SPRING MUSIC PROGRAMS AT
WATERCROSS RACING
OROVILLE AND TONASKET
Races take place on Lake Osoyoos this weekend June 13 & 14
Page A11
SERVING WASHINGTON’S
OKANOGAN VALLEY
SINCE 1905
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Oroville graduate Laura James wins her second Emmy
‘IF SOMETHING DOESN’T GO RIGHT, GO LEFT’
Seattle-based videographer wins award for work on ‘Solving the Mystery of Dying Starfish’ THE GAZETTE-TRIBUNE
SEATTLE – Videographer Laura James, a 1990 graduate of Oroville High School, recently won her second television Emmy® Award in Environmental Feature/Segment in the Northwest Region of the U.S. for her underwater video work on “Solving the Mystery of Dying Starfish.” The program appeared was produced by KCTS9’s Katie Campbell and edited by Michael Werner. James, a Seattlebased videographer was presented with the Emmy on June 6. She won her first Emmy in 2014 in the Health/ Science Feature/Segment category in the Northwest Region for Sea Otters vs. Climate Change, produced by Michael Werner for Quest PBS. “The Emmy Awards in the Northwest Region are a favorite. It’s wonderful to see the team recognized for their continued excellence in the field of environmental reporting,” said James. “This was my third year attending and second year taking home an award for my contribution to a great story. The starfish story is special to me because I was directly involved in the event; documenting and helping build a citizen science reporting website related to the crisis. It really felt personal. This Emmy feels very well earned as we were up against several other brilliant stories in this tough category.” James has been contributing to local media stories for the past decade and sharing the underwater world with divers and non-divers alike. She is the director of www.tox-ick.org, a grass roots storm water education program dedicated to helping reduce the flow of polluted runoff into Puget Sound. She has spent the past two years building Beneath the Looking Glass’ project “Know What’s Below,” a curriculum
Above, Esmerelda Cano, Esgar Mendez and Rosemary Luna enter Tonasket High School’s gymnasium for graduation ceremonies Saturday, June 6. Below right, Terry Mills presents a Tonasket Community Scholarship to Co-Valedictorian Aspen Verhasselt, one of many scholarships awarded to Verhasselt. For more see pages A2, A3, B1 and B2.
Submitted photo
Seattle-based videographer Laura James, a 1990 Oroville High School Graduate, with her second Emmy. She won for her camera work on the KXTS9 production of “Solving the Mystery of Dying Starfish. extension. “Know What’s Below” has been developed from the ground up with the mission of inspiring, connecting, preserving and protecting the underwater world. She uses multi-media, narrated video shorts, OpenROV builds with students, and presenting about the amazing marine ecosystem around the Pacific Northwest to deliver the program.www. btlgproject.com. About her time in Oroville, James said, “I started attending Oroville Elementary school in third Grade, Miss Villars class. My favorite teachers were George Thornton, he always encouraged my
SEE JAMES | PG A3
Oroville seeking Sen. Cantwell’s help regarding old border patrol station Council considers adoption of ATV ordinance BY GARY A. DEVON EDITOR@GAZETTE-TRIBUNE.COM
OROVILLE – The City of Oroville would like to take over the old U.S. Border Patrol Station on Main Street, but so far hasn’t had any luck in convincing the General Services Administration to let them use it for more than a police station. “They asked for their key back and to vacate the premises,” said JoAnn Denney, Oroville City Clerk. “The only reason we had the key was to clean it up before May Day.” The old Border Patrol Station on 1105 Main became redundant when the new $15 million, 22-acre complex was constructed north of Oroville and just south of the U.S. Canadian border. The Oroville station is responsible for 80 miles of international border located in Okanogan County. Included in the Oroville Station’s area of responsibility is
the Pasayten Wilderness Area. ing for her help in the matter.” Since moving out the station has taken The old station would be an ideal on an abandoned look with the lawn location for the police station with often in need of mowing and the plants fenced equipment yard, holding cells, in need of water. a sally port and many other attributes The GSA prefers to offer the build- that would work well with city policing. ing to government agencies first and The Main Street location would also in this case wanted to make the department offer it to Oroville as more visible downa new police station. town compared to “They asked for their However, according the current Ironwood to Denney, just using key back and to vacate Street location. it for a police station ATV ORDINANCE the premises.” doesn’t pencil out At the council’s financially and the Tuesday, June 2 meetJoAnn Denney, City Clerk City of Oroville city would like to use ing they also discussed the building for other a new ATV ordinance services. She cited the which would allow Oroville Building Department as one ATVs on Oroville’s streets. This would potential additional use, thus freeing connect Oroville to county roads where up the city to sell their current facility a similar ordinance has already been on Main Street, where the old Visitor approved by the County Commissioners. Information Center was located. “The council has been taking a positive “A letter was submitted to the GSA attitude toward some kind of ordinance. regarding our concerns and the GSA They are looking at Omak’s municipal responded by saying there would be no code to decide whether they would like negotiations on the use of the property, to adopt something similar to theirs,” requested the quitclaim deed and key said Denney. be returned immediately,” said Denney. Councilman Tony Koepke asked about “Chris Branch has forwarded correspon- the turn signal requirement. The gendence to (U.S.) Sen. Maria Cantwell ask- eral feeling of the council was that they
OKANOGAN VALLEY GAZETTE-TRIBUNE Volume 111 No. 24
Gary DeVon/staff photo
The old U.S. Border Patrol - Oroville Station now sports a large “Government Property for Sale” sign. The City of Oroville has been trying to work with the U.S. General Services Administration to take over the no longer used facility for their police department and other agencies. liked Omak’s code and discussed referencing state regulations regarding turn signals, according to Denney. Omak
SEE ATV | PG A3
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Mayor Chuck Spieth said city staff had reviewed the code and would like
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