Drilling could begin next month to pinpoint gold deposits in the hills four miles south of Wenatchee, where more than 60% of holes drilled in the 1990s showed "significant gold deposits." The parcel is near two mines that produced 1.6 million ounces of gold before closing in 1992. A representative of the exploration company said, "We’re confident that what we call the Wenatchee Gold Belt contains billions of dollars in gold. It’s one of the best places in North America, maybe in the world, to look for gold." Read the Wenatchee World article.

The Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland has announced next year’s season earlier than usual. Attendees can choose from classics and more-contemporary plays to be performed at the famed Angus Bowmer Theatre, New Theatre, and on the Elizabethan Stage: "King Lear," "A Midsummer Night's Dream," "The Taming of the Shrew," and the seldom-staged "Cymbeline," as well as "My Fair Lady," "A Streetcar Named Desire" and others. Read The Oregonian article, and check out OSF’s website.

From our "a little different" suggestion box: Check out the list of seven Western Washington hikes that connect you with Northwest legends. These are lowland strolls you can enjoy in February, so go ahead, get outside and blow the midwinter dust off yourself. Take a walking tour of Paul Bunyan's backyard, the Barefoot Bandit's domain, Sasquatch country, D.B. Cooper's refuge, a "Twilight" vampire beach, and more. Read the Tacoma News Tribune article.

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Read the January edition of Perspective, PEMCO's customer newsletter. Click here to download a PDF. Our goal is to deliver timely, relevant information that helps you avoid trouble, particularly around the home or on our roads. Perspective is published three times per year in January, May, and September.