WESTERN
RENDEZVOUS Celebrating traditions: The Omak Stampede, World-Famous Suicide Race and 75 years of cooperation with the Omak Stampede Indian Encampment
A supplement to The Omak-Okanogan County Chronicle, July 29, 2009
you. Three clinics.
ONE FOCUS. The Omak Clinic
omak
Family Medicine, Behavioral Medicine, Eye Care, Radiology, Urgent Care, Diabetic Education, Anticoagulation, Physical Therapy and several Visiting Specialists from Wenatchee Valley Medical Center. 916 Koala • (509) 826-1800 or (800) 591-2765
Monday - Friday: 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. • Saturday: 8:30 a.m. - Noon Closed Sunday
North Valley Family Medicine
tonasket
Family Medicine, Obstetrics, Anticoagulation and Women’s Health Care 17 S. Western • (509) 486-2174 Monday - Friday: 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. • Saturday: 9 a.m. - Noon Closed Sunday
North Valley Family Medicine
oroville
Family Medicine, Obstetrics and Women’s Health Care 1617 Main • (509) 476-3631
Photo by Deb Ritch
Monday - Friday: 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. Closed Saturday & Sunday
Enjoy the Omak Stampede!
2009 Omak-Okanogan County Chronicle Western Rendezvous — Page 3
Omak Stampede rodeo fans will find a new arena with comfortable, covered seating in place of the splintery, fallingapart arena of old. The community is excited about the new arena and hopes rodeo fans will enjoy the new facility.
Inside All about Stampede . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Stampede at a glance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 New arena is ready to go . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Royal duties: Miss Omak Stampede Amanda Emerson . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Kick-off ride-in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Kids parade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 Grand parade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Wrangler Kids’ Night . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 Omak Western and Native Art Show . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 Stampede poster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Encampment schedule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19 Encampment predates rodeo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 Splash down! Suicide Race . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24 Harrison comes home to clown around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 Hall of Fame inductees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27, 28 Stampede Outreach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31
Western Rendezvous © 2009 The Omak-Okanogan County Chronicle, owned and operated by Eagle Newspapers Inc. Roger Harnack, Editor and Publisher Dee E. Camp, Managing Editor 618 Okoma Drive, P..O. Box 553, Omak, WA 98841 509-826-1110 • 800-572-3446 • 509-826-5819 fax www.omakchronicle.com
On the cover — Top left: Bev Conner rides in the Omak Stampede Arena, 1935 (Ladd photo). Top right: Wild horse race, early 1960s (Chronicle photo). Center: The new Omak Stampede Arena (Chronicle, Al Camp). Bottom left: Stampede President Paul Maley (cowboy hat) with Indian chiefs, wives and families, 1948 (Stampede collection). Bottom right: Miss Omak Stampede Ginger DeTro (left) and Colville Indian Princess Darlene Moses, 1964 (Chronicle photo).
MS 170 Chainsaw
179
$
Visit your local servicing STIHL® Dealer
TONASKET
95
FS 45 Gas Trimmer
14995
$
Floyd and Charlotte 826-2321 • 560 Riverside Dr. • Omak
Get out of the heat! Cool Beverages Breakfast • Lunch • Dinner Families Welcome Breakfast served at 6 a.m. Dinner served until 8 p.m.
Natural Foods Co-Op Freshest lunch in town! Store open 7 days a week
509-486-4188 21 West 4th Street • www.tonasketcoop.com
OKANOGAN PROPERTIES, LLC
Don’t make a move without us! Tami Tatom Broker/Owner
Pam Criswell Sales Associate
Sharon Neisz Sales Associate
Expect Excellence!
Your land, your home, your dream Northwest Multiple Listing Service
223 Queen St., Okanogan • 509-422-6109
317 Whitcomb Ave. S., • Tonasket • 509-486-0507
Page 4 — 2009 Omak-Okanogan County Chronicle Western Rendezvous
New arena is this year’s star By Brenda Starkey Chronicle staff OMAK — The new equestrian arena will be the biggest star at this year’s Omak Stampede, which promises plenty of professional rodeo action, the WorldFamous Suicide Race, three parades, an art show and other Western fun. The new aluminum grandstands will offer spectators in the top rows a view of the Suicide Race from start to finish, including riders’ entry into the Okanogan River. (For more on the new arena, see Page 7.) Stampede runs from Thursday through Sunday, Aug. 6-9, and includes rollicking rodeo action, four runnings of the fast-paced Suicide Race, the colorful Indian encampment and powwow, Davis Shows carnival, Omak Western and Native Art Show and other communitysponsored events. Rodeo performances are scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Aug. 6-8, and 2 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 9.
Chronicle photo by Sheila Corson
The arena during construction in June. Tickets may be purchased by calling 826-1002 or 800-933-OMAK (6625), or by visiting the Stampede ticket office next to the arena in East Side Park. Ticket prices range from $10-15 on Thursday, $10-$20 on Friday and $12-$22 on Saturday (some sections are sold out for some performances). For Sunday’s show, admission is $12 for any seat in the house.
Stampede does not issue refunds for ticket purchases. Fans can expect a full range of Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association events, plus barrel racing and mutton bustin’. Activities begin Wednesday with opening of Davis Shows’ carnival at the west end of East Side Park and the Omak Western and Native Art Show at The Courtyard Downtown on Main Street. Some pre-encampment activities also are planned that night. The encampment gets under way Thursday evening. (See Page 21.) The Omak Western and Native Art Show begins Wednesday with an artists’ reception and auction. (See Page 17.) Preceding the Thursday rodeo is the annual Wrangler Kids’ Night, starting at 4 p.m. in the Stampede arena. Youngsters can compete in a variety of games; prizes will be given. (See Page 15.) Thursday is family night, with up to four kids admitted free with each paying (Continued on Page 5)
Stop by and find out why we’re North of the Expected Visit us at our two Okanogan Valley locations: 721 S. Okoma Drive Omak 509-826-1018 Member FDIC
188 Pine Street Okanogan 509-422-1135
4 North Main Omak WA 98841 509-826-0570
www.ncnbank.com
800-820-0570
Great Prices Every Day at
Al’s Hometown proud since 1949 Floral • Bakery • Deli Department (509) 486-2183 212 N. Hwy 97 Tonasket
Real estate sales and service for buyers and sellers. Over 40 years in beautiful Okanogan Country with 17 years in real estate. Billie Holden, Owner/Broker Omak Stampede Director
PO Box 3850, Omak, WA 98841 509-826-1225 allpointsbillie@hotmail.com
2009 Omak-Okanogan County Chronicle Western Rendezvous — Page 5
. . . Stampede gets new arena (Continued from Page 4) adult in the family section of the arena. Those tickets will be sold on the grounds the week of Stampede or on Thursday before the show. Friday is Tough Enough to Wear Pink night. For every ticket sold for the Friday night rodeo performance, the Omak Stampede - in partnership with Wrangler and the Tough Enough to Wear Pink campaign - will donate $1 to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer research. Slack competition in timed events, if needed, is planned for 10 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday and 8 a.m. Sunday. Slack is offered when there are more contestants signed up for a timed event than can be run during the regular rodeo. The extra competitive time also allows contestants to make a showing at more than one rodeo per weekend.
Each rodeo performance begins with the annual parade of flags, a drill involving horses and riders carrying flags sponsored by area businesses, organizations and clubs. Arena runs by royalty follow, with Miss Omak Stampede Amanda Emerson, Omak, reigning over the event. (See Page 10.) Assisting the cowboys will be bull fighters Tim Vredenburg and Rowdy Barry. Specialty act will be The Kiesner Family Wild West Revue. JJ Harrison will be rodeo clown. (See Page 26.) Concessions will operate all weekend on the grounds, both near the arena and in the encampment area. Omak also offers plenty of diversions when the rodeo isn’t going on. Other events planned during the weekend include: • Ride-in, 8 a.m. Thursday, Okanogan to Omak. (See
Page 12.) • Youth parade, 10 a.m. Saturday, downtown. (See Page 13.) • Grand parade, 10 a.m. Sunday, downtown. (See Page 14.) • Christians in Action stage ministry. (See Page 31.) • Okanogan Valley Farmers’ Market will be in its customary location, Legion Park in Okanogan, on Saturday. Hours are 9 a.m. to 1
p.m. • Stampede will offer postrodeo dances Friday and Saturday nights, with separate admission, in the dance area at the east end of the arena. Country vocalist Chrissy Alexander will perform. Fees are charged for parking on the grounds. Additional information about Stampede is available at www.omakstampede.org.
