Methow Valley News, Sept. 30, 2016

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Methow Valley News

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PUBLISHED WEEKLY SINCE 1903

TWISP, WASHINGTON

VOL. 113

NO. 21

WWW.METHOWVALLEYNEWS.COM

SEPTEMBER 30, 2015

$1

Homeowners insurance may be harder to come by Wildfires’ impact could drive up policy prices

By Ann McCreary

Property owners seeking new homeowners insurance policies may find it more difficult and expensive, depend-

ing on their location, as a result of the past two summers of wildfires in the Methow Valley and surrounding areas.

While fires were actively burning in the region, many insurance companies imposed a moratorium on writing new policies in areas impacted by wildfires, according to local insurance agents.

“As soon as they knew the area was evacuated” companies imposed moratoriums, said Judy McAuliffe of Libke

Firefighter Daniel Lyon healing, growing more alert after eight surgeries

Insurance Associates in Twisp. “All of the Highway 97 corridor got it.”

Now, as the fire season is winding down, most companies appear to be accepting new applications. However, homeowners seeking insurance for houses in some specific areas of the Methow Valley may find they have to shop around and pay a higher premium.

“A lot of companies have decided they’re just not going to write in specific

areas, so it’s a lot harder to get insurance,” said Melinda Bourn, owner of Melbourn Insurance Agency. “Some are declining to write [policies] altogether, and others are choosing to write at a higher price.”

The changes appear to be specific to a couple of housing developments in the Methow Valley at this point, Bourn said.

“The two areas that are getting difficult that I’m seeing in the last few weeks

are Pine Forest and Edelweiss,” she said.

“I’m not saying you can’t get any insurance at all, it just may not be as cost-effective as before,” Bourn said.

“We can find a market, but it may not be what people want to pay.” In some cases insurance premiums are two or three times higher than in the past, she said.

Bour n said she’s spoken with See INSURANCE, A2

Fair games

By Marcy Stamper

Firefighter Daniel Lyon is about halfway through his initial treatment for the severe burns he sustained in the Twisp River Fire, according to his father, Dan Lyon.

Based on physicians’ projections for the healing process from this type of injury, Daniel could be released from Harborview Medical Center in about six weeks. He will continue with extensive rehabilitation and physical therapy, said Dan. Daniel, age 25, has had eight surgeries since the Aug. 19 accident. The first four surgeries were to remove dead tissue, a process known as debridement that prevents infection and helps promote healing.

The following four surgeries grafted Daniel’s own skin onto areas that were critically burned. The next surgery, to graft skin onto his arms and fingers, should be the last major graft, said Dan. “We hope for great progress after that,” he said.

One of the first grafts surgeons performed was for Daniel’s legs, which are now healing. His eighth operation, on

Photo courtesy of the Lyon family Daniel Lyon was severely burned in the Aug. 19 fire that killed three other firefighters.

Sept. 22, concentrated on grafts for his face. Daniel remains in Harborview’s intensive care unit.

“We’re still hoping and praying for miracles — and we’ve had some,” said Dan. Although Daniel has been heavily See LYON, A2

CHAPTER 8

Living with Alzheimer’s: Reflections on the project

I decided I want to help people with AD who may be denying it, and the family members of people with AD. I want to be open about what my friend Jerry Bristol, who is at a later stage of the disease, and I are going through and about how people with AD would like to be treated. I am a man on a mission.

With the help of Dr. Raleigh and A column by Don Reddington reporter Laurelle Walsh, I drafted a sample chapter of Living with Editor’s note: This is the eighth Alzheimer’s, which Methow Valley and final article in a series written News publisher Don Nelson agreed to

by Methow Valley resident Don Red- publish as part of a monthly column that started in Janudington, exploring ary 2015. the issues of living I want to be with Alzheimer’s Si nce t hen we disease. The artihave publ ishe d open about what seven chapters plus cles were written in my friend Jerry an introduction by collaboration with Raleigh Bowden, M s. Wa l s h. We Bristol, who is M. D., Katie and included the experiat a later stage Josephine Bristol, ences of my wife, and Methow Valley Ginger, Josephine of the disease, News reporter LauBristol, Katie Bristol and I are going relle Walsh. and Jody Love — all of whom have lived through and About one year with a person with about how people Alzheimer’s. This ago D r. Ra leigh will be the final Bowden and I began with AD would chapter, and I would discussing writing like to be treated. like to express what a book about what t h is proje ct ha s it’s like to live with I am a man on a meant to me.

Alzheimer’s disease mission.

This project has (AD). I have been — Don Reddington educating myself made Jerry and me about Alzheimer’s very happy! We have and talking openly been delighted and with people about the disease since I surprised at the community response, received my diagnosis in early 2014. I and that the articles went all over the have found that a lot of people are in country because people passed them denial about having the disease, or are See REFLECTIONS, A3 trying to hide it.

Living with

This contented-looking hen, raised by Sage McFetridge of Winthrop, was the grand champion in the poultry division at the Okanogan County fair.

The fair not only featured live horses and other livestock, but there were also blazing-fast carousel horses, fun for a quick spin between exhibits.

Photos by Marcy Stamper

Alzheimer’s “

”

Forest Service closing roads to ATVs — again

By Marcy Stamper

In another reversal, the U.S. Forest Service plans to close roads in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest that had been opened to wheeled all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) for the past few months, according to Karl Forsgaard, president of the Alpine Lakes Protection Society.

The Forest Service opened 350 miles of roads to ATVs in all seven ranger districts in the forest at the end of June.

Forsgaard was one of a group of representatives of environmental organizations, ATV rider groups, county road departments and the governor’s office who participated in a conference call on Friday (Sept. 25) with Jason Kuiken, the deputy forest supervisor for the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest.

“Recently there have been developments regarding the WATV [wheeled ATV] routes that we would like to share with all of you who have been involved throughout the process,” wrote Kuiken

in the email notifying the parties about the phone meeting.

In the conference call, Kuiken explained that they need to evaluate the new ATV routes under the National Environmental Policy Act before the Forest Service can change which vehicles are allowed to travel on the roads, said Forsgaard. Before June, ATVs had not been permitted to use these roads.

The Forest Service is still working on a press release explaining the ATV developments, according to Cathy Dowd, public affairs officer with the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest.

The Okanogan-Wenatchee Forest has been working on its travel management rule for the past decade, which, when complete, will include a detailed map showing all roads and trails open to motorized travel, according to Jennifer Zbyszewski, recreation program manager for the Methow Valley Ranger District. The map will also show the types of vehicles allowed on them.

Forest managers had been hoping to have a draft of the environmental analysis on the travel management changes for public review this fall, but it was delayed because staff had to be diverted to wildfires this summer, according to Forsgaard’s account of the phone conference.

Wheeled ATVs are a special class of ATVs that must have certain safety features, including lights, mirrors, and a special license.

The Alpine Lakes Protection Society was a plaintiff, along with the Kittitas Audubon Society and the Sierra Club, in a lawsuit filed against the Forest Service in June. The lawsuit claimed that the Forest Service failed to follow environmental laws that require public input and an analysis of which roads or trails would be open to any motorized use, including by off-road vehicles and wheeled ATVs. Kuiken did not mention the lawsuit in his remarks during last week’s conference call, said Forsgaard.

Page A2

Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Methow Valley News

Forest thinning promoted as effective way to reduce fire risks

By Ann McCreary

The case for thinning forests to improve their health and reduce fire risk was made last week by a panel of four people offering different perspectives.

The discussion featured private landowners, a conservationist and a small lumber company representative, who told an audience at the Twisp Valley Grange that selectively cutting trees plays an important role in protecting the dry forests of eastern Washington.

The panel discussion on Sept.

22 was sponsored by the National Forest Foundation, a nonprofit forest conservation organization, and the North Central Washington Forest Health Collaborative, formed in 2013 to promote forest restoration.

Vicki Simmons of Mazama described how she evolved from a property owner who planned her house “so as not to take out any trees” to a community activist who has advocated for thinning trees and removing fuels in her forested neighborhood.

After the Needles Fire in 2003

LYON

From Page A1

sedated, he has been more conscious in the past few weeks and, as his lungs heal, he can talk in a whisper. During the first month, Daniel didn’t know who or where he was. But doctors ask every morning, and 75 percent of the time Daniel knows who he is and that he’s in the hospital, said Dan. Severe burns are so painful that without the sedation Daniel would not be able to endure them, said Dan. The sedatives also help him not remember the accident, which is important at this stage of recovery, said Dan. While sometimes Daniel asks for more painkillers, he often describes the pain as “tolerable.”

“He doesn’t like the medications because they make you so loopy,” said Dan. Finding skin for the grafts has been difficult because the burns were so extensive, covering 60

INSURANCE

From Page A1

colleagues in other a reas impacted by wildfire, such as Chelan and the Okanogan Valley, who report similar problems finding insurance for homes in areas deemed at higher risk from wildfire.

“Every company is reviewing outlying areas to determine if this is an area they want to continue writing in,” Bourn said.

“Certain areas are not profitable due to the wildfire threat.”

Insurance underwriters have told her their companies use information provided by firms that analyze wildfire risk for specific areas and even individual properties. One of the firms that conducts these analyses is called Verisk Analytics, which evaluates insurance risks.

The company uses remote

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came within one-quarter mile of her Lost River home, Simmons began working to obtain grant money to reduce forest fire risk on private property in Lost River, and then held discussions with the U.S. Forest Service about the fire threat from overgrown forests on adjacent federal lands.

Due in part to strong community support, the Forest Service allocated $1 million for a project that will thin smaller understory trees in forests near Driveway Butte, Sandy Butte, Lucky Jim Bluff and Lost River Road.

The “Lost Driveway Hazard Fuels Thinning Project” will thin trees on almost 1,500 acres that abut private properties in the first phase of a larger project.

“Humans have changed the course of nature” by suppressing fires that are a natural part of the dry forest ecosystem, Simmons said. “Thinning and fuels reduction is what gets us back to what Mother Nature intended.”

Another private landowner, Ross Frank of Leavenworth, has been involved for several years with the Chumstick Wildfire

Stewardship Coalition (CWSC), a grassroots organization formed by local citizens to address wildfire issues in the Leavenworth community.

The coalition has received grants to plan and implement wildfire risk reduction programs, and Frank advocated the grassroots approach to protecting private property.

“It’s citizens taking care of our own neighborhood and empowering ourselves to take care of our own destiny in dry forests. It’s making a real physical change to your home and your woodlot and a change in your culture and how we live in dry forests,” Frank said.

“The effective work done today is at the grassroots level. In the public arena you have to hold on to your shorts and get ready for a long ride.”

The federal government is not adequately addressing the extreme fire risk in national forests where fires have been suppressed for decades, he said. “We’re out of scale … we treat 3,000 acres and have 300,000 acres that need treat-

ment,” Frank said.

“We need a clear, concise mandate from Congress to make a change in the physical landscape. Until there is a clear mandate for acres to be thinned, we’re not going to accomplish anything of real substance,” he said.

percent of Daniel’s body. Daniel’s feet and ankles, which were protected by his boots, were the one area to escape injury. His helmet protected his head and his sunglasses protected his eyes and eyelids, which suffered only minor burns. Daniel’s vision is still blurry, but doctors do not see any permanent eye damage, said Dan. Daniel’s hands were so badly burned that surgeons had to remove the fingertips on all but one of his fingers last week, said Dan. He will also require surgery to repair damaged tendons.

“The goal is to get him out of here and start rehab,” which will be possible once Daniel’s wounds are sufficiently healed and he is able to feed himself, walk and take care of other basic needs, said Dan. The next phase of recovery will include one to two years of intensive physical therapy and follow-up surgeries.

“It’s quite a long process, a long road. But we’re gaining, so

we’re happy,” said Dan. Physicians have explained that Daniel will most likely have a lifetime of related conditions that could necessitate more grafts as his skin stretches, said Dan. Doctors are not able to make predictions about the extent of Daniel’s recovery, which can depend on the individual. “One person may say it’s not possible to do something, but others will figure out a way,” said Dan. Daniel was the only one of four firefighters to survive the accident in the fast-moving fire on Woods Canyon Road. Tom Zbyszewski, Andrew Zajac and Rick Wheeler were killed when the fire burned over their engine, which had apparently gone off the steep, winding road.

Emergency responders found Daniel some distance from the engine. He was airlifted to Harborview that afternoon. It appears the firefighters had gotten into the engine to escape the fire after the wind shifted

180 degrees about two and a half hours after the fire started, according to the preliminary investigation into the incident.

Three firefighters with the Washington Department of Natural Resources, who were higher on the road, sustained less-serious burns in the fire. The accident and cause of the fire are still under investigation.

Daniel remembers he was in a fire, but has no recollection or idea of how badly he was burned, said Dan. He also doesn’t know that his fellow firefighters died.

Daniel hasn’t asked about that, but they expect those questions will come soon, so they have been working with psychologists about how to handle them, said Dan.

sensing and digital mapping technology to “determine the impact of three factors that contribute to wildfire risk: fuel, slope and access,” according to the Verisk Analytics website.

That information is available “at the address level,” the company said.

“I’m aware of two companies using something very much like this. They’re adopting this in many states, primarily the West Coast,” Bourn said.

A senior underwriter for Safeco Insurance, one of the principal companies used by Bourn, explained to her in an email how the company is handling policies in some wildfireprone areas.

“Rather than stop doing business in some of the areas where we have a high wildfire potential, they have implemented an exposure assessment in the quoting system to manage the business

we are writing in those areas.

“It impacts a small percentage of the business (no more than 5 percent), so you will likely not see it happen frequently, but you may quote some risks that won’t be offered a market to help manage the new business we are acquiring in those areas,” the underwriter said.

Unprecedented experience

Bourn said the scale of disaster and loss experienced during the past two summers is unprecedented in her experience. “I’ve never gone through what we’re going through, and I’ve been in insurance since 1979.” She said insurance companies are probably responding to a second summer of devastating wildfires in north central Washington.

“After two years they’re going to analyze and look at the losses they’ve experienced. It’s going to

environmentally,” he said.

He commended a forest restoration strategy developed in 2010 for the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest as “sciencebased.”

“It looks at the historical landscape and tries to restore the natural resilience of the landscape,” Anderson said. The forest restoration strategy is proposed for a 50,000-acre project in the Libby and Buttermilk creek watersheds, he said.

While cutting trees to thin forests may be objectionable to many conservationists, “the threat to forests is not the timber companies, it’s climate change,” Anderson said.

A challenge to carrying out forest restoration projects is making the work economically feasible, Anderson said. In Oregon, for example, a lumber mill that had previously processed old growth timber retooled the mill to be able to process small trees that were thinned as part of the forest restoration work.

“Thinning is not going to make anyone rich. It’s at best a

break-even proposition,” he said.

Matt Scott, of Vaagen Brothers Lumber in Colville, said the company adjusted the mill to be able to work with small diameter trees harvested through restoration projects.

The company collaborates in many forest stewardship projects, conducting thinning and grinding slash in forests to improve fire resilience, Scott said. Vaagen is also able to process biomass to sell to generating plants, he said.

He said Vaagen’s collaboration with environmental groups has resulted in no appeals of their timber sales in the past decade.

Having a local company that is able to utilize and sell the byproducts of forest restoration projects improves their viability, the panelists noted.

“The choke point in our area is we can’t move the product out of our area economically,” Frank said. He said a small dimensional saw mill in the Leavenworth area closed after the Forest Service said it could not commit to providing the needed volume of wood over the long term. ing Daniel the thousands of letters that have poured in from around the country. “But Daniel has no idea of how many people are praying for him and sending thoughts,” said Dan. “He’s going to be overwhelmed by that.”

Right now, sending thoughts and letters is the most helpful thing people can do for Daniel, since he cannot watch movies or TV or wear earphones yet.

“Tell the community we appreciate their thoughts and well wishes. Daniel is going to appreciate them,” he said.

Dan has visited the accident site, where a spontaneous memorial has grown as a tribute to the firefighters. He said he’d like to help erect a permanent memorial to them.

Daniel’s job with the U.S. Forest Service was his first as a firefighter. He received his firefighting training this spring and moved to the Methow Valley for the summer from Puyallup.

Daniel had just finished his classes at the reserve police academy a few months before joining the Forest Service firefighting crew. He was a reserve officer — a volunteer position — with the police force in Milton, near Tacoma. “It’s been his goal to be a first responder. It’s his calling,” said Dan. The Lyon family spent many vacations camping and hiking in the Methow. Dan and Barb, Daniel’s mother, now live in Montana, but the Forest Service has arranged for them to stay in an apartment in Seattle so they are near Harborview. Dan said the Forest Service had been cordial and supportive and described the agency liaison as “a true angel.”

Because of the danger of infection, Daniel is still not able to have visitors other than his family, but many people, including Gov. Jay Inslee, have stopped by to pay their respects, said Dan. Dan and Barb have been read-

make it a lot more difficult for sure, this second wildfire year,” Bourn said. She is the insurance agent for two homeowners whose houses were completely destroyed in the Twisp River Fire, both of whom are collecting insurance.

Insurance companies are also looking at the bigger picture, Bourn said. “There were 1,400 homes lost in California. They’re not just looking at our area but looking at the West Coast and everything we’ve been experiencing,” she said.

The temporary moratorium on new policies and the decision by some companies not to write policies in certain areas means that acquiring new insurance policies has been slower in some cases, which has impacted some real estate transactions.

“People can’t get financing unless they get insurance.

They’ve got deadlines for clos-

ing dates. In some cases this is the last piece of the puzzle” in a real estate deal, Bourn said.

“My office had some slowings in closings because of the moratorium, but nothing that was a tremendous problem. It was a short-lived issue,” said Dave Thomsen of Coldwell Banker Winthrop Realty.

Safeco and other companies have initiated new proactive programs to protect the properties they insure by developing wildfire defense programs, Bourn said.

Safeco began its defense program last year. In an announcement of the program, the company noted that more than twice as many acres of land in the United States were consumed by wildfire in the first three months of 2014 compared to 2013.

The Wildfire Defense Program provides crews to remove overgrown vegetation, fuel tanks and

trash from property insured by Safeco. The crews may also use temporary sprinkler systems or fire engines, and will even apply fire-blocking gel to protect homes, according to a company release.

The crews are contracted through Wildfire Defense Systems Inc., a company that provides insurance companies with wildland firefighting crews and equipment for fire prevention and suppression.

“During the wildfires when they were getting really close to town, I probably had 10 calls from the Wildfire Defense Program trying to reach owners,” Bourn said. A Gold Creek client insured through Safeco “had three to four trucks each year” at their property when the fires were threatening.

“The companies feel if they have one home they can save, it will save them money,” Bourn said.

Change in mindset

Mike Anderson, a 30-year member of The Wilderness Society, described a similar change in mindset from his early days of involvement in the spotted owl controversy and “fighting timber companies.”

Over time, he said, “it became clear that just protecting forests from logging or creating wilderness wasn’t doing it, especially for the dry east side” of the Cascade Mountains.

Anderson said he became involved forest restoration initiatives in Oregon to thin trees and conduct burning on thousands of acres. “The thought of taking a chainsaw to these [forests] bites into people’s sensitivity about what is right for the landscape

‘His calling’

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Published weekly since 1903

Methow Valley News

Wednesday, September 30, 2015

TwispWorks board names new executive director Don Linnertz takes over for Amy Stork Don Linnertz will be the new executive director of TwispWorks, the organization’s board of directors announced this week.

Linnertz will replace Amy Stork, who recently resigned after four years in the job to join a Portland-based consulting firm.

TwispWorks, a nonprofit center for creative enterprise that houses more than 30 business and educational programs in several buildings, is now overseen by a private foundation that took over operation of the campus in 2014. It came in to existence as the Twisp Public Development Authority in 2008.

The campus, site of the former U.S. Forest Service Twisp Ranger Station, became known as TwispWorks in 2010. Stork was its second executive director.

Linnertz takes over effective Oct. 19. His background includes more than 20 years of executive management, planning, administration and development experience in the for-profit and nonprofit sectors.

Linnertz formerly worked for Adobe Systems Inc. overseeing global partner operations, Holland America Line leading sales and marketing efforts, and The Market Foundation’s Pike Market Child Care Center where he was development director. He also served as board chair for Bread for the Journey, a community-based microgranting organization with more than 25 national chapters.

Linnertz has served on the TwispWorks Foundation board of directors.

He currently is on the board of directors for Methow Recycles.

“We are very pleased to announce Don’s appointment to executive director of TwispWorks,” said Ray Johnston,

REFLECTIONS

From Page A1

around to friends and family. I love it when people say, “Don, thank you for what you have been doing!”

Exceeded our goal

We had a goa l a nd we exceeded that goal, went way beyond. By sharing our personal journeys, we have been able to give knowledge to others facing the same challenges. In the process, I really wanted to thank the people who have helped me, put humor into the whole topic and help other families under-

Don Linnertz

board president of the TwispWorks Foundation, in a press release. “TwispWorks has emerged as an important part of the cultural and economic vitality of the Methow Valley,” Johnston said. “With the exceptional work of our staff and past leadership, TwispWorks is ready to move forward in its mission helping businesses and youth achieve more through programs in education, agriculture, technology, art and culture.”

