WENATCHEE u LEAVENWORTH u CHELAN u AND ALL OF NORTH CENTRAL WASHINGTON
September-October 2020
Not a Secret Garden Community Education Garden is a public jewel
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AVOID GROUPS AVOID AVOID GROUPS GROUPS and gatherings
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AVOID GROUPS and gatherings 2
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WASH YOUR HANDS or use hand sanitizer
For more information about fighting the spread of the COVID-19 virus, visit www.cdhd.wa.gov/covid-19. September / October 2020
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Contents 8 Spotlight
Q&A with Sonics broadcast legend Kevin Calabro
30 H ome in the range
12
Double digits
ountain home is an M inside/outside masterpiece
40 Roll on 46 More than a burial place
ommunity C garden turns 10
A look at the Columbia’s storied past
Wenatchee’s cemetery is lively
54 Adjusting
Area wineries adapt to a pandemic existence
20 Reward
Dahlias are a lot of work... but so beautiful 4
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September / October 2020
60 Reviews are in
Barb Robertson shares notes on four local wines
oothills
$
A BI-MONTHLY LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE ABOUT NORTH CENTRAL WASHINGTON
General Manager Sean Flaherty (509) 664-7136 flaherty@wenatcheeworld.com Advertising Sales Manager AnnMarie Morris (509) 661-6377 annmarie@wenatcheeworld.com Managing Editor Russ Hemphill (509) 665-1161 hemphill@wenatcheeworld.com Editor Marco Martinez (509) 664-7149 martinez@wenatcheeworld.com Creative Director Nancy Phillips
WASHINGTON MEDIA LLC Foothills Magazine is published bi-monthly by Washington Media LLC, 14 N. Mission St., Wenatchee, WA 98801 $4.99 Retail Price Subscriptions: $14.99 annually Send check or money order to: Foothills, Subscriptions 14 N. Mission St., Wenatchee, WA, 98801 or subscribe online at ncwfoothills.com Copyright 2020 with all rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part is prohibited without written permission.
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Wenatchee’s Community Education Garden features an assortment of flowers and vegetables as well as pathways winding through each section of the garden.
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Portland Trail Blazers broadcaster Kevin Calabro is seen here before the team’s annual Fan Fest at Moda Center in October 2017. 8
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September / October 2020
STORY BY MARCO MARTINEZ
Kevin Calabro Age: 64
City: Seattle/Chelan Job: Former play-by-play announcer for Seattle SuperSonics, Portland Trail Blazers, ESPN Radio TV, TNT, NBA TV Personal: Married to Sue 38 years; four children: Anthony (and wife Stephanie), Nick, Lauren and Joey Hobbies: Hiking, backpacking, paddleboarding, cycling, archery, stargazing, boating, fishing, winter skiing and gardening
SPEED ROUND
Best NBA player you’ve seen play: Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Kareem AbdulJabbar, Julius Erving, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James — they’re the best I’ve seen.
The Seattle Times archive photo
Kevin Calabro, the voice of the Sonics on radio and television, broadcasts the team’s exhibition game versus the Sacramento Kings in October 2002.
W
hen the NBA season resumed in late July, absent from the microphone was legendary broadcaster Kevin Calabro. The play-by-play announcer for the Portland Trail Blazers decided not to return to work amid the COVID-19 pandemic that turned everyday life upside down. In the Pacific Northwest, Calabro’s best known as the Voice of the Seattle SuperSonics from 1987 to 2008. When the team relocated to Oklahoma City, Calabro was offered a chance to move with the team, but he elected to stay in Seattle with his family. Since the NBA shutdown in March,
Calabro and wife Sue have spent a good share of their time at their second home along Lake Chelan’s south shore. Foothills Magazine caught up with Calabro in July while he was at his Lake Chelan home and he agreed to an email interview. How long have you lived in the Lake Chelan area? We bought a house with a community marine in 2006 on the south shore about 12 miles from Chelan. It is a second home. We live in Seattle as well.
All-time Sonics lineup: Gary Payton, Gus Williams, Jack Sikma, Shawn Kemp, Spencer Haywood Favorite season: Love the summers in Chelan! First concert: Adam Smasher and Pure Funk 1970, at the Westlake Beach Club in Indianapolis Cats or dogs? We love dogs and cats equally, but they’re different. Our dog of 15 years, Buck, passed a couple of years ago. Broke our hearts. Favorite dessert: Cherry pie made with cherries from the two trees we have here at the house. September / October 2020
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Trail Blazers photo/Bruce Ely
Kevin Calabro mans the mic during Trail Blazers Fan Fest in October 2016.
Your profession has taken you all over the country. Why do you choose to live in North Central Washington? We picked Lake Chelan because it’s a unique ecosystem — a 55-mile long glacial lake ringed with mountains and with spectacular weather. What’s the perfect day for you and your wife when you’re in Chelan? A perfect day begins around 6 a.m. with a coffee in our hands looking out over the lake. For me, it’s a hike in the morning or late evening with my wife. I also get down to the lake every other day and paddleboard regardless of the wind or boat wake. I like to cycle up to the top of 25 Mile Creek Trail as well, but you have to get out early to avoid the heat. We also like to get up to Echo Valley for a hike or to the Columbia bluffs.
Provided photo
Calabro and wife Sue have owned a home on Lake Chelan’s southshore since 2006. 10
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September / October 2020
I’ve heard you play quite a bit of golf at the Gamble Sands course near Brewster. Tell us about your golf game. I golf about once a week, usually at Gamble Sands, but any of the local courses are excellent in my view. And I’ve played them all. I play to
about a 10 handicap by the end of the summer. What’s the best part of being an NBA broadcaster? The best part of the job of an NBA announcer is the front-row seat. And the worst part? The worst part is the travel — flying late nights between cities after games and arriving at 3 in the morning. And most of the time not unpacking. Why did you decide not to go back to work when the announcement came the NBA season would resume after a four-month suspension due to the coronavirus pandemic? I decided not to return to Portland to minimize our potential exposure to COVID-19 and I wanted to take a year off to see if retirement appealed to me. Month one has been pretty good.
