Jan Steves at the start of the 2012 Iditarod.

Iditarod dog sled race veteran and Edmonds native Jan Steves will be the 2012 Grand Marshal of “An Edmonds Kind of Fourth” Parade, the Edmonds Chamber of Commerce announced Friday.

Steves is the second women from Washington state to have completed the Iditarod in Nome, Alaska, called “the greatest race on Earth.” A 1974 graduate of Edmonds High School, Steves grew up loving the outdoors, from sea level to the mountain tops. She is an avid skier, biker, snowshoe enthusiast, boater/fisherman and animal lover, and in 2008 combined her love of mountains, snow and dogs to become a sled dog racer.

The Chamber, which sponsors the daylong Fourth of July celebration that includes also includes a fun run and fireworks show, announced that is it recruiting marching bands to perform during the 2012 Fourth of July Parade. Those interested can download an application from the Chamber’s website.

Here is the schedule for An Edmonds Kind of 4th:
5K Fun Run 10 a.m. (Edmonds City Park, 3rd & Walnut)
Children’s Parade 11:30 a.m. (Downtown Edmonds)
Main Parade Noon (Downtown Edmonds)
Evening Entertainment & Fireworks 7:30 p.m. (Civic Field, 6th & Bell)

‘He was a dear friend, teacher and mentor to many of us in the symphony. His life was devoted to music and education, and he leaves a lasting legacy that will be enjoyed for generations to come.”

Last Monday night’s final concert of the season was dedicated to Anderson, 94. “As the Sno-King Community Chorale joins their voices to the Cascade Symphony in the presentation of Beethoven’s monumental Ninth Symphony, the phrase “Joyful, Joyful” will take on new and special meaning as we celebrate the memory of a life well lived,” the website said.

A memorial concert is being planned this fall to honor Anderson, who joined the Edmonds School District as a music teacher starting in 1952. He later became the district’s music coordinator and the driving force behind ensuring that music education was a top priority in district schools. He founded the Cascade Symphony Orchestra in 1962 and served as its conductor for 30 years.

Matson on Music columnist Andrew Matson has also included his pick for the best song, which you can download using this link.

Bill Neville

Edmonds writer and former Olympics volleyball coach William “Bill” Neville released his first novel this year. The book started as a bedtime story he told his children over 30 years ago. As he spun the story that ultimately became “The Vision,” Neville realized it deserved a wider audience.

According to Neville, “The Vision” is about a young boy, Eagle Who Broke His Wing, who has a vision. Elders want to discredit the boy’s family and accuse him of lying.  Over four time periods – 1794, 1910, 1946 and the 1960s – the lie becomes more than anyone expects, profoundly affecting the boy, the Crow Indian Nation, and the future.

“The Vision” is available on Amazon in hardcover and e-book.

-- By Janette Turner

The Gothard Sisters.

Edmonds’ Irish step-dancing Gothard Sisters are performing in Marysville this Saturday night, April 28, at Evergreen Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 1607 Fourth St. Suggested donation is $10 adults/$5 kids.

You can find more information, including directions, here.

Van Meter has been an active volunteer for numerous Edmonds community organizations, including the Edmonds-South Snohomish Historical Society and Museum. She was one of the early leaders in the founding of the Edmonds Summer Market, a major source of funding for the Museum, according to Historical Society Board President Bill Lambert, who submitted a letter nominating her for the award.

“She has continued in a professional capacity to monitor and improve the market as a major event for the City of Edmonds, doing just about everything, if it needed to be done,” Lambert wrote. “She has served in just about every role including: membership; Guild president; and newsletter editor.”

According to Lambert, “her fingerprints are all over our very successful Historical Society. She has long championed the idea of a Museum Oral History Project, and with its piloting at Edmonds-Woodway High School this year under the leadership of (EWHS Vice Principal) Geoff Bennett,  the Board recognized her by naming the project in her honor.”

