News Writer of the Year WNPA entry

Empire PressDouglas County

A legal newspaper for Douglas and Chelan countiesVOL. 122, NO. 50

75 cents Since 1888 December 16, 2010

www.empire-press.com www.empire-press.com

G PFOB WatervilleTuesday, Dec. 14 CashSoft White $7.40Jan. New Crop $7.45Feb. New Crop $7.50March New Crop $7.55Hard Red Winter $7.95Dark Northern Spring $9.63Barley 48# $188.00White Club Prem. N/A

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745-8551 — Waterville

InsidePangborn installs webcam Page 4

Shocker Basketball Page 5

Preschool Breakfast with Santa Page 6

Snowstorm blankets Waterville Page 7

Social Service Directory Pages 8-9

BY DOUG FLANAGAN

Lauren Ludeman liked to express what she was thinking and feeling in creative fashions.

She loved to do artwork. She was able to complete a self-portrait of herself, sketched in pencil, shortly before she died Dec. 1 after a long battle with cancer at the age of 17. She blogged extensively, chronicling her emotions and thoughts of dealing with the disease in a deeply personal manner.

She also dabbled in writing poetry. Two of those selections, titled ‘‘I Hope” and ‘‘I Wish,” were read by two of her close friends, Mars Chambers and Brianna Hinderer, during a celebration of her life, held Dec. 8 at the Waterville School gymnasium.

The poems revealed just how aware Ludeman had become about herself, her life, and the maturity and perspective she had gained through a series of tragedies that her family had fallen victim to.

‘‘I understand that tomorrow is not promised to us,” she wrote in the concluding stanza of ‘‘I Wish.”

‘‘I know that life is short, and that I am only a child.”

‘‘She would write about how she was feeling,” Chambers said. ‘‘That was something very special about her.”

In a lot of ways, though, Ludeman was a typical teenage girl.

‘‘She was a private girl, but fun-loving,” said Waterville School principal Cathi Nelson. ‘‘She was really loyal to her friends in family. She was a pleasure to have in class and very active in a lot of extracurricular activities. She was an important part of the school community and the Waterville community. There will always be a void there that will never be fi lled, but people here are strong and very supportive, and everyone will get through it.”

A Lauren-shaped holeCommunity mourns Waterville junior

Photo provided

Lauren Ludeman, who passed away Dec. 1 after a battle with cancer, was a cheerleader for the Waterville Shockers. She was celebrated with a memorial at the Waterville School Dec. 8.

■ SEE Lauren on page 6

BY KAREN LARSEN

If you think you are all done with your holiday gift preparation, there is someone else the Red Cross would like you to think of: the accident victim or chronically ill patient who needs blood during the holiday season.

A blood drive is scheduled in Waterville for Dec. 23 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the NCW Fairgrounds Community Hall.

“The need at this time (of year) is always critical,” said Jay Ann Merkle of the regional Red Cross offi ce in Yakima.

With that in mind The Red Cross is holding a blood drive campaign this holiday season with the slogan “The Perfect Gift.”

Merkle said that giving blood is something people can do in 45

minutes to one hour. Though simple for the donor, it can make a life-saving difference to those in need.

She said that a unit of blood lasts just 42 days, and during the holiday season accidents are usually up, while the number of donors is down due to the bustle of the season.

The Red Cross is always especially seeking O-negative donors because this blood is what needs to be used fi rst in an emergency until the patient’s blood can be properly tested.

The goal for this blood drive is to collect 35 units of blood.

With only 19 units collected at the last drive in Waterville, this is going to take a special show of participation.

Blood collected in drives in this area is used by 26 local hospitals,

from Okanogan south into parts of Oregon.

Merkle said that the Red Cross will have a trained crew in Waterville on the day of the drive to screen patients and take blood.

The blood donation itself only takes ten minutes, and refreshments will be available afterwards.

Merkle said that volunteers 16 years and older may donate blood. Those 16 and 17 years of age need parental permission.

Donors must be healthy on the day of the drive.

The Red Cross accepts drop-in donors, but they prefer people to make appointments, either on-line at nwblood.redcross.org, or by phone at (800) RED-CROSS (800-733-2767.)

‘The Perfect Gift’ blood drive set for next weekCritical need around the holidays for all blood types

During the memorial service, it was revealed that she had somewhat of a goofy and mildly rebellious side, as a lot of kids her age do.

‘‘At a coffee stand, she would hold up traffi c until she confi rmed that nobody had coffee with mismatched straws, because that would just ruin her day,” said the service’s main speaker, Daniel Miranda, a pastor at Waterville Federated Church. ‘‘Also, a little birdie told me about the time when she drove to Orondo on a search for Mexican food before she had her driver’s license.

”She barely beat her dad home, and thought that she had pulled the wool over his eyes. But imagine her surprise when people started to call her dad and tell him that they saw Lauren driving home.

‘‘Her brother, Alex, remembered that she liked to throw things for some reason — remotes, heavy-duty tools, silverware. But she wasn’t very accurate, so everything was OK.”

But when she found out that she had cancer, Ludeman’s serious, refl ective and caring qualities started to come out.

Of course, she wondered, ‘‘Why me?” a fair amount, and despised being known as ‘‘the girl with cancer.”

She yearned to return to a normal life, and for her family and friends to do the same. She wasn’t necessarily scared about the prospect of dying, Miranda told the audience.

She was more concerned about how her father, Joe, brothers Alex and Joe Curtis and sisters Natalie and Maddie would move on without her.

‘‘She wasn’t depressed or sad,” Miranda said. ‘‘The only good thing she saw that came out of this whole thing was how it brought Joe and Alex closer together.

”She was more curious about death rather than afraid.”

Ludeman wrote in her blog, dated April 27: ‘‘Before, I never believed in God, but since I found out about the cancer, I’ve been praying.

‘‘At first it was weird, but I’ve been healing so fast, and now I believe. I don’t have as many questions as I did before.

‘‘I’ve become closer to my dad. He’s the only one that can relate to what it’s like to fight for your life. God is watching over me.”

Joe Ludeman was seriously injured in August 2004, when the truck he was driving lost its brakes and crashed into boulders and trees off Badger Mountain Road. He lost his right leg in the accident. In 1998, when Lauren was 5 years old, her mother, Julie, was killed in a vehicle accident in Pine Canyon.

But through all of the hardships that she endured, Lauren emerged with a positive, resilient attitude toward life.

‘‘She didn’t outwardly show a lot of things that had happened in her life,” Nelson said.

‘‘She took it one day at a time. She was a great spirit.”

Lauren’s uncle, Kevin Anderson, said at the memorial service that losing her battle with cancer ‘‘may be the first time she didn’t get her way.”

‘‘She was strong-willed, even as a little girl,” Anderson said. ‘‘She was full of life. We’ll all miss her and remember her forever.”

Miranda asked the gathered crowd to mourn Lauren’s passing, but be happy for the fact that she’s no longer in pain.

‘‘On the night she died, she knew she was loved very much,” he said.

‘‘Her dad, seeing her struggle so much, leaned over and whispered into her ear, ‘I give you my permission to stop struggling.’

‘‘Then we prayed. It wasn’t a long prayer. When we opened our eyes, she was gone.

‘‘She died very peacefully.”

Lauren Ludeman, who passed away Dec. 1 after a battle with cancer, as shown on her Caring Bridge website.

n CONTINUED from page 1

A memorial for Lauren

Lauren Ludeman, 17, of Waterville, died Wednesday, Dec. 1 at 10:30 p.m., at Central Washington Hospital in Wenatchee, circled by family and friends.