Chelan is the hometown of current NBA player Joe Harris. What scouting report can you provide on Joey Buckets?
work as a freelance announcer. I even did Seattle Sounders soccer their first year and hosted a sports talk show on KIRO.
The scouting report on Joe Harris is respect his ability to shoot the 3 standing still or on the move. I’m really proud of the way he has worked at improving his all-around game. He has learned that shooting the 3-ball well can make a guy and his family a lot of money in this league.
There’s no doubt in my mind that Seattle is an NBA city. How soon do you think before we see another NBA franchise in Seattle?
The loss of the Sonics franchise to Oklahoma City in 2008 was a tough blow for a lot of us in the Pacific Northwest. What was it like for you? I just didn’t believe the Sonics were going to leave. When they did, we were prepared to stay in Seattle. I had four kids in four different levels of public school with so many friends. We didn’t want to take them away from those relationships. And we didn’t know anything about OKC. So we decided to stay. I got plenty of
I don’t have any doubt that the NBA will be back in Seattle. I don’t know when. And the obvious follow-up question: what are the chances of you again taking up the mantle of “Voice of the Seattle Sonics”? If it’s in my career lifetime, I’d sure love to give it another crack. If you could time travel, which three NBA stars of yesteryear would you choose to see play in person? I’d want to time travel and see Oscar Robertson, Jerry West and Bill Russell play in person. F
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September / October 2020
OUTDOORS
STORY BY JAANA HATTON
Provided photo
A photograph of the Hansen’s house from the 1920s. Sabrina Hansen’s family purchased it in 1967.
A decade of masterful gardening Community Education Garden has blossomed Jaana Hatton photos
Left: Coneflowers are a good example of what type of flowers grow successfully in the Wenatchee area. Above: The Community Education Garden is well tended to by Master Gardeners, each responsible for a specific section.
T
he late Homer McNeill had a vision. It grew from a seedling of an idea into a fully blossoming real garden. It is thanks to Homer that we have a beautiful Community Education Garden in Wenatchee. It has naturally taken more than one person to create the fully func-
tioning gardens — divided into separate sections — that are both demonstrative and teaching tool. Visitors to the gardens along Western Avenue in Wenatchee are welcome to visit the horticultural “school,” either to enjoy or to get ideas for their own gardening projects. September / October 2020
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Birds, bees and even bunnies enjoy the plentiful gardens.
The local Master Gardeners keep it tended Who are the Master Gardeners?
Luke Hollister photo
The WSU Chelan County Master Gardeners began developing the Community Education Garden 10 years ago. The garden is on the northwest corner of Western and Springwater avenues in Wenatchee. 14
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September / October 2020
They are a group of community-minded volunteers who have taken the same university-level course in horticulture. Their mission statement reads: “To educate and inspire individuals from Chelan and Douglas counties to develop sustainable environments and garden practices.” In 2009, the Master Gardeners first had to remove some vegetation at their new site to plant another type. Large birch trees along Western Avenue were taken down and the following year, the group planted other, utilityfriendly trees in their place. In 2010, the rose garden and eight raised beds for vegetables were established, among other tasks. Currently the rose garden is abloom with more than 20 varieties of roses. In 2011, the native plant garden was completed. According to Master Gardener Kate Bratrude, it is currently under improvements.
Jaana Hatton photo
Bratrude has been garden manager since 2009. She makes sure everything is taken care of and volunteers are comfortable with their tasks. “It’s a role that fits me,” she said. “I was the manager of nurses in my previous work.” She grew up on a farm in Iowa and has a good feel for gardening. With that, and a heart for community service, she is happy overseeing the Community Education Garden’s well-being. In 2013, Homer’s Garden, in the center of the venue, found its shape. That same year, Homer McNeill passed away following a brief illness. He was 88. The Butterfly Garden — shaped like a butterfly wing — also took shape in 2013, with plants that attract pollinators. In the midst of the flowers you will also find a long bench, seemingly made out of a log, in the image of a huge, green caterpillar. Master Gardener Al Murphy built it specifically for the Community Education Garden. June McCann, a Master Gardener, joined the program at that time. “I was single, looking for people
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Jaana Hatton photo
Gardens are a wonderful place for outdoor art. Local artist Anne Gibbons created this joyfully dancing Winnie the Pig metal sculpture.
Open with the common interests,” she said. “I helped plan and start Homer’s Garden.” Barb Rooke, another Master Gardener, joined the program at the same time as June. “It was a friend’s suggestion,” she said. She has stayed on and is famous for her enthusiastic weeding. Each volunteer brings his or her own special skill or preference and that’s how the garden thrives. In 2015, among other things, the Winnie the Pig Garden was established. Its undeniable highlight is artist Anne Gibbon’s metal sculpture of a dancing pig. All the plants in the “Winnie” garden bear farm- or animalrelated names. The large pergola was built in the same year. It shades the outdoor area where educational events are held. “There are six Eagle Scout projects in the education gardens,” Kate said. “One of them is the book exchange kiosk, which is also used for the annual seed exchange.” Each year has seen some improvements or additions and many educational events — except in 2020. The COVID-19 outbreak put a stop on the Community Education Garden’s outreach functions. “We missed the dahlia planting
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Jaana Hatton photo
This caterpillar bench, built by Master Gardener Al Murphy, is an invitation for visitors to sit and enjoy the flowers.
