1. education
2. school

January 14, 2015
Volume 16, Number 2
Mattawa, WA 99349
Robots take over junior high
MAN
THE
Wednesday
MATTAWA AREA NEWS
WEO steak dinner
Note location change for Jan. 24 event
The annual Wahluke Enrichment Organization Appreication dinner will be held on Saturday, Jan. 24 at 6 p.m. at the Mattawa Elementary School. It was moved from the high
school because of a home basketball game.
The evening is open to the public and will feature a tri-tip steak dinner, silent auction,
raffle prizes and door prizes. Dinner is just $10 a plate. The evening is meant to be a thank
you to the farmers and hunters who support the WEO and a chance for the community to
meet up and see what all WEO does for local students.
In order to get a better dinner count, if possible RSVP to WEO@hotmail.com. And if
anyone wants to donate items to the auction or raffle, contact Seth Weeks at 509.830.7438.
Wanapum Reservoir opened on Jan.7
Public access restored to most areas of the shoreline
sean langdon photo
Erik Godinez, Bryan Santiago and Oscar Avalos prepare their robot for
competition. They competed along with 36 other teams at the Vex Robotics
Tournament in Mattawa last Saturday. See story page 5.
Lions keep contributing to the community
After Grant PUD raised the Wanapum reservoir by 17 feet in December, the utility, the
Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife and Washington State Parks have determined
that the reservoir can reopen to the public. It did at noon on Wednesday, Jan. 7. Not all the
shoreline is open, so visitors need to watch for closure signs.
Officials said that working in conjunction with other hydroelectric operators on the
Columbia River, Grant PUD began raising the reservoir on Nov. 25 and finished on Dec.
1. After an evaluation, the utility will restore public access to most of the shoreline.
Two boat launches are operational at the current river level - Grant PUD’s Wanapum
Upper Boat Launch and the watercraft launch at Wanapum State Park just south of Vantage. With the reopening of the reservoir, Washington State Parks will open the Wanapum
State Park launch for daily access from 8 a.m. to dusk. Camping at the park remains on
its regular winter schedule, open for camping only on weekends and holidays until March
1. The park will resume a daily operating schedule for campground and day use facilities
after March 1, for the 2015 season.
The following recreation-site locations on the reservoir remain closed because of
inoperable boat launches, unstable shorelines or ongoing recreation site improvements:
Sand Hollow Recreation Area
Vantage Boat Launch and Day-Use Area
Frenchman Coulee Boat Launch
Sunland Boat Launch
Yo Yo Rock Boat Launch and Recreation Area
Quilomene Dune and Bay
West Bar
Crescent Bar Boat Launch and portions of Crescent Bar Island
Grant PUD property in the Tarpiscan Creek area
Grant PUD property off Columbia Siding Road
joyce edie photo
The Lions Club International is a service organization so that is what they do,
serve. You’ll find local members of the Mattawa Desert Aire Lions Club following that motto, being involved in many serving activities in the area. The
Mattawa Food Bank is one of the groups the Lions help. Lars Leland, treasurer for the local Lions, recently presented the food bank with a $500 check
to help purchase a new freezer. Board members Mary Gotts and Elvia Greisen
accepted the check on a recent Saturday morning. Behind them Gary Fowler
works to get ready to distribute food. Elvia said that they have had other
donations for a freezer and if they end up with two it will be great.
Closed shoreline areas are marked with no trespassing signs. Grant PUD personnel and
law enforcement officials will continue to patrol and enforce trespassing laws in these
locations.
Those visiting the shoreline and reservoir are cautioned to be aware that sections of the
shoreline may still be unstable. Boaters should be mindful of shallow-water hazards and
heed all warning signs and barriers near the dam. Grant PUD continues to monitor and
evaluate conditions on the shoreline and will notify the public if the situation changes.
The entire shoreline and access points were closed to the public last March after Grant
PUD had to draw down the reservoir by 26 feet in response to a fracture discovered on the
Wanapum Dam Spillway. After completing enough work to stabilize and re-enforce the
spillway, the utility received permission from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
to raise the reservoir.
Work continues on the Wanapum Dam spillway, and Grant PUD expects to have enough
repairs finished to return the reservoir to normal operations by the start of the 2015 recreation season.
For additional information on the Wanapum Dam issue, visit: http://www.grantpud.
org/your-pud/media-room/wanapum-dam-spillway-response.
In other news: The dirt ramp that is at the Sand Hollow area is dredged soil from
Crescent Bar. When asked, PUD officials said that, no, it is not a stunt jump ramp like
in Duke’s of Hazzard. It is going to be spread out at the Sand Hollow site to improve the
parking and camping area.
Guest Column
Page 2, Mattawa Area News, Jan. 14, 2015
Game Bawl
Saturday’s
Division
Playoff game against the
Carolina Panthers was,
well, awesome.
By D. Keith Edie
There is no denying that
the Seattle Seahawks are
the most well-rounded team in the NFL. The number one
defense in the league; a top five running back who sets off
dome quakes; and an under-rated quarterback who does it
all.
