At 1883 Kittitas County our mission is to honor and celebrate the people, places and stories that make this region extraordinary. Through rich storytelling, curated guides and local insights, we strive to create a publication that feels like home—whether you’re a lifelong resident or discovering Kittitas County for the first time.
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To everyone who makes 1883 Kittitas County a part of their day—thank you. Your enthusiasm fuels our passion and reaffirms our purpose: to celebrate the traditions, history and evolving spirit that make Kittitas County a place like no other.
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We’re excited to bring you more of what you love.
Thank you for being part of our story—we can’t wait to share the next chapter with you.
Cheers,
Robyn
Robyn Smith, Publisher,
1883 Kittitas County
Robyn Smith, Publisher
Rod Harwood, Contributing Writer
Andrea Paris, Editor/Designer Contact us at editor1883kittitascounty@gmail.com
1883 Kittitas County is a publication of Spark Pug Productions. It is a monthly publication. Free editions may be found in numerous sites throughout Kittitas County. Original stories, story ideas, photographs, illustrations, art or poems about Kittitas County are welcome. Send them to editor1883kittitascounty@gmail.com. 1883 Kittitas County is politically neutral and will not publish any hate speech against any person or entity. 1883 Kittitas County reserves the right to publish or not publish any submitted items, edit all materials for content and check for accuracy.
— Photo by Aricka Webb
Creativity unleashed
Creative District adds a brushstroke to an already vibrant
downtown
The vibrancy using a wide spectrum of color — splashes of red and yellow with scenic designs familiar to the Kittitas Valley within the artwork on the side Nuwave Gallery at 115 W. Third Avenue draws immediate attention to the Creative District Welcome Mural.
Owner/curator Erin Oostra, a Washington-based painter and visual designer known for impressionistic landscape paintings, collaborated with Kyle Krauskopf to add yet another artistic brushstroke to an already thriving downtown as the Ellensburg
leaders and arts organizations, Ellensburg received a unanimous vote by the ArtsWA Board of Commissioners to become the newest designated Certified Creative District in Washington state a year ago at this time.
Per the 2022 Creative Vitality Suite Index, the creative sector in Ellensburg is a $34.3 million-dollar industry that supports creators, gives new innovative opportunities and helps drive the local economy.
“Our creative district is a very unique
Erin Oostra and Kyle Krauskopf collaborated to create the Ellensburg Creative District welcome mural on the side Nuwave Gallery at 115 W. Third Avenue. (Contributed)
are the only district in the state that actually includes our university,” Arts & Economic Development Manager Kelle Vandenberg said. “We’re actually one of only two in the nation, Greeley, Colo. being the other, to include our university in our planning.
“One of the things we set out to do is to create Ellensburg as the educational center of the state for creative arts. Everything from creative technology, graphic design, online gaming and all of the industries within the creative sector. It was just a given that we include the incredible creative imaging education that students receive at CWU.”
The creative sector ties past and present to a vibrant energy source moving forward with its galleries, museums, dance studios, musical education, restaurants, music venues, murals, Western art and festivals in the historic downtown with activities that include: Winterhop Brew Festival, Buskers in the ‘Burg, Ellensburg Night Market, Dachshunds on Parade, First Friday Art Walk, Historic Pub Crawl, the Ellensburg Rodeo and parade, Hoe Down in the Downtown, Moments to Remember/Hometown Holidays, the Ellensburg Music Festival and Bite of the ‘Burg.
With the addition of Unity Park at its central downtown location on Pearl Street, the sky is the limit for creative people doing creative things.
“We wanted to make sure we were able to capture the up-and-coming areas as well as the historic, more established areas. The Ellensburg Creative District works in tandem with the historic district and the Ellensburg Downtown Association and the Chamber of Commerce,” Vandenberg said. “It’s such a positive undertaking for the community.
“We’ve really increased the promotional aspects of our First Friday Artwalk. One of the new additions to our town center is Unity Park that has a beautiful outdoor stage. We celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Artwalk as part of the grand opening of the park. It was a packed house with people from all over the country. There’s just a vibrant energy in the creative sector in this community and this is going to go a long way in supporting it.”
The Creative District is as unique involving historic
Above: Ellensburg singer/songwriter Birdie Fenn Cent is one of many local musicians that will benefit from the Ellensburg Creative District. (Rodney Harwood Photos)
BECOMING CERTIFIED
There are currently 19 Certified Creative Districts in Washington. The development across the state offers several factors to communities, including:
• An art forward community bringing in new tourism and economic development.
• A nationally recognized destination to experience, create, and participate in every aspect of artistic and cultural expression.
• A community with artists in government, business, and placemaking positions.
• A hub for providing lifelong arts education.
• Has a dedicated affordable space for innovation and creation within the community
• Provides spaces where everyone has access to different art experiences and participation opportunities.
• A diverse and inclusive community.
downtown with Unity Park and the vitality of Central Washington University’s main campus. There are two separate walking quadrants.
Quadrant 1: Dean Nicholson Boulevard from Wildcat Way to Alder Street. From Alder Street and University Way to Wildcat Way.
Quadrant 2: University Way from Main Street to Anderson Street down to Capitol Avenue and back to Main Street.
“We wanted to ensure it was a walkable district,
highlighting both the features on the campus as well as downtown,” Vandenberg said. “It’s really about using the creative district as a basin to expand the creative economy and utilize the 12 blocks to be able to really grow. The artistic revenue in Ellensburg alone is around $34 million and there’s just so more opportunities to explore.
“So that’s were the designation of a creative district becomes that tool in the tool box that develops and helps us to become that destination spot.”
The project is the result of collaborative efforts when several community and arts organizations developed the Ellensburg Cultural Arts Strategic Plan, Vandenberg said. The organizations included the City of Ellensburg, Central Washington University, the Ellensburg Arts Commission, Laughing Horse Arts Foundation, Gallery One, Valley Theatre Company, Ellensburg Music Festival, the Ellensburg School District, the Kittitas County Chamber of Commerce, the Ellensburg Downtown Association and CenterFuse.
The district steering committee enlisted the services of a local firm Keigh Designs to create the design for the logo. The design is inspired by the foundation of Ellensburg, incorporating the brickwork and geometric patterns found in Dick Elliot’s artwork throughout the sidewalks downtown. It also symbolizes the connection between the district’s two key components — the downtown core and the CWU campus — with the vibrant colors that reflect the diversity of the artistic community. There is also a plan for future development of a wayfinding/walking/cycling artist path to connect both quadrants beyond the current street/sidewalk access.
“I think people get it. This is something that is going to benefit everyone,” the Arts & Economic Development Manager said. “The creative community isn’t just artists and musicians. It’s animation, it’s dance, there’s a ton of components within this industry that make up the creative sector and it’s growing.”
