Food Ball kickoff is Nov. 7

A good cause can’t undo a healthy rivalry, and in the case of Food Ball, the rivalry fuels the good cause.

Pushing into its 33rd year, Food Ball is a charitable competition between Hoquiam and Aberdeen schools, each school looking to edge the other out by gathering more donations for local food banks.

In recent years, the two schools combined have donated 1 million pounds of food and in-kind monetary contributions annually, collecting a record 1,062,990 pounds in 2007.

Last year, the schools contributed the equivalent of 1,029,970 pounds to local food banks, either in monetary donations or actual food.

“It’s not all about winning Food Ball — it helps everyone,” Aberdeen High School senior and student council Executive President Eric Fitzpatrick said.

But beneath the spirit of community service and giving lies the competitiveness of a 100-year-old rivalry.

“While everybody wins through Food Ball, we’re really happy when it’s us,” Hoquiam High School senior and Associated Student Body President Emily Gwinn said.

Both schools said they lost no time getting started, beginning plans for the 10-day fundraising push during the first week of school.

“We’re excited to see the boundaries we can push,” Hoquiam senior and class Treasurer Chandra Munger said. “It’s like (leadership adviser Bonnie Jump) always says, ‘It’s not about beating Aberdeen, it’s about beating the year before.’ ”

Hoquiam has won for four consecutive years.

Last year, Hoquiam gathered 622,912.9 pounds, nearly 216,000 pounds more than Aberdeen, which collected 407,057 pounds.

“We’re going for a five-year winning streak, and you don’t want to be the year that loses it,” Gwinn said.

The urge to win isn’t limited to Hoquiam — Aberdeen students are vying to end the Hoquiam streak.

“Every Aberdeen kid loves to try to beat Hoquiam,” Fitzpatrick said. “We want to make every year the year that we win.”

The competitive nature of the two schools is not only long-lived, it’s also helpful.

“The competition is used as motivation,” Aberdeen senior and Executive Vice President Yulisa Morelia said.

And it creates results.

“Without the competition, this wouldn’t be nearly as successful as it is,” Fitzgerald said. “We wouldn’t have been able to raise the equivalent of 1 million pounds of food without it.”

It’s a fun event for both towns — a series of fundraisers including canvassing at local businesses and two joint events:

• A dodgeball game between the two schools from 6 p.m.-9 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 10, at Aberdeen High School’s Sam Benn Gym.

• A variety show at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 14, at Hoquiam High School’s Little Theater.

Canvassing will have students from both schools soliciting donations, almost to the point of annoyance.

“People sometimes give us a donation just to get us to go away,” Hoquiam senior and class President Nick Lindseth said.

Both schools are trying new tactics in their fundraising efforts.

Aberdeen will hold a Foodball Carnival at the school gym from 6 p.m.-9 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 7. Admission is $3 or three cans of food.

Hoquiam will expand their annual Food Ball dessert night into dinner, dessert, dancing and an auction on Saturday, Nov. 15, at the Student Center. Dinner begins at 5:30 p.m., followed by the auction at 7 p.m. The school also plans to reach out to the Ocean Shores community during a movie night on Saturday, Nov. 8.

While the student leaders can organize events until they’re blue in the face, it wouldn’t mean much without the support of their peers and the community.

“The biggest challenge is motivating other people,” Fitzgerald said. “We can plan all of this, but none of it works without other people helping.”

Each extra penny helps.

“If everyone just gave a little more, cumulatively it’d be a lot,” Gwinn said.

The competition culminates with a weigh-in at 5 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 17, at the Grays Harbor PUD, 2720 Sumner Ave. in Aberdeen.

Both schools feel the anticipation as the food is weighed.

“It’s nerve racking,” Lindseth said. “Last year we definitely thought we had them beat, but you never know until both schools are weighed.”

When the dust clears and the cheering ends, there’s no trophy to take home and no banner to hang in the gym. In the end, the reward surrounds the students in their communities. “You can see the direct results,” Fitzpatrick said. “We live in a pretty impoverished community, and you can see who you’re helping.”

Because of donations and efforts like Food Ball, somebody will eat a meal they may not have had otherwise — it could be any random Wednesday night meal for an individual, or Thanksgiving dinner for a struggling family.

