Washington
Introducing Esty Gonzalez: A Contender For The Washington State Apple Blossom Festival Royalty
We are meeting the Top Ten Candidates for the Washington State Apple Blossom Festival Royalty this week on NewsRadio 560 KPQ/FM 101.7
Candidates compete in the Cashmere Valley Bank Royalty Selection Pageant at the Numerica PAC on Saturday, Feb. 10th The Queen and two Princesses will be crowned to reign over the 105th Washington State Apple Blossom Festival April 25th – May 5th, 2024 in Wenatchee, WA.
Check back here to learn more about each of the ten hopefuls for this year’s Royal Court
Meet 2024 Washington Apple Blossom Royalty Top 10 Candidate Esty Gonzalez
Top 10 Candidate Esty Gonzalez Image: Parsons Photography/Apple Blossom Festival
Esty Gonzalez is the daughter of Juan and Cristina Gonzalez. She is a senior at Eastmont High School.
KPQ: Thanks for joining us on the program and congratulations on your selection. Is Esty a nickname or is that your given name?
EG: Esty is my nickname. It stems from my middle name which is Estrella. My first name is actually Christina. So it’s Christina Estrella. I have the same name as my mom. So that’s where it comes from. And I just chose to go by Esty just because it’s my own individual name and a lot of people do call me by that.
KPQ: I know you’re proud to tell me what Estrella means in Spanish?
EG: Yes. So Estrella means star. My mom loves stars so she named me after them and it’s such a pretty name. I love it so much.
KPQ: Tell us about some of the things you’re involved with, any extra curricular activities or how you stay busy with volunteering.
EG: The main thing I do at the high school is the environmental club. We meet every week and we go around the school, and we pick up the recycling. Recently there have been new projects at the high school. They’re working on planting new native plants. I know they’re looking into where the trash in the cafeteria goes. And we also volunteer around town. Our biggest thing is the Earth Day fair at Pybus Market where we run a booth with games and educational facts.
KPQ: You have spent a lot of time taking care of your cousins. Tell me a little bit about that experience. My little cousins they are the joys of my life. I like to think when I’m taking care of them, they are my kids, just watching them grow from little babies to the funniest toddlers ever. I love watching them grow up and being able to be a part of their lives too, not an adult but just an important figure in their life.
KPQ: What has been your favorite class at Eastmont High School?
EG: I would say the first class that comes to mind was my child development classes I took last year. At Eastmont high school, we have the Wee wild cats, little preschoolers, they range from ages three to four. And in child development, we plan activities to play with them and we take them outside or throughout the school, and we play games that test their large motor activities and their fine motor skills. We learn why they develop the way they do and how little kids think. It’s been such an interesting class. I took it for two trimesters. And not only was it just so interesting, and so fun to play with the little preschoolers, but I also loved my teacher, Mrs. Adelman. She is one of the sweetest ladies ever. Getting to know her I would say, is the biggest highlight of my year last year.
KPQ: Is early childhood development a career you plan to pursue?
EG: My plan is actually very different. I am choosing to go into civil engineering. Another one of my favorite classes are math and science. They’re subjects that I’ve always like taken an interest in and I found that I’ve been pretty good at. So my plan is to go to an in state four year university. Right now I’m deciding between the University of Washington and Washington State University, and I’m going to go there to pursue my bachelor’s degree.
KPQ: Let’s talk about the Apple Blossom Festival. Wat is your favorite Apple Blossom memory?
EG: Well, last year I got to go to all the activities with my cousins. I had one marching in the parade with the cheer team at Eastmont and another cousin in the Wenatchee band. I went with my cousin to go watch them and we sat our chairs and it was so much fun watching them do their thing and seeing all the floats.
KPQ: Okay, then you must have a favorite food fair vendor? Which booth do you like to visit first?
EG: The number one place that I really loved was the Shishka berries. They are just a perfect snack that I could have anytime. Chocolate covered strawberries. What’s more to love, I love chocolate and I love fruit. I also love to get curly fries and a corndog because that’s just a classic fair food. It’s a staple!
KPQ: You are all competing for a spot in the Royal Court but if you think about who you hope among the the other candidates is is selected, who would that be?
EG: This whole journey, I’ve gotten to know these girls a lot more and the more I’ve gotten to know them, the more I’ve seen how loving they are and how passionate they are about their Valley. I don’t know if I can say just one because I’ve pictured them all as Queen and Princesses and they all are so deserving. They’re all so kind and I wish there could be 10 Queens and princesses that would be perfect.
