Methow Valley News, Jan. 21, 2015

Fast tracks

Staying put

Methow Valley Nordic Team skis well at home

LBHS won’t switch to a new league this year

Methow Valley News

SPORTS Page B1

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PUBLISHED WEEKLY SINCE 1903

TWISP, WASHINGTON

VOL. 112 NO. 37

WWW.METHOWVALLEYNEWS.COM

JANUARY 21, 2015

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Cougar sightings scarce this winter No depredations reported, no cats killed in the Methow Valley

By Ann McCreary

In contrast to last winter with its string of cougar attacks on pets and livestock, this winter has been a quiet

one so far on the cougar front.

“The Methow Valley has had a few sightings. But we have not had the depredation” of last winter, said Sgt. Dan Christensen, supervisor of Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) enforcement for Okanogan County.

Cougars are a common part of the landscape in the Methow Valley and Okanogan County, but by most accounts last winter was unusual in the number of cougar attacks on dogs, cats, goats,

sheep, chickens and calves.

By the end of January last year, WDFW officials had tracked and shot four cougars after attacks on pets and livestock, and a fifth cougar was tracked and treed by WDFW officers after an attack and subsequently shot by a hunter with a cougar tag. Cougar sightings and encounters were almost a weekly event throughout January and February.

About a dozen cougars were killed

by WDFW officials or by hunters in the Methow Valley by the time winter

was over. The unusual number of cougar incidents prompted WDFW to issue special permits last February allowing hunters to use hounds to track cougars under a cougar removal program.

No killings

By contrast, no cougar depredations have been reported and no cougars have been killed so far this winter in the valley, Christensen said.

See COUGARS, A3 Photo by Ann McCreary Isabella Ridge, on the former elementary school property, is one of several new subdivisions underway in Twisp.

Twisp poised for spurt in residential growth

By Ann McCreary

This is actually the second RV-7 Dixon has built. He built the same airplane in 2005 but never flew it because he couldn’t afford to put an engine in it at the time, he said. He sold it to a man from California in 2007, who came to

The town of Twisp is poised for unprecedented growth in new residential development if proposals submitted to the town for approval over the past year move forward.

Several applications that would create almost 50 building lots are in various stages of approval by the town.

“It’s definitely the busiest I’ve seen i n t e r m s of action to divide property and The prepa re for development,” economy s a i d To w n is really Planner Kurt Danison, who good, began working for Twisp about and these 33 years ago. things are “Twisp probably hasn’t seen needed. th is level of — John Hayes, land activity since use planner the [Wagner] mill was there and there were houses built for the mill employees,” he said.

“This building season looks like it could be fairly significant” if lots are sold and developed, Danison said.

An improving economy, low interest rates, a growing number of people who want to live in a more urban setting, and Twisp’s ability to assure water hookups — at least for a limited amount of development — are cited by property owners and town officials as contributing factors to the increase in development proposals.

Mayor Soo Ing-Moody, a seemingly tireless booster of the town, is excited about the prospect of new homes and

See AIRPLANE, A3

See GROWTH, A2

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Photo by Laurelle Walsh Peter Dixon figures he has about 500 hours of work left before his Van’s RV-7 airplane is ready to fly.

Building an airplane, one rivet at a time

By Laurelle Walsh

After two years of not really knowing what his airplane would look like, Peter Dixon’s Van’s RV-7 is finally becoming recognizable. “It’s only looked like an airplane for about the last two months,” he said.

Putting the fiberglass nose cone onto the fixed-pitch catto propeller three weeks ago was the most recent landmark event in Dixon’s labor of love.

“Right now it seems like I’m doing about a thousand things at once,” Dixon said. Within the last few weeks he has also finished the wiring and the instrument panel and started installing the engine baffles.

The in-wing fuel tanks were the hardest things to build, he said. The next big milestone will be when the RV-7 is finished, about five to seven months from

now, he estimates.

“It’s so hard to tell how much more time before I finish. It will take as long as it takes,” Dixon said.

Building this airplane has been Dixon’s full-time job for the last two winters. On winter days he can be found working on it from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily in the hangar he rents from Don and Pat Owens at the Twisp airport.

During the summer, the 32-year-old Methow Valley native works in construction and gets in a few hours of work on the plane when he can, he said.

An early start

Dixon remembers being out in his parents’ large vegetable garden as a child, and watching Stan Gardner fly over in a tiny ultralight. “I thought it was pretty cool, but looked way too dangerous,” he said.

Tight squeeze

He started flying around age 14 with Ed Matthews out of Chelan. “Ed was kind of a fly-by-the-seat-of-his-pants kind of guy. I did the book work on my own,” he said.

The youngster hitchhiked or got his parents to drive him to Chelan for lessons, which he took whenever he had spare money from odd jobs. “I saved up money and flew whenever I could, a few hours here and there,” he said.

Dixon got his solo license at age 16, before he had his driver’s license. He had to wait until he was 17 before he could get his private pilot’s license and take a passenger along with him.

His first foray into aircraft building was assisting Fred Cooley with his asyet-unfinished RV-4 about 20 years ago, Dixon said. “Fred taught me how to rivet.”

Since then, countless hours of drill-

The best of all worlds

This weekend’s Nordic Festival to be a ‘showcase for the Methow Valley’

By Laurelle Walsh

Photo by Laurelle Walsh The Carlton Hole was one of 19 teams — and the only one from the Methow Valley — to compete in the 32nd annual Conconully Outhouse Races on Saturday (Jan. 17).

Competitors came from as far away as Minnesota and Texas for the event, in which skimounted wooden privies, complete with toilet seat and t.p., are raced down Conconully’s snow-covered main street by teams consisting of two “pushers” and one “rider.”

Here, things got a bit jammed up during the bucket race heat between Carlton Hole and Big Buck. The Carlton Hole ran hard in five divisions, but won none, despite an enthusiastic entourage of cheering Methow Valley fans.

First-time team captain Jeff Lyman said, “We’ve gotten the lay of the land this year, and we’re going to come back next year even stronger.”

ing and de-burring holes, riveting, polishing and putting pieces together have made Dixon pretty adept at this process by now. Building a plane from a kit gives him the advantage of getting some parts pre-cut and pre-bent; however, other components Dixon has had to build himself.

Another advantage of building his own plane will be the ability to do his own maintenance on it and save money in the process, he said.

The Methow Valley Nordic Festival is back this weekend (Jan. 23 – 25), with three days full of winter sports and fun activities.

“We’ve got some of the best conditions in the state for the festival this year,” said Methow Trails’ Executive Director James DeSalvo. “It’s a real showcase for the Methow Valley. We’re excited to show people a good time.”

The Nordic Festival offers a variety of activities that should appeal to people of all ages and abilities: from the sedate — a chili-and-beer happy hour at the Mazama Store — to the competitive — the twoday Methow Valley Pursuit ski race.

“We’re aiming to broaden the experience for all participants, without lowering the expectations of the elite skiers who come to race,” said Program Man-

ager Danica Ready.

Methow Trails staff, trail groomers and around 50 service program volunteers will keep things moving with multiple events happening from Sun Mountain to Winthrop to Mazama.

Around 175 people are currently registered for the skiing and running events.

And a concurrent three-day hockey tournament at the Winthrop Ice & Sports Rink is expected to draw several hundred participants. “Town’s going to be very busy,” predicted Ready.

Pursuit

The Nordic Festival is centered around the two-day Methow Valley Pursuit (Jan. 24 – 25), one of 16 ski races nationwide listed in the prestigious American Ski Marathon series. Racers will be coming from all over the Pacific Northwest to participate, said Ready.

”

Shuttle service For non-racing skiers, Classic Mountain Cabby runs a Winthropto-Mazama shuttle Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The shuttle departs the Winthrop Town Trailhead at 10 a.m., Brown’s Farm at 10:25 a.m., Mazama at 10:45 a.m., Brown’s Farm at 11:05 a.m., and ends at Winthrop Town Trailhead at 11:30 a.m. Price is $10 per person, including gear. For more information call 996-2894.

After changing courses over the past few years, this year the Pursuit follows the traditional 30-kilometer route on the Methow Community Trail between Winthrop and Mazama. “The race is coming back to its origins,” Ready said.

The race has options for individual racers and relay teams. Participants may

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Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Methow Valley News

School district ready to apply to Int’l Baccalaureate program

By Marcy Stamper

It would be a rare status for a small, rural school to be a member of the worldwide International Baccalaureate (IB) program, which combines subjects like English, history and science and emphasizes foreign languages — but the Methow Valley School District is close to applying for candidacy for the program.

After a year of exploring the program, visiting other IB schools, attending training and incorporating the concepts in classes, teachers and administrators have decided to take the next step in March, after an opportunity for community feedback early next month.

The school would be applying for two IB programs — the primary-years program for first through sixth grade and a middle-years program for seventh through 10th grade. They are not contemplating the diploma program at this time, said Methow Valley School District Superintendent Tom Venable.

By d oi ng c o n sid e r a bl e research and getting training

GROWTH

From Page A1

residents in Twisp, which has seen little residential development over the past two decades.

“There is a need for housing; there has been for years. The town is a great place to do that, because of the concentration of

even before applying for candidacy, the school district is ahead of where most schools are in the IB investigative process, said Venable.

Typically schools do not send teachers for training until after they have been accepted as a candidate school. “We felt it was important to send the staff to training to learn the philosophy and how it aligns with our practice — that was built into the exploration process,” said Venable. “Our hope is that by spending more time evaluating the framework, it’s a decision we’ll be pleased with and that will serve students well into the future.”

To be approved for candidacy, the district must show that the schools’ mission and vision are consistent with the IB philosophy and demonstrate that the district has involved everyone who would be affected, including families and the community, said Venable.

Some parents have already visited other IB schools or have had experiences with IB programs in other districts, said Venable.

The IB organization sees its

services,” Ing-Moody said.

“What’s really sparking things is that people are interested in moving into town. There’s ‘walkability’ that allows you to live in town and go to work where the jobs are,” Ing-Moody said.

“There’s an energy in town … with new amenities and infrastructure improvements. It’s a very desirable place to be,” Ing-

Twisp monitoring its water supply to keep up with development

By Ann McCreary

Twisp officials are keeping a tally of the amount of water available to serve new residential and commercial development, particularly in light of an increase over the past year in proposals to subdivide property for new home lots.

Twisp currently has fewer than 70 hookups available for new residences, town officials estimate.

Water is an especially precious commodity to Twisp, after the state Supreme Court ruled in 1997 that the town had lost substantial water rights from the Methow River because they had not been used for many years.

Through conservation efforts, Twisp decreased its municipal water use between 1987 and 2013 by more than 430 acre-feet, a 330-percent reduction, according to a consultant’s report on the town’s water conservation efforts.

The report, completed in December by Aspect Consulting, said repairs to the town’s water system over the past seven years have produced savings of about 102 gallons per minute, or 164 acre-feet per year.

The town’s legal water rights are limited to 224 acrefeet per year as a result of the Supreme Court ruling, which came in response to a lawsuit

from the Okanogan Wilderness League (OWL), a local environmental organization.

That decision prompted the town to impose a moratorium on new wells and threatened to restrict future development because the town could not guarantee available water for new homes and businesses.

The town has been leasing water from Methow Valley Irrigation District (MVID) to provide seasonal irrigation water, and last year entered into a purchase and sale agreement with MVID that would transfer 138-acre-feet of water rights to Twisp, and includes a commitment by MVID to provide 262-acrefeet of irrigation water within the town.

A water rights change that would allow the agreement to go forward was approved by the state Department of Ecology, but has been appealed by OWL. Aspect Consulting said the town has worked to conserve water through rate structures that incentivize conservation, installing meters and providing water conservation education materials to town residents.

The town currently has plans for 11 projects, for a total cost of about $4.8 million, aimed at repairing leaks and improving the town’s water system, the report said.

Learn about the International Baccalaureate A public meeting where people can learn about the IB program and why the school district believes it is a good fit is schedule for Wednesday, Feb. 11, at 6 p.m. in the multi-purpose room at Methow Valley Elementary. Because child care will be provided and planners want to be sure the space will accommodate all participants, they ask people to RSVP to 996-9205. mission as more than its curriculums and certificate programs.

Its mission statement includes the following: “At our heart we are motivated by a mission to create a better world through education.”

IB units are organized around themes, such as who we are, how we express ourselves, and how the world works, according to Methow Valley Elementary Principal Anne Andersen, who has been principal at two other IB schools.

IB also requires a world-language program, starting in kindergarten. The district has not yet decided whether the language would be Spanish or Mandarin, said Venable.

Students also have a role in shaping their education — they are encouraged to propose questions about a subject from different points of view, said Andersen.

The IB framework helps teachers organize lessons so that students understand how subject areas are connected and relevant to their lives, said Liberty Bell math teacher Paul Gitchos, who attended an IB training last summer.

Moody said.

“Twisp is going to come into its own,” said Vaughn Jolley, a local developer whose 12-lot Isabella Ridge project on a bluff above town got preliminary approval last Tuesday (Jan. 13) from the Town Council.

Jolley said two lots sold this week to local residents, pending final approval of the subdivision by the town.

“A lot of interest is from people who don’t want to be that far out of town, who don’t want a lot of acreage to take care of and want to be closer to services,” Jolley said. “What more do you want than to have a nice view lot and be able to walk to the brew pub?”

with a development of this size will depend on the town’s ability to provide water hookups, Jolley noted.

For more than two decades, the town has struggled with limitations on its legal water rights. Last year the town signed an agreement to purchase water from the Methow Valley Irrigation District (MVID) to provide the town additional year-round water.

The state Department of Ecology approved changes in existing water rights that would allow the agreement to go forward, and issued new water rights that are offset by the changes.

E colog y’s de cision was appealed by Okanogan Wilderness League, a local environmental organization founded by Lee Bernheisel and Lucy Reid. The appeal is expected to be heard by the Pollution Control Hearings Board this summer.

Reid is among the property owners with development plans in town. She owns a three-lot parcel on land south of the Isabella Ridge development, on land that was formerly the Allen Elementary School playground.

The three-lot plat received final approval from the Town Council in September.

Between the Reid property and Isabella Ridge is a six-lot development owned by Paul Barth of Sacramento, California, on land where the school building stood. That development received preliminary approval in November.

The description of the Barth property on file with the town envisions one-story homes of wood or stucco served by a private road into the property.

Many approvals

Isabella Ridge is the largest of seven developments that have received preliminary or final approval from the town within the past year. It is located on land that was the former athletic field of the old Allen Elementary School.

The project proposes middleincome to high-income homes, constructed under protective covenants “to ensure consistency,” according to documents on file with the town.

Infrastructure work including a private access road, sewer and water lines, irrigation and power service need to be completed prior to final approval and before sales can be finalized.

Jolley said Isabella Ridge is intended to be the first phase of a larger housing development.

He has purchased an adjacent 26 acres on the hillside above and to the south of the 12-lot subdivision, and wants to create a planned development for that land. He said he has retained the planner who designed the town of Seabrook, Washington, to help develop plans for the 26 acres.

The ability to move forward

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It is usually a two- to threeyear process for schools to move from candidacy to full authorization, said Venable. Although staff would have to demonstrate that they are using the interdisci-

Waiting for a while

Another six-lot parcel, owned

by Carl and Nancy Hubert and located north of the Idle-AWhile motel, has also received

“

the majority of which offer just the diploma program. Only three of the Washington schools are in the primary program and six in the middle years.

The diploma program, which started in 1968, is the oldest.

The primary- and middle-years programs were developed in the 1990s.

While many IB schools are small, few are rural, said Venable, who said the international connections could keep the district from becoming too isolated.

The IB teacher training has been paid for by a $30,000 grant from the Public School Funding Alliance and a local support grant. If the district elects to apply for candidacy, it will allocate money from its general fund.

The fee to become a candidate school is $4,000 per program.

Annual fees for IB schools are $8,000 to $9,000 for each program.

The Independent Learning Center will continue to partner with Big Picture Schools, which also emphasizes interdisciplinary study but incorporates internships and hands-on learning, said Venable.

The people who are going to buy the houses need financing. There’s never been a more favorable time, with 3- to 4-percent interest rates. Seattle is booming and it trickles down our way. That’s why we decided to start the long plat process a year ago.

We’re striving for affordable homes.

— Carl Hubert

preliminary approval. The lots will be accessed by a private road between Burgar Street and Highway 20.

