Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
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As Valentine's Day approaches, it has me reflecting on this past year, all that we have celebrated and those that I really love. This year has been a humbling year full of trials, but we have also seen victories and blessings. At times, it felt as if the wind was knocked right out of us as we have gone through several surgeries, including spinal surgery, breast cancer, skin cancer, physical therapy, car wrecks, more physical therapy and eye surgeries. Then, add in a wedding, gaining new grand...
Most teens in the United States who are a couple weeks away from their 18th birthday have been driving for a couple of years or at least have plans to start driving soon. That is not the case with Anne Visser. Not only does Anne not have plans to obtain a driver's license in the near future, but she can't wait to get back home to the Netherlands and hop on her bike. It is the item she has missed the most over the past six months. Anne is from Uden, Netherlands. It is a place she describes as...
Lacie Bunyard remembers meeting a boy named Jacob when she was a teenager, but she had no idea that 10 years later that man would become her husband. Together, Lacie and Jacob Bunyard are happily married and keep very busy raising five children. Two boys and three girls, Sam (6), William (5), Catherine (4), Ava (3) and Hazel (1) keep them on their toes and busier than they could ever imagine, but everything about their lives together is focused on creating a happy family and providing for the...
Shawn Burt grew up in Clarkston where he graduated from Clarkston High School with the class of 1992. After graduation, Shawn moved to Spokane for a short time before returning back home to Clarkston where he began working for a company called BNI Computers. It was during this time that he met his wife, Janni. In 1996, the couple were married and in 1997 they moved to Colfax when Shawn was offered a job with the Bank of Whitman where he continued to work until 2011. In 2011, Shawn took the leap...
In 2011, Lannette Ring and her husband, Kevin, pulled into Colfax to get a feel for the small town. Immediately, they noticed how friendly and welcoming the town was. Lannette was touched by the smiles followed by people passing by and saying "Hello." They recognized this is a quality they had been lacking while living in a bigger city. Just two weeks later, the Ring family accepted a job transfer and moved from the west side of the state to the Palouse region and were excited to find a home in...
Although there are many Christmas traditions that are shared around the world, it is always intriguing to hear how people create magic in their own family and adopt traditions that hold deep meaning for their families. This week I have reflected on my own memories while growing up. As a child, I remember gathering together with my cousins (there were more than 30) at my grandparents' home on Christmas Eve. We were all dressed in our Sunday best. Grandma had been cooking divinity, caramels, peanu...
One of the best things about writing the My Favorite Recipes column is getting out into the different communities throughout Whitman County and meeting so many wonderful people. It is definitely a perk of the job and makes the community feel a little more like home with each person that I meet. Occasionally, I get to write about someone I am already familiar with and is near and dear to my heart. This week, as Christmas approaches, I have the privilege of featuring my own son. People often...
Monica Meyerhofer is originally from Southern California, where she worked for Kaiser Permanente as a senior business consultant for 10 years. In 2006, her husband, Carl, was able to work from home, which allowed them to leave California and move to Nine Mile Falls. They recently found themselves moving to Colfax to enjoy being closer to family. Monica and Carl are celebrating more than 30 years of marriage that she credits to determination, hard work and a lot of prayers. They are the proud...
Chiara Brunialti has always loved traveling and seeing the world, seeing new places and learning about different cultures. She was born and raised in Recoaro Terme, Italy. Chiara began studying abroad in 2014, at the end of her second year in middle school when her English teacher organized a seven-day study trip to Edinburgh, Scotland. After that, she was hooked and started traveling every opportunity that she could find. Her travels included England more than once, Germany and Spain. Chiara...
Susan Santos Ball moved to Colfax when she was five-years-old. Her journey on the Palouse began when Susan's mother, Carole, married Jack Ensley, who was from Colfax. Susan started school at Jennings Elementary in first grade and graduated from Colfax High School with the class of 1990. In 2008, Susan graduated from Washington State University with a BA in business technology. She now works full-time for the county while holding down the fort with three sons as a single mom. Dylan is 22 and a...
Judy Gehring grew up in Palouse and graduated with the class of 1964. Following high school, Judy attended Eastern Washington University where she met her husband, Edward. Judy graduated from EWU in elementary education and her husband graduated in secondary education. After graduation they lived outside of Whitman County for many years and were thrilled to return to Palouse and the family home in 2002. The Gehrings are the proud parents of three children and celebrated their 50th anniversary...
Michelle Bruce Kinkade was raised in LaCrosse, and graduated from LaCrosse High School in 1992. She has lived on the Palouse her entire life. Michelle currently lives in Pullman and works at WSU's Office of Admissions. She highly regards her job and is excited to take part in welcoming new students to the Cougar family. It is a natural job for Michelle, since she received her undergraduate and graduate degrees from Washington State University and is proud to be a third generation WSU Cougar....
Liz Getz grew up in Pullman. Her family moved there from New Jersey when she was four years old. Her dad had attended Washington State University and was offered a position at the college. Liz's mom worked at Alex's Restaurant in Pullman, which she later purchased in 1989, and this is where Liz and her sisters all worked while growing up. A graduate of Pullman High School's class of 1993, she graduated from WSU with a bachelor of arts in sociology in 1997. She moved to Colfax in 1998 and lived t...