Jaana Hatton photo
Master Gardener Kate Bratrude works a section of the gardens.
Luke Hollister photo Luke Hollister photo
Rows of squash and peppers grow at the Community Education Garden in late July. 16
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September / October 2020
A poblano pepper, surrounded by various other pepper friends, ripens in the late July heat at the garden.
Ready. Check.
Launch this year, as well as the Tomato Gala,” Kate lamented. The reduced community participation has caused reduced funds. For now, they are holding back and sticking to the very basic functions within the budget. Angell Clark is this year’s graduate in the Master Gardener program. It has been an unusual apprenticeship for her with the virus concerns overshadowing every activity.
“We have a farm in Chelan and I wanted to learn more about horticulture.” Angell Clark Master Gardener program graduate “I was an elementary school teacher before. We have a farm in Chelan and I wanted to learn more about horticulture. I also want to give back to the community,” Angell said while weeding under the sunflowers. The Education Garden isn’t just all about flowers, but vegetables as well. The raised beds, like the garden sections, each have a designated caregiver. This year, Master Gardener Mike Adams harvested 30 pounds of mixed greens from the beds and the produce was donated to the Lighthouse Ministries. The Community Education Garden is ADA accessible, free and open during daylight hours. It’s a great place take a look at landscaping options or relax at sunset while the sunflowers gently sway nearby. The caterpillar bench is for adults, too. F
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Dedicated to Foothills
September / October 2020
HOME & GARDEN STORY BY DEE RIGGS PHOTOS BY PAUL T. ERICKSON
Local growers says the flowers are worth the effort
D
A honey bee zeroes in on this dahlia’s pollen.
dahlias
ahlias are a lot of work. You have to plant the tubers in the spring but not so early they will get wet and rot. You have to dig them up every fall — after the first frost — and overwinter them inside where it isn’t too hot, too cold or too dry. You have to battle earwigs and spider mites. You have to pinch the plants off early in the growing season so they grow lateral stems and send out lots of flowers. And you have to dead-head them or they won’t bloom well. Whew! So why grow them? “They’re beautiful,” says LaVern Strawn. “They just keep giving,” says Sherry Anderson. “They bloom from early July until frost.” “I love the diversity,” says Linda Holmes-Cook. “There are 15 different color groups, 20 distinct forms and flowers range in sizes from less than 2 inches to 18 inches in diameter.” “You always have a bouquet on your table in the summertime,” says Fernie Slabaugh. All are members of the Wenatcheearea Dahlia Society. Members of the local group admit to addiction issues. Each has several hundred dahlias in their yards and some at the group’s demonstration garden near the Emerson Street entrance to Confluence Health in Wenatchee. September / October 2020
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Kari Erickson of Wenatchee tends to one of her many dahlias at the garden near Confluence Health in Wenatchee.
The dahlia garden next to Confluence Health is open to the public. 22
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September / October 2020
According to the American Dahlia Society, there are 45,000 to 50,000 classified varieties. “You can never run out of new tubers to plant,” says Pat Glass, who grows about 300 dahlias in her East Wenatchee garden. Recently, 25 to 40 new varieties came out. “Then you have a dahlia list and you have to get them,” Glass says. Strawn is always looking for new dark tones. “The blacker they get, the nuttier I get,” she says. “I like dark colors; they’re unique. There is a red one that, from a distance, looks black.” The members listed dahlias that they always have in their gardens: Embrace, Holly Hill Black Beauty, Alloway Candy, Evaline, Jessie G. Every year, there are dahlia shows around the country. The coronavirus has canceled such large gatherings this year, including a national show that had been scheduled for Wenatchee in September.
Committed to Clean The Clearview Peachy dahlia looks a bit like a lion’s mane.
Members say they are disappointed but look forward to coming years. Many local members grow for competition, and they are in the know about which varieties show best. “Form is the most important, then color,” says Holmes-Cook, who judges competitions. “Then they are judged on foliage, stems, how many flowers grow on a bush and on substance. You want to get a full dahlia that will be turgid and springy. You don’t want a limp dahlia.” Members says it’s best to cut dahlias in the early morning or late at night when it’s cool. The quest for beautiful dahlias can get intense. Consider what Anderson does to fight earwigs, which munch holes in the flowers. “You have to hunt them after dark or they’ll see movement and be gone,” she says. “But if you go out after dark and wear a headlamp, they don’t see you.” She uses a bucket with a bit of oil in it to dump the bugs into. “I’ve gotten as many as 120 a night,” Anderson says. “It’s very effective but you have to stay up really late, and I don’t do that anymore.” Glass takes it a step farther. “There is a certain amount of
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satisfaction in squeezing them� she says. There are also bigger pests to contend with. Strawn uses coyote urine to deter rabbits, but hasn’t found it very effective. She keeps gophers at bay with spikes in the ground that send out a current and make a buzzing sound
Top: These tangelo dahlia look good enough to eat. Bottom: Dahlias come in a variety of colors, shapes and sizes like this Kelsey Dwarf. 24
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every minute or so. Then, there are winter storage issues: Members say they layer their tubers in pine shavings or peat moss and label each one so they know what will come up next spring. “Then you want to keep them as cool as you can but don’t let them freeze,” Strawn says. “And you need the right amount of humidity; You don’t want them to dry out but you don’t want them to rot either,” says Anderson. Don’t want to mess with all that? “You can treat dahlias like an annual,” says Holmes-Cook. “Just buy new ones and plant them the first week in April.”
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Waterdrops shine on a creamsicle colored dahlia. The Honka dahlia is not only fun to look at but its name is fun as well.