Outpouring of memories and condolences from community members on her Caring Bridge website, left in the guestbook in the months since her diagnosis, reveals a vibrant and much-loved teenager.

Scrolling back through pages upon pages — 34 of them — reveals just how many lives this young woman touched in her short time here.

A poem about grief, posted within hours of her passing.

A Halloween memory, posted just three weeks ago:

‘‘Just wanted to let you know that I never stop thinking about you. You’re my oldest friend, ever since the days of meeting each other halfway on our old dirt road for playdates and putting on outrageous makeup upstairs in your room at your old house. Remember this Halloween, driving around and spraying the boys with silly string? You’ve always been there for me, and I want you to know that you’re always in my heart, and you always will be. You’re an amazing friend and I love you so much. Always will. Never forget how loved you are, Lo.”

The guestbook holds more than 500 personal wishes of love, hope and strength for Lauren, many from well-known Waterville family names.

Some didn’t know Lauren personally, but wanted to pass on strength.

Website gives mourners an outletOthers hadn’t spoken to

her in years, but wrote about shared childhood joys and offered love and support in any way that could help.

Another post, left the day after Lauren’s funeral, sums up the way this community pulls together in times of need:

‘‘I hope you aren’t worrying about your dad and your brother. They are two of the strongest men I know, and they have this entire town

watching out for them. Alex is like my little brother, and I promise to keep an eye out for him, make sure he doesn’t turn out to be as big a troublemaker as you ;) I know how much you loved them, and I know they love you so much. You’ll always be here with us, living in the hearts of everyone who loves you.”

To leave your memories, visit caringbridge.org/visit/laurenludeman/guestbook.

By Karen Larsen

Despite the heavy snow that fell the day before, this year’s Waterville Preschool Breakfast with Santa fundraiser went well.

Parents Boyd and Amber Petersen took charge of the decorations, filling the NCW Fairgrounds Community Hall with holiday spirit.

About 150 people showed up for breakfast. Teacher Sharon Long described the turnout as fantastic given the weather conditions. There were lots of donations from community members and businesses for the silent auction and raffle.

Treasurer Jennie Munson said that it looks like net proceeds will be close to $1000, a little less than last year, but comparable to previous years. Munson added that she can not be sure of this number because she has not yet received receipts for expenses.

This was the first Breakfast with Santa since Dave and Marvel Mires of Wishbone Catering retired. Food this year was prepared by Teresa Ruud with the help of Windy Osborne. They worked hard through the snowstorm to get the food ready for the next day.

President Becky Brown said that she received a lot of good feedback from those who attended. They liked the buffet style of the meal and the decorations. Children enjoyed a new coloring contest. Brown wanted to thank all who came and “made it another wonderful Breakfast with Santa.”

Proceeds for the breakfast go toward preschool scholarships and regular operating expenses.

Breakfast with Santa nets about $1000

Karen Larsen photo

Jorja, 4, Johnna, 6, and Jayden Hope, 9, pose for a photo with Santa at the Waterville Preschool Breakfast with Santa on Sunday. For more photos, see page 11.

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The Douglas County Empire Press •6 Thursday, December 16, 2010

By Karen Larsen

Waterville residents were hard-pressed to remember a snow as big as the one that hit Saturday, dumping between 18 inches and two feet on the Waterville plateau and the town itself.

Mayor Royal DeVaney said that the town crew worked on clearing the streets until about 2:30 a.m. Sunday, went home to get a few hours of sleep and then got back out to continue with the clean-up.

Many of them worked 20 hours over a 24-hour period.

“The crew did a tremendous job,” DeVaney said.

On Monday they were out working to push the snow back from the road, so that there will be room to pile any new snow that might fall.

DeVaney said that it would take a few days to finish this process.

Dan VanHoven, a maintenance technician for the State Department of Transportation in Waterville, said that three trucks worked through Saturday night on Highway 2.

The highway was completely cleared by 10 a.m.

VanHoven said that drivers did a good job coping with the conditions, and there were no incidents on the road.

For their part, private residents were out Sunday and Monday with their snow blowers, snow shovels, tractors and other equipment to clear driveways and walkways.

Some got up on flat roofs to shovel off the thick layer of snow.

Waterville copes with heavy snowfall over the weekend

Karen Larsen photos

Above: Snow was temporarily piled in front of the Nifty Theatre Sunday morning as the city crews cleared several feet of snow from the streets.Below top right: Roland Schettler tackled the snow with his tractor. Below bottom right: Thank goodness the snowstorm happened on a Sunday. Bottom left: The Tollackson brothers were out Sunday morning with their snow shovels.

The Douglas County Empire Press • 7Thursday, December 16, 2010



75 cents Since 1888 January 27, 2011


G PFOB WatervilleTuesday, Jan. 25 Soft White Cash $7.30Feb. Price $7.30March Price $7.33Aug. New Crop $7.29Hard Red Winter $8.31Dark Northern Spring $10.20Barley 48# $181.00White Club Prem. N/A



1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

Weekday outbound

Weekday inbound

Saturday inbound

Saturday outbound

Outbound: From Wenatchee to WatervilleInbound: From Waterville to Wenatchee

5:30 a.m. 6:25 a.m.

7:20 a.m.

8:25 a.m.1:30 p.m.

2:25 p.m.3:30 p.m.

5:30 p.m.

6:25 p.m.

4:25 p.m.

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

7:30 a.m. 8:25 a.m.

1:00 p.m.

2:00 p.m.5:30 p.m.

6:25 p.m.

Waterville ridership for 2010

Rainne Knight graphic

BY DOUG FLANAGAN

Richard DeRock, the general manager of Wenatchee-based Link Transit bus service, certainly doesn’t want to see the service eliminate its daily routes from East Wenatchee to Watervillle. The prospect of that scenario doesn’t sit particularly well with DeRock, who ideally wants the business to embrace its overriding credo, which mandates the connection of communities.

But DeRock also knows that at this point, Link Transit might not have another choice. Since the service is primarily funded by sales tax, and sales tax has been reduced thanks to the recent economic recession, Link Transit has been looking at ways to reduce expenditures.

DeRock said that about $850,000 worth of cuts have to be made.

One method that has been discussed is eliminating the Waterville route, which operates three weekday roundtrip runs, two Monday-through-Saturday runs and one Saturday-only run.

“This recession has been so deep that we are down 29 percent from

where we otherwise would be. That’s the problem,” DeRock said. “We’ve told our board (of directors) that we can live off our reserves that we set aside years ago until they run out. We can operate through 2011 if we

don’t change the size of the system, but we can’t operate through 2012. The cash fl ow won’t work. That’s why we’ve talked to the board about what our choices are.”

Waterville mayor Royal DeVaney would be against a service cut if one were proposed.

“This could be detrimental to several people in town,” DeVaney said. “It’s a concern of mine and the

council’s that this might happen. We’ve got people that work in Wenatchee or East Wenatchee who use the bus to go back and forth, and the price of fuel is a major thing right now.

“I wish more people would use (the service). It’s quite important. (Cutting the service) could have an impact on people in the community, and not a positive one.”

DeRock emphasized that eliminating the Waterville route is just one of several possibilities that

Link looking at cutting service to WatervilleChanges would affect thousands of riders annually, could begin by October

will be discussed by the board, and that no decisions have been made.

“If we are to cut services, one of the questions that we are asking is, do we cut services across the board, or structurally eliminate whole services that are the least productive and carry the fewest riders?” he said. “My philosophy would be to strategically cut whole routes. But there are big questions

to be answered, and implications of any decision that we make. We need to fi gure out what types of cuts need to occur and look at if it makes sense to provide services in a different fashion.

