Leavenworth Echo Year in Review Part 1

JANUARY, 2022

Simply Found Boutique’s HVAC System Catches Fire

By: Megan Sokol

When owner Carlos Bernal got an urgent call from his manager, he could sense that things might be hectic at his Pavz Tacos restaurant on Front St. in Leavenworth. But on Tuesday evening around 5 p.m., he did not expect the smell of burning plastic and smoke billowing into his establishment. After searching all over Pavz, both the restaurant crew and firefighters discovered that the cause of the smoke was due to their neighbor business, Simply Found Boutique’s HVAC system catching fire.

Vail Resort Accused of Violating the WA Consumer Protection Act

By: Megan Sokol

The once cozy and treasured gem of Stevens Pass has recently caught controversy after multiple patrons accuse Vail Resorts of violating the Washington Consumer Protection Act. The resort has been accused of severe mismanagement of their ski area, underpaying their employees and for not refunding a portion of the Epic Pass after multiple trail closures.

In 2018, Vail Resorts acquired Stevens Pass for $64 mil. Since then, the corporate atmosphere that they bought has left a sour taste in people’s mouths. In protest to these claims, unsatisfied patrons of Stevens Pass Resort have signed a petition called “Hold Vail Resorts Accountable” on Change.org. It was published on Dec. 28 and has already surpassed its 15k signature goal.

Single-use utensils no longer automatically given after Jan. 1, 2022

By: Megan Sokol

Hospitality sectors all over Washington State will automatically stop serving customers single-use utensils after Jan. 1, 2022.

Mayor Carl J. Florea’s Monthly Salary Increase

By: Megan Sokol, Staff writer

On Dec. 14, the City Council approved Ordinance 1643, which was a proposed rate increase from the mayor’s current $1,500 per month to $2,000 per month. The ordinance was discussed during the council’s public hearing for the Biennial Budget Modification. From the Dec. 14 Council Packet: “Mayor Florea also wants the Council to be aware that this action is independent of his commitment to spend a significant amount of time serving as Mayor and will not impact what the job description of the new Administrative Services Director will be.”

Chelan County Commissioners declare State of Emergency

By: Jill M. FitzSimmons

In response to the winter storm that brought record-breaking amounts of snow Thursday across the county, a state of emergency has been declared in Chelan County.

Chelan Fruit Cooperative acquired by International Farming Corporation

By: Kaylee Simmons, Chelan Fruit

CHELAN - Chelan Fruit Cooperative (“Chelan Fruit”), a premier Washington-based grower, packer and shipper of apples, cherries, and pears, has been acquired by International Farming Corporation (“IFC”), an institutional asset manager connecting investors at the nexus of farmland, farmers and food.

FEBRUARY 2022

Housing Authority Purchases Bavarian Village Apartments in Leavenworth

Submitted by Alicia McRae

The Housing Authority of Chelan County and the City of Wenatchee (CCWHA) and the Office of Rural and Farmworker Housing (ORFH) in January announced the purchase of Bavarian Village Apartments, a 24-unit affordable housing community in Leavenworth, Washington.

Long-time Upper Valley MEND Volunteer Steps Down

Submitted by Pamela Nelle

We wanted to say a warm thank you to our long-time volunteer, Susan Riggs, as she steps back from her volunteer role. Susan has been volunteering for Upper Valley MEND since we started the organization in the basement of the Methodist Church in 1988, when she was the librarian at the Leavenworth Public Library. “It was a joy to be part of Upper Valley MEND. It was a blessing to be able to work with them,” Riggs said. She has been a part of this community since her family moved here during the Great Depression and has seen an incredible amount of change in our beautiful town over the years.

Nutcracker Museum Earns Guinness Book of World Records Certificate

By Megan Sokol, Staff Writer

2022 started off with a surprise for Ms. Arlene Wagner who soon learned that the Nutcracker Museum had officially held the largest collection of nutcrackers in the world. In September of 2021, the Guinness World Records committee and Ms. Wagner counted all 9,103 nutcracking devices three times to be official.

Staffing Shortage, Through the Eyes of a Worker

By: Megan Sokol, Staff Writer

After roughly 925k+ US residents died from COVID-19, many workers are feeling that work is unsafe, while others have been able to draw from unemployment and pay bills, Chelan County employers and employees alike have been trying with little success to keep up with their usual pace. For the past six months, almost every sector and industry has been feeling the effects of the pandemic. Many working-class people have communicated some concerns that they have with working.

