his team’s jersey outside, only to have McComb cover it with his own. Finally, game day came and Lucas’ team won. But when baker Mary Sharmin brought out his prize, McComb had the last laugh: He had asked Sharmin to put jalapeños in the cinnamon rolls. Recent residents or visitors might not know the Mazama Store as other than it is now. But its origins go back almost 100 years, according to local histories, and has since gone through multiple iterations as a bakery and small grocery and post office. It wasn’t that long ago that the bakery was little more than a kitchen the size of a closet and a counter the size of a butcher’s block. An eclectic collection of old structures was demolished in the 1990s, and the small core of today’s store was built. Longtime local residents Scott “Scooter” Rogers and Jen Gode worked at the store at the time, then bought it in the mid-1990s, working to turn it into a community hub. The LeDucs have spent the last 10 years building on that foundation, expanding and upgrading to a level some long-time locals have found unsettling. “A lot of the changes and expansion weren’t made to make the store bigger and sell more,” Rick LeDuc said. “It was just to make what we had more reasonable.” “It’s been a fun journey but it’s definitely been a journey,” added Missy LeDuc. Their own journey begins in Seattle, where Rick and Missy first met. Rick LeDuc’s family lived close to Husky Deli in West Seattle, a family owned busi-

Photo by Mandi Donohue

Missy and Rick LeDuc enjoy the courtyard that has become a community gathering place.

ness run by Missy’s father, John based wax box manufacturing That doesn’t lock in the future. Miller. After church on Sundays, business from afar. Missy LeDuc “The thought is that this would Rick’s mother would take him to took a job at the Mazama Store. be a way for the kids to learn the deli to get lunch meat for the “Missy had a lot of time under how to run a business— but it week. her belt to see the things that we wasn’t going to be their business “If I was on my game I would could do to make it more of an unless they wanted it to be their get on the broom and sweep the asset to the community,” Rick business,” Rick LeDuc said. back and (Missy’s) dad would LeDuc said. The couple also saw For now, the ebb and flow of give me an ice cream cone,” an opportunity for their kids to daily transactions is all-consumRick said. He scooped ing. ”It’s our evening conice cream at the store versation,” Rick LeDuc one summer: “My very laughed. “It’s our pillow I’d like to say ‘Oh yeah, first job!” talk.” everything here is the As time went on, “I feel very lucky that I Missy worked the deli have a real partner in life way we see it.’ But really counter, and Rick would and that we enjoy doing come in for lunch. In the everything together, which it’s the community summer of 1987, they includes the store,” Missy soup that people put made a date to ride bikes LeDuc added. “I just feel and watch July 4 firethis connection and true in so many ideas. It’s works. They married the collaboration between the a lot of creativity that following year and “have two of us in everything never looked back,” Rick we do. It’s been amazing, has come together. LeDuc said. going on 30 years.” — Rick LeDuc “Fast and furious,” Rick LeDuc, who still Missy LeDuc added runs his Seattle business, with a laugh. calls Missy “the heartRick LeDuc fell just and-soul” of the store. “I as hard for the Methow Valley, work at the store and learn about think anyone in the valley that and came here often to ski and business. has seen us, knows we don’t do a rock climb back in the 1970s. “It’s an amazing thing to have whole lot of things apart.” Later, he and Missy brought their our family work together,” Missy Nor do the LeDucs do a whole four children over for Christmas LeDuc said. “I don’t know how lot of things without the commuat the Patterson Lake cabins. long that will last but for right nity their store serves. “I don’t After they moved here full-time, now, to have that special time mean to sound too corny but Rick started a plowing business, working and collaborating on there are people here that are as became a volunteer firefighter things … everybody’s input has much family as our family,” Rick and continued to run his Seattle- been really fun.” LeDuc said.

