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schitsafuk cancer

Martin and Kari Shelley’s catch phrase says it all

They say life is what you make it and attitude is everything. Martin and Kari Shelley will be the first to tell you that. It’s been a challenging year for the Ellensburg couple. Martin had a baseball-sized, cancerous tumor removed from his kidney in April, then a second surgery three months later where surgeons removed another tumor, part of his liver and gallbladder.

Things started looking up and they finally took a train trip across America that had been in the plans since both retired from Knudson Lumber Co. in 2017. The eight-day, nine-night journey started in Seattle and ventured cross country through the Rocky Mountains to Chicago, coming full circle back through Reno, Nev., eventually back to the Pacific Northwest.

His latest three-month scan (Nov. 1) revealed another new tumor on his liver at the opposite end of liver where the first tumor was discovered. The good news is, it’s the smallest tumor so far. And even better, the treatment is to stick a needle into the abdomen and either burn or freeze the life-threatening tumor with an immunotherapy infusion. No weeks of chemo therapy or another surgery.

“I’m really stoked about not having to get chemo or surgery this time,” he said on his Facebook post. “And I get to keep my hair.”

Since Facebook tends to filter out profanity, Martin created a new word, “Schitzafuk,” to describe his new attitude toward cancer.

“I just made up that word and somebody that makes local T-shirts for school sports and whatnot saw the post and made me a sweatshirt and T-shirt with that word across the front of it,” he said with a laugh as he and Kari walked their dog in the park. “I looked it up on Google and there was no suggestions for it.

“I came up with that word rather than use profanity or asterisks. But I thought that was special for her to do that.”

So the new catch phrase for fighting cancer in the Shelley house is Schitzafuk Cancer. They have been able to keep a positive attitude

throughout, “There’s always someone that’s worse off than you,” he said. “You tend to look for the little things and keep that in your mind.”

Said Kari, “Because they do a surveillance scan every three months they were able to catch it while it was still small,” she said. “We’re going into the holiday season, so it was disappointing. But we’re thankful this will be an outpatient procedure. If it saves your life, then it’s well worth it.”

Earlier in the year, they finally took that transcontinental train trip they had been planning before life turned in a different direction.

“We had planned to take the trip for our 30 th wedding anniversary, riding the train to Chicago, Reno and journey around the nation to see the fall colors,” said Martin. He was the former drummer in a band called Brew with Jumpin’ Johnny Jaramillo and his wife, Sheri.

“Getting through the past year was our main concern and now that things are looking better we’re taking the time to get out and do the things we’ve always planned.”

They spent three nights in Chicago and another in Reno, enjoying life on the rails and seeing sights around the country.

“When we first retired we did a couple of road trips because we both love to mountain bike. We love to hike. Martin likes to rock climb, so we did get to see a bit of the country. But then COVID happened and that hampered some of the big getaways we had planned. But now we’re hoping to continue on our trek,” Kari said.

As a cancer survivor, Martin is an advocate for cancer research. He and Kari participate in the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center’s Obliteride every year. The Obliteriders are dedicated to curing cancer faster. Fundraising turns passion into action and participants come together to honor loved ones and help Fred Hutch advance cancer prevention, detection, treatment and cures.

The 100-mile ride raises funding and awareness for the area of work at Fred Hutch that’s most meaningful to them. Over the past 12 years, organizers have raised more than $56 million to advance research and care.

“We’ve probably raised over $100,000 since we started participating 10 years ago,” Martin said. “We’re absolutely not the most elite kind of riders, but we do our part.”

Kari added, “When we first started the ride it was because of what people go through when they’re fighting cancer,” she said. “I remember asking Marty if he even looked at the information on the ride, the elevation changes and the distance? And he said, if you think riding 100 miles is the worst part, that’s the least we can do to help fight cancer and find a cure in our lifetime.”

They have been active locally in the Gretchen Weller Foundation in Ellensburg which helps with comfort and reduce stress to Kittitas County families living with cancer. Earlier this year, Martin was the keynote speaker at the local fundraiser.

“People don’t understand, it’s not just the surgeries and doctors,” he explained. “There’s costs like gas money going back and forth, hotel expenses and where to stay when you’re going to doctors every single day of the week. There’s parking and other expenses that come up. This foundation is able to help with many different areas of support.

“The Gretchen Weller Foundation was started years back in Ellensburg. It’s run by a group of people that do fundraisers. A few months ago, they did one of those Poker Runs with old-time cars to raise money. So, it is our pleasure to share our story. There’s just no way we could say no.”

— Rod Harwood is an award-winning journalist and photographer. He can be reached at rodneyharwood149@gmail.com.

Left: Martin Shelley is an avid mountain biker and has participated in the 100-mile Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center’s Obliteride for the past 10 years.

Inset: Martin and Kari Shelley are avid hikers and outdoor enthusiasts, enjoying life in the Cascades.

Full circle

‘Music is at the heart of everything I do’

Lenny Price has come full circle from growing up in Detroit, graduating from the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, traveling the world and eventually landing in Ellensburg.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of when he first picked up the saxophone, beginning a journey that eventually led from Detroit to Ellensburg in 2004 when he came West to earn a music degree from Central Washington University. It also marks the end of his 20-year stint in Ellensburg and the Pacific Northwest.

