Rotary Club’s Century Ride this Saturday

adobe-spark-post #2by Richard Uhlhorn

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There will be a lot of bike traffic on Lake Chelan Valley roads this weekend, so be careful out there when driving.

Be careful on the road out there on Saturday, June 23. It’s that time of the year for the Lake Chelan Rotary Club’s Century Ride  and Cycle de Vine. This means that the highways and byways in the Lake Chelan Valley and the McNeil Canyon Road will be full of energetic bicyclists challenging the Century’s 100 mile course or the Cycle de Vine’s 23.2 mile loop that includes a ferry boat ride from the South or North shore of Chelan

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There is nothing quite as exciting as making it to the top of McNeil Canyon.

It all begins tomorrow morning, Saturday, June 23, at Don Morse Memorial Park.

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Every year Team Mang shows up to ride the Century.

The view from McNeil Canyon is worth a photo.

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Cycle de Vine Riders get a boat ride from either Manson to State Park or from State Park to Manson depending on which side of the course they ride first.

The first loop on the Century course this year is the McNeil Canyon loop. They have reversed the course and are running it counterclockwise from last year, which means that riders will be descending Hwy 150 to the Beebe Bridge and up McNeil and then back to 97 and up 97A to the rest of the ride.

So be watchful and careful out there. Make this a super Chelan event with no accidents.

Chelan Fire Commission back to three

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by Richard Uhlhorn

Chelan Fire & Rescue
Commissioner Workshop
Wednesday, June 20
6 p.m.
at Station 71
Long Range Planning Discussion

At last week’s Chelan Fire & Rescue Commission meeting, Jay Weatherbee was sworn in as Tom Peter’s replacement. The commission is back to a full three members, but Jerry Isenhart and Mike Stowe were on hand to let the commission know that a petition was being circulated to increase the commission from three members to five members.

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Administrative Assistant Carol Kibler swore Jay Witherbee in as the new fire commissioner to replace Tom Peters.

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Jerry Isenhart (left) and Mike Stowe (right) were on hand at the meeting to inform the commission that a petition was being circulated to increase the commission from three to five.

Isenhart told the commissioners that he wasn’t there to create an issue, but that moving to five commissioners would be good for the community and give better representation for the fire district.

“My purpose is to advise you about the petition campaign so you don’t hear it on the street,” Isenhart told the commissioners. “It isn’t being done with any animosity but rather as an action to help the District improve its governance by having a broader base of community representation.”

Isenhart explained that he researched the issue (RCW 52.14.015) and found that based on 1650 voters that voted in the last lid levy lift election that the petitioners would only have to collect 165 valid signatures. He thought that over 100 signatures had already been collected.

Isenhart remarked that a special election would cost the District money but thought that the timing of putting it on the ballot could be orchestrated with other election issues to minimize costs.

“I believe that an enlarged Commission membership would give the District more tentacles into the community… and give it better relations with the many areas of the expansive District 7.”

Buck Garton, Karyl Oules, Mike Stowe and past Mayor Bob Goedde are collecting signatures.

Mike Stowe also spoke in favor of the Commission going to five members. Stowe, who served as an officer on the volunteer force for 27 years agreed with Isenhart’s comments. “It’s about getting the community more involved,” said Stowe.

In Fire Commission Business:

Chief Lemon reported that the District had received $63,000 from California for sending an engine and three men to fires in December. The District had also received $59,326 for October services to California fires.

He stated that there were 111 calls in April which was an all time high. “We’ve had a number of brush fires this year,” said Lemon. He said that the cause of the brush fire in Chelan Hills from Hwy. 150 was still under investigation, but that it could have been a cigarette or other external heat source that started it. “Most homes up there have a pretty good fire break,” said Lemon. “The firefighters got right where they needed to go.”

He also reported on the fire in Apple Acres. “It was fully involved when we got there but the firefighters kept it from spreading.”

