LOTS of activities this Holiday Season

It's that magical time of year in the Methow when you can do almost every activity! Here are some of the awesome activities to message to our visitors!  

• Cross-country skiing. YES, MVSTA's higher elevation Nordic trails are open with some good cross-country skiing in the Rendezvous! Use the mvsta.com website and grooming report to stay in touch with current conditions, pricing and current photos. 
• Ice skate at the Winthrop Ice Rink. The ice is fantastic!  Winthropicerink.com for the schedule. 
• Pond skate on many local lakes. Until the next snowfall this is a unique experience and oh, what a thrill it is.  Guests will need their own skates for this.  
• Tubing at Loup Loup Ski Bowl from 10am -2pm everyday starting this Saturday. (excluding Christmas Day) $10 for tubing and tube rentals.  Hot drinks and S'mores offered as well. 
• Snowshoe - MVSTA's Snowshoe Nature Tours happen every Saturday at Sun Mountain and Mazama. 
• Fat bike- absolutely the perfect time to try fat biking!  Rental fat bikes at Methow Cycle and Sport, Sun Mountain Lodge and The Loup.  Methow Cycle and Sport also has 2 free fat bike demos over the holidays on December 22 and 28th.  
• Snowmobiling- refer customers to the Methow Valley Snowmobile Association for current conditions. Snowmobiles have been going up Sweet Grass Butte and Highway 20.  
• Hike- some of our lower elevation trails are great for hiking including Patterson Mountain and Pipestone Canyon. 
• Trail run- if you can hike it, you can trail run it.
• Arts and Events- check the Winthrop Washington event calendar. It is loaded with great arts, events and music. 
• Shop for holiday gifts- we all know how unique the shops in Winthrop, Mazama and Twisp are! 

Just like Christmas cookies, don't limit yourself to just one!  

Use our website at winthropwashington.com as a reference for your business and your guests.

Happy Holidays!  

Recap of the Year

2013 was a great year for Winthrop and the Methow Valley.  If you missed December's General Membership meeting you can get a recap of the year with the powerpoint presentation found here.  And by reading the recap provided by Karen West of the Methow Grist which can be found here.

Happy Holidays and let's toast to another great year in 2014!

Social for John and Agnes Almquist- Saturday, December 14, 2-4pm

The Winthrop Chamber invites you to stop by Almquist Pottery on Saturday, December 14 from 2:00pm -4:00pm and celebrate the "retirement" of Agnes and John Almquist.

Food and drinks will be served.

Please come celebrate Almquist Pottery's 40 years of craftsmanship, pride and popularity.   

Photos courtesy of Methow Grist 

PLAN for Winter- KNOW YOUR HOLIDAY SCHEDULES

Winter tourism in the Methow is largely dependent on holiday and school schedules. It is also a Winter Olympic year so locals and guests will be looking for places to watch the games. Below are links to the:

Canadian Holiday Schedule--  NOTE Family Day on Feb.10 provides Canadians with a 3 day weekend!

Seattle Public School Schedule-  NOTE mid-winter break Feb 15- 23

Methow Valley School Schedule - NOTE all the no school days, early releases and winter and spring break

2014 Winter Olympics - NOTE this runs Feb.7- 23  Does your business have a TV?  There could possibly be some Methow Valley athletes in this year's Olympics!

More Great Western Tourist Features - Contact Chris if you would like one of your own!

Great News for Winthrop!
Chris Matson (pictured here on the left and the right) was Winthrop's former Marshal and is also the artist of the incredible western wood carvings that are located throughout town.  These carvings are extremely popular with visitors!  
Winthrop Marketing plans to commission Chris to create a few more of these carvings for our town. If your business is interested in having a western carving created by Chris you can contact him at 208-643-4185. Chris can quote you prices, listen to your ideas or provide some ideas of his own. Chris will carve the features this winter and bring them out to Winthrop next spring before the pass opens.

"That's what businesses shared with me"

Thanks to everyone who joined us for the September Winthrop Chamber meeting.  I shared with the membership the importance of promoting WINTER in the summer.  Here is an example of a gentleman who writes a popular blog who visited out town this summer.  You will see what he wrote about out town is incorrect.  When I contacted him to correct his story he shared with me that he gained this information while talking to local businesses.  Now it is on a blog.  The power of social media is strong.  It benefits all of us to promote winter. Encourage and invite your summer visitors to return in the winter for more great experiences.  You can read the full story here.
-Kristen

September 12 Winthrop Chamber Meeting Agenda

Dear Chamber Members and Friends:

Wow, what a great spring and summer season! On behalf of the Chamber board, we hope you and your business benefited from the early pass opening, improving economy, great marketing efforts by the Chamber’s Marketing Committee and the Made in the Methow program, and the support of our full and part time residents.

