December 10, 2006 -- Trout Lake has been and will continue to be a remarkably busy community over this holiday season.

On Sunday, December 17th, the community is invited to come and enjoy a traditional celebration of the birth of Christ at the annual community Christmas cantata "The Little Child" will be produced and directed by Monte Pearson and Doug Anderson. It will be held at Jonah Ministries at 7:00 pm. There will be refreshments available at Jonah after the cantata. People are invited to donate holiday treats for refreshments, and are asked to take them to Jonah by 4:00 pm on Sunday afternoon. Note that is a change in venue for the cantata from past years.

On Monday, December 18 from 1:00 - 3:00 pm Trout Lake Farm will be holding an open house to benefit the Trout Lake Community Foundation. Bring yourself, your children, or your pets (dogs, cats, gerbils, donkeys, what have you) to have pictures taken with Santa Claus. The pictures will be provided as prints or on CD's. Cookies and cocoa will be provided. A donation is requested. Call Eileen Fletcher at 395-1234 for more information. The Foundation provides scholarships to Trout Lake students pursuing higher education. Ask foundation members for an update on the students who have benefited from this project.

On Wed Dec 6, the Community Council considered proposals for use of the Economic Development Funds from Klickitat County. The TL School proposed funding of $8,000, or about $50 per student, to be paired with a Learn and Serve Grant of $3000 to support what our school calls May Project Activities. The proposal explains "For two weeks in May, the school will put aside traditional classroom learning in trade for real life challenges. Trout Lake School students, staff, and community members will join forces to research, plan, and address community needs." Some initial proposals being considered by the school include enhancing the Guler Park play area, a community mural, developing an alternative energy plan for the school, making cold frames for a community garden, work at the Natural Area Preserve, and developing public access to Trout Creek.

The Fire Department submitted a request for funding for personal protective gear, including structure turnout gear and wildland fire gear for 10 firefighters. This gear became part of the National Fire Standards in 2000, and is needed to prevent firefighter fatigue and heat stress.

After much discussion, the Council decided to submit both proposals but to give first priority to the fire protective gear. Part of the discussion was the question of whether this kind of required fire gear should not be part of the fire district's regular budget. For many years the Trout Lake Grange has managed the community cemetery. In recent times, however, the Grange has asked for community members to help with that task. Now a non-profit corporation is forming to take on the task of cemetery management. The first task will be to obtain title to the cemetery, since all records of title have been lost for many years. The cemetery was transferred to the Grange by the Artisans at least 80 years ago, with no recorded deed to be found. At the same time, the new group will be writing by-laws and getting up to speed organizationally. Founding board members are Steve Koenig, Dave Tipton, Ron Schmid, Don Warner, Ardith and Lloyd Thompson, and Penny Samuels Deitrich. Thanks to all of these folks for taking on this task.

Having mentioned the school several times, I'd like to encourage everyone to read the school newspaper which comes to all box holders. The most recent issue of the "Village Voice" included articles written by students on issues they recently studied at school: Condit Dam removal-pros and cons, the study of evolution-pros and cons, recycling, exchange students, tribute to veterans and other very important topics to citizens in a democracy. It was exciting to see that our students are getting experience in evaluating information and laboring over positions they will be voting for.

Of particular interest to those of us about to express our wishes in the upcoming levy: About 70% of the student body are involved in extracurricular activities ranging from music and art and Destination Imagination to the usual athletic teams. One hundred percent of our 10th graders met the WASL (Washington Assessment of Student Learning) standards in reading and writing in 2006 ! Several students are taking advanced placement courses, challenging and exciting for them, and practical for parents preparing to send students on to college. Students will be credited for college course work without having to take some introductory courses if they are able to pass placement tests.

Honors are due Superintendent Doug Dearden and his creative and dedicated staff , every one of them.

Celebrations past and remembered: the Community Club served a free Thanksgiving dinner to 300 community members at the school! The Jazz band played a wonderful concert at the school and served a great spaghetti dinner. Later that same evening, Dale Fitch and the Grateful Geezers made music at The Trout Lake Country Inn . A high light of that evening was a composition of Dale's "Holiday Season, Over Eating Blues". They closed the evening with the very thoughtful "We Need a Little Kindness".

Time and space runs out. Enjoy the diverse community we live in.

-- Bonnie Reynolds

November 13, 2006 -- Community To Participate In Exciting Leadership Program Aimed At Reducing Poverty

The most recent census information available to us indicates that in the year 2000 there were 442 residents in Trout Lake, 14% of whom were below poverty level.

The Northwest Area Foundation, using the resources of colleges and universities from Idaho, Minnesota, North and South Dakota and Washington has developed a program titled Horizons to address the issue of poverty in remote and rural areas.

