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| Issue: # 018 |
October 15, 2008 |
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Wenatchee Valley Sports Council News
 Greetings!
Sorry you're not getting this until the the middle of the month, but I was sick for a week (yes, it's going around).
What an exciting time in the Wenatchee Valley! We celebrate the opening of the Town Toyota Center, the debut of a brand new hockey franchise and Jack in the Box opening all in the same month!
Our local facilities were JAMMED with soccer crazies during the Apple Cup and now we wind down the fall sports season with playoffs on the horizon.
Enjoy this issue and word to the wise, if you're not familiar with attending hockey games, grab a sweatshirt and jacket...it's COLD in there!
Happy Trails
Eric Granstrom - Wenatchee Valley Sports Council |
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 Town Toyota Center Opens! The Town Toyota Center ribbon cutting ceremony was held Sunday, October 5th with a decidedly Wenatchee flavor. Replete with Wenatchee Applearian ushers, tuxedoed Apollo Club men's choir and 12-year old Wenatchee youth Drew Jaeger singing the National Anthem.
Wenatchee Mayor Dennis Johnson, one of many who have been so instrumental in helping the Town Toyota Center become a reality, summed it up nicely when he quoted Wayne Gretzke - "you miss 100 percent of the shots you never take."  First out of the gate for the new facility was the North Central Washington Quilter's show October 10-12 and according to several in attendance, "the arena was spectacular!" Next up will be NAHL hockey when the Wenatchee Wild take the ice for the first time ever against the Topeka Roadrunners October 16th, 18th and 19th.
The Wenatchee Valley Sports Council will be directly involved with a Town Toyota Center event in December during the NCW High School Basketball Showcase (Dec. 11-13). Boys and girls teams from Cashmere, Chelan, Eastmont, Entiat, Wenatchee and Waterville will be featured over a three-day period. The Sports Council will provide ushers, ticket-takers and host a VIP room for coaches and officials. The Wenatchee Valley Sports Foundation is also working out details on scholarships it will provide during the event that could add up to $2,000 to area schools.
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Wenatchee Loses "The Voice" to Cancer Longtime radio voice of the Wenatchee Panthers, Mike Dempsey, passed away October 12th following a long battle with brain cancer.
"The Voice" had an incredible string of 121-consecutive football broadcasts of Wenatchee High School games on KPQ dating back to 1986. Mike was a graduate of Wenatchee High ('72) and Wenatchee Valley College ('74) before going on to Eastern Washington University ('76).
Mike returned to make a home in the Wenatchee Valley where he worked 23-years at KPQ as Sports Director, Play-by-Play Voice and Sales Executive. Mike was also very involved with Rotary and was an avid golfer.
Services will be held on Thursday, October 16th at 2pm at Wenatchee Free Methodist Church on 5th Street in Wenatchee. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Young Life, Wenatchee Rotary Foundation and American Cancer Society. |
 Steelhead Season is Here! Hatchery steelhead fisheries are now open on the Upper Columbia, Methow and Okanogan Rivers and will open on the Wenatchee River October 22nd.
According to Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife Director Jeff Koenings, "a robust run of wild and hatchery-produced steelhead returning to the upper Columbia River allowed the department to open the fisheries."
Wenatchee Valley Sports Council board member Dave Graybill, aka "The Fishin' Magician" said at our October meeting, "last year's fishery was quite successful on the Wenatchee River. According to the DF&W, 13,000 angler hours were spent in 2007/08 for 1,000 fish." The mainstem Columbia from Rock Island Dam to Wells Dam will also open Oct. 22.
Meanwhile, Graybill says there's still plenty of opportunity for nice fall-run Chinook on the Columbia. KKRV's Brent Rhodes caught this nice King (below) on a recent trip with "The Magician" near Wells Dam. Dave's niece Ellie boated this steelie in 2006, also near Wells Dam.
Landlocked salmon fishing has re-opened on Lake Chelan. The Department of Fish & Wildlife announced the opening October 14th to go from October 15th to February 8, 2009.