“The Methow Valley is truly a unique and special place to live and work,” Linnertz said in the release. “I look forward to serving our community and helping strengthen and build partnerships that support economic development for the region. I am honored to work with such a dedicated staff, board and broad group of supporters and know that together we will achieve truly great things for the community we care so deeply about.”

In addition to providing space for a variety of tenants, TwispWorks often hosts community events on its campus. In 2013, TwispWorks launched Methow Made, a collaborative marketing program to help producers of Methow Valley products reach new customers.

stand what the person with AD is going through.

Jerry and I are determined not to let Alzheimer’s ruin the rest of our lives. We want to live a good life, and we want to tell others with the disease: Continue enjoying your life.

One thing I think I have contributed is getting people with AD to start exercising and continue being active. I can tell you without a doubt that every time I go outdoors to work on our farm I feel better — way different than when I just sit around. When I do just sit around, I feel awful.

With exercise, I sleep really well.

That’s been really good to realize and to help other people under-

Page A3

Naked eye

In space, everything is ‘ far, far away’

On a clear, dark October evening you can still see the Milky Way stretching across the sky from northeast to southwest. Look for a pale, glowing band of light and, if you see it, you have spotted the galaxy in which we live, our home in the vast cosmos.

Our sun is one of several hundred billion in this immense conglomeration.

It is difficult for us to imagine how large the Milky Way galaxy really is.

Astronomers tell us it is 100,000 light years across, but that does not begin to convey the enormous size of that glow of light in the sky.

The space probe Voyager 1 is the farthest man-made object from Earth.

Launched in 1977 and traveling at a speed of 35,500 miles per hour, it is currently about 12,276,000,000 miles from Earth. In another 80,000 years, the probe will be at about the same distance as the nearest star other than the sun. That is a start on a journey across the galaxy, but not much of one, because in 80,000 years Voyager 1 will only have completed one part in 25,000 of the vast distance across our galaxy. What all this means is that our galaxy is really, really big and that our favorite science fiction characters like Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock, who hopped from star to star like they were running errands on their way home from work, were going really fast.

But wait, there is something else out there that is even bigger. With a little patience and a dark, clear night away from distracting lights, you, too, may be able to see it. It will not be easy because it is a long ways away and it is quite dim, but those of us who are blessed with the dark skies of the Methow Valley have a shot at it.

Andromeda strain

Go outside and give your eyes a few minutes to adjust to the dark first.

That way they will be sensitized to see

stand.

The hardest thing about the project was the frustration I had around misunderstandings with my project partners. We had different ideas about two of the chapters that Ms. Walsh and Dr. Raleigh thought should be combined and I thought were distinct.

Writing the chapters together has not been easy!

As my disease has progressed the later part of the project was simply harder. It took me hours to work on each chapter. And it was harder to bring humor into the later chapters.

I am clearly having more challenges with many sorts of things, especially technical things. It

and buy collision insurance tomorrow.

It will be a while before we get there, like several billion years.

Long trip

David Ward

the dimmest objects up there. Then find the constellation Cassiopeia up in the northeast. It looks like the letter “W” on its side. Notice that one of the points of the W is sharper than the other. Early in the evening that is the upper point. Use it to point to the southeast about one length of Cassiopeia. Look for a pale, oblong, fuzzy spot in the sky. Cannot find it? Try again using binoculars. It will stand out a lot better.

What is that fuzzy-looking thing anyway? It is another galaxy, called Andromeda, and it is the biggest one in our corner of the cosmos. No one is sure exactly how big it is, but it is probably about twice the size of our own Milky Way. If you do manage to see it, you can be sure that it is the most gigantic thing you have ever seen.

Remember all that nonsense in science fiction stories about “tractor beams?” Han Solo’s space ship got sucked into the evil Death Star by one in the first Star Wars movie.

Maybe you thought, like I did, that it was pretty foolish. Actually, it is all real and it is called gravity. The Andromeda galaxy, being a lot bigger than our galaxy, has a lot more gravity and it is sucking us in like a giant tractor beam. Another way to look at it is that we are falling into Andromeda at over 1 million miles per hour and there is nothing anyone can do about it. Do not worry, you do not have to rush out

is important to be open about what’s going on with myself.

Trying to finish the project before my disease progressed too far was really hard. I learned from my doctor last week that I am beginning the mid stage of Alzheimer’s. Ginger and I will keep on going.

Great feedback

One of the best things is when people I don’t even know stop me and tell me how much they like the series. I ran into somebody I didn’t even know at the kids’ swim meet who said, “I want to thank you.”

The Wenatchee World has been publishing the series as well, and World reporter Don

You may wonder if we are falling so fast why it will take so long to get there. But I bet you guessed that it is a long ways away. The Voyager 1 would take about 50 billion years to make the trip. That is a time span far longer than the age of the universe. What all this means is that little fuzzy spot is not only the biggest but also the most distant thing you have ever seen.

Early in the evening you may still catch a glimpse of Saturn low in the southwest. That is the star Antares, the heart of the scorpion, to the left.

The brightest planets are seen in the early morning just before sunrise.

Look for dazzling Venus high in the east. You cannot miss it. Lower and a little bit to the left, not-so-bright Jupiter is pretty easy to pick out. Between the two, much dimmer Mars is more difficult to spot in the brightening twilight.

Remember Captain Kirk calling down to chief engineer Scotty to rev up the Enterprise to warp 10 because they had to get there before those nasty Klingons? Warp 10 is 10 times the speed of light and I wonder how feasible it is to go that fast. Albert Einstein told us that the speed of light is the speed limit in this universe.

Nobody, nothing, nohow is going to travel through space faster than that.

Recently two physicists, Yurtsever and Wilkinson, have calculated what would happen if a space ship traveling at almost the speed of light ran into a speck of dust floating around out there. The impact would be so catastrophic that it would be like the explosion of 5,000 pounds of dynamite, Think about that the next time you are watching old Star Trek reruns.

Seabrook came to our home to photograph Ginger and me.

This was great! The Alzheimer’s Association of Washington is also publishing several chapters of Living with Alzheimer’s on its blog, alzwa.wordpress.com.

People have come up to me with so much wonderful appreciation and feedback. I have had people call from Wenatchee who read it in the World; we’re even helping people back on the East Coast. I had no idea there would be so many thank yous.

Alzheimer’s disease is big.

One out of every nine people will get the damned disease. I hope these chapters can help people before the disease becomes over-

whelming for them.

Jerry and I thank you for reading this series. So many people have approached me and Ginger, wanting more information, wanting a book that they can send to family members. Dr. Raleigh and I are committed to turning Living with Alzheimer’s into a book so that it can reach even more people. Stay tuned for updates in the Methow Valley News about the book’s progress in the coming months.

This is not goodbye, but many new hellos!

Our thoughts are with you.

Don Reddington and Jerry Bristol, AD League

PLEASE JOIN US

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 3rd, 10:00am to 3:00pm OKANOGAN COUNTY PUD PARKING LOT 1331 2ND AVE. N., OKANOGAN, WA To celebrate the benefits of public power, customers of Okanogan County PUD are invited to enjoy light refreshments and request their choice of an energy conservation item for the home. Customers may also stop by their local PUD branch office October 5th through the 9th to make their request for an energy conservation item.

Opinion

Page A4

Wednesday, September 30, 2015

No Bad Days

Sharing the space

Returning to the valley after a few days in the big city always feels like being released from a pressure cooker to me, as much as I like Seattle and what it offers. It doesn’t take much time back in the Methow to remind you where you are and what that means.

Open range, for one thing. The weekend before last I returned to my cabin, a ways up West Chewuch Road, to find ample evidence that my yard had been grazed by a small herd of cattle.

Trained professional observer that I am, I couldn’t help but notice that the grass was munched down and the visitors had left substantial organic mementos decDon Nelson orating the landscape. It looked like a section of the Chisholm Trail, with less dust.

It wasn’t the first time I’ve been a temporary rancher. Wandering livestock are pretty common in my neighborhood and the owners eventually round them up. Yippee ki-yay ki-yo. I didn’t mind. I won’t have to mow the big yard for a while, if at all, before fall is firmly established. The cattle are pretty amiable, and while they aren’t especially dainty in their waste disposal habits, it’s biodegradable and easily stepped around. Besides, it’s kind of fun to watch cows from your front porch now and again with a cup of coffee in hand.

Lately, a young buck deer has been hanging around, munching apples under the ancient tree out by the road and wandering through the yard. A few days ago, it walked right up to the porch and stood there in stare-down mode, oblivious to the irony of a big rack of deer antlers mounted on the storage shed a few feet away. I think it was seeking shade on what was a very hot day. The buck doesn’t even look up any more when I pull my truck into the driveway. I guess we’re used to each other.

I’ve also been keeping an eye on a covey — I think that’s the word — of quail growing up in the cover of heavy brush along the driveway. It’s been interesting to watch what I assume are the parents lead the little featherballs out into the driveway to peck away at who knows what. The slightest noise or disturbance sends them skittering back into cover. A squawking, swooping jay gets them moving pretty quickly.

The other day, as a bunch of the young ones were bobbing away under the protective eyes of the elders, one of the fledglings came charging out of the brush and began aggressively chasing another one with what seemed to be angry intent. For cryin’ out loud, I thought, they’re quail — what possible issues could they have with each other that would prompt such discord? Some kind of avian sibling rivalry must have been at work.

I ran into my next-door neighbor at the Methow Conservancy’s Cider Squeeze last weekend and we compared wildlife notes. He confirmed that I had bovine visitors while I was gone, and is also familiar with the buck and the quail. I guess we’re just one collegial group of critters, trying to get along.

It doesn’t always work out that well for all of the wild and the domesticated around here. The previous tenants of the cabin told me that one of their cats was snatched off the front porch during a winter evening some years back, and the tracks they followed in the snow the next day were of a much bigger feline: a cougar. And I know there are bear nearby, up Cub Creek to be sure and, on at least one occasion, ambling across the road in front of my truck.

In Seattle people think it’s exotic — and annoying — to have raccoons ransacking the garbage cans, crows constantly screaming their territorial warnings or, as happened a few years ago, a fox wandering into the county courthouse. I think they feel the pressure of an urban environment too. Their country cousins don’t seem nearly as agitated.

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Box 97: Letters to the editor

Methow Valley News

By Tania Gonzalez Ortega

Power grab

Dear Editor: After running on a platform touting small government, our county commissioners want to expand government by taking over our health district and making it a county health department.

Currently there are six members of the Board of Health comprised of the three commissioners and three members representing incorporated cities and towns. The commissioners want to reduce the board to five members to include themselves and two other members appointed by them. There will be no specific term of office for the commissioners.

If this happens, current employees of our health district will be laid off. If they are rehired, they will lose all seniority, current health benefits, and accrued vacation and sick leave. There is no guarantee they will be rehired.

The reason given by the commissioners for this shameful power grab is as follows: The health district “is in poor financial condition and ... a change in the governing structure is necessary to streamline operations and restore financial stability.” Read “streamline” as “cutting programs.”

The county allocates $120,000 a year to the health district. That is the same as was allotted 20 years ago. Of that, $40,000 goes back to the county for computing support, audit fees, etc. Considering the underfunding of our county health district, it’s a wonder they do as well as they do.

In short, the commissioners are using county under-funding of the health district as the primary excuse to take it over. It would be a good idea to attend health district board meetings.

P. Stanton Okanogan

Think about thinning

Dear Editor: On Sept. 22, the North Central Washington Forest Health Collaborative (NCWFHC) and the National Forest Foundation (NFF) sponsored a public forum, “Thinning and the Future of the Forest.” All of the panelists and all of the tables in the back of the room with literature presented the exact same point of view: logging (thinning) our public lands on a massive scale is not only the answer to our wildfire and forest health woes, it is a slam dunk. Their proposal: thousands of acres

Hello?

of logging in the Libby Creek/Twisp River headwaters.

Not one panelist spoke to any concerns or possible negative impacts from large, landscape-level thinning, which is what the U.S. Forest Service and their advisory board, the NCWFHC, see as the answer to how to restore forest health. This completely onesided presentation was yet another example of the pre-set agenda the collaborative is working from. Even lip service was not paid to an unbiased evaluation of thinning.

Thinning on private lands is a vital tool for structure protection, primarily within 200 feet of the buildings themselves. To assume that it would benefit thousands of acres of public land is irresponsible (numbers as high as a million acres to be thinned on the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest were tossed out). Yet, this program is being accelerated.

The public is being taken for a ride with the current hysteria over forest restoration and fire. What is really called for is a reassessment of our entire firefighting and prescribed burning program.

Rash management decisions pushed through in the wake of another traumatic fire season will not contribute to long-term sustainable forestry. Thousands of acres of landscape-scale thinning will have irreparable damage — a sad legacy for future generations.

Please stay informed about what the NCWFHC is doing and their recommendations to the Forest Service. Come decisionmaking time, let’s protect these Methow Valley drainages.

Donna Pema Bresnahan Libby Creek Watershed Association

Seeing things as they are

Dear Editor: Which color grass?

From what I can see, the grass is brown and dry, we had no useful rain in many months, though much too much in other parts of the country; the global temperature is rising to record levels; wildfires are raging and getting worse the last couple of years — in short, the climate and the atmosphere is totally out of whack. Globally environmental matters are deteriorating in a frightening way. What I see, and what Mr. Aspenwall (letters to the editor, Sept. 23) sees are quite different, to say the least.

It is fascinating to see how our human minds respond in such different ways to what happens around us. We all see or hear the same events, the same words, but our minds’ response tends to go in two separate directions. For one, we can see things as they, in fact, are. For another, we can see things the way we wish they were. The way we see and process things in our minds is easily swayed by our beliefs. And a fixed belief system, often called an ideology, often trumps pragmatism, which is a way of dealing with facts and actual occurrences. William F. Buckley, often considered the father of modern American conservatism, famously said: “Idealism is fine, but as it approaches reality, the costs become prohibitive.”

If the worsening droughts, floods, heat, fires and storms don’t wake us up, if these actual events don’t tell us that we urgently need to become better stewards of our planet See LETTERS, A5

Give me your tired, your poor

That lady holding up the beckoning torch at the entrance of New York harbor symbolizes America’s pride in being the most welcoming of people who seek freedom.

But a funny thing’s been happening on the way to that freedom. Newcomers are rushing not to the United States, but to Germany. Germany?

Seriously? Well, not that Germany. This Solveig Torvik Germany. If you’re not inclined toward optimism regarding the probabilities of improving human behavior, you may have overlooked Germany.

In contrast, it seems our nation’s pledge to welcome “the huddled masses yearning to breathe free” is being read as false advertising. Last year, 626,000 refugees applied for asylum in Europe. Only 134,600 bothered to apply to the United States.

So much for our celebrated narrative that everyone is beating down the doors to get to America. Was it something we said? Hello?

After four years of war in Syria, we’ve accepted 1,500 Syrian refugees. Shamed into it, the Obama administration recently announced that the United States this year will accept 15,000 more refugees, mostly Syrians, and 30,000 more in 2017. The United States has been accepting a total of 70,000 refugees per year, so that total eventually will rise to 100,000.

But Germany, a nation of 80 million, says it can absorb at least 800,000 refugees, perhaps one million. Aside from Sweden, the rest of Europe is balking. Xenophobia is by no means dead in the new, improved Europe, not even in Germany.

Nearly 400,000 refugees from Africa, Afghanistan and Syria have washed up on the European Union’s Mediterranean shores so far this year. Yet these staggering numbers are small potatoes. Today, 59.5 million human beings are displaced worldwide.

Blame, some of it well earned, is being laid at President Obama’s feet for the Syrian portion of the current human migration debacle. Four million Syrians live in foreign refugee camps; 250,000 have been killed.

Obama publicly threatened Syria’s President Assad, who used chemical weapons on his own citizens. But Obama failed to follow up and bring Assad to heel. He’s still there, thumbing his nose at Obama. Vladimir Putin, eager to keep a Russian toehold in the Middle East, has rushed to Assad’s side under the justification that he’s fighting ISIS terrorists.

How much responsibility for the plight of the Syrian refugees you assign to Obama’s failure to get tough with Assad may depend on what you think we’ve learned from our Middle Eastern misadventures. It’s hard not to notice that deposing one despot seems to open the door for another. And in Syria, something exceptionally bestial is slouching its way to power by trying to oust Assad: ISIS.

Latest scourge

ISIS is the latest inhumane scourge blossoming in a profoundly dysfunctional region that’s long been in thrall to theological thuggery and civic rot. These problems are the Middle East’s to solve, not the West’s. But we, alas, made the Middle East’s problems our own the day we signed up for its oil.

That selfsame oil now is altering climate and, ironically, promises to trigger ever more human migration to a better address. Clever!

Did Obama’s determination to get Iran — another ally of Syria’s — to agree to stop producing nuclear weapons override his concern for the Syrians? If so, it’s the sort of lesser-of-evils choice that presidents are hired to make. Only time will tell if Obama made the right call in overlooking the humanitarian crisis in Syria today to avoid a much wider one tomorrow from a bellicose, nuclear-armed Iran.

The refugees meanwhile are bypassing nations such as the suddenly unwelcoming socialist paradise of Denmark or less paradisiacal Hungary, where a fence was built

with the government’s stated aim of keeping “non-Christians” out. The refugees vastly prefer Germany. But why Germany, with its history of horrific treatment of “The Other”?

Because Chancellor Andrea Merkel invited them to come. And — here the Trump-traumatized mind reels — she bluntly told her fellow citizens to expect that the influx of newcomers will change Germany.

Germany certainly isn’t opening its doors out of altruism only. There’s a quid pro quo: Germany needs young workers if its economy is to remain successful. It’s a time-tested trade-off for nations smart enough to know that newcomers strengthen their countries.

Factoid: The European Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development tracks the economies of 34 nations. It found that in almost all of them, immigration between 1990 and 2000 had a positive effect on wages of native workers, even those with low income.

Still, no one should assume that integrating Muslims into godless Europe will be painless. The results so far have been unimpressive. It’s harder for immigrants to get jobs in Europe than in other rich countries, and it remains harder for their Europeanborn children. France has perhaps the most glaring record of failure in helping newcomers thrive; many of its immigrants remain dangerously stuck in ghettos. Legal status granted to Muslim women throughout Europe has caused the most intense conflicts.

This European effort to absorb a massive number of “aliens” bears watching. Why? Because the United Nations now says Earth’s population will reach nearly 10 billion in 2050 and 11 billion by 2100.

Asked to deal with mass displacement from places where human life becomes unbearable, it seems wealthy nations have two reasonable choices: Either we help fix the problems at their miserable source — think Syria — or we learn how to accommodate lots of newcomers.

An immigrant from Norway, Solveig Torvik lives in Winthrop.

Methow Valley News

Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Page A5

My turn

JBLM’s empire building doesn’t help the Methow Valley

By Melanie Rowland

In his My Turn column (Sept. 16), Jim Pigott chided the editor of the Methow Valley News and others who object to the U.S. Army’s proposal to conduct mountain helicopter training in the North Cascades. While many believe that the proposal is bad for the land and bad for our recreation-based economy, Mr. Pigott says we are ignoring the critical work — and need for training — of the helicopter pilots who were instrumental in fighting our recent wildfires and who rescue injured hikers in our mountains.

Not true. Helicopter pilots — both military and civilian — currently get training in other mountain areas, such as Colorado, and can continue to do

so. Yes, Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) has to wait its turn for training at an established facility. But is the wish for a new Mountain Training Area (MTA) in the North Cascades enough to outweigh the environmental, economic, and social impacts to residents of, and visitors to, the Methow Valley? And how useful would it be, anyway, when the stated training need for helicopters is for 14,000 feet, and the highest proposed landing zone is under 8,000 feet?

The real impetus behind the current proposal seems to be a desire to further enhance the influence of JBLM in the military hierarchy by giving it its own MTA. JBLM has recently become home to the 16th Combat Aviation Brigade, formerly based in Alaska, making

it the West Coast’s largest Army base.

This achievement is considered quite a coup. With the bonus of an MTA under its control, it could rent out any training slots it didn’t use to other military units, making money and further establishing its prominence and, incidentally, assuring that we live and recreate in what sounds like a war zone much of the time.

Apparently JBLM made a big mistake when the new brigade arrived from Alaska. It sent them flying off base in the local area (Tacoma and surroundings) without any environmental review or public notice. This led to vehement protest by the people who were subjected to ear-shattering flyovers night after night. The Army belatedly realized that it had failed to conduct the public

notice and review process required by law (News Tribune, Aug. 4, 2013).

Hence, the current scoping document, starting the process to make these flyovers legal.

It looks to me like they decided to add an MTA while they’re doing the required public process for establishing the close-in training areas. Witness the selection criteria in the scoping document: training areas should be “20 minutes flight time” from the base. That makes sense if the flights will be near Tacoma. But the proposed landing zones in the North Cascades MTA are an hour or more away. Oops.