Among Van Meter’s other volunteer roles, she helped to organize a committee to oversee the restoration of the Edmonds Log Cabin, serving as treasurer and successfully obtaining Historical status for the cabin. She has also “served with distinction” as a volunteer with a number of arts and music organizations, Lambert said, including the Academy of Music Northwest, the Sno-King Community Chorale, the Friends of Frank DeMiero and the Edmonds Center for the Arts.

The Kiwanis Club of Edmonds sponsors the Citizen of the Year award to recognize a person (or persons) for their community service. Other outstanding individuals nominated for this year’s award were:
Francine Cohen
Lynn Heitritter
Jan Vance
Bill Brayer
Cyndi Correnti
Jim Wasall
Todd Clayton
Birgit Povlson
Rick Steves
Al Rutledge
Harold Huston
Michael Reagan

The Chamber of Commerce luncheon runs  11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 26. Guest speaker will be Phil McConnell, Executive Director at Work Opportunities, followed by the Citizen of Year presentation. You can make reservations to attend online.

Chuck Woodbury at work in his motor home.

RVtravel.com editor Chuck Woodbury of Edmonds will leave next week in his 24-foot motor home on a two-month tour of the West Coast to gather stories, shoot video and meet with his readers along the way.

“It’s been a couple of years since I was away for more than a month,” said Woodbury, a 16-year resident of Edmonds who has produced his RVtravel.com online newsletter weekly for more than 10 years and has built a loyal audience of 200,000 recreational vehicle enthusiasts. RVtravel.com and its sister site RVbookstore.com are located in the Harbor Square complex by the Edmonds waterfront.

“I think the biggest change for me this trip will be the opportunity to connect with readers along the way using Facebook,” he explained. “I’ve already contacted some of them to help set up impromptu gatherings. The ability to post to Facebook that you will be in a particular place on a particular day and then be able to interact with your readers is something I couldn’t do before social media.”

Besides writing about the people and places along his route, Woodbury will shoot video and post it to his RVtravel.com YouTube channel, which to date has garnered more than 1.3 million views. “You really do not need a TV show on a traditional broadcast or cable channel anymore to reach a substantial niche audience,” said Woodbury who is a pioneer in video self distribution. His early efforts earned him a “Videomaker of the Year” award from Videomaker Magazine.

Woodbury first started traveling by RV in the mid-1980s as a freelance magazine writer. He spent much of the ’90s on the road writing stories for his quarterly newspaper Out West and the New York Times Syndicate.

“How we reach an audience today with our writing, photography and video is dramatically different than when I first went on the road,” he said. “It’s more challenging, exciting and creative than ever, and as technology evolves the ability to reach a larger audience expands.”

Woodbury plans to explore Washington, Oregon, California and Arizona on his upcoming trip but admits he could end up elsewhere. “I’ve been known to stray,” he said.

The concert runs from 7:30 – 9 p.m. You can find more information, including directions, here.

A total of 1,151 undergraduate students achieved the criteria required for WPI’s fall 2011 Dean’s List, defined by the amount of work completed at the A level in courses and projects.

“WPI’s academic programs are remarkably rigorous, so being named to the Dean’s List is a testament to hard work, a sharp mind, and a commitment to excellence,” said Provost Eric Overström. “Some of this nation’s best and brightest students come to WPI to learn subjects ranging from engineering to science to business and the humanities, and through our innovative project-based curriculum they conduct professional-level research and solve important problems all over the world. Those named to the Dean’s List have excelled at facing such demanding challenges, and we are exceptionally proud of these outstanding students.”

Worcester Polytechnic Institute is an engineering and technology university located in Worcester, Mass.

Deborah Anderson

The Edmonds Public Schools Foundation, which raises money for students, teachers and schools in the Edmonds School District, has appointed Deborah Anderson as its new executive director.

Before coming to the Foundation, Anderson was director of finance for the Snohomish County Workforce Development Council in Everett and Washington Vocational Services in Mountlake Terrace. She earned her certification in non-profit management from the University of Washington, and has raised over $800,000 for area non-profits including the South Snohomish County Chamber of Commerce, Friendship House and Western Washington University’s Center of Economic Vitality. She also has two children who attend Edmonds-Woodway High School.