Wildfire presentation coming to Moses Lake, Ephrata libraries
CHERYL SCHWEIZER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 10 years, 2 months AGO
Wildfire consumes trees in north central Washington. Nature photographer John Marshall will talk about wildfire and its management in lectures at the Ephrata and Moses Lake libraries next week.
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. | February 19, 2016 5:00 AM
MOSES LAKE — Nature photographer John Marshall will talk wildfire and what he’s learned through his documentation in lectures at two local libraries next week.
Presentations are scheduled in Ephrata and Moses Lake. The Ephrata lecture will be 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Ephrata Public Library, 45 Northwest Alder St. Marshall will be in Moses Lake at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Moses Lake Public Library, 418 East Fifth Ave.
Marshall’s interest in fires and their impact dates to 1994 and a summer of big wildfires, according to a press release from the North Central Regional Library. The presentations are part of the library’s program on wildfires following severe fire seasons in 2014 and 2015.
Wildfire and its impact will be a focus of lectures and a question-and-answer session during February, March and April, leading up to a visit to Wenatchee by Timothy Egan, author of “The Big Burn.” The book is the subject of the Columbia River Reads program for 2016. Columbia River Reads participants all read the same book, with a lecture by the author as the program finale.
The idea is to talk about “how we came to where we are and where we’re going from here,” said Michelle McNiel, NCRL public relations specialist. Events include a question and answer session about the Firewise program, which shows people how to improve the chances of property surviving a wildfire. An historical presentation on wildfire in North Central Washington is planned also.
Marshall’s lectures are the only two events in Grant County, McNeil said. The NCRL outreach program is focusing on Washington history in 2016, according to the library system website. The program will shift to a new topic in May, McNeil said.
Marshall said he took the 1994 picture without exactly knowing why. In the 21 years since, “he’s photographed dozens of burned areas, documenting dynamic changes in the landscape as forest and sage lands grow back after fires,” the press release said.
Marshall has a degree in fishery science from Oregon State University and a master’s degree in wildlife resources from the University of Idaho. He is working with the U.S. Forest Service to compare historic and contemporary pictures of Washington forests and rangeland to show how they have changed over time.
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.