The Toppenish Rodeo and Livestock Association is requesting proposals from any organization, committee or group willing to provide a traditional Pow Wow to the Toppenish Rodeo Grounds during the Toppenish Rodeo on Friday and Saturday, July 6-7, 2012.
To obtain a copy of the proposal requirements, please write to Toppenish Rodeo, P.O. Box 127, Toppenish, WA 98948 or email topprodeo@gmail.com mailto:topprodeo@gmail.com.
Proposals must be received no later than Tuesday, March 13.

Liberty Community Church will be having a spaghetti dinner on Sunday, Feb., 12 at 7 p.m.
The money raised will go toward sctuctural repairs on the 85 year old church. Tickets are $6 for adults and $4 for chldren 12 and under.
The church is located at 670 Liverty Road, just North of the intersection of Van Belle and Liberty in Granger.

The Washington State Temperance & Good Citizenship Day is outlined in (Revised Washington Code) RCW 28A.230.150:
“On January 16th of each year or the preceding Friday when January 16th falls on a non-school day, there shall be observed within each public school “Temperance and Good Citizenship Day”. Zillah High School follows the Washington State RWC by honoring students who exemplify good citizenship in their classrooms, activities, programs and community.  ZHS solicits nominations from teachers, coaches, advisors, parents, community members and ZHS students.  Nominations are reviewed and students meeting the criteria are then recognized with a certificate presented in a school assembly honoring good citizenship on Friday, January 13, 2012.  The following students have received this honor: Sophia Acosta, Natali Amador, Megan Anderson, Kyzyl Atienza, Esmeralda Barocio, Eugene Bell, Chloe Blythe,  Ricky Cuellar, Criselda Diaz, Bailey Dixon, Toni Driesen, Ian Everett, Shelly Gorham, Zane Gust, Alice Hiemstra, Kasey Johnson, Kody Johnson, Kelly Kramer, Garrett LaPierre, Raymond McMahan-James, Thomas McMurray, Jim Myers, Michael Ray, Andrea Rhode, Samantha Robillard, Angel Rodriguez, Blaine Schlender, Solomon Schlenker, Delani Slack, Garrett Stephens, Adison Stewart, Grace Stiles, Allison Torres, Ammy Torres, Ethan Tuning, Cecilee VanderMuelen, Stephanie Weaver, Ashton Whitaker, Whitney Winters, Katie Wysling.

The following are students earned a place on the Heritage University Dean’s List for the fall 2011 semester.  To qualify for the Dean’s List, students must be full-time, matriculated undergraduates who have earned semester grade point averages of 3.5 or better.
Toppenish: Sonia Aguilar, Nancy Aguilera, Maria Alvarado, Felix Anaya, Ana Chavez, Walberto Cruz, Veronica Gabriel, Marisela Gonzalez, Sergio Macias-Martinez, April Kent, Tracy Molloy, James Norman, Andrea Olivas, Rosalinda Ramirez, Kristin Sak, Daisy Santiago, Yuridia Valencia, America Velasco, and Johnny Yallup.
Wapato: Laci Callihan, Daisy Castrejon, Veronica Gabriel, Marisela Gonzalez, April Kent, Salvador Lopez, Jeannette Nishi and Maricruz Sauceda.
Zillah: Janelle Cardenas, Jo Jones, Christina Rodriguez and Samuel Small.
Granger: Maria Castro, Jessica Delgado, Herlinda Lopez, Daisy Lopez, Jessica Delgado, Emmanuel Sanchez-Diaz and Wesla Selam.
Harrah: Dennis Fiander.
White Swan: Ts' Ilii Frank Justine Hilton and Larena Stevens.

Wapato High School will have a teriyaki feed on Sat., February 4 from 4-8 p.m..  Feast on your choice of beef or chicken teriyaki, steamed rice and salad.  The cost is adults $7 and children $5 (11 years of age and younger).
Proceeds will go to the district’s Robotics Club.  A bake sale will be held in conjunction with the feed. Wapato is hosting Grandview in high school basketball that evening.  The girls varsity starts at 5:45pm and the boys tipoff is at 7:30 p.m.  
The Robotics group is in its 4th year.  Each year the club has built a robot and competes in a regional competition organized by the FIRST Organization.  It costs the Wapato Club around $15,000 to do the build, pay entry fees and transporting the students to the regional competition including food and lodging.  Some of the costs are covered by grants the club has been able to secure as well as donations from businesses and others.

