February 2016

LOOK LOCAL

PILLAR ROCK Dining Experience

Sandy Hackett's RAT PACK SHOW Denim & Diamonds Dinner-Auction-Dance

Reuse Recycle Rubbish

MELINDA HENRY Rubbish Artist HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY

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Meet our General Sales Manager

Brian O’Hickey

Brian O’Hickey is our General Sales Manager for Bud Clary Toyota, Chevrolet, and Dodge. He recently moved to Moses Lake from Portland Oregon and is excited about the change. He has been in the car business for around 15 years. He started as a sales person and has moved up through the ranks in the sales department.

Brian grew up in a family business in the Portland area and is excited about working for a great family business like Bud Clary. On his spare time he enjoys spending time with his family and friends and being outdoors.

Brian wants the community to know that he is here to help any way he can. Please feel free to reach out to him directly for any automotive needs.

Brian.ohickey@budclary.com

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Big Bend Community College Foundation invites you to the Basin’s 15th Annual premier wine dinner and auction May 21, 2016

Cellarbration! for Education

painting by Rie Palkovic

Support Students. Support Scholarships.

Support the Big Bend Community College Foundation.

For more information or to RSVP call 509.793.2006

Exclusive Cellarbration Underwriter

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Dear past, thanks for the lessons.

Dear future, I am ready.

I

will..... live by new rules. Be open to new possibilities.

Make dinner a nightly event. Jump in a pool with my clothes on. Miss my flight home, several times. Acquire a new couch. Enjoy life every day.

It happens. Every year. Come December I have noted every single thing I will do to make life perfect. I welcome the New Year with the belief all things noted can be met in a month. Then, the end of January comes. Life is the same.

Old rules still apply. New possibilities seem so far out of reach. No flights to miss. No new couch. I have not taken time to eat dinner since October and the enjoyment of life is dampened by the fact I have not even made it to the pool more than 3 times in 30 days.

I have come to recognize most people do the same thing I do. New Year’s Resolutions are in reality a to-do list for the whole year, or a lifetime. We forget that part. We want to shed the past and move forward towards a better future, and we want it now.

But, change takes effort. And time. Positive change takes the most time, because our minds are equipped with layer after layer of defense mechanisms designed to shoot down anything that might keep things from staying exactly where they are.

We get impatient and forget in cultivating anything new, it’s not about getting it right the first time, but rather correcting mistakes in iteration. If we’re in battle with our self every time we slip up, we’ll just feel negative, unmotivated and frankly, we’re wasting precious time.

So, I suggest we be gentle. It’s only (almost) February.

We still have the rest of the year to accomplish what we wish for in 2016. Let’s start small. Start so small that we can not fail. And build from there. Let’s cultivate a positive feedback loop that will motivate us to keep going. Every step forward counts.

Let’s not forget to linger in the in-between spaces before moving on to the next goal. Those spaces provide their own insights of gratitude and reward. Gives strength in preparation for the next step. It’s all a process. If we fall in love with the process, the results will come.

- Melea Johnson

VENUE MAGAZINE Published by: Venue Media Group, Inc Publisher: Melea Johnson Layout & Design: Joe LaRosee Sales: Melea Johnson, Sue Tebow, Photographers: Roseanna Sales, Rosalie Black, Graphics: Joe LaRosee Contributing Writers: Shawn Erin, Jan Thacker, Doug Sly, Melea Johnson

Venue Magazine, PO Box 820, Moses Lake, WA 98837 509 431-3573 Melea Johnson / 509 760-0503 Sue Tebow info@thevenuemag.com / thevenuemag.com /

LOOK LOCAL

PILL AR ROCK

Dining experie

nce

Sandy Hackett's RAT PACK SHOW Denim & Diamon ds Din ner-Auction-D

ance

Reuse Recycle Rubbish

MELINDA HENRY Rubbish Artis

t HAPPY VALENTIN E'S DAY

Sue’s G i f t

B o u t i q u e

Est. in 1991

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Downtown Moses Lake

Golf

Balls Take care of the GOLF BALLS first the rest is just sand

Author unknown (but awesome) / Painting by Melea Johnson

A

professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full.. The students responded with a unanimous ‘yes.’

The professor then produced two beers from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed..

‘Now,’ said the professor as the laughter subsided, ‘I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things—-your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions—-and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car.. The sand is everything else—-the small stuff.

‘If you put the sand into the jar first,’ he continued, ‘there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life.

If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you.

Spend time with your children. Spend time with your parents. Visit with grandparents. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and mow the lawn.

Take care of the golf balls first—-the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the beer represented. The professor smiled and said, ‘I’m glad you asked.’ The beer just shows you that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for a couple of beers with a friend.

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Timothy Woodiwiss

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From McDonald’s to Med School

Transforming lives at Big Bend Community College

By Doug Sly

B

BCC Alumnus Timothy Woodiwiss has been selected as one of the top five nominees for the 2015 Transforming Lives Awards sponsored by the Washington Association of Community College Trustees. Thirty-four community colleges in the state submitted nominations.

As one of the top five award winners, Woodiwiss is invited to tell his story and answer questions during a dinner event attended by legislators, community college trustees and administrators in Olympia on January 29, 2016.

He will receive a $500 scholarship from the state trustees’ association and a $100 scholarship from the BBCC Trustees.

