Membership dues are assessed on the anniversary month of a member joining the Chamber. Special thanks go out to the following businesses and individuals who have elected to continue their support of the Pullman Chamber of Commerce:
• Airway Hills Golf Center
• Anita's Rentals
• Center for Civic Engagement
• Columbia Bank
• Design West Architects
• Electrical Contractors NW, Inc
• Happy Day Catering and Event Rental
• Harvest Hills Wind
• Helene's Property Place, LLC
• Jack & Betty Jo Hilliard
• Marian Hood
• Paradise Creek Brewery
• PRH Auxiliary/ Diane's Gift Garden
• Quality Inn - Paradise Creek
• Red Anvil Design Works
• Rosauers Supermarkets
• Sacred Heart Catholic Church
• Sage Interiors, LLC
• Taylor Gallowy - At Home Realty, LLC
BUSINESS MEMBER OF THE MONTH
Did You Know? October is Disability Awareness Month, and the nonprofit Disability Action Center NW serves into Whitman County! They are a consumer controlled, community-based Center for Independent Living located in Moscow, Idaho. They are staffed by people with all kinds of disabilities.
People with disabilities have a crucial and valuable perspective to contribute and deserve an equal opportunity to decide how to live, work and take part in their community. DAC NW helps the community be more accessible and inclusive for people with all kinds of disabilities.
They provide businesses with ADA evaluations and resources for accessibility improvements. They are your go-to for facts about service animals and fair housing questions. And they can provide Disability Awareness Training for your employees.
For people with disabilities, they offer information and referral (information is power!), peer-to-peer counseling to help with goal setting, personal and community advocacy, independent living skills training and transition into the community. For young people with disabilities, they provide the skills you need for what’s next in your life: finding a job, post-secondary school, budgeting, finding housing and more. All
provided by people with disabilities who have been there! They offer you personal control over your life, because you are the best expert on your needs. DAC NW is your KEY to independence!
Our website is: https://dacnw.org/
Student of the Month
Braden Barnett
Braden Barnett, a child of Maren and Blake Barnett, has participated in many activities at PHS, including baseball, football and basketball. One of his favorite memories as a Hound was being in the dugout when the baseball team won the district game to go to state, and hearing Coach Agnew shout, “It’s a great day to be a Greyhound!”
This past summer, Braden worked as a summer intern at Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories. He has also given back to the community by helping with several park clean-up projects around Pullman.
After graduation, Braden plans to attend college, with BYU in Provo as his top choice. He is interested in the science and math fields and hopes to pursue a career in sports medicine.
Pullman Chamber and Visitor Center • 415 N. Grand Ave. • Pullman, WA 99163 509-334-3565 • Fax: 509-332-3232 • chamber@pullmanchamber.com • www.pullmanchamber.com
Hours: Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Staff: Pete Chittenden: Executive Director, Communications Coordinator: Madeline Maxwell, Tim Braun: Business Manager
Addressing Economic Disparities to Advance Student Success in Pullman Schools
Lisa Waananen Jones, Board Director District 2
When it comes to money, most Americans prefer to think of themselves as average. Surveys over the years show that a little more than half of Americans identify as middle class or middle income. In a 2024 Gallup poll, 28% of households with income below $40,000 considered themselves middle class, and so did 41% of households making more than $100,000. Wealthy people tend to avoid these kinds of surveys altogether, and maybe that's the shared sentiment at all income levels: We'd rather not talk about it, thank you.
That seems especially true to me here in Pullman, where we don't have the extreme and visible wealth disparities of large cities. It's one of the reasons this is such a good place to raise kids. But disparities do exist here — more so than most of us want to acknowledge — and school data indicates that more kids here are growing up in low-income households than 10 or 20 years ago. That's why the Pullman Public Schools board of directors set a 2025-26 goal to continue focusing on opportunities and outcomes for low-income students.
So who are the low-income families of our community? For school district data, this is defined by the qualifying threshold for free or reduced lunch, which is set by the federal government each year based on 185% of the federal poverty standard. For the 2025-26 academic year, that's $57,720 household income for a family of four. (The poverty threshold is $31,200 for a family of four, which is very close to the earnings of a full-time minimum-wage employee in Washington.) The data for schools is based on the Child Nutrition Eligibility & Education form families fill out each year. Based on this measurement, the percentage of Pullman students in low-income families has been steadily rising over the past 25 years, from about 25-30% in the early 2000s to nearly 40% since the pandemic.