“When you win Food Ball it’s just rewarding but, more than anything, no matter what you do, your hard work is worth the effort,” Munger said.

Main events include:

Aberdeen

• Friday, Nov. 7 — Kick off assembly at 2:15 p.m.

• Saturday, Nov. 8 — Rock and Bowl at Rainier Lanes, 9 p.m.-11 p.m.

• Sunday, Nov. 9 — Aberdeen Community Blitz, all day.

• Tuesday, Nov. 11 — Aberdeen McTakover, 5 p.m.-8 p.m.

• Wednesday, Nov. 12 — Mazatlan Takeover, 5 p.m.-8 p.m.

• Thursday, Nov. 11 — Muscle Beach Volleyball at Sam Benn Gym, 5 p.m.-7 p.m.

• Saturday, Nov. 15 — Powderpuff 10-1 p.m. at Stewart Field.

• Sunday, Nov. 16 — Canvassing all day.

Hoquiam

• Friday, Nov. 7 — Kickoff Parade and canvassing at 4 p.m., followed by Grizzly Den takeover from 4 p.m.-7 p.m.

• Saturday, Nov. 8 —Coffee take over and Movie Night at Ocean Shores Cinema.

• Sunday, Nov. 9 — Luncheon at Hoquiam High School from 1 p.m.-3 p.m.

• Monday, Nov. 10 — McTakeover at Hoquiam McDonalds from 4 p.m.-7 p.m.

• Wednesday, Nov. 12 — Passport Cafe from 4 p.m.-7 p.m.

• Thursday, Nov. 13 — Subway takeover, 3 p.m.-7 p.m.

Drop-off locations are at Emerson, Central, Lincoln, Hoquiam Middle School, Hoquiam High School and Timberland Bank’s Hoquiam branch.

New Greater Grays Harbor CEO settling in

Retention and expansion of existing businesses are at the top of the list for the newly hired chief executive officer at Greater Grays Harbor Inc.

Dru Garson took the helm of the organization on Sept. 15 and brings with him experience and a familiarity with issues facing the Harbor.

Garson, originally of New York, spent the last 11 years in Juneau, Alaska, working for the Department of Commerce and Economic Development as a development specialist.

“I was looking for a new opportunity, and coming here there were similar issues I could work on to what I had worked on in Alaska,” Garson said.

In Alaska, Garson, 43, also worked to strengthen a natural resource-based economy, much like the economy supporting the Harbor.

Stepping into the position with Greater Grays Harbor, an organization that combines elements of a typical chamber of commerce and an economic development agency, meant added responsibilities, which Garson embraced.

“The opportunity to take on a leadership role by coming to Greater Grays Harbor was of interest to me,” he said.

Garson replaced former CEO Tim Gibbs who resigned in May to be closer to his family in Kentucky.

At recent council and commission meetings, Garson has been quick to say his tenure with the organization is relatively fresh, and rather than look at the past, he’s more interested in looking at and discussing the future.

What the future holds currently is not set in stone, and he shied away from details, saying he’d know more when the board nails down a budget in January, but he did offer some bullet points including retention of businesses on the Harbor and expansion of current businesses.

“We’re looking at ways to work with existing businesses to make them stronger,” he said.

Additionally, Greater Grays Harbor will look to attract not just new business, but new industries to the Harbor, he said.

“New industries will help bolster the economy,” Garson said.

One of the ways Garson plans to tackle the issue is by bringing on a business development position after the New Year.

“That person will help attract and recruit new businesses and opportunities throughout the county,” he said.

His vision extends into operations at the visitors center.

“At the visitor information center, I see our role as directing people to businesses in Grays Harbor,” he said. “We will be looking to convince visitors to overnight on the Harbor and spend money here while they’re on their way to the beaches and parks.”

Expenses and ideas sometimes are at odds with goals, and that’s one of the hurdles facing the organization.

“How do you grow an economy with limited resources?” he said. “And that’s the case with most communities.”

Nothing happens overnight, and everything is contingent upon the upcoming budget, but Garson is optimistic about the future of the organization and Grays Harbor in general.

For those with ideas or concerns, Garson has an open-door policy.

“I want people to know that I’m available and that I want to learn about any potential projects that can help Grays Harbor,” he said.

For information or to schedule an appointment with Garson, call Greater Grays Harbor at 532-7888.

