Methow Valley News--Portfolio Award-Sue Misao by Marcy Stamper

THE WEEK AHEAD OCT. 13 - 19 THURSDAY: Sunny 60 FRIDAY: Showers 56 SATURDAY: Partly cloudy 59 SUNDAY: Partly cloudy 58 MONDAY: Sunny 59 TUESDAY: Sunny 60 WEDNESDAY: Partly cloudy 60 Some crisp fall days

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Kick start

Final notes

LBHS girls soccer team seeks consistency

Twenty Digits offers farewell concert See story Page A5

SPORTS Page B1

Methow Valley News

PUBLISHED WEEKLY SINCE 1903

TWISP, WASHINGTON

VOL. 109 NO. 22

OCTOBER 12, 2011

Winthrop’s new bridge scheduled for Oct. 28 completion

Co-op, Action Council team up to provide new weatherization program here By Ann McCreary Ten Methow Valley homeowners will be warmer this winter and have lower heating bills, thanks to a home weatherization program initiated this year by the Okanogan County Electric Cooperative and the Okanogan County Community Action Council. The new collaboration between the co-op and Community Action brought the weatherization services to the Methow Valley for the first time, said Ron Whiteside, Community Action housing manager. The program provides energy audits, weatherization work such as sealing leaks and insulating, and home repairs to homeowners who qualify based on their income. “Community Action Council has been doing weatherization for 30 years. The creation of the (co-op’s) conservation committee opened the door to this,” Whiteside said. The electric co-op created a conservation committee last year, comprised of community members and co-op board and staff members. Whiteside said he met with the conservation committee in the spring and the two organizations decided to combine funding to assist low-income co-op customers. Betsy Cushman, chairman of the co-op’s conservation committee, said committee members were concerned about how the change in electric rates instituted two years ago by the coop would “affect people with fewer resources. We identified that as an area where we wanted to put effort. People with fewer resources (may) live in poorly insulated homes, whether stick frame or manufactured. ... These were the folks who were going to be most impacted by what’s happening with rates.” Community Action was an ideal partner, Cushman said, “because they had folks who were trained and certified and queued up and ready to go do the audits and the weatherization.” In addition, she said, Community Action has experience in determining financial qualifications of homeowners for the weatherization projects, a responsibility the co-op wasn’t eager to take on. Most participants in the projects have incomes that are less than 125 percent of the poverty level, which means a monthly income of $2,385 for a household of three people, Whiteside See WEATHERIZATION on Page A2

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By Laurelle Walsh

The Methow Restoration Council (MRC) and Methow Arts Alliance

With the last span section in place and two-and-a-half weeks until its finish date of Oct. 28, Winthrop’s Spring Creek Bridge enters its final phase of construction. “The rest of the month is going to be pretty busy,” said Winthrop town planner Rocklynn Culp. The curious bridge-watcher will notice construction activity in three areas of the project in the next few weeks: site restoration and preparations for laying the bridge’s concrete decking; bank stabilization on the north shore; and work starting on the Susie Stephens Trail. Before installing the center bridge section on Monday, the Mowat Construction crew accomplished the tricky task of adjusting the tension on all the bridge cable stays with a 100ton jack. With the completion of the span on Monday, the next step was to do a final check on the cable tension. According to the latest construction bulletin, after Mowat finishes ground preparation on the bridge approaches, the crew will begin installing the precast bridge deck panels. To minimize the Methow River’s erosional force on the north bank, GeoEngineers has designed a bank protection plan for the area upstream of the north bridge abutment. Logs with root wads intact will be interwoven and pinned into the bank above the ordinary high water mark. According to Culp, the 40 to 50 cottonwood boles are expected to sprout and grow into the riverbank, providing long-term stabilization. Culp told the Winthrop Town Council last Wednesday (Oct. 5) that on behalf of the town, Methow Salmon Recovery Foundation (MSRF) had secured funding from the Bonneville Power Administration for the bank stabilization work. MSRF is expected to hire a local contractor – yet to be determined – for the excavation and auger work. GeoEngineers will conduct construction oversight, expected to begin Monday (Oct. 17). Culp also informed the council, “It appears that we have $200,000 to $250,000 for work on the Susie Stephens Trail.” She proposed writing

See CALENDAR on Page A3

See BRIDGE on Page A2

Photo by Sue Misao

Kids on the ball Sunday’s Salmon Celebration and Community Dinner drew more than 200 people to TwispWorks after an afternoon of science and art activities at the Twisp Ponds. Kids were offered plenty to do, such as painting and listening to storytelling. But kids tend to make up their own fun, and the giant spherical sculpture by artist Bernie Hosey was

turned into an impromptu playground until event organizers redirected them. “It’s a beautiful, attractive sculpture,” said TwispWorks executive director Amy Stork. “It invites interaction, but we want all interaction to be safe, and climbing it is not safe.” In other words, touch it, look inside it, but keep off!

Calendars raise money, awareness By Laurelle Walsh Can one really have too many calendars? “I’ve got four calendars at home: one in the basement bathroom; one in the bedroom; one in the kitchen; and another in the family room,” remarked Terry Dixon, Twisp librarian. Luckily for her, she can get her 2012 calendars from the following local entities, while benefiting the community at the same time.

Firefighters at work Photos of volunteer firefight-

ers grace each month of the 2012 Winthrop Firefighters wall calendar. Proceeds go to the firefighters’ leukemia and lymphoma fundraising efforts and help send young people to fire training programs. Posters with order forms are found at business sponsors Quality Lube, Glover Street Market, Hank’s Harvest Foods, Carlos1800 restaurant and the Twisp River Pub. Calendars may be ordered now at the pre-sale price of $15. After Dec.1 the price goes up to $20. Jeremiah Fosness is the contact person at (509) 881-0542.

Reflective house numbers are also on sale. The two-sided street signs are $20 and can go on your mailbox or a post at your driveway. Single-sided signs are $15 and mount on the side of your house. Signs may be ordered by calling the Winthrop fire station at 996-2227 and will be hand-delivered for free, or mailed for a $5 charge.

Rivers and art

Trashed out

Senior Center cleaning up more illegal dumpings By Marcy Stamper Anyone who has been to the Senior Center’s Rummage Room in Twisp knows they typically offer a remarkable collection of items for sale. A survey last week turned up a fleece-lined leather jacket, blankets, a food processor, a bowling ball and a bourbon decanter decorated with an image of the Sphinx, in addition to a wide selection of clothing for men, women and children. Unfortunately those gems have to be separated from donations containing mice (dead and alive), wet shoes and clothing, lunch boxes sealed shut by moldy food, used hypodermic syringes, and unwieldy TVs and

furniture. Over the past few weeks, the center has been overwhelmed by illegally dumped trash. During the first week of October, volunteers had to climb over a TV, a coffee table, a broken car seat and plastic bags of trash left after hours in a heap that blocked the front doors, according to Senior Center board president Rosalie Hutson. Hutson and the 14 other volunteers are increasingly disheartened by the dumping and the additional work and costs it brings. “We’re trying to do a community service, but people are using this for a dump,” she said. “We’re a bunch of middle-aged to elderly women here – they bring us huge console TVs and we can’t handle

them,” said volunteer and board member Fae Graves, who had spent Thursday morning (Oct. 6) picking through bags of clothing contaminated by rodent nests and droppings. The Senior Center has two surveillance cameras, but they have not always been able to pick up recognizable images. Posted signs specify that donations can only be accepted when the center is open and list unacceptable items, such as TVs, computers, mattresses and “especially broken, unusable things.” While the seniors try to monitor the site with their cameras, they have not reported the illegal dumping to the police or to Okanogan County See TRASH Page A3

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Photo by Marcy Stamper

Volunteers had to clamber over a pile of discarded furniture and trash that was left after hours at the Senior Center last week. Illegal dumping has been a growing problem at the Rummage Room recently.

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Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Cloudy and high fog this morning with a temperature of 35.8. Went for a walk at Big Valley with the dog and encountered Danica Ready Kaufmann, also with a canine, Bob Spiwak “Otter,” and we had a nice chat (Danica and I, not the dog.) It has been a long time since we conversed and while driving home I got to wondering how many people, 99 percent women,

Not much to report in the people department, so how about two telephone stories. When Winthrop’s Deputy Marshal Ken Bajema approached Sally Gracie Emy Hallowell at Winthrop PT and Fitness and told her the story I’m about to relate, she says she thought that he was “pulling her leg.” This morning I got confirmation from Bajema, who says he was telling Emy the facts as he knows them. Recently, a 911 call came from the address 414 Riverside Ave. in Winthrop. The operator heard static, followed by a hang-up. Returning the call, the operator once again heard static. Marshal David Dahlstrom and Deputy Bajema responded to the call. The story goes all Stephen King-like from that point. The marshals arrived at 414 Riverside, known as “the Hallowell house,” and completed a thorough search of the empty premises. “There was no power or phone service,” Dahlstrom said (though the property has new owners, the house has been unoccupied since Emy moved to Jamie’s Place almost three years ago). The call seemed to have “come from the shop area,” Ken told me, but the telephone wires were “ripped up and hanging from the walls.” I asked Bajema, directly, how a call might have come from an empty house, where the interior telephone lines were disconnected. He didn’t have an answer except that maybe the hanging wires had something to do with it. He called it “an anomaly.” Why would a telephone call

from an empty house go to 911? If there is a scientific explanation for the phone call, what is it? More tantalizing, is it possible the call could have been some sort of paranormal event, outside the range of scientific explanation? Was the house calling 911, crying out to be saved from the fire that will destroy it? (See Methow Valley News, Nov. 23, 2011). When the house is finally destroyed by fire, will that fire also destroy The Ghost Caller of 414 Riverside Ave.? Perhaps the 414 Riverside story is more Ray Bradbury than King, more sci-fi than horror. A film about Bradbury featured a dramatization of his story “Dial Double Zero,” and I showed that film to my classes so many times that it’s been in the back of my mind ever since Emy told me her story. It’s about a telephone call box that started making phone calls from the top of its pole. It called one man in particular, terrorizing him until he climbed the pole and met his death when he opened the call box at the top. What’s your explanation for the story of the 911 call? I’d love to hear from you. I made the mistake of entering my cell phone number online in what I thought was a legitimate Southwest Airlines survey (and a chance to win airline tickets). It turned out to be a scam. I shouldn’t have been surprised. When I received my Verizon bill for January, I realized it was higher than it should be. The “data” detail on the bill showed I had been charged $9.95 plus tax for a “premium message.” A call to Verizon connected me to an operator in Alabama who talked me through the process of stopping any further “premium” messages. Then, to my pleasant surprise, she deleted the charge from my bill. It pays to make a phone call, even to Verizon. It never pays to enter your cell phone number online.

When temperatures drop just as fast as the sun in winter, many people find creative things to do inside – after they finish doing what they do Joanna Smith outside. A very unscientific recent poll in Methow revealed that people spend the daylight hours fishing, snowmobiling, cross country skiing, snowshoeing and bird watching. Speaking of birds, there’s a great horned owl hunting mice near the VW bus on Gold Creek Loop Road. I’d like to invite him over to my place so he

can clear out a mouse commune from my bathroom cupboard. I’d name the owl Gus. In exchange for the free mouse buffet, Gus could deliver mail and small packages for me – like the owls in the Harry Potter series. Another unscientific poll suggests that while indoors during the winter, people in Methow may engage in home brewing and creating art. At the Smith-Bastian household, we brew. Elsewhere in Methow, people create. Gary Walker spends his winter months creating art from discarded deer and elk antlers he found while hiking the hills in the previous spring. The antlers are carved and polished into wine bottle stoppers, candle holders, knife handles and more. Gary uses quality stainless steel for the blades and recovered brass for accents on other pieces. An illuminated vase on their wall resembled

I know there is a 1994 edition somewhere, but could only go back as far as 1995. As you know, there is a period we refer to as “The January warm spell,” even if it may not come until the following month. It could be argued we are in one of those right now. A side note: Cordova, Alaska, had 18 feet of snow over the past week. So, we can go back to 1996 when the wake-up temp was 25.7 with broken cloudiness. From here we jump to 2000, Y2K, when the morning temperature was 5 above and clear. This was a portent of the night following, at 11 below zero. Next year, 2001, was also plus 5, and the following nights produced 10 below on the 10th and 17 below on the 11th.