Although it's the official way to count, "low income" is still a limited way to understand the financial pressures people face in our community. None of us really knows which families are struggling at any given time. Financial comfort can disappear with layoffs, health emergencies or other unexpected hardships. Parents with higher incomes may be paying off a mountain of loans. Raising kids has never been easy, but if
your kids are adults or even in high school, you may not have noticed just how much costs have been creeping up for young families. My daughter just turned 10, and in her lifetime the cost of Pullman housing has increased by more than 30% and child care has increased more than 40%, even after adjusting for inflation. (And this is still far more affordable than many other places.)
As the board of directors, we're responsible for using big-picture data indicators to guide district policy and strategy, and focusing on lowincome test scores and attendance data is a way to make sure we're watching for the success of students who face more challenges in general. We also watch for outcomes of other groups, including English Language Learners and students with disabilities, and these categories can overlap.
At the same time, categories like "low income" don't matter at all in our schools when it comes to individual kids. A family's financial situation is considered fully private information that isn't shared with classroom teachers or other staff, let alone peers or other families. If you — like some of our administrators and board members — have school memories of different-color lunch tickets or separate lines for free meals, rest assured that it's not like that anymore. Kids aren't labeled or stigmatized. When teachers and staff see a student struggling for any reason, the question is the same for every child: What does this child need to succeed, and how can our schools and broader community make sure those needs are met?
What's remarkable in Pullman is how many people step up to help others in thousands of small ways — and not for the tax breaks or personal recognition, but because giving and receiving care is the weft and warp of our community fabric. So many people contribute money, time and leadership to alleviate the financial burden for Pullman families, and every effort matters. Churches and faith groups support kids beyond their own congregations with donations and labor, community groups like Kiwanis and Pullman Child Welfare make it tradition to help with supplies and healthy food, and WSU students regularly volunteer and raise funds even though college students generally don't have a lot of cash to spare.
If need is growing, support also needs to grow. Financial worry can be isolating, especially when we don’t know how many other families here are struggling to make ends meet. We can all do our part to normalize giving without judgment and receiving without stigma, because that's what it will take to make sure all Pullman children have the opportunities they deserve.
The opinions expressed in Board Reports are those of individual school board members and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or views of the board as a whole or of Pullman Public Schools.
Unity Day, started by PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center as the signature event of National Bullying Month continues to grow every year as a tangible representation of the universal message that our society promote kindness, acceptance and inclusion to prevent bullying. Plan to support the event by participating in call to action wear and share the color orange on October 22, 2025!
Unity Day, started by PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center as the signature event of National Bullying Prevention Month continues to grow every year as a tangible representation of the universal message that our society wants to promote kindness, acceptance and inclusion to prevent bullying.
Plan to support the event by participating in the simple call to action—wear and share the color orange on October 22, 2025!
For more information about Unity Day and bullying prevention, visit PACER’s website at: https://www.pacer.org/bullying/nbpm/unity-day.asp
For more information about Unity Day and bullying prevention, visit PACER’s website at:
The Pullman School District Board of Directors and the Pullman School District shall provide equal educational opportunity and treatment for all students in all aspects of the academic and activities programs without regard to race, religion, creed, color, national origin, age, honorably-discharged veteran or military status, sex, sexual orientation (including gender expression or identity), marital status, the presence of any sensory, mental or physical disability, participation in the Boy Scouts of America or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability. The district will provide equal access to the Boy Scouts of America and all other designated youth groups listed in Title 36 of the United States Code as a patriotic society. District programs will be free from sexual harassment. The following employees have been designated to handle questions and complaints of alleged discrimination: Civil Rights Coordinator and Title IX Coordinator, Assistant Superintendent, (509) 332-3144, compliancecoord@psd267.org, and Section 504/ADA Coordinator, Assistant Director of Special Services (509) 332-3144, compliancecoord@psd267.org. 240 SE Dexter Street, Pullman, WA 99163. Applicants with disabilities may request reasonable accommodations in the application process by contacting the Personnel Coordinator at (509) 332-3584. Title IX inquiries may also be directed toward the U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights (OCR): https:// www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/index.html. Information about the nondiscrimination and sexbased discrimination policies and grievance procedures, and how to report a concern or complaint: https://www.pullmanschools.org/hib-discrimination Arron Carter Director, District 1 acarter@psd267.org
Waananen Jones Director, District 2 lwaananenjones@psd267.org
Nelson Director, District 3 cnelson@psd267.org
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
A C T I O N M O N T H
Understanding Domestic Violence:
Domestic violence affects all of us and can happen to anyone regardless of race, culture, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, or economic status
Domestic Violence (DV) is abuse Abuse is a pattern of behavior that one person uses to gain power and control over the other It is important to note that domestic violence does not always manifest as physical abuse.
