INPCA Officers -2012

Congratulations to our new set of officers.
Sarah Everstine - President
Maria Beebe - Secretary

Local Peace Corps Advocates Urge Support for Agency

50^th Anniversary Gathering Spotlights Critical Corps Needs

Kevin and Kay Dixon, RPCVs Colombia, were among the twenty-some Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs) from Washington State who traveled to the Nation’s Capital with a message: Support legislation to honor and strengthen the Peace Corps mission of promoting peace and friendship around the world.

They were among more than 800 who participated in a September 22^nd Capitol Hill advocacy day, organized by the National Peace Corps Association. September 22^nd marked fifty years to the day of the final congressional passage and signing of the Peace Corps Act in 1961. More than 5000 participated in Peace Corps 50^th celebrations in Washington, DC between September 21 to 25.

The Dixons met with Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Fifth District of Washington, to request her support for Peace Corps initiatives going forward.

Advocates urged continued strong support for funding the Peace Corps, noting the positive role Peace Corps volunteers play in United States outreach to the world and emphasizing the forgotten dividend and many domestic benefits RPCVs provide to their communities here at home. Earlier this year, Peace Corps received a $26 million cut to its $400 million budget. Advocates are seeking to forestall further cuts. Some 8655 Peace Corps volunteers are currently in the field – an increase of nearly 1000 from a year ago and the highest number in 40 years.  Since 1961, more than 200,000 citizens have served as Peace Corps volunteers in nearly 140 countries.

Advocates urged bi-partisan support and cooperation to ensure passage of the Kate Puzey Peace Corps Volunteer Protection Act, designed to strengthen the agency’s training and response to volunteers serving overseas that are subjected to physical and sexual assault. Since this issue received much attention earlier this year, Congress, the Peace Corps and victims advocacy groups have taken significant steps forward to address the concern.

Congress is also considering legislation to authorize the creation of a commemorative work near the National Mall to mark the historic significance of the founding of the Peace Corps in 1961, and the ideals represented by its founding. This project would be entirely funded by private donations. Peace Corps advocates say passage of this legislation would serve as a capstone to this year’s 50^th anniversary celebration.

Pow Wow 2011 Directions and Message from Jane

Dear All:
I am looking forward to seeing you at the Wellpinit Pow Wow this Saturday, Sept. 3rd. (Directions are below.)  If you are planning to attend, it would be great if you could RSVP to this email address or to my cell phone (509) 863 7370.  Texting is a super form of communication for this. Why RSVP? So I'll know to look for you and be a better hostess, of course! 

The group will be meeting up at the entrance to the Pow Wow grounds around 11:30 AM.  For those of you that feel more comfortable entering with a group, I will be leaving my house at 11:15 AM - you are more than welcome to meet up at my house first.

There is a variety of food available at the pow wow - from Indian Tacos to Pow Wow burgers to, well, I am sure there is something healthy there.

I will be heading back up to my house in the early afternoon, for those of you who wanted to visit/see my new place.

DIRECTIONS:
There are a number of different ways to reach Wellpinit from the Spokane area. I drove the first two, and marked the mileage myself, as the MapQuest directions are a little off.  The third set I based off MapQuest, so if those numbers are off, I apologize.

[I now live at 49801 Little Falls Rd,  and you will drive by my new home on your way to the Pow Wow.  I am leaving my house at 11:15 am. If you want to stop by, please do – but please go slowly down the ¼ mile driveway out of respect for my neighbor.  BTW: the directions to my house on MapQuest/GPS are incorrect and you will end up at the dam, below my house.  Just one of those things.  I will be setting out the INPCA sign at the end of the driveway – there is already a Windermere Realty sign there.]

From I-90:
Take exit 277, to RT 2 West.
Follow RT 2 for 18.8 miles to Reardan
Turn north onto State Road 231. (It is a right turn just before the US Bank.)
Follow 231 for 11.4 miles, turning LEFT onto Little Falls Road. (There is NO SIGN for ‘Wellpinit’ going this way.)
Follow Little Falls Road to the end (9.4 miles). There will be a stop sign.
Turn RIGHT at the stop sign.
The Pow Wow Grounds will be on your right in about a mile. Turn right onto the Sherwood Loop (there may or may not be a road sign.)  Take a LEFT into the day-parking parking lot, and then walk across the road to the Pow Wow.