Getting the former Alaska brigade has resulted in both enhanced funding for the base and indirect economic ben-

efits to Tacoma and surrounding areas.

In contrast, the Methow Valley will not get a penny of this money and will suffer a major threat to our economic base and the tranquility that drew many of us here.

I, for one, do not want to be a victim of JBLM’s empire-building effort. And I’m not worried that rejecting this proposal would hinder training of the heroic pilots who protect us, our homes, and our visitors. I cannot believe that what we need to assure future helicopter fire protection and mountain rescues is a highly disruptive aircraft training zone in one of the most revered natural areas in the state.

Melanie Rowland lives in Twisp.

Sage grouse decision reveals a law’s clout

By Jodi Peterson Writers on the Range

On Sept. 22, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service made a landmark decision, declaring that the greater sage grouse, that icon of the Western High Plains, does not warrant federal protection.

The chicken-sized bird’s numbers have dwindled from a historic high of perhaps 16 million to about 400,000, as its sagebrush range has been transformed into oil and gas fields, wind farms, ranches and subdivisions.

The federal decision is a favorable verdict on one of the biggest conservation experiments ever undertaken.

To avoid an Endangered Species Act listing, which could put the brakes on many human activities across 11 Western states, local and regional partnerships and collaborative efforts poured immense amounts of money and effort into trying to save the bird.

People working at every level of government, along with ranchers, energy

LETTERS

From Page A4

(a more exalted person spoke these words recently), then we, that is all of humanity and nature, deserve, sadly, what is coming. And even if we are not fully convinced of the threat that climate change poses, if we are inclined to think the likelihood of catastrophic future events is small, is it not prudent for us to at least take preventive measures? Let us see things as they indeed are, inconvenient though true as this may be, and remember the words of that sage American, Benjamin Franklin: “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

Herbert Wimberger Winthrop

Many concerns

Dear Editor: I went to a meeting at the Twisp Valley Grange on Sept. 22 and heard from a panel of ICO enthusiasts. ICO stands for “individuals, clumps, and openings” which, according to the North Central Washington Forest Health Collaborative, is the answer to the valley’s fire management problems. They propose to begin with the Libby Creek/ Buttermilk watershed. Even though they were so very excited about this concept, I couldn’t share their gung-ho enthusiasm. It sounds to me like the forest will be all carved up by the highest bidder. I

companies, utilities, mining companies and others, came up with action plans.

They’ve done everything from placing conservation easements to halt development, to changing how cattle are grazed, to setting up shipping containers around drill rigs to create buffers that shield breeding grounds from disruptive noise.

“I believe this is the way to do conservation,” says Brian Rutledge, vice president of the national Audubon Society, referring to the compromises that have been made. “We’re engaging every tier of society that’s making a living in sagebrush. (But) we’re not stopping development, and everybody’s a little unhappy.”

Many of those collaborative efforts had been going on at some level for decades. But everything got kicked into high gear in 2010, when the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service first announced that the sage grouse warranted protection under the Endangered Species Act — although other vanishing species took higher priority.

Surprisingly, many seemed to argue

that doing nothing was best; if we just left the bird alone, everything would turn out fine. True, nature is resilient, and often recovers on its own when we quit trying to fix things. But we can’t just leave the bird alone, because we are not leaving its habitat alone. We continue to drill and mine and ranch and build in the open spaces the bird needs to survive. We’ve now intervened so drastically in the sagebrush range — less than 10 percent is still untouched, say biologists — that doing nothing is not an option.

left with plenty of concerns.

I want to believe that every one of those folks had the greatest good in mind. But what if ICO isn’t the right treatment for our valley? Are engineered forests what we wish to see here? With all due respect to Dr. Churchill, ICO’s creator, what if this does no more good than the last best strategy applied — fire suppression — which has gotten us into the trouble we’re in now?

The collaborative’s aim is a healthy forest. No argument with that — but roads and ruts creating “moon dust” from heavy equipment is a fact. The microorganisms are killed, the earth turns to dust and then is susceptible to mudslides. How can our precious wildlife live in a clump of trees? What pleasure or soul renewal will be available to outdoor enthusiasts in this man-made environment?

ICO is pure science, it’s logical, neat and clean. This isn’t Mother Nature’s style. And I’m not convinced that this treatment/prescription doesn’t have too many contra-indications. Let’s not rush into this out of fear and desperation and be sorry later. Can’t we come up with a better strategy? Ask questions, do research, find alternatives.

Joanne Cooper Carlton

This campout has been taking place for nearly 30 years. It was spearheaded

by Steve Dixon, and many, many others that I do not know the names of, but would like to express my gratitude.

Howard Sonnichsen has provided the most amazing kitchen setup all these years, with water truck, grills, pots, pans and I understand, actually did the cooking for many campouts.

This year there were so many people to thank: Thomson’s Meats donated all the meat. As always, Hank’s Harvest Foods generously gave us cases of good food, from pancake mix to hot chocolate. Local farmers Cammy Green and Eric Wittenbach of Willowbrook Farms gave us tomatoes, onions and potatoes.

Watershine Woods at Okanogan Producers Market filled up boxes of fruit, and Elisa Jumars of Plow Horse Greens filled an entire cooler with gourmet salad greens. Katie Bristol from Cinnamon Twisp Bakery supplied us with the best granola in the valley and we ate garlic bread from the Mazama Store, baguettes that Missy and Rick Leduc donated. It was quite the week of feasting on amazing local foods.

The sixth-grade class learned about setting up a box tent, fire ecology, canoeing, archery and storytelling. They hiked the 7-mile loop of Maple Pass and completed a service project with the U.S. Forest Service at the Falls Creek campsite.

What a unique experience. I am

Great campout

Dear Editor: I would like to share my gratitude for the Methow Valley sixth-grade campout.

Other vanishings

Clait Braun, a biologist who’s spent his life studying sage grouse, predicts that within 30 years the birds will persist only in small isolated populations.

And that’s even with all the massive conservation efforts that have been undertaken. But if the grouse vanishes, we’ll suddenly realize that pretty much every other species of wildlife that the sagebrush habitat supports has also vanished — including quintessential West-

ern wildlife like mule deer and elk, as well as 350 other kinds of creatures.

To avoid that outcome, the federal agencies that control two-thirds of sage grouse range, the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management, put restraints on fossil fuel development, mining and wind farms in areas key to grouse. On the private-land side, the Sage Grouse Initiative and other partnerships have been giving ranchers incentives to improve their properties, which host 80 percent of the wetland areas the birds need, and to protect big chunks of undisturbed habitat from development.

The big question: Will all this turn out to be enough to keep sage grouse around for our grandkids’ grandkids to see? Because the bird is long-lived and its populations tend to fluctuate, we won’t know until years from now how this experiment turns out. If it isn’t working, we’re going to have to give more, sacrifice more, and restrain our urge to develop and exploit even further — or the federal government will grateful to the individuals who began this tradition some 30 years ago and am grateful to our teachers, administration and school board who continue to make it happen. I am especially grateful to the parents who showed up and worked long hours and to Jeff Monahan, who was our steady leader, but mostly, I am grateful for the experience to engage with this group of kids. I have never been so proud. To all those parents that were not able to attend: Wow, what a polite, hardworking, engaged and — above all — fun group of kids we have. You should be very proud.

Molly Patterson Twisp Camp cook/sixth-grade parent

Legacy of lies

Dear Editor: I. F. Stone, one of the most famous journalists of the 20th century, observed that, “Every government is run by liars and nothing they say should be believed.” Most of us would agree that governments lie, but the more interesting fact is that we want to be lied to.

We want to be told that we are the good guys, and that some other group is the bad guys. Somehow this seems to comfort us, even though it is a lie The Vietnam War is the most glaring example, but there are many others. Ho Chi Minh read from the U.S. Declaration of Independence in proclaiming Vietnamese independence at the end of WW II. The United States ignored him

step back in and finally put the bird on the endangered species list.

That’s an outcome very few want to see. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, in announcing that the grouse doesn’t need protection, is signaling that it’s confident that the decision will stand up to the inevitable court challenges. The greater sage grouse may well end up showing us that some laws function best when they don’t go into effect at all. A listing under the Endangered Species Act would have pushed a lot of anti-federal Westerners away from the voluntary incentives and collaboration that the mere threat of that listing has encouraged.

The Endangered Species Act, notes Rutledge, “is almost always better used as a motivator as opposed to an outcome. It moves people to get the work done — and it’s very effective in that light.”

Jodi Peterson is a contributor to Writers on the Range, the column service of High Country News, where she is a senior editor. and sent money and weapons to support the French effort to forcefully retake their colony of “Indochina.”

When the French were defeated in 1954, the United States divided Vietnam into North and South. Somehow all the “bad guys” ended up in the north and the “good guys” in the south. The United States flew in a dictator, Ngo Dinh Diem, who had been living in the west, to run South Vietnam. There was supposed to be a reunification election in 1956 but the United States blocked it because it was obvious that Ho Chi Minh would win. As a result, 58,000 American soldiers died fighting — for a lie.

There was no North and South Korea until the United States created them in August 1945. Again somehow all the “bad guys” ended up in the north and all the “good guys” in the south. The United States flew in a dictator, Syngman Rhee,who had been living in the west, to run South Korea. Anybody see a pattern here? Another 36,000 American soldiers died — for a lie.

We have been at war in Iraq since 1990. That country has been destroyed; 2 million Iraqis have died; 5 million are homeless; 5,000 Americans have been killed. For what? As Mark Twain noted, “It is much easier to fool people, than to convince them that they have been fooled.”

Dana Visalli Twisp

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Page A6

Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Methow Valley News

Lamprey release seeks to re-establish the ancient fish in the Methow River

By Marcy Stamper

Pacific lamprey are hardy creatures — they have been found in fossil records more than 400 million years old — but in recent years their numbers in the Methow River watershed have dropped by 90 percent.

Hoping the fish will spawn here in the spring and begin to reestablish the population, biologists with Yakama Nation Fisheries released 75 adult lamprey in the Methow River near Winthrop on Wednesday (Sept. 23).

Ralph Lampman, a Pacific lamprey project biologist with Yakama Nation Fisheries, said this release is a stopgap measure to prevent lamprey from becoming extirpated in the Methow River watershed. They released another group in the lower Methow River the week before.

Lampman and his colleagues collected the wild fish at several lower Columbia River dams earlier this summer, and all the fish have been tagged so scientists can track their movements.

Biologists expect some may travel to the Twisp or Chewuch rivers, and will base future releases on where the fish travel, said Lampman.

“I really like salmon — but I love lamprey,” said Lampman. In fact, Lampman is such an enthusiast of the slithery fish that he has written a rap song about them, which he performed for the 50 adults and children who came to help with the release last week.

Lampman composed the rap in graduate school, when he was working on a research project on lamprey at a dam.

After the dam was dewatered, Lampman would find thousands of dead lamprey in the dried-out sediment. He felt so helpless that he went home one night and wrote the lyrics.

Many of the children at the lamprey

An excerpt from Lampman’s lamprey rap: I’m a vampire, bloodsucker, parasite, and many people want us simply “out-of-sight” But we have a right to fight the plight, and hope down the road, you’ll see the light We’ve been around for 450 million years, so stop the smear and don’t you mis-hear We were up here long before the dinosaurs appeared, can’t say this without a tear You know, I’m a sucker naturally, but don’t you dare judge me I have a function on this planet, now can’t you try to understand it?

We bring back the ocean’s rich nutrients to serve our fellow constituents.

Can I get a big “yes!” now for lamprey revival? release were eager to help collect water in buckets to transport the lamprey down to the river, but transferring them from two large vessels into the buckets — which required dexterity to nab the serpentlike fish — was not for everyone. Some kids relished the chance to reach a gloved hand into the water, but others recoiled as the lamprey wriggled around.

John Crandall, monitoring coordinator with the Methow Restoration Council, has been tracking and counting lamprey juveniles at numerous sites in the Methow River watershed since 2008.

While there were hundreds of juveniles when he started keeping track, there are now some sites with no larvae at all, he told the group.

Crandall said many factors have contributed to the lamprey’s precipitous decline. Their habitat has been decreased by residential and agricultural development. Lamprey also have a hard time getting through the fish ladders at the nine dams on the Columbia. While 90 to 95 percent of salmon typically make it over the ladders, only half of the lamprey do, said Lampman.

Blind, then parasitic

Lamprey have an unusual life cycle.

The juveniles, which are blind, spend five to eight years in the sand and silt of freshwater rivers near where they are

born, where they filter out microscopic particles for food, cleaning the water at the same time. They function sort of like earthworms in the river, said Crandall.

The fish then develop eyesight and migrate to the ocean, where they spend two years before returning to fresh water to spawn. In the ocean phase of their life, lamprey are parasitic, latching onto salmon, halibut, cod and killer whales with their mouths to suck blood and proteins. While the lamprey do some harm to the other fish, they don’t kill them, said Crandall.

With all the attention and resources directed toward salmon recovery, lamprey can seem overlooked. While native residents in the Columbia Basin ate them, European settlers saw lamprey as parasites, not as food. “They suck blood — that doesn’t necessarily translate to a warm, fuzzy feeling,” said Crandall.

Lamprey are among the oldest-living vertebrates on earth, said Crandall.

“They were probably sucking on the legs of brontosaurus,” he said. “They’re really amazing fish. They’re very strange — they look like eels, but aren’t.”

Lamprey survived numerous mass extinctions and catastrophic changes, including ice ages, volcanic eruptions and meteorites. But accelerated human development in the past 150 years poses a unique threat to the fish, said Lampman.

Photo by Marcy Stamper Frank Spillar, with the Pacific Lamprey Project (wearing hat), got help from a budding fish biologist moving this lamprey to its new home in the Methow River.

While there were half-a-million lamprey in the Columbia River in the last century, populations crashed about 50 years ago and now there are only 10,000 to 30,000, said Crandall. There are probably not enough adults returning to replenish the local population, he said.

The Yakama biologists hope the lamprey releases will start rebuilding the

population in the Methow watershed.

While lamprey do not necessarily return to the same stream to spawn, the adults can smell chemicals released by the larvae, which scientists believe will encourage them to spawn in the vicinity.

The lamprey released over the last few weeks will find a protected place to overwinter and will spawn next June or July.

USFS decision on Flagg Mountain copper drilling proposal due in November

By Ann McCreary

Wildfires have once again delayed completion of a U.S. Forest Service environmental study of a proposal to conduct exploratory drilling for copper on Forest Service land near Flagg Mountain in Mazama.

Forest Service staff have been busy dealing with summer wildfires and their aftermath, pushing the anticipated completion of a decision on the Mazama Copper Project to Nov. 30, said Laurie Dowie, special uses and mineral coordinator for the Methow Ranger District.

That means that work on the

project, if it receives Forest Service permission to go forward, can’t begin on site until late next summer. Goat Creek Road, which provides access to the proposed drilling site, is closed on Nov. 30 for grooming as a snowmobile trail.

Drilling can’t begin until after Aug. 1, because the Flagg Mountain area is habitat to Northern spotted owls, protected as a threatened species under federal law. The owls’ nesting season extends until August and the birds can’t be disturbed during that critical time.

“We have most of the reports from specialists” examining impacts on groundwater, vegeta-

tion, wildlife, etc., Dowie said.

The reports need to be completed and compiled.

Dowie said she does not know where Blue River Resources Ltd., the Canadian firm proposing the project, plans to acquire water that would be trucked up to the site during drilling. The Town of Winthrop turned down a request from the company earlier this year to purchase water from the town.

The company is currently working with regulatory agencies including the state Department of Ecology, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and National Marine Fisheries Service to obtain the necessary

approvals for the proposed project, Dowie said.

Delayed by fires

The project’s environmental study was delayed last summer as well because Forest Service personnel working on it were diverted to work on the Carlton Complex Fire.

Blue River Resources first approached the Forest Service with the Mazama Copper Project proposal in 2013. The project would involve drilling up to 15 holes, up to 980 feet deep, to determine if there are mineral resources worth extracting in the Flagg Mountain area.

The proposal generated sub-

stantial public interest and almost 800 public comments last year that required analysis by the Forest Service.

In order to expedite the analysis of the project, Blue River Resources entered into a costsharing agreement with the Forest Service to pay for staff time on the project.

According to documents obtained by the Methow Valley News through a Freedom of Information Act request, Blue River Resources agreed to pay $23,091 for staff time involved in the study.

The exploratory drilling is proposed as a short-term mineral exploration that will last less

than a year, with no new road construction. Based on those criteria, the project qualifies as “categorically excluded” from more detailed environmental review.

After analysis is complete, a decision memo will be issued by District Ranger Mike Liu. When a project receives Forest Service approval under the categorical exclusion designation, there is not provision for administrative appeal of the decision, unlike an Environmental Assessment or Environmental Impact Statement. The only recourse for citizens who object to the decision would be to file a lawsuit.

Health Directory Sharon Cohen MFA, RYT stress • anxiety • pain • sleep disorders • medical symptoms relationships • creativity clarity • calm • focus...

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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

• Medicare Supplements, Advantage, and RX Plans • Lump Sum Plans with Long Term Care Benefits

Services • Mental Health • Chemical Dependency • Development Disorders • Psychiatric Services • Therapeutic Housing

(509)679-4619 or (509)682-4617

NA MEETINGS Narcotics Anonymous weekly meetings

Phone number & 24-hour crisis line:

Sunday @ 5pm only

509-826-6191 Toll free: 866-826-6191 www.okbhc.org

Al Anon Meetings Support group for families of those with chemical dependencies

Columbia River

10

Locations

ACROSS the region

& growing

1.800.660.2129

Se Habla Espanol WWW . MYFAMILYHEALTH . ORG

Aero Methow Rescue Office: 997-4013

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

509-997-0356 for more info

E M E RGE NC Y

at Horseshoe Mobile Home Clubhouse 305 Magers Street, Twisp 509-826-6371 for more info HEALTH & SERVICE DIRECTORIES

Deadline for ad placement & changes is Friday at 5pm for insertion in the next Wednesday’s paper. Directory ads are $8 per column inch.

Additional charges may apply for color. To have your service listed please call 997-7011.

Methow Valley News

Arts & Culture

Wednesday, September 30, 2015

PUD must replace burned power poles before winter Outages will be required to make repairs

By Marcy Stamper

Although the Okanogan County Public Utility District (PUD) was able to restore power fairly quickly after the August wildfires, 280 of the utility’s poles were so badly damaged that they have to be replaced before winter. The repairs will require one or two daytime power outages to make the repairs safely, according to General Manager John Grubich.

The unstable power poles include six on the Loup Loup transmission line that carries power to the Methow Valley.

“We did the bare essential to get power back to the Methow,” said Grubich.

Another 48 poles on the Conconully Highway were also severely burned. Damage to the PUD’s infrastructure occurred “all over the place,” but the biggest impact was in the area between Conconully and Tunk Mountain in the eastern part of the county, said Grubich.

The condition of the poles still constitutes an emergency because they could threaten life or property. “Those six poles on the Loup will fall down if we don’t replace them before the snow flies,” said Grubich.

In addition to the poles, the fires burned 241 miles of distribution line, 4 miles of the

Loup Loup transmission line near Okanogan, and 8,000 feet of fiber-optic cable. In all, the PUD estimates it will cost $3.5 million to $5 million in materials and labor to repair infrastructure.

State and county officials conducted preliminary damage assessments last week — which include the PUD’s losses — for a possible application to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for a disaster declaration. Washington emergency managers are still analyzing their findings to decide whether the damage warrants an application for aid, according to Karina Shagren, communications director for the Washington Military Department.

A FEMA disaster declaration could reimburse the county and utilities for three-quarters of the cost of losses to public infrastructure.

The fiber-optic cables provide broadband Internet service throughout the county through leases to Internet providers. The Methow Valley’s service has not been affected because the PUD has a redundant fiber network along the valley floor from Pateros to Twisp, but they need to replace the cables over the Loup to ensure uninterrupted service, said Grubich.

The power outages have not been scheduled yet, but Grubich estimated repairing the Loup Loup transmission line would necessitate one or two eight-hour shifts during daylight hours.

Colville Tribes get contract for salmon restoration in Methow The Colville Tribes’ Fish and Wildlife (CTFW) Department was recently awarded a contract for over $417,000 from the Bonneville Power Administration to continue habitat restoration work in the Methow Sub-basin. The restoration work will benefit Chinook salmon, summer steelhead, bull trout and Pacific lamprey.

The new award will allow fish biologists to install fencing to keep livestock out of the Methow River, develop an alternative water source for livestock, install a well, and replace an undersized culvert on Frazer

Creek with a bridge to improve fish passage, according to a press release.

“Since there are already substantial existing restoration efforts in the Methow, I see our role at this point as to coordinate with these efforts, provide support where needed, and implement projects that will have the greatest biological benefit for the cost,” said Paul Wagner, fish biologist for CTFW. “Fish passage projects and livestock fencing projects are good examples of project types that have a relatively high biological benefit for a modest cost.”

