Methow Valley News - August 20, 2025

Methow Valley News

Okanogan County revamps election precincts

Total will be reduced by more than half

BY MARCY STAMPER

Okanogan County is cutting its number of election precincts by more than half to preserve ballot secrecy and streamline election administration. But unlike redistricting efforts in other states that have come under recent scrutiny, “re-precincting” doesn’t redraw any commissioners’ districts nor affect who represents voters. The purpose of revising precinct boundaries is exclusively to make elections easier to run, which will ultimately save money for the county, Okanogan County Auditor Cari Hall said.

Okanogan County currently has 248 precincts. With the new precinct boundaries, the county will have just 102. The committee working on the project, which consisted of Auditor’s Office staff and representatives from the Okanogan County Democrat and Republican parties, strived for precincts with 500 to 700 registered voters each.

“I think the most questions we’ll get are that there will be confusion between redistricting and doing election administration and precincting,” Hall said. “This is not redistricting, but strictly an election-administration function.”

The primary goal of the change is to protect the secrecy of the ballot. The other main objective is to simplify the election system. Although there are costs in staff time connected with the changes, having fewer precincts will ultimately save the county money on printing and mailing ballots, as well as on staff time. The average election costs about $22,000 for printing and mailing ballots, Hall said.

Typing hundreds of ballots

In addition to the main 248 precincts, the Auditor’s Office often has to create “split” precincts for an election where some voters in a precinct are part of a hospital, school or fire district, while others aren’t.

Because junior taxing districts are drawn by the school or hospital board, not the county, they don’t always follow commissioner or even county boundaries, requiring elections staff to create more ballot styles. While there will

PAYING RESPECTS

always be a need for split ballots, the new precincts will reduce that need considerably, Hall said.

By state law, the auditor is required to create a ballot style for every unique combination of races and measures associated with each precinct and each precinct split, Washington State Director of Elections Stuart Holmes said.

The text for those ballots cannot be copied and pasted. So, every election, Okanogan County Chief Deputy Auditor/Elections Supervisor Jamie Groomes spends a week barricaded in her office, her phone set to “do not disturb,” typing and proofreading hundreds of ballots.

Handling that number of ballots is an “administrative nightmare,” Hall said. Since being elected in 2018, revising the county’s precincts has been one of Hall’s priorities. The office waited for an offyear election to simplify the transition.

PCOs

All the new precincts keep voters in the same commissioners’ district and preserve the parties’ elected precinct committee officers (PCOs). By state law, precincts can’t cross boundaries of city, Congressional or legislative districts.

coworkers and community members gathered at the

to remember the firefighters who died in the Twisp River Fire 10 years ago. Three firefighters died and four were injured, one with severe burns. See story, page A2.

Drainage problem on Twisp highway repave needs a fix

Official anticipates project completion by September

BY RALPH SCHWARTZ

The fresh pavement on Highway 20 on Twisp’s north end must be redone, after a rare summer downpour on Aug. 1 exposed a significant drainage problem.

Water several inches deep pooled on the roadway during that Friday afternoon rainstorm because a subcontractor set the pavement too low along the southbound gutter, Twisp Public Works Director Andrew Denham said.

“The engineer, the prime contractor and myself are all in agreement of what needs to be done to fix that problem,” Denham told the Twisp Town Council on Aug. 12.

A paving subcontractor, hired by prime contractor Rudnick and Sons Excavation, will propose a specific “corrective action plan,” Denham said.

“Fortunately, the prime contractor wants to do a good job. They want it done right, so that

residents of Twisp and all that travel that highway are happy with that project,” he added.

“It will be repaired, one way or another.”

The town shouldn’t need to

Okanogan County is cutting its total number of election precincts by more than half to preserve the secrecy of the ballot and streamline elections. Registered voters will receive a new card and a n letter explaining the change, which takes place in January.

Although it’s not required, the county wanted to include two representatives from each party on the committee to ensure a collaborative, transparent process. The chairs of the county’s Democrat and Republican parties, plus another

representative, served on the committee, and all of them hailed the cooperative effort – and the precinct simplification. Revamping the precincts was a “daunt-

Several trailheads along North Cascades Highway to be closed

Repairs needed at popular sites for recreationists

BY ANN MCCREARY

Four busy trailhead parking areas on the North Cascades Highway (State Route 20) will be closed temporarily during coming weeks for parking lot and entry road repairs.

Work was scheduled to get underway this week, beginning on Monday (Aug. 18), at the Washington Pass Overlook Trail and Bridge Creek Trailhead parking areas, according to an announcement sent out last week by the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest.

Trails remain open, but parking and restroom areas will be closed while work is underway to repair potholes, replace pavement, and repaint parking lot stripes, the Forest Service said.

Hikers planning either day or overnight trips from the trailheads should be aware that during the construction work alternative parking in the vicinity of the tralheads “is limited or nonexistent” and restrooms will also be closed.

The scheduled closures are:

• Aug. 18-Sept. 7: Washington Pass Overlook and Bridge Creek Trailhead.

• Sept. 8-Sept. 25: Rainy Pass Picnic Area (Heather and Maple Pass Trail) and Rainy Pass North — Pacific Crest Trail.

All vehicles must be removed from the trailheads by the construction dates to avoid risk of being towed, the Forest Service said in the announcement, which was received by the Methow Valley News on Tuesday afternoon (Aug. 12), too late to be included in last week’s paper.

Parking along State Route 20 is “explicitly discouraged and poses safety risks to both vehicles and pedestrians due to high rates of speed and limited suitable parking areas,” the Forest Service announcement said.

“Improperly parked vehicles can pose a traffic hazard and block access for emergency services in case of an accident. Warnings and citations have been issued in the past for improper parking along the highway,” the announcement said.

Due to the popularity and heavy use of the trailheads that will be closed, other trailheads

in the area will fill up quickly, said Rosemary Seifried, Methow Valley Ranger District recreation specialist.

“We recommend planning a hike in one of the lesser visited parts of the Forest during the paving project,” Seifried said.

“The potholes at these sites are notorious,” Seifried said. “Despite the short-term impacts of these closures, it’s an exciting project that will have great benefits to our visiting public once complete.”

The repairs are planned and funded through the 2020 Great American Outdoors Act.

Specific trail info

The Forest Service provided more specific information about the affected trails:

• Bridge Creek Trail No. 2000 (PCT South into North Cascades National Park). The trail is on the opposite side of Highway 20 from the parking area so the trail will remain accessible during the parking area construction, but limited roadside parking will make access difficult. There are pullouts within about a half-mile to the east of the trailhead, which would require walking to the

Photo by Marcy Stamper

Friends,

Methow Valley Ranger District

Map courtesy of Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest Several trailheads along State Route 20 on the Methow Valley Ranger District will be temporary closed between Aug. 18 and Sept. 25 for maintenance and repair of the parking area and entry roads.

Photo by Ralph Schwartz

During a recent storm, water backed up at a catch basin in the southbound lane of Highway 20 in Twisp, exposing a flaw in recent roadwork on the north end of town.

ing task” that couldn’t have been accomplished without the volunteers from the political parties, Hall said.

Despite the high number of precincts, there are currently just 48 PCOs in the entire county — 33 Republicans and 15 Democrats. Fifteen of the PCOs, six Republicans and nine Democrats, represent precincts in the Methow Valley. Only three precincts in the county, including Finley Canyon and Twisp No. 3, currently have a PCO for each party.

Looking at votes by precinct helps track whether a party needs to direct more effort toward a particular area, said Kit Arbuckle, a former chair of the Okanogan County Republican Party who served on the committee. And it will be a lot easier to find 100 PCOs than 250, he said.

The committee members, who represented areas across the county, including the Colville Reservation, had valuable on-the-ground knowledge about neighborhoods. They all agreed on the new boundaries, said committee member Katie Haven, a PCO for Black Canyon and the former chair of the Okanogan County Democrats.

History

One reason Okanogan County has so many precincts is because it was one of the first counties to switch to voting entirely by mail, back in 2004. At the time, the state capped precincts at 200 registered voters, so Okanogan County broke up its precincts to come under that threshold, Holmes said. (The maximum is now 1,500 registered voters per precinct.) The entire state

switched to a vote-by-mail system in 2011. While other counties have more precincts, Okanogan County has a disproportionate number given its total registered voters. Jefferson County, which has a comparable number of voters, has only 85 precincts, Holmes said.

Redrawing precinct boundaries is common in jurisdictions with larger populations, which revise them regularly as people move or a city annexes a new neighborhood, Holmes said.

Combining precincts for privacy

For the past half-dozen years, Okanogan County has been aggregating precincts to report election results. For example, the aggregated Mazama precinct for the 2024 election incorporated nearby precincts including Wolf Creek, Edelweiss and Lewis Butte.

In her role as Democratic Party chair — and as a candidate for county commissioner in 2020 — Haven looked at election results to help know where to focus efforts. But when the county started aggregating precincts, it became impossible to look at data and trends at the precinct level, Haven said. PCOs hand out literature, talk to voters, and remind people to vote, but it’s hard for candidates to know where voters are without access to detailed election results. It’s also hard to mount get-out-the-vote efforts without this data, Haven said.

Voters will get letter, new card

For data gathering — to have a full year with the same boundaries — state law doesn’t allow precincts to be altered until after the general election

has been certified, so the Auditor’s Office will finalize the new boundaries in November and December, with the goal of using the new precincts starting Jan. 1, 2026, Hall said.

Okanogan County Elections Deputy Matthew Schuh created several options for each precinct for the committee to review and wrote the final descriptions for all precincts. The detailed legal descriptions were written and confirmed by the county Assessor’s Office, and the Planning Department is creating GIS maps. Once finalized, maps and descriptions of all precincts will be posted on the auditor’s website.

In addition to consolidating precincts and redrawing boundaries, county election officials are renaming and renumbering the precincts using a standardized formula. Names will be based on geographic area and use more familiar terms (some existing precincts bear the name of a specific location or unfamiliar geographic feature, such as Bodie or Flats). The numbering conventions will use four digits.

All registered voters will receive a letter explaining the new precincts, along with a new voter-registration card. Public education will be key, Okanogan County Commissioner Jon Neal said, noting that he hopes people don’t simply toss their new card. The county will make sure everyone understands that this is completely different from redistricting or gerrymandering, County Commissioner Andy Hover said. The commissioners adopted the resolution creating the new precincts on Aug. 12.

“We’re definitely not trying to pull a fast one on anyone. We’re just trying to make the system more efficient,” Arbuckle said. “And I think everyone agrees.”

911 blotter

Okanogan County Sheriff’s Office

• On Aug. 11, violation of a restraining order was reported from a location on Konrad Road, Twisp.

• On Aug. 12, a caller on Castle Avenue, Winthrop, reported that they believed someone was intending to kill them while they were sleeping in their vehicle on the street.

• On Aug. 12, a caller reported that a person was leaning against the guardrail on Highway 20 near Mazama.

• On Aug. 12, a civil dispute was reported on Magers Street, Twisp.

• On Aug. 13, a caller at Walter Road and East Chewuch road reported hearing more than 100 gunshots nearby.

• On Aug. 14, violation of a restraining order was reported from a location on Konrad Road, Twisp.

• On Aug. 14, a caller on Highway 153, Carlton, reported that one of their children had used an iPad to steal money from their account.

• On Aug. 15, a caller on Twisp-Winthrop East-

side Road reported an ongoing issue with a neighbor’s cows getting into their pasture.

• On Aug. 15, it was reported that a vehicle was in the ditch on Gold Creek Loop Road, Carlton.

Twisp Police Department

• On Aug. 13, a caller on Magers Street reported that a dog had been barking for two hours.

• On Aug. 16, a caller on East Second Avenue reported that people in the apartment above were jumping up and down, shaking the ceiling and walls.

• On Aug. 17, a caller reported losing a wallet on North Lincoln Street.

Winthrop Marshal’s Office

• On Aug. 11, a disorderly conduct incident was reported in the downtown area.

• On Aug. 17, a caller reported an incident of possible animal abuse on Riverside Avenue, involving dogs left in a vehicle and seeming to be in distress.

Ranger District hosts Twisp River Fire memorial

BY MARCY STAMPER

Almost 100 people came out to pay their respects and remember the three firefighters who died 10 years ago in the Twisp River Fire at the memorial site on the grounds of the Methow Valley Ranger District.

On Tuesday (Aug. 19), the ranger district held a commemoration and opportunity for the community to reflect, share memories and comfort one another at the memorial to Tom Zbyszewski, Rick Wheeler and Andrew Zajac, who died just hours after the fire erupted as they tried to reach a safe zone through dense smoke and flames.

The event also honored fire -

fighter Daniel Lyon, who was severely burned in the incident, and three other firefighters who were injured. Community members and past and present employees with the district gathered around a plaza at the Winthrop headquarters that features a memorial to the firefighters and trees planted in honor of each one.

A private ceremony was held before the community event for families and others close to the men who perished.

Zbyszewski, who was 20 at the time of the fire, grew up in the Methow Valley and graduated from Liberty Bell High School in 2013 as the class salutatorian. He was about to enter his junior year in college.

Zbyszewski had long been active in theater. The Tom Zbyszewski Children’s Theater was established at The Merc Playhouse in Twisp in his honor. The Tom Zbyszewski Children’s Program Fund supports opportunities in theater for young people through scholarships and youth programs.

Wheeler, 31, was a veteran firefighter in the Okanogan area working on a career in public-land management.

Zajac, who was 26, had recently moved to Winthrop and loved the outdoors.

Lyon, who was 25, underwent years of treatments for extensive burns and other injuries. He has been able to resume an active life in the outdoors.

Okanogan County PUD names

Randy Bird general manager

BY MARCY STAMPER

The Okanogan County Public Utility District (PUD) has named long-term employee Randy Bird as its next general manager.

Bird, who has been with the PUD for 30 years, started as a groundman and later held various positions in operations, including operations manager for the past eight years. His selection by the PUD’s board of commissioners

DRAINAGE

foot the bill, either, the public works director said.

