May 22, 2017: The Last Luncheon.

Newly Installed Officers: 
            2017-2018

L to R:  Marlys Mayer, Lew Edming, Dottie Stevens.
WSSRA President, Rick Nebeker (not picutured)
installed these newly elected officers. 

Our new slate of officers has a familiar look: 

Dottie Stevens returns for her second term in office (her first term was 2015-2016);

Lew Edming will serve again as Secretary; and 

Marlys Mayer asTreasurer.  

Jan Harlow, the new face in the group (not available for a photo)

will serve as Vice-President in
charge of Programs.  

Stan McNaughton Outread Award Nominee

Bette and her husband, George, started a library at the Benton-Franklin Juvenile Justice Center in 2002 through a local Kiwanis Club.  They continue to operate this and train others to assist.  They also tutored youth at the Center for 10 years in a Day Report, GED Program.  

"The other day, a kid said to me, 'before I was locked up, I had read only two books in my life.  If've read 70 since I've been here. That's an example of why we hang in there," says Bette.  For 16 years, Better ran the telephone tree for BFSRA.  She is retired Reading Teacher of 37 years!!  

We are honored to place her name in nomination for the prestigious State Award.

Vickie Bowles plays Amazing Grace

Celebration of Life 

At the last luncheon of the year, we also memorialize those who passed during the most recent year.  To that end, the following names were read and a rose added to a vase for each name read. They are: 

Adrienne Birdsell, Dorothy Boscola, James Harbour, 

Violet Heacock, Mary Hollibaugh, Phyllis Jensen, 

Joyce Larson, Tralice Leaumont, Dorothy Mech, Inez Miller, L. Jane Morrow, Vickie Newell, Bruce Pennington, 

Mickell Racy, Judy Rizzuti-Hare, John Robinson, 

Ruby Rutherford, Helen Shelton, Lois Springer, 

Parry Thompson and Jeanetter Whitesell.

Thank you, President, Helen Bakshas 

Helen Bakshas sings during the Celebration of Life.  In the
background, Dottie Stevens, and Rick Nebeker.

This was our last luncheon of the year.  The 2016-2017 year is officially closed, folded up, placed in the archives. Helen Bakshas was our president this year and she is to be commended for putting together a memorable year, somewhat memorialized in the last 8 or 9 posts on this blog.

Good job, Helen.

BFSRA and E8 Scholarship Winners: 2017

This is the second year BFSRA has awarded scholarships to university level students who are enrolled in WSU: Tri-Cities, College of Education - students who will teach.  Maricela Garza, from the Office of Advancement and Community Development at WSU Tri-Cities joined us April 24th and shared how our scholarship funds are being used by the university.  She introduced four of the recipients of our current year's scholarships ($1,000 each) they are:

L to R: 

Megan Gosney, Richland High graduate who plans to teach secondary language arts; 

Jessica Garcia Ramirez, Pasco High graduate, plans to teach elementary bilingual classes; 

Mark Cheney, Kamiakin High graduate who plans to teach high school chemistry; and

Nicole Strasser, Richland High graduate who plans to teach the elementary grades. 

Not pictured: Becky Rausch and Kyla Turner.

Our region, SouthEast 8 (E8) also awarded scholarships to aspiring high school students who are interested in pursuing careers in education.  The winner this year are: 

Krystal Roberts, Walla Walla High School, and Erica Leinweber, Walla Walla High School, each recipients of the Robert J. Handy Scholarship ($900/year, up to four years); and Grace Frazier, Dayton High School, won the WSSRA-Foundation Scholarship ($1500). No pics available.  

Congratulations to all.