Horizons is dedicated to facilitating the development of a communities assets to reduce the impact of poverty in these communities throughout the northwest. Ray Thygesen and Doug Anderson initiated the process for our community to participate in that program. In the application for participation, Thygesen and Anderson identified Trout Lake's core asset as the community itself.

To date, 27 persons from Trout Lake have agreed to participate in assessment and leadership training. These volunteers are elected civic leaders, representatives of our religious community, school personnel, agriculturalists and other business owners and retired people. All community members have skills, knowledge and interest that are valuable to the health of the community and they are encouraged to contribute their energies to this process. Planners are particularly interested in recruiting Trout Lake School students because of their fresh ideas and creative energies. They encourage people new to the community or as yet uninvolved, to participate.

Volunteers will participate in training over an 18-month period. The training is divided into segments which will include but are not limited to conflict resolution skills, economic development and technical skills. If the core group of participants complete the program, the community will be awarded a grant of up to $10,000 to facilitate the pursuit of a plan to ameliorate poverty in Trout Lake.

Be prepared to challenge ideas about addressing the problems associated with poverty. We know that in Trout Lake there are people who have limited incomes, there are people whose ideals lead them to eschew conventional materialistic goals, and circumstances none of us are aware of, but it may be that there are resources that can empower people in ways that are yet to be imagined.

If you are interested in learning what poverty looks like in Trout Lake and what we can do about it; if you are interested in leadership training; if you are interested in community visioning and planning focused on poverty reduction; if you are interested in implementing ideas and accessing support for the resolution of problems, call Ray Thygesen at 395-2318 or email him at sandiray@gorge.net.

If you want to know more about Northwest Foundation Horizons Program Refer to their web site: www.nwaf.org, and click on programs/horizons.

October 23, 2006 -- Wood cutting. The Trout Lake high school freshman class is sponsoring a fundraising wood cutting weekend on Saturday and Sunday October 28th and 29th, courtesy of Hancock Forest Management. The entrance will be from the 1700 road, (King Mtn Road), which is just past Poland's on the Glenwood Road, before you start up the grade. It will be marked. The class will be issuing wood cutting permits from 8 a.m. to 3 pm. Vehicles must be loaded and leave by 4:00. This is a logged area and the slash piles are available for cutting. It is the same area that was used by the junior class a couple of weekends back, but there will only be one gate open. Somebody will be at the gate to issue permit and take donations. Permit holders must supply their own saw and vehicle. Class members will be driving around the area (with adults) to help load. Call Hancock 509-364-3331, or Dennis Anderson 395-2250 for more information.

Donations for the last wood-cutting fundraiser, held by the junior class can be sent to school if you got wood but did not donate.

Klickitat County is soliciting proposals for the annual funding of community projects. The funding is available to non-profit groups and to special districts, such as fire or school districts. The county requires, as part of the application, "a copy of the meeting sign-in sheet and minutes showing community participation in the project selection".

Project applications are due early this year. They have to be presented in Goldendale on January 1. The Community Council will hear proposals sometime before that, although we only just got notice so haven't had a chance to set a meeting date. Stay tuned. You can get a copy of the announcement and requirements from the Jim White, jwhite@gorge.net, from the KC Economic Development Department or possibly from the TL website.

October 16, 2006 -- On the evening of September 28, 2006, at the home of retired music teachers Doug and Janet Anderson, several of us who enjoy playing musical instruments gathered for an occasion dubbed The Piano Salon -- However other instruments are also included. Linda Niskanen played a melody on her lap-held, wooden, 5-stringed instrument, which she knows to be a Finnish kantele. Diane Sanders played The Skaters Waltz on her accordion, and Janet Anderson played The Chorale and The Minuet from The Gothic Suite, composed by Boellman on her organ, adeptly using the foot-peddle and hand keyboards to amaze us all with her ability on this precious instrument inherited from her mother. Judy Skelton and Jean Irving played a simple duet, Nocturne, on the piano, followed by Judy playing the nostalgic Misty for us all to enjoy. Rebekah then read the words from an Ozark melody, The Touch of The Master's Hand, which she then played on the piano.

Some guests and family members attended also, and of course, Doug Anderson, very musically talented himself was there at his home. He showed us an amazing short musical piece on his computer, played on lined-up glass bottles, each filled with the appropriate amount of liquid to represent the correct note. The melody was recognizable and the notes pitched and spaced correctly, as a man skated past the bottles with a metal tab connected to his skates, hitting each bottle to the right and left of his path to create a familiar Mozart Sonata.

I must be very partial, however, to report with admiration our star performer. On September 9, 2006, Betina McCuiston turned 90! Wouldn't a numerologist have fun with these numbers -- 9th month -- 9th day -- 9th decade!! Betina played 5 short but difficult Braham's Waltzes for us. (The first through the fourth and the fifteenth, I understand.) This in itself is special, but what is even more spectacular is that Betina played without looking at the sheets of music. She had memorized -- at age 90 -- each piece! Suffering from glaucoma, Betina says she has sight remaining in a small area of her right eye, so she must hold the music in an area of magnified, good lighting, and play and memorize it measure by measure.