In 2003 it was 3.2 degrees and clear; 2008 was 8.2 above; 2009 was a balmy 26.2. Two years ago it was 32 degrees and significant in that the coldest I have experienced here in the Methow was a mirror-image 32 below zero around Christmas in the early 1980s. (My coldest ever was 50 below zero in Havre, Montana, in February 1954 – that night set the lower 48 state record of 69 below zero in West Yellowstone.) In 2009, in the Methow it was 24.7 degrees and overcast; 2010 was 24.5. Last year’s recording is buried in a deep box with tax stuff to be winnowed out over the next couple of months.

Photo by Sue Misao

Tree falls Somewhere on the West County Road, at the home of Ben Hargrove and Alyssa Jumars, this front yard tree sports a frozen waterfall as a result of some late autumn sprinkler action. This isn’t the first ice sculpture by Hargrove, who is an ice/rock climber.

blown glass – the translucent white and black tones twisted gracefully downward to a fine point. The horn from a longhorn steer looked much like a Chihuly, freeform yet functional. Joe and I found ourselves at Gary’s house to pick up a goat – all wrapped and packaged in butcher paper. Gary shared a recipe and a secret ingredient that he and his wife, Patty, made. I’ll reveal the secret ingredient in a moment. First, the recipe for amazing goat chops: rub the meat with olive oil and season with thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper. Brown the prepared meat in a 450-degree oven for 30 minutes, turning the pieces over midway through cooking. While the meat is browning, prepare the basting sauce by first sautéing a finely chopped onion in oil until translucent. Add chopped carrots and garlic – cook for another 10

town Carlton. New owner Jeff Lyman and his jolly band of up to about a dozen workers have completely gutted the place, tearing out the old everything and installing all new everythings, including wires and pipes and stuff like that. Every day it seems there are more items added into the “free” shopping carts in front of the gas pumps. The new store will be fresh, clean and up to code, Jeff said, and his pal, Dennis Hoots, who moved up from Manson to help with the renovation, will eventually join him running the store so they can both take turns hiking and fishing and doing whatever it is people do when they’re not selling hot dogs behind the counter of a tiny store in a tiny town in the middle of a beauti-

minutes. Add ¼ cup red wine, 1 cup beef broth, ½ cup water, a splash each of balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire sauce and tamari sauce. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Pour the basting sauce over the chops and reduce oven heat to 350. Roast for 2 hours, turning chops midway though cooking. When chops are done, move them to a plate to rest. Return the basting liquid to the saucepan. Add a dollop of honey and Gary and Patty’s secret ingredient: elderberry jam. Stir to combine, simmer to thicken. Serve chops smothered in the sauce. We tried not to think about those cute little goats we saw throughout the summer – kicking up their heels and enjoying goatly antics. The elderberry sauce helped immensely. It could also be named, The Forgetting Sauce, it’s that good.

ful land of mountains, valleys, forests, rivers and lakes. So far, they think they are somewhat ahead of schedule. For as long as anyone I remember can remember, the Carlton Store has been the epitome of rustic squalor, and proudly so, until the last few years when it went from country-charm dilapidation to simply gross. Therefore, many Carltonians are still in a state of disbelief and shock that they are going to have a new store they won’t be afraid to enter. At this point, seen empty, the building feels expansively large, with plenty of room for a ping pong table, you would think. In other news, I seriously am all in favor of a ping pong table at the Carlton Store.

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Methow Valley News

Valley Life found employment at the Mazama Store when they first arrived in the valley. Two of them, Jen Rogers and Missy LeDuc, ultimately and years apart became co owners of the place with their husbands. If you were one of these, I’d appreciate an email and see that you get your 15 minutes of fame. Don’t be bashful. Earlier, as I struggled to think of something to fill the blanks in paper and mind (mostly the latter), Ms. Gloria suggested that I dig through several piles of journals and compare the weather on this date, Jan. 9. It seemed a worthy project, although there was considerable sidetracking in both looking for missing volumes and reading entries in those found.

It was a blank week in Carlton, with you filling in the blank because I’m too lazy. The weather was blank and some people spent their Sue Misao days blanking blank with their blanks, while others just blanked. Wow, that’s so much easier. Thanks. You guys are great. Meanwhile, things are rolling along at the Carlton General Store in down-

Those with poetic aspirations or resolutions will be happy to hear that a poetry and songwriting circle will be held at the Rocking Horse Bakery on two upcoming Saturdays Ashley Lodato – Jan. 21 and 28 at 2 p.m. Horse Crazy Cowgirl band member and songwriter Lauralee Northcott will host the series, in which valley and visiting artists will gather to share original poetry and songs in a round-robin format. Anyone is welcome to attend this free series. If there is enough interest the circle will continue beyond the two planned sessions. All this exciting cougar action of late has everyone on alert. I recently heard a funny story from Rick and Linda Mills about a cougar encounter in their past (in which their dog was, unfortunately, seized). I’m probably going to get a few of these details wrong, but the gist of the story was that 10 or 15 years ago, one of their then-young sons ran into the house telling them that a cougar was in the yard. Rick grabbed his gun, which was (very prudently – after all, he had two young kids in the house) locked with a combination lock ... to which Rick discovered he no longer remembered the combination. Oops. This anecdote then reminded me of an experience I had a few weeks ago with another mom, who, upon dropping off her child at our house to play, asked whether we had a gun in the house and if so, whether it was locked. (We do, it is.) Such a great question, and one that all of us with small kids should probably be asking each other. The success of the new after-school program at Methow Valley Elementary is largely due to substantial time, talent and materials donations from some generous community members and if the program is to continue, additional help is needed. Program coordinator Nick Allgood is seeking individuals who would be willing to lead one-, two-, or four-day sessions with third through sixth graders on Tuesday and/or Thursday afternoons. Class options vary according to the skills of the leader and the variety of sessions offered thus far has generated much excitement amongst the students. If you’d like to help, contact Nick at 998-7860. (Yes, that’s 998.) The artists who were in residence at TwispWorks this past fall have work displayed at both TwispWorks and the Independent Learning Center (near the bus garage). You should check these installations out if you haven’t already. Both local and visiting artists took place in TwispWorks’ first residency and more are expected in the coming months.

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 Carlton: Sue Misao 997-7O11 or sue@methowvalleynews.com Methow: Joanna Smith (8Ol) 879-2489 or joanna@ joannanews.com

Photo by Sue Misao

Dennis Hoots, left, and Jeff Lyman, occupying.

Tax talk

Home tours

Winthrop, Twisp mayors support sales tax hikes

Annual event features seven local abodes

THE WEEK AHEAD AUG. 11 - 17 Thursday: Partly cloudy Friday: Sunny Saturday: Sunny Sunday: Mostly sunny Monday: Partly cloudy Tuesday: Partly cloudy Wedneseday: Sunny

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See ARTS Page B1

See Page A5

Summer still owes us.

Methow Valley News

PUBLISHED WEEKLY SINCE 1903

TWISP, WASHINGTON

VOL. 109 NO. 13

AUGUST 10, 2011

Value of new construction in Okanogan drops again from 2010

Passed out

By Marcy Stamper

You’re at the trailhead. Now what? It’s complicated. Before you go, check out our detailed list of passes, permits, fees and other requirements at local public recreation areas on Page A7, and also find where to buy passes at local vendors.

By Marcy Stamper Maps of the Methow show land ownership as a jigsaw puzzle of irregular shapes in shades of pastel, so it is no wonder that figuring out which pass you need to enjoy those lands can be such a mystery. But as government land managers try

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Photo by Sue Misao

to fill budget gaps with passes and day fees, people using those areas to hike, watch wildlife or float their boat have to try to solve the puzzle. The U.S. Forest Service has been requiring passes for most trails since the

Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act was passed in 2005, although the application of the law has been refined over the years. Forest Service sites must be equipped

See PASS on Page A2

The value of new construction in the county has continued its steady downward trend, dropping by 18 percent from last year, for a total decline of 58 percent from the peak valued in 2008. The Methow Valley School District was again on top, accounting for 32 percent of all new value in the county. The county added $37, 417,700 in new assessed value in the 12 months ending in July. The Methow accounted for $12,060,500 of that, according to Okanogan County assessor Scott Furman. This year’s value was a decrease of 18 percent from last year, when $45.4 million was picked up. Building activity in 2007 – assessed in 2008 – was $88.6 million, the highest recorded in the county. The value of new construction has tracked the overall recession, and is now at an amount that has not been seen since 2001, said Furman. The Methow’s share of the total parcels was consistent with its value, at 34 percent (140 of the 410 new buildings countywide). The total includes all new construction, from garages through cabins through mansions, that is at least 50 percent complete and ready to withstand the winter, with roof, walls, windows and doors. Most of this year’s new structures are fairly typical, with only a handful of the architecturally elaborate houses that were built during the real estate boom, said Furman. The split between residential and commercial construction has reverted to a more normal distribution for the county, with 94 percent residential construction this year. This follows several years when commercial building increased, owing to large projects such as the Buckhorn Mountain Gold Mine and Home Depot, said Furman. The appraisers physically inspect all new construction in the county and assess it based on a nationally standardized list of values, including architecture and design, building size, materials, and number and type of windows. They calculate only the replacement cost of

See CONSTRUCTION on Page A3

Report due on Chewuch roads By Ann McCreary The Wilderness Society will prepare a report this month based on public feedback about the future of roads located on federal Forest Service lands in the Chewuch River drainage. A small number of local residents attended a public meeting at the Winthrop Barn last week, hosted jointly by the Wilderness Society and the Methow Valley Ranger District, to gather input about how to manage Forest Service roads criss-crossing the Chewuch River drainage. The Methow Ranger District is in the midst of a roads analysis that will ultimately determine which of the 561 miles of roads in the Chewuch drainage are closed and how the remaining roads are maintained. The Chewuch River begins in the Pasayten Wilderness and heads south through Winthrop where it joins the Methow River. The watershed provides water that supports fish and agriculture, provides habitat for mule deer and a variety of wildlife, and is a mecca for an outdoor recreation. The area’s recreation opportunities are what

See CHEWUCH on Page A2

Dr. Herman focuses on forward vision By Don Nelson

Dr. Milt Herman remembers when ... Wait, that’s not how the valley’s only optometrist wants to think about the Methow after his retirement. Herman, who has practiced in Twisp for 35 years, would rather stay focused on his present and future relationships with the vibrant, close-knit community he and his wife, Jan, have become so attached to. “I’ve really appreciated the intense interest people here have in the quality of life,” Herman said in his office last week, where he was winding down with a few last appointments. Herman also admires “the way people will pull together when someone in the community needs help” – citing the recent benefit for Dee Dee Pearce. For three-and-a-half decades, Herman has been shuttling back and forth between his office and home in Wenatchee and his office and apartment in Twisp. He figures he’s logged about 300,000 miles, in earlier days on his motorcycle but lately by car. “I’ve never gotten tired of that drive,” he said. Herman still loves the work too, and has kept up with all the technological advances and expanded treatment options in his pro-

fession. But within eye-chart distance of his 70th birthday, he figures it’s time for him and Jan to do some traveling to parts of the United States they haven’t seen. Herman and Jan – whom he refers to as “my gracious partner” – have been married more than 50 years, and also have grandchildren (with more on the way) that they want to spend time with. The Hermans will also continue their volunteer medical work in Nigeria and Nicaragua, where they have traveled several times to help people who have no other treatment options. “They are the poorest of the poor,” Herman said, “with no hope for improvement.” Herman calls the trips “enlightening,” adding that “they confirm how fortunate we are in this country.” He also will work with the Lilac Foundation for the Blind in Wenatchee.