KPQ: Well, I would agree. Let’s just change it back to how it used to be and let’s just have a royal court of 10 Good luck to you and all the candidates. It’s been a delight meeting all of you. Thanks for joining us on the radio today.
Read more about Esty Gonzalez
Esty Gonzalez is the daughter of Juan and Cristina Gonzalez. Esty is a full time student and participates in her school’s Environmental club’s activities. She also assists in taking care of her younger cousins whenever help is needed. In her spare time, she enjoys expressing her artistic side with painting and drawing, along with listening to music and reading on quiet evenings. After graduation, Esty plans to attend an instate four year university, and receive her bachelor’s degree in civil engineering.
One of Esty’s favorite shows is Gilmore Girls and her favorite movie is Coraline. Currently, her favorite song is “Mine” by Taylor Swift, and her favorite book is Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. She is most inspired by her mother and her most treasured keepsake is her baby blanket she sleeps with every night.
Esty’s favorite thing to do in the Wenatchee Valley, besides Apple Blossom, is going to the local Target to purchase any of her necessities and all of her goods. Her proudest moment in life was recently writing and presenting her college essay to her family. If Esty could trade places with anyone for the day, she would trade places with film director Greta Girwig. Esty feels that she should represent the Wenatchee Valley because she wants to openly give back to the town she grew up making many wonderful memories in, and deepen her connection with the valley and its people.
32 Items People Actually Want to Get at Parades Rather than Tootsie Rolls
Summer is here and with that are lots and lots of parades for you to enjoy. But, let’s be real for a minute, no one wants any more Tootsie Rolls. If you are a company in a parade, read that again…NO ONE WANTS YOUR TOOTSIE ROLLS! Here’s what we would rather see you throw at us at the parade.
Gallery Credit: Jessica On The Radio
On a perfect day in Seattle for football, Washington took the field inside Husky Stadium for its first scrimmage of spring practice, and ahead of his third season at the helm, Jedd Fisch seemed pleased with the results.
“Guys played and competed their ass off,” he said after the Huskies ran 120 plays. “That’s the type of day we want to have…We have a lot to work on, but we’re excited that today gave us this opportunity.”
The 120 plays had a little bit of everything, but the biggest thing the Huskies showed during the day was that, despite the inexperience that Fisch’s coaching staff is looking to lean on at several positions, there’s plenty of talent littering the roster. The best example of that is sophomore safety Paul Mencke Jr., who had his best practice in a Husky uniform after Fisch announced on Saturday that senior CJ Christian is out for the year after suffering a torn Achilles tendon during Tuesday’s practice at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
“Paul’s done a great job of competing and being physical and playing fast, and you could see over these three years, he’s really grown into understanding now the system, and what’s asked of him as a safety,” Fisch said. “I think there’s a lot of in him that he wants to be like (safeties coach Taylor) Mays. He sees himself as a tall, linear, big hitter. So when you have your coach that is known for that type of play, I think Paul has done a great job.”
Mencke was all over the field. Not only did he lay some big hits, just like his safeties coach did during his time at USC, but the former four-star recruit also tallied a pair of pass breakups, an interception in a 7-on-7 period, and multiple strong tackles to hold ball carriers to limited yards.
While the defense did a good job getting pressure throughout the day and making the quarterbacks hold the ball with different looks on the back end, with safety Alex McLaughlin, linebacker Donovan Robinson, and edge rusher Logan George all among the players credited for a sack, quarterback Demond Williams Jr. got an opportunity to show off how he’s improved ahead of his junior year.
Early on, he showed off his well-known speed and athleticism, making the correct decision on a read option, pulling the ball and scampering for a 25-yard gain before displaying his touch. Throughout the day, his favorite target was junior receiver Rashid Williams, whom he found on several layered throws of 15-plus yards in the various scrimmage periods of practice.
On a day when every able-bodied member of the team was able to get several reps of live action, here are some of the other noteworthy plays from the day.
Spring practice notebook
- Freshman cornerback Jeron Jones was unable to participate in the scrimmage and was spotted working off to the side with the rest of the players rehabbing their injuries.
- The running backs delivered a pair of big blows on the day. First, cornerback Emmanuel Karnley was on the receiving end of a big hit from redshirt freshman Quaid Carr before the former three-star recruit ripped off a 13-yard touchdown run on the next play. Later on, every player on offense had a lot of fun cheering on freshman Ansu Sanoe after he leveled Zaydrius Rainey-Sale, letting the sophomore linebacker hear all about it when the play was whistled dead.
