Margaret Mead famously said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” Richard Murray, accompanied by his wife, Jocelyn, took a trip to his roots back East because he felt he could make a difference. He remarked, “When I stood on […]
Harvesting Hope helps address the challenge of countywide food shortages
Local organizations, individuals team up to meet growing needs Food insecurity is prevalent in Okanogan County and worsening. Food insecurity, an official term from the USDA, refers to when individuals lack sufficient food and are uncertain about where their next meal will come from. Many more individuals, including millions who do not fit the definition […]
Valley Life: Twisp
Not only are our wild plants beautiful when flowering this time of year, but many have unique characteristics and medicinal and nutritional benefits. Today, although ethnobotanical knowledge is not needed for survival as it once was for indigenous people, studying the various attributes of plants common to this area can be fascinating and an occasional […]
Valley Life: Twisp
You know it’s spring when the hills are covered with blossoming arrowleaf balsamroot and serviceberries, and at the Methow Valley State Airport (MVSA), smokejumpers are parachuting from an orange and white plane. It’s spring training at the North Cascades Smokejumper Base (NCSB). Despite U.S. Forest Service budget cuts and firings, most of the full complement […]
Valley Life- Twisp
In the early 1970s in Seattle, where I attended Roosevelt High School, I entered and won an essay contest sponsored by the Washington State Department of Agriculture. I wrote about the Washington apple industry. I was awarded a six-week stay with a family in Peshastin who owned an apple orchard on the Wenatchee River. The […]
Valley Life: Twisp
One reason the Methow Valley is such a special place is the presence of its many nonprofit organizations. Much of their success can be attributed to the hard work of board members. As a new member of the Twisp Valley Grange, I’ve become acquainted with its board members and their impressive list of accomplishments, notably […]
Valley Life: Twisp
What do books and tools have in common? Nothing! Except both were featured in two events last Saturday. The April Tools and Flea Market, a fundraiser for the Methow Valley Community Center (MVCC), was held in the community center gym and parking area, and the Methow Valley Author’s Fair took place at Casia Lodge and […]
Valley Life: Twisp
My 91-year-old friend has had a Nordstrom credit card since 1968, and she has been ordering a specific brand and size of jeans from them for over 20 years. However, she encountered a roadblock during her last attempt to purchase her beloved jeans by phone when she was informed that she needed to follow a […]
Valley Life: Twisp
It’s a sure sign of spring when the cat leaves dead voles on the doormat. Other harbingers include the noisy, prolific house sparrows, the most common bird in the world, which have taken over all the birdhouses that used to be occupied by bluebirds and violet-green swallows; the occasional croak of the tree frog living […]
Valley Life: Twisp
It’s notoriously difficult to get kids to eat their veggies, but Classroom in Bloom has solved that problem: Let kids grow their own. Although most of us think that school gardens are a relatively new phenomenon, their history goes back to the 1890s. After WWII, the school garden movement died out due to a lack […]