“The town should not be responsible for payment to the paving contractor for work that does not meet the specifications in the contract,” Denham said in an interview Wednesday (Aug. 13). “I will see to it that that is the case.”

The subcontractor must also redo two driveway entrances on the west side of the highway that do not meet the town’s safety standards, Denham said.

He noted that this stretch of highway, between the Twisp River Bridge and Day’s Lane near the northern Twisp town limit, was “definitely challenging and took extraordinary attention

was unanimous.

“Randy has been a dedicated employee and an exceptional leader for our utility throughout his many years of service,”

PUD Board Chair

Scott Vejraska said.

“He has deep roots in the community and a wealth of industry knowledge that will

to meet the complex angles.”

“It just didn’t get executed properly by the asphalt crew, and we really couldn’’t determine what the exact issue with the paver was,” Denham said. “We just know that something with the paver was off by enough to cause a low road edge.”

Denham said he saw signs of a “potential problem” during an inspection before the Aug. 1 storm.

“Of course the rain event exposed what I expected,” he said.

The project is on hold in any case, as the contractor waits for delivery of light poles and radar speed signs that will be installed along that stretch of highway. Denham said they may be delivered in late August and installed in early September.

Other work that remains to be

engineering and management.

starts his job as general manager in early October.

done includes road striping and hydroseeding in planted areas. Plants that are dying due to stress will be replaced, and the contractor has agreed to maintain the plantings for one year. Rudnick and Sons was awarded the project after it submitted a $1.49 million bid — well within the $1.95 million in available grant funds. Denham applied for a grant for the project in 2018, and it was originally scheduled for 2020. Overall, Denham said he was “very satisfied” with the prime contractor’s work.

“They have demonstrated exceptional workmanship and professionalism,” he said. “There are a few project items that we are working out, but I work hard to protect the interests of the town and know that we will soon have a completed project.”

Bird replaces Steve Taylor, who is retiring after a decadeslong career — the last seven at the PUD — in electrical technology,

Bird

Randy Bird

The Washington Pass

tion and in need of pothole repair and repaving.

2000. PCT through-hikers will be able to hike through the Rainy Pass area via a signed re-route that allows hikers to avoid the paving areas while Rainy Pass North trailhead is closed. Alternative

access for overnight hikers who need to park a vehicle will be at Cutthroat Lake Trailhead, taking Cutthroat Lake Trail No. 483 until it rejoins the PCT at Cutthroat Pass. That parking area will quickly fill up, the Forest Service said.

Highway 153 Bridge near Gold Creek reduced to one traffic lane

Expect delays on Highway 153, where a bridge 3.5 miles south of Carlton has been reduced to one lane due to safety concerns, according to a Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT)

news release. A crew installed jersey barriers in a travel lane along a deteriorating rail on the bridge, just south of the highway’s northern intersection with Gold Creek Loop Road. A portable traffic signal will allow alternating

traffic to cross the bridge. The speed limit near the bridge has been reduced to 25 mph. Emergency bridge repairs have not yet been scheduled, the news release said. The agency has no timeline for resuming two-lane traffic on the bridge.

Twisp nears compromise on statement protecting rights

BY RALPH SCHWARTZ

If the art of political compromise is about making all parties less than satisfied, then the Town of Twisp appears to be on the verge of success.

The town council is in its fourth month of deliberations over a resolution first passed on May 13, reaffirming Twisp’s commitment to “the constitutional rights of all people within its jurisdiction” — as the latest draft of the statement reads.

While the council is likely to approve the reworded proclamation on Tuesday (Aug. 26), nobody is particularly excited about it. The original authors of the resolution noted the reworded version has no legal impact.

“What’s most disappointing about this is that, yes, there are no teeth,” said one of the authors, Kathleen Manseau, at the Aug. 12 town council meeting. “But at the same time, the folks that I was working with recognize that this is a compromise, and so we feel good about it as a compromise.”

The original resolution, which remains in effect, requires town officials to interpret whether a government action is a violation of constitutional rights — and to avoid taking such actions, or file a report with the town council if an outside agency asks the town to engage in such actions.

Town attorney Scott DeTro flagged these requirements, telling Mayor Hans Smith and former council member Aaron Studen they would expose Twisp to legal liabilities.

As Smith explained it, the original resolution’s language is so open-ended that someone could sue the town if they felt their rights were being violated in some way.

Without wanting to make the issue explicit, the authors had a specific intent in mind when writing the resolution: to protect anyone who might get caught up in the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement actions.

The proclamation now under council consideration affirms the town’s commitment to equal protection under the law; freedom of speech, religion, association and assembly; freedom from unreasonable search and seizure; and right to due process — all rights granted by the U.S. Constitution.

Smith intends for the council to rescind the original resolution and adopt the new proclamation in the same vote.

The original resolution and the proclamation are available at townoftwisp.com. The public is invited to comment on the new statement by the close of business Monday (Aug. 25) at clerktreasurer@townoftwisp. com. People may also comment in person at Tuesday’s council meeting, which begins at 5:30 p.m. at the Twisp Civic Building.

Sanctuary city?

The proclamation seems uncontroversial on its face, but the intent behind it — protecting the rights of all people, regardless of immigration status — has stirred up a political storm in Twisp.

Speaking at the Aug. 12 meeting, town resident and business owner Mark Edson called on the council to rescind the original resolution and abandon the new proclamation. He said the proclamation has instilled “a lot of fear” in him.

“Are we going to open a

sanctuary city here? Is that the intent on this?” he said. “I know that there’s a lot of good people that are getting caught up in this immigration thing. For that, I’m truly sorry, but there’s a lot of people that should be transported out of here.”

Paula Mackrow, another longtime Twisp resident, countered that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is detaining people indiscriminately, regardless of legal status and without due process.

“This has happened before. It can happen again, and it’s really up to us to stand firm,” she said, expressing support for the proclamation.

As for Edson’s concern about Twisp becoming a sanctuary city, the new draft is a step away from that because it has no legal “teeth” and doesn’t require town officials to do anything in particular.

In any case, the state’s 2019 Keep Washington Working Act, which prohibits local and state law enforcement agencies from cooperating with federal immigration agents, has prompted Republicans to label Washington a “sanctuary state.”

Last week, U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi sent a letter to Gov. Bob Ferguson, threatening to file criminal charges against Washington state if it didn’t “eliminate laws, policies and practices that impede federal immigration enforcement.”

Bondi also indicated the state could lose federal funding if it didn’t fall in line with the Trump administration’s immigration practices.

Ferguson responded on X Saturday (Aug. 16): “Washington state has no intention of changing our values in the face of threats from the Trump administration.”

If the Twisp council passes the proclamation on Tuesday, council member Tim Matsui said he hoped to put some teeth back into the town’s policies. In prior meetings, Matsui has said the council should explicitly call out ICE and make a statement that protects people from federal enforcers.

“I’ve been assured by the mayor that we’re going to do some personnel, policy and procedure work in the future,” Matsui said Aug. 12. In an interview on Friday (Aug. 15), Smith said he didn’t want to do anything that would bring Twisp closer to sanctuary status, while acknowledging that such a decision would be up to the council.

“I don’t see a need to address this with policy because it’s already addressed in Washington state” through Keep Washington Working, Smith said.

“There doesn’t seem to be a lot of interest from a majority of the council to start developing sanctuary city language,” he added. “I could be wrong.”

Other business

• Tim McGuire was sworn in Aug. 12 as Twisp’s newest council member, replacing Studen. In January 2026, McGuire will move into the seat being vacated by Wyatt Lundquist. Molly Filer will take over Studen’s old seat after the November election is certified.

• After a monthslong effort, Smith has filled the town’s Civil Service Commission. The mayor appointed three Twisp residents to the commission: former Police Clerk Vicki Hallowell, retired U.S. Forest Service Ranger Michael Liu, and business owner Leone Edson. Liu, along with McGuire, had applied for appointment to Studen’s council seat.

• The council approved an extension on the Civic Building’s solar panel and battery storage project.

“We need a little more time to complete the project,” Smith told the council. “It’s taken us a while to get the equipment that’s been ordered.”

Twisp’s revised contract with the state Department of Commerce anticipates delivery and installation of battery energy storage system parts in September, followed by system testing in October.

Commerce awarded Twisp a $1.1 million Community Decarbonization grant for the project in 2024.

• The council authorized Mayor Smith to sign an agreement with Okanogan County that would transfer the town’s municipal court to county district court. Under the proposed agreement, Twisp would pay the county a $35 filing fee for every traffic infraction and violation of town ordinance brought to district court.

The county commissioners are still reviewing the agreement, so it hasn’t been finalized yet, Smith said. Officials anticipate closing Twisp’s municipal court at the end of 2025.

• With a new member on board, the town council concluded business on Aug. 12 by reassigning members to various boards and committees. Newcomer McGuire agreed to join TranGO’s board of directors — a position Studen had held since 2016.

McGuire will also sit on the town’s Tree Board, the Creative District board (where he had been serving as a town resident) and the Airport Advisory Board. McGuire is also an alternate on the Methow Watershed Council.

Photo courtesy of U.S. Forest Service

Overlook entry road is in rough condi-

Photo by Ralph Schwartz

Twisp’s newest town council member Tim McGuire, right, takes the oath of office from Mayor Hans Smith at the Aug. 12 council meeting.

EDITORIAL

The next prescription

Residents (and taxpayers) in the Three Rivers Hospital district have again endorsed a vital annual tax levy that ensures emergency services will be available at the Brewster facility. More than 70% approval in the recent election indicates that voters understand and believe in the small, rural hospital’s mission — especially at a time when what we consider the inviolable basics of American health care are under assault.

The next challenge is looming quickly, and it has more profound implications for the hospital’s future. At the November general election, the district will ask for voter approval of a bond issue to support needed improvements to the hospital.

The November ask is considerably scaled back from a 2023 request for a bond issue to back construction of a new hospital. However appealing, it was too big a proposal for residents to swallow. At the time, the hospital’s board of directors said they would revisit the drawing board and come back with something that would be more palatable.

In broad outlines, the “Hybrid Renovation Proposal” would include an improved acute care area, upgraded electrical, HVAC and plumbing systems, a new roof and a small two-story addition between the hospital and clinic.

These are pretty basic infrastructure upgrades. But without them, it’s probable that the actual practice of health care would be undermined if not substantially eroded. You need facilities to offer services.

More details will be emerging in the coming months. We encourage district residents — Methow Valley residents among them — to be informed, ask questions, and draw their own conclusions about how well the district makes its case. November will be here soon.

Resolve the resolution

OK, points for patience, perseverance, good intentions and healthy interactions. But it’s time to settle what the Town of Twisp will finally do with the document generally described as an affirmation of the town’s support for constitutional rights and civil liberties.

The debate, revisions, revised revisions and reworked rewordings, all to the apparent satisfaction of nobody, have dragged on too long, diverged too far afield and consumed too much Twisp Town Council and staff time, over an issue that was essentially moot from the beginning. It proceeded in the absence of any evidence that the town had failed to meet its obligation to defend those constitutional guarantees. The resolution was a solution in search of a problem.

As the News has reported, the original proposed language required all town employees, including the mayor and police, “to take no action that would conflict with or impair the constitutional rights and civil liberties of our citizens, residents and visitors.” Who could disagree with that noble sentiment? But other problems with the language have engaged citizens, council members and town resources in a months-long circular argument about the necessity of such a statement, or how it should be worded if deemed necessary.

Does anyone actually think this process has helped define or focus the town’s commitment to basic civil liberties? Not in its current muddled state. Here’s a challenge: Define what the resolution, in its latest iteration, actually accomplishes. High-minded verbiage? No question. But again, to what end?

Meanwhile, the Winthrop Town Council considered a similar document and quickly concluded that it was earnest, well-intended generally agreeable and essentially harmless. They voted “yes” and moved on.

A public official’s oath to protect civil liberties is basic, fundamental and irrevocable in all cases. If those rights are not protected by the people who have sworn to uphold them, there can — and should — be consequences in the public forum and at the polls. Give the council high marks for being responsive to citizen concerns. But Twisp has pressing issues to confront and solve. The resolution isn’t one of them. It’s time to wrap it up, and proceed under the assumption that civil rights will be acknowledged, celebrated and upheld in Twisp. The day that expectation is not met, we would look forward to residents showing up in force at the Civic Building to demand satisfaction.

EXERCISE YOUR FREEDOM. Letters must be fewer than 350 words and may be edited for libel, grammar and taste. Send to: Methow Valley News, P.O. Box 97, Twisp,WA98856,faxto(509)997-3277, email editor@methowvalleynews.com

Methow Valley News

OPINION Box 97: Letters to the editor

MVSD issues

Dear Editor:

Last spring, there was considerable discussion in these pages about proposals to create private alternatives to the Methow Valley School District. Much of the focus was on the potential loss of resources for public schools if enrollment declined. However, there was little discussion of what happens when public schools do not adequately meet students’ needs and no alternative exists.

My family is among several leaving the valley due to the district’s repeated inability to provide a free and appropriate public education for our children. In our case, this means the district loses funding for two fulltime equivalent students, the public library loses its librarian, and the county loses the economic and tax contributions of a family of four living here year-round. It leaves me wondering how many have left before us, and how many may follow in future years.

I want to emphasize that I have great respect for our teachers. My concerns lie with the district administration and the school board. My daughters were fortunate to have skilled and caring classroom teachers, dedicated specials teachers, and a special education teacher who made consistent efforts to grow in her work, despite a lack of support from building administration.

It is notable that the only mention of the district’s “commitment to free and appropriate public education” in Methow Valley Elementary School Principal Paul Gutzler’s recent welcome-back email referred to school supplies. Additionally, while the COVID-19 pandemic affected test scores nationwide, our local scores remain significantly lower even

CORRECTIONS:

as conditions have largely returned to normal. It is time to move beyond attributing these results solely to the pandemic and to address the underlying causes.