Lynne Lerych - How do you make a musical?

How long did it take you to write “Back in the World”?

I started work on it as a non-musical in 2008. I tinkered with it, off and on, for about three years without really getting anywhere (and wrote another play in the meantime that was produced in 2011). About two and a half years ago, Alex and I decided to rescue it by turning it into a musical. We’ve been working on it pretty consistently since then.

Why did you decide to pick the topic of returning home from war?

In a way, I didn’t pick the topic – it picked me. I had written a couple of monologues early on (they later turned into the songs “Worms” and “Best and Brightest”) that were just about individual characters with no connection to each other. Eventually, I realized that both monologues were about soldiers – “Worms” is about soldiers going to war, while “Best and Brightest” is about soldiers coming home. This realization hit right about the time that the Iraq war was winding down and soldiers were coming home to a system that wasn’t prepared to give them the help they needed. The injustice of it was just something that couldn’t be ignored. And then, right when I was thinking I needed to write about a guy struggling to make it after returning from war, Brad Duffy mentioned a story he’d heard on NPR about a vet who had made it through a really rough patch and come out the other side by getting involved in counseling other vets. That story provided the structure for the plot.

Is there any personal significance in the story?

Well, there’s personal significance in everything I write. I think that’s just the way it works. But one of the little burning embers that helped to light a fire under this show was an extended online conversation I had back in 2007 & 2008 with a guy I’ve never met named Mikey. He’s a Vietnam veteran, and the perspective that he shared with me was so compelling and so detailed and so human that I asked him for permission to use some of his words in a play I was writing (it wasn’t a musical back then). He agreed, and now some of his words are in songs like “No Big Thing” and “That Ain’t Me.” Mikey made me realize that returning soldiers don’t need abstract, impersonal hero-worship. They need us to care for them, and we’re not doing a very good job of that.

How did you decide that it should be a musical?

It just wasn’t working as a straight play. I was writing monologues instead of the standard multi-character dialogues – which indicated that maybe these characters were actually singing songs instead of talking. Having worked with Alex a lot in the past, I knew what a brilliant musician he is and what a great mind he has for composition. I asked him if he’d like to collaborate and he said yes. So that was maybe the best question I’ve ever asked anyone in my life.

This is your first musical. What freedoms or constraints did you encounter?

For me as a writer, constraints are freedoms. It’s more exciting to know that what I’m writing needs to fit within certain parameters – length, rhythm, rhyme, etc. Writing songs instead of non-musical scenes means that I have boundaries I need to respect: For every stanza, every line, I need to ask will that work musically? If not, I need to write it another way. Collaborating with Alex also was more freeing than constraining because I knew that the words were my problem and the music was his. Division of labor is a cool thing.

How do you develop characters?

I create them and then just let them be who they are. With this show, once we realized what it was going to be about and that everything would revolve around the central character (Patrick), I made a list of all of the people who would affect Patrick’s ability to live his post-war life (his wife, his mother, street people, a counselor, fellow veterans) as well as the people from his past who continue to affect him in the present (his father, an army recruiter, a comrade-in-arms, an “enemy”). For me, giving them names that make sense is a crucial first step. For example, as soon as I named Patrick’s mother Violet, I already knew a lot about her because in my mind, a woman named Violet who has an adult son named Patrick who’s gone to war – well, she has a whole life to explore, and it’s my job to listen to her and try to present her story with as much emotional truth as I can.

You have been involved with Grays Harbor Community College and the Bishop Theatre for a long time, do you find yourself writing characters with actors in mind? If so, did that happen this time?

I’ve only written characters for specific actors a couple of times because that can be dangerous – what if the actor I have in mind isn’t available? But I did find, while working on Back in the World, that once Alex started composing the music that would lift up my words and make them into art, I began hearing specific voices singing. By the time we finished the complete first draft of the show – just a couple of months ago – I was consistently hearing Jerrod Phelps singing Patrick and Gary Morean singing Frank, for example. So I’m thrilled that they’re playing those roles. I’m thrilled with the entire cast.

Do you have a favorite scene or song?