Lasting impressions

During summers in college, Herman drove tour buses that took him through the Wenatchee area and he fell in love with it. After he completed his optometry training in Chicago, the Hermans headed west again,

Photo by Sue Misao

Dr. Milt Herman, retiring after 35 years of optometry practice in the Methow Valley, sees an active future.

See DR. HERMAN on Page A2

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Methow Valley News

Arts

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

and

By Ann McCreary

Photo by Sue Misao

Guitar virtuoso tops Jazz Festival bill The inaugural Methow Jazz Festival will feature internationally renowned jazz guitarist Nigel Gavin and several other notable artists when it launches three days of performances in Twisp over the Labor Day weekend. The festival opens Friday, Sept. 2, with a free performance by the Lance Buller Trio, at 9 p.m. at the Twisp River Pub. Buller is a trumpet player based in Tacoma. He and vocalist Stephanie Porter will offer another free performance at the pub on Saturday, Sept. 3, beginning at 9 p.m. On Saturday and again on Sunday, Sept. 4, Gavin will appear with jazz flautist Stephen Thompson and his Quartet at the Merc Playhouse. Saturday’s show is at 7p.m., Sunday’s at 2 p.m. Gavin is an American-born guitarist who moved to New Zea-

Nigel Gavin land in 1991 and has lived there since. He is noted for his extraordinary virtuosity and improvisation on acoustic guitar. Tickets for the Merc Playhouse shows are $20. For information, call or visit www.mercplayhouse. org or buy tickets online through brownpapertickets.com.

Gallagher will make a mess at the Twisp River Pub Saturday night. He ran for governor of California and came in 16th in a field of 124 candidates, all of whom lost to Arnold Schwartznegger. “Maria should have voted for me,” Gallagher said. He likes to include political commentary in his comedy routines. “I’ve been watching America all my life, but no one values my opinions,” he said. These days he’s focusing on “the problem with lack of definition in America – nothing is totally anything. Everything is compromised.” America, Gallagher asserted, “is a ‘spoon-fork.’ We live in a world of halfway situations because people

enjoy changing their minds. That’s why we have Obama. People wanted a half-black guy. People wear jeans that are already old. You don’t know what to believe. Is America rich, or can it pay its bills?” Gallagher’s show begins at 8 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at the website www.brownpapertickets.com, where prices are listed as $20 to $35, or by calling the Twisp River Pub at 9976822. The show is appropriate for adults. Bring a raincoat or be prepared to deal with the consequences. To learn more, visit Gallagher’s website, www.gallaghersmash.com.

Catch the fiddle bug this weekend at the Oldtime Fiddlers Contest By Laurelle Walsh

“A

celebration of living American folk art” is the slogan of the 13th Big North Cascades Oldtime Fiddlers Contest this weekend (Aug. 26-

28) in Winthrop. Spring Creek Ranch, at 22 Belsby Rd., is the new spot for the competition. Situated near the confluence of Spring Creek and the Methow River, the grounds are a “beautiful old 1904 dairy farm,” according to event organizer Brad Pinkerton. Camping on site is available for $10 per night Friday and Saturday. The fiddle festivities begin Friday evening on the patio at the Old Schoolhouse Brewery in Winthrop with jam sessions from 7 p.m. “until they kick us out,” according to Pinkerton. All ages are welcome to join the free musical jam but “no bongos please,” requests Pinkerton. Competition begins at Spring Creek Ranch on Saturday with registration starting at 8 a.m. The first round of judging in the Pee-Wee division (age 11 and under) begins at 9 a.m., followed by Senior division (age 60 and up), with finals and trophies in both divisions awarded before the lunch break around noon. There are never enough seniors, says Pinkerton, so adults age 45 and up can purchase a handicap for $1 per year under 60. “There’s only two or three people, so you’ll win some money,” he assures competitors in this category. Gary Lee Moore, winner of the senior division at this year’s National Old Time Fiddlers Contest in Weiser, Idaho, is out of the running since he’ll be Master of Ceremonies at the North Cascades competition this year. During the lunch break, tacos from Omak and apple cider from Carlton will be sold at the festival site. Fiddle competition resumes at 2 p.m. with the judges’ exhibition followed by Junior (ages 12 to 17), Open and Championship divisions. Accom-

Culture

Gallagher: visionary with a smashing show When Gallagher takes his sledgehammer to cottage cheese at the Twisp River Pub on Saturday (Aug. 27), he promises that people sitting 20 seats back will get some of the action. “When I smack it, the cottage cheese is going to go into the river,” Gallagher offered reassuringly in an interview Tuesday during a brief visit to Twisp. “People wouldn’t show up to my show if I only hit the front row.” The quirky comedian, who mixes sharp social and political commentary with a shower of smashed food items, will appear Saturday on the outside patio of the Twisp River Pub. Gallagher fans have learned to prepare for his sledgehammer assaults on all kinds of food items during his act. Seats in the front are referred to as “Death Row” or the “Sledge Zone.” Smacking food with a sledgehammer is a science for Gallagher, who says he reads Physics Today and Scientific American. “I turn downward motion into outward motion. Cottage cheese has little curds that go flying when the viscous liquid explodes.” Gallagher has a chemical engineering degree and has been a comedian for 40 years. When he’s not working on his comedy routine he’s inventing things. He has a patent on a toilet that doesn’t overflow, sunglasses that turn into a tiara, and is working on a casino game. “I’m changing the world, I’m a visionary” said Gallagher, dressed in black trousers lightly splattered with food and a T-shirt inscribed with “Let me drop everything and work on your problem.”

Section

Arts Shorts Prose and poetry read Six local authors will share their work during a free evening of readings at the Methow Valley Inn on Thursday (Aug. 25). Sam Lucy, Abbie Miller, Deb Kalmbach, David Coates, Sheela MacLean and Linda Robertson will read poety and prose, beginning at 7 p.m. in the garden of the inn. A brown bag dinner can be ordered ahead for $15 by calling 997-2253.

Sun photography Door No. 3 will offer a class in cyanotypes, an early photography technique that uses the intensity of the sun to create deep blue prints. Participants will also make tiny books of prints of found flora and fauna. The class will be Thursday (Aug. 25), 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Cost is $50.To register, call 997-2044.

Wild mushrooms identified The Methow Conservancy will offer a Wild Mushroom Identification Workshop with Dana Visalli of The Methow Naturalist on Sunday (Aug. 28) from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Learn to recognize the most common edible mushrooms in the Methow, and how to use keys to work out the identity of all of our larger, conspicuous mushrooms. The class is limited to 12 people, costs $25 per person and registration is required. For more information or to register contact Mary at 996-2870 or info@methowconservancy.org.

Native plant tour in Wenatchee MV News file photos

Bring your fiddle and your bug to the North Cascades Oldtime Fiddlers Contest this weekend. panist awards will be given to “the guy that’s onstage with the most fiddlers,” according to Pinkerton – kind of an endurance test. According to the contest website (winthropfiddle.org), contestants must only select old-time fiddle tunes that are in the public domain and will be judged on style, danceability, rhythm and tone. Further rules may be found at the website. Cash prizes will be awarded to first, second and third place in all divisions. Competitors in first through fifth places will go home with a trophy. Pinkerton expects Saturday’s contest to wrap up around 10 p.m. with jam sessions continuing into the night. Of special interest at every Big North Cascades Oldtime Fiddlers Contest is the Giant Insect Contest. Open to kids 12 and under, the rules state that “insect” in this case includes insects, arachnids, mollusks “and is not limited to any of the above.” Prizes go to all kids who bring a bug, but extra points are awarded for living insects, Pacific Northwest natives, intact legs, size, weight, appearance and vigor. Especially desirable are bugs that make a

“no bongos please”

The Washington State University Master Gardeners of Chelan County will offer a free tour of the Native Plant Garden in Wenatchee at 9:30 a.m. this Saturday (Aug. 27). Master Gardener Connie Fliegel will talk about the benefits of using native plants in home landscaping. The tour takes place at the south end of the WSU Chelan County Community Education Garden at Western and Springwater avenues. For more information, visit www.ncw.wsu.edu/mg or call (509) 667-6540.

Guitarist to perform Reservations will be taken beginning Thursday (Aug. 25) for a free concert by guitarist Paul Grove, to be held at 7 p.m. on Sept. 24 at the Harold and Tina Heath home on Highway 20 west of Winthrop. Grove will offer musical portraits of Shakespearean characters plus Renaissance lute fantasias. Donations will be accepted to defray travel costs. Seating is limited. Gudrun Brunot will be taking reservations at 997-4601.

scary noise or bite a judge. Grand prize is a hot-air balloon ride. The weekend wraps up on Sunday at 1 p.m. at the Shafer Museum with free fiddle lessons and continued jam sessions through the afternoon. Three award-winning fiddlers will be the judges for the 13th North Cascades Oldtime Fiddlers Contest in Winthrop on Aug. 27. The judges are Danita Gardner of Atherton, Calif., Nancy Padilla of Bozeman, Mont., and Mabel Vogt of Potlatch, Idaho. General admission to Saturday’s contest is $15; seniors get in for $8 and kids 12 and under are free. Directions and details can be found at winthropfiddle.org or by calling Pinkerton at 996-2111.

MVN, pg 1

Artists meet and talk Artists are invited to Confluence Gallery Friday (Aug. 26) at 5 p.m. for a discussion about the venue and its vision moving forward. Representatives from the Twisp PDA will also give a presentation. There will be appetizers and refreshments. For more information, call 997-2787.

Collage journey A workshop on “Inner Journeys with Collage” will be offered Sept. 18 at Door No. 3 Print & Book Art Studio in the Methow Valley Community Center in Twisp. Rhoda Walter and Nancy Farr will conduct the workshop, which runs from 12:30-5 p.m. The cost is $35, which includes supplies. Pre-registration is required. Call 996-3369.