“If connectivity is the priority, could we have a private contractor provide service for us? If money is the object,

‘‘

to be.Richard DeRock”

Waterville costs us $150,000 a year to operate, so it’s a small part of the problem. If we cut it, that only gets us one-sixth of the way to where we need

■ SEE Link on page 7

Waterville encouraged to embrace changeHe also gave examples of a variety of

small towns who have turned things around with regard to retail sales by attracting tourists.

These included Columbia, N.C., which has made itself an ecotourism destination; New York Mills, Minn., and LaConner, which have created art destinations; Colquitt, Ga., which has created a tourist event out of the stories of its people; and Quincy, which draws a huge number of

people for concerts at the Gorge.Attendance at the banquet this year was down from

last year, with about 70 people present.The meal was catered by Harvest House, Coyote Pass

Café and the Blue Rooster. Service help was provided by the Waterville High School leadership class. Attorney Steve Smith served as the emcee for the evening.

BY KAREN LARSEN

Those who gathered for the 2011 Waterville Chamber of Commerce banquet Monday had the chance to hear about how small towns across the nation have been revitalized through ecotourism, art and special events.

The speaker was Gary Thomsen, who has roots in Waterville, but lives in the Puget Sound area.

Thomsen has been a high school teacher in the fi eld of project-based learning for the past 14 years, and has done bicycle and rollerblading trips across the country.

One of his chief interests is small towns, and how they either wither or thrive based on the choices they make.

“Some towns accept change, and some just disappear,” he said.

Thomsen shared statistics showing the diffi culties that small town retailers were facing across the nation. As an example, he said that the Wenatchee Wal-Mart has more sales in one day than all Waterville retail businesses have in 18 days.

Gary Thomsen

■ SEE Banquet on page 11

Inside

Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Shocker Basketball Waterville Organist School Celebration

Link: Taking a hard look at cuts for the Waterville routen CONTINUED from page 1

the object, should we have a much higher fare for longer trips? Our primary objective has always been making regional connections. We have to ask if that objective is still appropriate or not. Is having high ridership the main priority? To maintain the grants we receive, we need to have productivity. All that stuff is on the table, and there is no staff recommendation. The board has to make some choices. We could make good arguments for (either side).”

If Link Transit decided to cut whole routes, however, the Waterville route stands out as one prime for elimination. On a dollar-by-dollar basis, the Waterville route isn’t the service’s most expensive — the routes to Chelan and Leavenworth, for instance, cost more. But the Waterville route is the service’s most costly that isn’t funded by grants. That’s where the problem lies, according to DeRock.

“It’s not the least productive route that we have,” he said. “Every other route that’s as least productive has dedicated grant funding to operate the service. Waterville is the most expensive route that we have to pay for ourselves. It has a subsidy of about $10 per boarding; that’s what taxpayers are paying for a bus to go on that route. That’s four times the subsidy amount for routes in Wenatchee. If we’re cutting based on cost and productivity, Waterville goes to the top of the list. If we’re cutting based on connectivity, we’re looking at other things.”

Wayne Hawks, a Waterville city councilman and a Link Transit board member, said that in the past, Link Transit has asked voters to approve an increase in sales tax to cover any shortfalls. That doesn’t appear to be an option this year.

“We talked about going to the voters and trying to get an increase of two-tenths of a cent increase on the sales tax, but we decided not to,” Hawks said.

“We better not spend any money on an election attempt. It would get (expensive) to do that. I certainly hope (the Waterville route) can be saved because people who ride the bus rely on it for their transportation needs.”

According to figures provided by Link Transit, there were 13,622 passengers on the Waterville runs in 2010. That number represented almost 1.5 percent of Link Transit’s ridership total of 953,221 riders. The most popular Waterville run was the 8:25 a.m. Monday through Friday inbound route, which carried 2,047 passengers.

“The busiest routes on a commuter (run), obviously, are the morning and afternoon routes,” DeRock said. “The Waterville route has regular riders every day.

“The route itself is a tough one to operate, though, because of the long distances in-between stops. It takes an hour and a half to do each route. If there was density in between East Wenatchee and Waterville, it would be perfectly fine. If there was more money, it would be perfectly fine.

“It’s not a bad route. Quite simply, at this time there is not enough money, and this is the lowest-performing route that we have.

‘‘

Richard DeRock”

It’s not a bad route. Quite simply, at this time there is not enough money, and this is the lowest-performing route that we have.

“Waterville is the county seat, and there are legitimate reasons for running an expensive bus up there. The Waterville route has been strong since it came into existence.

“I’m not recommending (cutting it). That goes against the foundational terms of our system, which is to connect communities.”

Keith Soderstrom, the president of the Waterville Chamber of Commerce, said that the town’s businesses wouldn’t be severely impacted by a service cut.

“I don’t know the current ridership at the different times,” Soderstrom said. “Whatever cuts are proposed, somebody needs to have some kind of idea what the ridership is in the different time slots. We need to get some petitioning to try to get the heavy ridership times established and try to keep those.

“Many people are in the same situation I am right now — they don’t have information about who is riding and when they’re riding.”

DeRock said Link Transit will host focus groups consisting of urban riders, commuter riders, rural route riders and

non-riders to answer their questions and a get a feel for their concerns about the service going forward.

Interested citizens can find out more information about attending the focus group sessions by visiting linktransit.com.

DeRock said the Link Transit board of directors will sit down for a workshop discussion in February to consider their options, and that a final budget plan will be approved in April.

“We’ve told the board that the earliest we can make a cut (in service) is October of this year, but realistically it’s probably going to be next year,” DeRock said.

“My gut reaction is that (the issue will be solved) by a variety of solutions and not just one thing. We can’t do just one thing and solve this problem. Simply cutting the Waterville route won’t solve our problem. Waterville costs us $150,000 a year to operate, so it’s a small part of the problem. If we cut it, that only gets us one-sixth of the way to where we need to be.”

Waterville residents that attend classes at Wenatchee Valley College would also be affected by a route cut. WVC students can ride a Link Transit bus for free if they register for at least six credit hours per quarter.

“The bus drivers have tried to keep us informed of the possible changes coming our way, and they’ve told us about several alternate scenarios,” said Paige Blackburn, a Waterville resident and WVC student. “If they eliminate the service, (getting to school) will be doable, but an inconvenience. The worst case scenario is we drive to Orondo and catch

the bus from there or just drive into Wenatchee.

“But most of us who ride the bus do so to save money. We’re saving $7 or $8 a day, depending on the price of gas. It’s big savings all the way around, and since I’m in a one-income household right now, that’s huge. (The students) can’t alter our class schedules, for the most part. We’ll have to work around it.”

Blackburn, however, is most worried about the high school students that attend the Running Start program at WVC.

Teenage drivers in Washington can’t carry passengers younger than 20 years old for the first six months after they acquire a driver’s license.

“The Running Start students will be hit the hardest because they can’t carpool, and a lot of them don’t have access to transportation,” she said. “My cousin was looking at Running Start, but since she doesn’t have transportation, that’s a concern. How many students will be discouraged from doing Running Start if there is no bus route?”

Blackburn is hoping for the students’ sake that a morning and evening route, at the very least, can be saved.

“The biggest thing for us is to get our opinions out there to let the Link directors know what a vital service they provide to improve the quality of our lives,” she said. “They need to realize that the budget cuts they are talking about are going to affect people. We know they’re going to make some kind of cut. The question is how much.