Woodiwiss was selected from 11 nominations of BBCC students. All of them were honored at a dinner and recognition ceremony sponsored by the BBCC Trustees on December 9.

W

hen Timothy Woodiwiss dropped out of high school after ninth grade, he thought he might become the manager of the McDonald’s restaurant in Ritzville. He started working full time in 2002 at age 16 and was promoted to McDonald’s shift manager when he was 17.

He earned a GED at Big Bend Community College “only because at 16 years old, it was against the law for me to work full time during school hours unless I had my GED.” After four years working at McDonald’s, Woodiwiss found the courage to attend BBCC. He sat in his car trembling with fear on the first day of classes in spring of 2006.

“I was sure a teacher would ask me a question, and everyone would know I was an idiot,” he said. “It could have gone south at that moment if I had given in to my fears.”

Woodiwiss went to class that day, and things worked out well. He is currently attending the University of Washington

School of Medicine. He graduated from WSU last spring with a Bachelor’s Degree in Biochemistry and minors in microbiology and animal science. He wants to specialize in oncology.

“Who would have thought that I, a high school dropout nobody, could have accomplished this?,” he said when he learned of his acceptance to medical school.

In 2005, Woodiwiss joined Washington Army National Guard’s 1161st Transportation Company (Ephrata), which allowed him to rely on the GI Bill and grants and loans to pay for college. He lost several years of college due to military deployments to Iraq and Bahrain, but he was first sent to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.

“Before Katrina I never thought of accomplishing anything more with my life than perhaps becoming a McDonald’s store manager. But after seeing such Continued on page 13

Students must apply online for BBCC Foundation scholarships Deadline is Feb. 19

Big Bend Community College Foundation scholarship applications for 2016-17 are available now on the college’s web site at http://www.bigbend.edu/information-center/foundation/scholarships.

Only completed applications submitted by the deadline will be considered.

Many of the Foundation’s scholarships are “open, or general,” meaning all potential and current students are welcome to apply. There are specific Foundation scholarships for students in nursing, aviation, education, agriculture, math/science, and most professional/technical programs.

The Foundation has scholarship opportunities for 2016 high school graduates, professional/technical, transfer, returning, and part-time students.

Applicants need to check for opportunities related to their educational goals and apply for awards based on criteria provided for each scholarship.

Students need two current letters of recommendation and a copy of high school/college transcripts to apply for BBCC Foundation Scholarships.

Contact the Foundation Office at 509 793-2006 for more information.

Continued from page 11

enc Students at the 2015 Comm

ement.

The BBCC Foundation awards approximately $130,000 in scholarships to 120 students in an academic year.

devastation and suffering in New Orleans, it somehow made me want to accomplish more with my life,” he said. “I didn’t know what I wanted to do or that I could become a doctor, but it seemed like a good first step to enroll in college.”

Woodiwiss isn’t remembered as a standout student by the BBCC faculty he gives credit for changing his life.

He was behind his peers in English and math. He had an overwhelming fear he wasn’t smart enough for college. He is remembered as a student who worked hard, not as the honors student he became at WSU. “Without the remedial classes offered at Big Bend, I would have never been able to attend college in the first place,” he said. “I was truly impressed with the enthusiasm with which my instructors taught their classes. The positive environment was exactly what I needed to overcome my fears.”

Woodiwiss can recite the names of BBCC instructors who helped him realize his potential. A BBCC math teacher helped him make up lost ground “without making me feel inferior,” and an English teacher praised the way he interpreted literature. A history teacher who awarded him an “A” grade made him realize “maybe I’m not dumb; maybe I can succeed in college.”

“I had many educational shortcomings before attending Big Bend, but it wasn’t until after moving on to Washington State University that I realized how well Big Bend had filled in the gaps and prepared me for the next level of my education,” he said.

He often thinks of his experiences at BBCC, where his journey to medical school began. “I am proud to have attended Big Bend and look forward to being able to give back one day.”

“It was such a poor decision to drop out of school,” he said. “I am so thankful I was given a second chance at Big Bend Community College.”

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This magazine would look lovely on your phone. thevenuemag.com

Melinda Henry Reuse Recycle Rampage

By Shawn Erin

H

er business branches across the four corners of the nation from Florida to New York and California with roots firmly planted in Moses Lake.

It’s almost guaranteed you’ve seen Melinda Henry’s Rubbish Rampage wares if you’ve strolled through the Farmer’s Market in McCosh Park, or perused the goods at any of Made in Moses Lake’s locations, or attended a vintage market in the region or… etc. After more than an hour she was still emailing with more venues her goods are sold at.

Her “ah-ha” moment of becoming an artist was when she visited a downtown Seattle store with the hopes of selling some items she had made. The shop owner “loved my stuff, my style, loved my theme and bought everything I brought,” she said. Her product had cost her nothing, and yet here she was, making something out of it.

Henry is also a businesswoman and community organizer. Furthermore, she is successful in her endeavors.

She does not simply sell her items at Made in Moses Lake, she started the business. She does not simply sell her items at the Farmer’s Market; she is on the board and craft jury. She is not content to only be a vendor at festivals or vintage markets either; she is on the Spring Festival board and is planning her own brand new event for Earth Day 2017. She also gives classes for others with a new small business.

Her art is not just a hobby, it is her business, her life. “I am always crafting... I have to work because my kids need a new winter jacket... last night I sat down and made 14 pop can hairclips,” Henry said.

