This week I bring you news of former Methow Valley residents and their accomplishments in the outside world. First, nearly-11-year-old rising sixth-grader Etta Sheehan recently won an award for being the most prolific reader at her school, Parkway School in Ephrata. Etta read 2.4 million words during her fifth-grade year, an achievement whose incongruous (or perhaps complementary) reward is a brand new bicycle. Etta is the daughter of Ty Sheehan and the granddaughter of Diane and Chris Sheehan, all of the Methow Valley. Etta — you rock!
More book news comes from Aristides Pappidas, whose daughter-in-law and former Methow Valley resident Corinna Luyken was recently honored by her book’s inclusion on the New York Times Children’s Best Seller list. “My Heart,” which is aimed at ages 4-8, explores childhood emotions through depictions of the heart.
Aristides says, “We’ve known Corinna for 18 years and have seen her dedicated concentration and work ethic maintain itself during these years. We have seen her conceptual ideas transform themselves into books, which the children’s book industry ultimately recognized and then published.”
Getting acclaim from the children’s book industry is one thing, Aristides says, but having readers affirm this approval is truly satisfying. “Jane and I are uniquely gratified at knowing intimately a greatly talented artist who has become so recognized by the ultimate group most artists want to communicate with — the public.” Excellent work, Corinna!
With public recognition will surely come a veritable flood of royalty checks, as any writer can attest. And with such wealth comes the need for a Certified Public Accountant. How fortunate, then, that Liberty Bell graduate Remington Rohrer recently earned his Washington state CPA license! He’s working for Werner O’Meara & Company in Lynnwood.
Remington’s mom, Kelly, filled me in a bit on Remington. Remington graduated from Gonzaga in 2013, earned his master of accounting degree from Gonzaga in 2014, and passed his four-part CPA test in December of 2015 — all milestones that I noted in previous columns.
Coincidentally, in the same column that I mentioned Remington passing his CPA test, I also talked about how my own mother was starting to ship me things I’d had stored in her attic since high school (beginning, inexplicably, with my collection of 45s). Kelly Rohrer ran across that old column in one of Remington’s scrapbooks, and I’m not claiming a direct causal effect here, but surely it is no coincidence that Kelly swiftly made Remington take possession of all of his childhood belongings, perhaps fearing the 30-plus year “temporary” storage situation my own parents have been encumbered by. “Remington is a homeowner now,” says Kelly, “so I have transferred all his belongings to him, other than scrapbooks, which still need a little updating.”
And now, Remington, here’s another item for the scrapbook you’re still allowed to store at your parents’ house, with congratulations from your Methow Valley friends.