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Well, what with all the white-itude surrounding us you are probably getting all excited about the Christmas (er, holiday) season upcoming. Only 11 months to do your shopping, Bob Spiwak help the economy and create new jobs. But seriously folks, it has been one snowy week this past seven days. Today, Monday, is our respite with no snow predicted. Yesterday afternoon produced several events of high winds with so much falling

At 1 a.m. Monday morning the snow had stopped, and Howard Moss, K.C. Moriarty and David Hunter were already on the job, plowing Glover Sally Gracie Street in Twisp. Their machines push the snow to the center, then a loader scoops it up and moves it, either to the lot across from the Methow Valley Inn or to other town property. By the time the restaurants open for breakfast after 5 a.m., the street is ready for customer parking. When I spoke with Twisp’s Public Works director Howard Moss at 10 a.m., Monday, he and his team were still on the job. It seems that Howard had gone right to work in Twisp when he came up from Wenatchee though his Winthrop house had burned down during the night (see story P. A2). I was stunned by his calm. I think he may have said, “There’s nothing left to see” and “I’ll get out there today sometime.” Lori Rodio, the fourth member of Twisp’s Public Works team, gets to sleep in a bit after a storm. Her snow day usually starts at 4:30 a.m., but today she was on the town’s John Deere tractor by 3 a.m. Lori clears the sidewalks – all of Second Avenue and on the highway from bridge to bridge, making two swipes to provide a wide path for pedestrians. Her job may be the most frustrating, according to both Howard and Lori. No sooner has she cleared the sidewalks, than the big state plows come down the highway. Lori laughed rather dryly when she told me that “DOT is watching me” was her recent Status Update on Facebook. She’ll have to go out on the tractor again – and, sometimes, again – to remove the snow that DOT has thrown back onto the sidewalks. After a typical storm, Howard and his team work about seven hours to clear the six or seven miles of roads and the sidewalks. They use three pieces of equipment for most of the work: the John Deere tractor, a heavy duty 4WD truck with a snow thrower, and a large, white truck with plow and sand. No chemicals are used by the town. Public Works uses a full-size International snow plow at the airport. It’s obvious from the way he talks about it that Howard enjoys his work in Twisp, and according to Mayor Soo Ing-Moody, he’s good at what he does. Our “public works staff is very knowledgeable,” she told me this morning. Howard served as public works superintendent for a much larger town in Oregon for 20 years and retired in 2008. He decided to take the Twisp job in the fall of 2010 because he thought he could make a difference for the town. He also likes the lifestyle here in the valley. Public Works has also had to deal with at least 10 frozen water mains in the past month. Indoor pipes are the owner’s problem, but his team is responsible for thawing a freeze between main and meter. Howard recommends that all of us leave a trickle of water running on cold nights, not just frigid ones.

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

at the Mazama Community Center. Rita Anderson will offer films of her travels in Nepal and her trek through the Annapurna Sanctuary last fall. There have already been two popular showings at the Winthrop library. The show begins at 7 pm and you’re encouraged to bring a “fun beverage” and snacks. The implication here being that this is not a potluck. Here is a tip suggested by Ms. Gloria, and one that has been tested here over the past month. Get some pine bark, the rougher the surface the better, and cut it into a slab of about 8 by 12 inches – size is not crucial. Drill a hole dead center a few inches from the top and attach it with a long piece of wire (heavy monofilament should work) and hang it about three feet down from an overhanging branch.

Mix up a mess of peanut butter well endowed with a variety of birdseeds, and with a spatula or wide knife slather this gunk into the indentations in the bark as well as the bark itself. This will bring all manner of birds to feed, and it has been hilarious to watch the greedy jays try to gain a foothold and failing. So they have adapted, after several days of failure, a system whereby they try to grab the food on the fly. A side benefit is photographic: If you fill the frame with bird and bark it produces a more natural looking picture than an ordinary bird feeder, eliminates the squirrels and thus far has attracted chickadees, nuthatches, downy and hairy woodpeckers, flickers and assorted other twitter and flutter birds.

Photo by Sue Misao

Iceapples These apple snowcones were seen chillin’ after the recent snows on a lonely tree next to an old weathered barn on Highway 20 somewhere between Winthrop and Mazama.

This week I am writing to you from Australia. Actually, as you are reading this I’ll be in New Zealand, but with the time difference, flight patterns and Joanna Smith air speed velocity it’s just easier to tell the story from the perspective of Australia. It’s sunny in the land down under. I’ve always wondered what exactly Australia is supposed to be down under. I forgot to ask while I was there. Our first few days were spent in Sydney. We spent a long time enjoying the botanical gardens next to the Opera House in Sydney bay. In the evening the full moon rose above the illuminated opera house and ships with sails outlined in lights, the promenade below was alive with musicians and diners at open-air cafés.

The bats would then take to the sky. Four-foot wingspans effortlessly carried marmot-sized bodies as they made their way to their favorite fruit trees. The glamorous and enigmatic scene could have been from a gothic novel. Our next stop was Hayman Island, near the Great Barrier Reef. After a quick dip in an azure ocean, we took a short hike over the hill to Blue Pearl Bay. Wallabies hopped across our path – too quick for the snap of a camera. Giant cockatiels shrieked from the trees and curious black birds swooped nearby – their call very much like Nelson’s laugh from “The Simpsons”, “Ha Ha!” Occasionally the bird sounded like a disappointed Nelson, “Awww.” The cockatiels proved themselves to be very conniving devious little devils. One of us had shuttered the room, but not quite closed the glass door. It did not take long for those yellow crested buggers to find the mini bar, invite a dozen of their friends and throw a frat party. As we came through the door they shrieked indignation at us – as if we were the rude ones.

A big snow week in Carlton as you probably already know, but what’s the news for if not to confirm what you already suspected? NothSue Misao ing’s real until you see it in black and white print, so you can say to yourself, “I thought so, and now I know.” Unless it’s the phone book, in which case you will likely say to yourself, “Oh, I doubt that.” Funny in these modern times that we still want phone books and the post office in our lives. Anyway, in the future some person or conquering alien will want to know about Carlton’s particular

snow this week and it will all be right here in solid print for posterity. Makes me feel important, or, more importantly, like I’m serving our country, and humanity in general. And just to prove it to all you future space mutants or our great-great grandchildren who may be rifling through these by-now tattered pages for evidence, here is a photo of some of our fellow Carlton inhabitants’ snowcovered food. Hay. Looks delicious, no? We feed it to cows and then we eat the cows because we don’t like the taste of hay until it gets inside a cow. I hope it doesn’t weird out the space people that we eat our fellow residents, but who knows, maybe they’ll have eaten us, too. Probably to get at our hamburgers. I want to thank the fellow Carltonian who plowed my driveway the other day, and welcome anyone else who wants to do the same, and also thank the other Carltonian who

Methow Valley News

Valley Life snow from the sky, the ground and off the trees that Grizzly Mountain, about 150 yards away, was obscured. The snow did bring in a surprise visitor, a lone mourning dove, a creature we have never seen before in winter. The quail population has gone from three a month ago to an even half-dozen currently. Steve Bondi of North Cascades Basecamp recently told me of several sightings of moose tracks in the upper occupied areas of the valley. They were spotted by skiers on Jack’s trail (adjacent to Early Winters campground) as well as near upper Lost River Road, which would make it a mere wade across the river from Jack’s. From Midge Cross comes word of a program this coming Sunday

The island was covered in every tropical tree and flower imaginable. Lemon yellow trumpet vines and sunset orange birds of paradise grew next to ponds filled with purple lotus flowers, snapped shut in the morning but opening later in the day to reveal a sunny yellow center. Orchids sprouted from tree trunks, while red flowers dangled from the leaves and branches. Colorful birds flitted back and forth; their songs filled the air almost as thickly as the scent of flowers. Just off shore, under the surface of the sea, an underwater garden mimicked all the colors of the flora on land. Corals in all shapes and hues grew from the sandy bottom under water. Some were as stiff as cacti, with bright purple tips. Others waved with the movement of water, like prairie grasses in the wind. Colorful fish swam under, over and alongside us. A sea turtle as large as a breakfast table watched me with a wary eye. And maybe, just maybe, this is why Australia is called the land down under, because this underwater world is something to see.

Hay. dropped a can of gas off at my kid’s out-of-gas car on the highway the other, other day. People in Carlton

Get ready to feel the love from MVSTA and other community recreation-based organizations on Friday (Jan. 27) during MVSTA’s Ashley Lodato “Backyard Ski Day.” The event, which is developed to show appreciation to the local community for supporting the MVSTA trail system, allows local residents to enjoy the largest Nordic trail system in North America free of charge for a day. A complete listing of the day’s offerings (and numerous event sponsors) is published elsewhere in the paper, but highlights include free ski rentals and lessons, free ice skating, trailside s’mores and other goodies, and author-led StorySki tours by award-winning author/illustrator Erik Brooks. There’s no school that day so grab the kids and c’mon out and enjoy the great outdoors with your friends and neighbors. The recent cougar action has until lately been able to be a “not in my backyard” kind of issue, with most of us duping ourselves with the assurance that although the cougars were out there, they weren’t too close. And then came Babette Joslin’s backyard run-in with an aggressive cat a few weeks ago. If you’re the type that goes out walking in the hills alone, her experience is apt to put an end to your solitary treks. Some skiers out on Jack’s Trail a week or so ago thought they had stumbled upon the site of a fresh cougar kill, as evidenced by the large red stain on the trail. But upon further investigation the red snow was determined to be the result of a break in an MVSTA grooming machine’s hydraulic line. Want to be treated like a queen? Then consider becoming one. The 67th ’49er Days celebration committee is seeking its queen. Any high school junior or senior girl may apply. Interested parties may pick up an application and further information from Karen’s Family Salon in Winthrop from Stephanie Mitchell. Information is also available at the Liberty Bell High School office. The committee also needs additional members, so please call the visitor information center (996-2125) if you are available to help plan this beloved valley weekend of western-themed festivities. A bunch of young local skiers traveled to Wenatchee to compete in the Apple Cup at Mission Ridge over the weekend, where they found blizzard-like conditions. On Saturday the Liberator lift was closed due to 85-mile per hour winds and the kids had to ski through double black diamond tree-covered runs to get to the race. Parents report that there were no complaints – just some smiling faces from our hardy Methow Valley youngsters. Many great race results came from our group, most notably from 12-year-old Claire Wallis, who won the Apple Cup – fastest of all girls over four races. Congratulations to all the skiers!

Photo by Sue Misao

are so darn friendly. Also, feel free to make me some soup. OK, you can go back to your regular lives now.

Mazama: Bob Spiwak 996-2777 or badwater@centurytel.net • Twisp: Sally Gracie 997-4364 or sgracie@centurytel.net • Winthrop: Ashley Lodato 996-3363 or ashleylodato@alumni.stanford.edu • Carlton: Sue Misao 997-7O1l or sue@methowvalleynews.com • Methow: Joanna Smith (8Ol) 879-2489 or joanna@joannanews.com

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MVN, pg 8

THE WEEK AHEAD JAN. 5-11 THURSDAY: Snow showers FRIDAY: Mostly cloudy SATURDAY: Mostly cloudy SUNDAY: Mostly cloudy MONDAY: Snow showers TUESDAY: Sunny WEDNESDAY: Cloudy

36 31 30 33 34 28 29

17 15 18 19 18 10 16

Triumphs

Inspired

Methow sports had many heroes in 2011

New Confluence show is strictly local art

SPORTS Page B1

Where’s the snow?

See story Page A5

Methow Valley News

PUBLISHED WEEKLY SINCE 1903

TWISP, WASHINGTON

VOL. 109 NO. 34

News happens. Looking at a year’s worth of it can be enlightening or sobering, depending on the topic. In any event, it’s a worthwhile exercise to review where we’ve been, in case it might help us get where we’re going. Here’s a quick look back at 2011 in the valley. We may have missed an event or two, or overlooked something that some readers found more noteworthy. But it’s a fairly comprehensive picture of things the Methow was interested in for the past 12 months.

JANUARY 4, 2012

tion as general manager of OCEC to take a job in Montana, after 25 years with the local utility. Longtime Mazama resident Beverly McCall dies in a traffic accident on state Highway 2 near Leavenworth. A Canada lynx is trapped, collared and released near the Eightmile Creek drainage. Okanogan-Douglas District Hospital (ODDH) commissioners support asking voters for an increase in the hospital’s annual tax levy. Construction begins on the Methow Valley Interpretive Center at TwispWorks. Paul Budrow is named Twisp police chief. The Methow Valley Irrigation District settles a long dispute with the state Department of Ecology over diversion of water for stream flows. The daily Wenatchee World stops home delivery to the Methow Valley.