Assistant Chief Donnell stated that Memorial Day was very busy. He also stated that all the firefighters have had their red card training and are operational. The District has 27 volunteers; 20 in Chelan, 5 in Entiat and 1 in Orondo and 1 in Chelan Falls.

The Chelan Fire District # 7 Firefighters Association reported that it had given the victims of the Apple Acres fire a $1,500 dollar check and a $500 gift card from Wal-Mart to help them get back on their feet. “These are high priority gifts,” said the director. Accident victims receive $1,000 from the association. The association also gave $500 to the Chelan Food Bank and helps Chelan Valley Hope when needed.

Adam Jones was named firefighter of the year.

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Commissioner Russ Jones wants the District to consider purchasing an old 25 foot Coast Guard boat so the District has a presence on the water for search and rescue operations.

Commissioner Russ Jones said there had been a couple of instances on the water. “We need to adequately gauge the need. We have to be ready to respond (to emergencies).” Jones feels that the solution to the marine patrol situation is to revive the old and successful volunteer program. The Sheriff’s Department has only one unit on the lake covering Chelan to uplake areas.

Jones said that a 25 foot Coast Guard boat is available for $40,000. “It is a $250,000 vessel that can carry a pump and personnel. The top priority is to get rescue swimmers on the lake.” The Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Team do not go below the surface, whereas Chelan 7’s swimmers can free dive to 30 feet. “It is not a lot of money, but we need a tool.”

The Fire Commission will discuss strategic planning at a meeting this Wednesday at 6 p.m.

Try Sailing Day this coming Sunday

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by Richard Uhlhorn

There is nothing quite like moving across the water under sail and this coming Sunday, June 24, the Lake Chelan Sailing Association will hold its annual “Try Sailing Day” from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

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Club members will be on hand to offer free sailboat rides to the public. Life jackets are provided, but child size life jackets are limited, so if you have child and a life jacket for that child, bring it.

This event is subject to weather conditions, but the outlook for Sunday is sunny and warm, so give it a try and go experience the joy and peace of sailing. The event will take place out of the City Marina across the highway from Chelan Market.

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For more information, contact Harriet Hargrove at 2-8307747 or Jimmy Martin at 360-536-1014.

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For more information on the Lake Chelan Sailing Association and its programs, go to the website at http://sailchelan.com/about-lcsa/

Woodin Avenue Bridge project on track

RECENT POSTS

 

by Richard Uhlhorn

Last week, June 11-16, was a marathon of meetings and events in the Lake Chelan Valley.

On Tuesday, Chelan City Council met in its regularly scheduled council meeting and the major topic of discussion was how to fund the additional $870,000 on the Woodin Avenue Bridge Project that was awarded to Selland Construction.

At a special City Council meeting on Tuesday, June 5, the Council voted to award the Woodin Avenue One Lane Configuration Project to the lowest responsible and responsive bidder, which happened to be the only bidder. Selland bid $3,159,528.08.

The project includes the rehabilitation of and modification to the roadway configuration of the Woodin Avenue Bridge from two lanes to one-lane of vehicle traffic with increased sidewalk widths and a bike lane.

Street and intersection improvements will be made to adjoining streets as well as the improvement of the Woodin Avenue Landing Park. It also includes the replacement of approximately 1,200 lineal feet of water main underneath the bridge structure.

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Finance Director Cheryl Grant went over funding options on the Woodin Avenue Bridge Project that was over the Engineers Estimate by $900,000.

City Finance Director Cheryl Grant brought forth several funding options, but is looking at extending a bonding option to $1.6 million dollars for a period of 12 years. “These are all ideas at this time,” she said. “I was uncomfortable going 15 years because it could affect our interest rate.”

She told Councilman Ray Dobbs that the City’s Bond Reserve Fund is in place to help pay the bond debt if the Real Estate Excise Tax (REET) doesn’t provide the enough funds to pay the debt. “It anything comes crashing down, it will the housing market,” said Grant. “We’ve got some backup to pay that debt. We are in great shape.”