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Page A7

Arts briefs

Photo courtesy of Confluence Gallery Purple Shades of Barn is one of the works that will be on display.

Reddington exhibit at Mazama Country Inn

Works by local artist Ginger Reddington are on display at the Mazama Country Inn through Dec. 30 Reddington’s paintings can be seen in the dining room and lobby whenever the inn is open. For more about her work, visit www.gingerreddington.com.

The exhibit is sponsored by Confluence Gallery. For more information, call 997-2681.

Inspired weaving

Ma st er weaver Ma r y Berent will talk about “Inspiration, Color and Design” in a free presentation on Oct. 11 from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. at the Education Station on the TwispWorks campus.

The event is sponsored by the Methow Valley Spinners

and Weavers Guild. For more information, call 996-2297.

‘Diabolical’ event at The Merc

The Merc Playhouse is getting ready for its next production, “Diabolical Elixir, or Choose Your Poison,” described as a live radio show and gothic melodrama “mash-up” that opens on Oct. 23. The show is adapted and directed by Ki Gottberg, The Merc’s artistic director.

“Diabolical Elixer” runs through Oct. 31. Showtimes are 7 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, 9 p.m. on Saturday and 2 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets are $15, or $5 for students 18 and younger, and can be ordered online at www. brownpapertickets. com/ event/2304151. For more information, call 997-7529.

Swing your partner

Photo by Laurelle Walsh Scores of square dancers hit the street in downtown Winthrop on Saturday during the annual Barn Dance sponsored by Sheri’s Sweet Shoppe.

The 2015 Barn Dance attracted dancers and clubs from around the Pacific Northwest and callers and cuers from Washington, Oregon and British Columbia for two days of celebrating Washington’s official state dance.

Methow Valley News File photo by Laurelle Walsh Juggler John Crandall put on a fiery show at last year’s inaugural Phoenix Festival at TwispWorks.

Celebrate authentic Carnaval at Phoenix Festival on Saturday Experience an autumnal Brazilian Carnaval with music, Brazilian dance and colorful costumes and Capoiera arts interwoven with local musicians, artisans, and art-making at the Phoenix Festival on Saturday (Oct. 3). The free event will be from 4 – 9 p.m. at TwispWorks The festival, launched last year, celebrates the resilience of the Methow Valley. It is sponsored by TwispWorks, Methow Arts Alliance and Confluence Gallery.

Local food vendors and a beer garden will be available throughout the event. There will also be a giant piñata for kids and adults alike, fire dancing,

juggling and open art studios.

Eduardo Mendonça, Show Brazil’s organizer, is a singer, guitarist and percussionist. He brings four multi-instrumentalists, four dancers and two Capoeira artists. They mix traditional rhythms with contemporary styles from across Brazil. “[We use] many traditional drums mixed with horns, electric guitar and bass. That’s an unusual combination for those that know only the real Carnaval,” says Mendonça.

Tickets are $19 in advance at www.brownpapertickets.com/ event/2111820, or $25 at the door; and $5 for ages 5-15. For more information, call 997-4004.

MUSIC

by the River

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Gym Use Only Offer Valid Oct. 1st through Oct. 31st, 2015

Additional spin classes coming soon!

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Warning: The Polaris RZR® can be hazardous to operate and is not intended for on-road use. Driver must be at least 16 years old with a valid driver’s license to operate. Passengers must be at least 12 years old. Drivers and passengers should always wear helmets, eye protection, and seat belts. Always use cab nets or doors (as equipped). Never engage in stunt driving, and avoid excessive speeds and sharp turns. Riding and alcohol / drugs don’t mix. All drivers should take a safety training course. Call 800-342-3764 for additional information. Check local laws before riding on trails. Polaris Industries Inc.

Methow Valley News

What’s Happening

Page a8

Wednesday, September 30, 2015

WedneSday SePT. 30

Meetings, etc.

MUSIC: The Apostles at Mick & Miki's Red Cedar Bar, Twisp. Free. 997-6425. 7-9pm

and other weekly things

THURSday OCT. 1

Wednesday 9/30 AWANA: Games, songs and story time for 3-year-olds to 6th graders, at Cascade Bible Church, Twisp. 977-8312. 7-8:30pm

IMPROV: RightNow Improv theater group practice for all levels at the Interpretive Center at TwispWorks. By donation. 341-4900. 5:30pm COUNTRY/COWBOY MUSIC: The Notable Exceptions at Sun Mountain Lodge. Free.

996-2211. 6pm FIRE ACTION REVIEW: Okanogan County commissioners host a review of recent firefighting actions at Agri-Plex Annex, Okanogan County Fairgrounds. 422-7206. 6:30pm HELICOPTER TRAINING PROPOSAL: Public meeting to discuss the U.S. Army’s proposal to conduct helicopter training exercises in the North Cascades, at Twisp Valley Grange. Free. 997-0888. 7-9pm

Thursday 10/1 WOMEN, INFANTS & CHILDREN: WIC help with nutrition, health care and food. Room One, 315 S. Lincoln, Twisp.

997-2050. Call for hours 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 MV BACKCOUNTRY HORSEMEN: Meeting at MV Senior Center, Twisp.

997-4802. 7pm ATV CLUB: ATV recreation, trail & campsite maintenance, and roads discussed at Eagles Hall, Twisp. 996-3321. 7pm

OCT. 2 – 3

RUMMAGE SALE: Community Cultural Center of Tonasket hosts its fall rummage sale. 486-2061.

9am-4pm each day

File photo by Darla Hussey

Pumpkins, plus other stuff

FRiday OCT. 2

MUSIC: Rico Stover and Joe Marver perform at Twisp River Suites. Free with reservation.

997-0100. 5:30-7:30pm FREESTYLE DANCE: Open to anyone who loves dancing, at The Studio, Twisp. $5. 996-2017. 5:456:45pm SHEILA BRANDENBURG RETIREMENT PARTY: At the Winthrop Barn, with music by Wild Mountain Nation. By donation. 996-4417.

7pm OPEN MIC: Hosted by Danbert Nobacon at Old Schoolhouse Brewery, Winthrop. Free. 996-3183.

7pm

SaTURday OCT. 3

FARMERS MARKET: At MV Community Center, Twisp. Free. 996-2747. 9am-noon KIDS’ PUMPKIN FEST: Pumpkin patch, games, prizes, hayride, refreshments and country store, at 233 Gold Creek Loop Road, Carlton. Free.

923-2399. 10am-4pm MUSIC: Local musician Marc Holm at Methow Valley Ciderhouse, Winthrop. Free. 341-4354.

3-6pm PHOENIX FESTIVAL: Arts, music, food and more at TwispWorks. $5-$25. 997-4004. 4-9pm AMERICANA/ROCK: Matthew Szlachetka at Old Schoolhouse Brewery, Winthrop. Free. 9963183. 7pm

SUnday OCT. 4

The Kids’ Pumpkin Fest opens Saturday at 10 a.m. on Gold Creek Loop Road.

OCTOBERFEST: Open mic and authentic German food at Twisp River Suites. Free with reservation. 997-0100. 6-8:30pm

FRiday OCT. 9

SENIOR DANCE: Hottell Ragtime Jazz Band at MV Senior Citizens Center, Twisp. Free. 997-7722.

12:30-2pm MUSIC: Rico Stover and Joe Marver perform at Twisp River Suites. Free with reservation.

997-0100. 5:30-7:30pm FREESTYLE DANCE: Open to all, at The Studio, Twisp. $5. 996-2017. 5:45-6:45pm ROCK AND ROLL: Stubborn Son at Old Schoolhouse Brewery, Winthrop. Free. 996-3183. 7pm DOCUMENTARY FILM: Jeff Lowe’s award-winning film Metanoia, an account of legendary climber Lowe’s life with ALS, at Sun Mountain Lodge. $15$20, brownpapertickets.com. 996-2211. 7pm

SaTURday OCT. 10

FARMERS MARKET: At MV Community Center, Twisp. Free. 996-2747. 9am-noon FOLK/PUNK/BLUES: Antonette Goroch at Old Schoolhouse Brewery, Winthrop. Free. 996-3183. 7pm

SUnday OCT. 11

HARVEST CARNIVAL: Bouncy house, bobbing for apples, potato cannon, cider press, face painting, caramel apples, hot dog roast and more, plus a soup cook-off with prizes, at Mazama Community Church on Highway 20. Free. 996-2089.

2-4pm

FIBERARTS DESIGN: Master weaver Mary Berent talks about “Inspiration, Color and Design,” sponsored by MV Spinners & Weavers Guild at The Education Station, TwispWorks. Free. 996-2297.

6:30–8:30pm

MOnday OCT. 5

MOnday OCT. 12

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

TUeSday OCT. 6

TWISP LIBRARY: Story time and craft project.

Free. 997-4681. 1:30pm

WedneSday OCT. 7

WINTHROP LIBRARY: Story time. Free.

996-2685. 1:30pm HISTORY OF FRUIT BUSINESS: Methow Conservancy presents “Ripe for the Telling: Surprising Stories of Washington Fruit” at The Merc Playhouse, Twisp. Free. 996-2870. 7pm MUSIC: The Apostles at Mick & Miki's Red Cedar Bar, Twisp. Free. 997-6425. 7-9pm

THURSday OCT. 8

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

sunday, oct. 4, 10 am

Kid’s program:

CoMMunity Center, twisp 996-8050

www.methowunitarians.org

CI

THURSday OCT. 15

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

FRiday OCT. 16

MUSIC: Rico Stover and Joe Marver perform at Twisp River Suites. Free with reservation.

997-0100. 5:30-7:30pm FREESTYLE DANCE: Open to all, at The Studio, Twisp. $5. 996-2017. 5:45-6:45pm JAZZ/FOLK/POP: The Ginger Ups at Old Schoolhouse Brewery, Winthrop. Free. 996-3183. 7pm

SaTURday OCT. 17

FARMERS MARKET: At MV Community Center, Twisp. Free. 996-2747. 9am-noon FLEA MARKET/VINTAGE SALE: At the Winthrop Barn. Free. 996-2188. 9am-3pm COUNTRY: Jessica Lynne at Old Schoolhouse Brewery, Winthrop. Free. 996-3183. 7pm

MOnday OCT. 19

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

TUeSday OCT. 20

TWISP LIBRARY: Story time and craft project.

Free. 997-4681. 1:30pm

WedneSday OCT. 21

WINTHROP LIBRARY: Story time. Free.

996-2685. 1:30pm MUSIC: The Apostles at Mick & Miki's Red Cedar Bar, Twisp. Free. 997-6425. 7-9pm

THURSday OCT. 22

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

OCT. 23–25

LIVE RADIO SHOW/GOTHIC MELODRAMA: Diabolical Elixir, or Choose Your Poison, at The Merc Playhouse, Twisp. $15 adults; $5 for 18 and under. 997-7529. 7pm Friday, 9pm Saturday, 2pm Sunday

FRiday OCT. 23

FREESTYLE DANCE: Open to all, at The Studio, Twisp. $5. 996-2017. 5:45-6:45pm

Methow Valley

(Between Twisp & Winthrop)

Sunday, October 4th World Communion Sunday

Let the Methow Valley News GUIDE you through the seasons!

Taize Worship Service 8:30 am Customary Worship Service 10 am

Tuesday 10/6 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 LADIES GOLF CLUB: Meets at Bear Creek Golf Course. 341-4228. 9am Wednesday 10/7 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 Twisted Knitters in TwispWorks. 997-0233.

2-5pm AWANA: Games, songs and story time for 3-year-olds to 6th graders, at Cascade Bible Church, Twisp. 977-8312. 7-8:30pm EAGLES AUXILIARY: Meeting at Eagles Hall, Twisp. 322-3341. 7pm WINTHROP TOWN COUNCIL: At Winthrop Barn Hen House. 996-2320. 7pm EASTERN STAR: Meets at Masonic Hall in Okanogan. 997-2071. 7:30pm Thursday 10/8 WINTHROP CHAMBER: Meets at Winthrop Barn. 996-2125. 8:30am FOOD BANK: “More than just food” at The Cove, 128 Glover St., Twisp. 997-0227.

1-4pm SPINNERS & WEAVERS: Meets at 137 Old Twisp Highway. 997-5666. 1pm FIREFIGHTERS DISTRICT 6: Training and meetings at local fire halls. 997-2981.

6:30pm TWISP LIBRARY FRIENDS: Meets in the library. 997-4681. 7pm AMERICAN LEGION: Regular meeting at the Legion Hall, 626 Bridge St., Twisp.

997-4481. 7pm MV MASONIC LODGE #240: Meets at Masonic Hall, Twisp. 997-5423. 7:30pm Friday 10/9 DOCTOR: Free health care to uninsured people 18 and under at The Country Clinic, Winthrop. Appointment: 996-8180.

PILOTS' POTLUCK: At Twisp Airport.

997-8141. 5:30pm

Hotel Transylvania 2

Drama Starring Priscilla C. Shirer, T.C. Stallings, Karen Abercrombie

Animated Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg, Selena Gomez

PG

Fri: 6:30, 9:30 • Sat: *3:30, 6:30, 9:30 Sun: *3:30, 6:30 • Mon-Thurs: 6:30

89 Min

Wednesday 10/14 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 Twisted 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 TWISP VALLEY GRANGE: Potluck (5:30pm) and meeting (6:30pm) at the Grange Hall. 997-8050 or 997-4841.

AWANA: Games, songs and story time for 3-year-olds to 6th graders, at Cascade Bible Church, Twisp. 977-8312. 7-8:30pm MV EAGLES AERIE #2584: Meeting at Eagles Hall, Twisp. 997-8133. 7pm Thursday 10/15 WOMEN, INFANTS & CHILDREN: WIC help with nutrition, health care and food. Room One, 315 S. Lincoln, Twisp.

997-2050. Call for hours FOOD BANK: “More than just food” at The Cove, 128 Glover St., Twisp. 997-0227.

1-4pm SPINNERS & WEAVERS: Meets at 137 Old Twisp Highway. 997-5666. 1pm METHOW WATERSHED COUNCIL: Discuss implementation of plan at 206 Glover St., Twisp. 341-4260. 5-7pm FIREFIGHTERS DISTRICT 6: Training and meetings at local fire halls. 997-2981.

6:30pm Friday 10/16 DOCTOR: Free health care to uninsured people 18 and under at The Country Clinic, Winthrop. Appointment: 996-8180.

PILOTS' POTLUCK: At Twisp Airport.

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

997-8133. 6pm Saturday 10/17 AMATEUR RADIO: Anyone interested in ham radio invited to a meeting at Hometown Pizza, Twisp. 996-2545. 5pm Sunday 10/18 FAMILY CAREGIVERS: Support group meets at Room One. 997-2050. 3-4:30pm

Submit events to: Calendar@MethowValleyNews.com Please include the name of event, a short description, date/time, address, cost and phone number.

FOR AN EXTENDED CALENDAR, VISIT www.methowvalleynews.com

Sheila Brandenburg

for her years of service to Jamie’s Place

& Kick Off our CAPITAL CAMPAIGN

PG

Friday, October 2nd • 7:00pm

108 N. Main

The InTern

The Martian

Comedy Starring Robert De Niro, Anne Hathaway, Rene Russo

Adventure/Sci-Fi Starring Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wiig

Fri: 7:00 • Sat: *4:30, 8:00 121 Min PG13 Sun: *3:30, 7:00 • Mon-Thurs: 6:45

Adult $9.00 • Child $6.50 • Matinee $6.50

Tuesday 10/13 MENTAL HEALTH: Counselor for uninsured 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 LADIES GOLF CLUB: Meets at Bear Creek Golf Course. 341-4228. 9am TWISP TOWN COUNCIL: Meets at Town Hall. 997-4081. 5pm

Join us as we honor

War Room 120 Min

Monday 10/12 COUNTY COMMISSIONERS: Open meeting, Okanogan County Admin. Bldg., 123 Fifth Ave. N., Okanogan. 422-7100.

9am-5pm METHOW VALLEY COMMUNICATIONS DISTRICT: Meets at TwispWorks conference room. 322-4038. 3:45pm SPEAK FRENCH: Revive or improve your French in Hank's deli. 997-6242.

4:30-5:30pm GAME NIGHT: Darts, cards and free pool at Eagles Hall, Twisp. 997-8133. 5:30pm TRANSIT: Okanogan County Transit Authority public board meeting in council chambers at Omak City Hall. 557-6177.

6pm MV IRRIGATION DISTRICT: Meeting at Riverbank building, Twisp. 997-2576.

7pm FIRE DISTRICT 6 COMMISSIONERS: Public meeting at Twisp Fire Hall, 434 W. 2nd Ave., Twisp. 997-2981. 7pm COMMUNITY CENTER BOARD: Room 4, MV Community Center, Twisp. 7pm

*ALL PHONE NUMBERS ARE 509 AREA CODE ExCEPT WHERE NOTED

Nursery care available

Gift Cards Available!

Saturday 10/10 GENEALOGY CLUB: Meets at the MV United Methodist Church. 997-0698.

10am

FOR AA, NA & SIMILAR MEETINGS, SEE HEALTH DIRECTORY

997-9292

Now Digital

Fri: 6:45, 9:45 • Sat: *3:45, 6:45, 9:45 Sun: *3:45, 6:45 • Mon-Thurs: 7:00

Monday 10/5 COUNTY COMMISSIONERS: Open meeting, Okanogan County Admin. Bldg., 123 Fifth Ave. N., Okanogan. 422-7100.

9am-5pm SPEAK FRENCH: Revive or improve your French in Hank's deli. 997-6242.

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

BINGO: Play at Eagles Hall, Twisp.

997-8133. 6pm

Deadline: Fridays at 5pm

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

Vv

Fri: 6:15, 9:15 • Sat: *3:15, 6:15, 9:15 Sun: *3:15, 6:15 • Mon-Thurs: 6:45

Friday 10/2 DOCTOR: Free health care to uninsured people 18 and under at The Country Clinic, Winthrop. Appointment: 996-8180.

PILOTS' POTLUCK: At Twisp Airport.

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

997-8133. 6pm

Rev. Donald A. Ford, AM

509.997.5030 Downtown Twisp Free Internet Access

Mindfulness at the Methow Valley

COUNTRY MUSIC: Nicole Unser at Sun Mountain Lodge. Free. 996-2211. 6pm MUSIC: The Apostles at Mick & Miki's Red Cedar Bar, Twisp. Free. 997-6425. 7-9pm

United Methodist Church

Open Daily 6-3

rev. Carol McKinley love is the Doctrine of this Church

WedneSday OCT. 14

CHILD PASSENGER SAFETY CHECK: Have your child's car seat checked, or recycle old car seats, at Hank’s Harvest Foods parking lot in Twisp.

Free. 997-4013. Noon-4pm WINTHROP LIBRARY: Story time. Free.

996-2685. 1:30pm PREPAREDNESS TRAINING: Neighborhood leader preparedness training for natural disasters and other events, at Aero Methow Rescue Service, Twisp. Free. Register at 449-5590 or at info@ methowready.org. 5:30-7:30pm

Fall's in the Air! SOUP'S in the Bowl!

Come 'n Get it!

speaker:

topic:

TUeSday OCT. 13

TWISP LIBRARY: Story time and craft project.

Free. 997-4681. 1:30pm MV GARDEN CLUB: Exchange gardening info at the Twisp Valley Grange Hall. 997-0515. 1:30pm

RY

ian Fellowsh i ta r ip n u

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

N TWISP BA AMO KE N N

Methow Valley

Methow Valley news

141 Min

PG13

at

Available for free throughout the valley and region.

Contact the Methow Valley News at 509-997-7011 or advertising@methowvalleynews.com

The Barn in Winthrop

Music by Wild Mountain Nation-8pm Beer & wine available • Coffee & desserts provided Casual Western Theme with a Best Boots Contest Suggested $20 donation at the door.

B Section

Methow Valley News Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Mountain Lions ramble to 52-22 victory on the road

By Don Nelson

The Liberty Bell High School football team bounced back from a home-field defeat with a convincing 52-22 victory at Columbia/Hunters on Friday (Sept. 25).

Coach Steve White said that Enrique Whites got the Mountain Lions off to a quick start by returning a kickoff for a touchdown, and Liberty Bell never looked back.

Derek Alumbaugh powered the Mountain Lion offense with two touchdown passes and two running touchdowns. Tanner White also threw a touchdown pass and ran for another score, Coach White said.

The touchdown passes went to Finley Holston, Seth Stevie and Andrew Reggiatore. The

Sports & Recreation

Mountain Lions added five twopoint conversions, White said.

Owen Hedly picked off a pass in the fourth quarter to stymie any late-game comeback ideas the home team had, White said.

Liberty Bell is on the road again this weekend, but travels only as far as Pateros for a 7 p.m. game on Friday (Oct. 2).

Once again, White said, it’s “uncharted territory” to prepare for a team the Mountain Lions haven’t seen before in their first season of eightman football. A few offensive adjustments were necessary in last week’s game, the coach said.