I get particular satisfaction when so called “Football
Pundits” say Russell Wilson has an average arm, and teams
playing against Seattle say, “We are going to take away
the run and make Wilson beat us with his arm.” So, that is
exactly what he did against Carolina. He threw three TD
passes, the shortest was 16 yards.
To call anything about Wilson’s football abilities average
just shows ignorance. Whatever teams come up with to try
and stymie the Hawks, Wilson does whatever is needed to
cancel that effort out. He holds the record for most wins by a
quarterback in their first three seasons. Those wins are team
wins, but Wilson is a big part of it; he just wins.
Sunday the NFC Championship is in Seattle, for the second year in a row. Hosting the Green Bay Packers, it will be
a title fight worthy of the name. You can expect the Packers the try and come up with something to fool our defense
and shut down our offense. Wilson and the Legion of Boom
will be sure to come up with the plays necessary to see that
doesn’t happen.
Whatever happens, I plan on enjoying myself there with
my son, watching another awesome showcase of Seahawk
football. Go Hawks!
C-ya at the game.
Firemen’s Ball Feb. 14
By WSD Superintendent Aaron Chavez
Dear Community,
2015 is here and awesome things are happening in our
district and community! Please feel free to share this information.
Here’s the latest:
Admin Transfers 2015-16 school year
Principal John Mullen next school year will be transferred back to the secondary where he started his career in
Wahluke four years ago. I cannot tell you enough how much
I appreciate his work over the last four years. I care very
much about him and his family and I know he will do great
things at the secondary level next school year.
Sean Langdon, who is currently a vice principal at the
Junior High and a former teacher at Saddle Mountain, will
become the new Principal for Saddle Mountain Elementary
next school year. He is a very talented young man who will
bring high energy and lead the school to new heights in next
year’s 1:1 iPad environment.
Lastly, Principal Jeff Pietila has informed me that he will
be looking to find a position closer to his family next school
year. His work and the high schools many awards are a tribute to both he and his staff. I will be looking to try and fill
his shoes with a principal who is an innovative out of the
box thinker in preparation for the 1:1 iPad grant this next
year!
The Mattawa Make Over Project
This project is moving forward and as I’ve said recently
we have four to five new murals in development that will be
installed this spring! Please see Letter to the Editor on this
page for more details.
My best.
My name is Aaron Chavez and I am the superintendent
of the Wahluke School District. As you have probably heard
we are leading an effort to begin placing historical and regionally themed murals on Government Way (main street)
in Mattawa. We have placed two murals already and are
planning to place four or five more this spring.
We feel strongly that placing these murals will improve
perceptions of our community and ultimately increase property values and business.
In our district we have a mantra that says, “Water the
bamboo.” It’s about how giant bamboo grow 90 feet in 60
days, but farmers water and tend to it for at least three years
before they see any signs of growth. We believe that this
mantra represents both our community and our district. If
we do the right things we will see massive growth. I, like
many, believe we have seen this growth already start in our
district.
In closing, I’m writing in hopes of you or your business
making a small donation towards supplies (paints, plywood,
509.932.4602
AmericA on WednesdAys At ephrAtA, WA.
Deadline is Monday at noon.
is published in
JOYCE EDIE, PUBLISHER, 22939 ROAD T SW, MATTAWA, WA 99349
www.mattawaareanews.com
member WnpA
Mid-Week Bible Study
509.727.2333 or
509.643.4503
Riverside
Church of
Community Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints
Church
Worship 10 am
932-4651
Childcare provided
begins Jan. 19.
Contact Dana Fox or
Mayra Contreras at
932.4499 for an
appointment
9am Sunday
Servicios en
Espanol
Church 932-4068
Bishop Kip Calaway
Grace
Lutheran
Church
Highway 243
932-4797
Rev. Dale Larson
Celebrating over 50 years,
Where Quality Counts.
Iglesia Roca de
La Salvacion
Iglesia Apostólica
509 E. Second Ave. Mattawa
Pastor Eleuterio Prieto
Our Lady of the
Desert
Catholic Church
Saturday 6 pm SpaniSh
Sunday 9 am EngliSh
Sun. 12 & 6pm SpaniSh
ConfESSionS: TuES-fri.
4-6 p.m.
faThEr JorgE granadoS
932-5424
210 Gov. Road, Mattawa
This community message brought
to you by
Eckenberg Farms, Inc.
9:30 a.m. to Noon.
Kids Programs
932.3178-932.5205
cell 509.366.6531.
Worship 10 am
Spanish Branch
Open for all your medical
needs 9 am to 6 pm.
Saturdays 10am to 2pm.
Abierto para todas sus necesidades médicas. 9 am a 6 pm.
Ahora abierto durante la hora
de lonche. Abierto Sabado
10ama 2pm.
Seventh-Day
Adventist Church
English Ward
Pres. Vladimir Cruz
Cholinesterase levels reflect the activity of the enzyme responsible for breaking down acetylcholine, a chemical at the
ends of nerves which is involved in muscular contraction. It is
affected by genetic factors and poisoning with
organophosphate insecticides.
