I’ve been part of a group of nine individuals exploring issues around race and racism in our society. To help us lean into the subject, we are using the “Racial Healing Handbook” by Anneliese Singh.

If we are going to strengthen our communities, it is imperative that we learn to have courageous political conversations about difficult issues without resorting to destructive name calling and other uncivil tactics.

In my previous column on how we can put the teacher-student relationship at the forefront of our public education system, Manson Elementary teacher Marcy Lindert made a compelling case for creating a culture that fosters trust and helps kids find their unique gifts and talents.

I am a believer that tapping into the insights and wisdom of people actually doing the work on the ground is essential to charting a thoughtful path forward, particularly when in the midst of tumultuous change.

It’s been remarkable to watch from a great distance the impact that former Cashmere standout Hailey Van Lith has made as a freshman starter on the top-ranked Louisville women’s basketball team.

The launching of Pinnacles Prep charter school in Wenatchee creates an opportunity for our communities to see the impact of a different learning environment than a traditional K-12 approach — one that is focused on individualized learning, fostering strong relationships between students, tea…

It is an interesting paradox that when we are selflessly helping people in need, our own joy and happiness increases. Giving for a greater cause benefits everyone.

I feel fortunate to be part of a small group that is in the midst of a year-long effort to study issues of race in our society and our own lives. We call this group, which includes seven pastors, Living Into Inclusivity.

In a recent column, I wrote about my frustrations with the factory mindset that persists with regards to how our children are educated in this country.

Recently, The World ran an opinion piece by its business manager, Jeff Jones, asking whether we can trust health experts about getting vaccinated for COVID-19. While I can appreciate a sense of caution when making personal health decisions, I found his analysis to be unpersuasive and risky f…

We have been hearing a lot lately by politicians and pundits about the damage our children are experiencing because of the COVID pandemic and how our educational system should be ramped up so that kids might catch up.

The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged this country in many ways and greatly exacerbated the already huge divide between people of wealth and masses of people who are just scraping by.

A group of nine local individuals led by seven pastors has engaged in monthly conversations exploring the racial history of this country and the impacts on our society. We call our group Living Into Inclusivity and recently we convened our fourth dialogue.

The passing of internationally acclaimed violin virtuoso Camilla Wicks recently was felt deeply by many of us in North Central Washington. She passed away at the home of her daughter, Lise-Marie Wertanzl, in Florida.

One of the most important and ignored challenges in our communities is the toxic stress from untreated trauma that wreaks havoc on the lives of so many people — impacting their health and well-being in profound ways.

The Washington Apple Education Foundation is in my view doing an extraordinary job of creating educational growth opportunities for the children of workers who otherwise would find it daunting to pursue higher education.

Our Living Into Inclusivity group recently held our third conversation about race and inclusion. The focus was on discussing the signs we see that our community and country has not yet overcome our racialized past and ways that we can overcome that socialization and create a more compassiona…

Rev. Nancy Gradwohl, the pastor at Faith Lutheran in Leavenworth, is the kind of person who never stops learning, growing and evolving as a human being. She’s comfortable in her own skin, speaks her mind and is unwilling to follow convention.

I recently finished a fascinating book about Harriet Bullitt written by former Sleeping Lady manager Werner Janssen. “Conversations with Harriet Bullitt: The Development of Sleeping Lady Mountain Retreat” provides a fascinating portrait of the philanthropist and the back story behind the dev…

The Wenatchee Valley is losing two highly effective and prolific community builders with the departure of Gil and Kay Sparks, who with little fanfare and great humility, have made enormous contributions to civic life in the valley.

My friend Dr. June Darling has a wonderful habit of passing along nuggets of interesting perspective and wisdom. She has disciplined herself to apply a relentlessly constructive mindset to challenges — a practice that all of us could learn benefit from.

While it is impossible to walk in another person’s shoes, there is value in actively seeking to understand the experiences of our neighbors who have different lives. Empathy begins with being open to new information.

With tremendous help from donors and a lean staffing approach, the Numerica Performing Arts Center has thus far weathered the economic devastation of the coronavirus pandemic.

Recently, I joined a small group of pastors and another civic leader in launching a series of conversations about race and belonging. We’re calling this effort Living Into Inclusivity and our objective is to become more aware of what it means to be part of the dominant white culture as well …

When I think about the challenges we are going to be facing in our valley because of the coronavirus epidemic and the economic upheaval, what gives me hope and confidence that we will find our way through as a community is bolstered by the example of people like Sandy Reiman of Dryden.

Jim Telford made quite an impact in this valley as a business owner and civic leader, and I was honored to hear more about his life during a recent interview. Jim and three other individuals are going to be sharing their stories virtually with the community as part of the Elder Speak program…

There’s going to be a special celebration for the late May Segle at 11 a.m. Sept. 12 in Entiat City Park.

The death of former Senator Slade Gorton is a big loss to our state and nation.

The successful completion of Elon Musk’s SpaceX mission to the International Space Station was a national triumph and it held special meaning for Don and Kit McArthur of Chelan.

I was going back through some emails from earlier this year and ran across the Suicide Prevention Coalition of North Central Washington’s annual review, put together by Dr. Julie Rickard.

If there is one virtue we Americans could use some work on, it’s empathy — a willingness to look at situations from other perspectives. And this is something that applies across the political spectrum.

I had a chat with Wenatchee Police Chief Steve Crown about how law enforcement agencies can avoid horrific situations such as the grotesque killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis by a police officer who had his knee on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes.

I’ve been hearing positive things about how the Chelan County Regional Justice Center has been operating and was anxious to learn more about it.

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…