Harrington news

The Harrington Public Development Authority met March 21 with the following present: Josh Steward, president; Allen Barth, vice-president; Bunny Haugan, secretary; plus Heather Slack, Paul Charlton, Margie Hall (Lincoln Co. EDC), Marge Womach and Cherie MacClellan. The group discussed the functioning of the WiFi network and the service provided to the historic district by Spectrum. Those involved seemed well satisfied and consider it a worthwhile investment in attracting other businesses to the area.

A list of the buildings in the historic district had been compiled, and was provided showing the owners and a contact number for each owner along with the building's legal address. Much discussion was had on the buildings and their present condition, whether available for rent or ready for sale.

The PDA had considered sponsoring a tour of the interior of the buildings in the district to elicit interest in rent or purchase of the properties in an attempt to increase the businesses in town. It was decided that a tour was not feasible at the present time. It is hoped that some of the property owners might be interested in making them available for the Cruizin' Day activities. It was suggested that owners wishing to attract attention to their buildings for sale or rent might be pleased with the results that could be gained by placing details of each building on signs in the windows.

Heather Slack has been developing a brochure on Harrington for the PDA to print for Cruizin' Day for tourists to learn about what is available in our town. A few minor changes were suggested, but for the most part the group was pleased to have such a nice brochure nearly ready.

Miss Harrington Pageant

The Miss Harrington Pageant 2017 was held Sunday afternoon, March 26, at the Harrington Opera House. It was sponsored by the Harrington Homemakers and Harrington Opera House Society and was attended by an audience of about 75. The Harrington supporters were quite pleased to see the royalty from Davenport and Odessa among those in the audience. Emcee for the program was Michael Cronrath, a local teacher. The three judges were Stacey Schoessler of Ritzville, Allen Barth of Harrington and Chris Harper of Davenport. Whitney Lyons from Leffel, Otis & Warwick was the official ballot tabulator. Pianist for the event was Linda Wagner, a member of both the HOHS and the Homemakers. The contestants were three young ladies, each a junior at Harrington High School, Alexandria Soliday, Evie Mann and Stormy Stiles. Each wore an elegant floor-length gown. They were introduced to the audience with the following biographies:

"Alexandria Soliday is the 16-year-old daughter of Debra and Lonny Soliday. She has a younger brother Zackary. She is on the varsity volleyball and tennis teams and was selected to be cheer captain for the basketball cheerleading squad. She is active in FFA showing animals and has served as the club's treasurer and reporter. She has been class treasurer each year of high school and is the current ASB vice-president. She plays the saxophone and clarinet in the school band and was elected band president. She is a member of the knowledge bowl team and is on the honor roll. She is a member of the Methodist Church and teaches at Vacation Bible School. She has served Lions Club dinners with multiple groups and has helped clean up the golf course. She has entered lambs and baked goods at the Lincoln County Fair. In her free time, she also enjoys baking and reading."

"Evie Rosellen Mann is 17 years old and is the daughter of Dean and Connie Mann. She has an older brother James. Evie enjoys sports and has played volleyball, basketball, track, tennis and golf during her school career. She belongs to FFA and FBLA, serving as president of her FBLA chapter. She participates in the knowledge bowl, honor choir and band. She has received sportsmanship and tennis academic awards. She has taught at the Harrington Bible School and Onecho Bible Church in Palouse. She enjoys spending time with family and friends, riding bikes, reading, art and cleaning. In the future she hopes to help the needy, attend college and become a teacher and coach."

"Stormy Stiles is the daughter of Alita Smith. She is 16 years old and has an older sister Makia and a younger brother Tristan. She is involved in FFA, cheerleading, volleyball and tennis, has been listed on the honor roll and was selected as homecoming princess. She has gone on mission trips to Mexico and has helped clean up the town. She has helped serve many Lions Club dinners. In her free time, she also enjoys horseback riding, do-it-yourself crafts and raising and showing animals. She hopes to become a pediatric doctor."

Each contestant was judged in five areas: scholastic achievement, personal interview, creative and performing arts, impromptu speech and short speech. Two of these categories had already been completed. Scholastic achievement was determined by grade-point average and class ranking. The personal interview was a ten-minute interview with each girl by the panel of judges earlier in the afternoon. The topic for the short speech category was "What impact do you believe social media has or will have on you and your generation?" Each stated that social media has a negative impact on them and their future, and each cited examples of how easily one's life could be impacted by someone else posting something that may or may not be true. Once a message is posted, the effects never go away.

The second category was creative and performing arts, in which they would be judged on originality, technical ability, poise and appearance. Soliday played a moving saxophone solo accompanied by Linda Wagner at the piano. She selected "How Great Thou Art" by Carl Gustav Boberg. A simple empty cross with a sheer scarf draped over it added a poignant effect. Mann sang "I Will Survive" by Freddie Perren and Dino Fekaris. Prior to singing, she related how she was injured by being pushed off of a chair when quite young, and she learned then that she was determined to survive. Later when she heard this song, it seemed a fitting title to attach to herself. The audience showed good support for this number with great applause. Stiles performed a cheerleading routine, which was well done in such a confined space. Each performed flawlessly.

The third category was impromptu speech and each was asked "Which extracurricular activity is your favorite, and how has it impacted you?" Soliday and Mann both said sports was their favorite activity and teamwork or developing a team spirit was how it impacted their life. Stormy chose FFA as her favorite activity, stating that it helped her prepare for public speaking and interviews.

The emcee called for a brief intermission to allow the judges to deliberate. Cronrath opened the envelope and announced, "The new Miss Harrington is Alexandria Soliday." The Homemakers delivered flowers, crown and banner, first to Miss Harrington, and then to her court. Photos were taken and a reception followed.

The Harrington Homemakers are a group of about eight women who meet on the second Wednesday of each month at 7 p.m. in the social room of the Catholic Church. Their purpose is to raise funds for local causes and projects. Each year they plant flowers at the entrance of town, sell pies at the Fall Festival and furnish scholarships. One of their many larger projects recently was to raise money for new play equipment for the children at the park. They welcome other women to bring their talents and enthusiasm and join them at their meetings. JoAnn Gossett stated that this pageant was the first since 2014, that culture is changing and it no longer has the same importance that it held a generation ago. The dedication of the Homemakers helped make this event a success. Few realize the hours that were spent in preparation for the event, including several hours of rehearsal on Wednesday.