Dahlia-growing tips: ✿ Plant in a sunny location; six to eight hours of sun is optimal. ✿ Plant in well-drained soil. ✿ Plant when all danger of frost is past. ✿ Lay tubers in 4 to 6 inches of soil. ✿ Amend the soil with compost, peat moss and/or alfalfa meal. ✿ Soil should be pH neutral.
A moth enjoys a drink of nectar on this dahlia. 26
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September / October 2020
On the Web: dahliaaddict.com dahlia.org F
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Growing in place
INSIDE HOME STORY BY DON NELSON PHOTOS PROVIDED BY PRENTICE+BALANCE+WICKLINE ARCHITECTS
A ‘seamless’ remodel adds amenities in a slightly larger space
T
here are some things that will never change at Tom and Mary Lenchek’s homesite on Elbow Coulee Road. The sumptuous views won’t be compromised. Wildlife abounds. Dark and quiet nights will be the norm. Solitude is guaranteed. But the small, practical cabin the
Lencheks built 20 years ago has undergone a substantial remodel — as might be expected when one of the homeowners is an architect — to a full-time residence, without claiming a much larger footprint. The remodeled house was featured in Confluence Gallery’s 2019 Methow Valley Home Tour.
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The easy transition between inside and outside spaces is emphasized throughout Tom and Mary Lenchek’s Methow Valley cabin. Tom is a Seattle-based architect who designed the recent model of the couple’s cabin.
The outdoor living area has custom-fabricated fireplace.
Tom Lenchek has been designing homes in the Methow Valley for more than 25 years — some 40 residences in all, he figures. His Seattle-based firm, formerly Balance Architects and now called Prentice+Balance+Wickline Architects, is active throughout the West and has had a Winthrop office since 2000. The Lencheks bought the 40-acre property, which extends across Elbow Coulee Road, in 1984, and put in the basics — power, well, septic. “We liked the view to the east, and that it got sun in the winter,” Lenchek says of the site. The original cabin’s construction began in 1998. The Lencheks are avid outdoorspeople, and the two-bedroom, one-bath, 1,400-square-feet structure was intended as a recreational base when they were in the valley. They started out focused on winter sports, but then discovered that there was also an enticing summer in the Methow. “It was definitely a cabin,” Lenchek says of the original structure. “It wasn’t
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meant to be a full-time house.” Mary adds that the intent from the beginning was that it be a low-maintenance space. The cabin was ready for occupancy in 2000.
More features
Top: A large dining room table serves as an ideal spot for entertaining when the elements force the party inside. Bottom: The outdoor dining area is covered. 34
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In the past few years as the Lencheks began to transition from Seattle to the Methow — Mary is a “happily retired” attorney who was with a major Seattle law firm; Tom describes himself as semi-retired — the need for a more full-time space became evident as their visits became more frequent. The home isn’t much bigger — expanded by about 300 square feet, Lenchek says — but the resulting remodel added lots of features that make the cabin feel much more expansive. The contractor was Tom Bjornsen. Lenchek said he had to make a decision as an architect (in consultation with his wife) about how to expand the original cabin. “We came around to the idea of blending it seamlessly into the [existing] house,” he says. Indeed, unless Lenchek points out where the remodeling occurred, one would be hard-pressed to figure it out. The additions include a new entrance and mudroom/pantry, an
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outdoor screened sleeping porch (formerly a roofless patio) with retractable Murphy bed, and a second bathroom that includes a washer and dryer. The kitchen and original bathroom were also redone. Outside, the Lencheks added a spacious covered “living area” — a deck that features a custom-fabricated steel fireplace, living room-style furniture and dining table – that is perfect for seasonal entertaining. The deck — a prefabricated concrete slab on a steel frame — is cantilevered to the south to improve views, and has retractable awnings. Like the screened sleeping porch, the deck is intended to extend the Lenchek’s outdoor time as much as possible.
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Storage is one thing that gets jettisoned in many designs, Lenchek says. That’s not an issue in the remodeled cabin, which has plenty of room for all the necessities, including recreational gear (there’s also a separate garage). The well-appointed kitchen — Mary enjoys cooking — looks neat and spiffy thanks to an array of cupboards that keep everything out of sight when not in use.
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A wall-sized HDTV? Nope, that’s the view from the screened sleeping porch with retractable Murphy bed.
The screened sleeping porch, adjacent to the master bedroom, is a favorite addition. “We really love it,” Lenchek says. “We start using it in May. It’s like camping out with a bathroom down the hall.” In fact, the easy transition between inside and outside spaces is emphasized throughout the cabin — 16-foot-wide sliding doors (with screens) off the living room area help create that effect. Other features are a sauna and outdoor shower. The second-level office space does double duty as a guest bedroom. 36
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The original cabin included reclaimed wood from a water flume near Tonasket. Matching that wood for the remodel turned into a quest that led Lenchek to find similar boards in California. The home is built with Firewise standards in mind, to create a “defensible green space,” he says. Additionally, the Lencheks installed solar panels last fall that started operating in mid-October. “They should provide 100% of the house’s energy once I convert our gas boiler to electric this year,” Lenchek says. “This would
be on an annual basis because they are grid tied without battery storage. The total system is rated 13.5KW. It was put together by Ellen Lamiman and installed by Bart Schuler and Pat Norwil, all locals, and they did a great job.” Lenchek says the remodeled home is “done” and there won’t be any more additions, although there may be another outbuilding or two. Meanwhile, the Lencheks have downsized to a condo in Seattle, and figure that between there and the Methow they have all the space they need. F
Top right: The Lencheks’ remodel of their 1,400-square-foot cabin expanded it by about 300 square feet. It’s not a lot of extra space but it includes a lot of features that make it feel more expansive. Bottom right: Floor-to-wall windows allow for plenty of light and unmatched views. September / October 2020
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NCW HISTORY
Changing Currents Jaana Hatton photo
What was once a passageway for stern-wheeler boats and ferries traveling across and along the river is now a playground for many types of boating activities. The Wenatchee Row and Paddle Club holds regular practices on the Columbia River. 40
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World file photo
The steamboat Selkirk noses in at the Entiat landing about 1905. It was part of the fleet of steamboats that connected Wenatchee with upriver points until construction of the railroad in 1914.
