COMMUNITY NEWS

November 2002

Week Ending November 24, 2002:
HELP!!!  The county is soliciting input from Lyle.  Your input is needed to propose "Pioneer Family" names for rooms within the West Klickitat County Pioneer Center.  This center is to be built in White Salmon.  It needs to be a pioneer family instrumental in the development of the community of Lyle.  Send your names with a very brief history to P.O. Box 952, Lyle, WA  98635.

We extend Thanksgiving Holiday wishes to all our readers.  We have much to be thankful for.  This wonderful country, families, health, and the list goes on and on.  We are thankful especially for this little town of Lyle, the good people who reside here, and the community spirit and pride that is displayed.  Thank you!

"Love, Sex & the IRS" was performed by the little theatre group of Lyle, "The Pretenders."  Both performances played to a packed audience that first feasted on a wonderful dinner prepared and served by Cousins' restaurant in The Dalles.  As usual, the cast did a great job of improvising for each forgotten line, some of which were funnier than the written ones.  Our thanks to this group and the pleasures they give to the community.

Just a reminder:
The Christmas Light Contest judging and Christmas Caroling will be December 16th.  Get Prepared!
Pioneer Days are Back:  Memorial Day Weekend, 2003
Lyle web site:  http://community.gorge.net/lyle/

Two churches in Lyle welcome visitors:  Lyle United Methodist Church and Lyle Full Gospel Church.

Lyle History (continued): Originally published in The Enterprise, July 6, 1967, as recounted by Jesse A. Jewell:

What luxury --oh boy, what dreams he would chalk up tonight.  Sure enough, during the night he did dream, but not the pleasant ones he had pictured.  His nightmares were wild and stormy like the times.  He dreamed of having a runaway when his horses were spooked and he was thrown from the hack, or light wagon.  Upon awakening the next morning, it wasn't hard to see the reason for his violent dreams -- he had been pitched bodily into another corner upon some other bedding.  But the real eye-opener was when he became aware of the old folks, snoring their heads off in the one and only bed in the house!

A house is made of wooden beams.  A home is made of love and dreams.


Week Ending November 17, 2002:
The Birthday Luncheon was held at the Hong Kong Café last week with about 25 Lyle Ladies in attendance. Nada, Pauline, Joyce S, Darla and Shirley T. celebrated November and December birthdays. Because of the holidays there will be no December Luncheon. 

The community was saddened by the death of Peggy Pinell on November 12th. We extend our condolences to her family. 

Hope you have your tickets to “Love, Sex and the IRS” being presented by The Pretenders of Lyle this Friday and Saturday at the Columbia Grange Hall. We don’t think you will be disappointed when you attend this dinner theater production. 

Just a reminder:

Lyle’s burn “ban” has been lifted.

LCAC election of three Board positions will be held at the November 25th meeting. Barbara Sexton and Joy Collins are up for re-election and the vacant position has two candidates: Mildred Lykens and Pam Essley.

The Christmas Light Contest judging, and the Christmas Caroling will be December 16th. Get Prepared!

Pioneer Days are Back:  Memorial Day Weekend, 2003

Lyle web site:  http://community.gorge.net/lyle/

There are two Churches in Lyle that welcome visitors: The Lyle United Methodist Church and The Lyle Full Gospel Church. 

Lyle History (continued): Originally published in The Enterprise, July 6, 1967, as recounted by Jesse A. Jewell:

He operated the world’s greatest bovine highway – 225 miles long and 40 miles wide – ranging on the east slopes of the Cascades.  There were thousands of acres of natural bunch grass all over this district.  Unfortunately, a terrific winter covered all this area with a thick coating of ice and snow, killing thousand of cattle but worse still, the bunch grass that grew waist deep all over wouldn’t hide a jack rabbit after that winter of 1880.

There is no record that Jim ever worked for his brother-in-law but it must have taken a lot of cowboys to work all those cattle. There is an interesting story about one young cowpoke that worked for Snipes. A terrific storm came up, and him 15 miles from home; he began to cast an eye out for a place to get out of the storm for the night. In the dusk a settler’s one-room cabin showed up. You wouldn’t find this in Boston, but he turned in, and was offered the hospitality granted all in those days.

When bedtime approached he was offered a bed, but there was only one bed! The three children were put to bed first and when they fell asleep they were put on quilts down on the floor behind the stove. This one and only bed was offered to him then and being tired, he didn’t refuse. 

Don’t be so busy adding up your troubles that you forget to count your blessings.


