DP High ponders equestrian team
A few parents have asked the school board to create a Deer Park High School equestrian team next year.
The program would include competition such as barrel racing, team cow penning, gymkhana, horse-riding drill team, jumping and dressage.
According to Bonnie Kanan and Kris Stoop, the Deer Park program would be run under sponsorship of the Washington State Equestrian Team, a 4-year-old organization operated by parents.
The organization conducts a December to May season, which includes various meets in April and the state championship in May in Wenatchee.
Deer Park would join the Eastern Washington district that includes Cheney, Medical Lake and Goldendale schools.
Stoop estimates that Deer Park would be placed in the large-school classification (more than 16 riders).
The cost for the student would be $175 per school year, with a portion of those funds covering the competitor’s insurance. Transportation of all animals would be the responsibility of students’ parents or guardians.
The school district would consider the team as a school club, similar to a French or science club, for example. The district would pay an adviser a stipend. The Cheney program allows students to earn a letter as in other sports programs.
The Clayton Fair Association has agreed to allow the Deer Park team to use its rodeo grounds for practice, but an indoor arena would be needed during the winter.
Superintendent Mick Miller said the Clayton fairgrounds arrangement would be beneficial to both organizations because the nonprofit group is looking for community projects to help acquire grants.
Some parents have expressed concern on the deerparkdispatch.com blog about paying the $175 fee.
They say that if the school provides equipment for other sports programs, it also should provide “equipment” for students who want to participate on the equestrian team regardless of their ability to pay. Most parents cannot afford to buy riding gear, horses, pickup trucks and stock trailers and pay transportation costs to haul the animals from Deer Park to the Clayton fairgrounds to practice every day, weather permitting.
Bible bookstore features home-school supplies
Thy Word Bible Book Store opened last Saturday next door to Rancho Alegre.
Entering the store, customers are greeted with a smile by owner Joe Sheffer. The store is warm and inviting with a bistro area where customers can enjoy refreshments, play board games and read the featured monthly book reviews.
The bookstore has a wide variety of books and children’s materials. A bigger selection of Christian cards is to be available soon.
The store also will carry home-school supplies from The Old Schoolhouse for home-school families. Sheffer has plans to arrange a credit program for used home-school books.
Sheffer and his wife, Karen, moved to the Deer Park area about three years ago from Mount St. Michael. They have three children, Matthew, 27; Bethany, 19; and Rebekah, 8, who will be assisting at the store.
Sheffer served in the Marine Corps from 1965-1969, including two tours of duty in Vietnam.
He says that when he returned from Vietnam, he went to bookstores where he started looking for answers to life’s questions. He says he created Thy Word Bible Book Store to assist others in finding answers in the Scriptures and Christian fellowship.
He is pairing with Point Man Ministries, an interdenominational mission-oriented ministry operated by Veterans for Vets, which provides individual and group counseling, literature, seminars and conferences.
Any veteran is welcome to come into the store and talk anytime.
Sheffer plans to open the store on Sunday afternoons for community fellowship. A conference room also will available for Bible readings, youth activities and meetings, and he is considering accepting homemade gift items on consignment.
Sheffer, who recently was elected president of the Deer Park SCOPE sheriff’s office, says he looks forward to networking with youth organizations and businesses in the Deer Park area.
Thy Word is open Mondays through Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sundays (hours to be announced).
For more information, call 276-9427.