Welcome to February and somewhat longer hours of daylight. Have you noticed?
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I am pleased to share these heartfelt words from Lori, Jayla, and Anthony Avila. “With a heart full of gratitude and appreciation we would like to thank everyone for your amazing support. These last three weeks have been the hardest times of our lives. You were there for our family in our time of need. We will never forget your outpouring of kindness. All the prayers, cards, calls, and messages on Jose’s wellness are both overwhelming and appreciated. We are truly blessed to have such a huge support group of friends, family, colleagues, and community members, as well as support from surrounding communities.
“Thank you for all the hard work than went into the Indian Taco Dinner — the organizers, cooks, servers, cleanup crew, and to all who attended. The tacos were delicious and there were tons of yummy desserts. The hugs were very comforting and just what was needed. Thank you to everyone who has donated to the GoFundMe Fund and to Lupita Avila for setting it up. The generosity you have all shown us is the true meaning of kindness. You have all had a hand in making our hard times easier in some way. We are truly grateful to have you in our lives. Thank you all for everything.”
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I heard some exciting news about two young people from Glenwood who love to race vintage snowmobiles. Ty Murray, a senior, and Blaine Arnold, a freshman, won their races in Sumpter, Oregon, recently, thus qualifying for the finals of the Vintage Snowmobile Racing Association in Priest Lake, Idaho, on Jan. 25-26. Both Blaine and Ty finished in third place on Saturday then moved to the Sunday finals. Blaine finished second and third in his Junior classification races and Ty finished third in both of the Men’s Open races. They will both return to Priest Lake in mid-February to round out their season. Way to go, Blaine and Ty. Congratulations.
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It is with a heavy heart that I share the news of the passing of long-time Glenwood resident Ben Langfield. Ben had many friends here in Glenwood and in Trout Lake. He was a nearly lifelong friend of mine from the time we were very young and started first grade together at Trout Lake school. He was and will always will be “Benny” to me. We remained friends all these many years, as he was with all who knew him throughout his life.
Ben was raised by his grandparents, Lottie and K.C. Langfield, at their beautiful home in Trout Lake. K.C. was a legendary district ranger at the Mt. Adams Ranger District. Langfield Falls on the ranger district is named for him. It was always a very special place for Ben and his family. He married Glenwood girl Lea Brasmer and worked for many years for St. Regis and C&H. Ben was always quick and willing to offer help to any friends who needed it. He was a loving caregiver to Lea during her illness. After her passing, Ben channeled that desire to help others to all who needed it. He will be very much missed here. No service is planned at this time. Our sincere condolences go to his children, Kerri, Kasey, and Brian and their families.
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If you haven’t yet made your reservations for the senior class crab feed on Feb. 8, call Mrs. Troh in the school office at 509-364-3438. One and a half crabs for dinner is a great deal and there will be bread, a salad, beverages, and lots of desserts from which to choose. If you choose not to have the crab dinner, chef salads will be available. They will also come with bread, a beverage, and dessert. During the dinner, the junior and senior classes will be holding the always-exciting silent auction with many great donated items, including a wine basket, cedar fence posts, and much more.
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The Alumni game on Jan. 21 was great fun. Who knew those “old” guys were still such great players? The alumni team included both former Glenwood Eagles and former Klickitat Vandals. The game was fun with great sportsmanship and lots of laughing and cheering. The Klickwood boys played hard. Every time they caught up with the alumni, the alumni pulled ahead, winning in the end. But it was a fun night for the players and all who were in the stands. One Klickitat alumnus was amazing with his many three-pointers and they all played well.
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The Klickitat/Glenwood (Klickwood) boys’ basketball team competed against the Trout Lake Mustangs boys on the Glenwood court on Jan. 31. In addition, the Trout Lake Mustangs girls also played in Glenwood vs. the Stevenson JV. Klickwood doesn’t have a girls’ team this year so two awesome players, Jayla Avila and Emma Patterson, compete on the Mustangs team. The game was played in Glenwood so Jayla could be honored on senior night in front of her hometown audience. Also being celebrated for their senior night were Gavin Bensel and Christian and Tomei Tomeo. The homecoming court was presented during half time and the king and queen were crowned. This news had to be submitted before the game was played, so I will share results in the next edition.
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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.
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