From Francis (this is the pretty way)
Francis turns into 291.
Turn left (West) onto Seven Mile road.  Follow Seven Mile for 8.2 miles.
Turn right onto Dover. Follow Dover for 4.9 miles.
Turn right onto Long Lake Rd. Follow Long Lake Road for 8.7 miles -  there will be a stop sign at the end of it.  At this point, you are at the intersection of State Road 231, Long Lake Road, and Little Falls Road. Just go straight across this intersection, onto Little Falls Road.
Follow Little Falls Road to the end (9.4 miles). There will be a stop sign.
Turn RIGHT at the stop sign.
The Pow Wow Grounds will be on your right in about a mile.
Turn right onto the Sherwood Loop (there may or may not be a road sign.)
Take a LEFT into the day-parking parking lot, and then walk across the road to the Pow Wow.

From 395
Turn West (Left if you are coming from Spokane area, Right, if you are coming from Colville area) onto WA-292, (Garden Spot Rd?) in the Loon Lake area.
Follow this for 5.8 miles, into Springdale.
In Springdale, turn South (left) onto State Road 231.
Follow 231 to Ford (11.7 miles) – there will be a sign for Wellpinit.  Take a right onto the Ford-Wellpinit Rd.
Follow the Ford-Wellpinit Rd for 9 – 10 miles.
The Pow Wow grounds will be on the left… and you may have driven by the Sherwood loop entrance.

West Regional RPCV Campout - info from Delores

web site, so please check it out:   http://web.mac.com/twopats/PeaceCorpsCampout2011 

Regional Campout:

Welcome to the 21st Annual

West Regional RPCV Campout

Celebrating 50 years of Peace Corps

Dates: August 4-7, 2011 (Thursday through Sunday night)

Place: Grayback Gulch Group Campground

www.recreation.gov/camping/Grayback_Id/r/campgroundDetails.do?contractCode=NRSO&parkId=70097&topTabIndex=CampingSpot

Located 36 miles northeast of Boise, ID on Idaho Highway 21- Ponderosa Pine Scenic Highway - just 2 miles south of historic Idaho City (easy to find - honest!).

Schedule:

Aug. 4 (Thurs.) - Arrive and settle in for a good time

Aug. 5 (Fri.) - Go sightseeing, take advantage of many recreation

opportunities (see Activities page) or just hang out

at camp - maybe a drumming circle in the evening

Aug. 6 (Sat.)

4:00 PM - Regional Meeting

5:00 PM - Gather for a social hour. Bring your own liquid

refreshments & hors d'oeuvres to share.

6:00 PM - Dinner and Peace Corps birthday cake served by

Idaho RPCVs

Time to be announced - Entertainment by Rosalie Sorrels - You

are in for a treat! Rosalie is a world renowned

folksinger-songwriter/storyteller extraordinaire.

www.rosaliesorrels.com

Aug. 7 (Sun.) - More time for sightseeing, recreation & relaxation

Aug. 8 (Mon.) - Checkout by 1:00 PM, please. See you next year! ‘Bye

Outdoor Activities from Delores Schwindt

Hey,
The temp hit 60 finally so it is time to think positive about being outdoors. I'm sending some resources for those of you who are too busy to search out these great, mostly family-friendly, activities on your own. These are not INPCA events but ones in which some of us may want to participate in the company of our RPCV friends.

Biking:

Bike to Work Week is May 16-20.

On the previous Sunday, May 15th: Lilac Century and Family Fun Ride: rides from 15 to 100 miles starting from SFCC. Info: sanwrc.org/ There is a registration fee as there is a t-shirt and baked potato lunch involved. Let me know if you want to meet me for this ride.
On May 18th is the Ride of Silence, a quiet ride through downtown to bring attention to all those who have been killed or injured while biking on our city streets. Meet at 6 PM at the corner of Riverside and Howard. I’ll be there, weather permitting. Let me know if you want to meet up for this ride. Info: visitspokane.com/membership/ride_silence   No fee but they would like you to register.

