EARLY DEADLINE
Kid’s Fishing Day at Bonaparte Lake
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Kay Tracy is Grand Marshal for Fourth of July Rodeo BY GARY A. DEVON MANAGING EDITOR
CHESAW – Katherin Tracy, a true daughter of the Okanogan Highlands, has been chosen as Grand Marshal of this year’s Chesaw Fourth of July Rodeo. Known to most people at this end of the valley as “Kay,” or “Mrs. Sutton” to those she taught at Oroville Elementary, Katherin (Sherling, Sutton) Tracy grew up near Molson. She attended the Lone Star School on Mary Anne Creek for her first two years, riding horseback the two miles with her brother Kal. The next six years she attended the Molson School, later moving to Omak where she graduated in 1938. After high school she married Bill Sutton and they moved to the Molson area to farm with her family, the Sherlings. In 1944 they moved to Chesaw and it was then that her husband became a charter member of the Chesaw Rodeo Club. “In those days there were no benches/ bleachers so people sat or leaned on the fences that formed the arena,” said the
July 4th events in North County
She’s Grand
Grand Marshal through her daughter Sharron Cox, who supplied the information for this article. The Grand Marshal recalls that wild horses were rounded up by local ranchers and they also provided cows for the various events. Kay managed the rodeo hamburger stand which was across the street from Mack’s store. She recalls the entire celebration was done by volunteers, much as it is today. In those early years she even played piano for many of the dances. At age 46 she entered Eastern Washington University and in 1968 she started her ten-year career of teaching at Oroville. She retired from teaching to marry Glenn Tracy, the man she met at a Chesaw Fourth of July Rodeo dance that summer. It was an exciting time for her, traveling and following Glenn’s employment. Although she lives in Tonasket now at North Valley Extended Care, she can often be seen at events that take place in the highlands, and recently attended the Molson Midsummer Festival with family members by her side.
Chesaw Rodeo, dance, fireworks and barbecue BY GARY A. DEVON MANAGING EDITOR
Submitted photo
Grand Marshal Kay Tracy
New EMS director brings years of experience to job
Getting some rays
“We also wanted someplace rural where we could fit in, with a lot of community involvement. My goal was for her TONASKET - Michael Greene and his to come up with a ‘top three,’ and then I’d wife retired to Tonasket last November go have a look. She did a huge amount hoping to focus their efforts on doing of research, everything from the sense of community to the soil conditions and volunteer work in the community. That all changed when EMS director water levels.” The Greenes, who have two adult (and Tonasket Elementary principal) Jeff Cravy resigned this spring. Suddenly, the sons, bought their property with plans of Greenes’ new community needed a new gradually putting in infrastructure and a home. EMS director. That all changed last fall when Michael And Greene, with 37 years of experihad a heart ence in fire and attack. EMS service, “Boom, my was a man in the career got cut right place at the short with a right time to fill near-fatal carthe position. diac even that “My goal was got solved with to be able to a pacemaker,” volunteer in the he said. “We c o m m u n i t y ,” decided we’d Greene said. “The move up here position I see as early, and I another opporreally like the tunity to help community.” the community. At the I didn’t come up Brent Baker / staff photo time, Greene here going, ‘Gee, was in his I want to be the New Tonasket EMS director Michael Greene fourth year as Tonasket EMS director.’ I was very happy with Jeff being the Sierra Fire Protection District fire the director. I was very disappointed that chief, in Reno, Nevada. But with a fire/ he’s leaving. I’d only asked what I could EMS department that included 66 paid employees and 120 volunteers, as well as do to help.” Greene had been volunteering for the stresses of strapped finances resulting three or four paramedic shifts a month from Nevada’s deep recession, it was time with Lifeline in Omak “to keep my skills to accelerate the retirement plans. Prior to his final stint in Reno, up,” he said. The timing might have been a bit of Greene, who estimates he’s been out on a coincidence, but the Greenes’ desire approximately 30,000 calls in his career, to move to Tonasket was not. As they served a variety of positions in Western prepared for retirement, Barbara Greene Washington. He owned an EMS consulting and spent countless hours researching a place training company that he ran from 1984to retire. “My wife’s job was to search through 94 and was a firefighter and paramedic Oregon and Washington to find the right for eight years in Olympia, where he met combination of things for us,” Greene Barbara. He took over as assistant fire chief said. “She’s very interested in permaculture and organic farming, and there is a in Belfair, a town of about 6,000 on the lot of that in this community.