“

”

Comment sought on future of outdoor recreation in Washington The public is invited to weigh in on a new state plan that sets priorities for outdoor recreation, including parks, trails and sports facilities. The Washington State Recreation and Conservation Funding

Board has released a draft of the plan that will guide outdoor recreation for the next five years. In compiling the plan, the board surveyed Washingtonians about their outdoor interests and activities. Key aims of the plan call for

sustaining and adding parks and conservation lands, meeting the needs of youth, and enhancing the cultural components of recreation sites to address the state’s changing demographics. The plan encompasses trails

for walkers and cyclists, as well as trails and facilities accessible to people with disabilities. It also addresses provisions for boating and off-road vehicles. The draft plan is only available online. People interested in

reviewing it and providing comments can read the plan at www. rco.wa.gov/StateRecPlans. Comments can be submitted directly from the web site or by email to policychanges@rco. wa.gov. Comments are due Sept. 10.

RCO staff will analyze the comments and make recommendations at the funding board’s meeting in October. For more information, contact Leslie Connelly at (360) 902-3080 or leslie.connelly@rco.wa.gov.

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Page B6

Wednesday, August 16, 2017

Methow Valley News

Adventure and comfort will be served up at new Twisp eatery By Mandi Donohue

Pork Belly Reuben. Korean Street Tacos. Ropa Vieja. Those will be just a few of the enticements on the menu at Local Blend, a new “global comfort food” restaurant opening later this month in Twisp. “It’s for locals,” says owner and chef Eric Schade. “There’s gonna be no pretension here. I don’t care if you just got done working, come as you are. I’m going to give you really good food at a decent price in a funky place, and I just want everyone to be happy.” Schade will serve up his culturally eclectic dishes in the front half of YardFood, the local garden center on Highway 20. Schade was introduced to YardFood 12 years ago, when the store — then known as Local 98856 — featured a café, where Schade’s mother worked as a cook for owner Tess Hoke. Schade thought of staying at the time, but went back to the East coast to work and save enough money to pursue his dream of owning his own restaurant. Originally from Albany, New York, Schade was introduced to a love for food in childhood. “I was raised with a decent palate,” he says. “There wasn’t a

lot of your basic food; everything had to be pretty adventurous.” After a stint in the military, he took classes at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, and then worked for Mazzone Hospitality, a gourmet catering company, eventually becoming kitchen manager at the international company’s corporate headquarters. But his true love of flavor and fearlessness in the kitchen comes from friend and renowned chief Ric Orlando, owner of New World Home Cooking and New World Bistro Bar in Albany and a frequently named best chef of New York’s Hudson Valley. “Before him I was a by-the-numbers kind of guy,” Scahde says. “I’ve always been passionate about what I do, but Ric really brought it out in me, challenged me to try new things. He got my fire going.” Schade spent a summer in Twisp in 1982, when his mother first moved here. He moved back full-time in April 2016 to be near her. He worked for a time as the banquet chef and kitchen manager at Sun Mountain Lodge, then realized it was time to work for himself. YardFood seemed the perfect space. “I’ve just loved this place from the

first time I saw it and knew this is where I always wanted my restaurant,” he says. “I love the whole, natural feel of it. I love that it’s all made out of recycled materials.” Schade will be joined at Local Blend by Justin Fellom, who will work the front of the restaurant. A Boise native, Fellom moved to the Methow about a year ago; he met Schade when they both worked at Sun Mountain. Fellom calls the Methow and the new restaurant opportunity “the right time, right place.” His focus will be on service: “My passion is treating every person who walks through that door as a guest, not a customer.” Working in the kitchen alongside Schade will be Andy Lewis, who Schade describes as passionate and meticulous. “He cares about what he puts out,” Schade says. “If you’re going to put out something with his name on it, he’s proud of it, which is what you want in this business.” Given the high rate of failure in the restaurant business, Schade is not sanguine about the challenge he’s taking on. But he has sampled the Methow Valley’s dining scene, and feels Local Blend will fill a gap. “My food is more rustic with very

Photo by Mandi Donohue

Eric Schade and Justin Fellom hope to launch Local Blend next Tuesday (Aug. 22) loud flavors,” he says. “I can do fine dining but I oftentimes find it’s more fluff than substance. I’m not so focused on how pretty it’s going to be but afterwards on a customer going, ‘Man, that was delicious. When can we come back?’” Schade hopes to open Tuesday, Aug. 22, but is waiting on final state inspection approvals.

