2020 Year in Review

July

Covid cancels Founder’s Days & Apple Days

The Cashmere Museum Board decided to cancel Apple Days 2020 due to the novel Coronavirus. Not having the event was a difficult decision to make as it has occurred, in one form or another, since 1967. It started that year as a one-day event called “Washington State Apple Day”, quickly shortened to “Apple Day”, and created as the community’s finale for National Apple Week. Now called Apple Days and extending over the entire weekend, it takes many months to plan. Without that preparation in place and with the uncertainty of the next few months, the Board wants everyone to be safe, stay healthy, and come to Apple Days 2021. This event is the main fundraiser for the museum, and draws many new people to the Museum and Pioneer Village. Not having Apple Days means lost admission fees for over 1,100 people and the corresponding gift shop sales. No delicious Friends of Old Mission baked goods (which always sell out the first day, and send the members racing home to each bake 10 more pies), no generous donations, and no new memberships. While the weekend is a lot of work, not having it will indeed be hard: it is such a fun event – especially when the Shootists’ start their black-powder shoot-outs, or the Wenatchee Youth Circus flies through the air!

In-water work began July 15 on West Cashmere Bridge project

Construction of the West Cashmere Bridge replacement project began July 15. Chelan County reminded recreationists on the Wenatchee River to be especially vigilant when passing through the construction area. Many river recreationists boated, floated and paddled their way under the nearly 100-year-old bridge. The route takes them directly past the $25.5 million bridge project, which started construction in April. The project’s “in-water window,” or the time allowed for Chelan County’s contractor to complete work in the Wenatchee River, is July 15 through Sept. 30 -- for two consecutive summers. Temporary pilings, spaced 30 feet apart to support a work platform, will be set in the river and remain there for much of the duration of the project. No river closures are planned during construction. The in-water work window typically comes at the warmest part of the year, when water levels are at their lowest and fish life will be least jeopardized. The window, specific to a river and its ecosystem, is determined by various state and federal agencies, which consider weather, water levels, aquatic habitats and the species of fish living in the body of water. The Wenatchee River is home to federally protected endangered species, including bull trout, spring chinook salmon and summer steelhead. This year, in-water work will primarily consist of the construction of a 300-foot temporary work trestle that will be built just downriver of the current bridge. The work trestle, which will sit on about 30 pilings that are 24 inches in diameter, will be built above the 100-year flood event elevation. It will remain there until the bridge is nearly finished. The work trestle is necessary for the removal of the bridge’s trusses in September as well as the construction of the new bridge, including its girders, pier and deck.

City discusses sewer odors and chickens

Sewage smells and chickens were the two topics that drew public comments and concerns at the July 13 Cashmere City Council meeting. Citizens complained about sewage smell they said overwhelms their neighborhood. Cashmere’s Director of Operations, Steve Croci, explained that 4-5 years ago the city began drying sewage solids before hauling them away. This change was made due to the significant cost difference of hauling. According to Croci, wet wastes cost about 7 times more to haul than dry waste. Currently, he said waste is stockpiled during the winter months and then spread, dried and hauled away during the rest of the year. This process and certain weather conditions are creating the significant odor problem. Another topic of discussion at the meeting was a request to revise the city’s code for keeping chickens. Eva Lorenz told the council that she has been an area resident for about 6 years and is currently in the process of buying a home in Cashmere. She requested that the council revisit the current city code that only allows chickens on 1 acre lots or larger. She said that other towns allow chickens on much smaller lots and she asked the council to consider a similar code.

August

Sales tax declines will cause limitations to projects

Mayor, Jim Fletcher, announced progress has been made on dealing with the bio solids waste that is causing the significant sewage smell. He said that a large 40 ton truck has arrived. The bio solids will now be loaded directly onto the truck and then hauled away.

Sales taxes are down 19% from last year which amounts to about $61,000. Retail sales actually increased, but taxes from construction and services decreased. With the decrease in city revenue the mayor said that the city will be less aggressive on taking on new projects and equipment purchases.

End of an ERA – Goodwin Bridge dismantling begins

Construction of the Goodwin Bridge began in July of 1927 with a decision by the Chelan County Commissioners that the Kinney Bridge needed to be replaced. The Kinney Bridge was just east of the present Goodwin Bridge location. Early troubles with locating bedrock near the proposed site required the proposed new bridge be moved to about a quarter mile upstream of the old Kinney Bridge, which was sometimes referred to as the Tibbets Bridge. With location issues resolved bids were let in July of 1928. The contract for construction was let to Henry Hagman of Seattle for a bid price of $52,203. The construction plans called for building a new road from Sunset highway through the Minnie Larson Ranch to the bridge. Now known as Goodwin road. A cofferdam was constructed in mid channel for the center pier of the new bridge. Construction of the bridge was completed in August of 1929 and opened to traffic. The new bridge will result in the removal of the difficult approach to the bridge from the north end and continue the span across Highway 2. This will make the approach to the bridge safer and open it up for use by large trucks trying to access Crunch Pak and the west end business park.

