MATTHEW SAUNDERS and Angela Offen, murdered Saturday at their home on the Tahuya Peninsula by Justin Purinton, planned to be married in August.

DANA HAIGH had a brush with fame sixty years ago but didn't know it. The 83-year-old man was born in Worcester, Massachusetts, and studied musical composition at Oberlin College in Ohio before beginning began his career as a music teacher. But he was drafted by the Army during World War II and figured he was on his way to Europe to fight the Nazis. Then fate intervened. Haigh said one day he noticed a little sign. The Army, it turned out, was looking for a pianist. "I was just lucky," he said about spotting the posting. "I would have been shooting people." INSTEAD, HE was assigned to a military band that included Dave Brubeck, who was to go on to become a jazz legend.

LOOKING THE WORSE for wear after nearly a month in the waters of Goldsborough Creek, the 1986 Ford Bronco above now sits in the yard at Jim's Towing. Jim McCabe, on left, and Matt Mathwich hauled the rig from the creek Friday in a gesture of public service.

Music's on stage tonight!

Rehearsing for their rendition of "Forget About the Boy" from the musical Thoroughly Modern Millie are, from left to right: Micah Hart, Laura Gamache, Elise Thompson, Katie Miser, Lizz Eaton, Alanna Knudsen, Jessica Ross and Emilie Schnabel. Shelton High School students Cressa Amundsen and Steven Wells are directing the Night of Musical Theatre, which opened Wednesday. Showings continue at 7:30 p.m. tonight, February 3, and at 8 p.m. Friday, February 4. All of the performances will take place at the SHS Auditorium, 3737 Shelton Springs Road.

SLIEVELOUGHANE, AN IRISH dance troupe from Lakebay, will perform at a benefit for the Care Net Pregnancy Center of Mason County at 7 p.m. March 4 at The Pavilion at Sentry Park.

Orca at play

Kathy Danforth took this picture on the afternoon of January 25 of an orca whale frolicking off Holiday Beach Dock in the waters of Hood Canal. The most recent sighting of whales moving in a pod of six or so was on Monday morning. "They were playing out front just feeding really heavily," Danforth said. Recent sightings of the orcas have led to the formation of a "whale hotline" in the Hoodsport area.

AMID AERIAL FEATS and assorted other diversions of the not yet pubescent, Climber matdom plays host to league rival Bremerton last week in prep dual-meet wrestling action in the Minidome. Flying to a four-point landing in an impromptu tackling-dummy drill while several of the Climbers peer out at him from the warm-up room, above, is young age-group star Jakeob Garrick, son of junior-high coach Rodgar. Working over soon-to-be victim Ken Zowadzinski in the centermost inset is senior cocaptain Levi Roadman. And in the nearmost inset, beside an unidentified would-be victor in a behind-the-bleachers game of hide & seek, the hosts' Nathan Kimbel very nearly pins his rival as time runs out in the evening's 215-pound bout. The Climbers won 54-27 and then two nights later pulled off a capper for the ages, coming from behind in the final match here to nudge cross-divisional foe Foss High School and claim undisputed third place in the Narrows League top inish in ages for the Red & Black. This weekend it's on to subregionals at Bremerton High School.

HOOP-SHOOTING phenom Brett Skogstad, seen here a couple of years ago displaying his free-throw shooting hardware, is poised to win an unprecedented sixth straight state Elks Hoop Shoot championship.

JOYCE LANGSTON, whose family has a history of cancer and is a cancer survivor herself, is involved in the North Mason Relay for Life for the third year running.