Saturdays at Riverside
Presbyterian
EMAIL: theman@smwireless.net
in Desert Aire
Cholinesterase testing
Dear Community Members, Business Owners and Managers,
Mattawa Area News
509 E 2nd St.
Mattawa
10 a.m. Worship and
Sunday School
Editor’s Note: Aaron explains this program very well
and the community needs to really get behind it. With that
said, Keith and I are donating $200 to the Mattawa Makeover. After all, I can’t let Bonnie Jenkin outdo me.
I challenge all local businesses, families, school groups,
anyone, to give. Give $200 if you can, please. If not, give
$20 or $2. Or two cents. If we add it all up, we can make a
difference. This is one time your two cents worth really will
make a difference! Maybe just save your change and turn
it in to the school every week. Hey school buildings, what
about having a change drive competition in each building
to help out?
Making our town more welcoming, more beautiful, is a
good thing for anyone who cares about where they live. No
way to argue with that. Let’s do this.
Let’s get this done by summer. Let’s make a difference,
one mural at a time. Stop by the admin office to see the
great plaque that will hold the donors names.
Water the bamboo.
Letter to the Editor
The 47th Annual Firemen’s Ball falls on Valentine’s
Day this year, Saturday, Feb. 14. The event, hosted by the
Grant County Fire District 8 Volunteer Association, will be
held at the Sagebrush Senior Center in Desert Aire. Doors
open at 7 pm, just in time for the Tri-Tip dinner, served
from 7 pm to 8:30 pm.
Then the dancing starts to “Clearwater Country” from
8:30 pm to 12:30 am.
A no-host bar will be available and free non-alcoholic
beverages are served to designated drivers. In addition,
there will be raffle items given away throughout the night.
Tickets are $40 per couple or $25 for singles. They are
available at Fire Station 81 in Mattawa or from volunteer
members. Also check R Place Tavern and Tiddaly Diddalys. For more info call 932-4168 or 932-4777.
The group is asking for donations to help sponsor the
evening that serves as a fundraiser for the volunteer group.
Most of the money is then given back to the community
through scholarships, food bank, and many needed community services.
New this year, the Grant County Fire District No. 8 Volunteer Association is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Tax ID 32-0356759. Funds donated are now tax deductible.
Saddle Mountain
Bible Church
clear coat, etc) for the murals.
We have three levels of support Bronze, Silver and
Black. Your name or your businesses name will be placed
on the plaque that commemorates this Mattawa Make-Over
project.
To make a donation go to the district webpage and click
the link that says “Donate to Mattawa Make-over.”
Let’s come together as a community and make it a reality!
My Best, Aaron Chavez
509.830.2896
Servicios:
Domingo 5 p.m.
Jueves 7 p.m.
IGLESIA DE DIOS DE
SCHAWANA
SCHAWANA: Domingos 5:30
PM, Miércoles 7pm, Jueves
Servicio de Jóvenes 7pm,
Viernes Club Awana 7pm.
ROYAL CITY: Sábados 7pm en
Church of the Nazarene
MATTAWA: Martes 6:30pm
llame para la localidad
Pastor Alfredo Gutiérrez
932-6405 o 830-3458
Gutiministry@smwireless.net
En el Edificio de la
Riverside
Community
Church
Presbyterian
Church
Servicios: Dom 3:00pm
Pastor: Benjamín Mora
509 833 4830/ 932 6416
Royal City
United
Methodist Church
305 Royal Rd. NW
Royal City
932.0670
9 a.m. worship
District preparing for mandatory testing
In Loving Memory
Doris Cheryl
Helgestad
Plenty of things are going on at Wahluke School District and most of it
has something to do with kids learning and having some fun doing it.
At last week’s board meeting, principals gave reports on what is going on
in their buildings.
Saddle Mountain Elementary Principal John Mullen explained that with
mandatory testing coming up, his building is working extensively with bubble kids. Bubble kids are those who missed the last testing grades by just a
point or three, meaning not filling in the correct bubble.
Mullen said they will be putting a “laser focus” on helping those students
pass, while explaining what it can mean for a school to give extensive help
to those few students. In an email, Mullen said, “SME missed making our
goal in one field by one half a student, and in another by three students. On
the assessments you can see what questions were missed and why. We can
pinpoint the gap and close it so kids pass the assessment.”
If one teacher does that with three kids, he said, and you multiply that by
the number of classrooms, you can see growth in achievement of 25 percent
and more for the grade level and school and district.
His building is also gearing up for their Leadership Day on March 20.
SME is a Leader in Me School.
Principal Karl Edie gave a report on what his school, Morris Schott Elementary, is up to. He too said teachers and staff are gearing up for testing,
but he focused on the new “house” system at his school. With the start of the
new calendar year, MSE joined Mattawa Elementary School and divided the
school, staff and students, into houses.
Our
beloved
Doris
Cheryl Helgestad, mother,
grandmother, great-grandmother, sister and friend
passed away on January 6,
2015 in her home in Warden. with her beloved family and friends at her side.
Doris was born September
5, 1946 in Riverside, Calif.
to Ines Durbin and Delbert
Tucker.
