“His voice was soft spoken and kind.”  This was how Barb Kile, 60, described a man desperately trying to book a Christmas High Tea for his wife.  He told Barb his wife was dying of cancer and that he wanted to do something beautiful for her before she passed.  It broke Barb’s heart to tell the gentleman on the other line that she was booked all through December and, if they insisted on a Christmas tea, that they would need to wait until the following year.
Barb relented and told the man she could make an exception and squeeze them in, but he would hear nothing of it.  “I’ll book for next year and we’ll make sure she makes it.”

We are pleased to send you a complimentary copy of the paper with the full story. Email your request to becky@communitycurrentnewspaper.com

PHOTO  CC:
John Quinton, David Warehime, Thomas Newton, Billy Ray, Jr., Shelbe Rice, Lane Glorfield and Dakota White.

Band teacher Billy Ray, Jr., stands proudly with six of his students following the Winter Band Concert on Jan. 10, 2012. The concert held in the Endicott School Gym featured the works of contemporary composers like Brian Balmager’s The Volcano’s Fury and traditionalist like Ludwing van Beethoven’s Ode to Joy. High school students performed modern blues pieces including Birdhouse Blues and Boogie Lou.
Following the concert Ray presented these students with a coveted Band Letter. Ray says to earn a band letter students must make band a priority in their high school schedule for at least three years.

Jerod Harwood envisions a series of straw huts to promote agri-tourism and utilize wheat straw.

Architect Jerod Harwood recently defended his master’s thesis at Washington State University on the benefit of onsite strawboard manufacturing and construction of small straw huts on the Harwood Farm. In his thesis, Harwood envisions these huts would serve as a Palouse retreat to promote agri-tourism.

Unlike previous ventures into strawboard construction, Harwood’s thesis promotes a manufacturing process where materials are both harvested and manufactured in the field.
Harwood was required to complete a public presentation that defends his thesis. This display is now on display at St. John City Hall in the Denton Building.

Vanessa and Zane Webb at the grange hall in Ewan.

Photographer Mark Anthony captured these still shots of a crew filming at the Miller Grange Hall in Ewan in December.
The indie-movie The Merry Graingers, currently in development by Serena Belsby, was filmed in St. John during Winterfest to capture the Christmas parade and returned to film a funeral scene at the grange hall.

Fourth and fifth grade musicians are all smiles following their performance of Good King Wenceslas and O Come, Little Children at the Christmas Concert.

Pictured here: Center Glory Dickerson, now clockwise, Riley Lamb, Mary Kate Willson, Cydney Selk, Hope White, Morgan Lowe, Drew Brewer, Eliza Lundberg and Chloe Bammes. Top row: Nicole Jones, Jonathon Logen, Patrick Estes and Ethan Hughes.

Community Pride resident Zola Ross celebrated her 99th birthday on Nov. 3, 2011. Ross
enjoyed the company of friends and family members to mark the occasion.
She is shown here with her daughter Marianne Ross, St. John, her son Rev. Gene Ross with his wife Barbara,
and grandson Rev. Don Ross, all from Lynnwood, Wash.

Graham Hyland Christianson
Born August 24, 2011
8 lbs., 14 oz., 22 inches
Parents: Will amd Audra Christianson, Spangle, Wash.
Brothers: Tommy, 10,
Cameron, 4 and Jeffrey, 3
Grandparents: Jeff and Judy Sitton, St. John, Jan Christianson, Index, Wash.
Great Grandparents: Dean and Doreen Sutherland, Washtucna, Bennie and Beverly Sitton, Washtucna,   Maggie Christianson, Spokane, Wash.

Celeste Emmanuelle Larsen
Born  August 18, 2011.
8 lbs.,   19inches

Parents: Monty and Valerie Larsen, St. John
Siblings: Luke, Grace, Olivia, Rachel, Sophia, Camille and Joel
Grandparents: Kent and Marsha Larsen, Burlington, Wash. and Scott and Gloria Field, Snohomish, Wash.