Okanogan Valley Gazette-Tribune, July 30, 2015

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LA Couple ‘Unplugs’ in the

Naturalization Information

Okanogan on new TV Series

USCIS hosts a free information session, Thursday, July 30 at Brewster Library at 5 p.m.

See Page A10

SERVING WASHINGTON’S

OKANOGAN VALLEY

SINCE 1905

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Oroville’s EMTs resign, form own non-profit service

PULLING HARD

Mayor Spieth says city is close to signing new interlocal agreement with county BY GARY A. DE VON EDITOR@GAZETTE-TRIBUNE.COM

OROVILLE – Oroville’s EMTs say they will resign from their positions Aug. 23, 215, claiming frustration with the city and especially Mayor Chuck Spieth. In five identical signed letters, Jackie Daniels, Janet Allen, Paul Bouchard, Lisa Bordwell and Tasha Robinson, claim the mayor “yelled, smashed his fist on the table and absolutely refused to give us any information.” However, other people attending the Tuesday, July 20 council meeting didn’t see it quite the same way, including the mayor himself. “I told Chris Allen that I would not answer any more questions, why should

Above, Lemar Wolley of Oroville drags the sled 203.67 feet with his 1952 Oliver 77 during exhibition runs Friday, July 24. Right, Mark Adams of Snohomish adds enough weights to the front of his 1997 Dodge Ram 2500 to put him in the Z.6 Diesel class, where he took first with a 209 foot pull. Bottom left, Steve Stevie, a Columbia Basin Antique Car Club member from Medical Lake, pulled the sled 238.48 feet in this 1936 Case with a 396 c.i. engine, purchased from a former puller in Illinois. Bottom right, Bonnie Siegfried of Tonasket, 16, grins after pulling the sled 248.97 feet with her 2013 Chevy DuraMax during Friday’s exhibition runs. Siegfried went on to take first place the next day in the Work Stock Diesel class with a pull of 189.9 feet.

I he isn’t even part of the ambulance service,” said Mayor Chuck Spieth,” adding that he did not feel the meeting had become a hostile environment, although he admit to being frustrated. “He (Allen) has made some pretty wild accusations about the city taking money from a donation to the ambulance fund. The city is audited, the rural ambulance district is audited... the state has never come to us and said we’ve misappropriated funds. We can account for every penny of it,” said the mayor. The city and county are in negotiations to sign a new interlocal agreement, which Mayor Spieth says is nearly complete and very much like the ones from past years.

SEE AMBULANCE | PG A2

School Board says Gap ‘yes,’ guns ‘no’ threat,” said DeVon. “I want to see where the board’s mind is and where the public’s is before OROVILLE – The majority of the we proceed with arming staff,” said Oroville School Board seemed less than Superintendent Steve Quick. “I don’t want it to be a major ready to approve distraction for the staff members carI think we are rushing into school board.” rying guns, but the Quick added that this. I think we should fordistrict will forge school’s insurahead with Gap get about arming teachers the ers are also hesitraining for the right now and recommend tant about insuring 2015/16 school year we look at it again in six armed staff. and won’t arm staff. “They recomThe subject came months,” mend not to do it,” up at the end of the School Director Todd Hill, said Quick. board’s Monday, Oroville Police Chief “I can tell you July 27 meetour prosecutor is ing. While Board not for this and he Chairman Rocky DeVon suggested there be another pub- would be the one defending the staff in lic meeting to hear from John Ladines case of a incident,” said Board member of Force Dynamics, the rest of the board Todd Hill, who is also Oroville’s Police seemed unwilling to hear more about Chief. Hill added, “The FBI has studied this arming staff at this point in time. Gap training helps staff learn to fight back and they concluded a student has a better and to protect students and staff from chance of being struck by lightning than becoming victims when there is a threat being injured in a school shooting.” “I think we’re rushing into this. I think in their school. “We had a public meeting last week we should forget about arming teachers about Gap training and whether to allow right now and recommend we look at certain trained staff to carry concealed weapons at school in case there is a SEE NO GUNS | PG A2 BY GARY A. DE VON

EDITOR@GAZETTE-TRIBUNE.COM

Katie Teachout/ staff photos

Promising fun films and fun times– Tumbleweed Film Fest returns BY GARY A. DE VON EDITOR@GAZETTE-TRIBUNE.COM

OROVILLE – The sixth annual Tumbleweed Film Festival returns to Oroville July 30 to Aug. 1, bringing plenty of great short films and good times, as it turns local venues in the area into film theaters for a night. This year’s Tumbleweed Film Festival kicks off with an opening night reception at the Pastime Bar and Grill on Thursday, July 30 at 5:30 p.m., followed by screenings at Vicki’s Backdoor Club at 7 p.m.. A Family Night of short films also takes place at the Oroville High School Commons on tThursday at 6 p.m. Then on Friday, July 31 the festival

continues at the Alpine Brewing Co. area, as well as from the Seattle area,” said Geoff Klein, festiand closing night takes val co-founder. at the Esther Bricques “Tumbleweed offers Winery on Saturday, “Oroville is becoma great selection of Aug. 1. Each evening entertaining short offers a unique setting ing the home for a films, but it’s not just to watch the films with truly international film the films that make this a different set of short films from around the festival. We have two event so special,” adds Maureen Fine, who world. directors coming from co-founded the festi“Oroville is becomval with Klein. “Each ing the home for a Los Angeles...” venue offers its own truly international film Geoff Klein, Co-Founder unique atmosphere festival. We have two Tumbleweed Film Festival to the experience, so film directors coming it’s also a fun, social from Los Angeles and happening, where film have already sold tickets to filmgoers in the Okanagan B.C. goers can talk about the movies and also

OKANOGAN VALLEY GAZETTE-TRIBUNE Volume 111 No. 31

meet some of the filmmakers.” The festivities begin with an opening night reception at the Pastime Bar and Grill from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. on the Alley Bar Patio. The reception includes hearty appetizers, including pulled pork nachos and bruschetta, as well as a beer, wine or a non-alcohol beverage, with music by singer, guitarist and keyboardist Jeff Gee. This is the Pastime’s first special event since Tim and Dianna Naillon took over as the new owners of the restaurant and bar. “We are happy that the Pastime will be carrying on the tradition of kicking off the Tumbleweed Film Festival with an opening reception,” said Vickie

SEE FILMS | PG A2

INSIDE THIS EDITION

CONTACT US Newsroom: (509) 476-3602 ext. 5050 gdevon@gazette-tribune.com Advertising: (509) 476-3602 ext. 3050 chelm@gazette-tribune.com

Gary DeVon/file photo

Geoff Klein and Mo Fine, founders of the Tumbleweed Film Festival at Vicki’s

News A2-3 Cops/Courts/911 A4 Letters/Opinion A5

Community Calendar Classifieds

A6-7 A7 A8-9

Real Estate A9 A&E, Outdoors A10-11 Obits A12


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