Thanks from Edwards family
Dear Editor:
This is for the Methow Valley and beyond, to whom we give credit for all the blessings that have been bestowed upon us.
As most of you know, Richard Edwards was diagnosed on Jan. 26 with leukemia and was transported straight to the University of Washington hospital. Leukemia has changed our lives considerably. We have been in Seattle ever since diagnosis, moving between the UW hospital and the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance Clinic (SCCA). We live in the SCCA House to keep us “on the block”” for any emergencies, for we cannot be more than 20 to 30 minutes away.
Richard has undergone several rounds of chemotherapy and immunotherapy with the goal of a bone marrow transplant. There are many months ahead for us to be here in Seattle. But with lots of prayers and determination, getting “home” will hopefully seem to come fast.
The Lord has put in our lives such gracious family and friends. There really are not enough words nor the correct words to express how appreciative we are. Everyone has been so supportive to our family. It is overwhelming — the response puts one in awe.
The trial we are now facing in this new chapter of life has been easy to bear because of the strength we have in God and the loved ones that He has put in our path. As we continue our journey, “home” is in our hearts always. This in turn keeps us going strong, knowing who is behind us the whole way, being ever encouraging and supportive. All the people we talk with are amazed at our small valley. They wish to have what we have, as our community supports one another.
We thank you, the kids thank you and the family thanks you. God bless.
The Edwards Family: Richard, Jennifer, Autumn and Fischer; Carlton
Support appreciated
Dear Editor:
With much thanks and appreciation, we would like to commend the community at large for once again supporting the students, staff and facilities of the Methow Valley School District. The approval of both the transportation/vehicle fund levy and the capital improvements levy will allow the district to responsibly care for the important community assets of our schools grounds and buildings.
On behalf of the entire Facilities Task Force and their focused and dedicated efforts over the past 12 months, thank you again for your support and we look forward to keeping everyone apprised of our progress going forward.
Sarah and Erik Brooks, Winthrop
Help the Wagner Pool
Dear Editor:
Happy Spring. It’s time to think about the Wagner Memorial Pool in Twisp. Every year you hear from Friends of the Pool. This year we need your help to resurface the pool. By resurfacing our aging pool we can extend the life and ensure a safe place for our children to play in water and learn how to swim. We need to keep the pool in good shape for the Killer Whales highly successful swim team where over 100 young people hone their skills.
We need this pool for the lap swimmers and water aerobics classes and family swim. It’s the place for kids to learn water safety and have a safe supervised recreation activity for summer exercise.
Our well-loved and well-used pool is rapidly reaching its 50th year of existence. The Wagner family felt strongly about the importance of having a pool. After losing a family member to the river, they offered and built the Wagner Memorial Pool giving so many people over the years a safe and healthy place to learn water safety. Respect for what can happen in water is very important for everyone to learn.
We congratulate the successful fundraising efforts for the skating rink. Great! Winter will have an assured recreation activity that will attract ice skating enthusiasts. Now it time to assure we have the safe and sane summer activity of swimming in a supervised atmosphere at the Wagner Memorial Pool.
Please step up and give us a hand. It takes a valley, the whole valley, to keep our children safe and healthy and busy the year-round. Make your contribution to Friends of the Pool, P.O. Box 438, Twisp, WA 98856.
Come join us for a meeting. We appreciate your thoughts and ideas and help.
Patty Yates, Twisp
Questionable mission
Dear Editor:
I am a newcomer to the Methow, yet I already love these hills covered in yellow balsamroot and the coniferous forest — home to diverse species of plants and animals.
Do you realize what could imminently happen here in our watershed and nearby environs? Those with a “mission,” the proposed Mission timber sale, that is, have a hankering after the trees that are left in our already devastated ecosystem. They say this will contribute to forest and habitat restoration and health.
From my perspective, the opposite is true. What they have planned will leave us more vulnerable. Their small stand of trees, surrounded by huge clear cuts, is a style of forest management which they’d like to apply to 6,000 acres in the Okanogan National Forest. Yet, as I look across to what we call Porcupine Ridge, south of Libby Creek, it appears to me that the thick, moist forest slowed down the 2014 fire in this area. While many factors contributed to the fire, do we really have enough information to confidently move forward with the Mission sale? Can this really be beneficial to our valley?
Fire is part of our lives here in the Methow, however, what the Mission could bring to the valley may just set an ill-advised precedent for which future generations will suffer.
We invite our all of our neighbors and anyone who enjoys the Methow to join us in defending our environment from further devastation from a “mission” that seems to favor deforestation practices. Can we afford to disregard the deeper welfare of the land and its inhabitants? “Stand rejuvenation” has become the misleading new-speak for the clear cutting of forest habitat. Study the situation for yourselves.
Trees fix carbon. Why remove thousands of acres of surviving timber in our backyards and contribute to global warming?
I stand in opposition to the proposed Mission timber sale and support the designation of 18,000 acres of unique habitat around Lookout Mountain as wilderness. For more information: www.lookoutroadless.org/index.php.
Joanne Cooper, Carlton
