Grant County Journal
February 28, 2011
Sew what?
Written by Janet Warren
Growing up on San Juan Island, Shirley was taught to sew by her mother, who was also her 4H leader. When Shirley married Joe Reilly, her mother-in-law taught her some more things about sewing. The sewing instruction was passed down to her daughter, and Shirley served as her cooking and sewing 4H leader for over ten years. The sewing gene may have fizzled out, though, since Shirley’s daughter would rather drive a tractor than a sewing machine. Who knows if Shirley’s granddaughter will pick up where her mother left off?
I have heard the sewing gene may skip a generation. It did in my family. One of my daughters, Jodie, loves to sew and, believe me, she didn’t learn it from me. My mother sewed all the time, but I resisted being taught. After I was married, every once in awhile, my mother received a package in the mail from me with clothing that needed mending. And she did it—that’s the kind of mother I had. Now that my mom doesn’t sew anymore, luckily for my older sister and me, our younger sister, Sara, got the gene. Whenever the three of us are doing a sewing project, Sara gets a little impatient with Diane and me and takes over for us (just like our mom did years ago). Diane and I high-five each other, and the project gets done with Sara’s skill and our craftiness. At least we thought we were crafty—Sara has figured us out (“Did you guys just high-five each other?”) but she would rather get it done quickly than listen to Diane and me whine.
Shirley, however, always loved to sew and she got very good at it. She has done a slew of wedding and prom dresses. One of her most challenging weddings involved 18 southern belle dresses—the wedding gown, mother of the bride, mother of the groom, all the bridesmaids and flower girl dresses. Some of the dresses needed to be altered before the wedding because the younger kids kept growing.
Shirley made a crab and a salmon costume for Bellingham Cold Storage for the Ski to Sea Parade (Mount Baker to Puget Sound). They took first place that year. Hmm, was it the costumes? Shirley also makes trick riding costumes and has made a lot of horse show costumes.
Joe and Shirley Reilly moved to Ephrata in 1994 when Joe became the manager for Fekkes Dairy. He now works for Excel Dairy Services, servicing the refrigeration needs of all the dairies in the area. He is also the Dexter washing machine go-to-person since no one else on this side of the mountains knows how to service the dairy washing machines.
Shirley started out as the delivery driver for Cobies Dry Cleaning, and one day they asked her if she knew of anyone who sewed. “Why, yes, I believe I do,” said Shirley. Her Custom Sewing and Alterations business was born. She then began doing the sewing and alterations for all of Cobies pick up locations. There was so much work, they hired someone for the Moses Lake store, but Shirley still does the work for Ephrata and Othello. She now works for House Laundry, 259 Alder Street in Ephrata.
Nowadays, Shirley does a lot of zippers, hems, and mending. Instead of bringing in extra money, her sewing is now done with a deeper purpose. Every hem she adjusts and every zipper she puts in goes to support her husband’s medical treatments.
Joe Reilly, a type 1 diabetic, was put on kidney dialysis almost a year ago. He travels to Moses Lake to the Fresenius Medical Center for dialysis. This takes almost five hours each time, and he does it three times a week. 15 hours of dialysis on top of his busy jobs, but Joe doesn’t complain. The football season was the best for his hours of dialysis, but Shirley bought him a portable DVD player so now he watches movies if there isn’t anything on television.
Joe actually feels better now that his blood is being filtered through the dialysis. However, once somebody starts dialysis there is no going back. Joe was put on the National Donor Registry for a kidney, which has since been upgraded to a kidney/pancreas transplant. A person can be on the registry anywhere from six months to two years, and they just found out Joe is now really close to the top of the registry. This is a bittersweet time for Joe and Shirley, because they know that for Joe to get his transplant, someone has to die. Although a kidney donor can be living, a pancreas/kidney donor will need to be deceased.