The days of $10 senior National Park passes are ending By Elizabeth Shogren High Country News

As Cathy Morin neared her 62nd birthday last month, she knew she was just about to qual-

ify for one of the country’s best bargains. For just $10, senior citizens can buy passes that give them lifetime entry to national parks and other public lands as well as discounts on camp-

Where to buy passes locally Lifetime National Park passes can be purchased by US citizens and permanent residents 62 or older for $10 until August 28th, after which the price will be raised to $80. Pa ss e s a r e ava i la ble locally at the Methow Valley Ranger Station in Winthrop, the Chelan Ranger Station, the Omak Visitors Center, the North Cascades Visitors Center in Newhalem, the North Cascades Wilder-

ness Information Center in Marblemount, the OkanoganWenatchee National Forest Headquarters in Wenatchee, along with other locations across the state. Although many vendors have reported running out of passes as millions of Americans rush to purchase them before the August 28th deadline, all nearby stations have passes in stock. Visit nps.gov for more information.

grounds and other amenities. Around her birthday, she learned that she’d have to move quickly to take advantage of that deal. The pass has cost $10 since 1994, but in December, Congress voted to increase the price to $80. On July 10, in the middle of their busiest season, the National Park Service announced the new price would start on August 28. So at the end of July, Morin hustled over to a U.S. Forest Service office about 10 miles away from her home, Conejos Peak Ranger District, which is part of the Rio Grande National Forest in southwestern Colorado. “You might as well save $70,” says Morin, a retired former hospital worker. “Once you’re retired and on a limited income, that looks like a really good deal.” She’s one of about 2.5 million Americans who are expected to get the passes at the lower rate

this year, more than three times the number who bought them last year, according to Kathy Kupper, a spokeswoman for the National Park Service. Most seniors get the passes at a national park they are visiting. But seniors can apply online or by mail too (there’s an extra $10 processing fee). As the days tick down to the deadline, demand has surged. On any given day last year, public land agencies received about 100 online applications. Now they’re getting about 10,000 a day, according to Kupper. The government switched to a new online system to try to handle the onslaught. Parks that are used to getting maybe 25 requests a year for passes are getting that many in a day, Kupper added. The National Park Service printed and shipped out 400,000 extra passes, but some parks have run out.

The passes can be used at more than 2,000 sites, including wildlife refuges, national forests and places run by the Bureau of Land Management. They’re good for any people traveling in the same passenger vehicle as a passholder or for three additional adults. The U.S. Geological Survey, which processes the requests for passes, is overwhelmed. Currently, it takes 12 weeks for people who apply to receive the passes. In the meantime, the receipts are good for entry and discounts. Morin has tested this. The Forest Service office where she applied was out of passes, so they gave her a receipt and told her to use that until the card arrives in the mail. On the first two weekends after she purchased her pass, she went camping at Forest Service campgrounds. On one trip, she and some friends enjoyed

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 1-800-669-9777. The toll-free telephone number for the hearing impaired is 1-800-927-9275.

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Local Blend, which will seat 40-50 guests, initially will be open Tuesday through Sunday from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. The menu will rotate a few times a year and offer various soups, desserts, ongoing specials, beer and wine. Later Schade hopes to add Sunday brunch and lunch openings. For opening and menu details, follow them on Facebook.

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a river trip on a wild stretch of Colorado River outside of Grand Junction. Since she didn’t have the pass in hand yet, she showed her receipt. Her camping fees were cut in half. As a result, she has already saved more money than she spent on the pass. At Rocky Mountain National Park, cars packed with seniors have been showing up at the entrance station, and then each passenger requests a lifetime pass, says park spokeswoman Kyle Patterson. All the interest increases the already long lines to get into national parks during the most popular time of year. If you lose or have the pass stolen, you have to buy a new one so some folks are buying two at once. Correspondent Elizabeth Shogren writes HCN’s DC Dispatches from Washington.