A historical look at the Columbia River’s local influence
I
STORY BY JAANA HATTON
f you had been standing on the banks of the Columbia River in the Wenatchee area some 100 years ago, the view would have been much different from today. The currents and the shoreline in those days meandered in different locations than now. Had you been here a thousand years ago, you would have watched the native tribes conducting their daily lives and on occasion, multi-tribal gatherings with thousands of participants in the present-day Wenatchee and East Wenatchee areas. The Columbia River was the connector for traders and travelers, as well. In 1811, David Thompson led a crew of explorers along the Wenatchee
River to the Wenatchee River Delta, where it meets the Columbia River. The Thompson party encountered a hesitant group of horsemen of the Sinkowarsin tribe and after a lengthy session of pipe smoking, the Thompson crew followed the horsemen to their village near the Rock Island rapids. The visit went well and the explorers moved on in the evening with good wishes from the villagers. The Rock Island rapids at that time were notorious for being rough and nearly impassable. The local tribes, however, found the location good for fishing. These days, the strong currents are controlled by the Rock Island Dam which began operating in 1933. September / October 2020
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This is a photo of the Rock Island rapids taken prior to 1892. This was the future site of Rock Island Dam, completed in 1932.
Jaana Hatton photo
The Horan area, once a dwelling and gathering place for native tribes, is now a wildlife sanctuary. Mule deer are commonplace in it, as are a variety of birds. It is a birding hotspot.
Jaana Hatton photo
The once turbulent Rock Island Rapids are now contained by the Rock Island Dam. It was activated in 1933 and forever changed the currents’ force and flow for miles up and down the river.
Photo courtesy of the Wenatchee Valley Museum & Cultural Center
This photo was taken around 1900 and shows (l-r) Sam Miller and Mattie Freer, with Lucy and Hattie Freer (Mattie’s stepsisters), and Del Curry, a barber in front of the Miller Freer Trading Post building. Frank Freer’s house is to the left. 42
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One concern with the Rock Island Dam construction was the preservation of the hundreds of petroglyphs at the site. A local professional photographer, Harold Simmer, an amateur archaeologist, Harold Cundy and Dr. Thomas Grosvenor preserved as many as 140 of the petroglyphs in photographs and drawings. Some of these petroglyphs are currently on display at the Wenatchee Valley Museum & Cultural Center. Some locations could not be preserved when the dam was built; the river delta lost much of its landmass when the water rose higher. The confluence of the Wenatchee and Columbia rivers, now known as the Horan Wetlands and Wildlife Area, looks nothing like before the dam. Since 1930, the confluence delta has submerged by 37%.
The Columbia River ferry at Wenatchee in 1911.
The Horan area was an important tribal dwelling location until the white settlers arrived. In 1841, Lt. Robert Johnson on the Wilkes Expedition noted natives growing potatoes in well-made cultivation areas. The east side of the confluence was a place for horse races and council meetings, where several tribes gathered. The current Horan Natural Area became a trading post location in 1872 when Sam Miller took over the spot by the river. In the early days of Wenatchee settlement, sternwheelers were the way to travel up and down the river. Before the bridges were built across the Columbia, ferries traveled between the east and west shores of the river. The Burch family operated a steam ferry 1885-1889, carrying people and goods back and forth across the Columbia. Capt. Alexander Griggs established a steamboat yard right in town, at the bottom of Fifth Street. The boat yard now long gone, life-sized statue of the captain seemingly walking down to the river currently commemorates the spot. Between 1896-1917, the boat yard constructed 15 stern-wheelers. Some of them were lost into the river’s currents.
Jaana Hatton photo
The statue of Capt. Alexander Griggs, the owner of the stern-wheeler boat company, seems to be briskly walking towards his place of work by the river. The boatyard functioned at the bottom of Fifth Street from 1896 to 1917. September / October 2020
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This photo was taken in 1908 during the construction of the pipe of the Highline Canal on the original Columbia River Bridge. The span, here supporting a lone team of horses and a wagon, was the area’s main cross-river motor route until 1950.
Jaana Hatton photo
Also known as the “Black Bridge,” this construction allowed people and goods to cross the river without the ferries. It now serves at the “0” point of the Apple Capital Recreation Loop Trail, used as a recreational route for bicycle and pedestrian traffic. 44
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The first highway bridge across the Columbia River was erected in Wenatchee in 1906-08 at a cost of $171,000. It carried two 36-inch diameter pipes for irrigation water, served as a highway span and had room for a trolley line. The span was financed by J.J. Hill, the Wenatchee Canal Co. and owners of East Wenatchee land.
In order to live and prosper in the Wenatchee area, settlers needed irrigation for their crops. Irrigation lines were built over time. The Highline Canal, put to use in 1903, served Sunnyslope, the lower elevations as well as canyon mouth areas of Wenatchee. The Pipeline Bridge, running between Wenatchee and East Wenatchee, was completed in 1908. Not only did it carry water across the river, but people as well. Soon the ferries were no longer needed. Even more important than bridges was the railway, which reached Wenatchee in 1892. The ease of railroad transportation gradually won over the slow and hazardous river travel, and by 1915, the sternwheelers had served their purpose. Besides the Rock Island Dam, 12 miles downstream from the city, there is another one controlling the water fluctuation in the Wenatchee area — the Rocky Reach Dam, seven miles upstream. It was opened for public use in 1961.
