I’ve seen satellite pictures of the night sky showing light coming out of Winthrop, but how does that relate to our view of the stars from the ground? How much are we affected? — Leslie Dolan By Howard Johnson I shall answer your question with a song. I’m thinking of the jazz tune by pianist Bill Evans […]
SPECIAL FEATURES
LIGHT MATTERS: In the eye of the beholder
I live in a dark neighborhood, but there’s this one house lit up like a carnival midway every night, all night, whether the owners are in town or not. What can I do? – Kathy Podmayer By Howard Johnson This defender of the night sky extends to Kathy his deepest sympathies. He dreams of a […]
Methow Valley resident sought reconciliation in return to Laos
Editor’s Note: This story was updated on November 18, 2019, to correct information about where Don Super was stationed. Super translated Laotian radio communications at a research field station in Thailand, not in Laos as originally reported in the print version of this story that ran in the November 13, 2019, Methow Valley News. […]
LIGHT MATTERS: Moonlight vs. streetlights: exploring the differences
By Howard Johnson The Western man within me loves this question. Walking, even skiing, by the light of the moon is a marvelous experience. Even animals, especially the coyotes around my home, seem energized by the hearty glow of a full moon. It makes them howl ceaselessly throughout the night. Perhaps we do not wish […]
Julie Hensley lost her sight, but not her love for horseback riding
Julie Hensley’s body gently echoes the rolling motion of her horse, Hot Rod, as she lopes in tight circles around her arena. She stops him suddenly and then, as one, horse and rider pivot 180 degrees and take off at a lope in the opposite direction. Ten yards later they do it again. Stop, roll […]
LIGHT MATTERS: Save our night sky
Methow Valley residents today enjoy a magnificently dark night sky filled with stars, planets, comets, the moon and myriad other celestial features. When city-dwellers visit, they often comment on the beautiful sweep of the Milky Way, the colorful glow of the Aurora Borealis, and the annual sparkling showers of meteors. Visitors comment on the sky […]
A walk in the forest
Wildfire scientist assesses Crescent burn’s effects Perhaps unlike most people, Susan Prichard has fond memories associated with the smell of burned trees. As a young researcher, the University of Washington wildfire scientist spent a lot of time in the woods studying the aftermath of fires — or “which trees died and which ones lived” — she explained recently while […]
Young writers pen letters to the editor
Methow Valley fifth and sixth graders wrote letters to the editor about topics that concerned them at the Young Writers Conference, held on Friday (May 31) at Methow Valley Elementary School. Students learned a little bit about how to express their opinions effectively in a letter to the editor. Staff from the Methow Valley News […]
Always on the move
Hugh Glassburn loved rodeo, airplanes and family Hugh Glassburn was a fearless and fiercely competitive pilot who was famous in the world of airplane racing in the 1960s for his winning streak. “And perhaps for just staying alive,” recalled his daughter, Terry Glassburn, in remembrance of her father she wrote for the organizers of the […]
Ready to reign over the Methow Valley Rodeo
Rodeo Queen McKenna Ott has a lifetime of riding experience Methow Valley Rodeo Queen McKenna Ott’s first sighting of her thoroughbred horse was almost otherworldly. Her mother bought the horse and trailered him home one evening, arriving after McKenna was already asleep. When 6-year-old McKenna awoke the next morning, a thick fog blanketed her yard. […]