There is never a dull moment in owning a business or directing a non-profit organization. With that in mind, the Chamber’s general membership meeting will launch the first of a series of meetings to help you “Get Your Fall and Winter On!” Business during the ‘shoulder’ and winter seasons is growing and over the next several months we aim to share information and resources to help you shape your marketing messages and benefit from increasing tourism and a growing economy.

Date: Thursday, September 12

Time: 8:00am Socialize and refreshments; 8:30 – 9:30am Meeting

Location: Winthrop Barn

Agenda:

1.       Welcome and Introductions

2.       Marketing Report and Upcoming Highlights

3.       MVSTA Winter Highlights

4.       Upcoming Events, Activities, and Business Resources

Vintage Wheels Show September 7

Winthrop Washington is excited to announce the 38^th annual Winthrop Auto Show, but with a whole new “spin” for 2013 with the inclusion of all types of vintage wheels.

This year’s show, on Saturday, September 7,  will include vintage cars, trucks, motorcycles, tractors, trailers, bicycles, and pedal cars!  

The Winthrop Vintage Wheels Show is one of the most unique events in the Northwest. This very popular, spectator-friendly event showcases the beauty of vintage wheels against the backdrop of the Old West town of Winthrop.

Registration for owners of vintage wheels can be found on the Winthrop Washington website at winthropwashington.com.  Trophies will be awarded in all categories including Best in Show and a People’s Choice Award. 

The public is welcome to view the beautiful, restored, iconic vehicles up close. Vehicles come from throughout the Pacific Northwest and Canada to attend this show. Winthrop's old boardwalks and historic character add to the appeal of this event as the main street in Winthrop is closed to traffic so spectators can easily walk and view the historic vehicles. The entire show is within walking distance, providing a perfect day of entertainment.  Bring your camera and appreciation for days gone by.  There is no entry fee for spectators to attend the event. 

Saturday, September 7

7:00am – 2:00pm  Swap Meet 

Buy-Sell-Trade wheels related only (automotive, motorcycle, tractor, trailer, bicycle) at the Winthrop Barn.    Swap meet registration can be found at winthropwashington.com  

10:00am Vintage Motorcycles, Tractors, Trailers and Bicycles stage at local businesses

·        Automobiles line up at the Winthrop Inn in preparation for 11am parade

·        Vintage Motorcycles stage at Riverside Printing

·        Tractors stage at the Shafer Museum

·        Travel Trailers stage at the Pine Near RV Park

·        Bicycles stage at Methow Cycle and Sport

·        Pedal Cars stage downtown

11:00am  Antique Vehicle Parade through downtown Winthrop

Automobiles will travel in unison from the Winthrop Inn on the south edge of Winthrop into downtown Winthrop in a stunning parade of color and chrome.  Registration for the vehicles can be found at winthropwashington.com   

12:00pm – 3:00pm  Show n’ Shine

Don’t miss this opportunity to see these all these vintage wheels up close!

The streets of downtown Winthrop will be filled with fabulous automobiles from all eras. Motorcycles will be on display at Riverside Printing, the tractors on display at the Shafer Museum, the travel trailers on display at the Pine Near RV Park and bicycles on display at Methow Cycle and Sport. Spectators can easily walk and view all these historic vehicles from downtown Winthrop. 

The award presentation will begin at 3:00pm. at each location with awards such as Best in Show and the popular Peoples Choice award.    

4:00pm  Bucket Run

The antique automobiles will travel to Twisp via Highway 20 and then back to Winthrop via the East County Road with stops along the way; another great opportunity to see these vehicles traveling along the scenic Methow Valley back roads.    