I have been taking our dry cleaning to House Laundry for a year and a half now. Shirley is always so positive and upbeat, I didn’t have a clue what she and her husband were going through until last week. I was dropping off some dry cleaning and wasn’t sure who I was going to write about for my series on small business owners. I had a partial column, but needed something to fill it in with. Shirley, in her unassuming way, told me about her sewing business and then she asked me, “Would it be too bold for me to ask people to pray for my husband?” That got my attention because the columns where I have talked about Christian values are the columns I get the most positive feedback on. I know my readers will be thrilled to pray for Joe.
I got out my driver’s license to make sure there was a heart symbol with the word ‘donor’ on it. I may not be able to help Joe, but if something should happen to me down the road, I hope my family realizes how much I would have been honored to be a donor and help someone else live.
Thank you, Shirley, for sharing your story. Joe, be prepared for the phone call. There is strength in numbers and the good people of Ephrata are praying for you.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Love Thy Neighbor
Grant County Journal
Love thy neighbor
February 21, 2011
Written by Janet Warren
I’m tempted to call her The Bread Lady. She orders 30 loaves of frozen bread dough every two weeks so she can bake it and give it away. However, after meeting Marie Tasker and talking to her neighbors, I’ve discerned that it’s really not about bread.
Marie was born in Maryland and married Cortney Tasker, a coal miner, when she was 17. A few years later, in 1943, Cort was drafted into the army. He was discharged on Christmas Day, 1946, and mined for another year in Maryland. Cort met some men in the army who convinced him that if he moved to Washington, he could make a living on top of the ground, instead of miles underneath it mining coal. Cort and Marie took a train from Maryland to Chicago, changed to another train line, and ended up in Tacoma where Cort eventually learned the skill of apiculture. He became a beekeeper, which he loved. Cort brought his bees to eastern Washington to pollinate the fruit trees. He met the Bairs during the early years, and when he returned to Fife, where he and Marie lived, he told her stories of the Bair boys who were driving tractors when most boys their age in the East were riding bicycles.
Cort and Marie fell in love with eastern Washington and moved to Ephrata in 1990. They bought a house right across from Bill and Barbara Hewitt, which has turned out to be a blessing in Marie’s life. Cort continued to make his living at beekeeping until he retired a few years before he died in 1998. Even though Marie’s five sisters, who live on the east coast, want her to move closer to them, Marie can’t bear the thought of leaving Ephrata and not being buried next to her beloved Cortney.
It was through Dorothy Bair that I met Marie. Dorothy wanted to treat Marie and asked Glen to come with her to Marie’s house to perform some of his cowboy poetry and songs. Marie decided to turn it into a luncheon and invited her neighbors, Bill and Barbara Hewitt. Marie told Dorothy she could bring a friend, and I got to be that friend. After spending the afternoon laughing and getting to know Marie Tasker and her neighbors, I knew I would be back to spend more time with them.
A few weeks later, I met with Marie, Bill, Barbara, and Angel (their Shih-Poo). Many of you probably know the Hewitts. Bill Hewitt worked for the Bureau of Reclamation and after he retired, he served as a PUD commissioner for 10 years. He has also served on the Ephrata School Board and is now serving on the Senior Center’s Board of Directors. Bill practices what he preached to his children while they were growing up: “If you do things for people, there are great rewards.”
Barbara and Bill turned down many job opportunities in order to raise their children, Michelle and Greg in Ephrata. Barbara loved the close-knit community, and everyone was on the same page when it came to parenting. Once in awhile, however, life in a small town was a bit annoying. One day, Bill had a little fun sliding their car on the icy street with young Greg. Before he and Greg got home, someone had tattled to Barbara that “Bill isn’t doing right by your son.”
Greg and Michelle are both teachers. Michelle lives in Monroe, Washington, and has taken a break from teaching to raise her three children. Greg teaches at Parkway and has two children. The grandchildren are a big source of delight for the Hewitts, and they have shared them with Marie. Although Marie and Cort never had children, Marie collects grandchildren. Angel looks out for Marie and starts to dance when it’s time to go to Grandma Marie’s house. Lately, Angel has been guarding both sides of the street and has a different bark when someone drives into Marie’s driveway.