Motel Nicholas
• High Speed Internet • Clean Rooms • Refrigerator • Microwave • Coffee Maker • HBO and Cable TV • Air Conditioning • Senior Discounts • Smoking Rooms Available 509-826-4611 • Fax 509-826-2402 • 527 East Grape, Omak, WA motelnicholas.com
Welcome to Omak Omak is excited to celebrate the 76th Omak Stampede in our new grandstands - where every seat offers an excellent view. The support from our community, visitors, municipalities and legislature has been overwhelming and appreciated. We are proud of our arena accomplishments and hope our guests enjoy the new grandstands, our City and the local activities planned for Stampede week. You can continue to support the cultural legacy of the annual Omak Stampede, WorldFamous Suicide Race and Indian Encampment by leaving your own legacy on an engraved plaque for a chair or bleacher back in the arena. Make your mark on the new arena with other gifts available for purchase, such as an engraved brick, paver, native stone or plaque for a tree or light standard in the events concourse. These unique and lasting gifts will be a treasured memory for family and friends who visit the site for many years to come. Stampede donations can be sent to: City of Omak PO Box 72, Omak, WA 98841 omakcity.com
Page 6 — 2009 Omak-Okanogan County Chronicle Western Rendezvous
Stampede at a glance 5-11 p.m. 7-9 p.m. 8 a.m. 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. 4 p.m. 5-11 p.m. Evening 7 p.m. After rodeo 10 p.m. 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. 4 p.m. to midnight 7 p.m. 7:30 p.m. After rodeo After race 10 p.m. 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. 10 a.m. 11 a.m. to midnight 11:30 a.m. 1 p.m. 1-3 p.m. 7 p.m. 7:30 p.m. After rodeo After race 10 p.m. 8 a.m. 8:30 a.m. 10 a.m. 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. 11 a.m. 1:30 p.m. 2 p.m. After rodeo
Wednesday, Aug. 5 Davis Shows Carnival opens East Side Park Western and Native Art Show opens Courtyard Downtown Thursday, Aug. 6 Ride-in, sponsored by Okanogan Team Fairgrounds to Arena Penners Association Western and Native Art Show Courtyard Downtown Wrangler Kids’ Night Stampede Arena Davis Shows Carnival East Side Park Omak Stampede Indian Encampment Encampment area Omak Stampede PRCA Rodeo Stampede Arena World-Famous Suicide Race Suicide Hill Slack for timed events Stampede Arena Friday, Aug. 7 Western and Native Art Show Courtyard Downtown Davis Shows Carnival East Side Park Omak Stampede PRCA Rodeo Stampede Arena Encampment grand entry Encampment area World-Famous Suicide Race Suicide Hill Western dance Arena dance floor Slack for timed events Stampede Arena Saturday, Aug. 8 Western and Native Art Show Courtyard Downtown Kids parade Downtown Omak Davis Shows Carnival East Side Park Omak Stampede Board vs. Encampment Encampment area Committee stick game Encampment grand entry Encampment area EquiFaith Stampede Arena Omak Stampede PRCA Rodeo Stampede Arena Encampment grand entry Encampment area World-Famous Suicide Race Suicide Hill Western dance Arena dance floor Slack for timed events Stampede Arena Sunday, Aug. 9 Slack for timed events Stampede Arena Western church service Outreach stage Stampede grand parade Downtown Western and Native Art Show Courtyard Downtown Davis Shows Carnival East Side Park Encampment grand entry Encampment area Omak Stampede PRCA Rodeo Stampede Arena World-Famous Suicide Race Suicide Hill —For Christians in Action Stampede Outreach schedule, see Page 31
Chronicle photos by Al Camp
Welcome to The Omak Stampede! • • • • •
Excavator Cat Loader Dump Trucks Hauling
• • • • •
Topsoil Site Work Demolition Septic Systems Rock Landscaping
25-B Cherry Lane 509-422-2658 Okanogan,WA 98840 Fax:509-422-1003 License #LEESDDE970K8
While enjoying the weekend, stop in for ice cold beverages and great tasting deli items.
Gene's Harvest Foods We Honestly Care!
22 W. Apple • Downtown Omak 509-826-0212
2009 Omak-Okanogan County Chronicle Western Rendezvous — Page 7
Ready to go
By Sheila Corson Chronicle staff OMAK — The long-awaited new Omak Stampede Arena is up and ready for the 76th Stampede. The arena includes more than
7,700 covered seats. And while it may not be the grandiose dream of the $14 million Okanogan County Equestrian and Cultural Heritage Center, as originally proposed, city and Stampede officials say they’re proud of the new
structure. The more elaborate plan called for extensive landscaping, interpretive signs, paved trails, a museum, offices, new stalls and much more. Plans were scaled back to (Continued on Page 8) Chronicle photo by Al Camp
The stats say it’s the most powerful ATV in its class.
But the ride says it all.
• Feed • Tack • Fertilizers • Pharmaceuticals
Purina Feeds
• Veterinary Supplies • Western Gifts • ATV • Snowmobile • Cycle
Sales • Service • Accessories
1930 N. 2nd Ave., Okanogan • 509-826-5771 • www.xtremepowersports.net The New Outlander 800R 41% more powerful than Suzuki KingQuad 750 38% more than Polaris Sportsman 800 32% more than Kawasaki BruteForce 750*
Try it yourself at The Ride Says It All Tour. Visit TryCan-Am.com for details.
© 2008 Bombardier Recreational Products Inc (BRP). All rights reserved. ®, ™, Outlander™ 800R and the BRP logo are trademarks of Bombardier Recreational Products Inc. or its affiliates. In the U.S.A., the products are distributed by BRP US Inc. *Dyno Comparison. Source: Hindle Products Ltd. and internal BRP testing compared to 2008 models. Suzuki KingQuad 750, Polaris Sportsman 800 and Kawasaki BruteForce 750 trademarks are the property of their respective owners. BRP reserves the right, at any time, to discontinue or change specifications, prices, designs, features, models or equipment without incurring obligation. Some models depicted may include optional equipment. BRP highly recommends that all ATV drivers take a training course. For safety and training information, clothing. Always remember that riding and alcohol/drugs don’t mix. Never ride on paved surfaces or public roads. Never carry passengers on any ATV not specifically designed by the manufacturer for such use. Never engage in stunt driving. Avoid excessive speeds and be particularly careful on difficult terrain. ATVs with engine sizes of greater than 90cc are recommended for use only by those age 16 and older. BRP urges you to “TREAD LIGHTLY” on public and private lands. Preserve your future riding opportunities by showing respect for the environment, local laws and the rights of others when you ride. Make sure that all laws, regulations, and BRP’s warnings/recommendations for ATV passengers are respected. Ride responsibly. Outlander MAX ATVs: These ATVs are recommended for drivers age 16 and older, and passengers age 12 and older only. Highly skilled operator under controlled conditions. Do not attempt these maneuvers if they are beyond your level of riding ability. 5107510
Located at the North end of Main Street in downtown Omak 509-826-1160 Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. • Saturday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Page 8 — 2009 Omak-Okanogan County Chronicle Western Rendezvous
. . . Arena is done (Continued from Page 7) include only the grandstands and new wiring for a $5.3 million project. Stampede office manager Sarah Grooms said when she was Miss Omak Stampede in 1986, the board was talking about a new arena. The board had talked about replacing the 1935 arena for many years before that. A 1997 tornado ripped part of the roof off the arena, giving Stampede and the city a $395,000 insurance settlement as seed money for a new arena. Planning began, but funding became a huge issue. The Legislature ultimately came through with $4 million for the project. An architect’s design was scrapped and replaced with the aluminum bleacher system. Last year, before bids came in, it appeared that the city would be about $1 million short. Bids came in lower than anticipated because of the economic downturn. The city also took out a local option capital asset loan, to be repaid by .09 sales tax funds and hotel-motel taxes. Several other fund-raising options
Chronicle photo by Al Camp
A 1997 tornado tore off part of the arena roof. Stampede officials removed the roof from most other arena sections the next year. brought in about $8,500 through sales of old arena seats and sponsorship of new chair backs, bricks for the pathway, and more, Connie Thomas reported. She works for the city and also is involved in the Omak Rodeo and Native American Center Association, which wants to build a museum. After years of effort, demolition of the old arena began on Sept. 1, 2008.
