Common interests bring community together

Here is more information about longtime community groups in the Elk and Chattaroy areas.

Chattaroy TOPS

Ester Manz received the charter for Chattaroy TOPS Wash., No. 1092 in the 1950s, and the members met in her kitchen. Julie Hale, a member since 1993, says participants these days get together for exercise, to encourage each other and share recipes and healthy eating tips. TOPS, a worldwide organization, is about “counting and control.” Weather permitting, the Chattaroy TOPS members enjoy walking. Everyone is welcome. They meet every Monday at 3:30 at the fire station by Riverside Schools.

Hale can be reached at 276-6219. For information on the TOPS organization, call 800-YEA TOPS. (800-932-8677).

Elk-Camden Garden Keepers

The Elk-Camden Garden Keepers have been educating gardeners in the community for 10 years. Early in the growing season, they host guest speakers, have demonstrations and roundtable discussions about garden-related subjects, as well as eat some great food. Staring in June they tour local gardening “hot spots,” sharing and discussing plant-raising techniques, tips and equipment. In October, they conclude the garden season with a harvest dinner meeting, where they share their bountiful, local-grown food. About one-quarter of the membership are WSU-certified Master Gardeners and the rest are “really good,” according to their leader, Jim McGinty. They meet every second Tuesday night from March to October at 7 p.m. at the Camden Grange.

Elk McKinney-Olsen VFW Post No. 5924 and Ladies Auxiliary

The Elk McKinney-Olsen VFW Post No. 5924 and the Ladies Auxiliary were instituted in Deer Park in 1946. They met at Inland Grange for a few years, then at Camden Grange. In 1956 the veterans were able to purchase the Elk Depot from the Great Northern Railroad. The old depot was moved up the hill and the Post’s first official meetings were held on Feb. 20, 1959.

Today, the VFW still stands on that hill, and there are many active members in the post, Ladies Auxiliary and Men’s Auxiliary. The members put in numerous community service hours every month helping neighbors, the elderly, veterans and their families, youth and those in need. The Veterans Activity Room is a rentable dining area, with a kitchen, a bar and access to the patio. The meetings for all three organizations are held on the first Thursday of each month at 7 p.m. For questions about eligibility or renting the activity room, call 292-8250.

Elk Community Park Association

The Elk Park was originally the ball field for the old Elk High School. Plans to make it a park were made at a township board meeting in 1956. The Elk Community Park Association was incorporated in November 1981. Through the years, hundreds of volunteers have worked to preserve, maintain and improve the nine acres along the Little Spokane River. In November 2003, the park association attained a 501(c)3 designation from the Internal Revenue Service. The association sponsors events year-round and rents the park for weddings, reunions, etc. This year’s 32nd Elk Pioneer Days, the community’s biggest annual festival, is set for June 13-15. The Elk Musicians Association and the Miss Elk Royalty Committee are organized under the umbrella of the Park’s nonprofit status.

The park association meetings are on the second Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. from May to September in the park and from October to April at the Elk VFW Post. The Elk Musicians Association meets on the first and third Saturdays at 4 p.m. at the Elk VFW.

For information, applications and contact numbers, visit the Web site at www.elkcommunitypark.com or call 292-8049.

If you are interested in more history from the Elk area, the book “Golden Memories of the Elk and Camden We Once Knew,” is available for $12 at the Elk Sentinel office in downtown Elk. Call 292-8250.