Barbara always checks Marie’s blinds in the morning from across the street. If they are open, it is a signal that everything is fine over at Marie’s home. Once when Marie went outside without a coat, Bill called from across the street: “Where’s your coat, Marie? It’s cold outside.” Marie retorted with, “You guys watch me too close.” Marie realizes she is lucky to have neighbors like Bill and Barbara, but the Hewitts feel blessed to have Marie as a neighbor too. Marie sent Bill home with a box of Barbara’s favorite ice cream bars, which Bill tried to hide. “It’s okay, Marie,” said Barbara, “I found them. There are only so many places you can hide ice cream.”
I believe Marie is in such good shape physically at almost 90 because she walks everywhere. She leaves a note for the Hewitts on her kitchen table so they won’t worry if they pop in and she has gone for a walk. Marie also gives so much of herself to other people. She hosts a Christian Bible Study every week, complete with food. She watches out for the Hewitts and other people in her neighborhood, and there is always a fresh loaf of baked bread as her token of love to her neighbors and friends.
A religious leader, Spencer W. Kimball once said that by serving other people, we put our own problems in a fresher perspective. “When we concern ourselves more with others, there is less time to be concerned with ourselves! In the midst of the miracle of serving, there is the promise of Jesus that by losing ourselves, we find ourselves!”
Marie has found herself. One of her favorite quotes is, “I am too blessed to be stressed.” Bill tells people he wants to grow up to be just like Marie. As I left Marie’s home, with my loaf of bread tucked under my arm, I thought to myself, “So do I, Marie, so do I.”
Love thy neighbor
February 21, 2011
Written by Janet Warren
I’m tempted to call her The Bread Lady. She orders 30 loaves of frozen bread dough every two weeks so she can bake it and give it away. However, after meeting Marie Tasker and talking to her neighbors, I’ve discerned that it’s really not about bread.
Marie was born in Maryland and married Cortney Tasker, a coal miner, when she was 17. A few years later, in 1943, Cort was drafted into the army. He was discharged on Christmas Day, 1946, and mined for another year in Maryland. Cort met some men in the army who convinced him that if he moved to Washington, he could make a living on top of the ground, instead of miles underneath it mining coal. Cort and Marie took a train from Maryland to Chicago, changed to another train line, and ended up in Tacoma where Cort eventually learned the skill of apiculture. He became a beekeeper, which he loved. Cort brought his bees to eastern Washington to pollinate the fruit trees. He met the Bairs during the early years, and when he returned to Fife, where he and Marie lived, he told her stories of the Bair boys who were driving tractors when most boys their age in the East were riding bicycles.
Cort and Marie fell in love with eastern Washington and moved to Ephrata in 1990. They bought a house right across from Bill and Barbara Hewitt, which has turned out to be a blessing in Marie’s life. Cort continued to make his living at beekeeping until he retired a few years before he died in 1998. Even though Marie’s five sisters, who live on the east coast, want her to move closer to them, Marie can’t bear the thought of leaving Ephrata and not being buried next to her beloved Cortney.
It was through Dorothy Bair that I met Marie. Dorothy wanted to treat Marie and asked Glen to come with her to Marie’s house to perform some of his cowboy poetry and songs. Marie decided to turn it into a luncheon and invited her neighbors, Bill and Barbara Hewitt. Marie told Dorothy she could bring a friend, and I got to be that friend. After spending the afternoon laughing and getting to know Marie Tasker and her neighbors, I knew I would be back to spend more time with them.
A few weeks later, I met with Marie, Bill, Barbara, and Angel (their Shih-Poo). Many of you probably know the Hewitts. Bill Hewitt worked for the Bureau of Reclamation and after he retired, he served as a PUD commissioner for 10 years. He has also served on the Ephrata School Board and is now serving on the Senior Center’s Board of Directors. Bill practices what he preached to his children while they were growing up: “If you do things for people, there are great rewards.”