MARCH 2022

Sharon Waters Named 2022 Royal Lady

By: Megan Sokol, Staff Writer

Sharon Waters wears many hats in this community. Whether it be as a City Councilmember, a board member on multiple community committees and coalitions, a mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. Now she will wear the official title of Leavenworth’s 2022 Royal Lady of the Autumn Leaves. “Leavenworth is an amazing place to live. With its breathtaking view of the mountains and the energy of Mother Nature’s ever changing seasons, not many places can compare.”

Cascade Says Farewell to beloved Principal Daley

Submitted by Paige Nunally

After thirty-six years of considering Leavenworth home and twenty-seven years of serving the Cascade School District community as a dedicated educator, Elia Ala’ilima-Daley is moving on to become the Executive Director of Secondary Education in the Olympia School District. Recent additions to the Cascade District know Daley as the principal at Cascade Senior High School; however, long-established residents will remember him first as a high school student, then as a teacher, Athletic Director, and Assistant Principal.

An Interview with James Hopkins, an American in Ukraine

BY MARLENE FARRELL, CORRESPONDENT

James Hopkins, a Northwest native with ties to Leavenworth (his brother Matt), has lived in Ukraine for twenty-four years and calls it home. He lives in Lutsk, in northwest Ukraine, with his wife, Valya, a Ukrainian, and their two daughters, Arina, 15, and Samantha, 14. Right now, they’re coping with daily peril ever since the Russian invasion began in late February. This is an extreme escalation, though Ukraine and Russia have been in military conflict for eight years, ever since Russia overtook Crimea and the Donbas region.

Plain Valley Nordic Team Sends Eleven to Nationals

Submitted by Isabel Menna

On the first full week of March, the United States Ski and Snowboard’s Cross Country Junior National Championships begin. The nine-day, four-event, annual engagement among the nation’s best young skiers representing the ten Nordic ski racing divisions across the country from Maine to Alaska and North Dakota to New Mexico, took place this year in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Plain Valley Nordic Team (PVNT) qualified eleven of its senior team racers for the competition, as part of the greater Pacific Northwest’s team (PNSA) and returned with four All-Americans and nine top ten finishes.

CHS Knowledge Bowl Team wins state for the first time in 30-year history

By: Marlene Farrell, Correspondent

CHS’s Knowledge Bowl team went to the state competition on March 19 after a strong three-month season, and they were hopeful. “At state, there are always some very strong teams. We only compete against local teams during the regular season,” explained coach Dayle Massey.

APRIL 2022

CHS Fire Science Classes, in partnership with Fire District 3, now earn college credit

By Marlene Farrell, Correspondent

It’s third period at Cascade High School, and ten students walk across Chumstick Highway to Fire District 3. They have to be timely because they first change into department shirt, pants and boots, as befitting their cadet status. Marcus Wells is ready to start a lecture on causes of wildland fires. The first semester class ended with Level I certification for successful students, who can then earn a red card at the end of this second semester wildland-focused class. A red card allows them to work seasonally on a fire crew.

Spring Snow Surprise

By Megan Sokol, Staff Writer

One would not expect to see a foot of snow blessing their vision in mid-April, let alone a troubling weather precedent for the upcoming spring harvest. Although the global climate crisis has become increasingly troubling, the recent snowfall is not a side effect of climate change. From April 12-14, Chelan County received several inches of snow, with approximately 14.5 inches in the Lake Wenatchee/Plain region and about 7-16 inches in Wenatchee.

First in-Person City Council Meeting in Two Years

By Megan Sokol, Staff Writer

City officials dusted off their podiums and settled into business on April 12, excited to finally sit in official city council seats. The hybrid city council meeting was brought into session with Mayor Carl J. Florea bringing two gavels for the occasion. The meeting recapped the recent bomb threat, a surprise visit from Chelan County Commissioner Bob Bugert, and an introduction to the Workforce Housing Grant Program.

Leavenworth and Cashmere Farmers Markets merge into “Cascade Community Markets”

Submitted by Cali Osborne, CCM Executive Director

Last summer, Leavenworth Community Farmers Market partnered with a team of Cashmere residents to establish and manage the Cashmere Community Farmers Market. Now, these two unique markets have come together to form Cascade Community Markets, a unified organization that will strengthen both markets’ management and provide a consistent market experience for customers and vendors.