Jaana Hatton photo
The water from the river benefits residents and cultivated areas even up on the hillsides with the help of the canal system. The largest section of it, the Highline Canal, was built in the early 1900s.. The Columbia River keeps on serving the Wenatchee area as a natural resource. The present-day expeditions are done by fishermen
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Deb Lewin, left, and Kari Suarez take an afternoon walk around the Wenatchee City cemetery in late May. 46
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COMMUNITY
STORY BY MIKE IRWIN PHOTOS BY LUKE HOLLISTER
Gravestones and leashes Editor’s note: A version of this story first published in The Wenatchee World in 2011. Facts and figures have been updated. As a regular cemetery walker, I thought about writing a new story based on the same premise, but quickly realized I couldn’t write a better story than Mike Irwin already did. – Marco Martinez
Life flows through city cemetery
F
or Jeff Pulver, three decades of tending the Wenatchee City Cemetery grounds have reinforced one of life’s basic truths: Cemeteries aren’t just for dead people. The constant flow of living, breathing folks through what amounts to North Central Washington’s second-largest city — an interred population of nearly 20,000 souls — provides a satisfying reassurance that death is part of life, said Pulver, lead worker at the Wenatchee City Cemetery, which was added to the City Historic Register in 2019. “For many people, there’s something comforting about these grounds,” he said. “They return, sometimes daily, even if they don’t have loved ones buried here. The stillness, the quiet ... they make it part of their everyday lives. It’s a good place to think about things.”
Brian Daines takes his dog Hank out for an evening walk through the cemetery in early June. September / October 2020
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Clockwise from bottom left: The grave of John and Mary Sherer dates to the 1920s. The sun sets over the cemetery in early June. Miranda Hamstra takes her two dogs on an afternoon walk through the cemetery in early June. Hamstra said she enjoys the serenity of the cemetery. 48
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The 125-year-old, city-owned facility regularly hosts walkers, joggers, picnickers, dog walkers, moms with strollers, bird watchers, genealogy enthusiasts and history buffs. It’s a common scene, said Pulver. “People pay their respects and maybe get in a little exercise,” he said, nodding to an older couple striding along the cemetery’s nearly 1.3 miles of roads. “These are activities I’ve been watching for years.” Nearly 40 years, to be exact. Pulver first joined the cemetery staff when he was 17 years old and still in high school. It was a summer job with
decent pay, satisfying physical labor and a serene work setting. He said he immediately liked the job but had been taking night classes at Wenatchee Valley College for a career in refrigeration repair. So, when a cemetery staffer retired, Pulver had to make a choice — indoor work or outdoor work? He joined the graveyard’s grounds crew right after high school graduation. “It was a big decision for me at the time,” he said. “But I knew it was the right one.” Since then, Pulver has done it all to keep the cemetery grounds inviting and the burial operation running smoothly.
Mowing, trimming, planting, fertilizing, cleaning, digging, filling, setting headstones, maintaining mausoleums — all the tasks expected of a cemetery groundskeeper. More unexpected are tasks that fall outside the regular care of lawns and buildings to include the care of the grieving and bereaved. The cemetery’s 2.5-man staff — Pulver , Tom Lewis and Jerred Gardner — sell burial plots, offer advice on a choice of headstones, help schedule services and, generally, console and guide the bereaved during this last step of the burial process. September / October 2020
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Clockwise from top: Pete and Cindy Fraley take their dog Bella on a walk through the Wenatchee City Cemetery in early June. Some sections at the Wenatchee City Cemetery allow flat grave markers exclusively. Cemetery staff rely on markers to accurately locate grave sites. “But it’s usually not a heartwrenching meeting, with people crying and wailing,” Pulver said. “By the time they get to us, they’ve already met with a funeral director, been comforted by family, maybe talked with a pastor.” Of course, people deal with grief in different ways, Pulver said. “Some 50
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cry, some laugh and make humorous remarks. But most have moved past the initial shock.” In fact, he said, many of the people he meets have moved into a practical phase, an accepting phase, that allows them to handle the details and make the decisions needed to bury their dead. “For us, meeting and comforting
grieving people is all part of the job,” he said. “In one hour’s time, I could be mowing grass, repairing an irrigation line, and shaking the hands of a couple buying pre-need burial lots.” He looked out over facility’s lush 33.7 acres. “It’s part of the job,” he said. “Part of the way people flow through here.”
Facelift for city father’s mausoleum
Provided photo
STORY BY MARCO MARTINEZ
The city of Wenatchee has received a grant to make needed repairs to the Clark family mausoleum. The remains of W.T. Clark, considered by some to be the “Father of Wenatchee,” are inside the mausoleum. Early Wenatchee developer W.T. Clark
Work to restore the Clark mausoleum was underway in late July and into early August.
The mausoleum of one of Wenatchee’s founding fathers has been restored. The Clark Mausoleum has 12 crypts, one which is the final resting place of W.T. Clark, who was called “The Father of Wenatchee.” David Erickson, director of the City of Wenatchee’s Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services department that manages the cemetery, successfully applied for a $43,000 grant through the state Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation to renovate the mausoleum. The project replaced the roof, fixed cracks in the building, repaired the doors and provided a new coat of paint for the structure. Erickson said the family is ordinarily responsible for maintaining the structure, but surviving members of the Clark family could not be located. Local historian Rod Molzahn wrote
a piece on Clark that published in The Good Life magazine in 2018. With Molzahn’s permission, here are some highlights from that piece: Clark was born in 1860 at Delphos, Ohio. His involvement in construction of the Selah/Moxee canal in the Yakima Valley earned him a wide reputation as a builder of canals and a bringer of water. In 1901 that reputation reached the newly formed Commercial Club of Wenatchee. They were involved in an effort to increase the productivity of the town and valley. They needed a “Big Ditch” to bring water to all of the lower valley and Wenatchee Flat. The Commercial Club convinced Clark to bring his ditch-building expertise to Wenatchee. Construction of the Highline Canal was completed in 1903 at a cost of more than half a million dollars. That same year he bought the Wenatchee Republican newspaper but sold it within months to Leonard Fowler.