Such a hard question. I really like what Alex did with the Act I finale, “Just a Job/Just a Kid.” The way he layered the various characters’ melodies is really lovely and, I think, makes my words infinitely better than they are on the page. But as far as “favorites,” for me it’s not about whole scenes or songs but individual moments. My favorite moments aren’t necessarily about my lyrics or even Alex’s melodies but about a particular performer’s ownership of that moment. There’s a kind of magic involved when the counselor, Darla (Megan Kelly) tells Patrick (Jerrod Phelps) “There is no us and them, there’s only me and you” and as she sings it, you can feel that she really means it. She believes it. Megan breaks my heart every time she sings that line. There are many, many such moments in the show.

Will “Mikey” be able to visit the event?

I emailed him to let him know about the show, but I haven’t heard back. I hadn’t been in contact with him in several years, so maybe his email address changed. And of course, since we “met” on the internet, I don’t know his last name (or even if his real first name is Mikey). The internet is an odd place. Mikey really did inspire this show, and I would love nothing more than to get him here to see it – but so far I haven’t had any luck.

If someone wants to be a playwright, what advice would you give them?

Go to the theatre a lot – like, every chance you get. All good writers become good writers through careful observation of what other good writers do. But being a playwright is different from being a novelist or a poet. You can’t just read plays – you have to go to performances because plays are meant to be produced, not read. A good playwright should also be involved in as many aspects of theatre as possible – first and foremost as an audience member, but also as an actor, designer, technician … playing all those roles really helps the playwright to understand what’s possible on stage.

What guidance did you give Alex Eddy, when writing the music?

Alex absolutely doesn’t need any guidance from me when it comes to writing music. He’s brilliant. Our work process is truly collaborative: we mapped out the show in broad outline form and decided on a particular style or feel for each song (a gospel rhythm for “Best and Brightest,” some rap for “No Big Thing,” country-ish for “Five Bucks,” etc.). Then I’d write the lyrics with that style/rhythm in mind and send them to Alex. He’d come back a few days later with a melody that just nailed it. We did this over and over again, with each song. For a while there, it was like Christmas every week because Alex would come over and sit down at my piano and play me a gift.

Were there any unexpected changes or developments that happened while rehearsing and under the direction of Brad Duffy?

Well, the theatre is all about unexpected changes and developments. It’s the most collaborative art form there is – this show wouldn’t exist without a director, performers, the set designer, the lighting designer, the set builders and painters, the costumers, the technicians who make the sets and lights and sound happen, the crew making sure things are where they need to be, the musicians playing in the orchestra pit. Every one of the 40+ people involved in this production brings his or her own talent and skill to the project – which means, yes, the show develops and grows and ultimately becomes better than the sum of its parts. And overseeing all of it, turning the chaos into order, is Brad. He’s an absolutely tireless director who always puts on a hell of a show. When he suggests a change (always suggests, never demands), he’s right pretty much 100% of the time. This is the fourth time he and I have collaborated as director/playwright, and I trust him with my work implicitly. I can count on him to take a good play and make it better.

Aberdeen hike tonight, get to know raptors tomorrow

4 Tuesday

Aberdeen

Grays Harbor Corvette meeting upstairs in the Aberdeen Top Foods meeting area. 5:30 p.m. Club meets first Tuesday of each month. 360-589-1716. 5:30 p.m.

Olympians Hiking Club will hike around Aberdeen starting at the DSHS parking lot at 7 p.m.

Harbor Haylofters square dance group meets for workshops 7-9 p.m. Tuesdays in the Aberdeen Eagles building, 208 W Market St. Dances are held the first Saturday of the month (except January) at the Aberdeen American Legion Hall, 112 W. 1st St. For more information, call 533-6235

Central Park

Election Day Dinner will take place at the Central Park United methodist Church 5-6:30 p.m. Adults $12, Seniors $10 and Children 2-12 $5, children 2 and under eat free. Bring a non-perishable food donation and receive a $2 discount.

Washington Coast

Razor clam digs begin along Washington beaches after noon and continue each day until Nov 11.

5 Wednesday

Aberdeen

Dialogues with Doc: “Tools of Reason with Socrates, Plato and Aristotle” — 10:30 a.m. to noon, Wednesday for adultss. Timberland Library 121 E Market St.

COSMOPOLiS

Cosmopolis Golden Agers will have a potluck, meeting and games at noon Wednesday in the Lions Club Hall.

Midnight Cruizers Car Club will meet at 6 p.m., Wednesday, at the Lions Club Hall. Everyone interested in hot rods is invited. For more information, call 532-8690 or 581-8080.