Liberty Bell came out of the Columbia/Hunters game without any injuries, White said, and the entire squad got plenty of playing time.

Sports briefs wDFw seeks comments on deer plan

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is seeking public comments through Oct. 31 on a draft plan to guide management of the state’s mule deer populations.

Key objectives in the plan include maintaining stable mule-deer opportunities for both hunters and wildlife-watchers. It also covers strategies for reducing damage caused by deer to crops and personal property. The plan is available online for review at http:// wdfw.wa.gov/conservation/ mule_deer. An online form for the public to submit comments is available on the webpage.

T he pla n will go to WDFW’s director for final approval later this year. It will be updated as needed in the future.

Burn ban lifted in North Cascades National park

Effective immediately, the burn ban on all lands within Nor th Cascades National Park Service Complex is lifted, the National Park Service said Friday (Sept. 25). This includes all national park service lands and campgrounds in Stehekin, along State Route 20 and the Ross Lake area.

Campfires are allowed in designated areas only. The burn ban lift complements similar lifts in Chelan, Skagit, and Whatcom counties.

The Liberty Bell High School girls’ soccer team played to two regulation-time ties last week, winning one of the games in a shootout while dropping the other.

At Bridgeport on Thursday (Sept. 24), the Lady Lions stood at 1-1 after regulation play, thanks to a penalty kick by

Cassidy Butler. But while goalkeeper Lauren Ochoa defended well in the shoot-out, Liberty Bell “didn’t shoot well” and Bridgeport prevailed, said coach Lincoln Post.

“We didn’t play well in the first half, but showed definite improvement in the second half,” Post said.

The Lady Lions played a

*Game dates and times often change. Please check the school website, www.methow.org, for the most up-to-date information.

Photo courtesy of Christine Mullie the Liberty Bell varsity girls’ winning team: Athena Milani, left, icel Sukovaty, Sage Borgias, Ava Mott and ella hall.

Liberty Bell XC teams sweep to first-place finishes at Manson

By Don Nelson

Liberty Bell High School’s resurgent varsity girls’ crosscountry team won a trophy for the first time in 10 years with a first-place finish on Saturday (Sept. 26) at the Trojan Invite in Manson.

And the girls did it with four freshmen and a senior, suggesting that they are just beginning to realize their potential, said coach Craig Herlihy.

It was a clean sweep for the Mountain Lions, as the boys’ varsity and junior high teams, and the girls’ junior high team, also took first place.

For the varsity girls, freshman Athena Milani led the way with a second-place finish over the 5,000meter course. She was followed by senior Ella Hall in fourth, and freshmen Ava Mott, Icel Sukovaty and Sage Borgias in fifth, sixth and eighth respectively.

On the boys’ side, senior

Ben Klemmeck took his third straight victory of the season, winning by more than 40 seconds. He was followed by sophomore Eli Nielsen in fourth, freshman Emerson Worrell in eighth, junior Carter Dornfeld in 10th, and sophomore Tim Haley in 20th. Junior Cameron Quinn finished just out of the scoring, a few seconds behind Haley.

For the junior high teams, Walker Hall, Ian Delong and Travis Grialou finished first, second and third, and the junior high girls also swept the top three spots with Novie McCabe first, Rivers Leeman second and Liv Aspholm in third.

“Everybody took care of business,” Herlihy said. He said the race was also an opportunity for runners to see if they could earn one of the top seven spots in the varsity lineup. Freshman Lazo Gitchos finished seventh among the Mountain Lion boys’ varsity runners at Manson.

Lady Lions win one of two shoot-out soccer matches

By Don Nelson

SportS thiS week

10/1: Girls soccer@ Okanogan, 4:30 p.m.

10/1: Volleyball @ Manson, 5 p.m.

10/2: Football @ Pateros, 7 p.m.

10/3: CAN-AM XC Invitational @ Kettle Falls, tba 10/6: Girls soccer@ Brewster, 4 p.m.

10/6: Volleyball hosts Lake Roosevelt, 5 p.m.

10/6: Chelan State Park XC meet, at Chelan State Park, tba

consistently better game when they hosted Omak on Saturday (Sept. 26), Post said. “They [Omak] have a strong defense and goaltender,” the coach said.

Ochoa kept Omak out of the net while the Lady Lions couldn’t connect for a score, so regulation play ended at 0-0. In the shoot-out, Stella GunnipHunter, Aden Jones and Cece

Liberty Bell high School finishers, trojan invite VArSitY BoYS, 5,000 MeterS 1. Ben Klemmeck, senior, 15:51.27 4. Eli Nielsen, sophomore, 16:46.97 8. Emerson Worrell, freshman, 17:58.96 10. Carter Dornfeld, junior, 18:19.08 20. Tim Haley, sophomore, 19:34.26 21. Cameron Quinn, junior, 19:38.54 36. Lazo Gitchos, freshman, 20:34.73 40. Peter Aspholm, freshman, 20:54.26 Herlihy said he was pleased with the varsity girls’ progress, singling out Milani as a runner who has the potential to be in the Liberty Bell record books.

“We’re where we want to be in mid-season,” Herlihy said.

On Saturday (Oct. 3), the Mountain Lions will travel to Kettle Falls for the Can-Am Invitational, where 17 teams including

46. Simon Studen, freshman, 21:22.40 54. Michael Mott, freshman, 22:55.35 55. Zach Strong, freshman, 24:27.12 VArSitY GirLS, 5,000 MeterS 2. Athena Milani, freshman, 19:55.94 4. Ella Hall, senior, 21:11.06 5. Ava Mott, freshman, 21:34.66 6. Icel Sukovaty, freshman, 21:56.38 8. Sage Borgias, freshman, 24:15.78 seven from B league schools are expected to compete. “It’s a good litmus test for us,” Herlihy said.

Liberty Bell will be without Klemmeck, Hall and Geza Sukovaty, seniors who will be taking the SAT this weekend, Herlihy said. However, Cade Quigley will be running for the first time this season for the boys, the coach said.

Winner’s reward

Odell scored in the best-threeout-of-five contest while Ochoa stopped Omak, giving Liberty Bell the victory.

“Overall, we’re doing well,” Post said this week. “We’re getting better, and the young players are really stepping up.”

Liberty Bell hosted Oroville on Tuesday (Sept. 29), and travel to Okanogan on Thursday (Oct. 1).

Under the ice Photo by Don Nelson Sara otepka of Bainbridge island, the first woman finisher in Sunday’s winthrop Marathon (and fourth overall), gets a congratulatory hug from her husband, Matt. First place went to John kercher of Spokane, who finished in just under 3 hours.

LBHS splits volleyball games with Brewster, Bridgeport

Photo by Lori Northcott Volunteer crews worked last weekend tying together rebar for the new surface being installed at the winthrop ice and Sports rink, which will have ice-making equipment this fall. More help is needed this week — 10 to 12 people thursday through Sunday for the next round of rebar “mesh” before concrete can be poured next week. No experience is necessary. Call (509) 341-4416 to sign up.

The Liberty Bell High School volleyball team lost on the road but rebounded with a home win in games last week.

The Lady Lions fell, 3-1, at Brewster on Sept. 22, Game scores were 16-25, 10-25, 25-22 and 20-25 for Liberty Bell.

On their home court, the Lady Lions bested Bridgeport, 3-2, on Thursday (Sept. 24). Game scores were not available.

Coach Tim Boonstra said the team is playing well this year and that the overall level of play in the league has improved. Meanwhile, powerhouses Brewster and Okanogan are not as strong as last year, the coach said, so

teams like Liberty Bell have a better shot at being competitive with them.

“It’s been a lot of fun volleyball,” Boonstra said. “We have been playing close games all year.”

Veterans Erin Schue and Lauren Fitzmaurice, both outside hitters, are both having a good year, the coach said. “They’ve played great all year, with more experience and a better understanding of the game,” Boonstra said.

The Lady Lions hosted Okanogan on Tuesday (Sept. 29) and travel to Manson on Thursday (Oct. 1) before returning home next Tuesday (Oct. 6) to face Lake Roosevelt.

Page B2

Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Methow Valley News

Walking off the war … in 2,650 miles Veteran takes advantage of Warrior Hike program

By Marcy Stamper

Participants in the Warrior Hike program set out to “walk off the war,” but Anne Dios said hiking from Mexico to Canada — over 57 mountain passes and through deserts and oldgrowth forests — made her a different person.

“It’s going to separate my life — before the PCT [Pacific Crest Trail] and after,” said Dios.

With less than 100 miles till she reaches the Canadian border, Dios spent two days this week in the Methow Valley as the guest of American Legion Post 143 in Twisp. Tristan Gilbert, adjutant of the post, organized her visit, and local vets donated two nights in area hotels.

Dios was one of six veterans selected from a pool of more than 200 to hike the PCT, but she is the only one who will complete the 2,650-mile-long hike. The others had to cut short the journey because of injuries or family issues.

The Warrior Hike program sponsors combat veterans who have the motivation and need to

hike off the war. “It’s about vets getting into the wild to put themselves back together,” said Dios.

Dios, age 31, had done day hikes but hadn’t done any backpacking until she began training for the expedition. “I was so motivated, I planned on hiking the PCT either way,” even if she hadn’t been selected for the Warrior Hike program, she said.

Warrior Hike connects the vets with hosts — most associated with the Veterans of Foreign Wars or American Legion — in towns along the way. The hosts organize informal events so the hikers can meet others in the communities they pass through. Dios said meeting people like Gilbert helped keep her motivated.

Dios, who started at the Mexican border on April 13, took her time on the hike. “I wasn’t in any big rush,” she said. “If I can do it, anyone with motivation could,” she said.

Now, just days from Canada, Dios is contemplating life after her momentous journey. “It will be so different to find a job, and to have to go out of my way to stay physically and mentally healthy. On the trail, it’s just a default — it’s easy to be happy when you fall asleep to moonlight and always hear birds chirping,” she said.

Individual reasons

The Warrior Hike program

was founded in 2012 by a veteran of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars who hiked the Appalachian Trail to heal his wartime experiences.

He was inspired by a WWII veteran who made the same trip in 1948. The program supports hikers on seven National Scenic Trails, helping with gear, a food stipend, and connections in towns.

Warrior Hikers have individual reasons for needing to walk off the war. “There are so many different jobs in the military,” said Dios. “We’re not all running around with guns, but there’s still room for bad experiences and trauma.”

Dios, who served in the U.S. Army Reserve for eight years, was deployed to Kuwait in 2008, her final year of service. In Kuwait, she spent 12-hour days in a windowless room analyzing top-secret reports on deaths and injuries of troops who were supplying forces in Iraq. The only woman in the facility, she experienced unrelenting harassment by members of her own unit.

“Maybe it doesn’t sound like much to vets who’ve been shot at or lost friends, but if you don’t feel safe even walking into the coffee room …,” she said. “The ideal is that nobody ever harasses anybody else. The Army is getting better at trying to prevent bad results,” but the military experience is still often glorified

by Hollywood, which depicts everyone working together, said Dios. “That wasn’t my experience at all,” she said. “It was really demoralizing.”

After her deployment, Dios went straight to college, where she didn’t feel comfortable talking about her experiences in the war. “I left the military with upsetting memories and distrust.

I wasn’t sure how to integrate that with what the average person on the street thinks of a vet,” she said.

Gilbert, who served two years in the U.S. Navy on two different ships, was able to relate to the stress Dios experienced. The two months he spent on a ship with a crew of both men and women, where morale was high, was the high point of his military career.

But his regular assignment, where he worked 120 hours a week with minimal sleep, was degrading and humiliating, he said.

Hiking the PCT restored Dios’ faith in humanity and in the military. “I met so many good people on the trail that it brought me out of my bubble,” she said. Dios said she had been “very, very introverted” before setting out on the hike. “You’re almost forced to trust people on the trail, and to appreciate the small things,” she said.

When she finishes the hike, Dios plans to return home to Los

Photo by Marcy Stamper Anne Dios walked off the war by hiking from Mexico to Canada. She said the hike had restored her faith in humanity and in the military.

Angeles and begin looking for a job that uses her degree in environmental studies. Her pack was already brimming with bags of

potato chips and caramel popcorn for her celebration when she reaches the Canadian border.

“It’s been so enjoyable,” she said.

Braving the elements

Photos courtesy of Natalie Kuehler Last weekend, more than 20 volunteers turned out on Saturday and Sunday for the National Forest Foundation and Methow Valley Ranger District’s “Plant-and-Camp” volunteer event at Maple Pass Trail. The volunteers worked through rain, sleet, snow and, finally, sunshine to plant 3,500 plants like those shown below— flown in Saturday by helicopter — and rehabilitate countless user trails at Heather Pass and Maple Ridge.

Photo courtesy of Kim Bondi Sixth-graders celebrate their ascent to Maple Pass last week.

Sixth-graders carry on tradition of annual campout

Methow Valley sixth-graders hiked up to Maple Pass last week (Sept. 23 – 25) as part of the annual class campout, a tradition started more than 25 years ago by retired teacher Steve Dixon.

The students also spent three days camping at Falls Creek

Campground near the Chewuch River, partaking in outdoor education activities, learning how to work together in camp, and completing a project for the U.S. Forest Service.

Local retailers, farmers and restaurants contributed food for the campers.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Monahan Students took time to look around from the Maple Pass vantage point.

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www.methowvalleynews.com ~ PO Box 97 Twisp, WA 98856

Methow Valley News

Wednesday, September 30, 2015

20 years ago, Oct. 5, 1995

From Back Issues animal about 30 feet away and sound asleep in the middle of the road. It awoke just as the last shell went into the gun, and started walking toward Spence.

As the space between them narrowed Spence pulled the trigger and shot three times; stopping the cougar in its tracks, thus not only bagging his first cougar but the first one he had ever seen.

He is now in the process of having a rug made from the skin for his future den, where no doubt many big game trophies will be hung in the future, after his accidental start.

80 years ago, Sept. 27, 1935

LAMBS TO MARKET

Caravan of double deck trucks and trailers are keeping up the dust on the Methow Valley highway in transporting great numbers of lambs to the markets.

Great loads are being picked up from every part of the valley, and many cars have already been forwarded from Pateros, shipping point for this section.

Photos by Toni Dalton BUBBLE S FO R ALL AG E S. Gwen Cooper (left) and Marilyn Redmond enjoy bubbly beer, while kids are entertained by bubbles of another kind at the Octoberwest celebration in Winthrop.

50 years ago, Sept. 30, 1965

Young Man Has Close Brush With Cougar Saturday

Spence Watson, 16, son of Mr. and Mrs. John Watson, had a rather exciting experience on Saturday. He was out

Page B3

Too Many Measles for Any Yellow Jacket this Week

grouse hunting with his dog, Saber.

Above Vern Strickland’s place, west of Twisp, the dog discovered a partly eaten deer alongside the road. Spence decided something must be wrong so he loaded his 20 gauge shotgun.

While loading the gun he noticed an

Members of the journalism class of the high school not yet stricken with measles or flu colds, dropped in this a.m. to say that the class was down and out for the week, so far as appearance of the school section of the News, “The

Compiled by Laurelle Walsh

Yellow Jacket,” was to make in this number. It is hoped to make up for the time off next week.

PICNIC DINNER

Picnic and dinner was enjoyed by some fifty invited families at the hospitable home and surrounding shade of the premises of Senator and Mrs. W. A. Bolinger at Methow last Sunday.

The picnic was just another number of the several that have been held throughout the valley, representatives of each community in the entire valley getting together to enjoy the cream of the valley in the culinary line, and to take a day of rest while visiting on “good of the Methow valley.” The affair was enjoyable with Senator and Mrs. Bolinger as host and hostess, and with the delicious food that twice as many couldn’t have comfortably consumed.

100 years ago, Sept. 29, 1915

Hurrah for the Fair!

Get into line and not only boost but work for the coming fair. This call goes out to every man, woman, boy and girl throughout the broad expanse of the beautiful Methow valley. The fair needs your help; you need the help of the fair to keep you in tune with the times.

Don’t conclude that you have raised the best products and let it go at that,

your neighbor has come to the same conclusion and, no doubt, like yourself is making all sorts of wild statements relative thereto. Prove it! Bring your choicest products to the fair which opens on beautiful Fair Island October 14th and closes upon the evening of the 16th.

Three wonderful days of sight-seeing, of education and satisfaction with all the pleasure thrown in.

You’ll find out from neighbor Jones what method he employed in raising such wonderful pumpkins, how he came to produce such wonderful onions; and those apples of Perkins’! Did you ever see the like of it in your life. Why I swear to goodness they’re too beautiful to be real! No wonder we pull down the sweepstakes wherever we show.

And then wifey will tug you by the arm and you turn to catch the soul of pleasure radiating from her face. You are perplexed.

She leads you by the arm past rows upon rows of beautiful exhibits — such as you have never seen before — then brings you up with a halt. You stare vacantly before you to divine her pride.

“Wake up,” she says, “don’t you see the blue ribbon upon my loaf of bread!”

Yes, it’s there, sure enough. Then you sneak back to Jones and win his confidence. You are determined that next season you are going to tuck away a few of the blues yourself.

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SAND & GRAVEL

Chuck Peters & Nancy Zahn HEATING & COOLING

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

STORAGE

Lester’s

Commercial & Residential Service 24 Hour Emergency Service

ELECTRICIANS

BUILDING SUPPLIES

Well pump service

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

(509) 997-5420

Complete DomestiC pump & Controls

INSULATION

(509) 997-2572 cell

install and repair

Rebuild Restoration Radiant Floor Heat Lic.#JELECJE881BS Serving all the Methow Valley since 1999 from Carlton, Wa.

EAST SLOPE ELECTRIC, LLC. Residential • Commercial

509-846-6358

TIRES • WHEELS BRAKES • SHOCKS BATTERIES • ALIGNMENT

(509) 996-2748 • (509) 429-7468

RivaRd Building and Excavation

GUTTERS LLC

Owner~Kjell lester FINANCIAL Sandra Rasmussen

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

ALL VALLEY INSULATION, LLC

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The Service Directory

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AD DEADLINES 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.

509.499-3011 509.996.3262

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

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997-7011

Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Methow Valley News

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

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

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

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

Miller & Associates Realty

Lee G. Miller, Broker

509-996-3148 leemiller996@gmail.com Member NWMLS

GOOD ALFALFA HAY, large bales approximately 1300lbs/ bale @ $175.00 a ton. There are 200 tons available. Contact: Ben Adams @ 509-681-0181 or Joyce Adams @ 509-989-0411.

22

22............MOBILE/MFD. HOMES

14.............................YARD SALE

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

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 3RD, 9AM-2PM. Tools, books, furniture, art and more. 606 Canyon St., Twisp.

21 MULTI-FAMILY YARD SALE2 14” wheel snow tires, garden cart, yard stuff, 4 horse Mercury motor, chainsaw, men’s large winter jackets and much more.

October 2nd and 3rd, Friday and Saturday, 8:30am-? Sun Mountain Ranch Club, 58 Star Flower Rd., Winthrop.

21 MOVING SALE LOTS of stuff. 8am-4pm, Saturday, October 3rd, only. 19852 Hwy 20.

TWISP. 21 YARD SALE- MISCELLANEOUS household furniture, clothing, barn stuff and tools.

Saturday, October 3rd, 8-4, 6 Beaver Pond Road, 2.7 miles south on Twisp Carlton road.

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

PUBLISHER'S NOTICE: All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Fair Housing Act which makes it illegal to advertise “any preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin, or an intention, to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination.” Familial status includes children under the age of 18 living with parents or legal custodians, pregnant women and people securing custody of children under 18.

This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. Our readers are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal opportunity basis. To complain of discrimination, call HUD toll-free at 1-800669-9777. The toll-free telephone number for the hearing impaired is 1-800-927-9275.

AFFORDABLE, SWEET HOME for sale in Heckendorn.

2 BD, 1 BA, W/D. 800sf, energy efficient. $179,000. Call Mike at 996-2155.

21 OFFICE SPACE AVAIL. in Chewuch Professional Bldg., Winthrop. High-speed internet, fiber optics, conference room, PLUS gorgeous river views and common kitchenette.

509.996.2820.

25

1976 DOUBLE WIDE manufactured home, approx. 1500 square feet, 3 bedroom, 2 bath. Ready for you to move to your location immediately. Call for more info (509) 679-8693.

24 3 BEDROOM HOME for rent on Burger St., in Twisp. Call 509429-5845 or 509-429-2004 for details.

21 COZY 3 BEDROOM, 2 bath rancher, on one acre. Two car garage, pets allowed. $1150 per month. Michelle 509-3221580.

24 HOUSE FOR RENT near Twisp.

2BD, 1BTH, W/D. 208-9850406.

23 CONFLUENCE GALLERY AND Art Center: office space 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 206 is 135 sq. ft., asking $165/month, utilities included. Request 1-year-lease (negotiable). For additional details and viewing, contact David Wright 509.996.3681 or Salyna Gracie, 509.997.2787.