Price returned to his roots in Detroit for the next phase of his journey, which has taken him around the world touring with renowned jazz guitarist and composer Earl Klugh. Playing with Klugh included a Grammy Award nomination in 2009. It also included a performance for former President George W. Bush in 2008 and some special gigs at the Apollo Theatre and the Hollywood Bowl.

“I plan to chart a new direction based on what I learned during my time in the Northwest,” Price said in a telephone interview from Maryland where he was attending the 40th anniversary with the Class of 1984 at United States Naval Academy. “I’m going to continue to play, but I want to promote and educate people about contemporary jazz of the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s, which I feel there’s a gap in jazz education in that material.

“I plan to put together programs from everything from middle school to college, trying to set up residencies. What I hope to do is visit a city like Portland, for example, for an entire week and schedule visits from middle schools to high schools to colleges and do performances on the weekend.”

His time spent as a guest lecturer at Central Washington University set in motion an opportunity to develop a lecturing strategy to help with this development, he said.

“Before I left Ellensburg, I did the same thing as a guest at CWU,” said Price, who is the Director and Founder at Lenny Price Music, which utilizes his experience as an entrepreneur with a variety of experiences working in the entertainment industry. “CWU was interesting. I’d been teaching at several community colleges in Michigan and also Yakima Valley Community College. So, the experience at Central was getting the university credit on my resume.”

Growing up in Detroit put him in the heart of the Motown Sound with influences from legendary performers like Stevie Wonder, Michal Jackson, Smokey Robinson, the Temptations, deep in the environment that shaped a generation. Some of his favorite holiday music stems from the Christmas in Detroit release.

“Growing up in Detroit there’s a heavy input of several influences, but there’s a major jazz radio station called WJZZ. I grew up listening to that. In middle school I switched from playing oboe to saxophone. That’s what really got me hooked into music because I caught on quickly.

“In 1990, I recorded my first album and WJZZ was the first station in the country to play my music.”

As a performing artist, Price’s early career was defined by playing and touring the world with Klugh, but he also had an opportunity to play several dates throughout Washington with French guitarist Pierre Bensusan, one

of the greatest fingerstyle guitarists in the world. The mini tour included performances at Morgan Performing Arts Center in Ellensburg, as well as dates in Moses Lake, Wenatchee and Quincy.

Price had a kidney transplant in 2021, and part of his journey is going from being a dialysis patient for three days a week to a successful operation. It’s also a major part of his new direction in promoting kidney health with viable options for people in similar situations.

“Music is at the heart of everything I do,” he said. “I’m three years out from my transplant now. I put in the work to get a good result. I’ll be advocating for kidney patients, which is something else I’ll be floating into my life goals. Between teaching and recording on the music side. I’ll also be talking to kidney patients to various political groups.”

Lenny Price is a multi-faceted guy that goes far beyond Sax Man and now his journey takes him back to the city where WJZZ played his first professional record and the melting pot of jazz, rhythm and blues, rock ‘n’ roll and of course Christmas in Detroit for the holidays.

— Rod Harwood is an award-winning journalist and photographer. He can be reached at rodneyharwood149@gmail.com

that makes our community vibrant, diverse and special. From the mountains to hay fields, to cultural events rich with food, wine and bustling breweries to the heartwarming stories of our neighbors, this magazine is for you — our readers, our storytellers and our inspiration.

The team at 1883 Kittitas County brings a wealth of experience and a deep passion for community engagement. With a career spanning decades in media, design and publishing, 1883 Kittitas County is dedicated to creating a platform that celebrates local culture, highlights small businesses and strengthens connections between people and places.

Believing that every story matters,

of the community and provide readers with a magazine that is both inspiring and informative. When not overseeing the publication, team 1883 enjoys exploring local events, supporting neighborhood businesses, and finding new ways to bring people together through the power of print.

Inside these pages, you’ll find rich profiles of local artisans and entrepreneurs, curated guides to the best food and drink in the county and an up-close look at the vibrant creative districts of thriving arts and entertainment scene.

We’ll also bring you a calendar of can’tmiss events to keep your connected to your community.

1883 Kittitas County is more than just a

places and moments that define this community. Whether you’re savoring locally crafted food, drink, dancing at a live music event or discovering hidden gems through our features, we hope this magazine helps you connect more deeply with all that surrounds you.

This first issue is just the beginning of the story we’ll write together. We invite you to share your ideas, your photos and stories. Your feedback will help us grow and better reflect the heartbeat of our county.

Thank you for joining us on this journey. Together, let’s celebrate the best of 1883.

Cheers,

Robyn Smith Publisher

Mount Stuart peeks out from behind the clouds, towering above the windmills.