Clark founded the First National Bank of Wenatchee and served as the bank’s first president. He was also president of the Monitor Orchard Co. that put 1,000 acres into fruit production. Clark created the East Wenatchee Land Co. to acquire about 5,000 acres of undeveloped land east of the Columbia River. At the same time he began promoting the construction of a wagon bridge to cross the Columbia. He raised $100,000 to build the bridge. Completed on 1908 the bridge also carried two large pipes to bring the Highline Canal across the Columbia to irrigate all of the East Wenatchee Land Co.’s recently purchased acreage. That resulted in a windfall of profits for Clark and his partners. In 1910, construction was completed on the family’s home, the “pebble castle” now known as Wells House on the Wenatchee Valley College campus. That same year, Clark was elected president of the Washington State Horticultural Society. Poor business decisions and bad investments began to chip away at Clark’s financial security. By the early 1920s he was half a million dollars in debt. He was forced to sell all his land holdings. Clark paid all his debts but he was left with nothing. He left his family in Wenatchee and moved to Los Angeles. In 1925, the Wenatchee Chamber of Commerce made him its first honorary life member. He was notified by telegram. He died in 1937 and his remains rest next to his wife, Adelaide. F September / October 2020
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Local wineries get creative
Provided photo
Visitors to Crayelle Cellars’ downtown Wenatchee location can sanitize their hands before and after a tasting if they choose to do so. 54
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THE VINE
STORY BY RICK STEIGMEYER
Outdoor tables at Cairdeas Winery in Manson are spread out to maintain a safe distance between groups.
Provided photo
Safely pour wine and stay open Editor’s note: The re-
Provided photo
Crayelle Cellars co-owner/winemaker Craig Mitrakul masks up in the winery’s downtown Wenatchee tasting room.
porting on this story was done in July. Rules and regulations mentioned in the story are specific to that time. State guidelines may not be the same today. Visit your favorite winery’s website or call the tasting room for the latest information.
W
ineries and tasting rooms were set for a booming summer before the coronavirus led to far more restrictive plans for social gatherings. Starting in March, the region’s growing number of wineries have been reined in by often-changing regulations that have kept them from fully opening. The regulations were put in place by Gov. Jay Inslee and the state public health department to limit the spread of COVID-19. In response, owners and managers of North Central Washington wineries have come up with creative ways to sell and distribute their spirits and offer safe social gatherings that customers are craving more than ever. And those wine-loving customers have responded appreciatively. September / October 2020
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Provided photos
Jones of Washington has tasting rooms in the Pybus Public Market in Wenatchee and Quincy Public Market, seen here. In July, both were open for bottle and glass sales with separated seating.
Chilled wine slushies have been a hot sell this summer for Jones of Washington. 56
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Winery picnics on the lawn, virtual wine and appetizer tastings, driveup service, home deliveries and free shipping are some of the ways wineries are trying to expand sales and keep their establishments afloat while safely offering customers their delicious elixirs of happiness during trying times. Wineries and tasting rooms with outdoor seating have a clear advantage. As of July 30, tasting rooms in Chelan, Douglas, Grant and Okanogan counties could seat up to five customers to an outdoor table to 50 percent of its normal outdoor seating capacity with tables set at least six feet apart. No indoor or bar tastings could be offered. All staff and customers were required to wear masks except when seated at tables and drinking or eating. “We’re trying to do whatever we can do in the safest way possible,” said Preston Sullivan, direct to consumer manager and wine tasting rooms manager for Jones of Washington. Jones has tasting rooms in Pybus Public Market in Wenatchee and Quincy Public Market, but as of July 30, Sullivan wasn’t sure if they would
remain open. “It’s been a huge blow for us to not do wine tastings. We have some great new wines and we want people to taste them,” he said. Curbside and home delivery wine sales are up, however, he said. Allan Williams, marketing director for Jones, said the winery is fortunate that it also sells wine wholesale to distributors in 15 states. Those sales started off the year way above years past, he said. “We had our best quarter ever, but then came March,” Williams said. People are buying more wine than ever, but he said competition is fierce on the wholesale side. Most local wineries are dependent on customers coming to their tasting rooms. Indoor wine tasting has largely been ruled out much of this summer. “Our wine club members have come to the rescue,” said Danielle Mitrakul, co-owner of Crayelle Cellars, along with husband Craig. She said Crayelle’s new downtown Wenatchee location is great, but limited because there’s no room for outdoor seating.
The COVID-19 lockdown came right before the winery was scheduled to deliver its first shipments of wine to wine club members. Members came to the location for curbside pickup and many purchased more than their required allotment to stock up and help the winery. “They’ve helped us weather the storm,” Mitrakul said. Up Stemilt Hill at Malaga Springs Winery, co-owner and winemaker Allen Matthews said Chelan County’s move to Phase 1.5 of the state’s reopening plan has enabled him invite customers to the winery for outdoor picnics and music events. Outdoor music events were shut down again in mid-July by changing state regulations in light of an increase in positive corona virus numbers, but Matthews was hopeful safe events will return before summer’s end. “Our sales were down 66 percent during Phase 1. Now we’re doing 50 to 60 percent of normal,” he said in July. “Holy cow, we’re doing good compared to some businesses that have been savaged by this. I’m not complaining.” Matthews said he’s been closely following health district rules for sanitary
You “Autumn” Be Grilling!