Montesano

Chehalis Valley Historical Society will meet at 4 p.m., Wednesday in the museum at 703 Pioneer Ave. Everyone is invited. For more information, call 249-4950. To volunteer at the museum, call 249-4950 or 532-7510.

Ocean Shores

“Get to Know Raptors.” Dr. Dan Varland, Executive Director of Coastal Raptors, speaks about identification of birds of prey that frequent our beaches. Starting at 6:30 p.m., the talks will take place at Ocean Beach Roasters, 841 Pt. Brown Ave. $8

6 Thursday

Westport

Bill Lindstrom, author, “John Tornow: Villian or Victim?” will be the guest speaker at Westport Library meeting 1 p.m.

Hoquiam

The Robert Gray Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) will meet at the Hoquiam Timberland Library, 612 K St. Bring a sack lunch at 11:30 p.m. Meeting starts at noon.

7 Friday

Aberdeen

First Friday in Aberdeen. Head downtown for art, deals and you never know what might happen along the Broadway block between Wishkah and Heron.

The 22nd Annual Fall Gala Art exhibit will take place this evening at the Spellman Art Gallery on the Grays Harbor College campus in Aberdeen from 6-8 p.m. Participating Harbor artists include Elizabeth Bolton, Kathi Butorac, Kathryn Cotnoir, Matthew Coyle, Julie Daniels, Kathryn Decker, Kathleen Graddy, Ken Hunt, Robert Hunter, Brent Knott, Susan LaMadrid, Carrie Larson, Bev King Lufkin, Ivy Moyer, Linda K. Parisi, Cayla Quinton, Erik Sandgren, Cara Beth Stevenson and Nathan Whorton.The exhibit may also be viewed through December 11 during regular library hours, which are Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Thursdays until 6 p.m., Fridays until 4:30 p.m.; and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

“Back in the World” musical, world premier is tonight at Bishop Center. The play is about a soldier returning home from war. Music is composed by Alex Eddy, words by Lynne Lerych and directed by Brad Duffy. $12 adults, $10 students. Not recommended for children because of strong language. Plays Friday &Saturday nights for the next two weeks. 7:30 p.m.

Westport

Children’s Hospital Guild Crafts Sale will take place at the Ocosta Recreation Hall today 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. and continuing through Sunday.

8 Saturday

Aberdeen

The Sons of Italy will have a Lasagna Luncheon and bake sale from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. at the St. Mary’s Parish Hall , 306 E 3rd St. Adults $8, children $4.

Ocean Shores

US Troops: We “Shore” Thank you” Businesses and community groups in Ocean Shores come together to honor veterans on the Saturday during Veterans Day weekend. at the Shilo Inn’s Banquet Room.289-4600.

Toast the Harbor Food and Wine Festival, 2-9 p.m. at the Quinault Beach Resort &Casino, presented by the Aberdeen Lions Club: http://ift.tt/1lY8KVU. Tickets at the door are $20, presale are $15

Hoquiam

“The Great Escape,” (1963) at the 7th St. Theatre in Hoquiam. Saturday at 7:30 and Sunday at 2 p.m. $5. Doors open at 7 p.m. (360) 537-7400.

Montesano

Bill Lindstrom, author, “John Tornow: Villian or Victim?” will be the guest speaker at Chehalis Valley Museum from noon - 3 p.m.

Aunta’s Angels Relay for LIfe team will host a 9-pin bowling tournament. Check in at 12:30 p.m., bolwing begins at 1 p.m. $20 Monte Lanes 222 E Wynooche Ave.

Elma

A behind the scenes look at John Tornow &the Deaths of the Bauer Twins as filmmaker, Mark Woytowich shares his outtakes, bloopers and most candid shots documenting an full-day on-site reenactment of the shooting deaths of the Bauer Twins Free. Donations accepted. Matlock Grange Hall 231 W. Homer Adams Road. 6-9 p.m.

Aberdeen

“Back in the World” musical. The play is about a soldier returning home from war. Music is composed by Alex Eddy, words by Lynne Lerych and directed by Brad Duffy. $12 adults, $10 students. Not recommended for children because of strong language. 7:30 p.m. Plays again next weekend.