“My question to them would be, is cutting the entire route necessary?”

Shocker basketball: You win some, you lose someBy Jim RogeRs

Waterville girls improveThe Waterville Shocker girls’

basketball team showed a better competitive spirit than in the past against visiting Kittitas Jan. 18, but not enough to counter their scoring blitz. They lost 46-23.

“The girls played well despite the score. They have been working hard and developing a good pattern of play,” said coach Kassie Ludeman.

Scoring for Waterville were Bailey Bromiley, 6; Kendra Toomey, 6; Alex Landon, 1; Brooke Raether, 1; and Kassidy Simmons, 9.

Girls triumph over MansonWith the score tied at the end

of the third quarter, the Shockers outscored Manson by a nail-biting three points to win the Jan. 21 home game 39-36.

Waterville led 19-18 at the half. Coach Kassie Ludeman said the

team is playing their best this season. “They gave it their all. I am very proud of them.”

Scoring for Waterville were Kendra Toomey, 2; Hanna Clements, 8; Alex Landon, 4; Diana Davila, 4; Kassidy Simmons, 15; and Jessica Day, 6.

High scorer for Manson was Hailey Ellsworth with 12 points.

It was Waterville’s third win of the season.

Boys fall to Kittitas at homeThe Shocker boys’ basketball

team hosted Kittitas Jan. 18, but the home crowd was not enough to counter the visiting team’s offensive attack. Three Kittitas players scored in the double digits, led by Matt VanWagoner with 14 points.

Waterville sank 25-63.Scoring for Waterville were Tate

Newcomb, 1: Kayden Shafer, 6; Taylor Yager, 2, Allen Laney, 3; and Jamie Abrahamse, 13.

“We lacked energy and execution,” said coach Jody Flaget. “It was not our best effort. Kittitas should not beat us that soundly.

“We have watched the game film and we will be much more competitive next time around. I feel that by the kids seeing their lackluster game on film, it was a rallying point going into the Manson game.”

Win just out of reachKayden Shafer scored 16 points in

a home game against Manson Jan. 21, but the team lost a disappointing game 45-37.

“Our kids played hard. Our energy, effort, and execution were the best thus far this season. We did a nice job defensively, and we showed patience on offense,” said Flaget.

“Manson, however, doubled our post players down the stretch and we struggled to make outside shots. We were in it to the bitter end, but we didn’t make enough shots in the crucial fourth quarter.”

Waterville led the game at the half 22-21.

Others scoring for Waterville were Russel Whitehall, 5; Mitchell Clements, 3; Allen Laney, 8; and Jamie Abrahamse, 5.

The high scorer for Manson was Javier Guillen with 12 points.

The Shockers play two homes games next on Friday against Warden, and Saturday against Soap Lake. Tip-off for the girls is at 6 p.m., boys at 7:30 p.m.

Also on Saturday, the Waterville School is holding their annual Oyster Stew and Chili Feed and Art Auction, from 4 to 7 p.m. in the multipurpose room. Come see the game and enjoy some great food, all for a good cause.

The Douglas County Empire Press • 7Thursday, January 27, 2011



75 cents Since 1888 February 17, 2011


G PFOB WatervilleTuesday, Feb. 15 Soft White Cash $7.69March Price $7.70April Price $7.73August Price $7.49Hard Red Winter $8.64Dark Northern Spring $10.80Barley 48# $194.00White Club Prem. N/A



InsideLetter: Lost brooch Page 2

Valentine Story Time Page 6

Basketball season wraps Page 6

Fight for grandparents’ rights Page 8

Chocolate making 101 Back Page

BY DOUG FLANAGAN

Not too long ago, Johnna Hope, a Waterville School fi rst-grader, went to class and began to talk about a television show that her father had recently watched that discussed the plight of orphaned children in the ravaged, Caribbean island country of Haiti.

“These kids in Haiti, they don’t even have a mom or a dad because their mom and dad couldn’t afford them,” Johnna said. “So now they live (as orphans) and they have to sleep on the street and live on the street. They have no homes, and they have nothing to eat.”

Johnna was concerned and wanted to know if there was anything that she and her classmates could do about the situation that could have a tangible impact. According to the United Nations Children’s Fund, there are more than 380,000 orphaned children in Haiti, a problem that was no doubt exacerbated by last January’s earthquake.

Teacher Stacey Biram told her: Sure, no problem.

Coincidentally, Biram told Johnna, two of Biram’s friends from high school — Darold Brandenburg and Craig Tanguy — are planning on visiting Haiti next month as part of a relief effort. Johnna went home and

Photo provided

Students from Waterville School organized a donation drive for Haitian orphans. These dental supplies were provided by Drs. Mark Wade and John Ruud.

BY KAREN LARSEN

On Sunday, fi ve Waterville residents were asked to come into The Blue Rooster to reminisce about the town’s past and dream about its future.

The interviews, which were fi lmed by this year’s chamber banquet speaker Gary Thomsen and facilitated by Amanda Zahler, are going to be used for a teacher training seminar March 12.

They also may make their way into a video about Waterville that the chamber is contemplating making. This video would be a project that would be completed in cooperation with students in the Waterville schools.

The interviewees included Shirley Smith, Alice Hill, Alec and Eunice McCay and Keith Soderstrom.

Chamber member Amy Larsen, who was responsible for choosing the interviewees, said that she wanted to choose people who had been in Waterville for a long period of time, as well as someone involved in the chamber or the town.

Interviewees that had been in Waterville for many years were asked about the businesses that used to be

Karen Larsen photo

Long time Waterville resident Shirley Smith talks about her memories of Waterville in the past, and her feelings about the town in the present, during interviews that will be used in a teacher training seminar.

‘Small’ idea, resultsLARGE

wrote a letter to Tanguy, asking if he would bring back pictures from his trip and telling him how happy she was that he could help the Haitian children.

One thing led to another, and soon Biram and the kids were ordering and collecting pencils, erasers, notepads, toothpaste samples and other items, eventually enough for about 150 Haitian children.

■ SEE Haiti on page 7

Waterville residents reminisceChamber video may be in the works

in Waterville and how the business climate has changed over the years.

They were also asked about the best kept secret of Waterville, and what kind of businesses they wish Waterville had more of.

Lastly, they were asked the toughest question of all: “If you could compare Waterville to an ice cream fl avor, what would it be?”

The group will be interviewed again for the teacher training.

Photos provided

Students from Waterville School organized a donation drive for Haitian orphans. These dental supplies were provided by Drs. Mark Wade and John Ruud.

n CONTINUED from page 1

On Monday, the students compiled the items to put together care packages during their Valentine’s Day party that will include note cards with pictures and personal messages.

The packages will be personally delivered to Haitian children by Tanguy, Brandenburg and his wife Sheila next month.

A seemingly innocent question raised by a little girl a few weeks ago prompted an unplanned project that took over the classroom and helped to teach the students invaluable lessons that they’ll be able to use for the rest of their lives.

“I’m really excited to be a part of this project, and the kids are really excited as well,” Biram said. “They’re so interested in the whole idea, especially Johnna. It’s so nice that the kids are thinking about things like this. We have talked about how people right here in the United States have less than we have, and it’s a hard concept for kids to grasp sometimes, so the fact that they’ve responded to this has worked out really well.”

Once Tanguy and the Brandenburgs return from Haiti and show the students pictures of the orphans with the care packages, the Waterville kids should feel an association to the impact of their efforts, Biram said.