Pile on top of that a marriage with Ken Henry, two sons, Dylan and Ethan Beasley, 12 and 10, and a second business (event photo booth!), Henry seems to have already lived two lives in her only 30-something years.

Continued on page 19

In business, one must sometimes sustain nicks and cuts, stitches and meltdowns.

A rubbish artist always does.

You can find Melinda Henry’s Rubbish Rampage in the following Basin locations: Sage Artisan Cafe, Quincy Rusty Moose, Ephrata Camas Cove Cellars, Moses Lake Made in Moses Lake, Moses Lake

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Happy Valentine’s Day. Love,

53 Basin St NW, Ephrata 509 754-9335

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Continued from page 16 Truth is, she is a hometown girl trying to make a living. She grew up in Moses Lake and then attended the Art Institute in Seattle before being offered a 9 to 5 managerial position at a restaurant. Henry said she was great at her job, a born leader. After the economy tanked, however, life in the city became hard with too little reward so she moved home.

Henry rediscovered the artist in her when she moved back to the Basin and back to her family. “If anything has taught me about art it definitely would be my family: my grandma made wedding dresses from scratch, my dad has always made model planes from scratch, and my mom is a jack of all trades.

They had a 9-5, but always had a hobby,” she said.

She also said the amount of time she is able to spend with her sons is incredible.

Like the art education she received free from her family, so is the much of the resources she uses for her art. It is, literally, rubbish.

The first items she found were a box of old records about to be thrown away. She was strapped for cash and picked up the approximately 500 hymnals just in time for Christmas. She searched the internet for project ideas for old records (not so easy BEFORE Pinterest!), and found you could melt the records into a bowl shape, which she did, and still does with that same lot of records.

Free-of-cost items continue to find their way into her wares, including repurposed license plates, aluminum cans and lots of random items her friends, family and artistic community donate to her. Henry’s real art, then, is to turn one man’s rubbish into a profit.

2016 is the “Year of the Home”

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Wildlife and Agriculture in Othello A

lthough Othello is well-known for the spring Sandhill Crane Festival, birders also regularly travel to our area during the fall migration season.

Our area is part of the great Pacific Flyway, a king or “interstate” for avian migration.

32 different types of mammals and over 200 species of birds have been observed at Columbia National Wildlife Refuge. At the height of the spring and fall migration, biologists have estimated the Refuge is home to up to 100,000 birds.

The diversity of wildlife in our area is matched only by the diversity of the crops grown here.

Agriculture is also an important part of avian life in the Basin…Sandhill cranes feast on leftover corn from fall harvest, and other crops grown here provide forage for many other species. Crops like wheat, alfalfa hay, potatoes, apples, spelt, grapes, cherries, melons, peas, onions, peaches, apricots, nectarines, and seed crops like carrot and radish provide “leftovers” for many mammals and avian in our area. Nearly 800 acres of cropland are planted specifically as part of a program designed to maintain healthy waterfowl and crane populations.

According to Columbia National Wildlife Refuge, during fall and especially in March and April, refuge fields near Corfu, Road E SE, and Barton Road attract up to 60,000 mallards, 20,000 northern pintails, 15,000 Sandhill cranes, and 50,000 Canada and cackling geese.

The delicate balance of nature and agriculture is an important one for our area, and the issue is one local farmers take very seriously. Our Festival enlists the help of dozens of local farmers each year – they not only provide valuable resources and time as Festival backers but volunteer to ride along on our tours to answer your questions.

Thanks for your interest in our Festival, and we hope to see you soon! Be sure to “like” the Festival’s Facebook page for the latest updates and information.

Birding: The Next Generation

The 19th annual Othello Sandhill Crane Festival will be held March 18, 19, 20.

The upcoming March VENUE will feature activities and events in Othello and surrounding area for the whole family to participate in, learn from and enjoy together.

Thevenuemag.com othellosandhillcranefestival.org 509-765-9618

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Buying or Selling...

...Choosing the right person to help with your transaction is the most important thing you can do.

Debby Smith 509-771-2425 debby@dunelakeproperties.com

1845 W. Broadway, Moses Lake 509-766-6700

Sheri Jacobsen 509-750-4796 sheri@dunelakeproperties.com

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BBCC has scholarship funds for childcare workers Big Bend Community College has received $30,000 in grant funds to provide scholarships and services to help childcare workers earn a degree or certificate in Early Childhood Education.

The Early Achievers Scholarships provide financial help for tuition, books, and student support. There are four “stackable” certificates and an associate degree offered in BBCC’s Early Childhood Education Program www.bigbend.edu/ece.

To be eligible for the funding students must be employed in a childcare center or family home participating in Washington Early Achievers for at least 40 hours per month, according to college officials.

Students need to complete an application, be a resident of Washington State, and plan to pursue an ECE certificate or AA degree to be eligible for funding.

Apply online at bigbend.edu/academics- workforce-education-services. For information, contact Jody Bortz at 793-2311 or email jodyb@bigbend.edu.

The funding is provided in partnership with the Washington State Department of Early Learning.

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facebook: Moses lake youth dynamics Todd Welch -Director

Youth Dynamics / 106 E Third Ave. Moses Lake, WA / 509-765-4184 e-mail: twelch@yd.org

Jewelry Coins Gold/Silver Exotic Gifts Knives/Swords Defense

We welcome you to visit.