Westport

The South Beach Writers Group will meet today from 12:15-2:15 p.m. in the Westport library meeting room for writers high school age an older. Bring an excerpt to read. The group meets the second Saturday of each month.

Books at the Beach will host Washington State Poet Laureate Elizabeth Austen who will share her experiences, read from her own work and help you compose your own poem. 1- 3 p.m. Westport Timberland Library

Holiday Open House at the Rose Cottage 157 W. Pacific Ave. Noon - 6 p.m.

Children’s Hospital Guild Crafts Sale will take place at the Ocosta Recreation Hall today 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.

9 Sunday

Aberdeen

Ken Albert and Christine Hill perform Christmas Favorites at Westport Winery from noon to 5 p.m., 1 South Arbor Road, off State Routhe 105. No cover charge. To make lunch reservations, call (360) 648-2224.

Westport

Children’s Hospital Guild Crafts Sale will take place at the Ocosta Recreation Hall today 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. and continuing through Sunday.

11 Tuesday

Washington State Parks will celebrate Veterans Day with a FREE DAY. A Discover Pass is not required to visit state parks. The Discover Pass is required to visit recreation lands managed by the Department of Fish and Wildlife and Department of Natural Resources.

14 Friday

Aberdeen

“Back in the World” musical. The play is about a soldier returning home from war. Music is composed by Alex Eddy, words by Lynne Lerych and directed by Brad Duffy. $12 adults, $10 students. Not recommended for children because of strong language. 7:30 p.m.

15 Saturday

Elma

Grays Harbor Rockfest 3. Headlining: Bill Manspeaker - Green Jello “Three Little Pigs” - Bill Manspeaker will be preforming &providing a class on puppet making. Which also includes performances by Gebular, The People Now, TSAVO, Full Moon Radio, Fishing With Bigfoot, Within The Pride, Letzer Guiest, Motar, Anitize, The Bangalores, Reverent Circle.

Plus other individuals playing between band setups. From 10 to 1 p.m. Class on Rock Music; which is included in the price of the admission. Concert commences at 3 p.m. until 11:30 p.m. Bring your own lawn chairs to the concert and plan on staying the whole day. This is a non-profit event put on by Chinook Spirits. For ticket purchases please go to http://ift.tt/GFWON9 10a.m. - 11:30 p.m. $15

Aberdeen

“Back in the World” musical. The play is about a soldier returning home from war. Music is composed by Alex Eddy, words by Lynne Lerych and directed by Brad Duffy. $12 adults, $10 students. Not recommended for children because of strong language. 7:30 p.m. last showing.

21 Friday

ocean Shores

Turkey Bingo sponsored by the Firefighters Association in the Convention Center from 6-8 p.m. Benefits local charities.

22 Saturday

Hoquiam

Turkey Trot Registration at 8 a.m. , race begins at 9 a.m.

23 Sunday

Sons of Norway will offer a Norwegian Lutefish &Meatball Dinner. Choose from three serving times, 2 p.m., 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. $20 adults, Children uner 12 years $10.

From Bach to Broadway, Conductor William Dyer will lead the Grays Harbor Symphony in an eclectic program.

28 Friday

Winter Fanta- Sea Craft Show- Ocean Shores Handmade crafts &art from over 50 vendors. (360-289-9586

DEC.

6 Saturday

hoquiam

Ho Ho Hoquiam Run. Registraion starts at 8 a.m. at the 7th St. Theatre. Race begins at 9 a.m.

Jan

2 Friday

First Friday in Aberdeen

Feb

14-16

Ocean Shores

Seabreeze Walking Festival Biennial volkswalking festival featuring 6 walking trails and 1 bicycle route through Ocean Shores, along the beach, through State Parks, and up the North Beach. Routes vary in length from 5 Km (3.1 mi.)- 30 Km (18 mi.) Will begin at the Ocean HSores Lions Club, 832 Ocean Shores Blvd.

Hook’s last-minute goal pushes Elma into district playoffs, 3-2 over Hoquiam

ELMA — Elma’s Alicia Hook brought Saturday’s Evergreen 2A/1A League girls soccer playoff game to a dramatic finish at Davis Field.

Tied at 2-2, Hook ran onto a long ball that beat Hoquiam’s defense and poke it into the lower left corner for the game-winning goal to give the Eagles a 3-2 victory.