JANUARY

Liberty Bell High School roof repairs are completed and the gym is back in service. Okanogan County Electric Cooperative (OCEC) board hears that upgrading electricity service to Mazama may cost as much as $9 million, according to General Manager Ray Ellis. Demand on the Mazama feeder line reached an all-time high. Methow Valley Sport Trails Association (MVSTA) offices are burgled on New Year’s Eve, the second burglary in recent months. The Absent, a movie by writer/ director Sage Bannick set and mostly shot in the Methow, opens in Seattle. Stella Dwinell turns 100, celebrates at Jamie’s Place in Winthrop. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and Department of Natural Resources (DNR) agree to a land swap involving more than 2,000 acres. Members for a Democratic Co-op, a grassroots organization formed in response to changes in the co-op’s rate structure, selects three candidates for positions on the OCEC board of directors Methow Valley School District joints 200 other districts in a lawsuit claiming that the state is violating its constitution by not adequately funding basic education. The Methow Valley Communications District lowers its fees and

75¢

APRIL

Photo by Sue Misao

Liberty High School class of ’12 got a head start on the new year by re-painting the campus water tower at the beginning of the school year. This is Natalie Rodriguez.

And what a year it was A look back at the news in 2011

converts to digital service. Winthrop tentatively chooses a contractor to build the Spring Creek Bridge: Mowatt Construction of Woodinville, which bid $2.2 million to build the structure.

FEBRUARY

The Winthrop National Fish Hatchery announces $3 million in improvements, with construction to

begin in the spring. The county’s comprehensive plan update is pronounced ready for public hearings. Biologists determine that the Lookout Mountain Pack of gray wolves had diminished to two or three, after numbering as many as 10. Methow Valley Community School begins discussion of adding two grades in middle school. Comprehensive plan hearings

begin, drawing lots of Methow residents. Liberty Bell High School is cited for overall excellence by the state schools superintendent. Two more candidates announce they will run for a seat on the OCEC board.

MARCH

A Superior Court judge issues a cease-and-desist order against a motocross track along Twisp’s Airport Road. The Mazama Village mixed-use development is approved by the county commissioners. Doug Adams, recently retired from the Okanogan County Public Utility District, is hired as interim manager of the OCEC until a replacement for Ray Ellis is found. New recycling barrels are unveiled in downtown Winthrop. Three newly elected board members – Ardis Bynum, Kent Hitch and Dale Sekijima – get ready to take their places on the OCEC board. Vandals cause thousands of dollars worth of damage to Methow Valley School District buses.

MAY

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Ray Ellis announces his resigna-

See WHAT A YEAR Page A6

State budget slashing would be felt at local level Medicaid cuts could devastate rural health care By Ann McCreary Small, rural hospitals across the state – including facilities in Brewster and Omak that serve Methow Valley residents – will lose millions of dollars as a result of proposed cuts in state health care funding. A bill pending in the Legislature that proposes slashing Medicaid payments to rural hospitals would financially cripple local hospitals, and could have dire consequences for patient care, according to two local hospital administrators. “It would be pretty devastating,” said Mike Billing, administrator of Mid Valley Hospital in Omak. “We’d have to lay off a lot of people … the equivalent of 40 to 50 full-time employees.” “What we would continue to do and how we do it would change dramatically,” he said. Bud Hufnagel, chief executive officer of Three Rivers Hospital (formerly Okanogan-Douglas District Hospital) in Brewster, said some of the 38 small hospitals that would be affected by the measure would likely close their doors. “People will lose access to critical care,” Hufnagel said. “When you have a patient with a stroke or heart attack,

the most important thing that needs to happen is you need to get that person to a doctor within one hour …. if you get them in within one hour you have a shot of saving that patient’s life. If you start cutting revenue to Critical Access Hospitals, some will close … and people will die.” Both Three Rivers Hospital and Mid Valley Hospital are designated Critical Access Hospitals – part of a federal program created in 1997 to help hospitals survive in rural and remote areas by providing slightly higher reimbursements – 1 percent more than actual costs – for Medicare patients. Hospitals in the CAH program must be at least 35 miles away from another hospital, and are limited to 25 beds. House Bill 2130, a budgetcutting proposal introduced in the last legislative session, would mean a 50 percent cut in Medicaid payments for the 38 Critical Access Hospitals in Washington. These hospitals provide care to a high proportion of Medicaid patients and most of them, including Three Rivers and Mid Valley, are already struggling financially. For Mid Valley, the cuts would mean a loss of $2.5 million annually, and Three Rivers would lose $1.5 million per year. “That’s not going to

Emergency medical providers expect new fees in July Marcy Stamper

“If you start cutting revenue to Critical Access Hospitals, some will close … and people will die.” Bud Hufnagel, CEO of Three Rivers Hospital work,” said Hufnagel. Three Rivers Hospital “is in the hole $2.1 million” already through loans it has received from Okanogan County to cover operating expenses. “It doesn’t translate to people, because we’ve already cut all the people we can cut and be able to continue to deliver services,” Hufnagel said. Billing said Mid Valley Hospital is hoping to break even in 2011. Losing $2.5 million would require drastic changes “in what we do in terms of X-ray services, general surgery, obstetrics,” Billing said. Cutting Medicaid reimbursements “converts … Medicaid to bad debt,” he added. “Somebody’s going to have to say, ‘If you’re poor and ill, you don’t get care.’” By cutting fee-for-service Medicaid reimbursements to rural hospitals, HB2130 is predicted to save the state

See HOSPITAL Page A3

Emergency medical providers could be required to pay for their own certification if a bill under consideration by the state Legislature passes. The House bill would affect emergency medical responders, technicians and paramedics, who had enjoyed an exemption because of concerns about requiring volunteers to pay a fee, according to the Washington Department of Health, which oversees the certification. The new fees would cost Aero Methow Rescue Service $5,750 at their current level of staffing, according to executive director Cindy Button. Button said they would most likely pick up the cost for their employees and volunteers, who include five paid paramedics, five advanced emergency medical technicians (three paid) and 22 volunteer EMTs. The bill, which those in the emergency medical field expect to pass, would create licensing fees of $40 to $200 every three years, depending on the level of training. In addition, there are separate fees for emergency vehicles, $150 for aid vehicles with some life-support equipment and $300 for ambulances, paid every two years. While the majority of

MVN, pg 1

local responders – particularly those with less-advanced training – are volunteers, statewide the balance has shifted over the past two decades, with the proportion of all volunteers falling from 66 to 40 percent, according to the Department of Health. Paramedics, who have the most advanced training, are nearly all paid professionals, with fewer than 3 percent statewide volunteering, but volunteers constitute the vast majority of emergency responders who hold only basic training. The majority of the state’s fire departments use firefighters who also provide emergency medical services, but in most of the Methow Valley the functions are separate, according to Don Waller, fire chief for Okanogan County Fire District 6. Firefighters in the district, which has four paid staff and about 35 volunteers, have only firefighting training, with the emergency medical services handled by Aero Methow, a private nonprofit. There are no fees proposed for certification of firefighters, who are provided with gear and a $10 stipend per call, said Waller. On the other hand, Douglas-Okanogan County Fire District 15, which covers the towns of Methow and Pateros, Brewster and Bridgeport,

“It will be interesting to see what happens. I think it’s really going to hit all EMS agencies hard.” Tonya Vallance, director of EMS services, Douglas-Okanogan County Fire District 15 does provide both services, with many volunteers and staff trained in both areas, according to Tonya Vallance, director of EMS services. They have five paid staff with dual training and 24 volunteers, half of whom are trained for both fires and EMS. Because Fire District 15 is a government agency, it must adhere to stricter requirements to avoid violating laws governing gifts and cannot give away classes, which cost $900 to $1,000, said Vallance. As a result, their EMTs already pay for their own training and certification. Some of their volunteers may stay only a few months after receiving the training, because they get a paid position elsewhere, part of the prohibition on covering

See PROVIDERS Page A3

In concert De-tailing

THE WEEK AHEAD JULY 28 - AUG. 2 Thursday: Sunny 85 53 Friday: Mostly sunny 83 53 Saturday: Sunny 86 53 Sunday: Sunny 86 53 Monday: Sunny 86 55 Tuesday: Sunny 86 53

Chamber music festival continues with a flourish

Could this be what we’ve been waiting for?

Rock wastes remediated at Azurite Mine

ARTS Page B1

See Story Page A3

Methow Valley News

PUBLISHED WEEKLY SINCE 1903

TWISP, WASHINGTON

VOL. 109 NO. 11

County considers state wolf de-listing

By Marcy Stamper

See WOLVES on Page A2

JULY 27, 2011

Liberty Bell gym suffers $100,000 in water damage

New packs suggest wolf is no longer endangered, they say Okanogan County commissioners are proposing a resolution that would ask the state to consider removing the gray wolf from its list of endangered species, calling the animal a “deleterious exotic wildlife” that is not native to Washington. After more than a year spent reviewing the status of wolves and the research supporting special protections, the commissioners are considering submitting a petition to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) to de-list the gray wolf as an endangered species in the state. Wolves have been delisted by the federal government in the eastern one-third of Washington, which includes Okanogan County east of Highway 97. They remain protected in the Methow. County Commissioner Bud Hover, who lives in the valley, said that the number of wolf packs in Washington state – including two discovered this year – shows that the animal is no longer endangered. “There are two things in my mind: either WDFW is planting them or they are moving in on their own. Either way, there is no need for a listing because they are not endangered,” he said. The proposed resolution, prepared by Okanogan County Planning Director Perry Huston, states that “substantial evidence exists that the Gray Wolves being introduced and managed as endangered are not a species native to the State of Washington,” and questions the basis for the state’s initial decision to list the animal. Hover also questioned whether the wolves that have been found in Washington are indigenous, noting that they are much larger – and therefore more destructive – than native wolves. “These are concerns – if in fact the wolves are being planted, are they the same type that were extirpated?” he asked. Wildlife biologists say that the wolves found in Washington have migrated on their own. “No wolves have been introduced into Washington by people,” said Scott Fitkin, district wildlife biologist for WDFW. “The idea that this species is not native to Washington is incorrect.” The wolf species found in Washington is the same throughout the state, although subtle genetic variations have been detected in tissue samples, said Fitkin. For example, tests on the alpha male and female from the Methow’s Lookout Pack showed a genetic similarity to wolves from coastal British Columbia, whereas wolves in northeastern Washington appear to be closer to wolves from inland British Columbia, he said. In addition to questioning the basis for the endangered status, the resolution sets out concerns about the threat posed by Canadian wolves to livestock and other wildlife, as well as to dogs and humans because the

75¢

Photo by Sue Misao

Bling!

Brandy Woras of Winthrop was the winner in the “Milan to Methow” recycled fashion show at Confluence Gallery on Saturday. Her beer-and-soda-can dress, designed by Autumn Jateff, won the approval of judges, as well as a $300 prize. Second place went to Renda Grim, and third place to Casey Bouchard (seen here) with designer Sara Ashford. For more, see Arts page B1.