Here at Alternatives to Violence of the Palouse we can help provide crucial services Our services include: 24/7 Crisis Intervention, Emergency Shelter, Support Groups, Medical Advocacy, Legal Advocacy and Information and Referral
statiStics:
Nearly 3 in 10 women (29%) and 1 in 10 men (10%) in the US have experienced rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by a partner and reported it having a related impact on their functioning
Intimate partner violence alone affects more than 12 million people every year (hotline org)
Community Events:
10/3: Pullman Office Open House
10/4 : Lauren McCluskey Fun Run
10/11: WSU Soccer Game
10/15: Hot Coco Social at Glen Terrell 10/18: WSU Volleyball Game
10/24 + 10/25: Haunted Palouse FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA FOR MORE
Mammograms Save Lives - It Saved Mine
I'm Alison Weigley, the Director of External Relations at Pullman Regional Hospital, and this is how I know mammograms save lives.
In the summer of 2024, I was diagnosed with stage 3, triple negative breast cancer right here in this hospital. I was 41. It started out with a lump. I ignored it. Despite a family history of breast cancer and pancreatic cancer and a BRCA2 gene mutation (undiscovered until my diagnosis), I never thought this would happen to me.
Like most women, I didn't put myself first or second. I told myself everything was fine. I went to work, I cleaned the house, I went grocery shopping and did a thousand things for everyone else.
I have worked at Pullman Regional Hospital for over 13 years and pass the Imaging Department on a daily basis. Years ago, I raised money to purchase our 3D Mammography machine. Ironic. Serendipitous. Lucky.
People ask me, did they catch it early? They caught it as early as I made my appointment. And that was months after I felt something.
When the tech left the room to consult with our radiologist, I had a fleeting thought...what if today is the day I learn I have breast cancer? And then, I did.
Aggressive cancer, like triple negative, doesn’t need years, just months. If I would have waited much longer, I’d be writing about stage 4 metastatic cancer. Why wait at all?
This doesn’t have to be you. You don’t have to wait for a crisis or cancer to put yourself first. You can make it your priority to do two very simple things - see your doctor for your annual wellness appointment, and for women, also schedule your annual screening mammogram starting at 40 and every year after. Find a doctor or clinician you’ll actually be honest with about how much wine you really drink (I promise Dr. Harris, it’s really not that much); talk to them about your family history of cancer - genetic testing and early screening might be smart options to understand your risk factors.
Annual wellness appointments and screening mammograms are usually free with your health insurance. And if they aren’t, the wonderful people at Pullman Regional can help you find financial support.
Sure, a mammogram might not be super convenient or super comfortable.
But I'll tell you what's really inconvenient and uncomfortableseven months, 16 cycles of chemotherapy, medical menopause, 14 months of immunotherapy, a double mastectomy, postsurgical drains, lymph node surgery, permanent tattoos for radiation therapy, 28 days of radiation, scars from armpit to armpit, a year of PARP inhibitor therapy, ovary and fallopian tube surgery and a hysterectomy.
I highly recommend the mammogram instead. It's 15 minutes,
and you won't lose all your hair.
The statistics tell an alarming story: 2.3 million women diagnosed each year, 1 in 8, 30% of all female cancers. My story isn't rare, each of us knows someone going through this, so let's talk about it; let's conquer fear of the unknown with information and support and love and let’s make our wellness and mammogram appointments every year.
The Imaging Department at Pullman Regional Hospital makes it so easy to schedule your annual screening mammogram. All you have to do is call 509-336-7446.
Between techs Jen and Brenda and Radiologist, Dr. Robert Lloyd, there is over 76 years of experience on Pullman Regional’s Mammography Team. You truly are in the best of hands. The mammography equipment is state-of-the-art at Pullman Regional - 3D - for excellent quality of images and is ACR accredited, meaning the best images with the lowest dose of radiation.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness, but any day is a great day to get a screening mammogram and kicking off your 40th birthday. It might save your life, too.