— Rod Harwood is an award-winning writer and photographer. He can be reached at rodneyharwood149@ gmail.com
Left: Ellensburg artist Jason Clifton’s piece of the Screaming Trees is one of several artist’s work on display in the downtown district.
The Creative District’s logo. (Contributed)
PUNCH
Gallery offers art and music lovers a bit of everything
It’s called a rural arts collective, kind of like a country, Country Club.
But what it really is is a diamond in the rough where art and music lovers can go to enjoy the creative skills of local and regional talent in a laid back setting.
The PUNCH Gallery in the old Fire Station in Thorp is a unique atmosphere, utilizing the 300-square-foot space that used to house the volunteer fire department, creating a cultural vibrancy of rural art scenes, creative awareness and cross-cultural engagement.
It’s been a work in progress since opening three-and-a-half years ago and it is a nice addition to the art communities in both Ellensburg and the Upper County. The PUNCH founding group started with the gallery, then added music in the backyard facility, then as if to cap it all off, added a beer and snack bar to make Saturday afternoon in Thorp all that much more unique.
“Art is less intimidating with a beer in your hand,” said founding member Justin Gibbens, whose work is represented by G. Gibson Projects in Seattle and Elizabeth Leach Gallery in Portland. “Some galleries serve wine, we serve beer. We also have a variety of non-alcoholic drinks and snacks because we’ve created a family environment.”
It’s not such a stretch really. Over the course of the past three years, the gallery numbers have been on the rise, considering it is only open from noon to 5 p.m. on Saturday. Where Ellensburg hosts the First Friday Art Walk, PUNCH rotates its exhibit for the month on Saturday, essentially extending an invitation to the gallery 10 miles down the road to the First Saturday Art Walk with music out back if patrons want to make a weekend of it.
the popcorn, in traffic.
people to track
our numbers and on any given Saturday we seem to average 60 to 70 people.”
The PUNCH members consist of Renee Adams, Howard Barlow, Justin Beckman, Will Bow and Gibbens. They initially started the project on the West Side in Seattle. After a 10-year stint, they opted for the current rural arts collective to promote a visual dialogue between urban and rural art communities.
Adams combines blacksmithing and woodworking in her exploration of bird forms, incorporating stylistic nods to Art Deco and Art Nouveau. Beckman’s multi-media works showcase both analog and digital technologies in his representations of avian life. Barlow is a senior lecturer in 3-D Arts at Central Washington University. He creates mixed-media sculptures independently, but also collaborates with his wife, Lorraine.
Bow’s mixed-media paintings explore all that we love and admire about the feathered friends. And Gibbens’ unconventional natural science illustrations depict familiar regional bird species in unfamiliar ways.
“With our gallery space, we rotate the exhibitions monthly. It’s a combination of us showing our own work and inviting artists that we know to show their work,” Gibbens explained. “We also have an online vendor form artists, musicians and collaborators can fill out. They can give us a link to their website and if its consistent with our mission, we work it out and try to get them in.”
The March exhibit will be a showcase Art Bumpkin, which a combination of enamel on metal work. After years of sporadic creation, interruption and other creative pursuits, Art Bumpkin
created with found objects reclaimed from
“It should be well received. They are rather large pieces, an average size is three-feet-by-three-feet, so I would say there will be 12 to 15 pieces in the show. We’re looking forward to it.”
PUNCH is an hour-and-half east of Seattle, and centrally located between Spokane and Portland and a perfect stop on the way to The Gorge or other central Washington getaways, Gibbens said.
“Our space welcomes the local community, visiting artists, travelers and guests from around the world to join us for art exhibitions, musical performances, film screenings, installations, performances, and other artsrelated productions,” said Gibbens, who also plays with the Killdeer String Band. “We’ve worked with the art teacher at the Thorp Elementary School and had exhibits featuring their students. We’ve also done a switch with the Collapse Contemporary Art Gallery in Wenatchee where the PUNCHERs put on an exhibit at their place and six Wenatchee-area area artists were on display here.
“The idea of the you show at our place, we’ll show at yours was a diverse showcase of North and Central Washington artwork. I thought it worked well at both galleries.”
The musical venue has played host to long-established Ellensburg singer/songwriter Birdie Fenn, Robber’s Roost and Scotty Jackson, Billy Maguire, the Killdeer String Band, Sam Albright and a number of local and regional musicians, as well as an afternoon of dance and reggae with the sounds of Black Grenade.
You’ve seen their work up and down the Kittitas Valley and throughout the Pacific Northwest with various exhibits at the Gallery One Visual Arts Center and Clymer Museum and Gallery in Ellensburg. Beckman’s two-story mural is up in the lobby of the Hotel Windrow. Gibbens and Bow have done a considerable of public art, including the Cle Elum city park, Iron Horse Brewery tap room and the Stan Bassett Youth Center in Ellensburg, as well as the rooftop artwork on the Elks Building. All four were on exhibit at the Palace Gallery in Ellensburg.
PUNCH heads into another summer of art, music and beer in a rural setting at the old Thorp Fire Station.
— Rod Harwood is an award-winning writer and photographer. He can be reached at rodneyharwood149@ gmail.com
Opposite: The PUNCH founding members include from left Will Bow, Justin Gibbens, Justin Beckman, Howard Barlow and Renee Adams.
Above: An impromptu jam session at the gallery. Above left: The PUNCH gallery offers a Saturday afternoon of music to go along with its art exhibitions.
Above right: The 300-square foot PUNCH gallery in the Old Fire Station in Thorp is becoming a destination for local and regional art lovers.
— Contributed photos
PUNCH Projects
10630 North Thorp Highway Open noon to 5 p.m. www.punchprojects.org
March art exhibit: Art Bumpkin
Musical lineup: March 8: Forest Ray
March 15: Chris King and the Gutterballs March 29: Anjuman
High hopes
Castle built as governor’s
mansion
Just about anyone driving on East Third Avenue toward North Chestnut Street in downtown Ellensburg is familiar with the building known as the Castle.
Standing three stories tall with an attached three-story turret and crenellated roof line and battlements, (presumably for archers), the structure is the very definition of a castle, albeit one covered in gray stucco.
The most interesting part of the Castle’s story, however, might be that it was originally intended to be something entirely different. It was built to serve as a home for Washington’s governors.
The unusual structure was the brainchild of Ellensburg businessman, Brittain A. Craig and his brother, Samuel E. Craig. Brittain was co-owner of the Capital Hill Water Works, the city’s main water utility, while Samuel was a master stone mason.
By the late 1880s, efforts to establish statehood for the Washington Territory, which had been created way back in 1853, had begun to gain momentum. On Feb. 22, 1889, outgoing President Grover Cleveland signed legislation to begin the process of creating a new state of Washington.
In addition to drafting and approving a new state constitution, Washington statehood delegates also needed to determine where to locate the new state capitol. Olympia had been the territorial capital city, but there was considerable debate about whether the seat of government should remain there or be moved to one of several other cities vying for the privilege.
