Now is the time
Back in November 2010 we ran a story in the Gazette about Erwin Bahr, an 82-year-old woodcrafter who filled his days building “wooden trucks and cars and boats for good little peninsula children.”
His daughter, Judy Jones, called this week to say that with his health in decline, Erwin’s toy-making days are over. Jones added that if you want to pick up one of Bahr’s handcrafted items and say hello to the old gentleman, now is the time.
Jones said Bahr retains “quite a bit of stuff” in his workshops at his home at 144 Green Briar Lane in Sequim. That includes elaborate, very cool fire engines that go for just $20. If you’re looking for a gift for a grown-up, look no further: Bahr also made bird feeders and decorative items.
To find out more, just call Jones at 683-3767.
An even one hundred
Marguerite “Marge” Caulkins will celebrate her 100th birthday at her home at 115 Hogans Vista in Sequim on Saturday, July 23. The festivities begin at 1 p.m.
Caulkin’s daughter, Danya Parker of Mount Vernon, told the Gazette “family and friends are invited.”
Parker also provided some other big dates in her mom’s life: July 16, 1911, when Marge was born, and July 2, 1935, when Marge married D.J. Caulkins.
Marge’s birthday will be celebrated by her other two children as well: Yvonne Moore of Sequim and Wayne Caulkins of Forks. Marge now has seven grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.
It’s a tusk!
In last week’s Gazette we said Robert Malone of Agnew believed he had found an ancient tusk but was awaiting confirmation from the experts. Now he has it.
Gregory Wilson, adjunct curator of vertebrate paleontology at the Burke Museum in Seattle, wrote to Malone this week saying, “You definitely have a mammoth tusk there.” Wilson wanted more information about the find, asking if any additional materials were found near the tusk.
Malone also had sent Wilson a photo of another find — a deer tooth. Wilson confirmed that both finds will undergo further study by Chris Sidor, the curator of vertebrate paleontology at the Burke.
Dean’s list for Maloney
Pepperdine University student Cortney Maloney, the daughter of Gazette owner Brown M. Maloney and Sequim’s Lori Richmond, has been named to the Seaver College dean’s list for the spring 2011 semester.
It’s no small accomplishment: In order to earn dean’s list honors, students must be in the upper 10 percent of their class and maintain a 3.5 or better grade-point average. Cortney, a Sequim native, is one of only 263 students to receive the honor.
Seaver College, located in Malibu, Calif., is the undergraduate school for Pepperdine University.
A very sweet gift
For the third year in a row the Sequim Prairie Grange has shown its support of the Dungeness Valley Health and Wellness Clinic by donating the profits from one of its popular ice cream socials.
The June 18 social, the first of the season, netted $1,313 for the clinic. Sue Hargrave of the Grange presented the check to clinic director Rose Gibbs.
Gibbs had a message for the Grange: “We thank you and the whole community thanks you because this helps keep the free clinic open.”
Star-spangled star
Staff Sgt. Tracy Labrecque will dazzle when she performs the national anthem during the Boston Pops’ upcoming Fourth of July program, held each year on the banks of the Charles River.
The program will be broadcast on KIRO TV at 10 p.m.
Labrecque, the daughter of Richard and Sharon Labrecque of Sequim, serves in the U.S. Army and is a singer in the Soldiers’ Chorus at Fort Meade in Baltimore, Md. The Soldiers’ Chorus is the vocal complement of the United States Army Field Band of Washington, DC.
This isn’t her first time in the spotlight: Labrecque has sung the national anthem at several tributes to the military, including a Houston Texan NFL game, a Washington Nationals game celebrating the Army’s 236th birthday (see the photo) and the last two years for the Houston Rodeo.
SSG Labrecque received her bachelor’s degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music and was pursuing a master’s degree from Indiana University before joining the Soldiers’ Chorus.
