There are some things you admit to cautiously, depending on where you are and who’s in the room. I’m not talking about whether you ever smoked dope, or did something really stupid while drunk, or the first time you … um, you know. * I’m talking about the humiliation of pop culture deficiency, the feckless […]
No Bad Days
The gift of opportunity
During his remarks at the Liberty Bell High School’s class of 2019 graduation ceremonies last Friday, Methow Valley School District Supt. Tom Venable made a stunning announcement that may have been overlooked amid the festivities. Venable said that an anonymous donor had bequeathed $1 million — you read that right — to the school district’s scholarship foundation. The donation […]
For lack of a letter
I suppose that in 45 years of newspapering it was bound to happen. And so there it was, on page A1 one last week, one of the worst headline typos any newspaper could live in terror of somehow allowing into print. When it was brought to my attention (by way of email, as I was […]
Out of the past
I’ve been cleaning out, with the faint hope of consolidating, hundreds of old files from my laptops in anticipation of booting up a new computer. I’m trying to figure out what to save, and what to toss (dozens of job application letters, all unsuccessful, from a previous decade?). Buried deep in a sub-file of a […]
You gotta believe
I experienced what I call another “Methow Miracle” last week, further validation of this community’s cheerful willingness to help each other out. It was a small thing, but meaningful to me. The power cord for one of my laptop computers had frayed to the point where it shorted out and tripped a couple of circuit […]
Run for it
If you’re reading this at about the time most people get the newspaper, it’s probably too late to suggest that you consider running for a local office, or encourage someone you think highly of to seek election. But maybe there’s still time. Filing for local elective offices closes Friday (May 17) at 4 p.m. at […]
Add another candle
I’m not sure anyone around here makes a cake big enough, but it would be fun to see if we could get 116 birthday candles flaming all at once (don’t ask me to blow them out, my high oxygen-capacity marathoning days are behind me). It’s not one of those noteworthy anniversaries that ends in a […]
A new byline
Word has begun to get out that we’ve hired a reporter to replace Ann McCreary, who is retiring (gradually, it turns out, which is fortunate for us because we still need and appreciate her help). At this point, all I’ll say is that we will be welcoming a veteran newsperson to the staff the first […]
A big and bold visitors’ guide
This week we sent to press the Methow Valley Summer 2019 magazine, our largest special publication of the year. And this year it’s bigger than ever. We added 16 pages to the magazine to accommodate more information, more graphics and more photography (and, thank you, more advertising as well). It will arrive in the newspaper […]
The Barn bash
The Winthrop Auditorium Association is throwing a party for itself this weekend — and why not? The nonprofit group that operates the Winthrop Barn thinks it’s about time for the community to pay some overt attention to the history, value and future of that venerable building. Might as well accomplish that with a great dinner, music, prizes […]
