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Whole story tells a different tale
Guest opinion by Montesano School Superintendent Marti Harruff:

I understand the role of superintendent comes with a large target on your back. This has come as no surprise to me. The responsibility of making sure all systems in a school district are running well is not easy while dealing with several hundred employees, 1,200 students and their parents, and all the issues that they bring with them. I accept this role and actually enjoy the challenge of each day.

That being said, I do have genuine concern for the Montesano School District during the challenging times we are facing...

See the entire Montesano Education Association survey results:
Download and read 47-page document.

Bear Festival celebrates 50 years
McCLEARY — This weekend is special as it is the 50th Bear Festival. The festival is always full of activities, from the bear stew to the grand parade. A tradition of the parade, at noon this Saturday, is having a grand marshal. Born in 1922, this year’s honorable grand marshal is Pauline Curran. Curran was born and raised in McCleary and has seen the town, and the people, change and grow in her 87 years of living there.

Enchanted Valley hike provides lasting memories
Steve Harbell took his youngest son and his new wife, Tom and Erin Harbell, visiting from Lake Tahoe, on a three-day, 40-mile backpacking trip into the Quinault River’s Enchanted Valley on June 26-28. Tom, 24, had first gone up into the valley, with his dad sometimes carrying his pack, when he was 9 years old. 

The Graves Creek road from Lake Quinault was washed out six miles from the trailhead, so the group took mountain bikes and biked in with their 40-pound packs. They passed eight backpackers and several day hikers on the way in, zipping by in 45 minutes what it took the walkers about two hours to cover.

More Sports

Elma U14 fastpitch squad nabs fifth at state tourney
The U14 Elma Eagles fastpitch team recently took fifth place at the NSA State Tournament in the Tri-cities area. The fifth-place spot meant that the Eagles finished ahead of 28 teams in the 33-team tourney. Elma Eagles team members include: Jocelyn Louthan, Brooke Goldsmith, Ku’ulei Siolo, Ashlyn Malmstrom, Taylor Nott, Amanda Rupright, Jodi Shumate, Sydney Smythe, Taylor Wilson, Regan Wollen and Kaleya Onasch.

Montesano’s Dragin Magic takes fifth at U10 state
The Montesano-based Dragin Magic fastpitch team took fifth place at the ASA Class A U10 State Tournament at Centalia last weekend.
The Magic opened with two pool play contests Friday — they lost the first to the eventual state champions, the Vancouver Fire. The Monte team then rebounded with a win over Team Faith of Longview.

When double elimination play began Saturday, the Magic fell to the eventual state runner-up, Vancouver Nationals 9-5. In a loser-out contest later in the day, the Magic topped the Willapa Wild All-Stars 16-0.

Surviving until Sunday, the Magic faced the Redmond Sidewinders and fell 10-7 in a five-inning, time-limit-shortened game.
The Magic finished the season with a record of 43-8; four of the eight losses came from the Sidewinders. Next season the Magic will make the move to the Class A U12 division.