— Photo by Derral Paquette

A MONTHLY CELEBRATION OF THE ARTS

THIS FREE, COMMUNITY CELEBRATION OF THE ARTS IS A SELF-GUIDED WALKING TOUR THROUGHOUT HISTORIC DOWNTOWN ELLENSBURG ON THE FIRST FRIDAY OF EVERY MONTH. THE VENUES LISTED OPEN THEIR DOORS TO THE PUBLIC TO ENJOY AN ABUNDANCE OF LOCAL ART, MUSIC, FOOD, DRINKS AND MORE FROM 5 P.M. TO 8 P.M.

Clymer Museum and Gallery: Featuring Crista Ames, Resilient Vessel and local artist miniature works, along with the Western AllStars. Ellensburg Rodeo Hall of Fame: ERHOF will have a food drive for FISH. Visitors are encouraged to leave a non-perishable food item or make a donation that will be given to the food bank. A bar will be open serving beer, wine, soda and water.

Hotel Windrow: Featuring the art of contemporary artist Erin Oostra. Oostra is known for her impressionistic paintings inspired by the mountains, valleys, and oceans of Washington State.

The Ink - An Incubator for Creativity: The INK and ECR will feature David Parker on the Tiny Stage from 5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. Following the performs is a live broadcast of ECRs Street Lights from the Tiny Stage. A photo booth is up at Manashtash Media. Screen printing and puppet master Brian Kooser will be on hand to answer questions about Blue Bear giant puppets.

The Palace Gallery: The December exhibition is the Holiday Bizarre featuring artworks described as strange, unusual, chance taking, transitional, improvisational or a new take on an old idea.

Kittitas County Historical Museum: KCHM will feature the annual Remember When...? holiday exhibit as well as an exhibit about the 100th anniversary of the fire that destroyed the original Washington School.

Nuwave Gallery: December at Nuwave celebrates the beauty of the Pacific Northwest coast in its latest show, An Ode to the Ocean, featuring work by Michelle Barkway, Erin Oostra and Heidi Farina.

The Mule: In December, The Mule will be featuring the art of Debbie Hulbert with musical guest Xetera from 7 p.m. - 9 .m.

Pearl Street Books & Gifts: The featured artist for December is Billy Maguire aka Billy Mac.

Gallery One: The Gallery One Gift Shop expands into the Main Gallery. On the mezzanine is the Crossroads of Creativity Educators Exhibition. In the Eveleth Green Gallery is Scotty is My Middle Name by Stephen Robison. In the Community Gallery are works from Damman School. The Hallway Gallery features Famous Singers and Actors by Danney Koen.

Valo Cellars: Featured artist for December is Austin Smith with live music by Riley Schmit from 6 p.m. - 8 p.m.

The Studio by Ellensburg Dance Ensemble: The theme of unity continues as The Studio features student artists from Mt. Stuart Elementary and Ada Nason Aronica Elementary schools. Additionally, The Studio will also showcase the work of Kaylena Caswell.

5 11

1. THE INK 405 N. Main St.

2. THE PALACE GALLERY 210 W. Fourth Ave., Suite X

3. STUDIO BY EDE 318 N. Main St.

4. KITTITAS COUNTY RECOVERY CENTER 211 W. Third Ave.

HOTEL WINDROW 502 N. Main St.

KITTITAS COUNTY HISTORIC MUSEUM 114 E. Third Ave. 6 7 8 9 10 12 13 14 15 16

PEARL STREET BOOKS & GIFTS 421 N. Pearl St.

7. VALO CELLARS 321 N. Pearl St.

8. D & M COFFEE DOWNTOWN 323 N. Pearl St.

9. GARD VINTNERS 311 N. Pearl St.

MARIPOSA MEDICAL AESTHETICS

309 N. Pearl St.

NUWAVE GALLERY 115 W. Third Ave.

CLYMER ART GALLERY 416 N. Pearl St.

ELLENSBURG RODEO HALL OF FAME 416 N. Pearl St.

GALLERY ONE 408 N. Pearl St.

THE MULE 119 E. Fourth Ave.

DECEMBER 1

1883 KITTITAS COUNTY

• Blue Grass Jam, 3 p.m., Iron Horse Tap Room, 1621 Vantage Highway

• Eide Homes Toy Drive, Dec. 1 - 15, 316 W. First St., Cle Elum

DECEMBER 2

• Open Mic Night, 6:30 p.m., Iron Horse Tap Room, 1621 Vantage Highway

December 3

• Tree of Love, 6 p.m., 307 N. Pine St.

DECEMBER 4

• Photos with Santa, 3 p.m., Windermere Real Estate, 808 S. Main St.

• Girls Night Out, 5 p.m., Various downtown locations

• Ellensburg Night Market, 4 p.m., Various downtown location

• Christmas to the Max, 4 p.m., 511 N. Pine St.

• Grand Abo, 5 p.m., Roslyn Eagles, 107 N. Second St.

• Weaving Circle, 6 p.m., Kittitas County Historic Museum, 114 E. Third Ave.

DECEMBER 5

• CWU Ware Fair, 10 a.m., SURC, 1007 N. Chestnut St.

• Evergreen Winter Wreath Workshop, 6:30 p.m., Lilac + Honey Floral Design Studio, 209 W Third Ave.

DECEMBER 6

• CWU Ware Fair, 10 a.m., SURC, 1007 N. Chestnut St.