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• PSD, Board Work Session, 4:30p.m. at Jefferson Elementary
• PSD, Community Connections Hosted by PSD – 6:00p.m.-7:30p.m. at JES Citty, Comprehensive Plan: Periodic Update Kick-off Meeting | 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. | City Hall Council Chambers
• Pullman Depot, At the Freight Room, open 1 – 4 p.m.
• Alpine Animal Hospital Open House, noon – 2 p.m.
• PSD, Sunnyside PTO Meeting, 6:00p.m. at Sunnyside Elementary
• PSD, Board Meeting, 6:30p.m. – Meeting will be held at Pullman High School
• Community Congregational United Church of Christ
31 Halloween
• PSD, Conference Day, No School for Grades Preschool-8th Grade
• City, Halloween Carnival | 3 p.m. – 6 p.m. | Pullman Recreation Center
HALLOWEEN SAFETY TIPS
Going trick or treating on Halloween? Use the following tips to stay safe and enjoy your evening!
Add glow sticks, flashlights, or reflective tape/stickers to costumes and bags so kids are visible.
If kids go unsupervised (around 12+), keep them in familiar, well-lit areas and with friends.
Watch for cars and cross streets at corners or crosswalks.
October Programming at the Museum
As the fall semester begins, the public is invited to join the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art WSU for a series of tours, lectures, and events around two special exhibitions that celebrate the power of color. On Thursday, Oct. 9 from 3 to 4 p.m. and Saturday, Oct. 25 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Assistant Professor Colin Criss and WSU students, respectively, will give tours of select works in the current exhibitions. On Saturday, Oct. 11 from 10 a.m. to noon, the
museum will host a story-hour and family-friendly activities for young learners and their caregivers. On Tuesday, Oct. 14 from 5:30 to 7 p.m., they will welcome visiting writers Thomas Dai, Michael McGriff, and Alexandra Teague from the University of Idaho. On Friday, Oct. 24 from 4 to 6 p.m. during Fall Family Weekend, they will have a special Open House at their Collection Study Center featuring a peek into the university’s permanent collection of art.
Football Home Games
WSU Athletics is creating a more dynamic and welcoming gameday experience for students, families, and fans attending Cougar football games. Changes implemented this year include on-campus camping during the first game of the season, themed weekends, expanded downtown events, upgraded tailgating options, and interactive pre game activities.
There are three upcoming themed weekends:
• Toledo for Family Weekend on Saturday, Oct. 25 at 12:30 p.m.
• Louisiana Tech for Military and Native American Appreciation on Saturday, Nov. 15 at 7 p.m.
• Oregon State for Senior Day on Saturday, Nov. 29 at 3:30 p.m.
Vocal Extravaganza –A Celebration of the Voice
This year for Family Weekend, the Washington State University School of Music will be presenting the 40th Annual Vocal Extravaganza – A Celebration of the Voice on Friday, Oct. 24 at 7:30 p.m. in Bryan Hall. The programming will consist of selections from the Opera/ Musical Theatre ensembles’ upcoming production of “Music by Stephen Schwarz and Stephen Sondheim” under the direction of Julie Anne Wieck and collaborative pianist, Elena Panchenko. Songs from shows such as " Company, Sweeney Todd, Into the Woods, Godspell and Wicked" will be performed. Also highlighted will be voice students from the studios of Wieck and Professor Alisa Toy performing art songs, operatic arias, and musical theatre selections.
Prior to each home football game, the Cougar Collective is hosting Friday Happy Hour Socials from 3 to 6 p.m. Kickoff at the CUB is a tailgate event that will begin three hours prior to kickoff and will include appearances from the Cougar Marching Band. Cougar Prowl gives fans the chance to gather and rally with the team as it travels to GESA Field and will begin two hours and 40 minutes prior to kickoff at the Taylor Sports Complex.
Military and Native American Appreciation weekend will also include a Tailgate Trot 5K and 10K race across Pullman and the WSU campus.
The Food & Shelter Folks
A Cool Gift That Keeps on Giving
During the summer of 2022, in the middle of a heat wave, Community Action Center received an unexpected and generous $1,300 donation. The only request? Use it to help families in Whitman County stay cool.
With those funds, CAC’s Energy Assistance program was able to purchase around 50 box fans. These box fans became a much-needed resource, especially for households that do not qualify for the LIHEAP- funded portable AC program.