Admission is free.

Porcelain and Portraits: Ginger Oakes and Erika Mueller

By Shawn Erin

A

rt creates conversation. Even if it’s a simple one such as “I like it” and “I don’t”. The current Moses Lake Museum artists’ works are full of dialogue and stories regarding the interpersonal relationships between people and with nature.

Ginger Oake’s “Nurtured by Nature” and Erika Mueller’s “Rational Beings” gallery show opening night was January 15 and will hang through March 4.

Sculptor Ginger Oakes’ collection is curated into selections titled “I see the sea”, “Rock and a hard place”, “Head in the clouds”, and “In the woods”. Each group reflects Oakes’ experiences in each different environment and how she imagines herself, or other human forms, there. “This show will take everyone on a journey of discovering and appreciating what can be found below surface,” she said.

The sculptor describes her work with obvious joy.

She said she and her sculptures are teller of tales, set in fairy-like settings of beds of moss or with armor made of pine cones. She invites the viewers to imagine themselves present in the stories.

Oakes said she strives through her work to “speak of a balance in life between the human condition of feeling happy and sad, strong and fragile, excited or calm,” and that these juxtapositions are often at peace when found in nature, whereas in human relationships we often try

to manipulate them. It is perhaps for this reason, Oakes considers, that we enjoy seeing human faces and forms in the bark of a tree or in a cloud.

Painter Erika Mueller’s collection is based on the interpersonal relationships and underlying emotions between people, and said she paints to discover “what makes us tick, what inspires and impacts us. Memory, observation and passion play a major role.”

Her work features strong colorful brushstrokes and charcoal marks that appear both finite and discrete. The artist said she works quick and messy, with attention to the curve of a knee or expression in the eye.

Similar to Oakes, Mueller wants to reach deep into the depths to discover a connection. Her own understanding of the people she paints, through shared history, memories and experiences, helps her paint a more complete picture of the person, she said, and hopes to inspire a connection between the viewer and the subject of her portraits.

In the Community Gallery space, Moses Lake resident Evan Fisher’s “Crazyfish Mosaics” will be on display.

Join us to create your own connections through conversation and community at your local Museum. **To submit your original art work for an upcoming show in our Main Gallery or Community Gallery, please submit an application which can be found online at MosesLakeMuseum.com or in person at the Museum.

Monday - Saturday 11:00 am - 5:00 pm 401 S Balsam St, Moses Lake (509) 764-3830 / moseslakemuseum.com

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I

By Jan Thacker

'd say the biggest problem I have right now is my rear end. And my belly. Oh, there are other minor problems, such as aging and the resultant falling apart thing, but the mirror declares the behind and tummy problem every morning; in fact, all day long. It could be solved, of course, by removing the mirrors in the house and at work but then there are the tattletale jeans I also have to deal with.

Not long ago one of my granddaughters teased me mightily about my hearty sweet tooth. We decided if a sweet tooth was judged mine would be in the Sweet Tooth Hall of Fame. People would come from around the world to take selfies with my sweet tooth.

"We should go on a diet," Troy said the day after Christmas. "We could do it together."

A diet. Now there's an idea.

Actually, I did that last summer just a few months before my September class reunion. I had visions of showing up looking like Sophia Loren. Not the one of today because, heck, the woman is something like 82, but the way she looked back when she was 40. I did lose a few pounds but the minute I got back home I happily ate my way up the scale.

Maybe Troy and I should go back on the Atkins diet. We did that years ago and it was very successful.

He was a dedicated soul and lost over 70 pounds. I lost about 25 pounds. Then I cheated and gained eight.

Then I went back on and lost two. Then I cheated and gained three. Then I went back on and lost three. I got so confused I didn't remember when I started or what I weighed in the beginning. The proof of my unfaithfulness was in the mirror.

People have lost astounding amounts of fat on the Atkins diet. It simply falls off. Of course this tends to make sidewalks and floors slippery and is the cause of many lawsuits. It is not unusual for a man to wave goodbye to his 300-pound wife, go off on a business trip for two weeks, and come home to a thin little 120-pounder with real cheekbones and hips. He spends the next three weeks interrogating her to make sure she’s really his wife.

Here is what people perceive is a normal Atkins diet recipe for bacon: Marinate slab of bacon in liquid Crisco for two days. Deep fat fry in vegetable oil until crispy.

Drizzle with melted butter before serving. We didn't do that. We just cooked our bacon the regular way where it sizzles in its own fat.

I remember well the time during the peak of our Atkins dieting fiasco when we were at a hockey game in Fairbanks and Troy was highly upset over some sort of violence on the ice. To calm him down I pressed a tiny pink Valentine Sweetheart candy, inscribed with "Be Mine," into his palm. He popped it in his mouth, chewed and swallowed. Then he realized what he’d done and declared I'd ruined his ketosis.

Toss out the D word And replace it with the H word.

In case you don't know, ketosis is a metabolic state your body reaches when you don’t eat potatoes or sugar.

Wildly yearning for potatoes and sugar, the cells join together to shove all the fat molecules into the body’s grinding and burning mechanisms, which is how you lose weight. It’s part of the Atkins plan.

Well, heaven forbid I ruin anyone’s ketosis. I ate the rest of the box myself.