- Sophomore wide receiver Justice Williams put together a strong day with several contested catches, showing off his strong hands and 6-foot-4 frame, including a 25-yard catch and run off a drag route from backup quarterback Elijah Brown.
- Of all the tackles for a loss the Huskies were able to rack up throughout the day, two stood out. First, junior defensive tackle Elinneus Davis burst through the middle of the line to wrap up freshman running back Brian Bonner. Later on, freshman outside linebacker Ramzak Fruean wasn’t even touched as he shot through a gap in the offensive line to track down a play from behind, letting the entire offensive sideline know about the play on his way back to his own bench.
- The Huskies experimented with several defensive line combinations on Saturday, and for the first time this spring, it felt like freshman Derek Colman-Brusa took the majority of his reps alongside someone other than Davis, who he said has taken on an older brother role to help mentor the top-ranked in-state prospect in the 2026 class.
“Elinneus is a phenomenal guy. Great work ethic. He’s kind of taken on that older brother mentor for me. He’s been a great help just to learn plays and learn the scheme. Can’t say enough good things about the guy.”
- Ball State transfer Darin Conley took a handful of reps with the first team, while rotating with Colman-Brusa, who got a lot of work in alongside Sacramento State transfer DeSean Watts.
Twenty Sioux Falls School District art teachers have their own original pieces on display at the Washington Pavilion’s University Gallery now through May 31.
The “Teachers as Artists” exhibit showcases their work not just as educators, but as artists inside and outside of the classroom, and highlights how art education builds critical thinking, creative problem-solving and self-expression skills.
Edison Middle School art teacher Meagan Turbak-Fogarty said she dreamt of such a showcase since her first year teaching.
She and Kathy Dang, an art teacher at Marcella LeBeau Elementary School who also serves on the city’s Visual Arts Committee, partnered with the city and Washington Pavilion to bring the showcase to life.
Turbak-Fogarty has taught at Edison for five years and said her passion for art is “instantly felt” on her classroom walls, but that students have asked where they could see her art in the classroom, or what kind of art she creates in her own time.
“I always felt the feeling that I stand in front of all these kids every single day and preach about how much I love art, and how art has changed my life,” Turbak-Fogarty said. “That got me thinking, ‘I want to show them.’”
Some of her works on display at the Pavilion include art she created in her first year teaching, including a large Cheetos bag she created as an example for her eighth grade classroom when they were working on a large chip bag project. Turbak-Fogarty said she loves painting, working with acrylics and unconventional materials.
“I wanted to show my students that art can be anything,” she said. “It doesn’t have to be hanging up in a museum to be considered art.”
Continuing to do her own art while teaching the subject helps keep her inspired, Turbak-Fogarty explained, adding that it helps her push her own creativity when it comes to projects she works on with students.
Samantha Levisay, an art teacher at John Harris Elementary School, showed three pieces in the show — “Moments in Time,” “Midnight Butterfly Garden” and “Whimsy” — with the same mixed media, watercolor and printmaking skills that she teaches in different units at every elementary grade.
Levisay educates her students that “art is everywhere.” She said her favorite memories as an art teacher are “moments when I show students a lesson, and they take it even further.”
“Kids are so creative; I marvel at them all the time,” she said. “They inspire me every day with their endless creativity and imagination.”
Roosevelt High School art teacher Ruth Hillman showed two pieces in the show: “The Potato on the Wall,” a mixed media work, and a collection of her handmade clay charms in a shadow box.
She also wore some of her art — miniature potato earrings made of clay.
Hillman is in her third year at RHS. When she’s not teaching art, she’s also making art, and sells her charms at shows like the Art Collective.
Washington High School art teacher Mollie Potter displayed a three-part painting series at the show that she said were inspired by her English language learner students’ stories, and how teachers help students “take flight,” as represented by balloons, parachutes and kites in her work.
Porter said she is often inspired by her students’ art in the classroom; for example, one former student was obsessed with swans, and Porter said she later created a painting inspired by one of the student’s stories about swans.
At an April 17 reception, Mayor Paul TenHaken emphasized the arts as an “important economic driver in the community,” and said the show honored educators “who are artists in and of themselves,” but who might not have had a chance to display their art outside the classroom before.
“This is a way for us to honor them and show their incredible work,” TenHaken said.
Full Episode:
Washington Week with The Atlantic full episode, 4/17/26
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