Doris worked as a postal
clerk in Mattawa. She is
now in our Father’s kingdom in heaven. We will all
miss you. May you rest in
peace.
No services will be held.
JANUARY BARGAINS
of the
MONTH
®
499
HOT DEAL!
YOUR CHOICE
10-Lb. Black Oil
Sunflower Bird Seed
L 106 118 1 While supplies last.
20-Lb. Wild Bird Food
L 501 272 1 While supplies last.
Wed., Jan. 14, 2015, Mattawa Area News, Page 3
All grades and all staff are included and it isn’t by grade level. The importance of that is that students are learning to work together at different
grade levels, not just in their home room.
The houses are named after state colleges. A monitor is in the lunchroom
that is updated automatically when houses earn points by doing good deeds
or earning points through other competitions.
Edie said that he is even amazed at how much the students and staff are
getting into the competition and how it is helping behavior. Positive attributes are being taught through the system including respect, teamwork and
leadership. Lunch staff said that meal time is much better with students not
wanting to mess up and get their house behind on points.
For the Mattawa Elementary, Lindsey Beerbower gave a presentation
on the teacher mentoring program and how it is helping new teachers. Everything from how to fill out paperwork for human resources to classroom
help is covered. New teachers are teamed up with experienced ones in the
district and she said it has been beneficial to both parties.
In other news: Athletic Director Cody Marlow said that a vote is going to
be taken soon in the WIAA about whether the Caribou League in the northern part of the state is going to be allowed to join the SCAC League.
In other news: A new technical support person is being hired. With the
new iPads that are going to be school-wide, there are now 4,000 terminals at
the district. There were only 1,000.
Next school board meeting is Jan. 22, at 9 a.m.
Switch and get
THE BEST PLAN
in wireless.
Get 4 lines and 10GB for only $130 a month.
Plus we’ll pay off your old contract.
19
HOT DEAL!
1499
HOT DEAL!
99
YOUR CHOICE
2-Pk. 7.5W or 9.5W
LED Bulbs E 190 298, 299 B4
47-Lb. Prime Cuts Dry
Dog Food H 161 096 1
While supplies last.
While supplies last.
MARTY'S HARDWARE
Sale ends 1/31/2015
©2014 True Value® Company. All rights reserved.
Find the right products for your project and expert advice at True Value.
Mattawa Mart
932-4404
Hot, freshly
made
Quesadilla &
24oz
Fountain Drink $6.99
Stop by for good food!
OPEN 5 am to 9:30 pm 7 days a week to serve you!
Kitchen closes at 7 p.m.
0
$
down
New Retail Installment
Contract and Shared Connect
Plan required. 0% APR; 20
monthly payments of $33.
Desert Aire
509 Main St., 509-932-5066
Sunnyside
2705 E Lincoln Ave., Suite F, 509-837-9626
Zillah
823 Zillah West Rd., Ste. 201, 509-829-6990
CALL FOR STORE HOURS.
Things we want you to know: New Retail Installment Contracts and Shared Connect Plan required. Credit approval required. Regulatory Cost Recovery Fee applies (currently $1.82/
line/month); this is not a tax or gvmt. required charge. Add. fees, taxes and terms apply and vary by svc. and eqmt. Offers valid in-store at participating locations only, may be
fulfilled through direct fulfillment and cannot be combined. See store or uscellular.com for details. $130 Price Plan based on $90/mo., 10GB Shared Connect Plan plus 4 lines
with discounted $10 Device Connection Charges each. Retail Installment Contract required to receive discounts; otherwise, regular Device Connection Charges apply. Other discounts
available for additional Shared Connect Plans. Limited-time offer. Contract Payoff Promo: Offer valid on up to 6 consumer lines or 25 business lines. Must port in current number
to U.S. Cellular and purchase new Smartphone or tablet through a Retail Installment Contract on a Shared Connect Plan with Device Protection+. Enrollment in Device Protection+
required in all markets except North Carolina. The monthly charge for Device Protection+ is $8.99 for Smartphones. A deductible per approved claim applies. You may cancel
Device Protection+ anytime. Federal Warranty Service Corporation is the Provider of the Device Protection+ ESC benefits, except in CA and OK. Submit final bill identifying early
termination fee (ETF) charged by carrier within 60 days of activation date to www.uscellular.com/contractpayoff or via mail to U.S. Cellular® Contract Payoff Program 5591-61; PO
Box 752257; El Paso, TX 88575-2257. Customer will be reimbursed for the ETF reflected on final bill up to $350/line. Reimbursement in form of a U.S. Cellular Prepaid Card is
issued by MetaBank,® Member FDIC; additional offers are not sponsored or endorsed by MetaBank. This card does not have cash access and can be used at any merchant location
that accepts MasterCard® Debit Cards within the U.S. only. Card valid through expiration date shown on front of card. Allow 12–14 weeks for processing. To be eligible, customer
must register for My Account. Retail Installment Contract: Retail Installment Contract (Contract) and monthly payments according to the Payment Schedule in the Contract required.