“It will really feel like that there’s a connection,” Biram said. “Lots of times we do things to raise money at school, but you never really know what it’s going for. You put a dollar into a hat to raise money for cancer, but you don’t see the end result. Since (my friends) are going to come back and share about their experiences with the students, the effort can come full circle. They can

Haiti: Waterville students making a difference

see that their stuff really got there and that the orphans really appreciated it.”

After the students watched a video about Haiti one day in class, Biram asked Johnna what she learned. “Sometimes we should be happy for ourselves because there are some people in Haiti that don’t have (anything),” Johnna responded. “We should feel happy for ourselves for all of the things we get.”

Biram said, “To have that compassion and think about other people like that is hard for any age group, but for kids, it’s such a struggle. This really is a caring group of kids. They opened up and talked about all of the things that people have and want, and how we are so lucky and that we shouldn’t take things for granted. We got out a map and pointed to where Haiti is, and the kids said, ‘Let’s go to Seattle and fly down there. We’re ready to go.’ They really wanted their plan to work.”

Biram went to Liberty Bell High School in Twisp with Tanguy and Darold Brandenburg. Several years ago, Brandenburg and his wife Sheila were looking into

the possibility of adopting a Haitian child, but ultimately decided against the idea. However, they determined that they still wanted to assist Haitian orphans in some capacity and soon discovered the Hands and Feet Project, a nonprofit organization that was started in 2004 by the members of the Christian rock band Audio Adrenaline.

“(The project)…is a children’s village in Jacmel, Haiti… Our first little girl arrived in the spring of 2005, and we now care for 40 children ranging in age from 2 months to 9 years old,” according to a blog on the organization’s official website.

“We are currently building more houses in order to be able to help more children who have been abandoned and will probably have over 50 children by the end of this year. We are hoping to replicate the model that brings artists/bands and orphanages together, with our next project starting soon in Nicaragua.”

The Brandenburgs, who live in Winthrop, immediately became intrigued and joined the effort in 2008 and will make their first mission relief

trip to Haiti next month as part of a group of 12 people that also will include Tanguy.

“(The project’s) goal is to raise 1,000 orphans,” said Sheila, who works as a nurse in an adult family home in the Methow Valley. (Darold works as a contractor.) “They have two orphanages, but one was destroyed in the earthquake. They do these missions once a week all year round.

“Groups come in and work at the orphanages for a week, then leave, and then the next group comes in and picks up where the last group left off. We’ll be doing things like painting, digging, clearing rocks. We’ll also be spending time with children, doing housework and cleaning — anything they feel like we can do to help them.”

When Sheila heard about what Biram’s students wanted to do for the Haitian orphans, she immediately said that she would help in any way she could.

“The kids understand that even as little as they are that they have something to give to help other people,” Sheila said. “That message is powerful and life-changing. I

think God has had a hand in their lives. These (students) are very powerful little thinkers. Obviously their parents taught them to help and think of others. They have a lot of empathy.

“They must have a foundation of thinking outside of themselves, and I think and hope that they’re going to grow up to be awesome adults.”

Tanguy, who lives in Spokane and works as a customer service representative for an underground utilities wholesaler, agreed last fall to join the Brandenburgs’ group.

He said he thought the Waterville students had “an awesome idea.”

“It’s amazing,” Tanguy said. “They seem so willing to help. It restores your faith in humanity when you hear little kids are so wanting to help.

“I don’t remember doing anything like this when I was a kid. We leaned about different cultures and countries, but we never knew anybody who physically did something that had this kind of impact.

“I hope this will be an eye-opening experience (for the students).”

Rich Romm stood before dozens of sixth-graders and gave them the cold truth. “If you call your little brother a dork, he says, ‘No way, I’m not a dork. You’re a dork, you dork!’ ”

He continued, “If you call your little brother a dork again, he says, ‘I’m not a dork.’ But the third time you call him a dork, he says, ‘Why am I a dork?’ and the fourth time, he says, ‘I wish I weren’t a dork.’ By the fifth time you call your little brother a dork, he says, ‘He’s right, I’m a dork. This is my fault.’ He goes from saying, ‘I’m not a dork,’ to owning it.”

Romm, an expert in bullying prevention, came to the Chelan Junior/Senior High School on Feb. 7 to talk to middle school students about bullying. He talked to elementary school students earlier this year, and high school kids and parents are next, by the end of the school year.

The assemblies are part of a district-wide effort to combat bullying, said Superintendent Rob Manahan. He said the push comes on the heels of two highly publicized bullying incidents last year, including a girl whose grandfather found a hateful note in her locker, and a boy from the Brewster High School who was a victim of bullying, and who threatened a Columbine-style shooting at a Chelan school in a Facebook conversation.

Although those incidents were resolved, he said, the Lake Chelan School District wants to prevent future problems.

This year, the school’s newly hired full-time counselor, Jesi Lingo, launched an anti-violence program called Second Step, which focuses on positive communication. Staff members are being trained to recognize bullies, and victims who might need help.

A new, anonymous tip line encourages students or parents to report bullying or other issues without being identified. And the district is planning a presentation for parents, so they can find out what their children now know about bullying.

Last week, at least some of the students who heard Romm’s message took it to heart.

At lunch after the assembly, Luis Gallegos, 11, vowed to be nicer to his little brother from now on. Gallegos said it really struck him when Romm, a risk manager for Caufield & Associates in Ephrata, talked about how younger siblings pay attention to what their older brothers and sisters do and say.

“I was like, ‘Whoa, I’ve been a jerk,’” he said. “He made me kind of want to change myself, and not be mean to my little brother.”

During the assembly, Romm selected 12-year-old Zach Phelps from the crowd, and asked him to demonstrate how a victim of bullying might walk down the hall at school. Phelps hardly paused before he pulled his hood over his head, thrust his hands into his sweatshirt pocket, looked to the ground and took slow, short steps across the gym floor. Romm told him he nailed it. “If I’m a bully and I see a kid walk by like that, I think, ‘He’s just the guy to take it. He’s on my list,’ ” he said.

Lingo said by helping kids understand how hurtful all forms of bullying can be, and by helping them build communication skills, she’s hoping a new school culture emerges in Chelan.

“They’re learning that it’s cool to be kind,” she said.

School-wide education rally to battle bullies

The Douglas County Empire Press • 7Thursday, February 17, 2011

JITterbugsJournalists In Training

By Alexis Kruger

Waterville fifth graderHello, I am Alexis Kruger and I am in the fifth grade at Waterville

Elementary School District. I’m 10 years old and one of the three new reporters at Waterville Elementary. I enjoy it a lot.

If you read one of the last papers, on the front cover and in the J.I.T.terbugs section, I was the one who wrote about “Hero Day”.

My favorite thing about school is the classes. My favorite classes are P.E, Art, Music, Math, and Handwriting. I love to go outside and exercise with my friends, but I also like to sit back and relax with a good book. When I grow up I would like to be an actor and a writer.

Say hello to AlexisBy Jocelyn Kruger

Waterville third graderHello my name is Jocelyn

Kruger. I am eight years old and in third grade. I go to Waterville Elementary school.

The school created jobs to fit kids’ talents, and I got a reporter job. I would like to be a journalist when I grow up.

I hope you like my articles.

Meet Jocelyn

Waterville students learning the value of workBy Doug FlAnAgAn

In his book ‘The Leader in Me,’ renowned self-help author Stephen Covey writes about the most effective methods, in his opinion, of preparing children for their futures. Covey explains that the value of communication, cooperation, initiative, and unique, individual talent should be highly emphasized.

After reading the book, Justin Grillo became inspired. Grillo, Waterville School’s third-grade teacher, knew that by using some of the principles outlined in Covey’s book, he could create a program that would help to enrich not only students’ learning experiences, but personal development.