Among the communities in the mix was Ellensburg, which boasted a population of more than 2,500 and was geographically located in the central part of the state. In anticipation of that possibility, property values in Ellensburg began to spike and the Craig brothers decided to build what was essentially a “spec” mansion for the future state chief executive on the southwest corner of Chestnut Street and Third Avenue.
According to records, in early 1889 work began on the brick house, which measured 36-by-32-feet and boasted not only three stories but a basement as well as two bay windows.
In April of that year, Northwest Magazine noted that, “Mr. [Brittain] Craig is putting up the finest brick residence in Ellensburg on Capitol Hill [now known as Craig’s Hill] in plain view of the city, and when somebody asked him the other day if that was the Governor’s mansion, he said it was.”
The magazine, which was a promotional publication of the Northern Pacific Railway, noted that Craig also owned a large
brickyard on Capitol Hill that was manufacturing 40,000 bricks daily. It also said Craig was constructing a brick block of buildings on Pine Street between Third and Fourth streets, and, working with his brother, Samuel, “are to erect this summer, on Third Street, six brick dwelling houses on Capitol Hill at its eastern end overlooking the city and valley.”
A photo of the completed house from the early 20th century shows an elegant Victorian structure that boasted an impressive corner tower with an octagonalshaped cupola with windows that offered what must have been spectacular views of the surrounding area.
Additionally, a land development firm called Walters and Company pledged 40 acres at the north edge of town as a potential site for a state house and public grounds, and invested in a planned streetcar line that would link the Northern Pacific Depot (at the west end of Third Avenue) with the proposed state capitol site and the city’s residential neighborhoods (it was never built).
Despite the local enthusiasm, the effort to locate the seat of state government in Ellensburg came to a sudden halt on the evening of July 4, 1889. While delegates from Ellensburg, including the mayor, were attending the Constitutional Convention in Olympia to advocate for the city, a disastrous fire broke out in a downtown grocery store and quickly spread.
Stoked by high winds, the fire tore through the community, burning some 200 homes and 10 blocks of the city’s business district. By the following morning, the city was in ruins with only the Ellensburg National Bank and the City Hotel still standing.
The fire essentially ended Ellensburg’s quest for the capital. A statewide ballot between the three finalists for the capital that was held in November 1889 resulted in 37,413 votes for Olympia, 7,222 votes for Ellensburg, which was still rebuilding, and 6,276 votes for North Yakima.
Following the unsuccessful capital campaign, the Craig brothers, along with several siblings, apparently moved into the mansion. According to a March 3, 1914 Ellensburg Daily Record story, Brittain Craig suffered serious financial losses during the Great Panic of 1893 and was forced to sell the house a year later.
The property changed hands a number of times during the next 35 years and fell
into serious disrepair. By 1930, when it was purchased from the Hoyt family by Ralph and Jesse Wiseman, it had stood vacant and neglected for several years.
In an Oct. 31, 1930 article in the Ellensburg Daily Record, the Wisemans’ said they intended to remodel the building and convert it into a modern apartment building.
“According to reports, Mr. and Mrs. Wiseman will continue with the castle effect, though tearing down the main steeple,” the paper said. “An apartment on each of the three floors will be constructed and the basement will be furnished as a community lounge room for the tenants. A spiral stairway will lead from the basement to the top floor. The finished building will be of stucco finishing.”
And with that, the Victorian mansion was transformed into a faux, medievalstyle castle. In the years since, the unusual building has housed several generations of Central Washington University students and others needing affordable living quarters. But, as far as anyone knowns, no princes or princesses.
Opposite: Craig’s Castle was originally planned and built as a prospective governor’s mansion by Brittain E. Craig and his brother Samuel Craig in 1889. Constructed of brick, the structure was 36 x 32 feet, three stories high and cost $6,000 to build. Ellensburg did not become the state capitol and Craig sold the building in 1894. Over the next several years, the building was sold many times for less and less money. It stood vacant and neglected until 1930 when Ralph and Jessie Wiseman purchased the building and conducted major remodeling. The appearance was changed from a Victorian mansion to a medieval castle with four apartments. — Courtesy of Washington Rural Heritage
— Richard Moreno is the author of 14 books, including Frontier Fake News: Nevada’s Sagebrush Hoaxsters and Humorists and the forthcoming Washington Historic Places on the National Register. He is the former director of executive communications at Central Washington University and was honored with the Nevada Writers Hall of Fame Silver Pen Award in 2007.
FICTION
“The Horse” by Willy Vlautin
THE REFERENCE DESK
him confront his own demons from the past?
NON-FICTION
Pacific Northwest songwriter Willy Vlautin, who performs with the Portland-based bands, Richmond Fontaine and the Delines, is also a gifted novelist, having written more than a half dozen in the past 17 years, including two (“The Motel Life” and “Lean on Pete”) that have been made into films. His latest work, “The Horse,” introduces readers to Al Ward, a down-and-out former musician living on an isolated mining claim in central Nevada. One day, a blind horse shows up on his land. In spite of his best efforts to get rid of the animal, it hangs around, making Ward wonder about his sanity. Is this horse real or something else? And why does thinking about the horse make
“John Lewis A Life,” by David Greenberg
Historian and journalist David Greenberg, who written books on such varied topics as the history of presidential spin, the presidency of Richard Nixon and the life of historian Alan Brinkley, has crafted a comprehensive and compelling biography of the Civil Rights icon John Lewis, who died in 2020. Lewis was the co-founder and chair of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and participated in key events such as the Freedom Rides, the Selma to Montgomery Marches and the
YOUNG ADULT FICTION
“The Dark: Wild Life in the Mysterious World of Caves,” by Lindsey Leigh (Reading Ages 8 to 14)
In this work, acclaimed author and illustrator Lindsey Leigh, who previously tackled the ocean depths as her topic, devotes her prose and drawing pen to writing about the many creatures that live inside of caves. She introduces readers to some of the weirdest and creepiest critters that thrive in the darkest corners
CHILDREN
“Club Microbe” by Elise Gravel (Reading ages 5 and up)
Writer and illustrator Elise Gravel, author of the “Mushroom Fan Club” and “The Bug Club,” focuses her talents on teaching young readers about the germs that live all around us, and inside of us. Gravel explains that while some microbes get a bad reputation for making us sick, most are actually helpful creatures that allow us to digest food, make cheese, and enable the formation of snowflakes in winter. Through her words and delightful drawings readers learn that it’s a germ’s world—and we’re just living in it.
March on Washington. Greenberg traces Lewis’ life from poverty in rural Alabama to his enormous contributions to the Civil Rights Movement to his lengthy career in Congress.
of the planet with her uniquely funny graphic style. It’s all factual but also quite fun.