Oly Mingo photo
Under state orders, indoor service at bars and tasting rooms were restricted in late July. Wineries with outdoor seating areas, like Cairdeas Winery in Manson, were able to continue serving customers with outdoor service. cleanup, mask wearing, capacity and safe distancing. Wine club sales, web sales and off-premise sales through local wine shops, restaurants and golf courses have helped keep sales mov-
ing. He also offers free delivery to local customers. “We’re trying to cover all the bases, to be safe and sell a little wine,” he said.
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Cave B’s grape-covered piazza is perfectly suited for socially distanced tasting.
The grapecovered piazza at Cave B offers shade even on the sunniest of days. 58
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Provided photos
Charlie Lybecker, co-owner and winemaker for Cairdeas Winery in Manson, said much the same. “We’re trying to be safe and play by the rules. We want to stay open,” he said. Business has been good with increases in web and phone sales. All business at the winery is done outside, with tasting and glass and bottle sales at tables spread out to maintain a safe distance. Lybecker has also created ways to get people to order wine. He put together six-packs of mixed Cairdeas varieties. He has also boosted web sales with virtual tastings on Zoom and free UPS ground shipping of six bottles of more of any of its wines. “The online stuff we’ve done has really helped. Sales are way up,” he said. “We’re happy to be doing as good as we are.” Several other Lake Chelan-area wineries including Karma, Tsillan Cel-
lars, Benson Vineyards and Fielding Hills have been able to take advantage of the summer tourist season to some degree with outdoor seating and picnic areas. Leavenworth wineries lucky enough to have larger tasting rooms and outdoor seating — including Ryan Patrick and Milbrandt Vineyards downtown, and Icicle Ridge Winery and Silvara Vineyards a few miles to the east — have been able to safely serve small tasting groups from the abundant flow of tourists. Cave B Estate Vineyards in Quincy also offers only outdoor tastings and only by reservation, said Carrie Arredondo, Cave B events and marketing director. Customers are encouraged to bring a picnic and enjoy their drinks on the lawns overlooking the Cave B vineyards and the Columbia Gorge. Arredondo said the winery was gearing up this year for an extensive slate of music and entertainment on its outdoor stage. Those plans have pretty much dissolved. But customers have enjoyed the outdoor tastings and picnics and been very supportive of whatever can
Provided photo
Cave B offers outdoor tastings by reservation. be done to enjoy their wine, she said. “There’s a lot of hard things and a lot of beautiful things that will come
out of this,” she said. “It shows what people can do when they believe in each other.” F
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UPON FURTHER REVIEW
A TASTE OF NCW WINES WITH BARB ROBERTSON
Siren Song 2016 Reserve La Contessa Francesca Estate, $42 Overlooking scenic Lake Chelan, Siren Song Winery is a perfect place to enjoy a glass of wine on a warm late-summer afternoon. If you are a red wine lover, make sure to try this Syrah. The grapes for this wine are grown at the property and exhibit black plum and incense on the assertive nose. The fabric of dark fruits, florals and licorice are woven into silky smoothness. There is a pleasant, slight bite of dark chocolate on the finish. Make sure you take a bottle home and enjoy it with grilled lamb chops sprinkled with fresh rosemary
Jones of Washington 2017 Pinot Gris, $14
Eagle Creek 2018 Muscat Canelli, $32
The Ancient Lakes AVA near Quincy is known for stunning white wines with razor-focused fruit and minerality. Jones of Washington saw the quality of the fruit in this area early on and has been producing high-quality wines at a fair price for more than a decade. Melon, pear and a note of limoncello greet your senses before your mouth even reaches the glass. These flavors are echoed on the palate and enhanced by the mineral notes left from the Missoula flood toward the finish. It’s a fresh and lively sipper that is perfect while you enjoy the last of the summer cricket song.
Muscat Canelli is grown all over the world and is known by different names, including Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains in France and Moscato di Canelli in Italy where it is used for Asti Spumante and Moscato d’Asti. It is also grown all over the U.S. West Coast. In fact, there are 200 varieties of the Muscat grape. Eagle Creek and winemaker Paul Sharpe are following a long line of vintners bringing this wine to the delighted. The Eagle Creek Muscat is off dry with pretty Meyer lemon, honey and sweet and spicy florals. The finish is nicely crisp and balanced. It would be lovely at a reception with wedding cake, or with a fruit-andcheese platter while picnicking.
Barb Robertson City: Wenatchee Credentials: Earned advanced certification through London-based Wine and Spirit Education Trust; currently working toward higher-level diploma through WSET. Earned degree in marketing from Central Washington University. Owned The Wine Bin retail shop in Wenatchee for five years, as well as the Mission Street Bistro Wine 60
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Bar for 14 years. Has worked in the Northwest wine industry for more than 15 years, including sales, production and marketing. Was a judge for the 2011-18 North Central Washington Wine Awards competition, the 2017 and 2018 Cascadia Wine Competition and the Washington State Fair 2015-16.
Rio Vista 2019 Estate Wild Rose Rosé, $26 Firstly, this is an eye-catching deep pink wine that makes you think of strawberries just looking at it. The nose is quite fruity with bright cherry, garden strawberries and tart loganberries. The fruit keeps going on the palate with more berries, tangerine and a touch of burnt sugar and wet earth for interest. The sweetness is offset by zesty acids and background tannins. Rio Vista’s winery/tasting room along the Columbia River is another naturally beautiful place in the Lake Chelan area, and a nice weekend destination. Grilled salmon with spices would make an ideal food match with this wine.
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