Earlier this year, Grillo spearheaded an effort to put some of Covey’s values into action at Waterville School with the implementation of a ‘student jobs’ program.

“I’ve been interested in (Covey’s books) for a while, and one part of (‘The Leader in Me’) talks about how every student as a talent,” Grillo said. “Part of the (school’s) student council’s mission statement for this year states that ideas should be implemented to create opportunities that make the school a more exciting place to be, and I thought these creating these ‘jobs’ would be a great opportunity.

“If a student can find his or her talent, they can feel more connected to the school and also become empowered when they understand there’s some value to their talents. They can make a difference in a positive way.”

The program works fairly simply. Different types of ‘jobs’ are created, and if a student is interested in obtaining a position, he or she must go through a hiring process that really isn’t any different from the process an adult goes through for a ‘real’ job.

The student must fill out an application, create and submit a resume, request a letter of recommendation, and interview with a hiring panel that consists of Grillo, Nelson and the school’s student

council officers.“We hire

the people that we think best fit those positions,” Grillo said. “We give them a chance to go through the whole progression.”

Nelson is pleased with the way the program has blossomed recently.

“(The program) is becoming very powerful,” she said. “There are so many new jobs now, and kids are doing things and participating in ways that they never used to do in the everyday routine of going to school. The amazing thing about this is that it’s not coming from the adults. The students are taking ownership of it, and it taps into what they’re interested in.”

Of course, there can be more than one applicant for a certain position, which means that some students will be rejected. But that can be a learning experience as well, Grillo said.

“We always encourage them to turn out for another position,” he said. “We can tell they’re disappointed if they don’t get the job they want, but that’s life. That’s part of the process sometimes. I was worried about that at first, but there’s always the opportunities to add jobs. Originally there was supposed to be just one reporter, but we had three people

apply who had strong resumes and were really excited about writing, so I said, ‘Let’s have three reporters.’ It depends on the job.”

Grillo said that anybody can come up with a ‘job’ idea, but he encourages students to submit their own ideas that match their unique talents, and he checks with other teachers for ideas as well. Currently, there are about a dozen different positions.

For example, there’s a media specialist, who is in charge of taking pictures at school events and creating slide shows and using other forms of technology at

town hall meetings. There are three reporters, who write about news events at the school and submit their articles for publication in the Douglas County Empire Press. The marketing specialist makes videos and updates the school’s Facebook page.

There are also greeters, who lead tours when guests come to the school; a couple of recess monitors; and an elementary office assistant.

“The goal is to keep thinking about talents that kids have to create space for them to have an opportunity to

use that talent at the school,” Grillo said. “It looks like (this project) will have an impact with the community, too. There’s an influence being spread with some of these jobs, especially with the reporters.”

Most of the jobs are developed for students in the third, fourth, fifth and sixth grades. Grillo said the students with a ‘job’ perform their tasks when they have free time during the day to do so – before school, during recess, after school or during the evening from home.

“The kids have the responsibility to take on these responsibilities,” he said. “It’s not like we’re telling them to get the job done or whatever. It’s their thing. They have to have the ability to be proactive and in charge of themselves.”

Grillo said the students are excited about taking on the new responsibilities.

“At first they didn’t really know what was going on, but now they really like it,” he said. “You can tell there’s a real sense of pride being felt by a student if he or she is selected. We put the student’s picture on a wall, and they wear badges that say their titles. It’s pretty neat.

“What I like about it is the kids still have to take responsibilities after they’re selected. When they do it, they commit to it. The buy-in is much higher that way. We’re not just pushing kids into a position. They understand that they are talented and they can find a job that fits that talent.”

Grillo said he’s eager to find out what direction the program will take in the future.

“In the book, the school that implemented (a similar program) managed to find a position for every kid in school. I’m not sure how that would shake out,” he said with a laugh.

“The main thing I want them to understand is that they have talents that are unique to them, and they can use those talents to better the community, themselves and those around them.”

Photos provided

Some of the students at Waterville School with positions in the student jobs program.

The Douglas County Empire Press •6 Thursday, March 10, 2011

Karen Larsen photos

On the morning of March 5, Waterville woke up to an unexpected coating of spring snow.Karen Larsen photos

Spring surprise

WA former bar manager who pleaded

guilty to a Wenatchee robbery and an East Wenatchee attempted robbery was sentenced March 2 to 12 months in prison.

The term given to Robert C. Beers, 40, by Chelan County Superior Court Judge T.W. “Chip” Small runs concurrently with a four-month sentence handed down Feb. 28 in Douglas County court.

Beers, formerly bar manager at the Wenatchee Roaster & Ale House, pleaded guilty in Douglas County to trying to rob the East Wenatchee Fred Meyer store Dec. 19, and in Chelan County to demanding and receiving money from a salesperson at the Wenatchee Walgreens store half an hour later.

He was also carrying a tablet of the sedative clonazepam when arrested, and pleaded guilty to a charge of unlawful narcotics possession.

“Long and short of it, I had a nervous breakdown and made some foolish mistakes,” Beers told the judge.

In court Wednesday, Beers’ attorney Keith Howard said prior to the crimes his client had undergone two painful hip replacements, a divorce, depression and the loss of the job he’d held for seven years.

He became dependent on pain medication, and later began using methamphetamine.

And a DUI crash fi ve days before the robberies left him in a neck brace.

The note he gave to a Fred Meyer clerk demanding money was so badly scrawled the clerk couldn’t make it out, and Beers left the store without taking anything.

At the Wenatchee Walgreens, he demanded and received money from the till.

He cooperated with police and has been held in the Chelan County Regional Justice Center since his arrest.

In court, Chelan County Deputy Prosecutor Doug Shae said Wenatchee Police Detective Jeff Ward told him that “Mr. Beers was probably the nicest person he ever arrested.”

The 12-month sentence for second-degree robbery runs concurrently with a six-month Chelan County sentence for the narcotics possession charge.

Beers will receive credit for time served in jail.

Small wished Beers good luck in maintaining his sobriety.

“You’ve just been through a heck of a lot,” the judge said, “but hopefully that means you can come through and be even stronger.”

Robber sentenced to 12 monthsW

Soroptimist of Wenatchee will host the Washington State Apple Blossom Festival royalty with a tea at noon on Thursday, March 17, at the Wild Huckleberry Restaurant, 302 S. Mission St. in Wenatchee.

Reservations are required by March 14. Soroptimist of Wenatchee has a long history with the Apple

Blossom royalty dating back to the 1930s when they started the tradition of designing a crown for the queen. Jewels for the crown were provided by members.

They continued to support the Apple Blossom Festival in the 1960s by presenting the queens with velvet capes made by members. In the 1990s, they donated the gloves worn by the royalty and today a donation is given towards the purchase of their jewelry.

The organization has received the Lehman Johnson award for its support of the royalty throughout the years.

For more information, call Geneva McCoy Jardine at 884-6043.

Soroptimists host Apple Blossom royalty

More community news

Send us your legals!Deadline: Noon Tuesdays for Thursday’s publication.

[email protected]

The Douglas County Empire Press • 7Thursday, March 10, 2011

G PFOB WatervilleTuesday, March 15 Soft White Cash $5.91April Price $5.91May Price $5.91August Price $5.99Hard Red Winter $7.12Dark Northern Spring $9.97Barley 48# $195.00White Club Prem. N/A





75 shamrocks Since 1888 March 17, 2011


BY KAREN LARSEN

Nancy Warner, the coordinator of the Initiative for Rural Innovation and Stewardship, would like residents of North Central Washington to look through their old family photos for images of hunting, fi shing, gathering, growing, raising, processing, sharing and transporting food in North Central Washington.

