Harrington News

Harrington Celebrates in the Rain

The revived and historic Huff ‘N’ Puff race added to Harrington’s Fall Festival brought out tremendous support in spite of the weather forecast. Steady rain, ranging from light mist to outright downpour, suspended promptly at 8:45 a.m., just as Ron Mielke was approaching the starting line. Manning the entry table were Betty Warner, Jordyn Tanke (FBLA president and daughter of Alan and Kelli Tanke), Madison Charlton (FBLA treasurer and son of Paul and Peggy Charlton) and Sharon Kruger, FBLA adviser.

Linda Mielke, one of the originators of the event in 1978, and Jon Evavold, designer of the T-shirts for that first race and coordinator of the event for several years, participated in this year’s run. Rain continued intermittently during the event, making the painted markers more difficult to follow.

There were 120 entrants this year who finished the race, with 47 signed in for the one-mile and 73 for the 5k. There were 12 divisions in the race with first-, second- and third-place winners per category. In the 5k race (3.1 miles), finalists were: Female teens aged 13-19: Kate Schell (1), Katie Dewulf (2) and Miranda Mielke (3). Female adults aged 20-39: Megan Moos, Sundie Floyd and Marina Gruis. Female masters, over 40: Tauyna VanPevenage, Kelli Tanke and Kristy Mielke. Male pre-teens 0-12: Luke Jacobsen, Dalton Wilkie and Colton Jackson. Males 13-39: Nathan Hopkins, Travis Schuh, and Peyton VanPevenage. Male masters, over 40: Michael VanPevenage, Colby Schell and Alan Tanke.

Winners for the one-mile event were: Female pre-teens aged 0-12: Janaye Wilke, Hayden Schuh and Caitlyn Schuh. Female teens/adults aged 13-39: Alex Bruce, Debra Soliday and Alyssa Oestreich. Female masters, over 40: Denise Hoffman, Cassandra Pfaffle-Dick and Julie Teade. Male pre-teens aged 0-12: Riley Buell, Ty Brady and Zachary Bruce. Male teens/adults aged 13-39: Brett Larmer, Caleb Behrens and Sam Schafer. Male masters, over 40: Lonny Soliday, Scott Miller and Michael Cronrath.

The youngest registered finisher was three-year-old Ethan Victor, and the oldest was Bunny Haugan at 74. One individual completed the 5k race in a wheelchair. One infant was not registered but was carried by its mother for the race. One dog on a leash completed the Huff ‘N’ Puff race, but failed to properly register for qualification.

Overall first-place times in the events went to Nathan Hopkins (5k male), Megan Moos (5k female), Brett Larmer (one-mile male) and Janae Wilkie (one-mile female).

Sharon Kruger expressed gratitude for the community support for this FBLA-sponsored project to earn money for the trip to the state conference in Seattle, where 10 members will participate in individual and team competitions. The next FBLA money-raising event will be “Turkey Bingo” in November.

Parade a no-go

Shortly after 10 a.m., rumors began circulating that the parade had been canceled, and yet the weather seemed to improve. By 10:45, it became a reality, as no vehicles were lined up for the start of the parade. Disappointment circulated with quite a crowd sitting in their vehicles awaiting the start. The general milling downtown of citizens and visitors so typical of the Harrington Fall Festival did not occur.

Opera House events

Just around the corner from city hall in the opera house building, however, events went on according to schedule. Tina Turner-Fisher’s art show was successful in spite of the smaller crowd. Her original paintings and prints were hung on the walls or placed on easels. Many farm scenes depicted pioneers with their horse-drawn combines, wagons, horses and homesteads. In contrast to these old-time farm scenes were paintings of aircraft. Turner-Fisher also paints by commission according to her motto, “Your idea painted to life.” She can be contacted via email at for additional information and her next showing event.

Next door to the art room, the Harrington Opera House Society held a rummage sale. Members were pleased with the contributions received. Another sale is planned for next Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. to continue to reduce the inventory. Few items are priced, and the generous nature of opera house supporters brings a good result. Clothing (some vintage), glassware, kitchenware, greeting cards, infant wear (many handmade items) and bedding, toys and dolls, fabric and furniture remain in the sale. Additional items including Halloween decorations will be added to these leftovers with the same price: a just donation.

Park events move indoors

Due to the rainy forecase, many of the Fall Festival events were moved to the school. The Harrington Lions Club served roast beef sandwiches in the bus garage, and eating took place in the multipurpose room. The vendors were set up on dry turf in the hallways of the school. Games also had been moved indoors prior to the day’s events.