Enjoy the Omak Stampede. But Remember, Life is Fragile.
Precht-HarrisonNearents Chapel Family Owned and Operated
2547 Elmway, Okanogan 509-422-3333
After a very cold winter, the arena faced challenges with archaeological finds of stone hearth, freshwater mussel shells and fragments of animal bone. Construction was delayed by a few weeks as the Colville Confederated Tribes assessed the finds. The stands were completed in early July, with volunteer crews immediately (Continued on Page 9)
Leave electrical jobs to the professionals! Residential Commercial New construction, remodel, repairs
Serving the Okanogan for over 30 years!
Dial 509-826-4301 or Toll Free 1-800-848-7585 WA Contractor Lic. #DONKREI983KA
2009 Omak-Okanogan County Chronicle Western Rendezvous — Page 9
. . . Arena (Continued from Page 8) going in to build the beer gardens and concessions stands. The future must include new restrooms, Grooms said. In April, Grooms said, officials will head to Olympia to ask for more funding, especially for the restrooms. Omak’s 20-year-old East Side Park plan calls for new restrooms, landscaping and trails, as does the proposed park plan now under consideration by the city. Other possibilities include adding in other things that the plans wanted, including new chute seats and stalls. Only the chute seats remain from the old arena complex. Only time will tell what will happen there, Grooms said. She said the arena is a good one the way it is, despite a few more needs. It will accommodate events that it could not before. “This is a good representation of what we can do and the way Omak is growing,” Grooms said.
Chronicle photo by Sheila Corson
The chute seats (right) are dwarfed by the new arena as construction nears completion in June.
Okanogan Family Planning
Birth Control • Pap Smears • Teen Services • Healthy Relationships STD and HIV Testing (Some results in 20 min.) Confidential and Non-Judgmental • Free Condoms • Services for Men and Women Pregnancy Tests and Full Options Referrals • Specializing in Menopause • Puberty Classes Emergency Contraception (Plan B) • Sexuality Information • Parent Resources Education — You Have the Right to Know
WHAT DOES FAMILY PLANNING MEAN TO YOU? Most supplies and services FREE through TAKE CHARGE. We accept insurance and medical coupons. Sliding fee scale available. Se habla español. 800.660.1624 • www.okanoganfamilyplanning.org Omak (DSHS CSO) Omak 127 N. Juniper St., 130 South Main Monday-Thursday 9-6 p.m. Monday-Thursday 7:30-5 p.m. 509-422-1624
Twisp 315 Lincoln St. Wednesday 2:30-5 p.m.
Brewster 418 W. Main St. two Wednesdays per month
Page 10 — 2009 Omak-Okanogan County Chronicle Western Rendezvous
Royal duties Emerson started in rodeo as a tot By Brenda Starkey Chronicle staff OMAK — Miss Omak Stampede Amanda Emerson, 19, performed in her first rodeo at the age of 2. She said she’s dreamed of representing the Omak Stampede and World-Famous Suicide Race for nearly that long. Emerson, a Central Washington University student, said she started barrel racing as a toddler and wouldn’t let her mom lead the horse. “I was determined to do it myself,” she said.
Chronicle photo by Dee Camp
Amanda Emerson waves at the Oroville May Festival crowd in May. The pre-veterinary student says she also has wanted to be a vet since she
was little. (Continued on Page 11)
Don’t trust just anyone for that once-in-a-lifetime investment. Trust
“The Water Professionals” 99% Customer ! Satisfaction
• Well Drilling, Rotary or Cable • Free On-Site Estimates • Certified Water and Well Flow Tests • 28 Years in Business • Complete Water System • Water Treatments Systems
Fogle Pump & Supply, Inc.
Well Drilling • Pumps • Water Treatment
Lic. #FOGLEPS095L4
www.foglepump.com
Colville • Spokane • Republic • Okanogan Valley 1-800-845-3500 • 509-775-2878 • 509-782-5071
2009 Omak-Okanogan County Chronicle Western Rendezvous — Page 11
. . . Emerson takes on royal duties Emerson said that growing up on a farm around animals led her toward that career path. The 2008 Omak High School graduate volunteered at an animal hospital while in school to learn more about what she might be getting into. Her experiences there made her more determined than ever to become a vet, Emerson said. Emerson, the daughter of Marilyn and Tracy Oestreich of Omak, says her days as Miss Omak Stampede are varied. She helps out at the arena grounds when she can,
attends luncheons and travels around promoting the rodeo. She’s attended rodeos and festivals all over Washington, and in Calgary, Alberta, and Cheyenne, Wyo. Emerson is a member of the Okanogan County Junior Rodeo Association, Central Washington University Pre-Veterinary Club and Central Washington University Rodeo Club. She said she enjoys playing basketball, competing on her horses and spending time with her family. She is a former junior rodeo queen.
Clip and $ave with these coupons
Amanda Emerson
20 oz.
Mocha
3
$
Limit one per coupon. Expires Aug. 10, 2009
701 Omache Dr., Omak Omache Shopping Center
Shell-Omak Food Mart & Taco Time Express
99
¢ Crispy Taco
Limit 3 • Coupon expires 08/09/09
800 E. Riverside Dr. • Omak 509-826-2965 • Fax 509-826-2966
DENNY BUSICK CONSTRUCTION
$100 OFF Excavating and dozer work over $500
509-826-5430
121 Dry Coulee Rd., Okanogan • DENNYBC 080K8
BEADS & THINGS Local Beadwork and Handcrafted Jewelry • Stones • Bones • Seed Beads • Beading Supplies
Buy $25 in beads or pre-paid coffee card, get charm trail charm FREE with this coupon! Charm $1 without purchase. Coupon expires 8/10/09.
427 S. Dayton St., Omak 509-826-5700 Bring in this coupon and
Save $10
70 Years of the Omak Stampede Historical coffee table book Reg. $39.95
Only
29.95
$
Plus tax with this coupon Plus tax Expires Aug. 10, 2009
The Chronicle
618 Okoma Drive, Omak • (509) 826-1110
Page 12 — 2009 Omak-Okanogan County Chronicle Western Rendezvous
Ride-in kicks off Stampede festivities OKANOGAN — The annual Omak Stampede kickoff ride-in will begin at the Okanogan County Fairgrounds at 8:30 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 6. The ride will head south on Rodeo Trail to state Highway 20, cross the bridge and then go north through Okanogan to Omak and across the Central Avenue bridge to the Omak Stampede arena. Riders will stop at the Okanogan Eagles for refreshments and water for horses. Registration will be from 6-8 a.m. the day of the ride. More information is on Stampede’s Web site under the events tab at www.omakstampede.org.
Chronicle photo by Al Camp
Riders stretch out along Okoma Drive in Omak during 2008 ride-in.
Omak Lube & Wash Inc. Locally, Independently Owned and Operated Brad Dee
701 Omache Dr., Omak Omache Shopping Center 509-826-6097
Clip and $ave with these coupons
Shell-Omak Food Mart & Taco Time Express Stop in and try Leah’s specialty drinks made especially for those who dare to try the best! Buy $25 in beads or pre-paid coffee card, get charm trail charm FREE with this coupon! Charm $1 without purchase. Coupon expires 8/10/09.