A final recommendation will be brought back with the ordinance for approval at the July 10 Council meeting. If the Council authorizes the Mayor to execute and finalize the proposed agreement, the City will notify Selland Construction of the contract award in writing whereupon Selland will have 14 days to return a signed contract. Notice to proceed will be issued afer the bonds and evidence of insurance have been approved and filed by the Contracting Agency. The Contract time will begin seven days after Notice to Proceed has been issued.

Grant also reminded the Council that the Project was a $3.9 million dollar project.

In other business:

Public Works Director Jake Youngren asked for approval of the Six Year Transportation Improvement Plan. “It is very much a living document,” said Youngren. Each year, the City revisits its transportation plan.

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Public Works Director Jake Youngren explained the six year transportation plan along with other Public Works issues. 

Councilman Ray Dobbs asked if there had been any discussion about widening Boyd Road and constructing sidewalks and putting in sewer. Youngren replied that he has heard nothing he is aware of.

The council approved the Resolution unanimously.

City Clerk Peri Gallucci brought forth the Rate and Fee Resolution. The only thing that has changed is the charge for electronic records. “Everybody will be able to log into public records. It is a straight forward policy,” said Gallucci.

There were a number of Sewer Lift Station, construction management agreements and booster pump motions on the agenda which the Council unanimously approved.

The Higgs Booster Pump Station was closed out, but Councilman Ray Dobbs asked about water pressure in that neighborhood. He said that out of curiosity he went to the neighborhood and was told they were still having problems with water pressure. Youngren replied that the problem is on Public Works radar. Dobbs said, “That’s a tough spot because of the elevation.” Youngren said that there were pressure fluctuations and that they were looking at different alternatives to the problem.

The Council approved an auxiliary generator for the Darnell’s Booster Station in case of another fire that knocks out electricity. “We want to quickly hookup if a loss of power happens again,” said Youngren.

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Sgt Chris Foreman presented the first quarter’s Sheriff’s Report to the Council as required by the City’s contract with the Sheriff’s Department. 

Sgt. Chris Foreman was on hand to give a quarterly Sheriff’s report for Chelan. “It has been pretty slow,” said Foreman. “It’s changing now that we are into summer.”

Councilwoman Erin McCardle asked about the policy regarding Sheriff’s cars careening through Woodin Avenue on the way to a call. Foreman said that when a code call comes in the Deputies will use the direct route to the issue. “It is not a normal affair,” he added.

Mayor Cooney asked about unmuffled cars and Foreman said that was an enforceable action, but when Dobbs asked about Harley Davidson motorcycle and how loud they were, Foreman said they had to prove they were over the decibel level.

Councilman Tim Hollingsworth complained about young people driving very fast in South Chelan. Foreman said if his deputies don’t know about it they can’t respond to the problem. “Tell us where and we will work on it”

The next City Council meeting is on July 10

Hospital Board approves an affiliation agreement with U. of W. residency program

Press release by Celeste Thomas

Chelan, WA – Lake Chelan Community Hospital (LCCH) will become the state’s sixth host hospital and training site for a Family Medicine Residency Rural Program, the hospital Board voted at a special meeting Thursday, June 7. Beginning in August 2020, physician residents from the University of Washington’s residency program will practice at LCCH in partnership with Columbia Valley Community Health (CVCH). There will be two physicians in Chelan the first year, followed by another two in 2021, for a total of four in the valley.

The residency doctors will spend two years in Chelan and practice primarily at CVCH, spending about a third of their time at LCCH. Each resident will have a panel of patients at CVCH and work in the hospital’s emergency room, medical / surgical unit and Sanctuary addiction recovery unit. They will also deliver babies and spend a small portion of time at Confluence Health in Wenatchee finishing neurology, nephrology, cardiology and dermatology rotations.

“This program is a natural outgrowth of our two agencies’ deep commitment to Chelan and to people who choose not to live in big cities,” said Dr. Malcolm Butler, CVCH Chief Medical Officer. “It is a testimony to cooperation between CVCH and LCCHC that our medical community can win such a coveted training program.”

