'Bird Friendly Community Day' set for Saturday
CHERYL SCHWEIZER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 10 years, 10 months AGO
Goldfinches are among the birds that birdwatchers may find in Moses Lake backyards. Participants will learn about birds and birdwatching at "Bird Friendly Community Day" Saturday.
Senior Reporter Cheryl Schweizer is a journalist with more than 30 years of experience serving small communities in the Pacific Northwest. She began her post-high-school education at Treasure Valley Community College and enerned her journalism degree at Oregon State University. After working for multiple publications, she has settled down at the Columbia Basin Herald and has been a staple of the newsroom for more than a decade. Schweizer’s dedication to her communities and profession has earned her the nickname “The Baroness of Bylines.” She covers a variety of beats including health, business and various municipalities. | June 18, 2015 6:00 AM
MOSES LAKE - The first "Bird Friendly Community Day" is scheduled for Saturday at the Moses Lake Public Library and the Moses Lake Museum & Art Center.
The day's activities, all built around birds and appreciation for birds, begin at 11 a.m. with story time at the library, 418 E. Fifth Ave. All activities are from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the museum, the library and Civic Park next to the library.
Kids can make a bird mask at the library and a bird feeder at the museum. "We take our tuna fish can and make a bird feeder," and learn what makes good bird food, said Margaret Schiffner, Audubon Society volunteer. The Audubon Society is a co-sponsor of Bird Friendly Community Day.
A presentation on "life around a sagebrush" is scheduled for museum. A scavenger hunt, where kids will be asked to find pictures of birds, is scheduled for the park. "We'll use real binoculars." Schiffner said. The park also will host a presentation by the Grant County Master Gardeners detailing plants that are friendly to birds. Children will learn how to identify birds found in the central Columbia Basin, she said.
The effect of off-road vehicles on desert wildlife will be the subject of another presentation in the park. The day ends with a "flock walk," scheduled for about 1:30 p.m., of bird watchers and wildlife enthusiasts in the park.
The idea, Schiffner said, is to encourage kids and families to get interested in watching birds and other wildlife. "We're trying to stimulate interest in backyard habitat," she said.
Children will learn about bird-friendly plants and how to build a backyard friendly to birds, Schiffner said. They'll learn about bird-friendly plants, birdseed and where to find it.
Schiffner said the Audubon Society chapter wanted to do some community outreach in Moses Lake, to match its efforts in Othello. The club sponsors an information booth at the Othello Sandhill Crane Festival, she said. A day of family events seemed like a good idea, she said.
The idea is to introduce children and families to bird watching and get them interested in wildlife and conservation, she said.
ARTICLES BY CHERYL SCHWEIZER
Moses Lake Grange to sponsor candidate forum
MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Grange No. 1151 will sponsor a forum where people can listen to candidates for the Fourth Congressional District from 3 to 5 p.m. May 9 at the Grange building, 14724 Road 3 SE.
Ephrata to consider impact fees for new development
EPHRATA — The possibility of adding transportation and parks impact fees for new development will be under consideration by the Ephrata City Council, starting with a discussion April 29. Community Development Director Ron Sell said development fees would be a new thing for Ephrata. “Currently we don’t have any impact fees in place. We do have a parks mitigation fee in place,” Sell said.
Surveys of Moses Lake residents show attitudes toward service cuts, sales tax increase
MOSES LAKE — About 49% of Moses Lake residents contacted as part of a survey of community attitudes and priorities said they were satisfied with the direction of the city, with about 42% saying they thought the city was on the wrong track. The biggest concerns of survey respondents centered around homelessness and public safety. The survey was part of a larger project to get public input on possible revisions to city programs due to a deficit in the general fund. “We’re trying to understand how voters look at their values and what kinds of things you might have the opportunity to do in the future as you’re thinking about corralling this budget. Where are the opportunities, where will you find resistance and (where) will you find more agreement among voters?” said Ian Stewart, of Fulcrum Strategy group, which conducted the survey.