"It's hard," she says with equanimity, "Life is hard, but there's so much more music out there to be played, and that I want to learn to play, that I just do it!" Her grandchildren, she mentioned, are giving her a 90th birthday gift of lighted magnification for her music, so that she may continue to work very hard to play the music that she -- and we -- enjoy.

How many of us at ages 50, 60, 70, and 80 still have the determination to work so hard for our accomplishments and for that which we love? Congratulations Betina!! And thank you!

October 9, 2006 -- Trout Lake is beginning practice for this years Christmas Cantata under the direction of Doug Anderson. Practices are being held at the Mt. Adams Baptist Church, Sunday evenings at 7 pm. Everyone is invited to participate. There is room for anyone who can carry a tune ! Persons who play a musical instrument are encouraged to participate as there are instrumental parts. Call Monte Pearson at 395-2421 or Doug Anderson at 395-9307 for additional information.

September 25, 2006 -- On Saturday September 30, Public Lands Day, Nordic skiers, hikers and other appreciators of the national forest are invited to help clean up the Gifford Pinchot. Anyone who is interested in helping should meet Forest Service personnel at the Panther Creek Horse Camp at 9 am. They will clean up in that area until noon.

A second crew will meet at the Forest Service in Trout Lake at 8:30 am on Saturday. They will be picking up litter along the 82 road. If you miss that connection, join the crew at 9 at the Pineside Snow Park.

Wear sturdy shoes and dress for the weather, wear gloves and bring drinking water. If you can supply a truck or trail or to haul away trash, that would be useful. Call Ray Thygesen at 395-2318 for more information.

September 19, 2006 -- Best wishes to the Stewards

The public is invited to celebrate the next great adventure in the lives of Sue and Dick Steward. They will soon be leaving to begin mission work in Thailand.

Come to a farewell pot luck in their honor at the Trout Lake School multi-purpose room at 1 pm on Sunday September 24th. Bring a main dish and either dessert or salad. Table service and drinks will be provided by the Baptist Church. Call Ruth BeLieu at 395-2712 or Marty Rummel at 395-2061 for additional information.

September 11, 2006 -- Remember Memorial Day weekend and all the traffic in downtown Trout Lake? We had to drive single file at 5 miles an hour down 141 to avoid hitting people stacked high with paper bags full of stuff? It was worth it. The Community Foundation earned another $12,000 for the scholarship fund! Congratulations on a continuing job well done.

The Trout Lake Fair Board is looking for two new members to fill recent vacancies. The fair is one of those wonderful Trout Lake traditions about which families talk over reunions; tales of prowess on the end of the crosscut saw, awards for sweaters knit, art work created- cakes never to be forgotten, the last time we saw "so and so and whoze-e-whats." Share the work to keep it happening. Call Ray Thygesen at 395-0022 to explore the opportunity to participate with this energetic and committed group.

Every year on Public Lands Day many local activities are planned to improve the condition of public lands where most of us play. Last year the Mt. Adams Ski Club picked up trash in the Berry Fields area East of Indian Heaven Wilderness. This year the Cleanup the Pinchot is scheduled to work the area around the Panther Creek Horse Camp on Saturday September 30 from 10 am until noon. Meet at Panther Creek Horse Camp. Call Ray Thygeson at 395-0022 to let him know you are interested.

On Tuesday evening September 19, the public is invited to hear Marty Kantola of 6 Rivers Mediation at the Presbyterian Church monthly potluck. Six Rivers Mediation provides trained volunteers to help parties resolve civil conflict in hopes of avoiding costly and adversarial court processes. This is a service available to all of us in the Mid Columbia Region. Pot luck begins at 6 and the presentation begins at 7 pm.

August 28, 2006 -- Labor Day approaches and Trout Lake prepares for a shift in energies. Fruits and vegetables are being harvested and stored for the winter. Motor homes are being prepared for travel. Hikes into Indian Heaven are planned. There is lots of fishing going on. The light is changing and days are getting shorter. There is the kind of melancholy that comes from pleasures soon to be suspended for a season while there is happy anticipation of those to come.

Trout Lake Presbyterian Church will be starting a Sunday School class for children on September 10. The classes will be for children from preschool to 10 years old and will be held in the fellowship hall from 10 to 11 am each Sunday morning. There will be instruction in Bible stories, complete with art and music taught by the well qualified grandparents of the Church. Call Diana Sanders at 395-2913,or Janet Anderson at 395-9307 for additional information.