Gas and Truck Diesel • Propane • Car and Truck Wash Fax Machine • Credit Card Phones • ATM Machine OPEN 24 HOURS “Lots of Room for Maneuvering” 800 E. Riverside Dr. • Omak • 509-826-2965 • Fax 509-826-2966
WiFi available with drink purchase
427 S. Dayton St., Omak • 509-826-5700
DENNY BUSICK CONSTRUCTION
$100 OFF Excavating and dozer work over $500 618 Okoma Drive, Omak (509) 826-1110 • 1 (800) 572-3446
509-826-5430
121 Dry Coulee Rd., Okanogan • DENNYBC 080K8
2009 Omak-Okanogan County Chronicle Western Rendezvous — Page 13
Kids: It’s time to ‘Pony Up!’
Stampede kids parade set for Saturday morning OMAK — Entrants will “Pony Up!” for this year’s Stampede kids parade at 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 8. The “Pony Up!” theme will be carried through a variety of entries. Prizes will go to the top winners in each division, and special awards also will be given, according to a parade announcement. Prize divisions are: Bikes, trikes and wagons; “Pony Up!” theme; clowns and bums; cowboys and cowgirls; decorated horse and rider — cowboy; decorated horse and rider — Indian; large floats; small floats; large walking group; small walking group; Hispanic in native dress - group; Hispanic in native dress individual; children with pets; and Native American boys and girls. Entries with horses must provide their own pooper-scoopers, the announcement said. Lineup is from 8-9 a.m., with judging at 9 a.m. More information is available at 3222983 or sunset-lake3@hotmail.com.
Chronicle file photo
5 offices serving North Central Washington
Derina’s Flower Basket
Tuesday-Friday 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. • Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Downtown Okanogan • 509-422-0805
110 W. Oak St., Okanogan 509-422-3880 Chelan • 509-682-3559 • Quincy • 509-787-3571 Wenatchee • 509-663-1331 • Ephrata • 509-754-2021
Handcrafted Native American artwork Novelty items and giftware Discount tobacco products Open late Stampede weekend
We Treat You Right® Omak DQ - Home of the Charkel! Burgers • Hot Dogs • Sandwiches/Baskets • Fries and Onion Rings • Cones • Sundaes • Royal Treats • Novelties • Blizzards
611 Omache Drive • 509-826-2570
J&J Smoke Shop 422-4482
1/4 mile south of Okanogan Inn, Hwy. 97 • Okanogan
Page 14 — 2009 Omak-Okanogan County Chronicle Western Rendezvous
Grand parade is Sunday morning Seattle band returns OMAK — The Omak Stampede grand parade will begin at 10 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 9, and run through downtown. Entry applications are due Aug. 1. They can be picked up and dropped off at the Stampede office in East Side Park, an announcement said. The parade route will begin on Okoma Drive. It goes up Main Street to Apple Avenue, then heads south on Ash Street to Second Avenue. Check-in opens at 7 a.m. at Ferrellgas, 534 Okoma Drive. Judging is at 8:30 a.m. Anyone checking in after then will not be judged and will not be eligible for awards. The awards are given at 9:30 a.m., the announcement said. A returning big entry this year is the Seattle All-City Band with 125 members, parade organizer Connie Thomas said. A participants’ luncheon will follow at the Omak Elks, 110 S. Ash St.
Chronicle photo by Dee Camp
Water fights are a cool, welcome addition to the Stampede grand parade.
Industrial Supplies Safety Equipment Welding Supplies and Equipment • DeWalt tools • Gloves • Protective clothing • Retail Sales • Industrial quantities Rental Equipment Available!
Enjoy!
Buckin’ good food and far out drinks at one hip oasis!
Open Tuesday through Saturday 11 a.m.-9 p.m.
www.oxarc.com
2256 Elmway, Okanogan • 509-826-3205
Breakfast Buffet: Saturdays 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. One block off Main Street, Omak • 509-826-5836
2009 Omak-Okanogan County Chronicle Western Rendezvous — Page 15
Kids’ Night is comin’ at ya! OMAK — Wrangler Kids’ Night at the Omak Stampede will entertain families with children up to age 12 starting at 4 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 6. Kids can play in a boot race, hay scramble and more, said organizer Wendy Hensarling. This year will bring back the bestdressed cowboy and cowgirl competition for all age ranges. Each winner of the six age groups will get prizes, Hensarling said. Every child will walk away with a prize, regardless of whether they win, Hensarling said. Sponsors have made possible goodie bags containing candy, scarves and toys. The youngsters can play with bullfighters Tim Vredenberg and Rowdy Barry, rodeo clown JJ Harrison and Miss Omak Stampede Amanda Emerson, Hensarling said. The one-hour kids’ night is sponsored by Wrangler and Pepsi, she said. Anyone wanting to volunteer can contact Hensarling at 322-1917.
62nd Annual
Okanogan County Fair
Sept. 10-1 13, 2009
“Picking the Best”
Artwork by Patty Reid
Okanogan County Fair 2009 PO Box 467, 175 Rodeo Trail Road, Okanogan, WA 98840 • 509-422-1621 • okfair@communitynet.org
Page 16 — 2009 Omak-Okanogan County Chronicle Western Rendezvous
You are invited to the 30th Annual
2009 Western & Native Art Show The Courtyard Downtown 28 N. Main Street, Omak
Reception and Auction Aug. 5, 7 p.m. Hors d’oeuvres and champagne Live auction of artwork donated by artists This art showcased at The Chronicle.
Art Show Hours Wednesday, Aug. 5, 7-9 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, Aug. 6, 7 and 8 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 9, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.
Barbara Conner-Reed Desert Rose Studio and Gallery
Tina Reeve Tharp Invites you to a showing of her latest fine artwork at the Western and Native Art Show. Offering original watercolors, mixed media, pencil, and sculpture. West of Willow Studio 86 Gun Club Road, Brewster, WA 98812 • 509-686-9670
The Enchantments Pastels, acrylics and watercolor
509-422-9774 • desertrosebcreed@aol.com
Sharron Arbuckle
Original watercolor, oils and fabric art
Esther Hinger 954 Old Hwy. 97, Brewster, WA 98812 • 509-22-2826
Winner of Best Aqua Medium, 2008 Omak Western & Native Art Show Sharron received a B.A. degree in Studio Art Techniques from New College, Sarasota, Florida. She currently teaches art at Wenatchee Valley College in Omak. She works primarily in watercolors, oils, colored pencil, pen & ink and stained glass.
31 Pogue Rd., Okanogan, WA 98840 • 509-8826-22409 sarbuckle@gmail.com
2009 Omak-Okanogan County Chronicle Western Rendezvous — Page 17
Northwest artists are showcased By Brenda Starkey Chronicle staff OMAK — The Omak Western and Native Art show will feature 15 Northwest artists. The event kicks off with a reception and auction from 7-9 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 5, at The Courtyard Downtown on North Main Street, organizers said. People can meet the artists during the reception. Hors d’oeuvres, champagne and nonalcoholic beverages will be served at the event, organizers said.
Starting at 8 p.m., Steve Mitzner, Okanogan, will auction artwork donated by participating artists, Okanogan County Artists Association spokeswoman Doris Hubbard said. The art show runs from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday. The show features works by local artists and by those from as far away as Montana, Hubbard said. Susan Le Bow, Great Falls, Mont.; LeElla Day, Granite Falls, and Robert Walton, St. John, are among those bringing their artwork to the show.
Barbara Conner-Reed, Ardell Burgess, Hedy Kleemeier, Wanda Wertz and Sharron Arbuckle, all of Okanogan, will be among the participating artists. Others include Jolene Hale, Riverside; Sandra Walters, Omak; Don Nutt, Coulee City; George L Traicheff, Oroville; Charlene Monger, Twisp, and Esther Hinger, Brewster. This year’s artists’ association poster, by Charlene Monger, features a cowboy on horseback and a Native American painted into the sky above him.
2009 Western & Native Art Show AWARDS SPONSORS Best of Show • Sponsored by Best Heritage Award • Sponsored by Western Peppertree Inn Desert Rose Studio Poster Award • Sponsored by Cates & Erb Logging & Construction.