Knights of Columbus Toppenish Council #1699 will be holding a community spaghetti dinner and silent auction on Sunday Feb. 12, 2012 from 3 – 6 p.m. Cost is $5.00 per person, $25.00 per family, 6 & under free.
Proceeds will benefit the needs of Noah’s Ark in Wapato. Noah’s Ark is a homeless shelter for those in need. The dinner will be held at the Filipino-American Community Hall, 211 West 2nd St. in Wapato. We are asking members of the community to support our efforts with donations of goods and services that we can auction off in the silent raffle. If you can help by donating an item to be auctioned off or would like to purchase tickets email or call me at address or numbers below.
Please send questions or comments to: Dean Huth, 370 Orchard Way, Wapato, WA 98951 phone 509-877-4652 or Cell 509 728-8334 or email: 3DHuth@centurylink.net. Toppenish Council of Knights of Columbus #1699 is a non profit organization. Donations may be tax deductible.

Wapato school district has been removed from the Washington State annual list of persistently lowest achieving schools. The state list includes Title 1 eligible schools that are in the lowest 5 percent of achievement. Wapato’s middle school was on the list last year but is not this year.

The state’s data for this year shows significant improvement in reading and math in some of the other buildings in the district. Over the past three years Wapato High school has seen more than a ten percent increase in math achievement and Satus Elementary boasts a little more than four percent increase in math. The data also shows that of the 534 Title 1 ranked schools in the state, Wapato High is 91st in reading and 324th in math.

Of the schools that are on the list several are from the Yakima Valley. Yakima, Mount Adams, Toppenish Zillah Granger, Mabton and Sunnyside all have at least one school on the lowest achievement list.

Wapato high school senior Diana Baluca is being honored for her vocal talent. She has been accepted to participate in the Washington Music Educators Association’s (WMEA) all state symphonic choir. Students from all over the state submitted audition tapes in hope of being chosen. Diana is a member of the En Vox and the high school chamber choir. She will join other students who have been selected for the all state choir for performances over President’s Day weekend in Yakima February 18, 19 and 20.

All boys and girls Ages 10 – 14 are invited to participate in the local level of competition for 2012 Knights of Columbus Free Throw Championship. The event will be held at the Granger high school gym, 315 Mentzer Ave., West in Granger on January 29 beginning at noon.

The event is sponsored annually with winners progressing through local, district and state championships.

Participants are required to furnish proof of age and written parental consent. For entry forms or more information contact Bob, Wild Wheels Bike Shop, 110 Sunnyside Ave., Granger, phone 509-833-5860.

Faith Lutheran Church is holding a Scandinavian Dinner for the Curtis Willey kidney transplant fund. Curtis was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of 13 and has battled this disease ever since. Curtis tried to keep his lifelong passion as a volunteer firefighter. He received his first transplant in 1994. Two years after this transplant he got an infection in his toe and had his left leg partially amputated. In 2000 while on call with the fire department he broke his right foot and that leg was partially amputated as well.

Curtis eventually retired from the fire department after 26 years of service as a volunteer. He is a single father and raised Christine, his daughter while working a full time job. Curtis is on the transplant list and is waiting for a call from Virginia Mason Hospital in Seattle. Despite having Medicare many of his medical needs are not covered and must be paid out of his pocket. It is anticipated that he will need an additional $10,000 to cover the cost of some of these expenses.

The fundraiser at the Faith Lutheran Church, 61801 Hi-way 97 is set for Saturday January 29 from noon to 2 p.m. Ticket prices are $10 for adults, $5 for kids under 10 years old and donations are also being accepted. Tickets are available from church members, at the door or call 854-1696 or 865-2464.