The Church is also planning another peace forum: "Fear, Power, and Violence: From Family Patterns to National Policy". Dr. David Kinzie, MD Psychiatry, from OHSU will be speaking from 7 to 9 pm on Friday October 20. The public is invited.

The community welcomes Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Morgan and their daughter to Trout Lake. Arthur, certified to teach Vocational Technology, will be teaching welding and wood shop in Trout Lake and Glenwood. His Vocational Technology certification will qualify our school for additional funding from the state. The Morgans have bought Jeannie Marshall's place on Jennings road. We look forward to getting to know them!

There are, at this point, 165 students registered at Trout Lake School, two students from Germany and one from France. There is a potential for another exchange student. Call Tina Nakae at 395-2685 if you are interested in hosting a foreign student.

Superintendent Doug Dearden, Principal Mike Wood and community member Stephanie Irving wrote a proposal for a service learning project which earned the school $15,000 a year for each of the next 3 years. The project, administered by Irving, is designed to help students experience the relevance of education in their lives. It will expand the resources available to students by tapping the considerable expertise of the "baby boomers" who live in our community.

Remember, if you are interested in becoming a contributor to this column, please call Pat Arnold at 509-395-2233, or me, Bonnie Reynolds at 509-395-2527.

August 7, 2006 -- In response to requests from the community, the Trout Lake Presbyterian Church will be offering a Sunday School class for children beginning September 10.

Classes for children from preschool to 10 years old will be held in the fellowship hall from 10 to 11 am each Sunday morning. There will be instruction in Bible stories, complete with art and music taught by the well qualified grandparents of the Church.

August 1, 2006 -- Trout Lake Fair Honorees, Darryl and Darvel Lloyd

The Annual Trout Lake Fair occurs this weekend, a time for meeting friends and family, a chance for the whole family to play games and to display their talents in exhibits of gardening, cooking, arts and crafts, and a chance to learn more about and celebrate our community.

Every year, the festival committee chooses people to honor through out the festivities, usually someone from Trout Lake. This year the committee chose people who though not residents of Trout Lake, are known by most of us for their tireless efforts to preserve the wilderness and integrity of Mt. Adams.

Having grown up in the shadow of Mt Adams on the Flying L Ranch, outside Glenwood, Washington, Darvel and Darryl Lloyd developed a passion for the mountain that led to a sense of respect and and responsibility to protect this sacred treasure.

Their commitment led to the development in 1970 of the Mt. Adams Wilderness Institute. For ten-years they taught mountaineering skills to groups who shared their interest through educational and experiential programs. The Institute ended in 1980 after the eruption of Mount St. Helens led to limiting their access.

The two founded "Friends of Pah-to" in the early 1970s to unite people who shared the pledge to keep this natural wonder "forever wild." In 2004, Darryl founded the Friends of Mt. Adams to support the study of and advocacy for "Pah-to." Until 1996 they shared the inn keeping responsibilities for the family¹s Flying L Ranch.

Darryl is now a full time photographer whose images appear in regional and national publications. He presents educational and photographic programs about the mountain, and often donates his expertise to environmental causes. Darvel now lives and works in social services in Portland. Both continue to lead others on adventures to heighten love and understanding of our beautiful mountain.

It is appropriate to here to announce the FRIENDS OF MOUNT ADAMS ANNUAL SUMMER GATHERING which is introduced with two days of hiking. On Saturday and Sunday, August 12th and 13th, 2006

Those wishing to participate in the hikes will meet at the Trout Lake School parking lot (east side of Hwy 141, about a mile south of the town of Trout Lake, WA.) at 8:30 a.m. on both days.

Hikes:

Veteran mountain guides, Darryl & Darvel Lloyd, will each lead two strenuous hikes on the SE and SW sides of Mt. Adams. These will traverse seldom-seen subalpine areas within the Yakama Nation Wilderness and USFS Mt. Adams Wilderness, and will involve off-trail hiking on moderately-rough terrain (subjective, I know!). Also offered will be easier trail hikes in Bird Creek Meadows and/or Hellroaring valley. These will be scheduled based on demand and will be led by people who know the area.

Ridge of Wonders hike, led by Darryl on Saturday. Start at Bench Lake (4,920'), drop to 4,760' and take an old trail to Island Spring Camp at 5,320. Then ascend off-trail to a spectacular viewpoint on the Ridge of Wonders (6,830'). Views of Klickitat Glacier icefalls, the Klickitat headwall and Big Muddy canyon. Optional climb of Little Mt. Adams cinder cone (6,800'). 7 mi. round-trip, elevation gain 2,100'. (Little Mt. Adams adds 360' vertical to the hike.) Return by way of Hellroaring Meadow and Heart Lake. Bring sandals for crossing a marshy area at the base of Ridge of Wonders.