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Methow Valley News

Wednesday, August 16, 2017

Community briefs Newhouse’s challenger hosts town hall

Christine Brown, who is challenging Dan Newhouse, R-Sunnyside, for the 4th Congressional District seat, will hold a town hall meeting Aug. 18, 6-9 p.m. in the Twisp Community Center. Brown, a Democrat from the Tri-Cities, is a former reporter and television news anchor. She announced her candidacy for the House of Representatives earlier this summer. The town hall meeting is being hosted by the Okanogan County Democratic Central Committee, which is holding several events in the county in August. For more information go to: www.facebook.com/pg/ TheOkanoganCountyDemocrat/events/.

Majestic Methow wrap-up celebration

The National Forest Foundation has completed five years of recreation and wildlife habitat restoration in the Methow Valley of the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. There will be field tours prior to the celebration; check with pshannon@nationalforests.org for more information. A party will be held at the Mazama Country Inn on Aug. 19, from 1:30 – 3:30 p.m. There is no charge to attend.

Info on Medicare, health care options

Pateros Brewster Community Resource Center will host several free seminars on “Learning the Basics of Health Options” at the resource center in the Pateros Mall. The sessions are on Aug. 24, Sept. 21 and Oct. 12. They start at 6 p.m. The center will also host free presentations on “Understanding Medicare” on Aug. 23, Sept. 20 and Oct. 11, also at 6 p.m. For information, call Grace Larsen at (509) 6701381.

Free pressure gauge checks

In Twisp, you can get your pressure gauge checked on Saturday, Aug. 26 from 9 a.m. – noon at Hank’s Market. In Okanogan, gauges can be checked Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., in the Okanogan County Extension Office at the courthouse.

School menu The Methow Valley School District’s free summer lunch program takes place at Twisp Town Park through Aug. 18. Lunch for children 18 and younger will be served from 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. It will include a sack lunch and milk. For more information, call 996-9205.

Adams 50th Wedding Anniversary

For information, call the WSU Okanogan County Extension office at 422-7245.

Native history at interpretive center

Dr. Karen Capuder will present “Unceded Territories: A Brief History of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation”, as part of Methow Valley Interpretive Center’s Last Sunday series on Aug. 27 from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Dr. Capuder is an Archaeologist with the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation History/Archaeology Program where she conducts ethnohistorical and ethnographic research. The interpretive center is located at 210 Fifth Street in Twisp. There is no cost for admission. Call 997-0620 for more information.

Okanogan County Fair entry deadlines

The deadline to register entries for the Okanogan County Fair is Sept. 1 for write-in entries and Sept. 4 for online entries. Registration is free. Find more information online at www.okfair.org or call (509) 422-1624. The Okanogan County Fair runs Sept. 7–10 at 175 Rodeo Trail Road, Okanogan.

Twisp Library Book Sale

The Twisp Library will hold a used book sale on Saturday, Sept. 2, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Methow Valley Community Center Gym. There will be thousands of great books costing $1 or less. If you would like to help set up, please call Sharon at (509) 449-2594. To donate gently used books, please bring them to the Methow Valley Community Center from Aug. 28 — Sept. 1 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Annual ‘Dinner at TwispWorks’

The second annual “Dinner at TwispWorks: A Cultivated Evening” will be on Sept. 3, featuring food prepared by local chefs and caterers, and performances by local musicians. The event is a fundraiser supporting TwispWorks’ programs and services. Tickets are $50 and are on sale now. For more information, call 997-3300. Campus tours and happy

hour will run from 4 to 6 p.m., with dinner immediately following. The event is for people 21 and older, but childcare will be provided on campus.

Methow Valley Head Start Currently Enrolling

Okanogan County Child Development Association (OCCDA) and the Methow Valley School District are currently accepting applications for enrollment in their fullday preschool program for the 2017-2018 school year. Applications are being accepted from prenatal women and for children who have not turned five as of Aug. 31. Methow Valley Head Start transports children to and from class. Head Start services are provided at no cost to families; low-income families are prioritized for enrollment.OCCDA also offers Early Head Start, a home-based program for prenatal women, infants, and toddlers in the Methow Valley. For more information on services and to apply for the full-day or Early Head Start programs, please call (509) 826-2466.