For questions and more information:  info@winthropwashington.com

Golf Tournament September 21

Methow Valley Pillow Tax

As many of you are noticing in your business, the Methow Valley is having a great year for hotel night stays.  The state reports 2% and 3% hotel tax receipts two months after the stay.  So, for example, May's hotel/motel taxes are reported in July.  May was in fact a record-breaking month. No May in the history of hotel tax collection has been this strong for both Winthrop and Okanogan County.  Not surprising as the pass opened early, ZUMIEZ corporate retreat, 49er Days and the MVSTA Sunflower run all brought in large numbers of visitors in May.
Winthrop's 3% revenue was $11,592 this year versus $10,383 last May
Year to date Winthrop is just ahead of last year's 3% revenues (and last year was a record-breaking year)  Okanogan County too is well ahead of last year's hotel revenues.   Stay tuned as our biggest months: June, July, August and September are reported  
- Kristen

Chamber Social Wednesday, August 14 at Methow Valley Ciderhouse 5:30-7:30pm

The next Winthrop Chamber Social is in another beautiful location! Mark your calendars for Wednesday, August 14 from 5:30 - 7:30pm at Methow Valley Ciderhouse.  Toast summer with a glass of homegrown sparkling hard cider and mouthwatering local donuts!  Network with your peers in the Methow Valley business community.  Please RSVP at info@winthropwashington.com if you plan to attend. We hope to see you there!

Visitor Center Stats

Georgia shares with us the following Visitor Center stats for May and June of 2013.....

May
2057 Total Visitors to the Information Center
1082 were from Western Washington
  368 were from Western Canada
  224 were from Eastern Washington
  213 were from another state
  153 were from a foreign country
    17 were from Eastern Canada

June
2618 Visitors up from 2375 last June
1244 from Western Washington
  425 from other state
  346 from Western Canada
  311 from a foreign country
  244 from Eastern Washington
    48 from Eastern Canada

Outdoor Recreation Reports

The Outdoor Foundation just released their annual Outdoor Participation Report. This is a very quick and interesting read for Winthrop businesses. Outdoor recreation is one of our town's leading economic generators. This Outdoor Foundation study shows that more Americans participated in outdoor recreation in 2012 than in any year since the Outdoor Foundation began measuring participation in 2006.  Possibly best of all, Winthrop and the Methow Valley are meccas for almost every single one of these activities!  The full report can be found here.

Also the Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office also just released a recreation report. This one is much longer with more insights on how residents of the state of Washington recreate. That report can be found here.

Winthrop Murals Fixed! Thank you Teresa

Teresa Nielsen restores two of Winthrop's most prized murals. 

The Okanogan County Electric Co-Op mural has had a big white blemish on the mural for years and years, Teresa matched the colors perfectly and restored the mural back to it's fantastic scene.  This is a very popular mural with visitors. Now the photos they take home with them (and share on Facebook!)  will look fantastic!  

The Great Methow Valley Expedition mural also had a big blemish on the image. Again Teresa did an incredible job restoring the scene!  

  

July 11 Chamber Meeting: 8:30am at the Barn

Dear Winthrop Chamber Members and Friends,

The launch of the new Winthrop Washington website, www.winthropwashington.com, was a great kick-off to the summer season. At our next general membership Chamber meeting, 8:30 am, Thursday, July 11 at the Winthrop Barn, Kristen Smith, Winthrop’s Marketing Director, will introduce the new site, highlight its attributes, and share how members can connect the 150,000 plus unique visitors winthropwashington.com to your respective businesses and websites.

As a community and a Chamber, we’ve been doing a fabulous job attracting visitors to Winthrop and the Methow Valley. Many local businesses have also been visionary in helping create a vibrant streetscape in downtown, offering unique products and creating memorable experiences. We have been so successful that the Town of Winthrop needs our help in shaping guidelines for sidewalk seating and other amenities. Mayor Dave Acheson and Planner Rocklynn Culp will attend our meeting, share some of the challenges that have been brought to their attention and solicit your ideas to help maintain a great sidewalk experience.

Winthrop Chamber General Membership Meeting

When: 8:30 am, Thursday, July 11

Where: Winthrop Barn

What: Introduction of the new Winthrop Washington website and conversation with Mayor Dave Acheson and Planner Rocklynn Culp about creative ideas to address sidewalk seating and other amenities

On behalf of the Winthrop Chamber of Commerce board of directors, we hope to see you at the meeting!

Julie Muyllaert

Winthrop Chamber of Commerce, board president

Methow Cycle & Sport, co-owner

509.996.3645 (shop)

509.996.2315 (mobile)

www.methowcyclesport.com

Share your Expertise!

If you have expertise to lend fellow Methow Valley business owners, please contact Alison Gillette at Twisp Works.  509-997-3300.