September

Chelan County Fair cancelled

Closure of the Fair left Cashmere FFA with animals they had raised and nowhere to sell them. An on-line auction was established and with the help of the Cashmere Valley Record all animals were sold. On-line readership of the Record for that issue was up 67 percent!

October

City approves additional funding for Corona Virus relief

Council unanimously passed amendments to accept an additional $46,500 from the Coronavirus Relief Funds for Local Governments grant and to amend the agreement with the Port Authority to administer that funding. Mayor Jim Fletcher reminded the Council that the use of the funds is strictly regulated and is available for small business grants. He added that the funds must be spent by the end of November.

Cashmere Schools begin in person learning

Dr. Butler and the Chelan-Douglas Health District approved moving to phase 2 COVID Pandemic restrictions. As a result Cashmere School District Administrator Glenn Johnson announced last week that Cashmere Schools would begin reopening as follows: Pre- K through 2nd Grade classes began on October 12. Half day in-person, Monday through Friday classes would be either on an AM or PM schedule. Every student will be in-person approximately 3 hours and remain in the same cohort of students and staff each day. There will be a 2-hour break between the AM and PM cohorts to allow transportation to and from school as well as cleaning between cohort classes. Classes will be split alphabetically, A-L and M-Z keeping sibling groups on the same schedule. Any parents or families that do not feel comfortable returning to in-person instruction will be offered the option of continuing with remote learning.

Johnson added that remote learning is more challenging to the younger students because of their age and development. In-person learning is key to setting them up for success.

November

Middle School Classes began in person instruction Nov. 2

Cashmere School District opened the Middle School for in-person classes on Monday, Nov. 2. As the School District continues bringing more students on campus for hybrid in-person instruction, they are once again modifying our food service meal distribution. Effective Monday, Nov. 2 breakfast and lunch grab-n-go meals will be distributed from 7:00 – 8:00 a.m., Monday through Friday at one location: Cashmere Middle School. The School District has discontinued curbside distribution at the Chelan County Fairgrounds.

Planning commission makes recommendations on ADU’s and STR’s

The Cashmere Planning Commission (CPC) voted to approve recommendations for new codes that will regulate Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU) and Short-Term Rentals (STR). The draft codes will go to the City Council for their consideration and a public hearing will be held to receive citizen input prior to the adoption of any code changes. The CPC also voted to keep the city’s code that does not allow chickens on lots less than 1 acre. The new ADU code includes a requirement that the owner live onsite for more than 6 months out of the year, a requirement for two off-street parking spaces and that the ADU may not be rented for a term of less than 30 days.

December

Cashmere School Board votes to reopen the schools

The Cashmere School Board voted unanimously to open the 7th through 12th grade schools to in-person learning. K-6 grade classes had already been open. On Monday, Nov. 30 all Cashmere schools were open on a hybrid half-day schedule. Superintendent Glenn Johnson explained that the school district decided to take this action based on alarming academic data and concerns over students’ mental health. Johnson went on to explain that approximately half of the high school students are struggling. Currently half of them have a D or F or combinations of both and there is a growing concern from staff that a number of seniors will not be ready to graduate in June.

Liberty Orchards decides it is time to sell

Liberty Orchards celebrated 100 years of family ownership in 2020. Ask anyone in a five generation family how great-great grandpa used to love a visit to Cashmere for some Aplets & Cotlets iconic confectionary. Ah, bliss on the tongue. Happiness in the heart. Just plain yummy at any age. Greg Taylor, current CEO/President , said Liberty Orchards is a family business in more than one way. Most obviously, the company is owned today by the families of founders Mark Balaban and Armen Tertsagian, and the company has always been managed by family members – the founders, then John Chakirian and Dick Odabashian, and for the last 42 years by Greg Taylor, the grandson of founder Tertsagian. But Liberty Orchards is also a business made up of families. Over the past 100 years, there have been multiple members of the same family working in the business… parents and children, brothers and sisters, and cousins, all from the same family working together. All of that contributes to the family atmosphere. The vast majority of our employees have been with the company for more than 20 years.

Taylor said, after 100 years, the founding families have decided to sell the company. The pandemic has made it a difficult time to sell a business, but there continues to be interest in the company.