“I’d been sitting on that land since 2004. It’s part of our retirement program,” Carl Huber t said. T he Huber ts watched the property’s value drop during the recession, but with the economy rebounding they decided to move forward on subdividing the parcel from three lots to six.

“The people who are going to buy the houses need financing. T here’s never been a more favorable time, with 3to 4-percent interest rates,” Hubert said. “Seattle is booming and it trickles down our way. That’s why we decided to start the long plat process a year ago. We’re striving for affordable homes.”

Also in the works are two short plat subdivisions of two lots each, Danison said. One is owned by Gretchen Dieringer and located on East Twisp Avenue, about a block east of Lincoln Street.

Another two-lot parcel on Marble Street, owned by Traci Day and Saul Labanauskas, is in the public review phase, Danison said.

A project that has been in the works since 2012 would create

OW VALLEY SCHOOL DIST METH RICT

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17 cottages designed for senior living on property owned by Joe and Beverly Jensen next to the medical clinic on Second Avenue.

The development has preliminary approval from the town, but has stalled due to an unresolved issue over costs of relocating CenturyLink phone lines, said John Hayes, a land use planner who is advising the Jensens.

When that issue is resolved, work on infrastructure can move forward, followed by construction of a model residence — hopefully by this summer, Hayes said.

“The economy is really good, and these things are needed,” Hayes said.

The need for affordable housing in Twisp and throughout the Methow Valley was made even more apparent in the wake of the Carlton Complex Fire, which displaced many valley families, Ing-Moody said.

“There was a huge shortage when people were looking for homes temporarily,” she said.

“All of these projects are going to offer something the valley hasn’t had for a long time, because it’s become so exclusive with minimum zoning requirements outside the towns,” Jolley said. “It takes middle America out of equation.”

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Candidacy timeline

plinary lessons, during the candidacy phase teachers would not be expected to use the thematic units in all their classes. They would most likely add two or three units each year, said Venable.

The faculty would spend time over the summer designing the first interdisciplinary lessons to teach next year, he said.

“It’s a tremendous amount of work — particularly to develop the units of integrated study — so we want to be sure everyone understands how much work and commitment it is,” said Venable.

As a candidate school, the district would be assigned an IB coordinator to advise the staff and facilitate the process.

Once they believe they are ready — most likely after two or three years — district administrators would request a formal evaluation. “It doesn’t mean we have to be perfect, but we have to have shown significant progress,” said Venable.

IB is a nonprofit educational foundation with more than 3,700 schools in 147 countries. More than 2,400 schools in the U.S. use the program, although only 29 of those are in Washington,

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You are invited to attend an information night regarding the International Baccalaureate (IB) instructional model.

Learn how International Baccalaureate schools, programs, and classes work for elementary, middle, & high schoolers.

IB takes a global approach, looking at big ideas across disciplines.

Wednesday, Feb. 11, 6-7:30pm in the Methow Valley Elementary School multi-purpose room For more information, call the MV School District office at 996-9205

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Methow Valley News

Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Page A3

Organizations dispensing $1.4 million for two phases of fire relief

By Marcy Stamper

Organizations working on fire relief and recovery have released updated tallies for the people they have helped and their current fundraising levels.

The long-term recovery organizations in the county see two stages of assistance — relief (the first six months) and recovery, according to Adrianne Moore, prevention coordinator at Room One and a board member of Methow Valley Long Term Recovery and the countywide Carlton Complex Long Term Recovery Group.

Immediately after the fire, money was given directly to people with urgent needs such as food, gas and moving expenses, said Moore. Even after the initial crisis was over, this type of assistance has continued for things such as winter clothing, winter-

ization, snowplowing and first month’s rent or security deposits, said Moore.

About $400,000 has already been spent on this direct relief.

Moore contrasted it with costs connected with the second phase of long-term recovery, most of which will begin in the spring when more people start rebuilding.

Overall, local charities have raised about $1.4 million for fire relief and recovery for individuals and families, said Moore.

This does not include some additional funds raised for business and economic development or staffing, she said.

There is about $600,000 left from the original $1.4 million, and much of this will be dispensed through the unmet-needs roundtable, a group of local and national charities that responds to needs that cannot be filled

by other programs or volunteer organizations. Some of the monies may be spent on construction supplies and equipment that can be used for more than one family, said Moore.

The unmet-needs roundtable has been meeting almost weekly since November and has helped 12 families so far, with an average award of $2,000, said Moore. (These figures clarify earlier reports that combined the unmet-needs grants with other aid, which implied that the roundtable had given out more than it has.)

The primary focus of the unmet-needs group will be recovery, to help with expenses such as utility hook-ups or rebuilding costs that may not be covered elsewhere.

The roundtable consists of representatives from Room One, The Cove, Okanogan County

Community Action Council, the Community Foundation of North Central Washington, the Red Cross and the Salvation Army.

To date, the various organizations working with fire survivors have distributed 527 vouchers or other forms of direct relief, most in fairly small amounts. This number covers the three months before case managers were hired and may include some duplicates, as people may have received help more than once, said Moore. Moore estimates that they helped 300 families during this phase.

In counting the people they have helped, the recovery teams are using the term “families” to describe either an individual or a family group.

Since the case managers started in October, they have assisted 171 families with a range of needs, including finan-

COUGARS

From Page A1

Methow Valley news file photo by Cal Treser This 125-pound male cougar was shot by wildlife officer Cal Treser after it killed a calf near Twisp in February of 2014.

FESTIVAL

From Page A1

also ski the Pursuit as a noncompetitive tour on one or both days, and have the option of skiing a shorter, un-timed leg.

Saturday’s skiers may take an 8:30 a.m. shuttle bus from Mazama to Winthrop. The mass start is at 9:30 a.m. from the Winthrop Town Trailhead for the classic-style race or tour to Mazama.

Participants should feel confident that they can complete the 30K course in 4 hours or less, Ready said. Race timing ends at 2 p.m. both days.

Sunday’s skate race follows the same course in the opposite direction: Mazama to Winthrop. A shuttle bus will leave the Town Trailhead for Mazama at 8:30 a.m.

AIRPLANE

From Page A1

Twisp and “handed me a big stack of money,” Dixon said.

Dixon also helped Don Owens build his RV-7, which is parked just a few feet away from the one in progress. “But Don has helped me more, every step of the way,” Dixon said. “Both Don and Pat have been awesome. I couldn’t have done this without them.”

Pursuit racers will start at intervals at 9:30 a.m., based on the previous day’s result. Team relay and one-day racers or tourers will do a self-seeded mass start at 10:15 a.m.

A shuttle bus will offer rides from Brown’s Farm back to the Town Trailhead at 11:30 a.m. for skiers who wish to do only the first 10K. “We’re expecting to have a good time,” said Ready. “It’s great to be putting on this event without having to think about plans A, B or C,” she said, referring to last year’s scramble to re-route the Pursuit and cancel activities because of poor snow conditions.

Wildlife officials and residents suggested theories for last year’s high volume of cougar incidents. Among the theories was the low snow accumulation during most of last winter, which meant deer — the primary prey of cougars — were more widely dispersed around the valley. That meant cougars were also widely dispersed and took advantage of preying on pets and livestock as well as deer.

Christensen said the cougar population is likely reduced this year as a result of the cougars killed last year by WDFW officers and hunters. Last summer’s Carlton Complex Fire also killed an unknown number of cougars, he said.

“We obviously lost quite a few cougars in gear rentals at all local shops.

Methow Trails will offer trailside snacks and groomer rides from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the Winthrop Town Trailhead, and Methow Valley Ski School will give free beginner classic or skate-ski lessons at 11 a.m.

From 9 a.m. – noon, Methow Cycle and Sport will offer free fat bike rides starting from the Winthrop Fish Hatchery Trailhead.

Saturday events

Friday (Jan. 23) is Backyard Ski Day with free ski trail access (trail passes not required), free ski lessons, and free Nordic ski

Rainshadow Running offers its newest race, the Methow Snow Trail Race, on Saturday (Jan. 24) at Sun Mountain’s Chickadee Trailhead starting at 8 a.m. Runners will register for either a 9- or 15-kilometer course on packed snowshoe trails, running alongside Methow Trails’ own marathoner James DeSalvo, and half marathon national champion

The Van’s RV-7 is the best design for performance and resale, Dixon said. “You can actually build it and make money on it.” A high-demand airplane, once it’s finished it could sell for around $75,000, Dixon estimates.

“Buying this plane already built would be more than I can afford,” he said. By the time he’s done, he will have put about $45,000 and 2,000 hours of work into it, he figures.

But cost and resale value aren’t the only factors in Dixon’s decision to build this airplane.

It’s also the best-designed plane for general use, he said.

The RV-7 cruises at 200 miles per hour, using about 7 gallons of gas per hour — about 30 miles per gallon. The plane is nimble, fully aerobatic, able to do loops, rolls and spins, Dixon said. And “it’s built for travel. It’s the best of all worlds,” he said.

In comparison, a more com-

Friday events

cial assistance and help from volunteers, said Moore. In addition to assistance with housing and debris removal, case managers are helping people with insurance claims and with finding trauma counselors.

Based on experiences in other disaster-affected areas, the national partners predict that about one-third — or 100 families — will come to the unmetneeds roundtable for assistance with rebuilding, said Moore.

Another part of the transition to long-term recovery is a shift to countywide efforts. As a result, Methow Valley Long Term Recovery will no longer need its own executive director and Hank Cramer’s three-month contract as the group’s director has ended.

Cramer is now playing a support role as a volunteer, said Moore.

The Carlton Complex Long Term Recovery Group is in the

the fire. I believe we killed three burned cougars that were walking on their elbows [after their paws were burned]. Unlike Cinder the bear, that people want to rescue,” the big cats couldn’t be saved, he said.

The wildfire also destroyed a large part of the mule deer winter range, and so the deer are gathering in different areas than they normally do and the cougars are following them, Christensen said.

Deer doing OK

A large number of deer have gathered in fruit orchards where fences were burned in the fire, mostly in the Brewster area, and cougars have been seen in the vicinity, Christensen said. Unprotected hay bales in fields also attract deer and cougars.

“When you congregate prey you congregate predators,” Christensen said.

Because this winter has been relatively

Maria Dalzot of Bellingham.

Free, guided snowshoe and winter natural history tours start at 11 a.m. at both Sun Mountain Lodge and North Cascades Basecamp in Mazama.

Mazama Store hosts a post-ski chili and beer happy hour from noon – 3 p.m.

Alison Naney of Methow Endurance teaches a free skate ski clinic for runners, building on running skills and conditioning and open to all, from 2 – 4 p.m. at the Mazama Trailhead.

Saturday closes with the Nordic Festival dinner hosted by the Methow Valley Nordic Ski Team at the Winthrop Barn. Dinner starts at 6 p.m. Tickets are $16 for adults, $10 for kids 12 and under.

process of hiring for the rebuilding process. They are looking for two volunteer coordinators and a reconstruction manager.

Learn about long-term recovery efforts

The Pateros/Brewster Long Term Recovery Organization welcomes everyone to attend a meeting to learn about everything from land-use and restoration activities; government, economic and business issues; mental and behavior health resources; schools; public safety; and fire relief funds. Case managers will be available to answer questions and to accept new cases. People can also sign up to volunteer.

The meeting is Tuesday (Jan. 27) from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Pateros School library.

For more information, call Carlene Anders at (509) 733-0318.

mild, “the deer seem to be doing pretty well,” said Scott Fitkin, a wildlife biologist for WDFW. “Their body condition seems pretty good and they are pretty well distributed.”

Because of the loss of winter range in the fire, biologists were prepared to provide supplemental feed with pellets for deer if the herd was at risk of starving or if deer were damaging orchards or property. “There are places where there isn’t a lot of natural food left,” Fitkin said.

So far, however, supplemental deer feeding has only been needed in areas between Pateros and Brewster where orchards that lost fencing in the fires are attracting deer, Fitkin said.

“The supplemental feeding … is to encourage deer to come out of the orchard and give them something else to feed on besides orchard trees,” he said.

at the Winthrop Barn from noon – 3 p.m. Pizza and beverages are free for all registered event participants, and available for purchase for family and friends.

Online registration for all events closes today (Jan. 21) at www.methowtrails.org/events/

calendar-events/methow-valleypursuit. Late registration may be done in person from 4 – 6 p.m. on Friday at the Methow Trails office, 309 Riverside Ave. in Winthrop. For more information go to www.methowtrails.org or call 996-3287.

Sunday events

A post-race party, music and awards ceremony will be held

Methow Valley News file photo Trail groomer rides will be available at Backyard Ski Day on Friday.

mon entry-level airplane, the Cessna 150, might cost under $20,000, but it’s “not fun to fly,” said Dixon. “It’s super slow; it flies barely faster than a car, and there’s no performance.”

Dixon plans to use his RV-7 for camping and visiting friends who live far away. He figures it will get him to San Diego in about 12 hours. “I’ll fly it as long as I can afford it,” he said.

Dixon plans to tell no one about the first launch of his air-

craft. “It’s better to keep the pressure low,” he said. “It’s a big deal to fly it for the first time.”

He plans to invite friends and family out for a launch party after he’s flown it a few hours, he said. It will take about 40 hours of flight testing before the airplane can be certified and he can take a passenger up in it.

In the mean time, Dixon figures he has about 500 more hours of work before first takeoff. He must document each

ADVENTURE RENTALS HERE

step of the building process for the eventual FAA certification. The RV-7 will be certified as an Experimental Amateurbuilt Aircraft. Best of all, even after it’s sold to somebody else, Dixon’s name will still be on the plane. “I will always be the manufacturer of this airplane,” he said.

Plus, it’s too soon to talk about being done, Dixon said. “You’re never really finished building it.

I’ll always be fixing things.”

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Opinion

Page A4

Wednesday, January 21, 2015

No Bad Days

No slowing down

We are now less than six months away from what you might call the one-year anniversary of the Carlton Complex Fire, which started its rampage on or about July 14, 2014. So it’s a little unnerving to learn, as we did from reporter Ann McCreary’s story in last week’s issue, that the coming summer already promises another “active fire season” based on current weather patterns and longterm forecasts.

We had about as much “active” as we could stand last year and could do without the excitement. Don’t expect a chorus of “Happy Birthday” for the Carlton Don Nelson Complex from anyone around here. But here at the News, we are already thinking about our “one year later” coverage, even as we take a breather after the enormous effort of producing Trial by Fire. As we noted, the story is still unfolding.

The realization that half-a-year has gone by already is sobering — events and their consequences piled up so quickly that, perhaps mercifully, time flew by. Points in time aren’t necessarily noteworthy in and of themselves except as a reminder of how much has transpired, and how much more needs to be done.

The wonderful winter we are enjoying is a blessing that is helping to restore our economy, our spirits and our emotional equilibrium.

But once we emerge from the “shoulder season” and into summer, there will be many Carlton Complex remnants to deal with. The mantle of snow now disguising the damage will be gone, and the work of recovery will accelerate.

In the meantime, it’s instructive to remind everyone about the mission of Methow Valley Long Term Recovery, the nonprofit community group that is working on many aspects of restoration including the local economy, housing, agriculture, land restoration, emergency services, communications and public infrastructure. The organization is mostly made up of local volunteers who are lending their time and expertise in an effort to come up with realistic, lasting solutions. And any one of those solutions will require time, money and persistence to become reality.

It would be easier to just move on without taking much action, hoping for a better outcome next time, rather than concentrate on the hard work of preparedness. That’s not just the responsibility of Methow Valley Long Term Recovery. We all have a stake in recovery, so we should all have a hand in it as well. Time and nature won’t wait for us to respond.

Covering the Legislature

Again this year, the News will have access to stories generated by journalism interns who are covering the current legislative session in Olympia on behalf of the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association (WNPA).

The student interns — Alice Day and Cooper Inveen — are being overseen by veteran journalists Frank Garred and Andrea Otanez. They are writing stories intended for use by the WNPA’s member newspapers — mostly weeklies like the Methow Valley News — around the state.

Many of the stories will be necessarily broad in scope, but the interns will also zero in on issues that are more important to specific regions. We’ll use as many of the interns’ stories as are appropriate and that we have room for. It’s a way for us to provide some coverage of the Legislature’s workings without having someone there in person.