As the school board considers an appointment to fill Frank Klein’s seat, I encourage them to select someone with direct ties to our schools and a personal investment in their success, rather than another retiree without active connections to the district. Finally, I believe the community would benefit from more transparency from the district in all aspects of their decision making and administrative choices, but perhaps especially around the recent resignations that have allowed the board to make multiple appointments without public input.

Murray Sampson Winthrop

Honest love

Dear Editor:

The headline of a recent article about “The Next Best Place: Love Letters to a Mountain Town in the American West” said that

An article about a forum on Medicaid in the Aug. 6 issue included an incorrect anniversary of the federal health program. Medicaid just turned 50, not 60.

A caption accompanying an article in the Aug. 13 issue about the Methow River clean-up incorrectly identified the person in the photo. She is Kelly Rohrer.

An article in the Aug. 13 issue about a commemorative event for firefighters who died in the 2015 Twisp River Fire incorrectly identified survivor Daniel Lyon. The News regrets the errors.

By Len Baublitz

Julie Tate-Libby’s book “seems more like a break-up letter” than a love letter to the Methow Valley. I would argue the opposite: this book is what love looks like when it’s honest.

Tate-Libby, who grew up in the valley and returned to raise her own family, offers a thoughtful, clear-eyed exploration of what it means to belong to a place that’s rapidly changing. Her essays acknowledge the tension between memory and progress, between insider and outsider, between the desire to preserve and the reality of transformation. That is not a break-up — it’s engagement. What the article overlooks is the heart of this book: its humor, humility, and deep affection. Much of “The Next Best Place” is infused with a relatable sense of humor as Tate-Libby navigates awkward moments with her daughters, small-town encounters, and the often-conflicting impulses to both fit in and question what “fitting in”” even means. She doesn’t claim authority over the valley — she seeks to understand it, to wrestle with its complexities, and to honor its evolving identity without romanticizing the past. To dismiss her perspective because she also lives part-time in Hawaii is to miss the point. Her duality reflects the book’s central question: Who belongs, and on what terms? “The Next Best Place” doesn’t offer easy answers — it offers reflection, vulnerability, and a deep love for a place she’s never really left.

Nicole Ringgold Winthrop

Legislature adds to transparency assaults

BY COLETTE WEEKS

WASHINGTON COALITION FOR OPEN GOVERNMENT

Our state Legislature’s march toward secrecy is speeding up, despite lawsuits, massive public outcry and even a ruling that was largely against them from the state Supreme Court.

In the latest move against government transparency, the public records officer of the Washington House of Representatives sent an internal email in July to House members outlining a restart of a 30-day email auto-deletion system and a guide on how to get rid of other emails even faster.

This action will destroy records on a regular basis and encourage lawmakers to delete certain emails they deem “transitory” even sooner.

Pushing boundaries for flexibility is one thing. The latest move by the Washington House of Representatives is much more than that. It’s a power grab straight out of the hands of the people they’re supposed to serve.

A Washington Supreme Court ruling in 2019 found individual lawmakers are subject to the Public Records Act but left a question mark about how the chambers themselves must behave. The House, led by House

Harts Pass

Speaker Laurie Jinkins, D-Tacoma, has been poking at that weak spot ever since.

Those wanting answers won’t get much from this House of Representatives. With more power to delete records, lawmakers can hide what they want in providing documents to the pesky public.

What does “transitory” mean? It covers a wide scope and has zero oversight, so it can apply to pretty much anything. If lawmakers want to hide something, it’s now OK to toss it in the “transitory” delete pile. No one would ever know.

Unanswered questions

Left sitting in the dark, we have nothing but unanswered questions. How will we know how a lawmaker arrived at a decision to vote on a bill or whether they are working in our interest? We won’t.

This isn’t about partisanship. This is equal-opportunity anger at repeated attempts to steal and nullify the people’s power. Silence is acceptance.

“It’s hard to believe that after the Washington Supreme Court and the people of Washington clearly told the Legislature to obey the Public Records Act, House leadership continues to think up ways to withhold government-produced documents

requested by citizens,” said George Erb, board member and secretary of the Washington Coalition for Open Government.

The public outcry Washington residents made in 2018 after lawmakers tried to exempt themselves from the Public Records Act convinced then-Gov. Jay Inslee to veto the bill. The next year, the state Supreme Court ruled that lawmakers are subject to the PRA, but with some limits. Pushing to define those limits in the broadest way has become a House mission.

Big flaws

As secrecy reigns, WashCOG would like to point out that the new policy has at least two major flaws:

• It sanctions deleting an email by defining it as “transitory.” That will solidify the direction we are heading, where lawmakers remove many pieces of written information from public view. That will leave us with only formal, finished laws and policies. That flies in the face of what voters wanted when they pushed in 1972 for what became the Public Records Act. And frankly, it flies in the face of transparency and the concept of our democratic republic.

• It says the prime sponsor of a bill is the only one who must

retain emails related to that bill. What about what all the others voting on legislation had to say? Their words and interactions are not transitory, in our opinion. Their conversations, suggestions, promises and ideas matter. This is proof that the slide away from transparency continues. WashCOG studied the state of the Public Records Act and issued a report in 2024 that concluded the people’s right to know was eroding, and the Legislature was the leading cause. We are fighting for transparency, but it seems lawmakers are doubling down. It appears the bad actors won’t back off until the voters and courts demand openness.

That’s where you come in. We hope the people will join us in letting their legislators know that this must not stand. We reject the concept that all they owe us is the finished product when they make laws or do the people’s work. As teachers often require in school, you must show your work to prove you did it the right way.

Don’t forget, they’re supposed to work for us.

Colette Weeks is executive director of the Washington Coalition for Open Government, a nonpartisan, nonprofit advocate for public records, open meetings and informed citizens.

By Erik Brooks

Confluence show expands our landscapes

BY ASHLEY LODATO

The theme of special places connects the two upcoming exhibits at The Confluence: Art in Twisp. While “Restructured Landscapes” in the Main Gallery “explores the delicate and hazy lines that define landscapes,” the Community Gallery features “Home —Beyond Architecture,” a solo exhibit by Janet Fagan, which “explores the idea of home through what she defines as safe spaces for the heart.”

‘Restructured Landscapes’

Curator Robin Doggett calls

“Restructured Landscapes” a “collection of works of the natural world as imagined interpreted, and reinvented by artists,” according to a Confluence press release. “This show will let us see

ARTS BRIEFS

ART CRAWL ON SATURDAY

The next Twisp Art Crawl will be on Saturday (Aug. 23) from 5-7 p.m.

Featured stops will be the RYZO Tasting Room, which will host a reception for local watercolor artist Bethany Wray of Arrowleaf Studios; The Confluence: Art in Twisp, hosting an opening reception for “Reconstructed Landscapes,” curated by Robin Doggett in the Main Gallery and “Home: Beyond Architecture,” a show by Janet Fagan in The Community gallery. Up the road at Last Chance Distilling, local oil paint artist Mary Powell will be featured.

GOBBLERS KNOB AT TWISPWORKS

Next up at the TwispWorks’ Fourth Friday concert at the Pavilion is the Winthrop-based quartet Gobblers Knob, who will take stage on Aug. 22 at 7 p.m. Gobbler’s Knob is Randy Thordarson on guitar, harmonica and mandolin; Stan Wentzel on mandolin and banjo, Michael Kennedy on bass and Jerome Bowler on guitars. The group’s repertoire includes old and new songs, mixed-and-mashed genres including blues and bluegrass. For information, visit twispworks.org.

LIVE MUSIC

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

• Sundays, pianist Michael Brady plays during dinner hours at Tappi in Twisp.

• Sundays, classical guitarist Terry Hunt at the Twisp River Tap House, 5:30 p.m. No cover with purchase.

• First Sundays, Methow Acoustic Musicians Association gathers at The Cove 2 in Twisp from 3-5 p.m. All are invited.

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

• Sundays, intermediate line dancing at Twisp Valley Grange, 5-7 p.m. By donation. Email balsamrootboots@ gmail.com for more information.

• Tuesdays, Methow Ukulele Group meets at various locations around the valley from 3-5 p.m. More information at geraldebell@yahoo.com.

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

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

• Fridays, 5 Rhythms Inspired Dance at Methow Valley Wellness Center, Winthrop, 6-7 p.m. $10 sug-

the diverse environments and media that make up the landscape: our past, present, and futurescapes brought to life.”

Doggett said she was “interested in having a show that gives artists an opportunity to represent an expanded idea of landscape.”

“I noticed in recent art history — different practices, different artists’ work — people are using landscape as a reference for pattern or color, or as a way to make a commentary about something bigger than just a view,” Doggett said. “A lot of that is really relevant right now; we’re seeing commentary about our landscape, about our environment — it’s part of the time we’re living in right now.”

The thought of being able to “examine the link between us and our own environment” was appealing, Doggett said. “Where do nature and human influence

LEARN ABOUT ‘THE CHOSEN’

Pastor and film critic Greg Wright will lead a discussion of the Amazon Prime series “The Chosen,” on Saturday (Aug. 23) at the Winthrop Friendship Alliance Church, starting at 6:30 p.m.

Wright will discuss the series’ theology, its creative choices, and its place in the crossroads of faith and entertainment culture. Popcorn and soda provided.

MOUNTAINFILM FESTIVAL

The Mountainfilm on Tour film festival returns to the Methow Valley for a 10th year of storytelling, outdoor inspiration, and community connection on Labor Day weekend (Aug. 29-31).

The event is moving to the Methow Trails headquarters campus in Winthrop this year. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the films begin at 8 p.m. each night (Friday through Sunday). Tickets are $20 per night in advance (or $60 for all three days) or $25 at the door. Attendance is free for ages 14 and younger. Tickets are available online at https://methow-film-collective.square.site/.

gested donation.

• Fridays, open mic jam with Gregg Hardy at Twisp River Tap House, 6 p.m.-closing. No cover.

• Saturdays: (Aug. 23, 30), singer/ songwriter Emele Clothier performs at Methow Valley Ciderhouse in Winthrop starting at 5:30 p.m. No cover with purchase.

• Second Saturdays, Sound Bath with Tania at the Methow Valley Wellness Center, 7-8 pm. $20. Bring a mat, blanket, and pillow.

• Thursday, Aug. 21, David Nolet at Jupiter in Winthrop, 6-8 p.m. Free.

• Friday, Aug. 22, Flannel Underground at Bear Creek Golf Course, 5-7:30 p.m.

• Friday, Aug. 22, Wayne Mendro and Dave Nolet play jazz at Meza restaurant, Winthrop, 5:30-8 p.m. No cover.

• Friday, Aug. 22, Winthrop-based Gobblers Knob (Randy Thordarson, Stan Wentzel, Michael Kennedy and Jerome Bowler) at TwispWorks Pavilion for Fourth Friday concert, 7 p.m. Free.

• Saturday, Aug. 23, karaoke with KJ April Peterson at Twisp River Tap House, 6:30 p.m. at the Twisp River Tap House. No charge with purchase.

• Thursday, Aug. 28, Danbert Nobacon at Jupiter in Winthrop, 6-8 p.m., accompanied by Anna Dooley, Sylvie Henry and Loren Boley. Free.

• Thursday, Aug. 28, Jazz Train quartet at Twisp River Tap House, 6-8 p.m. Free.

meet and where do they diverge?”

Doggett and the team at The Confluence put out a call to artists, asking them to expand the definition of what a landscape is: real or imagined; past, present, or future. Artists were also invited to consider human influences. A cityscape is a landscape, for example, Doggett said, as is a photograph of a trailer with a dead car in front of it. There are also non-visual landscapes, like a political landscape or an internal landscape.

Doggett said that the response to the show has been strong. “The talent represented is quite exceptional,” she said, noting in particular her excitement about submissions from local artists like Craig and Perri Howard, Laura Karcher, Tori Karpenko, Marcy Stamper, and Claire Waichler.

Regional artists like printmaker

FRESH FACES

Abbie Birmingham and photographers Marcus Shriver and John Woodruff will also be featured in the show.

Most work is two-dimensional — paintings, photographs — but there are a couple of 3D pieces, Doggett said, referring to some of Craig Howard’s work and a sculpture Karcher created out of wood reclaimed from a wildfire.

“The theme is really general but it’s also intensely personal,” Doggett said. “It’s really exciting to see how the artists are integrating landscape as concept — not just content — into their work.”

‘Home — Beyond Architecture’

In the Community Gallery, “Home — Beyond Architecture” complements the landscape exhibit in the Main Gallery. “The idea of ‘Home’ implies safety:

Photos by Ralph Schwartz

Acts at Guaranteed Fresh Fest entertained a good crowd that enjoyed the mild August weather at John Doran’s ranch. Lucy Doran, below, sang with family members performing as Generational Pride. Angela Cross, right, fronted Make Up Sax Saturday evening (Aug. 16). John Doran, below, presided briefly over the festivities on his horse.

a space where we can be ourselves and find rest,” according to the press release. The exhibit asks, “When our sense of home is lost, how can we rediscover it? Where do we feel most at peace, most welcome, and most at ease? Who can be welcomed in?”

Fagan wrote, “My deepest sense of ‘Home’ is often constructed by the sky and earth, as the landscape witnesses my life and reminds me of my connection to all things. People or animals I love are my places of rest. This exhibit presents spaces of safety as I feel them, inviting you to reflect, create, and respond.”

The Confluence will host an opening for both exhibits on Saturday (Aug. 23) from 5-7 p.m., with refreshments. The opening and the exhibits, available through Sat. Oct. 4, are free to the public.

The Shafer recounts Winthrop’s colorful history

Two presentations at The Barn to look at town’s ‘First 60 Years’

BY RALPH SCHWARTZ

How did Winthrop get its name? How did early settlers endure the upper Methow Valley’s harsh winters and the plagues of summer mosquitos? And why did David Heckendorn establish a town site right next to Guy Waring’s Winthrop?

Some of these questions — and more — will be answered at the Shafer Historical Museum’s presentation “Our Methow Home: Winthrop, the First 60 Years,” this Friday evening and Saturday afternoon (Aug. 22 and 23) at the Winthrop Barn. The answers can also be found in the museum’s latest book in its “Our Methow Home” series, which chronicles life in Winthrop from 1886 to 1946.