Barbara and Bill turned down many job opportunities in order to raise their children, Michelle and Greg in Ephrata. Barbara loved the close-knit community, and everyone was on the same page when it came to parenting. Once in awhile, however, life in a small town was a bit annoying. One day, Bill had a little fun sliding their car on the icy street with young Greg. Before he and Greg got home, someone had tattled to Barbara that “Bill isn’t doing right by your son.”
Greg and Michelle are both teachers. Michelle lives in Monroe, Washington, and has taken a break from teaching to raise her three children. Greg teaches at Parkway and has two children. The grandchildren are a big source of delight for the Hewitts, and they have shared them with Marie. Although Marie and Cort never had children, Marie collects grandchildren. Angel looks out for Marie and starts to dance when it’s time to go to Grandma Marie’s house. Lately, Angel has been guarding both sides of the street and has a different bark when someone drives into Marie’s driveway.
Barbara always checks Marie’s blinds in the morning from across the street. If they are open, it is a signal that everything is fine over at Marie’s home. Once when Marie went outside without a coat, Bill called from across the street: “Where’s your coat, Marie? It’s cold outside.” Marie retorted with, “You guys watch me too close.” Marie realizes she is lucky to have neighbors like Bill and Barbara, but the Hewitts feel blessed to have Marie as a neighbor too. Marie sent Bill home with a box of Barbara’s favorite ice cream bars, which Bill tried to hide. “It’s okay, Marie,” said Barbara, “I found them. There are only so many places you can hide ice cream.”
I believe Marie is in such good shape physically at almost 90 because she walks everywhere. She leaves a note for the Hewitts on her kitchen table so they won’t worry if they pop in and she has gone for a walk. Marie also gives so much of herself to other people. She hosts a Christian Bible Study every week, complete with food. She watches out for the Hewitts and other people in her neighborhood, and there is always a fresh loaf of baked bread as her token of love to her neighbors and friends.
A religious leader, Spencer W. Kimball once said that by serving other people, we put our own problems in a fresher perspective. “When we concern ourselves more with others, there is less time to be concerned with ourselves! In the midst of the miracle of serving, there is the promise of Jesus that by losing ourselves, we find ourselves!”
Marie has found herself. One of her favorite quotes is, “I am too blessed to be stressed.” Bill tells people he wants to grow up to be just like Marie. As I left Marie’s home, with my loaf of bread tucked under my arm, I thought to myself, “So do I, Marie, so do I.”
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Monday, February 7, 2011
Community Support
Grant County Journal
Community support
February 7, 2011
Written by Janet Warren
February is the month of love so it is only fitting that I tell you some love stories. They probably aren’t the kind of love stories you are used to, but love stories they are.
I met Loretta Swager when I substituted at the Middle School. She volunteers at a pregnancy support center, and through her I met Marge Ashenbrenner and Carol Millard. Many of the people I write about in this column are friends of a friend. Ephrata is full of exceptional people.
What is now known as Pregnancy Support Service of Ephrata has been in existence in Ephrata since May 1984. Marge Ashenbrenner has been the director since late 1985 and has seen it go through many transitions. In 2004, she said, “We felt a need in Ephrata to be under a more vibrant umbrella as far as research, so we went with Heartbeat, an international Pro Life group.” They have been housed in three different offices, but for the last two years have been located at 153 4th Avenue NW. The office is cozy and intimate, but Marge stressed that all of the work done on it has been strictly through volunteers. The organization is run on donations, but those donations go to buy literature, pregnancy tests, pay the rent and the phone bill. Churches and individuals donate on a regular basis and Knights of Columbus split the profits of their annual golf tournament between Ephrata and Moses Lake. A small group of volunteers man the office. Besides Marge and Carol, there are four other volunteers: Barbara Cherf, Loretta Swager, Sandra Zeigler and Mona Kaiser. Marge told me, “I have never enjoyed a group of ladies as much as the ones I’ve met here. They’re very committed and giving—not only materially, but of their time. They are here because they really care.”