EVENTS CALENDAR
MARCH 4
Valley Voices Community Choir, Ellensburg Presbyterian Church, 6:30pm Board Game Night, Central City Comics, 5:15pm Karaoke Club 301, 8pm Fat Tuesday Celebration, Mike’s Tavern, 5pm
MARCH 5
Early Learning Event Sand & Water, Hal Holmes, 3:30pm Karaoke DJ Kozmo Blue, Logans in Roslyn, 8:30pm Karaoke Club 301, 8p Trivia, Iron Horse, 6:30
MARCH 6
Tabletop Role Play Game (grades 6 & up), Hal Homes, 3:30pm
Michal J, Mike’s Tavern, 7pm Line Dance Lessons, Brick Saloon, 6:30pm Karaoke Club 301, 8pm Trivia, Mule & Elk Brewing, 6pm
MARCH 7
Bryce Van Parys, The Lodge Suncadia, 6pm PINT NIGHT Roller City Roller Derby, Iron Horse Brewery 4pm
Art Walk, DJ LSDiO, Nuwave Gallery, 5pm Art Walk, Jukebox Central, Valo Wine, 7pm Art Walk, Clymer Museum, 5pm Art Walk, D & M Coffee Downtown, 5pm Art Walk, Ellensburg Rodeo Hall of Fame, 5pm Art Walk, Steppe Sisters, Gallery One, 5pm Art Walk, Hotel Windrow, 5pm Art Walk, Kittitas County Historical Museum, 5pm Art Walk, Kittitas County Recovery Center, 5pm Art Walk, Pearl Street Books & Gifts, 5pm Art Walk, Tinned Fish, Tiny Stage The Ink, 5:30 Art Walk, The Mule, 5pm Art Walk, Meet the Artist, The Palace Gallery, 6pm Art Walk, Saltwater Sky, Gard Vintners 6pm
Art Walk, The Studio by EDE, 6pm
Art Walk, Woodin Enterprises (Fitterer’s), 6pm Chris Ward, Cle Elum Eagles, 7pm
Daniel Davison, Cornerstone Italian Kitchen, 7pm
Cory Peterson & Dog Bite Harris, Nodding Donkey, 7pm
Karaoke Club 301, 8pm
Karaoke DJ Kozmo Blue, Logans in Roslyn, 8:30pm
MARCH 8
Spring Yoga Workshop, Wild Rose Yoga, 1pm Forest Ray, PUNCH Projects, 3pm
Rodeo City Repair Cafe, I00F Cemetery Shop Radio Hill,10am
Cory Peterson & dog Bite Harris, Nodding Donkey, 10pm
Intro to Screenprinting, Gallery One, 2pm
SEUSSAPALOOZA 2025, UKC Centennial Center, 5pm
Ellensburg Mule Deer Foundation Banquet, McIntosh Ranch, 5pm
James Turner, Old Skool’s, 7pm
Line Dance Lessons, Iron Horse Brewery, 6pm
Rodeo City Roller Derby Double Feature, Ellensburg High School 2:30pm
Spittoon Races, The Brick Saloon 10am
The Hipsters, The Brick, 9pm
Mel Peterson, The Stovehouse Suncadia, 6pm
Daniel Davison, Cornerstone Italian Kitchen, 7pm “Wild Night Tour” (Magic Mike Exp), The Ridge/ Encore 7pm
Karaoke Club 301, 8pm
MARCH 9
Karaoke Club 301, 8pm
KEEN G.O. Get Outside, Yakima Canyon Interpretive Center, 10am
St. Patrick’s Day Sip & Stamp, Gallery One, 10am
MARCH 10
DRINGO, Iron Horse, 6pm
Rustic Barn Paint & Sip, Canyon River Ranch, 6:30pm Karaoke Club 301, 8pm
MARCH 11
Chamber After Hours, Valo Tasting Room, 5pm
Paint & Sip, Whipsaw Brewing, 6pm
Board Game Night, Central City Comics, 5:15pm
Karaoke Club 301, 8pm
MARCH 12
Paint and Sip, Frontier Tavern, 6:30pm
Ellensburg Academy, Hal Holmes, 6pm Karaoke Club 301, 8pm
Karaoke DJ Kozmo Blue, Logans in Roslyn, 8:30pm Trivia, Iron Horse, 6:30pm
Karaoke Club 301, 8pm Trivia, Mule & Elk Brewing, 6pm
MARCH 14
Open Studio - Zumba, The Studio EDE, 6:30pm
The Black Velvet Band, Old Skool’s, 7pm
Daniel Davison, Cornerstone Italian Kitchen, 7pm
Evergreen Mountain Alliance (KC Chapter) PINT
Night, Iron Horse Brewery, 5pm
Rusty Cage, Gard Vintners, 6pm
Karaoke Club 301, 8pm
Karaoke DJ Kozmo Blue, Logans in Roslyn, 8:30pm
Colette Jones, Nodding Donkey 7pm
Evergreen Mountain Bike Repair Night, Iron Horse, 5pm
MARCH 15
Women’s Intro to Fly Fishing, Canyon River Ranch, Noon
Paddy’s Day 5K, Iron Horse, 2pm
Trots + Treats Day, Jensen Farms Outpost Cle Elum, 9:30am
Chris King & The Gutterballs, PUNCH Projects, 3pm
Paw Patrol Dance Party & Tumble Jam, The Dance Barn, 10:30am
Bottoms Up, Cle Elum Eagles 7pm
Paddy’s Day, Iron Horse Brewery, 2pm
Daniel Davison, Cornerstone Italian Kitchen, 7pm
Karaoke Club 301, 8pm
Karaoke, Nodding Donkey, 7pm
MARCH 16
Karaoke Club 301, 8pm
MARCH 17
Burnt End Bangers, The Pearl, 5pm
Wildfire Mitigation Roslyn, Roslyn Post Office building, 6pm
St Paddy’s Day Party with AA Bottom, Mike’s Tavern, 9am0
Traditional Corned Beef & Cabbage Dinner, UKCSC Centennial Center, 6pm
Karaoke Club 301, 8pm
MARCH 18
“bone Up on Bone Health”, UKCSC Centennial Center, 4pm
Hat Burning Workshop, Whipsaw Brewing, 5:30pm
Board Game Night, Central City Comics, 5:15pm
Karaoke Club 301, 8pm
MARCH 19
Karaoke Club 301, 8pm
Karaoke DJ Kozmo Blue, Logans in Roslyn, 8:30pm Trivia, Iron Horse, 6:30pm
EVENTS CALENDAR
MARCH 20
Guital ages 15-115, Discovery Lab, 6:30pm Loco Motion, Mike’s Tavern, 7pm Spring Bulb Planting Class, Valo Tasting Room, 5:30pm Karaoke Club 301, 8pm Trivia, Mule & Elk Brewing, 6pm PINT NIGHT Kittitas County Softball League, Iron Horse, 5pm
MARCH 21
Vaught Rock, Nodding Donkey, 7pm Aaron Crawford, Gard Vintners, 6pm
Dance Your Skirts Off Friday, The Studio EDE, 6:30pm Luther X and Friends, Old Skool’s, 7pm
Daniel Davison, Cornerstone Italian Kitchen, 7pm Karaoke DJ Kozmo Blue, Logans in Roslyn, 8:30pm Karaoke Club 301, 8pm
MARCH 22
Miss Rodeo Washington, Rebekah Mundell Coronation Fundraiser, Sweetwater Ranch, 5pm 2nd Annual Cooper Birthday 5K Walk, Mt View Park, 9am
Western Arrow, PUNCH Projects, 3pm Mr G Band, Cle Elum Eagles 7pm
Daniel Davison, Cornerstone Italian Kitchen, 7pm Karaoke Club 301, 8pm Nate and Alyssa, Iron Horse, 6pm
MARCH 23
Karaoke Club 301, 8pm
MARCH 24
Noontime Ukulele Club ages 15-115, Discovery Lab, 12:10pm
Karaoke Club 301, 8pm DRINGO, Iron Horse, 6pm
MARCH 25
Karaoke Club 301, 8pm Trivia, Iron Horse, 6:30pm
MARCH 26
Karaoke Club 301, 8pm
Karaoke DJ Kozmo Blue, Logans in Roslyn, 8:30pm
MARCH 27
Zach Michaud, Mike’s Tavern, 7pm