“What an opportunity for Lake Chelan Hospital,” said Steve Patonai, LCCHC interim CEO. “The community will benefit from this affiliation in many ways. Physician residents will bring new ideas, and it will raise the bar for all caregivers in the hospital, as well as improve patient access. It will also be a valuable recruiting tool.”

DSC08403 - Steve PatonaiInterim CEO Steve Patonai says the community will benefit from this program.

Seventy percent of residents stay within 30 miles of where they trained, explained Dr. Keri Bergeson, who will serve as the program’s rural site director. Bergeson, a family physician at CVCH, developed and championed Chelan’s affiliation with UW’s residency rural program. She has practiced in the valley for four years and worked tirelessly on the residency project since 2015

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Dr. Kari Bergeson was the main proponent for pushing Chelan’s affiliation with the University of Washington’s rural shared residency program.

“Our biggest goal is to increase the number of physicians we have working the valley,” said Bergeson.  “We are facing a critical shortage of family care providers and hope this become a solution to that problem.”

Chelan’s program will provide residents, new doctors who have graduated from medical school, with the necessary clinical skills and community engagement training to make a difference in the health of their local community, said Bergeson. When they finish their residency, two more will join the program, keeping a continual flow of new physicians in the valley. Other Family Medicine Residency Rural Programs in Washington state include Cle Elum, Chehalis, Colville, Ellensburg and Port Angeles.

“We are thrilled with the hospital Board’s decision to partner with us,” said Bergeson, who explained that a residency program in Chelan is a great fit because of the many diverse services offered here. While developing the program, CVCH engaged three nationally recognized consultants, all of whom agreed Chelan is the perfect spot for such a program.

“Practicing in a town like Chelan is night and day different than practicing in Seattle or Spokane, and the best way to train doctors for this lifestyle and practice style is to train them right here,” said Butler. “Dr. Bergeson is wonderful. She brought a university to town!”

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Hospital Board Chair Mary Signorelli is excited about the prospects of working with the University of Washington’s rural residency program along with the hospital’s joint partner, Chelan Valley Community Health.

Mary Signorelli, LCCHC Board Chair expressed enthusiasm about the project. “With our Board moving forward with the UW and CVCH on this agreement, a brand-new day is dawning. All of us in the Chelan valley will, for many years, see an added dynamic to the future of medicine right here at home. This is truly an historic time for us.”

In other business, the LCCHC Board also voted to approve the CEO executive position overview presented by B.E. Smith.

City Council accepts Bridge bid

by Richard Uhlhorn

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The Woodin Avenue Bridge Project will go forward despite only one contractor bidding on the work and coming in 41 percent higher than the Engineers Estimage. City Council after much discussion agreed to accept the contract.

The City of Chelan City Council accepted a contractor’s bid of $3,159,528 for the Woodin Avenue Bridge reconstruction project. The bid was 41 percent above the engineers estimate of $2,242,409 or $917,119 more.

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City Administrator Mike Jackson remarked that the Council’s concern was whether or not they could get more bidders to bid on the project in the Fall and whether or not the bids would be lower or higher.

“We had a good discussion,” said City Administrator Mike Jackson. “It was a tough decision. It doesn’t appear that there was a guarantee we would get more bidders or a lower price.”

The City had only one bidder and after the discussion of the three options the council voted with four yay’s and one nay. Councilman Ray Dobbs stated during a telephone conversation that he felt the Council was caught up in a ‘Perfect Storm.’

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Councilman Ray Dobbs was the only NO vote on acceptance. 

Dobb’s said that he felt the contractor thought, “Ok, I’ll bid the job, but you are going to have to pay for it.” Dobbs felt that waiting until September and going out for a rebid was the best choice, but admitted that he was a complete amateur when it came to construction. “I felt we could keep the funding and catch a better market.”

However, Dobb’s stated that now that bid was accepted, he is Ok with it.