For the past 50 years, there has been a musical production put on by local students from the Colfax area. This year is no exception, as students prepare to perform the musical, Cinderella. Auditions and practice started in September and opening night scheduled for Nov. 15. Tayma Vanek is participating in her seventh year of musical performances with director, Cary Cammack. She stated her favorite musicals have been "Music Man" and, now, "Cinderella." Tayma is filling the role of one of the...
Sarah Phelan grew up in the small town of Mossyrock, nestled in the mountains of western Washington. She came to Pullman as a scholarship recipient to attend WSU. She graduated in 2015 with a BS in psychology and thoroughly enjoyed her anthropology classes the most. Following graduation, Sarah was happy to accept a job offer right here on the Palouse, where she is currently employed by Whitman County Library and serves as the public services librarian. She loves her job and smiles as she states...
Jennafer McCutchen grew up in Walla Walla before the family relocated to the Palouse three years ago when Jennafer transferred over to WSU where she completed her bachelor degree in Philosophy. Jennafer is married to Jordan McCutchen and they are the proud parents of two children, Rebecca and Caleb. Jordan is currently employed by the University of Idaho, and Jennafer works at Washington Trust Bank. When Jennafer isn't busy with her work and family, she is passionate about volunteering her time...
Korah Pedersen was born on an Air Force base in California. One of six kids in the Pedersen family, she has had the opportunity to live in many places, including Alaska, Montana, Japan, Colfax and, now, Idaho. She may seem like the average teen at first glance, but her hobby is anything but average. In fact, her hobby is downright scary, and she loves it. Korah is passionate about special effects makeup and, thankfully, with the assistance of her family, she has plenty of people to practice on....
Ciara Ackerman grew up with a camera in hand just outside of St. John on her parents' ranch. She learned to appreciate the beauty of the Palouse at a young age and loved to capture it in pictures. She was also known to occasionally sneak into her mother's stash of disposable cameras while begging her four siblings to be her models for a photo shoot. Ciara mischievously recalls all the deals she would make with her siblings in order to get them to agree to her proposals. That was the beginning...
Cherie and her husband, Pat, moved from Selah to the Palouse in 2009 with a tape measure in hand. They were on a quest to find the right house for their family as well as a home that could accommodate their custom made log bed that measures 8 x 8. It was an intense search that required carrying a measuring tape into each home they considered. The Patnodes were relieved to find a charming craftsman style home that boasted of a freshly renovated bedroom suite that could fit their cherished piece o...
Patti Green-Kent grew up in Madras, Ore. She moved to Pullman to attend WSU in 1980 and graduated with a BS in agronomy. After graduation, she moved to Palouse in 1983 and has lived there ever since. Patti worked for the USDA-ARS in the wheat breeding program for five years after college. Following that, she has been self-employed. Patti has been married to her husband, Scott, for almost 25 years. The couple are parents to five children who are all grown and married. They also are thankful for...
One of the perks of writing for the Gazette is getting to participate in judging the "Melt in Your Mouth Chocolate Competition" at the Palouse Empire Fair. At first glance, it is a job that everyone is up for. One might even say it is envied. However, there is more to it than simply gorging oneself on the local delicacies. After a thorough analysis of the fine fare, it is scrutinized by a panel of self-proclaimed chocolate lovers. Sometimes there may be a chocolate skeptic included just to mix...
The days are still comfortably warm and the nights are getting cooler. School is back in session and the seasons will soon change. With the beginning of the school year and fall quickly approaching, we find ourselves welcoming the county fair. According to washingtonruralheritage. org, the history of the Whitman County fair goes back to at least 1902. In 1903, the first carnival rides appeared at the fair. Many generations of Whitman County residents have participated in this tradition. I asked...
Johanna was born and raised in Wolfsburg, Germany, a city that is well-known for having the largest Volkswagen manufacturing plant in the world. She has only called the Palouse region home for the last two weeks. Johanna applied to be part of a foreign exchange program, and while she was able to pick a very general location such as the western part of the United States, she was surprised to see her assignment was to come to a small farming community like Colfax. Johanna is quick to smile while...
Theresa Adams has lived on the Palouse since 2003, when she started attending WSU. She always dreamt of being an artist when she grew up, but then she learned the term, "starving artist." Theresa still loves art and dabbles in it whenever she can with painting and sketching, but pursued a degree in science instead of art. In 2006 she graduated with a BS in microbiology, Cum Laude. After graduation she worked as a lab tech during the summer for the FDIU of the WSU vet school, and then was hired b...
Crystal Davidson was born and raised in Moscow, Idaho. In 1993, Crystal met and married her husband, Shane, who grew up in Colfax. They are the parents of three children, Sam, Race and Molly. The family currently resides in St John and deeply appreciates the welcoming, friendly community. Parenting has brought the Davidsons a lot of joy as well as some unique challenges. Race, 18 years old, was born with a rare genetic mutation, called Champ 1. For the first 16 years of Race's life, he stumped...