Karaoke Club 301, 8pm Trivia, Mule & Elk Brewing, 6pm
Daniel Davison, Cornerstone Italian Kitchen, 7pm Karaoke Club 301, 8pm
MARCH 29
Cedar Basket Weaving Event, Kittitas County Historical Museum, 9am & 1pm, Wine Pairing Dinner, Valo Wine, Blitzkrieg Boppin’ in the Burg, Old Skool’s, 7pm Daniel Davison, Cornerstone Italian Kitchen, 7pm Karoke, Nodding Donkey, 7pm Karaoke Club 301, 8pm
Lip Sync Battle, The Brick, 9pm Birdie Fenn Cent and Opal, 6pm
MARCH 30
Cedar Basket Weaving, Kittitas County Historical Museum, 10am Punk, Old Skool’s, 7pm Karaoke Club 301, 8pm
MARCH 31
Spring Break Camp, Kittitas Elementary School, 8:30am
Spring Break Horse Camp, Kinship Trail Rides, 9am Karaoke Club 301, 8pm
Some events may require a ticket or RSVP. Check with the venue for more information. Submit events to: 1883kittitascounty@gmail.com.
Karaoke DJ Kozmo Blue, Logans in Roslyn, 8:30pm
VENUES
Renaissance man
Daniel Beard does everything from raising bucking stock to teaching history
Daniel Beard is a Renaissance Man of sorts with many interests and many talents.
The Summit Pro Rodeo co-owner runs bucking horses and bulls to the National Finals Rodeo on a regular basis. His bareback horse Game Trail and saddle bronc Kangaroo Lou were named the Mountain States Circuit Bareback Horse and Saddle Bronc Horse of the Year back in 2021, respectively.
He’s a breeder and stock contractor, a man of science. The fourth generation stock contractor sits on the Ellensburg Rodeo Hall of Fame board and is a published author. He also runs the Advantage Dirt Bares and Broncs, which became a PRCA sponsored event a few years back, adding a specialty event to the already famous rodeo town.
By day, he teaches American history at Morgan Middle School, then tends to stock and does ranch chores long into the night when he gets home.
Time management is one of his greatest skills, but he wouldn’t have it any other way.
“I enjoy the chores. I enjoy watching the babies being born and I enjoy spending time with them,” said Daniel, who learned it all from his grandfather Frank Beard, who was an icon of the industry. “You have to enjoy the work just as much as the rodeo. I have a good time doing all that I do.
“I’ve had my hands in a lot of different interests for a long time. Education is a part of who I am, but I enjoy the rodeo part too. I guess I’m guess I’m a Renaissance Man, I can do it all.”
1883 Magazine caught up with him for an update on the success of his horses at the 2024 National Finals Rodeo, his breeding program and all things Daniel Beard.
1883 Magazine: Let’s just start with your history of going to the NFR with your grandfather and early experiences?
Daniel Beard: “The first rodeos I went to with my grandpa I was 12 years old. He was just starting to work his way through the PRCA. He started taking animals to the NFR in 1987, so I was 13. The legends are all there, but it was the atmosphere I remember. Like when Elvis sang Viva , I grew up going to Vegas and being a
“When grandpa retired, I had to work my way back. I didn’t realize how much work it takes to get there and how special it is to have your stock chosen by the cowboys.”
1883 Magazine: 2016 was the first year Summit Pro Rodeo had stock in the legendary field and you’ve had a presence ever since. You had two horses in 2024, how did that go?
Daniel Beard: “We took Game Trail and Slizzard, both are bareback horses. Game Trail was 87.5 on her first time and 88 on her second time out. That was her fifth time at the NFR. Slizzard went out once and he was second-most marked horse in the whole NFR. He was the second rankest horse in the whole show. I didn’t have any saddle broncs this year, but (business partner) J.D. (Hamacker) had three.”
1883 Magazine: Let’s talk a bit about your breeding program. You currently have 115 horses and 27 bulls. The breeding schedule is to produce 10 foals a year. Bloodline, breeding, production, it’s all part of the process. Explain the process.
Daniel Beard: “My proven bucking horse lines, I’m starting to get crosses between three superstar mares. It’s not just searching anymore, we’re seeing results. I send mares all over the country to be bred. I have certain lines that I really like. I’m also trying to bring in other companies from around the country that are doing the same things I’m doing. Hopefully, with my progress and their progress, we all get better,” Beard
Top Left: Ellensburg stock contractor Daniel Beard and his wife Janelle enjoy a moment at the National Finals Rodeo. (Contributed)
Above: Summit Pro Rodeo co-owner Daniel Beard of Ellensburg currently has 115 horses and 27 bulls on his ranch. (Rodney Harwood)
Left: This newborn foal was born three years ago and will take its place in the Summit Pro Rodeo bucking stock in two years. (Rodney Harwood)
Opposite: Daniel Beard is a pretty popular guy around feeding time. (Molly Morrow)
On the cover: Some of Daniel Beard’s stock stand for a photo. (Molly Morrow)
said. “If I have mares I can breed to their stallion, we’ll trade horses around for a season. There’s a lot of new stuff in the way of genetics going on.
“I sent a mare down to Texas to get bred. The vet down there had cloned Bobby Joe Skoal, Harry Vold’s Horse of the Year. So, there is a Bobby Joe Skoal clone available. I’m breeding a mare to that clone. If you can find a superstar bloodline, both male and female, it’s all the better.”
1883 Magazine: How long does it take for a foal to become ready to buck and how do you know if it’s a bareback or saddle bronc?
