One week into our News21 trip and I can already feel my calendar filling up to the brim. If I didn’t already think living with 10 people would be an interesting challenge, imagine 10 busy, overachieving journalists doing it for six weeks in small town Washington.
Katy and Clark Starkel
When we first got to Republic, Washington, I think it’s safe to say most of us were surprised by the bunkhouse. Although large, the bunkhouse is kind of like an unfinished house with no locks and walls that were still covered in fresh paint. But we’ve made it work—even hooking it up with Internet and locks along all of the outside doors.
To be honest, the living conditions are nothing to worry about. We’re all so busy, we practically just use the house for storage and a place to sleep. In the past week, AJ, Michelle and I have spent more than 20 hours with our main story character, Jared Starkel. Starkel is an Iraq veteran living in Oroville, Washington—less than 10 miles from the border of Canada. If life wasn’t stressful enough with a wife, three kids and one on the way, Starkel is in the middle of applying for Veterans Affairs disability and medical benefits.
Currently, he works at the grocery store just a block away from his house. In order to get benefits from his current job, Starkel must work 40 hours each week at Prince’s Center, the local grocery store. Even a half hour short on his time sheet and Starkel will lose his benefits for the month.
But somehow the hard times don’t seem to affect Jared’s love for his family. His wife Cassie is a non-stop worker. She volunteers for each of her kid’s school and extracurricular activities while holding a full time, temporary, job for the United State Census 2010. At nearly nine months pregnant, Cassie Starkel continues to fill her schedule with responsibilities—even penciling in her baby boy’s birth for a cesarean section on June 17th.
Although Cassie has the date planned out, there have been a couple of false alarms for baby Garen already. Just last night, AJ, Michelle and I made a late-night run to the hospital in hopes of being with Cassie while she gives birth. But alas, Jared and Cassie were sent home this morning with baby Garen still holding tight in the womb.
