American Legion to hold flag retirement ceremony
JOEL MARTIN | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 4 years, 7 months AGO
Joel Martin has been with the Columbia Basin Herald for more than 25 years in a variety of roles and is the most-tenured employee in the building. Martin is a married father of eight and enjoys spending time with his children and his wife, Christina. He is passionate about the paper’s mission of informing the people of the Columbia Basin because he knows it is important to record the history of the communities the publication serves. | June 8, 2020 12:40 AM
EPHRATA — American Legion Post 28 in Ephrata will hold a flag retirement ceremony on Flag Day, June 14, according to the post.
A flag retirement ceremony allows owners of flags that may be tattered or torn to dispose of them honorably. Dirty flags can be washed or dry cleaned, the post pointed out, but flags that are in disrepair should be disposed of properly.
The United States Flag Code states: “The Flag, when it is in such condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem of display, should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning.”
Boy Scout Troop 41, also of Ephrata, will assist the Legionnaires with the ceremony.
Flag Day was officially established by presidential proclamation by President Woodrow Wilson in 1916 and ratified by an act of Congress in 1949. It commemorates the adoption of the U.S. Flag by the Continental Congress on June 14, 1777. It is also recognized as the birthday of the U.S. Army.
Anyone who has a damaged flag to dispose of may bring it to the American Legion post at 276 Eighth Ave. NW, Ephrata. More information is available from post Chaplain Mike Montaney at 509-989-4417 or the post’s Unit Americanism Chairman Jane Montaney at 509-760-1443.
ARTICLES BY JOEL MARTIN
All things ag
Spokane Ag Show has something for everyone
SPOKANE — All things agricultural will be on display the first week of February at the 48th annual Spokane Ag Show at the Spokane Convention Center. The Spokane Ag Show is one of the largest ag expos in the region, said Show Director Melisa Paul. “A typical year brings in just short of 6,000 attendees,” Paul said. “We’re expecting 230-plus exhibitors and nearly 3,000 exhibitor reps. So far, we’re putting on 47 professional farm forum seminars, which is standard for us.” Ten of those seminars will be pesticide recertification courses, Paul said. The certified crop applicator, or CCA, credits from those seminars are approved in both Washington and Idaho, and seven of them are approved in Oregon as well. Since a CCA has to earn 40 hours of continuing education credits for every two-year period, the ag show is a good place to get them.
Trade school scholarship auction coming Feb. 15 in Mattawa
MATTAWA — The Sven Legacy Foundation will hold a fundraiser silent auction Feb. 15 near Mattawa, complete with food, drinks, music and lots to bid on. The foundation was formed in November in memory of its namesake, Sven Leland, a Mattawa farmer who passed away last year. The purpose is to help students who aren’t planning to go to college have career options.
Home solar can trim bills, but research before installing
EPHRATA — With the cost of everything going up, some homeowners want to embrace self-sufficiency in energy by mounting solar panels on their roofs to generate power. And considering the Basin’s abundant sunshine, that seems like a great solution for this area. “We do encourage customers to go into their solar investment fully educated with clear expectations,” said Chris Buchmann, energy programs supervisor for the Grant Public Utility District.