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“Where the Rain and Sunshine Meet”

______________________________________________________________________________

2010:1 January—March 2010

Lyle’s Blog: http://lyle-wa.blogspot.com/ Lyle’s Website: community.gorge.net/lyle

Community Enrichment

for Klickitat County

Lorie Hull

It is official! Community Enrichment for

Klickitat County (CEKC) is a 501(c)(3) tax

exempt nonprofit corporation. We now have

a not-for-profit countywide organization

working to improve the well being of

Klickitat County communities.

What is CEKC? Many new community

projects have been the result of the Horizons

program. Horizons is an 18 month

community leadership program aimed at

reducing poverty in small rural and

reservation communities. It is funded by the

Northwest Area Foundation (NWAF), which

is a private foundation that, among other

things, explores the perceptions and causes

of poverty. Poverty may include lack of

economic resources, limited educational and

job skills opportunities, scarcity of social

and health services, absence of community

or cultural support, limited access to

nutritional foods, as well as other sources of

impoverishment.

Horizons efforts here in Lyle and other

involved Klickitat County communities

inspired the vision of establishing a

countywide nonprofit to ensure community

enrichment opportunities would continue to

be available once the 18 month program was

completed. Community Enrichment for

Klickitat County (CEKC) is this nonprofit. It

has been created alongside these community

projects with the aspiration of picking up

and moving forward where Horizons will

leave off. (continues on page 3)

What’s Inside??

Birthdays & Anniversaries----------------------------2

What’s Up in Town?-----------------------------------2

Buy Local-------------------------------------------------3

Is Horizons Making a Difference--------------------4

No One Ever Tells Me What’s Going On?!--------4

Notes on Fire Safety-----------------------------------5

Fire Commissioners------------------------------------6

Spring Clean-up, Flyer------------------------------7, 8

Yard Sale Reminder------------------------------------7

New at the Museum ----------------------------------7

Cougar Football, Next Issue-------------------------9

Game Night----------------------------------------------9

Eagle Spotting, Perception-------------------------11

Strangers in the Box----------------------------------11

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Birthdays & Anniversaries

January

Betty Tuthill, Marg Johnson,

Martha Hamill, Terry Mills,

Mike Sayler

February

Barbara Sexton, Andy Anderson,

Glenda Lovejoy, Wendy Hamm,

Danny Chase, Ida Roane

Destiny Lawrence, Jackie Wolcott

March

Pam Essley, Joan Titus,

Louise Hills, Patty Elkins

Know anyone who’d like to have their birthday or anniversary acknowledged? Send names &

dates to Joy Collins at ojoy@gorge.net

PO Box 952, Lyle WA 98635

Serving Lyle and her neighboring communities. Sponsored by the Lyle Community Council;

published quarterly—compliments of Klickitat County Economic Development Council.

Contributions are welcome! Contact any Lyle Community Council member (contact info is on back

page) or lovejoy@gorge.net.

www.community.gorge.net/lyle

What’s Up in Town??

Alcoholics Anonymous: Monday nights at 7:30 at the High School Library. Community Breakfast: 1st Saturday of the month, 7-10:30 a.m. at the Lion’s Club. Klickitat Trail Conservancy: hikes or bike trips on the 1st Saturday and 3rd Sunday of the month. See www.klickitat-trail.org for details. Lion’s Club: meeting & potluck on the 1st and 3rd Mondays of the month. Lyle Celebration Center: 10:30 a.m. & 6:00 p.m. on Sundays Lyle Community Council: 4th Monday at 7 p.m. at the Lion’s Club, 5th & State Streets. Lyle Fire Department: Business meeting is open to the public on the 4th Thursday at 8 p.m. Drills on the 1st, 3rd, and 4th Thursdays at 7 p.m. Lyle Grange: meeting & potluck on 2nd Saturday at 12:30 p.m. School Board Meetings: next to the last Thursday of the month at 7 p.m. at the High School Senior Meals: Tuesdays at noon at the Lion’s Club. United Methodist Church: Sundays- 10:00a.m. Adult Sunday School at 9:00 a.m.

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We all stop in at

the Merc for an

item or two when

every now and

then, usually when

we don't have time

to go to the big

cities, but few folks do most or even some of

the regular grocery shopping there. I would

like to try to help keep some of our grocery

money here in town, and save time and

money not driving to those other towns.

The Merc will obviously never be a

full-service Freddie’s, but maybe we could

change things so that you can find the things

you want or need at the Merc first rather

than heading off to The Dalles or Hood

River for every shopping trip?.... Think what

a treat it would be if you find you didn't

need to cross the river all the time! (Stay

tuned for news about a shelf dedicated to

local gardeners this summer!)