Consultant to advise on growing businesses

Twisp business and downtown property owners are invited to meet with Michele Reeves, a consultant who specializes in commercial development and community revitalization, on Sept. 19. at the Methow Valley Community Center from noon–1:30 p.m. Interested businesses and property owners should contact Hannah McIntosh at 997-3300 or cmcintosh@ twispworks.org. The event is being hosted by TwispWorks.

Photo courtesy of Georgia Buell

Left to right: Matthew Michael, Suzanne Buell, Georgia Buell and Edward Adams (current owners of Farmers Bank in Winthrop) were all married in a double wedding ceremony in Seattle (Laurelhurst Presbyterian Church). The reception was held in the Main Lounge of the Washington Athletic Club fifty years ago on August 19, 1967. All four graduated from the University of Puget Sound. The twins are the daughters of the late Ann and Frank Buell of Winthrop.

Bear Fight welcomes interns

The Bear Fight Institute would like to recognize their summer 2017 interns: Katie Taylor and Garrett Palm. Katie Taylor is a junior at Arlington High School. She is helping with various tasks such as archiving, research, maintaining publication lists and updating the website. Garett Palm is a 2015 graduate of Liberty Bell High School, and a junior at Gonzaga University, majoring in computer science and eco-

nomics. He is converting and updating our data processing programs to improve speed and streamline processing of spectra analysis. The scientists at the Bear Fight Institute, located north of Winthrop at the edge of the Pasayten Wilderness Area, work with numerous NASA and ESA missions. We study the composition of objects in our solar system, including planets, moons, and comets. Visit www.bearfightinstitute.

locally for the senior lunch program, and for monthly trips to Omak/Okanogan the second Tuesday of the month and to Wenatchee the third Tuesday of the month. Call 1-800-635-4391 for details. Rosalie Hutson

Lunch Menu

THURSDAY, AUG. 17: BBQ chicken, potato salad, garden salad, corn bread, strawberry shortcake.

com for more information, or follow it on Facebook.

Juniper Lee Ebenger, left, welcomed her brother Foster West Ebenger, born on January 8, 2017. Vanessa Nelson and Ryan Ebenger are the proud parents. The happy family resides in Kirkland. Grandparents are Wendell and Karen Nelson of Brooks, Alberta; David Ebenger of Winthrop; and Joyce Daniels Renner of Palmer, Alaska.

The Nonprofit Practices Institute is hosting “Boards in Gear,” a workshop for nonprofit board members and staff to help strengthen the practice of board leadership. The “Boards in Gear” workshop will be held Sept. 27 at Aero Methow in Twisp, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Deadline to register (cfncw.org/npiworkshops) is Sept. 15; registration is $15 and includes lunch.

The Senior Center is located next to the Methow Valley Community Center on Highway 20 in Twisp. Lunch is served at noon by the Okanogan County Transportation and Nutrition Program on Monday, Thursday and Friday. The suggested donation for lunch is $3.50 for seniors over age 60; the cost is $8 for those under 60. Annual membership dues are $1.25. Transportation is available

Photo courtesy of Bear Fight Institute

Katie Taylor, left, and Garrett Palm are this year’s interns at Bear Fight Institute.

Foster!

Workshop for nonprofit board members

Methow Valley Senior Center

Oh what a relief it is to be able to breath fresh air and be able to open up the house. The smell of rain was the best smell ever. Now for some more without lightning. We need to enjoy the rest of the summer, which is going fast. Labor Day weekend we will be having a western clothing sale and the winter sale will add vests and light jackets. This will be a sidewalk sale, weather permitting.

