Methow Valley News - January 28, 2026

Property insurance at a premium in valley

Proposed laws aim to help consumers

BY MARCY STAMPER

Homeowners and businesses in the Methow Valley are finding it increasingly difficult to get property insurance — or seeing their policies cancelled when they come up for renewal — as more companies decline to issue policies in areas they deem at high risk of wildfire. Those that continue to write policies have raised premiums substantially. The risk of wildfire to residential areas has been increasing as the climate grows hotter and drier. At the same time, more people are living near forested areas, where fire risk is even higher. That also puts them further from fire stations.

Now, a handful of bills under consideration in the state Legislature seek to provide some help to consumers.

Senate Bill 5928 would provide more information about why an insurance company denied coverage, and bill 6079 would offer grants to help people

retrofit their home and property to be better protected against the risk of wildfire. Both bills are cosponsored by Sen. Shelley Short (R, 7th Dist.).

Bill 5928 would require insurers to provide consumers with their wildfire-risk score, explain the factors that adversely contributed to the score, and outline steps the consumer can take to improve the score — all in clear language. Insurers would have to offer discounts to people who could show they had taken steps to reduce fire risk. The homeowner would be able to appeal the score and the insurer’s determination.

Bill cosponsor Sen. Judy Warnick (R, 13th Dist.) told the Senate Committee on Business, Trade & Economic Development at a hearing this month that she and Short “hear almost daily” from consumers who have lost insurance or face exorbitant premiums. Insurance companies regularly cancel policies, even for customers who’ve had the coverage for years, Warnick said. Most insurers subscribe to services offered by companies that provide risk assessments based

on satellite imagery, fire science and statistical modeling, and use those scores to set the cost of a policy. That information helps companies decide whether a property is eligible for coverage, David Forte, Senior Property & Casualty Policy Advisor for the Insurance Commissioner, told the committee.

Bill 6079 would provide grants to property owners, contractors and nonprofits to reduce fire risk through the Strengthen Washington Homes Program. It would prevent insurance companies from disqualifying a property from coverage if the home is “wildfire prepared.”

The grant program would use standards from the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety, which include retrofitting homes to keep out embers, said Aaron VanTuyl, communications and media manager for the Washington Office of the Insurance Commissioner.

The grant program is one of five recommendations made by the Wildfire Mitigation and Resiliency Standards Working Group in a report to the Legislature in December. Grants would

be administered by the Office of the Insurance Commissioner, which requested both bills. In the past two years, more than 25 communities in the

State program CHIPS in to support three local affordable housing projects

BY DON NELSON

Three Methow Valley affordable housing projects are the beneficiaries of significant grants from the state Department of Commerce that will be used to help pay for basic infrastructure. The awards come from the department’s Connecting Housing to Infrastructure Program (CHIP), which pays for waterworks infrastructure and reimburses public utilities for waived connection feeds needed to bring water utilities to a project, according to a Commerce news release. The Town of Winthrop will receive a $1,146,652 grant to support what’s known as the Larkspur development, and a $593,150 grant for a housing project planned in the nearby Heckendorn neighborhood. Both projects are on sites owned by the Methow Housing Trust, which intends to develop them over the next several years — Larkspur first, and then Heckendorn. The Town of Twisp also received

a CHIP grant — $924,884 for sewer and water connections at Twisp Family Haven, the Catholic Charities Eastern Washington (CCEW) development to be built this year behind Rosauers.

Artist, activist takes seat on

Twisp Town Council

Tim McGuire climbs learning curve during first months in office

BY RALPH SCHWARTZ

Tim McGuire was always driven to be an artist. Alongside a career in commercial photography, McGuire has shown his photographs and paintings in Seattle and the Methow Valley.

He’s also had a drive over most of his adult life for politics — one reason he decided to run last year for a seat on the Twisp Town Council.

“I think always in the back of my mind, political office has been kind of something I’ve thought about,” McGuire said in an interview, one day after he was sworn in on Jan. 13 to replace council member Wyatt Lundquist.

McGuire actually took an oath of office at Twisp town hall before, in August 2025, after he was appointed to the council seat vacated by Aaron Studen.

Lundquist and Katrina Auburn, both of whom did not seek reelection in 2025, made up the council’s more conservative-leaning contingent on the five-person board. McGuire’s arrival is part of the council’s shift to the left in 2026.

Political views

In 2007, McGuire volunteered to support Barack Obama’s first presidential campaign. Last year, he and his wife, Amy, met with U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse, a Republican, to challenge the Trump administration’s cuts to health care and the the proposed sale of public lands. He went so far as to tell Newhouse that the current administration was undermining the rule of law and the federal government as a whole.

Tim and Amy also are regulars at the Saturday anti-Trump protests in Twisp. All that said, McGuire rejected the notion that political activism has a place on the council.

“I don’t necessarily think that there should be national politics in the Town of Twisp, at least not at the town council,” he said.

“But as you can see in places like Minneapolis now, national politics came to them. They have to deal with it,” he added, referring to the aggressive sweeps by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in that city and the shooting deat of Minneapolis residents Renee Good and Alex Pretti at the hands of an ICE agent.

“And if it comes to this town, we will have to deal with it, and I will do what I think is in alignment with the Constitution of the United States and the state of Washington,” McGuire said.

He also mentioned climate change, a global issue with local impacts — especially in a community that depends so much on ample snow for its winter recreation and summer water supply.

“It’s really affecting this valley, and I hope we can somehow do the best we can to deal with what’s happening,” he said, noting that this year’s mild winter was “bad for business.”

Portrait of the artist McGuire, 59, has creativity in his genes. His mother and grandmother were painters. His father, who was a landscape architect for the U.S. Forest

Author issues call to climate action in valley appearance

BY RALPH SCHWARTZ

Bill McKibben had a lot of bad news for his Winthrop audience Saturday (Jan. 24). But the author and activist, described during the event as “the country’s preeminent climate leader,” said he had plenty of good news, too.

McKibben started with the bad.

We are facing dual crises, he said: rising authoritarianism around the world, most notably in the United States under President Donald Trump; and rising global temperatures due to the burning of fossil fuels.

In the U.S., the two are linked. McKibben said Trump promised the oil companies he would protect their interests if they contributed to his campaign. Millions of dollars later, Trump is expanding oil and coal production while pulling the plug on solar and wind projects.

McKibben lingered on the bad news a little longer.

His Methow Valley appearance happened on the day Alex Pretti was killed by U.S. Border

Bill McKibben offers ‘rays of light’ in dark times

Patrol agents, the second shooting death of a civilian by federal immigration enforcers in Minneapolis this month.

“Today is one of those days that will be remembered, I think, the way that we remember Kent State,” McKibben told a packed Winthrop Barn of about 400 — many of whom were old enough to remember the 1970 shooting deaths of four student protesters at Kent State University by Ohio national guardsmen.

It turned out to be the right audience to hear McKibben’s good news. He was about to issue a call to action to the 60-andolder set.

“I’m looking at the demographics of this room with great pleasure,” he said.

Message of hope

McKibben has devoted much of his writing career to explaining the climate problem to a general audience, starting with his seminal 1989 book “The End of Nature.” In his latest, “Here Comes the Sun,” he presents a solution — not just to the climate crisis, but also to the political crisis in this country.

“What I really want to talk about today is the one big good thing that’s happening on this planet,” McKibben said. “It’s big enough and good enough that it

stands some chance of helping us deal with those two crises.”

Over the past few years, wind and solar energy have gotten cheaper than the electricity produced by burning fossil fuels. So-called alternative energy is not just the environmentally friendly choice. It’s also economically wise.

“This stuff that we’ve been calling our whole lives ‘alternative energy,’ all of a sudden it is not,” McKibben said. “All of a sudden, it is the obvious, straight-

Okanogan County Electric Cooperative to see cost savings with battery system

$2.75M project funded by state climate grant

BY RALPH SCHWARTZ

The Okanogan County Electric Cooperative (OCEC) will use 1 megawatt of battery power to shave the top off its peak energy use during the coldest winter days — and shave a little off its own electricity costs.

The electric co-op’s customer-members could see a roughly 1% savings on their own power bills, although that would be a board decision during its budget deliberations, OCEC General Manager Greg Mendonca said.

The utility is replacing one of its solar arrays off West Chewuch Road this year with a battery energy storage system and refurbishing the other three rows of solar panels with a $2.75 million grant from the state Department of Commerce.

Money for the grant comes from the sale of pollution credits to the state’s largest greenhouse gas emitters, authorized by the 2021 Climate Commitment Act. OCEC projects it will reduce its carbon footprint by 2,200 metric tons per year by turning on the batteries during times of high demand. But the focus of OCEC’s town

HOUSING

From Page A1

CCEW will construct three buildings with 24 apartments each, for households making between 30% and 80% of the area mean income. CCEW will have its building permits in hand soon, Twisp planner Thom Vetter said on Jan. 14. The developer anticipates completing the project 10 months after breaking ground.

“They’re anxious to get turning dirt … as soon as the snow’s gone,” Vetter said.

In an email, Methow Housing Trust Executive Director Tom Venable said, “Working in partnership, we’re thrilled to have learned that the Town of Winthrop has been selected to receive more than $1.7 million from the Washington State Department of Commerce to support critical infrastructure (water, sewer, and stormwater management) for the Larkspur and Heckendorn neighborhood developments. As an organization dedicated to developing permanently affordable, high-quality housing for Methow Valley residents — having built 61 homes to date and with several more currently in development — we know this work can’t be done alone.”

hall meeting Jan. 15 at the Winthrop Barn was on the cost savings to the utility, and the safety of the lithium-ion batteries.

Mendonca told the 40 residents in attendance that the utility anticipates saving $70,000 a year, based on current energy costs. Those costs are expected to go up during the 20-year lifetime of the battery system.

“What that means is this battery will get more valuable as it gets older,” Mendonca said.

Much like OCEC’s customers, the co-op is charged by the Bonneville Power Administration based on two factors: how much electricity it uses, and the maximum energy use in a given month. The battery system is designed to kick on during the three-hour window of peak use, effectively “shaving” the peak and reducing the demand peak charge. The batteries would be recharged during times of low demand, when power costs are considerably lower.

Peak demand is projected to make up 20% of OCEC’s overall power costs in 2026, Mendonca said.

“That marginal cost of power for us is anywhere between $10,000 to $16,000 a megawatt, so it’s extremely expensive,” he said.

Costs and safety

The batteries will be discharged at least 20% every day,

Town Planner Rocklynn Culp added, “We’re super grateful to be a recipient again, following two prior grants from the CHIP program. Accessing funds for affordable housing can be challenging, and this program through Department of Commerce has been particularly effective in spreading the funding and support into small rural communities like ours.”

The Housing Trust acquired 2.8 acres of property in the lower Heckendorn neighborhood of Winthrop in 2025, calling the site “a future ‘pocket neighborhood’ of community land trust homes.”

The undeveloped property consists of two parcels at the eastern edge of Winthrop at the corner of Castle Avenue and Perry Street, below the Fulton ditch. One is part of the town, but the smaller parcel is not. The Housing Trust plans to only develop the annexed larger lot. The land was originally surveyed, platted and owned by D. E. Heckendorn in 1903. Those parcels are not far from the Larkspur Flats property, a 6-acre parcel between the Sullivan Cemetery and the Heckendorn neighborhood which was purchased in 2024 and annexed to Winthrop in 2025. It is not expected to be completed before 2030. The Commerce news release

to extend their life, said Michiel Zuidweg of MZ Solar Consulting, who is working with OCEC on the project. The cost benefits will be realized during deep discharges on the coldest days of each month, from October to March.

The battery system will also reduce the likelihood of brownouts or blackouts when the utility’s power grid is at maximum capacity. The batteries will be connected to the Chewuch circuit, which was maxed out at 25 megawatts during the January 2024 cold snap. The batteries could deliver an additional 1 megawatt of power to the grid during these extreme conditions.

Turning to safety, Zuidweg explained to the town hall audience that the particular battery chemistry used by the system, lithium iron phosphate, is safer than other types of lithium-ion batteries. Batteries that once were the industry standard were susceptible to “thermal runaway” if the batteries heated to 300 degrees, Zuidweg said.

Lithium iron phosphate batteries don’t go into thermal runaway until they reach 500 degrees, and multiple safety systems are in place in current-day systems to prevent that from happening.

“Fires are harder to start,” Zuidweg said. “Right now, everybody’s moving to lithium iron phosphate batteries.”

said that $54.5 million in grant money was distributed to help create more than 4,500 affordable housing units statewide. This round of funding also included a pilot program for projects in North Central Washington. The city of Wenatchee received $1.2 million for apartments on Easy Street and $525,000 for apartments on Okanogan Avenue. The city of Chelan was awarded $1.3 million for the Chelan River Heights housing project on Anderson Road. Additionally, the YWCA North Central Washington was awarded over $179,000 for apartments outside of the pilot program.

Overall, the funding will support 70 projects in 22 counties by reducing the cost of development.

“These awards represent a smart, coordinated investment in housing and infrastructure,” Interim Commerce Director Sarah Clifthorne said in the release. “By connecting infrastructure funding directly to housing development, we’re reducing upfront costs, accelerating construction timelines, and enabling jurisdictions across Washington to support the development of more affordable housing for the people who need it most.” Reporter Ralph Schwartz contributed to this article.

with solar-power systems, McKibben said.

They were calling it “DEI for natural gas,” McKibben quipped, to laughter from the audience.

Now that wind and solar make economic sense, McKibben argued, the time is right to strike politically against those who would maintain the fossil fuel status quo.

This is where the “people of a certain age” come in, McKibben said.

Third Act, a group McKibben founded in 2022, organizes people 60 and older to advocate for renewable energy at the local, state and federal levels.

People in that age group have a lot of skills, connections and time for effective activism, McKibben said.

forward, common-sense way to power the planet.”

Renewable energy went from comprising 18% of the U.S. power grid in 2024 to 25% last year, according to the Los Angeles Times. Reuters reported that 89% of the worldwide energy capacity added in 2024 was powered by the wind or the sun.

Solar energy is so beneficial, even in red states, that the Texas legislature rejected a bill that would have required natural gas plants to be built in conjunction

McGUIRE

From Page A1

Service, was a stained-glass artist and a woodworker.

McGuire studied photography and graphic arts in an industrial supervision program at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, but the desire to make art was always there. McGuire began painting in high school.

“I think I was always an artist, and that’s probably what I should have concentrated on from the beginning,” McGuire said. “But then I was like, ‘I gotta make a living at this; maybe I should do more commercial-oriented stuff.’”

McGuire has been focusing more on his art since he and Amy moved to Twisp in 2022. Amy McGuire works remotely for Gilead Sciences, a major pharmaceutical company that has developed medications to treat HIV, hepatitis C and COVID-19.

After the Great Recession put a dent in Tim McGuire’s successful stock-photography business, he picked up his brushes again. Locally, his paintings and photographs have shown at the Confluence, Ryzo, The Fainting Goat and Last Chance Distillery — where his paintings are currently on display.

McGuire would carry a camera with him whenever he went out in nature, on a hike or a bike ride.

“I have hundreds of thousands of photos,” he said. “I was obsessed with it.”

He will always have material for his paintings, given that he paints from his photographs.

“Many people think my photographs are paintings,” McGuire said. “And sometimes vice versa.”

Drawn to the Methow McGuire’s family moved often when he was a child, as his father was transferred from one national forest to another. He spent most of his youth in Colorado mountain towns.

“We punch above our weight politically because everybody in this room voted in the last election,” said McKibben, who is 65.

“There is no known way to stop old people from voting.”

Call to action

Third Act volunteer coordinator Lisa Verhovek, who spoke at The Barn before McKibben, said the organization wanted to create a Third Act “hub” in the Methow Valley. The group has attracted more than 120,000 members nationally and 1,200 in Wash-

Southwest Colorado and Southeast Utah were his playgrounds.

After college, he got a gig as a freelance photographer’s assistant in Seattle. He chose the city “so I could go see the beautiful outdoors,” as he put it. He made his first visit to the Methow Valley in the summer of 1990.

“I came through here, and I’m like, ‘Oh my God, this looks just like Colorado,’” he said.

After Tim and Amy married in 2008, they started vacationing in the Methow a few times a year, to rock climb, bike or ski.

“Both Amy and I are longtime climbers. We climbed for 25 years,” he said. “We don’t do it as much anymore.”

The McGuires settled here only a few years ago, but Tim has known the other Tim on the council — Matsui — since the late 1990s, through a shared interest in climbing.

Matsui was among the Twisp residents who encouraged McGuire to run for council, after he had volunteered to be on the town’s Creative District board.

“When I saw his involvement in the Creative District, I thought he could add a solid contribution to our community as a council member,” Matsui said.

“I find Tim to be a thoughtful and caring problem solver,” Matsui added. “With limited paid staff hours to address community needs, I view us as a working council — actively engaging, learning, connecting with community stakeholders, seeking and writing grants, and finding equitable solutions benefiting the many.”

McGuire said he was also encouraged to join the council by progressive friends Any McConkey and Dwight Filer, a former council member himself and the father of council newcomer Molly Filer.

Dwight Filer even offered to serve as McGuire’s campaign manager, although that proved unnecessary. McGuire, Molly Filer and Rosemary Seifried were all unopposed on last

ington state, she said. McKibben emphasized that a new local movement couldn’t focus solely on the Methow Valley. He praised the valley’s history of environmental activism, which decades ago prevented the development of golf courses and a major ski resort around Mazama.

“You also have to figure out how to take the extraordinary political energy that has preserved this enchanted place and put it to work also in the larger world,” he said. “Because as wonderful as the Methow Valley is, it cannot protect its own future within its own boundaries — can’t protect it from the forces of politics in the world.” Pointing to summer wildfire smoke and winter atmospheric rivers, McKibben added another somber note: “And you can’t protect yourselves from the climate.”

McKibben ended by wrapping up the bad and the good news into a single sentiment.

“On a terrible, terrible, dark day, there are rays of light — literal light — and it comes from the sun,” he said. “You will figure out how to play the part that you can in letting them illuminate and bless this troubled, difficult moment in time.”

year’s town council ballot. 2026 priorities

Every year is a busy one in Twisp town government, but it will be especially busy for McGuire, who agreed during the Jan. 13 council meeting to sit on eight of the town’s 13 committees — including some that will require him to climb a learning curve.

McGuire volunteered with Matsui for the Public Safety Committee, which will likely have a role in hiring a police chief in the early part of this year.

“There’s probably a lot I’m going to have to learn about to really get up to speed on that,” McGuire said. “It seems that Matsui is pretty up to speed, I’m sure the mayor is, and hopefully they’ll help me along.”

In addition to reconstituting the police force, another focus for McGuire in 2026 is the $2.6 million Glover Street renovation project. McGuire is especially keen on seeing that the town maintains strong communications with the downtown businesses that will be disrupted by the construction, slated to begin this spring.

“We don’t want any of them to go away or be hurt by this project,” he said. “We want it to be, in the end, a great thing for the town.”

Recreation is also at the forefront of McGuire’s priorities. He said recent calls from local skateboard advocates to build a skate park in Twisp were “exciting,” and he was looking forward to the potential development of a 344-acre low-impact park east of town, on land currently owned by Methow Conservancy and the Department of Natural Resources. McGuire made a point of mentioning one more goal he has as a new council member, given that he is a recent arrival.

“I think it’d be great to meet more people that live in Twisp,” he said. “I think it’s really important for me to get a feeling of … what they want and where they want to see the town go.”