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: (509) 997-3277 email: editor@methowvalleynews.com or drop by 101 N. Glover St., Twisp In the Jan. 14 story about Methow At CORRECTION: Home, the website for the program should have been listed as methowathome.org. A community survey may be completed on the website. The News regrets the error.

Methow Valley News PUBLISHED WEEKLY SINCE 1903

101 N. 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 Mike Maltais, SPORTS Laurelle Walsh, REPORTER•PROOFREADER Darla Hussey, PUBLICATION DESIGN Rebecca Walker, OFFICE MANAGER Sheila Ward, SALES ASSOCIATE Tyson Kellie, SALES ASSOCIATE Dana Sphar, AD DESIGN•PRODUCTION Jay Humling, DISTRIBUTION

CONTRIBUTORS:

Erik Brooks Sally Gracie Tania Gonzalez Ortega Jim & Jane Hutson Rosalie Hutson Ashley Lodato Joanna Bastian Bob Spiwak Solveig Torvik Dave Ward

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

THE METHOW VALLEY NEWS (USPS Publication No. 343480) is published weekly

by MVN Publishing, LLC, 101 N. 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

Front page banner photo taken in the Bear Creek area by Marcy Stamper

Methow Valley News

Box 97: Letters to the editor

It’s about the vote

Dear Editor: My son is a firefighter on the west side. I would always hope and pray that he had the latest, greatest equipment and facility. But this is more than that — this is about the voting system in America.

The Okanogan County Fire District 6 board of directors presented a levy that failed by a majority vote. They have seemed to ignore this vote. This vote was from the people who elected them. What kind of example is this for our young people? We encourage them to vote, telling them to exercise their right and make a difference (I guess not in the Methow Valley?).

Thanks to Ron Perrow for his stand on this matter.

Go, firefighters! We love you all, even the commissioners.

Larry W. Berg Winthrop

Thanks to many

Dear Editor: Once again the Christmas tree fundraising project did well this year. We turned over to the Methow Valley Community Center $4,733 that will be used to improve the gym and kitchen. This could not happen without the following people: Hank and Judy Konrad, for the space and all they do to help; John Doran, Yoplait, Keith Rowland and Jim Hammer, for the many hours they put in selling the trees; Carrie Darch and OK for the tents, they are awesome; and Keith Strickland, my right hand who I can always count on for setting up and many other duties.

And a big thank you to each of our customers — without you we couldn’t be so successful. We look forward to next Christmas.

Many blessings this year.

Larry Smith Twisp

By Tania Gonzalez Ortega

Great MLK day

Dear Editor: On Jan. 14, Liberty Bell High School students participated in an event honoring the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. with a keynote speaker, a panel of community members, and group activities that promoted awareness of community diversity. I’d like to thank the Public School Funding Alliance and principal Deborah DeKalb for supporting this opportunity for students to appreciate the individual and shared responsibilities that cultivate an open-minded, caring community and allow one’s authentic, genuine self to be expressed.

Additionally, thanks to Donte Quinine, director of student life and leadership at Wenatchee Valley College, for accepting the invitation to be our keynote speaker as well as community members Dayton Edmonds, Carmelita Salas, Lee Hatcher, David Asia and Laura Love for serving as panelists sharing their perspectives on the important civil rights issues of our time. Quinine noted the Platinum Rule — treat others how they want to be treated, love others for their sake, and seek and preserve community.

Community businesses expressed their love for this event as well. River Run Inn provided lodging for our guest speaker and

Lariat Coffee Roasters and Rocking Horse Bakery provided tastes of the Methow for our panelists and speaker.

Rebecca Thomson and Amy Faxon provided activities, which continued the conversations regarding stereotypes and cultural frames. Drew Simmons provided technical set-up, while Bob Groninger set up the physical space. Daneen Balcirak, Ashley Lodato and Elana Mainer gave helpful suggestions on potential panel members. Thomson’s leadership class prepped these activities with banners and helped analyze the reflection and feedback from this day.

We recognize the importance of an event such as this to help create a culture of respect and acceptance in our schools as well as in our community and look forward to continuing our work. As one student commented after the event, “I felt inspired by the keynote speaker and the discussion with the panel, especially about growing from a tolerant community to a beloved community.”

We look forward to planning a day of service in honor of MLK Day 2016. If readers would like to help organize activities for students as well as community members, reach me at lmonahan@methow.org.

Lisa Monahan Liberty Bell High School

My turn

An unfortunate solution to protect our sovereignty

By Ron Perrow

The Jan. 12 Okanogan County Fire District 6 board of commissioners meeting confirmed my conclusion that commissioners Roy Reiber and Darold Brandenburg don’t care what we say. Reiber said they were ignoring the last levy failure, that they “did not consider the levy failure as an advisory vote.” Well folks, advisory or not, the language in the last levy failure is pretty easy to understand. It said in part, “… a proposition to finance construction of a new fire station. If approved, this proposition would authorize the District to …” The most important part of that language is the “if approved” part. It wasn’t approved. This levy failure should have been the end of the discussion, just like the one before should have been the end of the discussion, but it wasn’t either.

On Nov. 4, 2008, we rejected a $5 million levy proposal to “… authorize the District to acquire land and construct a new replacement fire station in Winthrop and improve existing fire stations …” Although this failure denied District 6 the authority to buy land for a new station, one month after the voters said no, the

district closed the real estate deal to buy the property the district wants to use for a new fire station. Apparently, this tactic set a precedent. Now, commission chair Reiber has gone on record saying they will ignore the voters once again. This is a huge problem, and we cannot ignore this assault on our sovereignty.

Our laws protect us and give us power. Take a minute and read part of the Public Records Act, which I think is the most important law on the books: RCW 42.56.040 – “The people of this state do not yield their sovereignty to the agencies that serve them. The people, in delegating authority, do not give their public servants the right to decide what is good for the people to know and what is not good for them to know. The people insist on remaining informed so that they may maintain control over the instruments that they have created.

This chapter shall be liberally construed and its exemptions narrowly construed to promote this public policy and to assure that the public interest will be fully protected. In the event of conflict between the provisions of this chapter and any other act, the provisions of this chap-

ter shall govern.”

The last sentence is critical. It says this RCW is the top of the heap. There is no act (law) which supersedes it. Therefore, when the voters say no to the agencies that serve them (Okanogan County Fire District 6) in a levy proposal, that agency must abide by the direction given to them. They cannot ignore the results.

In order to protect our sovereignty, we need to take the remedy given us in our state Constitution and initiate a recall. I think Reiber is the biggest threat to our sovereignty, and should be recalled.

It is unfortunate that the only solution appears to be a recall, but the intractable position voiced by the commissioners is abhorrent to most of us. Even if you supported the last levy proposal, you probably don’t support this attempt to dismantle our system of government. If Reiber’s philosophy is allowed to become the philosophy of the Fire District 6 commissioners, why vote? What good are elections?

This is incredibly important. Let’s fix it.

Ron Perrow lives in Winthrop.

My turn Dealing with cops: common sense and respect for authority

By Rikki Schwab

With all the current situations being covered in the news media involving law enforcement, it is understandable that people are overly cautious when dealing with the police.

Many people have come to me lately asking, why do these things happen?

I can’t speak for every law enforcement officer in the world, I can only answer for myself.

There have been many situations in my own 16-year career that made the hair stand up on the back of my neck. Some are understandable, others it took a couple of days to set in.

One situation involved a teenager who took a fake gun to school in his backpack because he thought it was funny. This created a chaotic scene in the school. Students were afraid, and I didn’t want to have a Columbine incident and have people running everywhere, along with panicked parents.

Another situation involved a 12-year-old boy who had a BB gun in his front waistband and had pointed it at passing cars. Someone gave his clothing description, and the location of the “gun.” My partner and I stopped him.

He had his hand at his waistband, we had him at gunpoint, and he was refusing to take his hand away. That young man almost didn’t see the sun come up.

As a detective I saw teenagers and young people murdered and it didn’t make sense to

me, just as the stuff in the media doesn’t make sense to others. It is hard trying to do your job with people surrounding you with cameras. Several times in my career people were instigating other people, encouraging poor behavior, and the cameras didn’t start until the situation was about to get out of control and I had to put my hands on someone to place them under arrest.

It is so important in these situations to keep an open mind and not be judgmental. The first impression that we receive from someone is the most lasting and the hardest to change.

Sure, there are officers who lack the integrity and morals to do the job the way it should be done, but that doesn’t mean it gets overlooked.

The value of respect

My advice would be to listen to people in authority. Authority figures have their positions for a reason. I wouldn’t go into court and disrespect the judge. I could be punished for that, so I have discipline. If I was pulled over by a law enforcement officer, I would be respectful and listen and cooperate. I don’t do this because of my position, I do this because I respect authority figures.

A lot of kids these days don’t respect their elders. We need to instill this in our youth.

Manners are not a bad thing to have and will get you far in life. If we don’t instill in our kids the respect for authority, then they will

go into a job interview relaxed, without discipline, and thinking it’s just a chat with a friend. This will obviously not get them where they need to go, or where we want them to be.

The ride-along program gives a great police perspective to individuals who are not in law enforcement. It also works great if you study criminal justice. If you just don’t understand policing, and you feel you want to see why we do what we do, I recommend a ride-along.

Law enforcement is like a brotherhood, and is paramilitary. We have teams, we have platoons, and we are on the streets trying to go home every night to our loved ones. It’s not about anything else. We train for months and years to make split-second decisions that in our whole careers we pray we never have to make. I’m not saying you should run out and hug a cop today. What I am saying is if you are involved in an incident, and have contact with law enforcement, stay calm, keep your hands in view, and do what is asked of you.

It will make us feel safer, the situation will be a lot calmer, and you just might learn something.

And please don’t forget earlier advice. We are moving forward to better times, but let’s continue to keep our homes and vehicles locked, and look out for our neighbors. Happy New Year.

Rikki Schwab is the Winthrop town marshal.

Methow Valley News

Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Arts & Culture

Page A5

Oratorio debut Composer Lynette Westendorf and a supporting cast of musicians, vocalists and narrators presented the debut performance of Westendorf’s oratorio Lonesome as the Land to a packed house at The Merc Playhouse last Wednesday (Jan. 14). Vocalists Rebecca Kinney and Meghan Sullivan sing a duet, right, and Tara Weaver, Mike Conrad, Taera Jones and John Almquist play an opening montage, below.

Photos by Laurelle Walsh

A b ove, We s t e n d o r f thanks her narrators, seated at lef t: Josh F r e y, D e r e k A l u m baugh, Peter Aspholm, Travis Grialou and Asa Daniels.

Photos by Laurelle Walsh

Sandra K. Rasmussen

Kids in College? Fill Out That FAFSA We’ve just begun the new year, but the next academic year is still months away. Nonetheless, if you have a child who will be attending college in the fall, it’s not too soon to start thinking about what might be a vital component of paying for his or her higher education: financial aid.

Specifically, to help ensure that your child doesn’t miss out on federal and state student grants, work-study and loans for the 2015-2016 school year, you’ll want to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as soon as possible. (You can start the application process by visiting www. fafsa.ed.gov.)

Even if you have a fair amount of financial assets, you should probably fill out a FAFSA. In the first place, all parents receive an “asset protection allowance,” based on the age of the older parent. For two-parent families, this allowance generally shelters between $25,000 and $50,000 in assets from FAFSA considerations; for single parents, the range is typically between $6,000 and $10,000. The allowance may be higher for parents 65 and older.

Furthermore, in determining your expected family contribution, FAFSA won’t look at your pension plan, your IRA or your 401(k) or similar employersponsored retirement account.

Those of your assets held outside retirement plans — the balances in your checking and savings accounts, CDs, investment real estate, stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and so on — will be counted in the FAFSA calculations, but as a parent, you will only be expected to contribute up to 5.64 percent of these assets, as opposed to assets held in your child’s name, which are usually assessed at 20 percent.

You may want to pay special attention to one particular asset — the 529 plan.

A 529 plan is a popular college savings vehicle, and for a pretty good reason: The investment dollars you place in a 529 plan can grow tax-deferred, and withdrawals are free of federal and state taxes, provided the money is only used for higher education expenses.

(The earnings portion of withdrawals used for other purposes may be fully taxable, and might incur a 10% penalty, as well.) Plus, your 529 plan contributions may be deductible on your state taxes. Like your other non-retirement assets, a 529 plan will be assessed at up to 5.64 percent for FAFSA purposes.

Some families, seeking to totally keep their 529 plan assets out of aid calculations, ask the grandparents to own the account. This could be a problem, though, because while the grandparents’ 529 plan won’t be reported as an asset on FAFSA, withdrawals from the plan will be treated as untaxed income to the beneficiary (i.e., the grandchild) on the next year’s FAFSA — and that can have a big impact on financial aid, a much bigger impact, in fact, than if the 529 plan was listed as a parental asset.

Consequently, you might want to ask the grandparent to award ownership of the 529 plan to you. However, some state plans don’t allow this change, so the grandparent might have to transfer the money to a different state’s plan before giving up ownership.

In any case, be aware of these issues when you tackle the FAFSA. And don’t delay in filling it out. Colleges have a closing date for accepting financial aid applications — and that’s one deadline you won’t want to miss.

This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor.

LET’S BE FRIENDS

Music, dance, cowboy poetry at Find us on Facebook: Methow Valley News Omak PAC’s 25th anniversary event It’s Complex: The 2014 Methow Fires, Ecological Effects, & Recovery

Join us for our annual Methow Conservation Course January 26 - March 2 Monday nights 6 to 8 pm at the Twisp River Pub

photo by Mary Kiesau

Financial Focus

An in-depth look at fire ecology and renewal $165 per person (inquire about scholarships)

Methow Conservancy For more info call 509-996-2870 www.methowconservancy.org

Methow Home

Recognized statewide as a premier publication of its kind.

Call to make your ad reservation today.

Advertising deadline is Friday, February 6th.

Serving Individual Investors Since 1871

(509) 997-7011 advertising@methowvalleynews.com

mance career on the PAC stage.

The 25th-anniversary show includes classical ballet presented by LFW Dance and Children’s Dance Theatre. Other young talents in the production include the drama and music departments from Omak schools and the competitors from Nashville Country Star – some of the state’s best high school vocalists, who sing country, country gospel, rock ’n’ roll and doo-wop.

Dramatic storytelling and spoken-word performances will also be featured. Dayton Edmonds will captivate the audience with a selection of his compelling stories, and cowboy poet Dave McClure will be on hand.

Other special performers include Pamela Edmonds’ Native American Dance Troupe.

The show is at 7 p.m. at the Omak PAC. Admission is by donation.

Small ensembles featured in Cascadia concert Cascadia presents a concert highlighting six small classical and jazz ensembles featuring the talents of young — and notquite-so-young — musicians, on Sunday (Jan. 25) at The Merc Playhouse in Twisp.

Classical selections include

Arts briefs Open Merc is back

The first Open Merc evening of the year will be on Thursday (Jan. 22) at The Merc Playhouse in Twisp. The free event, which offers local performers a chance to take a turn on the stage, begins at 7 p.m. For information, call 997-7529.

Vilden presents ‘First People’ slide show

Sandra K. Rasmussen, Member SIPC

32 N. Main, Ste. A • Omak,WA 509-826-1638 • 1-800-745-7961 cell: 509-994-5046 Edwardjones.com

The Omak Performing Arts Center is celebrating 25 years of live entertainment, reliving favorite moments of music, dance, and comedy with a special show on Jan. 31.

The show will feature Omak native Heidi Brucker Morgan as emcee. Brucker Morgan has had a successful career as a clown, comic and stilt-walking princess on stages from New York to Australia, but she started her perfor-

Lynx Vilden, a primitive skills instructor who lives in the Methow Valley, will present a slide show, “Journeys with the First People,” on Saturday (Jan. 24) in the Methow Valley Community Center gym at 7 p.m. The presentation will feature Vilden’s experiences with the San Bushmen in Namibia in 2014. Vilden will also screen the film Living Stone Age. Admission is by donation. For more information, call 997-2926.

Kids’ art party on Jan. 30

A kids’ art party featuring

music by Dmitri Shostakovich and Robert Schumann played by a viola quintet. Another classical offering is the first movement of the Concerto in D Minor for Two Violins by Johann Sebastian Bach, played by some of the Methow’s

educator Jody Olson will be offered at the Methow Valley Elementary School art room on Jan. 30 from 1–5 p.m. Students in grades 1–5 will learn about making life masks. Cost is $35. For more information, call 997-2787.