Bird Creek Meadows grand loop hike, led by Darvel on Saturday and Darryl on Sunday. Start at Bird Lake (5,585'), pass Bluff Lake and make a big loop of the famous Bird Creek Meadows -- where wildflowers will be prime. About half of the distance is off-trail. The high point will be the top of a big neoglacial moraine (7,895') overlooking an iceberg lake and views of the lower Mazama Glacier. 7 mi. total, 2,310' elevation gain. Those who choose not climb the moraine can wait in a nice meadow at timberline at 7,200 ft.

Crofton Ridge hike, led by Darvel on Sunday. Start at Morrison Creek Campground (4,650') and take Shorthorn Trail #16 to Round-the-Mountain Trail #9, then a quarter of a mile off-trail to the high point on Crofton Ridge (6,227'). Stunning views of Mt. Adams' SW face and the source of many large debis avalanches. Views also of Mt. St. Helens and distant Mt. Hood. There will be other short off-trail excursions to investigate the phantom-like Morrison Creek and minerals under Salt Creek falls (possibly where "Salt Creek" got its name). 7 mi. total, about 1,800' elevation gain (with side trips).

Bring: Good hiking boots/shoes for the off-trail hikes, plenty of water, food, sun protection, mosquito repellent, appropriate clothing (based on the weekend weather forecast), optional items such as a map, camera, flower book, first aid kit, binnoculars (for spotting mountain goats), etc. Hikes are generally limited to 10 + the leader(s) - no dogs, please!

Car Pooling: At the Trout Lake School parking lot, 8:30 a.m. both days. Plan on a 1-hr. drive to trailheads on a rough road. Riders are encouraged to give drivers $5 toward gas and Yakama Nation day use permits ($5 per car). Fee is collected by tribal rangers along the road at Mirror Lake. NW Forest Pass required for cars going to the Crofton Ridge trailhead.

There will be a potluck dinner and Friends of Mt. Adams meeting on Saturday night after the hikes. Please call Darryl Lloyd for additional information regarding that. 

Contact Darryl Lloyd, longshadow@gorge.net, (541) 387-2217 for additional information and to make a reservation to participate in the hikes. 

May 8, 2006 -- On May 15 a Kickoff Meeting for the 41st Annual Trout Lake Fair will be held in the Community Learning Center at the Trout Lake School at 7:00 PM. We welcome all community members to this meeting. The Fair is for and by the Trout Lake Community. Your ideas and volunteering are essential to the Fair's continued success. You can e-mail Ray Thygesen at sandiray@gorge.net with comments, questions, and/or suggestions.

Jerry Wood is retiring from Trout Lake School after 34 years of teaching. Wood has taught wood shop, welding, mechanical drawing, physical education, mathematics and other subjects at the school. We will miss the friendly smile and wave from Jerry who walks daily to school -- students with a passion for perfection in the design and execution of projects will always refer to Jerry as a valuable influence in their lives. Join Jerry, his family, friends and colleagues at the grange hall on June 4 from 2 to 5 pm. Call Dennis Anderson at the school, 509-395-2571 for additional information.

Thursday May 11 at 7 pm, there is a meeting of the Trout Lake Arts Council. All are welcomed to become a part of this interesting group as they plan the 11th annual Trout Lake Festival of the Arts.

Kindergarten round up is Friday, May 19 from 1:00 to 3:00 at the school. It is open to any child who will be 5 years old BY Sept. 1, 2006. Parents, please have your child bring a stuffed animal friend for show and tell. We will be doing some fun activities and they will get to meet their classmates for next year. Please also R.S.V.P. to the school 395-2571 so we know how many students for which to plan.

A Full Summer of Volunteer Opportunities on the Pacific Crest Trail!

Trail projects in awesome natural areas -- Mt Ashland on the Siskiyou Crest, Three Sisters Wilderness, Olallie Lake Scenic Area... and more!

Trout Lake, WA, April 26, 2006 -- Northwest Service Academy (NWSA), in cooperation with The Pacific Crest Trail Association (PCTA), is actively recruiting volunteers for this summer's trail work projects in Oregon and Southern Washington. No experience is necessary. All meals, tools, and training are provided free of charge.

An NWSA/AmeriCorps team will be leading the wide variety of projects including cutting brush, cleaning and constructing water bars, and building bridges.

"This is really a unique opportunity for people to volunteer on the Pacific Crest Trail," says Garry Hanley, NWSA Project Coordinator." Our team will be out there all summer and fall hosting community volunteers in some of the most beautiful places in the Northwest."

Volunteers may choose to join the team for a weekend, extended weekend or for one of the longer 8- or 9-day trips. Projects will take place along the PCT in the Deschutes, Willamette, Gifford Pinchot and Mt. Hood National Forests as well as on BLM and NSA lands. Visit www.northwestserviceacademy.org/PCT.htm for project details and answers to frequently asked questions.