If I truly decided to consider this diet again I'd make a grocery list with a lot of cheese and meat and I'd get parsnips, rutabagas and turnips to take the place of potatoes. But I can't do the Atkins diet simply because I'm not that fond of meat.

The thought of eating the hindquarter of a cow for breakfast doesn't do a thing for me. Probably the best thing would be the old fruit, vegetables, protein diet and that E word.... please don't make me say it. Well, OK, but it hurts to utter the word. Exercise.

What you ask, as if you couldn't hear me? EXERCISE. There. Are you happy? Sigh. I really hate exercise.

I think I'm ready but I don't know how many times I've declared "this is it" and thrown away the big bag of chocolate chips, the marshmallows, the cookies, and the candy stashes and then fought the urge to go on an exploratory dig in the garbage can. Heck, I'm the kind of person who sees an empty candy bar wrapper on the sidewalk and wonders if there's anything left in there.

My sisters and I commiserate often about weight and diets and the lack of willpower we are sure came from our mother's side of the family. Judy reminded me once that my excuse about exercise -- that if God had wanted me to touch my toes he would have put them up higher on my body – is not a good excuse. It is important to diet, exercise, and get in shape, she said recently. I am in shape, I told her. Round is a shape.

Seriously, I think I'm going to toss out the D word and replace it with the H word: Healthy. I think I need to get healthy.

Look Local 34 | thevenuemag.com

Resolve to Look Local in 2016.

By Shawn Erin

Oh, January. How quickly you arrive, and oh, how long you linger. One moment it’s Thanksgiving, the next it’s New Year, and yet Spring feels like it’s stuck downtown in five o’clock traffic.

We suggest you Look Local to help pass those winter blues. Treat yourself to a little luxury. Get that soft-andpretty-as-rose-petal bathrobe. Buy the fuzzy slippers and fizzy bath salts. Invest in a piece of original art. Indulge in bath time. Take time, the ultimate luxury, to pamper you.

This Look Local shot was taken at the Inn at Soap Lake, who has the option of drawing Soap Lake’s renowned mineral water for their baths, which are available for rent. The bath water is accessorized with locally made soaking salt and organic apricot oil. The space is decorated with luminous glass, warm candles, and embracing art. Aubrey Erin dried off her wrinkly toes in custom monogrammed towels.

What struck me, in preparation for this scene, was the gratitude of the shop owners: with their customers, employees and their community. Everywhere I went, folks were friendly. I would like to extend all the gratitude back to each of them for their enthusiasm, work and generosity!

My favorites from lot are the monogrammed towels, the boutique atmosphere at Hotoveli, and the variety of quality goods at North 40. Angela Green’s is a focal point, as well.

She paints acrylic on top of canvas prints of her wonderful watercolor originals which makes each one unique and attainably priced.

You don’t have to go far to feel like you’re on vacation.

Several locations in Grant County offer fine dining, luxury accommodations and high-end salon experiences (just look at the ads in this magazine).

Tell us where your favorites are by emailing info@thevenuemag.com.

thevenuemag.com | 35

Location - Inn at Soap Lake

Bath salts and personalized mug - Looking Glass Studio Organic apricot oil - Settler’s Country Market

Bars of all natural soap - Moses Lake Museum

Green glass and glass globes - Red Door Cafe

Mercury glass - Hotoveli

No-flame candles - Elements (back of Hotoveli)

Wood & metal block letters - Goin’ Postal , Ephrata Towels - Marshall’s

Monograms – Chain Stitchery, Ephrata

Slippers - North 40

Original art - Angela Green

Nautical board (not pictured) - Calico Cat Thrift Store

Donuts and milk for the model - John’s Foods, Soap Lake

Photographed by Picture Perfect by Roseanna Modeled by Aubrey Erin Styled by Shawn Erin

Columbia Basin Allied Arts

GREEN TURTLE

JOIN US!

MARCH 18, 2016 | 7PM Live performances held @ Wallenstien Theater

PURCHASE Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce or TICKETS AT: www.columbiabasinalliedarts.org F or infor mation call: 509.793.2059 •

Support provided by Moses Lake & Grant County Tourism Commissions Wallenstien Theater 6989 College Parkway, Moses Lake

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38TH PREMIER SEASON 2015-2016

Columbia Basin Allied Arts

Live performances held @ Wallenstien Theater

JOIN US!

FEBRUARY 13, 2016 | 7PM

PURCHASE Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce or TICKETS AT: www.columbiabasinalliedarts.org F or infor mation call: 509.793.2059 •

Support provided by Moses Lake & Grant County Tourism Commissions Wallenstien Theater 6989 College Parkway, Moses Lake

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I

f you think you’ve seen the Rat Pack, it’s not until you indulge in the real Rat Pack experience with “Sandy Hackett’s Rat Pack Show” that you begin to realize why Sandy Hackett’s own personal connection to theses iconic legends has allowed him to tell this story unlike any other producer or performer. Chosen personally by Joey Bishop, only Sandy Hackett can bring to life the nonstop party that everyone wanted access to.

Now audiences can experience this critically acclaimed, hugely entertaining theatrical production which includes exciting new arrangements of the classic songs everyone knows and loves. In addition, audiences will hear original, neverbefore-heard songs written by the late, legendary songwriter, Ron Miller (“For Once In My Life”), and recorded voiceovers made exclusively for this show by Sandy Hackett’s father, the late, legendary comedian, Buddy Hackett.

