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Local high school musical efforts garner 5th Avenue Theatre awards

It was the parents who walked away with a 5th Avenue High School Musical Theatre Award this week.

Davis High School won for Outstanding Lobby Display, which was created by parent volunteers for the school's production of "The Wizard of Oz."

Also, Eisenhower High School's Patrick Smith was one of 10 students who received Special Honors for Student Achievement.

For the achievement award, a student is nominated for going above and beyond. Ike drama teacher Janey Peterson nominated Smith for his work on the lighting and sound for "High School Musical" and for helping to take charge back stage.

Presented by Seattle's 5th Avenue Theatre, the awards program, now in its sixth year, recognizes exceptional musical theater productions presented during the school year.

This year, 73 schools entered productions for judging. In addition to Davis and Ike, Sunnyside High School entered its production of "Seussical the Musical."

The awards were presented Monday at Benaroya Hall in Seattle.

Scouts host quinceañera prep party

ZILLAH -- Workshops featuring lessons on table settings, etiquette, dance and flower arranging will be showcased during a mother/daughter quinceañera party Saturday.

The free event will take place from 1 to 7 p.m. at Granger Middle School, 501 Bailey Road, in Zillah. Attendees will also get tips on hair care and makeup. A catered dinner and music will be provided.

Girl Scouts of Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho is hosting the celebration as a way for girls to prepare for upcoming family quinceañera parties.

Although the event is free, preregistration is encouraged by calling 800-827-9478, ext. 409, or by e-mail to bjefferson@gsewni.org.

Arboretum offers tour of gardens

Sights, sounds, scents -- all enchanting, all promised at the Yakima Area Arboretum's Garden Tour on Saturday.

The annual event runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visitors will find gardens filled with colorful perennials, clematis, views, water features, shade areas, children's sections and wildlife habitats.

Six gardens are featured on this year's tour -- the homes of Ollie Weitz, Cynthia and Metiner Kimel, Leslie and Neil McClure, John and Carol Barany, Dave and Margie Van Cleve, as well as the Master Gardener Demonstration Garden.

Tickets cost $20; proceeds benefit the arboretum.

Tickets are available at the arboretum, Loo-Wit Gardens, Cowiche Creek Nursery and Russell's Nursery. Call the arboretum at 248-7337 for more information.

Poker run on ATVs will be held June 21

A poker run of all-terrain vehicles beginning and ending at the Oak Creek Wildlife Area headquarters will take place June 21.

The event is a fundraiser for the Chinook Pass Lions Club, and will entail a 50-mile loop over state wildlife land and U.S. Forest Service land. About 400 participants are expected for the event, at which riders receive their cards at checkpoints along the route. Riders' fees are $15 for the first poker hand and $10 for a second hand. The top prize will be a $350 gift certificate.

A story in Thursday's Outdoors section incorrectly said the event will take place this Saturday.

Registration forms can be downloaded at www.nachesvalleychamber.com under the calendar of events. A sign-up table at the Oak Creek headquarters will be open June 20 from 5:30 to 9 p.m. and the next day from 7 to 8:30 a.m.

For more information, call Rob and Dianne Rosenbush at 658-2215.

Arsenic testing of wells recommended

Private well owners from Yakima to Sunnyside are being encouraged to have their water tested for arsenic, state health officials announced Thursday.

The state also suggested the testing for seven other areas of the state prone to higher levels of arsenic based on historical results from public water systems.

There is no requirement for private well owners to test their water for any type of contamination.

But the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is developing more stringent requirements for monitoring arsenic in public water systems. The agency is preparing to require smaller public systems to treat their water when levels exceed 10 parts per billion, a lower limit than the old standard of 50 parts per billion.

Testing is suggested twice a year, once in the summer and again in the winter. Tests range in cost from $10 to $30. State-certified labs that perform arsenic testing can be found online at www.doh.wa.gov.

Arsenic can lead to a range of health problems and has been linked to an increased risk of cancer, diabetes, heart disease, nerve damage and skin changes. It was widely used in lead arsenate pesticides on apples and pears in the Yakima Valley.

No bids for natural gas drilling leases

Three parcels of land east of Prosser attracted no bids Thursday from natural gas speculators in a public auction held by the Bureau of Land Management.

The auction in Portland offered leases on three parcels of land totaling 4,283 acres in the Horse Heaven Hills near Prosser and Benton City.

That makes twice in a row the bureau has been skunked in Washington, said Mike Campbell, a spokes-man for the bureau's Portland office. Three of the last four public auctions in a little more than a year have resulted in no bids.

Auctions usually happen after natural gas companies, based on their own geology research, nominate parcels for auction. Some experts believe the Columbia River Basin is the largest unexplored natural gas region in the United States.

Currently, Delta Petroleum of Denver has the only active exploratory well in the area. The company began drilling in May about 12 miles southeast of Bickleton.

Stolen vehicle recovered in dog caper

SUNNYSIDE -- A 22-year-old Sunnyside man who allegedly stole a dog unwittingly helped detectives recover a stolen vehicle Wednesday.

A witness told Yakima County Sheriff's Office investigators that around 11:20 a.m. he saw the man and three teenagers steal a pit bull from a home at 6511 Van Belle Road. The witness then followed the vehicle, a white Buick Regal, to 7361 Van Belle Road and called 9-1-1.

When deputies arrived, the Buick was gone but the 22-year-old man was inside. Deputies then discovered that one of the vehicles on the property was reported as stolen. They also found the suspect's shoe prints on the back bumper and gas pedal of the vehicle.

Deputies arrested the man, and while on the way to the Sunnyside jail, spotted the Buick Regal with the three juveniles who were allegedly involved in stealing the dog. One of the juveniles admitted that the group had earlier taken the dog, according to a police affidavit.

The 22-year-old was booked into the Yakima County jail on charges of possession of a stolen motor vehicle and taking a pet, a gross misdemeanor.

Sheriff's officials said, so far, the stolen pit bull has not been recovered.