• Gallery One Annual Gift Show, daily, 408 N. Pearl St.

• Live Music by Feather River, 6 p.m., Gard Vintners, 311 N. Pearl St.

• Live Music by Riley Schmit, 6 p.m., Valo Tasting Room, 321 N. Pearl St.

• Big Swing Dance by Ellensburg Big Band, 6:30 p.m., 414 N. Pearl St.

• EDM with DJ Bassam and Dusa, 6 p.m., Old Skool, 308 N. Main St.

• Chamber Choir by Candlelight, 7 p.m., United Methodist Church, 210 N. Ruby St.

• Xetera Christmas Show, 7 p.m., The Mule, 119 E. Fourth Ave.

• Live music by Mr. G Band, 7 p.m., Nodding Donkey, 1514 W. University Way

• Acoustic Night with Ethan Anderson, 9 p.m., The Brick Saloon, 100 W Pennsylvania Ave., Roslyn

DECEMBER 7

• Thorp Community Christmas, 9 a.m, Thorp School - Brick Gym, 10831 N. Thorp Highway, Thorp

• Upper Kittitas County Senior Center Holiday Bazaar, 9 a.m., 719 E Third St., Cle Elum

• Pictures with Santa, 10 a.m., Knudson Lumber, 1791 Vantage Highway

• Mrs. Clause Cookies, 10 a.m., McIntosh Ranch, 7820 U.S. Highway 97

• CWU Ware Fair, 10 a.m., SURC, 1007 N. Chestnut St.

• Roslyn AARF Animal Rescue Pet Photos with Santa, 1 p.m., 107 S. Dakota St., Roslyn

• Central Washington Dance Academy presents The Nutcracker, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., Morgan Performing Arts Center, 400 E. First St.

• Gingerbread Decorating at The Burg (reservations requested), 2 p.m., The Burg Coffee and Kitchen, 1801 N. Walnut St., Suite 4

• Upside-down Wine, 3 p.m., Xetera

• Kittitas Jingle and Mingle, 3:30 p.m.

• Toys for Tots, 5 p.m., TownePlace Suites by Marriott, 1709 S. Opportunity St.

• Kittitas Light Parade, 6 p.m., Main St.

• Cle Elum Lighted Parade, 6 p.m., Downtown Cle Elum

• Visits with the Grinch, 6 p.m., Downtown Cle Elum

• Pizza with Santa, 6:30 p.m., McIntosh Ranch, 7820 U.S. Highway 97

• Karaoke, 7 p.m., Nodding Donkey, 1514 W. University Way

• Live music with Massey Ferguson & Memphis Radio Kings, 7 p.m., The Brick Saloon, 100 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Roslyn

DECEMBER 8

• Christmas at the Farm, 11 a.m., Hunter Farms, 5380 Wilson Creek Road

• Central Washington Dance Academy Presents The Nutcracker, 2 p.m., Morgan Performing Arts Center, 400 E. First Ave.

• Live music by Jeremiah Vaught, 5 p.m., Dru Bru, 1015 E Second St., Cle Elum

• Live music by Micha J, 5 p.m. - 7 p.m., Whipsaw Brewing, 704 N. Wenas St.

• Liquid Lunch Party with Xetera, 5 p.m., Iron Horse Brewery Tap Room, 1621 Vantage Highway

• Live music by The Scoffs, 6 p.m., Old Skool, 308 N. Main St.

• Live music by Mel Peterson, 6 p.m., Gard Vintners, 301 N. Pearl St.

• Live music by Mikey, 7 p.m., Logan’s, 204 W. Pennsylvania, Roslyn

DECEMBER 9

• Live music by Erik Anarchy and Friends, 5 p.m., Old Skool, 208 N. Main St.

• Live music by Spiced Rye, 5 p.m., The Mule, 119 E. Fourth Ave.

• Live music by Under the Covers Band, 8 p.m., Timeout Saloon, 101 S. Main St., Kittitas

• Live music by Feathered River, 8 p.m., Cle Elum Eagles, 220 N. Pennsylvania Ave., Cle Elum

• Live music by The Hipsters, 9 p.m., The Brick Saloon, 100 W. Pennsylvania, Roslyn

DECEMBER 10

• Open Mic, 7 p.m., Old Skool, 208 N. Main St.

DECEMBER 11

• Holiday Night Market, 4 p.m., Various downtown locations

• Christmas Caroling, 6:30 p.m., Presbyterian Church, 1307 E. Third Ave.

DECEMBER 12

• Restaurant Takeover, Noon , Live music by Cobra Hawk unplugged, 5 p.m. and Star Anna,

EVENTS CALENDAR

6 p.m., Cornerstone Pie, 307 E. Fifth Ave.

• Free Line Dance Lessons, 6 p.m., The Brick Saloon, 100 W. Pennsylvania St., Roslyn

DECEMBER 13

• Live music by Sleepers, 6 p.m., Iron Horse Tap Room, 1621 Vantage Highway

• Live music by Saltwater Sky, 6 p.m., Gard Vintners, 311 N. Pearl St.