21 RENT ROOM 7 OFFICE SPACE in MV Community Center. $410 per month includes utilities, w/one year lease. 509997-2926.

21 31........................ EMPLOYMENT

MAZAMA COUNTRY INNNeeds a front desk person.

Full-time, year round position.

Experience preferred. 509-9962681. Email resume to info@ mazamacountryinn.com.

22 FREESTONE INN, LOCATED in Mazama, WA is currently seeking Guest Services and Jack’s Hut staff. This is a full time position with benefits and a starting wage of $12/hr. Previous retail or Front Desk experience is a plus, but not required. Applicant must be flexible, creative, and have the ability to work as a team as well as independently.

Shared housing options may be available as well. Please apply in person, or forward resumes to cmiller@freestoneinn.com.

503-996-3906.

22 PATIENT REGISTRATION REPRESENTATIVE- FullTime. Three Rivers Hospital is in immediate need of a full-time Patient Registration Rep. Collects required patient information and enters into computer database for in-patient & out-patient services. Candidate must have good computer skills & excellent customer service, interpersonal & office skills. High school diploma required. Spanish bi-lingual (preferred). Interested Candidates may apply in person or by mailing their resume to: Three Rivers Hospital, Anita Fisk, Director of Human Resources, PO Box 577 Brewster, WA 98812. (509) 689-2517 x 3343, www.threerivershospital. net. Or for quicker submission: Send resume to: afisk@trhospital. net. EOE. 21

Kristin Devin

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

509-996-4400 www.kristindevin.com

(509) 997-7011

SUN MOUNTAIN LODGE has immediate positions available for Dining Room AM and PM Food Servers and Wolf Creek Bar and Grill Food Servers.

Come by the front desk for an employment application, or to find a printable employment application see our website at www.sunmountainlodge.com on our employment page. Call Leslie for more information or an appointment. 509-9964720.

22 CLASSIC TOWING & CLASSIC Mt. Cabby are looking for a part time driver for towing and shuttle service. Most of the driving will be on an “on call” schedule, however, most shuttles are prearranged. Towing experience preferred, but willing to train. Great part time job! Must have clean driving record and pass a WSP background check. To obtain an application, please call Classic Towing at 509-997-2333 and ask for Ty or Jeremy.

23 METHOW VALLEY SCHOOL district is accepting applications for the following positions: JH assistant wrestling coach, HS head wrestling coach, HS assistant wrestling coach, HS head baseball coach, HS assistant girls’ basketball coach, HS assistant softball coach and HS assistant boys’ soccer. Please apply using Fast Track online application program at www.methow.org/employment.

Methow Valley School District, 18 Twin Lakes Rd. Winthrop WA 98862, (509) 996-9205. Positions open until filled. EOE. 22 JOIN OUR TEAM: The Methow Valley News is in need of a sharp-eyed, detail-oriented, analytic proofreader to carefully read and correct our pages before they go to press.

Ideal candidate can balance the micro details with a macro page view. Proficiency in writing and editing preferred; knowledge of Methow Valley communities and personalities is a huge plus. Adherence to deadlines and ability to work under pressure are required, as is the ability to tolerate (and hopefully participate in) weird newsroom humor. Can you recite the entire Associated Press Style Guide? No? How fast can you learn it? This part-time job requires about 8 hours on Tuesdays, typically 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. Other proofreading tasks (like special publications) have a more flexible schedule as long as we beat the deadline. The potential exists for other duties and more hours, depending the successful applicant’s abilities and interests. The previous proofreader expanded her contributions to include reporting, writing and photography. We’d love to hear what you’ll bring to the team. Send resume, cover letter and appropriate work samples to frontdesk@ methowvalleynews.com, or to P.O. Box 97, Twisp, WA 98856.

No phone calls, please.

25 JAMIE’S PLACE AFH is seeking individuals who would like to join a great team of caregivers.

HCA or CNA license preferred but not necessary for initial hire.

Some costs to be covered for committed team members obtaining HCA or CNA certifications.

Immediate evening and night shift openings. Please call 509996-4417 or visit www.jamiesplacehomes.org to download an application from our employment page or to view our video. 23

Methow Valley News Advertising Deadlines

Display Ads: Friday @ 5pm Classified Display Ads Friday @ 5pm Classified Listings Monday @ Noon Service & Health Directories: Friday @ 5pm Questions? Call your advertising rep! 997-7011 or e-mail advertising@ methowvalleynews.com

Inside Okanogan Co. $33 Outside Okanogan Co. $44 Outside WA State $55

STATEWIDE ADS

LEGAL ADS, Cont.

LEGAL ADS, Cont.

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.

RIGHT OF WAY LINE OF THE TWISP RIVER ROAD, SAID POINT HAVING A RADIAL BEARING TO THE CENTER OF THE CURVE OF NORTHWEST 23°59’29”; THENCE LEAVING SAID WESTERLY BOUNDARY LINE ALONG SAID RIGHT OF WAY LINE, ALONG A CURVE TO THE LEFT IN A NORTHEASTERLY DIRECTION HAVING A DELTA ANGLE OF 04°58’33”, A RADIUS OF 2013.00 FEET, FOR A LENGTH OF 174.82 FEET; THENCE LEAVING SAID RIGHT OF WAY LINE SOUTHEAST 39°03’26” FOR 119.59 FEET; THENCE SOUTHWEST 24°18’22” FOR 132.55 FEET; THENCE SOUTHWEST 50°49’00” FOR 51.61 FEET TO THE POINT OF BEGINNING; SITUATED IN THE COUNTY OF OKANOGAN, STATE OF WASHINGTON; Assessor’s Tax Parcel Number: 9802250003. The commonly known as address of which is 1081 Twisp River Road, Twisp, Okanogan County, Washington, which is subject to that certain Deed of Trust dated September 22, 2004 and recorded September 29, 2004, Okanogan County Auditor’s File No. 3080263, records of Okanogan County, Washington, from Frank Austin, as Grantor, to Baines Title Co., Inc., a Washington corporation, as original Trustee, to secure an obligation in favor of Farmers State Bank, a Washington corporation, as Beneficiary (Lender) (hereinafter “Beneficiary”), and in which the Beneficiary substituted Peg R. Callaway as Trustee pursuant to a Substitution of Trustee recorded with the Okanogan County Auditor on April 20, 2015, under Auditor’s File No. 3199294.

II No action commenced by the Beneficiary of the Deed of Trust is now pending to seek satisfaction of the obligation in any Court by reason of the Borrower’s or Grantor’s default on the obligation secured by the Deed of Trust.

III The defaults for which this foreclosure is made are as follows: FAILURE TO PAY WHEN DUE THE FOLLOWING AMOUNTS WHICH ARE NOW IN ARREARS: Failure to pay balance of principal that was due in full September 5, 2014 in the amount of $8,383.53.

Failure to pay balance of interest due in the amount of $513.35 as of April 7, 2015.

Failure to pay interest (per diem of $2.53 per day) from April 8, 2015 through April 24, 2015 of $43.01.

Failure to pay interest (per diem of $2.53 per day) from April 25, 2015 through July 6, 2015 of $184.69.

TOTAL MONTHLY PAYMENTS AND INTEREST: $9,124.58 Default other than failure to make monthly payments: E. Failure to pay and keep current the real property taxes for the subject real property – Okanogan County Assessor Tax Parcel #9802250003, as follows (which amounts include interest, penalty, and statutory foreclosure costs, as applicable, through July 2015): 2015 $239.81 (first half), 2014 $532.15, 2013 $592.27, 2012 $ 25.67 (paid by Beneficiary/ Lender directly) for a total of $1,389.90 (through July 2015).

TOTAL REAL PROPERTY TAXES: $1,389.90.

Plus all attorney’s fees and costs, and foreclosure fees and costs incurred.

Other Defaults: Allowance of a Notice and Statement of Lien to be filed by the State of Washington, Department

of Social and Health Services, against Frank H. Austin recorded October 17, 2013, Recording No. 3186606, records of Okanogan County, Washington.

IV The sum owing on the obligation secured by the Deed of Trust is: Principal $8,383.53, together with interest as provided in the Note or other instrument secured from September 22, 2004, and such other costs and fees as are due under the Note or other instrument secured, and as are provided by statute.

V The above-described real property will be sold to satisfy the expense of sale and the obligation secured by the Deed of Trust as provided by statute.

The sale will be made without warranty, express or implied, regarding title, possession, or encumbrances on the 9th day of October, 2015. The defaults referred to in paragraph III must be cured by the 28th day of September, 2015, (11 days before the sale date), to cause a discontinuance of the sale.

The sale will be discontinued and terminated if at any time on or before the 28th day of September, 2015, (11 days before the sale date), the defaults as set forth in paragraph III are cured and the Trustee’s fees and costs are paid. The sale may be terminated any time after the 28th day of September, 2015, (11 days before the sale date), and before the sale by the Borrower, Grantor, any Guarantor, or the holder of any recorded junior lien or encumbrance paying the entire principal and interest secured by the Deed of Trust, plus costs, fees, and advances, if any, made pursuant to the terms of the obligation and/ or Deed of Trust, and curing all other defaults.

VI A written Notice of Default was transmitted by the Beneficiary or Trustee to the Borrower and Grantor at the following addresses: Frank Austin, Deceased, 1081 Twisp River Road, Twisp, WA 98856 Frank Austin, Deceased, P.O. Box 754, Bridgeport, WA 98813; Frank Austin, Deceased, through his heirs: Debra Lynn Waymire, P.O. Box 763, Bridgeport, WA 98813; Harvey Leroy Austin, 2308 Monroe Street, Bridgeport, WA 98813; Ralph William Austin, 2308 Monroe Street, Bridgeport, WA 98813; Henry Abraham Austin, P.O. Box 754, Bridgeport, WA 98813 by both first-class and certified mail on April 29, 2015, proof of which is in the possession of the Trustee; and the written Notice of Default was posted in a conspicuous place on the real property described in paragraph I above on April 29, 2015, and the Trustee has possession of proof of such posting.

VII The Trustee whose name and address are set forth below will provide in writing to anyone requesting it, a statement of all costs and fees due at any time prior to the sale.

VIII The effect of the sale will be to deprive the Grantor and all those who hold by, through, or under the Grantor of all their interest in the above-described property.

IX NOTICE TO GUARANTORS, BORROWER, AND/OR GRANTORS OF A COMMERCIAL OBLIGATION SECURED BY THE DEED OF TRUST (IF APPLICABLE): A. THE GUARANTOR MAY BE LIABLE FOR A DEFICIENCY JUDGMENT TO THE EXTENT THE

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LEGAL NOTICE THIS COMMUNICATION IS AN ATTEMPT TO COLLECT A DEBT AND ANY INFORMATION OBTAINED WILL BE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE. If you filed bankruptcy or have been discharged in bankruptcy, this communication is for informational purposes only and is not intended as an attempt to collect this debt from you personally.

NOTICE OF TRUSTEE’S SALE (INCLUDING GUARANTOR NOTICE, IF APPLICABLE) TO: GRANTORS/ BORROWERS/GUARANTORS, OCCUPANTS OF THE PREMISES, AND ALL OTHER INTERESTED PARTIES: Frank Austin, Deceased, 1081 Twisp River Road, Twisp, WA 98856.

Frank Austin, Deceased, P.O. Box 754, Bridgeport, WA 98813 Frank Austin, Deceased, through his heirs: Debra Lynn Waymire, P.O. Box 763, Bridgeport, WA 98813; Harvey Leroy Austin, 2308 Monroe Street, Bridgeport, WA 98813; Ralph William Austin, 2308 Monroe Street, Bridgeport, WA 98813; Henry Abraham Austin, P.O. Box 754, Bridgeport, WA 98813 Occupants: 1081 Twisp River Road, Twisp, WA 98856.

Okanogan County Treasurer, P.O. Box 111, Okanogan, WA 98840.

State of Washington Department of Social and Health Services, Office of Financial Recovery, PO Box 9501, Olympia, WA 98507-9501 I NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned Trustee, Peg R. Callaway, will on the 9th day of October, 2015, at the hour of 10:00 o’clock a.m. at the front entrance of the Okanogan County Courthouse, 149 North 3rd Avenue, in the City of Okanogan, County of Okanogan, State of Washington, sell at public auction to the highest and best bidder, payable at the time of sale, the following described real property, situated in the County of Okanogan, State of Washington, to-wit: A TRACT OF LAND COMPRISING A PORTION OF THOSE CERTAIN H.E. SURVEYS NO. 70 AND NO. 225 AS DESCRIBED IN THE PATENT THEREOF RECORDED IN BOOK I OF PATENTS, PAGE 68, RECORDS OF THE AUDITOR OF OKANOGAN COUNTY, WASHINGTON, LOCATED WITHIN UNSURVEYED SECTIONS 10 & 15, TOWNSHIP 33 NORTH, RANGE 20 EAST, W.M., MORE PARTICULARLY DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS: COMMENCING AT CORNER NO. 1 OF SAID H.E.S. NO. 225, BEING COINCIDENTAL WITH CORNER NO. 2 OF SAID H.E.S. NO. 70; THENCE NORTHWEST 39°11’00” ALONG THE WESTERLY BOUNDARY LINE OF H.E.S. NO. 225 FOR 192.16 FEET TO THE POINT OF BEGINNING; THENCE FROM SAID POINT OF BEGINNING, CONTINUING ALONG SAID WESTERLY BOUNDARY LINE NORTHWEST 39°11’00” FOR 217.19 FEET TO A POINT ON THE CURVE ON THE SOUTHERLY

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Page B4

Methow Valley News

Wednesday, September 30, 2015

News of Record

Okanogan County Sheriff’s Office

THEFT: Caller at Nordang Road and Highway 153, Twisp, reported some missing items.

Sept. 21

Sept. 25

CIVIL MATTER: Caller on Russian Hills Road, Methow, reported that a neighbor had done some clearing on the caller’s property, cut trees and took timber.

THREATENING BEHAVIOR: Caller on Libby Creek Road, Carlton, reported that a man was intoxicated and threatening to cut stuff with a chainsaw.

ACCIDENT: A non-injury accident was reported on Twisp-Winthrop Eastside Road.

A driver struck a deer.

DOMESTIC ISSUE: Caller on Autumn Lane, Twisp, reported that they were involved in a domestic argument and a shoving match ensued, and children were present.

ILLEGAL BURNING: Illegal burning was reported on West Lupine Drive, Winthrop. A person at that location had a campfire and was cited for violation of the burn ban.

ILLEGAL BURNING: A possibly illegal fire was reported on Twisp-Winthrop Eastside Road.

ANIMAL NOISE: Barking dogs were reported on Ross Road, Twisp.

Sept. 22 SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY: A deputy reported that a vehicle appeared to be trying to elude the officer on Twisp Airport Road, but no crime was evident.

Sept. 24 CHECK ON WELFARE: Caller asked that officers check on a potentially suicidal person on Twisp-Winthrop Eastside Road.

Page B5

Sept. 26 NOISE COMPLAINT: Caller on Lightning Pine Road, Methow, said law enforcement was not doing enough to enforce regulations about muffler noise from motorcycles.

Sept. 27 DOMESTIC ISSUE: A domestic dispute was reported on West Chewuch Road involving separated partners.

TRESPASS: Caller on Airport Heights Road, Winthrop, reported that a woman broke into the residence, then backed out of the driveway and crashed into an embankment.

POSSIBLE DUI: A vehicle was reported in the ditch on Twisp-Carlton Road.

Twisp Police Department Sept. 21

MALICIOUS MISCHIEF: It was reported that a woman damaged the women’s bathroom door at a location on Riverside Avenue.

HARASSMENT: Caller on Canyon Street reported that their estranged spouse was harassing the caller over the phone.

Sept. 23 INJURED ANIMAL: An injured deer was reported in the roadway on Highway 20 near Winthrop.

VEHICLE PROWL: Someone was possibly prowling vehicles on Lincoln Street.

ASSAULT: A person on Canyon Street was bleeding from the nose and needing aid. A suspect was at the police department.

NOISE COMPLAINT: Caller on East Second Avenue said an apartment tenant was agitated, loud, and pacing around, and apparently had been drinking.

Sept. 24 INJURED ANIMAL: Caller reported that a dog had been hit on East Methow Valley Highway.

Sept. 25 NOISE COMPLAINT: A noise complaint came from West Twisp Avenue.

ANIMAL NOISE COMPLAINT: Caller on Ross Road reported that five dogs were barking continuously.

Sept. 26 TRAFFIC HAZARD: Debris was reported on the roadway on Highway 20, Winthrop.

Sept. 27 ILLEGAL BURNING: Possible illegal burning was reported on East Second Avenue.

Winthrop Marshal’s Office Sept. 21 EXTRA PATROL REQUESTED: Workers at a business on Riverside Avenue were concerned that a couple of people were possibly scoping out the business, and asked for extra patrols.

Sept. 26 DOMESTIC ISSUE: A verbal dispute was reported on Riverside Avenue.

Okanogan County District Court Justin Edward Schamel, 32 of Winthrop, pleaded guilty to third-degree Driving While License Suspended. He was sentenced to 90 days with 89 suspended and

Compiled by Don Nelson fined a total of $818.00.

Eric Edward Hough, 44, of Winthrop, pleaded guilty to two counts of Reckless Driving. He was sentenced to 364 days with 363 days suspended and fined a total of $1,058.00.

Okanogan County Superior Court Harlan Curtis Thompson, 27, of Twisp, pleaded guilty to second-degree Theft. He was sentenced to 36 days and fined a total of $1,110.50.

Christopher Brian Durgin, 31, of Twisp, pleaded guilty to Harassment, two counts of Unlawful Display of a Weapon, Disorderly Conduct and Resisting Arrest. He was sentenced to three months on count one, 364 days with 274 days suspended on counts two and three, and 90 days on counts four and five. He was fined a total of $1,260.50.

The court found probable cause to charge Justin Edward Schamel, 32, of Winthrop, with Possession with Intent to Manufacture, two counts of Possession of a Controlled Substance and Sale Delivery or Possession with Intent to Sell or Deliver a Legend Drug.

Bail was set at $15,000.

The court found probable cause to charge Jillian Yoakum, 25, of Winthrop, with Possession with Intent to Manufacture, two count of Possession of a Controlled Substance and Sale Delivery or Possession with Intent to Sell or Deliver a Legend Drug.

Bail was set at $15,000.

The court found probable cause to charge Marc Alan Layne Jefferson, 24, of Winthrop, with two counts of Possessing a Controlled Substance and use of Drug Paraphernalia.

Bail was set at $50,000.

The court found probable cause to charge Tina Meria Leduc-Lane, 34, of Twisp, with two counts of Possessing a Controlled Substance and use of Drug Paraphernalia.

Bail was set at $1,000.

Marriage licenses Kathleen Armstrong, 56, Twisp, and Ralph Eugene Chartrand, 58, Tacoma.

Jessica Ashley Sheehan, 33, Winthrop, and Jason David Robinson, 30, Winthrop.

Kassandra Nicole Ledesma, 26, Twisp, and Jeremy Worthington Lemont, 36, Twisp.

Crystal Marie Smith, 24, Twisp, and Justin Wayne Calvin, 30, Twisp.

W W W. M e th oW Valle y N e WS.coM LEGAL ADS, Cont.

LEGAL ADS, Cont.

LEGAL ADS, Cont.

LEGAL ADS, Cont.

LEGAL ADS, Cont.

LEGAL ADS, Cont.

SALE PRICE OBTAINED AT THE TRUSTEE’S SALE IS LESS THAN THE DEBT SECURED BY THE DEED OF TRUST. B. THE GUARANTOR HAS THE SAME RIGHTS TO REINSTATE THE DEBT, CURE THE DEFAULT, OR REPAY THE DEBT AS IS GIVEN TO THE GRANTOR IN ORDER TO AVOID THE TRUSTEE’S SALE. C. THE GUARANTOR WILL HAVE NO RIGHT TO REDEEM THE PROPERTY AFTER THE TRUSTEE’S SALE. D. SUBJECT TO SUCH LONGER PERIODS AS ARE PROVIDED IN THE WASHINGTON DEED OF TRUST ACT, CHAPTER 61.24 RCW, ANY ACTION BROUGHT TO ENFORCE A GUARANTY OR, IF APPLICABLE, SEEK A DEFICIENCY JUDGMENT, MUST BE COMMENCED WITHIN ONE YEAR AFTER THE TRUSTEE’S SALE, OR THE LAST TRUSTEE’S SALE UNDER ANY DEED OF TRUST GRANTED TO SECURE THE SAME DEBT. E. IN ANY ACTION FOR A DEFICIENCY, THE GUARANTOR WILL HAVE THE RIGHT TO ESTABLISH THE FAIR VALUE OF THE PROPERTY AS OF THE DATE OF THE TRUSTEE’S SALE, LESS PRIOR LIENS AND ENCUMBRANCES, AND TO LIMIT ITS LIABILITY FOR A DEFICIENCY TO THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE DEBT AND THE GREATER OF SUCH FAIR VALUE OR THE SALE PRICE PAID AT THE TRUSTEE’S SALE, PLUS INTEREST AND COSTS. X Anyone having any objection to the sale on any grounds whatsoever will be afforded an opportunity to be heard as to those objections if they bring a lawsuit to restrain the sale pursuant to RCW 61.24.130.