Daniel Beard: “It takes five years before we take them to rodeos, so each generation is a ways off from competing. I still get lost in the dream of what they’re going to be like. I’d like to fast forward five years to when that horse can actually perform. You dream about how good it could be. You kind of wish those five years would just fly by so you can see what happens. The horses will eventually tell you whether they’re barebacks or saddle broncs.”
1883 Magazine: Rodeo changed tenfold during your grandfather’s time. With the creation of the Cowboy Channel, specialty events, the money, what are the changes you have seen in your time?
Daniel Beard: “It’s growing into more of a competitive sport, which has both good and bad. There’s more emphasis on winning and guys can make an incredible living right now. Over the last five years, the money has
really increased. Because of that, you it changes the atmosphere. It changes how people view each event and performers. You start seeing success and every single horse is expected to perform. It’s so competitive.”
1883 Magazine: Along that line of thought, the Advantage Dirt Bares and Broncs in Ellensburg has evolved from a circuit rodeo atmosphere to a worldclass event where all-star stock and nationally-ranked cowboys participate. Stetson Wright has been up here. Brody Cress, who put up a 91 to win a round at the NFR on Kangaroo Lou participates. How has the Ellensburg event evolved?
Daniel Beard: “It’s been a huge thing in the last decade for Xtreme Broncs. A few years ago, we had $15,000 added money to our event to make it $30,000 total. That was pretty significant money. But Miles City, Mont., on that same weekend has Bares and Broncs, added $50,000 to its Xtreme Broncs. That same weekend down in Dallas, they added $100,000 to their Xtreme broncs and concert. So, the money has really increased over the past three years.”
The Renaissance Man lives a life of perpetual motion with a smile on his face and a song in his heart. Life is what you make it, he says, and his seems to be one of great joy.
— Rod Harwood is an award-wining writer and photographer. He can be reached at rodneyharwood149@ gmail.com
It’s about style
Nest owner and designer Samira Mikel brings client visions to life
The Ellensburg Creative District is recognized for its vibrancy of artists and galleries and museums, a place where music is made, where poetry is read, where theatre brings to life a sense of adventure.
It’s a place where creative people do creative things, making the Kittitas Valley unique and to its own.
The creative community includes another artist whose work is outside the scope of canvas or sound, but her creative talent can make a space sing with both visual and with artistic flare. Her use of color, natural light, natural elements have the ability to increase
“I’ve done commercial properties. But I do mainly residential, which is a little different. Residential is more personal and what I do is always fresh and new.”
Her design concepts include basic elements and she is drawn to French country and English cottage styles. Texture, she said, is the concept that brings to life a space with enhanced energy. Her use of natural light, color and natural elements have a way of playing into mood and focus.
“It depends on what the client’s vision is. My job is to bring it to fruition. Sometimes it’s about esthetics and it’s just cosmetic.
I do it all. I’m a jack of all trades. There isn’t anything I don’t do. I cater and custom tailor to the client and their lifestyle and budget.
— DESIGNER SAMIRA MIKEL
a sense of wellbeing to the space.
Samira Mikel is the owner and principal designer at Nest Design Studio & Retail Shop on 4th Avenue where the honor graduate in Interior Design and member of the American Society of Interior Designers sets in motion designs from concept to conclusion.
Nest Design Studio is Suncadia’s Featured Interior Designer, her work ranges from penthouses, rental properties, as well as designing the furniture selection for the lodge. Her Upper County portfolio also includes cabins at the exclusive gated community at Tumble Creek.
She was also part of the design team that did the Events Center at Central Washington University, as well as residential work throughout the Kittitas Valley.
“I cater to locals and Upper County. I would say I’m about 5050. I’ve been in the business for 17 years and I do it all. I’m a jack of all trades. There isn’t anything I don’t do,” Mikel said. “I cater and custom tailor to the client and their lifestyle and budget.
We can just do furniture layouts. It’s not very often we work with a blank slate,” she explained. “Usually, we something they want to work with.
“It’s about colors and lighting. So, there’s some parameters we have to stay within, but I do my best to make their vision come true. People tend to waste their time looking online or buying the wrong things because they don’t know. You’re home is the most personal space, why wouldn’t you give that as much attention as taking your car to a mechanic or going to the doctor? A professional opinion is the same idea.”
Mikel has been working with Suncadia since 2014.
“I’ve done some different projects, so I have a following. My clients come here. I have a retail shop as well,” she said. “I have some wonderful memories of Upper County. I did the real estate office there. We did the Expo.
“I worked on the actual lodge and the conference room in the commercial space. I’ve also done penthouses and worked on condos and some rental property.”
Her business on Fourth Avenue is a combination of a store and a design center with a wide variety of concepts available for interior design. She is not so much a designer in the historical downtown, but she grew up in Ellensburg and is very much aware of its rich history.
“Historical restoration is a specialty to ensure that it’s done right,” she explained. “We have worked on
historical homes. We do take extra care and try to stay true to the style, but I haven’t done a full-blown project with the whole house.
“I did do the Event Center at Central. I’m actually one of the only authorized dealers for Central. I have a good relationship with them. I did that Pantry, the Event Center, which is where they do all the events and parties.”
NEST DESIGN STUDIO & RETAIL SHOP
215 E. Fourth Ave., Ellensburg Owner/principal: Sam (Samira) Mikel, ASID (American Society of Interior Designers) (509) 201-1232 www.nestdesignstudio.net
Creativity in the Ellensburg Creative District comes in many shapes and sizes and Samira Mikel adds her ideas to the collective cause.
— Rod Harwood is an award-wining writer and photographer. He can be reached at rodneyharwood149@ gmail.com
Croatian Sarma or Felinsa
(Pigs in a Blanket)
Softened cabbage leaves filled with hamburger, pork sausage, rice and garlic are rolled and covered with sauerkraut then baked. Serve with baby red potatoes and sausage with french bread on the side.
FILLING
2 lbs lean hamburger
1 lb pork sausage
1 cup of rice (not instant)
2-5 cloves of garlic, minced Salt and pepper
NOTE
If using elk meat, which I do, I add 1 egg and some chopped onion.
Food is
Recipes
refl ect the heart
NSTRUCTIONS
Core a large head of cabbage. Place head in boiling water. As the leaves soften, peel off and set aside. Combine stuffing ingredients. Place about 3/4 cup full of mixture on cabbage leaves. Roll up, starting with the core end. Take loose ends and push into meat mixture,
to hold “pig” together. (The smaller leaves you can chop up and place on top of the pigs)
Place each finished pig in pot. Do not crowd as rice swells. Keep adding pigs to pot, up to 4 inches of top. Cover with big jar of sauerkraut. Add water to top of pigs. Cook three hours in oven at 350.