Winthrop Council hears residents’ request to limit downtown lighting

BY DON NELSON

From right after Thanksgiving until April 1, downtown Winthrop is lit up, 24/7, by an array of lights outlining Riverside Avenue buildings — a festive display that helps residents and visitors celebrate the darker hours of the year. Out of concern for what she called increased light pollution, at least one town resident has suggested that the lights be put on a timer so that they are not illuminating the town, and surrounding area, all night every night. Amanda Holtz, who lives on Castle Avenue, brought her request to the Town Council at its meeting last week.

Council members were not entirely unsympathetic to the idea, but the logistics of how the lights are installed and powered makes putting them all on the same schedule impractical for now.

In a letter to the council, Holtz said she had approached the town’s Westernization Design Review Board (WDRB), where some of that group’s members expressed concern that turning off the lights could negatively affect downtown businesses.

Holtz said that having the lights cycle off from 10 or 11 p.m. to 5 or 6 a.m. would not be likely to affect businesses that are closed for the evening. “I don’t believe this would take away from the consistent

presentation of the Main Street businesses,” she said.

Holtz said new lighting installed last year appears to be brighter than bulbs used in the past. She said she did not want to eliminate the lights, only to see if there is a way to control the time they are on.

Several people at the meeting said they opposed Holtz’s suggestion. Melissa Peterson, co-owner of the Rio Vista Hotel, said her business is open through the night and needs to be lighted. The holiday lights, she said, make the town festive and welcoming, and also provide a safety benefit.

Lance Rider, owner of The Outdoorsman and a member of the WDRB, said a lot of effort

Twisp corrects EMS levy information error in voters’ guide

Two tax measures

up for renewal on Feb. 10 town ballot

BY RALPH SCHWARTZ

Twisp voters who turn to their printed voters’ guide for information about two levy propositions will notice an error: The same statement appears under both the Transportation Benefit District (TBD) sales tax levy and the emergency medical services (EMS) property tax levy.

Due to a clerical error, the statement explaining the TBD levy appears under both Proposition 1 — the EMS levy — and Proposition 2, which is in fact the TBD levy.

The Town of Twisp has posted the correct EMS levy language on its website, townoftwisp.com.

“Twisp regrets the clerical error resulting in the confusing voter’s pamphlet language under Proposition 1,” Mayor Hans Smith wrote Saturday (Jan. 24) in an email. He added that anyone with questions may contact town hall or email him at townmayor@townoftwisp.com — in

addition to checking the town website.

This special election applies only to voters who live within the Twisp town limits. If voters mail their ballots, they must be postmarked by Feb. 10. Voters may also drop their ballots in the dropbox at the Twisp Civic Building, 118 S. Glover St., by 8 p.m. Feb. 10. If approved, the EMS proposition would impose a tax of 50 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value on properties in Twisp — the same rate voters approved in 2016. The rate has gone down since it was first levied in 2017, due to increasing property values. Twisp property owners paid 29.4 cents per $1,000 of assessed value for EMS services in 2025, or $118 a year on a $400,000 home. The levy in 2027 would be $200 for the same property value.

The missing explanatory language in the voters’ guide states that “the tax revenues collected from this levy are required to be used exclusively for the continuation of emergency medical care and services, and ambulance services. This includes funding related personnel costs, training,

equipment, supplies, vehicles and structures necessary to maintain and assure the continuation of such services.”

Aero Methow Rescue Service provides EMS service in Twisp and elsewhere in the Methow Valley. In addition to ambulance response, Aero Methow offers car seat safety checks, a fitness program for seniors, a bicycle safety event, and first aid and CPR training.

The renewed EMS levy would run for six years, from 2027 to 2032.

The information on the TBD levy is correct in the voters’ guide. Voters are asked to approve a 0.3% sales tax within Twisp for the next 10 years, replacing the 0.2% TBD sales tax voters approved in 2016. The increase amounts to an additional 10 cents on a $100 purchase in Twisp.

The money would pay for routine road maintenance and provide seed funding for larger street-improvement grants. The town estimates it will collect $1.8 million through the TBD levy over the next 10 years if it is approved.

Both propositions require a simple majority to pass.

has been put into installing and maintaining the lights, and he hears positive comments about them. Bart Bradshaw, owner of Bart Bradshaw CPA and Pardners Mini Market, said the lights give the town “a warm, welcoming feeling.”

Council member Seth Miles, owner of Three Fingered Jack’s Saloon, and Rider said that the lights are on several different circuits that operate independently.

Town Marshal Ty Sheehan said the Okanogan County Electric Cooperative had hoped to create a master system for the lights, “but that didn’t work out this year.”

Council member Marisa Monteverde said it was “reasonable” — if not currently feasible

looking to reduce wildfire risk.

Programs such as Firewise help homeowners identify and prioritize actions to reduce ignition risk to homes, such as clearing vegetation near homes and hardening the structures with nonflammable materials. Some states allow Firewise communities to get discounts on insurance, but there’s no provision in Washington law to permit that, Loftis said.

It’s not uncommon for valley residents to scramble to find a company to insure their home. People who can’t find insurance turn to the Washington FAIR Plan, which provides basic property insurance to applicants who can’t get insurance in the standard market. FAIR is available for dwellings and commercial buildings, but is generally more expensive, according to the plan’s FAQs.

Help for commercial insurance?

As currently written, the wildfire-score legislation would apply only to the residential market. But businesses struggle to find coverage for the same reasons, according to the Washington Hospitality Association, which helps restaurants and lodging establishments obtain insurance. Association Senior Manager of Insurance Services Logan Dozier testified in favor of bill 5928 and urged the Legislature to amend it to include commercial policies.

because of the “hodgepodge of circuits” — to consider putting the lights on an overnight timer system.

Council members informally agreed to look at future options, as they become available, for adjusting the system.

Mayor Robert Grim said he “could see benefit to tightening this up somewhat,” and said the town should seek input from the co-op. Rider said the WDRB will be taking up the topic again soon.

In other business:

• The council approved a construction funding agreement with the state Public Works Board for construction of the Perry Street lift station. The agreement includes a $1.05 million

fire. Most denials are because of concerns about wildfire, Dozier told the Methow Valley News last week.

Insurance companies often refuse to write policies in certain areas, including Winthrop, Twisp, Wenatchee and Leavenworth. While there can be challenges finding coverage in parts of the state at risk from flooding, most denials are because of wildfire risk, Dozier said.

Businesses that have to turn to the insurer of last resort end up paying higher premiums and additional fees — and getting less coverage, Dozier said.

Insurance costs are now often among the top three expenses for a restaurant or hotel — coverage can cost $30,000 to $40,000 for a small diner, Dozier told the Senate committee.

The proposed law would be very beneficial because it would push underwriters to provide a business with details about their decision and show what the business needs to do to be insurable, he said. Because most large insurance companies cover homes and businesses across the country, premiums can be affected by hurricanes in the southeast or fires in California, not only local wildfire risks, Dozier said.

A representative for Washington Realtors also testified in favor of the bill, saying it would address the increasing danger of wildfire by giving property owners information and tools to better protect their homes and communities.

Risk scores

grant, and a $1.05 million loan to be paid off over 30 years at an interest rate of 10.6%. Total cost of the project is expected to be about $2.5 million.

• Grim said that longtime Town Attorney Scott DeTro is retiring, and has recommended some possible replacements from attorneys in the region (DeTro is also the Town Attorney for Twisp). The mayor said the town has identified some “qualified options” and an announcement may be made soon.

• The mayor also noted the town’s building inspector, Jim Ditto, has completed his commercial building inspection certification.

resulting in a protection-class rating from 1 to 10. Most insurance companies writing in Washington state use WSRB data, which is one of several inputs used to determine a premium for fire insurance. WSRB looks only at fire stations, fire hydrants and water supply, emergency communications, and enforcement of local fire and building codes. Dwellings and businesses in an area cannot get a better rating than the one WSRB assigns to the entire town. WSRB does not look at the ignition risk around a home.

The Northwest Insurance Council supports some aspects of the risk-score bill, but is concerned it could create another layer of regulation, council President Kenton Brine told the Senate committee.

The council wants details to be provided only at the request of a policy holder after a cancellation or premium increase — providing that information to all policy holders and applicants would add even more costs to already expensive homeowner’s insurance, Brine told the Methow Valley News.

A requirement that insurance companies obtain approval of underwriting guidelines from the insurance commissioner would interfere with companies’ freedom to decide what to include in policies and which markets they want to serve, ultimately reducing price and policy options for consumers, Brine said.

The Old Schoolhouse Brewery, which operates three pubs in the valley — in Mazama, Winthrop and Twisp — was declined by 12 insurance companies in 2023 based on their location in a wildfire zone, co-owner Jacob Young said. The Mazama Public House was flagged as the highest risk, but the rejection applied to all locations. “It essentially means our insurance premiums have gone up astronomically every year,” he said.

Dozier works with a dozen insurers, and many deny coverage entirely for businesses in areas considered at high risk for

Most insurers use data analytics from third-party companies to calculate risk scores. The analyses typically use satellite imagery and historical property and insurance-loss data to calculate the scores, VanTuyl said.

The analytics are proprietary and the insurance commissioner doesn’t review underwriting decisions nor create risk categories. Insurance companies are not required to insure properties they deem a bad investment, VanTuyl said.

The Washington Surveying and Rating Bureau (WSRB) produces data for insurance companies and consumers,

Some states that don’t allow companies to charge rates that align with wildfire risk have seen insurers stop writing homeowners’ insurance altogether, pushing more people into the market of last resort, Brine said.

The National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies opposed the bill altogether, saying it could cause insurers to drop the wildfire scores entirely and instead use a less accurate system that would increase premiums across the board.

The Methow Valley News reached out to insurance companies for more information about the market, but none responded by press time.

EDITORIAL

When words fail …

Where does one start?

Let’s get to the truth right away, so we can proceed with that settled: The deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti at the hands of federal agents in Minneapolis were murders. ICE officers assassinated two ordinary citizens who were exercising their First Amendment (and in Pretti’s case, Second Amendment) rights and ran afoul of the ICE motto, “Comply or Die.”

There is no other objective conclusion possible, and no supportable argument to the contrary. There is no alternate “narrative,” despite whatever AI fabrications have been ginned up by the Trump administration’s acolytes.

That hasn’t stopped the administration from mounting a furious barrage of despicable lies, piled upon heinous lies, stacked atop truly evil lies. They lie with vigor, with conviction, with certitude, and most damagingly, with withering disdain for honesty. They lie because they know they can and will be believed. They lie to cower, hurt, punish and terrify people. They lie because they no longer can locate their moral compass, and so don’t know the difference.

When you lie that much, it becomes increasingly difficult to, as the media like to say, “walk it back.” Instead, we get another favorite media expression: “doubling down.”

We know what administration officials are saying because, for one thing they won’t stop saying it, but fundamentally because the news media keep printing, posting and broadcasting the lies — and that is part of their job. They have a responsibility to report the official responses, pursue the facts, and sort out truth from the detritus of speculation.

That frustrates many news consumers who are tired of fighting through the fog of administration lies to get at the truth. The administration has a bullhorn and a bulletproof vest; the rest of us have whistles. It’s a constant battle. But it’s all part of the ever-developing story, which is thrashing forward at such a perilous pace that we can’t keep up with it. Which is part of the strategy: manufacture an emergency, create chaos, blame the victims, move on, repeat. It is always about coercion and intimidation, in the absence of any ability to make a viable case for their policies.

In the wake of Pretti’s murder, the mainstream media have done an admirable, if typically cautious, job of covering the events with deep and broad coverage. That has made the administration’s lies stand out in stark contrast to the verifiable evidence. It’s encouraging that even some people aligned with Trump are questioning the administration’s version of events, which (and this is truly remarkable) is even less credible than usual.

So why add these few hundred words to the record, when so many millions of other words are doing a better job? Because the truth must be said, shouted, screamed at the top of our lungs, over and over, in every corner of country including ours, to have a chance of survival against the tsunami of lies coming from our putative national leaders. We have to believe that even the smallest voice makes a difference.

Where does one finish? Here, for now, for today. But this can’t and won’t be the end of it. The government of the United States has sent the people of the United States a message: If we have any issue with you, we’ll send a goon squad to your town and terrorize you. We’ll rile up our rage-fueled flunkies to threaten you with harm. We’ll come into your homes without a warrant and haul you away. Ultimately, we will make it dangerous to be a citizen, so you’d better behave.

They are hoping that, if we believe nothing else, we will believe that. More and more of us will not.

Exercise your freedom

Write a letter to the editor!

Letters must be fewer than 350 words and may be edited for libel, grammar and taste. Send to: Methow Valley News P.O. Box 97, Twisp, WA 98856

FAX: (509) 997-3277

email: editor@methowvalleynews.com or drop by 502 S. Glover St., Twisp

Methow Valley News

OPINION Box 97: Letters to the editor

Support Aero Methow

Dear Editor:

Twisp friends and neighbors, you’ll see a ballot asking you to renew Aero Methow Rescue Service’s Twisp levy in February. Please help Aero Methow continue to help you by voting yes to renew this levy — you won’t find a better deal anywhere than our home-grown (thanks Doc Henry and others), nonprofit EMS agency.

As a long-time EMT/AEMT volunteer, I have worked alongside many paid and volunteer staff to provide 24-hour emergency care for residents and visitors, and without question, the quality of our response is directly tied to having safe, reliable, maintained facilities and supplies/equipment (vehicles, stretchers, radios, patient moving devices like the stair chair, remote response equipment, etc.). More important than all the EMS gear is maintaining and recruiting our paid staff, who deserve a living wage.

Levy support (including the Twisp levy) provided a critical 62% of Aero Methow’s funding in 2024. In 2025, 72% of our calls assisted local residents across the valley, and 51% of our calls were to Twisp addresses. Your levy support is valued and critical, especially since many of our calls are non-transports that don’t generate reimbursement. Along with EMS care, you help fund other programs that benefit our entire community like patient coordination with other health care providers, car seat checks, bicycle safety, and EMS standbys at sports and events. As a

volunteer, I am grateful for your support over the years that helps Aero Methow provide a vital service to our community. I don’t take your support for granted, and hope you will vote yes to show that you don’t take us for granted either.

Meg Trebon Twisp

Time to stand up

Dear Editor:

I’m reaching out to my fellow voters in Okanogan County. Many supported the current administration hoping for a return to traditional values, though reality has become something much different than what was promised.

What was presented as “Project 2025” — a plan many of us believed would restore a sense of morality — has instead laid the groundwork for an authoritarian shift in our

Ramiskey Solveig Torvik Dave Ward Sue Misao

That loud cracking noise you heard rolling out of Switzerland last week was the sound of the old world order breaking apart.

The unspoken consent agreement that’s allowed three post-WW II superpowers — China, Russia and the United States — to call the economic shots has ruptured.

By Len Baublitz

democracy. We are no longer discussing “possibilities,” we are living in a time where executive power has expanded beyond recognition. We see this most clearly in the aggressive and violent tactics used by ICE on the streets of our cities. The expansion of detention funding, which is being funded by you and me, is adding to our ballooning national debt.

I know that there are many who now feel a sense of regret as they watch the unfolding of violence against various people in our United States of America. I would never have thought we would have quasi-military on the streets of our cities behaving as thugs! If this describes you, you are not alone. These (Acts) bypass the rule of law and it is time for us to acknowledge that this is not the conservatism we believe in and protect our democracy from further dismantling.

Many of you may have heard of “political

See

Downsizing Donald at Davos

This history-shattering breach was publicly exposed during the World Economic Forum gathering in Davos, Switzerland. A new global order already is falling into place. It promises to bypass and weaken the United States. For this we must thank our president. His demented determination to destroy democracy in his own country to make the world safe for oligarchs has shown even friendly countries that he wouldn’t hesitate to destroy theirs.

Americans may not fully grasp the depth of personal betrayal felt by our former friends in Canada, Denmark, the rest of Scandinavia and Europe. Their trust that America, twice their savior, would never turn on them has vanished.

Our president’s threat to militarily seize Greenland came amid his shocking seizure of Venezuela’s oil. Greenland belongs to our North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) ally Denmark. He arrived at Davos threatening tariffs on nations that refuse to let him colonize Greenland, then backed off. For now.

A existing treaty permits the U.S. to do nearly whatever it wants militarily in Greenland. But he claims that “psychologically”, he must own Green -

Harts Pass

land and its mineral resources if he’s to defend it.

Hello?

NATO allies apparently clarified that since an attack on one member is an attack on all, they’re obliged to open fire on invaders seizing a NATO member’s territory — even if that invader is itself a NATO member.

And even if that lawless NATO member is, ironically, the very nation that originally persuaded Europeans to stop seizing their neighbor’s territory and resources and form the NATO mutual defense pact.

Blaming Norway

Our president blamed Norway’s failure to award him the Nobel Peace Prize for triggering his threats to forcibly seize Greenland. Uff da!

Historically Norway has unreservedly embraced the U.S. as its closest friend. But recent polling showed the unthinkable: Norwegians now rate the United States as their No. 2 security threat after Russia, which sits menacingly on their border.

The U.S. shares access to 12 Norwegian military bases. Awkward. But that’s common across NATO Europe. It’s … complicated.

Our president freely admits he attacked Venezuela so we can burn more oil. Yet it’s well understood that oil is wrecking the planet. No oil emergency exists. Oil prices have fallen, but the cost of every barrel burned balloons.

Profits from Venezuelan oil are being deposited on behalf of Venezuelans into an account

in Qatar controlled by our president, according to unconfirmed/ un-confirmable? reports. Venezuela provides less than 1% of the global oil supply but has the world’s biggest proven oil reserves. If Big Oil continues its successful purchase of politicians opposed to clean energy, seizing Venezuela’s oil patch may turn out to be worth the trouble.

Today the world is using enough renewable energy that it’s become a credible threat to “oiligarchs.” The more the world turns to green energy, the more audacious their pushback will become.

Having oil gives nations power over those that don’t. But that’s true only if alternatives to oil don’t exist. Our president wants Big Oil to win, so he’s blocking renewable energy. We’re headed for Third World loser status in the race to run economies on clean energy.

A new path

Meanwhile, Canada and the EU have had a long-overdue epiphany. American perfidy has set them on a path to fend more fully for themselves.

Mark Carney understands money. Now Canada’s Prime Minister, he was Governor of the Bank of Canada during the 2008 financial crisis, head of the Bank of England during Brexit and former United Nations Special Envoy on Climate Action and Finance.

Carney shocked the Davos crowd with a blunt, unprecedented takedown of the superpowers’ control of the global economic system.

After our president threatened to make Canada our 51st state, Carney quickly shifted strategies to avoid superpower domination.

Canada’s response to our bullying is all about “middle-power” nations like Canada forming new alliances with other middle-sized ones to curb superpower threats to their sovereignty. “Our view is the middle powers must act together because if we’re not at the table, we’re on the menu,” Carney said. “We compete with each other to be the most accommodating. This is not sovereignty” but “accepting subordination.”

Carney’s remarks were met with a rare standing ovation. Ursula von der Layen, president of the EU’s executive arm, also avoided diplomatic niceties. The seismic geo-political change Europe is experiencing at newly unreliable American hands is “permanent,” she stated. This means Europe must build “a new form of European independence” she argued in a forceful speech of her own at Davos. A year ago, she added, talk of European independence from the U.S. was met with skepticism. “There is now a real consensus around this.”

There are 100 million more Europeans than Americans. Adults run their governments, so they do have something to work with. The EU, long punching below its weight, has the makings to become its own superpower. And we? In our 250th year on the world stage, we’re a tragedy worthy of Shakespeare.