History in the Methow starts well before the 19th century, of course, and the book also goes back in time to describe the impact of the Ice Age on the valley and the lives of its indigenous people, dating back more than 12,000 years.

After the Methow Tribe was relocated to the Colville Reservation, the Winthrop area opened up to homesteaders such as Heckendorn, Jimmie Sullivan and Walter Frisbee.

“They came up here because this was one of the last places in the continental U.S. where there was still free homesteading available,” said Sharon Sumpter, a volunteer archivist at the museum who will give the presentations.

Saturday’s event will be a repeat of Friday’s; those interested in Winthrop’s history are invited to choose whichever day is more convenient.

A ‘highfalutin’ founder

Waring settled in Winthrop in 1897.

While history sees him as Winthrop’s founding father, he rubbed some of the other settlers the wrong way with his Boston accent and “highfalutin” ways, as the Shafer’s history book tells the story.

Waring’s Duck Brand Saloon was a perennial money-loser, probably because he offered patrons no place to sit and limited them to two drinks.

This may have been wise; more than one of Winthrop’s earliest pioneers was prone to alcoholism, according to the book, and one even needed to be committed to an asylum in Cheney — twice.

Sumpter will dish on some of the earliest Winthrop notables at the presenta-

Five people injured in accidents involving DUI

WSP hints at more enforcement in the Methow Valley

BY RALPH SCHWARTZ

Two accidents on local highways in two days last week, both involving DUIs, resulted in multiple injuries and a felony vehicular assault charge for a Bellingham woman, according to the Washington State Patrol (WSP) and court records.

Shaylynn Jojola, 22, of Bellingham was booked into the Okanogan County Jail Friday (Aug. 15) after a collision late Thursday just north of Twisp that injured 76-year-old Christopher Webb.

Webb, listed on a WSP memo with a Seattle address, was transported to Three Rivers Hospital. His condition was not available.

Jojola was northbound on Highway 20 shortly before 11 p.m. Thursday (Aug. 14) when she crossed the centerline in a 2012 Acura TL and struck Webb, who was driving a 2013 Subaru Outback, the memo said. The head-on collision closed the highway for seven hours.

Jojola was taken to Three Rivers also, and released shortly after. She appeared in Okanogan County Superior Court Friday on charges of DUI and vehicular assault, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. She was released from jail, and her arraignment was set for Monday (Aug. 25).

The second incident occurred around 2:40 p.m. Friday (Aug. 15) on Highway 97, 2 miles

south of Pateros. Ray Hopkins of Twisp is being investigated on suspicion of DUI after crossing the centerline going south and sideswiping three vehicles, WSP Trooper Jeremy Weber said.

Hopkins’ 2022 Nissan Frontier pickup rolled and came to rest on the driver’s side in the ditch next to the northbound lane, a WSP memo said.

Hopkins, 62, was airlifted to Central Washington Hospital in Wenatchee, where he was reported in stable condition Monday (Aug. 18).

Two other drivers, Olene Crawford of Covington and Benjamin Wilson of Omak, were transported to Three Rivers Hospital. Their conditions weren’t immediately known.

Two Brewster residents in a fourth vehicle were uninjured, the memo said.

Highway 97 was closed for five hours after the crash, according to a WSP post on X.

Trooper Weber noted a rash of recent DUIs in Okanogan County, including another serious crash after the Omak Stampede.

“It’s a mess right now up there,” Weber said — despite persistent public service announcements warning against driving under the influence.

“The message isn’t getting out, or the people that are doing these things don’t care,” Weber said.

He added that WSP is intent on enforcing DUI laws, including in the Methow Valley — an out-of-the-way part of his fivecounty region.

“We will work those areas, and we’re not giving up,” he said. “We’re going to win, one way or another.”

IF YOU GO:

What: A historical presentation: “Winthrop, the First 60 Years”

When: 7 p.m. Friday (Aug. 22) and 1 p.m. Saturday (Aug. 23)

Where: The Winthrop Barn, 51 State Route 20 Cost: Free for all ages

tion — the museum’s sixth in a series that has covered Methow, Twisp, Carlton and other locales.

“This is the one I’ve had the most fun with because Winthrop has so many characters,” she said.

Sumpter will show a 50-minute video and take questions from the audience. She can tell those in attendance about the rise and fall of early mines, ranches, sawmills and even newspapers. (One early competitor to the Methow Valley News lasted less than a year. The editor had barricaded himself in his office with a rifle, to avoid being fired.)

Life during pioneer days wasn’t easy, but Winthrop denizens knew how to have fun. They held all-night dance parties, and the whole town showed up to blowout Christmas parties and Fourth of July picnics — complete with a “Goddess of Liberty” posing with a torch. (No word on the status of burn bans in the 1890s.)

history may be colorful, but Sumpter pointed out that her presentation will be appropriate for all

READY TO MOVE DIRT

will be available for purchase.

As anticipated, construction work has begun at the future home of the new Jamie’s Place facility in

senior care provider is building on 2.2 acres between Methow Street and the Methow River. The

replace the current senior care facility in Winthrop, and will double capacity from 12 to 24

The

Construction is expected to take 24 months, with a goal of “substantial completion” by the end of July 2027. The budget to build the new facility is $20 million. More information about the expansion project is available at jamiesplace.org.

Winthrop’s

ages. Historical photos will be on display inside the Barn, and the museum’s books

Photo courtesy of Shafer Historical Museum

The Winthrop Land Office did a brisk business in the town’s early days.

Photo by Marcy Stamper

Twisp.

long-term

new Jamie’s Place will

residents.

SPORTS & RECREATION

‘Fitzmo’

Liberty Bell grad parlayed basketball into an L.A. career

BY RICK LEWIS

For 2017 Liberty Bell High School graduate and multi-sport athlete Lauren Fitzmaurice, high school sports, basketball in particular, have been a launching pad into a universe seemingly worlds away from her quiet rural childhood. Her interest in film production and movies led her to upstate New York and the prestigious school of communications at Syracuse University, but basketball quickly became the vehicle for her success in school and the universe of the internet in the cosmopolitan world of Southern California.

Fitzmaurice’s identity is found in her alter ego, of sorts — Lolo Fitzmo, an internet influencer who plays basketball, entertains thousands with her antics and makes a little side money from sponsorships and followers on her YouTube and Instagram feeds.

Fitzmaurice, now 26 years old, was a standout student athlete, earning allleague athletic and academic honors in several sports while in high school. She was also a member of the National Honor Society and Liberty Bell Key Club while a student at the Methow Valley campus.

Fitzmaurice still holds the school record in the high jump, the only Mountain Lion girl to clear 5 feet, is third in the long jump at 16 feet, 1 inch, and is sixth all-time in the 100- and 300-meter hurdles. She qualified for the state track championships in each of her four seasons.

Since her young days in the Methow Valley’s AAU Youth basketball program, hooping has been her thing. She played under the tutelage of veteran high school coach Ed Smith at Liberty Bell. Fitzmaurice credited Smith, who passed away recently, with her belief in herself.

“He would always tell me that anything is possible,” she said. “Your parents, their job is to instill some measure of fear in you, like ‘maybe you can do that,’ but Ed was always making you believe you can accomplish anything if you put in the work.”

“The girls’ program [at the high

worked hard to realize her dreams

school] wasn’t very good” before Smith took over, Fitzmaurice recalled. “But he got things turned around. He got League Coach of the Year one year by making us believe we could play and compete.”

Fitzmaurice left her mark on Liberty Bell girls’ basketball. In her senior campaign of 2016-17, she led the team in scoring with a 22-point per game average and finished her career with over 1,500 points. In one game she set a school record with eight three-pointers, and led her team into the district basketball tournament. She was also named as the Mountain Lions’ Most Valuable Player in each of her four years.

Her favorite memory at Liberty Bell is being nominated for the McDonald’s Basketball All-American game series.

“I had asked Coach Smith what it took to play in that game. He asked if I was serious and told me I would need to be recommended by somebody.”

“Next thing I know I was at an assembly at school and the Athletic Director Michael Wilbur said that he had one more announcement. He called my name and told everyone that I was going to play in that game, which was a total surprise.”

Syracuse, and beyond

It was also the beginning of her rise in the game of basketball nationally. Fitzmaurice built a three-year career in the world of D1 NCAA basketball at Syracuse.

The Methow Valley News profiled Fitzmaurice when she was first named to the Orange women’s program roster as a rare walk-on player. She was on the roster as a freshman in 2017-18 but never played, then saw limited action in her sophomore and junior seasons and joined 10 other players leaving the program before the 2020-21 season with her senior year and a COVID bonus year of eligibility. She finished her degree without using anymore of her eligibility.

After graduating in communications and marketing, it was time for some other soul searching and it began with basketball. Never mind the WNBA, there were no calls coming from Japan, Europe or Australia, all destinations for many U.S. collegiate women hoopsters.

“I was like ‘dang,’ I had worked for so long at this sport and put so much into it. I was, like, what was the point?” That’s when she moved back out west, and things began to happen for her.

“I just started making these short videos and had some followers,” Fitzmaurice said. She is taking acting classes, propelled by an attitude that she has built on since her childhood and high school days when she was determined to be the hardest working person in the class, workplace, or on the floor.

“It’s definitely an advantage to know that your hard work is rewarded,” she said. “That I’m going to get out what I put into everything I do.”

“I didn’t get the playing time I wanted at Syracuse, but I think my teammates would tell you I was the hardest working member of the team,” Fitzmaurice recalled. “The reps I put in at Syracuse every single day are paying off today.”

Once again, the Ed Smith philosophy of hard work and reward echoed in her mind. She continued to work out, playing pickup games, and experimented making a few videos. A project titled “She’s The Man,” which Fitzmaurice describes as a “classic,” featured her, dressed and made up as a man, playing a pick-up game in an L.A. area gym with a bunch of guys.

Several more videos led to some calls from women’s professional teams in Europe in 2022, including a particularly enticing conversation with a team from France. “It was really tempting,” she recalled. “A year in France might not be

the worst thing. But I was making such good money in L.A. The internet kind of works in waves, and I just couldn’t give it up at the time.”

Fitzmaurice is following her basketball dream through her videos. She shows up on a number of YouTube and Instagram under her own moniker, Lolo Fitzmo, and on other production videos under various other names. Most of her current work is in production, which includes getting sponsorships, lining up equipment and, of course, acting. She spends a bunch of time in “brand meetings” putting together deals and presenting her ideas.

Her You Tube productions show viewers in the tens of thousands. “She’s The Man,” posted three years ago, has drawn more than 730,000 views. Her YouTube channel, Lolo Fitzmo, boasts 286,000 subscribers.

Many valley fans will recall the agile guard with deceptively quick hands on defense, whose trademark look was a long blond ponytail. She has grown into a new look with adulthood that includes the ponytail, but more of a Morticia Addams coal black these days, a look she adopted early in college.

“I dyed my hair darker and I really liked it, so just went with it,” she said.

There might be change in the future, though, being back on the West Coast and looking for a job in acting. “I may get asked to change it, so I might end up being blond again. We’ll see how it goes.”

Looking ahead

Ten years from now, Fitzmaurice sees herself both in front of and behind the camera. “When I was in fifth grade I asked for a video editing software for Christmas,” she said. “I got an early start.”

The bug bit her hard and she took video production all the way through high school. Her favorite project was in ninth grade where she had a Public Service Announcement (PSA) assignment to complete.

“I made this super-dramatic one-minute long thing where I was on a mountain and took it to the moon, just for fun,” she said.

“I really enjoyed the filmmaking because it was You Tube and not that difficult, but when I went to L.A., I was forced more and more in front of the camera,” she said.

She singles out author, actor, producer

Changes may be coming to a popular national park

North Cascades considers options to ease congestion

BY ANN MCCREARY

To deal with increasing numbers of visitors and resulting congestion, North Cascades National Park Service Complex is exploring ideas like providing shuttles to popular hiking destinations, creating floating campsites on Ross Lake, and relocating some campgrounds and trailheads. The North Cascades National Park Service Complex includes North Cascades National Park, the Ross Lake National Recreation Area (NRA) and the Lake Chelan NRA.

In 2019, the park recorded 1 million visitors and each year the numbers keep growing. The Ross Lake NRA, the most accessible and heavily used part of the national park complex, has seen visitation double during the past two decades.

People traveling to or from the Methow Valley over the North Cascades Highway (State Route 20) during summer are familiar with traffic congestion and crowded parking lots at popular trailheads and campgrounds along the portion of the scenic highway that passes through the Ross Lake NRA.

To address impacts of increasing visitation, the park is developing plans to improve the experience of visitors and protect resources. The plan focuses on the “frontcountry” areas of the park along the North Cascades Highway corridor and in the Ross Lake NRA.

The Ross Lake NRA follows the Skagit River through the park and includes three reservoirs — Ross Lake, Diablo Lake and Gorge Lake. Many of the park’s popular trailheads, campsites and water access points are located in the Ross Lake NRA.

One option proposed to reduce congestion is developing shuttle service

between Newhalem on the park’s western entrance and popular destinations along State Route 20, such as Ross Dam Trailhead and other hiking destinations.

The shuttle could be operated by a concessionaire or through a partnership, according to information on the park website about the planning project.

The park’s preliminary plans propose park-wide actions including improving accessibility with more handicapped accessible parking, campsites and facilities like restrooms and picnic areas. The park is also exploring ways to provide visitors with up-to-date information about road and parking conditions.

Looking at options

Possible changes for specific areas within the park that are being explored through the planning process include:

• Relocating the Wilderness Information Center in Marblemount to a more accessible location, such as the North Cascades Visitor Center in Newhalem.

• Modifying campground areas at Goodell Creek near Newhalem to make space for Tribal and traditional uses.

• Relocating group camping from Newhalem to Lower Goodell, and providing new overnight parking spaces for vans to meet growing demand.

• Making changes to the Sourdough Trail such as a new route, relocating the trailhead, or possible removal.