All volunteers should be physically able to hike, do trail work, and be willing to camp (along the trail or at established campgrounds, depending on the project). Volunteers are responsible for getting to/from the trailhead and for bringing their own sleeping bag, tent, backpack, and personal gear. They will also be required to complete a registration packet that includes a medical form and release.

Contact Garry Hanley, NWSA Project Coordinator at garry.hanley@esd112.org or 509-395-3463 to reserve your spot or get full details. To download a promotional flyer, visit www.northwestserviceacademy.org/downloads/PCT_FLYER.pdf

The Northwest Service Academy is an AmeriCorps program that partners with community-based organizations, government agencies and schools to address significant environmental and educational needs in the states of WA and OR.

March 21, 2006 -- PLANNING COMMISSION DELAYS RULING ON REZONE APPLICATION.

GOLDENDALE ­- At its March 20 meeting, the Klickitat County Planning Commission put off ruling on Dean Enterprises, Inc.'s application to change the comprehensive plan and rezone 40 acres off Jennings Road. Its next meeting is April 17, 2006.

Although the application sought a change 2-acre Rural Residential, at the hearing, Dean Enterprises informed the Commission that it now seeks to rezone for some 5-acre and some 2-acre parcels. It said this change was in response to input from the Trout Lake Community Council. The Commissioners reviewed a letter from the Trout Lake Community Council seeking additional time to make its own recommendations at its next meeting, scheduled for April 5.

Not all commissioners spoke to the matter publicly. Those who did praised Dean Enterprises for its patience, noting that it had already agreed to table the decision from August to March to give time for Trout Lake to update the sub-area comprehensive plan. Commissioners appreciated the fact that Dean Enterprises was willing to wait yet another month.

Commissioners voiced disappointment at slow pace of planning by Trout Lake. They made it clear that April 17 will be the Community's last chance to have any say over how it rules on the petition of Dean Enterprises, Inc. Commissioners urged the community to at least state what it prefers with respect to the forest resources zone of which these 40 acres is a part, even if the plan for the entire sub-area is not complete. They expressed that seeing a draft would be better than seeing nothing and having to rule on this 40-acre parcel in isolation.

The Commissioners were disappointed that no representative from the Trout Lake planning group attended the meeting to provide them an update on their progress. The only person to appear other than Dean Enterprises, Inc. was me. I questioned whether it was appropriate to carve out an exception to the current comprehensive plan for only these 40 acres, and I questioned whether the information submitted to the Commission was adequate to support such a change.

Jeff Merrick
Greenwood Road
merrick@jeffmerrick.com

March 13, 2006 -- The public is invited tonight, March 16 at 7 pm , to the last of a series of 3 forums titled "Peace or Violence: The Choice" to be held at the Trout Lake Presbyterian Church. The series began with "Loving your Enemies", a speech by Martin Luther King. The second forum was based on a video produced by Physicians for Social Responsibility "Safe Security". Tonight's forum is titled "Every War Has Two Losers" and will refer to a speech by Dwight Eisenhower and writings by William Stafford, the late poet laureate for the state of Oregon.

On Saturday April 8 from 1 to 5 p.m. the Presbyterian Church is sponsoring a multicultural interfaith conference, " The Ethical and Moral Precepts of Four of the World's Major Religions Regarding Peace and Violence". Speaking at the conference are respected leaders of the Muslim, Jewish, Buddist and Christian Religions. The conference will be held in the multipurpose room of the Trout Lake School. The public is invited.

On Friday March 17 a meeting will be held regarding the Youth For Understanding program. Devon Harkness, regional representative for the organization will be meeting with past, current and prospective participants. Trout Lake currently has 5 students at school through this organization. Plans are being made for student placement for the next school year. If you are interested in housing a student, have a student who is interested in studying abroad, or are just interested in learning more about the program, call Jan Nelson at 395-2889, or Bonnie Reynolds at 395-2527 to make plans to attend. The meeting will be held at the Nelson's home on Stadelman Road.

The Mt. Adams Ski Club has planned a ski trip from Snow King Snow Park to Glenwwod on Saturday March 18. Tom Reynolds, Darvel and Darryl Lloyd and Mike Holman the route this past Saturday. They encountered deep snow and had to break trail the entire route. It took six hours to cover the approximately 8 miles. The last two miles are downhill, some fairly steep and narrow. They recommend the trip only for advanced intermediate and more skilled skiers.

If you are planning on doing the trip on Saturday March 18th, please confirm with Tom Reynolds at 395-2527 or bonnier@gorge.net no later than Thursday March 16th.

March 6, 2006 -- 2006 Hunting Proposal -- 2006 Hunting Proposal Map

News from the Community Council meeting of March 1, 2006. First, from the Northwest Service Academy. Plans are proceeding, though not final, to move the old fire lookout from Flattop Mountain to the Natural Area Preserve. The building, the only one of its kind, is in bad repair and needs attention soon if it is to be preserved.

