Winthrop

When former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma in 1993 and began chemotherapy treatments in 1994, she took to wearing fashionable turbans and head scarfs, launching a turban-wearing craze in both chic and bohemian circles in New York City. Everyone, it seemed, wanted to look like Jackie Kennedy. The same thing […]

The young riders of Methow Valley Riding Unlimited (MVRU) may be in social distance from the horses they work with, but the horses are certainly keeping busy with escapades of their own. At least, this is MVRU horse care specialist, trainer, and riding instructor Christa Culbert’s interpretation of the horses’ time without their little riders. […]

COVID-19 took country-folk singer-songwriter, John Prine, from the world, but he’ll remain forever in the hearts of those who he influenced through his music, including a solid handful of Methow Valley residents. Local musician Lauralee Northcott remembers being in college in the early 1970s when her boyfriend introduced her to John Prine’s music. “We put […]

Every once in awhile April Fools’ Day falls on a Wednesday, the day the newspaper publishes each week. In the past, I’ve always looked forward to these rare years, to take a break from journalistic integrity and the relentless pursuit of truth and write an outlandish column that, until the date registers, leads readers to […]

When the Carlton Complex fires broke out and the valley lost power for eight days, what did people do? They did what Methow Valley families have been doing for generations: they went straight to those in need, delivering hugs first, followed by food and supplies. In the years after the Carlton Complex fires, folks in […]

I didn’t really want to write about anything related to the coronavirus, but it seems disingenuous to write about anything else right now. Jon and I went Nordic skiing with the kids on Saturday and while I was safely maintaining my 6 feet of social distance — which was absolutely no problemo, since I am the weak […]

Like me, you may have seen former Methow Valley District Ranger Mike Liu out hiking in the backcountry, fishing in local waterways, volunteering on trails, or swimming in Patterson Lake during the past year or so. You may have heard about Mike’s fabulous trips to North India, Nepal, China, Thailand and Indonesia. And like me, […]

You may have been wondering why you haven’t seen Chris and Diana Thomson, the faces of Thomson’s Custom Meats, behind the meat counter at the Methow Valley Thriftway lately. Ever the investigative journalist and inspired by the curiosity of inquisitive carnivorous neighbors, I set out to get to the bottom of this meaty mystery. Like […]

Life in a small rural town is this: You’re at a bank of neighborhood mailboxes and a woman you don’t know sifts through her mail, looks puzzled for a moment, and holds out an envelope to you. “Is this yours?” she asks. It’s not your mail, but you recognize the name on it — a person who […]

Remember when you were in elementary school and the teacher would take attendance by calling names and you would answer “here”? Well, that roll call still happens daily in schools, only now it is conducted via electronic chips embedded in the students’ foreheads and chip readers installed in the classroom doorways. Just kidding! But it […]