Respected founder of a rules and trust-based international system of cooperation that’s kept world wars at bay for 75 years, the United States of America nonetheless is deliberately destroying it.

Solveig Torvik lives in Winthrop.

By Erik Brooks

LETTERS

From Page A4

action groups” called “Indivisible.” In Okanogan County there are a few such groups — Okanogan County Indivisible (Oroville to Pateros), North Okanogan County Indivisible (North Okanogan County), Okanogan Action Coalition (Methow Valley) and Grand Coulee (Wayfinders). These groups are non-partisan and offer several ways to resist the tyranny of our government. Check these groups out. You can locate contact information online.

Now is the time to speak up and stand up! Don’t wait until it’s too late! Every day we are closer to the demise of our democracy.

Shirl Kuchta Omak

Be a delegate

Dear Editor:

Our community’s voice is only as strong as those who choose to represent it. I encourage you to consider running as a delegate to your party’s Washington state convention.

State conventions are not just ceremonial gatherings; they are where the actual work of shaping our political future happens. By serving as a delegate, you propose, debate and vote for official party positions on the most pressing policy issues in the history of our Nation. You can advocate for your community’s specific needs and values. You can also connect with other community leaders and activists from across the state.

As a Democrat, I can speak only to the specifics of my party’s delegation; but similar processes are in place for other political parties. Anyone who identifies as a Democrat may run to be a delegate to the Washington State Democratic Convention. There is no age limit, but candidates must reside in the legislative district for which they are running

MY TURN

OPINION

to be a delegate. Okanogan County is part of Legislative District 7.

Because it is so important to address the need of all our citizens, we are specifically seeking candidates who can bring under-represented perspectives to the table, such as, the views younger generations (Millennials and Gen-Z), varied ethnicities, people who face the challenge of disabilities, and members of the LBGTQ+ community.

Change starts with people like you who are ready to lead. This is your opportunity to ensure your voice — and our community’s voice — is heard. Nancy Aadland Winthrop

‘Yes’ for EMS

Dear Editor:

The current EMS levy for residents in Twisp will be expiring this year. You are being asked to continue to support EMS services. This is not a new tax but a property tax you have supported since 1991. The residents of Winthrop and the Rural District’s EMS levies are on a different timeline. For more information, please read the fact sheet at www.aeromethow.org.

There is a high cost to preparedness and response. Aero Methow Rescue Service (your EMS agency) responds to all 911 calls regardless of the ability to pay. On your worst day, Aero Methow Rescue Service will respond with safe and reliable vehicles, highly trained responders and the appropriate equipment, supplies and medication to care for you.

An EMS service can’t provide quality services with community spirit, goodwill, donations and staffed solely with volunteers. To budget, plan and prepare it is essential that there is a portion of the budget that is known. Other sources of income such as fees for service, donations and grants are unpredictable and unreliable. Aero Methow Rescue Service is an excellent steward of your money and ensures that the community

The case for decentralized water retention

BY WREN SOPERANES

When floods move through the mountains, they speak in an ancient language. Rivers carry memory — of renewal, balance, and movement — reminding communities that safety and ecology are inseparable. Recent flooding in Leavenworth and the Methow Valley has made this truth impossible to ignore.

Water moves as kin and teacher, revealing where soil can once again receive rainfall, where floodplains can breathe, and where long-standing relationships between people and rivers are ready to be restored. Science now echoes what many cultures have long understood: flooding will continue to intensify where landscapes have lost the ability to hold and slow water.

Across Washington, more than 92% of wetlands have been drained. Nationwide, more than 90% have been lost beneath farms, roads and development. Each wetland or floodplain removed takes with it a living soil sponge — one that once slowed floodwaters, filtered runoff, cooled the land, and softened the impacts of drought and fire. Research increasingly shows that where these systems are restored, peak flows drop, groundwater recharge improves, and downstream damage is reduced.

Forests tell a parallel story. Clear-cutting, wildfire, and prolonged drying have reduced the root networks and canopy that once protected soil. Without that structure, rainfall moves rapidly across compacted ground, carrying sediment into creeks, clouding salmon-bearing waters, and triggering erosion and landslides. Where replanting, shade, and soil moisture return, slopes regain stability and the land begins to hold water again. The removal of forest floor mulch further weakens this system. That layer moderates temperature, retains moisture, and supports microbial life essential to infiltration. Without it, soils heat quickly and lose the capacity to absorb rainfall. Even modest actions — leaving organic matter and restoring native understory — help rebuild that living sponge. As pavement and rooftops expand, heat accumulates and runoff accelerates. These hardened surfaces intensify heat islands and dry landscapes, contributing to stronger storm patterns. Living ground counters this effect. Trees, meadows, gardens, and wetlands cool the air and guide

‘s expectations are met. Do not hesitate to fill in the “yes” box. Someone’s life depends on it-it could be yours.

Cindy Button Twisp

Restrictions needed

Dear Editor:

We want to set the record straight regarding Cascade Concrete’s paid advertisement to drastically increase the size and scope of its open-pit mine. To be clear, the community does not want the mine to shut down. The community wants some common-sense restrictions that limit the negative impact of the mining operation for the good of the entire community, including tourism, wildlife habitat, dark sky and the environment.

Cascade doesn’t own the land. Lloyd Logging owns the land and is the permit holder. Cascade shouldn’t make promises regarding the permit application. The fact that the mine is not compliant by operating outside the bounds of the original permit is why Cascade’s promises of self-regulation should be documented in Lloyd’s Conditional Use Permit and the SEPA Checklist. Cascade, or any other entity on site, would be allowed to mine, crush and truck rock until 10:30 p.m. as proposed by Lloyd. The industrial noise, lighting, and, as Lloyd proposes, up to “80-plus” trucks per day should be alarming to all. The permit would allow Cascade to open the mine down to nearly the level of the highway with a “berm” of unspecified height to act as a buffer between Highway 20 and the gravel pit (which suggests there is a plan to remove the existing hillside). The upper Methow would have an industrial open-pit mine in the middle of a low-density residential zone along the scenic highway to Winthrop. There is no specific timeline for res-

toration of the 51-plus acres, or how it would be restored. The costs and resources for site restoration as imagined in Cascade’s published mockups would be astronomical and, again, that is a promise from Cascade who does not own the property and is not the permit holder.

Valley residents and businesses should demand that the county require Lloyd to provide detailed plans on every aspect of its application rather than accept the vague and unenforceable promises as submitted. We encourage the community to read the CUP 2023-9 and SEPA submitted by Lloyd. Mark and Kristin Clark Winthrop

Where is the line?

Dear Editor: We now have two American citizens shot dead by immigration agents on the streets of Minneapolis. You may believe Renee Good was in the wrong as she drove her car away from ICE officers on Jan. 7, or that her alleged background as a “liberal activist agitator” makes her deserving of her fate. For those of you with this belief, I ask how you now feel about the killing of Alex Pretti. He was an ICU nurse at a VA hospital. He took care of veterans in their greatest moments of need. It’s hard for me to imagine anything more American than that. Alex was also an advocate of the Second Amendment, was a lawful gun-owner and had a permit to carry a concealed weapon. Watch the video of his death this past Saturday morning, and you see a man exercising his First and Second Amendment rights, holding a cellphone, stepping in to help a woman being assaulted, then being pepper sprayed and shot by a masked agent multiple times after he was disarmed of the gun on his hip. What if there were masked, questionably trained, heavily armed agents patrolling the streets of Winthrop and

Twisp, arresting our neighbors without due process, coming into our homes without search warrants, stopping our vehicles at checkpoints, spraying us pointblank with pepper spray and other chemicals? I fear what our federal government is doing in Minneapolis is escalating violence at a rate that has the very real and frightening potential to erupt. What kind of leadership is this? To my right-leaning and Trump supporting neighbors, I ask this with a truly sincere desire to understand: where is your red line in this moment? It is not too late to say things have gone too far.

Madelyn Hamilton Twisp

Renew the levy

Dear Editor:

I wonder if there is anyone in the Methow Valley who hasn’t been positively impacted, directly or indirectly, by the stellar public service organization known as Aero Methow Rescue Service? If the impact to you was from receiving emergency medical care with advance life support capabilities from the only 24-hour emergency services available, then you know how valuable they are. If not, your interaction may have been through one of their many community programs (first Aid/CPR training, school programs, fitness program for seniors, child car seat safety, sports standbys, and backcountry rescues).

I’ve worked with first responders all over the region for a lot of years and I can attest that we have a highly motivated, compassionate and efficient group of professionals staffing Aero Methow Rescue Service. So now that we’re all in agreement with how important Aero Methow Rescue is to the people of the Methow Valley let’s show our support by approving the upcoming EMS Renewal Levy. David Rodriguez Twisp

WRITERS ON THE RANGE What reporting on city councils teaches me

BY MARTY DURLIN WRITERS ON THE RANGE

rainfall gently into soil rather than sending water rushing downstream.

A way forward

In the language of Water Stories, these combined disruptions are often described as a Watershed Death Spiral — not caused by rivers themselves, but by how rivers and rainfall have been confined and disconnected. Straightened channels, dikes, dams, and levees accelerate flow, deepen channels, lower groundwater tables, and amplify damage downstream.

Rivers allowed to move across floodplains disperse energy, recharge aquifers, and create safety through patience rather than force.

Decentralized water retention offers a clear, science-backed path forward. By slowing, spreading, and sinking rainfall where water meets the ground, communities restore wetlands, reconnect floodplains, rebuild soil structure, and support cooler, steadier streamflows.

Across Central Washington, these practices are already underway, often inspired by beavers — Earth’s original water engineers — whose designs reduce flood peaks while increasing habitat and resilience.

Floods are not merely disasters. Floods are signals. Landscapes once porous and hydrated can recover through care, collaboration, and time. A shared path forward is emerging:

• Reconnect floodplains and restore wetlands to store water and buffer floods, drought, and fire.

• Restore native vegetation such as willows, cottonwoods, sedges, and riparian plants to stabilize soil and shelter streams.

• Reduce hardened surfaces so rainfall can soak into living ground.

• Gather in community workshops to share knowledge and strengthen local stewardship.

Resilience begins with relationship — water with soil, river with floodplain, neighbor with neighbor. When communities listen, water remembers how to heal. Safety and abundance return not through control, but through cooperation.

Wren Soperanes is a Nuu Savi (Mixtec) Water Cycle Restoration Practitioner and founder of Water Weaver Earthworks in Twisp, working with communities, landowners, agencies, and nonprofits on wetland and decentralized water retention projects throughout the Methow Valley and Washington state.

For the past year and a half, I’ve been reporting weekly on municipal government in three rural Western Colorado towns. Delta is the largest, at just under 10,000 people. Paonia has a population of 1,500 and Crawford only 400. For all three, the closest big city is Grand Junction, from 40 to 70 miles away.

When I first covered local government decades ago, I saw town councils as an opportunity for grandstanding but little else. The position of mayor didn’t seem to matter one way or the other.

But I’ve come to understand that the job of a council member is challenging and important. You don’t just waltz in to say yea or nay. The task demands attention to detail and a grasp of everything from high finance and road repair to solutions for the unhoused. It’s also time-consuming and basically unpaid.

The three towns all face failing water systems and roads, due primarily to inadequate budgets and decades of deferred maintenance.

The Biden Administration’s $1.2 trillion Bipartisan Infrastructure Law of 2021 offered a lifeline for these 150-year-old municipalities, which hustled to put together successful proposals. While the Trump Administration didn’t claw back grants already awarded, it hasn’t offered further funding.

Each town faces water insecurity, and both Paonia and Crawford have ongoing or just completed capital projects to rehabilitate springs and replace storage tanks and pipes.

Delta faces some $40 million in upgrades for its water and sewer systems, but the city’s current focus is the grant-supported $13-million-dollar

rejuvenation of its Main Street, which runs for 15 blocks through the commercial center. The main drag, dotted with empty storefronts, is also US Highway 50. The council hired consultants to study whether to reroute water pipes from the center of Main Street to alleys close to the business strip, upgrading the system.

After months of indecision, Delta opted for the status quo even though the water system is 60 years old. “The pipes are basically okay,” said City Manager Elyse Casselberry. But when they spring a leak on Main Street or elsewhere, there’s a freakout from the Delta Council, followed by sighs of relief when the break is repaired.

As for the towns’ deteriorating roads, many must be entirely repaved, a major expense that requires state and federal funding. Paonia’s streets are notoriously potholed, but repaving must wait until water pipes running beneath them get repaired first.

Tough economics

The economics of town government are challenging. Crawford, with an operating budget of $250,000 and a staff of four, debates expenditures as small as $500. Just down the valley, Paonia’s payroll alone is $1.4 million, and its $6 million budget — as prepared by Town Administrator and Treasurer Stefen Wynn —I s complex and detailed.

During a recent budget session, one Paonia trustee was so overwhelmed by the many spreadsheets that he suggested each department should simply be presented with a total and told to work within it.

“I strongly disagree,” said Mayor Paige Smith, who then gave a civics lesson on fiduciary responsibility. “Just a thought,” said the trustee. Delta, meanwhile, is undergoing

a budget overhaul, trimming staff and departments, cutting recreation center hours, cancelling projects deemed inessential, and even trying to sell its parks. The City still holds large fund balances, created in part by as yet-unspent grants. But as any good town manager knows, a city should live within its means. Casselberry cut $2 million from her first draft, and the 2026 budget is now about $53 million, including capital projects.

A recent boon to all the towns is hefty sales tax revenue from mail order purchases, primarily from Amazon. The tiny Crawford post office reports 300 to 500 packages per day.

At each town’s meetings, I’ve watched council members exercise self-control and perseverance, even as public comment periods grew heated. I may grow impatient in the third hour of a tedious meeting — will it never end? — but the mayors, be it Christian mental health counselor Chris Johnson from Crawford or former environmental regulator Smith from Paonia, remain energized and determined.

Even Delta Mayor Kevin Carlson, a funeral director discouraged by what he calls constituents’ “negativity,” remains steadfast. It’s a sworn duty, and the mayors and their councils fulfill it to the best of their abilities.

The least I can do is cover it., Marty Durlin is a contributor to Writers on the Range, writersontherange.org, an independent nonprofit dedicated to spurring lively conversation about the West. She grew up in Delta and reports for public radio station KVNF and the weekly High Country Spotlight.

Lupo Brio follows in Tappi’s footsteps

Tate, Krosts buy iconic Italian restaurant in Twisp

BY ASHLEY LODATO

Much to the relief of those who love Italian food (and who doesn’t?) downtown Twisp will retain its slice of Italy on the corner of Glover Street and Third Avenue. Arrivederci, Tappi, and ciao, Lupo Brio.

Jenn Tate and Tyler and Nicky Krost, the new co-owners of the restaurant formerly known as Tappi, said, “It all happened so fast!”

They’re not kidding. When the Krosts were on vacation in Italy in late December, Tate visited Tappi and made an offer the next day. Upon the Krosts’ return Tate said, “We should buy Tappi — what do you think?”

Five minutes later, a few days before Christmas, the trio signed the purchase and sale agreement. They closed just after the new year. It all happened quickly, but not without forethought. The Krosts and Tate have been business partners since 2022, when they created 1908 BBQ & Bourbon together. The restaurant first opened as a food truck and then moved to a brick-and-mortar space on Glover Street and Second Avenue, which Tate purchased in 2005. The oldest commercial building in the Methow Valley, for many years it housed the Methow Valley News in the main space and a dentistry office in the back, and before that it was a series of mercantile stores.

“We knew we needed to

expand 1908,” Tate explained. “We either needed another location or a bigger space. Margins are slim in restaurants. We need to do a little bit more.”

The partners had been exploring other areas, in particular knowing that upcoming construction on Glover Street would be disruptive to business. Once Tate looked at Tappi, just one block south of 1908, the search ceased; they had found their place.

The new name

Although the plan is to continue to offer high-quality Italian fare and wood-fired pizza, the new owners of Tappi knew that they needed to change the name; otherwise longtime patrons might walk in expecting the same experience former owner John Bonica offered for so many years.

“Tappi was John’s soul and his family,” Tate said. “We want to honor his legacy but also acknowledge that it is a new chapter for the restaurant.”

That new chapter launches under the name Lupo Brio — the lively wolf. When Tyler was growing up, his nickname was “Red Wolf.” Growing up in rural Oregon, Tyler would howl whenever he heard wolves howl. The “red” part of the nickname is evident once you see Tyler, a true ginger.

“So we thought about calling it ‘Lupo Rosso,’ like ‘Red Wolf,’” Tate said, “but we don’t have any red wolves around here. We liked ‘Brio’ because it means ‘lively or vivacious’ in Italian. We settled on ‘Lupo Brio’ to convey that sense of pizzaz that we’re creating with the restaurant.”

“The whole thing is so seren-

dipitous,” Tyler said. “I originally tried to buy Tappi in 2020. That’s how I met Jenn — she helped create my pitch deck for the Methow Investment Network.”

That purchase didn’t work out at the time, but now, also working with Tate, Krost is now a part owner of the restaurant he sought to purchase five years ago.

Great team

More serendipity came in the form of a nod to how the Krosts met —at Seattle’s Il Fornaio Italian restaurant. Both Krosts attended culinary school: he at Western Culinary Institute in Portland and she at the Seattle Art Institute. When they met and worked together for 14 years at Il Fornaio, “It was one of the best restaurant experiences of our lives,” Nicky said.

“They really care about excellent service. And we learned from real Italian chefs, since Il Fornaio focuses the menu on different regions of Italy each month and brings in chefs from those regions,” he said.

Purchasing and getting ready to operate a fine dining Italian restaurant “is like going back to our roots,” Nicky said.

Bonica said “Jenn, Tyler, and Nicky are the perfect team to take over. They’re local; they know the community and they’re really smart about how they serve it. They are also passionate about what they do and they deliver a really superior product. It’s a beautiful match. I could my lucky stars that with this team it’s exactly the right package.”

Bonica and Tate have known each other since 1992, when Bonica sat on an interview committee for an arts scholarship that Tate applied for.

“I went home that night and told my wife, ‘I met the most fantastic kid today.’” Three decades later, he sold her the property where the Methow Valley News had been located from 1936 to about 2000. Tate now owns two downtown Twisp properties that were homes to the newspaper before they became restaurants.

As Bonica works on removing what he refers to as “25 years of accumulated stuff” from the building’s basement, he noted that Tate has been exceptionally patient with him. “There were family heirlooms in the basement that I had forgotten were in there,” he said. “Beautiful mementos from my parents’ house and my childhood — I’m moving all of it out.”

All about the wine

Although both Krosts have formal training as chefs, when Nicki was working as a sous chef at Cave B Estate Winery near the Gorge Amphitheater in Quincy she found herself drawn to the vineyards, where she learned how the 18 varietals on the property were grown. She soon fell in love with wine making. “I found my home,” she said in an earlier interview. “I immediately switched gears.” She graduated from sommelier school two years later.

As with 1908 BBQ & Bourbon, where Tyler serves as chef and Nicky manages the front of the house and the bar, diners at Lupo Brio will feature Tyler creating the meals and Nicky pairing the wines. While 1908’s focus is on bourbon (“although we have amazing wines there too,” Nicky said), Lupo Brio will be all about the wine.

“John [Bonica] had a wonderfully eclectic collection of Italian wines at Tappi,” she said. “I’m going to play with that and expand it, so that guests get to know Italy as a whole, from the mountainous northern regions to the hot sandy areas like Puglia. We’ll bring different wines to the table and do fun pairings.”

Tate noted, “As a sommelier, Nicky imparts the love of wine to everyone she meets — she helps people who don’t know a lot about wine feel comfortable.”

