Valley business are experiencing mixed effects from the coronavirus threat, dictated primarily by the social distancing guidelines issued by the Washington Department of Health. Those prohibit gatherings of more than 50 people in a variety of settings, including theaters, movie theaters, art galleries, festivals and gyms. The mandate has resulted in the in the temporary […]
Local Earth Day events postponed
A two-day celebration of the 50th anniversary of Earth Day in the Methow Valley has been postponed due to concerns about coronavirus. The events, scheduled for April 17 and 18, included a march through Twisp, a climate symposium, Northwest youth climate activists panel, public art, food trucks and beer garden at TwispWorks, and musical performances […]
For Okanogan County Fire District 6, 2019 was a challenging year
The career and volunteer firefighters who make up Okanogan County Fire District 6’s roster had a busy emergency response year in 2019. Following are a few highlights and notes from the previous year’s activities. Emergency incident response Last year was the busiest emergency response year in the district’s 62-year history. The district responded to 339 […]
‘Fantastic Mr. Fox’ mixes it up on The Merc Playhouse stage
Roald Dahl’s classic “Fantastic Mr. Fox” has cleverly crept its way onto the stage of The Merc Playhouse in Twisp. Opening on March 20 and continuing through March 29, the play follows the adventures of Mr. Fox as he works to outwit three dimwitted farmers, along with the help of a cadre of woodland creatures. […]
Roth’s memoir reflects on a lifetime of Holocaust studies
John Roth moved to the Methow Valley 11 years ago, after retiring as a college professor of philosophy. But Roth did not retire from writing. Finding the Methow a great place to write from, he recently published his first memoir, “Sources of Holocaust Insight: Learning and Teaching about the Genocide.” He has written or edited […]
Float into the weekend at Balloon Roundup
The sky over the Methow Valley will fill with a kaleidoscope of brightly colored hot-air balloons as participants lift off at the 23rd annual Winthrop Balloon Roundup this weekend. Kurt Oakley, who owns Morning Glory Balloon Tours with his wife, Melinda, founded the Winthrop Balloon Roundup in 1997. He has one piece of advice: “People […]
Valley’s Geof Childs is scaling the heights of climbing literature
Local author wins recognition for lifetime of writing Geof Childs’ two lifelong passions — climbing and writing — have earned him national acclaim for his ability to combine them effectively for several decades. Childs, who lives in Winthrop, has been awarded this year’s American Alpine Club’s (AAC) H. Adams Carter Literary Award. The annual award is bestowed by the […]
District 6 puts levy ‘lid lift’ on April ballot
Tax increase will support new fire hall construction The Okanogan County Fire District 6 commissioners’ meeting on Feb 25 lasted only 14 minutes, but that was long enough to make some important decisions. The commissioners quickly came to a consensus on plans for building a new fire station in Winthrop. They passed motions to put […]
LBHS hosts suicide prevention training
Liberty Bell High School is offering a suicide prevention training open to parents and community members next Tuesday (Feb. 25), from 6-7:30 p.m. in the school cafeteria. Liberty Bell has partnered with Forefront Suicide Prevention, a program offered through the University of Washington, to run the Forefront in the Schools initiative. Suicide is a serious […]
MV School District’s 2 levies passing by large margins
‘Replacement’ measures fund vital programs Both Methow Valley School District levies on the February special election ballot are continuing to pass by wide margins, as of the second round of returns reported Friday (Feb. 14). Proposition 1 has drawn 1,491 “yes” votes to 655 “no” votes, giving it an approval rate of 69.48%. Proposition 2 […]