Warner is currently working together with other community groups to create a 30-minute video entitled “Foodways and Byways of North Central Washington,” which will document something of the story of how families and communities have fed themselves in this region over the years.

She is partnering with the North Central Regional Library system to collect the photos, which will be used both for the video project and for museum archives throughout the region.

Old photos needed for video project

Karen Larsen photo

Gathering Our Voice project coordinator Nancy Warner talks with Wenatchee Valley College student Jesse Zylstra about some ways he could be involved in the video project. Zylstra was one of those who attended a Waterville Library event about the project.■ SEE Project on page 7

BY DOUG FLANAGAN

Jason VanWinkle was at work last Friday afternoon in Tokyo when he and everyone around him began to feel the initial rumblings of what would eventually become the largest and most devastating earthquake to hit Japan in decades.

At that moment, all that the Orondo native could think about was his wife, Nobuko, and two children, who were in Saitama prefecture, north of Tokyo, in the middle of a parent-teacher meeting at the preschool their daughter attends.

“I wanted to know if they were all safe,” VanWinkle wrote via Facebook to the Douglas County Empire Press last week.

“Phone service was down, cellular included, so it took almost two hours of constant calling until I fi nally got through.”

Fortunately for VanWinkle, Nobuko and their children were safe, and all four of them eventually returned home without injury.

Others weren’t so lucky. The quake, which measured 9.0 on the Richter scale, its aftershocks and a resulting tsunami killed more than 2,000 people, according to news reports.

That total could increase to as many as 10,000, offi cials said. Thousands more are still missing.

When the earth shookOrondo native gives account of Japanese quake...and its aftermath

AP Photo/Kyodo News

Soldiers of Japan Self-Defense Force and fi refi ghters search for the victims in the rubble March 14 in Matsushima, Japan, three days after northeastern coastal towns were devastated by an earthquake and tsunami. ■ SEE Quake on page 7

Karen Larsen photo

Ten-month-old Julia Marx enjoys her first Shrove Tuesday pancake supper with the help of her mom, Natalie. The event is put on annually by St. Joseph’s Church parishioners to commemorate the last day before the beginning of the season of Lent. Many members of the larger community attend the all-you-can-eat supper.

Hot cake supper

By Karen Larsen

This year’s Douglas County Historical Society annual meeting will be held March 22 at 1 p.m. at the Douglas County Museum.

This year’s guest speaker, David Bullock, is sponsored by the Humanities Washington Inquiring Minds lecture series.

Bullock’s presentation is “A Strike at the Heart: Historical Memory and Roslyn’s Western Miners Union.”

Bullock is the grandson of a Roslyn coal miner and a professor of communication at Walla Walla University.

He will tell the story of the Western Miners Union movement in Roslyn between 1933 and 1934. The movement attempted to set up a union made up of local coal miners, who felt that their needs for better wages, safer working conditions, and shorter hours were not being served by the predominant United Mine Workers.

Finally, when their efforts to set up an independent union failed, they called a strike. The community became extremely divided in their support or opposition to the strike, and state patrol officers were sent in to restore order.

The annual meeting will follow the presentation. The event is free and open to the public.

Learn about Roslyn miners

at museum

The Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center’s annual Regional High School Art Show yielded more than 200 art pieces submitted by North Central Washington students.

Those selected for the Best in Show honors will move on to compete in the statewide competition in April, to be held in Olympia.

The award-winners are:Best in Show: ◆ Petra

Michael of Eastmont High School for “Dog Duel” (digital image, graphic design); Mollie Hunt of Liberty Bell High School for “Self Portrait” (colored pencil drawing) and for “Looking Through You” (photograph); Amber Reggiatore of Liberty Bell High School for “A Different Perspective” (acrylic painting); Sergio Sanchez and Andrew Skirko of Okanogan High School for “Albatross” (welded steel sculpture); Maddie Timm of Okanogan High School for “Here One Day, Gone the Next” (mixed media); Meka Townsend & Company of Okanogan High School for “Zebra Joy Ride” (mixed media); Becca Wick of Okanogan High School for “Mama Mia” (painted ceramic sculpture); Jessica Lynne Dowers of Pateros High School for “Myself” (pencil drawing); Blake

Bangs of Wenatchee High School for “Warbling Vireo” (print); Aubrey Reed of Wenatchee High School for “My Past Encountered” (mixed media); and Stephanie Waterbury of Wenatchee High School for “Quail” (glazed ceramic sculpture)

Decorative Arts: ◆ First, Abbey Freed of Wenatchee High School for “Raspberry Jam”; Second, Kayla Morgan of Wenatchee High School for “Trapped in My Memories”; Third, Luke Riggan of Wenatchee High School for “Under the Sea”

Drawing: ◆ First, Dylan Mills of Liberty Bell High School for “Self Portrait”; Second, Krissty Schooler of Wenatchee High School for “Depression”; Third, Paul Ebreo of Bridgeport High School for “Me, Myself and I”

Graphic Arts / Design: ◆ First, Petra Michaels of Eastmont High School for “The Five Kings”; Second, Faurest Nelson Wicks of Liberty Bell High School for “Teenage Driving Fantasy”; Third, Dawn Smith of Liberty Bell High School for “Frozen Formations”

Mixed Media: ◆ First, Marsha Changalidi of Wenatchee High School for “Being and Becoming”; Second, Tiffanie Billingsley of Wenatchee High School for “Pitteren Knights”; Third, Bessie

Ader of Okanogan High School for “Daniel Nash Mendez”

Painting: ◆ First, Abbey Freed of Wenatchee High School for “Lilacs”; Second, Ryan Thompson of Okanogan High School for “Say Cheese!”; Third, Isaac Barnes of Manson High School for “Zoe”

Photography: ◆ First, Alexis Olmstead of Omak High School for “Untitled”; Second, Lilly Schlotzhauser of Liberty Bell High School for “My 3 Faces”; Third, Kameron Smith of Liberty Bell High School for “Loneliness”

Printmaking: ◆ First, Zoe Cheeseman of Okanogan High School for “Zoe’s Zebra”; Second, Hannah Boswell of Wenatchee High School for “Hummingbird”; Third, Kenzie Rivera of Wenatchee High School for “Fluttering Amongst the Flowers”

Sculpture: ◆ First, Isaac Barnes of Manson High School for “Steel Crustacean”, Second, Jorden Mayo of Eastmont High School for “The Psychedelic Buddha”, Third, Sophia Pergamenschikoff of Chelan High School for “Defeated”

The exhibit of the submissions will continue through April 9 at the museum, 127 S. Mission St., in Wenatchee. For more information, call 888-6240 or visit the website at wvmcc.org.

Museum student art show winners announced

The Douglas County Empire Press •8 Thursday, March 17, 2011

By Karen Larsen

NCW Fair supporters came out in large numbers, and with generous support for the 2011 Friends of the Fair Crab and Prime Rib Dinner held at the community hall March 12.

Though exact numbers were not available early this week, fair manager Larry Nelson said that this year’s event was the biggest and most successful so far in terms of proceeds.

Nelson said that all 500 tickets available for the event were sold.

He said that it is safe to say that proceeds will exceed $50,000 this year, topping 2010, which had also set a record, by more than $6,000. The annual dinner is in its 13th year.

The fair purchased 700 pounds of crab for the feed, at $8 a pound from Tokeland. The crab is delivered each year by Don and Debbie Osborne.