Chamber music at Valentine concert

The Methow Valley Chamber Music Festival presents a Valentine concert on — when else? — Feb. 14 at The Merc Playhouse in Twisp at 7 p.m.

Cost is $20. The concert will feature piano quartets by Brahms and Joaquin Turina.

Performing will be violinist Jasper Wood, violist Tim Christie, cellist Kevin Krentz and pianist Allan Dameron, plus works by writer Weston Gaylord. For more information, visit www.methowmusicfestival.org.

Fine art photography class coming

Visual artist and photographer Thomas Dodd will offer a class titled “Fine Art Photography: How to Make a

exceptional young string musicians.

The Pipestone Jazz Ensemble will perform selections by Victor Herbert, Stanley Turrentine and Bebel Gilberto.

The concert is at 2 p.m.

Admission is by donation.

Living Making Extraordinary Images” at Confluence Gallery in Twisp on March 8 from 1–5 p.m. The class is open to beginners and experienced photographers alike, from age 16 on up. Cost is $150 for the four-hour session; or $125 for the first six to register. Thomas will demonstrate his “painterly photo montage” style for turning photos into works of art.

Students will also learn about art marketing. For information, call 997-2787.

Boys in the Boat author featured

North Central Regional Library will present an evening with Daniel James Brown, author of the best-selling The Boys in the Boat, on April 9 at the Numerica Performing Arts Center in Wenatchee. The free event begins at 7 p.m. Brown’s book is a nonfiction account of how the University of Washington’s eight-oar rowing team won the gold medal at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. For more information, call (509) 663-1117 ext. 144.

www.methowvalleynews.com

What’s Happening

Page a6

Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Thursday JaN. 22

Meetings, etc.

MARCH FOR LIFE: March for Life begins at Omak City Park. Free. 826‑2736. Noon IMPROV: RightNow Improv theatre group practice for all levels at the Interpretive Center at TwispWorks. By donation. 341‑4900. 5:30pm SOUP AND PRESENTATION: The mystery of the ice worm and glacial history with Peter Wim‑ berger at North Cascades Basecamp, Mazama. $5.

996‑2334. Soup at 5:30pm, presentation at 6pm WOMEN’S HOCKEY: Drop‑in session at Win‑ throp Ice & Sports Rink. $10. 996‑4199. 6:30pm OPEN MERC: Take the stage at The Merc Play‑ house, Twisp. Free. 997‑7529. 7pm TRAVEL TALK: Leroy Reiber talks about Paris and Normandy, at MV Community Center. Free.

997‑2926. 7pm

and other weekly things Wednesday 1/21 WOMEN RECOVERING FROM ADDICTION: Support group at Room One for all women seeking support from addiction.

997‑2050. Call for time CLOSET QUILTERS: Open studio, 309 Highway 20, Twisp. Free. 997‑7020.

Noon‑5pm EAGLES AUXILIARY: Meeting at Eagles Hall, Twisp. 996‑3869. 1pm FAMILY PLANNING CLINIC: At Room One, 315 S. Lincoln St., Twisp. 997‑2050.

1‑5pm PRAYER SHAWL MINISTRY: at Twist‑ ed Knitters in TwispWorks. 997‑0233.

2‑5pm AWANA: At Cascade Bible Church, Twisp. For ages 3 years old through 6th grade. Free. 997‑8312. 7‑8:30pm LBHS BOOSTER CLUB: Meeting at LBHS library. 996‑3766. 7pm WINTHROP TOWN COUNCIL: At Win‑ throp Barn Hen House. 996‑2320. 7pm

JaNuary 23–25

SUPER MUSH: Annual sled dog races in Con‑ conully. Free to watch; free shuttle. www.conconully.com. 8am‑3pm

Thursday 1/22 TWISP CHAMBER: Luncheon meeting at Community Covenant Church, Twisp.

997‑2020. Noon 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 FIREFIGHTERS DISTRICT 6: Training and meetings at local fire halls. 997‑2981.

6:30pm ORCHESTRA: Pipestone Orchestra rehearsal in Room 7 at MV Community Center. 997‑0222. 6:30‑8:30pm

Friday JaN. 23

FREE SKIING: Backyard ski day with free access on all cross country ski trails; free rentals at local ski shops. 996‑3287 FAT BIKE DEMONSTRATION: At Winthrop Fish Hatchery trailhead. Free. 996‑3287. 9am‑noon KIDS’ ART PARTY: Learn about marbleized paper with Margaret Kingston at MV Elemen‑ tary School; for grades 1‑5. $35. 997‑2787.

12:30‑4:30pm FREESTYLE DANCE: Open to anyone who loves dancing, at The Studio, Twisp. $5. 997‑7779.

5:45‑6:45pm TEEN CENTER: Come on in for ping pong, video games, wi‑fi, dinner and a movie. Free. 997‑9211.

3:45‑10:30pm OPEN MIC: Andy Martincak hosts open mic event at Tonasket Community Cultural Center.

Free. 486‑2061. 6‑8pm ROCK: Bosco at the Old Schoolhouse Brewery.

Free. 996‑3183. 7pm SKATING PARTY: ’80s dance party theme at Winthrop Ice & Sports Rink. $2.25‑$6, half‑price with costume. 996‑4199. 7:15‑9pm

saTurday JaN. 24

WINTER TRAIL RUN: 9K and 15K runs start‑ ing at Chickadee Trailhead, Sun Mountain. $40.

996‑3287; methowtrails.org. 8am CLASSIC SKI RACE/TOUR: Winthrop to Mazama on Methow Community Trail (30K). $40.

996‑3287; methowtrails.org. 9:30am SNOWSHOE TOURS: Winter snowshoe tours at North Cascades Basecamp and Sun Mountain Lodge. Free with trail pass. 996‑3287. 11am SKATE SKI CLINIC: Especially for runners, at Mazama Trailhead. Free. 996‑3287. 2‑4pm NORDIC TEAM DINNER: At the Winthrop Barn, public invited. $10‑$16. 996‑3287. 6pm COUNTRY/ROCK: RT Jr. at the Old Schoolhouse Brewery. Free. 996‑3183. 7pm JOURNEYS WITH THE FIRST PEOPLE: Lynx Vilden presents a slide show on her experiences with the San Bushmen in Namibia, plus a screen‑ ing of the film Living Stone Age, at MV Community Center, Twisp. By donation. 997‑2926. 7pm

suNday JaN. 25

SKATE RACE/TOUR/TEAM RELAY: From Mazama to Winthrop on Methow Community Trail. $40. 996‑3287; methowtrails.org. 9am COMMUNITY MEAL: At the Tonasket Commu‑ nity Cultural Center. Free. 486‑2061. 2‑3pm CASCADIA CONCERT: Small ensemble concert at The Merc Playhouse. By donation. 997‑0222.

2pm

MoNday JaN. 26

LINE DANCING: With the High Country Kickers at Twisp Valley Grange. Free. 429‑2064. 6pm

Carol Fisher

CPa PllC

Journey to Namibia

Tuesday JaN. 27

SCHOOL RETIREES: Okanogan County School Retirees' Association meets at the Koala Street Grill, Omak. Free. 422‑2954. 11am TWISP LIBRARY: Story time and craft project.

Free. 997‑4681. 1:30pm YOUTH WRESTLING: Register for youth wrestling (age 4 though sixth grade) at MV El‑ ementary School. $40 registration fee. 997‑0595; (206) 947‑1726. 3‑4:30pm TEEN CENTER OPEN HOUSE: Valley Teen Center hosts an open house and orientation for 7th‑ and 8th‑grade students and their families, at TwispWorks. Free. 341‑4279. 5:30‑7pm PATEROS/BREWSTER LONG TERM RECOVERY: Public information meeting at Pateros school library. Free. 733‑0318. 6‑8pm THREE RIVERS HOSPITAL: “Town hall” meet‑ ing Hillcrest Administration Building to share strate‑ gic plan and answer questions. Free. 689‑2086. 6pm

WedNesday JaN. 28

ENGLISH HISTORY: Bill Hottell teaches history of England at United Methodist Church. Sliding scale. 997‑6655. 8:30‑11:30am WINTHROP LIBRARY: Story time. Free.

996‑2685. 1:30pm PRE-SCHOOL AND PRE-KINDERGARTEN DANCE LESSONS: With Missi Smith at The Merc Playhouse, Twisp. $50 for 10‑class punch card.

997‑7529. 3:30‑4pm Wednesdays through April 1 OPEN HOUSE AND STUDENT EXHIBITS: At Methow Valley Community School, Twisp, to celebrate National School Choice Week. Free.

997‑4447. 5‑7pm

Thursday JaN. 29

IMPROV: RightNow Improv theatre group practice for all levels at the Interpretive Center at TwispWorks. By donation. 341‑4900. 5:30pm

(above video store)

Twisp, Wa

SCHOLASTIC BOOK FAIR: Family night at MV Elementary School, with dinner, activities and books for sale. Free. 996‑2186. 5:30‑7:30pm SOUP AND PRESENTATION: Wild Wanderers of the North Cascades, with Robert Long and Paula MacKay at North Cascades Basecamp, Mazama. $5.

996‑2334. Soup at 5:30pm, presentation at 6pm WOMEN’S HOCKEY: Drop‑in session at Win‑ throp Ice & Sports Rink. $10. 996‑4199. 6:30pm

Friday JaN. 30

KIDS’ ART PARTY: Learn to make life masks with Jody Olson at MV Elementary School; for grades 1‑5. $35. 997‑2787. 10am‑2pm TEEN CENTER: Come on in for ping pong, video games, wi‑fi, dinner and a movie. Free. 997‑9211.

3:45‑10:30pm FREESTYLE DANCE: Open to anyone who loves dancing, at The Studio, Twisp. $5. 997‑7779. 5:45‑ 6:45pm DANCE: At the Tonasket Community Cultural Center. Free. 486‑2061. 6‑8pm COUNTRY: Eagle River Band at Old Schoolhouse Brewery, Winthrop. Free. 996‑3183. 7pm

saTurday JaN. 31

SNOWSHOE TOURS: Winter snowshoe tours at North Cascades Basecamp and Sun Mountain Lodge. Free with trail pass. 996‑3287. 11am FOLK/ROCK: Mountains & Tunnels Trio at Old Schoolhouse Brewery, Winthrop. Free. 996‑3183. 7pm METHOW VALLEY NEWS CELEBRATION: Music, skits and lots of humor in a variety show celebrating the Methow Valley News’ 113th birth‑ day, at MV Community Center, Twisp. By donation.

996‑2404. 7pm

MoNday FeB. 2

LINE DANCING: With the High Country Kickers at Twisp Valley Grange. Free. 429‑2064. 6pm Methow Valley

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Photo courtesy Lynx Vilden

Hear about Lynx Vilden’s experiences with the San Bushmen at a slide presentation on Saturday.

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Methow Valley News

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Monday 1/26 COUNTY COMMISSIONERS: Open meeting, Okanogan County Admin. Bldg., 123 Fifth Ave. N., Okanogan. 422‑7100.

9am‑5pm ELECTRIC COOP: 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 MVID: Meeting at Riverbank building, Twisp. 997‑2318. 7pm Tuesday 1/27 MENTAL HEALTH: Counselor for un‑ insured adults at Room One. 997‑2050.

All day WINTHROP KIWANIS: Meets at the Winthrop Barn. 997‑1086 or 997‑5666.

6:30‑7:30am 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 1/28 WOMEN RECOVERING FROM ADDICTION: Support group at Room One. 997‑2050. Call for time CLOSET QUILTERS: Open studio, 309 Highway 20, Twisp. Free. 997‑7020.

Noon‑5pm FAMILY PLANNING CLINIC: At Room One, 315 S. Lincoln St., Twisp. 997‑2050.

1‑5pm PRAYER SHAWL MINISTRY: at Twist‑ ed Knitters in TwispWorks. 997‑0233.

2‑5pm MV SCHOOL BOARD: Meeting in the school district office. See agenda: www. methow.org, click “school board and staff.” 996‑9205. 5:30pm AWANA: At Cascade Bible Church, Twisp. For ages 3 years old through 6th grade. Free. 997‑8312. 7‑8:30pm MV EAGLES AERIE #2584: Meeting at Eagles Hall, Twisp. 997‑8133. 7pm Thursday 1/29 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 FIREFIGHTERS DISTRICT 6: Training and meetings at local fire halls. 997‑2981.

6:30pm PIPESTONE ORCHESTRA: Rehearsal in Room 7 at MV Community Center. 997‑ 0222. 6:30‑8:30pm Friday 1/30 DOCTOR: Free health care to uninsured people 18 and under at The Country Clin‑ ic, Winthrop. Appointment: 996‑8180.

PILOTS' POTLUCK: At Twisp Airport.

997‑8141. 5:30pm BINGO: Play at Eagles Hall, Twisp.

997‑8133. 6pm Monday 2/2 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. 557‑2944.

4:30‑5:30pm GAME NIGHT: Darts, cards and free pool at Eagles Hall, Twisp. 997‑8133. 5:30pm WINTHROP BARN: Board meeting.

Info: 996‑2117. 6pm BEAVER CREEK CEMETERY: Board meeting at Cascade Center, 125 Hwy. 20, Rm. 2. 997‑3569. 6:15pm MVID: Meeting at Riverbank building, Twisp. 997‑2318. 7pm Tuesday 2/3 WINTHROP KIWANIS: Meets at the Winthrop Barn. 997‑1086 or 997‑5666.

6:30‑7:30am

FOR AA, NA & SIMILAR MEETINGS, SEE HEALTH DIRECTORY Submit your event to: Calendar@MethowValleyNews.com

Please include the name of event, a short description, date/time, address, cost and phone number.

Deadline: Fridays at 5pm *all phone numbers are 509 area code except where noted FOR A MORE EXTENDED CALENDAR, VISIT

www.methowvalleynews.com

Open to all!

NORDIC FESTIVAL DINNER Saturday January 24 at the Winthrop Barn

Delicious food, Music by Rendezvous #9, Cash bar & great company!

Raffle drawing too!

Doors open at 5:30pm Dinner at 6pm

Thanks for your support!

Tickets $16 prepaid & $20 at the door, kids 12 & under $10 or $14 at the door.

Tickets can be purchased online through the Pursuit page on Methow Trails or send checks to MVNT, PO Box 1063, Winthrop.

Rev. Donald A. Ford, AM

997-9292

(Where you always leave with a Cookie and a Smile)

Friday 1/23 DOCTOR: Free health care to uninsured people 18 and under at The Country Clin‑ ic, Winthrop. Appointment: 996‑8180.

PILOTS' POTLUCK: At Twisp Airport.

997‑8141. 5:30pm BINGO: Play at Eagles Hall, Twisp.

997‑8133. 6pm

PIPESTONE YOUTH ORCHESTRA: Re‑ hearsal in the MV Elementary School band room. 997‑0222. 3:20‑4:45pm NOXIOUS WEED CONTROL BOARD: Commissioners’ hearing room, County Courthouse in Okanogan. 422‑7165. 4pm TWISP TOWN COUNCIL: Meets at Town Hall. 997‑4081. 7pm

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Methow Valley News Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Sports

B Section

& Recreation

MVNT skiers show strength in qualifiers at Liberty Bell

Excellent weather greeted local competitors, visiting skiers and spectators alike last weekend when the Methow Valley Nordic Team (MVNT) hosted junior qualifier races on the McCabe Trails at Liberty Bell High School.

Classic sprint races kept the course busy on Saturday for all competitors in the 8- to 20-yearold divisions.

“This meant a sprint qualifier in the morning (900 meters for the 8- to 13-year-olds and 1.3 kilometers for the 14- to 20-yearolds),” MVNT coach Leslie Hall said in an email report. “These were followed by a short break and then heats of the same distance. Some age groups raced full sets of heats (quarter-finals, semi-finals and finals) and others went straight to semi-finals and finals based on the numbers in each age class.”

In the U10 age group, MVNT swept the combined boy/girl class with Stella Scholz winning, Dashe McCabe in second, Leki Albright in third and Thomasin Schrkrohowsky finishing sixth.