Best 3 - Dimensional Award • Sponsored by Wells Fargo Bank
Best Drawing Medium Award • People's Choice • Sponsored by Sponsored by VIP Insurance Harrison Jewelers (by vote of the people to be Presented Sunday at Best Oil Medium Award • closing) Sponsored by Dr. Paul Hartkorn Patron Award • Sponsored by Precht-Harrison-Nearents Chapel
Best Aqua Medium Award • Sponsored by Sunrise Disposal
Best Western Art • Sponsored by Koala Street Grill & Neighborhood Bar
Best Mixed Media Medium • Sponsored by Covey's
Best Other Medium • Sponsored Best Native American Art • by Esther & Tina Sponsored by the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation
Wanda Wertz
Original oils and pastels 509-322-4234 • PO Box 551, Okanogan, WA 98840 wandalw@q.com
“Let The Celebration Begin”
SUSAN LeBOW
This national award winning artist will be showing new miniature originals and high quality giclee’s. 3200 18 Ave., S., Great Falls, MT 59405 406-952-1396 • lebowstudio.com • lebow_s@msn.com
George L. Traicheff
George L. Traicheff studied art at Ecole des Beaux Arts, Montreal, Que., Arts Student’s League, New York, N.Y. He also was under the tutelage of Robert Lougheed and Clarence Tillenies. His roots in art started with the study of oriental painting with Master Tom Loo.
PO Box 1686, Oroville • 250-497-5667 • traicheffart@shaw.ca
Page 18 — 2009 Omak-Okanogan County Chronicle Western Rendezvous
Stampede poster features late dancer, racer By Brenda Starkey Chronicle staff
Chronicle photo
Buzz Berney, Conconully, examines prints at the 2008 Omak Western and Native Art Show.
OMAK — The poster for the 76th annual Omak Stampede and World-Famous Suicide Race is a combined effort, with horse artwork by Ian Radford and a photo of the late Tommy Waters IV by Charlene Bearcub. Waters is pictured in traditional regalia. The artwork was united in a design by Havillah Road Printing. Waters was not only a stunning dancer, but also a jockey in the World-Famous Suicide Race, according to his sister, Leeann WatersRomero.
“Despite Tommy’s struggles in life, he shared with us his true spirit when he danced or rode down the hill,” she said. “On behalf of my parents and family, I believe it would be an honor to see this beautiful picture of Tommy used,” Waters-Romero said before the poster was designed. Omak Stampede Inc. is proud to honor Waters’ memory. He was loved by so many, Stampede officials said. Radford’s contribution to the poster is a work of seven primary colored horses that gallop across the poster, according to Stampede.
When you’re in Okanogan Country, you’re in Les Schwab Country At Les Schwab we gladly offer: Tires • Wheels • Batteries • Brakes • Shocks • Alignments • Sudden Service • Convenient Credit • Warranties in Writing
Proud to sponsor the Omak Stampede! Omak Les Schwab
712 Okoma Dr. Omak • 509-826-0057
2009 Omak-Okanogan County Chronicle Western Rendezvous — Page 19
Tepees fill the encampment area in 1973
Chronicle file photo
Encampment schedule Any time
Wednesday, Aug. 5 Encampment vendors open
Thursday, Aug. 6 Evening Rejoinings, memorials and naming. Family gatherings, royalty participation (Little Brave, Little Miss, Junior Miss)
Fun! Games! Rides! For all ages!
Friday, Aug. 7 All day Registration for dancers and drummers 7:30 p.m. Grand entry. Start of tiny tot dances; junior (7-12) traditional, fancy, grass and jingle dances; teen dances. Saturday, Aug. 8 9 a.m. Call for Omak Stampede kids parade participants 10 a.m. Omak Stampede kids parade 1 p.m. Grand entry. Dance finals for tiny tots and juniors. 5 p.m. Dinner break. Encampment committee provides dinner to dance and drum contest participants. 7:30 p.m. Grand entry. Honor dance for all veterans (Indian and non-Indian, around 8-8:30 p.m.). Honors for a selected chief of the past. Teen dance contest finals. Adult dance contests begin. Early participants 10 a.m. 1:30 p.m. dances. 6-7 p.m.
Sunday, Aug. 9 Call for Omak Stampede grand parade Omak Stampede grand parade Grand entry. Adult dance finals and specialty Encampment disbands.
Retreat to the Magic of the Mountains
DEER HAVEN LODGES New Upscale Luxury Lodging • 2 and 3 Bedroom Lodges • Fully Equipped • Satellite TV • High Speed Internet • FREE Local Calls • Washer and Dryer
Coming to Omak Stampede
Wednesday, Aug. 5 • Pharaoh’s Fury • Zipper ed r u t • Mardigras Fea es • Star Trooper Rid • Merry-Go-Round • Big Ferris Wheel • And more of your favorites! Hours and regular prices:
Wednesday, 5 p.m. to closing - arm bands: $24 Thursday, 5 p.m. to closing - arm bands: $24 Friday, 3 p.m. to midnight- arm bands: $24 Saturday, 11 a.m. to midnight- arm bands- $24 Sunday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.- arm bands $23 Arm bands stop selling one hour before shut off time Individual tickets $1 each • Books of 24 coupons for $21 Rides take 3-4 coupons to ride. Available daily.
Clip this and get
1
$ 00 Off
(Limit $1 per arm band per ad.) Good for on-site arm band sales only.
509-826-0108 • 117 “B” AVE., CONCONULLY 800-805-3337 • WWW.2deerhaven.com
At East Side Park, Omak
2009 Omak-Okanogan County Chronicle Western Rendezvous — Page 21
Encampment predates rodeo By Dee Camp Chronicle staff OMAK — This year, the Omak Stampede is celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Omak Indian Encampment being held in conjunction with the rodeo. The encampment predates the rodeo, but no one knows by how long, Omak Stampede Indian Encampment Committee Vice President Lottie Atkins said. Throughout the region, Native Americans had different gathering places, many of them associated with food gathering, Atkins said. Wenatchee and the Almira-Grand Coulee areas were root-digging sites. As orchards were planted, gatherings
the Omak Stampede and associated events are held, was one of the gathering sites, Atkins said. The Swimptkin family, from whom the city acquired the land for East Side Park, wanted to ensure that Indians could continue meeting at the site, she said. Although the encampment has been on different locations within the park, it’s been in its current spot for more than 30 years. Under the city’s longrange plans for East Side Park, the encampment will stay put. Atkins said encampment officials hope a permanent dance arena can be built so dancers, drummers and spectators can get out of the sweltering August heat. Such a building would (Continued on Page 22)
Just for the Fun of It! • Water Sports • Food and Drink • Gas and Grocery • Beautiful Scenery
• ATVing • Hiking/Biking Trails • Fishing • Laundry Facility
Find a cooler place to stay, only 15 miles away! www.conconully.com • 1-877-826-9050
Tamarack Saloon & RESTAURANT • Pizza • Steak • Burgers • Subs Families Welcome! (Kids welcome until 10:45 p.m.)