• The Ellensburg Dance Ensemble The Nutcracker & Battle for the Key, 7 p.m., McConnell Auditorium, 405 E. University Way

DECEMBER 14

• Fused Glass Class, 9 a.m., Galaxy Glass Studio, 301 N. Pearl St.

• Christmas Bazaar, 9 a.m., United Methodist Church, 210 N. Ruby St.

• Holiday Book Sale, 10 a.m., Roslyn Library, 201 S. First St., Roslyn

• Armory Holiday Bazaar, 11 a.m., Kittitas Valley Event Center

• Childrens’ Christmas Party, 11 a.m., Cle Elum Eagles Auxiliary, 200 Pennsylvania Ave.

• Visit with Santa, 11 a.m., Dru Bru, 1015 E Second St., Cle Elum

• Tubing Hill at Prospector Driving Ranch, 9 a.m., Cle Elum

• The Ellensburg Dance Ensemble The Nutcracker & Battle for the Key, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., McConnell Auditorium, 405 E. University Way

• Live music by Quiet Cadence Santa and Ponies, 2 p.m., Iron Horse Tap Room, 1621 Vantage Highway

• Visit with the Grinch, 6 p.m., Downtown Cle Elum

• Comedy Night with Andrew Rivers, 9 p.m., 404 N. Pine St.

• Ugly Sweater Contest, 9 p.m., The Brick Saloon, 100 W Pennsylvania St., Roslyn

DECEMBER 15

• Winter Whirlwind, Noon, 3600 Suncadia Trail, Cle Elum

• Paint and Sip Watercolor Christmas Cards

(reservations requested), 2 p.m., NuWave Gallery, 115 W Third Ave.

• Geoffrey Castle’s Celtic Christmas, 3 p.m. and 7 p.m., Morgan Performing Arts Center, 400 E. First. Ave.

DECEMBER 18

• Ellensburg Night Market, 4 p.m., Various downtown locations

DECEMBER 19

• Visits with the Grinch, 6 p.m., Downtown Cle Elum

• Winter Concert, 6:30 p.m., Ida Nason Elementary School, 2100 N Cora St.

DECEMBER 20

• Procrastinators Ball, 4 p.m., Iron Horse Tap Room, 1621 Vantage Highway

• Live music by Sojo, 6 p.m., Gard Vintners, 311 N. Pearl St.

• Live music by Vaught Rock, 7 p.m., Nodding Donkey, 1514 W. University Way

• Acoustic Night by Lyle Ronglein, 9 p.m., The Brick Saloon, 100 W. Pennsylvania St., Roslyn

DECEMBER 21

• Journey to the North Pole, 10 a.m., 2600 Suncadia Trail, Cle Elum

• Third Winter Solstice Party, Noon, Taneum Creek Brewing, 512 E First St., Cle Elum

• Grinchmas, Noon, The Mule, 119 E. Fourth Ave.

• Polar Express: Magical Hometown Holiday Journey, 12:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m., Morgan Performing Arts Center, 400 E. First Ave.

• Evergreen Biking Solstice Party, 4 p.m., Iron Horse Tap Room, 1621 Vantage Highway

• Winter Wonderland Buffet, 5 p.m., 3600 Suncadia Trail, Cle Elum

• A Winter Solstice Pause, 4 p.m., Grace Episcopal Church, 1201 N. B St.

• Karaoke, 7 p.m., Nodding Donkey, 1514 W. University Way

• Live music by Highway 9, 9 p.m., The Brick

Saloon, 100 W. Pennsylvania St., Roslyn

DECEMBER 22

• Live music by Jacob Batchelder, 6 p.m., Julip Kitchen and Bar, 429 N. Main St.

DECEMBER 24

• Tubing at Prospector Driving Range, Noon, Suncadia Trail, Cle Elum

• Christmas with Santa and the Roslyn Fire Department, 7 p.m., NWIC Building, 101 E. Pennsylvania St.

DECEMBER 27

• Live music by Whiskey Trail Band, 7 p.m., Nodding Donkey Bar, 1518 W University Way

• Karaoke with DJ Forest Gump, 9 p.m., The Brick Saloon, 100 W. Pennsylvania St., Roslyn

DECEMBER 28

• Live music by High Voltage, 9 p.m., The Brick Saloon, 100 W. Pennsylvania St., Roslyn

DECEMBER 29

• Live music by Celtic Jam, 5 p.m., Iron Horse Tap Room, 1621 Vantage Highway

• Winter Wonderland Buffet, 8 p.m., 3600 Suncadia Trail, Cle Elum

DECEMBER 31

• New Years Eve Party with Santa Poco, 8 p.m., The Brick Saloon, 100 W. Pennsylvania St., Roslyn

• Roslyn Eagles New Years Celebration, 107 N. Second St.

• New Years Eve in Ellensburg Featuring CobraHawk, 8:30 p.m.,Hotel Windrow, 502 N. Main St.

JANUARY 4

• Sixth Birthday Celebration, All Day, The Mule, 119 E. Fourth Ave.