“In the U12 combined boy/girl sprint, Mt. Bachelor skier Aidan Whitelaw beat out two MVNT girls, Lindsay Worrell and Liv Aspholm, in an exciting sprint to the finish,” Hall said. Zane Strome was fourth and Lena

Sports briefs Ski club formed for ‘boomers’

Loup Loup Ski Bowl is coordinating activities with a newly formed senior ski club, the Loup Loup Boomers, open to anyone over 50 or turning 50 this year. The club hopes to attract skiers not only from the Methow but also from other communities in the region. The Boomers will meet each Wednesday at the Loup, where they can buy ski passes for $20 and get discounts on lessons and rentals.

Nelson sixth in that final.

In the U14 girls’ class, Novie McCabe led all her heats and won the final with teammate Gretta Scholz in second. In the U14 boys’ race, Peter Aspholm led all his heats and won the final handily over Momentum Northwest’s Cooper Jackson and MVNT’s Emerson Worrell.

“The U16 and U18/20 skiers use the morning qualifier as their points race for qualifying for Junior Nationals, and most MVNT skiers aiming for Junior Nationals had races that will help them secure a spot on the team going to Truckee, California, in March,” Hall said.

They include Paul Everett, Elise Putnam, Claire Waichler, Ella Hall, Taya Delong, Danielle Mott and Eli Nielsen, who all turned in solid qualifying times that put them under the 7 percent back threshold, Hall said.

In U16 girls’ category, Delong placed a strong second and Mott fourth. Nielsen was third in a sprint battle for second with Leavenworth’s Moses Lurber in the U16 boys’ competition.

Claire Waichler was MVNT’s sole U18/20 skier to make the final, and placed fourth after putting in a great effort in her tough semi-final round, Hall said.

Everett skied to a solid thirdplace finish in the U18/20 men’s

For more information, email louploupboomers@gmail. com.

Register for youth wrestling

Registration for Liberty Bell Youth Wrestling will be on Tuesday (Jan. 27) from 3-4:30 p.m. at Methow Valley Elementary School. The program is open to kids from age 4 through sixth grade. There is a $40 registration fee. For more information, call 9970595 or (206) 947-1726.

Not too young to drive …

Photo by Darla Hussey Kyler Mitchell (in the white jersey), a member of the Methow Valley’s AAU U-10 boys baskeball team, drives toward the basket during Saturday’s basketball game against the Okanogan team.

Liberty Bell team claims top spot in Knowledge Bowl tournament Liberty Bell High School’s Team 3 tied for first place with Tonasket in Knowledge Bowl competition on Jan. 12.

The tournament matched five schools at Okanogan High School. The Mountain Lions’ Team 3 – captained by sophomore Sebastian Hogness and including junior Claire Waichler and freshman Noah Bastion – scored 80 points to claim the top spot along with Tonasket’s Team 1.

Liberty Bell Teams 1 and 2 tied for fifth place among the

18 teams in the tournament, each scoring 67 points. Team 1 was captained by Rowan Post and included Isaac Cordes, Brennan Quigly and Hannah Hogness. Liberty Bell Team 2 was captained by Riley Calvert and included Danny Rodriguez and Skyler Fitzmaurice.

The tournament had two oral rounds and one written round.

Manson, Okanogan and Pateros also competed.

Liberty Bell was scheduled to compete today (Jan. 21) in Omak.

category. Link to Saturday’s results at www.webscorer.com/ race?raceid=35394.

Sunday’s competition featured individual start skate competition for all age groups.

It started with the 10K U18/20 and master men’s race. Everett skied a strong race for MVNT and had the fastest time, leading the U18/20 men.

Geza Sukovaty placed 16th in this category. Local master skiers Mark Rhinehart, Dan Weinstein, Jim Kelley and Louis Sukovaty also competed. In the U18/20 women’s category, Maya Seckinger of Winthrop, skiing for Bend Endurance Academy, won, with Ella Hall in second and Waichler taking fourth in the women’s 10K race. Local skier and MVNT board member Ginny Price also competed.

In the U16 boys’ 5K race, Nielsen kept up his strong skiing and placed second. Delong was second in the U16 ladies’ 5K with Mott in eighth and Icel Sukovaty, skiing her first skate race, placing 22nd.

The U14 skiers raced 3.5K and MVNT racers dominated the large groups, with Walker Hall winning the boys’ race followed

by Peter Aspholm and Emerson Worrell. Ian Delong was fifth, Travis Grialou 10th, Myles Davis 12th and Michael Mott 13th.

Photo courtesy of Tom Schaaf Maya Seckinger, right, Claire Waichler, center, and Ella Hall push hard in the U18/20 women’s semifinal.

Seckinger, skiing for Bend Endurance Academy, won the final, followed by MVNT members Hall in second and Waichler in fourth.

On the girls’ side, Novie McCabe again led from start to finish and had the fastest 3.5K time of the day. Scholz was a solid third and Greta Laesch ninth.

The U12 skiers competed in a 2.5K race with Strome placing second in the boys’ race.

Liv Aspholm won the girls’ category followed by Lindsay Worrell and Keeley Brooks for an

MVNT sweep. Lena Nelson was fourth, Mariah Lucy seventh, Jory Grialou eighth and Amelia Bondi 10th in this large group.

The final event was the U10 1.5K race. In the boys’ race, Conrad Laesch was second and Emmet Bondi fourth. Stella Scholz won the girls’ race, followed by Dashe McCabe.

Links to Sunday’s results are at www.webscorer.com/

race?raceid=35473.

“All the visiting skiers were impressed with the McCabe Trails, our friendly town and volunteers and the great grooming thanks to Methow Trails,” Hall said. “We had many great volunteers and excellent support to put on these races with 175 competitors. It was a great event and many commented on how fun it is to come to the Methow Valley.”

Mountain Lion boys finish demanding week with two wins, one loss

By Don Nelson

The Liberty Bell High School boys’ basketball team finished a busy week on three different floors to come away with two wins and a loss.

The Mountain Lions beat Manson, 51-42, in a home game on Jan. 13; lost at Lake Roosevelt, 60-49, on Friday (Jan. 16); and finished a long road trip with a win on Saturday (Jan. 17) at Soap Lake, 75-56. All were 1B league games.

On the home hardwood, Liberty Bell jumped to a 27-9 halftime lead over Manson as the Mountain Lions’ defense smothered the Trojans.

But Manson clawed back in the second half to close within nine points at the end.

“We struggled a bit in the second half, particularly the fourth quarter where we played a bit sloppy, but were able to hold on for the win,” said coach Kyle Acord.

Connor Cooley topped the Mountain Lions’ scoring with 22 points and added 12 rebounds.

Micah Klemmeck added 11 points and eight rebounds, and picked off four steals.

“At Lake Roosevelt, it was a classic case of the tale of two halves,” Acord said. “In the first half, we shot well and Lake Roosevelt did not. In the second half,

Lake Roosevelt shot well and we did not. It was really almost as simple as that.”

Indeed, Liberty Bell took a 37-29 lead into the locker room at halftime, but fell behind when Lake Roosevelt scorched the Mountain Lions with a 15-2 third quarter. The Raiders finished Liberty Bell off with a strong fourth quarter.

“Lake Roosevelt did a good job of adjusting at halftime and we struggled a little bit,” Acord said. “It was a hard-played game by both teams. I was happy with our effort defensively, particularly in the first half, with a lot of credit going to Jose Dominguez and Jorge Lara for their defensive work on Lake Roosevelt’s ball handlers.”

Cooley achieved another double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds, and Micah Klemmeck duplicated those totals with his own double-double.

At Soap Lake, the visitors got off to a slow start. “They [Soap Lake] jumped out to a 12-4 lead and held a 19-12 lead at the end of the first quarter.” Acord said.

“We then methodically came back in the second quarter, taking a two-point lead just before the end of the first half.”

Liberty Bell powered through the second half to extend its lead for what looked a relatively easy victory.

“After the Lake Roosevelt game, I was much happier with how we adjusted after halftime and then kept our focus in the fourth quarter to finish out the game.” Acord said. “It was a very good team victory as all eight guys who played made major contributions.”

Micah Klemmeck led the Mountain Lions’ scoring with 25 points and pilfered five steals.

Cooley just missed his third consecutive double-double, finishing with 16 points and nine rebounds.

Liberty Bell was scheduled to host Tonasket on Tuesday (Jan. 20) and Lake Roosevelt on Thursday (Jan. 22), and will hit the road again for a game on Friday (Jan. 23) at Oroville.

Liberty Bell vs. Manson

Manson Liberty Bell

4 5 15 18 42 10 17 16 8 51

Points/rebounds/steals/assists Jorge Lara 0 1 3 Ben Klemmeck 6 0 0 Jose Dominguez 0 2 3 Andrew Reggiatore 6 1 1 Connor Cooley 22 12 0 Micah Klemmeck 11 8 4 Willy Duguay 4 5 2 Garrett Dornfeld 2 2 0

2 2 0 1 2 1 3 3

Liberty Bell at Lake Roosevelt

Liberty Bell

17 20

2 10 49

Lake Roosevelt 13 15 16 16 60 Points/rebounds/steals/assists Jorge Lara 3 3 1 Ben Klemmeck 1 2 0 Jose Dominguez 6 3 2 Andrew Reggiatore 3 2 0 Connor Cooley 18 11 0 Micah Klemmeck 18 11 1 Willy Duguay 0 2 2 Garrett Dornfeld 0 0 0 Carter Dornfeld 0 0 0 Josh Frey 0 1 0

2 0 0 1 2 2 3 0 0 0

Liberty Bell at Soap Lake

Liberty Bell Soap Lake

12 25 20 18 75 19 16 14 7 56

Points/rebounds/steals/assists Jorge Lara 7 3 3 Ben Klemmeck 3 1 0 Jose Dominguez 6 3 0 Andrew Reggiatore 8 5 3 Connor Cooley 16 9 1 Micah Klemmeck 25 6 5 Willy Duguay 8 5 3 Garrett Dornfeld 2 1 1

2 0 1 0 2 3 1 0

Standings, North Central Washington 2B North

Conference Overall Brewster 8-0 13-1 Okanogan 7-1 11-2 Lake Roosevelt 4-2 5-4 Liberty Bell 4-3 9-3 Tonasket 3-5 6-6 Oroville 2-5 4-8 Manson 1-7 6-8 Bridgeport 1-7 3-8 Source: cwbathletics.com

Lady Lions get a win at home over Manson, drop two on road to Lake Roosevelt, Soap Lake

By Don Nelson

The Liberty Bell High School girls’ basketball team matched the boys’ team with a home win over Manson, 51-38, on Jan. 13, but dropped two road games later in the week.

Despite a strong effort, the Lady Lions lost at Lake Roosevelt, 48-39 on Friday (Jan. 16).

On Saturday (Jan. 17), Liberty Bell fell to Soap Lake, 49-30.

Against Manson, the Lady Lions played without freshman starter Katie Labanauskas,

who had the flu. “Everyone else stepped up,” coach Ed Smith said of Liberty Bell’s team effort.

L au ren O choa, a not her freshman, lit up Manson for 17 points. Sophomore Lauren Fitzmaurice added 11 points and senior Ashley Watson nine. Sarina Williams, a senior veteran, had nine rebounds.

Fitzmaurice and Ochoa each had eight rebounds.

At Lake Roosevelt, the Lady Lions’ scoring was evenly distributed: Watson and Fitzmau-

rice had seven points, Ochoa, junior Monica Chavey and sophomore Exie Romero had six points each, senior Erin Knight added 4 points and senior Baylee Canedo contributed three points.

Fitzmaurice led the scoring at Soap Lake with 13 points, followed by Williams with six, Labanauskas with five, Ochoa with three, Chavey with two and Romero with one.

The Lady Lions were scheduled to host Tonasket on Tuesday (Jan. 20) and Lake Roosevelt on

Thursday (Jan. 22), then hit the road again for a game on Friday (Jan. 23) at Oroville.

Standings, North Central Washington 2B North

Conference Overall Okanogan 8-0 13-0 Oroville 5-2 8-5 Lake Roosevelt 5-2 6-3 Brewster 5-4 6-7 Liberty Bell 2-5 2-7 Manson 2-6 5-9 Tonasket 2-7 2-9 Bridgeport 2-7 3-8 Source: cwbathletics.com

Page B2

Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Methow Valley News

Methow district puts off decision on joining new league

By Don Nelson

The Methow Valley School District will wait a year and gather more information before deciding whether to realign with a proposed new league for North Central Washington schools, Superintendent Tom Venable said this week.

Venable said his recommendation, accepted by the school board, was to fulfill the district’s existing two-year commitment to the Central Washington League’s 2B North Division, which now includes Brewster, Bridgeport, Lake Roosevelt, Liberty Bell, Manson, Okanogan, Oroville and Tonasket high schools. This is the first year of that alignment. The agreement would need to be renewed or leagues realigned after the 2015-16 season.

The athletic director and superintendent of the Manson School District had earlier proposed formation of a new Columbia River League because, they said, recent changes in league alignments for North Central Washington high schools created competitive disparities in the 2B and 1B classifications.

The 2B classification, which includes Liberty Bell, is for schools with 90 to 225 students. The 1B classification is for schools with 25 to 90 students. Liberty Bell has about 150 students in grades 8-12.

The Manson proposal would create a new league combining 2B and 1B schools: Lake Roosevelt (2B, 170 students), Liberty Bell (2B), Manson (2B, 157 students), Soap Lake (2B, 112 students), Waterville (2B, 79 students),

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V

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Refrigeration Sub Zero, Wolf, Asko, Bosch, Thermadore

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the bubble and better matches schools based on competition and geography.”

Potential benefits, the Manson proposal says, would include creation of a more level playing field for 2B teams that would no longer have to face larger schools; limiting travel time between schools; renewal of traditional rivalries; and encouragement of more student turnout for certain sports.

The challenges, the Manson proposal continues, would include creating football schedules that include as many of the existing games as possible this fall; coming up with new playoff scenarios; and creating a situation in which boys’ soccer teams need to find additional teams to play.

The Manson proposal states that, although the leagues are in the middle of their two-year alignment cycle, “the benefits outweigh the challenges ... rather than waiting for numbers to be released and re-released, we can focus on making the best league possible.”

The Manson proposal included a process that would require school districts to indicate their intentions by this month. At the school board meeting last week, Venable recommended that the Methow District should keep its two-year commitment to the existing league but give serious consideration to the Manson proposal.

In an email, acting athletic director Hunter Maltais noted that if a new league is formed and Methow Valley chooses not to join, “we could be faced with the possibility of being part of a new CWB League that will include schools that are on the cusp of being 1A and may further create disparity

Playing bigger schools

During the most recent realignment, four larger 1A schools — those with 225 to 472 students — were dropped down into the 2B division: Brewster, Okanogan, Tonasket and Warden.

That has created competitive disadvantages for smaller schools that are now competing with much larger schools, the proposal from Manson argues.

The Manson proposal suggests that “the best course of action is to form a 1B/2B combo league that eliminates the up-and-down nature of teams on

in league play. We may be in a league that includes Kittitas and White Swan, forcing us to drive greater distances for league games since the proposed Columbia River League would carve out many of the schools within a twohour distance of travel.”

Recommendation to wait

Before last week’s board meeting, Venable said he would recommend waiting for a year, based in part on his communications with Liberty Bell’s coaches. “The response was varied and mixed,” Venable said, with some enthusiasm for the idea of playing schools more similar in size and reducing driving time to away games.

But some coaches felt strongly that the district should keep its two-year commitment to the existing league, Venable said.

The superintendent noted that many of Liberty Bell’s teams are very competitive, but the football program has suffered from low turnout. Some games have been cancelled the past two years because the Mountain Lions didn’t have enough players available to safely compete.

Venable said that four of the eight schools approached about the Manson proposal were ready to form a new league, while the other four want to wait a year. He said he will continue his conversations with Liberty Bell’s coaches and will also seek public input on the league realignment proposal.

“We’ll take our time and consider it more carefully,” Venable said. “It will provide us with the opportunity to have more participation in the conversation.”

Are you interested in writing about local sports and recreation for the Methow Valley News — or know someone who might be? We are still looking for a sports writer to take the place of Mike Maltais, who recently retired.

Ideally, we’d like to find someone with a keen interest in and fairly broad knowledge about sports, with some reporting and writing experience. Photography skills are a big plus. The sports writer must be fairly selfdirected and able to work some occasionally odd hours. Meeting deadlines is imperative.