The school's proposals for funding from the Economic Development Board were accepted, which is a good thing, but the Community Wildfire Plan was not funded. The Plan has been approved by all the relevant agencies, so is ready to be implemented. That however, will have to wait for funding. A grant proposal has been submitted for federal fire prevention funds, but the results won't be known for some time.

Kji McIntyre has returned to Trout Lake to the Academy, this time with an IP (Independent Placement, I think) on farming and gardening. He comes from three years' experience with Community Support Agriculture business and has lots of ideas and energy. He can be reached at 395-2706 for more information.

The main agenda item was discussion of the establishment of a Firearm Restriction Area in the Trout Lake valley. Dave Anderson and Dan Bolton, of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), gave an overview of an agreement they worked up with a group, members unspecified, that was putting together a petition to the state requesting changes in the hunting regulations.

There was general agreement that hunter presence on the valley during the 2005 season was greater than usual, with deep snow pushing hunters down to the valley. There was not much discussion of actual incidents during 2005, but again general agreement that the situation had been potentially dangerous. There was also general agreement that No Hunting or Trespassing signs have been removed or ignored.

Dave Anderson has been working with the petitioners and has come up with a proposal to limit hunting in the valley to bows and shotguns between October 1 and December 15. The proposal excludes muzzleloaders and modern rifles. The proposal will be presented at a WDFW Commission meeting in April. The Department of Natural Resources has agreed to allow elk hunting in the Natural Area Preserve on this basis.

Dave Anderson spoke about WDFW management goals. In the St. Helen's management unit # 578, which includes Trout Lake, the goal is an elk herd of about 15,000 animals. There are currently about 12,000. He said that other goals are to strengthen the deer population, which he says "is in pretty poor shape," and to keep elk away from the Trout Lake Valley floor to prevent economic damange.

To address economic damage issues, the WDFW proposal also recommends 5 special hunts. These would be restricted to archery and legal shotguns, and would be available for Advanced Hunter Education Master Hunters, a group of people who have passed many levels of DNR hunter training. These hunts would be on private lands only and would allow the taking of 5 elk during each of five one-week periods outside the normal hunting seasons.

WDFW has a mechanism for a landowner to obtain a special permit if economic damage is occurring. However, Robert Schmid said that he has obtained and used this permit and still has elk eating every night from his silage bags. Noise and other harassment techniques have been ineffective. Others agreed that keeping elk out of the valley is the most effective prevention of economic damage. Hunting pressure helps accomplish this.

Another possibility is habitat projects which would draw elk away from the valley. Elk do best in cleared areas, and with decreasing numbers of clear cuts in the area, they are gravitating more toward the valley floor. One possibility, if people in the community step forward to organize it, is a proposal to the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation for financial support for this kind of project. DNR and the Forest Service are potentially cooperating land owners and managers.

The Council did not take a vote on this, but did determine that the audience was generally supportive. WDFW also expressed commitment to helping the farmers with the damage problems they have. I hope we all appreciate the work that the government employees have put into this matter.

There are three newswriters now, since Sandy Thygesen has resigned. We appreciate her years as a newswriter and miss her gentle, practical approach. If anyone is interested in filling that spot, please get in touch.

I haven't heard from any chicken owners who want to participate in the testing program, so I will be going ahead on my own. You have about two weeks to get in touch and join me. 395-2233.

February 13, 2006 -- Peace Forum at Trout Lake Presbyterian Church: Thursday Feb 16, from 7 to 8:30 pm, is the second in a series of peace forums at the Presbyterian Church. The subject of the forum is " What Are The Essential Values for Living in a Civilized World?". The discussion will be based on a video produced by Physicians for Social Concern titled "Safe Security". The public is invited.

The National Honor Society Trout Lake chapter is holding a fundraiser. They will deliver cookie dough. You can cook it or not, as you prefer. Choices are snickerdoodles, chocolate chip, peanut butter, and oatmeal raisin. $7.00 will buy you enough dough for 2-3 dozen cookies. Place your order with the school by February 17 for delivery on February 20 or 21.

Here's my annual plug for the WSU Klickitat County Extension Office's newsletter, the Klickitat County Chit Chat, which is full of upcoming events, gardening advice, horse care information, and lots more. The last issue featured notice of the Harvesting Clean Energy Conference, in Spokane Feb 27-28, about renewable energy technologies, and also of the famous Sewing and Stitchery Expo, an annual event held in Puyallup. I know there are already a lot of local aficionados of this event. All this and more, by calling 509-773-5817 and asking to be put on the mailing list.

Backyard chicken producers, here is a notice for you. The CDC and WSU have a voluntary bird flu monitoring program. Please get in touch with Pat Arnold 395-2233 if you want to participate. We will send a batch of eggs in to be tested in the Puyallup lab. No charge.