• Redesigning the Gorge Lake campground for other overnight uses such as walk-in campsites or overnight van parking.

• Introducing floating campsites on Ross Lake to offer unique overnight experiences and reduce land-based impacts. Making improvements at the Ross Lake trailhead to optimize the existing parking area.

• Converting the Hozomeen area in the northern part of the park to a backcountry use area and issue permits for use.

The Colonial Creek area, which has two campgrounds on Diablo Lake, is one of the most congested and impacted areas of the park. Several possible

Map courtesy of National Park Service

The National Park Service is looking ways to ease congestion at high-use areas.

changes at Colonial Creek are suggested in the plan, including:

• Designating areas specifically for day use or overnight use to reduce congestion and improve access.

• Improving parking access and organization throughout the area.

• Constructing a new trail under the highway bridge to safely connect the north and south sections of the site, eliminating the need for pedestrians to cross Highway 20.

• Limiting water access to hand-powered watercraft to reduce environmental impacts.

• Closing or relocating the current boat launch.

• Relocating the Thunder Knob Trailhead to improve access and safety.

• Restoring the Thunder Arm area into a natural wetland habitat.

Need for planning

The park began the planning project this year to “address a wide range of issues associated with changing conditions. These include impacts to resources due to increases in fires, floods, number of visi-

and clothing designer Lisa Ray as an inspiration. “She does most everything and I see myself, maybe, doing all that,” Fitzmaurice said. “I have a short film in production currently. So, yeah, in five to 10 years I see myself in the credits both in front and behind the camera.”

“Basketball has opened up most everything for me,” said Fitzmaurice, “but I would like to spread myself out, stretch a little. I would love to do dramas and dram-adies (comedic dramas).” Fitzmaurice’s work has taken her to Florida for the NCAA Women’s Final Four basketball championship, New York and New England for commercial shooting, and back to Los Angeles for more work and life in the big city.

“She’s definitely a city girl,” said mom Shannon Skibeness of Mazama “I was wondering at first when she moved there from Syracuse, but L.A. agrees with her and there is work there.”

“I wasn’t really sure how she would like it, but then everything she does, she does because she wants to do it and it always seems to work out for her,” said her father, Peter Fitzmaurice. “Still, she needs to come home every so often.” Fitzmaurice recently returned for a family wedding. “Then she decided to stay for two extra weeks,” her mom said. Fitzmaurice also went on a few hikes and dangled her feet in the Methow River near their Mazama area home.

While she was home, Fitzmaurice reunited with brothers Nicholas and Skyler. Skyler considers himself a world photographer who fishes in Alaska with a local commercial fisherman for a part of the summer, then jets off to exotic locations to shoot nature with his camera. Nicholas works for an environmental nonprofit in Montana as a lobbyist in the Montana Legislature.

As for Lolo Fitzmo, she’ll be a constant presence on your Instagram and You Tube channels for a while yet. In fact, she has no plans to go anywhere permanently, except maybe to eventually retire to Manhattan Beach where she intends to watch the beach and not surf.

“I have a new car, a new apartment and hope to retire to the beach. That’s where I’ve always felt I was meant to be,” she said. “In my experience, every time I want something to happen, it happens. But I believe it’s going to happen and I work to make it happen.”

SPORTS BRIEFS

LABOR DAY RODEO IS COMING

The Methow Valley Labor Day Rodeo will be staged on Labor Day weekend — Saturday, Aug. 30, and Sunday, Aug. 31 — at the Rodeo Grounds off of Twin Lakes Road between Twisp and Winthrop.

The event, hosted by the Methow Valley Horsemen, will start at 1 p.m. each day. Tickets are $20 for adults; $10 for kids ages 7-12; free for kids 6 and younger. There will be a food concession at the rodeo. Events will include saddle bronc, bull riding and children’s competition. For more information, visit https://methowvalleyrodeo.com.

BIKE RIDE IN MAZAMA

tors, and decreases in reservoir levels and staffing,” the planning documents said.

Among its primary objectives, the planning project is seeking to improve visitor access and safety and reduce congestion at parking lots and along State Route 20, particularly during summer peak season. Although the planning effort focuses on frontcountry areas, “many of these places provide access to backcountry locations,” the park documents said.

The park requested feedback this summer from stakeholders, like the Washington Trails Association, Tribes and the public on goals and potential management strategies.

According to the project timeline, the park will incorporate feedback and develop management strategies during the coming fall and winter, and will review draft concepts with partners, stakeholders and Tribes during the coming winter and spring.

A draft plan and National Environmental Policy Act documentation will be developed by spring of 2026 and available for public review in summer 2026. Public feedback will be incorporated and a final plan completed in spring 2027.

Methow At Home hosts a social bike ride on the Founders’ Trail in Mazama with volunteer Dorothy Mitchel on Thursday, Aug. 28, starting from the Mazama Public House parking lot at 10 a.m. Bring your helmet and some water for the ride. To register, visit methowathome.org.

BOOSTER CLUB MEETS

The Liberty Bell Booster Club will hold its first meeting of the year on Monday, Sept. 8, at 6 p.m. in the Liberty Bell High School library. Fans of the Mountain Lions, parents of athletes in all sports, and community members are all invited. Planning for concessions at Mountain Lion events, and recruitment of volunteers, will be discussed. Formation of committees, project ideas and fundraising beyond concessions will be other topics. For more information, visit www.libertybellboosterclub.com/ or email lbhboosterclub1@gmail. com.

Photo by Rick Lewis

Liberty Bell High School graduate

Lauren Fitzmaurice, recently back home in the valley for a visit, is building an online media presence.

CLASSIFIEDS

support the environment of care for patients and staff Performs skilled (journey level) maintenance, repair, and construction duties in one or more trades Monday-Friday with rotating call-time Interested Candidates may apply in person or by mailing their resume to: Three Rivers Hospital Human Resources Dept PO Box 577 Brewster, WA 98812 www threerivershospital net opportunity@trhospital net EOE THREE FINGERED JACK’S is looking for a brave soul to be a restaurant server. If you can carry three plates, dodge drunk uncles, and still remember what table 12 ordered—this might be your moment. $16.66/hr + tips + incentives! Must apply in person. Call 509996-2411 for an appointment…or take your chances walking in. Experience helps. Attitude matters. Join the madness! NORTH VALLEY LUMBER hiring multiple positions, yard worker

$18-24/hour sales counter

$20-28/hour, delivery driver part/ full time $20-$28/hour, CDL delivery driver part or full time $25-30/ hour Monday to Friday only Full time benefits include paid health insurance and 401K Email resume to JUSTIN@northvalleylumber.com

34 SERVICES DRYWALL INSTALLATION & REPAIR... Mudding, Tapping, and Texturing Specialist... 35+ years of experience, Lots of Valley References... Free Estimates call 509 997-2128 STEPPIN’WOLF SERVICES BACKHOE, Loader, for hire. Expert operator-reasonable hourly rates 509996-2456 CLEAN UP HAUL AWAY.... “Fire Wize Your Property” Lumber, Old Pallets, Bitter Brush, Branches, Thistle, Pinecones, Logs, Tree Falling, and Basic Property Clean Up and Salvage... Also Metal, Aluminum, Iron and Recyclable Items... Clean your Garage Out? OK... Trucks and Excavators Ready Haul so give me a Call @ 509 997-2128 for Free Estimates. Lots of Valley References from Mazama to Chelan STATEWIDE DIRECTV

All your entertainment Nothing on your roof! Sign up for Directv and get your first three months of Max, Paramount+, Showtime, Starz, MGM+ and Cinemax included Choice package $84 99/mo Some restrictions apply Call DIRECTV 1-888-492-3055

REPLACE YOUR ROOF with the best looking and longest lasting material – steel from Erie Metal Roofs! Three styles and multiple colors available Guaranteed to last a lifetime! Limited Time Offerup to 50% off installation + Additional 10% off install (for military, health workers & 1st responders ) Call Erie Metal Roofs: 1-844-800-9166 WE BUY HOUSES for Cash AS IS! No repairs No fuss Any condition Easy three step process: Call, get cash offer and get paid Get your fair cash offer today by calling Liz Buys Houses: 1-888720-3848 SUNSETTER. America’s Number One Awning! Instant shade at the touch of a button Transform your deck or patio into an outdoor oasis Up to 10-year limited warranty Call now and SAVE $350 today! 1-888-670-2385

DONATE YOUR CAR, truck, boat, RV and more to support our veterans! Schedule a FAST, FREE vehicle pickup and

All discharges and runoff goes to ground water. Any persons desiring to present their views to the Washington State Department of Ecology regarding this Application, or interested in Ecology’s action on this Application, may notify Ecology in writing no later than 30 days of the last date of publication of this notice. Ecology reviews public comments and considers whether discharges from this project would cause a measurable change in receiving water quality, and, if so, whether the project is necessary and in the overriding public interest according to Tier II anti-degradation requirements under WAC 173-201A-320.

Comments can be submitted to: ecyrewqianoi@ecy.wa.gov, or ATTN: Water Quality Program, Construction Stormwater Washington State Department of Ecology P.O. Box 47696 Olympia, WA 98504-7696

Published in the Methow Valley News August 20 and 27, 2025. IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON OKANOGAN COUNTY

In re Estate of Sylvia J. Smith, Deceased No. 19-4-00111-24

NOTICE OF SALE OF REAL PROPERTY under RCW 11.56.090 and 100 J. Bart Bradshaw, as personal representative of the Estate of Sylvia J. Smith, deceased, provides notice of the sale of the following real property located in Chelan County, Washington, by negotiation under RCW 11.56.090 for the cash price of $130,000.00: LOTS 26, 27, & 28 BLOCK 19, LAKE PARK ADDITION TO CHELAN, CHELAN COUNTY, WASHINGTON, ACCORDING TO THE PLAT THEREOF RECORDED IN VOLUME 1 OF PLATS, PAGE 27, RECORDS OF CHELAN COUNTY, WASHINGTON. Chelan County tax parcel number 272214662561. The date after which this sale can be confirmed by order of the Okanogan County Superior Court is September 2, 2025. Date of Publication: August 20, 2025.

ADDRESS FOR MAILING OR SERVICE: PO Box 3059, Winthrop, WA 98862

Attorney for the Personal Representative: Natalie N. Kuehler, WSBA #50322, The Kuehler Law Firm, PLLC Court and Case Number: Okanogan County Superior Court – No. 19-4-00111-24 Published in the Methow Valley News August 20, 2025.

NOTICE OF ADOPTION OF ORDINANCE NO. 793

(TOWN OF WINTHROP, WASHINGTON)

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Town of Winthrop has adopted its Ordinance No. 793, which in summary, amends the official zoning map referenced in Title 17, Zoning.

Said ordinance may be examined at the Winthrop Town Hall during regular business hours or a copy will be mailed upon request.

This notice is given by order of the Town Council and pursuant to R.C.W. 35.27.300.

Dated this 11th day of August, 2025.

Michelle Gaines - Town Clerk Town of Winthrop, Washington Published in the Methow Valley News August 20, 2025.

NOTICE OF ADOPTION OF ORDINANCE NO. 794

(TOWN OF WINTHROP, WASHINGTON)

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Town of Winthrop has adopted its Ordinance No. 794, which in summary, annexes certain territory to the Town of Winthrop (Winthrop/Smith Annexation), provides for the assumption of existing indebtedness, shall be subject to the Comprehensive Land Use Plan and assigns a zoning classification.

Said ordinance may be examined at the Winthrop Town Hall

during regular business hours or a copy will be mailed upon request. This notice is given by order of the Town Council and pursuant to R.C.W. 35.27.300.

Dated this 11th day of August, 2025.

Michelle Gaines - Town Clerk Town of Winthrop, Washington Published in the Methow Valley News August 20, 2025.

NOTICE OF ADOPTION OF ORDINANCE NO. 795

(TOWN OF WINTHROP, WASHINGTON)

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Town of Winthrop has adopted its Ordinance No. 795, which in summary, annexes certain territory to the Town of Winthrop (Shaw Annexation), provides for the assumption of existing indebtedness, shall be subject to the Comprehensive Land Use Plan and assigns a zoning classification.

Said ordinance may be examined at the Winthrop Town Hall during regular business hours or a copy will be mailed upon request.

This notice is given by order of the Town Council and pursuant to R.C.W. 35.27.300.

Dated this 11th day of August, 2025.

Michelle Gaines - Town Clerk Town of Winthrop, Washington Published in the Methow Valley News August 20, 2025.

NOTICE OF ADOPTION OF ORDINANCE NO. 796 (TOWN OF WINTHROP, WASHINGTON)

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Town of Winthrop has adopted its Ordinance No. 796, which in summary, annexes certain territory to the Town of Winthrop (Methow Housing Trust Annexation), provides for the assumption of existing indebtedness, shall be subject to the Comprehensive Land Use Plan and assigns a zoning classification.

Said ordinance may be examined at the Winthrop Town Hall during regular business hours or a copy will be mailed upon request.

This notice is given by order of the Town Council and pursuant to R.C.W. 35.27.300.

Dated this 11th day of August, 2025.

Michelle Gaines - Town Clerk Town of Winthrop, Washington Published in the Methow Valley News August 20, 2025.

NOTICE OF ADOPTION OF ORDINANCE NO. 797 (TOWN OF WINTHROP, WASHINGTON)

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Town of Winthrop has adopted its Ordinance No. 797, which in summary, amends westernization code Chapter 15.08 of the Winthrop Municipal Code. Said ordinance may be examined at the Winthrop Town Hall during regular business hours or a copy will be mailed upon request. This notice is given by order of the Town Council and pursuant to R.C.W. 35.27.300.

Dated this 11th day of August, 2025. Michelle Gaines - Town Clerk Town of Winthrop, Washington Published in the Methow Valley News August 20, 2025. SEPA 2025-6 OCEC RIVER CROSSINGS

Threshold SEPA Determination Scott Brainard on behalf of Utilities One, Tyler Wolf has submitted a JAPRPA and SEPA Checklist to install new fiber optic cable over the Methow, Chewuch and Lost Rivers connecting to existing utility poles. A total of 12 crossings are proposed. No in water work is proposed.

