SNAP challenge an experience for everyone, join me

Jeni Roberts has extended the challenge; are you game? See if you are able to obtain the food to eat on $38.83 a week for each member of your family. This amount is the average SNAP allowance per week per person. SNAP now replaces Food Stamps.

Here are the guidelines: The week begins on June 19 and continues through June 25. Each person should spend no more than $38.83 for all food and beverages during the challenge week, but this amount is per person in the house hold. A wife and husband have a $77.66 food budget and so on.

Food purchased and eaten during the Challenge week, including fast food and dining out, must be included in the total spending. During the challenge, only eat food you purchase for the project. Do not eat food you purchased prior to the start of the week. You must begin with an empty pantry. This does not include spices and condiments.

Avoid accepting free food from friends, family, or at work, including at receptions, briefings, potlucks or other events where food is served. Keep track of receipts on food spending and take note of your experiences throughout the week. Invite others to join you, including co-workers, reporters, chefs or other elected officials.

So are you up to the challenge? I've studied the situation and have even priced several items at the grocery store. My wife, Garnet, and I plan to participate with $77.66 to spend. I have figured a way to eat our fill for the week.

Garnet isn't too keen, enthusiastic or even dedicated to the cause, but the exercise is worthy and educational. Great for a family of four, with two youth, say 8 and 12 years old, planning the meals and then purchasing the food items.

Of course a family of four would have $155.32 to use in the food budget. I have already figured out the more members in the family, the easier it is to provide pleasant and appetizing meals.

I plan to report my plans for our meals, so stay tuned. In the meantime, join this challenge and see if you are able to toe the line. Feel free to send me your ideas for meals and the results of your efforts to: dclay@atnet.net

E-mail from Cheryl

Facts from the past gleaned from the Moses Lake Herald, Columbia Basin Herald and The Neppel Record by Cheryl (Driggs) Elkins:

From the Columbia Basin Herald on Aug. 12, 1949:

Artificial breeding to be shown at Odessa Fair

Highlighting the opening day events of the Tri-County Fair at Odessa on Friday, Aug. 26, will be a lecture and exhibit on artificial breeding, according to Ted Anderson, fair secretary.

Jay Harris, supervisor of artificial breeding for the Evergreen Breeders Association of Chehalis, will be the speaker. The feature will include a free 30-minute lecture, with questions and answers, for the benefit of cattle men. Members of county livestock associations, FFA and 4-H cattle raisers, and others, are being invited. The talk is scheduled at 2 o'clock as part of a full days program of judging entries, judging contests and selection of the champion junior exhibitors in both 4-H and Future Farmers groups, with a $50 savings bond as prize.

The feature was arranged through the Washington State College Extension Service, by E.V. Ellington, director, and M.B. Nichols, dairy specialist, in cooperation with Ross Cole, manager of the Chehalis Association.

Wilson Creek area history

The Rev. David H. Crawford compiled and published a history of families in and surrounding Wilson Creek titled, "Family Memories of Wilson Creek Area." The book was printed in 1978, which was the 75th anniversary of the town. David's son, John Crawford, has given permission for those memories to be a part of this column.

Today we complete story of the Charles C. McCormick family:

Marge McCormick, in 1967, purchased a home in Spokane and moved there the same year. She is presently enjoying good health, works as a baby sitter or house sitter five or six days a week.

Don McCormick is now and has been a Great Northern Agent/Telegrapher the past 35 years. He is presently living and working in Chewelah. Don has never been married.

Jim McCormick just recently retired from the U.S. Navy, having served 30 years. Jim is living in Harrington while searching the Inland Empire for a job. Jim is married and has six children.

Carroll McCormick is a school teacher, preacher and missionary. Presentiy lives and teaches in Spokane. Carroll is married and has 3 sons. Lynn McCormick lives with mother in Spokane. Lynn has never married.

Grant County history

The Grant County Historical Society has compiled several volumes of Grant County history. The books are available for purchase at the Historical Society Museum gift shop in Ephrata.

I bought the series in 2009 and secured permission to relay some of the history through this column. Memories of Grant County, compiled from taped interviews by the Grant County Historical Society.

Today we continue the story of Wilson Creek by Cris Mordhorst, recorded Feb. 10, 1976: I suppose that press, the one used at the block factory, went into waste iron during the first World War when they were gathering up, otherwise it would be a wonderful thing to have in the museum. I was thinking if we had those hand tools today there would be no men without work unless they didn't want to work, because there would be plenty of work to do. However, that's what made America great when we got the machinery to do the things and learn how to till the soil and grow more crops with less men. That left more men to invent machinery and make refrigerators and stoves and things that have made living better for America and made it the leading country in the world. The fewer people it takes to feed the world the more people we have left to make things easier for us.

We went out on a farm in 1909. Two churches were built in the town at the same time and we also got city water in Wilson Creek about that same year. My dad bought six old horses, he took the four best ones on the drill and he gave me one real tall, old mare (she was skinny because her teeth were bad), one cayuse, and a crippled mule he had bought for $25, for a harrow team.

I was so ashamed of them as a kid, that when I'd see a ne·ighbor coming down the road, there was no gravel and it'd be dusty, I was harrowing back and forth, so I had to go to the fence really, but I'd turn around sometimes and go the other way, so I wouldn't be near the road when they got out there. Today I'd sure like to have a picture of them to show you people, because I'm not a bit ashamed of them anymore .

It seems when the Mickelson boys, they were farming northwest of us, they'd ride in to town to get the mail, they just wait at the fence until I'd come so there'd be no use f or me to turn around for them because they'd stand there and wait and talk. Of course, they never made fun of my team, but I was ashamed of that old crippled mule. He seemed to walk on the side of his foot and you couldn't take him out on the road because the ground was too hard, but out in the field he worked real good.

My father had taken up a desert claim in Montana and sold the right before he came and the good homesteads all were gone when we got here. We started on marginal land that others didn't want to farm, but a man by the name of Schrader had a half-section that he wanted my father to take.

He also owned a house in town and he said they could move in to the house in town. They lived there the first year. We had to haul water out with us in barrels, but of course a lot of people hauled water in those days.

I want to call attention to my wife and her sister. They were the ones on the immigrant train and my brother-in-law, Frank Knopp. I have a son here, Darrel Mordhorst.

The Finney house is still standing. It is kinda built around the old house and there is more to it than the original. It was there when the railroad went through.