Karaoke Friday and Saturday Nights
www.tamaracksaloon.com Good Food • Good Spirits • Good Friends
Enjoy delicious food and ice cold drinks
Prime Rib and Steak Specials Beat the heat
• Lodging • Lake Resorts • RV Parks • State Park
coincided with harvest locations, she said. Waterville, Inchelium and Keller were sites of horse races. “People got together and had celebrations with races and the sharing of food,” she said. Years ago, Native Americans “knew the land really well,” Atkins said. “They Lottie Atkins knew all the spots for winter camp. They knew where to go to water and feed their horses. Then later they worked with orchard people. It was a way to work and buy supplies.” The site of East Side Park, in which
Friday and Saturday Dinner specials every Sunday beginning at 1 p.m. Beer Garden Coldest Brew Around
Sit ‘n Bull Downtown Conconully 509-826-2947
Conconully Lake Resort • Cabins • Boat Rentals RV Hookups • General Store upperconconullylakeresort.com 509-826-0813 or 1-800-850-0813 102 Sinlahekin Rd. • P.O. Box 131 Conconully, WA 98819
Salmon Creek Market Excellent customer service! • Beer and Wine • Lotto • Groceries • Bait • Crafts • Pop • Ice • Ice Cream Downtown Conconully 509-422-1222
Page 22 — 2009 Omak-Okanogan County Chronicle Western Rendezvous
. . . Encampment predates rodeo (Continued from Page 21) allow year-round events, she said. Showers, restrooms, camping space and better parking would be included. This year’s encampment is expected to draw 50 or so tepees, which serve as temporary homes for people attending the event, Atkins said. Others pitch tents, bring motor homes, stay in motels or commute from nearby homes. Each year the powwow features a host drum - the winner of the previous year’s drumming contest plus 10-15 other drums that compete. Dancers of all ages can enter a variety of contests, and cash prizes are awarded. The Omak Stampede Inc., Colville Confederated Tribes
and Pepsi all contribute to prizes. The dance budget is around $10,000, Atkins said. She said many dancers follow a circuit, in much the same way rodeo competitors follow rodeos from town to town. “Competition is becoming more recognized,” she said. Dancers are judged on their outfits (known as regalia) and how authentic those outfits are or how appropriate they are to the dance category entered, plus dancing ability and how well the dancer moves to a particular drum. “Sometimes the dancers can make a bad drum look good,” she said. Not all dancing is the same, Atkins said. Traditional dances tend to be reverent, while fancy
dances are more flamboyant, she said. Each category includes several dances, such as owl, jingle, round or grass. In the team category, three or more dancers synchronize their movements. Dancers participate for free and get a T-shirt and one meal, Atkins said. The encampment committee used to cook the meal, but now contracts out the cooking. A few paid event workers augment the six-member encampment committee. The encampment also includes stick games, a traditional type of gambling. Seed money of $3,000$4,000, plus wagers, bring the total stick game payout to $10,000-$12,000, Atkins said. The encampment also
Chronicle photo
Contestants dance to the drum’s beat during the 1982 encampment. offers concessions that range from fry bread and hamburgers to beadwork and leather goods. Admission to all encampment activities is free for spectators.
Home of the All-Around Quarter Horse
Auto and Home Truck, Residential and Commercial, Mobile Glass Service 513 Okoma Dr., Omak • 509-826-1728 Cont. Lic. #DRGLARG9460G
GRANDMA’S ATTIC
• • • •
Monthly and Weekly Boarding 70x140- Indoor Arena Round Corral Foundation Bred All-Around Quarter Horses Owned and operated by Delores and John Shaw, Oroville aqhahorses.net
Welcome, Rodeo Fans!
We have everything you never knew you always wanted. www.grandmasattic.typepad.com • Candles • Linens • Kitchen Gadgets • Custom Area Signs • Lotions & Soaps • Western • Vintage • Country • Baby
620 Omache Dr. • Omak 509-826-4414 Shelley Keitzman, Owner
Downtown Omak • 509-826-4765
2009 Omak-Okanogan County Chronicle Western Rendezvous — Page 23
Remembering encampments past The Indian village at night (above) during the 1965 Stampede. A tepee takes shape (below) in the encampment area.
The encampment, probably in the early 1960s, and the old arena.
Chronicle photos
Dr. Joey Chen, D.M.D Al and June Apple
Pump Sales: Berkeley Goulds Grundfous Red Jacket Orenco Myers Sta Rite Jacuzzi
Service of all makes and models of pumps Hot tub, sewage, swimming pools: No problem! Toll free: 1-800-610-2684 505 Okoma Drive, Omak • 826-1030 Cont. Lic. #OMAKMS1100Q9
Family & Implant Dentistry Oroville 1600 N. Main St., Oroville Mon.-Wed.: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. 509-476-2151 Omak 23 S. Ash St., Omak Thurs.: 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. 509-826-1930 New Patients and Insurance Plans Welcome. Care Credit
Magoo’s Restaurant Buy • Sell • Trade • Money to Loan Watch for our pre-hunting season sale late September!
509-826-0544 Hours: Saturday- Monday 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday-Friday 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. 112 N. Main St., Downtown Riverside davesgp@hotmail.com
The Family Fun Place to Eat 509-826-2325
Breakfast Served All Day! 24 N. Main Street, Omak, WA 98841
Page 24 — 2009 Omak-Okanogan County Chronicle Western Rendezvous
Splash down! Suicide Race jockeys vie to be ‘King of the Hill’ By Al Camp Chronicle staff
Chronicle photo by Al Camp
Riders hit the water during the Sunday Suicide Race in 2008
OMAK — Vet checks started July 17 as the Suicide Race Owners and Jockeys Association geared up for the four races held in conjunction with the Omak Stampede. Vet checks, swim test, hill tests and practices resumed July 24-25. If more than 20 racers enter, elimination races were set for Sunday, July 26. (Race registration and qualifying came after the Western Rendezvous deadline.) The top 10 from each race will create the final field of 20 horses for racing (Continued on Page 25)
Exclusively Gem of a Find in North Central WashingtonChesaw- (aka: The Okanogan Highlands) 57.8 acres, fenced and cross fenced, year round creek crosses all 3 parcels. 5 bridges total. 2,160 sq. ft. home, 3-bdrm., 2.25-bath, kitchen with eating area, formal dining room, family room, 2 decks and new roof. 2-car garage, insulated with wood stove, electric furnace, automatic door opener and attached 3-bay equipment shed. 24’x48’ greenhouse with low pressure overhead watering system and power. 7 stall barn/tack room, chicken coop, power, water and 35 ton capacity hay shed. Corral with 3 pens and loading ramp. Fuel station, 550 gallon tank and 275 gallon diesel tank both with electric pumps, 2 wells. Open space, low property taxes, well maintained, like new, park like setting. You must see to appreciate all of the beauty around it. Motivated seller- Price Reduced! $482,225. 20 acres, trees, very good access, spring. A great place for a solar home with a view. A second 20 acres with many trees, wildlife in the area. Buy one or 2, $34,500 each 20. Seller motivated!
“ Where the Customer is the Owner”
634-4571 The Nespelem Valley Electric Cooperative Inc., salutes the Stampede Association and everyone taking an active part in it, especially the youth, who are our future of tomorrow.
Nespelem Valley Electric Co-op, Inc. Post Office Box 31, Nespelem, WA 99155
509-634-4571 Al Robinson, Associate Broker, Mary Alice Robinson, Agent in the North County area. windyma@bossig.com 509-486-4373; cell 509-322-4875 Howard Syria, Broker
2009 Omak-Okanogan County Chronicle Western Rendezvous — Page 25
. . . Suicide Race (Continued from Page 24) during Stampede Aug. 6-9. There will be a total of $1,000 prize money, split $500 for each elimination race. All entered horses were required to run in the elimination. If there is no need for an elimination race, a practice run was planned for July 26 with $500 added for the winner (100 percent). The practice race is at the owner’s discretion. Entered horses are not required to run in the practice race, organizers said. A Calcutta for the horses is tentatively scheduled for 5:30 p.m. the first day of Stampede, Thursday, Aug. 6. Expected back this year are Taz, which won last year with jockey Loren Marchand, by taking first place in all four races, and Patch, which won all four races in claiming the title in 2007 with jockey Aaron Carden.
Patch and Carden finished second to Taz and Marchand last year. During the races, money is paid to the top four finishers, along with points. The horse with the most points becomes the overall winner and “King of the Hill,” an association race document said. The overall winning horse receives prize money, two saddles - one for the rider and one for the horse owner - plus various prizes that usually are donated by families or businesses close to the race tradition. Race organizer Pete Palmer said some horses may check out the river following a vet check, as they want to work in the water rather than wait for it to drop later. The water level usually drops as Stampede weekend nears. A vet check is the first of three tests a horse undergoes for soundness prior to being
Do not take time off work! We are available when you need us!
24-Hour Emergency Service Specializing in service and repair
Live customer service rep to take your call and dispatch tech!
