etc. - March 24, 2011

Horse Crazy trio returns to Empire

Horse Crazy, the acclaimed musical cowgirl trio from the Methow Valley, will perform Saturday, March 26, at 7 p.m. in Tekoa’s Empire Theatre. They offer a combination of original songs, favorite Western ballads, old-time American tunes, swing numbers and cowboy classics.

Named “Best Harmony Trio” by the Western Music Association in both 2009 and 2010, they have performed all over the United States and Canada and have been featured in major Western music and cowboy poetry festivals.

Lauralee Northcott, the bass player, is a guide and cook for Early Winters Outfitters, and has written a book, “Tales and Trails of the Pasayten Wilderness.” She is also a retired teacher and has for four years hosted a radio program featuring Western music, cowboy poetry, true stories and tall tales.

Emele (EC) Clothier was a manager for one of the largest guest ranches in the Methow area. Percussionist, harmonica player and vocalist Jennifer Epps works as a part-time ranch-hand and wilderness guide and wrangler in the summertime. She also cares for horses, dogs and cats on her own ranch.

Horse Crazy has recorded five CDs, including the just-released “My Horse Knows the Way Home.”

Admission prices will be $12 for adults, $5 for students and a donation for 12 & under.

Express to play at Colfax

Thorn Creek Express will perform a concert Sunday, March 27, at 6:30 p.m. at Hill-Ray Plaza in Colfax. The Express includes four brothers in the Sass family. They reside along Thorn Creek four miles east of Uniontown. They are Lucas, 17; twins Tyler and Austin, 15, and Carson 12.

Admission to the concert will be by donation with proceeds going to support the Bible Bowl entry in national competition in Michigan. Member of Express are also members of the team.

Art school opens in downtown Pullman

Created by Pullman native Megan Oldenstadt, Art Wisdom Experience, opened in The Bell Tower in downtown Pullman, Wednesday, March 23. It will offer after-school art classes for students in grades K-12, home school groups, and pre-school artists. The school will also host a variety of creativity playshops, retreats, family fun nights, art parties, and a multitude of community events.

“It’s an idea I’ve been developing for over five years now,” Oldenstadt said. “Through observations, research and first hand experience I’ve witnessed the need for art and creativity in people’s lives.”

Oldenstadt has returned to Pullman after being gone for 20 years. She was born in Pullman and moved to Oregon with her family at the age of 10.

Classes will begin in April, but AWE has opened free art classes Wednesday and Thursday from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.

A Spring Break Art Camp will be next week, March 28 to April 1, in half day or full day sessions.

Oldenstadt will have an open house in the Colfax Library Tuesday, March 29, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. to talk about the art program.

Binder for coupons available at library

Colfax library has a new Coupon Binder service that can save patrons money. Located in Troll’s Corner Book Store, the binder has 36 categories divided and organized for users to find the coupon they need.

Donna Simonson of Colfax came up with the idea after attending the coupon workshop this past summer. She will manage and organize the binder and is seeking volunteers to assist.

Patrons are welcome to take the coupons they need. Among categories are baking, cleaners, medicine, and paper products.

The library will also collect unwanted coupons for other patrons to use.

Offer mail merge class

Ever wondered how to do a mail merge? Whitman County Library is offering a free one-hour class on creating a mail list to be merged onto labels or envelopes using Microsoft Word Excel. The class will be held in Colfax Saturday, March 26, at 2 p.m. Instructor will Angela Garza.

angela_garza44 @msn.com.

Clubs & Youth Groups

Athenaeum met at the Whitman County Library Friday, March 18 with Sharon Baum as Hostess. The program was a continuation of our theme on flowers. They learned that evidence of daffodils dates back to early Egypt.

Jane Aune presented many facts concerning the beautiful spring flower. One of note was that deer do not like to eat them. She also read William Wordsworth’s poem entitled “Daffodils.”

Athenaeum will meet next at Marilyn Harder’s home, 1 p.m. April 1. The signup for guest day and our end of the year luncheon will be that day.

Births

A girl, Serenity Gracie Jo Deann, was born March 20, 2011, at Whitman Hospital and Medical Center in Colfax, to Makayla and Wyatt Butler. Maternal grandparents are Laurie and Brady Lohman. Paternal grandparents are Donna and Marlind Butler. Weighing seven pounds, 11 ounces at birth, the baby joins siblings Corbyn, Kayden, Daemond and Aidyn.

ON CAMPUS

The WSU department of Women’s Studies has named internationally renowned artist Juane Quick-to-See-Smith as the 2011 Jo Hockenhull Distinguished Visiting Lecturer for 2011. Smith will give a lecture titled “A Survey of Contemporary Native American Art,” at 6 p.m. March 30 in Kimbrough Hall, room 101, with a reception immediately following.

Smith has been a guest lecturer at more than 185 universities, museums and conferences around the world. She serves as a spokesperson and activist for contemporary Native American art. Her work is featured in many collections including: the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington D.C .; The Museum of Modern Art, New York; The Museum of Mankind, Vienna, Austria, and many other prominent galleries around the globe.

The lecturer series began in 1996-1997 in honor of Jo Hockenhull, a WSU professor emerita of fine arts. She served as director of Women’s Studies for more than a decade.

WSU Museum of Art showcases the talents of Seattle artist Claudia Fitch in an exhibition from Jan. 13 to April 2, “Claudia Fitch: Works 1987-2010” will feature sculptures created by the artist to play with images from popular culture, including vernacular architecture and decorative statuary. Fitch works intuitively from what she calls a “junk pile” of visual materials culled over the years.

Fitch has a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from the University of Washington and a master’s of fine arts degree from Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia.

UI Prichard Art Gallery exhibit: “John Wood, On the Edge of Clear Meaning” Feb. 21-April 9, a visual studies workshop traveling exhibition.

Bookmark

Whitman County Library visited the Tekoa School twice in the last month. Youth Services Assistant, Nichole Kopp read a Dr. Seuss story and shared Cat in the Hat challenges with the kids at the Elementary School for the Read Across America program. The Reading Bear was also on hand to celebrate the event.

In addition, the library sponsored a “Living Voices” presentation at the high school. Actor Brit Boyd’s presentation was Through the Eyes of a Friend: Young people during the Holocaust. Tekoa Superintendent Wayne Massie has been a great supporter of the library’s sponsored programs.

As summer nears we are also gearing up for our annual Summer Reading program along with other programs. The theme this year is One World, Many Stories.

Each Thursday, Colfax preschoolers focus on learning the alphabet from A to Z. Help your child get a jump on reading and school readiness by bringing them to Baby Time programs at 10:10, Toddler Time at 10:30 and Preschool Time at 11:00 a.m. The learning and socialization continues with Play and Learn each Friday from 10-11:30 a.m. This program is a less formal setting designed for all preschoolers and their parents, grandparents or care providers.

Whitman Count Library has recently added “The Pioneer Woman: Black Heels to Tractor Wheels- A Love Story” by Ree Drummond.

“The Kennedy Detail” by Gerald Blaine reveals the inside story of the assassination, the weeks and days that led to it and its heartrending aftermath. http://www.whitco.lib.wa.us.