Page B7

Photo courtesy of Vanessa Nelson and Ryan Ebenger

FRIDAY, AUG. 18: Egg salad sandwich, vegetable tray, beets, fruit cup, dessert. MONDAY, AUG. 21: Cheeseburger deluxe, pasta vegetable salad, melons, dessert THURSDAY, AUG. 24: Pork roast, stuffing & gravy, corn, green salad, applesauce, roll, dessert FRIDAY, AUG. 25: hot dogs, baked beans, carrots, cucumber and tomato salad, mixed berries, dessert

Services

Paul Wagner

A graveside service will be held for Paul Wagner on Saturday, Aug. 26, at 1:30 p.m. at the Beaver Creek Cemetery south of

Twisp. A time to visit and to have some light refreshments will follow at the Methow Valley Inn in Twisp.

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Valley Life

Page B8

Wednesday, August 16, 2017

Mandi Donohue

Mazama The news this week in Charlottesville, Virginia, turned many stomachs and left some of us feeling helpless, wanting to pull the reigns on a nation that appears to be bucking out of control. I hear myself like an echo of my mother, using phrases like “the state of the world” or “the way this country is going,” and “God help us all.” I clutch my pregnant belly and wonder what Lliam and I have done to want to bring a child into the world. No longer religious, I find myself even mumbling for help from the Lord. I know we all have these feelings, some of us more so than others, and truthfully, in this valley sometimes, for very different reasons. Rather than cling to a hell-in-a-handbasket mentality, I’d like to share some undeniable

Sarah Schrock

Twisp One year ago, in a car filled with two kids, three dogs and two cats, hauling a trailer full of chickens and three horses, Beth Blank made the last of 20 trips over the North Cascade Mountains to start a new life at Tice Ranch. She and her husband, Eric, had said goodbye to their home near La Conner, Washington, and to demanding careers in internet law and cybersecurity. Then they took on the challenge of updating the aging manor with the goal of converting it to a family owned and operated boutique hotel. After seeing the Tice Ranch sign change its name to the Rock Chuck Ranch over the winter, I became curious. I had met Beth during ski team practice and asked for a tour, which finally happened recently. I had long heard rumors of the grandeur of the lodge up on the hill, the 1863 English Pub

goodness this week. The first sweet story is about the late Bob Cram as written by Rick LeDuc. He writes, “I broke my leg skiing at Crystal Mountain in 1968, and as fate would have it, a couple of weeks later my family was at KING TV’s studio to watch my brother compete on a local high school TV quiz show. As we were leaving Bob came around the corner and looked at me on crutches and said, ‘I sure hope you didn’t do that skiing!’ and when I replied ‘Yes!’ he asked if I’d like him to autograph it. “Of course I said yes because Bob Cram was ‘the guy’ when it came to skiing, especially when it came to a 12-year-old kid who grew up watching him on his local TV ski show, ‘Ski Nanny.’ I was a star at Denny Junior High School as I displayed my newly autographed cast for everyone to see. Bob was one-of-a-kind and a wonderful man and I will miss him.” Sara Carlberg reached out with another good story. The West Fork trail is looking pretty fancy these days. Thanks to a project completed by the Washington Trail Association (WTA) Volunteers, there has been a new bridge completed across the creek. According to Sara, “the work on the new bridge was started in June when the volunteers felled the tree to be used for and French antiques, and was eager to actually see it. The log architecture is exquisite. Sweeping views through massive picture windows seem to bring the mountains inside. The entire lodge has been decorated in a rustic western theme that hints of Victorian-era wealth. The Blanks plan to transform that to alpine décor, but first they have to make the building functional. One of the first tasks was to reroof the 20,000-squarefoot main building, which includes the original 1986 str ucture and two wings added in 2005. The cedar shake roof, which has multiple gables, was riddled with holes from years of neglect and animal damage; it was replaced with composite shingles for easier maintenance and better fire-proofing. A new swimming pool and spa have been installed on the grounds, and a new irrigation system is going in along the entrance drive. The new hotel will feature 11 rooms and one family suite, all with private bathrooms. There will be a number of common spaces throughout the lodge, and breakfasts will be served at a massive community table; I didn’t measure it, but it’s easy to imagine a king and his court feasting on wild goose, roasted pork and plate upon plate of pastries. Then of course, there’s the saloon,

