Tonasket FFA wins District
SENIOR TRIP FUNDRAISER
Program of the Year award
Spaghetti feed at Oroville High School, Saturday, April 13, 6:008:00 p.m. More on page A2.
See Page A3
SERVING WASHINGTON’S
OKANOGAN VALLEY
SINCE 1905
GAZETTE-TRIBUNE WWW.GAZETTE-TRIBUNE.COM | THURSDAY, APRIL 11, 2013 | 75 CENTS NEWSSTAND PRICE
Council hears reports from Public Works, Parks
Oroville looks for ways to control mosquitoes BY GARY A. DEVON MANAGING EDITOR
OROVILLE – The Oroville City Council heard reports from the head of Public Works and Parks departments at their Tuesday, April 2 council meeting. In what turned out to be one of the shortest meetings of the year, Superintendent Rod Noel said that he and the Street Committee, Councilmen
Ed Naillon and Jon Neal, had reviewed all the quotes for replacement of the motor in the city’s grader which quit while doing snow removal last winter. Noel said it was decided to award the contract to U.S. Diesel Remanufacturing at a cost of $10,385. Supt. Noel said the investigation into septage being dumped into the city’s sewer collection continues. “We have been notified by the Department of Ecology regarding someone dumping things into our system and putting us over our limit… we were in violation in one section last week,” said Noel, adding that the problem started about six months ago and could result in
Tonasket projects slight decline
fines to the city if it is not stopped. Noel explained to the council that it appeared someone was dumping “septage” into the city’s waste collection system through a manhole or other access point. “It just started happening out of the blue… all of the sudden we got issues,” Noel said. “We had an investigator up from the DOE and we’re trying to find them. The DOE says they have had issues elsewhere where septic haulers dump into a city’s system through a manhole.” Noel added that Oroville has never come close to approaching the limits set by the state before these incidents started.
Parks Department
with washed out rock which holds the ramps in place.
In other business, Noel reported that the park’s department was working to get Osoyoos Lake Veterans Memorial Park open and they had started a new employee at the park that day. “We are keeping the park open during the day and trying to get the campground ready. We are also soliciting people who might be interested in running the concession stand, he said. The park’s head said the work on the Deep Bay Park boat launch was completed. He said that eight concrete slabs in the ramp had been replaced, along
Mosquito Spraying Oroville is looking at alternatives to joining with Omak for mosquito spraying this summer. Jones said that Omak, which has a state permit for spraying, has had to make financial cutbacks. These included eliminating funds for mosquito spraying from their budget. “I’ve made some preliminary inquiries with Okanogan as to whether they will
SEE COUNCIL | PG A2
Spring means time to clean
FIT FOR THE QUEENS
Enrollment drop tempered by departure of small senior class
Oroville, Tonasket set for Spring Clean-up days
BY BRENT BAKER BBAKER@GAZETTE-TRIBUNE.COM
TONASKET - The Tonasket School District will be projecting a slight decline in enrollment as it prepares to set next year’s budget, approving superintendent Paul Turner’s proposal to estimate an average student population next year of 1,030. That represents a decrease from this year’s budgeted number of 1,040. Turner noted that a year ago at this time the district was serving 1051 students. The number is currently at 1,041, though the average is still at 1,056 for the year. Asked if the projected number was cutting it too close, Turner noted that this year’s senior class of 64 students was unusually small. “We should have a cushion of about 27 kids,” he said. Turner added that he had recently met with Seventh District Reps. Joel Kretz and Shelly Short, as well as Rep. Cathy Dahlquist (R-Enumclaw), who is the senior ranking minority member of the education committee. “We had a discussion around funding,” Turner said. “They didn’t want to hear it. He told me to do my job and let them do theirs, and he left. The other three, the conversation wasn’t too bad. “I wrote a letter back to
NORTH COUNTY - Earth Day - Monday, April 22 - was recently declared the annual Spring Clean-up Day by Oroville Mayor Chuck Spieth. There will be no charge for burnable yard trash, though burnables must be separated and placed into cardboard boxes or paper bags (no plastic bags). Limbs may be bundled for easy pick-up. Collection fees may be assessed for appliances, tires, large pickups, etc. Batteries and hazardous materials will not be collected. The mayor and city council encourage all residents to take pride in the community by participating in the Spring Clean-up. Contact the Oroville City Hall at (509) 476-2926 to arrange for pick-up.
Omak Stampede Queen Breanna Howell (left) and Tonasket Founders Day Rodeo Queen Karlie Henneman joined forces for their Tonasket High School senior projects, organizing and executing a significant cosmetic upgrade to the grandstands at the Tonasket Rodeo Grounds. With help from about 20 volunteers and local businesses (including Home Depot, right), the queens cleaned, sanded and painted the stands, replaced some broken boards, installed lattice work along the back, and even painted the picnic tables. See story on page A3.
Tonasket The week of April 15-19 was scheduled by the Tonasket City Council for the city’s spring clean-up dates. Burnable yard waste will be picked up by city crews, excluding tree stumps, as time permits. Prunings must be under four feet long and piled for easy removal; leaves and grass clippings should be bagged in paper bags. Contact City Hall at (509) 4862132 to be put on the pick up list.
Brent Baker/staff photos
SEE SCHOOL | PG A2
Take ‘A Three Nation Reading Vacation’ Arnie Marchand’s new book features a collection of old-timers’ recollections BY GARY A. DEVON MANAGING EDITOR
OROVILLE – Arnie Marchand has put together a collection of stories he has heard from the Okanogan Country in “The Way I Heard It: A Three Nation Reading Vacation,” a new book recently
published by Xlibris books. on the table.” “I’ve been collecting stories and talkBut he wasn’t ready to say if there was ing to people for a long time,” said a volume number two in his future. Marchand. “I needed “I didn’t want these to get them all together stories to be lost. and get them out in Many of our elder “I didn’t want these a book. You can only people told me the go and give so many stories years ago and stories to be lost” talks.” before I wrote the Arnie Marchand, Marchand, an book I spoke with Local author Okanogan with the them or their families Colville Confederated and they’d say ‘that’s Tribes, said even the way I heard it’ though the book covers a region in and that’s the way I’ve told it,” said the his traditional territory stretching author, recalling a specific conversation from Wenatchee north to lower British he had with an elder named Isabella, Columbia, many stories were “left sitting who is now 102-years-old.
OKANOGAN VALLEY GAZETTE-TRIBUNE Volume 109 No. 15
Marchand received help in his efforts that,” he said. from the Borderlands Historical Society, There are tales of cowboys and Indians, especially from Kay and Mike pioneers and paddle wheelers. Sibley. “There’s still a lot of issues “Not all of these are native that are unresolved, even after stories... they’re stories told 100 years,” Marchand said. by the old timers in the area,” “I think it was good you explains Mike Sibley. included McLaughlin Canyon,” “A lot of the stories they had said Kay Sibley, about the area forgotten that the last person southeast of Tonasket where they had told was me,” said Indians planned an ambush of Marchand Marchand. the McLaughlin Party in 1873. Marchand said some of the The author said that not stories are from those he was everyone who witnessed the told by his mother and father. battle would agree about what happened “I thought jeez it would be neat if everyone knew this or if anyone knew SEE MARCHAND | PG A2
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