Distinguished Young Women set for Saturday
CHERYL SCHWEIZER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 9 years, 9 months AGO
The Distinguished Young Women: standing from left, Lauren Beich, Cassie Canterbury, Brianna Hansen, Kyersten Hunt, Alexandra Dogbe; sitting from left, Elisabeth Barlow and Maddie Hesse.
Senior Reporter Cheryl Schweizer is a journalist with more than 30 years of experience serving small communities in the Pacific Northwest. She began her post-high-school education at Treasure Valley Community College and enerned her journalism degree at Oregon State University. After working for multiple publications, she has settled down at the Columbia Basin Herald and has been a staple of the newsroom for more than a decade. Schweizer’s dedication to her communities and profession has earned her the nickname “The Baroness of Bylines.” She covers a variety of beats including health, business and various municipalities. | April 22, 2016 6:00 AM
MOSES LAKE — Seven girls will compete for the title of Moses Lake Distinguished Young Woman at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Moses Lake High School theater, 803 East Sharon Ave.
The contestants are Madison Hesse, Alexandra Dogbe, Kyersten Hunt, Brianna Hansen, Lauren Beich, Cassandra Canterbury and Elisabeth Barlow. All the contestants attend Moses Lake High School.
The winner will advance to the Washington Distinguished Young Woman pageant in August. The program is open to high school juniors only.
“Supergirls” is the 2016 program theme, said co-chair Bonnie Dorris. Contestants perform a routine highlighting their individual talents, answer an unscripted question and participate in a group fitness routine. All contestants are interviewed by the judges before the program, and the judges also review each girl’s scholastic record.
Madison Hesse will perform a dance solo for her talent routine; she is the daughter of Troy and Stephanie Hesse. Alexandra Dogbe is the daughter of KoKou and Dede Dogbe and plans to perform a flute solo.
Kyersten Hunt plans a vocal solo; she’s the daughter of David and Elsa Hunt. Brianna Hansen also plans a dance solo. She the daughter of Jeffrey and Elizabeth Hansen.
Lauren Beich is the daughter of Daniel and Kristin Beich and plans to perform a clarinet solo. Cassandra Canterbury plans a dance solo. She’s the daughter of Rick and Stephanie Canterbury. Elisabeth Barlow is the daughter of Brian and Ester Barlow and will perform a piano solo.
The Distinguished Young Woman program in Moses Lake dates back to 1988, when it was the Junior Miss program. Dorris said she has been involved with Distinguished Young Women for almost 20 years, since her daughter was a participant in the late 1990s. She stays involved because of the impact on the participants, she said.
The girls learn about themselves and how to present themselves, she said in an earlier interview, and make new friends besides. The appeal and the challenge of the program is to ensure each girl gets as much out of the experience as possible, she said.
Program emcee will be Kendall Earl, 2011 Moses Lake Distinguished Young Woman and 2012 Distinguished Young Woman for Washington. Kendall will be joined by Sariah Aronsohn, 2015 Moses Lake Distinguished Young Woman, and 2015 finalists Cassiday Earl and Kiley Hueser.
Tickets are available from contestants and DYW board members, said program co-chair Bonnie Dorris. People who want more information, or to make a donation to the scholarship fund, can contact Dorris, 509-750-1781, or program co-chair Jeni Chandler, 509-771-9162.
ARTICLES BY CHERYL SCHWEIZER
Moses Lake officials working to correct audit issues
MOSES LAKE — Moses Lake city officials are working to correct errors identified by the Washington State Auditor’s Office and catch up on delayed audits. Municipal Finance Director Madeline Prentice said city officials are working to have the delayed audits for 2023 and 2024 submitted by May. “Trying to get caught up on the audits is our first priority,” Prentice said. “We have actually brought in an outside accounting firm to assist us with that.”
Wheeler roundabout construction scheduled for Feb 23
MOSES LAKE — If the weather cooperates, construction will begin Feb. 23 on a roundabout at the intersection of Road L Northeast and East Wheeler Road. Moses Lake’s financial contribution to the project is about $81,000. Contributions by other stakeholders in the project was not immediately available.
Moses Lake residents asked to weigh in on financial priorities
MOSES LAKE — With the Moses Lake City Council working on a financial plan that will require what council member Jeremy Davis said will be hard decisions, city officials want to hear which services residents think are the most important.