Hornet Basketball
Centennial Year - 1905-2005 February 2, 2012 • Volume 107, No. 05
See page A7
The official paper of Oroville, Tonasket & Okanogan County, Washington
Single Copy 75¢
Hospital board enjoys Business of the Year award
Bunch of Bighorns
By Brent Baker Staff Writer
Photo by Terry Mills
TONASKET - NVH Board Chairwoman Helen Casey took the time to commend those involved with the hospital for making it possible to win the Chamber of Commerce’s Business of the Year award. “I want to commend everyone for making NVH district a great place to work and great place to be,” Casey said. “It was a very nice award from the Chamber. Things are really, really great, and I just want to say thank you.... and Patti and George Hill, employees here as Grand Marshals ... it’s really an honor to be in that position.” Chief Financial Officer Bomi Bharucha reported that the year-end reports weren’t quite finished yet, while patient financial services manager Jana Symonds said that CPSI - which provides health care IT - had spent three days on site conducting its analysis. “We learned lots of things, and have lots of things to implement,”
Symonds said. “We absolutely drained every last ounce of brain cells ... we’re glad that they were leaving, but it was really fun to have them here and we have a lot of things to do.” The board also approved the disposition of surplus equipment. In addition, it was decided a letter should be drafted to the board of the Wenatchee hospitals to ask that long-term care patients from the North Okanogan area be placed in the NVH LongTerm care facility, rather than in the Wenatchee area, where they are more likely to be separated from their families and local support system. Finally, the board recognized the efforts of several of its employees who went over and above the call of duty, including Larry Stucks and James Monroe, who escorted home two patients on foot through the Jan. 24 snowstorm. The board of commissioners next meets on Thursday, Feb. 9, at 7 p.m. in the district board room.
Oroville Schools learn Tonasket, Berghs Funeral Service to move what instruments they’ll receive from Mr. forward with crematory negotiations Holland’s Opus grant Terry Mills spotted more than 40 goats crossing US-97 between Oroville and Tonasket on Monday, Jan. 30, as well as more than a dozen geese swimming nearby.
By Brent Baker Staff Writer
TONASKET - The Tonasket City Council voted during its Tuesday, Jan. 24, meeting to begin the negotiations with Bergh Funeral Service for the longterm lease of property adjacent to the Tonasket Cemetery for the purpose of building a crematory and columbarium. The vote came after a report from Kurt Danison of the city planning department, at which he shared their recommendation that the city lease rather than purchase the property. “The property lease would be best for the city,” Danison said. “It’s the best way to protect the community.” The council has not yet approved the construction of the crematory; rather, this creates
an initial framework that moves the process far enough along that Bergh’s can begin getting environmental and other studies underway that would be necessary for the project itself to be approved. “Hopefully this is where you can address as many of the community concerns brought up (at an earlier meeting) as possible,” said Councilmember Scott Olson. “Absolutely,” said Scott Miller of Bergh’s. “I just need to know where I need to bring my proposal to when it’s ready.” “You would work with the mayor and the staff to firm up a proposal,” Danison said. “That would come to the council and at that point the council would review that and could say yes, we will lease the property for that. And (if so) at (a subsequent)
meeting you would actually have the lease agreement.”
Local RV Park owners not happy with overstayers at Chamber’s park Claire and Edward Jeffko, owners of Riverview Mobile Home and RV Park, expressed their concerns with the longterm campers at the Tonasket Chamber’s RV park. “I’ve got a problem, the agreement with the Chamber was that it was supposed to be for short term visitors only,” Claire Jeffko said. “If people want to live here, then they need to find a more permanent place. They were supposed to be sending the ‘monthlies’ to myself or to Shannon. “The Chamber shouldn’t be competing with private enter-
prise. I’m just asking for it to be fair.” Councilmember Jean Ramsey noted that the Chamber had been working for the previous couple of months to remove the long-term campers. Chamber President Dale Crandall had also delivered a letter that asked the long-termers to leave by the end of the month, to which he said there was no resistance. “They know they need to revisit the RV Park policy with the city,” Ramsey said. “The agreement was for there to be exceptions for construction workers, but those are supposed to come to the city on a case-byPhoto by Gary A. DeVon case basis.” Oroville School Music Director Eric Stiles (far right) accompanies “I take your point,” Mayor the OHS pep band during the Oroville Hornet Basketball game Patrick Plumb added. “I would last Thursday night. like for you to be at any meeting See COUNCIL on Page 3
Suspect sought in connection with several burglaries arrested in East Wenatchee could be in connection with an Okanogan County arrest warrant. “For the last month law enforcement has been looking for Snyder. It is believed Snyder has been involved in burglaries in the Oroville and Tonasket area, at the Eagles in Okanogan and at various residence’s around the county. On Jan. 29, 2012, deputies recovered more stolen property at a residence in Okanogan which had been stolen from a residence in Crumbacher last month,” said Sheriff Rogers in a recent press release. Snyder was arrested in midNovember 2011 with two other suspects for several thefts and OCSO photo burglaries in North Okanogan Kyle A. Snyder County, including a theft at the By Gary A. DeVon Free Methodist Church near Managing Editor Tonasket. In the church burglary two large flat screen televisions, EA ST W E NAT C E E - A n speakers, electronic equipment, Oroville man sought in numer- guitars, overhead projectors, ous burglary and theft charges computers, an air compressor in Oroville and Tonasket, includ- and several other items valued ing a theft at the Okanogan Ea- at over $7000 were taken. gles is being held in the Chelan At the time of that arrest County Jail. Snyder and Kurtis C. Bishop, Kyle A. Snyder, 20, was ar- 24, Omak/Tonasket, were lorested in East Wenatchee over cated hiding in a closet at the the weekend, according to Sher- Rocky River HUD site outside iff Frank Rogers, who said it of Omak. was unknown as to why, but it Snyder, who was out of jail on