Pregnancy Support Service of Ephrata is mostly about information. A girl can come in to get a pregnancy test and, regardless of the outcome of the test, they spend a few minutes talking with one of the volunteers. The girl leaves with as much information as she wants. They have brochures on relationships, abortion, abstinence, contraceptives, adoption, STDs, and fetal development. Even though the organization is strictly Pro Life and does not promote abortion, they don’t sugarcoat the other alternatives either. Whether the girl decides to put the baby up for adoption, raise it as a single mother, or abort it, there are emotional and physical consequences. Even marrying the father at such a young age has its own hardships and the volunteers spell it out for their clients.
Both Marge and Carol agree that one of the biggest heartaches of the job is that they only have 20 minutes and the girl is out the door. They’d like to be able to hang on to them, but there are no obligations for the girl. She is told that if she brings in the baby after birth, they will give her a layette. I got a peek in their layette room and there are some beautiful items. Two of the churches in the area give baby showers once a year for them and donate items they have made or collected throughout the year.
Most girls tend to raise their children as single mothers. As Carol told me, “When I first started here 13 years ago, girls would come in afraid of what to tell their parents. Now it doesn’t seem to be such a big deal.” There is no longer a social stigma of being an unwed mother. I asked what kept the volunteers there, since it does seem depressing to see children bringing other children into the world. “If you can plant a seed, maybe someone else down the line can add to it,” said Marge. “We just try to get them to think.” Carol added that once in a great while someone will come back and say thank you. A bright spot occurred when a married woman who had been having trouble getting pregnant came in for a pregnancy test, and they all celebrated a positive result. All of the volunteers have one thing in common—a love and passion for children, both the expectant girl and the unborn baby.
I was hoping to find out that many of these girls give their babies up for adoption, but apparently “adoption” is a dirty word. I wish I could talk to these young girls before they get pregnant. If I could tell them one thing it would be to wait. Wait until you find the love of your life and you are both mature enough to start a family. My friend’s husband once told her, “I love your stretch marks because each one tells a love story.” I would tell them they deserve a husband like that.
Community support
February 7, 2011
Written by Janet Warren
February is the month of love so it is only fitting that I tell you some love stories. They probably aren’t the kind of love stories you are used to, but love stories they are.
I met Loretta Swager when I substituted at the Middle School. She volunteers at a pregnancy support center, and through her I met Marge Ashenbrenner and Carol Millard. Many of the people I write about in this column are friends of a friend. Ephrata is full of exceptional people.
What is now known as Pregnancy Support Service of Ephrata has been in existence in Ephrata since May 1984. Marge Ashenbrenner has been the director since late 1985 and has seen it go through many transitions. In 2004, she said, “We felt a need in Ephrata to be under a more vibrant umbrella as far as research, so we went with Heartbeat, an international Pro Life group.” They have been housed in three different offices, but for the last two years have been located at 153 4th Avenue NW. The office is cozy and intimate, but Marge stressed that all of the work done on it has been strictly through volunteers. The organization is run on donations, but those donations go to buy literature, pregnancy tests, pay the rent and the phone bill. Churches and individuals donate on a regular basis and Knights of Columbus split the profits of their annual golf tournament between Ephrata and Moses Lake. A small group of volunteers man the office. Besides Marge and Carol, there are four other volunteers: Barbara Cherf, Loretta Swager, Sandra Zeigler and Mona Kaiser. Marge told me, “I have never enjoyed a group of ladies as much as the ones I’ve met here. They’re very committed and giving—not only materially, but of their time. They are here because they really care.”
Pregnancy Support Service of Ephrata is mostly about information. A girl can come in to get a pregnancy test and, regardless of the outcome of the test, they spend a few minutes talking with one of the volunteers. The girl leaves with as much information as she wants. They have brochures on relationships, abortion, abstinence, contraceptives, adoption, STDs, and fetal development. Even though the organization is strictly Pro Life and does not promote abortion, they don’t sugarcoat the other alternatives either. Whether the girl decides to put the baby up for adoption, raise it as a single mother, or abort it, there are emotional and physical consequences. Even marrying the father at such a young age has its own hardships and the volunteers spell it out for their clients.