— Recipes are provided by Marcy Bogachus and Angie Briski in “Ronald Remembered,” by Marcy Bogachus
Marcy Bogachus and Angie Briski
is home
heart of Ronald’s immigrants
Angie’s Poteca
A Slovenian delicacy called Poteca. This bread dough is covered with a cooked walnut mixture then rolled like a jelly roll and baked.
DOUGH
4 cups flour
1/2 cup warm milk
3/4 lukewarm water
1 package dry yeast
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp salt
3 eggs
1/2 cube butter
Dissolve yeast in warm water (warm bowl first), add milk, sugar, salt, beaten eggs and softned buter. Add flour to make soft dough. Flour board and knead. Put in a greased bowl and cover. Let rise 1 1/2 - 2 hours in warm place.
FILLING
1 1/2 lb ground walnuts
4 1/2 cup milk
2 1/4 cup sugar
METHOD
1/2 lb butter
3/4 cup honey
6 eggs
Bring ingredients to the boil. Beat the eggs until fluffy in mixer bowl. Add vanilla and mix. Add half of the nut mixture into eggs - stir - then all the egg mixture into the remaining nut mixture. Cook 45 minutes. Work quickly to spread filling. Don’t reheat to spread on dough.
Roll out dough in 1/4 inch thick on a floured cloth. Spread with filling. Roll upcan make an “S” or a pinwheel design.
Grease large (13x15) pan.
The tricky part is getting it into the pan. (Marcy’s note: I found the easiest way to put the pan over the rolled up dough. Gather all the table cloth up over the rolled up dough. Hold on tight) Flip over. Let rise 1 1/2 hours.
Bake 1 hour with foil) at 250 degrees and 1 hour uncovered, the last 15 minutes put heat up to 275 degrees (Marcy bakes hers 1 1/4 hours at 325 degrees)
ASSEMBLY
Purple lights
Why Henry Johnston is a funeral director
Opposite: The Mueller Family stone.
Above left: Great-grandma Nellie Mueller.
Above right: Henry as a young boy.
Right: Henry Johnston (left) with Ron Hodge (right) and wife Molli (center) when they visited Ellensburg. (Contributed)
And a lump on the breast was certainly one of those things. In fact, I don’t think she would ever be caught saying the word “breast” to even her doctor. Or her husband. Or her children. It just wasn’t proper.
So there’s the context of the start of this story — she had a lump.
The lump grew and grew and finally turned into something worse. By the time it was discovered, and she underwent a double mastectomy, it had metastasized and there was really nothing else that could be done except, as crass as it sounds, just to wait for the inevitable.
Throughout my childhood it was common practice for me and my folks to visit her and great grandpa every weekend. Saturday afternoons spent in the front room as she sat in her chair, slowly withering away. The Parkinson’s eventually took her ability to speak. The cancer continued to eat away at her until she withered away to almost nothing. I watched my greatgrandmother slowly disappear in front of my eyes and there wasn’t a damn thing I could do about it.
hugs and kind words and condolences.
But her death hadn’t “clicked” with me yet.
A few days later I was told that we were going to the funeral home to see her. This was my first viewing ever, but there was also no discussion about whether or not it was appropriate to take me. No deep psychological analysis about the impacts such an experience would have on me later in my life. This was just the way it was done — someone in our family had died and we were going down to see them and pay our respects.
I was hesitant at first, but I am so thankful my parents insisted on it because it has given me peace in my heart that I cannot even begin to describe. And it has shaped my outlook on funeral service in a way that carries through in my work every day.
were shielded from the viewing.
“They don’t need to see that” their folks were overheard saying after the funeral when the family gathered at the house. I’ve always wondered how that has impacted them in their life. I’ve never asked, maybe someday they’ll tell me.
I believe the experience I had standing in the chapel of Hodge Funeral Home in St. Maries was the best thing that has ever happened to me. In fact, I shall always be grateful to an undertaker by the name of Ron Hodge who so beautifully and carefully cared for my great-grandmother and gave me the peace I needed.
Remember what the question was at the start of this article? Why did I become a funeral director?
She went on Hospice care about a week before she passed and I remember lying in bed one night as my mom told my dad, “They called the funeral home today to let Ron know she’s not doing well.” As a child I never understood why they would call the funeral home to give that sort of warning — it just didn’t compute. But having spent my entire career serving small communities, I absolutely understand it now. People make those calls to me all the time — to let me know someone isn’t doing well — and I appreciate them because it helps me prepare myself to do my best when they do need me. But I’d be lying if I told you that those types of calls don’t have an impact on me personally. Quite frequently I find myself tearing up the same way I did lying in my bed that cold January evening the day before my great-grandmother passed away.
The next afternoon I was watching TV in the living room, my mother was working in the kitchen and my dad down at the shop. The phone rang and somehow I knew instantly that great-grandma had passed. My mom answered, and in a hushed voice said, “Thank you for calling” and came over to me.
She didn’t have to say it — I could tell from her face and voice that grandma had died. That evening we
The very first thing I remember is thinking, “She looks like grandma!” Like she was simply sleeping in her favorite “going to church” dress, a little hanky in her hands and flowers all around her. She was at peace.
And that’s when I noticed the purple lights. Or at least I remember them as purple. The funeral director in my hometown has frequently teased me about misremembering the details, but I assure you they were purple — reflecting off the interior of the appropriately chosen Heirloom Pewter casket that she laid in. She was a strongly religious woman and the tasteful open Bible in the head panel seemed just perfect.
But the main point is this — I just couldn’t get over how peaceful, how normal, and how … how good she looked.
And then I saw something that I had never seen before in my life and have only seen two other times since. My father started to cry. Not heavy tears but enough to require a tissue. As we exited the chapel the funeral director said something to my dad and he seemed to be better by the time we left. I don’t remember what the words were, but I remember thinking, “This is the man who took care of my grandma and made her look so good.”
It wasn’t until we got back in the car that the experience finally hit me like a freight train. I cried like I’ve never cried before. I remember sitting there,
I can say with 100% honesty and certainty that that the reason I decided to enter funeral service as a career can be pinpointed to that cold, snowy January evening as I looked at my great-grandmother in her casket, finally at peace. I was helped in a way that only God and I will ever truly understand.
A kind of help, as I eventually learned, that I was capable of giving to others.
And it is with that same certainty that I can look a grieving family in the eye and tell them, completely and unequivocally, that if they have any hesitation about viewing their loved one to do it because we’ve given the same care and courtesy to the appearance of their loved one just as Mr. Hodge did to my great grandmother.
Hopefully, they too will be able to find peace, under the tasteful glow of purple lights.
— Henry D. Johnston is owner of Johnston & Williams Funeral Homes in Ellensburg and Cle Elum. He is an avid funeral history buff who also enjoys golfing, boating and spending time with his family.
Early Morning Walk in Ellensburg
Fog clings to the Yakima River as it rolls along in anticipation of spring melt’s whopping swell. In scattered sunlight, the tamed current is threaded through a cotton candy-pink sieve.