$15,000 bail, became a suspect in the theft of over $5000 in cash from the Okanogan Eagles on Dec. 30 of last year. While suspects in an unrelated incident were getting themselves “caught on camera” stealing the same-said surveillance camera, other burglars were stealing cash from the Okanogan Eagles -- within hours of the crimes being reported several suspects were under arrest and authorities were seeking Snyder in the Eagles burglary. On Dec. 30 a burglary was reported at a residence outside of Twisp where the owner of the residence had recently died. Deputy Laura Wright responded to the scene and learned the suspects went to the residence and stole several surveillance cameras from the residence and possibly other items. “The problems for the suspects were…. 1.) the surveillance cameras were on and 2.) Deputy Wright and the complainants in the case all recognized the suspects,” said Sheriff Rogers at the time. At the same time Deputies Tim Newton and Terry Shrable were dispatched to a burglary complaint at the Okanogan Eagles in Okanogan. The investi-
gation showed that suspects had broken into the Eagles overnight and had stolen between $5000 and $6000 cash. Deputy Wright had advised the other deputies on shift that she was looking for two suspects for the burglary in Twisp. Shrable, who was en-route to the burglary at the Eagles in Okanogan, spotted the camera theft suspects in a vehicle as they drove past him. Shrable was able to turn around and stop them. At the stop the two were arrested and taken into custody for the burglary at the Twisp residence. During the investigation it was learned that Michael A. McClure, 34, Omak, and Snyder had showed up at the suspected camera thieves’ residence in Omak with a large amount of cash asking if they could get some methamphetamine from them, said Sheriff Rogers at that time. “Snyder has told several people that since he is out of jail and it’s going to be a new year, he is going to continue to burglarize and steal as much as he can until he is caught,” said Rogers, in an earlier press release asking the community’s help in locate Snyder.
By Gary A. DeVon Managing Editor OROVILLE – Music Director Eric Stiles shared the numbers and types of musical instruments the Oroville School District will be receiving through a generous Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation grant during the PTO Town Hall last month. “We are very blessed to have this miraculous gift. Mr. Holland’s Opus’ mission is to keep music in the schools and they do that through targeting schools that have a need for musical instruments. I was urged to apply by a lot of people,” said Stiles, who added that it was his wife who encouraged him to apply for grants for both the high school and the elementary. “The gift entails mostly equipment which we will be receiving over the next few months and there is also $1401 for repairs,” said Stiles at the Thursday, Jan. 12 PTO Town Hall. “We are honored that we got everything we asked for, this is like receiving the mega-millions jackpot... this is huge. “I’m still in shock, the lady called a week ago yesterday. There were a lot of people involved... people praying and sending out positive vibes. I had a lot of help from (Supt.) Steve Quick and both principals.” The two schools will receive 37 instruments between them totaling $72,000. The elementary will received three trumpets, four flutes, four bell kits, three alto saxophones, one euphonium, one three-quarter tuba, four clarinets,
two tenor saxophones, three trombones and two double french horns. In addition the school will receive $351 towards the repair of musical instruments. The junior/senior high school will get $1050 towards repair of musical instruments, as well as three trumpets, four flutes, one drum set, one euphonium, one baritone saxophone, four clarinets, one piccolo, one bass clarinet and one bassoon. “It should be noted that the award was particularly miraculous in that the foundation did not have to award both of our schools. A separate application was required for each campus. The foundation could have denied one application and only looked at one. They chose to consider both and they made a full award to both,” said the music instructor. “Even a partial award to one school is amazing, but to award both schools everything that was requested is like winning the jackpot! It’s truly remarkable, and we are truly grateful!” Earlier in the school year Stiles sent out an “SOS” looking for donations of instruments for the elementary school and he said the response of the local community was “amazing” with many people cleaning out their closets of unused instruments and donating them to the school. The repair money will help to fix any instruments at both schools that can be repaired, according to Stiles. “The grant is really cool, but what’s even better than the grant is that we have Mr. Stiles,” said Supt. Quick.
INDEX
Okanogan Valley Life/Columnists .............................5-6
Obits..............................................................................9
Community ................................................................2-3
Sports.........................................................................7-8
Classifieds/Legals.....................................................10-11
Letters & Opinions .......................................................4
Okanogan Valley Life.....................................................9
Outdoors.......................................................................12