Both Marge and Carol agree that one of the biggest heartaches of the job is that they only have 20 minutes and the girl is out the door. They’d like to be able to hang on to them, but there are no obligations for the girl. She is told that if she brings in the baby after birth, they will give her a layette. I got a peek in their layette room and there are some beautiful items. Two of the churches in the area give baby showers once a year for them and donate items they have made or collected throughout the year.
Most girls tend to raise their children as single mothers. As Carol told me, “When I first started here 13 years ago, girls would come in afraid of what to tell their parents. Now it doesn’t seem to be such a big deal.” There is no longer a social stigma of being an unwed mother. I asked what kept the volunteers there, since it does seem depressing to see children bringing other children into the world. “If you can plant a seed, maybe someone else down the line can add to it,” said Marge. “We just try to get them to think.” Carol added that once in a great while someone will come back and say thank you. A bright spot occurred when a married woman who had been having trouble getting pregnant came in for a pregnancy test, and they all celebrated a positive result. All of the volunteers have one thing in common—a love and passion for children, both the expectant girl and the unborn baby.
I was hoping to find out that many of these girls give their babies up for adoption, but apparently “adoption” is a dirty word. I wish I could talk to these young girls before they get pregnant. If I could tell them one thing it would be to wait. Wait until you find the love of your life and you are both mature enough to start a family. My friend’s husband once told her, “I love your stretch marks because each one tells a love story.” I would tell them they deserve a husband like that.
Local Businesses--Heart of a Small Town
Grant County Journal
January 31, 2011
Local businesses—heart of a small town
Written by Janet Warren
It happened one windy night in Ephrata, 18 to 20 years ago, about the same time Safeway started staying open 24 hours (as if that wasn’t excitement enough). Leslie Underwood-Hovland, owner of Leslie’s Level Cut had come down to her shop to rearrange the fans placed to dry out carpet that had been cleaned earlier in the day. While she was there she thought she’d throw a little purple rinse on her hair and spend a few minutes in the tanning bed listening to music. A relaxing end to a hectic day, she thought, as she discarded her layers of clothing, one by one, like a trail of breadcrumbs leading to the back room. After awhile, she thought she heard a noise. “Oh no, did I forget to lock the door?” Leslie thought as she began to panic. She got out of the tanning bed and carefully peeked her head around the door looking straight into the drawn firearm of Officer Dan Bohnet, one of Ephrata’s finest. “Dan, do you think I could get my clothes on while you finish yelling at me?” Leslie politely asked.
After Leslie dressed she found not only Officer Bohnet in her shop, but other police officers, her landlord, and her son. She thinks there may have even been emergency response personnel. “You know when parents are so relieved to find out you’re okay they want to kill you? Well, that’s the kind of mad Dan was,” Leslie explained. “Didn’t you hear the alarm, Leslie?” Dan shouted. She was in the tanning bed, with the music cranked up, so no, she did not hear the alarm.
The alarm, it turns out, was due to a door being left unlocked at Ace Hardware. The wind blew it slightly open and set off the alarm, then the door closed and the alarm stopped; opened, alarm… closed, no alarm. You get the picture. When police arrived, there were no cars in the parking lot except Leslie’s. They looked in the window and saw her clothes on the floor and thought for sure this was going to end badly. “For years, Dan couldn’t even look me in the eyes for fear he would start cracking up,” Leslie said. Sergeant Bohnet was unavailable for comment, but I couldn’t let him retire next month without telling this story. You’re welcome, Dan.
Leslie has been a small business owner in Ephrata for over 30 years. Her father worked as an electrician in many projects in the Pacific Northwest, including the construction of the dams on the Columbia River. Leslie enrolled in beauty school in Wenatchee, but when she graduated in the 70s, the country was in a recession. She saw an ad for a hairstylist in Ephrata at Jane’s Beauty Shop, so Leslie ran up to Ephrata to see what she had to offer. By the time she left to go back to Wenatchee, she had a job, a house rented, and a babysitter hired. “I am grateful for that first job;” Leslie said, “Jane really taught me to work.”