Chelan’s Finance Director, Cheryl Grant, is working the numbers to find ways to cover the additional $900,000. She said during a telephone conversation that she had several options. One of those options would be to extend the bond from an eight year to a 12 year bond for the additional money. “We would still be fine,” said Grant. The other option would be to use unobligated cash within the City coffers.

Now that the bid has been accepted, Public Works Director Jake Youngren said he is waiting for final approved from the funding agencies. “Once we receive funding, we will sign the contracts and send them to the contractor. He has two weeks to return them. Then we will give a date to proceed.”

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Public Works Director Jake Youngren says the contractor could receive a Notice to Proceed in early July.

Youngren thinks the work could begin after the Fourth of July. He stated that pedestrian access will be retained throughout the project but that there will be some closures, including 6 weeks (separate, not together) that would run from Monday at 12:01 a.m. to 8 a.m. Fridays, leaving the weekends open for traffic. There are also 12 days set aside for full day closures.

In the end, the bridge will become a one-way 10 foot wide traffic bridge into town with and eight foot walking path on the lake side, a five foot walking lane on the river side and a five foot bike lane on the lake side. The car lane coming into town will be shared with incoming bicycles.

Funding discussions will he heard at the Tuesday, June 12 Council meeting.

IN OTHER WORKSHOP BUSINESS:

The Washington State Department of Transportation shared their plans for the Lakeside Trail which will include a new shared use highway from Lakeside Park to the new Bridge. The trail component according to Jake Youngren will be separated from the highway in a similar way it is separated from the new roundabout to Lakeside RV Park. “The timing is nice,” said Youngren. “They are definitely open to our input.”

This highway project also includes new paving all the way from Lakeside to Wal-Mart. “It is slated to go in the spring of 2020,” said Youngren. In addition to the separated trail, there will be two rapid flashing beacon lights at side walk crossing at the High School and Morgan Owens Elementary much like the ones at Emerson and Johnson Avenue. “These won’t be automatic, but push button crossing lights,” stated Youngren.

The Washington State Department of Ecology (DOE) was at the workshop to discuss their position on lead/arsenic contamination. The DOE gave a detailed slide presentation on the problem of lead/arsenic in ground soils.

The option for local governments facing development pressure on orchard lands is for the local government to use its SEPA process and local ordinances or restrictions. Planning director Craig Gildroy was not available for comment regarding the several projects within the City of Chelan that are slated to build on old orchard land.

The DOE recommends soil testing and if there is contamination, the DOE states that cleanup can be a reasonable cost if incorporated into the construction plan for new developments, but at a minimum it requires a source of clean topsoil for permeable areas.

They also recommend deed restriction to make sure future ownere are aware of contamination and will work with developers and home owners to find the most efficient and effective remedy to the contamination.

Ecology’s approach to residential properties is education of the potential risk and hazards. Best management practices are encouraged which includes keeping the contaminated soil covered with healthy turf; keeping both hands and feet clean; and using appropriate gardening practices. They also encourage families to have their children’s blood lead levels tested.

With significant areas in Chelan, Douglas, Okanogan and Yakima counties impacted with former orchard lands, developers need to be aware of the risks to human health. Liability lies with the owner of the land or the operator of the land.

Ecology began sampling school grounds in 2002 and out of the 100 schools in four counties tested, 35 had lead/arsenic levels requiring cleanup. This has been accomplished at over 30 school using state funding sources.

Residents concerned about developments being implemented on old orchard land need to contact the DOE for sampling help.

Water Safety Issues for 2018 were also discussed at the meeting.

This issue will be covered in a separate article after allthingslakechelan can talk to those in charge of changing the rules on the lower basin where most of the boat traffic; motorized and non-motorized is taking place.

Recreation activities loomed large in the Valley this past weekend

New Horizons Updated Logo

Thanks for Bob Knauss’ volunteer work at Echo Ridge, the 250 plus riders in the NW Epic 30/60 Mountain Bike Race had some sweet new trails to race on.

by Richard Uhlhorn

There were two major events taking place in the Lake Chelan Valley this past weekend.

