News and Views

Ridgefield Events - February 2010

Best news I heard this morning was that the Ridgefield School levy passed by a huge margin - 67.61%. Thank you to all of you who voted to keep the schools operating.

If you are not a registered voter, you can pick up a form to register at your local school. Be a good citizen!

Want to have fun and benefit improvements to Overlook Park? There are still a few tickets left for the 2nd Annual Mayor's Ball, hosted by Ron and Sandy Onslow. Dinner and a jazz band will be featured at the event, Saturday, February 20, 6:00pm at the Pickled Heron. Boas and fedoras are optional - there will be a jazz theme.

You must call Sandy or Ron at 887-0329 by Saturday the 13th if you want to come. No tickets will be sold at the door, but they will take credit card numbers over the phone, so call today if you want to join your neighbors for a sparkling evening of fun, food and music.

Congratulations to Kenny Rae, a RHS senior, who won second place and a $1500 college scholarship during the 2010 American Legion Department of Washington's Oratorical statewide contest. Kenny, son of Ken and Lisa Rae, gave a ten minute speech entitled 'Freedom, Duty and You." Kenny is captain of Ridgefield's Speech Debate Team, and he is planning to attend Stanford University in California to study Mechanical Engineering. He was sponsored by Ridgefield American Legion Post 44.

Congratulations to Gabriel Lee of Pioneer Computers, who won the table being raffled off by American Legion Post 44 to raise money for their programs. Bruce Crockett donated the table, which he made in his workshop. Thank you Bruce.

Tryouts for Ridgefield Little League are Saturdays February 13th and 20th. Majors and softball from 1-2 pm, and minors from 2-4pm both days. Tryouts will be held at the View Ridge Middle School gym. Information: Dan Willette, 887-4049.

Correction: The stone sculpture workshop by DJ Garrity at the Pickled Heron will be held March 19-21. Call Kay Stringfellow for more information: 887-2295 or 606-4939.

Chris Kokesh will perform with Brokentop at the Old Liberty Theatre, Saturday, February 20th, 7:30pm. This will be a CD release concert. Chris is a songwriter with an eye for the hard detail, the grit and dirt of real life. A renowned fiddler and singer, Chris has been touring festival stages with northwest folk stars Misty River for years. Admission is $12. Information: Don Griswold, 887-7260.

Coming up at the Old Liberty: 3 Leg Torso, Saturday, March 6th.

River City Ramblers will be re-scheduled. Date TBA

Kendra Pearce of Ridgefield teaches classes pertinent to vegetable gardeners.through her company, Urban Farm School. Although most of the classes are not held in Ridgefield, they are of interest to anyone who wants to grow their own food. Classes include Seed Starting and Transplants, Small Space Gardening, and a host of others. Contact Kendra at 852-3728 or urbanfarmschool@gmail.com

Thank you to all who attended the First Friday celebration in downtown Ridgefield last week. The weather was beautiful, and we had lots of positive comments from visitors who were happy to see so many stores open late that night. This is a monthly event - if you haven't come before, you're missing a bet!

Support our local stores - they can't stay in business without YOU.

More Birding News from Eric Anderson at the Refuge - watch for these natural occurrences in the next month:

Tree frogs emerge from their winter slumber and welcome the spring with their creaking call.

Great horned owls claim nesting territories and start nesting. Owls often nest in the deep cracks of trees. Great horned owls are also know to take over old stick nests built by hawks in previous nesting seasons. You might scan the stick nests for 'horns' emerging over the rim of the nest.

Look for nest house-keeping as hawks and eagles ready their nests for a new nesting season.

In late winter, some ducks start to show pairing activity. Watch for male and female ducks pairing up for a spring breeding season.

Watch for scouts of early returning birds. It isn't out of the question to see a few swallows in February flying around the Refuge.

How long has it been since you've visited this treasure, the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge?

Training dates for the Refuge will be in my next newsletter, but call Eric at 887-4106 if you'd like to plan ahead.

On February 12-15, you can learn about birds and support the birds in your community by participating in the Great Backyard Bird Count. This fun, free, family-friendly event is great for both new and experienced birders. At www.birdcount.org, download a checklist for your area and tips for identifying bird species. Observe and count birds from anywhere you like: your backyard, your balcony, your window - or at the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge! Once you've spent at least 15 minutes watching birds (or more time if you prefer) report how many you counted back at www.birdcount.org. Then you can view online maps and lists to see how your counts fit into the bigger picture. Not only does this help wildlife conservation and help you learn more about beautiful local birds, but it's a fun way to encourage kids to get outside and connect with nature.

Kids who participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count are encouraged to make drawings of their observations. Artwork can be submitted by scanning and emailing to Julia_Davidson@fws.gov; mailed to the refuge at Ridgefield NWR Attn Julia Davidson, PO Box 457, Ridgefield, WA 98642; or brought to the refuge office in person from 8-4:30 on the days of the Great Backyard Bird Count (February 12-15). Selected artwork will be added to the upcoming kids' page on the RNWR website!

There will be a 740 square foot commercial space available for rent in downtown Ridgefield. If you are interested, call Merrilee Lee at 904-6019.

Unwanted prescription drugs and other controlled substances may be taken for disposal to the Ridgefield Police Department, 116 North Main Avenue from 8:30am to 5pm Monday through Friday. They must be sealed in an original container to prevent leaking. Patient information much be removed or marked out.

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