The raffle included 51 prizes. The four largest prizes were a 32-inch LED TV donated by the Lions and won by Randi Roberts; one night for two with dinner and breakfast at the Coeur d’Alene Resort donated by Inland Cellular and won by fifth-grader Lola Phillips; one 16-gigabyte IPod Touch donated by the Lions and won by three-year-old Fiona Strozyk; and a Keurig coffee maker donated by the Lions and won by Sophie Els. Among the other 47 items were cash prizes ranging from $50 to $150 and gift certificates of $25 to $50 from several businesses.

The parade grand marshals were Charlie and Linda Colbert. With cancellation of the parade, they were honored at the raffle drawing instead. Some said it was the first time in 65 years that the parade had been canceled, but that could not be verified.

Randy Behrens said that there are currently 30 members in the Harrington Lions Club, with Bill Floyd the oldest member.

Alumni dinner

The evening’s alumni dinner was held at the school with Lakeside Catering serving 75 people. It was a smaller crowd than last year when over 100 attended. President of the alumni association, LaMarr Larmer, class of 1977, presided, and Jeremy Sewall, class of 1996, was the emcee. The Alumni Association donated a book to the library signed by Robert Hopp, class of ’41, who was honored for being the oldest alum present. Glen Abbott, Josephine Roth Koch and Carol Hopp Pegram attended from the class of ‘43, celebrating their 70th reunion. Sally Conklin Hanlon was the alumna who traveled the farthest to attend the dinner. Spokesmen from each of the classes of ’53, ’63, ’73, ’83, ’93 and 2003 gave brief updates in regard to their class members.

HOHS evening events

The evening event at the Harrington Opera House was featured speaker James E. Clarkson with a collection of slides containing a small portion of the evidence he has to support his belief in UFOs and alien activity. Introduced by Harrington resident Peter Davenport, local ‘Ufologist’, Clarkson is a retired police sergeant with 20 years of criminal justice training and experience. He served as an investigator with the Army military police.

“MUFON?” MUFON is the Mutual UFO Network, of which James Clarkson is the Washington state director. He presented an organized collection of historic sightings, each followed by the governmental response, the news coverage and, finally, the witnesses and governmental employees re-interviewed years later. Clarkson’s approach to skepticism is “you be the judge.” His entire thrust is that of gathering documentation and presenting what he is able to find following initial cover-ups, disinformation and the famous U.S. policy of “whitewash.” Much emphasis was placed on the June Crain story, Wright-Patterson AFB and Roswell, N.M.

Clarkson held the attention of the audience with his story of the piece of metal that would crumple like a sheet of paper, and then flatten back out without a sign of a wrinkle. With a brief intermission, Clarkson spoke over two hours and then answered a few questions.√Additional stories and evidence can be obtained from his website at http://www.jamesclarksonufo.com.

More than 50 attended. Also in the audience was K.T. Kelly of Moscow, Idaho, who follows these types of presentations to keep her knowledge current. She is an author of a series of children’s books called “Star Friends,” aimed at a 5-to-10-year-old audience, discussing life on other planets and visitations to earth by UFOs. Her goal is to create a fear-free attitude and a general acceptance of the potential for life on other planets and the eventual likelihood of meeting “star friends.” The books were illustrated. Kelly may be contacted via email .

The Harrington Fall Festival is a Lion’s Club annual event which began in 1946. The Harrington Lion’s Club was formed March 22, 1946 with 89 charter members. Officers for that year were: J.A. Carstens, president; Irl W. Nolen, vice president; Floyd I. Swanson, secretary-treasurer; H.H. Hopp, Lion tamer; Ervin Oestreich, tail twister. Directors were Lyle C. Bailey, Ules J. Birge, Darrell C. Turner and G.A. Unbewust. In 1961, a 15th anniversary celebration was held, acknowledging those with 5, 10 and 15 years of perfect attendance. Those men were: 5-year, Dana Baker, Dale Bly, Ray Everheart, Paul Hughes, George E. Knapp, Gus Swenson, Duane Timm, Jack Williams and Don Zicha; 10-year, Robert Carstens, John Oestreich, Walt Ottmar, and Philip Watson; and 15 year, Don Coombs, Henry Holman, Lloyd Hose, Clarence Kupers, Walt Kupers, Gilbert Lybecker, E.C. Oestreich, A.C. Patton and Lawrence Timm. In 1961, there were 52 Lions who responded to the one-year perfect roll call. Today the total membership is 30, which includes inactive members.