If you are in default or terminate your Contract, we may require you to immediately pay the entire unpaid Amount Financed as well as our collection costs, attorneys’ fees and court
costs related to enforcing your obligations under the Contract. Upgrade your handset after 12 consecutive payments made on the Contract. Kansas Customers: In areas in which
U.S. Cellular receives support from the Federal Universal Service Fund, all reasonable requests for service must be met. Unresolved questions concerning services availability can
be directed to the Kansas Corporation Commission Office of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at 1-800-662-0027. Limited-time offer. Trademarks and trade names are the
property of their respective owners. Additional terms apply. See store or uscellular.com for details.©2014 U.S. Cellular Promo_1A_GS5_Print_DI_6x9
449017
932.4555
1ST & WILLIAMS, MATTAWA
OPEN MON. - FRI. 8 TO 6; SAT. 9 TO 6
CLOSED SUNDAYS
Page 4, Wed., Jan. 14, 2015, Mattawa Area News
New girl’s team hosts
tournament at Wahluke
The Warrior Girls Wrestling Team had a rough night at
home last week, but there were some bright spots.
The girls lost to Pasco 39-24, but not before 120 pound
Fatima Romero had a nice win over Selena Castellanos
from Pasco.
Against a strong Sunnyside team, the girls didn’t fare
well, losing 66-18.
“We expect them to be the league champions for the
girls. It’ll come down to them or the Warden girls,” said
Coach Carolina Miramontes.
As a team Sunnyside beat the Ladies, but Maria Zamorano had a fast pin of her opponent, pinning her in the first
30 seconds of the first round. The 100 pound junior is starting her third year of wrestling, racking up four pins so far
this year.
Junior Maria Zamorano holds her opponent down
as the referee slams the mat, signaling a pin.
Zamorano, wrestling at 100 pounds, pinned her
opponent within 30 seconds.
joyce edie photo
Basketball girls learning
to work together
We are just not able to play at their speed right now,
said Coach Brock Anderson, when describing his basketball teams losses.
The Wahluke Warriors girl’s basketball team lost to Columbia Burbank 72-29 and Kiona Benton 59-21.
Both are among the best teams in the league.
“Whether or not we have the skills to score against these
more experienced teams, we do need to demand better defensive and rebounding efforts – much of that is just hustle
and energy and not getting frustrated and defeated by the
score,” he said.
Yesica Guzman posted 19 points over the weekend, contributing offensively.
The kids are hanging together, they’re an excellent
group that, for the most part, understands the intangibles of
being a team, Anderson said.
“Things will get better on the scoreboard,” he said.
News? email theman@smwireless.net
Huntwork
Serving
the
Curt Connor
entire BaSin
Refrigeration
and Heating
Repair
Enterprise
$68 - Heating & Air Conditioning
Residential Service Special:
t$PNQMFUFTZTUFNDMFBOJOH tQPVOEPG'SFPO
tTFOJPSDJUJ[FOEJTDPVOU
BOEJOTQFDUJPO
“THE COMFORT
STANDARD”
For
commercial
pricing
please
call and
confirm
Sam Huntwork
Espanol:
509.855.2861
855-2865
509.855.2865
Emergencies: 509.770.0293
(509)
www.huntworkenterprise.com
#HUNTWE*904JG
Commercial & Residential Repair & Installation
Every Tuesday
storage & service
Hwy 243, Mattawa, WA
509.932.0085
curt@sandbarmarine.com
www.sandbarmarine.com
Investment and
Retirement Planning
Just 13 miles
south of Vantage
towards
Desert Aire.
401 (K) & IRA Rollover
Specialist
Retirement Solutions
Jason J. Dudum
Chris E. Dorow D.D.S
509.488.5216
1355 E. Hemlock Street, Othello
Toll Free: 1.888.339.2496
FAX: 925.284.9910
Investment Advisor Representative
3505 Mt. Diablo Blvd
Lafeyette, CA 94549
jason@dudumfinancial.com
Investment Advisory Representative with and securities and investment advisory services offered through
Make the short drive to Othello for
Transamerica Financial Advisors, Inc. Member FINRA & SIPC and Registered Investment Advisor
great family dental care.
Wright Feed
& Grain!
Red Apple Market 932.4646
Oli’s Deli is here to serve you.
Give
Friendly Atmosphere, Great Food.
e
Take a break while shopping
lmer a at
home!
call at
Mattawa Red Apple Market.
830.1522
to pick up
your Grain
and animal
feed!
Bingo
Give elmer a call
830.1522
feed
at
your
animals the
WriGht
Way.
Wright Feed
& Grain!
7pm
@ Sr. Center D.A.
$500 Blackout
Jackpot
New Games!
All ages welcome 932.4725
Tiddaly
Diddalys
932-5020
Now serving:
Chicken wings w/
dipping sauce
(Ranch, BBQ, honey mustard).
Single scoop ice
cream, regular
cone, $1all day Sat.
Winter hours. M-TH 8-4, Fr. 8-6, Sat. 10-4
Davis Automotive and Welding
932-4143
We’ve been here for over three decades
providing friendly, reasonable, & professional service. From the largest to the
smallest tow, we can answer your call.