Chamber Social at Bear Creek Golf Course

It was a beautiful night for a summer Chamber Social out at Bear Creek Golf Course.  Thanks to Fred Wert for sharing some information about the proposed Park District.

Thanks to Linda and Ash Court for hosting us. 

Thanks to Arrowleaf Bistro for the delicious food! 

Westernization Committee NEEDS HELP!

The Westernization of Winthrop is one of key economic engines of our town. The very generous gift by Kathryn and Otto Wagner to townspeople and the businesses of Winthrop included the promise that the town would continue to take great care of the Western look and spirit.  The town's volunteer Westernization Committee helps to preserve and guide that vision.  Currently their are 4 positions open on the Westernazation Committee. The meetings are the 2 and 4 Wednesday of every month at 8am at town hall.  If you are available to serve your community please contact Deputy Clerk, Cindy Plinkinton at 996-2320.  

Facebook for Business Handout Notes

For those of you who missed Kristen's Facebook for Business classes here is the class handout with some tips that may help your social media efforts:

FACEBOOK FOR BUSINESS

Top 3 Principles:

1.     Always try to post with a photo, video or link. 

2.     Do not post unless you think you are going to get a lot of likes, comments and shares.  Give them compelling content….not what you had for dinner. The Methow Valley is full of compelling content.

3.     Have fun.  This is the opportunity for your business to connect with people.  You drive the bus. 

 Reinforcing Facebook Stats:

·        Facebook is your opportunity to BUILD YOUR BRAND

·        Facebook

1.     Helps your customers find you

2.     Helps your existing customers stay connected

3.     Helps your search engine optimization

4.     IS FUN- allows you to add personality to your business

·        People love

1.     Storytelling

2.     Experiences

3.     Connections between visitors and locals

·        It is better to be in one social media channel fully than to barely be in three.

·        Facebook fans spend 43% more than non-fans even when there is no difference in income.

·        75% of Facebook Fans are very likely to share a good brand experience.

·        Photos are 75% more engaging than status posts

·        20% better response rate posting outside regular business hours

·        Weekend posts perform 16% better than weekday posts

·        Your “Edgerank” will perform better the more shares, comments and likes you received.

·        Write down the 10 compelling topics you can talk about on a regular basis   

·        The value of one Facebook Fan is said to be $174.17.  This factors a fan’s product spending, loyalty, propensity to recommend, media value and brand affinity. 

49er Parade Success

The 49er Parade was a great success. Many people estimated that it may have been the largest spectator crowd ever.  With that many people lining the streets it is a fantastic marketing opportunity (and great gesture of community support) to showcase your business in the parade. Think about it for next year!!! Photos of Friday's ride into town and the parade can be found here. A few special highlights of the parade were:

 Rebecca Meadows was recognized for her 28 years of involvement with the 49er Parade!  

 The Moonshiners can all the way from Spokane!  I would guess half of the parade participants are from out of the Methow!  

 Rivers Edge Resort had a fantastic presentation with this beautiful classic car 

 Three Rivers Hospital with a float that is truly "a float!"  Pun intended :)   

 Aaron and Judy Burkhart graciously pulling the Winthrop Mayor and Council as always! 

Richard Wasson, with Methow Valley Cider House and his crazy band totally entertained the crowd. 

PLEASE JOIN IN NEXT YEAR!  

How Good Was Your Winter Business? Winthrop Winter Marketing Report

How about a report on Winthrop's Winter business to cool you down during this hot weather:

• Winthrop Hotels had their best January and best February in our history. That is never have more people stayed in Winthrop hotels during January and during February in our town's history.
• The current year-to-date 3% revenue report can be found here.  
• We are still awaiting March 3% revenue to determine if 2013 winter will surpass last year's 2012 record breaking winter. However, 2012 and 2013 winter seasons are certainly the best two winters in Winthrop's history. 
• Methow Valley area hotels best winter was 2008 but this winter looks to be the second best for hotels outside of Winthrop's town limits. 
• Next year 2014 is a winter Olympic year and historically Winthrop does very well during Winter Olympic years.
• Winthrop's winter business is about 1/4 the size of Winthrop's summer business so we have a real opportunity to grow Winthrop's winter business. With MVSTA, the ice rink (and possible refrigeration), the Loup, heli-skiing, snowmobiling, fat biking, etc. The opportunity to grow Winthrop's winter visitation is very good.  

