Glenwood gets spooky for Halloween

Have you noticed the beautiful fall colors along the Trout Lake highway between Glenwood and Trout Lake and the BZ-Glenwood highway down to BZ Corner? The colors are absolutely beautiful and still not quite at their peak. This is a good time to take a drive around that whole loop and stop at The Glenwood Station or Glenwood General Store for a tasty lunch.

The Glenwood General Store, Glenwood Station, and Glenwood Women’s Club are, once again, joining together to host the annual Halloween Festival in Glenwood, with support from the Glenwood Fire Dept. Prizes will be awarded for best decorated trunks/vehicles and best costumes. The General Store will offer free chili and clam chowder at the food truck, the Station will serve hot cocoa, and there will be a fire pit with s’mores, all in downtown Glenwood. The fun event will take place on Friday, October 31st from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Two blocks of Main Street will be closed during that time but side streets will serve as detours. Start planning your vehicle decorations and kids’ and grownups’ costumes and come on out and enjoy the fun.

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Volleyball season is over for our high school and middle school girls. The Trout Lake/Glenwood (Lakewood) team just missed qualifying for post-regular season play. We here are so proud of those girls for putting so much effort and skill into their season. They played very well against very stiff competition all season long.

The Glenwood middle school girls played in a team with Klickitat. Little Klickwood participated in a final tournament on October 18th with the four other teams in the league. The tournament, very well organized, was held in the Trout Lake gym. The Lakewood high school girls and coaches officiated and helped in other ways with the tournament. We are all very proud of our Little Klickwood girls, too. Soon some of the little girls and the big girls will be busy with basketball practice and others will begin club volleyball.

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Although we’re still in October, now is the time to contact Mrs. Troh in the school office if you would like to make reservations to attend the school Thanksgiving dinner this year. It’s important to get those reservations in early so our awesome school cook, Catie, can begin planning and ordering the groceries needed. I love the Glenwood School tradition of Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner for the students and their families.

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The following letter has been sent to residents of Glenwood regarding the upcoming Operations and Maintenance levy. Superintendent Bob Rogers asked me to share it here.

“Glenwood Community,

This coming February, the Glenwood community will have the opportunity to renew the local replacement levy that provides essential support for Glenwood School. This is not a new tax — it simply continues the local funding that helps sustain important programs for our students.

Because of your ongoing support, Glenwood students benefit from programs and opportunities that go far beyond what the state provides:

• Preschool: Our half-day preschool is fully funded by levy dollars. Thanks to this program, incoming kindergarteners are well prepared for a strong start in school.

• Food Service: State funding covers only a small portion of meal costs. Levy funds ensure that all students enjoy freshly baked bread and made-from-scratch meals every day.

• Athletics: All middle and high school sports — coaching, transportation, and equipment — are supported by levy funds. Last year, 73% of students in grades 6–12 participated in at least one sport.

• Field Trips: Levy funding allows students to extend learning beyond the classroom with experiences such as visits to the Portland Zoo, Fort Vancouver, Kah-Nee-Ta, and the Oregon Children’s Theater. This year’s trips include OMSI, the Portland Art Museum, and the Mt. Hood Railroad.

• Arts: Elementary students receive weekly art instruction from a resident artist through Arts in Education of the Gorge.

As schools across Washington face anticipated state budget reductions, local levy funding remains critical to sustaining these valuable programs for Glenwood students. We are deeply grateful for the community’s longstanding partnership and investment in our children’s education. Thank you for continuing to support Glenwood Schools.

With appreciation,

Bob Rogers Superintendent / Principal”

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Mary Pierce writes about the community of Glenwood every other week in Columbia Gorge News. Please send any news items to gmpierce09@gmail.com.