Failure to bring such a lawsuit may result in a waiver of any proper grounds for invalidating the Trustee’s sale.

XI NOTICE TO OCCUPANTS OR TENANTS The purchaser at the trustee’s sale is entitled to possession of the property on the 20th day following the sale, as against the Grantor under the Deed of Trust (the owner) and anyone having an interest junior to the Deed of Trust, including occupants who are not tenants. After the 20th day following the sale, the purchaser has the right to evict occupants who are not tenants by summary proceedings under the Unlawful Detainer Act Chapter 59.12 RCW. For tenant-occupied property, the purchaser shall provide a tenant with written notice in accordance with RCW 61.24.060.

DATED: July 7, 2015, (SUBSTITUTE) TRUSTEE: CALLAWAY & DETRO PLLC By: /s/ Peg R. Callaway; WSBA #13786, 700-A Okoma Drive, Omak, WA 98841, (509)826-6316 Published in the Methow Valley News September 2 and 30, 2015 LEGAL NOTICE IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON IN AND FOR THE COUNTY OF OKANOGAN TIMOTHY W. BURKE, D.O.P.C. PENSION PLAN DATED JANUARY 1, 1991, TIMOTHY W. BURKE, TRUSTEE, Plaintiff, -vs- RANDY M. MARTIN, a single person, Defendant, No. 15-2-00360-9.

SUMMONS BY PUBLICATION

The State of Washington to the said Defendant to be served by publication: RANDY M. MARTIN, a single person: 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 the 9th day of September, 2015, and defend the above-entitled action in the above-entitled Court, and answer the Complaint of the Plaintiff, and serve a copy of your answer upon the undersigned attorney for Plaintiff, Peg R. Callaway of the Law Office of Callaway & DeTro PLLC at the address below stated; and in the case of your failure to do so, Judgment will be rendered against you according to the demand of the Complaint, which has been filed with the Clerk of said Court.

The object of this action is to reform the real estate contract between the parties to correct the legal description of the contract pursuant to boundary line adjustment and to correct scrivener’s errors for real property located in Okanogan County, Washington, and legally described as: commonly known as The Blue Spruce Motel, 1321 Methow Valley Hwy, Twisp, WA 98856; Abb. Legal Desc.: TAX 104 SW NE SE C#86-3-00152-8 3322-17; TAX 258 PT NW SE C#863-00152-8 33-22-17, Okanogan County Assessor’s Acct. Nos.: 3322170104 & 3322170258.

DATED this 2nd day of September, 2015.

CALLAWAY & DETRO PLLC: By: /s/ Peg R. Callaway, WSBA #13786, Attorney for Plaintiff, 700-A Okoma Drive, Omak, Washington 98841 Published in the Methow Valley News September 9, 16, 23, 30, October 7 & 14, 2015.

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF INTENT TO FORFEIT PURSUANT TO THE REVISED CODE OF WASHINGTON CHAPTER 61.30.

Grantor: Hope, Jr. Everett W. Grantee: Kent, Brian K. Legal Description (abbr): LOT 11, BLOCK 15, TOWNSHIP OF HECKENDORN Additional legal(s): Page 2 Assessor’s Tax Parcel ID: 2820151100 Reference Nos. of Related Documents: 3042268 TO: The Estate of Brian K. Kent, Deceased, and the Known and Unknown Heirs of Brian K. Kent, deceased.

TO: Brian K. Kent c/o Michael Kutz, PO Box 225, Winthrop, WA 98862 TO: Tamare Kent, 806 Castle Ave., Winthrop, WA 98862 TO: Brian Keith Kent, Jr., 806 Castle Ave., Winthrop, WA 98862 TO: Therisa Kent, 765 Rt. 4455 Lot 2, Highland, NY 12528 TO: Jennifer Cook, 1052 Angora St., Deltona, FL 32725 TO: Jessica Kazolias, 49 Bilmar Blvd., Pleasant Valley, NY 12569 TO: State of Washington Department of Social and Health Services, Office of Financial Recovery, PO Box 9501, Olympia WA 98507-9501 TO: State of Washington DSHS Division of Child Support, PO Box 11520, Tacoma, WA 98441-5520 TO: Inland Professional Title,

LLC, PO Box 2118, Omak, WA 98841 TO: All Persons Claiming Any Interest in the Subject Property Described Herein You are hereby notified that the Real Estate Contract described below is in default, and you are provided the following information with respect thereto: (a) The name, address, and telephone number of the seller and, if any, the seller’s agent or attorney giving the notice: Seller’s Name - Agent’s or Attorney’s Name: Everett W. Hope, Jr. - David Ebenger 7122 126th Dr. NE - Attorney at law Lake Stevens, WA 98258 - PO Box 217, Winthrop WA 98862 (425) 377-0437 - (509) 9962206 (b) Description of the Contract: Real Estate Contract dated 19, 2001, executed by Everett W. Hope, Jr. and Carolyn J. Hope, both single people, as seller, and Brian K. Kent, a single person, as buyer, which Contract or a memorandum thereof was recorded under Auditor’s File No. 3042268 on 8, 2002, records of Okanogan County Auditor, Washington.

Seller’s interest in the real estate contract is now held by Everett W. Hope, Jr as his separate property, by instrument recorded on April 14, 2015 under Okanogan County Auditor’s File No. 3199186. (c) Legal description of the property: Lot 11, Block 15, Town of Heckendorn, as per plat thereof recorded in Volume A of Plats, page 398, records of the Auditor of Okanogan County, Washington, together with a 1960 Nashua 10x55 mobile home, VIN NTB3XXFK8407. (d) Description of each default under the Contract on which the notice is based: 1. Failure to pay the following past due items, the amounts and an itemization for which are given in (g) and (h) below: a. Contract payments in the amount of $200.00 or more at the buyer’s option on or before the 8th day of February, 2002, including interest from January 8, 2002, at the rate of 10% per annum on the declining balance thereof; and a like amount or more on or before the 8th day of each and every month thereafter until paid in full; b. Late charges in the amount of $10.00 for each contract payment in arrears; c. Okanogan County Real Estate Taxes for 2015 in the amount of $589.08, plus contract late charge of $29.45 and Okanogan County Real Estate Taxes for 2014 in the amount of $664.83 plus contract late charge of $33.24 and Okanogan County Real Estate Taxes for 2013 in the amount of $748.69 plus contract late charge of $37.43 and Okanogan County Real Estate Taxes for 2012 in the amount of $771.23 plus contract late charge of $38.56 and any taxes which become due and payable before either reinstatement or forfeiture of the contract occurs; d. Failure to pay a contract payment in the amount of $3,000.00, due on or before July 8, 2002.

2. Other defaults: Failure to keep insurance on the property (e) Failure to cure the default on or before filed date, will result in the forfeiture of the Contract. (f) The forfeiture of the Contract will result in the following: 1. the buyer’s right, title, and interest in the property will be terminated; 2. the right, title, and interest in the property of others whose interests are subordinate to the buyer will be terminated; 3. the buyer’s rights under the Contract will be canceled; 4. all sums previously paid under the Contract will be kept by and belong to the seller or other person entitled to them; 5. all improvements made to, and unharvested crops and timber located on, the property will belong to the seller; and 6. the buyer and all other persons occupying the property will be required to surrender possession of the property, improvements to the property, and unharvested crops and timber located on the property to the seller on December 30, 2015, if their interests have been forfeited. (g) The following is a statement of payments of money in default (or, where indicated, an estimate thereof) and, for any defaults not involving the failure to pay money, the action(s) required to cure the default: 1. Monetary delinquencies: Item, Amount Contract balance: $6,354.92 Accrued interest: $275.09 Late Payments: $70.00 2015 Okanogan County Real Estate Taxes: $589.08 2015 Contract Late Charge $29.45 2014 Okanogan County Real Estate Taxes $664.83 2014 Contract Late Charge $33.24 2013 Okanogan County Real Estate Taxes: $748.69 2013 Contract Late Charge $37.43 2012 Okanogan County Real Estate Taxes: $771.23 2012 Contract Late Charge: $38.56 Plus interest and penalties TOTAL: $9,612.52 2. Action(s) required to cure any nonmonetary default: Acquire insurance on property as required by the contract (h The following is a statement of other payments, charges, fees, and costs (or, where indicated, an estimate thereof) to cure the default: Item, Amount 1. Cost of title report: $432.40 2. Service/posting of Notice of Intent to Forfeit (estimated) $100.00 3. Copying/postage $50.00 4. Attorney’s fees: $4,000.00 5. Recording fees: $150.00 6. Publication fees (est) $600.00 TOTAL: $5,332.40 The total amount necessary to cure the default is the sum of the amounts in (g)(1) and (h), which is $14,944.92 plus the amount of any payments and late charges which fall due after the date of this Notice of Intent to Forfeit and on or prior to the date the default is cured.

You must cure the default prior to December 20, 2015. Monies

required to cure the default may be tendered to David Ebenger, Attorney at Law at the following address: PO Box 217, Winthrop, Washington 98862 If default includes a default other than payments of money when due, then you must cure such other defaults as specified in paragraph (g)(2) by December 20, 2015. (i) You have a right to contest the forfeiture or seek an extension of time to cure the default, or both. If you wish to exercise this right, you must file a summons and complaint on the seller or seller’s agent or attorney before a declaration of forfeiture is recorded.

NO EXTENSION OF THE TIME FOR CURE CAN BE GRANTED FOR DEFAULTS THAT ARE A FAILURE TO PAY MONEY. However, you may not be in default if you have a claim against the seller that would release, discharge, or excuse the default. (j) You have a right to request a court to determine whether a public sale of the property should be ordered. A public sale may be ordered if the court finds that the fair market value of the property substantially exceeds the sum of the debt owed under the contract and all liens on the property that have priority over the seller’s interest.

The excess, if any, of the highest bid at the sale over the amount owed on your contract will be applied to the liens eliminated by the sale and the balance, if any, paid to you. If you wish to request that a court make this determination, you must do so by filing and serving a summons and complaint before a declaration of forfeiture is recorded. If you make such a request, the court will require you to deposit the anticipated sales costs with the clerk of the court. (k) The contract requires that notices shall either be personally served or shall be sent certified mail, return receipt requested and by regular first class mail to the Buyer c/o Michael Kutz, PO Box 225, Winthrop, WA 98862 and to the Seller at 7122 126th Dr. NE, Lake Stevens, WA 98258 or such other addresses as either party may specify in writing to the other party. Notices shall be deemed given when served or mailed. Notice to Seller shall also be sent to any institution receiving payments on the Contract. Seller’s interest in the contract is now held by Everett W. Hope, Jr. whose address is 7122 126th Dr. NE, Lake Stevens, WA 98258.

EVERETT W. HOPE, JR. Published in the Methow Valley News September 30 and October 7, 2015.

LEGAL NOTICE TOWN OF TWISP Notice of Public Hearing Isabella Ridge Long Plat #1 Street Design Variance Published Notice Date: September 30, 2015 Public Hearing Date: Wednesday October 14, 2015 at 5:00 p.m.

Public Hearing Location: Twisp Town Hall, 118 South Glover Street, Twisp, WA Proponent: Vaughn Jolley Proposal Location: Isabella Ridge Long Plat #1, May Street

Proposal Description: The Town of Twisp Planning Commission will conduct an open record public hearing to consider written and/ or oral comments prior to reviewing and submitting a recommendation to the Town of Twisp Council for a proposal for a street design variance for the Isabella Ridge Long Plat #1.

The Town Council is the final decision making authority for this proposed action.

Comment Submittal: This may be your only opportunity to submit written and/or oral comments. Written comments on the proposal may be submitted to the Town of Twisp, Attn: Kurt Danison, Town Planner, P.O. Box 278, 118 South Glover Street, Twisp, WA 98856 until the conclusion of the open record public hearing on Wednesday, October 14, 2015.

Further Information: To view and/or obtain copies of the proposed variance request, please contact Kurt Danison, Town Planner at Town of Twisp, P.O. Box 278, 118 South Glover Street, Twisp, WA 98856 or at (509) 997-4081.

Accommodation: Any person requiring a disability accommodation should contact the Town of Twisp at (509) 997-4081 in advance for more information. Each request will be considered individually according to the type of the request, the availability of resources, and the financial ability of the Town of Twisp to provide the requested services or equipment.

Published in the Methow Valley News September 30, 2015.

LEGAL NOTICE METHOW VALLEY IRRIGATION DISTRICT - EQUALIZATION MEETING NOTICE Notice is hereby given that the MVID Board of Directors will conduct the District’s annual equalization meeting on Monday October 26, 2015 at 7:00 p.m. at the Methow Valley Senior Center in Twisp, Washington.

The purpose of the meeting is to equalize assessments for the 2016 irrigation season.

Upon the day specified in this notice, the Board of Directors, which is hereby constituted a board of equalization for that purpose, shall meet and continue in session from day to day as long as may be necessary, not to exceed ten days, exclusive of Sundays, to hear and determine such objections to the assessment roll as may come before them; and the Board may change the same as may be just.

Any member who cannot attend the meeting is encouraged to submit a letter stating his or her grievance to the Board on or before October 22, 2015. Letters may be sent to the District office, P.O. Box 860, Twisp, WA 98856.

All lands will be fully assessed unless the parcel owner petitions the Board to hear and determine if a reduced assessment is warranted. No lands will be equalized after this date.

Questions may be directed to the District office at (509) 997-2576. /s/ Sandra Strieby.

Published in the Methow Valley News September 30, 2015.

Page B6

Wednesday, September 30, 2015

County commissioners to review plan for fivemember health board

News briefs

After considering the composition of the county’s Board of Health, which has had two vacancies for several months, the Okanogan County commissioners are proposing a smaller board with five members — the three commissioners, a mayor or city council member, and a representative from the medical or environmental health community.

The current board charter, in effect since 1992, provides for six members — the commissioners and three elected city officials. When the Board of Health was first established in 1986, it had just five members — the commissioners and two city officials.

In a draft resolution accompanying the proposed charter, the commissioners say that restructuring the board would recognize that accountability for the cost of public health services has been assigned exclusively to the counties.

The commissioners point to a change to state law in the mid1990s that eliminated direct financial contributions from cities and towns to Public Health, instead requiring the county to pay that portion of the budget.

At a meeting about the charter on Sept. 14, Commissioner Jim DeTro raised the issue of financial accountability. Since cities no longer contribute to Public Health, DeTro said it was important to ensure that the board members “have skin in the game.”

In addition to the county contribution, the Public Health district receives state and federal dollars and license fees. In 2014, the largest chunk of the district’s $1.25 million budget — 42 percent — came from license and permit fees (for programs such as restaurant inspections and septic permits), according to Ella Robbins, administrative coordinator for the health district.

Another 28 percent of the health budget came from the state, 20 percent from the federal government, and about 10 percent from the county, according to Robbins. A portion of that is returned to the county for rent and accounting services. The 2016 budget is $1.16 million.

Washington’s contribution to public health districts across the state was increased in the 1990s to make up for a drop in city revenue after voters approved an initiative that lowered carregistration fees, according to

Although three dozen candidates are vying to be the next U.S. president, there are only a handful of contested races in this November’s local elections. Okanogan County Commissioner Jim DeTro ran unopposed for his second term in 2014.

A new organization — called Represent Okanogan County, or ROC ON 2016 — has set out to change that. The group’s mission is “to identify, encourage and elect qualified individuals to run as candidates for Okanogan County commissioner.”

Next year, when the terms of Okanogan County commissioners Ray Campbell and Sheilah Kennedy expire, ROC hopes to find “strong leaders who will truly represent the people in November 2016.”

According to its organizers, ROC does not represent any political party. They are looking for effective county leaders who will make thoughtful, wellinformed decisions for the future.

“We seek those who are dedicated to transparent and responsive government,” they say.

The group, with countywide membership, is concerned that the current board of county commissioners has made public participation difficult, devoted time and financial resources to criticizing the state and federal government, and engaged in expensive lawsuits.

For more information about the group and position papers on topics such as agriculture, wildfire, land use and public health — or to assist with their efforts — visit ROC’s website at www.rocon2016.org or email rocon2016@gmail.com.

By Marcy Stamper

Ralph Malone, who served on the Okanogan County Board of Health from 2002 until July of this year.

Malone’s seat is one of the vacancies that has to be filled.

He had to step down from the board after a review of the current charter determined that, as Omak city administrator, he was no longer eligible to serve.

Malone first joined the board when he was the clerk for the city of Okanogan, which was an eligible position. (The current charter allows city clerks to be on the board; the proposed charter would restrict membership to mayors and council members.)

As a district and not a county department, Public Health has a status similar to junior taxing districts such as fire or hospital districts, but no taxes are levied expressly for public health — instead, the county’s contribution comes out of its current-expense budget, said Malone.

The current-expense fund receives property-tax revenue from all county residents, regardless of where they live, said Malone. In addition to public health, the current-expense budget pays for county functions such as the sheriff and the court.

The Board of Health has administrative and fiscal oversight of the Public Health district.

The board approves the Public Health budget and fee-for-service contracts with state agencies.

Oversight of medical matters, such as quarantines, is handled by the district’s health officer.

Under the amended charter, the county commissioners would serve as long as they are in office. The representatives from the cities and the medical community would have fouryear terms. Any elected official would be removed from the board immediately if he or she vacated the office.

A countywide coalition of mayors would select the city representatives; the commissioners would appoint the medical representative. The board meets at least once a month.

The commissioners are holding a public hearing on the proposed charter on Monday (Oct. 5) at 1:30 p.m. in their hearing room in Okanogan. People can testify at the hearing or submit comments in advance to Laleña Johns at ljohns@co.okanogan.wa.us.

For a copy of the amended charter, contact Perry Huston at (509) 422-7118 or phuston@ co.okanogan.wa.us.

New group formed to promote strong leaders for county commissioner

Learn about Army’s proposed helicopter training

The Methow Valley Citizens’ Council (MVCC) is holding a meeting on Thursday (Oct. 1) for those interested in learning more about the U.S. Army’s proposal for training combat-helicopter pilots at high elevations in the North Cascades.

Speakers will help people understand the proposal, covering both specific local issues and the larger picture of the military’s plans for its helicopter program, according to MVCC. The meeting will be from 7 – 9 p.m. at the Twisp Valley Grange.

The information can help inform comments to the Army about the proposal. The Army is soliciting input as part of its scoping process, which will help it determine what environmental impacts should be addressed in its analysis.

Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM), near Tacoma, proposed seven new high-altitude training areas in June. If approved, pilots would learn to take off and land at high altitudes, on pinnacles and on ridgelines. Other maneuvers include hovering several feet above the ground and controlling the helicopter so that only a portion — such as a single wheel — would touch down on the ground.

Aircraft traveling to and from the training areas would fly at 500 feet and above to minimize noise complaints and disruption to populated areas, according to the Army’s proposal.

The proposed mountain training area runs from south and west of Wenatchee to the Canadian border, west to the

Methow Valley News

North Cascades, and east to the Okanogan Highlands. JBLM says the new training area is needed to simulate conditions in Afghanistan at up to 14,000 feet. Training would take place 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, but the majority of the training would be at night to simulate flight and combat conditions.

The U.S. Forest Service would have to issue a specialuse permit to the Army for the training.

For a copy of the scoping document or more information, visit http://www.lewis-mcchord. army.mil/publicworks/sites/ envir/eia_ HTA.aspx or call JBLM at (253) 967-1110.

The Army has extended the comment period twice.

The deadline for comments is Nov. 3.

Comment on land-use changes and variances

A property owner on East Chewuch Road has applied to Okanogan County for a variance to allow an existing shed and deck cover that are too close to neighboring property lines. Kimberley Vande Griend has a shed that is 3 feet from one property line and 30 feet from another, although county zoning requires a 50-foot setback, according to the application.

The Vande Griend property is on Cottonwood Lane. This is one of several parcels whose owners have petitioned the county for variances or special permits from floodplain and setback restrictions and septic regulations to allow existing structures to continue to be used.

The Cottonwood Lane applications are a result of code enforcement by the county’s Building and Planning depart-

ments in response to a complaint letter, according to Anna Randall, a planner for Okanogan County. The county’s enforcement is driven by complaints, she said.

Property owners in the Lost River Airport development have requested a variance from county zoning requirements governing the portion of a lot that can be occupied by development.

James and Abby Brousseau want to construct a deck on an existing residence that would exceed the allowable lot coverage by 3 percent, covering 13 rather than 10 percent, according to the application.

The Okanogan County hearing examiner will hold a public hearing on the two variance requests on Nov. 12 at 10 a.m. in the commissioners’ hearing room in Okanogan.

For more information or to comment on either one, contact Randall at (509) 422-7117 or arandall@co.okanogan.wa.us.