“We will have some fun Aperol spritzes too,” Nicky said. “And Amaro as a nice digestif to help it all go down,” Tyler added. Tyler, meanwhile, will focus on the menu.

“I’m confident that we’re going to do a lot of cool stuff here,” he said. They will be keeping one of Bonica’s most popular items — his mother’s spaghetti and red sauce — as well as his pillow bread and wood-fired pizza. Bonica handed over his recipes, which up to this point lived not on paper, but only in his head. The handover was seamless, though, as the two chefs worked side by side in the kitchen in recent weeks.

“Tyler’s sensibilities are

closely aligned with my own,” Bonica said. “He’s comfortable working with his sense of taste and intuition. We’re really in sync. In fact, the first night we worked together at Tappi I asked him, ‘Could I just go home?’”

Operating the oven

Equally synchronous was passing on the intricacies of operating the wood-fired oven.

“Operating the oven takes special care, so I introduced Tyler to my firing sequence, from starting the fire to bringing it up to heat,” Bonica said. “He knew exactly what I was talking about, both from his experience and from his intuition.”

Bonica added “There’s no yardstick by which to measure the oven’s state — you just have to watch the fire and literally feel the heat. Tyler gets that.”

Lupo Brio will initially offer a core base menu with revolving fresh additions, highlighting local ingredients. “One of the truest things about Italian cooking is using fresh high-quality ingredients and using them right,” Tyler said.

He added that “once we get our gears in the ground, we’re going to try to offer some sort of locals’ night specials.”

In addition to Emma’s red sauce and the wood-fired pizza, other things that may seem familiar to those who have frequented Tappi in the past will be those employees who elected to remain after Bonica’s departure. All were invited to do so.

The Krosts will spend time at both Lupo Brio and 1908, but will rely on a core team of trusted

1908 employees to do many of the daily operations at the BBQ joint while the Krosts get the new restaurant launched one block south. In addition to cleaning, updating, and getting ready for the final health inspection, Nicky will soon be calling all who had a February reservation at Tappi to reconfirm.

In terms of the nuts and bolts of the business venture, 1908 BBQ & Bourbon bought the restaurant business and Tate bought the building. There is a plan in place for the Krosts to buy into the building over time. The building’s upstairs studio space is currently occupied by Garage House — a small sewing operation — but they are in the process of moving to a different location.

“We don’t have the upstairs planned out but we’re working on a few exciting ideas,” Tate said. Tate and the Krosts are planning to open the first week of February, with a pop-up launch on Thursday (Jan. 29), centered around wood-fired pizza. Those who want to enter the drawing for pizza giveaways should visit facebook.com/The1908BBQ.

When Tate was interviewed for the article about the launch of 1908 BBQ & Bourbon, she said that she had made a decision not to say “yes” to anything unless it brought more joy into the world.

“That’s still my philosophy,” she said about the Lupo Brio endeavor. “There’s always more joy to create and share!” Also, she noted, “Right now it’s good to have something else to occupy my mind.”

Visit lupobrio.com for more information.

ARTS

Limited options impacted Poetry Out Loud

Fewer students took part in competition

BY MARCY STAMPER

Liberty Bell High School students are a discerning group. So, when presented with a much-abbreviated poetry anthology consisting primarily of poems from before the 20th century, most students opted to sit out this year’s Poetry Out Loud competition in December.

The national competition, where high school students interpret and perform poetry, has been a big draw for Liberty Bell drama and English students for the past 13 years. But this year, only six students chose to compete. Having a selection of 300 poems — instead of the usual 1,200 — left students underwhelmed, Liberty Bell humanities and drama teacher Kelly Grayum said.

Many students were frustrated because there were few poems that spoke to them — they just weren’t excited, Grayum said in an interview last month. The anthology typically contains poems from the United States and around the world that run the gamut from older to contemporary, he said.

This year, the poems were all in the public domain. That meant most were fairly old poems by poets who are no longer living. The language in poems from the 1800s and 1900s is often “not super-approachable,” Grayum said. They’re not bad poems, but students typically relate to more contemporary works, he said.

This year’s abbreviated anthology includes poems by Edgar Allan Poe,

Walt Whitman, Henry David Thoreau, Anne Bradstreet, and Emma Lazarus’ “The New Colossus” (which appears on pedestal of the Statue of Liberty).

In past years, Liberty Bell students tended to pick more recent poems, including “Abandoned Farmhouse” by Ted Kooser, “Emily Dickinson at the Poetry Slam” by Dan Vera, and “Istanbul 1983” by Sheila Black. As they dissect and analyze the poems, students get excited about working on their performance, Grayum said.

Changing partnerships

Grayum and the Washington State Arts Commission ( ArtsWA), which sponsors the nationwide competition in Washington, weren’t able to learn details behind the changes to this year’s program. ArtsWA receives federal and state funding, and part of that agreement includes coordinating Poetry Out Loud, ArtsWA Arts and Education Project Manager Alexis Sarah said. The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) provides the rules and the anthology, and state organizations make it happen, she said.

This year, the team at the NEA is smaller and more spread out, so every state has had to make adjustments, Sarah said. The NEA sustained significant budget cuts under the Trump administration last year and restricted or rescinded grants to dozens of arts organizations across the country.

In the past, the NEA has partnered with the Poetry Foundation. The partnership allowed the anthology to include works by contemporary poets, with the foundation helping secure rights, Grayum said.

The Poetry Foundation wasn’t involved this year, either because it pulled out or wasn’t invited — no one seems to know the details, Grayum said. The Poetry Foundation didn’t return repeated calls and emails from the Methow Valley News seeking more information.

This year’s theme is in sync with America250, the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Poetry Out Loud is focusing on poems “that celebrate the rich tapestry of American history and culture,” according to the NEA.

Despite the limited options, there were many good poems and students chose well, Grayum said. One student performed a powerful feminist poem by a late 19th-century poet.

NEA circulated a survey during the contest and has been slowly adding poems to the list, Grayum said. He hopes that will lead to a wider selection in the future.

Repeat winners

This was the 13th year that Methow Valley students have participated in Poetry Out Loud. Last year, the entire drama class of 30 students, the ninthgrade English class, and students from the Independent Learning Center (ILC) competed.

This year, many drama students opted not to participate in the official competition. Instead, they presented a poem of their choice in class, which gave them an opportunity to perform without being judged, Grayum said. Competitors are judged on accuracy, physical presence, voice and articulation,

dramatic appropriateness, evidence of understanding, and overall performance, which takes into account the complexity and difficulty of the poem and its language. Grayum has seen “phenomenal changes” as students develop confidence from standing up in front of people to recite poetry. “It’s pretty sad when that gets diminished,” he said. Washington has four geographic regions, plus a virtual region so students can participate even if their school isn’t in the program, Sarah said. Washington has historically had high participation compared with other

ARTS BRIEFS LIVE MUSIC

The information below was provided by Methow Music Monthly and other sources. For more information, visit www.methowmusicmonthly.com.

• Second and fourth Sundays, contra dancing at Twisp Valley Grange, 7 p.m. By donation.

• Sundays, intermediate line dancing at Twisp Valley Grange, 4:30-6:30 p.m. By donation. Email balsamrootboots@gmail.com for more information.

• Tuesdays, Methow Ukulele Group meets at various locations around the valley at 4 p.m. More information at geraldebell@yahoo.com.

• Wednesdays, dance instruction from the waltz and salsa to the two- and 10-step and everything in between, with Debbie Bair at Twisp River Tap House, ages 12 and up, 5:15 for beginners, 6:30-8:30 p.m. for all skill levels. $5.

• Wednesdays and Fridays, Zumba with Tani at Winthrop Physical Therapy and Fitness, 9:30 a.m. Free to gym members, drop-in rates available; (509) 996-8234.

• Second Thursdays, open mic at OSB Taproom, Twisp, 5:30-8:30 p.m. No cover.

• First Fridays, open mic at Old Schoolhouse Brewery, Winthrop, 6-9 p.m. No cover.

• Friday, Jan. 30, Pine & Shake, a folk, blues, jazz and ragtime duo, at Old Schoolhouse Brewery, Winthrop, 6-9 p.m. No cover.

• Tuesday, Feb. 3, composer and songwriter Matt Armbrust at Mazama Public House, 5:308:30 p.m. No cover.

• Tuesday, Feb. 10, Fred Cooley at Mazama Public House, 5:30-8:30 p.m. No cover.

• Friday, Feb. 13, Natalie Johnson plays a mix of folk, Americana and the classics at Old Schoolhouse Brewery, Winthrop, 6-9 p.m. No cover.

• Thursday, Feb. 19, Breathe & Wayne at OSB Taproom Twisp, 5:30-8:30 p.m. No cover.

• Tuesday, Feb. 24, Gobblers Knob at Mazama Public House, 5:30-8:30 p.m. No cover.

AQUATICS MANAGER

JOB DESCRIPTION

Are you passionate about creating a safe, vibrant aquatic environment?

Methow Valley Friends of the Pool, a 501c3 non-profit organization, is looking for an Aquatic Manager who wants to build an amazing aquatic community with a growing organization.

Responsibilities of this position include managing the Methow Valley’s public swimming pool facility, staff, and developing and implementing a diverse range of aquatic programs to meet the needs of the community. We envision swim lessons, water fitness, lap swims, physical therapy opportunities, and community partnership programs including youth and Masters swim teams. The pool is open to the public June-August. This seasonal position will require program planning, arranging hiring and training to prepare for the season, plus closing out records at conclusion of season.

Qualifications: Ability to work with and communicate with people of all ages and abilities.

Experience in personnel supervision, financial management and customer service.

Current (or willing to obtain) these certifications: Lifeguard, First Aid/CPR. WSI and pool operator. Must be at least 21 years old and meet the physical demands of the job.

Pay: Seasonal full time; hours will vary throughout the year and may include early mornings, evening, weekends and holidays during the summer. Salary is negotiable for the right candidate.

To Apply: A cover letter and resume should be sent to info @foptwisp.org.

Application deadline February 1st

‘THE PLAYGROUND’ AT MERC

The Merc Playhouse Readers’ Theater production of “The Playground” will be presented Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m.

The play, written by Jim Dalglish, is directed by Don Nelson and Jamie Petitto. The production stars Petitto, with videotaped appearances by other local actors. Dalglish, Nelson and Petitto will be available to discuss the play after each performance.

Doors open 30 minutes before the show. Admission is by donation at the door. Advisory: Content includes adult themes and the loss of a child. For information, visit mercplayhouse.org.

‘VENTASTIC’ COMING TO OMAK

The Omak Performing Arts Center Foundation presents Michael Harrison and his show “Ventastic” at the Omak PAC on Sunday (Feb. 1) at 3 p.m. Harrison is a world-class comedian and ventriloquist from Canada who has been performing for over 30 years.

Tickets are $25 for adults, $10 for kids and free for kids 5 and under. Find tickets online at omakpac.org, in person at Rawson’s in Okanogan, Kelley Create in Omak and Tonasket Interiors, and at the door.

DRAWING WORKSHOP

states, with about 80 schools taking part. This year’s competitors were Liberty Bell junior Orlo Parkinson (who took first place), sophomore Anja Merkens (second), sophomore Elliot Pixie-Plott (third), junior Liam

sophomore Firn Pepper and freshman Aliyah Odion. The three top winners all finished in the same spots last year. Parkinson will be at the regional competition on Saturday (Jan. 31). The winner will compete with others in the state competition on March 7, which sends a student to the national competition in April.

ing workshop led by Baylie Peplow-Huyett on Wednesday, Feb. 11, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Cost of $50 per couple includes all materials and first beverage of choice for two participants. For information, visit https://ryzo-wines.obtainwine. com/product/draw-your-valentine.

CHAMBER MUSIC CONCERTS

The Methow Valley Chamber Music Festival will present its winter concerts, “Cupid’s Quartet,” on Feb. 14 at 7 p.m. and Feb. 15 at 2 p.m., at The Merc Playhouse in Twisp. Featured will be Katie Liu (viola), Rachel Lee Priday (violin), Mikhail Schmidt (violin) and Kevin Krentz (cello). Musical selections will include works by Schubert, Shaw, Giazunov and Golijov. Tickets — priced at $50 and $55 — are on sale now at https://methowmusicfestival.ludus.com/index. php.

RYZO Tasting Room in Twisp hosts a draw-

THE ZANIAC IS BACK Alex Zerbe, The Zaniac — who was a hit at Arts Fest 2025 — is returning in a Methow Arts presentation on Friday, Feb. 27, at the Winthrop Barn. Doors at 5 p.m., the shows is at 6 p.m. Zerbe is described as “a whirlwind of comedy, juggling, and high-energy stunts … part magician, part comedian, part stunt artist.” Tickets for adults are $25 for general admission; $10 for ages 5-17; free for ages 4 and younger. Visit methowarts.org for information.

Classroom

Johannesen’s background includes

BY ASHLEY LODATO

After many years of working as a medical professional and public health administrator in Colorado, Julia Johannesen, who is Classroom in Bloom’s new Executive Director, is excited to put down roots in the Methow Valley and help the school garden program grow.

Although Johannesen didn’t know about Classroom in Bloom prior to deciding to move to the Methow Valley, her educational and career path seem as if she has always been laying the groundwork to lead the organization. The seeds of Johannesen’s interest in gardening were sown while studying food and nutrition during her undergraduate years at the University of Arkansas, when, she said, she “quickly realized that the nutrition of food was tied to the nutrition of the soil in which it was grown.” Wanting to learn more about this connection, she earned a minor in agriculture and began taking horticulture classes.

This trajectory, Johannesen said, led to a study abroad program in Belize, where she taught nutrition education and gardening to local students.

“It pretty quickly hit me that I didn’t need to travel to a different country to teach kids about gardening,” she said. “Doing so in my own community might be a better place to start.”

Back home, Johannesen joined a campus organization called GroGreen, which, she said, “focused on gardening and — well — growing green!” GroGreen partnered with the nonprofit Appleseeds, which is dedicated to educating and engaging children in the wonders of healthy foods. Working in an elementary school, Johannesen followed through on her goal of teaching nutrition and garden edu-

cation in her own community. “I distinctly remember watching an overjoyed kid bite into a dirty, raw potato, because he was just so excited to have harvested it from the ground,” she said. “That is the first glimpse I had into how impactful it was for kids to have the hands-on experience of harvesting food and the subsequent connection to where your food comes from.”

Career change

Inspired by these experiences, Johannesen pursued an MA in Sustainable Communities at Northern Arizona University and wrote her thesis on how students become inspired to be advocates of sustainable and local food systems. “What I discovered is that it’s through experiences exactly like what Classroom in Bloom offers,” she said.

Johannesen spent most of her 20s working with youth in outdoor and environmental education programs, including serving as a naturalist for an environmental nonprofit and working for a number of organizations taking students on trips abroad from Peru to Patagonia. She also had a stint as the assistant garden manager for an educational school garden at Colorado Rocky Mountain School.

Later, she wanted to take her career in a different direction that still allowed her to “make a positive impact in the lives of others.” So she attended nursing school at the University of Colorado Anschutz and worked as an ER nurse during COVID and as a public health nurse afterwards. Eventually, she became the Director of Public Health for Lake County, Colorado.

During this time she also served as a board member for a Leadville, Colorado-based nonprofit called Cloud City Conservation Center, whose mission is “to foster pathways to a healthier planet and community through initiatives that inspire conservation of the natural environment.”

One of their core programs focuses on “providing a resilient local food system and includes

an incredible high altitude farm and community garden,” Johannesen said.

Johannesen and her husband, Dave Clark-Barol, moved to the Methow Valley last spring for Dave’s new job as Facilities Manager of The Bush School campus in Mazama. It was a very intentional move, she said, “as we felt the valley seemed like a promising place to put down roots and raise our son, Sage.”

“We were drawn to so many aspects of the community: quality daycare at Little Star, access to local food from the farmers market and the Methow Valley Food Shed, an ethic of land stewardship through the Methow Conservancy, a culture of community social support provided by Room One and The Cove, the hockey rink and library, the incredible trail access maintained by Methow Trails ... I could go on and on,” she said.

Started as volunteer

Upon relocating, Johannesen began volunteering in the Classroom in Bloom garden and loved it, so when the ED position opened up, “it definitely felt serendipitous,” she said. She noted that one of the challenges for her will be juggling the responsibilities of her job with the responsibilities of parenting her spirited 16-month-old toddler. “As so many who have come before me know, finding the balance between giving 100% at work and 100% at parenting is a constant dance,” she said.

Johannesen said she sees food as a bridge to health, well-being, and connection because it plays a role in nearly every aspect of our lives.

“As we all know, food provides nourishment and sustains us physically, but it also connects us to culture, identity, and one another,” she said. “Offering food is a way to show love or provide comfort. Sharing meals builds relationships, creates belonging, and can carry deep personal or spiritual meaning.”

How and what we eat also directly influences how we feel, from our energy and mood to

long-term health, she said.

“During my years as a nurse, I saw firsthand how food choices could either support healing or contribute to chronic illness,” she said. “Those experiences reinforced my belief that food is not just fuel, but a powerful tool for nourishment, prevention, and connection throughout our lives.”

Among the many aspects of her new position that she is excited about, Johannesen said that relationship-building rises to the top. “I value having a strong sense of community and feel like Classroom in Bloom provides an incredible opportunity to cultivate connection,” she said. “I feel lucky that I get to work closely with our wonderful staff and dedicated board members, and am excited about all the

students, teachers, and parents I get to meet and work with. Not to mention the amazing volunteers, community members, and donors who show up to lend a hand, support our events, or contribute to our mission.”

Johannesen expressed deep appreciation for “the work that has already been done over the past 20-plus years at Classroom in Bloom and for all the people who have made that magic happen.” She invites the community to join Classroom in Bloom for its Spring Seed Swap on Saturday, March 14 from noon-2 p.m. at the Twisp Valley Grange and to keep an eye for the Spring Plant Sale. Classroom in Bloom is also seeking board members, committee members, and volunteers. Johannesen encourages anyone

interested to contact her at execdirector@classroominbloom.org.

With the school garden’s beds blanketed in snow, Classroom in Bloom is currently focused on cooking indoors with students, using recipes that feature the garden’s storage crops. But seed inventory and plans for spring planting are already underway, in anticipation of the upcoming growing season. Fresh starts lie ahead for both the garden and its new leader. Johannesen said, “I’m excited to grow roots here, contribute to the legacy of Classroom in Bloom, and learn from this wonderful organization, place, and community.”

Learn more about Classroom in Bloom’s programs and about Johannesen at its other staff members at classroominbloom.org.

SPORTS & RECREATION

McCabe headed back to Winter Olympics

Joins U.S. Nordic Ski Team for

and I had a job to do, but it was still an honor.”

Italy games

BY RICK LEWIS

Mazama’s favorite daughter and Nordic skiing standout Novie McCabe is headed back to the Olympics, competing in the 2026 Winter Games in Milano-Cortina, Italy.

This is her second consecutive nomination to the U.S. Winter Olympic team, the first still a fresh memory from the February 2022 Winter Games in China. The Olympics officially open on Friday, Feb. 6, and run through Sunday, Feb. 22.

The 24-year-old graduate of Liberty Bell High School received word last week she would once again join the U.S. Nordic Ski team at the international competition after winning the 20-kilometer skate at the National Championships near Lake Placid, New York, site of the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympics. We caught up with her, by phone, in Livigno, Italy, about a three-hour drive from the site of this year’s Winter Games, where she and her teammates are training for the upcoming Olympiad.