More than a half-century ago, the bell in the old Winthrop High School plunged from its cupola into the ruins when the building burned to the ground on New Year’s Day, 1961. Now five Winthrop High grads who always maintained their loyalty to the school have a plan to rehang the bell – recently recovered from the ashbin of history – at Winthrop’s Mack Lloyd Park. The five women — Elinore (Kent) Drake, class of 1951; Frankie (Morse) Waller ’52; Mary Ann (Motzkus) Bame ’53; Donna (Northcott) Martin ’53; and Bev (Mahone) Holcomb ’62 – comprise the Winthrop School Reunion Group, which has organized an all-school reunion every five years since the first in 1982. You can see their high school pictures among those of their fellow Winthrop alumni on the walls of the upstairs room at the Winthrop Barn. They have now embarked on an ambitious project to be completed by next August’s 2012 reunion: to erect a monument in Mack Lloyd Park to house the bell. The bell was recently rediscovered by Bame at the home of Darlene and Duane Hadfield on the Twisp-Carlton Road. Darlene passed away a year ago, but it was her intention to return it to the school somehow, and Duane has told them to come and get it whenever they want, according to Bame. That will take some effort and likely some volunteers

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The Liberty Bell High School gym sustained major water damage two weeks ago, with the floor under an inch of water and drywall that crumbled and fell onto the stage, according to Methow Valley superintendent Mark Wenzel. The damage, estimated at $100,000, was discovered by the district’s maintenance supervisor on Thursday, July 14. The previous day, ABC Fire Control was performing maintenance on the sprinkler system in the mechanical room above the gym and repairing pinhole leaks in the pipes, according to Wenzel. The main drain and a valve were left open and the entire gym floor – some 12,000 square feet – and adjacent Commons were flooded, said Wenzel. The parquet floor, drywall and ceiling tiles in the Commons and carpeting in nearby corridors were also soaked and ruined. A remediation service, France and Company, began drying out the gym floor three hours after the damage was discovered by pumping in hot air, said Wenzel. The team also evaluated the extent of the damage; their preliminary assessment is that about 10 percent of the gym floor where the plywood has buckled – 1,300 square feet at the southwest corner – will need to be replaced. The moisture level of the gym floor registered at 60 to

70 percent, but should be 6 to 8 percent, said Wenzel. Although the moisture level in the gym floor has already dropped to 10 percent after a week of drying, it will require at least one more week to dry out, said Wenzel. Wenzel expects it to take all of August to complete the repairs and said the school district faces a tight timeline to dry, replace and refinish the floor before school starts on Sept. 6. Drywall and debris from the stage and the parquet floor in the Commons have been removed and will be replaced. School staff have not decided whether they will replace the Commons floor with a new parquet floor or tile. The only ceiling damage was above the stage and in the Commons. Last December the gym ceiling became saturated when snow apparently blew into the attic through vents along the ridgeline and then melted. The vents were blocked with a finer mesh to prevent the problem from recurring. The gym has been used this summer by informal athletic groups, who have been able to switch to the Methow Elementary gym for basketball, but school district personnel will most likely have to find another place for the volleyball team to begin practice in mid-August, said Wenzel. Wenzel said he expects the repairs to be covered by insurance.

Photo courtesy of Elinore Drake

According to notes, the photo is of a1940 ski class taught by Victor Kovak, at the original Winthrop School. The school once stood at the site of today’s Winthrop Physical Therapy and Fitness. because of the bell’s weight and bulk. As related to Bame by Darlene, in the mid 1970s a janitor at the re-built high school – now the site of Methow Valley Elementary – was cleaning up scrap metal and told their teenage son Ty Hadfield that he could have the bell if he wanted it. “I don’t know how they got it in their pickup. It’s got to take four men to move it,” said Bame. But move it they did, and the bell has hung from a structure in the Hadfield’s yard until this day. Martin’s son, Brad (class of ’72), is donating his design and construction services to the bell

project. Funding for materials is to be donated by the Northcott family, according to Drake. “We hope the cupola structure can be similar looking to the one at the original school.” Martin said. Mayor Dave Acheson said at the July 20 Winthrop town council meeting, “You have the blessing of town to go forward with the design.” He stipulated however, that he would need to see a design sketch. Notices about next year’s reunion will be sent out to Winthrop High School alumni next spring. In the meantime, if you’d like to get involved in the bell project, contact Drake at 996-2452.

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Easter Sunday, contrary to predictions, turned out to be a gorgeous sunny day, replicating the one before and quite unlike today, Monday, where there is a hundred percent chance of rain and Bob Spiwak colder weather with snow now predicted for later in the week. It seems this year NOAA has had the most inconsistent forecasts in memory.

UPS just delivered new landline phones with a built-in answering machine. Better to write this before I try to set them up. I spent an hour this Sally Gracie morning trying to figure out how to use the new cell phone that arrived on Friday. “Tips, Hints and Shortcuts” is the title on the booklet that’s supposed to explain the features of this cell phone, which the guy said is easy enough even for an old lady like me to figure out. It might have been easy if I could read the diagram that explains what each of the buttons does. In the tiny 4x5 inch booklet, the diagram is black; the lines and arrows that point to various phone parts are skinny and red. Why do these companies hire idiots to design their booklets? I had to go online to find a large diagram of the phone I’d purchased, make it full screen, then try to figure out the buttons. Which are of course NOT labeled and explained in the excellent online photo. It has a camera, which I probably won’t use because I neither Tweet nor text nor e-mail on my phone. Once I’d figured out how to scroll and had set a ringtone, I slid the phone open and activated it. I called my son in Nebraska to see if the speed dial worked, and he called me back so I could see if the phone rings. It does. Hope I’m not near you sometime when someone calls – I’ll be embarrassed – but it does ring. Even my beautiful iMac with the big screen is a challenge. It wasn’t till yesterday that I learned how to read an article on one website while simultaneously keeping an eye on the Decorah Iowa eagle cam in another window. I remind myself that without this technology that sometimes clutters my life, I couldn’t enjoy watching the mama and poppa eagle care for their three nestlings (www.ustream. tv/decoraheagles). I’ve found the eagles experience absolutely thrilling. Melanie Whittaker will offer a class for beginners, therapeutic yoga practitioners, and anyone who wants to learn how to improve their yoga practice. While there will be mat work and chair work, the focus will be on answering questions and making your yoga practice a better fit for you. The class begins on Thursday, May 19 and continues Monday, May 23, and Thursday, May 26. All classes are at Winthrop Fitness from 5:306:30 p.m. The fee is $25 for members of Winthrop Physical Therapy and $30 for non-members. Call 996-8234 to register. I hope lots of you do (register) because I really need the individualized attention that this class will give us. Methow Dance Collective’s Friday night program at The Merc was spectacular. I loved each and every dance number. The music that the choreographers chose was perfect. “Eve” was interesting because the dancers moved behind a scrim, so the four dancers showed in silhouette. Lyndsay Frady was the happiest performer in “Small Space, Big Happiness,” a tap dance number that made everyone in the audience happy, too. The energetic finale was “Tiriba,” a traditional African dance choreographed by Deirdre Luvon, and danced by seven dancers who, smiling all the time, amazed me to see them still standing as the drumming stopped.

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Methow Valley News

Valley Life A Brush With Stardom from the past: While living in Arizona, Don Klein, ardent golfer of upper Mazama, was working as a volunteer at the Phoenix Open golf tournament when Vince Gill (See current cover of AARP magazine) walked by as a celebrity contestant in a pre-tournament ProAm. Klein recognized him as he passed and said hello. The country music star stopped and spoke with him. Don mentioned that Vince’s cousin in Bellingham said to say hi if he ran into Gill, who paused, looked puzzled and then uttered, “Oh, Mark, how is the little S#@&?” Then excused himself for his tee time was nigh. With the weather as nasty as

it has been and the opening of the pass questionable for Memorial Day, my wife remarked that it would be a shame for people to have to drive the long way around to get here just to be counted in the annual Memorial Day car count. Another annual event was the Easter egg hunt at the Mazama Store last Sunday. There was quite a crowd and everyone had fun, we’re told. Along with the egg seeking, another facet of the day was declaration of the winners in the jellybean counting competition. The beans are in two jars, one smaller than the other by more than half. The winner of the lesser of the vessels was Isaac Lindsey, whose

Photos by Sue Misao

Dance, dance, dance Methow Dance Collective gave two performances over the weekend, featuring more than a dozen dancers and seven choreographers in widely varying styles. Top row, Lyndsay Frady taps out “Small Space, Big Happi-

Carlton was wildly represented last week at a slide show presentation at the Twisp pub by mountaineer David Gottlieb, who, apparently is also Sue Misao from Carlton. This is a guy who climbs to the top of really tall ice-encrusted mountains in the Himalayas that no one has ever climbed before, and also, as a Mt. Rainier climbing ranger, rescues stranded and injured people off that mountain. Last year, he was one of two recipients of the U.S. Dept. of Interior’s Valor Award, for demonstrating “unusual courage involving a high degree of personal risk in the face of danger.” And he’s lived right here in Carlton all along. Who knew? Anyway, it was not only fascinating but also educational. For instance, did you know there are about a thousand different words that

Stand on your head and enter.

guesstimation was 623, not far off the mark. Winning the big jar prize was long-time Mazama resident and manager of the Mazama Country Inn, Mary Milka, who guessed 1,420 jellybeans. As I recall, the exact number was 1,406 and the non-winner who divined this was Claire LeDuc, whose family owns the store where she works, when not in college, and thus ineligible. As to Ms. Milka, guests at the inn will probably not get chocolates on their pillows, but will rather be recipients of Mary’s generosity and dispersal of over a thousand jellybeans. The rites of spring up here of course include gardening, and it is

ness,” Deirdre Luvon and Baylie Peplow interpret “Heavy Heart,” and Kathleen Hirschstein twirls “Behind the Veil: Secrets of the Silk Road.” Below, the show ended with a traditional West African performance of Deirdre

Luvon’s “Tiriba,” accompanied by drummers Chris Doree and Blake Luvon, and performed by, from left, Lexi Koch, Deirdre Luvon, Broehe Karpenko, Lyndsay Frady, Brooke Bourn, Megan Schmidt and Heidi Steckler.

describe about a thousand different mountain parts? Well, at least a hundred. Put some of those in your trivia pipe and smoke it. David climbs mountains for the same reason I eat cheeseburgers. The enjoyment. Meanwhile, spring continues to be cold around here, and people’s standards for a “nice day” have gone way down. Also, as usual, Carlton is still for sale. There is some great riverfront property in the middle of our bustling downtown business sector just waiting for the right developer. If I were the boss of Carlton I would close off the highway through town and re-route traffic onto the Old Carlton Road (sorry, Old Carlton Road people) and turn the downtown corridor into a wild park, with a giant waterslide into the river, and maybe a ferris wheel. Somewhere, there No calls, please. would be a coffee shop with chairs, and zebras would roam freely. Always complexity of Carlton, locally referred to as “The Carlton Complex,” is what liked zebras. It’s hard to find a buyer for keeps the simple-minded folk from Carlton because, let’s face it, the town staying too long, though it certainly is kind of strange. You have to enter doesn’t keep them from moving here the Country Town Motel grounds in the first place. These photos alone standing on your head, and the town’s make the place look like a funhouse. only public phone booth is lacking a Sure, it’s wambly, but who wouldn’t phone but seems to have want to live here? a telephone pole coming out of its top. I don’t even know if you can get cell service in that booth. Then there’s our copycat “T for Twisp” sign at the north end of town. The Carlton’s “T forTwisp.”

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an item of conversation these days as well as action, even with snow still on the ground in the upper reaches of the valley and sheltered places down here in West Boesel. Dig down a few inches and it’s dust and already time to irrigate. It is strange to speak with people from just over the mountains, whose daffodil flowers are already history, while here last week it was an exciting time to have some for household cut flowers. Another rite, probably not operative on the west side, is the gathering of firewood for next winter, something the Coasters are probably not doing, and some of us have been at for weeks.