the bridge.” They returned shortly thereafter and spent three days moving the log into position, finishing the anchoring on both sides. She also mentioned that “several locals came out to join the other dedicated volunteers on Sunday.” Thanks to WTA! The last story I’m sharing is about a donut clerk I encountered in Lynnwood, while in Seattle for my last photography class. On my way home, I popped into this donut shop. I was slightly groggy, didn’t sleep too well but was happy to find a cup of coffee and treat for my drive over the pass on a rainy day. The young counter clerk looked like it wasn’t his life mission to be serving donuts at an early hour but he put on some Bruno Mars and really got into it. Between donuts, he would dance, bobbing his head back and forth to the music until he’d look up and ask, “Next?” I was slightly annoyed at first, because the music was louder than my brain was ready for. But the kid’s enthusiasm was infectious, and I began to get into it, too. As I began to check out, he asked how my day was going. I said that I was good and that the tunes helped. He loved that and told me he wasn’t going to charge me for my coffee. The way he chose to do his morning put me

Methow Valley News

WTA volunteers installed a new bridge across a creek on the West Fork trail. in a good mood. The free drip was the icing on the donut. As I got back into my car, I was bewildered and impressed by what had just happened. In the span of five minutes, I went from Zero to 8 a.m. Dance Party. How did this happen? And here I am writing about it to the Methow Valley News readership. This young kid not only completely brightened my day but made it so obvious to me how easy it is to do that. And in some way, as goofy as it sounds, the joy connected us. It was so… utterly… simple. If I’ve learned anything this week: a little bit of goodness goes a long way.

Photo by Mandi Donohue

Never understimate the power of a simple donut to brighten up your day.

Ashley Lodato

Winthrop

Photo by Sarah Schrock

Beth and Eric Blank, owners of the Rock Chuck Ranch. shipped from England and reinstalled with its original walnut inlaid tables, leather chairs and stained-glass mural. The Blanks hope to open to hotel guests this December. A log cabin is already open for nightly rentals. They also will market to corporate retreats and weddings. Plans are for 100 acres of surrounding alfalfa fields will continue to be farmed by Troy Acord, although the

Blanks have plans to add trails throughout the property for walking and biking. The Blanks want the Ranch to be a welcoming place for visitors and locals. Since they moved here, they have met many people in the Methow Valley who have fond memories of working at or attending events at the former Tice Ranch, such as Willie Nelson and Reba McIntire concerts or stallion parades.

Photo courtesy of Sara Carlberg

With nearly two weeks of hazy skies and smoky air behind us (barring a few clear days that lulled us into complacency), I’m guessing it’s lost on no one that such an environment is entirely— and frighteningly—possible as an increasingly regular occurrence ahead for us. Whatever you believe about the scientifically-verified concept of climate change, you can surely agree both anecdotally and statistically that our Western forests are burning at an unprecedented rate in recent years, and that’s only likely to escalate during our lifetimes. On matters closer to the ground … Accuse me of having a foot fetish if you will, but I know that those of you who share my affinity for walking-home-in-someone-else’s shoe stories are always as glad as I am to hear another one. (If you need to revisit my Richard Hart and Fran Kaul stories on this topic, just let me know.) Two weekends ago, during the

Confluence Gallery Home Tour, my neighbor Mel Cooke was volunteering at House #1 on the tour. As many of us do in Methow Valley homes, he slipped off his flip flops and entered the house barefoot before assuming his post, as did most of the visitors to the house, adding their shoes to the pile. After his volunteer shift, Mel went back outside and slid his feet into the flip flops he assumed were his, but something didn’t feel quite right. On further inspection, Mel realized that the flip flops were the same Olukai brand and roughly the same brown color as his own, but they were definitely not the ones he arrived in. Still, his original flip flops were nowhere in sight, and Mel needed footwear to continue on with his day, so he put on the sandals and left. Incredibly, one of the home tour participants saw Mel at the Mazama Store later that day and told Mel with great excitement that he had seen someone else wearing Mel’s flip flops and told the guy to go back to House #1, but by the time the guy got there Mel had gone. If you are wearing a pair of brown Olukai flip flops that don’t fit the way they usually do, please call Mel at (425) 892-3644 to arrange a shoe swap. Finally, a couple of weeks ago I wrote an article about the swim team championships and I incorrectly identified one member of the winning 13-14-year-old “Jack and Jill” 4-person relay team; apologies to Eva Weymuller for leaving her off the roster.