I have talked to Kap and Lisa, and

they are quite willing to start stocking items

that locals would like. So, I am asking

everyone in the area to fill out the following

form and drop it off at the Merc. Kap and

Lisa will compile the lists and try changing

some of their inventory.

These are items I buy regularly in

Hood River, Bingen/White Salmon or The

Dalles, but would buy at the Merc if they

were available:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

CEKC

(continued from front page)

CEKC (Community Enrichment for

Klickitat County) has been formed with

representative members from Horizons

communities to continue the work as

established through the Horizons project.

Communities in Klickitat County now have

a nonprofit entity available to them that can

function as a fiscal agent that accepts and

manages grant money on their behalf.

CEKC also plans to serve in the role of

continuing with leadership training by

hosting grant writing workshops and

providing education in regards to

researching grant opportunities.

CEKC’s mission is to increase

prosperity and enhance the quality of life for

the people in Klickitat County, and provide

support that will ensure communities

flourish in the future. While CEKC was

developed through the efforts of the

Horizons communities’ leaders, the intent is

that CEKC’s services and support is

available to all Klickitat County

communities.

CEKC Purpose Statement: The

Community Enrichment for Klickitat

County is a not-for-profit Corporation

formed to focus community interests and

resources in order to repair, construct, or

modify public facilities; and provide or

enhance community services of the Klickitat

County area and engage in activities to

strengthen the social and economic well-

being of the communities and related

organizations.

The big secret in life is that there is no big

secret. Whatever your goal, you can get

there if you’re willing to work.

~Oprah Winfrey

Is the Horizons Program

Buy Local... …in Lyle???

Vern Harpole

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Making a Difference? Marcia Buser

The Cultural Exchange, the conversion of an

unused building into an Activity Center, a

Summer Celebration, community Game

Nights, the LAMBsCUP raffle, a door-to-

door Community Visioning Survey, a

Community Garden Planning Group…what

do these things have in common?

They are all a direct result of our

community coming together because of the

Horizons Program. Lyle is a little more than

a year into participating in this 18-month

grant program aimed at reducing poverty in

small, rural communities.

The Lyle Horizons Steering team, made

up of volunteer community members,

recently reflected on what is different now

in Lyle than a year ago. Here are some of

the things they identified:

Better communication: information on

what is happening is sent on via email,

posted on the Lyle website and the blog.

We can sit down and talk… and have

things to talk about!

We are getting things done.

We have established common values for

our community.

We have a building for a community

activity center that could have just been

a pile of rubble.

Long time residents are working

together with newcomers.

Less apathy and disinterest about Lyle’s

welfare.

Businesses are talking to each other; the

local wineries have gotten together for

their common benefit.

We can ask each other for support and

get it.

More attendance at Community Council

meetings.

Lots more information in the Lyle

newsletter.

The community is paying for the water

to support the Lyle Activity Center and

park.

We are far from done. There are many

long short and long term goals, and

hopefully it will be just as satisfying to

reflect back in another year on what has

changed for the better in our town.

Community members who participated in

this reflection are: Portia Masterson, Julie

Larson, Bob Hansen, Lori Hull, Sherri

Starkin, Barbara Sexton, Mildred Lykens,

Marcia Buser, Vern Harpole, and Roger

Hull. >< >< ><

No One Ever Tells Me What’s Going On?!

Marcia Buser

You can receive weekly emails about what

is happening in Lyle. Just sign up for our

community update by emailing

LyleCommunity@gmail.com. If you

provide your email address, it will NOT be

shared with anyone else or be used other

than to inform you about events or issues in

our community. You may request to be

removed from the list at any time.

If you have an event going on in

Lyle, please send information about it to

Lylecommunity@gmail.com. The

information will also be also posted on the

Lyle website, which features a “What’s

Happening in Lyle” web page.

If you do not have email, please

check the community bulletin board at the

Post Office to see what is coming up. The

Horizon’s Steering Team is looking into

getting a community information kiosk

installed to help us communicate better.

Notes on Fire Safety Fire Chief Peter Lovejoy

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We recently had a small grass fire caused by

discarded fireplace ashes that were two days

old. Fortunately, the fire remained small and

no damage occurred. There are two

important lessons here. Number one, we can

still have grass fires in winter months. It

happens every year in our county. When the

rain stops for a few days and the temperature

and humidity drop very low the grass and

other fuels quickly dry out. Although the

fuels are not easily ignited, once the get

going they can burn very hot and the fires

can be stoked by east winds.