Most Methow Valley residents already know that McCabe’s connection with the Olympics is not limited to the 2022 Beijing Games and this year’s Olympiad, but goes back to the 1994 Lillehammer, Norway, and 1998 Nagano, Japan, games when Novie’s mother, Laura Mueggler-McCabe, was a two-time Olympian in Nordic skiing. Unlike 2022, though, mom gets to go watch her daughter ski this time. Issues of travel, the Chinese government and COVID prevented Laura from going to Beijing.

In 2022, Novie skied in three events, racing in the 10K individual, 30K mass start classic and was a surprise member of the 4x5K relay, skiing the third leg in classic and handing off to Jessie Diggins, the contemporary face of U.S. Nordic skiing.

McCabe said the moment was transformational.

“I had been watching her [Diggins] growing up and knew all about her,” McCabe said. “It was in competition

Like 2022, McCabe has no idea which events, or even if, she will be skiing in Italy. McCabe related that coaches make decisions based on how each person is skiing in training and races as the event approaches.

“So, yeah, it seems kinda last minute so you have an idea, but you’re not really sure until they tell you,” she said.

Coming back

The past two years have been a struggle for McCabe, battling some health issues and finally deciding to take most of last year off to get things back in balance. She’s been aware of a condition known as Celiac disease since her late high school and early college days, which creates a need for some specific dietary needs, particularly being mostly gluten-free

She has also been working with Hashimoto’s, a thyroid condition that is manageable but affected her skiing so adversely she stepped away from competitive skiing last year to get that under control. Mostly, she has learned how to manage her issues and has made a remarkable comeback this year.

“The chefs and cooks with the program are aware and really cool about my needs. They are able to prepare foods I can eat that are healthy and keep me on track,” she said.

With all of that, McCabe has had a pretty good winter so far this year, getting back into full form at the right time. She is now skiing and training in the Nordic Program through Alaska-Pacific University (APU) in Anchorage, where she moved a couple of years ago after foregoing her senior year of NCAA competition with Utah to train for Senior World Cup and the more domestic Super Tour while working on her master’s degree in environmental policy. Her undergrad degree is from Utah in political science.

McCabe frequently cites her support system. She regularly trains with several members of past Olympics, including fellow Mountain Lion and Olympic alumnus Sadie Bjornsen, college and 2022 Olympic teammate Sophia Laukli, and her boyfriend Luke Jager, also from

Mountain Lion girls play for post-season position

BY RICK LEWIS

Despite three loses last week, the Liberty Bell High School girls have all but secured a return to the CW2B basketball league championship tournament, needing only a win Tuesday when they hosted Manson in the Den. A victory would improve their record to 2-2, ensuring they can finish no worse than sixth place and possibly securing a No. 5 seed.

Liberty Bell 42, at Cascade 73

A long week of road trips opened in Leavenworth with a loss at the hands of the Cascade Kodiaks 73-42. The Kodiaks jumped out early, doubling up the Mountain Lions 29-14 in the first quarter and holding the Liberty Bell girls to just five points in the second quarter for 46-19 halftime lead. The Mountain Lions held their own in the second half, but the first two periods made for a forgone conclusion as Cascade cruised to the final 31-point win.

Junior Wynter Woras had a solid game leading all scorers with 19 points, 10 of those coming in the third quarter. Taylor Hover contributed 10 points to the cause for Liberty Bell.

Liberty Bell 39, at Okanogan 57

Back on Dec. 9, Liberty Bell hosted Okanogan in a non-conference game, their fourth game of the young season and a competitive 45-36 loss that seemed to offer some promise of things to come in the new season. Since then, the Bulldogs and Mountain Lions have been headed in different directions.

Okanogan is currently third in the CW2B, one game out of the No. 2 seed into the league tournament. The Moun-

the Utah ski program.

She also notes what a cool thing it is to train and ski with Diggins and Rosie Brennan, another of those she looked up to in her younger years.

“They are all so supportive and helpful, for sure (a phrase she uses for emphasis regularly). It’s been a hard two years, but people around me have been so good,” McCabe said.

That includes her teammates, fellow competitors and folks back home.

McCabe is not bashful talking about her support system growing up. She credits the Methow Valley Nordic Ski Education Foundation’s youth program and the role it played in giving her a start on her career and success in Nordic skiing.

“I wouldn’t be where I am without those people,” throwing names out in rapid succession: “Alex and Leslie Hall, Suzanne King, Flash (Chris Clark), mom, dad, lots of people, it’s an amazing community.”

“This is an incredible moment for our valley,” said Justine Lucia, Executive Director of Methow Valley Nordic Ski Educational Foundation. “This community has watched Novie grow from a dedicated young skier into an elite athlete. Her work ethic, perseverance, and love for the sport truly represent what this community is about.”

Growing up

McCabe recalled stories of her childhood days for Northwest sports enthusiast and author Doug Levy recently on his podcast “Under the Radar: Olympic Athletes Ya Gotta Meet” (www.authordouglevy.com/media). She related being loaded up in a backpack on Laura’s back while childhood friend Walker Hall was in a similar backpack toted by his mother — three-time Nordic Olympian Leslie Hall — as they headed out skiing on the trails around Mazama.

Novie and Walker grew up as neighbors in the Mazama suburbs, both attending and graduating from Liberty Bell High School, and representing the school in cross country and track. Novie was a three-time state champion in cross country and led her team to three consecutive state championships in the Washington 1B and 2B classification.

Hall, who is a past member of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard’s Cross Country Developmental team, and is finishing up his college athletic eligibility at Utah this year, is thrilled at McCabe’s opportunity.

“I am inspired but not at all surprised by Novie’s ability to overcome life’s obstacles and qualify for another Olympics,” wrote Hall from the Salt Lake City campus. “We are lucky to have such a great representative of our community in Italy!”

McCabe was caught on camera sporting a Mazama Goat on her racing hat at the U.S. Nationals two weeks ago, an expression of gratitude for the continuing support of the Mazama community and the owners of the Mazama Store, Rick and Missy LeDuc and their family.

“They’ve been really supportive over the years, helping get us to races, supporting the youth program and all. It was my way of saying ‘thank you’ to them for all of that,” McCabe said.

When not training and studying, she enjoys watching and cheering for her younger sister, Dashe, who is studying and skiing competitively at the Univer-

sity of Alaska- Anchorage. Dashe was also racing at Lake Placid in the Junior Nationals. Novie related that she didn’t get to watch a lot of Dashe’s races when she was in high school, so being a lot closer makes it easier to cheer for her.

McCabe also enjoys spending time with her boyfriend, Luke Jager, a relationship that grew out of their time skiing together as teammates at the University of Utah, and now in the APU program. Jager was also a member of the 2022 Beijing Nordic team and accompanied Novie to the Methow Valley last October, when they cheered on the Liberty Bell cross country teams to victory at the rain-soaked CWB League Championships.

NBC Sports will be televising many of the Winter Games events on their network and streaming stations, including KHQ in Spokane, KING in Seattle and their other affiliates around the Pacific Northwest and nationally. Peacock and Peacock Premium will also be broadcasting a number of events, many live at odd hours in the Northwest as Italy is nine hours ahead of Pacific Standard Time. The link: www.nbc.com/sports.

LBHS boys’ win streak ended at 15 as Okanogan, Chelan ring up big wins

tain Lions are in fifth place needing a win over Manson to secure their spot in the tournament. The two got together at Okanogan on Jan. 23, Liberty Bell with a chance to gain some ground.

It was not to be, however as the Bulldogs turned back a feisty Mountain Lion team 57-39. Wynter Woras again led Liberty Bell scoring with 14 points. Kara McMillan, back in the lineup after missing several games, hit for 13 points. They were the only Mountain Lions in double figures.

The teams went to the halftime with Okanogan holding a slim 25-21 lead.

The Bulldogs put some distance between the two teams, outscoring Liberty Bell 14-9 in the third quarter and finished off the game with an 18-9 fourth quarter.

Liberty Bell 23, at Chelan 57

It was on to Chelan for a non-league tilt with the Goats on Saturday. The girls were playing their third game in five nights, all on the road. It showed early on as the Goats blitzed the Lions for a 21-6 first quarter advantage, adding five more points to the lead in the second quarter for a 36-16 intermission lead.

The Goats extended the lead through the second half and shut down the Mountain Lion offense, limiting them to four points in the third quarter and only three in the fourth.

Wynter Woras was, again, the leading scorer for Liberty Bell with 10 points.

Senior Helaina Remsberg remained in plain clothes, hobbled by a sore knee from her fall against Omak two weeks ago. Her status is day-to-day. Manson came to The Den on Tuesday this week, a game that has several implications for both schools. Liberty Bell defeated Manson soundly in December, 68-24. Friday, the girls travel to Lake Roosevelt, then close out the regular season at home on Senior Night next Tuesday, tipoff at 6 p.m.

BY RICK LEWIS

After a 39-point win over Cascade to extend their winning streak to 15 games, the Liberty Bell High School boys dropped consecutive road games to Okanogan and Chelan on Friday and Saturday.

The Mountain Lion boys, with an overall record of 15-3, still hang in the top five of the WIAA 2B RPI poll at No. 5 after spending several weeks at the No. 3 spot. Okanogan moved up No. 6, and Tonasket comes in at No. 16.

The Bulldogs are in the driver’s seat and have essentially clinched the top seed to the league tournament with a 4-0 conference record and league wins over Tonasket and Liberty Bell, both knotted in second place.

Liberty Bell 83, at Cascade 42

Remington Paz poured in 25 points, Bodie Thomson added 21 and Greyden Paz contributed 11 points as the Mountain Lions clawed the Kodiaks in Leavenworth. The game, a non-league matchup of the Caribou Trail League and Central Washington B League, was under Liberty Bell’s control from the start, the Mountain Lions outscoring Cascade 31-8 in the opening period as Thomson hit for 18 first-quarter points.

Liberty Bell’s hot shooting continued as the Mountain Lions moved out to a 42-15 halftime lead. The Mountain Lions improved their record to 15-1 and the Kodiaks fell to 2-9 on the season.

Liberty Bell 59, at Okanogan 73

Okanogan took advantage of their front line height and an off night for

Liberty Bell’s normally lethal perimeter shooting to down the Mountain, Lions 73-59, in a battle of the top two teams in the CW2B. The victory gave the Bulldogs the top spot in the league as the season heads toward the League and District 5 post-season tournaments.

The Bulldogs held a clear edge on the boards, outrebounding the Mountain Lions 48-19, according to coach Kyle Northcott.

“Both teams played hard, but we just missed a lot of shots and they dominated the rebounding,” said Northcott. “It was our worst shooting percentage of the season, somewhere around 31%.”

The Mountain Lions stayed in contact through the first half, down just 38-32 at the break. A 20-12 third quarter, fueled by a 14-4 run in the first four minutes of the second half, did the Mountain Lions in, as Okanogan built their lead into a 14-point margin at 58-44 by the end of the third period. Okanogan held advantage in the fourth quarter.

“They were very motivated to beat us and worked really hard to do it, so good on them,” said Northcott. The two friendly rivals split the series last year, 2-2, and could meet a couple more times yet this year in the post-season.

Liberty Bell 41, at Chelan 70 It was a complete reversal Saturday as the 1A Chelan Goats routed Liberty Bell at Chelan, 70-41. Three weeks ago, on Jan. 6, the Mountain Lions dominated at home in a 77-41 win over the Goats. Noticeably missing from that first game was 6 foot, 7 inch junior post Tev Uttech and sophomore guard Trevor Faletto, who combined for 53 of the Goats’ points in Satur-

day’s non-league win.

“I certainly was expecting them to be much better than the first time that we played them,” said Northcott of the 29-point blowout. “I wasn’t expecting to get beat that badly.”

Uttech led all scorers with 28 points, sophomore Faletto poured in 25 and his senior brother Luca hit for 14 points. Bodie Thomson and Greyden Paz led the Mountain lions with 10 points each. Senior shooter Remi Paz was held to just nine points, his first game scoring fewer than 22 points this year.

The Mountain Lions were missing two contributors in this game in Levin Lott and Logan Hughes, both out with nagging injuries.

“That’s the second time this year where we’ve had consecutive day away games,” offered the coach. “That Okanogan game was hard and our kids just did not have their full levels of energy (when they faced Chelan).”

The boys looked to get back to their winning ways on Tuesday, hosting Manson for the second time this year. A hastily scheduled Wednesday night non-league game was arranged after a major plumbing failure flooded the Trojan gym in December. The Mountain Lions won that game, 76-36. They travel to Coulee Dam on Friday for a rematch with the somewhat depleted Lake Roosevelt squad, victims of the injury bug this year. The Mountain Lions won their first match, 60-55. Friday is a necessary win for Liberty Bell as they head into Senior Night on Tuesday with Tonasket in the Lions’ Den. Tuesday’s game is the home finale for seniors Jake Grady, Bodie Thomson and Remington Paz. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

METHOW VALLEY CIDER House business is now for sale. If having a business is one of your goals this 2026. This turnkey location, ready to take on your next goal. Contact JP for details at 509341-4791

31 EMPLOYMENT NOW HIRING

ABBYCREEK Inn Winthrop, WA

• Maintenance

• Breakfast Cook

• Front Desk / Reservations Must be reliable and able to work scheduled hours. Experience preferred but not required. Apply in person or contact us for details. 509-996-3100, info@abbycreekinn.com

SUN MOUNTAIN RANCH Club in Winthrop is looking to fill the position of Swimming Pool Maintenance Contractor with required State/County certifications for the upcoming 2026 summer season. The pool will be open beginning May 15 thru September 15. Estimated time commitment 1-2 hrs/day Compensation commensurate with experience. For additional information and to receive an application for the open position please contact director1smrc@gmail.com

Sun Mountain Ranch Club PO Box 1227 Winthrop, WA 98862

HELP WANTED! PART-TIME, cash register experience is a must. Apply in person at The Outdoorsman on Mondays, Thursdays or Fridays between 9am and 3pm.

THE TWISP CHAMBER of Commerce is seeking an energetic, motivated, and creative individual to serve as Twisp Champion: Events and Marketing Coordinator. This position supports and promotes local businesses through events, marketing, outreach, and community engagement. Application and job description available online at www.TwispWA.com

CLASSIFIEDS

METHOW VALLEY COMMUNICATIONS

AT JAMIE’S PLACE, we believe that aging should be an enlivening experience, not an isolating one. We are a non-profit adult family home that follows the Green House Model, creating a “”real home”” environment where elders can thrive with dignity, grace, and meaningful relationships. We are looking for compassionate individuals who want to be more than just staff—we want you to be part of our residents’ daily lives.

The Role As a caregiver at Jamie’s Place, you are the heart of our home. You will assist our elders with the rhythms of their day, ensuring they feel empowered and respected.

Personal Care: Assistance with bathing, grooming, dressing, and mobility.

Meaningful Life: Supporting resident interests—whether it’s gardening, puzzles, or sharing a meal. Daily Rhythms: Light housekeeping, meal preparation, and medication management.

Community: Building deep, respectful connections with residents and their families.

Why Work With Us?

Small Ratios: We maintain a 1:6 caregiver-to-resident ratio, allowing you to provide truly personalized care.

Career Growth: We offer a FREE certification path for those new to caregiving (HCA class) with a oneyear contract.

Advanced Training: We provide an HCA-to-CNA Bridge program with a $2/hr wage increase upon completion.

Supportive Culture: Work in a beautiful, intentional community in the heart of the Methow Valley.

Awake Facility: We are a 24-hour awake facility, offering consistent, stable 8.25-hour shifts.

What You Bring

A compassionate heart and a desire to serve our local elders. Reliability and the ability to work independently. Must be 18+ and able to pass a background check.

HCA/CNA license preferred, but we will train the right candidate!

How to Apply

EMAIL: Mvmanager@jamiesplace. org

WOLF CREEK RECLAMATION

District (WCRD) is hiring for the position of Ditch Rider. The seasonal position manages irrigation water and the infrastructure that distributes it. Compensation $30+/hour. A detailed position description can be requested by emailing secretary. wcrd@gmail.com. Send a letter of interest explaining qualifications, work history and references (include a resume if available) to: secretary.wcrd@gmail. com or by US mail to Secretary, Wolf Creek Reclamation District, PO Box 1365, Winthrop, WA 98862

TRANGO IS LOOKING FOR a full-time Clerk of the Board/Facilities Coordinator. This position is hourly non-exempt. Compensation is $26.20 - $28.34 per hour (DOE). Benefits include health, dental, vision, life insurance, retirement, (see website for benefit details) sick leave and vacation. Responsible in part for clerical duties for the OCTA and OCOG Boards, replying to Public Records Requests, notary, compiling and editing various documents, advertising for meetings and public hearings, serving as back up on phones, receiving and distributing mail, organizing, and maintaining all OCTA files and responsible for records retention. (See job description for complete details). Visit www.okanogantransit.com for application and job description. A complete application including a resume and cover letter must be submitted in order to be considered for the position. E-mail your completed application to financehr@ okanogantransit.com or mail to TranGO, PO Box 507, Okanogan WA 98840. Application Deadline: First review of the applications will be 02/11/26; position open until filled. Okanogan County Transit Authority is an Equal Opportunity Employer. WE SEEK INPUT We depend on readers to help us keep the community informed, so we encourage you to submit events, letters, news tips and photographs and anything else you think we should know. Call us at (509) 997-7011, email editor@methowvalleynews.com or stop by our office!

District is seeking a part-time Communications Technician (approximately 20 hours per month, $1,166/ month). The ideal candidate is a certified tower climber with Competent Person designation (Gravitec or equivalent), current First Aid and CPR certification, and demonstrated experience working at height on communications towers. Applicants should have practical knowledge of RF systems in shared tower environments, including broadcast, ISP, and cellular equipment, as well as experience with low-voltage telecommunications infrastructure such as fiber and wireless systems. The position requires physical fitness and the ability to safely access and work at remote, rugged mountaintop sites in all seasons, sometimes without vehicle access, along with a valid driver’s license. Experience at multi-tenant tower sites and eligibility for a WA State 09 Low Voltage Electrician License are preferred. FAA and FCC licenses are not required, though a strong understanding of RF fundamentals is essential. Interested candidates should send a resume and cover letter to admin-mgr@mvcomm.org and tech@mvcomm.org.

34 SERVICES

DRYWALL INSTALLATION & REPAIR...

Mudding, Tapping, and Texturing Specialist... 35+ years of experience, Lots of Valley References... Free Estimates call 509 997-2128 STATEWIDE

CONSUMER CELLULAR the same reliable, nationwide coverage as the largest carriers. No long-term contract, no hidden fees and activation is free. All plans feature unlimited talk and text, starting at just $20/month. For more information, call 1-833-462-1801

REPLACE YOUR ROOF with the best looking and longest lasting material – steel from Erie Metal Roofs! Three styles and multiple colors available. Guaranteed to last a lifetime! Limited Time Offerup to 50% off installation + Additional 10% off install (for military, health workers & 1st responders.) Call Erie Metal Roofs: 1-844-800-9166

DONATE YOUR CAR, truck, boat, RV and more to support our veterans! Schedule a FAST, FREE vehicle pickup and receive a top tax deduction! Call Veteran Car Donations at 1-877-225-8568 today!

LEGAL NOTICES

STATE ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT DETERMINATION OF NONSIGNIFICANCE

14 January 2026

Lead Agency: Town of Twisp

Agency Contact: Thom Vetter, 509 997 4081

Agency File Number: TWP-PW-01-26

Project Description: The Town of Twisp proposes to construct street and water line improvements within a 2.5-acre project area in the downtown core, as shown in Attachment A, Project Area Map.