The Davis Boys
“The People You Know.”
WJS host robots from all over the state
On Saturday, January 10, Wahluke Junior High hosted
it’s second Vex Robotics Tournament in Mattawa and drew
a packed house.
Teams from both sides of the state joined for some
friendly competition. With 37 teams in attendance, the day
was packed with continuous competition all day.
Two Wahluke Junior High teams made it to the semifinals, Warriors 8262B and Warriors 8262D.
Teams where tasked with stacking as many cubes on
posts as possible in addition to having their teammates
build the tallest sky rise section out of interlocking sections
of pipe.
Arthur Morken, lead Wahluke robotics coach, explained
that while building their robots students developed the ability to design, program and problem solve. In addition, they
learned the importance of patience and teamwork and the
joys of seeing their thoughts and ideas become a reality.
“Each year our program continues to grow. We currently
have Four WJH Vex Robotics Teams and three Wahluke
High School teams. As Warriors the students take care of
and help each other, both high school and junior high,” he
said.
So far this year students have attended four robotics
competitions. With two to go students are excited about the
possibilities at the state tournament in Sunnyside in early
March.
Through the STEM program students have opportunities
to see the applications of Science, Technology, Engineering,
and Mathematics (STEM). Saturday’s event is the biggest
fundraiser for WJH Technology Student Association (TSA)
Club. Money is raised through concession.
The courses students study are guided by nationally recognized curriculum developed by Project Lead the Way.
The middle school subjects, referred to as Gateway to
Technology (GTT), provide Design and Modeling or Automation and Robotics to get students connected with STEM
career principles. Additionally this year students have had
advanced GTT coursed focusing on flight, energy, the en-
Oscar Avalos, Erik Godinez, Kevin
Gomez, and Kyle Yorgesen compete with their robots during the
Vex Robotics competition last
Saturday in Mattawa.
Left: Wahluke Robotics Coach Myron Hamilton works with Bryan Santiago as they make
some final adjustments on a robot before
competition started on Saturday.
sean langdon photos
vironment, and architecture. The courses lead to linked high school courses that provide students opportunities to explore
and develop the STEM fields that drive technology related careers.
“Our students will live and navigate the technological problems of tomorrow, solving difficult issues and making the
world a better place for each of us,” he said.
Warrior boys playing hard
A meeting up with Tri-City Prep on Jan. 6 didn’t prove good for the Warrior basketball
team.
It was a chance to redeem our game from last year’s 20 point loss, but it wasn’t our
night, said Coach Jeff Ahmann. TCP hit eight straight to outscore the Warriors 23-11 in the
fourth quarter and ended with a 73-45 victory.
Scoring: Buck and Chiprez 9 each, Uribe and Kinney 1 each, Ponce 2, Ahmann 15,
Valdovinos and Barrera 4 each.
Home league action on Jan. 9 vs Columbia Burbank, the Warriors had a chance to improve their 0-2 in league record, but it didn’t happen.
Both games we could have won but that won’t happen too often shooting 30 percent
from the field, said Ahmann.
“The guys are playing really hard and have great attitudes. Our press is working well
because we average 15 more shot attempts than our opponents. We also average about 10
more free throw attempts and our free throw percentage has come up from 50 to 65 percent
or more per game. We just need to get the ball in the basket consistently,” he said.
See Basketball page 7
wa
S
a
t
t
a
M 932-4327 hell
We have
hot food,
cold drinks
and friendly
service!
Stop in today!
Page 5, Mattawa Area News, Wed., Jan. 14, 2015
*Gas *Propane
*Groceries
Great Food
including
* Oriental Menu
* Pizza
* Hamburgers
*Warm Inside
Seating
*Laundromat
OPEN
5 am to 10 pm EVERY DAY
Page 6, Mattawa Area News, Wed., Jan. 14, 2015
Are you Ready? Open Enrollment Ends
February 15, 2015
Schedule an Appointment Today
Mattawa Community Medical Clinic 509-932-5373
Payment for 2015 – If you Go Without Coverage in 2015
The annual fee for not having insurance in 2015 is $325 per adult and $162.50 per child (up to $975 for a
family) or 2% of your household income above the tax return filing threshold for your filing status,
whichever is greater. You’ll pay 1/12 of the total fee for each full month a family member went without
coverage or an exemption.
At right, Warrior Sebastian Barajas, at 113
pounds, took second place at the Warden Tournament. Barajas took first at Kittitas last week.
Christian Fabela, left, took fifth place at Warden.
Call 932.5373 for your appointment.
¿Está listo? Inscripción abierta se
Cierra 15 de Febrero 2015 Citas disponibles Hoy
Mattawa Community Medical Clinic
509-932-5373
Pagos de 2015 – Si vas sin cobertura en el año 2015La cuota anual por no tener
seguro en 2015 es de 325 dólares por adulto y $162.50 por niño (hasta $975 para
una familia) o 2% de sus ingresos por encima del umbral de presentación de
declaración de impuestos para su estado civil, cualquiera que sea mayor. 1/12 de la
cuota total pagará por cada mes completo que fue un miembro de la familia sin
cobertura o una exención.