Seven hundred pounds of prime rib were also purchased, and a group of volunteers led by Dave and Marvel Mires, Robert Mires and Kyle Riddell assembled the dinner, which also included potato salad, baked beans, coleslaw and cake.

The Altar Society at St. Joseph’s Church provided French bread.

Nelson said that this year’s live auction took in over $36,000, and the silent auction took in about $4,600.

Among the items donated were three trips. One trip was to Cabo San Lucas, donated by Bill and Sue Pierre; one was to Mazatlan, donated by Sid and Margaret Viebrock and one was

to Las Vegas, donated by Chris and Kim Jorgensen.

This year, Judi Telford won the auction for the head table for eight with a bid of $2,900.

Nelson hesitated to list particular donations because there were so many, but he did say that one local item, a big tool chest donated by Joe Ludeman of Napa Auto, took in $1,300.

“We want everyone to know that we can’t list them all but we appreciate all of the donations,” Nelson added.

“The fair is so important to so many people. It’s exciting to be involved in a fair that is healthy and well supported, and obviously important to our community,” Nelson said.

Asked about state funding for the fair, Nelson said that this year looks okay, but after that things will probably be shaky for the next few years.

He said that the kind of support the NCW Fair enjoys is unusual, and is very important.

“This fair is healthy and its going to keep running. This event kind of guarantees that,” he said.

Nelson said that as of yet the fair board has not decided how to use the proceeds of this year’s dinner. One area that will see some money is the rodeo arena, which needs some additional improvements to make it safer.

The rest of the money will likely be used for other capital improvement projects.

Crab dinner scores another record-breaking year

More community news

Wenatchee

Police to honor top employees, citizens

The Wenatchee Police Department will hold its annual recognition ceremony at 2 p.m. March 22 at City Hall.

The public is invited. Honored will be an officer and an employee of the year, a reserve officer of the year and a member of Volunteers in Police Service. Two citizens will also be honored for service to the community.

Brunch, open house at Solomon’s Porch

Ever wonder why so many teenagers hang out around Solomon’s Porch? The staff will serve brunch and talk about the outreach center’s mission and services at 10 a.m. March 19 at their downtown location, 17 S. Mission St.

Solomon’s Porch is nearly finished installing a new commercial kitchen to feed homeless and at-risk teens. The kitchen is the first of a three-phase project to turn the outreach center into an overnight emergency shelter for teens.

To RSVP for the brunch, call Solomon’s Porch at 662-1712 or e-mail [email protected].

Chaplain training set for March 21

The Wenatchee First Assembly of God and Christ Center are hosting a one-day chaplain-training course on March 21.

The event is planned for 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Wenatchee First Assembly of God, 1520 McKittrick St. Cost is $30 per person and includes materials and lunch.

Topics include grief, depression/suicide, domestic violence, traumatic response, prolonged stress and compassion fatigue.

For more information and to register, call Steve Haney at 679-2478.

McKenna to speak at Boy Scout banquet

Attorney General Rob McKenna will be the featured speaker at the annual Boy Scouts Good Scout Luncheon.

The event is set for noon March 22 at the Stanley Civic Center, 123 N. Wenatchee Ave.

McKenna, an Eagle Scout, “is an excellent representative of what instilling the principles of scouting can do for boys and men in their endeavors throughout their lives,” said Barbara Dower, Good Scout Luncheon representative.

Richard Bennion, a Wenatchee opthamologist, will be honored with the 2011 Good Scout award.

Bennion has served in the Apple Valley District and the Grand Columbia Council in various ways.

Lunch is free and any monetary contributions will support the programs of the Apple Valley District of the Boy Scouts. Reservations are requested. For more information or to make reservations, call 662-5501.

Conference aims to lift Valley in prayer

Serve Wenatchee Valley-affiliated church will host a free, 24-hour prayer conference this week.

The conference begins with an opening session from 7 to 9 p.m. March 18 at Wenatchee First Assembly of God, 1520 McKittrick St. The event continues throughout the next day at various locations.

“The main focus of the conference will be on Christian unity and to lift the valley up in prayer,” stated the Rev. Bob Shepard, Serve Wenatchee Valley executive director.

The following is a list of times, locations and themes:

March 187 to 9 p.m.: Wenatchee ◆

First Assembly of God, opening session-Christian unity

9 to 11 p.m.: Wenatchee ◆

First Assembly of God, repentance

11 to 1 a.m.: First Church ◆

of God, 181 1st St. S.E., East Wenatchee, “Thy Kingdom Come”

March 191 to 3 a.m.: Upper ◆

room at Serve Wenatchee Valley, 212 S. Mission St., Wenatchee, “An Appalachian Dawn” DVD showing

3 to 5 a.m.: Healing ◆

Rooms of Wenatchee, 1020 N. Wenatchee Ave., Wenatchee, prayer declarations

5 to 7 a.m.: Wenatchee ◆

Free Methodist Church, 1601 Fifth St., Wenatchee, “I Am” praises

7 to 9 a.m.: Leavenworth ◆

Christian Fellowship, 7591 Highway 97, Peshastin, repentance

9 to 11 a.m.: Wenatchee ◆

Brethren Baptist, 535 Okanogan St., Wenatchee, peace and a prayer walk

11 a.m. to 1 p.m.: ◆

Orondo Community Church, 13966 Highway 2, Orondo, “Thy Kingdom Come”

1 to 3 p.m.: Valley ◆

Community Church, 333

Ohme Garden Road, Wenatchee, Christian unity

3 to 5 p.m.: Destiny ◆

Christian/Shalom Church, 1315 Ninth St., Wenatchee, repentance

5 to 7 p.m.: Wenatchee ◆

First Assembly of God, testimonial service

For more information, call Serve Wenatchee Valley at 663-4673.

Nisbet to speak at Plant Society meeting

Jack Nisbet, author, teacher, and naturalist, will be guest speaker at the next meeting of the Wenatchee chapter of the Washington Native Plant Society.

The meeting will take place from 7 to 9 p.m. March 24 at the Wenatchee Valley Museum & Cultural Center, 127 S. Mission St.

Nisbet will present a program on the botanist-explorer David Douglas, the subject of Nisbet’s most recent book, “The Collector.” His presentation will be plant-focused as Douglas is credited with the discovery of more than 80 Northwest plants and animals.

For more information, call 664-8955 or e-mail [email protected].

Bertha O. richert

Bertha O. Richert, 95, of Waterville, died Saturday, March 12, 2011, in Wenatchee.

She had lived in Waterville for 50 years and had been a secretary for the Boy Scouts of America in Wenatchee.

Survivors include her nieces and nephews.Funeral services were held today at the Waterville Lutheran Church. Arrangements were by Waterville Funeral Home.

Obituaries

Junior royalty

Don Seabrook photo

This year’s Apple Blossom Junior Royalty, announced March 9, are, from left, Princess Brooke Wagner of Sunnyslope Elementary, daughter of Brad and Lori Wagner; Queen Allison Flynn, daughter of Teresa Flynn and Rocky Flynn; and Princess Taylor Takasugi of St. Joseph’s Catholic School, daughter of Doug and Jan Takasugi. The girls were selected from a dozen finalists, all from the Wenatchee School District. Both Eastmont and Wenatchee girls were eligible to participate in the essay contest, which received 103 entries. The Junior Royalty will take part in various Apple Blossom events and carry the lead banner in the grand parade on May 7.

The Douglas County Empire Press • 9Thursday, March 17, 2011

Documents

News Writer of the Year WNPA entry