The water improvement component of the project involves replacing existing 6-inch water main with a new 8-inch main. The water main extends approximately 1,360 lineal feet along Glover Street from Twisp Ave to State Route 20 (SR20) (also called Division St) and 200 lineal feet on Twisp Ave from Glover St to Division St, and includes water service and meter upgrades to private parcels. The road improvement component of the project includes roadway reconstruction and placemaking improvements along Glover St from Twisp Ave to Division St; and on Twisp Ave, from Glover St to Division St. This work includes removing and replacing the existing curb, gutter, sidewalk, and curb ramps, storm drainage, signage, re-channelization, landscaping, and irrigation. Existing building awnings encroaching into the right of way will be removed and replaced with new awnings within the right of way that will ultimately increase usable sidewalk space. The new sidewalk will be 7 to 10 feet wide on both sides of Glover St, and 7 feet wide on one side of Twisp Ave.

Applicant: Andrew Denham, Public Works Director Town of Twisp, PO Box 278, Twisp, WA 98856, (509) 997- 4081

Parcel Number: R/W

The lead agency for this proposal has determined that it does not have a probable significant adverse impact on the environment. An environmental impact statement is not required under RCW 43.21C.030(2)(c). This decision was made after review of a completed environmental checklist and other information on file with the lead agency.

This determination is based on the following findings and conclusions: The project is being conducted

under all regulatory standards and does not create a negative impact. This DNS is issued under WAC 197-11-340(2) and the comment period will end on February 4, 2026.

Responsible Offi cial: Thom Vetter, Twisp Town Planner, 509 997 4081, townplanner@townoftwisp. com

Signature Thom Vetter

January 14, 2025

You may appeal or comment on this determination to Town of Twisp no later than February 4, 2026, at 1:00 pm by email or letter. You should be prepared to make specific factual objections. Contact Town of Twisp to read or ask about the procedures for SEPA appeals. Published in the Methow Valley News, January 14, 21, 28, 2026

ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS TOWN OF TWISP

Glover Street Revitalization

Sealed bids will be received by the Town of Twisp at Town Hall located at 118 South Glover, PO Box 278, Twisp, WA 98856 until February 10, 2026 at 1:00pm, and there publicly opened and read.

This Contract provides for the improvement of Glover Street from 5th Ave to Twisp Ave. These improvements include, ADA compliant sidewalks, parking stalls, intersections, stormwater collection and treatment, replacement of pedestrian canopies, water line updates, roadway improvements and other work, all in accordance with the attached Contract Plans, these Contract Provisions, and the Standard Specifications. The project is funded by the Town of Twisp and Transportation Improvement Board funding.

The Town of Twisp in accordance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 78 Stat. 252, 42 U.S.C. 2000d to 2000d-4 and Title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, Department of Transportation, subtitle A, Offi ce of the Secretary, Part 21, nondiscrimination in federally assisted programs of the Department of Transportation issued pursuant to such Act, hereby notifies all bidders that it will affirmatively ensure that in any contract entered into pursuant to this advertisement, disadvantaged business enterprises as defi ned at 49 CFR Part 26 will be afforded full opportunity to submit bids in response to this invitation and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of race, color, national origin, or sex in consideration for an award.

Plans, specifi cations, and bid documents are available for electronic download at www.questcdn.com. Insert the eBidDoc # 10007423 to download the digital documents for a fee. Contract documents are on file for inspection at the Twisp Public Works Building. A bid bond in the amount of 5% of the bid shall accompany all bids. All bids shall be marked “Glover Street Revitalization”, on the outside of the envelope.

Bids must be completed on a lump sum and unit price basis as indicated on the BID PROPOSAL, and the total price shall be used for comparison of bids. The Town of Twisp reserves the right to reject any or all bids for cause

The Towns goal is to execute the Contract in the winter to allow time for long lead materials with an understanding that the notice to proceed is estimated to be in March. There is an interim requirement of the sidewalks in the commercial zone to be completed by July 1, 2026 with the overall project estimate of 145 working days.

Engineer’s estimated range for this project is $4,000,000 - $5,000,000.

No bidder may withdraw their proposal after the hours set for the opening thereof, or before award of contract unless said award is delayed for a period exceeding forty-five (45) days.

The Town of Twisp is an equal opportunity employer. Small, minority and women-owned businesses are encouraged to submit bids. All work performed on the project shall be subject to prevailing wage rates.

Published in the Methow Valley News, January 21, 28, February 4, 2026

BALLOTS FOR THE FEBRUARY

10, 2026 SPECIAL ELECTION ARE IN THE MAIL.

If you have not received your ballot by Friday, January 30, 2026, please contact the Auditors Offi ce at (509) 422-7240.

Remember your ballot must be signed.

The Auditors Office, 149 3rd Ave N, Okanogan, is open Monday –Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM and on Election Day only from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM for the following services.

•Voter Registration

•Drop off voted ballots

•Obtain replacement ballots

•Disability Access Voting Units

Drop boxes will be open until 8:00 PM on election day February 10, 2026.

Drop box locations open for the General Election:

•Okanogan County Auditor- 149 3rd Ave. N, Okanogan

•Oroville - Police Station, 1105

Main St., Oroville

•Tonasket - City Hall/Library Complex, 209 S Whitcomb Ave., Tonasket

•Omak - Next to Police Station, 8

N Ash, Omak

•Omak - 12 Tribes Casino, 28968 Hwy 97, Omak

•Pateros - 180 Pateros Mall in parking lot, Pateros

•Brewster- Library 108 S. 3rd St., Brewster

•Twisp - City Hall, 110 E 2nd St, Twisp

•Coulee Dam - City Hall, 300 Lincoln Ave, Coulee Dam

•Nespelem - Outside Agency, 21 Colville St., Nespelem

•Winthrop - Library, 112 Norfolk Rd, Winthrop

•Riverside- 101 1st St, Riverside

The ballots are postage-paid.

Voters are encouraged to mail in ballots as soon as possible to ensure the envelopes are postmarked by Election Day. Check with your local post offi ce for cut off times or request to have your ballot date stamped at the window in your local post office.

If you need to find out information about the issues you can use the following sources.

•On line voter’s guide – votewa. gov

•votewa.gov/Okanogan

•sos.wa.gov/elections/

•Newspapers and radio

If you are not currently registered in the State of Washington, you can appear in person in the Auditors Office until and registered to vote and be able to vote in the Primary Election.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the Auditors Office. (509) 422-7240

Published in the Methow Valley News, January 28, 2026 LEGAL NOTICE

Town of Twisp, Andrew Denham, 118 Glover St S Twisp, WA 988565857, is seeking coverage under the Washington State Department of Ecology’s Construction Stormwater NPDES and State Waste Discharge General Permit. The proposed project, Glover Street, is located at Glover Street from 5th Ave to Twisp Ave & Twisp Ave to SR 20 in Twisp in Okanogan county. This project involves 2.75 acres of soil disturbance for Highway or Road, construction activities. All discharges and runoff goes to ground water. Any persons desiring to present their views to the Washington State Department of Ecology regarding this Application, or interested in Ecology’s action on this Application, may notify Ecology in writing no later than 30 days of the last date of publication of this notice. Ecology reviews public comments and considers whether discharges from this project would cause a measurable change in receiving water quality, and, if so, whether the project is necessary and in the overriding public interest according to Tier II anti-degradation requirements under WAC 173-201A-320. Comments can be submitted to: ecyrewqianoi@ecy. wa.gov, or ATTN: Water Quality Program, Construction Stormwater Washington State Department of Ecology P.O. Box 47696 Olympia, WA 98504-7696

Published in the Methow Valley News, January 28, February 4, 2026 IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON OKANOGAN COUNTY In re Estate of Herbert C. Wimberger, Deceased No. 25-4-0013924

PROBATE NOTICE TO CREDITORS under RCW 11.40.020, .030 PETER H. WIMBERGER has been appointed as personal representative of this estate. Any person having a claim against the decedent must, before the time the claim would be barred by any otherwise applicable statute of limitations, present the claim in the manner provided in RCW 11.40.070 by serving on or mailing the personal representative or the personal representative’s attorney at the address stated below a copy of the claim and filing the original claim with the court in which the probate proceedings were commenced. The claim must be presented within the later of: (1) 30 days after the personal representative served or mailed the notice to the creditor as provided under RCW 11.40.020(1) (c); or (2) four months after the date of first publication of the notice. If the claim is not presented within this time frame, the claim is forever barred, except as otherwise provided in RCW 11.40.051 and RCW 11.40.060. This bar is effective as to claims against both the decedent’s probate and non-probate assets.

Date of First Publication: January 28, 2026. ADDRESS FOR MAILING OR SERVICE: PO Box 3059, Winthrop, WA 98862 Attorney for Personal Representative: Natalie N. Kuehler, WSBA #50322, The Kuehler Law Firm, PLLC Court and Case Number: Okanogan County Superior Court – No. 25-4-0013924

Published in the Methow Valley News, January 28, February 4, 11, 2026 LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF ADOPTION – ORDINANCE #839 AN ORDINANCE OF THE TOWN OF TWISP, WASHINGTON, terminating the Town’s Municipal Court pursuant to RCW 3.50.060 and repealing Chapter 2.80 of the Twisp Municipal Code.

Dated this 13th day of January 2026. Randy Kilmer, Clerk/Treasurer, Town of Twisp, Washington. Published in the Methow Valley News, January 28, 2026 VACANCY NOTICE The Okanogan County Board of County Commissioners is accepting letters of interest for the following positions on the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee (LTAC): Tourism Industry Representatives (two vacancies) District #2, Position #1 (AtLarge) – Applicants must reside in Commissioner District #2. Districts #1 & #3, Position #2 (At-Large) – Applicants must reside in Commissioner Districts #1 or #3. Applicants for Tourism Industry positions must demonstrate representation of the tourism sector within their district and may not be a lodging tax collector or recipient. Tax Receiver Representative (one vacancies) District #2, Position #4 – Appointees must represent an agency that currently receives lodging tax funds and provide a letter from the agency confirming their representation

The

for seeking appointment

Please note: This is a volunteer position with no compensation. For questions, contact Lanie Johns at (509) 422-7100. Send letters by email to ljohns@okanogancounty.gov or by mail to: Okanogan County Commissioners 123 5th Ave N, Rm 150 Okanogan, WA 98840 Published in the Methow Valley News January 21, 28, 2026; Okanogan Valley Gazette-Tribune January 22, 29, 2026.

OVG1025410

VACANCY NOTICE BOARD OF EQUALIZATION Okanogan County is seeking one (1) regular Board of Equalization member to serve on the county’s Board of Equalization. (BOE) The applicant shall reside in Okanogan County and will represent Commissioner District #2 in the Brewster, Methow, and Pateros area. The purpose of the BOE is to adjust and equalize the valuation of real and personal property as valued by the Okanogan County Assessor and to hear appeals on land use classifi cation decisions made by the Assessor. The BOE assures uniform property tax assessments are applied at the local level and may review tax assessments to be certain the assessment for each parcel is fair. In Okanogan County, the BOE is authorized a three-member board with two at-large positions. The Board of County Commissioners is responsible for appointing members to the BOE. Appeal hearings can begin in July or later and will wrap up as late as November with several hearing dates scheduled in that timeframe. Mileage compensation reimbursement per the state’s personal vehicle mileage schedule is allowed plus $160 per attended meeting/training day. New members must attend Department of Revenue Educational Sessions within one year of appointment and every other year there after. This training is usually scheduled in

LOCATION OF

PROPOSAL: The project area is located on parcel 2923100024 at Alta Lake State Park, within Section 10 of Township 29N, Range 23E Willamette Meridian SEPA: The SEPA responsible official has deemed this project exempt under WAC 197-77-800(3) Direct questions to: Rocky Robbins, Okanogan County Offi ce of Planning & Development, 123 5th Ave. North, Suite 130, Okanogan, WA 98840. The date of publication in Okanogan County’s legal periodical of record is January 28 and 29th Published in the Methow Valley News January 28, 2026; Okanogan Valley Gazette-Tribune January 29, 2026. OVG1025726 OKANOGAN COUNTY BUTTERMILK MEADOWS

SCUP 2025-2

Notice of Application Public Hearing and Threshold SEPA

Determination An application has been submitted by Jeffery Rayborn and Morgan Anderson for a Shoreline Conditional Use Permit in order to permit an outdoor wedding venue. Buttermilk Meadows will host outdoor weddings for up to 200 guests and provide all tables and chairs for guests for the Ceremony and Dinner reception. There are no permanent structures on the project sites, so all décor, furniture, lighting, tables and chairs will be stored away after each event. The client renting the wedding venue will be responsible for selecting their own caterer, who will be self suffi cient and can operate out of their own food truck and/or trailer. The client will also be responsible for renting the music source. Buttermilk Meadows will provide portable restrooms rented from a rental company who will be responsible for providing water for the restroom trailer and dumping the restroom trailers after the rental period. Distilled drinking water for all guests, for each event, delivered by a company. The proposal, if approved, will allow up to 6 weddings a year hosted between May and October. The Okanogan County SEPA Responsible offi cial issued a mitigated threshold environmental determination of non-signifi cance (MDNS) in accordance with WAC 197-11-350. SEPA Comments must be submitted in writing no later than 5:00 p.m., February 12, 2026 All comments will be reviewed for relevance, and if necessary additional conditions will be added to the Mitigated Determination of Non-Signifi cance. If no comments are received the MDNS will stand as final. The project location on parcel 8807700010, 8807700020 and associated common area #88077 at 56 West Buttermilk Creek Rd in Twisp, WA. The public hearing for this project is scheduled for March 18 at 6:00 pm in the Commissioners Hearing Room located at 123 5th Ave N. in Okanogan. Project comments for the SCUP must be submitted in writing by March 2, 2026 or can be submitted at the hearing or verbal testimony may be given at the hearing. A TEAMS meeting has been created and the public is welcome to attend. The meeting can be accessed here Join: https://teams.microsoft.com/ meet/2112872853721?p=mLdvuUkq8OzgSWwbSE Meeting ID: 211 287 285 372 1 Passcode: qU3Fj9GZ

Failure to comment by this date denies a party standing to appeal the final decision. Information is available at the Offi ce of Planning and Development. Direct questions and comments to: Rocky Robbins, Senior Planner, Okanogan County Offi ce of Planning & Development, 123 5th Ave. N, Suite 130, Okanogan, WA 98840, (509) 422-7117 rrobbins@co.okanogan.wa.us

Published in the Methow Valley News January 28, 2026; Okanogan Valley Gazette-Tribune January 29, 2026. OVG1025725

OKANOGAN COUNTY

PUBLIC HEALTH DISTRICT

Notice of Variance Request

A variance from the Okanogan County Public Health District’s OnSite Sewage Regulation has been requested to reduce the 100 foot sanitary control zone down to 60 feet on an existing well located on parcel 3125090050. This well is intended to serve a lot on the proposed Hadley Road Long Plat. Written comments may be submitted to the Okanogan County Public Health District at 1234 S. Second Ave., Okanogan, WA 98840. The Environmental Health Director at Okanogan County Public Health District will consider this request within 30 days of this notice. Published in the Methow Valley News January 28; February 4, 2026; Okanogan Valley Gazette-Tribune January 29; February 5, 2026. OVG1025721

OKANOGAN COUNTY

NOTICE OF FINAL DECISION

Boundary Line Adjustment: (parcels 3827270121 & 3827270021)

Proponent: victor & Susan Castro and Stephen & Letisia Collins

Decision: Approved

Boundary Line Adjustment: (parcels

3827030056 & 3827030054)

Proponent: Clark & Linda Topping Trust and Cory & Anne Wilder

Decision: Approved

The Okanogan County Offi ce of Planning and Development made a final decision on the above-noted projects. Within 20 days of publication, parties with standing may appeal these decisions to the Okanogan County Hearing Examiner at 123 5th Ave. N. Suite 130, Okanogan, WA 98840, pursuant to OCC 2.67.010. An appeal must include the $1,250.00 appeal fee. Published in the Methow Valley News January 28, 2026; Okanogan Valley Gazette-Tribune January 29, 2026. OVG1025724

BACKYARD SKI DAY

Backyard Ski Day in Winthrop is on Friday (Jan. 30), with free skiing on local trails all day and events at the Methow Trails headquarters on Horizon Flat Road in Winthrop.

Try cross country skiing, snowshoeing, or fat biking for the first time. All 200-plus kilometers of the Methow Trails will be open. There will be free beginner group ski lessons, fat bike demos, groomer rides, and treats from 10 a.m.-noon at the Methow Trails headquarters.

Free ski rentals will be available at Cascades Outdoor Store available on a first come, first served basis; and at Winthrop Mountain Sports for those 17 and younger.

Methow Cycle & Sport will offer free rentals of skis, hoks and snowshoes; reservations recommended.

Free group beginner ski lessons (skate and classic) will be at 10 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. at the Methow Trails headquarters, courtesy of Methow Valley Ski School. No pre-registration required, just show up a few minutes early.

Winthrop Mountain Sports is hosting a wax clinic on Friday at 6 p.m. The event is free and open to all.

And if you haven’t seen a PistenBully snow groomer up close, check it out at the Methow Trails headquarters.

RACE OF THE METHOW

Methow Valley Nordic hosts the annual Race of the Methow on Saturday and Sunday (Dec 31 and Feb. 1) at the McCabe Trails on the Liberty Bell High School campus. Racing will begin at 9 a.m. each day. The event features athletes from the Methow Valley Nordic Skiing program, but also invites skiers from all over the Pacific Northwest. For information, visit methowvalleynordic.org.

TRY OUT SKIS FOR FREE

Winthrop Mountain Sports sponsors, and Methow Trails hosts a Ski to the Sun Demo day on Friday, Feb. 6, at Methow Trails headquarters on Horizon Flat Road in Winthrop. Try out a different pair of skis for free. The event is from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. There will also be raffle prizes

FILM FESTIVAL

NORDIC RACING

Methow Valley Nordic and Winthrop Mountain Sports are coordinating the WMS Race Series 2026, with events at several valley locations. The free races are open to all ski levels, skate or classic style. They remaining races are:

• Feb. 17, 4 p.m. at Methow Trails headquarters in Winthrop, a relay sprint race for teams of two. Each skier does three laps of 1.5K, alternating each lap. There will be two divisions: an adult race, and an adult-plus-kid mixed race for those who want to compete with their kids.

• March 8, 9 a.m., at Loup Loup Ski Bowl. Course to be determined.

For more information, and to register, visit https://www.winthropmountainsports.com/service/2026-wms-race-series/.

TRY BIATHLON

Methow Valley Biathlon hosts an opportunity to try the sport of biathlon on Sunday, Feb. 15, at the Mazama Biathlon Range from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Learn the equipment, history, and safety, then you’ll receive individualized shooting instruction. Open to ages 9 and older; no previous biathlon experience is required. A $30 donation is suggested. Find more information at https:// www.methowvalleynordic.org/events/try-biathlon-r6agh-5lycm, or email info@mvnsef.org.

FREE SKI WAXING CLINIC

Winthrop Mountain Sports will be offering free ski waxing lessons throughout the Nordic season, conducted by co-owner and two-time Winter Olympian Erik Bjornsen. Learn all about how to choose and use the right waxes for peak performance. The final date is Friday, Feb. 27, at 6 p.m. Visit winthropmountainsports.com to reserve a spot.