It’s a part-time job to start, with some possibility of expanding. This is a staff position and not a freelance assignment.

If you’re interested, send information about yourself and representative work samples to frontdesk@methowvalleynews.com.

How to get Trial by Fire Trial by Fire, the publication commemorating the Methow Valley’s summer of 2014, is now available in the Methow Valley News office. The publication is free.

Copies also are available at retail outlets around the valley and in Pateros where our other special publications are distributed. And copies can be mailed from our office. For mailing, we will charge the cost of postage plus a $5 handling fee.

For more information, call 997-7011 or email frontdesk@methowvalleynews.com.

Service Directory CONTRACTORS

APPLIANCE REPAIR

S

Bridgeport (2B, 175 students), Entiat (1B, 77 students) and Pateros (1B, 70 students).

Soap Lake and Waterville are currently in the Central Washington League 2B South Division. Entiat and Pateros are in the Central Washington League 1B Division.

All the schools are in either District 5 or District 6 of the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA), a service organization and rule-making body established to create equitable playing conditions for the state’s public and private high school and junior high school teams. About 800 schools in Washington state are part of WIAA. WIAA sets the number of games that teams can play each year during their regular seasons. Schools have some discretion scheduling games outside of their regular league match-ups.

The WIAA also reconsiders league alignments every two years, based on enrollment figures that may fluctuate.

News needs a sports writer

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PROPANE SALES, Cont.

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Snow Country Specialists

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

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PEST CONTROL

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OWNER

ALL VALLEY INSULATION, LLC Office (509) 486-2624 Cell (509) 429-0417 Installed Insulation & Garage Doors We now install seamless gutters!

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List your business for just $8 a week.

advertising@ methowvalleynews.com

119 Glover St. N P.O. Box 582 Twisp, WA 98856

509-996-3409 w w w. t a c k m a n s u r v e y i n g . c o m

Service & Health Directories ~ Deadline for ad placement & changes is Friday at 5 pm for insertion in the next Wednesday’s paper.

Directory ads are $8 per column inch. Additional charges may apply for color. To have your service listed please call 997-7011.

Methow Valley News

Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Classifieds

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING - 997-7011 E-MAIL TO frontdesk@methowvalleynews.com All classifieds to be prepaid. Deadline: Monday, Noon.

Weekly: $6.75 for 15 words or less. $8.75 with email or web site address.

20 cents for each additional word.

CLASSIFIED SPECIAL: Buy 3 weeks, get 4th week free. No refunds or changes please.

Prepayment required to qualify.

Classified display ads: $10.00 per column inch.

Deadline for CLASSIFIED DISPLAYS & LEGAL NOTICES: Thursday, 5 p.m.

Directory

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

16...............................AUCTIONS

1 9 9 5 N I S S A N A LT I M A .

Burnt black. LIC AFZ0982 VIN 1N4BU31D58C232195. 1/28/15 20396 HWY 20, Twisp, WA 98856, 10:00am.

37 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 1-800-927-9275.

ARROWHEAD LODGE on Big Twin Lake, $350K. Waters managed by State Dept Fisheries, selective gear, trout emphasis.

Year round migratory pathway/ sanctuary with stunning wilderness views. arrowhead2079@ gmail.com for info.

38 HOME FOR SALE for $36,000 below market value In Twisp.

This is a great investment for someone for a 2 bedroom, 2 bath, 1,800 Sq. ft. home for $189,000.

Market value is $225,000. Currently a rental home, the expenses including mortgage payment, property taxes and insurance are all covered in rental payment with extra cash flow. 100% financeable! Must have good credit. Call (425) 530-7373 for more information.

37 24............................... FOR RENT

CONFLUENCE GALLERY and Art Center: 3 office spaces available for rent. Perfect for non-profits, professionals such as attorneys, therapists, massage practitioners, artists and others seeking a quiet space with natural light. Office 201 is 325 sq. ft., asking $325/month. Office 206 is 132 sq. ft., asking $150/month. Office 207 is 230 sq. ft., asking $250/ month. All offices are for 1-yearlease (negotiable). For additional details and viewing, contact David Wright 509.996.3681 or Salyna Gracie, 509.997.2787.

40 RENT ROOM 7 in MV Community Center. $410. per month includes utilities, w/one year lease. 509-997-2926.

38 ONE SPACE AVAILABLE February 1st in building behind Pardners in Winthrop. 550 square feet. Call George at 509-322-6139 for more info.

37 2 BEDROOM 1 BATH furnished home with W/D on Twisp River Park. Non-smoking. $850mth. 4 month minimum. Call 360-3012009.

40

choose local

Page B3

32 BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES

RIVERSIDE PRINTING Winthrop. Steady, growing print shop supporting Methow Valley. Equipment, Inventory. $45,000. 509-996-3816. 40 RESTAURANT OPPORTUNITY, downtown Winthrop, for sale by owner. Recently remodeled, includes equipment, easy lease.

Buyer options. 509-434-9868 or bouldercreekdeli@gmail.com 37 31........................ EMPLOYMENT

JAMIE’S PLACE Adult Family Homes is seeking caregivers and is currently offering a hiring bonus and incentive package! The cost of a significant portion of training expenses for committed team members who do not yet have HCA or CNA certifications is also available. Contact us to learn more: 509-996-4417 or jamiesplaceafh@yahoo.com. You can also check out our video at www. jamiesplacehomes.org.

40 METHOW VALLEY Long Term Recovery (MVLTR) is seeking statements of interest from independent contractors to coordinate the development and implementation of a neighborhood oriented Community Disaster Preparedness plan for the MVLTR service area to serve as a guide for the community during times of future natural or other disasters. Qualified candidates will know the Methow Valley well, have knowledge and experience in organizing communities around planning efforts, excellent writing and verbal communications skills, program research and development experience, confident public speaking skills and should be comfortable working with limited direct supervision in pursuit of identified goals and objectives. Provide a letter of interest, resume, and two professional writing examples by 1/24/2015 to MVLTR Steering Committee c/o Room One, PO Box 222, Twisp, WA 98856. Questions to: MethowValleyLTR@ gmail.com. No calls please. 37 FRENCH QUAIL IS looking for a friendly sales person who enjoys working with clothing. Pick up an application at 158 Riverside Ave. M-Sat 11-5:30, Sun 12-4.

38

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

FRONT DEST ASSOCIATE - Twisp River Suites a growing 5-star boutique hotel in the heart of Twisp is seeking a Front Desk Associate. Position will require flexibility to work morning and evening shifts and will require weekend shifts. The position responsibilities will be to assist in daily operations such as: making reservations, breakfast service, opening and closing procedures, assisting with events and Front Desk daily functions. Applicants should have general computer skills and customer service background to help create a friendly and professional experience for our guests. Resume submissions can be sent to PO Box 1067 Twisp, WA 98856 or emailed to misti@ twispriversuites.com.

37 METHOW VALLEY SCHOOL District is accepting applications for substitute custodians. Shifts are scheduled between 2:30 pm and 11:30 pm. Hourly rate $13.28.

Please apply online by January 23.

Open until filled. (509) 996-9205.

EOE www.methow.org/district 509-996-9205.

37 RIVER’S EDGE RESORT is seeking a Front Desk Clerk.

The ideal candidate has a customer service background; must welcome and serve guests in a courteous, efficient and friendly manner, both face-to-face and on the phone. Candidate must demonstrate good computer skills, professionalism, team spirit, ability to multi-task and problem solve and perform light maintenance tasks. Requires 9-12 hr/ shifts, 2-3 days/week and flexible availability for weekday/weekend/holiday shifts. Applications available at 115 Riverside Avenue, Winthrop. Email resume to liz@riversedgewinthrop.com 37 SUN MOUNTAIN LODGE IS seeking applicants for the positions of Breakfast Cook and Dinner Cook at Sun Mountain Lodge. You can find a printable Employment Application online at www.sunmountainlodge.com on the Employment page, or come to the Lodge Front Desk for a copy or call Leslie for information or an appointment at 509-996-4720.

37 AM SERVERS AND Host/Hostess positions available at Sun Mountain Lodge in the main Dining Room.

Visit the employment page on our website www.sunmountainlodge. com for a printable application form or call Leslie at 509-996-4720 for more information, an application, or an appointment.

37

FAMILY HEALTH CENTERS

CENTROS DE SALUD FAMILIAR

HAVE YOU HEARD? WE ARE EXPANDING AND ARE HIRING ADDITIONAL POSITIONS! JOIN US AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE! Twisp DenTal (Coming soon): Dental assistants – 3 part time positions. no experience needed! We will train you on the job and provide you with the tools you need to be a successful Dental Assistant. A WA State DA license is required which we will help you to obtain. patient Registration Rep. – part time.

English/Spanish Bilingual preferred.

Columbia River

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.

FHC is a not for profit Community Health Center dedicated to providing quality health care regardless of ability to pay.

EVERYONE is welcome.

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 EEO Employer.

LOVE SPORTS?

Join the MV News lineup!

The Methow Valley News is looking for a reporter to cover the valley’s sports teams and recreational activities with accuracy, completeness and a flare for bringing games and events to life through lively writing. It’s a parttime job with irregular hours (20 to 25 a week) but may include other opportunities to contribute to the newspaper. Photography skills a big plus; availability to work nights and some weekends a necessity; ability to meet deadlines an imperative.

Send a cover letter and other materials to: frontdesk@ methowvalleynews.com or P.O. Box 97, Twisp, WA 98856.

Include writing samples and a description of your relevant experiences.

L O O K I N G F O R A p a rents night out babysitter.

509-386-3783.

40 34............................... SERVICES

SPEEDY SKI HOT WAXING. Cascades Outdoor Store, downtown Winthrop, will get you out on fast skis without delay. Open every day 9:30-5. 10 pass hot-wax card also available. 509996-3480.

40

WANTED: LOGS & TIMBER Eastside Log & Timber Marketing, LLC New Global & Domestic Markets Services include all aspects of Timber Removal & Sales; from Permitting to Reforestation Contact: (360) 320-0662 Brewster, WA (509) 689-0541 38 years experience

34.................... SERVICES, Cont.

STATEWIDE ADS, Cont.

LEGAL ADS, Cont.

methowvalleyhandyman.com C urtis ’ s erviCes

LEGAL NOTICE Methow Valley School District is updating its Small Works Roster for general contractors for future construction, alteration, repair or improvement of public works projects. If you are interested in being included on the roster, please email a letter of intent to suziem@ncesd.org or to the following address and we will send you a small works roster application: Methow Valley School District c/o North Central ESD, Attn: Suzie Morrison, P.O. Box 1847, Wenatchee, WA 98807.

Published in the Methow Valley Newspaper January 21 and 28, 2015.

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS Trout Unlimited-Washington Water Project is proposing to construct a project on the Methow Valley Irrigation District Canal in Twisp, WA: replacing existing pipe along the approximately 9000 l.f.

E1 lateral within the Town of Twisp. Contractor shall provide and install 2” to 12” HDPE pipe and fittings. Two WSDOT road crossing are included in the project. There is a mandatory pre-bid site inspection at 1 PM on February 3, 2015, at the RiverBank Office, 206 Glover Street, Twisp WA. Contractors interested in receiving a bid solicitation packet should contact Project Administrative Assistant Katy Williams at 509997-0640 x267 or email katy@ vanheesllc.com prior to the closed bid opening at 5 PM on March 3, 2015.

Published in the Methow Valley News January 21 and 28, 2015.

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF BOARD MEETING CHANGE. Notice is hereby given that the Three Rivers Hospital Board of Commissioners has moved its next regular meeting to 8 a.m. on Tuesday, January 27, 2015 in the Hillcrest Administration Building, 415 Hospital Way, Brewster WA 98812.

Published in the Methow Valley News January 21, 2015.

LEGAL NOTICE IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON IN AND FOR THE COUNTY

OF KING IN PROBATE In Re The Estate Of: LELAND R. DOWNER, Decedent. NO. 15-4-001822 KNT PROBATE NOTICE TO CREDITORS (R.C.W. 11.40.030) The Administrator, named below, has been appointed as Administrator of this estate. Any person having a claim against the decedent must, before the time the claim would be bared by any otherwise applicable statute of limitations, present the claim in the manner as provided in R.C.W. 11.40.070 by serving on or mailing to the Administrator or the Administrator’s attorney at the address stated below, a copy of the Claim and filing the original Claim with the Court in which the Probate proceedings were commenced.

The Claim must be presented within the later of: (1) Thirty (30) days after the Administrator served or mailed a Notice to the Creditor as provided under R.C.W. 11.40.020(1)(c); or (2) four (4) months after the date of first publication of this Notice.

If the Claim is not presented within this time frame, the Claim is forever barred, except as otherwise provided in R.C.W. 11.40.051 and R.C.W. 11.40.060. This bar is effective as to Claims against both the decedent’s probate and nonprobate assets.

DATE OF FIRST PUBLICATION: January 21, 2015.

Jeffrey Downer, Administrator, 18625 173rd Way SE, Renton, WA, 98058.

Kelly Kenn / WSBA #32250, Kelly Kenn, PS, Attorney at Law, 385 NW Dogwood Street, Issaquah, WA, 98027. (425) 392-0351.

Published in the Methow Valley News January 21, 2015.

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF QUORUM AT MEETING. Notice is hereby given that a quorum of the Three Rivers Hospital Board of Commissioners may be present at a town hall meeting at 6 p.m.

Tuesday, January 27, 2015 in the Hillcrest Administration Building, 415 Hospital Way, Brewster WA 98812. The board will not conduct business during this meeting.

Published in the Methow Valley News January 21, 2015.

Need CLeaN Up woRk IN The yaRd after the winter storms?

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FREE SINGLE WIDE Mobile Home – You Haul Away, as is condition. For more information call (425) 530-7373.

37 95................. LOST AND FOUND

FOUND: Blue foot key/bottle chain with one key attached.

Found on the corner of Glover and Second St. 509-997-7011. 40 STATEWIDE ADS EVENTS-FESTIVALS PROMOTE YOUR REGIONAL EVENT for only pennies. Reach 2.7 million readers in newspapers statewide for $275 classified or $1,350 display ad. Call this newspaper or (360) 515-0974 for details.

LEGAL SERVICES DIVORCE $155. $175 with children.

No court appearances. Complete preparation. Includes custody, support, property division and bills.

BBB member. (503) 772-5295. www.paralegalalternatives.com legalalt@msn.com HELP WANTED MEDICAL BILLING TRAINEES NEEDED! Train at home to process Medical Billing & Insurance Claims!

NO EXPERIENCE NEEDED! Online training at Bryan University! HS Diploma/ GED & Computer/Internet needed. 1-877-259-3880 REAL ESTATE ***WASHINGTON-Dream-LAND for PENNIES on the Dollar. MOTIVATED SELLER> Opportunity of YOUR Life Time. Visit www.

RoheyLand.com or call 1-800-2583004 Now LEGAL ADS

LEGAL NOTICE Superior Court of Washington County of Okanogan No. 14-2-00342-2 SUMMONS BY PUBLICATION THE DECEDENT’S TRUST CREATED UNDER THE FODOR FAMILY REVOCABLE LIVING TRUST, U/A/D APRIL 15, 2002, Plaintiff, vs.

HANNAH MORRILL WORTHEN, as her separate estate, and DAVID JONES, a bachelor, and the heirs and devises of HANNAH MORRILL WORTHEN, deceased, and the heirs and devises of DAVID JONES, if he is deceased; and all persons claiming by and through them and ALL OTHER PERSONS OR PARTIES UNKNOWN CLAIMING ANY RIGHT, TITLE, ESTATE, LIEN OR INTEREST IN THE REAL ESTATE DESCRIBED IN THE FILED COMPLAINT HEREIN, Defendants.

THE STATE OF WASHINGTON TO said Defendants: EACH OF YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to appear within sixty (60) days after the date of the first publication of this Summons, to wit, within sixty (60) days after December 24, 2014, and defend the above entitled action in the above entitled Court, and answer the Amended Complaint of the Plaintiff and serve a copy of your answer upon the undersigned attorney for Plaintiff, David Ebenger, at his address below stated; and in the case of your failure so to do, Judgment will be rendered against you according to the demand of the Amended Complaint, which has been filed with the Clerk of said Court.

The object of this action is to quiet title to real property in the name of the Plaintiff as described in the Amended Complaint for Damages and to Quiet Title or in the Alternative for Adverse Possession filed herein.