The annual 30/60 Mountain Bike race morphed into the 14/30/60 mountain bike race and attracted 250+ mountain bikers and their families to the community. Many of them stayed in town at local resorts and others camped at Echo Valley.

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The Lake Chelan Ski Club had a full house on Friday night. Campers from around the Pacific Northwest camp for a nominal fee every year at Echo Valley bringing in money for the ski club. 

“By 9 p.m. on Friday we had 54 campers,” said John Page. “It was raining hard by midnight and we just handed out cards and let those coming in find a place to pitch their tents.” The EchoValley parking lot was full of cars, trucks, campers and tents on Saturday morning as the sun came out.

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One hundred and eighty eight riders race the 30 mile course at Echo Valley this past weekend. 

Racing began at 8:45 with a large group of 60 mile riders. These races start at Echo Valley, climb to the first trail head on the Echo Ridge road to help spread the riders out. From there, the riders climb to the top and race the course lined out by the Washington Multi-Sport team.

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Fifty two team competed in the second weekend of the Lake Chelan Beach Bash 2 at Don Morse Park on Saturday and Sunday, June 9 & 10. 

Down at Don Morse Park, 52 teams gathered from around the region to play in the Lake Chelan Beach Bash 2 sand volleyball tournament hosted by the Kahiau Volleyball Club.

“We have 104 players,” said Dez Phelps, Tournament Director. This included three tournaments with the little kids playing on Saturday morning into early afternoon and the adults taking over the courts at 4 p.m. for some crazy, fun volleyball.

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Brynn Hughbanks (right) and Olivia Strandberg were the champions in the U14 competition on Saturday morning. Brynn is 10 and Olivia 13.

On Sunday, the competition continued with the U16 and U18 girls and boys playing the courts.

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Zach Phelps proved that he can play volleyball along with a bunch of other boys and men this past weekend.

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Here are the results of the tournament:
U12 – Sienna Addink/Addie Mills Champions           Brookelyn Foyle/Kailani Cruz 2nd
U14 – Brynn Hughbanks/Olivia Strandberg Champions   Lindsey Addink/Marrisa Andrews  2nd
U16s – Emma McLaren/Klaire Perry Champions   Elly Collins/Olivia Strandberg 2nd
Boys – Johan Cruz/Ethan Strandberg Champions  Pablo Mendez/ Ben Cullison 2nd
Adults – Olivia Plew/Joseph antonowicz  Champions       Nicole Bantilan/Todd Harr  2nd

There will be more volleyball tournaments in July said Dez. (Results will be posted as soon as they come in).

A few images from the Volleyball Tournament
Photo Gallery

Back at Echo Ridge, mountain bikers were enjoying the trails. “I love it,” said one rider. “The trails are fast, swoopy and smooth.” Everyone was smiling despite the climbing. The weather was cool and perfect for riding.

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Eli Willard made the podium on Saturday after coming in third on the 14 mile loop. Eli is a member of the Wenatchee Composite Mountain Biking School Team.

Evan Plews, owner of Ridge Cyclesport in Wenatchee, was the overall winner of the day with a time of 1:56:19 over 188 riders on the 30 mile course. Gina Estep was over all of the 15 racers in her category with a time of 2:30:38.8.

Mountain Bike Racing is fun. These riders are still smiling with only eight miles to go on the 30/60 course. 

All of the results can be seen at RESULTS

PHOTO GALLERY

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CHELAN POWER HOUSE PARK TO CLOSE FOR THE SUMMER

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Chelan Powerhouse Park may close for a portion of the summer from July 30 through October if a Corps of Engineers permit for shoreline restoration is obtained by July 15. 

One of the most popular swimming holes in the Lake Chelan Valley will be closed this summer from July 30 through to October 26 for shoreline erosion repairs by Chelan County PUD.

Chelan Falls Powerhouse Park will be closed to restore and improve riverbank stability. The restoration work also required inwater work that can only be done when fish are not using the river channel for spawning purposes. The late July to October window allows this work to be done without disruption of migrating salmon or salmon smolt.