Week of November 9, 2002:
Local Good Sam members assist at State meeting in Enumclaw in October: The Dave Howards, the Delbert Brashers and the Jim Brashers helped with parking (a real experience) and with registration and greeting. On costume night they represented Good Witch, Bad Witch, The Tin Man, Cowardly Lion, and “Dorothy”. Do you suppose they followed the yellow brick road and talked to the Wizard of Oz?

The Pretenders will present "Love, Sex, and the IRS" on November 22nd and November 23rd at the Lyle Grange Hall.  Tickets are going fast for this dinner theatre production.  A must-see -- very funny!  Rated "R" due to adult situations.

These old gals would like to thank the community for doing their patriotic duty by casting their votes on Election Day.  The turnout was wonderful, which made the day go fast for the workers, and supported the candidates running for office.  Once again, Lyle did them proud by the large turnout.  REMEMBER:  IF YOU DIDN'T VOTE, YOU LOST YOUR RIGHT TO COMPLAIN ABOUT YOUR GOVERNMENT.

Just a reminder: 
LCAC Election of three Board positions will be held at the November 25th meeting.  Barbara Sexton and Joy Collins are up for re-election and the vacant position has two candidates:  Pam Essley and Mildred Lykens.

Lyle Web Site:  http://community.gorge.net/lyle

Lyle's Burn Ban is in effect.

Lyle Annual Christmas Bazaar, Friday and Saturday, November 15th and 16th, 9-4 at the Old Primary School.

Christmas Light Contest judging and carolling, December 16th.  Get Prepared!One of the very early settlers in Lyle or the immediate district was John and Bill Splawn’s grandfather-Francis Splawn. He was here before Klickitat Landing even knew it was going to have it’s name changed - some 105 years ago.

Hard winter seen.

Mrs. Lyle’s brother, Ben Snipes, was the great cattle baron in the early days of the Northwest. At one time he was reported to have owned in the neighborhood of 50,000 head of cattle, scattered from Oregon to the Canadian border.

Some people remind us of French Bread - one long loaf.

Week of November 2, 2002:
The Lyle Community Action Council is reluctantly setting the presentation of the disaster plan to the community for a late date. The telephone tree, which has an integral function in the plan, has been extremely difficult to get set in place. We are asking the community to be patient and helpful in this major endeavor. It would be of great help if the citizens of Lyle would call and leave your names and addresses. This would reduce the door-to-door canvassing that will be done on November 9th and 13th. We are still requesting calls from those with special needs. Contacts are Pam Essley at 365-4673 or pamess@gorge.net or Peyt Turner at 365-2333 or peyt@gorge.net.  

The local Sundowners met at Le Page Park on the John Day River for a fun weekend in October. Sunday they trekked to Rufus and met the rest of the group for Sunday dinner. The winter schedule will be dinner at Rufus on the second Sunday of each month. Welcome to new members, Jim and Tina Anderson from White Salmon.

Lyle Crime Stats for October are as follows: Traffic complaints 2, Trespass 4, Assault 2, DUI 1, Run-away 1, Citizen assist 1, Agency assist (fire) 1, Domestic disputes 2, Suspicious circumstances 4, Mail complaint 1, 911 hang-ups 3, Abandoned vehicles 2, Game violation 1, Juvenile complaint 1.

Just a reminder:
LCAC election of three Board positions will be held at the November 25th meeting.  Barbara Sexton and Joy Collins are up for re-election.  Two candidates, Mildred Lykens and Pam Essley, are vying for the vacant position.  

Lyle's burn "ban" now in effect, will be ending soon -- watch for updated information.

Lyle History as published in The Enterprise, July 6, 1967:  Lyle Pioneer History continued, as recounted by Jesse A. Jewell.

In 1856, Jim married Martha Snipes and in 1863 they crossed the plains.  This time he got close enough to see Klickitat Landing across the river.  They lived on a rented place at Rowena for two years before he bought the farm of Egbert French across the river.  Mr. French had married an Indian girl the whites had raised.  It wasn't uncommon in the early days when there were few white women to see a man take an Indian maiden for a wife; another thing, it was much simpler to get his fish smoked and dried.  Besides, that practically made him one of the tribe, and there wasn't so much danger of getting an arrow in his gizzard.

It isn't difficult to make a mountain out of a molehill --  just add a little dirt.


 
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Submit your news to:
Joy Collins: 365-5102 - ojoy@gorge.net
Barbara Sexton: 365-5374 - madison@gorge.net