4th of July Celebration

Hello Everybody... Excitement is in the air... 4th of July is right around the corner... We are all excited to be a part of the Boistfort Valley celebration... Please help keep the fireworks in Pe Ell for our local area by donating cash at the Security State Bank... Just tell them you want to donate tohelp the New Harvest Church for the 4th of July Fireworks and they will know what to do...

The parade starts at noon and if you are interested in being in the parade, contact Delores, Kristi or Patty and they will get you set up with all the information... We will have a booth along with our very own Pe Ell High School Cheerleaders this year and we look forward to seeing you all there... We will have face painting, bake sale items, HIP information and lots of other stuff for you all to see...

Renas Digital Photography and Designs has also donated a free mini outdoor summer photo session along with a free 8x10 print with a $30.00 purchase of prints raffle drawing... This is a $40.00 value and all the ticket sale proceeds will be donated to the HIP "School Fairy Godmother Fund"... We were informed that the teachers of the Boistfort and Pe Ell schools were using their personal funds to help with school supplies to educate OUR children... We were able to donate school supplies to quit a few teachers and we intend to do the same for next year... We hold out Annual Family Valentines Day Dance as well and the supplies are then distributed after that...

So remember, donate for the fireworks through the Security State Bank and please come by to see us at our booth this year... Have a great summer, if it ever shows up... Contact us today for more information at hipwsuhorizons@gmail.com

OUR OFFICERS

Diane Smith - President
Robi Nelson - V. President/Treasurer
Mellisa Bieker - Secretary
Wendy Smith - Sgt of Arms

Pe Ell Horizons November Meeting

The next Pe Ell Horizons meeting will be held November 12th, 2009, at 6:30 PM in the Pe Ell United Methodist Church social room. The public is encouraged to attend and bring a guest.

Pe Ell Horizons October Meeting

Community members are pictured during discussion at the October 15th, 2009, Pe Ell Horizons meeting.

Pe Ell Horizons Meeting October 15th, 2009

The next Pe Ell Horizons Community meeting will be held October 15th at 6:30 PM in the Pe Ell United Methodist Church social room.

First Over the Finish Line

Dan Cox, a lifelong Pe Ell resident and 40+ year Weyerhaeuser employee, had the honors of being the first person to drive across the newly completed SR 6, South Fork of the Chehalis River bridge replacement shortly after ribbon cutting ceremonies September 8th, 2009. Cox is pictured leading the waiting procession in his log truck decked out in green and white ballooons.

WSDOT Paving the way Towards Economic Growth

WSDOT cordially invited the public to attend the ribbon cutting ceremony September 8th, 2009, celebrating the completion of the SR 6 South Fork Chehalis River Bridge project. The new, wider span, replaces the old Boistfort Bridge that was built in 1925. The old bridge was a mere 20 feet wide whereas the new structure is twice its width. Quote, "This is the first of 4 projects, funded through the 2005 gas tax package, to replace bridges on SR 6 in Lewis & Pacific counties. The 2 Rock Creek bridges west of Pe Ell and the Lilly Wheaton bridge near Menlo are scheduled for replacement in 2013." Unquote. The bridge projects bring economic development into the community by providing jobs over the next 5 years and improves safer freight mobility between Chehalis and South Bend. Among guest speakers at Tuesday's event was 20th Legislative District State Senator Dan Swecker. Pe Ell was represented by Mayor Spencer Nichols and Pe Ell Town Council members Dolores Lee, Rick Clouse and Kristi Milanowski. The Doty/Dryad community was represented by Fire District #16 Chief Chip Elliott and WSDOT Chehalis Area Project Engineer Colin Newell.

Pe Ell's Polish Pioneers

Former Pe Ellite, Leo Kowalski, pauses for a photo moment between book sales during Pe Ell Polish Daze 2009. Mr. Kowalski has written two books, Pe Ell's Polish Pioneers and Pe Ell's Polish Heritage, detailing the history of Polish settlers in Pe Ell. He has donated a portion of his book sales to be used towards the renovation of the Pe Ell V.F.W. Hall and future Pe Ell Community Center. The author is shown displaying a copy of Pe Ell's Polish Heritage and wearing a rogatywka, a traditioinal Polish hat.

Vivat Musica Entertains during Pe Ell Polish Daze

Popular Polish music choir, Vivat Musica, from Seattle, WA, sang a variety of Polish songs in 90 plus degree weather during the Polish dinner at Pe Ell Polish Daze.

Sobotka Performs during Pe Ell Polish Daze

Dressed in authentic Polish costumes, the dance troupe Sobotka, from Portland, OR, performed one of several traditional folk dances on Main Street Pe Ell during the Polish dinner August 1st, 2009.

Pe Ell Nonagenarians Honored in 4th of July Parade

Longtime Pe Ell residents, ninety four-year-old Sydney Gudyka and ninety four-year-old Louie Muller shared grand marshal honors during the 15th annual 2009 Pe Ell 4th of July parade. Pe Ell's oldest citizen, 106-year-old Imo Dodge, served as honorary grand marshal, but was unable to attend the parade.

