Basin briefs for Jan. 29, 2020

ROYAL CITY — The Royal City Council recently reviewed the city’s finances for the fourth quarter of 2019.

“We did not go over our appropriated budgeted expenditures,” said Shilo Christensen, finance director for the city, at the Jan. 21 meeting.

Also, the city stayed within its budgeted amounts for all of 2019. There were only two funds that had more expenses than revenue: the current reserves fund and the water fund. A new police vehicle was purchased out of the current reserves fund. The purchase had been planned for several years. The water fund paid off a loan that had been in place for some time.

“That will give the water fund some breathing room,” Christensen said. “It feels good.”

WENATCHEE — The Miss East Cascades Scholarship Organization invites interested young women to an orientation meeting on Sunday, Feb. 2, at noon to answer questions and introduce them to the benefits of the program, according to a press release from executive director Gary Hesse. The meeting will be held in the conference room at Van Well Nursery, 2821 Grant Rd., East Wenatchee.

This year’s competition, to be held March 21 in Wenatchee, is open to any young woman between 17 and 25 years old whose home or school is located in Chelan, Douglas, Okanogan, Kittitas or Grant counties. The winner will vie for the title of Miss Washington and potentially Miss America.

MECSO is the local presence of the Miss America Organization, which is the largest single provider of scholarship assistance to young women in the country, the release said. Last year, local candidates were awarded approximately $10,000 in scholarship and in-kind benefits.

Candidates receive one-on-one mentoring by successful local business owners and dignitaries. Each is involved in a special project of community service. In turn, each candidate receives scholarship assistance.

For more information or to submit an application, go to misseastcascades.com.