The closure is being done as a safety measure for the public. Park users are encouraged to visit and use other nearby PUD Parks during the closure. They include Chelan Falls Park and boat launch; Beebe Bridge Park and boat launch; and Chelan Riverwalk Park and boat launch.

The PUD says the work is  necessary to preserve the park shoreline and for future generations.

The work depends on receiving a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. If this permit is not approved by July 15, the park will remain open and the work will be rescheduled for the following year (2019). If a permit is not forthcoming the PUD will notify the public.

Jerry Jr. Spring Football game a success

by Richard Uhlhorn

It was a very nice evening to honor Jerry Jr. with a Spring Football Scrimmage with the Entiat Tigers and to announce the winner of the 2018 $1,000 Jerry Jr. Scholarship.

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A nice crowd of families and football fans joined the Chelan and Entiat Football teams at Sargent Field for the annual Jerry Jr. Spring Football Game

Entiat is a ‘B’ School that plays eight man football, but they chose to join the Chelan Goats for an evening of scrimmages, playing in 8-Man formation on offense against a Chelan 8-Man defense and then switching to an 11-Man defense against Chelan’s 12-Man offense. It made for some interesting football.

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Chelan quarterback Quinn Stamps made a number of
successful passes during the gam
e

Both teams looked good on the field with Chelan also taking on its own players in several scrimmages. Everyone got to play. Quinn Stamps was at the quarterback position for Chelan and his receiver Kyle Jackson was collecting passes along the sideline. There was no score kept, but all in all, both teams looked good. Coach Travis Domser said that spring training was over, but the team would have 11 more days of training this coming summer and then a team camp in Wenatchee in July.

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Chelan running back Johnny Ayala ran the ball well during the game.

“It was a good night,” said Domser. “We got 80 plays in and no one got hurt. I saw some good things and some bad things… stuff we can correct later.”

At half time Coach Domser and Coach Erik Romero greeted the Isenhart family at mid field to give out the scholarship to the Isenhart’s selection of Scott Abel, son of Kevin and Chris Abel.

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Senior Scott Abel was the recipient of this year’s $1,000 Jerry Jr. Scholarship.

Scott, a graduating senior, played football all four years and credits the experience of bringing him out of his shyness. In his essay, he stated that football taught me that in order to succeed, we all need to work together and rely on each other.

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Scott Abel graciously accepted congratulations from the Isenhart family and Coach Erik Romero on his selection for this year’s scholarship.

Scott has spent time working on community events and service projects, one of which was repairing and replacing the media box at Sargent Field as a part of his Eagle Scout project.

Scott plans on attending medical school so he can take his knowledge into the world to help those in need. “It is a dream of mineto beable to participat in a program such as Doctors Without Borders.”

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The Isenhart family posed for a photo with this year’s winner of the Jerry Jr. $1,000 scholarship. From the left are Willy Isenhart, Cecilia Isenhart, Scott Abel, Jerry Sr., Alberto Mendivil, Rosa Acosta and Coach Erik Romero.

Jerry Sr. said that he had four applications, but that it was obvious that Scott had spent a lot of time preparing his. “It was a tough call, but clearly Scott was the right choice.” He also had competition from another senior.

Jerry Jr., 2011 graduate of Chelan High School passed on of a rare brain cancer one year after graduation. He was a leader on the football team and in the high school, and was known as the Gentle Giant. He was always willing to help someone.

$1100 was collected for the scholarship fund. “That was really good,” said Domser. “A good night overall.”

Advertisers and sponsors are crucial to keeping sites like allthingslakechelan sustainable. If you see these advertisers or have the chance to use their services, tell them how much you appreciate their support. Richard Uhlhorn

 

The Lake Chelan Valley was a busy place this past weekend

by Richard Uhlhorn

All of the Photos from the Car Show are on
Allthingslakechelan/facebook

This past weekend was a mish mash of events and activities and despite the fact that it isn’t summer yet, it certainly felt like summer.