Thank You Lucinda!

After serving on the Winthrop Marketing Committee for 17 years....since day #1....Lucinda McAllister is retiring.  17 years ago a handful of very smart Winthrop business owners organized and persuaded their peers in the hotel industry and collecting an additional 3% tax for marketing the town would be a great idea, and what a great idea it was.  As owner of the Hotel Rio Vista Lucinda has been instrumental in providing valuable insights about visitor needs and wants.  A well deserved vacation is in Lucinda's future but then look for her aiding the community in new ways in the future.  Thank you LUCINDA!

Current Winthrop Marketing Committee Members are:
Gene Westlund
Karla Segale
Lori Loomis
Laura Ruud
Mike Pruett
Joseph Weaver
Mike Walker

Looking for FREE Meeting Room Space? - Bear Creek Golf Course

Are you looking for meeting room space for your next Board meeting or Business Meeting?  Beautiful Bear Creek Golf Course has a meeting room above the pro shop which will accommodate 40-50 people. The Courts are graciously offering the use of this meeting room for free!  Simply call Bear Creek Golf Course at 996-2284 to reserve the room.

Free Facebook Classes

As part of the "Made in the Methow" campaign Twisp Works is hosting a number of Facebook classes for business owners.  These classes are FREE for Winthrop Chamber Members! Don't miss the opportunity to either create a Facebook page for your business or to learn more about how to enhance your Facebook business page.  Class size is limited to 8 and is filling up quickly. If interested, register today.

Beginner Social Media with Joseph Weaver (cap - 8)

This two part class will introduce you to Facebook and teach basic usability and the importance of social media interaction for your business. The first in the series will be held May 13th @ 6pm and the second the following Monday, May 20th @ 6 pm. The series will be free to Made in the Methow participants and Winthrop Chamber members and will be held in the Invention Works Computer Lab @ TwispWorks. 

Intermediate Social Media with Kristen Smith (cap - 8 per class)

The Intermediate class will start where the beginner class leaves off. This class is designed for people who already use Facebook for their business and want to engage more with their customers and community. We will be offering the same class on two different dates, May 29th and 30th @ 6 pm, so that people have multiple options to attend. Like the beginner class, this class is free for Winthrop Chamber members and will be held at the  Invention Works Computer Lab @ TwispWorks.

If any Winthrop Chamber member would like to register, email Marissa Burkett at mburkett@twispworks.org to sign up.  

Sign up for the next Chamber Meeting! FIND YOUR AWESOME!

Which Social Media to use?

Mountain Film on Tour- COMING TO WINTHROP - Sponsorship Opportunities

North Cascades Mountain Hostel is bringing the Mountain Film on Tour festival to Winthrop on June 29th.

This exciting film festival has sponsorship opportunities for local businesses.  Contact Audrey or Paul at North Cascades Hostel to be involved.

Introduction to Word Processing Class April 29-30

Introduction to Word Processing

Would you like to develop your word processing skills without having to travel to Omak? Learn how to create and edit tables, format pages and paragraphs, and easily navigate your way through common word programs! Susan Finn will be teaching an introductory course of the Open Office Writer, a free software program that is equivalent to Microsoft Word, from April 29-30, 6-9pm in the InventionWorks Computer Lab at Twispworks.. $75. Register by contacting Susan, 206-669-9320 or computerworks61@yahoo.com

Special May Chamber Meeting :Find your Awesome Business Training

Mark your calendar and RSVP TODAY for the May 9th Winthrop Chamber meeting which is a special presentation about Finding Your Business Awesome.
This is a 2.0 version of last year's very popular Find Your Business Awesome workshop presented by Jenn Allen Tate of Earth and Sky Studios.  You do not need to have attended last year's, in fact if you missed last year's then you really want to be sure and attend.  This class will replace the regularly scheduled Winthrop Chamber monthly Meeting.  The details:

• Thursday, May 9 from 8:00am-1:00pm at the Winthrop Barn 
• Cost is $10 which covers your lunch and refreshments.  Please bring $10 cash or check with you.
• RSVP is required. Please email info@okanogancountry.com if you plan to attend. You must register by Friday May 3.  
• If you can't attend consider sending a valuable employee in your place.  
• All businesses of the Methow Valley from Mazama to Pateros are invited to attend. Training is courtesy of Okanogan County Tourism Council.  

Know your Canadian Holidays!