Leslie’s father died in 1978 and left her $5,000. With that money, she began her own business, something she and her father had talked about. His only request was that she use “Leslie” as part of the business name. Many names were batted around by Leslie and her friends, but they settled on Leslie’s Level Cut. With her father gone, many people stepped into Leslie’s life and became her go-to people. Jim Deer helped her buy a home and Steve Billingslee assisted her in getting a reliable car. Les Parr was instrumental in Leslie’s business start up.
Nels Hansen and Lowell Moore were on Leslie’s board of directors and supported her. Nels became Leslie’s mentor. She said he always asked her the same question: “Well, now Leslie—is that something you can do anything about? Then don’t worry about it. Only deal with stuff you can do something about.” We all need to take that advice.
Leslie said Ephrata is a goldmine of quality people. Even though she had many opportunities to leave over the years, she chose to stay and raise her children here. “There was great support for a single mom here in Ephrata,” Leslie said. All three of Leslie’s children helped out in the shop by emptying garbage, folding towels, and sweeping hair. Her son Randy (who is married to Randi) still lives in Ephrata and is his mom’s right-hand man when it comes to repairing things in the shop. They have two daughters, Jayme and Haley. Leslie’s daughter Chelsey also lives here with her daughter Hayden. Leslie’s other daughter, Lynette, lives in Seattle.
Leslie credits much of her success to her 10 years of being involved with Washington State Hair Fashion Committee. She was taught the latest techniques in hair fashion and sent out to teach them in salons in the Pacific Northwest, usually on a Sunday and Monday so she could continue working her own salon. She considered it a great opportunity for free education which she in turn gifted to other people.
I was curious about the differences between when she first opened her business and now. “In the beginning,” Leslie said, “I had shampoo sets all day, and most of my clients I saw every week. Now it’s changed to more clients wanting a good cut and color and I see them once a month. I have more men now, too. They want to be able to make an appointment and get in and out.” Another difference Leslie sees is that her geographic base has changed. In the beginning her clients were mainly from Coulee City and Ephrata. Now they come from Ephrata, Coulee City, Quincy, Moses Lake, Hartline, Almira, Wilbur, and Grand Coulee. Leslie attributes that to Ephrata becoming a destination point with the building of Wal-Mart, Rite-Aid and Safeway.
Leslie has been in business so long, she is now cutting hair of a third generation, but she doesn’t think she will ever retire. “Why should I retire? I love what I do and I love my clients. You can’t ask for a better profession to be able to schedule around other things you want to do.” Here’s to another 30 years, Leslie.
This column is the first in my series on small business owners. I will try to feature one every month.
January 31, 2011
Local businesses—heart of a small town
Written by Janet Warren
It happened one windy night in Ephrata, 18 to 20 years ago, about the same time Safeway started staying open 24 hours (as if that wasn’t excitement enough). Leslie Underwood-Hovland, owner of Leslie’s Level Cut had come down to her shop to rearrange the fans placed to dry out carpet that had been cleaned earlier in the day. While she was there she thought she’d throw a little purple rinse on her hair and spend a few minutes in the tanning bed listening to music. A relaxing end to a hectic day, she thought, as she discarded her layers of clothing, one by one, like a trail of breadcrumbs leading to the back room. After awhile, she thought she heard a noise. “Oh no, did I forget to lock the door?” Leslie thought as she began to panic. She got out of the tanning bed and carefully peeked her head around the door looking straight into the drawn firearm of Officer Dan Bohnet, one of Ephrata’s finest. “Dan, do you think I could get my clothes on while you finish yelling at me?” Leslie politely asked.