BMusic with a conscience

Love, life, family and friends are fodder for songs

Billy Maguire wrote in the liner notes of his 2019 release “Snake Stew,” “Nestled on the eastern slopes of the Cascade Mountains is a valley. Living here has inspired my songwriting more than anything else. Strong love of life, friends and family are my themes. We live, we learn, we love.”

Snake Stew proved to be one of the last records ever recorded at longtime Ellensburg recording studio Velvetone Records, coming out right before the Covid pandemic changed the world as we know it. Even with turbulent times to come, the Kittitas Valley singer/songwriter who came to Ellensburg to go to Central Washington University and never left, reflected with a smile about a time when his mom, Joy, scraped together enough money to buy him a Kay F Hole guitar. The Kay Guitar Company might have stopped making its vintage guitars in 1964, but that ol’ F Hole set in motion a dream that led to a professional career well respected in the Kittitas Valley.

“We were as poor as a single mom with four kids could be. But mom got me this guitar, I think I was in fourth grade. I got to plunking around on it before joining a band junior high. They needed a bass player. I only played bass for a short time before getting back to guitar,” Maguire reflected, sitting in his house out on Judge Ronald Road. “Our house burned down a couple of years after that and the guitar got burned pretty bad. The neck was just pretty much lost.

“Bless my mom’s heart, she had it fixed. She knew how much that guitar meant to me. She paid for lessons for a while, but I’m not able to track long enough for lessons to do any good. She did everything she could for a single mom with the four of us growing up.”

That guitar lit a passion for making music from the heart. His music represents a wide body of work you might define as Americana. A little bit of western, folk and some finger-pointing songs reflective of the times, and how they might or might not be a-changing.

He’s been a fixture on the Kittitas Valley music scene ever since coming to town with solo gigs throughout the historic Ellensburg downtown locations like Gard Vintners Ellensburg Wine Tasting, Craft Beers, Gallery One and Cornerstone Pie both in The Loft and the bandshell out back. He did a couple of gigs out at the PUNCH Gallery in Thorp and was the first act up on Ellensburg Community Radio’s Tiny Stage coming out of the pandemic shutdown.

“I was never so glad to play to an empty room as I was that night,” he said poking fun at the pandemic restrictions that didn’t allow people to gather in one spot. He sat alone on the Tiny Stage in the 420 Building playing to a radio audience and touching the souls of people far and wide through the internet broadcast.

A few years back he opened for the Dusty 45s for Hoedown in the Downtown during Rodeo Week. His one-man band delivery is well received on the winery circuit with gigs in Yakima, as well as locally at Dodge and Thrall Winery and

Wheel Line Cider. Last summer, he was part of the three-day GustFest, which featured eight local bands and solo acts, including BonaFide Band with former Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic and former Screaming Trees original drummer Mark Pickerel.

“There must have been 700 people, it was great,” he recalled. “I was talking to Birdie Fenn Cent backstage and she was really nervous looking out at the crowd. I told her to go out and settle in after the first couple of songs. She did great.”

Not exactly Woodstock, but it was a real happening in the Kittitas Valley and a jump-start to a music revival on the Ellensburg music scene that once had John Lee Hooker and J.J. Cale appear at now defunct Ranch Roadhouse and Greasewood City Ramblers and Star Anna and the Laughing Dogs lighting up the downtown venues.

Billy Mac has teamed up with Jeff Dermond on upright bass for the past few years. Every now and then they add the drums of Rob Fraser. Like a lot of acoustic players, Maguire is heavily influenced by Bob Dylan and John Lennon. They dip into the John Prine songbook quite frequently, as well as Maguire’s original work. Stuff like “Kindness Death Ray,” “Better Way,” “Last Rodeo” and “John Wayne Trail” from the Snake Stew release, which had Pickerel sitting in on the title track.

Every now and then he thinks back on that ol’ a Kay F Hole guitar like a long, lost friend that got lost in the shuﬄe called life.

“I don’t remember where that guitar went. Lost in one of the moves, I guess,” he said a little reminiscent.

Billy Mac hits it hard during the summer months with gigs most every Friday and Saturday night throughout. He generally takes time off during the holidays to focus on family and his songwriting. A little breather to clear the head and enjoy the moment.

But he’s a music man and in the infamous words of John Prine, he’ll get back out there “… Running just to be on the run …”

— Rod Harwood is an award-winning journalist and photographer. He can be reached at rodneyharwood149@ gmail.com

COLD CASE

Who murdered Murvy Bridgham?

There are few in Kittitas County who probably still remember the name Murvy Bridgham – a name from our community’s past that goes back 105 years. Remembered or not, Bridgham’s life, and moreover his death, played a pivotal role in shaping the landscape of funeral service in Ellensburg for more than a century.

Murvy Bridgham was born in Little Falls, Minn. on Aug. 26, 1882. His family moved to Cle Elum just before the turn of the century. At age 15 he began working for T.M. Jones, the undertaker and furniture dealer in Cle Elum. Bridgham first worked as a clerk in the furniture store and later as an apprentice undertaker.