Dated: December 12, 2014.

DAVID EBENGER, WSBA #4939, Attorney for Plaintiff, P.O. Box 217, Winthrop, Washington 98862.

Published in the Methow Valley News December 24 and 31, 2014, January 7, 14, 21, 28, 2015.

Local. Very local.

Since 1903, the independent and locally owned Methow Valley News has focused solely on two things: 1) Reporting the news and events of the Methow Valley.

2) Providing an effective and reliable source of advertising for local and regional businesses.

More than 100 years serving the Methow Valley.

509-997-7011 • www.methowvalleynews.com

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Coastal: 597,646 readers Eastern: 601,631 readers Metro: 1.3 million readers Includes 96 Newspapers & 24 Shoppers Call this Newspaper for Details

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Page B4

Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Record number of species in Christmas bird count The Methow Valley’s annual Christmas bird count on Dec.14 drew 43 observers who counted a total of 3,351 individual birds representing a record 72 species, including a never-before-seen trumpeter swan, according to organizer Juliet Rhodes.

Rhodes said that all of the 19 species that have been observed Species

2014

Trumpeter Swan Mallard Green-winged Teal Greater Scaup Common Goldeneye Barrow’s Goldeneye Hooded Merganser Common Merganser California Quail Gray Partridge Ruffed Grouse Dusky Grouse Wild Turkey Great Blue Heron Bald Eagle Northern Harrier Sharp-shinned Hawk Northern Goshawk Red-tailed Hawk Rough-legged Hawk Golden Eagle unknown bald or golden eagle Killdeer Wilson’s Snipe Rock Pigeon Eurasian Collared-Dove Mourning Dove Great Horned Owl Northern Pygmy-Owl Northern Saw-whet Owl Belted Kingfisher Downy Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker White-headed Woodpecker Black-backed Woodpecker Northern Flicker (red-shafted) Pileated Woodpecker unknown woodpecker American Kestrel Prairie Falcon Northern Shrike Steller’s Jay

1 90 14 25 13 cw 10 8 304 12 1 6 98 1 51 cw 2 1 26 1 4

# yrs Avg. seen 0 1 149 27 2 12 2 4 14 23 6 16 3 18 8 24 327 27 9 16 2 20 0 3 28 11 3 24 34 27 1 7 2 20 1 17 13 26 2 12 7 27

4

1

2 1 40 138 64 4 8 cw 9 28 12

0 1 43 36 43 1 2 0 5 11 8

6 10 23 7 25 16 22 5 27 27 27

1

1

12

cw

0

2

81

37

27

4

2

19

2

0

5 2 6 41

2 0 4 18

16 5 26 27

Community briefs Open houses at Teen Center

The Valley Teen Center at TwispWorks is hosting two open house/orientation sessions to introduce 7th- and 8thgrade students to the program’s staff and volunteers. The events are on Tuesday (Jan. 27) and Feb. 10 from 5:30-7 p.m.

Refreshments will be served.

For more information, call (509) 341-4279.

every year since the first count in 1988 were seen in the Christmas count. A total of 121 unique species have been observed over the years, she said. Barrow’s Goldeneye, Northern Harrier, Northern Sawwhet Owl, Harris’s Sparrow and Black-backed Woodpecker were also seen during the week of the count, Rhodes said.

Species

2014

Clark’s Nutcracker Black-billed Magpie American Crow Common Raven Black-capped Chickadee Mountain Chickadee unknown chickadee Red-breasted Nuthatch White-breasted Nuthatch Pygmy Nuthatch Brown Creeper Pacific Wren American Dipper Golden-crowned Kinglet Ruby-crowned Kinglet Townsend’s Solitaire American Robin Varied Thrush European Starling Bohemian Waxwing Cedar Waxwing unknown waxwing Snow Bunting Spotted Towhee Song Sparrow Harris’s Sparrow White-crowned Sparrow Dark-eyed Junco Brewer’s Blackbird Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch Pine Grosbeak House Finch Cassin’s Finch Red Crossbill Common Redpoll Pine Siskin American Goldfinch Evening Grosbeak House Sparrow TOTAL INDIVIDUALS TOTAL SPECIES

23 121 38 286

Pateros/Brewster Long Term Recovery meeting

# yrs Avg. seen 23 24 102 27 38 26 147 27

185

141

27

86 13

53 3

27

27

45

27

13

9

25

31 4 1 10

7 2 1 11

14 15 13 27

28

15

19

1 1 17 2 109 392 85 15 7 4 23 cw

1 1 10 15 77 121 15 1 19 2 14 0

7 12 18 15 26 21 10 10 20 26 0

30

3

15

267 10

187 6

27 7

40

50

11

27 10 97 126 1 16 1 29 33 37 27 52 89 1 61 86 68 3351 2521 72 58

14 27 22 16 15 27 27 23 26

Methow Valley News

The Pateros/Brewster Long Term Recovery Organization will host an informational meeting on Tuesday (Jan. 27) at the Pateros School library from 6-8 p.m. The public meeting is open to all local residents as well as Carlton Complex Fire survivors. Topics will include clarification and updates on land use and

restoration, government, economic and business, volunteer coordination, mental and behavior health, schools, public safety. Volunteer sign-up opportunities will be available and case managers will be on hand to answer questions or to sign up fire survivors who have not done so. For more information, call Carlene Anders at (509) 733-0318.

Book fair at MV Elementary School

Methow Valley Elementary School will host the annual Scholastic Book Fair Jan. 26-29 during regular school hours. All community members are invited to attend “Book Fair: Under the Sea — Explore an Ocean of Books,” sponsored by the Public School Funding Alliance.

A wide selection of books for sale will be available. Proceeds will benefit school classrooms

Student honors

Eastern Washington University announced that John Hutchinson, Colby Mathis, Christina Purtell and Robert Rosenthal, all of Winthrop, were named to the dean’s list for the fall 2014 term.

and libraries. A special family night will be offered on Jan. 28 from 5:30-7:30 p.m., featuring a free taco dinner, reading, activities and more book shopping. For more information, call 996-2186.

Public meeting at Three Rivers Hospital

Three Rivers Hospital in Brewster will host a “town hall” meeting at 6 p.m. on Tuesday (Jan. 27). The hospital’s new strategic plan will be discussed and community members will be encouraged to ask questions or offer comments. The event will be in the Hillcrest Administration Building, 415 Hospital Way. For more information, call (509) 689-2086.

Native plant orders due soon

Pre-orders for the Okanogan Conservation District’s annual

LET’S BE FRIENDS

native plant sale are due by Jan. 30.

Plant information and order forms are available online at www.okanogancd.org/plantsale or at the district office, 1251 S. Second Ave, Room 102 in Okanogan. Plants can be picked up on April 11 at the Okanogan County Fairgrounds. For more information, call (509) 422-0855 ext. 123.

Foundation extends scholarship deadline

The Community Foundation of NCW has extended its scholarship deadline to March 1. Over 90 scholarships are available to students in the North Central Washington region, each unique with its own set of criteria.

Visit www.cfncw.org/scholarships to learn more and apply.

For information, call (509) 663-7716.

Find us on Facebook: Methow Valley News

Harts Pass

By Erik Brooks

Bold indicates species seen in all counts since 1998.

Green highlights indicate notable record. cw = seen during Count Week, 3 days before and after Count Day

Real Estate

R e a l e s ta t e

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.

Fasse North Cascade Realty Nearly completed cabin, 2 bedroom, 1 bath, 938 sq. feet; 1.17 acres. Wood + Electric Heat 8 miles from Twisp MLS #608998 $114,000 Serving the Methow Valley since 1977

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MAZAMA/EDELWEISS Custom log cabin on ½ acre lot, 3 BD, 2 BA, well designed floor plan with great room concept, open kitchen, dining and living, propane stove and hearth, log interior and log accents throughout, lots of natural lighting, windows to bring the outside in, large southern facing covered deck and all the recreation opportunities just out the door. $259,000 MLS #658555 MAZAMA Ski out the door. This property offers it all: convenience, access to ski trails, and within walking distance to the Mazama store. 1.3 acre building lot, lightly treed, meadow and mountain views, sunny and all usable land. Good wells in the area, power close by and easy year round access. $145,000 MLS #562825

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Methow Valley News

help sell your home or property.

Advertise with the source that people rely on when making their property investment choices.

Call the Advertising Dept. today to see how we can help you get the exposure you need!

(509) 997-7011

Methow Valley News

Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Room One needs help with remodeling projects

Room One is looking for volunteers to help with interior remodeling during February and March at its building on Lincoln Street in Twisp.

The remodeling is designed to create more spaces for staff to meet privately with clients, as well as offices for staff and better access to Room One services, said Adrianne Moore, outreach and prevention coordinator.

Room One, the Methow Valley’s social services organization, is looking for volunteers with different skill sets to help with work during weekends beginning next month.

Volunteer movers and orga-

nizers are needed Feb. 19 and 20 to prepare the space for remodeling, including moving and consolidating office furniture, program materials and baby clothes in Room One’s exchange room.

Skilled and semi-skilled laborers are needed Feb. 21, 22, 28 and March 1 to work on demolition, framing, hanging and plastering sheetrock.

Painters are needed to paint offices and hallways after the construction work is completed on March 14 and 15.

For more information or to volunteer call Room One, 9972050, or email lori@roomone. org.

Methow Valley Senior Center Calendar

MONDAY, JAN. 26: Door prize gift basket.

TUESDAY, JAN. 27: Bus transportation to Wenatchee.

Notes The Thrift Shop is open Monday, Thursday and Friday from 9 a.m.3:30 p.m. We are now closed on Saturdays until next April.

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 $3.25 for seniors over age 60; the cost is $8 for those under 60. Annual membership dues are $1.25. For more information, call 997-7722.

Transportation is available locally for the senior lunch program, and

School menu

THURSDAY, JAN. 22: Breakfast pizza; macaroni and cheese, ham; ham sandwich deli option.

FRIDAY, JAN. 23: Muffin, egg; corn dog; soup of the day deli option.

MONDAY, JAN. 26: Bagel, yogurt; hot turkey dinner; veggie wrap deli option.

TUESDAY, JAN. 27: Breakfast burrito; stromboli with marinara sauce; turkey sandwich deli option.

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 28: Granola,

for monthly trips to Omak/Okanogan the second Tuesday of the month and to Wenatchee the third Tuesday of the month. Call the Senior Center at 997-7722 for additional details.

Lunch menu THURSDAY, JAN. 22: Spaghetti and meat sauce, buttered corn, Caesar salad, garlic bread, berry crisp.

FRIDAY, JAN. 23: Macaroni and cheese with ham, mixed vegetables, mixed green salad, peaches, bread pudding.

MONDAY, JAN. 26: Meat loaf with gravy, mashed potatoes, green beans, carrot and raisin salad, fruit cup, biscuit, peach cobbler.

THURSDAY, JAN. 29: Hot roast beef sandwich, mashed potatoes, baby carrots, green salad, mixed fruit, Jell-O with topping.

FRIDAY, JAN. 30: Baked chicken, stuffing, cauliflower, coleslaw, apricots, biscuit.

yogurt; teriyaki chicken burger; Hawaiian chicken wrap deli option.

THURSDAY, JAN. 29: Breakfast burrito; chicken nuggets, roll; ham sandwich deli option.

FRIDAY, JAN. 30: Professional day, no school.

All breakfasts include fruit, juice and milk. The breakfast burrito is subject to change but will always be an egg dish. All lunches include a trip through the fruit and vegetable bar. Milk is 1 percent or non-fat.

www.methowvalleynews.com

Page B5

Obituaries

Werner J. Durtschi

Werner J. Durtschi passed away peace- He loved to travel and was on the road for fully in the early morning of Dec. 15, 2014, months at a time during the selling season.

After high school Werner enlisted in the at the age of 88. He came to Alaska 13 years ago after a serious injury Army Air Corps in 1944 and was sent to the Eurothat made it necessary that pean theater, where his lanhe live closer to family. guage skills were put to use He was the son of Swiss with the occupation forces immigrants who came to in southern Germany. After America looking for a bethis discharge he went to colter life in the 1920s. He was lege on the GI Bill. There he born in a cheese factory in met his wife to be, Katherine a state he affectionately Fleming, at Westmont Colcalled Swissconsin, otherlege in Santa Barbara, Caliwise known as Barnefeldt, fornia. After she finished Wisconsin. His family travher education they relocated eled by train to the Pacific back to the Northwest. WerNorthwest where they setner went back to school tled in Portland, Oregon.

His first language, Schwhere he earned a degree in business from Lewis and weitzer Deutsch, gave way Clark College, Portland, to English when he entered Oregon, in 1950. grade school. For a guy Together with his wife whose second language Kay, they raised four kids, was English, he picked a Shirley, Mike, Jim and Jeff, peculiar occupation. From Werner J. Durtschi who all grew up in the Porta young age he was a salesland area. Werner and Kay man, spanning from apples, eggs, chickens and scrap metal in the neigh- allowed their children to dream and did whatborhood to sportswear. His territory covered ever was in their power to help bring those the Western states of Oregon, Washing- dreams to fruition. Each chose a different ton, Idaho, Montana, Nevada and Colorado. path, and each achieved success. This was a

great source of pride for Werner.

Werner was notorious for his positive attitude. He always had a cheerful response, a kind word, and a bright outlook for whatever the occasion. In Girdwood, Alaska he was well recognized for walking to the post office or walking up to the Java Haus or Bake Shop to partake in the local brew and read the newspaper. In the darkest depths of his worst medical and personal situations he was upbeat, tough, with nary an ounce of negativity, at times to a fault. He also had an eye for beauty, the mountains, and knew what he liked. Of all the places he could have spent his last years, he chose Alaska and Girdwood in particular.

Whether it was the mountain peaks, glaciers, or the king salmon for dinner, one thing is certain, he was happy. And he was “fine.”

Werner is survived by his four children; two in Girdwood, Shirley K. Durtschi and Michael F. Durtschi; Jefferson Elliot Durtschi in California; and James Werner Durtschi in Hong Kong, China; his ex-wife in Portland; 11 grandchildren, Tim, Travis, Erica, Nicole, Mikayla, Thomas, Katy Leigh, Maxmillian, Reiker, Jayden, Talon and Easton; as well as his three younger sisters, also in their 80s, Hilda, Helen and Florence.

The family would like to thank Linda’s Place for the kind care and support Dad received from the caregivers during his stay.

Lester Theodore Anthony Boccuzzi Uncle Lester Boccuzzi was born in Stam- struction supervisor at hospital units and ford, Connecticut on March 7, 1920, to Ital- prisoner-of-war guard. After the war he and ian immigrant parents. Lester was the first his two brothers started the Three B’s construction company. He married of nine children. His father Edith Cipri and had three chilworked hard to create a sucdren, Donna, Leslie and Reed. cessful construction business, It was during this time that he and for most of Lester’s youth, became a small craft pilot. Flythe family lived in comfort. ing around New England was However, when the Depression his favorite pastime. hit, they were forced to move When they divorced, Lester into a small house, grow their switched careers and attended own food, and the older sibthe Culinary Institute of Amerlings find work. ica in Hyde Park, New York, Always mischievous, and to become a chef. He worked never comfortable in an acafor 25 years as the much-loved demic setting, Lester attended Lester Theodore cook at the Wooster preparatory trade school in his teens and Anthony Boccuzzi school in Ridgefield, Connectilearned to be a draftsman. cut. He loved it when the stuWhen he was 18, he joined the Civilian Conservation Corps and lived for a dents snuck down to the kitchen after hours year in Centennial, Wyoming, building log to hear his stories and jokes, and eat the treats cabins, creating campsites and planting trees. he cooked for them.

When he retired at age 70, Lester followed This was perhaps the happiest year of his life.

Lester served in the army for five years his sister’s advice and moved to Fairfield, during WWII. His duties included con- Iowa, to attend the Maharishi University of

Management to pursue a degree in art. Two years later, in 1993, while visiting his nieces and nephews in Washington state, he was persuaded to move to Twisp to live with Pam and Terry Hunt. The forests and cabins reminded him of his beloved days in the CCC. Over the next 20 years, Lester became a well-known fixture in the Methow Valley, telling stories, cracking jokes and lifting spirits wherever he went. He even ran for mayor of Twisp, but was still thanking people for not voting for him 15 years later! He loved children, music and nature. His zest for life, generosity, and gratitude for his fellow man were his most charming attributes.