Warriors bring home
three more medals
The Wahluke wrestling team competed at the Kittitas
wrestling tournament on Wednesday, Jan. 7 and three Warriors placed.
Sebastian Barajas at 113 pounds won his three matches
by pin and took first place. Christian Barajas at 152 pounds
won two of his matches by pin and points and he took third
place. Jose Madrigal at 160 pounds won two of his matches by pin and points and he took third place.
“Amazing performance from the three wrestlers that
placed at the tournament. Way to go, representing the Wahluke wrestling team,” said Coach Rigoberto Jiminez.
“My wrestlers know that there is no one in the past and
no one in the present that has climbed the ladder of success
with their hands in their pockets,” he said. He added that
they are working hard to climb that ladder to a successful
wrestling season.
At the Christmas Wrestling Tournament in Royal the
freshmen did a good job with Reyes Ramirez winning two
of his matches by pin and Cristopher Morales taking two
out of three matches by points.
Two weeks ago four Warriors traveled to Warden and
three placed in the tournament.
Sebastian Barajas, at 113 pounds, took second and
Christian Fabela took fifth place.
“Overall, I keep telling my wrestlers on the mat that
whoever wants it the most will get it, and I have seen big
improvement every time they wrestle,” said Jimenez.
PUD closed next Monday
Grant PUD’s Royal City customer service office and
call center will be closed for training on Monday, Jan. 19.
The office will reopen at its regular time on Tuesday, Jan.
20 at 8 a.m.
To report a power outage on Jan. 19, call 1-800-2165526.
News? theman@smwireless.net
HELP WANTED
JOB OPENING AT ZORRO BLANCO ORCHARD
Position open for an efficient and experienced
person in bookkeeping, payroll, excel and paperwork management. Must be bilingual.
Please submit your resume at zorro@northernfruit.com, or you may leave a message at (509)9324847.
Job Opening for someone with experience handling pesticides and has a license for it. It is a position where you will be the spray manager. If interested make a call to (509)830-2868.
POSICION ABIERTA TIEMPO CONPLETO PARA
UNA PERSONA CON EXPERIENSIA CON LOS PESTICIDAS Y QUE TENGA LISENCIA PARA APLICARLOS .
POSICION COMO ENCARGADO. PARA INTERESADOS
LLAMAR AL (509)830-2868
positions open
THE CITY OF MATTAWA in now accepting Letters
of Interest from persons interested in filling a vacancy on the City Council for position #1 to fill the
remainder of the term in 2015. If you are interested please deliver a letter of interest to the City
Clerk’s office, or mail it to City of Mattawa, P. O.
Box 965, Mattawa, WA 99349. All applicants must
have lived within city limits for the past year and
are a registered voter.
THE CITY OF MATTAWA in now accepting Letters
of Interest from persons interested in filling vacant
Civil Service Commission seats. There are three
vacancies. If you are interested please deliver a
letter of interest to the City Clerk’s office, or mail
it to City of Mattawa, P. O. Box 965, Mattawa, WA
99349. All applicants must have lived within city
limits for the past year and are a registered voter.
real estate
NEW LISTINGS
Cox Landing, 2 acres with 3 bdrm, 3 Bath , 2296
sq. ft. Modular Home.
4 car Garage/Shop, In- ground Pool, Beautiful
Landscaping. View of Lake. $309,900
Sunshine Circle , Desert Aire, 3 bdrm./ 2 Bath ,
Site Built, Stucco, completely remodeled
$194,000
97.7 Acres , Beverly, Well & Power, 4,000
feet of waterfront on Crab Creek MLS # 666708
$600,000
Home Site Lots starting at $18,000
DesertAireProperty.com
Keller Williams Realty
Call Dick Skogerson 425-822-9600
10 ACRE mini farm, 2 acres in cherries and
apricots, pigeons for export. Includes 2000 sf
home, garage and all equipment, JD diesel,
feed augers, smudge pots-the works. Move
fast to get this year’s crop.
Suitable U-pick business.
Call Bill at John L Scott Desert Aire
206-719-1515.
Free Junk Removal
CAN TURN YOUR OLD CIRCLE INTO CASH FOR
YOU!!! Free junk vehicle and appliance removal.
May buy some heavy metals for scrape. Call Jerry
Redwine at 509.643.2856.
Vehicle Auction
An abandoned vehicle sale for one vehicle will
be held at Davis Automotive in Beverly on Friday,
Jan. 23 at 2 p.m. Viewing is at 11 a.m. The vehicle
is a 1998 Nissan 200SX license number AHF9328.
509.932.4143.
STATEWIDE CLASSIFIEDS
This newspaper participates in a statewide classified ad program sponsored by the Washington
Newspaper Publishers Association, a statewide association of weekly newspapers. The program allows classified advertisers to submit ads for publication in participating weeklies throughout the state
in compliance with the following rules. You may
submit an ad for the statewide program through
this newspaper or in person to the WNPA office.
