Common Ground Community Housing Trust is making strides in starting to address the need for affordable housing in the Wenatchee Valley, according to managing director Thom Nees.
Rufus Woods
Publisher Emeritus
Winton Manufacturing Composts Works is doing some interesting work developing a regional commercial compost program that allows farmers, restaurants, hotels and families to divert food and yard waste that would normally go to the landfill into nutrient-rich soil that can be used in gardens, …
Rufus Woods
Publisher Emeritus
It is startling to ponder the dramatic changes happening in and around the City of Wenatchee over the next several years, with a potential of $300 million in investment in properties near the downtown core.
Rufus Woods
Publisher Emeritus
Lake Chelan School District is taking a bold and innovative approach that other school districts should consider emulating. With meaningful community, staff and student input, the district recently developed a strategic plan that includes ongoing measurements of not only academic performance…
Rufus Woods
Publisher Emeritus
It’s rather startling to consider the positive impact made by the Community Foundation of North Central Washington on this region in supporting nonprofits, fostering a spirit of philanthropy and creating opportunities for those who have limited resources.
Rufus Woods
Publisher Emeritus
A group of community organizations will be launching a recycling and composting effort on Sunday, April 30 at the Washington State Apple Blossom Festival Food Fair, with the support of local businesses and festival leaders. One of the strongest community values in our region is a sense of ca…
Rufus Woods
Publisher Emeritus
I am intrigued and encouraged by the community-centered approach Leavenworth’s Rotary Club is using to host the annual district conference in early May. They are taking the unprecedented step of inviting outside civic leaders from the region to join with Rotary leaders to reimagine how we ca…
Rufus Woods
Publisher Emeritus
T he Chelan-Douglas Community Action Council is poised to consolidate its operations and dramatically expand its food distribution capacity to better serve individuals and families in North Central Washington who are struggling to make ends meet.
Rufus Woods
Publisher Emeritus
T he Wenatchee Valley theater community is in mourning this week after the passing of Arlene Jones, who worked tirelessly for decades to support the Music Theater of Wenatchee and other local organizations.
Rufus Woods
Publisher Emeritus
Navigating the health care system in this country is all too often a frustrating experience. The insurance-dominated system is rich in tools to improve our lives while at the same time a mind-numbing labyrinth of rules, regulations and conflicting roles that leave patients and families feeli…
Rufus Woods
Publisher Emeritus
The Wenatchee School Board made a wise decision last week in selecting Kory Kalahar as interim superintendent. Kalahar is a proven leader who brings people together to face challenges, is devoted to the success of all kids in the district and has built trust with faculty, staff and the outsi…
Rufus Woods
Publisher Emeritus
If you’d like to experience the power of community in a small town like Leavenworth, I recommend spending an afternoon with the students, teachers and volunteers who participate in Cascade School District’s after-school ski and snowboard program.
Rufus Woods
Publisher Emeritus
I appreciate the people in our midst who have developed a capacity for both resilience and forgiveness — making the most of setbacks, growing from failures and choosing to believe the best in other people when their mistakes or failures cause harm.
Rufus Woods
Publisher Emeritus
There are surprising, inspiring and enlightening stories in each of our families and we would be wise to take the time to ferret those out while our aging loved ones are able to help us understand that history.
Rufus Woods
Publisher Emeritus
The Wenatchee and East Wenatchee police departments are jointly participating in a pilot program called BlueBridge Alliance that allows police officers to give on-the-spot financial assistance to individuals in need when other community help is not immediately available.
Rufus Woods
Publisher Emeritus
I cannot think of a more critical responsibility in a community than ensuring our schools are laser focused on what’s best for kids. Achieving that goal requires us to hire and retain superintendents with the constructive leadership mindset and courage to stay true to that course. We need le…
Rufus Woods
Publisher Emeritus
I am excited about a local community effort that is launching Feb. 17 to highlight and celebrate acts of kindness in North Central Washington for the rest of 2023.
Rufus Woods
Publisher Emeritus
Seven pioneering Eastmont High School students with intellectual challenges are spending their final school year as interns at Stemilt Growers as part of Project SEARCH, a national program that creates an opportunity for a unique educational and work environment.
Rufus Woods
Publisher Emeritus
Our communities have learned a lot about what it takes for a public facilities district (PFD) to succeed in the past 10 years, but it took a near catastrophe to teach us the importance of proper planning and analysis.
Rufus Woods
Publisher Emeritus
The New York Times published a lovely series called the Seven Day Happiness Challenge earlier this month. At a time when many of us were making resolutions for the new year, the series invited readers to assess the quality of their relationships and offered practical suggestions to strengthen them.
Rufus Woods
Publisher Emeritus
One of the hidden strengths of the Wenatchee Valley is that we have a diverse and talented group of visual artists who are using their creativity to enhance our appreciation of this region. They contribute to our economy and also help us see through different eyes the beauty that is all around us.
Rufus Woods
Publisher Emeritus
I feel exceedingly fortunate to have a part-time job at this newspaper that allows me to write about how people and organizations are building and strengthening our communities.
Rufus Woods
Publisher Emeritus
If we want to build effective schools in our communities, we have to look beyond standardized test scores and instead encourage our districts to build a positive culture that meets kids where they are and fosters innovation by teachers to foster the strengths of those students.
Rufus Woods
Publisher Emeritus
Look around the community with a sense of curiosity and you’ll find endless efforts underway to make a difference in the world.
Rufus Woods
Publisher Emeritus
In a community, so many people step up and find ways to make a difference that few people ever know about or appreciate.