John and Sam Owen recently returned from a twoand-a-half week trip to Peru with Overseas Adventure Travel. They chose the trip because of their interest in the Pe- Ashley Lodato ruvian culture, the colorful textiles, and Peru’s biggest lure: Machu Picchu. They started in the rainforest and stayed at a lodge on the Amazon before traveling to Cusco and doing day trips to ruins in the Urubamba Valley – the Inca sacred valley and site of the ancient city of Machu Picchu. So there they were at the ends of the earth, in the almost-labyrinthine ruins at Machu Picchu, completely isolated from the Methow Valley and not knowing a soul. And who should they run into but another Methow Valley resident, Dawn Heath. The Owens also visited a school in the Urubamba Valley where the children performed for them and they ate lots of local food, which Sam described as very healthy: lots of legumes and fresh produce with not a lot of fried or salty foods. Liberty Bell High School students around the valley are not the only ones receiving college acceptance letters in the mail recently. Linda Robertson just learned that she was admitted to Chatham University in Pittsburgh, Pa., to their MFA program in creative writing and poetry. It’s the low-residency program, so Linda will go back to Chatham once a year for 11 days starting this August and the rest of the program will be completed online. Linda says the application was pretty hefty, requiring her to submit 20 poems, three letters of recommendation, a writing resume, and a lengthy personal essay. Of the rigorous application process she said, “I felt like I was in college again!” (Um, guess what Linda…you are in college again.) The MFA writing program at Chatham has a focus on nature, the environment, and travel, all of which are right up Linda’s alley, so she is very excited to begin the program this summer. Her thesis will be a book of poetry, which she expects to complete in three or four years. Fritz and Susy Zuch, as well as their daughter, were recently featured in an inflatable kayak magazine-catalog in an article about kayak season on the Methow River. The article describes an exciting situation when the Zuchs ran D.O.T Chute in their inflatables – possibly a first inflatable descent. The Winthrop Kiwanis annual highway cleanup is coming up this weekend on Sunday, (May 1). If you can help, meet at 8 a.m. at the Winthrop post office. Wear work clothes and bring work gloves; vests and trash bags will be provided.

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Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Methow Valley News

Valley Life

Thanks to Midge Cross, we can report on the potluck Sunday evening, that of the first early darkitude of the season. It was attended Bob Spiwak by more than 30 people and as usual there was lots of good food. Ken Westman and Jim Gregg both spoke on matters relevant to the Mazama Advisory committee.

President and Athletic Director “Coach” Larry Mcwhirter announced that for the first time there would be garbage collection at the community building. Until now, when the place was rented, the inhabitants were requested to pack away their own debris. With the modernization that a pair of trash cans has brought to the community center, self collection of old bones, coffee grounds, empty bottles and gummy napkins will now be of the past and will be collected weekly by Methow Valley Sanitation truck. Speaking of renters, it was announced that Karan Godman will now be in charge of hiring out the facility (including garbage cans) to those who wish to rent the place for

Our goodnatured spinster of a building had no reason to feel lonely or to doubt her future, as all the action last weekend was there – at the Sally Gracie Methow Valley Community Center (MVCC). Friday and Saturday evenings saw the gym fill with enthusiastic audiences for La Belle Spectacle, a variety show to raise money for Methow Valley Theater ’s spring production. Several musicals are being considered for next spring: Cabaret, Annie, Gypsy, Mama Mia, and Rocky Horror Picture Show, and Danbert Nobacon, Marti Darling and Nadine Van Hees each put their heart into a song from the first three shows. It was Jody Love, Linda Dunn and Marti who brought the house down at the close of the first act with a comic lip-sync of “Dancing Queen” from Mama Mia. And the best of all was Noah Ashford at the end of the show. Noah – how tall is he anyway, 6 feet 4 inches? – was decked out in mesh stockings, a sequin mini-skirt, leather vest and a black Afro wig to sing “Sweet Transvestite” from Rocky Horror Picture Show. I voted for Noah and Rocky Horror because the guy has great legs. Here’s hoping he will be available to do the show if it is selected. La Belle Spectacle also featured Renda Grim as Chaplin and “interludes” – clever dramatic readings – by Susan Lagsdin and Mark Osin. Jody was artistic director and Brandy Woras and her crew turned the gym into a theater, complete with popcorn and candy bars.

On Monday evening more than 60 people turned out for MVCC’s annual meeting and election of officers. Over a supper of soup and bread, we heard, from board president Bob Elk, a history of the Twisp School by director Donna Schulz, and watched a slide show by Carol Geertsema, vice president. MVCC is well-used as Carol’s slide show features all the building’s tenants and the Farmers Market. MVCC is also well-loved. Lorrie Wilson, whose dance studio has been in the building for 28 years, rose to say “This building houses my heart. I love it.” Carolyn Sullivan loves the building enough to be the single person to step up and join the board at the meeting last night. Many more Carolyns are needed. Treasurer Julie Wehmeyer reported that the MVCC Association is solvent, but there’s little left over to continue the improvements to the facility. Director Ted Willhite spoke about the vision for MVCC. There are 3,500 residences in the Methow Valley. Fewer than 125 have paid MVCC dues ($20, individual, $40, family) this year. Consider paying yours the next time you’re at the Community Center. Five hundred new individual memberships and 500 family memberships would put $30,000 into the MVCC coffers. Well, Susan Speir has solved our dry cleaner problem, and now I’ve learned that we have a cobbler in Winthrop to repair our leather goods. Sid Pattison opened Methow Boot Repair in May. He can repair Nordic boots, plastic ski boots, mountaineering and hiking boots, all types of shoes and sandals, backpacks, zipper replacement and “just about any project you can throw” at him. He’s at 173 Riverside, Unit 6, down that long “hallway” next to Courtyard Quail. Open TuesdayFriday 9 a.m.-5 p.m, the number is 996-2034.

weddings, bar mitzvahs, meetings and other group events. You might oughta jot down her number just in case such an occasion enters your life: (509) 341-4014. At 0900 hours PST, speaking militarily, there will be a brief ceremony at the Mazama Store flagpole celebrating Veterans Day on Friday. This will include a few speeches, possible trombone playing Taps and the raising of the flag to half-staff. Thanks to all who have offered their flags, some with personal significance to the owners. We’ll decide which to use at that time. If you can make it, vet or not, come on over. If you have a uniform that still fits and wish to wear it, do so. We

Photo by Sue Misao

Dog wood People are still gathering firewood for the winter – a valuable commodity that requires diligent safeguarding during town errands that come up between the forest and the hearth.

the solitude of a single snowflake a fluffy white cluster of ice crystals clinging together like a dream. delicate, fragile falling effortlessly. the pure white against the cashmere grey of the sky (close your eyes, can you see it?) falling, drifting silently Erika Kar Erika Kar lives in Lost River with her husband, two sons and two dogs. They are the founders of The One Cup Project, which sends aid to Zambia.

Submit poems for Poets’ Corner to MV News poetry editor Eileen “Sam” Owen, samjohn373@methownet.com or P.O. Box l2l7, Winthrop, WA 98862 Poet’s Corner tries to be published in the 4th issue of the month, but as you can see, sometimes we fail.

meeting will be conducted by Michelle King and professor Stanley Asah of the University of Washington School of Forestry. The public is invited. There will be two sessions, at 10 a.m. and again at 1 p.m. If your ancestors are among those who were original Northwest settlers, there is an obscure anniversary also on Nov. 12; 199 years ago, Ramsay Crooks, representing John Jacob Astor’s American Fur Company, is credited with being the first non-Indian to cross South Pass, the easiest route through the Rockies. It made wagon travel easier, commerce in furs more efficient and perhaps led to your forebears settling at Carlton or other such famous and historic place.

Some people were not so thrilled with the government telling them to fall backward last Sunday, especially at the comSue Misao pletely unreasonable hour of 2 a.m. Where I work, colleagues complained about the early darkness that will ensue, so some of us decided to rebel and stay sprung forward. In the valley, this is the kind of thing you can get away with. It’s the only place I’ve ever lived where, 90 percent of the time, “7 o’clock” also means “around whenever.” It’s why some of us don’t function so well out in the real world. Turns out, the real world is in danger of annihilation, once again, by relentless scientists who are working to create a laser beam so powerful that it will destroy the very fabric of space, all to search for certain particles that they are convinced either do or do not exist in the very dark matter of space. I read that somewhere so it’s true, and now that you’ve read it, it’s twice as true. That’s how modern journalism works. Anyway, the laser only costs a billion dollars and while it’s tempting to say that money could be better spent, it won’t be, because science is hinting that the cure for cancer might be found somewhere in densely populated emptiness of dark matter. Once the fabric of space is destroyed there will be no one left to cure, and maybe that’s the cure. Someone should occupy dark matter, which reminds me, there are only 16 more shopping days until Buy Nothing Day.

Do you love food? Testing, sharing, and writing about food and new and seasonal recipes? MV News is looking for a Methow Valley food writer. Send letter and sample column to editor@methowvalleynews.com

solitude sometimes (not always) i wish for solitude.

are all out of the service now, so even a residual cap, or jacket – whatever, will be just fine. There will no doubt be several cameras trained on the collection of people including Navy, Air Force, Marines, Army and maybe even Coast Guard. We’ll miss Bob Cram, a vet of the Normandy invasion of DDay in 1944, who’ll be turning 86 the day before in Seattle. On Saturday (Nov. 12) there’ll be public meetings at the Winthrop Forest Service District office on the public’s perception of the effects of smoke in the air. This will address health and economic issues as well as whether prescribed burns help reduce the chances of overwhelming events such as our recent Tripod fire. The

These days, the little town of Methow with its white church steeple and red and gold cottonwood giants is an idyllic autumnal sight, Joanna Smith straight from a painting. In this picturesque location sits a woman who looks up from her book and gives a friendly wave and a smile to passing motorists. She’s not there all the time, but when she is, she also has boxes and boxes of apples of every imaginable hue: from greens to golds to reds. I stopped for a chat and let me confess up front, I realized too late that there are as many ways to spell Sheri as there are apples. So, I’ll just use variations of Shari to refer to Sherry throughout this narrative about Cheree Kerr, whose last name is definitely spelled, “like the canning jars.” Sherrie was born and raised on an apple orchard up McFarland Creek. She fondly recalled trick-ortreating along Main Street with her

brothers, wading through the giant piles of leaves, the sweet smell and the crunch beneath her feet as much a part of the memory as dressing up and hauling buckets of sweets. Her father the orchardist is retired now, but the apple trees keep on producing. Instead of letting all those apples go to waste, Shari decided to share the bounty with passing

motorists and unintentionally created a tourist stop. More than one passer-by has stopped to take a photograph of the town with the little white church, golden cottonwoods and her colorful apples as the centerpiece. Sherrie said she’s enjoyed her role as “the information booth” – pointing out the little log cabin across the street that was the original schoolhouse.

Photo courtesy of the Washington State Library Collection

The little schoolhouse that moved from Squaw Creek to Methow.

In a clear act of “supporting our schools,” the community moved the schoolhouse from Squaw Creek when they relocated to the present site of Methow. Sha’ree said most people stop to chat and ask lots of questions about the pretty little town and snap a few pictures. I found a picture taken in 1959 of Methow’s log cabin schoolhouse in the Washington State Library Collection on www.digitalarchives.wa.gov. I used the Methow Valley phone book to find the true spelling of the Apple Maiden’s name – to no avail. After flipping back and forth looking for her number and several others, I noticed that none of the numbers in the book had the Methow prefix 923. I reread the cover: “Methow Valley, serving Mazama, Winthrop, Twisp, and Carlton.” Curious, you would think that if the entire valley was named after the town of Methow, Methow would be included in the Methow Valley phone book. I’m just going to add this to the growing pile of bones I have to pick with CenturyTel. In the meantime, I hope to see Shari/ Sheri/Sha’ree/Cheree again and get not only her true identity, but maybe an apple recipe or two. If you have a story to share about Methow, please drop me a line at Joanna@joannanews.com.