Off The Wall

Bunker Bob: A debt of friendship, owed for an eternity

My name is Bob Spiwak and I owe when Cram and I hitched a ride on it to Bob Cram 50 bucks. More on that later. Hawaii. There were other writers along Bob and I were like brothers in many on the cruise, and among us were three ways when he was in resiguys named Bob. Speaking dence in Mazama. I was writto another was confusing, ing for golf magazines and at so we took on new names. I times on the road overnight, was Bob-Bob. There was frequently accompanied by a Walt Bob. And Cram Cram. One of these junkets became Tall Bob. I think was by sea, aboard the SS it was in Maui where Tall Constitution, sailing to variBob, flailing his way out of ous golf courses in Hawaii. a sand trap, had his name The writers were allowed to changed by acclimation bring along one guest, and to Bunker Bob. The name Bob was mine. remained with him for Bob Spiwak The cruise ship itself is a years to come. good story, as it ferried celebrities on Aboard ship the captain is king, and trans-Atlantic trips through the 1950s the utmost honor for VIP passengers and ’60s. The internet will tell you that was to have dinner with the captain. Grace Kelly sailed it to Monaco for her Even moreso to have your picture taken wedding to Prince Rainier. An episode with him. of “I Love Lucy” featured the ConWe noticed over the days that stitution, as did the movie “An Affair the captain-king always flashed the to Remember” with Cary Grant and same frozen smile when the camera Deborah Kerr. clicked. When it came our turn to be But that was long before the 1980s, photographed with him, we decided to

Valley Life Contacts

Twisp: Sarah Schrock sjschrock@yahoo.com

melt that smile. As the duo before stood with the captain, Cram and I went to a gig used by The Marx Brothers. As the camera focused I lifted my right leg which was caught by Bob’s arm as the camera clicked. The frozen smile disappeared. Bob was something of a celebrity in the Northwest because of his time as the “cartooning weatherman” on KING 5 TV in Seattle. Once he decamped to Mazama, he continued his humorous ways. Once, in the large outdoor patio of the Mazama Store where the morning guys gather, a fellow appeared carrying an armload of books and papers. He was running for governor of Washington and solicited our support. Nobody knew or had heard of him. As he talked, Cram pulled up and got out of his car. I went to meet him and told him the stranger’s mission. As we approached the table, Cram, without breaking stride, muttered loudly: “RUNNING FOR GOVERNOR? ARE YOU (BLEEPING) INSANE?”

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

The table went silent. Bob was a fine woodworker and one day decided to take some stray pieces and create something. What it became was a fine piece that Cram dubbed, BOB’S PRETTY GOOD BENCH. It sold at the at the Ma z a m a Ma rket. Thus a benchbuilding business was born under the name of Bob’s Better Benches. A nyone who knew Bob probably has a dozen such stories. These are among my favorites. Somewhere in my files is the text and some art work of a golf book on which we tried to collaborate. He had already published an illustrated book called “If Golf Were the Only Game.” This was to be a dif-

Lower Valley: Joanna Bastian, MethowJoanna@gmail.com

ferent thing. But we found that working together didn’t work. Which brings me back to our beginning here that had its roots several years ago. Cram and I were discussing our mutual journey into REAL old age and this led to a wager as to who would b e goi ng u n d e r first. We agreed on the rules — everything but how we determined the winner. This would come up at various times and was never resolved. It cannot end in — pardon me — a dead heat. Well, Bob beat me to the punch. He died on July 29 at age 91. So the $50 goes to you, Bunker Bob, and I know you’ll be counting it for eternity.

Mazama: Mandi Donohue mandi0459@yahoo.com