NORTH COUNTY – The Independence Day Holiday traditions continue in the North County with the annual Chesaw Fourth of July Rodeo celebrating 70 years, fireworks in Oroville and Tonasket and a barbecue. The Chesaw Fourth of July Rodeo, features local cowboys and cowgirls competing in bareback and saddle bronc events, cow riding, cattle roping and barrel racing. The small sports start at 10 a.m. The rodeo begins at 1 p.m. During the rodeo events the younger cowpoke can take a turn at riding a calf. There’s also the wild cow milking, as well as the wild action where the kids are set loose in the arena to try their hand at catching a speeding chicken to take home. The cost to get into the rodeo is $5. “The books for entry in the rodeo were just opened this morning,” Millie Leslie, with the Chesaw Rodeo Club, said last Monday. “Those that want to enter should call (509) 485-3223.” The fun in Chesaw really kicks off this year on Tuesday, July 3 with the
Bring a lawn chair or blanket to view the fireworks show.
BY BRENT BAKER
BBAKER@GAZETTE-TRIBUNE.COM
SEE GREENE | PG. A3
OKANOGAN VALLEY GAZETTE-TRIBUNE Volume 108 No. 26
Photo by Gary DeVon
Several painted turtles were taking advantage of a handy log to sun themselves at Forde Lake in the Sinlahekin Wildlife Area last Friday afternoon.
$25,000 to improve lake water quality LOA to raise weevils to fight eurasian milfoil BY GARY A. DEVON MANAGING EDITOR
KELOWNA, B.C. - Proceeds from last fall’s Osoyoos Lake Water Science Forum will be split between representatives working on each side of the border to improve lake water quality. The money, $25,000, will be equally divided between the Town of Osoyoos and the Oroville-based Lake Osoyoos Association. “Osoyoos Lake, and all those who depend on its clean water, are the beneficiaries of funds to improve the lake’s water quality thanks to last fall’s successful Osoyoos Lake Water Science Forum,” announced Corrine Jackson, a spokeswoman for the Okanagan Basin Water Board, a Canadian group. An international forum was held in Osoyoos last September to discuss the
future of the lake, which straddles the Canada/U.S. border. The discussion brought together scientists, townspeople, agencies and politicians from the U.S. and Canada. The forum steering committee - with representatives from the International Joint Commission (IJC), Environment Canada, the Okanagan Basin Water Board (OBWB), Washington State’s Okanogan Conservation District, the Town of Osoyoos, and the Lake Osoyoos Association - voted to direct the proceeds of the conference to water quality improvement projects for the lake. The Town of Osoyoos will receive $12,500 to provide grants for projects on the Canadian side, and the Lake Osoyoos Association (a registered non-profit) will manage $12,500 for projects on the U.S. side. This is a one-time funding opportunity. “The committee was very pleased to be able to direct the funds this way,” said Anna Warwick Sears, Executive Director of the OBWB. “Osoyoos Lake spans both
SEE LAKE | PG. A3
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Country Western Dance between 9 p.m. and 1 a.m. Powder River band will be performing. Children age ten and under get in for free at both the dance and the rodeo, according to Leslie. Independence Day in Chesaw will start out with a Cowboy Breakfast sponsored as a fundraiser for the Sitzmark Ski Club. It begins at 6 a.m. Although preregistration is not required for the parade at 12:30 p.m. prior to the start of the rodeo, it is appreciated, Leslie said. Everyone is welcome to participate in the parade and to preregister call (509) 485-2103. In Oroville, the Community Fireworks Show takes place at Deep Bay Park after dusk and Greg James owner of Topix Entertainment is lead sponsor again this year, according to Dane Forrester, who has been organizing the show for well over a dozen years. He suggests people bring their lawn chair or a blanket to stretch out in the grass at the park. The pyrotechnics are brought to the community through donations from businesses and local donors. There will be $5000 in fireworks again this year, but the show is always working a year ahead. Donations are always appreciated so they can put a deposit down on the next year’s show, said Forrester. Donations can be sent to Oroville Community Fireworks, c/o Dane Forrester, P.O. Box 370, Oroville, WA. 9884. There are fireworks in Tonasket as well, along with a barbecue at the North Valley Assisted Living. The barbecue of hot dogs and burgers takes place on July 4 between 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. with the fireworks beginning at dusk. Organizers suggest that participants bring a lawnchair so they can enjoy the fireworks in comfort. A $5 donation is suggested by organizers.
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