By Alexander Brzezny, MD Grant County Health Officer On May 23, Grant County received permission from the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) to move to Phase II of the governor’s “Safe Start Washington” plan. In my recommendation to the Grant County Board of Health to apply for that variance, I signaled my intent to […]
My Turn
Small businesses have big role in valley economy
Emergency grants provide vital support By Julie Tate-Libby Running a small business in the Methow Valley is hard. I know this because over 20 years ago, my husband and I bought a tiny restaurant in downtown Winthrop and ran it for five years. At 22 years old, we were ill-prepared for the 18-hour workdays, demanding […]
Students growing old too soon
Editor’s note: This essay was written in response to a call for submissions as part of Cheyenne Fonda’s senior project for Liberty Bell High School. Fonda asked Liberty Bell and Independent Learning Center students to share their thoughts about the Methow Valley on a variety of possible topics. By Cymone Van Marter I think that […]
Some tough conversations we all should be having
By Justin Porter The most important conversation we should be having in the face of the COVID 19 pandemic is one about our individual wishes if we become ill. From 17 years old to 97 years old, we need to be having this conversation with those around us and expressing our wishes. Make it clear […]
Do your part: stay home, stay healthy
By Soo Ing-Moody We are in a time of emergency in our country, state and locally here in the Methow Valley. This past week, all our local jurisdictions, both towns and Okanogan County, have declared states of emergency so as to protect the health and interests of those we serve. The coronavirus (COVID-19) is a […]
Be ‘media literate’ when assessing health care info
By Blue Bradley As a health care provider who sees many infants each year, I know that many parents are understandably nervous about giving their new babies vaccines. If you follow the CDC vaccine schedule, your child will have gotten 20 vaccines (though some are combined), by the time they are 12 months old. I believe […]
LIGHT MATTERS: Turn out the stars
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 […]
WVCO faculty cares about students’ interests
By Peter Donahue As a professor at Wenatchee Valley College-Omak (WVCO), I sometimes josh that we are the Harvard of Okanogan County. I say this with pride, not facetiousness. Like Harvard, our impact is significant relative to our size. The WVCO service district encompasses an enormous geographic area, from Coulee Dam and Oroville to Pateros […]
Maternity Center of Excellence will better serve Okanogan County
Contributors: Dr. James Wallace, Medical Director, and Jesus Hernandez, CEO, of Family Health Centers Alan Fisher, CEO of Mid-Valley Hospital Scott Graham, CEO of Three Rivers Hospital and North Valley Hospital Collaboration has been key to the envisioning of a sustainable future for maternity services in Okanogan County. Included in this vision is a comprehensive […]
Action and advocacy: Beyond the Methow Headwaters Campaign
By Jasmine Minbashian and Maggie Coon When the votes were counted in December for “Top Ten Stories of the Year,” the Methow Headwaters campaign landed No. 1, as it had in 2017. It came in No. 2 in 2018. Our community joined as never before to achieve a special Congressional land designation on over 340,000 […]