June 19: Loreen Miller Bike Ride: They have modified this popular event to include various distances from 3-100 miles. info: cancerpatientcare.org Registration and fee required.
June 21: Ride the Wall: a celebration of the summer equinox in the evening: 13 miles along the CdA River. Fundraiser for Habitat for Humanity, Idaho. info: hfhidaho.org. Registration and fee required.
Sept 11: Spokefest - if you haven't done this ride in Riverside State Park you really should give it a try. Distance choices from 9-47 miles. info: Spokefest.org. Registration and fee required.

Lots more: The Spokane Bicycle Club has rides of every length and speed available on most days of the week. Check them out at spokanebicycleclub.org. Rides are free. Club membership is $15/year.

Camping:

July 1-4: you are invited to join the Portland RPCV group at their campout along the Columbia River: info: crpca.org/campout.html

August 4-7: Regional campout north of Boise hosted by the Idaho RPCV group. info: web.mac.com/twopats/peacecorpscampout2011

Hiking:

We hope to get some INPCA hiking events scheduled through the summer. In the meantime, these organizations are out there, rain or shine! (or snow)
Spokane Mountaineers: spokanemountaineers.org/: lots and lots of activities year round
Hobnailers: tinyurl.com/hbnlr
Meetup: Inland NW Hikers: tinyurl.com/inwhkr
Meetup: Burning Boots Trail Club: tinyurl.com/brnbts
Conservation Northwest: conservationnw.org
Panhandle Nordic Club: panhandlenordicclub.com/

WA Trails Association (wta.org) does not have organized hikes in this area but does work to improve and sometimes create new trails on this side of the mts.  If you'd like to join a work party, mostly on the Liberty Lake Trail this year, go to their website and choose Volunteer. Or contact me for more info.

Birding:
The local Audubon Society (spokaneaudubon.org) has many birding trips through the spring and summer.  If you aren't a birder but would like to learn, there is a beginners class being offered on May 9,11 and 13 (evenings) and a trip to Turnbull on the 14th. info: garyb@spokanefalls.edu

You have absolutely no reason to be sitting at home..................go have some fun!

Delores Schwindt
Malaysia 72-74

Regional Meeting Saturday, April 30 ... INPCA is the host...

All RPCVs in the INPCA region are invited and encouraged to participate in the Northwest Regional meeting, Saturday, April 30, at the home of Kevin and Kay Dixon, 619 E Martingale Ct, Spokane.
Regional meetings are open to all RPCVs located in the Northwest.  This is an opportunity to share and discuss the activities among the local RPCV groups.  Currently, we know there will be representatives from the Seattle and Portland groups, as well as our Regional Rep (to the NPCA) Joe Hindeman.  We have not heard from the group in Boise, Idaho, but, they, too, are invited.
The program begins with a potluck luncheon at noon, followed by an afternoon of discussion.
Late afternoon, we invite our guests to see our current Asian Pacific Folk Art Exhibit before adjourning to a local restaurant for dinner. (As of today, April 21, the restaurant venue has not been finalized.)
Our out of town guests are staying with friends in the area.  The INPCA Board deliberately chose this weekend so that our visitors could participate in Bloomsday festivities. 
Topics of discussion will include the 50th anniversary celebration, both our local activities and the NPCA festivities in September.

April 22, 2011 at 11am: Volksmarch

White stuff may have fallen from the sky yesterday but the forecast is for better times ahead. Friday is expected to be a sunny, reasonably warm day so we are planning to do a Volksmarch of 10k starting from the main entrance of Deaconess Medical Center (on 5th Ave) at 11 AM. The route takes us through downtown and Riverfront Park and on, so there will be many choices for a lunch stop along the way or afterward. You do not need to be a Volksmarch member to participate.

It would be good, but not required, that you let me (Delores Schwindt) know if you plan to participate so we don't leave without you if you have a little difficulty finding a parking spot, etc. There is usually parking available at the medical building directly across the street from the main entrance. There are also 10 hour meters on some of the streets around the Medical Center and Lewis and Clark HS. Bring lots of quarters!

Hope to see you then.

Delores Schwindt
Malaysia 72-74
489-2005