With a stellar cast, Sandy Hackett’s Rat Pack Show features performances by Sandy Hackett (Producer/Joey Bishop), a powerhouse veteran writer, producer and film & TV actor; his wife, singer/songwriter/producer and daughter of Ron Miller, Lisa Dawn Miller (Producer/Frank’s One Love); Danny Grewen (Frank Sinatra); Dezmond Meeks (Sammy Davis, Jr.); and Tom Wallek (Dean Martin). The incomparable musical team is led by Maestro Christopher Hardin and Conductor/ Drummer, Ryan Rose.

www.SandysRatPack.com / www.SandysRatPackOnTour.com

38TH PREMIER SEASON 2015-2016

Columbia Basin Allied Arts

Live performances held @ Wallenstien Theater

JOIN US!

MARCH 12, 2016 | 7PM

PURCHASE Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce or TICKETS AT: www.columbiabasinalliedarts.org F or infor mation call: 509.793.2059 •

Support provided by Moses Lake & Grant County Tourism Commissions Wallenstien Theater 6989 College Parkway, Moses Lake

T

ake a trip back to 1964 with BritBeat's tribute to the Beatles. With mop tops, retro costumes, vintage instruments and harmonizing vocals, BritBeat Beatles Tribute Band performs all of the memorable Beatle hits from the sixties. Their British style, charisma and Liverpudlian character creates the ultimate Beatles Tribute concert experience. They display the same youthful excitement and boyish charm as the original 'Fab Four' to recreate the electrifying performances made by the Beatles when they first came onto the American scene and started the 'British Invasion' and 'Beatlemania'.

BritBeat, America's Premier Tribute to the Beatles is a theatrical recreation concert celebrating the greatest rock and roll group of all time, The Beatles. It is the Beatles. It is their look, their sound, their mannerisms, their accents, their costuming, their instrumentation and their vocal harmonies in the most authentic recreation that you will find. The show is produced to feature a live concert through the ascending Beatles' eras of music including Ed Sullivan, Sgt. Pepper and Abbey Road with retro costume and vintage instrument changes. As well as musical, it is a visual, multimedia and theatrical concert experience that will appeal to audience members of all ages.

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Cheating Death, written by Kamron Klit-

Them Three: Three One Act Plays

T gaard, is directed by Justin Rowland.

When the Angel of Death, played by Randy Brooks, visits a mental hospital to collect someone on his list, he accidentally reveals himself to the wrong person. But the patients refuse to give up their friend’s true identity. Death must resort to drastic measures and even joins the group session in order to win this deadly battle of wits.

Other characters in the play are Sam Johnson (Mistya Beyer), Anne (Joanne Bracht), Sue (Cynthia Beyer), Bob (Christopher Longstreet), Ron (Nick Mahaney}, and Doug (Andrew Covarrubias).

Superhero Support Group, by D. M. Larson, and directed by Adam Zaleski explores an

aspect of superheroes we haven’t seen: What happens when you get bored with being a hero?

The action is set in the office of The Doctor (Joanne Bracht), whose specialty is power removal.

We follow Supers, Catchick (Missy Beyer), Dogboy (Andrew Covarrubias), Smack the Super Strong (Chris Longstreet), and Caper (Nick Mahaney) as they await their fate. Simultaneously, from his secret lair behind the couch, a mysterious hero called The Shade (Joseph Hernandez) tries to convince them not to change. Superhero Support Group is a jovial jaunt filled with colorful characters, slapstick comedy, and will leave you with a smile.

A Window Ajar, written and directed by Jeffrey Ames

In A Window Ajar, married couple Julie and Raymond (Rosalee Chamberlain and Chris Longstreet) have a simple goal: to throw a good party. Things start to go wrong when some of the guests arrive early, including a cantankerous mother-in-law (Joanne Bracht), an underappreciated sister (Theresa Freeman), and their friend the police officer (Nick Mahaney). In the midst of it, two robbers (Missy Beyer and Andrew Covarrubias), who find their way into the scene via the open window, are trying desperately to escape with their cash to retire in Costa Rica. Will they make it? Will the party go okay? Come watch and find out.

Auditions for Our Town will be Sunday, March 6 at 1:00 pm, and Monday, March 7 at 7:00 pm.

Our Town opens Friday, April 22 and runs through Mother’s Day, May 8.

Written by Thorton Wilder “This is the way we Directed by Clifford Bresee were In our growing up and in Our Town is one of the true classics of American Theater that has our marrying, and in our living stood the test of time and continues to speak to audiences today. and in our dying.”

The Pulitzer Prize-winning story tells of life in a small American town through the everyday experiences of its citizens, and explores the questions of human existence.

“I have a deep respect for Wilder’s script,” says director Bresee. “It is important to me to avoid doing a nostalgic period piece that so many have either done or seen in high school productions.

Instead I intend to convey a meaningful story worth telling in a fresh and relevant way. I plan to do something new with something familiar in such a way that audiences leave having seen and heard the story for the first time.”

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Faces of Cancer A powerful and beautifully created magazine in support of the friends and family in our own community who face cancer.

What is it like to heroically fight a battle that terrifies everyone?

How can we best help someone in the process when we can not comprehend it, really? What do our loved ones fighting cancer really want us to know? We asked them.

Their stories will inspire you.

Real people. Real stories. Real truth.