An application to modify a planned development near the Mazama core has been submitted to rezone and subdivide part of Chechaquo Ranch to accommodate future development. The development would include lodging and touristresidential and seasonal housing. The amended plan would also create six lots and an area designated as open space. The property is 2.67 acres.

Okanogan County is accepting comments on the environmental impact of the changes.

The county will schedule a public hearing on the proposed changes in the future.

For more information or to comment, contact senior planner Ben Rough at (509) 4227122 or brough@co.okanogan. wa.us.

Harts Pass

By Erik Brooks

WWW.MEthoWvALLEyNEWs.CoM Real Estate PUBLISHER'S NOTICE: All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Fair Housing Act which makes it illegal to advertise "any preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin, or an intention, to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination." Familial status includes children under the age of 18 living with parents or legal custodians, pregnant women and people securing custody of children under 18.

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

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Methow Valley News

Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Page B7

Bull trout habitat improvement project on Goat Creek will also help other fish

A project to improve critically designated habitat for bull trout in Goat Creek is underway and is expected to be completed by the end of October.

Work will occur on the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest below the Goat Creek culvert referred to as “Vanderpool Crossing,” between river miles 6.7 and 7.6. The work is intended to restore stream complexity through the addition of large woody material.

The project will be conducted through a partnership of the National Forest Foundation (NFF), the U.S. Forest Service,

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Methow Salmon Recovery Foundation.

The project will replace wood that was removed due to past logging and management practices. This will enhance spawning habitat, cover, and refuge for bull trout, west slope cutthroat, and other fish species living in and using Goat Creek, according to information from the Forest Foundation.

The wood that will be used for the project was salvaged from a debris slide that occurred several years ago on federal land in the War Creek drainage.The

public should be aware of equipment and large truck traffic on both War Creek Trailhead Road (Forest Road 4430-100) and Goat Creek Road (Forest Road 5200). Log loading operations on War Creek Trailhead Road may delay vehicle traffic during daylight hours for periods of up to 20 minutes.

Storm-proofing on Goat Creek Road to reduce erosion and sediment loading into the watershed during runoff and storm events will also be a part of the project and may be completed this fall, if the weather allows.

The project is funded through

NFF, the Forest Service, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office Salmon Recover y Funding Board, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Patagonia World Trout Initiative, and a personal gift from Gordon and Betty Moore.

This work is part of a suite of work that NFF is conducting with the Forest Service through the Treasured Landscapes, Unforgettable Experiences Majestic Methow campaign. For more information, contact Dayle Wallien at (206) 832-8280.

Communit y briefs Neighborhood leader training for disaster preparedness

MethowReady, a project of the Methow Valley Long Term Recovery Organization, is offering two more sessions of neighborhood leader preparedness training for dealing with natural disasters, on Oct. 14 and Oct. 27.

The free training sessions will be from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. at Aero Methow Rescue Service in Twisp. Pizza and dessert will be provided.

The workshops are based on the Map Your Neighborhood program, designed to help families and neighborhoods prepare for disasters.

Register at (509) 449-5590 or at info@methowready.org.

Annual dinners for nonprofit board members

The Community Foundation of NCW is now taking reservations for the sixth annual

School Lunch Menu

Nonprofit Board Celebration Dinners. The events are open to volunteer board members serving nonprofits in Chelan, Douglas and Okanogan counties. The dinners will be on Oct. 14 at Pybus Public Market in Wenatchee, and Oct. 15 at Sun Mountain Lodge. Both dinners begin at 5:30 p.m. and include a presentation by Nancy Long, executive director of 501 Commons.

Online reservations are required along with a $75 refundable deposit to reserve a seat. The deposit is returned at the event. Attendees are welcome to bring a guest who does not serve on a board for a $75 non-refundable fee.

Reserve online before Oct. 9 at www.cfncw.org.

Wildfire summit in Wenatchee

A “Wildfires and Us Summit” will be held on Nov. 9 at the Performing Arts Center in Wenatchee to discuss a regional approach to reducing

THURSDAY, OCT. 1: Harvest lunch with locally sourced foods — grilled hamburger, tomatoes, greens, grilled union. Fresh vegetable wrap, herbed potato salad deli option.

FRIDAY, OCT. 2: Muffin, cheese stick; nacho bar; soup with homemade roll deli option.

MONDAY, OCT. 5: Blue bagel, yogurt; pancakes with sausage patty; ham pesto wrap deli option.

TUESDAY, OCT. 6: Breakfast pizza; twisted chicken Alfredo, homemade breadstick; turkey sandwich deli option.

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 7: Granola, yogurt; stromboli with marinara sauce; BLTC wrap deli option.

THURSDAY, OCT. 8: Breakfast pizza bagel; teriyaki dippers, brown rice; ham sandwich deli option.

FRIDAY, OCT. 9: muffin, cheese stick; cheese or pepperoni pizza; soup with homemade roll deli option.

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.

the risks of wildfire loss. The free event will be from 4 – 8 p.m. and will be followed by a reception. For more information, call (509) 679-2043.

made items, Verkuyl said.

For more infor mation, contact Verkuyl at 996-3522 or auxiliary president Gail Surette at 996-2154.

Gift drive for veterans begins

History of Washington fruit

American Legion Auxiliary Unit 120 will begin planning its annual Christmas gift drive for the Spokane VA Medical Center and Spokane Veterans Home at its monthly meeting on Monday (Oct. 5) at noon in the Winthrop Barn.

Every fall, the club shops at local businesses for gift items for veterans and their families that will be wrapped and shipped in time for Christmas. Auxiliary members will drop off flyers about the program at Winthrop and Twisp businesses and begin shopping later this month, according to auxiliary member Janet Verkuyl.

The auxiliary also welcomes contributions of new, unbreakable gifts or home-

“Ripe for the Telling: Surprising Stories of Washington Fruit” will be presented by the Methow Conservancy on Wednesday (Oct. 7) at The Merc Playhouse in Twisp. The free event begins at 7 p.m.

Learn about the messy and juicy history of Washington’s produce business. The program is co-sponsored by Humanities Washington. For more information, call 996-2870.

Flea market at The Barn

A flea market and vintage sale will be held on Oct. 17 at the Winthrop Barn from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Admission is free. Vendors pay $10-$12 for a table. For more information, call 996-2188.

Methow Valley Senior Center Notes

Clarence McCorckle was the winner of the door prize gift basket on Friday. Hope you enjoyed all the goodies in the basket, Clarence.

Dance day will be on the second Friday in October (Oct. 9) for that month only.

Lloyd Bjerge’s memorial is on Saturday (Oct. 3) at the Methow Valley United Methodist Church at 2 p.m., with a potluck to follow.

The Winter Sale is wrapping up, and all the leftover things will be moved to the rummage room. The Halloween Sale will be moving in the next day. It starts Oct. 12, and as soon as that sale is over, Christmas moves in. Can you believe it? Summer is over — it seems like we were just waiting for it to start.

Our new asphalt will be laid soon. It will get rid of all the cracks, chips and holes, and

will make it easier and safer to walk on.

I love fall — pretty leaves, crisp mornings, and all those great apples and fall veggies.

Now just for a little nice, gentle rain.

The Thrift Store is open on Saturdays during Farmers Market hours. The shop is also open Monday, Thursday and Friday from 9 a.m.–3:30 p.m.

The Senior Center is located next to the Methow Valley Community Center on Highway 20 in Twisp. Lunch is served at noon by the Okanogan County Transportation and Nutrition Program on Monday, Thursday and Friday.

The suggested donation for lunch is $3.50 for seniors over age 60; the cost is $8 for those under 60. Annual membership dues are $1.25.

Transportation is available locally for the senior lunch program, and for monthly

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

Lunch menu

THURSDAY, OCT 1: Beef tacos, refried beans, Spanish rice, coleslaw, apple crisp.

FRIDAY, OCT. 2: Chili cheese stuffed baked potato, green salad, beets, pears, cornbread, frosted cake.

MONDAY, OCT. 5: Meatloaf, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn, green salad, whole wheat roll, apple crisp.

THURSDAY, OCT. 8: Beef Stroganoff, mashed potatoes, green beans, garden salad, mixed fruit, garlic bread, cookies.

FRIDAY, OCT. 9: Biscuits and gravy, pea salad, chopped kale salad, peaches, brownies.

Let’s be friends! Find us on Facebook: Methow Valley News Now’s the time to line up your advertising in Methow Valley Winter.

Old SchOOlhOuSe B r e w e r y

Friday October 2nd Open Mic

d Hoste by

Photo courtesy Clint and Erika Nohavec

Rhett!

Clint and Erika Nohavec announce the birth of their son, Rhett Charles Nohavec, on July 31, 2015, in Issaquah. Rhett weighed 7 pounds, 10 ounces, and was 21 inches long at birth. Rhett is a sixth-generation Methow Valley Northcott, greatgrandson to Shirley Northcott and the late Mel Northcott. Rhett is little brother to Brooks; grandparents are Rick and Lynn Northcott, Winthrop; Carol and Bob King, Kent; Curt and Carol Nohavec, Kent; uncle and aunt Brian and Nicki Northcott; cousin Dean; and step-uncles Andy and Robin Button, Fairbanks, Alaska.

Student briefs Wenatchee Valley College has announced graduates and certifications for the 2014-15 year. Local students are: • Associate of arts and sciences degree, Garrett Dornfeld, Twisp; Tabitha Bergevin-Krumme, Winthrop.

• Associate of applied science-transfer degree in nursing, Madeline Hajek, Winthrop.

• Associate technical science degree in accounting, Danny Yanarella, Twisp; Laurie Miller, Winthrop.

• Medical assistant certifi-

Obituary Loren Ramon Rosvall Loren was born in Mount Vernon, Washington, on Sept.

22, 1930, to LeRoy and Anna Rosvall of Stanwood. He died on Sept. 25, 2015. Loren was raised in the family home in Cedarhome and graduated from Stanwood High School in 1948.

Following high school, Loren served in the U.S. Army during the Korean conflict. After serving overseas, he returned to his hometown of Stanwood and married June Wilson. Though their marriage was brief, it blessed them with one daughter, Julie.

Upon his return he started working for Skagit Valley Telephone and stayed in the telephone industry for 34 years and retired from Continental Telephone Company.

He married Golda Campbell of Stanwood on Dec. 3, 1966.

They resided at their family farm in the Cedarhome area, raising their five kids and farming until 1991. Loren was an avid bird hunter and enjoyed hunting, fishing,and camping trips with family and friends. In 1991 Loren and Golda moved to Winthrop, where Loren enjoyed raising a beautiful and bountiful garden each summer. He also enjoyed working around their place doing numerous home improvement projects and keeping a meticulous and lush yard.

Loren also worked for 12 years as a caretaker at the Sullivan Cemetery in Winthrop, where he took great pride in up-keeping the grounds. Loren and Golda were snowbirds and loved spending their winters at their home in Florence, Arizona. They enjoyed exploring the desert, growing citrus trees, trips to the casino, and peaceful times on their back porch enjoying the beautiful scenery and watching the birds and Arizona wildlife.

He was the center of our family, the roots to our very diverse

Wednesday October 7th

Danbert Nobacon

7:00 – 8:30pm the Merc Playhouse

(509) 997-7011 • www.methowvalleynews.com advertising@methowvalleynews.com

Americana/Rock

Matthew Szlachtka 7pm • No Cover

photo by Emily Lints

Monday -Thursday 4pm to 9pm Friday & Saturday 12pm to 10pm Sunday 12pm to 9pm Kitchen closes daily at 9pm

509.996.3183

www.oldschoolhousebrewery.com 155 Riverside, Winthrop, WA

family tree. We are forever bound by the love he gave each of us. He was strong, gentle, hard-working, loving, playful, a man of his word and our hero.

We will forever miss the sparkle and love in his eyes. Words cannot express the hole in our hearts that is left by his passing. He was our everything. Our husband, dad, grandpa, great-grandpa and friend.

Loren is survived by his wife, Golda Rosvall; daughter Bernetta Killingsworth (Dick), son Bob Campbell (Anita), daughter Karla Roper (John); grandchildren Erika Lervick (Jeff), Shelby Dronen (Andrew), Leanna Bell, Briana Anderson (Michael), Erin Estill (Aaron), Ryan Titera, Holly Christianson (Darius); great-grandchildren Karina, Ella and Ole Lervick, Emma Short, Daniel Estill; and numerous relatives and devoted friends. He was preceded in death by his parents LeRoy and Anna Rosvall, sister Muriel Morrow, daughter Julie Bell, daughter Mickey Christianson, and grandson Guy Christianson.

A private family gathering will be held at a later date.

to Inspire People to Care for the Land

Saturday October 3rd

Don’t delay: Advertising deadline is October 16th

Loren Ramon Rosvall

Upcoming Events

7pm • No Cover

Let the winter visitors know that you are open for the season and waiting to greet them!

cate, Krysten Port, Twisp.

• Practical nursing certificate, Madeline Hajek, Winthrop.

Chelsea Miller, daughter of Kathleen Jardin of Winthrop, has received a grant to help her pursue a doctorate in adult and geriatric nursing at the University of Washington School of Nursing.

William Duguay of Carlton has been awarded a scholarship by the Community Foundation of North Central Washington, one of 130 scholarships distributed to students throughout the region.

Ripe for the Telling: Surprising Stories of Washington Fruit with Julia Harrison Free and open to all!

Methow Conservancy

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

Valley Life

Page B8

Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Bob Spiwak

Mazama

It’s been an interesting week, underscored by unusually cool nights. We had our lowest temperature last night, Sunday, when the thermometer dipped to 32 at wake-up time. Whether this has anything to do with the lunar eclipse is questionable, but at this point it seems

Ashley Lodato

Winthrop

Eighteen people doing anything together in Winthrop very nearly constitutes a mob, but few eyebrows were raised last week when a dozen-and-a-

Cinder the bear ‘doing great so far’ after release

By Ann McCreary

certain that the world is not going to come to an end. At least not today. The sun is hot already at 10 a.m., perhaps mocking the moon.

Being in a geophysical hole here in West Boesel, it takes a long time before we see moonrise. Thus, we missed the opening stanza of the red moon phenomenon and when we looked later on, the eclipse was waning.

We saw no red, although there were others who did, like Larry Miller — who saw the event from the elevated vantage point of his son’s home. We had a pretty good look at it on the Internet, and the temperature was a lot more comfortable that way.

One thing not attributable to celestial events was the surprise arrival at SLIME of Dick and Nancy Gode. They were long-time residents of suburban Mazama and now live in Kirkland.

Their son Geof is a caregiver for Bob

and Maryann Sitts up the road. Daughter Jen and her husband, Scooter, previous owners of the Mazama Store, now reside in Hawaii. It was nice to see the parents again. It’s been a long time.

The newest event at the store was the top-sealing of the parking lot, replete with a brand new set of stripes for the parking area. For some reason, the eastern half of the lot has now been painted in diagonal lines; closer to the store is still the traditional ones vertical from the road. This is of consequence because those in the diagonals, once backing out, have nowhere to go but east on Lost River Road in quest of a turn-around if they are leaving the area of urban Mazama.

A caution for dog-walkers along the river: Our hound, on her own at the riverside, apparently discovered a dead fish and rolled around in it. We have no idea how many times, but it must have

been a big fish because this dog, usually absent of odor, could be smelled at 20 feet when she returned to us. Not only is the stench of import, but I have long heard of dead salmon being poisonous to dogs. And where there are fish, there may well be bears.

Our neighbors, the Westermans, spotted a big bear emerging from our place last week as they were headed for their driveway. The bruin looked at them as they slowed their car, then crossed the highway and watched as they pulled into the drive. Jay Lucas noted several bruin visits at his Mazama digs, and recently saw one that dived into a container of apples and pears. The bear ate all the apples but did not touch the pears. On the hills of Edelweiss, Larry McWhirter has seen one cruising the neighborhood with some frequency.

Our own problem appears to be not

bears but raccoons. Something has been raiding the garbage container, managing to open the high-tech device and withdraw goodies along with other stuff that it leaves strewn around. One item was an empty plastic meat container about 30 feet from the can. On a sunny day, I spotted it and picked it up. Bad idea. It got to about knee level and was greeted by an uncountable convention of yellowjackets. In an uncharacteristic moment of intelligent response, I dropped the container back upon them and ran like hell.

As long as this has turned into a visit to the animal corner, let’s mention the cows that are still coming out of the hills. This past Friday there was a small gathering of Angus casually strolling along Highway 20. With all respect for the ranchers, it seems it may be time to reconsider what is open range along a 60-mile-per-hour road.

half Methow At Home (MAH) members took to the streets during Methow At Home’s second social event of the year, which combined three of life’s greatest pleasures and was aptly titled the “Walk and Talk and Coffee.” After meeting at the Winthrop Barn on a chilly and beautiful morning, the MAH participants walked through town, across the Sa Teek Wa bridge, into North Village, and wound up at Rocking Horse Bakery, where they were met by some additional members of MAH. For some, the walk was a chance to make the acquaintance of Deirdre Cassidy, MAH’s newly hired coordinator. For others, it was a chance to get to know each other better, as some of the members are new to the valley while others have lived here since the 1960s.

For all, it was satisfying to answer with a straight face the earnest question asked by a visitor who was having coffee and a pastry at Rocking Horse: “Do you know the name of this town?” Did they, indeed!

If you thought the nearly two dozen MAH walkers were a large group, you would have been in for quite a surprise had you hiked the Maple Pass loop on Thursday, as you would have been in the company of almost 60 sixth-graders and their chaperones. As part of the annual sixth-grade campout, the students completed the 7-mile hike near Rainy Pass, many of them for the first time. Students also experimented with archery, canoeing, plein air watercolors, poetry, and other activities during the three-day camp.

The camp involved mountains of gear, dozens of kids, and scores of food boxes, but when all was packed up on Friday afternoon not a trace remained at Falls Creek Campground, unless you count the iPhone that slipped out of a pocket and straight down the chute of an outhouse early one morning.

A third large gathering of valley folks took place on Saturday at Dave and Marilyn Sabold’s house at the Methow Conservancy’s 12th annual Cider Squeeze. Preparations took place several days before the event, with about a dozen volunteers picking apples donated

by Deborah DeKalb, and cider experts Beth and John Sinclair of Sixknot Cider pre-pressing countless gallons of cider so that all guests could go home with a jug after the actual Squeeze.

For the second year in a row, Paul Herget of Twisp built and donated 60 birdhouses, which went home with Squeeze guests. Paul started this practice in the summer of 2014 after the fires, and felt compelled to carry on the tradition this year. One couple, who lost all of their existing birdhouses in the Tunk Valley fire last month, were particularly excited to take home the first birdhouse in their new collection.

And a final surprise — the duo Squirrel Butter, who were playing a benefit at the Twisp Valley Grange on Saturday evening, showed up halfway through the Squeeze and joined Paul Gitchos, Brad Pinkerton, Peter Neitlich and John Almquist in a bluegrass jam session.

Call it cider, call it apple juice — I call it community.

Having fun putting the squeeze on It was mostly play and just a wee bit of work on the apple press at the Methow Conservancy’s annual Cider Squeeze last weekend. Top left, the Apostles — John Almquist, Peter Neitlich, Brad Pinkerton and Paul Gitchos — play inspired bluegrass.

Middle right, sunny weather and soft

Cinder the bear appears to be doing well in her new home after being released into the wild almost four months ago.

A victim of the 2014 Carlton Complex Fire, Cinder was discovered — emaciated and unable to walk on severely burned paws — in French Creek after the wildfire swept through the area.

The bear cub drew international attention after she was rescued by state wildlife officials and underwent months of treatment at Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care in California, followed by rehabilitation at Idaho Black Bear Rehabilitation near Boise.

When her caretakers decided she had recovered enough to return to the wild, she was set free on June 3 — 11 months after she was rescued — in a densely forested area about 30 miles north of Leavenworth.

“She’s doing great so far. I’m so glad I picked this release spot, as the drought and fires would have placed her in a no-win situation” in many other areas of north central Washington, said Rich Beausoleil, bear and cougar specialist for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Beausoleil organized the release of Cinder and another bear cub, called Kaulana, who was found orphaned in the Leavenworth area. The bears had developed an affinity for each other while they were kept in the same enclosure at the rehabilitation center last winter.

The bears were fitted with GPS radio collars so wildlife officials can track their movements. Cinder initially traveled several miles from the release site but returned and has remained there, said Beausoleil. Kaulana is also in the same general area, he said.

Wildlife officials hope to capture the bears periodically to replace the collars before they stop transmitting.

Cinder will be 3 years old and Kaulana will be 2 years old in January. Beausoleil said Cinder will be able to reproduce at about age 4, and he hopes to be able to visit her in her winter den at that time.

Because of her long and painful recovery and her feisty personality, Cinder has been described as a “symbol of hope” for residents of the Methow Valley in the aftermath of the Carlton Complex Fire.

Valley Life Contacts

Methow Valley News

grass inspired a puppy pile at the expense of Ray Sanders’ back. Below right, hosts David and Marilyn Sabold take in the festivities.

Photos by Laurelle Walsh and Don Nelson

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

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

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

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