Harrington news

May Day, school news, opera house lecture, garage fire, piano recital

 

Last updated 5/10/2018 at 5:10pm

--Photo courtesy of Ed Haugan.

LaMarr Larmer takes his fifth and sixth grade students to feed rainbow trout in preparation to be planted in Coffee Pot Lake.

May Day

The city clerk and librarian enjoyed a surprise visit by Tanya Sanford and Linda Colbert with seven delightful ambassadors of good will on May 1. The Kindergarten group included Gideon Downing, Jacob Stai, Lee Kieffer, Aurora Borden, Devin Fries, Bristol Zeigler and Caleb Green, each wearing T-shirts that they made with a potato and paint with chickens in bright yellow. The group spent May Day picking flowers and delivering them. While at the library they presented the clerk, Bunny Haugan, and librarian, Marge Womach, with individual vases of yellow flowers, a tulip and daffodil. One of the little ones tried to explain that they have real chickens that are hatching. Gabriella Harden was out sick and was missed by her little friends. Each child received a sweet treat before returning to school.

Panther news

Mike Cronrath wrote of his 8th-grade Washington State Field Trip which he normally chaperones for the traditional trip. This year Brent Coffman led the trip with Heather Slack chaperoning and Tony Hamilton as driver. One of their stops was at the Puget Sound Navy Museum, where these students were photographed: Rebecca Wilson, Emily Nixon, Caroline Slack, Patience Clark, Kaylen Behrens, Wayne Mahrenholz, Bronc Hutsell, Kale Smith, Tyler Aldous and Michael Garland.

FBLA news by advisor Sharon Kruger informs us of the successes her group is making in state competitions. The group included Tory Rice, Evie Mann, Grace Daniels, Megan Geissler, Nik Clarke, Ben Nguyen, Lexy Crawford, Travis Bradford, John Tanke, Sidney Plaskon and Juul Van Parijs. One of their projects was a 3D animation team of Travis Bradford, John Tanke and Juul Van Parijs, creating a three-minute video on "How to Get a Job" which placed second in the state! Grace Daniels placed 8th in her Client Service role-play. The Global Business team of our exchange students, Ben Nguyen and Juul Van Parijs, placed 7th. Sidney Plaskon placed 8th in Introduction to Parliamentary Procedures. Travis Bradford also placed 6th in his Help Desk role-play event. Lexy Crawford placed 4th, Nik Clarke 6th, and Sidney Plaskon 7th, in the Mock Interview "state only" event. Kruger recognized all the helpers and supporters of the FBLA fund-raising efforts that provide funds for these participations.

LaMarr Larmer's fifth and sixth grade classes had been feeding rainbow trout in preparation for planting the trout in Coffee Pot Lake on May 4. They have also been working on STEM projects. The students have charted the temperature of the water, chemical levels in the water, and then changing enough of the water to reduce the levels of the chemicals. They took a bus for this excursion to the lake.

From the Superintendent and Principal's pages comes news of the resignation of Justin Bradford, which was accepted by the school board. The current school board consists of Darren Mattozzi, chair; Mark Kramer, vice chair; C. Cade Clarke, Linda Mielke and Shannon Sewall. He cited his desire to return to his "first calling" of Special Education as his reason for asking to be released from his final year of contract. The consistently positive approach that marked his tenure in Harrington continued in his letter which reflected on the many opportunities and experiences of his time here.

Saturday at the Opera House

The Harrington Opera House presented Jim Kerschner on Saturday, May 5, at 1 p.m. for an hour lecture on Chief Moses. Incidental music was furnished by Linda Wagner at the grand piano followed by a brief introduction by Billie Herron. Kerschner is a retired Spokane reporter who has researched literature and personages with information on the life and character of Chief Moses.

In 1829, the Indian who came to be known as Chief Moses was born at Moses Coulee or Wenatchee Flats near the Columbia River. His tribe, the Columbia, was sadly diminished by the year of his birth, to perhaps only a couple hundred. They were related to the Flathead tribe. They traveled all over the Pacific Northwest, yearly gathering duck eggs at Moses Lake. His father was the Chief until he was killed, at which time Moses' brother became chief. However, he was hung at what is now called Hangman's Creek. Kerschner described the many difficulties of life on the reservation, the boundaries changing, the law not being enforced. At age 69, Chief Moses began "taking to drink" and was arrested for "failure to carry his alcohol in its former grace." He died March 15, 1899. When the audience asked about his grave, Kerschner stated that Chief Moses' grave had been vandalized in 1904. Before his conclusion Kerschner recommended a book entitled "Mary Moses Speaks." Mary was Moses' wife.

Fire on Second Street

Shortly after the lecture, billows of smoke could be seen southeast of the opera house, across the tracks, and soon the firetrucks were rolling. In the end, the garage that was ablaze was totally destroyed and the south end of the house was well singed. Several explosions could be heard from downtown during the heat of the blaze.

Recital on Sunday

The 10 piano students of Heather Safe gave their recital on May 6 in the opera house auditorium before 60 to 65 guests. To open, Safe performed on the piano with Gloria Edwards on violin. Stacy Oehlwein followed with two piano numbers, Kaitlyn Smith with three. Maya Oman then played a duet with Safe. Bella Mattozzi played three numbers followed by a duet with her sister, Lidia Mattozzi. Safe then joined Lidia for two more numbers. Colleen Houger played next, followed by Steven Lutes, Brenna Kiefer and Lake Edwards. The finale was performed by Lake Edwards on piano, Gloria Edwards, violin 1 and Heather Safe, violin 2.

Safe presented awards to Kaitlyn Smith, Coleen Houger, Steven Lutes and Lidia Mattozzi, then cajoled her students into swearing to practice through the summer, so that this year's efforts will not have been in vain. Heather Safe received a beautiful flower bouquet.

 

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