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A beautiful 34 Chevy Coupe was just one of over 100 meticulously prepared cars entered into the Cruizin Chelan Car Show.

The Lake Chelan Chamber of Commerce held the 12th annual Cruizin Chelan Car Show on Woodin Avenue with 100+ cars showing up. The results of the show were unavailable at press time. They will be added to this article when All Things Lake Chelan can get them.

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A motor head in the making

In addition to the Car Show, the PNWBA Pro BBQ Classic was taking place in Riverwalk with samples of BBQ meat for $2. We are waiting on the results of that event also.

In the evening, the Chamber held a fireworks show which seems to be a normal thing anymore. Used to be only during the 4th of July and Winterfest that fireworks were offered to the community.

There were a lot of people in town enjoying the Car Show. I ran across a visitor from Vernon, B.C. who said he and his wife, along with some other companions road into town on their motorcycles. “We didn’t know this was going on until we arrived,” he said. “The girls are out looking for a shoe store while we look at the machinery.”

Leo Miller and crew were situated at the corner of Woodin and Emerson in front of the Museum. One of his gorgeous old Dodge’s was advertising his Miller’s Lake Chelan Car Museum, which is slated to open on Saturday, June 23. All Things Lake Chelan will be giving a preview of the museum on the week of June 11, with an in-depth interview with Leo.

There were a number of newer cars on display at this year’s show, but I chose to concentrate on the vehicles I haven’t seen before, and there were some beauties.

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This beautifully restored 1927 Harley Davidson J was on display
at Cruizin Chelan this year. 

Harold Schell was situated behind his gorgeous Indian Motorcycle, but the real eye catcher was the 1927 Harley Davidson J with sidecar attached. Harold was decked out in his 20’s clothes to go with his motorcycle. All in all there were around 10 motorcycles on display.

Other events were also playing out on Saturday.

The annual fly-in had planes flying around the valley all day and Miss Veedol was back at the airport for visitors to get a good look.

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Miss Veedol and other planes were on hand at the annual Lake Chelan Fly-in out at the Lake Chelan Airport.

Out at Don Morse Park, the Lake Chelan Beach Bash 1 put on by the Kahiau Volleyball Club kicked off the sand volleyball season with U12s and U14s playing on Saturday and the U16s and U18s along with the first sand volleyball boys team playing on Sunday.

A great volleyball tournament will continue next week at Don Morse Park.

The Lake Chelan Beach Bash 2 will take place at Don Morse on June 9. If you like beach or sand volleyball, this is the place to be. These kids are fun to watch and there is plenty room to kick back and enjoy.

Activities:

Up on top of Chelan Butte, paraglide and hang glider pilots were checking out the World famous Chelan air with sled runs to Chelan Falls Park. In July, world class paragliders will descend on Chelan for a Pre-World meet. All Things Lake Chelan will keep you posted on that event.

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On top of Chelan Butte, hang gliders and paragliders were flying Chelan air.
File Photo by Richard Uhlhorn

Echo Ridge was busy with hikers and mountain bikers enjoying the many miles of trail and the incredible bloom of lupine on the north side of the system. The local riders are in awe at the new trail built by Bob Knauss that leaves out of Grand Junction and takes the rider all the way down to Alley Oop before looping back to the parking lot.

Over the past several years, Paul Willard, USFS, Bob Knauss and assorted volunteers from the Central Washington Mountain Bike Alliance have added 5+ miles of new single track trail which is making Echo Ridge a very popular, family oriented mountain bike venue.

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Eli Willard leads his mother Catherine down Dust to Glory in last year’s 30/60 mountain bike race at Echo Valley/Echo Ridge. Eli now races on the Wenatchee Vallely Composite Mountain Bike Team. 

Next Saturday, June 9, the annual NW Epic 30/60 Mountain Bike event will be taking place at Echo Ridge. Over the years, this event has proven to be one of the most popular races on Washington Multisports calendar attracting around 400 riders each year.

Summer might be just around the corner, but events and activities are heating up the Valley.