Tidbits, June 21

Pateros school news

During the last Pateros school board meeting, Superintendent Lois Davies said April's school-wide enrollment was 288.56 FTE, or "full-time equivalent." Next year's kindergarten class was estimated at about 21 students, but more registrations were expected.

Under the "What's right with Pateros schools" portion of the meeting, it was reported that the marching band placed second at the Manson Apple Blossom Parade on May 12, the band's first performance at the festival in 50 years.

Contractors are still working on the new master plan and recently gathered input from staff on what the school's facility needs are. Erlandsen and Associates has been brought on board to accurately map the school district's properties.

The master plan, which will be presented to the board next month, includes opinions gathered during the school year from community members. Parking, storage and an additional gym or performing arts center made a lot of priority lists.

Business briefs

The new craft distillery in Pateros opened its doors Tuesday. Though it isn't fully up and running yet, there is some merchandise for sale. The city council and attending community members were given a tour of the place Monday by owner Bob Brammer.

Shull's Auto Wrecking and Towing has been under new ownership since winter, purchased by Jeff and Ann Spurgeon. They have since merged their new business with one they've owned for years, Brewster Car Care. Both businesses operate now out of the Shull's location at 25899 US Highway 97.

Producer of Merit

The Okanogan County extension of Washington State University has forms available for this year's Producer of Merit Livestock Program in its office, Room 101 in the Okanogan County Courthouse.

The program is open to youth in 4-H, FFA and Junior Open exhibiting beef, sheep or swine at the Okanogan County Fair. Only two animals per participant per species. Participants must weigh animals as close to purchase date as possible. Participants must attend a club/group weighing event or conduct a self weigh-in at chosen scales. At self weigh-ins animals) should be weighed and tagged.

At the fair, animals must have a POM stall card displayed. Stall cards are provided Thursday morning of the fair at 9 a.m. in the 4-H Building when completion forms are turned in by the youth participants.

The purpose of youth participation in the Okanogan POM Livestock Program is to strengthen knowledge, ability and skill as a feeder, manager, and exhibitor of livestock and to develop a sense of responsibility and good character. The goal as a food producer is to ensure a safe and wholesome food supply.

The POM producers will be recognized in the local papers and presented with rosette ribbons and cash awards.

The self weigh-in registration and Commitment to Excellence forms must be mailed and postmarked by July 5 to the WSU Okanogan County Extension Office, P.O. Box 391, Okanogan, WA 98840.

This day in history - June 21

1788: The U.S. Constitution went into effect when New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify it.

1810: Future U.S. President Zachary Taylor at the age of 26 married Margaret Smith, 31, the woman who would be his First Lady. On the same date, but 130 years later, Richard Nixon married his future First Lady, Patricia Ryan.

1834: Cyrus McCormick patented the first practical mechanical reaper for farming. His invention allowed farmers to more than double their crop size.

1913: Georgia Broadwick became the first woman to jump from an airplane.

1964: Michael Schwerner, Andrew Goodman, and James Chaney were killed by a Ku Klux Klan lynch mob. The three young civil rights workers were working to register black voters in Mississippi, thus inspiring the ire of the local Klan.

1989: The U.S. Supreme Court decided that burning the U.S. flag was protected under the First Amendment.

2004: SpaceShipOne, designed by Burt Rutan and piloted by Mike Melvill, reached 328,491 feet above Earth in a 90 minute flight. The height is about 400 feet above the distance scientists consider to be the boundary of space.