The second important lesson is the

handling of fireplace ashes. We have had

numerous fires locally caused by discarded

ashes and the national statistics show this is

not an uncommon occurrence. Fireplace

ashes 3 days old have been documented to

start structure fires when improperly

disposed of. Fireplace ashes should be

soaked in water and placed in a metal

container. For more information, please see

the accompanying article entitled “Fireplace

and Home Fire Safety” from the U.S. Fire

Administration.

Fireplace and Home

Fire Safety U.S. Fire Administration

(http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/)

More than one-third of Americans

use fireplaces, wood stoves and other fuel-

fired appliances as primary heat sources in

their homes. Unfortunately, many people are

unaware of the fire risks when heating with

wood and solid fuels.

Heating fires account for 36% of

residential home fires in rural areas every

year. Often these fires are due to creosote

buildup in chimneys and stovepipes. All

home heating systems require regular

maintenance to function safely and

efficiently.

The United States Fire

Administration (USFA) encourages you to

practice the following fire safety steps to

keep those home fires safely burning.

Remember, fire safety is your personal

responsibility ...Fire Stops with You!

Keep Fireplaces and Wood Stoves Clean

Have your chimney or wood stove

inspected and cleaned annually by a

certified chimney specialist.

Clear the area around the hearth of

debris, decorations and flammable

materials.

Always use a metal mesh screen with

fireplaces. Leave glass doors open while

burning a fire.

Install stovepipe thermometers to help

monitor flue temperatures.

Keep air inlets on wood stoves open, and

never restrict air supply to fireplaces.

Otherwise you may cause creosote

buildup that could lead to a chimney fire.

Use fire-resistant materials on walls

around wood stoves.

(continues on page 6)

Fire Safety

(continued from page 7)

Safely Burn Fuels

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Never use flammable liquids to start a

fire.

Use only seasoned hardwood. Soft,

moist wood accelerates creosote buildup.

Build small fires that burn completely

and produce less smoke.

Never burn cardboard boxes, trash or

debris in your fireplace or wood stove.

When building a fire, place logs at the

rear of the fireplace on an adequate

supporting grate.

Never leave a fire in the fireplace

unattended. Extinguish the fire before

going to bed or leaving the house

Soak hot ashes in water and place them

in a metal container outside your home.

Protect the Outside of Your Home

Stack firewood outdoors at least 30 feet

away from your home.

Keep the roof clear of leaves, pine

needles and other debris.

Cover the chimney with a mesh screen

spark arrester.

Remove branches hanging above the

chimney, flues or vents.

Protect the Inside of Your Home

Install smoke alarms on every level of

your home. Test them monthly and

change the batteries at least once a year.

Consider installing the new long life

smoke alarms.

Provide proper venting systems for all

heating equipment.

Extend all vent pipes at least three feet

above the roof.

* * *

Lyle Fire Commissioners Fire Chief Peter Lovejoy

Fire District Commissioners are responsible

for maintaining and operating an efficient

Fire Protection District. More specifically,

they are responsible for the policies, the

budget and appointing the District Fire

Chief, Secretary and Treasurer. The Fire

Commissioners are elected by the registered

voters of the fire district for a six year term.

In our district, one commissioner is elected

every 2 years to stagger the terms.

The most recent elections resulted in

a changing of the guards for Lyle Fire

Department. Kris Joy, who is currently a

Firefighter and a First Responder, was

elected for the position previously held by

Don Brashers. In addition, to fill the seat

left vacant by Mike Sorenson’s resignation

in October, David McCune was appointed to

fill out the remaining 2 years of Mike’s

term. David is also a Firefighter and First

Responder.

Lyle Fire Department extends its

deepest gratitude and appreciation for the

years of service given by Mike Sorenson

and Don Brashers (both as Firefighters and

Commissioners). Each served the

department and the community of Lyle as a

Commissioner and/or a Firefighter and a

First Responder in excess of 25 years apiece,

a commendable feat!

Get Ready

for Spring Cleaning! Joy Collins

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I’m really looking forward to Spring and

warmer weather (hopefully)…which brings

us to the 2nd

week-end in April and the Lyle

Annual Spring Cleanup. This year, it’ll be

on Friday and Saturday, the 9th

& 10th

of

April, 2010. The spring cleanup has moved

happily into its “teens”. It was born in 1996

with a desire to clean up the old dump down

by the sewer facility. After that first year, we

were given access to the school bus yard on

5th

and Hwy 14 and have been there since.