Magazines available now at all VENUE locations Or go online to thevenuemag.com

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A full gloss magazine Photography by Robin L Green A product of VENUE Magazine

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Timeless beauty

Intricately knotted triangle links of rose gold carefully crafted and decorated with diamonds.

In viewing these beautiful knots, one cannot see a beginning or an end, and therefore are reminded of the timeless nature of our spirit.

Celtic knots inspired by the Book of Kells are handmade by Nicholas Paul

Serving the Basin for more than 60 years 509 765-6331 / 208 W 3rd Ave, Moses Lake / Fredericks-jewelry.com

The Power

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o f t h e Columbia River Grant PUD’s new visitor center located near Wanapum Dam

L

ocated adjacent to Wanapum Dam, about seven miles south of the Vantage Bridge, The Power of the Columbia River provides an opportunity for visitors of all ages to experience firsthand how Grant PUD operates its dams on the Columbia.There are many interactive exhibits within the 2,000 square foot facility that allow visitors to travel through time as they see how the Columbia River shaped Grant County. A theater features several videos that describe how the Columbia Basin was formed and how Wanapum

Dam works. Visitors will also generate their own electricity, learn about fish in the river, as well as where to enjoy recreation along the Columbia River.

“We want this to be a center where schools, families and members of the community can visit and use as an educational resource,” said Grant PUD Commission President Dale Walker.

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The visitor center is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday through April and open daily (including Saturday,Sunday and holidays), May through September.

The Power of the Columbia River is located south of Interstate 90 on Highway 243. Once on Highway 243, head south and follow the highway for approximately 4 miles and then turn onto Wanapum Dam Road. Admission is free. The center is a component of Grant PUD’s federal license requirements to provide educational opportunities and access to customers.

“We want this to be a center where schools, families and members of the community can visit and use as an educational resource,”

Pillar Ro

By Chef Joe LaRosee

D

ining in the Columbia Basin. For some, they think of all the options we don’t have, (insert your favorite mediocre chain restaurant with a microwave as a chef here). For others, including myself, the Columbia Basin offers a variety of options from fast casual and borderline fine dining to amazing taco trucks and unbeatable drive thru burgers. We also have wonderful coffee stops, warm Pho, quick take out Chinese and some of the better Teriyaki I have eaten. There is one restaurant, however, that is taking traditional cuisine and making it exciting. Moses Lake’s Pillar Rock Grill.

Since it is almost Valentine’s Day, I thought my wife Katie and I, would eat around town and decide where we

would like to have our February date. This was our first stop and it has definitely made the short list.

Located inside the Moses Lake Golf Club, The Pillar Rock Grill is a downright stunning facility. Katie and I were amazed at how we felt as if we had been transported to some ritzy upscale polo grounds for a quick match followed by lunch, but it did not feel pretentious Photos by Joe and Katie LaRosee

or stuffy, quite the contrary actually, we felt warm, comfortable and invited.

Our server sat us down at our reserved table and quickly informed us of the day’s specials and what was available for happy hour (4pm - 6pm). We took full advantage and ordered two bloody Marys because...... Why not? If you like spicy, full flavored Bloody Marys, this is the place for you.

It was the perfect warm up (literally) for the feast we were embarking on.

For our starters, we ordered hand battered calamari with sweet chili sauce and house made mozzarella caprese. The calamari was perfectly cooked and crisp. The breading tasted of flour, paprika, cayenne, and white pepper and had just the right amount of kick to go with the sweet chili dipping sauce. The hand made Mozzarella Caprese was the star

though. Chef Sameh Farag has hit a home run with this dish. The mozzarella curd is hand stretched in hot salt water to give it elasticity and just the right amount of saltiness. It is then breaded and slightly

Rock Grill Moses Lake / pillarrockgrill.com

fried to add to the texture of the dish. The cheese is served with fresh tomato slices, basil chiffonade, brined capers, sourdough crostini and creamy balsamic vinaigrette. We want to come back during heirloom tomato season to have this dish with local tomatoes. Stunning.

Next we ordered our entrees which came with choice of soup or salad. Katie ordered the classic Italian dish Chicken Picatta with a house salad. The salad came first and had the standard ingredients, tomato, cucumber and croutons.

Only the croutons were not your typical crouton. They were perfect croutons that were obviously house made and done well. Leave it to a chef to find happiness in the small things, but when

the small things are right, you know you are in a place worthy of your time and money.

Katie’s chicken picatta had all the flavors you look for in a good picatta, citrus and bitter brine from the lemon juice, wilted spinach and capers, mellowed out by the butter used to finish the sauce and all topped with basil infused Parmesan cheese. My only qualm with this dish was the

mountainous sides. The rice pillaf and sauteed pea pods themselves were very good, but there was more than enough of each for three plates of Picatta.

I ordered the Tri-Tip steak topped with snow crab and bearnaise, served with Yukon gold mashed potatoes and sauteed pea pods. Again the sides dominated the plate but I was very happy that they did not skimp on the crab either. I ordered my steak medium rare and although it was slightly undercooked (true Tri-tips are very hard to cook medium rare) it was very good. The sauce bearnaise has the earthy flavors of tarragon with the creaminess of tempered egg yolks that pairs so well with sweet snow crab and a hunk of meat. One of the things on this earth that makes me the most happy.