Obertal Inn’s painted windows unveil community strife

By Megan Sokol, Staff Writer

The growing discontent towards the city of Leavenworth finally came to a head, all because of some flowery painted windows. Discussion of alleged city government overreach on Obertal Inn’s spring-themed decor quickly escalated to threats and harassment towards city employees, a possible side effect of the community’s growing discontent with local governance.

MAY 2022

The city makes more progress on Housing Action Plan

By Megan Sokol, Staff Writer

The City of Leavenworth accepted the affordable workforce housing incentive program on April 26, along with approving a personnel policy update and abandoning the sewer services for the Waterfront Park restrooms. The meeting began after Chelan County Corporal Monika Haynes reported a possible rise in homeless camps near Blackbird Island. Law enforcement has partnered with the new behavioral health units with this situation.

Adventure Park's Alpine Rollercoaster gains traction

By Megan Sokol, Staff Writer

After contending with rising building costs and supply-chain issues, construction for Adventure Park's alpine rollercoaster begins to take shape. Adventure Park has been a highly contested topic in Leavenworth, one that has a rich history of legal contention and pushback from Friends of Leavenworth, a group that was originally formed from the pressure Adventure Park brought to concerned Icicle Road residents.

Six-Year Transportation Plan is accepted with minor changes

By Megan Sokol, Staff Writer

After yet another discussion on how to properly motion a vote, the City of Leavenworth decided to accept the Six-Year Transportation Improvement Plan with some small changes attached to their vote. The public hearing began with Bob Fallon suggesting that a connection between Titus Rd. and Chumstick Hwy., near the Meadowlark project, be included in the plan. He explained how this connection would help relieve some traffic tension in that area, especially with the new Meadowlark project.

Stevens Pass Ski Resort hires new general manager after lawsuit

By Megan Sokol, Staff Writer

After Stevens Pass Ski Resort received several criticisms regarding low hourly wages and overpriced season passes, Vail Resorts decided to go in a new direction and hire new general manager Ellen Galbraith.

Unsettled Dangerous Women

Submitted by Rhona Baron

Discover the region’s foremothers when pioneer and Indigenous women gather on stage to explore the settling of Central Washington. Three years in the making, Unsettled begins in the 1800’s and blazes a trail between past and present with a wide variety of original art forms presented by creative, visionary female artists from North Central WA.

JUNE 2022

Bavarian Village Awarded $1 million for future renovations

By Megan Sokol, Staff Writer

The Housing Authority of Chelan County and the City of Wenatchee received $1 million for the Bavarian Village Apartments from the Housing Preservation Program.

Single-family homes planned for Dryden

By Megan Sokol, Staff Writer

A 33.5-acre former pear orchard in Dryden will now be cleaned and subdivided as single-family residential homes. The application was submitted and subsequently approved by the Chelan County Hearing Examiner, with the stipulation that 29.48 acres will still be used as an orchard. North Dryden Estates will house about 18 single-family residences, with approximately .67 acres for each of the six lots, in addition to one open space tract.

Community Members express swim team concerns at City Council Meeting

By: Erin Mullins, Reporter

Over 20 community members packed the Leavenworth City Council meeting to discuss the future of Leavenworth Swim Team, with an additional eleven attendees on the Zoom. Many community members have been concerned regarding how the swim team will be run and about communication between the pool, city and public. Additionally, the swim team is facing a deficit due to an unexpected increase in costs, said Hali Fiano, Leavenworth Swim Team board president.

Leavenworth Fish Hatchery completes circular tanks project

By Lindsay Timmermans, Staff Writer

After 20 years in the making, the Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery dedicated its newly completed Pilot Circular Tanks Project in a ceremony honoring the salmon and the land with a quorum of groups including tribal partners from the Yakama Tribal Council, Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, federal, state and local groups including the Icicle Work Group, Reclamation, Biologists, Dept. of Ecology, Fisheries, Chelan County Natural Resources, and Fish and Wildlife Conservation and Hatchery staff. The pilot circular tanks project is expected to cut water usage by 1/2 on a 5-year pilot study measuring how well the salmon grow and return and will improve stream flow in the Icicle River.

Link Transit boards approves zero-fare policy

By Eric West, Marketing and Communications Coordinator

After more than two years of providing zero-fare service, first through a suspension of fares in March 2020 due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, followed by a one-year “zero-fare pilot program” beginning in July 2021—Link Transit is now and once again officially zero-fare. Link’s Board of Directors adopted this change to the fare policy at their regular monthly meeting.