The win sends Elma (7-9) into the District IV 1A tournament, where it’ll travel to Vancouver to take on King’s Way Christian in the opening round. For Hoquiam, its season came to an end at 7-10 overall.

“That was an epic game,” Elma head coach Scott Rockey said. “I am really glad we were able to end it before we got into overtime. We handled the ball well and shot the ball well. We’re riding the momentum wave right now, starting with Eatonville, which fed into Aberdeen and beyond. The girls are improving and working way better than they did to start the season.”

“It was a good game,” HHS head coach Corri Schmid said. “Both teams wanted it, played strong. There were times when they’d have runs and we’d have runs. Today, the girls stepped up and played like the team they know they are. They fought to the very last second. This is a tough loss.”

Hook took advantage of a well-placed long ball to give Elma the game-winner.

A desperation long throw-in by senior Natalie Grant toward Hoquiam’s goal sent Hook down the left side and in between two Hoquiam (7-10) defenders. She caught up to the ball and poked it into the near-left corner past Hoquiam goalkeeper Jenna Doll for the goal in the 80th minute.

With one extra minute in play, Hoquiam made one last push for a game-tying goal, but time ran out.

Tightly contested and evenly played, this match was tense for both teams, who tied for third place in the regular-season standings to bring this one-match playoff into account.

After a free-flowing start to the match, which saw both teams create chances in the opening 10 minutes, Hook knocked in the first goal of the match.

In the 15th minute, Hook controlled a loose ball 35 yards out from goal. Hoquiam goalkeeper Jenna Doll was off her goal line and Hook lofted a shot over her into the net for the marker.

Following the goal, both teams kept attacking. Elma’s Grant and Tawni Heller were each called for offsides on potential goal scoring chances, while Hoquiam’s Ellie Quercia, Judy Renteria and Alexis Wonderly had shots from long range go wide and over.

“I’m definitely going to talk to (Grant and Heller) about checking back sooner,” Rockey said. “We missed so many opportunities, because of that.”

Grant nearly made it 2-0 in the final minute of the first half when she outran Hoquiam’s Brittoni Wright for a long ball. With two steps, Grant shot for goal, but Doll made a diving save to her right to deny it.

Hoquiam responded at the stroke of halftime when Renteria’s 20-yard shot went just over the crossbar.

After halftime, the Grizzlies relied upon their top scorer, Quercia, to take control.

In the 52nd minute, Hoquiam won a free kick 30 yards from goal on the right side. Quercia took the kick, sending a hard, placed shot over Elma goalkeeper Maci Shumate for the marker.

Both teams pushed back after the tying goal before Quercia weaved through Elma’s defense on a potential scoring run and was fouled inside the penalty area. The center official pointed immediately for the penalty kick, which Quercia converted with a howitzer shot into the left side of the goal in the 64th minute.

Hoquiam’s lead didn’t last long. Grant was finally able to connect on a long ball, this time from Maddy Moore from midfield, for a goal in the 67th minute. This time, Grant had time and space to pin-point her shot just inside the right post past Doll for the marker.

The play of the match slowed at the end of regulation, with both teams weary of giving up a game-winner at the end. However, it just built up the drama before Grant’s throw-in and Hook’s conversion.

Aberdeen civic volunteer faces child sex charges

An Aberdeen man, well known for his involvement with various civic projects, has been charged with two counts of rape of a child in the second degree and two counts of child molestation in the first degree.

Gregory Brian Johnson, 48, was in Grays Harbor Superior Court for a preliminary appearance on Monday. Johnson started what he calls the Gregorian Group. He has promoted and helped with several downtown Aberdeen betterment projects and his space, first at the SouthShore Mall and then in other downtown storefronts was billed as a safe place for young people to come after school.

The incidents for which he is charged allegedly occurred at various times between 2000 to 2014.

Aberdeen Police arrested Johnson on Oct. 31. He is being held in the Grays Harbor County Jail.

The arrest was made after an investigation was opened three weeks ago due to a complaint the Aberdeen Police Department received from a female victim.

The charges against Johnson read to him by Judge David Edwards, who also appointed an attorney to represent him.

According to court documents, a victim of Johnson’s told a Children’s Advocacy Center worker that she was raped by Johnson on numerous occasions between the time she was nine and 16 years old. During this time, Johnson allegedly had sexual intercourse with the victim and forced her to perform oral sex. Johnson also allegedly made the victim take showers with him.