Bottom line is this. I have always likened the Moses Lake Golf Club and all its facilities including Pillar Rock Grill to the old “Country Club” days of members only and private dining. But those days are long gone and this meal has gone a long way to transform my way of thinking about them. Outstanding food, great price.

Now I need to go back for lunch and try the “Junkyard” Rueben Sandwich I have been hearing so much about!

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Sweetheart Brunch Sunday, Feb 14th 9am -2pm

Valentine Specials Saturday evening - Reservations Welcome

Fresh Seafood

Open To The Public

Friday Night Prime Rib Special

Catering on and off site Happy Hour Tues – Fri 4pm-6pm

Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner

Tues – Fri: 11am – 9pm / Sat: 11am-9pm / Sun: 9am – 5pm 1373 Rd F.2 NE, Moses Lake (just off I-90) / 509-765-8131

509-766-7650 1177 Stratford Rd., Moses Lake www.groceryoutlet.com/MosesLake-Wa

Experience speed like never before!

Choose your service provider and get connected.

Est. 2003

“Let 2016 Be Your

Best Year Ever!�

Find us on Facebook! f

grantpud.org

888-254-1899

Winter Hours: Mon - Saturday: 6am - 6pm Sunday: 7am - 5pm

765-4088

8166 Valley Road

Across from Cascade Park and RV

new menu items ials

c e p s h t n o m e h of t

HAPPY HOUR

930 N. Stratford Road | Moses Lake, WA | 509.766.9000 www.rocktopburgersandbrew.com |

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This Valentine’s Day, fall in love all over again

9 10 W. B r o a d w a y M o s e s L a k e

/

5 0 9 .76 5 .16 11

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Monday – Saturday 7am-9pm • Sunday 8am-8pm 221 W. Broadway • Moses Lake • 509.765.4177 • www.michaelsmarketandbistro.com

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Red Door Cafe Booking a party, conference, group meeting, or anything else that needs a bit of privacy? Consider our spacious conference room that seats 40+. We have a projector for Power Point or presentations and an oversized screen.

We do catering and boxed lunches.

Desserts, espresso and paninis are our speciality! Did we mention that everything, from soups to desserts to salads, is made from scratch?

Hours: Monday - Saturday, 7:30am to 5pm, Closed Sunday 202 and 206 West 3rd Ave, Moses Lake, WA, 98837

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Small Town Charm ...at its best

Visit us online at www.VisitRitzville.com for a complete list of our festivals and events!

Ritzville Area Chamber of Commerce (509) 659-1936 • chamber@ritzville.com

509-681-2013

www.couleecity.com Painting by local Don Nutt

See our website for a complete calendar of local events & signup for our monthly enewsletter.

Become a fan of LakeTown Landing & MLBAcares.org on MOSES LAKE BUSINESS ASSOCIATION

509.764.1745 • www.mlbacares.org

thevenuemag.com thevenuemag.com | 6163

306 Midway Hwy 155 • www.grandcouleedam.org

The city we’re all proud to call our home. home

Ephrata

Chamber of Commerce

1 Basin Street SWSW • PO 112 Basin Street - POBox Box275 275• -Ephrata, Ephrata,WA WA98823 98823

(509) (509) 754-4656 754-4656

info@ephratawachamber.com Info@ephratawachamber.com• -www.ephratawachamber.com www.ephratawachamber.com

Cara 509.989.2679

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Do your home loan locally with

Kelly Price

Loan Officer

509-760-2123 kprice@guildmortgage.net

WA-MLO-1042300

Kelly Price grew up in Moses Lake and has been at Guild Mortgage Company in Moses Lake for three years, and loves what she does. Kelly started as a Licensed Loan Officer Assistant for the Top Producing Loan officer in Moses Lake, Sales Manager/Senior Loan Officer Anne Fisher. She learned from the best before transitioning into a Loan Officer with her own clients in May 2015. Kelly is here for your home buying or refinancing needs, to make your experience be a positive and informative one. Kelly is a graduate from Carroll College where she received a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration with Concentrations in Management and International Business in 2009.

When Kelly isn’t originating home loans, she enjoys spending time with her husband Brandon, and they are expecting their first child in April 2016. Kelly and Brandon enjoy being with family and friends, and spending time outdoors hunting, fishing, golfing, boating, and camping. Kelly is on the Board of Directors for Camp Fire NCW where she serves as the Vice President, and she is also an organizing member of the Young Professionals of the Columbia Basin and an Ambassador for the Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce.

Kelly loves working with her customers…….. (here is a note from a recent client) “Hi Kelly!

So, I am moving into my home! I’d like to take a minute and thank you for all of your assistance, patience and tremendous help. This was a new process for me and you were there to answer every single one of my questions and concerns. You were so kind and efficient throughout the entire process. I surely will recommend you to anyone who is in the process of purchasing a home or refinancing. Thanks again for everything!”

Apply online

Guildmortgage.com/moseslake COMPANY NMLS ID 3274

509-766-7788 or 1-888-766-9712 506 E. Hill, Moses Lake WA 98837

“All loans are subject to underwriter approval, terms and conditions may apply. Subject to change without notice.”

LOANS We Finance APPLY TODAY!

Moses lake

1704 S. Clover Dr., Moses Lake, WA 98837

Moses lake SAFEWAY BRANCH

601 S. Pioneer Way, Moses Lake, WA 98837

EPHRATA

260 C Street SW, Ephrata, WA 98823