With an increasing amount of tourism from Canada it is important for Methow Valley businesses to know when Canadian Holidays are happening.  Having your business open and having your staff greet visitors from Canada acknowledging the holiday and thanking them for coming goes a long way.

Here is the schedule of Canadian Holidays for 2013.

Bear Creek Golf Course Events Benefiting our Community

Bear Creek Golf Course is hosting two events to benefit our community.

The first is a 2-person scramble fundraiser on April 27 for the Liberty Bell Girls Basketball Team to help send them to summer camp.

 And the second is helping the Cove celebrate their 15th anniversary by allowing golfers to play 9 holes of golf for just 4 cans of food donations to the Cove!  This event is 9am - 4pm, Tuesday, April 30.

And on May 7th, Bear Creek will host the Northcentral Washington high school golf match!

If you would like to support these events too please contact Bear Creek Golf Course to register. 996-2284.

Visitor Center now open on weekends

The Visitor Center is now open on the weekends!  If you are a Chamber member please stop in and talk with Georgia and share any brochures and information about your business so she may pass that along to visitors.  You can also pick up pad maps and Winthrop brochures at the Visitor Center as well.
(photo and story above courtesy of Methow Grist) 

Best January Lodging in History

Methow Valley had it's best 3% hotel/motel January in our history!  

Combined, both Winthrop's and Okanogan County's 3% revenues are well above all the past previous 6 years. 2006 was the last time Winthrop saw January revenue close to this one. 

Winthrop 3% revenue YTD can be found here.  

New Winthrop Commerical

Winthrop has a new TV commercial that will be airing on KXLY's Explorer TV show during the months of April, May and June. You can view the commercial here.  If you will recall, Winthrop ran four different commercials on KXLY this winter as well and we received a lot of favorable response to those..
You can also view the winter ads on Winthrop's YouTube channel .

New Winter Video

Here is our new Winthrop Winter video created by the master videographer Steven Foreman.
Steve spent all winter capturing footage to give us a video we can use for years to come.
Enjoy!

Got Events?

Please send your events to the Okanogan County Tourism Council so we can get them up on our calendar of events.  Our web sitewww.okanogancountry.com has over 100,000 hits over the year!  Please send to info@okanogancountry.com or to cdavis@economic-alliance.com Also please give a good description of the event, with location, contact web site, phone number, email.  Thanks so much for helping to promote Okanogan Country!

WSDOT planning Hwy 20 work to start soon

Below is the first email from the Washington Department of Transportation regarding the clearing of Highway 20.

To receive these emails you can sign-up on the WSDOT North Cascades page which can be found here.

Hi all, Here's a rundown on what the avalanche crew found on Tuesday. Even though the peak avalanche period runs through the next month or more - there's reason to be optimistic it might be open before May. (But Please Don't start asking about the opening weekend of fishing season!) SR 20 reopening targeted to start March 25 If weather cooperates, it might not take a full six weeks to clear the North Cascades Highway this year TWISP – The spring reopening effort will begin a few days after the first day of spring as it has for the last half-dozen years, but there's some optimism that SR 20 could be open before the first of May, this year. On Tuesday, Washington State Department of Transportation avalanche control specialists from Stevens Pass ventured up and over the North Cascades from the Early Winters closure point on the east side as far as Rainy Pass on the west. Avalanche control chief Mike Stanford and forecaster/technician Harlan Sheppard stopped their snowmobiles to measure depths below more than two dozen avalanche chutes and other sites. "There's still more winter coming," said Stanford, "So, I expect we'll have more snow by the end of March, but what we found this week was less than we had at this time the last two years, and at some locations, almost half as much." Besides finding most of the highway covered with 3 to 5 feet of snow, Stanford said the snow piles below the avalanche chutes "had less rocks and trees in them." Snow at the summit of Washington Pass measured about 5 feet deep compared to 7 and a half feet last year, while snow was 5 and a half feet deep at Rainy Pass, compared to 8 feet last year. Snow piles in the Liberty Bell avalanche zone ranged from 25 to almost 40 feet compared to 35 to nearly 60 feet in 2012. The highway closed for the winter Nov. 20. It typically opens by early May. The earliest opening ever was March 10, 2005. One drought year, four years after the highway first opened in 1976, it remained open all winter. In 2011, clearing couldn't start until April 11, due to avalanches, and it didn't open until May 25. Last year work started March 26 and the highway opened May 10. Visit the North Cascades web page: www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/passes/northcascades and the North Cascades 2013 Flickr - photo site: www.flickr.com/photos/wsdot/sets/72157632942152468/ I'll send an update as we get closer to the end of the month. Jeff.Adamson@wsdot.wa.gov 509.667.2815 Wenatchee

Riverwalk Video #2

89 year old, Methow born resident Larry Therriault shares his thoughts on a downtown Winthrop Riverwalk. Larry's family owned the Winthrop Hotel which is now Carlos 1800.  Larry grew up on the banks of the Chewuch and Methow Rivers and is a big supporter of the Riverwalk.