The 2026 International Fly Fishing Film Festival (IF4) is coming to Winthrop on Feb. 17, sponsored by the Methow Valley Fly Fishers. The event features a curated collection of world-class films spanning conservation, family, adventure and culture, including a standout short about prominent American chef and cultural storyteller David Chang. The Winthrop screening will be at Sun Mountain Lodge. Doors open at 5:30 p.m., films start at 6 p.m. Advance tickets are $20 for adults, $10 for kids under 18, and can be purchased online at www.flyfilmfest.com/winthropwa/, in person at The Outdoorsman in Winthrop, or at the door. The total running time is two hours. The nonprofit Methow Valley Fly Fishers focuses on providing internships and scholarships to students involved in the enhancement of our fisheries. For information, email methowvalleyflyfishers@gmail.com.

Nordic ski series off to enthusiastic start

The first of three Nordic ski races being coordinated by Methow Valley Nordic and Winthrop Mountain Sports this winter took place on Saturday (Jan. 14) from the Cub Creek Trailhead, and drew an impressive field of competitors, organizers said.

“The idea for this race series actually came out of a meeting with members of our Friday morning roller ski group,” Winthrop Mountain Sports co-owner Marine Bjornsen said. “We got together to talk about how we could create more community-driven Nordic events in the valley — events that feel welcoming, fun, and motivating for skiers of all levels.”

“We felt there was a bit of a gap: relaxed, inclusive Nordic races where people can skate or classic, race hard or just participate, and simply enjoy putting on a bib and skiing together,” she said. “We absolutely love the larger events Methow Trails organizes — they bring so much energy and excitement — and we wanted to create more opportunities like that throughout the season. Sometimes it’s hard to feel motivated to race unless you have a bib on your shoulders, and this series was designed to make that experience accessible and fun.”

For Saturday’s event, 58 people signed up, Bjornsen said. The race started at Cub Creek and finished at the Rendezvous Pass warming hut. Bjornsen said that Ben Nelson of Rendezvous Huts made sure that competitors had their jackets brought up to the finish, “which meant people could comfortably hang out, socialize, and enjoy the moment together before skiing back down.”

The Methow Valley Ski Team helped with registration, while the husband-andwife team of Erik and Marine Bjornsen handled the operational side of the race. During his competitive career, Erik Bjornsen won more than a dozen

national championships and twice represented the U.S. in the Olympics, in 2014 and 2018. Marine Bjornsen grew up in France, where she competed for the French National Biathlon team for more than 10 years, raced on the Biathlon World Cup team, and won many national titles. Competing for the University of Alaska-Anchorage’s Nordic skiing team, she was a three-time All-American.

The Bjornsens purchased Winthrop Mountain Sports in 2020.

“We used Erik’s old World Cup bibs for the race, Marine said. “Since we didn’t expect such a big turnout, we ended up also using some previously raced by Caitlin and Brian Gregg as well. Every racer had a bib with its own history, which people really loved.”

“Erik [the men’s winner] had to be the first one to the top because he was timing everyone at the finish,” Marine said. “That gave him extra motivation to ski fast — otherwise, no times!” Caitlin Gregg was the women’s winner.

The free races are open to all ski levels, skate or classic style. Remaining on the schedule:

• Feb. 17, 4 p.m., at Methow Trails headquarters in Winthrop, a relay sprint race for teams of two. Each skier does three laps of 1.5K, alternating each lap. There will be two divisions: an adult race, and an adult-plus-kid mixed race for those who want to compete with their children.

• March 8, 9 a.m., at Loup Loup Ski Bowl. Course to be determined.

Marine said the full ski team will be at the next event — and possibly the Bjornsen’s 2 ½-year-old, Lena.

For more information, and to register, visit https://www.winthropmountainsports.com/service/2026-wms-race-series/.

Paz, Lara win titles at Quincy Mat Animal Invite to finish regular season

BY RICK LEWIS

Liberty Bell High School

wrestlers Yolo Paz and Richie Lara continued their runs of individual tourney titles, each winning their weight class championships at the Mat Animal Invitational on Saturday in the Jackrabbit Gym at Quincy High School.

The Mat Animal is the final regular season tournament for the Mountain Lions as they gear up for the sub-regional tournament on Feb. 7, the District 5 championships on Feb.14 and the state championships, also known as the Mat Classic, Feb. 20-21 in the Tacoma Dome.

Both Mountain Lion juniors are ranked No. 1 in their respective classes statewide by Washington Wrestling Report. The Mountain Lions, as a team, placed ninth in the overall team standings, but were the second-highest scoring B school in the tourney.

Paz, wrestling at 144 pounds, won three of his four matches in dominant fashion, scoring a first-period pin over Jackson Krogseth (East Valley-Spokane) in the opening round and a second-period pin of Chelan’s Salvador De Leon in the semi-final. His closest match of the day came in the second round when Jody Gardner of host Quincy pushed the bout all the way to the last few seconds. Down to Gardner 11-10, Paz scored a threepoint takedown with 0:03 left in

the bout to come from behind for the 13-11 decision. He went on to roll Okanogan rival Joseph Kruse, pinning the Bulldog at the 1:38 mark of the match while leading 11-2.

Lara saved his most exciting bout for the final in the 126pound class, winning the first three rounds by a technical fall and two pins. James Oliver of Medical Lake provided a competitive match for the defending state champion before falling by points.

Junior 138-pound Mountain Lion Javier Lopez-Velasco brought home a fourth-place medal from Quincy. He lost a quarterfinal match to 2A Othello’s Mason Russell, placing him in the third-place bracket. He defeated Okanogan rival Frank Eylar 15-9 in the consolation semi-final, then forfeited the third-place bout to Cascade Christian’s Aiden Kucera.

Liberty Bell freshman Owen McAuliffe (132 pounds) grabbed a podium spot with his sixthplace finish, winning his first match of the day over Maverick Carroll of Tonasket, then going 1-3 the rest of the day.

Eighth-grader Chance Reece opened a few more eyes with his quality performance. After losing his first bout in a major decision to Jacinto Camacho of Quincy, Reece went on a tear, winning three bouts to close out his tournament 3-1. His last match of the day was an 11-9 nailbiter against Zillah’s Austin Erickson.

In similar fashion, Liberty

Bell junior Liam Kiefer lost his first bout, then went 4-0 on the rest of the day to win the consolation bracket, but miss out on the podium.

Landon Schmekel recorded a .500 day, winning two and losing two. Jayden Coarrubias wrestled three bouts, taking one win and two losses. Soren Stevie, Sam Kaltenbach, Lukus Vera Mendoza and Cassius Johnson all went winless on the day.

Girls at Othello

Four Mountain Lion girls wrestled at Othello High School’s Lady Huskie Invite on Saturday with mixed results and one significantly disappointed wrestler in team leader, junior Maeve Belsby.

Belsby, Liberty Bell’s 110pound grappler, and currently ranked No. 3 by Washington Wrestling Report, was forced to withdraw from competition after a first-round win, suffering a sudden onset of hives, a skin condition often associated with an allergic reaction.

“She was miserable,” said mother Sarah Berns. “She broke out in hives all up and down her legs.”

According to Berns, they were able to get some allergy medicine in her and that seemed to relieve the symptoms a bit. “She’s okay, and she was bummed out,” reported Berns. “But pulling her out was the right call.”

Belsby should be cleared up and ready for the post season

where she has her eye on the podium all the way through to the state championships.

Eighth-grader Reagan Port, wrestling at 120 pounds, put in a great effort, going 2-2 for the tourney. Port opened with a win by pin over Alison McDermot of Idaho’s Timberlake High School. Kamiakin’s Amber Glass sent Port to the consolation bracket, pinning her in the second period. Port bounced back with a heady 4-3 win over Joliete Galvez from nearby Royal High School, scoring an escape for one point and the win with :29 on the third-period clock. Another 4A wrestler,

Crystal Olivares of Southridge (Kennewick), ended the day for Port with a second-period takedown into the pin.

Hayden Mitchell, another eighth-grade Mountain Lion wrestling at 100 pounds, also went 2-2 for the tournament, scoring a 14-4 major decision over Royal’s Caylee Guerrero and losing by fall to Connell’s Madison Magana in the first period. Mitchell recorded a win-by-pin over Jennifer Herrera-Guerrero (Cashmere) and was pinned in her final match by Deer Park’s Anabelle Miller. Sophomore Clara Ram -

week off should give a chance for both Belsby and Ramsay-George to recover from Othello and prep for the post-season drive.

Knowledge Bowl team kicks off season with strong showing

Eleven Liberty Bell High School students competed in their first Knowledge Bowl tournament of the season in Republic on Jan. 12 and made a strong impression by finishing first, second and fourth, coach Leverett Hubbard reported. Seven schools were present, with a total of 12 teams competing. A core group of nine returning students is building a championship foundation for the Liberty Bell program, Hubbard said. “Their goal this season is a first-place finish at regionals and a top-six finish at state, after placing third at regionals and 11th at state last year,” Hubbard said. The Mountain Lions were unable to attend a tournament held in Curlew on Dec. 8, due to a shortage of bus drivers, Hubbard said. At the Republic tournament, juniors Liam Kiefer, Orlo Parkinson, Mira Hirsch and Asher Fisher convincingly outscored their opponents in both oral rounds and earned the highest score in the written round, finishing with a total of 69 points and securing first place.

For Liberty Bell’s second team, senior Wyatt Flock led returning sophomore Rowan Kelley and rookies Elsa Guetzler and Crispin Anderson. Their performance closely matched that of the first team, as they finished second overall with 64 points. Their written score was only one point lower than the first-place team. Elliott Pixie-Plott led Nina Halpin and Finn Dickinson to a fourth-place finish for that team. They were undefeated in their two oral rounds, but their overall score fell short of Okanogan by just one point.

Lawsuit seeks to compel federal designation of wolverine habitat

Threatened species listing requires action

BY ANN MCCREARY

Wolverines were listed as a federally threatened species more than two years ago, but the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) has not yet designated critical habitat for wolverines, as required by law.

A coalition of wildlife conservation organizations has filed a lawsuit in federal district court to try to compel the federal agency to designate habitat that will be protected to promote recovery of the species. Federal law requires that critical habitat be designated within a year of a species’ listing.

The lawsuit against FWS was filed Jan. 14 in federal district court in Montana by 11 wildlife organizations. It asks the court to require FWS to comply with the requirement to designate critical habitat within an agreed upon court-ordered deadline.

Only about 300 wolverines are believed to survive in the lower 48 states, according to the complaint. The

North Cascades mountains above the Methow Valley are among the diminishing habitat areas where wolverines are still known to live.

Scientists have been studying wolverines in the North Cascades for 30 years. There are an estimated 30-40 wolverines living in high-elevation landscapes from North Cascades National Park and Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest (including the Methow Valley Ranger District), south to Mount Adams on the Gifford Pinchot National Forest.

Wolverines are listed by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife as a candidate for protection as an endangered, threatened or sensitive species under state law.

Wolverines in the lower 48 states were listed as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) in November 2023. FWS has not designated critical habitat within a year of listing as required by law, or issued a proposed rule for habitat designation, the complaint said. FWS “has yet to initiate the process of designating critical habitat for wolverines,” the lawsuit said.

Scientific studies show that critical habitat designation is a primary driver

in the recovery of imperiled species, according to a news release announcing the legal action.

“Having areas set aside as critical habitat is a major — if not the most important — factor in helping threatened and endangered wildlife recover,” said Matthew Bishop, senior attorney at the Western Environmental Law Center, who is representing the plaintiffs.

“Given wolverines’ small population size and climate change quickly shrinking the snowy habitat they rely on to survive, time is of the essence,” Bishop said in the news release.

“For over a decade, the Fish and Wildlife Service has dragged its feet on providing wolverines the protection s the Endangered Species Act requires, despite clear science showing their imperilment,” said Bethany Cotton, conservation director with Cascadia Wildlands.

“It’s time for the feds to follow the law and ensure these amazing animals have the habitat protections they need to survive and recover,” Cotton said.

Habitat loss

Wolverines in the lower 48 States were trapped, hunted, and poisoned to

near extinction in the 1800s and early 1900s. Wolverines have yet to recover from these early levels of mortality.

In addition to the North Cascades, wolverines in the lower 48 states are also found in the Northern Rockies of Montana, Idaho and Wyoming, and in the Wallowa mountains of Oregon, according to the National Wildlife Federation. Wolverines also live in Alaska, Canada and Russia.

The largest terrestrial member of the weasel family, wolverines can weigh up to 35 pounds and are notoriously elusive, fierce, and powerful for their size.

Female wolverines dig dens in the snow to give birth and raise their young, and rely on deep, high-elevation snowpack that lasts into spring and summer. Scientists predict climate change will increasingly affect snowfall patterns throughout wolverine range in coming years, significantly reducing snowpack and available wolverine habitat.

FWS determined wolverines warranted listing under the ESA primarily due to ongoing and increasing impacts of climate change and associated habitat degradation and fragmentation. At the time of listing in November 2023, FWS noted that wolverine populations, though

widespread, were relatively small, fragmented, and isolated from larger populations in Canada, according to the lawsuit.

Conservation groups originally petitioned to list the wolverine as threatened almost 30 years ago, and again in 2000. For decades, FWS debated whether to list wolverines, sometimes recommending protections and sometimes deciding they are not necessary.

“The endurance and tenacity of citizens actively working to protect iconic wolverines are exceeded only by the wolverines themselves. It’s time to relieve the wolverines of the threats to their existence including habitat loss and trapping,” said Larry Campbell, conservation director at Friends of the Bitterroot.

In the suit filed recently against FWS, plaintiffs include Friends of the Bitterroot, WildEarth Guardians, Friends of the Wild Swan, Swan View Coalition, Oregon Wild, Cascadia Wildlands, Alliance for the Wild Rockies, Cottonwood Environmental Law Center, Footloose Montana, Native Ecosystems Council, the Helena Hunters and Anglers Association, and George Wuerthner, an individual.

JUST ALONG FOR THE RUN

The main thing happening in the night sky this month is Orion. As soon as it gets dark, he is standing proud and upright in the south. The brightest stars of the entire year are found here and nearby. Blue-white Rigel, reddish Betelgeuse, Bellatrix, Aldebaran, and many others light up the sky. Do not miss Sirius below and to the left of Orion, the brightest star anywhere in the sky. If you happen to be reading this in the south, way south in the tropics,

Orient to Orion in the wintry skies

do not miss the chance to see the second-brightest star in the sky, Canopus. Located below Orion, it is too far south to be seen from Washington. It is in the constellation Carina, the Keel, which is part of a larger constellation, Argo Navis, the ship that Jason and the Argonauts sailed in the prehistoric times of ancient Greece.

Look halfway across the sky to the left to brilliant Jupiter. It is about the brightest thing up there, so it is hard to miss. Notice that it is not twinkling like the stars. That is a dead giveaway that it is a planet. A small telescope will easily show you four of its 72 moons. These were discovered by the famous Galileo. Watch them closely night after night to see them revolve around Jupiter.

On Jan. 6, the planet Venus reached the point in its orbit around the Sun known as Superior Conjunction. At that date it was directly behind the Sun from the Earth, and invisible

to us obscured in the Sun’s glare. It marks the time when Venus will cease being an object visible only in the early morning, and we will get to see it early in the evening when we are still awake. Right now, Venus is just about as far away from us as it can get, so it is moving very slowly through the sky. Look for it low in the west just after sunset above where the Sun went down. If you are lucky, you might see it in late February, but it will be very close to the horizon in the west. If you do not see it, do not give up. Later in March it will be easier to spot as it climbs slowly higher and higher. It will be bright, the brightest thing up there.

The end is nearer I am always on the lookout for those weird little stories about astronomy that pop up on the internet every now and then. Here is one I thought

might be interesting to you. A team of researchers have decided that the universe might end sooner than expected, much, much sooner. They worked with the ideas of the late physicist Stephen Hawkin and his study of black holes. One amazing thing Hawkin realized about black holes is that they evaporate slowly, very, very slowly over a vast amount of time. This was hard to believe at the time and many of his contemporary colleagues rejected his conclusions. It is easy to imagine dew evaporating under a warm morning sun, but black holes? It is hard to think of something less likely to evaporate than a black hole. If our earth were to fall into one, it would be squeezed down to the size of a pea! They are incredibly heavy, dense and hard. So the research team decided to expand that idea to everything. Stars, planets, whatever. Think about that

for a minute. They are saying that the Earth could evaporate away right beneath our feet!

The time frames are enormous. The original estimate in years to complete evaporation was a number with 1,100 zeros in it. The number the researchers came up with before the universe is gone has only 87 zeros in it. That is trillions of times less than the former number.

Should we be worried about this? I do not think it will be on the ballot in November so do not worry about voting on it. However, if you are working on your bucket list of things you want to do in retirement, you might want to take into consideration that the universe is not going to be around as long as we thought. There may not be time enough to do everything you want to do.

My advice is to go outside and just look at the stars before they all evaporate.

Winning team three-peats at Puzzle Palooza jigsaw competition

‘Puzzle Junkies’ flexes at MVCC fundraiser

BY RALPH SCHWARTZ

All the pieces fell into place at the third annual Puzzle Palooza, held Sunday (Jan. 25) in the Methow Valley Community Center (MVCC) gym. The team called Puzzle Junkies — Kristie Fisher, Carol Fisher, Carol K. Johnson and Denise Heatley — has quickly established a dynasty in the jigsaw competition, winning its third Puzzle Palooza with a time of 1 hour, 8 minutes on the 750-piece puzzle handed out to all 27 teams.

Also for the third year in a row, Perpetually Puzzled came in second place, just four minutes behind the winners. That team consists of Lauren Clark, Sarena Shapiro, Kate Ducey and Avry Maling. In its first-ever Puzzle Palooza, Korrie Bourn and daughters Vesper Grim, 8, and Sloane Grim-Bourn, 7, finished third. Calling themselves My Morning Jigsaw, the trio finished the puzzle in 1 hour, 15 minutes.

The top-three finishers won prizes, including free tickets to MVCC’s upcoming Valentine’s Day dance on Feb. 14.

BY SAM CORDES

Korrie Bourn won the 50-piece speed round to kick off the event.

Those who aren’t into puzzles may be surprised to learn how popular the centuries-old pastime has grown, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Awards also were given for best team name — “Jiggy Sawdust” — and most creative costume, going to the Lord of

the Rings-themed “One Piece to Rule Them All,” complete with hairy hobbit feet and a dwarf in a full beard.

“It’s just a lot of fun,” said Anita Lince of MVCC, who organized the event. “It’s a thing — when you google it, you’ll find it’s all over the world.”

“You just get an endorphin kick every time you put a puzzle piece in,” Heatley said.

Puzzle Palooza is an annual fundraiser for the nonprofit MVCC, raising about $2,000 per event.

Heatley, of the champion Puzzle Junkies, said her team has come up with a winning strategy: Feed their best player, Kristie Fisher, with the pieces she needs, starting with the edges.

Methow Valley News

• Learn more about what’s happening in the community & stay up-to-date on local news

Get local news stories DELIVERED to your door every week!

Spend less time looking at screens, which can damage your eyesight

Science says you absorb more information from print than a screen (yes, really! Google it!)

Start a habit of reading a newspaper while drinking your morning coffee

No distracting pop-up ads!

• Support a local business and one of the few remaining small-town newpapers

• PLUS having a stash of old newspapers on hand is great for

• starting fires packing fragile items

• lining pet cages

and crafts

• & more!

Don’t live here full time? We have snowbird rates! (call for info)

Subscriptions make great gifts! Gift your loved ones a year of good news!

Death notice

Joyce Austin, 85, of Brewster and formerly of Twisp, died Jan. 20. Barnes Chapel is handling arrangements.

