CLEARWATER VALLEY -- I talked to Kamiah Schools Language Arts teacher, Taylie Hopkins, the other day. In addition to teaching at the middle school and the high school and co-directing the Kamiah Characters plays, she is planning an exciting Eastern Seaboard Tour for Kamiah and Salmon River s…

When I walked in to the multipurpose room at Clearwater Valley High School the other day, the excitement was palpable. 80-plus students from four local junior high/middle schools competed in the first knowledge bowl competition of 2019. In case you are wondering, knowledge bowl tests the col…

CLEARWATER VALLEY -- I’ve enjoyed participating in and writing about various yoga classes and retreats in Harpster, Kooskia, Kamiah and Big Cedar in the last few years. I’ve always been curious about the “Yoga in the Canyon” sessions that Jeannie Fitch often mentions in her Riggins column. L…

The Clearwater Grange is looking for vendors for their bazaar and yard sale on Feb. 3. Do you have unsold inventory from the Christmas craft fairs or have you been making new items since then? Do you need an excuse to clean out some closets? The Clearwater Grange would love to fill the hall with vendors and welcomes new people to participate. The event is from 9 a.m-3 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 3, and coincides with the Groundhog Day breakfast at the Oddfellows Hall, which brings 400-plus people to town. Tables cost only $10 to rent. Call Carole Bonono at 208-926-7465 to reserve one. This is a fund-raiser for the historic, 100-year-old Grange Hall.

I try to keep this column pretty positive, but right now there is not much good news. With a big chunk of the federal government shut down, most of the Nez Perce-Clearwater NF employees who work in the Kamiah and Kooskia offices (as well as the rest of the offices in the country) have been sent home without pay for an indeterminate amount of time. The main thing that the Constitution requires of Congress is that they fund the government.

As I end my 2nd full year of writing this column, I reflect on the fun and interesting people and events in the Clearwater Valley. With this, my first column of the New Year will recapture some highlights of the year’s mix of events, both events with long traditions and new events. Tradition is good, as long as something works, but great to try new things once in a while, or a new twist on the past events. The Kamiah Characters reprised in early January with a live theater production of “Let’s Hang Him and Read the Will,” a murder mystery with over-the-top characters, played by various high school and middle school students. Later in January, the biggest event of Kamiah’s winter social scene, the Crab Feed had another fun three-night run of all-you-can-eat crab, rock and roll by the King pins, local entertainment and community fund-raising.

Kamiah Characters presented a Star Trek spoof Dec. 17 and 19 at Kamiah High School. The play was under the direction of teachers Jody Dow and Taylie Hopkins.

It was a dark and foggy night last Thursday when I journeyed with Harpster- area friends Sue Hagle and Mary Ann Fryer to Kamiah to see “Star Tracks: The Exposition Menace.”

Harpsterites gathered for the old-fashioned Christmas program on Sunday afternoon at the Harpster community center (AKA the old Harpster schoolhouse). I got in on the popcorn ball making on Saturday this year. I had fun with Nancy Charley, head popcorn popper, Jan Adams, keeper of the recipe/syrup maker and Patsy Hunter, lead popcorn ball roller. Colleen and I were trainee rollers and gift bag stuffers while Nancy’s and Jan’s husbands set up chairs and organized the room.

I met a great guy named Mr. Sandy Staab at the Kamiah Middle School Library last month. He uses the moniker “The Chess Guy,” and travels to area schools at lunchtime to teach students the game. Fun to watch the excitement of kids as young as fourth grade intent and focused on playing this ancient board game.

O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree, how lovely are thy branches? Creatively decorated trees, wreaths, swags and the happy voices of children and adults of all ages filled the American Legion Hall in Kamiah last Saturday. This was part of a weekend-long olde-fashionned Christmas celebration organized by the Upriver Youth Leadership Council and many partners.

I enjoyed two Thanksgiving dinners this year. In addition to our family’s Thanksgiving day turkey dinner, a friend and I participated in the Community Thanksgiving dinner at the Wa-‘A’Yas Center in Kamiah earlier in the week. The center provided the turkeys and hams while others brought side dishes and desserts. I enjoyed sharing a dinner table and visiting with Stella Penney and her lovely young children. Great food all around, but special food highlights included mini fry bread and huckleberry cheesecake.

Well, the voting is over and proposition 2 passed. The people did what the state legislature was not willing or able to do: figure out how to provide health care coverage to the 60,000-plus Idahoans (mostly working poor people).

Idaho made national news last week once again for racist behavior. Fourteen Middleton elementary school staff dressed as Trump’s border wall and in stereotypical Hispanic costumes. They claimed that they did not do this in front of the students, they merely posted it on the official school Facebook page where it quickly went viral.

After the Halloween festivities are you ready for Christmas shopping? This Saturday, the first craft fair of the fall season is happening right here in downtown Harpster. The old Harpster school house, now a community center, will be chock full of handmade items ranging from baked goods to purses and totes and items from Avon and Tupperware.

Clearwater Valley and Kamiah compete in the regular season as a cooperative CvK team. For districts and state meet they magically become Rams and Kubs again. Both had a great showing at the district championships in Lewiston last week. Coach Janna Privette is thrilled to be taking ten runners to the state meet on Oct. 27.

Great news for theater lovers! I met up with three members of the Kamiah Characters high school theater group last week at the KHS library. Octavio Spencer and sisters Laura and Kara Dow are excited about a new play they are working on this fall. It is a Star Trek spoof, called “Star Track- the Expedition Menace.” I enjoyed watching two of the Kamiah Characters’ productions last year- “Let’s Hang Him and Read the Will” and “How the West Was Won- Black Hat Optional.” They are fun and light plays that allow the students to try on new personalities and provide a creative outlet. I will keep you posted when performance dates are scheduled. You can bet I will be there!