News

OLYMPIA – A measure sponsored by Sen. Bob Morton (R-7th District) which would benefit his district’s local economy and reduce the number of trucks on Highway 97 and perhaps I-5, passed the state Senate on Valentine’s Day.

The measure, Substitute Senate Bill 6857, would direct the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) to designate about a seven-mile stretch of SR-97 from the Canadian border to Oroville as a heavy haul industrial corridor.

Currently, Canadian trucks must off-load on the Canadian side of the border to redistribute the weight to other trucks and then off-load again at Oroville at the rail head. SSB 6857 would allow trucks to use the corridor with WSDOT special permits for gross truck weights up to 137,000 pounds — about a third more weight than currently allowed.

“I think this will be a real asset to the town since we have the rail head right here,” said Oroville Mayor Chuck Spieth. “I know the railroad has been struggling to keep the line going and this will be a boost to them and to the area.”

The U.S. Port of Entry at Oroville is the only crossing in Eastern Washington open 24 hours a day. It is a gateway for the hauling of fruit and lumber. At Oroville, truck loads are put on the Cascade & Columbia River Railroad to go to the Wenatchee area and shipment across the nation.

OROVILLE – Yet another request to be annexed into the city was heard by the Oroville Council at their Tuesday, Feb. 4 meeting.

While the council considered a previous request to grow its boundaries between Lake Osoyoos and the Chesaw and Eastlake Roads, a new proposal asking the city to take in land on the west side of the road was heard.

While some areas of the nation are experiencing an economic slowdown, that doesn’t appear to be the case for most cities and counties in North Central Washington, according to a series of reports released this month by the Washington Department of Revenue.

Among area communities, taxable retail sales increased from $8.6 million to nearly $11 million for a 27.9 percent increase in Brewster; from $1.26 million to $1.36 million for a 7.9 percent increase in Bridgeport; from $48.6 million to $49.5 million for a 1.8 percent increase in Chelan; from $1.53 million to $2.7 million for a whopping 77.6 percent increase in Entiat; from $31 million to $34.2 million for a 10.2 percent increase in Leavenworth; from $13 million to nearly $16 million for a 22.4 percent increase in Okanogan; from $37.3 million to $48.9 million for a 31.1 percent increase in Omak; and from $7.4 million to $9 million for a 22.8 percent increase in Oroville, according to figures for the third quarter of 2007 reported by the WDR.

TONASKET – Webelos, Bears and Wolf Cubs – oh my! Add in a few Tiger Cubs and the ingredients are right for the 2008 Tonasket Cub Scout’s Blue and Gold Banquet Feb. 6.

Family, friends and leaders turned out to watch 17 Cub Scouts put on performances, receive awards and celebrate the experience’s they’ve had in scouting.

The Blue and Gold Banquet celebrates the anniversary of Cub Scouting, begun in the United States in 1930.

Several of the boys received their first-ever badge, the Bobcat Badge.

Cub Scouts honored that night were: Tiger Cubs Mitchell Fitzthum, Christopher Goddard and Evan Grant; Wolf Cubs Austin Engbaum, Austin Glenn, Michael Gonzalez, Isaac Mills, Riley Morris, Mason Rawley, Joseph Schell, Samuel Strandberg and Dominique Wilcox; Bear Cubs Josh Cravy, Hunter Swanson and Benjamin Mills; and Webelos Blake Ash, Christian Carpenter and David Moreno.

Kelvin Davis and Jean Cravy shared emcee duties for most of the evening. The Wolf Cubs presented the flag. Emmit and Wayne Verbeck attended on behalf of the Tonasket Kiwanis Club.

FT. LAWTON – Chief Warrant Officer Walter A. Hart, III will retire from the U.S. Army Reserve in a formal ceremony Feb. 9, 2008, at Fort Lawton in Seattle after 39 years, four months and two days’ service.

Hart was deployed to Iraq in 2005 where he served as the installation food advisor while assigned to the 301st Army Support Group to Logistics Support Area (LSA) Anaconda, Balad, Iraq. He was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for Meritorious Service in a combat zone. His area of responsibility covered four dining facilities and two satellite dining facilities, serving 40,000 meals per day and accommodating the surge of soldiers which exceeded 303,000 meals per day, setting a record.

TONASKET – Even though Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow in Pennsylvania and snow came down outside, the mood within the high school commons was cheery as the diners ate sausage, potatoes, veggies and a selection of desserts.

It took 15 hogs and almost 400 people, but the Tonasket Kiwanis Club hopes to have raised several thousand dollars for students in the Tonasket school district during their Ground Hog Day Dinner Feb. 2.

TONASKET – The North Valley Hospital Board and hospital administrator Warner Bartleson have had several meetings with the Tonasket Eagles and the city in preparation for the Jan. 22 City Council meeting when the vacation of Second Street will be revisited.

OROVILLE – At their Jan. 14 meeting the Oroville School Board approved a special two-year $771,000 maintenance and operations levy to be placed before the voters on March 11.

OROVILLE – Oroville approved regulations protecting “critical areas” while the city hammers out a new ordinance required by the state.

The city council unanimously approved the “interim” regulations at their first meeting of the new year. The “Oroville Critical Areas Ordinance” is currently in draft form. This draft will be used by the city until the final ordinance is approved following public input. The ordinance is required under the state’s Growth Management Act.

Editor’s Note: This week we take a look back at just a few of the stories that made the front page of the Okanogan Valley Gazette-Tribune during the first the first half 2007. The rest of the year will be reviewed in next week’s edition.

January

Three vying for May Festival Queen – Jessica Santana, Alysia Cumbo and Rachel Marringer have thrown their hats in the ring for a chance this year’s May Festival Queen’s crown.

Oroville grows by over 150 acres in less than a year – The City of Oroville grew by more than 65 acres after the council unanimously accepted a petition for annexation at their first meeting of the year-bringing the small city’s total growth to over 150 acres in less than a year’s time.

It’s official: Gail Milliken can stay in the U.S. – About to get married and planning her honeymoon, little did Milliken know the journey she was about to take was not to some warm tropical isle, but rather a two and a half year odyssey to remain in her adopted country.