Jonah Ministries is planning a 10th birthday party and fundraiser at Skamania Lodge on Friday, March 24, 2006. Jonah has also just released the 2006 camp schedule. The camps fill up fast, so if you don't have the brochure, call 395-2900 to get one.

At the Cabin Fever dinner, I found a great conversation among local teachers about the WASL. The What? The Washington Assessment of Student Learning. The Basic Education Act of 1993 required the development of Essential Academic Learning Requirements (EALRs, which is pronounced eelers), and it also authorized the WASL tests to determine if the learning goals are being met.

WASL tests are given to 4th, 7th and 10th grade students. Other standardized tests are given in the other grades. The class of 2008, this year's 10th graders, are the first class for whom successful completion of the reading, writing, and mathematics WASL is a statewide graduation requirement.

Trout Lake students have had strong performances on all the WASL tests and the other assessments, a testimony to skills of staff , students, and parents. Nevertheless, I was interested to hear a lively discussion among teachers about the value of the test. Are we just teaching to the test? Is the test reliable? What are our educational goals, and how do we get there?

This is a hot topic in the legislature this year, and I wonder if there is interest in a local forum -- say a panel of different points of view among school staff and students. These tests obviously affect parents of current students in a very immediate way. However, the rest of us may profit from some discussion as well, since the topic is fundamental to the educational policy of our state and consequent expenditures.

The Trout Lake sub-area planning process is proceeding. The group is reviewing the 1995 plan, revisiting goals and policies, rethinking zoning, and drawing lines on the map. The next meeting is February 15, at the school. New Community Council members Robert Schmid and Hans Winterlich will be joining the planning group. The remaining untouched topics are water, critical areas, agriculture, and forest resources.

A note from Mike Calahan, "I'm still deployed to the State of Mississippi in support of hurricane Katrina (DR-1604), I was deployed by the Federal Emergency Management Agent (FEMA) on August 28, 2005, and will remain here in Jackson, Mississippi until they sent me home. I hope to be home by early spring."

January 16, 2006 -- Trout Lake was treated to the School Winter Program on January 11. Students from preschool through 12th grade performed. Such a pleasure to hear young voices and instrumentalists and to realize what a wonderful range of musical opportunities are available in our small school.

The National Honor Society is working hard to fund their trip to Washington DC in March. Among the projects they are working on is to recycle cell phones. There will be collection boxes in Hood River, White Salmon and Trout Lake for you to deposit cell phones. The cell phones will be reprocessed for reuse and the students will earn money for their service.

There is also a Domino Pizza coupon sale which entitles the purchaser one free pizza with each one purchased. Ticket books are $10 apiece and can be bought from any NHS member. There will also be a cookie dough sale for the benefit of the trip. Call Laurie Sherburne at the school at 395-2512 for additional information.

In early April, the students will be available for hire for spring clean up tasks. Look for more information on that in the near future.

The Trout Lake Presbyterian Church begins its series of forums at the fellowship hall at 7 pm. tonight (Thursday). The Subject of this first forum is "Love Your Enemies" based on a speech by Martin Luther King.

The public is invited to this as well as to silent peace vigils in the sanctuary from 4 to 6 pm every Sunday evening through Easter Sunday.

The weather is looking promising for the Annual Cabin Fever Festival on January 28th and 29th. There are a range of indoor and outdoor events planned for all ages. Check the Trout Lake Web site, the post office, Andy's Valley Service or Trout Lake Grocery Store bulletin boards for more specific information.

The Trout Lake Arts Council is working on plans for their spring fund raiser which will be held on March 19 at Roger and Rene Hohimer's on Stadelman Road. Reservation information will be available in several weeks. Let an Art Council member know if you'd like to be included in the mailing list for event.

January 2, 2006 -- The Trout Lake and Evergreen Presbyterian Churches welcomed their new minister, Reverend Dorothy Franklin on New Years Day. Looking forward to becoming involved in our community, Reverend Franklin will be living in Trout Lake and serving the Mt. Adams Larger Parish.

The public is invited to participate in silent vigils at the Presbyterian Church every Sunday through Easter Sunday, from 2 to 4 pm. This is an opportunity to silently pray, read or write about the power of peace.

Beginning on Thursday January 19, 7 to 8:30 pm at the Presbyterian Church is the first of three forums: "PEACE OR VIOLENCE: THE CHOICE." The purpose of the forums is to discuss religious, moral and ethical issues regarding peace and violence in a setting where personal beliefs are honored and respected. The public is invited to participate in these forums. Barbara Schraam 395-2732, and Bonnie Reynolds are facilitating the forums titled "Loving Your Enemies," "What are the Essential Values for Living in a Civilized World " and "Every War Has Two Losers." More information will be forthcoming regarding the forums.