The goal of these Riverwalk videos is to begin a dialogue among local business owners and the community regarding a downtown Winthrop Riverwalk.

Big Hot Air Thank You

A huge thank you to Kurt and Melinda Oakley for coordinating another incredible Balloon Festival. We are beyond fortunate to have this kind of event held in our area. Many local businesses stepped up and provided goods and services to the visiting balloonist including the Co-op who is pictured here providing propane to the balloonists. Imagine what the first weekend in March would look like if this event did NOT happen. The Balloon Festival is scheduled again next year for the first weekend in March. If you business can help keep these balloonists returning please contact Kurt and Melinda Oakley at 997-1700.
Here's a great video of the Saturday Night Balloon Glow.

Balloon Festival March 1-3

Our next big Winthrop event is one of our favorites....the annual Winthrop Balloon Festival March 1-3.  This is the 16th year for this event.  Kurt and Melinda Oakley at Morning Glory Balloons graciously organize and recruit balloonists to this event every year.  We are so fortunate to have this very special opportunity to see dozens of balloons up close and personal.  This is another one of those "only in the Methow Valley would this happen" events. The balloonists come to this event totally on their own. They are not paid to attend nor is there any charge for people to attend.  If your business values what Kurt and Melinda and the visiting balloonists do to bring tourists in on a lazy weekend in March PLEASE CONSIDER SUPPORTING THEM.  Kurt is looking for thank you items from local businesses to go into the gift baskets he provides to the balloonists.  IF you can help please contact Kurt and Melinda at 997-1700.

Also, here is the press release for this event. Please be familiar with the schedule of events so you can share it with your guests.

Free Tourism Presentation

You’re Invited

Please join us for an informative Tourism Presentation by Mr. Glenn Mandziuk, President and CEO of the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association, Canada Wednesday, March 6, 2013, 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM at Sun Mountain Lodge. Mr. Mandziuk’s presentation details the extraordinary process by which the Thompson Okanagan has transformed itself into one of the world’s leading tourist destinations -- adding more than $1.7 billion to the regional economy and directly employing over 15,000 people in a cultural and geographic setting very similar to our own. There is no charge for this event. Coffee and water service will be provided. We hope you will join us for some thought provoking dialogue on a topic that matters greatly to all of us. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or would like more information. Sincerely, Geof Childs & Karla Segale Sun Mountain Lodge Direct Lines: 509 996 4724 or 509 996 4705 www.sunmountainlodge.com

***NOTE if you are interested in carpooling to this event please be at the Winthrop Town Trailhead by 8:30am. ********

New Riverwalk Video

Job Fair March 7

A Methow Valley Job Fair has been set for Thursday, March 7, in the gym of the Methow Valley Community Center in Twisp. Organizers are providing a place for potential workers to meet with employers and for employers to find new employees. People will be able to apply for jobs, network with their peers, and learn about on-the-job training opportunities, according to information from the organizers. Entrance to the fair is free, and so are booths. For more information, contact Nancy Nash-Mendez at WorkSource (509) 826-7558 or e-mail nnash@esd.wa.gov Partners for the fair are TwispWorks, The Cove, Three Rivers Hospital, Worksource, the Economic Alliance, Room One, and Career Path Services.

Women Owned Business Certification

Seminar: How to do business with the Govenment

Business Networking Event

Join us on Thursday, March 7 from 5:30-7pm at the Twisp River Pub for an evening of business networking. This event is designed to connect current and prospective business owners to resource providers from throughout the region, and develop a network of business associations and contacts to accelerate your business.

Appetizers are provided, and a no-host bar will be available. There is no cost to attend. To RSVP, contact ncwedd@communitynet.org

This event is hosted in partnership between the North Central Washington Economic Development District and TwispWorks.