Twisp

Acronyms in government work are ubiquitous. In an average day at my job I will encounter SMP, SEPA, JARPA, HPA, DNS, DOA, NIMBY and the list goes on. Like any industry, there’s a language that goes with it and with a little time, you catch on. I always wonder how non-native speakers navigate the American […]

It was dirty business for few valley residents this past weekend who traveled over to the muddy side of the state and participated in the Tough Mudder in Black Diamond. The Tough Mudder is an international event and racecourse that ranges from 5-12 kilometers with up to 25 obstacles of dirty challenges. Less of a […]

Be it the smell of pines, the grit of the soil or the jagged sunsets, those who are lucky enough to be imprinted with the Methow as their childhood landscape will carry it with them. Place is powerful force. When people leave their childhood world to embark upon new territory, their frame of reference is […]

The first week of school is always punctuated by a number of games and exercises for students and teachers to get to know one another. Teachers try to instill classroom routines and expectations while students began to navigate new social bonds. Each teacher has their own special way of introducing their students to each other […]

Wrapping up the summer can be bittersweet as we count down the days. Most parents are ready to get their kids out of the house for a multitude of reasons. Ready for routine, ready to stop cobbling together day care, and ready to stop the sibling fighting. The child care scramble is especially difficult the […]

A special thanks to the Methow Valley Community Center staff, Dawn at the Library, and other regular occupants of the center who welcomed and managed the crowds of wild children infiltrating the building with the many summer camps and programs running over the past summer weeks. Wrapping up a week of musical immersion, the Pipestone […]

The Bearacudas, Manta Rays and Bullfrogs swarmed to the Twisp Town Park Saturday to take on the Killer Whales in the Okanogan Swim League Championship. The tent city that springs up as temporary shelters for the weary swimmers and spectators is quite a sight to behold as hundreds of families and swimmers staked out their […]

“Sshhh … it’s a secret.” “There’s an important visitor coming to town, but you can’t tell anyone.” “It’s hush, hush. They don’t want to draw attention.” It was the secret that spread like wildfire. Everyone who knew, told. When Jay Inslee finally landed at the Methow Valley State Airport on Friday, the word had been […]

It’s lovely May weather we are having, isn’t it? I like Katrina’s reader board at the Twisp Feed Store stating, “I miss hating the heat.” But for me, I never hate the heat. I revel in it. In fact, I still haven’t warmed up yet since this winter, what with only single digits still midway […]

This story was a collaborative effort by the Valley Life columnists. So much happened in Twisp this week it’s nearly impossible to recall. First, we can’t ignore the thunderstorms, their omniscient teasing with the muggy air and a taste of negative ions in the air culminating in the final cataclysm that erupted Saturday night. Winthrop […]