Project Location: All crossings are aerial, the Methow River crossings are OCEC F1 Feeder – Lost River Airport -Methow River, 48.635768,120.485983, Mazama Methow River 48.543704,-120.323334, 1st, 2nd 48.546609,-120.326709, Twisp Methow River 48.3635794,120.1152376, Mazama Methow River Bridge 48.590268,120.406957, Winthrop Methow River 48.481099,-120.219451, Winthrop Methow River 48.4730499,120.1771826, Winthrop Methow

River 48.475034,-120.196281. Chewuch River at OCEC F1 Feeder Winthrop Hwy 20 – Chewuch River Bridge 48.4771308,120.1866728, Chewuch River 48.5087183,-120.11868649, Chewuch River 48.4829642,120.1818484, Lost River Airport 48.654735,-120.506850. Within T. 34N., R. 21 E.W.M, S. 2, 3, 4, T. 35N. R. 20 E.W.M., S. 10, T. 35N R 21E.W.M., S 26, 27, 32, T.36N R. 19E.W.M., S. 5,9,25

Comments must be submitted in writing to the Okanogan County Office of Planning & Development, 123 5th Ave N Ste. 130, Okanogan, WA 98840, no later than September 4, 2025. All comments will be reviewed for relevance, and if necessary, the DNS will be changed. If no comments are received or the comments received do not provide probable, significant, and adverse impacts from the proposal, the DNS will stand. Information is available at the Office of Planning and Development. Direct questions and comments to: Charlene Schumacher, Senior Planner, Okanogan County Office of Planning & Development, 123 5th Ave. N, Suite 130, Okanogan, WA 98840, (509) 422-7113.

Published in the Methow Valley News August 20, 2025; Okanogan Valley Gazette-Tribune August 21, 2025. OVG1018444

PUBLIC SERVICE

ANNOUNCEMENT:

The Okanogan County Central Landfill, Ellisforde Transfer Station, Bridgeport Transfer Station, & Twisp Transfer Station will be closed on Saturday, August 30, 2025 in observance of the Labor Day Holiday. All locations will resume regular schedules on Tuesday, September 2, 2025. Also, summer hours will end August 31, 2025 and regular hours will resume September 1, 2025. Published in the Methow Valley News on August 20, 27, 2025 and the Okanogan Valley Gazette-Tribune August 21, 28, 2025. OVG1018437

OKANOGAN COUNTY NOTICE OF FINAL DECISION EXEMPT SEGREGATION: (PARCEL 3525160006)

Proponent: Berney Ranch Inc Decision: Approved Boundary Line Adjustment: (parcels 6750010000 & 3222290007) Proponent: Scott & Kelli Kenney Decision: Approved The Okanogan County Office of Planning and Development made a final decision on the above-noted projects. Within 20 days of publication, parties with standing may appeal these decisions to the Okanogan County Hearing Examiner at 123 5th Ave. N. Suite 130, Okanogan, WA 98840, pursuant to OCC 2.67.010. An appeal must include the $1,250.00 appeal fee. Published in the Methow Valley News August 20, 2025; Okanogan Valley Gazette-Tribune August 21, 2025. OVG1018448

OKANOGAN COUNTY NOTICE OF FINAL DECISION

Project: Short Plat 2024-10

“Reva Wren”

Proponent: Reva Wren

Decision: Approved The Okanogan County Office of Planning and Development approved the above-noted project. Within 20 calendar days of the publication date, parties with standing may appeal this decision to the Okanogan County Hearing Examiner at 123 5th Ave. North, Suite 130, Okanogan, WA, pursuant to OCC 16.45.010 An appeal must include the $1,250.00 appeal fee.

Published in the Methow Valley News August 20, 2025; Okanogan Valley Gazette-Tribune August 21, 2025. OVG1018447 REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS (RFQ) ECONOMIC IMPACT STUDY CONSULTANT –CANNABIS INDUSTRY Notice is hereby given that Okanogan County is seeking qualified consultants to provide professional services to conduct a comprehensive Economic Impact Study on the cannabis industry within the county. The intent of this RFQ is to identify a consultant with the expertise and experience necessary to analyze, evaluate, and report on the economic contributions,

Gov. Ferguson orders investigation of Fish and Wildlife Commission

BY EMILY FITZGERALD

WASHINGTON STATE STANDARD

Gov. Bob Ferguson has authorized an investigation into the conduct of members of the Washington State Fish and Wildlife Commission after recently revealed public records raised questions about their actions.

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Director Kelly Susewind requested the inquiry in a letter to Ferguson earlier this month.

In a letter dated Aug. 5 and released by Columbia Insight, Susewind said he believed further investigation was warranted due to the content of documents obtained by the Sportsmen’s Alliance in May via public records request.

Susewind wrote that an independent investigation into the commissioners’ communications, and possibly removing members if they are found to have acted inappropriately, would “demonstrate the standard of accountability necessary to allow WDFW to maintain a level of service that the public expects and deserves.”

Sportsmen’s Alliance, an Ohio-based fishing and hunting rights organization, requested emails, texts and other communications of commissioners following their vote in November 2022 to stop recreational hunting of black bears in the spring. The alliance opposed the decision.

The group filed suit against the Department of Fish and Wildlife in January 2025 for allegedly delaying the release of those records for nearly two years. A Thurston County Superior Court judge ruled in favor of the department, with Sportsmen’s Alliance announcing that same day that it plans to appeal the court’s decision.

The records were released to Sportsmen’s Alliance in May 2025. After reviewing the records, the group claimed that four commissioners violated state open meeting and public records laws ahead of the vote.

Sportsmen’s Alliance soon filed a petition asking for those com-

missioners — Barbara Baker, John Lehmkuhl, Lorna Smith and Methow Valley resident Melanie Rowland — to be removed from office.

The commissioners have reportedly responded to Susewind’s letter by sending separate letters to Ferguson defending their actions ahead of the controversial vote and expressing disappointment in the director for calling for an investigation (see related sidebar).

According to Columbia Insight, the commissioners have asked for the governor’s help in leading a broad-based conversation with several state agencies to re-examine the role of the state in natural resource management.

Following Ferguson’s decision to conduct an investigation, several environmentalists and animal rights activists criticized Susewind during public comment at the Fish and Wildlife Commission meeting on Friday in Bellingham. In a news release, Dr. Francisco J. Santiago-Ávila, science and advocacy director for Washington Wildlife First, called for Susewind to be removed from office.

Santiago-Ávila was also among those who spoke at the commission’s meeting.

In the news release, Santiago-Ávila said he understood why Ferguson believed he needed to pursue an investigation, but said his organization hopes “he will not limit his investigation to the commissioners targeted by the hunting lobby, but will expand it to include the entire commission and, especially, Director Susewind.”

Others, including hunting advocates, spoke out in favor of an investigation into the commissioners’ conduct and a need for the commission to be more accountable.

The commission has been the subject of much scrutiny in recent years. A report prepared for the state Legislature in December 2024 found the organization’s structure was dysfunctional and needed reform.

The report’s findings sparked legislation in the recent legislative session to change the

appointment process and to dissolve the commission altogether. Lawmakers did not make a decision regarding the commission’s structure last session, but expressed that they would consider taking action in future sessions.

In February, Ferguson pulled back two Gov. Jay Inslee administration appointments to the Fish and Wildlife Commission, in response to concerns from “individuals, tribes and other entities expressing a desire for a more extensive process for these appointments.”

Meanwhile, the commission’s leadership formally changed Friday (Aug. 15), with commissioners unanimously electing outdoor enthusiast Jim Anderson as chair replacing Barbara Baker, who held the post for five years and did not seek to be reelected as chair.

Anderson acknowledged that the commission is having a difficult time “for external reasons,” and vowed to bring the commission together “as a body.”

The commission voted 5-4 to install retired U.S. Forest Service wildlife biologist John Lehmkuhl as vice chair, filling a seat that has been vacant since Ferguson rescinded the reappointment of Tim Ragen.

The Washington State Standard is an independent, nonprofit news organization that produces original reporting on policy and politics. It is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization. For more information, visit https://washingtonstatestandard.com.

Two commissioners respond

Editor’s note: The following letter was sent to Gov. Bob Ferguson by Washington State Fish and Wildlife Commission members Melanie Rowland, a Methow Valley resident, and Lorna Smith.

Dear Governor Ferguson: We are quite disappointed in the letter Kelly Susewind, the Director of the Department of Fish and Wildlife, sent to you on Aug. 5, 2025, requesting that your office initiate “an investigation into the conduct of members of

the Washington State Fish and Wildlife Commission.” Director Susewind then cites a Washington law giving the Governor authority to “remove from office any state officer appointed by him or her . . . for incompetency, misconduct, or malfeasance in office.”

Based on the exemplary qualifications and formal Senate approval, it is clear that no members of the Commission are incompetent. Therefore, Director Susewind’s view is that some commissioners may be guilty of misconduct or malfeasance in office, which could lead to their removal.

As you are aware, Director Susewind’s request stems from a May 16, 2025, “petition” to the Governor from the Sportsmen’s Alliance, a national hunting/ gun rights organization based in Ohio. The “petition” is filled with innuendo, out of context quotes from highly redacted documents, and claims not supported by those documents.

It is no coincidence that the “petition” names only the four currently serving commissioners who voted in November 2022 to discontinue the hunting of black bears in the Spring. This decision was the action that caused a minority of hunters to engage in a campaign to discredit and dismiss these commissioners. The request for records — the subject of the still active PRA lawsuit regarding timing issues — was made only for records pertaining to these four commissioners.

The two commissioners who have signed this letter, now join with Commissioners Lehmkuhl and Baker, who sent responsive letters to your office in May after the “petition” was delivered to you. … We also deny that we are guilty of any misconduct or malfeasance ….

We do agree with Director Susewind in one respect: only a review of the record, and a statement from your office that you have full confidence in all nine members of the Commission to carry out their job, can rectify and begin to repair the damage that has been done to the functioning and reputation of the Department and Commission by these spurious allegations. We believe any evidence considered

in an investigation will support our view.

As Director Susewind states in his letter to you, “[t]he work of the Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is controversial, with public opinion on our decisions often divided.” He is correct. Hunters and fishers have long dominated the Commission and the Department’s work, despite the agency’s primary statutory mandate to “preserve, protect, perpetuate, and manage” the state’s wildlife and fish. This is because Game Departments were initially formed to respond to declines in hunted wildlife populations. Consequently, the perceived constituents of these agencies were hunters and fishers. That is rapidly changing as the negative effects of human use are asserting themselves with a vengeance. Fires, access to water, sprawl and loss of species and habitat are only a few of the impacts that this state’s general public are beginning to be concerned about.

In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, the hunting public has steeply declined and broader public interest in managing fish and wildlife has exponentially grown. This is especially true when considering the profound threats of human development and climate change affecting wildlife and its habitat across the globe. Hunting and fishing often add pressure to the conservation of these species. Accordingly, with the Department’s secondary mandate to maximize hunting and fishing opportunities, it has become more difficult for managers to satisfy both consumptive and nonconsumptive user groups. This is an understandable cause of conflict within the Commission. In 2017, 2021 and 2022, Governor Inslee appointed the four commissioners (Baker, Lehmkuhl, Rowland, Smith) who are the targets of this investigation request. All four are retired government and/or wildlife professionals with extensive experience in natural resource management. It is noteworthy that all have backgrounds in the science or law of wildlife management, and one of the four hunts. This was an attempt to

modernize fish and wildlife management in the state, taking into consideration the views of a broader range of the interested public. Under these circumstances, it is inevitable that there will be more controversy among the public and among commissioners. Yet the cancellation of a small and deeply unpopular recreational bear hunt in the spring has resulted in a controversy blown entirely out of proportion. As Commissioner Lehmkuhl pointed out in his letter to you, 80% of Washingtonians are opposed to hunting bears in the spring.

In this time of a tight state budget and a growing number of wildlife conservation issues to address, we sincerely hope that you will do a quick review of the record and find the four named Commissioners exonerated …. Once the public and media become aware, this story certainly has the potential to dominate the wildlife press with negative coverage of Department and Commission activities. Only your swift attention to this issue and exoneration of four long-serving, dedicated Commissioners will push the “reset” button so that the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission and Department can return to focusing on the many serious management issues before us. We are concerned that the WDFW Director’s request for an investigation mimics the language of the petition and appears to be aligned with the allegations of the Sportsmen’s Alliance. However, we are speculating, due to the Director never having discussed with us the Alliance’s charges, nor did he advise commissioners of his intent to send this request for an investigation. This is highly inappropriate behavior for the Director of WDFW.

We ask that you prioritize time and money on the State’s significant substantive natural resource issues, rather than on the interests of disaffected hunters and supporters of the Sportsmen’s Alliance. They fear a loss of their historical power to dictate Commission and Department decisions, and this is their latest attempt to counter that loss.

SEATTLE — Hello. This field report was filed from a nondescript satellite branch of the Methow Valley News Seattle Bureau, where I recently pretended to be your West Side correspondent for a week that lasted longer than a week. Don’t thank me, thank my dentist.

We can’t talk about this town without talking first and foremost and solely really about its soul-crushing traffic. I can honestly report that a person can drive from Carlton to Twisp and back in less time than it takes to drive five Seattle city blocks to the FedEx store. I am not lying, which is why I said “honestly” in the previous sentence.

Thus while on location I didn’t travel far from the office couch

Dispatches from that othersphere

but can confirm that what I wrongly call the Bernie ball and is officially a large metal sphere named “Companion” — created by the late Methow Valley sculptor Bernie Hosey — is still standing strong at its University Village home to where it moved from Twisp in 2013. It and I both left the valley for Seattle at the exact same time, which makes us related. We chatted and the sphere said it appreciates both the regular lawn maintenance as well as visits from valley folk, but then blindsided me with a despairing plea to bring it back home. Very complicated, I thought to myself.