I kick small rocks, dirt, and detritus tangled from a long winter. No sign of green yet. No shoots or sprigs. Too early for the purple faces of crocus.
Thankfully, the sun rises with alacrity, reminding me that spring is near. Soon, throngs of sleepy people will emerge from their cozy hovels to proclaim unabashed
Greetings to the turquoise world, and the branches of the budding vine maple will whoosh enthusiastic sentiments back to the humans as we shake winter from our bones.
— By Marie Marchand
Haiku contest announced
The Ellensburg Arts Commission’s Poet Laureate program is inviting community members to submit haiku(s) on the theme: Serenity.
Kittitas County residents may submit up to three haikus each. Only haikus following the 5/7/5 syllable count format will be considered.
The deadline for submission is Tuesday, March 25 at 5 p.m. Interested poets may submit their haikus along with a 50-word biography to ellensburgarts@ ellensburgwa.gov.
Haikus will be selected by Ellensburg’s Inaugural Poet Laureate Marie Marchand and Ellensburg Arts Commission (EAC) Chair Alex Eyre to celebrate National Poetry Month in April. Up to 30 poems will be selected, one for each day of the month of April and the poems will be shared with the community in a downloadable pdf and at a special Haiku reading poetry event in April. To learn more about the haiku format, visit poets.org | Academy of American Poets.
Advertising with 1883 Kittitas County is impactful, local and the perfect way to reach your community. Partner with us! Call Robyn 509.304.7208 or email 1883kittitascounty@gmail.com
RONALD REMEMBERED BY MARCY BOGACHUS
“In the foothills of the Cascade Mountains lies the little town of Ronald. In 1883, George Virden and William Branan were said to discover coal. Although coal had already been discovered in Roslyn, two miles away, and had mines No. 1 and No. 2 working, the Ronald coal seam was a much bigger and better seam. It was later known to be the largest mine in the state of Washington.
In May of 1886, the Northern Pacific Railroad arrived with their equipment. The NPRR Co. sold the mining company in 1898 to the Northwestern Improvement Co. or the N.W. I., for $109,532.
In 1885 Ronald was named after Alexander Ronald, first Superintendent of the N.W.I. Co. (the town was also referred to as No. 3, after the mine).
With the promise of many jobs, immigrants from all over Europe and the United States started coming and settling in the area. Settling in Ronald were single men and families, mostly from Yugoslavia and Italy.
1888
Serious Outbreak at the Roslyn Mines A SUPERINTENDENT FIRED AT. Ellensburg, Dec 24 -
Most of the Scots settled in Beekman, later changed to Jonesville. It was 1 mile north of Ronald. It was settled in 1907. The mine there was owned by the Roslyn Cascade Coal Co. later purchased by William Shaw, then the Patrick family (Shaw married the Patrick’s daughter).
The first mine strike was in 1888. The miners were trying to reduce their work days from 10 hours to 8 hours a day.
During the strike, N.W.I. Superintendent Alexander Ronald was captured by a mob of strikers, beaten and tied to the railroad tracks. Luckily the train was going slow enough so that the fireman (they were coal-fired engines) could get off and untie him.”
Nearly 100 mule drivers went on a strike at the Roslyn coal mines today, causing them to be shut down. The mule-drivers do not like the new superintendent, by the name A. Ronald, who has been placed over them, and also ask for advanced wages to $2 per day. This is a hard blow to the company, as they are badly crowded and away behind on orders, not being able to supply enough coal for their own use. This is probably what tempted the men to go out. The company say they will not give in, and will probably import new men. A large number of men at Roslyn have been drinking hard today and there may be trouble tonight unless someone is able to control them.
Later — T. W. Worthington, formerly superintendent at the mines in Roslyn, who was accused by the miners of cheating them and was called to St. Paul by the company and cleared himself there, returned to Roslyn today and took charge of mine No. 2 where the negroes are employed as superintendent. This evening about 7:30 he was standing in the company’s store when four shots were fired at him through the door and window, but none taking effect. He drew two revolvers, but could not see anyone. He telegraphed to mine No. 3 for guards There will probably be trouble when he attempts to leave the store.
The Post Intelligencer Newspaper Article dated Dec. 25,
A pair of deer stop what they were doing to check out a photographer.
— Michael Lundin photo
Earth Day
Understand your environmental impact
It may be difficult to believe that before 1970 factories were not held accountable for the toxic emissions they produced and released into the environment. After all there was no Environmental Protection Act, no Clean Air Act and no Clean Water Act.
But things were about to change. In the spring of that year the first ever Earth Day — a way to advocate for the environment — was celebrated.
On the national stage the creators of Earth Day looked toward the future holding as primal: science, truth, environmentalism, equity and peace (STEEP). John McConnell, a religious “Earth and Peace” founder, became worried about cleaning up plastics after becoming a manufacturing administrator. In 1969, he convinced the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to celebrate Earth Day. McConnell also contacted Wisconsin Sen. Gaylord Nelson, a World War II veteran, lawyer, Vietnam War pacifist, environmentalist, Wilderness Society counselor and eventual Wisconsin governor, to help generalize the celebration. Sen. Nelson worked with U.N. Secretary General U. Thant and activist Denis Hayes to create U.S. Earth Day 1 on April 22, 1970. Nelson was later awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Bill Clinton.
of the need to protect the Earth’s natural resources for future generations,” says National Geographic magazine.
Since then Earth Day has become, “an annual celebration that honors the achievements of the environmental movements and raises awareness
Lundin
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Kittitas County has seen a 12 percent increase in population since 2010. Area residents have seen several issues attributed to global warming including: lowered natural water supplies, the increase in warmth and dryness within the county that can contribute to wildfires and an increase greenhouse gasses.
To help mitigate some of these effects at the local level county residents can become more vigilante about their effect on the environment. Simple things like being aware of how to properly dispose of toxins so they do not migrate into the groundwater, heeding burn bans and never burning in dry or windy weather, using less fuel by obeying speed limits and keeping thermostats set at lower temperatures in homes and workplaces to reduce emissions.
Other ways locals can help is to never drive or bike on wildlands, remove trash from campgrounds and recreational area and recycle and plant trees on their property. Residents may also participate in the monthly Ellensburg Environmental Commission meetings that are held the third Wednesday of the month at 5:15 p.m. in the Council Conference Room at City Hall, 501 N. Anderson St.
— Contributed by Michael Lundin
TIPS TO MAKE EARTH DAY EVERY DAY
REUSABLE BAGS
Cut out the plastic and take reusable bags with you when you go shopping.
RECYCLE
Take the time to sort your trash - Mother Earth will thank you.
START COMPOSTING
Don’t throw away organic trash. You can turn it into soil that can feed plants.
USE GLASS
Using glass bottles helps with taste and reduces the need for plastic recycling.