He married Florence “Mabel” McDaniel in 1903, and they spent the next 10 years moving around the country – first to Indiana, later to central Idaho and finally back to Kittitas County where he was a partner in a general store in Thorp. In 1913, Murvy and Mabel moved to Ellensburg where they purchased the W.K. Briley Funeral Parlor. The business was located on the ground floor of the Masonic Lodge on Sixth Avenue, a building that still stands today.

Following the purchase, he promptly changed the name to M.L. Bridgham Undertaking Parlors and took an aggressive approach to advertising his business. As a side gig, he also operated the town’s only ambulance service. Through the years Bridgham became a highly respected citizen of Ellensburg, being elected Kittitas County Coroner and serving on the Ellensburg City Council.

Operating a funeral parlor was different in those days. Typically, a family would call for the services of the undertaker who would come to the house to embalm the body in the privacy of a bedroom (it was a much more rudimentary process back then), bring chairs and other equipment and gather the details of the funeral, including how the family wanted the casket “trimmed” in terms of interior fabric, handles and other ornamentation.

A day or two later the undertaker would return with the casket, place the body therein, and then proceed to conduct the funeral. Funerals were typically held at a local church but were also sometimes held at a fraternal lodge such as the Eagles, Moose, Elks, IOOF or Masonic. If not at a church or lodge, the service would be held in the family’s formal living room, known in those days as

“the parlor.”

Another side to this story is where the term “funeral parlor” comes from. Around the early 1920s, undertakers began buying large houses to both live in and run their business from. Instead of doing all their work in the deceased’s home, they would bring them back, get them prepared and then rent out their own parlors to conduct funeral services. It was a novel concept in 1920, but it is still pretty much what I do today, including living upstairs, except we call the “parlor” the “chapel.”

This new business model was one that Murvy Bridgham never lived to see because, on Friday, May 16, 1919 at around 2:30 a.m., he was awoken by someone knocking on his door. Bridgham and his family lived on South Pine Street, in a house that was torn down a couple years ago to make way for new multi-unit development.

Newspaper accounts of the incident report that upon Bridgham’s opening of the door, the shooter asked twice, “Are you Mr. Bridgham,” before firing a shot through the screen door and into Bridgham’s chest. The bullet did not instantly kill him, in fact, Bridgham lived for roughly seven hours before he succumbed to the injury.

During those hours, in addition to talking with his family and neighbors who came to his side, he called for his attorney F.A. Kern to come prepare his last will and testament. Bridgham was unable to give a description of the shooter, or any possible reason why someone would want him dead. The only real detail reported was that the shooter is said to have left in a “Ford car” that was running across the street just prior to the shooting.

Bridgham was pronounced dead at 9:33 a.m. that same day. He was 36 years old.

Records indicate Bridgham’s funeral was conducted at 2:30 p.m. on May 19, 1919, at the Baptist Church with Rev. Ashman officiating. Masonic Lodge rites and the burial were conducted at the IOOF Cemetery that same afternoon. Bridgham is buried in a plot not too far from where Ellensburg’s founding father, John Shoudy, was buried in 1901. Bridgham was laid to rest in a special-order casket made of bronze that was placed in a concrete burial vault, the highest end merchandise offered by his funeral parlor at the time.

So how did Bridgham’s death shape funeral service in Kittitas County?

Following his death the business transferred to his wife, Mabel, who was also an experienced funeral director having worked alongside her husband for many years. But she was not an embalmer, so she promptly sent a telegram to the Washington State Funeral Directors Association asking for good help. That telegram was answered by John T. Honeycutt who was working at the Buckley-King Funeral Parlor in Tacoma. Honeycutt moved his family to the Kittitas Valley by the end of 1919 and purchased the business from Mrs. Bridgham in 1921.

Honeycutt continued to operate the funeral parlor out of the original location on Sixth Avenue until beginning construction of the Honeycutt Mortuary located downtown at the corner of Third Avenue and Ruby Street in 1928. Still operational as a funeral home today – known now as Johnston & Williams – construction was completed in 1929. The Honeycutt Mortuary was considered to be one of the most modern funeral establishments of its era. It was never officially determined why someone would want Murvy Bridgham dead. There has been plenty of folklore and speculation that has been passed down amongst the various owners of the funeral home over the last 105 years that has been shared with me; however, none of that is something that I’d publicly disclose so as not to besmirch Bridgham’s legacy and reputation should it be untrue.

If you ever want to hear those stories, don’t hesitate to stop by the funeral home sometime and talk history with me – I’d love to visit.

1. One of the day’s headlines from the May 19, 1919 Tacoma Daily Ledger.

2. Bridgham’s murder made the front page of the May 18, 1919 Tacoma Daily Ledger.

3. The Bridgham family plot in the IOOF Cemetery in Ellensburg.

— 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.

Longtime Daily Record staﬀer back in the delivery business Ink

For the record, Toby Allphin loves the newspaper game. The sound of the press building like a steam locomotive rolling down the track. The smell of the ink, the feel of the paper with the information of the day about friends and neighbors.

The retired Ellensburg Daily Record employee has an interesting way of measuring time.