After Leslie dressed she found not only Officer Bohnet in her shop, but other police officers, her landlord, and her son. She thinks there may have even been emergency response personnel. “You know when parents are so relieved to find out you’re okay they want to kill you? Well, that’s the kind of mad Dan was,” Leslie explained. “Didn’t you hear the alarm, Leslie?” Dan shouted. She was in the tanning bed, with the music cranked up, so no, she did not hear the alarm.
The alarm, it turns out, was due to a door being left unlocked at Ace Hardware. The wind blew it slightly open and set off the alarm, then the door closed and the alarm stopped; opened, alarm… closed, no alarm. You get the picture. When police arrived, there were no cars in the parking lot except Leslie’s. They looked in the window and saw her clothes on the floor and thought for sure this was going to end badly. “For years, Dan couldn’t even look me in the eyes for fear he would start cracking up,” Leslie said. Sergeant Bohnet was unavailable for comment, but I couldn’t let him retire next month without telling this story. You’re welcome, Dan.
Leslie has been a small business owner in Ephrata for over 30 years. Her father worked as an electrician in many projects in the Pacific Northwest, including the construction of the dams on the Columbia River. Leslie enrolled in beauty school in Wenatchee, but when she graduated in the 70s, the country was in a recession. She saw an ad for a hairstylist in Ephrata at Jane’s Beauty Shop, so Leslie ran up to Ephrata to see what she had to offer. By the time she left to go back to Wenatchee, she had a job, a house rented, and a babysitter hired. “I am grateful for that first job;” Leslie said, “Jane really taught me to work.”
Leslie’s father died in 1978 and left her $5,000. With that money, she began her own business, something she and her father had talked about. His only request was that she use “Leslie” as part of the business name. Many names were batted around by Leslie and her friends, but they settled on Leslie’s Level Cut. With her father gone, many people stepped into Leslie’s life and became her go-to people. Jim Deer helped her buy a home and Steve Billingslee assisted her in getting a reliable car. Les Parr was instrumental in Leslie’s business start up.
Nels Hansen and Lowell Moore were on Leslie’s board of directors and supported her. Nels became Leslie’s mentor. She said he always asked her the same question: “Well, now Leslie—is that something you can do anything about? Then don’t worry about it. Only deal with stuff you can do something about.” We all need to take that advice.
Leslie said Ephrata is a goldmine of quality people. Even though she had many opportunities to leave over the years, she chose to stay and raise her children here. “There was great support for a single mom here in Ephrata,” Leslie said. All three of Leslie’s children helped out in the shop by emptying garbage, folding towels, and sweeping hair. Her son Randy (who is married to Randi) still lives in Ephrata and is his mom’s right-hand man when it comes to repairing things in the shop. They have two daughters, Jayme and Haley. Leslie’s daughter Chelsey also lives here with her daughter Hayden. Leslie’s other daughter, Lynette, lives in Seattle.
Leslie credits much of her success to her 10 years of being involved with Washington State Hair Fashion Committee. She was taught the latest techniques in hair fashion and sent out to teach them in salons in the Pacific Northwest, usually on a Sunday and Monday so she could continue working her own salon. She considered it a great opportunity for free education which she in turn gifted to other people.
I was curious about the differences between when she first opened her business and now. “In the beginning,” Leslie said, “I had shampoo sets all day, and most of my clients I saw every week. Now it’s changed to more clients wanting a good cut and color and I see them once a month. I have more men now, too. They want to be able to make an appointment and get in and out.” Another difference Leslie sees is that her geographic base has changed. In the beginning her clients were mainly from Coulee City and Ephrata. Now they come from Ephrata, Coulee City, Quincy, Moses Lake, Hartline, Almira, Wilbur, and Grand Coulee. Leslie attributes that to Ephrata becoming a destination point with the building of Wal-Mart, Rite-Aid and Safeway.
Leslie has been in business so long, she is now cutting hair of a third generation, but she doesn’t think she will ever retire. “Why should I retire? I love what I do and I love my clients. You can’t ask for a better profession to be able to schedule around other things you want to do.” Here’s to another 30 years, Leslie.
This column is the first in my series on small business owners. I will try to feature one every month.
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