The Twisp Town Council had a jam-packed agenda at its regular meeting last week, including public hearings, discussions of some major ongoing issues, and new information about a proposed housing development that a lot of people are watching closely. In each case, the topics were simply at check points in the process — and civic […]
Editorials
More than charitable
Once again, the Methow Valley has outdone itself in generosity. The annual Give Methow campaign closed at the end of October with more than $800,000 in donations, surpassing last year’s previous record, which surpassed the previous year’s record, and so on. This year, 40 local nonprofits share in the bounty of support this community supplies. […]
Writers on the Range – The fading miracle of migration
By Pepper Trail – Writers on the Range For the past few weeks, dozens of turkey vultures have been circling on thermals over my house in Oregon, preparing to soar away south into California. Not long ago, I saw a late monarch butterfly passing high overhead, its orange wings incandescent against the blue sky. These […]
Taking more control
Have we been lucky? Smart? Better prepared? More vigilant? A combination of all those and other factors helps explain why fewer acres have burned in Washington state wildfires this year than in the previous 10 years. That’s after enduring the second- and third-worst fire seasons in state history in 2020 (842,000 acres) and 2021 (484,000 […]
Writers on the range – When no home is affordable, where do you live?
By David Marston Writers on the Range It’s a common story: Candace McNatt of Durango, in southern Colorado, kept losing bidding wars to buy a house. She finally settled on a tiny home of just 350 square feet. McNatt works as an operating room nurse and is a single mother of two teenagers, one about […]
‘Yes’ to emergency services levy
If you’re a Methow Valley property owner, it shows up as one line on your Okanogan County tax bill every year: 50 cents per $1,000 of valuation. That assessment goes to the Methow Valley Emergency Medical Services District, whose board of directors is the county commissioners. The revenues collected by the county for the medical […]
Writers on the Range – Hiking public lands shouldn’t require a ladder
By Ben Long Writers on the Range Imagine you were part owner of a nice piece of rural land, maybe with a trout stream running through it. But your neighbors won’t let you in. You don’t have to imagine, because access to far too much public land is legally blocked by private property owners, causing […]
Covering the candidates
We begin our political coverage this week, focused on local races that are most significant to our readers and the region’s constituents. Because so many races on the Nov. 8 ballot are uncontested, it has been a bit easier to decide what to cover. That said, it was necessary to make some calls about which […]
Guest Column: Bad behavior by coaches, parents and fans must stop
By Karissa Niehoff and Mick Hoffman There’s an unfortunate trend continuing in Washington and across the nation that must be stopped: the bad behavior of coaches, parents and fans at high school and middle school athletic events. We’ve all seen it: the yelling, harassing, berating, disrespecting and even physically assaulting referees, umpires and other officials […]
My Turn: It’s time to try ranked choice voting
By Jane Ramberg I, and most people I know, are in despair about what’s happening in our country. The vitriol. The huge chasm that divides us. I believe that most people on both sides of this chasm truly love our country and want our democracy to thrive. But our problems are complex. And, solutions that […]