Round Table Discussion with Jerry Uribe

NWAF Grant Officer and Program Director, Jerry Uribe, leads a roundtable discussion concluding the NWAF Western Washington Communities Horizons meeting held September 2nd in Mossyrock, WA. Guest speakers present were Dr. Janetta M. McCoy, Director of Lewis County Extension WSU, Sheila Gray and Extension Educator & Horizons Project Director Doreen Hauser-Lindstrom.

Dr. Janetta M. McCoy Spotlights Pe Ell Project

Dr. Janetta M. McCoy was a guest speaker at the September 2nd NWAF meeting held in Mossyrock. Dr. McCoy, of the Washington State University Interdisciplinary Design Institute in Spokane, and her team of design students, have worked diligently for a year and a half on a prospective design and renovation of the Pe Ell V.F.W. Hall that will someday house the new Pe Ell Community Center. Dr. McCoy presented a PowerPoint show spotlighting the Pe Ell program that comes under the heading Community Design Initiative and encouraged open forum discussion. The Town of Pe Ell has been awarded a CDBG planning only grant in the amount of $24,000 to begin the renovation project.

NWAF Meeting Held in Mossyrock

Northwest Area Foundation Grant Officer and Program Director, Jerry Uribe, traveled all the way from Minnesota to meet and speak with Western Washington Community Horizons representatives from Pe Ell, Onalaska, Mossyrock and Rochester/Grand Mound on September 2nd in Mossyrock. The groups are guided by Community Coaches Joe & Joy Baisch. In photo Mr. Uribe fields a question from Lewis County Commissioner Bill Schulte. Pictured from left to right sitting at back table are Commissioner Schulte, Regional Senior Management Director-CTED, Dick Larman and Lewis County Commissioner Lee Grose.

Pe Ell Community Education Classes

Pe Ell Community Education Classes offering computer/college classes after school hours in the Pe Ell School computer lab, is one of the Pe Ell Horizons steering committee's Visioning Projects that has come to fruition. In the photo instructor Teri Echterling peers over the shoulder of Elaine Mullenix while Mary Blatt and Nancy Mullenix Gudyka listen in. Refer to this blog for future class schedules.

Horizons Meeting TBA

The next Pe Ell Horizons meeting will be at a time, date and place to be announced. Please check back with this blog for further information.

Pe Ell Polish Princesses

A youthful addition to "Pe Ell Polish Daze" are Polish princesses Jade & Trinity Coady of Pe Ell. The sisters recently rode in the Pe Ell 4th of July parade and come from a long line of Pe Ell Polish families, the Slivas and Novaks. They are among several families that are dedicated members of the Holy Cross Polish National Catholic Church in Pe Ell. The old church, built in 1916 by Independent Polish National Catholics, is on the National Register of Historic Places by the US Department of the Interior. The girls are representatives of Pe Ell's vast Polish heritage.

Reaping What is Sown

Raising and nurturing a community garden is one project spawned through the Pe Ell Horizons project. ESD113 students Isaac Speer, Brittany Tschakert and Karanda Garrison take a break from gardening chores to pose for a photo. Among crops raised in the garden are flowers, tomatoes, chard, lettuce, dill, squash, pole beans and red cabbage.

Town of Pe Ell Celebrates with 15th Annual 4th of July Parade

Come to the Town of Pe Ell for its ever popular 15th annual 4th of July Parade! The parade commences at noon and there will be concessionaires and vendors selling their wares. At 10:00 pm the New Harvest Church will be hosting a spectacular fireworks display on the Pe Ell School football field.
In the picture, people line both sides of Main Street Pe Ell during the 2008
4th of July parade.

Pe Ell Polish Daze August 1st & 2nd, 2009

Celebrate Pe Ell Polish Daze August 1st & 2nd, 2009, in Pe Ell, WA. The yearly event kicks off at 7:00 pm on the evening of July 31st at the VFW/Community Center with a Pe Ell Kiwanis sponsored Lucky Duck Bingo.
It will be a weekend filled with fun, food, games and entertainment for the entire family. Begin Saturday morning, August 1st, with a hearty 3-alarm breakfast beginning at 7:30 sponsored by Lewis County Fire District #16 on Main Street. Later in the day, from 4:00-7:00 there will be a Polish dinner beneath the big tent on Main Street with Polish entertainment provided by "Sobotka" dancers from Portland, "Vivat Musica" choir from Seattle and "The High 5s Band" from The Dalles, OR. Stop by the Methodist church Saturday or Sunday and see the beautiful quilts handcrafted by members of the Pe Ell Quilters Circle.
"Pe Ell Polish Daze" strives to honor and embrace the community's rich Polish heritage and hopes to share it with visitors from near and far thus bringing economic growth to the area.
For further information phone Kristi Milanowski @ 360-291-3291, Dolores Lee @ 360-880-6615 or Patty Miller @ 360-291-3291. Dziekuje Bardzo!!

Pe Ell Horizons Meeting February 5th, 2009

The next Pe Ell Horizons meeting will be held February 5th, 2009 at 6:30 in the evening at Pe Ell City Hall. The community is encouraged to attend.