The rate is $275 for up to 25 words, plus $10 per
word over 25 words. WNPA reserves the right to
edit all ad copy submitted and to refuse to accept
any ad submitted for the statewide program. WNPA,
therefore, does not guarantee that every ad will be
run in every newspaper. WNPA will, on request, for
a fee of $40, provide information on which newspapers run a particular ad within a 30 day period.
Substantive typographical error (wrong address,
telephone number, name or price) will result in a
“make good”, in which a corrected ad will be run
the following week. WNPA incurs no other liability
for errors in publication.
EVENTS-FESTIVALS
PROMOTE YOUR REGIONAL EVENT for only pennies. Reach 2.7 million readers in newspapers
statewide for $275 classified or $1,350 display ad.
Call this newspaper or (360) 515-0974 for details.
LEGAL SERVICES
DIVORCE $155. $175
MOTORHOMES • FIFTH WHEELS
with children. No court
TOY HAULERS • TRAVEL TRAILERS
TENT TRAILERS • CAMPERS & MORE
appearances. Complete
preparation.
Includes
custody, support, property division and bills.
BBB member. (503) 7725295. www.paralegalalternatives.com legalalt@
Sponsored by:
msn.com
HELP WANTED
MEDICAL
BILLING
TRAINEES NEEDED! Train
at home to process MedBilling & Insurance
nd
th ical
Claims! NO EXPERIENCE
NEEDED! Online training
INDOORS AT
at Bryan University! HS
THE SPOKANE COUNTY FAIR & EXPO CENTER
LOCATED AT 404 N. HAVANA, SPOKANE WA
Diploma/ GED & Computer/Internet needed.
1-877-259-3880
HELP WANTED
•Over $13,000,000 of RVs to explore
Drivers - No experi• Over 50 Brands & Styles of RVs
ence? Some or LOTS of
• RV’s From $7,000 to $250,000
experience? Let’s Talk!
• Fantastic Financing Rates!!!
No matter what stage
• Special Show Pricing
in your career, its time,
• Great Time To Buy!
call Central Refrigerated
Home.
(888)793-6503
www.CentralTruckDrivingJobs.com
JANUARY
22 -25
ADMISSION $8
Cash Only Please
Good All Weekend
Kids 12 & under FREE w/adult
Senior Day Thursday - Save $1
HOURS
Let your out-of-town friends and family know that the new MAN is on the
website at www.mattawaareanews.com
by Fridays.
Thursday: Noon-8pm
Friday: 10am-8pm
Saturday: 10am-8pm
Sunday: 10am-4pm
www.spokanervshow.com
Page 7, Mattawa Area News, Wed., Jan. 14, 2015
Warrior
Week
Wednesday Jan. 14
Basketball HOME
w/Cascade 4:15 Girls JV
6 pm Girls V, 7:30 pm Boys V
Thursday Jan. 15
Basketball & Cheer Pictures
Boys Wrestling Dbl Dual @ Connell 6 pm
Friday Jan. 16
Girls Wrestling Dual @ Quincy 6 pm
Saturday Jan. 17
Basketball HOME w/Royal JV starts 4:15pm
GV 6pm, BV 7:30
Girls Wrestling @ Othello Husky Invite 10 am
company cottage on
wheels?
$7,400! That’s it! Where do you find a house
on wheels for that price? 1991 Ford Adventure
Econoline Van. Fun weekend vehicle or take it
across the country. Easy to drive and very comfortable seats. Only 70,900 on the engine, roof
and cab AC, stove, fridge (which isn’t getting as
cold as it should), shower, and even a tub. Has
toilet, is self contained, large closet and lot and
lots of other storage. Upper bunk and the couch
make into a bed, sleeps four, 19 feet long and
has a back rack. Call 932.4602 and take it for
a drive.
Basketball from page 5
Ethayn Kinney shot well, hitting a season high 18
points.
Scoring: Chiprez 4, Uribe and Barrera 2 each, Ahmann
22, Kinney 18
KiBe was second in league last season and with all their
starters returning they are the easy pick to win the league
this year. The score at the end of the first period in the Jan.
10 matchup was 16-14 KiBe.
Fouls were not kind to the Warriors and KiBe hit 17
free throws in the first half to take a 22-37 half time lead.
The Warriors continued to battle and slowly fought back
to within six points in the fourth. The ball stopped falling
and KiBe held on for a 10 point win, 57-47. Hector Barrera
stepped up big defensively playing most of the game and
taking two charges.
Scoring: Chiprez 7, Uribe 3, Buck 4, Ponce 2, Ahmann
23, Kinney 8
Happy Birthday
Sunshine!!
I love my funny, happy,
sweet sister.
And I will keep you safe
from bees and dogs.
Because they both can
smell fear.
Page 8, Wed., Jan. 14, 2015, Mattawa Area News
J. Curtis & Associates, Inc.
LAND SURVEYORS
509.831.4088
valdovinosjuan17@yahoo.com
PO Box 956
MATTAWA, WA 99349
fax
509.932.5874 ∙ 932.4479
Jeff Curtis
JC BEES
Your local pollination services
pls
7978 Wahluke Rd. SW, Mattawa, WA 99349
Juan C. Valdovinos - Owner
No job too small, prices starting at $40