A celebration of his life will be held at the Methow Valley Community Center on what would have been his 95th birthday: Saturday, March 7 at 3 p.m. There will be a potluck following the service. All are welcome to come and share their stories about Lester. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Jamie’s Place, which was his last home. He said he could never thank the staff there enough for all they did for him.

Pamela Kae Johnson Pamela Kae (Lloyd) Johnson passed away on Jan. 3, 2015, at the age of 58, from complications due to rheumatoid arthritis. She was born at the Brewster Hospital to Robert Mack Lloyd and Jean (Gardner Maples) Lloyd on Thanksgiving Day in 1956.

She graduated from Wenatchee High School and attended Kinman Business School in Seattle. She decided working in an office was not for her so she worked in con-

struction for Lloyd Logging and various other companies in Spokane.

She also owned a successful restaurant in northern Idaho. She operated equipment and drove truck for a career until arthritis forced her to retire. She loved to travel and always made friends wherever she lived.

Through all the illness and pain she suffered she still maintained her ability to make people laugh and we will remember her for that.

She was married to Tim John-

son in 1981. She is survived by her partner of 15 years, Rodney Beyerlein; her beloved dog Lucy; her two children, Travis Robert (Rae) Johnson and Nina Jean Ravenstein (Dusty); two grandchildren, Caitlyn Kae and Ashlynn; her mother Jea n; brothers Don Maples (Jean), Mike Maples (Marj,) Bob Lloyd (Judy); and sister Lori Lott.

She was preceded in death by her father Mack Lloyd. A memorial will be announced at a later date.

Health Directory Al Anon Meetings

NA MEETINGS Narcotics Anonymous weekly meetings

Support group for families of those with chemical dependencies

Columbia River

10

Pamela Kae Johnson

Sunday @ 5pm only

Tuesdays, 6:30 pm at St. Genevieve Catholic Church, Twisp Fridays, 8:30 am at Masonic Hall, Twisp

at Horseshoe Mobile Home Clubhouse 305 Magers Street, Twisp

509-997-9243 for more info

509-826-6371 for more info

Locations

ACROSS the region

& growing

1.800.660.2129

Se Habla Espanol WWW . MYFAMILYHEALTH . ORG

AA MEETINGS Twisp: 509-997-0356

Sun. 9:30 am & 6:30 pm Mon. 7:30am & 6:30pm, Tues. 6:30pm at Masonic Lodge Wed. 7pm at Calvary Chapel

Winthrop: 509-996-8174 Thur. & Fri. 7pm at Friendship Church Sat: 7pm at the Winthrop Fire Hall

Aero Methow Rescue E M E RGE NC Y Office: 997-4013

Health & Service Directories ~ Deadline for ad placement & changes is Friday at 5 pm for insertion in the next Wednesday’s paper.

Directory ads are $8 per column inch. Additional charges may apply for color. To have your service listed please call 997-7011.

Valley Life

Page B6

Wednesday, January 21, 2015

January 19: The weather out there m i r rors the feelings of us Green Bay Packer fans: gray, dark, depressing and slippery. That last Bob Spiwak is appropriate for the poor guy who dropped the ball on the onside kick by Seattle. Was it a drop, or knocked away from him? Only the film knows.

Five thousand feet or so above West Boesel, the snow/water equivalent at Harts Pass is 118 per cent of average with a water content of 29.4 inches ensconced in 88 inches of snow. Down here we got about 9 inches Saturday night and Sunday morning,

with milder temperatures. This produced huge clusters of snow on the branches of the pine trees that surround us, and as the weather warmed and the sun intermittently came through, we were bombarded by wet and soggy snow bombs. At least they were not frozen and did not require a crash helmet when I was plowing beneath them on an open tractor.

Getting back to the playoff game yesterday, something occurred to me that might be of great social significance. It has to do with women’s rights.

There is a lot of hoopla around the nation about the great and noisy fan base at the Seahawk stadium, known worldwide now as “The 12th Man.” It seems to me that in the name of political correctness this is wrong: I certainly know more voluble female Hawk supporters than those of the male persuasion and really feel, despite the expense of changing flags, T-shirts, cards, footballs and other goodies, the name ought to be changed to “The

12th Person.” This appellation would still include the team.

The skiers have been out in pretty good numbers this past week. All together, with Friday’s snow, about 4 inches, and Saturday’s biggie, there were no complaints heard about lack of snow. Waxing the skis did present a conundrum as to which was the right stuff for powder (Friday’s) or ice (late Saturday) or slushy mix on Sunday. Not being a skier, this is all unknown stuff to me, but I suppose it is like golfers changing balls to match the terrain on which they are playing. All of it good for the economy — somewhere.

From my earliest childhood I have been interested in the weather. Growing up in the florist/ nursery business in Maryland and New Jersey, where my dad was a foreman and then got his own business, weather was a critical part of life. On the East Coast there was a tradition for women to wear a large chrysanthemum blossom to football

Methow Valley News

games, from high school to Ivy League contests.

One November the weather forecast from what was then the Weather Bureau predicted a warm night.

My dad and a guy in Connecticut thought otherwise and heavily protected their mum crops. The temperatures plummeted and the next day they were the only ones with flowers to send to the wholesale market in New York. They both made a killing and lots of money.

I hope this will answer the periodic questions we get about what appears to be a fixation with weather in this column. It dominates our lives and what happens at point A will, in a matter of time, long or short, affect the entire world as climate change is now doing, whether or not you accept the premise.

Thus, today’s water content at Harts Pass could well be the forerunner of our big flood in May. As the late Bill Biddle used to say, closing his column, “Stay tuned.”

Students examine diversity in MLK events The other night I was at the fourway stop in Winthrop behind a car with a rear license plate spelling out “GA-ME 1978,” which I imagine indicates that the Ashley Lodato owner of the car hiked the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine in 1978 (and, incidentally, would have been one of about only 100 hikers to do so that year). It’s about a 2,100-mile hike, started by many and completed by relatively few.

Seeing the plates reminded me of a story I heard recently about two Appalachian Trail veterans, Brian and Amy Sweet. The couple, who had been married for about a decade, spent a few months completing the Appalachian Trail a couple of years ago. As is customary on the AT, each person chose a trail name for the journey. Brian’s name was “Movin’ On.” When the duo hit New Hampshire — about 1,600 miles into the expedition — another hiker asked Amy, “how does it feel to have a partner whose name is ‘Movin’ On’?” Without missing a beat Amy answered, “I’m the fourth girl he’s hiked with on this trip.”

A sizeable portion of the Methow Valley Nordic Team kids skied in the Race of the Methow at the McCabe Trails over the weekend, along with teams from Bend, Oregon, Spokane, Leavenworth and Seattle. Huh, Seattle? Yes, Seattle!

Coaching the Seattle team — Momentum Northwest — was none other than Sam Naney, who was lured away from the Methow last summer only by the prospect of introducing more young people to the joys of Nordic skiing.

In his new role as head coach and program director of Momentum Northwest, Sam brought a small but dynamic group of young skiers over to race in his hometown and former training grounds, and like all of the other coaches performed the glorious (and critical) role of manning the waxing benches for much of the Race of the Methow.

If all this talk of skiing makes you want to hit the trails, this Friday’s Backyard Ski Day (Jan. 23) presents you with the perfect opportunity, with free trail passes, free equipment rentals, and free beginner ski lessons. Event sponsors Methow Valley Ski School, Winthrop Mountain Sports, Cascades Outdoor Store, Methow Cycle and Sport, and Methow Trails want you to experience the fun of Nordic skiing, so take them up on their offer and get out on the trails on Friday.

The Fog

(With apologies to Carl Sandberg)

By Aristides Pappidas The fog comes on elephantine feet.

Somnolently looking over the river, with ham-sized thighs it sits where it wants to then reluctantly moves on to visit the next day and the next and the next.

Aristides Pappidas lives in Winthrop

Valley Life Contacts

By Marcy Stamper

“If you think about it, why is our entire town pretty much one big race?”

That question from a seventh-grader was raised as students at Liberty Bell High School reflected on the teachings of Martin Luther King Jr. last week.

“We’re basically the same people.

We come from the same race. People are making such a big deal about the color of people’s skin — it’s just B.S.,” said a classmate.

“Maybe people were afraid about what it means to be different,” said a seventh grader in David Aspholm’s world history class. “It’s a human reflex to judge people around you — to guess, based on their clothes or their hair, if they don’t have money, or if they have tons of money,” said another.

In a special assembly, approximately 250 Liberty Bell students heard a talk about King’s ideas for creating a more inclusive environment. After the lecture, students questioned a panel of community members and explored these issues and their own attitudes in more depth in class.

During his talk, Donte Quinine asked students to pair up, look each other in the eye, and say whatever comes to mind when they think about terms such as Native American, gay or lesbian, poor, Latino or white. Quinine, the director of Student Life, Outreach and Recruitment at Wenatchee Valley College, was impressed by students’ willingness to talk about these subjects.

“Sometimes I’ve done this activity and there is dead silence,” he told them.

In a discussion later in the week, students in Lisa Monahan’s 10th-grade biology class said the exercise hadn’t been uncomfortable because they know each other well and already talk about these topics. Monahan organized the MLK celebration, inviting Quinine and a panel of five local residents.

Other students, however, did find the exercise awkward. “It was weird to look people in the eye — it was really uncomfortable because he wanted us to judge each other by appearance,” said a seventh grader in Aspholm’s history class. “You wonder if you’re hurting

why did he have a friend’s feels l ave s? ” s h e ings.” asked.

Quinine used Students also the activity to learned how culencourage the tural attitudes students, teachcan perpetuate ers and commusocio-economic nity members differences. One who at t ende d termed the vast his talk to build historic gulf in understanding by the net worth of engaging directly black and white with one another. families “pretty American shocking.” cu lt u r e t end s Some students to advocate a Photo by Marcy Stamper admitted that it tolerance-based approach, where Donte Quinine told students he attracts atten- may be easier people learn to tion when he comes to the Methow because he for them to learn be nice and get is black, 6’6” tall and “amazingly attractive.” to treat people differently than along — but not actually engage, said Quinine. “We are for an older generation. “Everyone is taught that if we become color-blind, fine with the fact that we have a black racism will magically go away,” he said. president,” said one, although another Quinine, a 6-foot, 6-inch-tall black acknowledged that “there’s people man, talked about how he attracts atten- today who are uptight about skin color.” tion — and not always positive attention — when he comes to the Methow Exploring difference in the Valley. He told students about these Methow Valley experiences, including an encounter The MLK Day events provided an when he was fishing on the Methow opening to a topic that may be easy to River that began when the man asked, ignore in this area. As Quinine put it, “What the bleep are you doing here?” “there is not a ton of diversity” in the Rather than reacting with anger, Qui- Methow Valley. But he reminded his nine said he talked to the man about audience that there are many types of fishing, ultimately converting the situ- differences, including socio-economic ation from a potentially explosive one status and gender orientation. to a friendly exchange about the most “Do you fear that, does it make you effective lures and best spots on the want to run away? What’s it like not to river. be in the dominant culture?” he asked them.

‘Shocking’ history Students were able to imagine how Documentaries about historical atti- that would feel. “It would suck to go to tudes and beliefs — for example, exper- a school where everybody speaks Engiments conducted by scientists to find lish and you don’t know it,” said one. genetic or physical differences they Quinine, who grew up in Los Angecould attribute to race — stunned many les, also contrasted urban and rural of the students. environments. Although rural areas “They were so desperate for things to may not have residents from as many show difference — they measured their different backgrounds, people find [blacks’] skulls to show they were not ways to segregate over other issues, he as smart. They were super-biased stud- said. ies,” said a seventh grader.

“It made me realize that I want to go Another documentary gave a class- somewhere with more diversity and to mate a new perspective on Thomas Jef- experience different cultures,” said a ferson. “He said everyone’s equal, but 10th grader.

I bet all of you crazy-forthe-Seahawks readers are feeling pretty good today.

There were just a few minutes left when the tide finally turned. None of the earlier turnovers and interceptions seemed to matter in the last minutes of the fourth quarter.

With a little less than four minSally Gracie utes on the clock, a Seahawks touchdown brought the home team within five points, 19-14; then, with 1:33 left, another score was followed by a two-point conversion. The score was 19-22, Seattle. A Packers’ field goal tied the score at 22-22.

In overtime, the Seahawks scored the winning touchdown quickly, winning the game on a Russell Wilson pass, 22-28. What a game!

Joe Marver has hung a “Man Cave” Seahawks poster on the outside wall of Twisp River Suites. If the guys let me in, that’s where I’ll be on Feb. 1 for the Super Bowl. Good food, comfy chairs and a 12-foot screen.

It’s not easy to find help with some of the things I don’t/can’t do for myself anymore. A subscription program that would coordinate access to services is a wonderful idea. Thanks to the Methow at Home steering committee, when enough subscribers like me sign

Mazama: Bob Spiwak, 996-2777 or badwater@centurytel.net

up, the service will get underway. Take the survey at methowathome.org, or call 996-5844.

My Beebe is not an ideal dog for me, as my son is always happy to tell me. She is not only too big, but she also loves to chase critters. Even so, as I get older, I would hate to have to give her up. Indoors, she’s a good companion.

The service I forgot to mention on Methow at Home’s survey is dog walking. My fear of falling and Beebe’s poor training on a leash mean that she isn’t getting the exercise she needs. I would be happy to pay someone to walk her.

Until Loki moved to Bend, Beebe could run free in Loki’s big yard a few times a week. These days Beebe is mostly confined to her dog run, the fenced area of the side yard. Until she isn’t.

For a middle-aged dog, Beebe has proved to be quite agile. As snow falls from the roof of the carport overhang, it piles up to give Beebe the boost she needs to jump over the railing to freedom. Mind you, I don’t blame her for wanting to go for a run, but as her owner, I’d rather she didn’t.

Once the berm beneath the railing was shoveled down, Beebe could no longer escape, but that didn’t mean she stopped trying. And trying. And barking.

And barking out of frustration. That’s what she’s doing in the photo accompanying this column.

Now the snow is piling up again, and I have to put her out on a lead. Methow at Home, I could surely use you now.

Congratulations to Dawn Woodruff, who will begin her third week as Twisp’s librarian on Tuesday (Jan.

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

Twisp: Sally Gracie, 997-4364 or sgracie@centurytel.net

A seventh grader shared that view.

“It would be nice to have racial differences, different perspectives and different cultures here,” she said.

According to the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, the student body at Liberty Bell in the 2013-14 school year was 90 percent white, 6 percent Hispanic or Latino, 4 percent Asian or Pacific Islander, and 0.4 percent black. Forty-one percent qualified for free or reduced meals.

Honest exchanges

In questions to Quinine and the panelists who led a discussion after his talk, students did not shy away from tough topics. They asked about police brutality and the “n-word.” One student spoke from personal experience when she said discrimination against gay and transgender people still seems to be acceptable.

Panelists were equally frank. As a child of light-skinned African Americans, musician Laura Love said she had grown up in white and black cultures in Nebraska and was in and out of orphanages and foster care. She recalled her mother’s reaction and grief when King was shot.

Storyteller Dayton Edmonds, a member of the Caddo Nation, grew up in a very rural environment, insulated from some of the mainstream attitudes toward Native Americans. English was his second language, learned in school along with less traditional lessons. “It was a real shocker to learn I was a second-class citizen,” said Edmonds.

As a white male heterosexual, Lee Hatcher said it is a lifelong learning process to understand what it means to be part of the group that created some of these problems. “Just being aware of class and white privilege is not enough,” he said.

“The presentation made me realize different stereotypes about people,” said one student. “Now I approach people with positive stereotypes and don’t jump to assumptions.”

A seventh grader was particularly impressed with Quinine’s interpretation of the Golden Rule — to treat people the way they want to be treated. “You should post that everywhere,” he said.

21). Patrons are getting used to the revised schedule: closed on Mondays, open Fridays, with an extended hour on Saturdays. When you next go into Twisp Library, ask Dawn for “Terry’s Book” and sign it, so it will be full of your good wishes when Terry Dixon returns from her travels through the Southwest.

Photo by Sally Gracie Beebe is one of many who would benefit from the services Methow At Home could provide.

Methow: Joanna Bastian, (509) 341-4617 or MethowJoanna@gmail.com