This is a Klickitat County, Lyle City,

Roosevelt Land Fill and citizens’ effort that

is beneficial to all. Time has a way of

passing quickly—it’s not too early to start

thinking about what you need to dispose of.

Last year, recycling became a part of our

clean up so be sure to include your clear,

blue bags when you bring your trash. There

will be an area designated for recycle bags.

Sponsored by the Lyle Community Council,

the Clean-up is our main fundraiser of the

year. There is no charge for using the

dumpsters, however

donations are gladly

accepted and help finance

future council projects.

A flyer outlining the do’s

and don’ts is on the next

page, so I won’t include

them here. Please read it carefully so you are

aware of what items you can and can’t put in

the dumpsters. My thanks to all of you—see

you in the Spring!

Mark Your Calendar! Joy Collins

Just a heads up about

the 8th Annual 13+

Miles of Yard Sales—it

is always held county

wide on the 2nd

weekend of June. This

year, it will be June 12th

and 13th. There will be an article in the

April’s To the Point about the sale with

contact information and how to be included

in this event.

* * *

What’s New at the Museum Mildred E. Lykens

New articles have been donated to the

museum. One of the several items the

Dayton Henderson family has donated is

this very old washing machine. As we

cannot find any manufacturer's label on

it, we are asking the public to give us

their best estimate of its age. Any ideas?

Have you used one like this before? Call

Mildred Lykens at 365-0600.

L Y L

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E Annual Spring Clean Up

Friday & Saturday, April 9th

& 10th

, 2010

9 am to 5 pm [Dumpsters will be located in the school bus yard.]

2 light truck/passenger vehicle tires per pickup load.

No car parts and no cement chunks over 6”.

All loose garbage, like grass clippings, leaves or small bits of paper must be in bags.

Recycling must be in clear/blue bags.

Targeted Waste: The target waste here are the fire hazards accumulating in the back of your garage, that old clothes dryer sitting out on the back porch, the broken chair you were going to fix eight years ago, the litter that collected under the snow last winter in front of your house, the brush and tree limbs from cleaning up your yard, (please shake the dirt off the root balls) or maybe even that burn barrel you will never need to use again. This is a clean-up event, so we do not accept garbage generated from normal household activity such as bathroom or kitchen waste. Appliances: A local truck will be available to haul household appliances. A small fee will be charged for refrigerators, air conditioners, and freezers. Scrap metal: A local truck will also be available to haul scrap metal. No Hazardous Waste: No hazardous materials including liquid paint, cleaning supplies, motor oil, aerosol cans with contents, batteries, etc.

Organized by the Lyle Community Council

For information, call: 365-5102 or 365-5374

Donations are welcome and will be used to fund future community projects.

Our thanks and appreciation goes to Republic Waste Services

for their generous support of this annual community project

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Cougar Football Vern Harpole

It was my privilege to be

associated with a great bunch of young men

this past fall. With all the football I have

been around through the years, I had never

experienced 8 man teams. I was terrified for

the Cougars the first game I saw. The

Cougars dressed 10 players and the other

team had over 20. The Cougs were not the

least bit intimidated, and beat the over-

manned team by about 5 touchdowns.

They had an outstanding season and

had it not been for just a couple of plays this

year, they would very likely have had a

perfect season. (Their record was still good

enough to go to the playoffs, but because

they joined with Wishram, they were too big

a school and didn't qualify. This seemed

quite silly since every team they played had

2 to 4 times as many players).

It was amazing to see these 10 guys

essentially playing both offense and defense

without a rest, never get hurt or tired, rarely

make a mistake, and always be great sports

to the teams they were beating.

Congratulations to Coach Smith and his

staff, and the 2009 Cougars. You made me

quite proud to be part of a community with

such great kids.

* * * The Next Issue…

…of To The Point will be delivered on or

about April 1st. If you have information, a

story or an idea you’d like to see included,

you may contact any of Lyle Community

Council members (names and contact

information is on the back page) or Glenda

Lovejoy, 365-6831 or lovejoy@gorge.net.

Deadline for submission is March 20th

—

earlier is just fine too!

Free Fun!! Glenda Lovejoy

What? Free? That’s

Right!! It’s Game Night

at Lyle Activity

Center—every other

Friday, from 7 to 10 p.m. (this month it’s

Jan 15th

and 29th

.)

Now, there’s something to do besides plunk

down in front of the TV and click through

all the stuff you’re not that

interested in anyway. And, it’s

something to do while it’s still

too dark to go outside and play.

Come on down! It’s open

to all ages; play your

favorite board games,

videos or card games.