• Sewer pipe video inspection • Pipe locating • Sewer and plumbing repair • High pressure sewer pipe cleaning • Drain cleaning
24 hour service
• Code violations corrected • Water heaters • Softeners • Remodels • Whole house 888-381-6171 inspections • Plumbing service Complete • Gas piping Bathroom • Fully stocked service vans! Remodels!
509-826-0660 509-486-2446
Journeyman plumbers • 40 years’ experience
www.levineplumbing.com No dig sewer pipe repair and replacement
Chronicle photo
Racers gallop across the finish line in 1967. allowed to compete in the World-Famous Suicide Race. A veterinarian makes sure a horse is not lame or sore and is in sound condition for the race. Vet checks also are performed before each race during the event. A swim test follows. A horse must demonstrate the ability to swim or cross the river without hesitation or panic.
Come to the ot hot sp ! in town
Finally, a horse and rider come off the hill, showing that they can run at a steady pace without bucking or turning back at the top. Before a horse is allowed to come down the hill, its legs must be wrapped for protection. Once all the tests are passed, the horse and rider are allowed to enter the race, Palmer said.
Breakfast Saturday and Sunday 9 a.m-1 p.m.
Beer Garde n
Owners Dennis and Nina welcome rodeo fans and invite you to:
North Country Pub Downtown Omak • 509-826-4271 • Pull Tabs • Pool Table • Multi TVs for Sports Stampede hours: Thursday and Friday 11 a.m.-2 a.m. Saturday 9 a.m.-2 a.m. Sunday 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
Omak Inn Omak, Washington HIGH SPEED INTERNET • MICROWAVES AND REFRIGERATORS
INDOOR POOL and SPA
Conveniently located off Highway 97 in beautiful Omak
509-826-3822 • 1-800-204-4800 912 Koala Dr. • Omak • www.omakinnwa.com SENIOR
Know the price before we start the job!
DISCOUNT
Page 26 — 2009 Omak-Okanogan County Chronicle Western Rendezvous
Harrison leads arena contingent OMAK — JJ Harrison, who grew up in Okanogan, will appear at the Omak Stampede as barrelman. Harrison, 34, lives in Walla Walla and teaches school when he’s not clowning around on the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association circuit. Harrison was named NPRA barrelman of the year three times and works dozens of shows a year throughout the Western states. He is best known for his wild antics, energy, dancing and fat suits He holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Washington State University and a master’s degree in education from Grand Canyon
of Peg Callaway and Chris Culp, Omak. Bull fighters will be Rowdy Barry and Tim Vredenburg. This year’s contract act is the Kiesner Family Wild West Revue. The family
performs a variety of acts, including trick roping, riding and shooting. The announcer will be Steve Kenyon. This will be his fifth appearance at the Omak Stampede.
Building Supply and Hardware Store
Vally Lumber Chronicle photo by Al Camp
JJ (Jason) Harrison performs at a 2007 rodeo in Omak. University. He and his wife, Melissa, have one child. He is the son
ROSSER’S GLASS
& CONSTRUCTION 69 Kermel Road, Omak 509-826-0658 Residential and Commercial Glass Door Sales and Installation FREE Estimates Lic.#ROSSEGC033OH
WRANGLERS OF ALL AGES!!! Western Photos taken at
Grandma’s Attic
Jennifer Tollefson Photography
Monday-Saturday- 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday- 9:30 a.m. to Noon Downtown Omak
Locally owned and operated since 1978
• Lumber • Cabinets • Hardware • Tools • Carpet and Flooring • Accessories and More Open: Monday-Friday 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. E-mail: valleylumber@northcascades.net
Okanogan
Winthrop
509-422-6166 Next to the armory in Okanogan
509-996-2264 Horizon Flats
2009 Omak-Okanogan County Chronicle Western Rendezvous — Page 27
Hall of Fame Two individuals were inducted into the Omak Stampede Hall of Fame in 2008: Longtime rodeo clown/bullfighter Dwayne Hargo and perennial Stampede supporter Mary Henrie.
Chronicle photos By Al Camp
Dwayne Hargo reflects for a moment during the 2008 Omak Stampede.
Tonasket Chamber of Commerce extends a warm welcome to our visitors! Travel just 23 miles north of Omak and enjoy! History Park: 6 N. Locust, Swimming pool, restrooms, picnic and play areas. Triangle Park: Between Western Ave. and Hwy. 97, picnic table and gardens. RV Park: Across Western Ave. from Triangle Park, RV hook-ups and visitor info. State St. Park: Intersection of State St., Antwyne and 2nd., shade, picnic and play areas. Unique accessories for your country home and garden • Antiques • Collectibles • Books • Cards • Yankee Candles
509-486-4496 31580 N. Hwy. 97, Tonasket (1/4 mile n. of Tonasket)
Chief Tonasket Park: 500 Railroad Ave., Boat launch, picnic tables, ball fields and riverfront. Community Day Park: Located next to Tonasket Visitors and Business Resource Center at 215 S. Whitcomb. Features mural and paintings of Tonasket history, gazebo and gardens. Area Lodging . . . Stay a spell!
Sales • Service • Installation All types of Carpet and Flooring Hunter Douglas Blinds and Shutters Wallpapers 509-486-1096 • 7 West 4th St., Tonasket Cont. Lic. #ALLEYFI975CK
NAPA Auto Parts Allen’s Auto Parts, Inc. Travel with confidence knowing that all NAPA brand parts purchased here are backed by the NAPA National Warranty Program! 308 South Whitcomb, Tonasket 509-486-2921 allensautoparts@bossig.com
509-486-1027 415 S. Whitcomb, Tonasket PO Box 525 Fax: 509-486-1027 email: iisistersvideo@live.com
Page 28 — 2009 Omak-Okanogan County Chronicle Western Rendezvous
Stampede surprises longtime supporter Henrie inducted to Hall of Fame By Al Camp Chronicle staff OMAK — Mary Henrie still can’t believe she’s in the Omak Stampede Hall of Fame. “I have never been so surprised in all my life,” she said of the honor bestowed on her last fall. “I was told it was for my community activities.” Those activities over the years always included her longtime support of the annual rodeo, held the second weekend of August at East Side Park. Henrie was grand marshal for the 1991
Stampede grand parade, she worked hand-in-hand with Stampede while executive director of the Omak Chamber of Commerce from 1982 to 1991, and took numerous promotional trips with Stampede queens to Canada with Stampede volunteer Ed Thiele. “Some of the past queens still write to me,” Henrie said. She was given a standing ovation as she was presented the Hall of Fame statuette at the annual Stampede banquet last Nov. 1. “She is friend to all and an enemy to none,” said (Continued on Page 29)
Open Daily 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Fresh locally grown fruit and vegetables at affordable prices!
www.shawsfruit.com 3533A Hwy. 155, Coulee Dam, WA 99116 • 509-633-0133
Chronicle photo by Al Camp
Mary Henrie with her Hall of Fame statuette.
Welcome Home For real estate in the Okanogan Valley, around the Nation, or around the World, visit Remax.com Supporting our schools, students and community.
509-826-5555 Monica Giovacchini, Broker • Kory Heindselman, Associate • Bob Butler, Associate • Tami Dykes, Associate
Esther Bricques Winery & Vineyard SUMMER WINE TASTING 1:00-6:00 Thursday through Sunday or by appointment 509-476-2861
HANDCRAFTED WINES GROWN IN WASHINGTON STATE’S OKANOGAN VALLEY www.estherbricques.com estherbricques@nvinet.
38 SWANSON MILL ROAD OROVILLE, WA 98844
2009 Omak-Okanogan County Chronicle Western Rendezvous — Page 29
. . . Henrie surprised with Hall of Fame award (Continued from Page 28) Diana Parker at the induction. She and her husband, Ed, were inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2007. “I’m very proud of the Omak Stampede and I think you guys do a wonderful job,” Henrie said at the induction. “This is a little embarrassing.” Henrie, who turns 85 in November, grew up in Maine. Her father was a Quaker minister and her mother worked hard raising a family, which moved to Everett in 1935 when she was 11. Henrie lived through the tight times of the Depression, World War II and Korean War. She’s also survived two vehicle mishaps. “Life has not always been a rose garden,” she said. She married Gene Henrie and they started to raise four children at their Bellevue home. He managed a chain of stores associated with Tradewell. In 1963, the couple bought the grocery store at the corner of Ash Street and Apple Avenue in Omak. Gene Henrie died in 1981.