On Oct. 20, a male victim came forward alleging Johnson had touched him inappropriately, as well. During a forensic interview, the second victim alleged that Johnson would put his hands down the male’s underwear and touch his “privates,” according to court documents. The victim also described Johnson forcing him to take off his underwear so Johnson could rub himself against the victim, adding that Johnson would inappropriately touch him at Johnson’s home and office.

On Oct. 31, Detectives met with the female victim at the Aberdeen Police Department where she was outfitted with a recording device. The victim then went to Johnson’s workplace to confront him while detectives monitored the conversation. Court documents state that Johnson admitted to raping the victim, saying that it was his fault. Johnson said he was in a “bad place” during the time the incidents took place.

He was subsequently arrested by Aberdeen Police.

The Gregorian Group, founded in 2009, bills itself as a volunteer center, a resource center and a non-profit showroom, according to the organization’s website, http://ift.tt/1GivTJa.

Johnson is a member of the advisory board, among other positions, according to the group’s Facebook page. During his court appearance, Edwards asked Johnson what his address was. Johnson could name the street, but not the street number, saying that he was living in a motor home he parked in his friend’s lawn and didn’t know their address.

Johnson’s next scheduled court appearance will be for an arraignment and is scheduled for Monday, Nov. 10.

Parnel guilty of aggravated second-degree murder

Patrick Parnel was found guilty of aggravated second-degree murder on Monday for killing his newborn daughter shortly after his girlfriend gave birth to the baby in an Ocean Shores motel in April of 2013.

Prosecutors alleged that Parnel, 23, took the baby to a vacant lot shortly after it was born and then killed the infant by hitting it in the head with a tool he had in his car.

The jury, which decided not to impose the more severe charge of first-degree murder, arrived at a verdict around 2 p.m. on Monday afternoon. The trial was held over five days last week. Because the newborn was an especially vulnerable victim, Parnel could face life in prison, according to Deputy Prosecutor Katie Svoboda. Second-degree murder in Washington state is a Class A felony.

Parnel’s girlfriend, Brittany Taylor, was sentenced to four years and ten months in prison for her involvement in the newborn’s death.

No jurors were willing to talk about their decision after the Parnel verdict was reached.

Svoboda stressed that a guilty verdict was returned due, in large part, to the the Hoquiam, Ocean Shores and Grays Harbor County Law Enforcement teams working on the case together.

“It was really cool to see everyone work together. It shows what great results you can get when everyone cooperates,” she said.

Ocean Shores Police Sgt. David McManus agreed.

“It was a multi-agency effort,” he said. Everyone did a real good job.”

Sentencing will take place on Friday, Nov. 21, at 3:00 p.m.

Svoboda said last week that it is likely a ratchet that was found in Parnel’s car was used to kill the baby.

The ratchet was tested for blood, which came back positive for trace amounts. The blood on the ratchet belonged to Taylor. Svoboda said that the ratchet was underneath a towel that Taylor had given birth on, and, therefore, contained her DNA. She argued that Parnel most likely used the tool to hit his daughter and then wiped it with a washcloth that ended up hanging from a tree near where the baby was found.

During testimony last week, Sigmund Menchel, a forensic pathologist who performed an autopsy on the body of Parnel’s daughter, told the jury the baby died of blunt force trauma wounds to its head, also indicating that the baby had been born alive.

Steve Rostad, a neuropathologist who examined the baby’s brain, testified that the injuries sustained by the infant were due to “very significant force.”

Grays Harbor Sheriff’s Office Criminal Deputy Steve Shumate said last Thursday that Parnel admitted to police he hit the baby with a tire iron after driving to a vacant lot in Ocean Shores to drop the newborn off.

Parnel, however, denied killing the baby during his testimony last Friday. He said he only told investigators otherwise because he was emotionally and physically drained after an intense interrogation process carried out by police.

“It was them pressuring me to say something,” Parnel said on the stand. “My state of mind was destroyed — an intense interrogation stretches that out.”

Both Parnel and Taylor, who also testified during trial, said they weren’t ready for a baby and didn’t want their family or friends to know of the pregnancy. They said they had talked about putting the child up for adoption, but never made an appointment regarding the process.