Rumor has it that there are

a few jigsaw puzzle fiends

out there?? Bring a friend or come make

new ones! No previous

experience required.

You can bring a game

if you want to, but it’s

not necessary. Make

sure you dress warm—

it’s still a bit chilly in

the Activity Center.

River Peoples

Cultural Exchange

Mark your calendars! Saturday, May 15, 2010.

Volunteers will be needed. To help with planning or set up, or for more information, contact Lorie Hull at (541)993-4061 or

loriemaehull@gmail.com.

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Perception (shared by Pam Essley)

In a Washington, DC Metro Station

on a cold January morning in 2007, there

was a man with a violin who played six

Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During

that time, approximately 2 thousand people

went through the station—most of them on

their way to work. After 3 minutes, a middle

aged man noticed there was a

musician playing. He slowed

his pace and stopped for a few

seconds and then hurried to

meet his schedule.

Four minutes later, the

violinist received his first

dollar: a woman threw the

money in the hat and, without

stopping, continued to walk. After 6

minutes, a young man leaned against the

wall to listen to him, then looked at his

watch and started to walk again.

At ten minutes, a 3-year old boy

stopped but his mother tugged him along

hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the

violinist again, but the mother pushed hard

and the child continued to walk, turning his

head all the time. This action was repeated

by several other children. Every parent,

without exception, forced their children to

move on quickly.

For 45 minutes, the musician played

continuously. Only 6 people stopped and

listened for a short while. About 20 gave

money but continued to walk at their normal

pace. The man collected a total of $32.

After an hour, he finished playing

and silence took over. No one noticed. No

one applauded, nor was there any

recognition.

No one knew this, but the violinist was

Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in

the world. He played one of the most

intricate pieces ever written, with a violin

worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before,

Joshua Bell sold out a theater in Boston

where the seats averaged $100.

This is a true story. Joshua Bell

playing incognito in the metro

station was organized by the

Washington Post as part of a

social experiment about

perception, taste and people's

priorities.

The questions raised: In

a common-place environment at an

inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty?

Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we

recognize talent in an unexpected context?

One possible conclusion reached

from this experiment could be this: If we do

not have a moment to stop and listen to one

of the best musicians in the world, playing

some of the finest music ever written, with

one of the most beautiful instruments ever

made.... how many other things are we

missing?

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Eagle Spotting at Klickitat-Balfour Park

Donna Enz

On Saturday, January 30th

, come out to

experience an educational winter field

outing for bald eagles at Balfour Park.

Wildlife Biologist Cathy Flick will come

armed with a spotting scope, give a life-

history overview, and introduce you to

specific year-round pairs in the area. Part of

the outing will involve a short walk. Bring

binoculars, or a spotting scope, and dress

warmly. Meet at Klickitat-Balfour Park at

10 a.m. From Hwy 14 in Lyle, head west.

Just after the Klickitat River, turn left

(north) onto Old Hwy 8.

Follow Old Hwy 8 for approximately 1/4

mile to the parking lot on the east (right)

side of the road. There are toilet facilities at

the Park. For more information

www.klickitat-trail.org

Submitted by Mildred Lykens—this serves as a timely reminder to label photos and note family histories. It was credited to a very prolific author by the name of Anonymous. Research revealed the author to be a woman by the name of Pam Harazim She wrote this in 1997, when she was caring for her mother who had dementia.

Strangers in the Box Pam Harazim

Come, look with me inside this drawer

In this box I’ve often seen,

At the pictures, black and white

Faces proud, still serene.

I wish I knew the people

These strangers in the box,

Their names and all their memories

Are lost among my socks.

I wonder what their lives were like

How did they spend their days?

What about their special times?

I’ll never know their ways.

If only someone had taken time

To tell who, what or when,

These faces of my heritage

Would come to life again.

Could this become the fate

Of pictures we take today?

The faces and memories

Someday to be passed away?

Make time to save your stories

Seize the opportunity when it knocks,

Or someday you and yours could be

The strangers in the box.

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Lyle Community Council P.O. Box 952 Lyle, WA 98635

Presorted Standard

U.S. Postage Paid

Goldendale, WA

Permit # 7

Postal Patron

Sincere thanks to Klickitat County’s Department of Economic Development

for their support in publishing To The Point

Lyle Community Council Members

Darla Brashers 365-4432 Barbara Sexton 365-5374 Joy Collins 365-5102 Terry Mills 365-3903 Juliet Pouillion 365-2795 Mildred Lykens 365-0060

Everything has beauty, but not

everyone sees it.

~Confucius