“Well, my son Rusty was 7 when I started. He’s 37 now, so yeah, 30 years ago,” she said with a laugh. “I started in the mailroom with the inserts, then went to flying (catching) papers as they came off of the press, back when they still had a press. When they got rid of the press and started printing in Yakima, I went into the circulation department.”

Allphin did a little bit of everything during her service. Stuffing inserts and working with the press operators to delivering newspapers to the news racks around town, where she would wear seasonal costumes while making her rounds.

“St. Patty’s Day was my favorite, but I would wear Halloween costumes or Christmas stuff - just having fun at do ing my job,” she said.

Just making the best in an ever-changing business with 141 years of history that eventually led to mail delivery, which eliminated her job was all part of it. It

was the community and the people she worked with that made the journey worthwhile, she explained.

“It was like a big family for such a long time,” she recalled, looking back. “It stayed that way right up until the end when I got laid off. I love reading the paper. I love the smell of the ink and turning the pages, reading what’s going on in town. Ellensburg has a little bit of everything and it was interesting to find out what was going on.”

As the industry evolved, moving on from an inhouse printing and home delivery, she also experienced changes in ownership and new directions as well. In1992, the newspaper was sold to McClatchy Newspapers Inc By 1996, it was sold again to the Pioneer News Group. The Saturday edition moved from an afternoon to a morning edition in 1999 and in 2017, Pioneer News Group Co. sold its media division assets to current the owner the Adams Publishing Group.

“There was certainly a lot of changes. A lot of people came and went. I think working with the press was my favorite. My job was to catch the papers as they came off the press. You’d have to get them before they went flying off the end,” she said, as if picturing the experience as she spoke. “I loved working with ink, I really did.”

Her husband Larry is a long-time artist that was involved in the fundraising projects for the Ellensburg Rodeo Hall of Fame fundraisers, which included art projects called the Boxes of Fame, Boots of Fame, Flags of Fame and the other artistic efforts to raise money for the local Hall of Fame even before it moved into its Pearl Street location next to the John Ford Clymer Museum/Gallery.

They still enjoy the First Friday Art Walk and Rusty’s Special Olympics activities, taking in all that Ellensburg and the Kittitas Valley has to offer.

“There’s a lot going on in town and with my family, that’s for sure,” Allphin said. “We like going around during the First Friday Art Walk and seeing what all the local artists are doing. Jane Orleman is one of my favorites. I liked (her husband Dick Elliot’s) stuff too.”

Rusty is active in bowling, swimming, basketball and cycling through the local Special Olympic programs, so she is constantly on the go, she said with a laugh.

Now, she’s ready to get back into the newspaper delivery process with up-start 1883 Monthly, which will launch in December with papers available up and down the Kittitas Valley. Once again locals will see a familiar face bringing the news on local artists, musicians and life stories of friends and people in a places she’s come to love.

— Rod Harwood is an award-wining journalist and photographer. He can be reached at rodneyharwood149@gmail. com.

Pictured from left: Rusty, Larry and Toby Allphin.

BOOKMARKED

Great travel companions

Holiday travel, lovely as the destinations can be, is largely spent in a state of limbo. There are few times of the year where the chaos inherent in the cosmos makes itself more apparent to us laypeople, when every plan must include space for unreasonable delays as we all deign to travel en masse in the season marked by weather that once crumbled entire armies and impassively decided the fate of many a nation. These troubles can be greatly brushed off if one is wellentrenched in a good book, and as such here are recommended for you, good reader, a few books perfectly suited to whittling away the hours in an airport lounge or stranded on a snowy road waiting for a tow.

Goodnight Tokyo by Atsuhiro Yoshida, a small novel about how small a place like even Tokyo can feel in those latest hours. A vignette of regular folk in Tokyo’s night life, everybody wrapped up in themselves as they intersect with others doing much the same, and the ways they are all connected through a solitary taxi driver. Goodnight Tokyo captures the restlessness of the great metropolis just before dawn, the wanderlust that marks sedentary existence and the wonderousness of small things that we sometimes fail to appreciate.

And now for something completely different: Douglas Adams’ e Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, a towering classic in comedic writing. Little can be said about this book that makes it make sense, one simply must read it to experience the incredible density and quality of its jokes. It’s a tale of being completely and utterly lost in a massive and bizarre galaxy, where no matter where you end up something bizarre and hilarious this way comes. Ideal reading for the grayness of airport terminals and long layovers.

Book the third is travel of a different flavor, two youth running away from their Texas life on horseback to Mexico to capture the atavistic wonders of the cowboy era that preceded them. Not a deep cut by any means and even required reading in some English classes, it is All the Pretty Horses by the inimitable Cormac McCarthy. A simple western tackling nominally simple themes, it is McCarthy’s meandering and unceasing prose that turns this simple story into a kaleidoscope of rich imagery and hidden meaning, a book as grounded as it is esoteric. Lyrical and methodical, this book can easily melt the hours away, as though it pulls you out of linear time altogether.

— Tanner Leithead lives in Kittitas County and is never seen without a book on hand. Tanner also is quite fond of cooking and extreme metal drumming. She makes her home with five cats and a dog.