I was thrilled to learn that the Wenatchee Valley Symphony has extended the contract with gifted conductor Dr. Nikolas Caoile of Central Washington University through the 2028-29 season. That’s great news.

North Central Washington residents in impressive numbers have been taking to the streets to demand that our nation address structural racism and institute police reforms. An estimated 1,300 people marched in Leavenworth last Friday, and a similar number protested in Wenatchee on Saturday nig…

“Nobody cares how much you know until they know how much you care,” Teddy Roosevelt once said. And that sense of caring is the hallmark of not only every great leader, but also every successful teacher.

The news that United Way of North Central Washington was being dissolved was hardly a surprise when it was announced last week by the agency’s remaining board members and sole remaining staffer.

Life is challenging for so many people in our communities during this coronavirus crisis.

Steve King, the outgoing economic development leader in the city of Wenatchee, is pulling up stakes and leaving for a new challenge as the manager of the public works department in Port Townsend.

When Carl Florea campaigned for mayor of Leavenworth, he spent a lot of time talking about the need to build bridges between the business community and residents.

Two of the great challenges in terms of mental health in North Central Washington have been issues of affordability and lack of access to mental health care in our largely rural and underserved area. A small and innovative nonprofit in Leavenworth called Upper Valley Cares (UVCares) has come…

I have been trying to educate myself about the issue of gender diversity in hopes of better understanding what life is like for individuals who are born as one gender but who realize that gender assignment doesn’t fit reality.

Having the courage to lean in to challenging conversations on difficult topics is the hallmark of a strong community. During the first week of March, our community and valley will have a series of unique opportunities to learn from experts about gender identity and gender expression, particu…

I am frequently inspired by the efforts within faith organizations in North Central Washington to foster a stronger sense of community. We are fortunate that so many people here are devoted to building community.

It is difficult to overstate what Ramon Rivera has meant to the mariachi program at the Wenatchee School District and he will be fondly remembered and greatly missed as he leaves our valley later this year to build a similar program in Mount Vernon.

It is tragic how our society treats people who are struggling with addiction. Our approach to law and justice has been to throw the book at people who violate these societal norms and make it all but impossible for them to rejoin society. They are stigmatized and shunned.

What a tremendous asset our North Central Educational Service District has created at its newly remodeled headquarters in Olds Station. This will benefit the 29 individual school districts in the region both in terms of better service and in reduced costs for years to come.

Several of our school districts will be asking their communities to approve maintenance and operations levies in February and it is absolutely essential that these be approved by voters.

It is remarkable how our Community Foundation of North Central Washington continues to find innovative ways to foster philanthropy and make positive things happen in our region.

Two entomologists who made enormous contributions to the tree fruit industry and literally helped pioneer integrated pest management (IPM) in our region — Stan Hoyt and Everett Burts — passed away last November within a few weeks of each other.

This is a winter of discontent for pear growers in North Central Washington, and folks in the industry are deeply concerned about the financial survival of these small family growers. The pear industry is one of the last bastions of family farms in agriculture, with small-acreage orchards do…

Is Catholic Charities capable of delivering effective mental health crisis services to North Central Washington?

‘Tis the season for charitable giving in our region and every year at this time we rediscover the extraordinary generosity of our neighbors.

Every time I connect with the work of Upper Valley MEND (Meeting Each Need with Dignity), I walk away inspired by the work they are doing to foster a sense of belonging and community for those who are living on the margins of the upper valley.

When it comes to finding ways to end violence and hatred in our communities, our country and our world, practicing kindness and reducing the hatred that exists in each of our hearts would be a wise place to begin.

LEAVENWORTH — Peshastin Dryden-Alpine Lakes Parent-Teacher Organization hosted a screening of the film “Resilience” at Cascade High School Tuesday night, which addressed the toxic stress that impacts youngsters and the crippling effect it can have on their well-being. It’s a film that everyo…

As a community, we have an opportunity and a responsibility to respond to the suicide of local crisis counselor Eric Skansgaard by creating a more effective regional mental health system and providing timely emotional support for people doing this difficult work.

The community-building effort of Kiwanis Methow Park in South Wenatchee is getting wonderful coverage. The Trust for Public Land’s Land and People magazine featured the park and some of its key community advocates after they visited a similar project in South Los Angeles and networked with i…

One of the great challenges and opportunities facing our communities is how we can constructively address our mental health challenges. We are fortunate that Chelan and Douglas counties have a chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) that is providing training and support gr…

Malia Renner-Singer, the 2020 Regional Teacher of the Year for the North Central Education Service District, has some powerful insights about the impact of teachers in our communities.

About 15 years ago, we hired an employee with developmental disabilities at The World. Brian was hired because I felt that he could make a contribution to the company and because I thought it would be a productive way to help our staff gain a greater understanding and appreciation of folks w…

This is the first of a series of columns focused on fostering civil discourse and dialogue, which is an action item of the Our Valley Our Future effort.