‘I had never seen anything like it,’ Henrie said of her first Stampede in 1963. Now their sons, Mike and Bob Henrie, run the store. (Susan and David are the other children.) “Both started working at the store when they were about 13,” Henrie said, noting the store is a family-owned corporation, a rarity now. Henrie said her husband did not enjoy living in western Washington. “We came over here for hunting and fishing, things like that, as often as we could,” she said. They bought the store from Darryl Ferguson, then moved to Omak the week of Stampede. “I had never seen anything like it,” she said. “I went to all the rest of them after that, until about three years ago when it got difficult to walk in the crowd and climb stairs.”
She also ushered at that rodeo, selling pop for the Boy Scouts, and worked the visitor center on Stampede weekend. She started attending Stampede meetings in the early 1980s, when she became executive director of the Omak Chamber of Commerce. She continued attending pretty regularly until the last couple years, when it got harder to get around, she said. Henrie said her nomination as the first female chamber president was never secure until the final vote. She said anyone could stand at the annual banquet, and with 10 names in support could nominate someone else. “I was sure somebody would stand up because they did not have a woman president,” she said of her one-year term in 1979. The chamber executive director position was created when Jud Lockwood, who held that position as well as Stampede office manager, opted to be the manager only. (Dick Wilkie was Stampede president at the time.) Henrie said an office was created at (Continued on Page 30)
Don't Spend a Great Night Wasted Stampede is an exciting time for everyone. Stay in on the action!! Know Your Limits - Drink in Moderation If you drink, don't drive. A $10 cab is nothing compared to the cost and humiliation of a DUI or the risk of killing another person or yourself. Prevent, don't provide. Minors get alcohol from someone, Don't let it be you. Under 21 - underage drinking could cost you — know the risks. Okanogan Behavioral Healthcare is committed to responsible drinking — have fun, but be smart. Stop by the Prevention Office at 1007 Koala Drive in Omak. Or call us at 509-826-6191
Page 30 — 2009 Omak-Okanogan County Chronicle Western Rendezvous
. . . Stampede recognizes Henrie’s support (Continued from Page 29) what is now the Rodeway Inn and Suites (formerly the TraveLodge). “We had very little money when we started,” she said. Henrie said she started taking college correspondence classes on how to be a chamber executive, which ended with her attending on-campus classes at San Jose, Notre Dame and the University of Montana. “I would take exams and then go to the schools for the final week. I did that for four years,” she said. Her efforts led to a chamber that numbered 200 members with some money in the bank when she left in 1991. She also promoted the area and Stampede as a state tourism representative for the region’s five counties (giving talks in Seattle about the rodeo), worked with the Downtown Business Association to show how to compete with Wal-Mart, and started traveling after her retirement from
chamber. For a time, her car sported a “C Omak” license plate. During a trip to New Zealand, her tour bus stopped at a weigh station that was nothing more than an empty building with bathrooms. Henrie said she started to hand out brochures about the area and Stampede to Asian tourists. She wanted to make sure those who got them might come to the area. She said two local guys sitting in a corner asked if they were going to get a brochure. “Oh, you never would go to Omak, Wash.,” she remembers saying. “They said they had been here. They were apple buyers. They knew the area.” She gave them a brochure. About that time she felt a tap on her shoulder, turned and there was Omak attorney Earl Nansen. “It’s Mary, isn’t it?” he asked of the woman who would go to the ends of the earth to promote the area. She credits her successes to thinking
of things to do and getting other people to do them. “I don’t try to do these things alone,” she said. “None of it would have happened without community or state involvement.” Though slowed of late, she continues working on a project to identify the more than 2,500 graduates of Wenatchee Valley College at Omak campus. Other past honors include being named a hero by the North Cascades chapter of the American Red Cross, trustee of the year 1991-92 at Wenatchee Valley College (she served 16 years on the board), 1998 Older American Award from the Omak Senior Center, outstanding service award from the city of Omak in 2004 for her work in creating the Dalton-Klessig Park, 1997 Omak chamber president’s award and 2003 a lifetime chamber award. “I have awards coming out of my ears,” she said. “I don’t know why they give them to me.”
Wow! What an Arena! Through all of the changes, great rodeos and amazing races — The Chronicle offers complete coverage! For Stampede and Suicide Race news and great pictures, pick up The Chronicle or visit our website at:
Chronicle Subscriptions
Brewster Marketplace Harvest Foods
starting at just
$28/Year 618 Okoma Dr., Omak www.omakchronicle.com
Omak Cab 1-800-900-4123 24 Hour Taxi Service Package Delivery Message Service Executive Limo Service Radio Dispatched 509-826-4123
Your one-stop source for all your grocery, barbecue, picnic and party planning needs Moose Bros. Pizza • Subway 509-689-SUBS Visit us on Hwy. 97, Brewster • 509-689-3404
The
• Rent and Sell used movies and DVDs
Pumphouse
• Adult Movies 620 Omak Avenue, Omak 509-826-4123 Monday- Saturday 10 a.m.- 6 p.m.
Tommy’s Video and Pawn
Coffee Co.
Serving Kick Ass Coffee!
509-422-3182 • Open 7 days 702 Riverside Drive • North Omak, WA
2009 Omak-Okanogan County Chronicle Western Rendezvous — Page 31
Music of all flavors OMAK — Christians in Action will offer its Omak Stampede Outreach for the 36th year Aug. 6-9. The group’s stage will be between the carnival and arena. “Music of all flavors, testimonies from all ages and dramas are shared from the stage while Bibles, coffee and ice water are available at the literature table,” Christians in Action President Kathleen Christensen said. Children’s activities are offered, and hosts from various churches are available for friendly talk and prayer, she said. All activities are free and interdenominational. The program begins with a Country Gospel Jamboree from 6-8 p.m. Thursday featuring Brock Hires, Tonasket; Bruce and Marianne Zelinski, Tunk Valley, and others.
Outreach schedule Thursday, Aug. 6 6–9 p.m. Country gospel with Brock Hires, Bruce and Marianne Zelinski and others. 4 p.m. 4:30 p.m. 5-7 p.m. 7-8 p.m. 8:30 p.m. 9:15 p.m.
Friday, Aug. 7 Prayer gathering Magic with a Message, Chester LaFountaine, Omak Teen Volume, music, drama and testimonies Don and Lyn Pearce Family and friends Sheri Siewert, Omak Parks Family, Spokane
4 p.m. 4:30 p.m. 5 p.m. 5:30 p.m. 6:30 p.m. 7 p.m. 8 p.m. 8:30 p.m. 9:15 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 8 Prayer gathering Parks Family, Spokane Lee Orr and Ken McLean, country gospel from Tonasket The Rev Penny Baker, gospel yodeler from Tacoma Kids’ praise band, Abundant Life Fellowship, Omak Spanish Service with the Rev. Raul Martinez Parks Family, Spokane Behrent Family and friends, Omak Good4U, Lonnie, Teresa and Kayla Good, Okanogan
Photo by Ann Marie Ricevuto
Hires performs in Molson. Youth Night runs from 4:30-7 p.m. Friday with Chester LaFountaine offering “Magic with a Message.” Don and Patty Parks, Spokane, will bring their smooth country gospel to the stage Friday and Saturday, Christensen said. The weekend program also includes a yodeler, kids’ praise band, Spanish language service and Western church service.
8:30 a.m. Noon
Sunday, Aug. 9 Western church service with Phil Peterson, Ritzville (service ends before the Stampede grand parade at 10 a.m.) Music and testimonies
Welcome to the Omak Stampede & World Famous Suicide Race Buy Locally — Save $$$$ We won’t be beaten on any NEW Chevrolet, Buick or Pontiac www.sunrisechevy.net 726 Okoma Drive, Omak (Next to Les Schwab)
509-826-1000