SENIOR NEWS

It may sound a bit early to announce, but on Saturday (March 28) we will have our annual Spring Sale. We have been receiving a bundle of spring donations and we are all looking forward to the sale. More details to come.

Thrift Store is open Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

Colleen Ramiskey

LUNCH MENUS:

THURSDAY, JAN. 29: Lasagna with meat sauce, Caesar salad, fruit cocktail, dessert.

FRIDAY, JAN. 30: Chicken cordon bleu, rice pilaf, steamed carrots, broccoli salad, orange quarters, whole wheat roll, dessert.

MONDAY, FEB. 2: Spaghetti and meat sauce, Caesar salad, cinnamon pears, garlic bread, dessert.

THURSDAY, FEB. 5: Hamburger steak with grilled onions, mashed potatoes and gravy, buttered corn, garden salad, berry crisp.

FRIDAY, FEB. 6: Fish and chips, cabbage and apple stew, fruit cocktail, Rice Krispies Treats.

MONDAY, FEB. 9: Barbeque chicken, scalloped potatoes, green beans, tropical fruit, whole wheat roll, oatmeal cookie.

THURSDAY, FEB. 12: Roast beef, baked potato, corn, spinach salad, whole wheat roll, fruit ambrosia.

FRIDAY, FEB. 13: Split pea and ham soup, turkey sandwich deluxe, apple wedges, peaches, dessert.

MONDAY, FEB. 16: Closed for Presidents Day.

THURSDAY, FEB. 19: Sweet and sour pork, steamed rice, Asian vegetables, cucumber and tomato salad, mandarin oranges, egg roll, dessert.

FRIDAY, FEB. 20: Lemon baked fish, pesto pasta, asparagus, coleslaw, orange quarters, dessert.

Call (509) 997-7722 to reserve meals 24 hours in advance. Suggested donation is $5 for persons over age 60; charge for $10 for persons under 60.

‘RITES & RESPONSIBILITIES’

The Methow Valley Interpretive Center in Twisp hosts “Rites & Responsibilities: Marking Changes in the Cycles and Seasons of Our Lives,” on Sunday (Feb. 1) from 5-6:30 p.m. Presenters Darcy Ottey and Scott Davidson will explore how communities have long come together to mark important life transitions such as seasonal changes, coming of age, and other significant passages, and why these practices matter today.

GLACIER CLIMATE PROJECT

The Methow Conservancy’s First Tuesday event on Feb. 3 will be about the North Cascade Glacier Climate Project. Presenter Jill Pelto will speak about her work as the Art Director of the project, which she co-leads with her dad, Science Director Mauri Pelto. Local artists Margaret Kingston and Cal Waichler will co-present. Doors open at 6:30 for the free event; the program starts at 7 p.m.

AT THE WINTHROP LIBRARY

• The Winthrop Library is discontinuing the Study Hall program due to low attendance.

• There will be a Make, Create & Celebrate card-making workshop on Valentines Day (Saturday, Feb. 14) from 1-3 p.m.

• There will be a Snowshoe Storytime event on Friday, Feb. 13, from 2-4 p.m. This is a collaboration with USFWS and Methow Trails so that patrons can meet at the hatchery at 2 p.m. and have a guided snowshoe tour to the library for a special storytime at 3 p.m., with hot drinks and treats, and then snowshoe back to the hatchery. The event has registration for snowshoe sizes.

METHOW AT HOME EVENTS

Methow At Home offers a variety of events in coming weeks, free unless otherwise indicated. Register at methowathome.org.

• Game Day at the Twisp Valley Grange is the first Sunday of every month (Feb. 1) from 1-4 p.m. Bring a friend and your favorite board game to teach and enjoy with others, or simply come to join in. Feel free to pack your favorite snack to share and a non-alcoholic drink.

• Tech Café for adults 60 and older at the Winthrop library on Tuesday, Feb. 3, from 1-3 p.m. Bring your device and get one-on-one tech support. Free ticket required.

• Virtual museum tours with local artist Carmi Weingrod at the Winthrop library on Tuesday, Feb. 10, from 1-2:30 p.m.

• Embracing Mortality Through Living Mindfully, a three-part exploration into our own dying process through self-reflection, mindfulness, and meditation. Limited to 12 participants. The class will be facilitated by Laura Yon, spiritual care coordinator with the Lookout Coalition team. The sessions are on Feb. 11, March 11 and April 15 from 1-3 p.m. at the YourSpace building on the TwispWorks campus. Registration closes Feb. 3. Suggested donation is $105, but no one will be turned away.

be cookies and cocoa and answers to your questions about the Sunny M Ranch, the Methow Conservancy, and 30 years of inspiring people to care for the land of the Methow Valley.

CONSERVANCY WINTER OPEN HOUSE

Drop in to the Methow Conservancy office (414 Riverside Ave., Winthrop) any time between 3-5 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 14, to get an update on the organization’s activities. The informal gathering is a chance to greet longstanding conservationists, new members of the conservation community, and those who are interested in learning more about community-based conservation in the Methow Valley. It is not a fundraiser.

SOUND BATH

Relax with a sound bath at Methow Valley Wellness Center on Saturday, Feb. 14, from 7-8 p.m. Cost is $20. Preregister by texting (509) 4492-2659.

AT THE TWISP LIBRARY

Upcoming events at the Twisp Library include:

• Preschool Storytime, Friday, Jan. 30, Friday, Feb. 6, 13, 20, and 27, 11 a.m.-noon. For preschool-aged children and their adult caregivers.

• Tuesday, Feb. 3, knitting group, 12:30-2 p.m. Bring your current project or start something new. All skill levels are welcome.

• Wednesday, Feb. 4, Reading Dragons game day, 3:30-5:30 p.m. Bring your deck and join your friends in games like Rock Paper Scissors, Dragon Duel, and Rotten Egg.

• Saturday, Feb. 21, Garden Journaling, noon-2 p.m. Get ready for the growing season by learning how to use a garden journal as a tool for planning for the future and recording garden wins, losses, and discoveries. All supplies will be provided. Registration required.

BEEKEEPING CLASS

Basic beekeeping information about setting up your hive, items needed, installing bees in the hive and hive management, on Saturday, Feb. 21, from 12:30-4 p.m. at 502 South Glover Street. Cost is $60. For information, call (509) 449-1590 or email susiebeez@icloud.com.

METHOW PRIDE EVENTS

Methow Pride is hosting a number of events in coming weeks:

• Sunday, Feb. 1, “Pronouns and LGBTQIA+ Allyship 101,” hosted by The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship at the Methow Valley Community Center, 10-11 a.m. Open to all community members. Free. For information, email info@methowpride.org.

• Thursday, Feb. 5, “Art to Heart: Queer Community Gathering,” at Pride Center & Sanctuary on the TwispWorks campus, 5:30-7 p.m. This event intended for LGBTQIA+ community members. Free, soup provided. For information, email info@methowpride.org.

• Spanish Conversation Group hosted by Nimbe Garrido, every Friday at the Methow Valley Community Center in Twisp from 2-3 p.m.

• A cooking class inspired by Roy Choi’s iconic Kogi Truck tacos, conducted by Jean Wilson, on Saturday (Jan. 31) from 4-6 p.m. Address provided at registration. Cost is $25 for Methow At Home members, $35 for non-members.

STUDENT NEWS

Sally Beatrice Hatfield and Amanda Marie Holtz of Winthrop, and Harman Gill of Pateros, have been named to Wenatchee Valley College’s fall quarter 2025 President’s List. Named to the Dean’s List were Maxwell Ian Bennett, Gavin Blank, Peter Silas Kominak, Jossilyn Osonawski, Donna Anne Plowman, Katherine Erica Posey, Tayah Eva Salas, Sonna Ann Schuttner, Pepper Leana Treise and Kierra Jeanine Treise of Twisp, and Cecilia Williams of Pateros.

Cassidy Jones-Mowen of Twisp was named to the Dean’s List at Linfield University in Oregon for the fall 2025 academic term.

CANDLELIGHT YOGA FOR SKIERS

Support Methow Valley Nordic while enjoying yoga by candlelight at Motive Yoga’s Winthrop studio on Friday, Feb. 6, from 4:30-5:30 p.m. No experience necessary. All donations go to support the ski team. Sign up ahead at www.motiveyogaco.com/events or show up a few minutes early.

• Thursday, Feb. 12, “LGBTQIA+ Hockey Tournament Kickoff Mixer” at Three Fingered Jack’s in Winthrop, 8-10 p.m.Welcome Seattle Pride Hockey and the 12 LGBTQIA+ hockey teams. Free. For information, email info@ methowpride.org.

• Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Feb. 13-15, “Frozen Pride Classic: An LGBTQIA+ Hockey Tournament,” at Winthrop Rink. Find the game schedule at www.seattlepridehockey.org/frozen/.

• Friday, Feb. 13, “Pride Themed Open Skate” at Winthrop Rink, 3:45-5:45 p.m. Admission is $12 for adults, $9 for youth; $5 skate rental. For information, email info@methowpride.org.

• Friday, Feb. 27, “Pronouns and LGBTQIA+Allyship: Workshop and Dialogue,” presented by Methow at Home at YourSpace on the TwispWorks campus, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Soup and snacks provided. Register at www. methowathome.org/events.

‘FOR

THE LOVE OF BOOK CLUBS’

The Friends of the Winthrop and Twisp libraries will host “For the Love of Book Clubs,” on Sunday, Feb. 15, from 4-6 p.m. at the Winthrop library. The planning team has prepared a survey to identify local book groups, and to learn about their interest in and ideas for the event. To take part in the survey, visit https://bit.ly/47SoKn1.

VALENTINE FUNDRAISER

FOR MVCC

POWERS PLUNGE POP UP

The Methow Conservancy invites you to “pop over” to the warming hut at Powers Plunge on the Methow Community Trail on Saturday, Feb. 14, from 10 a.m.-noon, to help celebrate 30 years of conservation in the Methow Valley, including the 2023 purchase of the Sunny M Ranch and its 10-plus miles of trails. There will

The Methow Valley Community Center hosts its annual Valentine Fundraiser on Saturday, Feb. 14, from 6-9:30 p.m. in the newly remodeled gymnasium. There will be a cocktail hour, a silent auction, desserts, drinks, and live music and dance performances, plus dance to DJ Bullfrog playing hits through the decades. Tickets are on sale online at methowcommunity.org.

VALLEY LIFE

Sometime in the last six years I recall that I wrote about the word “serendipity,” how it rolls off the tongue with such an easy lilt, and, given my love of words, how it is one of my favorites. Sadly, there are not many occasions when the noun or its adjective form — serendipitous – find an applicable place in a conversa-

It was a bluebird weekend on the ski trails and most of us who were out there were just relishing the sunshine. But Winthrop resident Marc Tareski was busy planning ways to make skiing life harder for himself, as he trains for and plots his next epic Nordic endeavor: skiing all trails in the Methow Trails system in 24 hours.

The attempt will take place on Feb. 1-2, beginning at 7 a.m. at the Cub Creek Trailhead on the Feb. 1 and ending at the trailhead on the Methow Trails campus the next day. The planned route will cover more than 150 miles with at least 13,000 vertical feet. This sort of “sufferfest” isn’t new to Marc. In 2018 he skied 102 miles over the course of 12 hours. That route didn’t cover

tional sentence. Recently, I could full-on use the word, knowing it was absolutely the right word for the event. It was serendipity. Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines serendipity as “the ability to find valuable or agreeable things not sought for.”

Sir Alexander Fleming serendipitously discovered penicillin after a penicillium mold accidentally contaminated a Petri dish of bacteria culture and killed the bacteria around it. Imagine his surprise and jubilance over the unexpected discovery that has saved countless lives since that day in 1928.

There is, in fact, a long list of discoveries and inventions that were discovered by serendipity. Among them — microwave ovens, chocolate chip cookies, Post-it notes, and Velcro. Who knew?

While visiting in Arizona, plans for the day kept evolv-

all of the Methow Trails system, but it included the outer Mazama loop, up and over the Rendezvous and back again, into Winthrop, up to the Sun Mountain loops, and back to Mazama, which is plenty beefy. In 2023, Marc did a similar route but started before dawn, caught a few more of the smaller loops, and clocked more than 111 miles in a day, involving nearly 11,000 feet of elevation and 15 miles of double-poling over Wolf Ridge on an iced-up skate platform.

Last year Marc attempted to ski the full trail system, but made the mistake of starting at night. Skate skiing for hours in the dark with a headlamp gave him motion sickness and he quickly became dehydrated and unable to keep food down. After 127 miles he says “I was dehydrated and delirious. I couldn’t navigate. I had to call it.”

For his 2026 attempt, Marc has selected a full moon date, in hopes of avoiding that swaying-beam-of-light experience that made him sick. Also new this year is that Marc’s Nordic ultramarathon serves a purpose beyond testing the limits of human endurance. This year, Marc is skiing to bring awareness to raise funding for Jamie’s Place and he’s calling his project Kilometers for Care.

“I care deeply about this com-

While I reeled from a busy work week and a turbulent world, Kevin retrieved our fishing rods out of storage and carefully rigged them for whitefish. He tied on the tiny hooks for their delicate mouths and weighted them to drift gently along the bottom of the river. We drove a short way from home to a spot we hadn’t tried before. I explored along the frozen bank while Kevin set up.

The bad mood I had arrived with flowed downriver as soon as the first fish was on the line. We had forgotten our landing net, so I helped land and unhook each fish and transfer them to the stringer. Within a couple of hours, we had half a dozen whitefish. We made note of what worked for next time and called it a day when the sun went behind a hill, the temperature dropped, we got hungry, and the fish seemed to be slowing down.

Mountain whitefish are sleek, silver-green salmonids with pointed

ing with unexpected changes of times and places. When it was finally time for a late lunch, the search was on for a restaurant that had outdoor seating and a dog-friendly environment. That achieved, we settled on a new restaurant that was hosting several other dogs on the patio.

A bright-eyed young lady greeted us to take our order. She said, “My name is Cheyenne and I’ll be your server.”

Cheyenne could not help but notice the uniform my husband had chosen for the day — head to toe WSU Cougar gear. She proceeded to describe her family’s division over her Washington Husky sister and her, the Coug. When it was Apple Cup time, she told how one side of the table was all crimson and grey and the other side purple and gold.

“Are you from Washington?” she asked.

We queried back the same

munity and about it being a place for everyone. I don’t want to leave. I want to live in a community where people truly care for one another,” Marc says, noting that as he ages, he wants “to be able to stay here in the Methow.”

Marc says that he knows that not everyone will live at Jamie’s Place, but believes the value of the caregiving training offered by Jamie’s Place has a wider impact beyond just the residents in the adult family homes.

“When care is available here in the valley, families don’t have to move away or travel long distances to visit. It allows people to remain connected, supported, and present for one another — strengthening families and keeping them rooted in this community,” he said.

Jane Gilbertsen will be providing pop-up aid stations at various checkpoints along the route and Marc says he welcomes anyone who is interested to join him for any portion of the journey. It’s the Methow Valley community, after all, that inspires him.

“This community has so many wonderful assets, largely because of the generous and talented people who have chosen to move here. Those people want to stay, and I want them to stay too. Jamie’s Place can’t meet everyone’s needs, because as we age our needs are differ-

snouts. They are at home across much of Western North America and abundant in the waters of the Methow Valley. We’ve often seen them when we go swimming, as they prefer the same deep, slow-moving pools that people do.

They gather in large groups, dozens of shadows swimming in place against the current, sometimes flitting over to investigate potential food. I’ve heard that some people consider whitefish undesirable, or even detrimental to trout populations, but both are untrue. They are a native species indicative of cold, clean water, and are good to eat.

Kevin recalls one local fisherman saying, “They’re great to smoke if you can get them lit!”

Neither Kevin nor I are very interested in catch-and-release fishing. We brought the full stringer of beautiful fish home and I cleaned them in the kitchen sink. Like gardening and foraging, processing fish and game is very grounding for me.

The practice connects me to place and to past generations. Eating fish is a timeless part of life in the Pacific Northwest, a tradition that ties people together. Fishing in the valley is also inseparable from indigenous stewardship, colonization by settlers, and contemporary projects to restore and reclaim.

I worked on writing while Kevin brined and smoked the fish. A friend came over for dinner, and we talked about fish and culture, as well as the weight of current events. After dinner, we shared some smoked whitefish for a savory dessert—it was perfect. We’ll probably can most of the rest.

Shelley Smith Jones

since she knew where Mazama was and learned that she was from Moses Lake. She was new to the Arizona desert, having arrived just three months before.

Here’s where serendipity enters the picture. Two of my husband’s sons had been counselors at the high school in Moses Lake in the past and, on the off chance that she might know them, he barely got their names out and Cheyenne squealed!

“That’s my Aunt Lindsey’s husband! My dad’s sister!” She was beside herself with excitement.

Text messages and pictures went flying.

A dog-friendly lunch place. Choice of Cougar gear for the day. Cheyenne on a shift she didn’t normally work. Washington connections. And a new shoot to the family tree.

If that’s not classic serendipity, I don’t know what is!

ent, but it can provide a truly meaningful home for many of us,” he said.

I am kicking myself for not taking a photo of Tracy Miller as we met over tea and coffee at the Methow Store this weekend. While we conversed over almond cookies, the steam from our beverages lazily rose in the sunlight streaming through the front window.

Tracy noted that her dad, Jack Wood, once owned and operated the Methow Store. As a child, he attended school in the historic red brick schoolhouse just a block away. Later in life Jack joined the Methow Community Club to preserve the building for the community. The light streaming through the win -

For more information about Kilometers for Care, including a map with checkpoints, live tracking information and a donation link, visit sites.google. com/view/kilosforcare/home.

dows was radiant, as was Tracy. But enough about Tracy the human being and more about Tracy the human doer: As board president of the Apple Pie Jamboree (APJ), Tracy is excited to announce APJ is a recipient of a 2026 Woods Grant award. The grant will fund a week of Missoula Children’s Theatre (MCT) programming.

The MCT provides communities with a set, lights, costumes, props, and educational workshops for one week.

Open auditions are held the first day of the week, followed by a week of rehearsals, ending with two performances on Friday and Saturday. All proceeds from the ticket sales benefit APJ youth programs. The dates are yet to be determined, as Tracy is working to align the MCT schedule with the APJ swimming lessons. Students would start the day with swimming lessons, enjoy a lunch, and attend afternoon theatre classes. Picture a buoyant summer camp with costumes. APJ funds would cover all transportation and meals. The program is open to students from Pateros, Brewster, Bridgeport, and homeschoolers.

APJ programs include a Fall Festival with crafts and apple cider, Christmas gift bags with a visit from Mr. and Mrs. Claus, and transportation and meals to art programs provided by Wenatchee Performing Arts Cen-

ter. The goal of APJ is support education and enrichment programs for area youth.

Tracy is also the treasurer of the Methow Community Club, the nonprofit group formed by the community to preserve and maintain the historic schoolhouse in the town of Methow. The group received Give Methow funds to install a heating and cooling system in the small building. It can now be used as a cooling center during dangerous heat waves.

“Our next goal is to replace the single-pane windows,” she said. Community support has grown over the last year, with the opportunity to become a sustaining member. More information can be found on their website, www.methowcommunityclub.org.

Since the Methow Community Club nonprofit formed, the use of the building has grown to include fitness courses and serve as a gathering place for homeschool students. Methow at Home offers SAIL — Stay Active and Independent for Life —fitness classes at the Methow Community Club twice a week. A SAIL fitness class is designed specifically for older adults for prevention of falls. Email donna@methowathome. org to arrange for a drop-in to one of our classes or to get on the waitlist for SAIL or call (509) 996-5844 for more information.