Mazama: Bob Spiwak 996-2777 or badwater@centurytel.net • Twisp: Sally Gracie 997-4364 or sgracie@centurytel.net Winthrop: Ashley Lodato 996-3363 or ashleylodato@alumni.stanford.edu • Carlton: Sue Misao 997-7OOl or sue@methowvalleynews.com • Methow: Joanna Smith (8Ol) 879-2489 or joanna@joannanews.com

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Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Methow Valley News

Valley Life

We’ll lead with last week’s news that did not make the cut. On Oct. 1, Midge Cross, Karan Goodman and Kaarin Kelly went Bob Spiwak to Echo Ridge where Kaarin ran a 50k marathon while the other two did a half marathon. They did not win anything but the day was nice and the scenery gorgeous. On Wednesday (Oct. 12), after

closing, the Mazama Store folks and hangers-on will celebrate (or grieve) the departure of Gevva Maher, who will be off to New Zealand to work for a company that places nannies. Among the bevy of beauties who work at the store, Gevva (Gee-vah) is probably the bounciest, most cheerful, happy-go-lucky lass to ever grace the place among a cadre of runnersup. We will miss her. You’ve heard of Tin Pan Alley in New York in the early 20th century where songs were written and performed? For a shining moment on Lost River Road, there was “Aluminum Alley” as crutch-bound Jay Lucas and Ann Diamond met like ships passing in the day, each going a different direction. Jay’s recover-

A s I p re pared to tell you about Sunday’s Methow Salmon Celebration and Community Dinner, I began to do a little research online about one of its sponsors: Sally Gracie Methow Salmon Recovery Foundation (MSRF). Until Sunday I had no inkling about a key part of its work, which is being done right next to my house at Twisp Ponds. One link – methowsalmon.org – led to another as I became even more interested in this nonprofit organization whose mission statement includes this goal: “to promote ongoing community engagement in and advocacy for protection and conservation of local salmon habitat.” I generally learn more in the process of writing this column than you do by reading it. Sunday’s celebration began at Twisp Ponds, just a few yards up Second Avenue from my driveway. Though I learned that my granddaughter has planted trees at Twisp Ponds (400 school children have planted more than 1,500 trees at the site), I didn’t even know it was there. There’s an “interpretive structure/ outdoor classroom” and “easy” public trails along the river and ponds. At the Ponds I met Chris Johnson and his son Eliot. Chris is the founder of MSRF. He a very enthusiastic advocate of the work the foundation is doing. Chris understands that the success of any effort to restore salmon habitat requires that the local community be vested in the project. He has me hooked! And I’ve found

a nice place to walk. There were dozens of children at Twisp Ponds on Sunday when I arrived. Eight year-olds Cymone Van Marter and Nolan George carried “Salmon Celebration” flags which they had made at the crafts table; Peyton Lawrence, another 8-year-old, picked out a seedling aspen to plant at home. I chose a red osier dogwood. Many adults were exploring the trail. The little blue bus carried people back and forth from TwispWorks. Nicole Ringgold and Amanda Jackson, directors of Confluence Gallery and Methow Arts, respectively, were at the interpretive center on Sunday. Eight artists have submitted proposals for artwork to be installed at the Twisp Ponds. Artists who have submitted proposals to Methow Arts and MSRF are Tori Karpenko, Bruce Morrison, Thome George, Jessica Dietz, Nicole Ringgold, Dan Brown, Cordelia Bradburn and Steve Ward. A panel of five will select several winners. Sunday at Twisp Ponds was a collaborative effort between the arts community and MSRF. The Community Dinner brought together TwispWorks, the setting for the event, the Methow Valley Interpretive Center, which will present a history of the Methow Valley in a building on the TwispWorks grounds, and Partnership for a Sustainable Methow (PSM). I have missed the annual dinners at The Barn sponsored by PSM for so many years, but the Salmon Celebration is the start of a new tradition. Sunday’s dinner was a wonderful community gathering of at least 200. The food was good as was the entertainment. Thank you, Amy Stork (new director of TwispWorks) and Glen and Carolyn Schmekel (MV Interpretive Center) for arranging for seating for all of us and for the salmon and raffle.

There are many great perks to life in the Methow, things like the close proximity of state and national parks, natural scenic beauty preserved Joanna Smith and set aside for everyone to enjoy. It is quite amazing to live so close to these parks that you can see them from your back porch, if you have a back porch. If you do not have a back

porch, I highly recommend inviting your buddies over for a BBQ with the promise of beer, brats, and pie if they build you a porch. It’s my experience that men like to swing hammers, wield saws, and haul wood while becoming inebriated and burning meat over live flames. Might as well take advantage of those skills and get yourself a porch! In 1951 the city of Pateros offered Alta Lake and the surrounding area as a gift to the state parks. Alta Lake State Park is a quiet little gem in the lower valley. Pateros knows how to give great gifts. Alta Lake tops the “best gift ever” list when compared to the usual fare of socks, underwear, or kitchen towels. Dear City of Pateros,

Welcome to Carlton, where everything looks the same as it did before, but oranger. Also, it’s hard to define “before” Sue Misao because it means different things to different people at different times in different places, and time is not what it used to be, also before, when it referred to those good old days of yore, when we (or our ancestral stardust) weren’t all so stuck on this crazy planet. Is anybody else worried that our military’s predator drones could be in the process of being hacked? I heard on the news that the computers that run the drones have been infected with an unremovable virus, but they’re still

flying. We should land them now, because it’s only a matter of time before they are taken over and aimed back toward us. Who knows, one might even be used to attack an American citizen. Some people think that would be awesome. Meanwhile, meet the Kenneys, Kelli and Scott, who are the ones responsible for the recent tidying up of downtown Carlton. The Kenneys purchased five parcels of property across the road from the store, which is still for sale, that stretches from the lilac bushes just north of the former laundry place to the fence just south of the road to the beach, and from the highway to the river, 1.34 acres in all. The Kenneys live mainly in Arlington and work for Cuz Concrete (that’s their company’s truck right there) and, since 1990, have had property on the Twisp-Carlton Road that has partially been swallowed up by the river. They are fixing up the two buildings on the

ing from major surgery on a popped Achilles tendon and the good doctor from a hip replacement. Ann’s recovery is faster and Jay still cannot put weight on the affected appendage, but is out of his cast and in a therabootic device. Claire has taken over the daily walk to the store with golden retriever Ginger. Our international bureau provides a latest and highly prized Brush With Stardom, provided by Heidi Weston, whom you may remember from April’s domestic news as having been kicked in the face by her horse. She and husband, Denny, were in Italy where they paused so she could pet a cart pulling horse. As she posed next to the horse a man sidled up to her, got in close and the trio’s picture was

recorded by Denny. Ordinarily I do not trust any pictures on the Internet, what with Photoshop, but the manner in which his arm was putting pressure on an unnamed portion of her anatomy convince me that it was for real. And could one expect less from Sylvester Stallone? Across the world, Brian and Amy Sweet, ex-bookstore owners, are still teaching in China. They went touring and on one bus ride it was not only a wretched experience, but also a retching one when a young girl upchucked in the aisle of the bus. The resultant mess languished, uncleaned. Later, in town they went shopping and had authentic Chinese hamburgers at McDonald’s and bought some other stuff at “the smallest Wal-Mart I have

Photo by Sue Misao

Better late than never Maria Talavera of Brewster sorts through a load of Fujis last Thursday (Oct. 6) at Buckhorn Mountain Orchards on Highway 153 a few miles north of Pateros. Due to the late onset of summer weather, the picking season is about two weeks behind schedule according to ranch manager Charlie Simmons, who is hoping that cold temperatures hold off long enough to get the harvest in. my birthday is coming up and if you were so inclined to give me a gift this year, a blueberry-apple pie from Rest-A-While Country Market would make me very happy. Sincerely Yours, Joanna. Alta Lake was named by a Mr. Heinz who was mining in the area when he came across the lake in 1900. Mr. Heinz christened the lake after his daughter, Alta. Out of curiosity, I looked up the meaning of Alta. The name originates from Latin and means, “high, elevated” – very fitting for Alta Lake, which is both “high” and “elevated.” Thank goodness Mr. Heinz did not name the lake after himself. “Tomato concentrate, corn syrup,

vinegar, salt, spices, and flavoring” does not sound as scenic as “high” and “elevated.” At two miles long, and a half mile wide, Alta Lake is a beautiful place to canoe or kayak and explore the backside of the lake. With 181 acres, you can opt to walk along the lake on a shady road, or take one of several trails to breathtaking view points above the lake. If you already have a Discover Pass there is no entrance fee, otherwise, there is a $10 day use fee. The park closes for the season on Oct. 26, so now is a good time to explore. The summer crowds are gone, but the views are still there. Happy Birthday to Clay Ashford – hope you had a great week!!

Kelli and Scott Kenney Carlton property to use as getaway cabins, probably because this is the

MVN, pg 6

safest place to hide out when the drones finally come.

ever seen,” notes Amy. A week ago, turning into the driveway, I thought I’d had a stroke. Heavy dizziness, extreme nausea, etc. Went to the clinic and the doc did the basic tests and luckily, no stroke. She called to see how I was doing and reported that the next day, she too had the same symptoms. Others had apparently been similarly afflicted and it has been attributed to a virus flying around the valley, say the physicians. I don’t believe it. I am certain that Homeland Security has let us down and this is only phase one of a terrorist plot utilizing airborne illness rather than missile-firing drones. Not only here, but on Chinese buses as well.

Yikes, a busy week for everyone! Anyone who ever called the Methow a sleepy valley certainly never spent a fall here trying to juggle their social Ashley Lodato calendar. Starting in the good deeds department, my neighbors Tina and Eliot Scull spent Saturday with about 20-plus other volunteers up at Pearrygin Lake State Park building a new trail. The trail, which honors former Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission director Rex Derr, starts at the boat launch at the east entrance, goes along the bluff to the south, and loops back by the group campsite. The park’s Rick Lewis organized the three-day volunteer event, which included buffing out the trail, doing erosion control, digging up rocks and stumps, and finishing up some bridges over ravines. Eliot, who used to be a park commissioner, says the work party was very productive as well as fun; there were several former park commissioners on site and it was like a mini-reunion. More good deeds were done at Duncan and Birgit Haas’ West Chewuch farm, where a bunch of valley and west side friends gathered to pick apples and press cider. Some of the harvest went into local freezers, but the group also loaded up a rental trailer full of fresh apples to take back to the Seattle food bank network. In other news, many of you have already heard how spectacularly well James DeSalvo did in the Chicago marathon on Sunday, finishing 19th in his age group and an incredible 147th out of 45,000 runners. Wowie! With such a triumph presumably affording him at least a short-term sense of personal satisfaction, James will certainly not mind me sharing a little story about him dropping off his kids at school the other day, when I witnessed him combing 5-year-old Malloch’s hair. With an ice scraper. Now, I am no shining example when it comes to grooming my children, so I took careful note of James’ resourcefulness. The ice scraper was, surprisingly, a totally adequate substitute for a comb. Similarly, the piece of sisal rope holding up Malloch’s shorts was, indeed, a totally adequate substitute for a belt. In fact, I might never have become aware of the rope/belt had Malloch’s shorts not fallen off during soccer practice. When I helped him tighten the rope, Malloch explained in his thoroughly guileless 5-yearold kind of way that they had been in such a hurry getting out of the house that morning that his dad had not had time to run back upstairs to get Malloch’s real belt, but that his mom didn’t need to know about it. I just smiled to myself, thinking of the bread tie holding my own 5-year-old’s hair in a ponytail. It’s the thought that counts, right?