Rufus Woods
Publisher Emeritus
I have no idea how climber and author John Roskelley of Spokane had the emotional fortitude to give a detailed presentation about the ascent of Howse Peak in Canada that claimed the life of his son, Jess, and two other young mountaineering icons, Austrians David Lama and Hansjorg Auer. Losin…
Rufus Woods
Publisher Emeritus
I am excited about the Wenatchee Valley Symphony Orchestra’s concert Saturday which will honor our veterans. We are so blessed to have an orchestra in this valley that performs at a level far beyond what you would expect in a community our size.
Rufus Woods
Publisher Emeritus
The five-year career of wake surfing prodigy Turner Gebers of Cashmere has been nothing short of meteoric. The 15-year-old high school sophomore recently placed second in the semi-pro division at the World Wake Surfing Championship. With that finish, he’s made the decision to turn profession…
Rufus Woods
Publisher Emeritus
You can make a difference for a teacher and a class near you.
Rufus Woods
Publisher Emeritus
Words are inadequate to describe the extraordinary life journey of Pat West Turner, the Entiat native who lost a leg in a car accident as a high school senior and who carved out a rich life where she learned new sports, taught school and made time to brighten the days of those around her.
Rufus Woods
Publisher Emeritus
How can we best respond to the rising tide of anger, hatred and violence plaguing our society and diminishing our communities? Responding in kind invariably makes matters worse. Fortunately, we can learn techniques to respond in ways that reduce those negative emotions. One person working to…
Rufus Woods
Publisher Emeritus
Growing up in the Philippines, Lorraine del Prado learned valuable lessons about empathy, compassion and the importance of being generous to her fellow human beings. In that developing country, she was confronted on a daily basis with people who were struggling to make ends meet.
Rufus Woods
Publisher Emeritus
Pybus Public Market and its foundation make immeasurable contributions to the Wenatchee Valley by bringing people together and strengthening the bonds of community.
Rufus Woods
Publisher Emeritus
Working together to achieve a common goal seems to create more impressive achievements.
Rufus Woods
Publisher Emeritus
The Community Foundation of North Central Washington, which has earned a sterling reputatio n for fostering philanthropy and supporting area nonprofits, refuses to stand pat and instead is aiming to make an even bigger community impact.
Rufus Woods
Publisher Emeritus
Wenatchee/P’Squosa elder Randy Lewis brings an important perspective to our understanding of regional history, our connection with the natural world, and the shared sense of humanity that can help us navigate these trying times.
Rufus Woods
Publisher Emeritus
Imagine how much stronger our communities would be if grandparents learned effective skills and techniques to engage with their grandkids to forge strong relationships. With a mindset of curiosity and openness, grandparents could be a positive and stabilizing influence for their grandchildren.
Rufus Woods
Publisher Emeritus
I love programs that connect kids with the arts. On Thursday and Friday mornings this week, the Wenatchee Valley Symphony in partnership with Confluence Health and the Wenatchee Valley Medical Group will bring the theatrical production of “Mozart’s Magnificent Voyage” to the Numerica Perform…
Rufus Woods
Publisher Emeritus
Seven excited Eastmont High School students joined the workforce at Stemilt Growers late last month in a joyful ceremony that kicked off a year-long local job training program.
Rufus Woods
Publisher Emeritus
In a society where individualism and self absorption dominate the headlines, we owe a debt of gratitude to people like Carmen Bossenbrock, who live lives of service and exemplify the importance of working to make the community better.
Rufus Woods
Publisher Emeritus
Here’s a golden opportunity for any of us in the Wenatchee Valley to be a volunteer tutor two hours a week and help inspire a few elementary students.
Rufus Woods
Publisher Emeritus
During a recent visit to the Brave Warrior Project, staff member Ashleigh Flint switched on the Disney Karaoke program and participant Mark Lee’s eyes lit up. As the music started playing and without looking at the words, Mark confidently belted out the tune to “You’ll Be In My Heart” from t…
Rufus Woods
Publisher Emeritus
Since retiring as publisher of the newspaper in 2018, it has been gratifying to have the opportunity to continue writing a column for the newspaper and also pitching in to help out with Wenatchee Valley Business World with their annual event honoring young leaders who are making a difference…
Rufus Woods
Publisher Emeritus
These days, Ed Baugh feels enlivened by riding his bicycle long distances and other outdoor adventures. At 76 and retired from four decades of teaching and coaching in the Eastmont School District, he has never lost his passion for helping others and meeting them where they are.
Rufus Woods
Publisher Emeritus
The city of Wenatchee is on the cusp of a radical transformation with three major developments on the edges of downtown that could collectively cost $300 million in an eight-block area.
Rufus Woods
Publisher Emeritus
I am a passionate believer that collaboration is by far a better way to get things done in a community than operating in silos with organizations doing their own thing in isolation. You can accomplish more working together.
Rufus Woods
Publisher Emeritus
Outstanding educational leaders make a powerful difference in the lives of students, families and their staff. I was reminded of this when I interviewed retired educator Bev Baugh recently about her journey.
Rufus Woods
Publisher Emeritus
Dr. Peter Rutherford has much to be proud of in his tenure at the helm of Confluence Health for the past 11 years. He and his team were successful in implementing a complicated affiliation between Central Washington Hospital and what was then Wenatchee Valley Medical Center when financial di…
Rufus Woods
Publisher Emeritus
Eastmont School District Superintendent Garn Christensen has much to be proud of during his tenure at the school and in the community. He took the position when it had been a revolving door and brought stability and a thoughtful, systematic and understated approach to the district.
Rufus Woods
Publisher Emeritus
I am impressed with the slick new online community resource called Waste Wizard that was recently launched by the local nonprofit Sustainable NCW. For those of us who want to find creative ways to send less stuff to the landfill, the Waste Wizard is a dream come true.
Rufus Woods
Publisher Emeritus