According to the release from DF&W, preliminary efforts to provide a salmon fishery based on hatchery reared triploid summer Chinook stocking have been successful. However, "this fishery is in its infancy and much information concerning abundance and fish origin is needed to guide future management decisions."
Anglers are limited to two land locked, hatchery Chinook a minimum of 15-inches in length. No catch record cards are needed since land locked Chinook are not listed as a threatened or endangered species. Various hunting seasons have either already begun or will begin soon in North Central Washington. Waterfowl season began October 11th with high participation and higher-than-average success, according to WDF&W.
Modern firearm deer season also began October 11th with less-than-average success. Pressure seemed to have been about average, but WDF&W officials fear poor fawn recruitment in the winter of 2005-2006 may result in poor mature buck rates now.
Pheasant hunting opens October 18th and modern firearm elk hunting opens October 25th. For more on the hunting and fishing opportunities in Washington State, go to the Department of Fish & Wildlife's website at www.wdfw.wa.gov. |
 We Are Marshall Coach Coming to Wenatchee Jack Lengyel, head football coach at Marshall University in West Virginia from 1971-1974, will speak at Van Tassell Center on the Wenatchee Valley College Wenatchee campus on Monday, Nov. 3 at 7 p.m. The presentation is part of the WVC Lecture Series and is free and open to the public.
Leyngel had an extensive career as a football coach for universities ranging from Cornell University to the College of Wooster in Ohio. In 1971 he was hired as the head coach for the Marshall University Thundering Herd following a devastating plane crash that killed 75 people, including the varsity football team administrators, staff and university boosters.
In 2006 Lengyel's first year at Marshall was dramatized in the film "We are Marshall" with Matthew McConaughey portraying Lengyel.
Following his years at Marshall, Lengyel was an athletic director for different schools before settling into a 14-year career at the United States Naval Academy. He retired from the academy in 2001 and served on its board of trustees. He is currently the vice president of business development for XOS Technologies.
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Water Cooler Talk You May Want to Know
 Apple Capital Triathlon Change
I hear they're adding a duathlon next year to be run on Saturday!
Youth Hoops Now in Wenatchee
I hear the Wenatchee Parks Dept. is running boys and girls basketball for 3-5 grades! Call 664-3394.
New Scoreboard for Eastmont
Eastmont High's gymnasium now has a new scoreboard...check it out!
New Fastpitch Digs at WVC
Yep, I hear they're adding restrooms, field house and press box to be completed next fall.
New Run for Wenatchee in November
I hear Sarah Barkley will organize the "Thanks and Giving Challenge" on Thanksgiving day. Go to www.runwenatchee.com for more information. Four Trail Runs On Tap in 2009
I hear Jason Jablonski is planning four different trail runs April 5th, April 26th, May 17th, and June 7th at Saddle Rock, Squilchuck and upper valley. |
 Kernels Sportsmanship Honored The CCFOA held the vote among its members October 14th. Criteria considered included sportsmanship displayed by players, coaches and fans in all levels of football contests officiated by the Chelan County Football Officials Association.
Mansfield will be presented a plaque by the CCFOA at it's end-of-season banquet. |
 Winter Guides Now Available The Winter Guide has all the info on fun activities and tours, attractions and restaurants and places to stay while in the Wenatchee Valley. There's also a fold-out map to help you get there.
For your free copy of the Wenatchee Valley Winter Guide, stop in at any area hotel/motel, or our Visitors Centers located in the Apple Commission Office at Olds Station or downtown in the Grand Central Building next to the Owl Soda Fountain. Or, if you'd like a Winter Guide mailed to you, email your request to: info@wenatcheevalley.org.
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Thank you for being part of the Wenatchee Valley Sports Council on-line community. If you'd like more information about the Sports Council, go to our website!
Sincerely,
Eric Granstrom
Wenatchee Valley Sports Council |
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