PAGE 2, MATrAWA AREA NEWS, WED., FEB. 1 S, 2012 Strictly Joyce BY JoYCE EDIE Her name was Hope. Esperanza Vincente-Mestizo. I didn't have the privilege of knowing her. That is often a problem in this area because of a language barrier. That barrier doesn't mean people who don't speak the same language don't care. We do. I imagine she was a lot like most 28 year old mothers. She prob/bly had a lot of hope. Her name was Hope and that says something about her family. They probably had a lot of hopes and dreams for her too. She was carrying her fourth child. The photo taken hours before she was gunned down shows a smiling, contented looking woman. Now the family is at a funeral home planning her final rites here on earth. Someone shot her and her unborn baby boy Saturday night in Mattawa. My hope now is that her family is okay; that her three other children know their mother loves them. ! Fay for their peace and comfort. And I pray the person who did this is caught and brought to justice. I hope that if .anyone knows anything about who ended these two lives they will tell the police. That is about the last thing anyone can do for Esperanza. Callers can remainanony- mous. May God bless this family. We got a little bit more information about the lights on the Yakima Training Cen- ter. Allen Michler of Desert Aire, a retired military man, gave me a number where I actually got some answers. Jim Reddick, Deputy to the Commander and Public Spokesman, said the he believes they are from the MPRC, the Multi-Purpose Range Complex. Reddick said that the MPRC is being remodeled, the computer driven complex is being updated from analog to digital. He said he didn't know the lights were on all the time and doesn't know if they will remain on after the remodeling. 1 hope they don't. Allen alsosaid that he has Spotted two Sandhill Cranes in a field north of Mattawa. I'm impressed. So far I've only seen them in the Royal and Othello areas. Keep your eyes open. They are tall, grey cranes and have red on their heads. They move through the area on their way north to breed. The only place they stay in Washington and nest is in Glenwood Valley on the Klickitat River. Check out the Othello Sandhill Festival online for more information. The coyotes in Desert Aire seem to be getting bolder. Bill Adler has had his dog attacked four times, he says. Numerous people report one or two big, well fed look- ing coyotes coming up to homes, interacting with pets and not acting like they are bothered by humans being around. Makes you wonder ifa domestic dog bred with a coyote and there are some Coydogs in the area. Just a thought. It was a fun time this past Saturday at the Firemen's Ball. Even if you have never gone before, maybe think about it for next year. It really is a great, small town cel- ebration. And speaking of small town, Donkey Basketball hosted by the FFA comes to town Friday, Feb. 24. Now there is some fun. Start your weekend with a laugh and support the Wahluke FFA Chapter. Go to Tacoma this weekend if you can. Seven of our wrestlers leave on Thursday at I I a.m. from the school for state wrestling over the weekend. Let's make their send offa good one. You are welcome to line the streets oftocn honking and cheer- ing for the Warriors. News 509.932.4602 IS PUBLISHED WEDNESDAYS IN AMERICA AT EPHRATA, WA. Deadline is Monday at noon. KEITH EDIE - SPORTS FAX 932.4681 EMAII theman@smwireless.net JOYCE EDIE, PUBLISHER, 22939 ROAD • SW, MATTAWA, WA 99349 www.rnattawaareanews.com MEMBER WNPA Warrior Senior Wrestler Antonio Martinez Antonio Martinez didn't make it to the cer- emony on time, but his sister-in-law, Bethany, sent this photo that was taken shortly after in the gym. If you have news, call the MAN at 932.4602 or email to theman@ smwireless.net Misteredie Karl Edie, WHS graduate and former teacher at WSD blogs about teaching kids andwhat he learns from it. He is a school teacher and principal His regular blog is at www.mredie.com. Sometimes it seems our year is defined by the mile markers along the way. Usually those are the special occa- sions, like parent teacher confer- ences, the winter music program, and the holidays. You can tell what day of the year it is usually just by checking out the bulletin boards. Of course, for a teacher or parent, each holiday seems to bring the inevitable - candy and sweets. It's almost as if the kids have decided that every holiday HAS to have candy associated with it to be at all special. "Oh yes! Easter is coming up!" they'll say. I'll reply - "Yes! In spring there is Easter, and often people go on Easter egg hunts." "To get CANDY!" the kids interject, always emphasizing the word candy like it's a pirate's treasure. Of course, this Valentine's was no different. The kids all brought valentines for the class, most of them with some candy attached. In addition to that, there were cupcakes brought, and brownies and cookies - I don't think any of the kids finished everything they were given. Don't get me wrong. I think holidays and rituals and "special days" where you get things you don't always get are important. They're the types of things kids remember even as adults. I just think we need to make sure they are memorable, by making them special. And we make them special by making it not so frequent. Don't include a candy with every lunch each day. Don't keep eating on the Hal- loween candy until Christmas. And let's all stop sending candy on St. Patrick's Day, I think that just goes too far. :) Come support your Local FFA at Donkey Basketball on Friday, Feb. 24, at 7 p.m. Show up at 6 p.m. for great concessions. Advance Tickets: Adutt: S8 Students (Grade 7-12): $6 Child (Grade I6): 54 We guarantee you'll Tickets at the Gate are 51 more. laugh your head off! Seventh-Day Adventist Church Saturdays at Riverside Presbyterian 9:30 a.m. to Noon. Kids Programs 932.3178-932.5205 cell 509.366.6531. Iglesia Roca de La Salvacion 509 E. Second Ave. Mattawa Pastor Eleuterio Prieto 509.830.2896 Servicios: Domingo 5 p.m. Jueves 7 p.m. Iglesia Apost61ica En el Edificlo de la Presbyterian Church Servicios: Dom 3:00pm Pastor: Benjamin Mora 509 833 4830/932 6416 50q. ?Z7 Z.3 . Riverside  Community Church in Desert Aire Pastors Michael & Kelly Nieto Worship 10am 932-4651 Childcare provided Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 9am Sunday Servicios en Espanol Church 932-4068 Bishop Kip Calaway English Ward 932-4797 Pres. Veral Hansen Spanish Branch Grace Lutheran Church Highway 243 Sunday School 9 am Worship 10 am " OUR LADY OF THE DESERT CATHOLIC CHURCH SATURDAY 6 PM SPANISH SUNDAY 9 AM ENGLISH SUN. 12 ft 6PM SPANISH CONFESSIONS: TUES-FRL 4-6 P.M. FATHER JORGE GRANADOS 932-5424 IGLESIA DE DIOS DE SCHAWANA SCHAWANA: [IHINGOS 5:30 PiVl, MIERCOLES 7PH, JUEVE5 SERVlCIO DE JOVENES 7PM, VIERNE5 CLUB AWANA 7PN. ROYAL.CRY: S;BADOS 7PH EN CHURCH OF THE NAZARENE HATTAWA: MARTES 6:3OPH L_LAHE PARA LJ LOCALIDAD PAsToR ALFREDO GUTII'RREZ 932-i5405 0 830-3458 GUTIMINISTRY@SMWIRELESS. NET Royal City United Methodist Church 305 Royal Rd. NW Royal City 932.0670 9 a.m. worship Pastor Bill Altenhein