“Our portable AC program has very specific income guidelines, so we save the box fans for households that do not qualify for that program,” said Lindsey Brocious, Energy
Assistance Coordinator. “I want to encourage people to apply for energy assistance, see what they qualify for, and one way or another, they could at least get a fan.”
Since then, the box fans have continued to keep people cool. Today, around 12 of those original fans are still ready to help when the next heat wave arrives.
“We’d love donations from community members to buy more fans as our supply runs low, or even to buy ACs or other ways to cool off. We would love to set up a donation-based cooling program in the future. A lot of people need it,” Brocious said.
Community Food FOOD PANTRY
We take food donations by appointment. Please call the front desk (509-334-9147) to make an appointment to donate food. We are requesting the following donations:
• Pasta,
• Protein cans,
• Shelf stable milk,
• Gluten free items,
• Canned fruit and veggies,
• Vegetarian proteins.
Our food bank times are by appointment. Please use our appointment scheduling web page to make an appointment. https://www.cacwhitman.org/food-bank-appointment/ or give us a call at 509-595-4141.
MONDAY Closed
Dec. Museum Closure Dates
TUESDAY Closed
WEDNESDAY 2:00 pm – 6:00 pm
THURSDAY 10:00 am – 1:00 pm and 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., closed Sunday, Monday, holidays, and university breaks (including Dec. 14 through Jan. 6 for a Winter Break).
FRIDAY Closed
STEP INTO YOUR FUTURE SFCC PULLMAN CENTER 25 TH ANNIVERSARY
Dyan Bledsoe has worked in higher education for over twenty years. She believes in providing a supportive and inclusive environment that respects all people, creates a passion for learning, and builds self-efficacy. Dyan supports education for all people as a means to personal growth, economic equality, and hope for the future. She served the Pullman Center in critical leadership roles for more than two decades. Dyan currently serves as Associate Director, Academic Services in the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics at Washington State University. What comes to your mind regarding the 25th anniversary of our Center's services on the Palouse?
I think about 25 years of uplifting people in this community. There are people of all ages and backgrounds who have walked through the doors of the Pullman Center uncertain about their future, but they were all equally welcomed and empowered to change their lives. From the first Center manager, Roger Hayes, who worked tirelessly to provide opportunities to students and build partnerships in the community, to the current assistant dean, Patrick Forster, who continues to find innovative ways to meet the needs of students, the Pullman Center’s purpose has never changed. The community college has always worked to improve the lives of the people who live in Whitman County. What are your connections to the community college?
I spent 22 years working at the Pullman Center as both the Adult Education Instructor and the Center Manager.
What do you value about the community college?
I value the local impact. Many of the people who have enrolled in classes at the Pullman Center stay in the area. They work locally, they run businesses, they raise families. I still see former students every day in Pullman, and I am always thankful that I had the opportunity to be a part of their story.
What surprises you about the Pullman Center?
Its ability to adapt! When the Pullman Center first opened, it was under a different name, Whitman County Center, and in a different location, the third floor of Gladish Community Center. There was a Workplace Basics course, computer processing classes, and telecourses. Now, students can complete a twoyear associate of arts degree, taking advantage of a beautiful science lab, well-respected faculty, and both inperson and online classes. A lot has changed in 25 years!
What do you hope the Pullman Center will look like in 5 to 10 years?
When I worked at the Pullman Center, I always hoped that one day it would have its own building in the community. A place that was easily accessible and provided educational and worker retraining opportunities to community members. That may not be realistic in the next five years, but I do believe that the center will continue to adapt and grow to the changing needs of our community.
News & Updates
The Pullman Center welcomes more than a dozen international students in the new school year who will pursue their education and career goals at our college. We are grateful for the many ways they enrich and broaden the community experiences at our Center.
Join our English as a Second Language (ESL), General Education Diploma (GED), and High School+ (HS+) programs! Flexible classes and supportive instructors make it easy to take the next step toward your goals. We also offer online options to fit your busy schedule! Call 509-332-2706 and press 2 to learn about enrollment and access to our Center’s resources, including computers and internet access.
Enroll today for fall quarter!
Calendar
January 5 - March 25
Winter Term ’26, College, ESL, GED, and HS+ Programs
April 6 - June 18
Spring Term ’26, College, ESL, GED, and HS+ Programs