“But other people own you,” I said out loud. This led to a testy argument and we may have parted on bad terms. I will fix this on my next visit.

This all happened during Seafair Weekend which featured aggressively loud Blue Angels rattling our brains. Judge me if you like but I don’t hate them. If one ever crashes into me then I will hate them if I have any bones of hatred left in my body afterward. Mostly I’m OK with any spectacle that jars me out of whatever this is. I also did touristy things with

an old high school pal who came up from Oregon for a weekend visit. Our high school was in California, not Oregon, in case there is some confusion there. As if you care. She wanted to go on the big Ferris wheel. I stared at it and imagined it breaking down and me being stuck in a tiny pod 175 feet up in the sky for maybe hours and decided nope. So we took the Salish Sea boat tour but then talked through the captain’s instructions on where to find the life jackets and all I could think about for the next hour is we don’t know where the life jackets are.

Since I’m running out of space I will just casually mention that I went to a Paul Simon concert (good), was briefly tortured by a dentist (bad) and may have tried to buy a gun (don’t

It’s all about eclipses: A Virgo Season horoscope for the Methow Valley

BY JENNY HARDING

Virgo season runs from Aug. 22-Sept. 22. Here is your horoscope for the coming month.

Aries: This month your efforts are blessed when you take center stage, so share your talents widely. The Lunar Eclipse in Pisces on Sept. 7 highlights the inner work you’re doing behind the scenes. Between Sept. 10-16, get in touch with your rebellious nature. What parts of you have been cast aside for fear of rocking the boat? It’s time for a reclamation. Stay grounded in your routines to ride the waves of eclipse season.

Taurus: Aug. 22 is a great day to set some intentions for your creative expression. On Aug. 26 bask in dreamy fantasies of a brighter future and consider the process to get there. On Aug. 27 be open to a deep remembrance about love. Work on healing any subconscious wounds that come to light around Sept. 16. This eclipse season, pay attention to lessons that emerge from your friendships, your art and any work you do from center stage.

Gemini: Mercury in Virgo is a harbinger of ease to your communications, especially at home. It’s a great time to redecorate your space to support your

well-being. What old skins are you shedding? Let go of something outdated and make room for your many sides. It’s time to practice radical self-acceptance. The human experience is multi-dimensional, you don’t have to just be one thing. All of your parts are welcome.

Cancer: Consider what subconscious beliefs may be subtly influencing your communication style. The New Moon on Aug. 22 is a great time to set some intentions for improved communications. The Lunar Eclipse on Sept. 7 brings an important lesson about your work as a teacher, student, writer or spiritual seeker. Communication will again be a theme around the Solar Eclipse on Sept. 21. Pay attention to limitations arising in your work life.

Leo: Venus enters your sign on Aug. 25 and immediately makes helpful contact with Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. Structures, innovation and your wildest dreams should be your north star. Between Sept. 10-16, fall in love with your mischievous side and reclaim any energy that has been lost to your inner critic. Ground yourself during eclipse season with the spiritual practices, rituals and wisdom traditions that feel most supportive to you.

Virgo: Happy birthday, Virgo! Your relationships and collaborations

are the moral of the story during this eclipse season. Big shifts are on the menu, so tread lightly with yourself and others. Return to any self-care practices that make you feel the most healthy and vibrant. Mercury is in your sign from Sept. 2-18, encouraging you to reorganize and recenter what’s most important to you. Sept. 13 may bring sudden insights. Have your journal at the ready!

Libra: Sept. 5 brings a lucky break. On Sept. 16, your deepest wounds hold codes for personal and collective healing. Reclaim your energy by considering how you can help others with the wisdom you’ve gleaned from hardship. Focus on re-patterning any subconscious beliefs rooted in fear, competition and lack that come up during eclipse season. Supportive work and health routines will help you meet the moment.

Scorpio: The Lunar Eclipse in Pisces on Sept. 7 helps you shed any old stories within your creative pursuits and performance art. When you alchemize old wounds into wisdom and bring your inner rebel to center stage, you set yourself up for more abundance and pleasure in life. The Solar Eclipse on Sept. 21 highlights your co-creations with others and offers important insights on friendship and community.

Mars signals a positive end to the season for you.

Sagittarius: Give your rebellious side a seat at the table now to experience exciting expansion. The Lunar Eclipse on Sept. 7 could bring a helpful release within your home, roots and family. On Sept.16 some old wounds may resurface. Turn inward and explore your subconscious reactions. Around the Solar Eclipse on Sept. 21 challenges could arise in your career and public roles. Self-love is the antidote to your inner critic.

Capricorn: On Sept. 1, Saturn moves back into Pisces for the next five months before returning to Aries in February 2026. You’re wrapping up a storyline in your communications with close friends and relatives that’s been percolating since March of 2023. The eclipses bring

up these themes once again and could challenge you spiritually. Question authority figures and listen to your own inner guidance. Be a student of life and relationships.

Aquarius: You’ve been challenged to review and restructure your financial life over the past two years. How has your relationship with resources shifted? The Lunar Eclipse in Pisces on Sept. 7 harkens back to these themes, so pay attention to any financial insights that come up for you. A powerful rebirth could be in the stars this season, but remember that the cost of rebirth is to let go of something that’s already run its course.

Pisces: What have you learned about your physical body and how has your identity shifted since March of 2023? This month your inner rebel is your key to expansion, so let your freak flag fly. The Lunar Eclipse on Sept. 7 could be a big release for you personally. Consider what’s getting in the way of your abundance. The Solar Eclipse on Sept. 21 could highlight the tension between independence and relationships. Boundaries, anyone?

Methow Valley resident Jenny Harding has been studying and teaching traditional Hellenistic astrology for the past 10 years.

MVIC to host Nature Immersion Program discussion on Aug. 31

BY NOELLE FERREIRA-DE PUY

With over 18 years of teaching experience, Sarah Fox founded the Nature Immersion Program with the intent to reconnect secondary school indigenous students with a culturally rooted, place-based education amid a traditional Western education system.

The program has recently received its 501(c)(3) status as a nonprofit with partner support from Methow Valley Interpretive Center (MVIC).

The MVIC will host a public event from 5-6:30 p.m. on Aug. 31 as part of the “Last Sunday” speaker series, featuring educators Fox and Morgan Moomaw discussing the program’s decolonial model of land-based education, and how it serves BIPOC students of the Colville Reservation and greater Okanogan County.

Attendees can look forward to a discussion about the culturally significant, environmental stewardship teachings offered to students as part of the Nature Immersion program and its intergenerational, long-lasting impact.

Beginnings Fox moved to Okanogan County eight years ago from Salina, California. She brought the roots of the Nature Immersion program with her, teaching an early version to eighth-graders at Pascal Sherman Indian School under the guidance of a tribal elder. Fox laid the groundwork for the program to receive two Outdoor Learning grants through Washington’s Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO). Fiscal sponsorship from the Methow Valley Interpretive Center was pivotal in facilitating grant disbursement. Five years ago, amidst the challenges of teaching during

the COVID-19 pandemic, Morgan Moomaw joined Fox at the Nature Immersions program as a co-educator and board chair. Moomaw, an Okanogan descendant of the Colville Confederated Tribes, is committed to land-based indigenous leadership through vocational training in land stewardship, food sovereignty, seed saving and ecological camps.

“Our lifeway is connected to the land,” Moomaw said in an interview. She emphasizes the long-lasting impact of giving young students the opportunity to learn from tribal elders and other knowledge keepers.

Moomaw, Fox and their community partners work to strengthen the social identity of students in the region through culturally significant, hands-on activities. These skill sets open career opportunities for students through chosen interests.

“All over the world, indigenous communities are demanding a spot at the table,” Fox said in an interview.

The program has been embraced by schools in Okanogan, Omak and Nespelem school districts. There has been a paradigm shift in education, and as a result, Western science is merging with indigenous ways of knowing through place-based knowledge, resources and technology, said Fox.

The Nature Immersion program includes two learning pathways: Environmental Ambassadors and Cultural Pathways. These are made possible through tribal partnerships, and a community member joins each field day to lead hands-on activities.

Cultural Pathways guides students through activities based on the Four Food Chiefs: Bear, Salmon, Bitterroot and Saskatoon berry, each representing a different season. A highlight of this program is a canoe campout with students and educators on Omak

Lake, a sacred spot for indigenous peoples of this region, Moomaw said in an interview. “Each one of our students has a purpose and a place,” she said, highlighting the identity forming lessons taught in Nature Immersions.

“The Environmental Ambassador course cultivates vocational interest in conservation ecology and natural resources,” said Fox. This branch of the Nature Immersions program offers opportunities for students to learn about topics such as species identification, forestry, and utilization of restoration tools.

Expansion

Today, the Nature Immersion program has expanded its reach

to include nine other schools in the greater Okanogan region, and has recently received its 501(c)(3) status as a nonprofit through the support of MVIC.

Over the past three years, the program was awarded two Outdoor Learning Grants from the RCO. These grants consisted of $150,000 for the 2022-2023 school year, and $299,000 for the 2023-2025 school years. The funds helped purchase high-quality equipment for activities, and to compensate community and tribal partners who share important knowledge and skills with students.

MVIC acted as a fiscal spon-

sor for the Nature Immersion Program and supported the financial and administrative management of the grant. That helped to navigate challenges posed by limited funding availability for indigenous education programs, while Fox and Moomaw focused on the devel-

opment of enriching program activities and cultivated partnerships.

“This Nature Immersion Program is a powerful expression of our mission in a way for us to show up for native communities,” said MVIC Executive David LaFever.

entire report was written on an iPhone while waiting for a red light to turn green. In Seattle.

Sue Misao

Photo by Sue Misao

The sculpture “Companion” by Bernie Hosey, seen here Aug. 6, has occupied this corner of Seattle’s University Village for the past 12 years.

Jenny Harding

Sarah Fox

Confluence Home Tour explores ‘The Place that Keeps You’

The Confluence: Art in Twisp will offer its 2025 Home Tour on Saturday, Sept. 20, from 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

This year’s theme is “The Place that Keeps You.” The tour focuses on Twisp, Carlton and Methow, featuring unconventional homes, homes with gardens, working farmland and cultivated land, according to The Confluence. At each stop along on the tour, participants can enjoy local art curated by The Confluence. Tickets are $30 per person or $25 for four or more who are traveling in a single vehicle.

SENIOR LUNCH

LUNCH MENUS:

THURSDAY, AUG. 21: Spaghetti and meat sauce, Caesar salad, peaches, garlic bread, dessert.

FRIDAY, AUG. 22: Baked chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, tossed salad, whole wheat roll, peach crisp.

MONDAY, AUG. 25: Meatloaf, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, whole wheat roll, angel food cake with mixed berries.

To purchase tickets, visit www. confluencegallery.org/events/ methow-valley-home-tour, or stop by the gallery Tuesday-Saturday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. All attendees must pick up wristbands and tour guides at The Confluence, starting Sept. 3.

THURSDAY, AUG. 28: Deluxe chicken burger, garlic fries, Greek romaine salad, watermelon, dessert.

FRIDAY, AUG. 29: Baked fi sh fi let, rice pilaf, peas, coleslaw, tropical fruit, whole wheat roll, dessert.

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

Marriage licenses

MV Citizens Council conducting valley-wide transportation survey

The Methow Valley Citizens Council (MVCC) is conducting a community transportation survey to better understand how residents get around in and outside the Methow Valley.

The Methow Valley Climate Action Plan found that 92% of carbon emissions here were from transportation. Whether you drive, bike, walk, ride TranGO, or carpool, MVCC wants to hear from you. Input will directly inform potential solutions like expanded carpooling programs, public transit improvements, and other ideas to reduce emissions and increase mobility in our region. The survey is anonymous and open to all residents of the Methow Valley through Aug. 25. To complete the survey, use the attached QR code or go to: https://forms.office.com/r/ATevzPBh6d.

CLASS REUNIONS FOR TWISP, LIBERTY BELL

• Members of the Twisp High School class of 1970 are invited to a 55th reunion celebration, starting with happy hour at 4 p.m. on Saturday (Aug. 23) at the Methow Valley Eagles, 205 Highway 20 in Twisp. Bring an appetizer to share. A DJ will play rock ’n’ roll and country music from the era. For more information, contact Chris Doran at (509) 393-1348. Attendees are also invited to meet at the Branding Iron in Twisp for karaoke around 8 p.m. on Friday.

• The Liberty Bell High School class of 1985 will also have a reunion this weekend. Attendees will meet at the Branding Iron in Twisp on Friday night (Aug. 22) and at the Twisp River Grange from 4-10 p.m. on Saturday (Aug. 23). All alumni from the whole decade are also invited. Pizza provided. For information, email jenniferduguay67@gmail.com.

NATURE IMMERSION

The Methow Valley Interpretive Center’s Last Sunday event on Aug. 31 will be a presentation of “The Nature Immersion Program.” The free event will be from 5-6:30 p.m. Join MVIC and educators Sarah Fox and Morgan Moomaw to learn about the program. From a foundation of responsibility to our communities and future generations, Nature Immersion strives to provide a culturally relevant, decolonial model of landbased education.

STUDENT NEWS

Ayla Belsby of Winthrop has been named to the Dean’s List at the University of Chicago for the 2024-2025 academic year.

YOGA TO SUPPORT TWISPWORKS

comed. For information, email info@methowpride.org.

FARM TO TABLE DINNERS

Classroom in Bloom is offering two of its fundraising Farm to Table Dinners, on Saturday, Sept. 13, and Saturday, Oct. 4, on the Methow Valley School District campus. The dinners are from 4-7 p.m. Cost is $250 per person, with limited seating. The evening includes a cocktail hour, followed by a five-course, locally sourced meal paired with wines. Purchase dinner reservations online at www.classroominbloom.org/ cib-store/farm-to-table-dinner or email Kim@ classroominbloom.org for more information.

SOUND BATH

Enjoy a relaxing evening of sound including crystal singing bowls, drum, rattle, harmonium, and voice on Saturday, Sept. 13, from 7-8:30 p.m. at the Methow Valley Wellness Center in Winthrop. Cost is $20. To register, email tania@ newearthconsciousness.com or call (509)-4492659.

DEMENTIA CARE

“Caring for People Living with Dementia,” a four-week, eight-hour course facilitated by Sheila Brandenburg, will be offered by Methow At Home on successive Wednesdays, 1-3 p.m., from Sept. 17-Oct. 8 at the Winthrop library. The free course will cover insights about dementia and how to provide loving, respectful care for people living with dementia. To register, visit methowathome.org.

MASTER GARDENER COURSES

Motive Yoga in Winthrop offers “yoga to support TwispWorks” on Friday, Sept. 5, from 4:30-5:30 p.m. By donation; proceeds will go to Twispworks. Sign up ahead at www.motiveyogaco.com/events or show up to the studio early.

YOGA FOR LGBTQ+

Methow Pride hosts a free yoga event to support the LGBTQ+ community on Thursday, Sept. 11, from 5-6 p.m. at Y’all’s Yoga Studio, 114 N. Glover St. in Twisp. Donations are wel-

NEWS BRIEFS

The annual Winthrop Kiwanis Duck Race will take place as usual on Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 1. At noon, hundreds of plastic ducks, each bearing its own identifying number, will be dumped over the Chewuch River bridge, float through the confluence and finish under the Methow River bridge.

Tickets are $5 per duck, and can be purchased online at https://winthropkiwanis.com/2025duck-days/. Corporate sponsorships are also available for $100. You can also look for the giant duck around Twisp and Winthrop, or buy tickets from a Kiwanis member, or find them at Windermere Real Estate, NAPA and Twisp Feed in Twisp, and The Wine Shed, Tenderfoot, and Pardners Mini Market in Winthrop.

The first-place duck will pay its ticket-holder $500. Second prize is $300; third prize is $100; and fourth and fifth prize are $50. The business sponsorship winner will get free advertising on all our Duck Race media, advertising, and tickets for the next year.

The WSU Master Gardener Training is now called “Washington Green School,” offering two learning options: • Washington Gardener Certificate Track (no application required, register online). Cost is $550.

• Extension Master Gardener Track (application required). Cost is $275. Online registration opens Aug. 15; the deadline is Sept. 15. The course runs from Oct. 5 to Feb. 21. Call (509) 422-7245 or email Master Gardener Coordinator Angelyn Sheppard at angelyn.sheppard@wsu.edu for information.

consultant Katie Neal of Reach Studio.

People can participate in the process by taking an online public survey at twispworks.org/campus-plan-survey. Questions in the survey cover everything from artist studios and event spaces to outdoor seating, walkability, and creative place-making, according to the release.

TwispWorks, formerly a U.S. Forest Service compound, today is home to almost 40 partners — artists, makers, educators, entrepreneurs.

GET A LIBRARY CARD! September is Library Card Sign-up Month at the Twisp and Winthrop public libraries. With a free library card, you can do more than check out books. From free classes and job resources to homework help, streaming media, and cultural events, today’s libraries offer many services. At both Methow Valley libraries, you’ll find:

• Free and available 24/7 Wi-Fi.

• Printing, scanning, and faxing — visit any of our libraries to print (even from a mobile device), scan, copy, and fax. Patrons receive a $5 credit that is reset every week.

TWISPWORKS CAMPUS MASTER PLAN

TwispWorks is inviting the public to offer thoughts about the future of the organization’s 6.4-acre campus.

Public input will be part of an effort to develop a long-range plan for the campus, in partnership with the Town of Twisp and with the assistance of

• Programs and events for all ages — from story times and book clubs to tech help. Stop by the Twisp and Winthrop libraries or visit www.ncwlibraries.org to sign up for your card. Or reach Ree West (Twisp Branch Librarian) at twisp@ncwlibraries.org or (509) 997-4681; or Annika Troyer (Winthrop Branch Librarian) at winthrop@ncwlibraries.org or (509) 996-2685.

Annalisa Rodriguez, 49, San Antonio, Texas, and Michael L. Izumi, 50, Winthrop

Photo courtesy of The Confluence: Art in Twisp Homes in Twisp, Carlton and Methow will be the focus of this year’s Home Tour.

Mazama

“It’s time.” So says a delightful Methow Valley resident who most people just know as Agi. That might be because her Hungarian last name — Ottlyk — presents a pronunciation challenge. (It really isn’t that difficult: aht-lick.)

A bright familiar face, Agi has been coming to the valley since 1979 and purchased her Winthrop home in 1986. Sadly, for the valley, she is leaving at the end of August to start her next chapter across the mountains in the lovely westside community of Gig Harbor.

“I have no family here,” she explained. “My brother and I have always been close. His daughter, my niece, has two little boys who are in sports. I am moving there to be by family.”

Agi’s life story is extraordinary. Her parents fled Hungary, a country expe-

Winthrop

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about local copper artist Jessica da Costa. This week, I caught up with her daughter, Kyla Colon, who grew up in the Methow Valley and who now runs a sailing charter business on Lake Chelan. Kyla has lived out of the valley for about 10 years, but if you’ve been here long enough you might remember her from the Liberty Bell volleyball team or youth theater productions.

Kyla’s partner, Harrison Wakefield, grew up on the Key Peninsula, which is east of the Olympic National Park. Kyla describes it as “like the Methow Valley, but more remote.”

Kyla and Harrison met in Wenatchee almost five years ago and together decided that they wanted to learn to sail. Three summers of doing twohour charter cruises on the Great Lakes in Door County, Wisconsin, taught them to sail. They worked on a variety of boats, including a schooner called the Edith M. Becker that had previously sailed around the world twice.

“We both thought that learning to sail would be a really cool job and a way to travel,” Harrison said. “The ocean connects you with the whole world. If you have a good enough boat and you’re brave enough, you can go anywhere.”

After three summers working for Sail Door County, Kyla and Harrison went to Florida to earn their captains’ licenses. Currently both are licensed for 50 tons, but they have passed their 100-ton tests and can upgrade their licenses through the US Coast Guard.

VALLEY LIFE

riencing a turbulent period post-World War II when the country became a communist state. They arrived at a displaced persons’ camp in Germany where she and her brother were born. As young children, they learned to speak both German and Hungarian.

At age 5, Agi’s family was sponsored by the Westside Presbyterian Church in West Seattle to immigrate to the United States. Starting a new life in a foreign country was not easy, but the family obtained U.S. citizenship at which time the judge asked about their Hungarian names.

“My father’s name was Attila,” Agi said. She followed with the quip, “Attila — probably not the best name,” referencing Americans most common knowledge likely being Attila the Hun, a military leader who instilled terror throughout Europe in the 400s A.D.

Attila Ottlyk chose the name “Arthur.” Agi’s brother Arpad Zoltan chose a simple American name — George. When Agi blurted out that she wanted to be “Debbie,” her mother, who kept her Hungarian name Magdalena, said, “No!” “Agi,” she remained.

Eventually moving from West Seattle to Bellevue, Agi graduated from Sammamish High School and went on to college at University of Washington. It might be said the Agi’s blood runs purple. She says that when she inadvertently leaves her purple UW water bottle, folks in the valley know, “It’s Agi’s!”

Agi’s dream of becoming a medical doctor was crushed by a college counselor who told her that her future was as a wife and mother. Instead, she took her lunch hour while working for the phone company to apply for a job as a stewardess (not yet called flight attendants) for PanAm. A week later she was in training in Miami. She attributes the quick hire to her multi-language ability, a bonus for an international airline. Thus, began her 38-year career of flying, first with PanAm and then United.

“My heart’s with PanAm,” she always tells people. “But I retired from United.”

In Agi’s early years in the Methow, she commuted to SeaTac to continue flying. However, her love for the valley began to overtake her lust for international travel. For 25 years straight, she spent hunting season tagging along with local outfitters into the wilderness. Her signature Eggs Benedict was a tradition for Opening Day breakfast.

Volunteering has always been a passion for Agi. She spent many years working in the kitchen at the school and says she has been the greeter at The Cove “forever.”

At age 66, Agi married a widower Jim Rogers and spent 12 days shy of nine years with him before he passed away. Jim was a retired physician. Thus, Agi says, “I wanted to be a doctor. Instead, I married one!”

Not long after she lost her husband, Agi knew she had to fill her time with

Kyla and Harrison then began to build a business.

“We live in Wenatchee and we thought that Lake Chelan would be the perfect spot to run charter cruises,” she said. Step number one was finding a boat. “We looked everywhere for a trimaran that we could trailer,” Harrison said, “California, Florida, Utah — we considered a lot of boats.” Conveniently, they found Trillium in Bellingham, towed her over Stevens Pass (“that was exciting,” Harrison said), and spent the spring scraping barnacles and mussels off her hull, power washing and painting her, and jumping through the dozens of hoops that launching a business requires: business license, insurance, inspections, website, social media presence, brochures and business cards, and good old-fashioned pounding the pavement.

“We spent a lot of time in Chelan asking people where and how we should advertise and got a lot of advice about how to connect with clients,”

Kyla said. Chelan Sailing Tours launched — literally, when Trillium slid into the water — in May. Since then, Kyla and Harrison have been taking locals and visitors out on twohour cruises. When I spoke with them, they were taking a day off from commercial trips to take Harrison’s grandmother sailing for her birthday.

Lake Chelan can be really windy, especially around sunset, Harrison said, but even on calm days when there’s little wind, they can take tours out using their motor, although of course sailing is their preference. But when there’s no wind, clients can swim right off the boat, which is popular.

In October, Kyla and Harrison will put Trillium in storage for the winter and resume other work, in addition to planning for next season on Lake Chelan. In the meantime, they still have availability for August and September cruises. For more information visit www.chelansailingtours. com.

endeavor. She joined Winthrop Kiwanis and has been a beloved, contributing member for the past three years. You

Twisp

Eleven years after the Carlton Complex Fire, and smoke and wildfires almost every summer since then, it’s a blessed relief to experience more moderate temperatures and the rare occurrence of a few rainy days and nights, even though we’re experiencing our third year of drought. We can thank the timely efforts of our local, state, and federal wildland firefighters for containing fires — so far.

As The News noted last week, Tuesday, Aug.19 marked the 10th anniversary of the Twisp River Fire, where three firefighters lost their lives. I recently visited the Twisp River Horse Camp, which barely survived the blaze but was still heavily impacted. I haven’t been riding in the area for the past 10 years because most of the trails nearby have been impassable, but I have spent many hours with the Methow Valley Backcountry Horsemen clearing blowdowns and hazard trees from the camp.

The undergrowth along the Twisp River Road was lush this year, with abundant elderberries and chokecherries covering the bushes, somewhat compensating for the miles of blackened trees. Much of the forest beside the road had been heavily thinned, a controversial move to create a firebreak during the waning days of the Cedar Creek Fire. The last 4 miles of unpaved road to the horse camp were in good condition, but the road to the War Creek Trailhead was still washed out and unrepaired.

The horse camp was quiet and deserted except for the three of us, and looked nicely cleaned up and free of debris. But burned trees surrounded us. Ominously and not infrequently, even without wind, we heard the rumble of a falling tree, making us wonder how safe we would be riding in what we nicknamed “The Burnt Forest.” Burned trees fall so often that even if a trail has been recently cleared, you

might encounter a newly fallen tree blocking your path (when on horseback) on the way back out. Packing a small saw helps, but some trees are too large to cut without a chainsaw or crosscut saw. I know a member of the Backcountry Horsemen who straps a 5-foot crosscut saw underneath the fender of her saddle so she can log out trails as she travels.

The Methow Trails Collaborative had recently replaced the bridge across South Creek, so the trail to Louis Lake was open, but we weren’t sure about access to other trails in the area. In 2018, the Gilbert Fire burned a large portion of the headwaters of the Twisp River. I knew we couldn’t go more than a couple of miles up the South Creek Trail. The South Creek Trail to South Pass has been closed for the past three years because the owner of an inholding that the trail crosses has blocked it off. Efforts by the U.S. Forest Service have been made to reroute this major trail, but so far, they’ve been unsuccessful.

On the first day, our trip to Louis Lake passed without mishap. We encountered several areas of downed trees that we were able to skirt, but none of them were “show stoppers,” as we call blowdowns that make the trail impassable for horses. The worst thing about traveling in The Burnt Forest is the heat. After the Twisp River Fire destroyed

many trees, there was no canopy to provide shade, and the sun beat down. We breathed a sigh of relief and rested the horses when we hit a patch of live trees. The North Creek and Twisp Pass trailhead is about 2.5 miles northwest of the horse camp, just past the old mining town of Gilbert. In the past, a trail accessed near the South Creek campground bypassed the Twisp River Road. Poorly maintained, the bypass trail was obscure. After thrashing over and skirting around numerous blowdowns, we returned to the road. We didn’t have much luck with the trail to North Lake. About a mile up the trail, we encountered show stoppers. We turned around and went up the trail to Twisp Pass, which was thankfully recently brushed and logged out.

It’s discouraging to encounter so many obstacles when trying to access our backcountry trails, especially on horseback, but also inspiring to see how many individuals and groups like the Methow Trails Collaborative, The Methow Valley Backcountry Horsemen, Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance, and the Washington Trails Association, to name a few, are volunteering hundreds of hours to keep trails open. If you love our trails, donate to, join, and volunteer with one of these groups.

Michelle Schmidtke

Shelley Smith Jones

Ashley Lodato

another

can see why the valley is losing

a real gem. Everyone who knows Agi wishes her well. She says, “I have a hidea-bed, so if you are in Gig Harbor, come see me!” That’s Agi.

Photo by Shelley Smith Jones

After nearly 40 years, Agi Ottlyk is leaving the Methow Valley.

Photo courtesy of Kyla Colon, Chelan Sailing Tours

Kyla Colon and her partner, Harrison Wakefield, launched Chelan Sailing Tours in May.

Photo courtesy of Joanna Webb

A new bridge crosses South Creek on the Louis Lake Trail.