Rest of Freedom Festival canceled, but fireworks show approved
CHERYL SCHWEIZER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 5 years, 9 months AGO
Columbia Basin Herald file photo The fireworks display at this year's Freedom Fest is still on, despite other activities being canceled.
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 11, 2020 11:52 PM
MOSES LAKE — Sean Sallis, president of the committee in charge of the Freedom Festival, said he wanted people to know the July 4 fireworks in Moses Lake are happening. Some people had expressed skepticism to him about the fireworks display, he said, but it’s confirmed.
“We have it cleared. It’s 100 percent going to happen,” Sallis said.
Planning for other Freedom Festival events was in the early stages when the COVID-19 outbreak scrambled plans for many events all over the state.
“We had some really good things planned and ready to rock,” Sallis said, including a carnival, live music and vendors in McCosh Park during the weekend.
The committee had signed country musician Craig Morgan as the headline music performer, Sallis said. The concert has been rescheduled to July 3, 2021.
The rest of the festival has been canceled, but the committee received clearance for the fireworks show from Grant County Health District and Moses Lake city officials.
Board member Rob Jones said the cancellations of other events made the July 4 fireworks all the more important.
The July 4 show will be under the direction of Western Display Fireworks.
“We’re the only show that company is going to do now,” Sallis said.
The fireworks are being presented with the support of Grant County and Moses Lake tourism committees, Sallis said. The committee also got assistance from Moses Lake Parks and Recreation officials.
“People are looking for something to do,” Sallis said, and the Moses Lake fireworks display is going to be one of the few in eastern Washington. The committee is hoping the fireworks will draw people from out of town.
While the fireworks are happening, going to McCosh Park to watch them is being discouraged.
“Nobody can gather in the park. That’s the request,” Sallis said.
The Freedom Festival committee also sponsors the annual Spring Festival, held Memorial Day weekend. This is the first year the Spring Festival committee is sponsoring Freedom Festival. The Spring Festival was among the events canceled.
Sallis and Jones also credited their fellow committee members for their work on the fireworks show. Committee members are Ian Hawkins, Lori Valdez, Rebecca Davis and Lisha Ribellia.
Cheryl Schweizer can be reached via email at [email protected].
ARTICLES BY CHERYL SCHWEIZER
Road closures, roundabout, mean construction season underway
EPHRATA — The grass is starting to turn green, the trees are starting to leaf out, construction crews are starting to build roundabouts – hey, it’s spring. At least one roundabout project is in its final phase, held over from fall 2025. The intersection of State Route 282 and Nat Washington Way will be closed the week of April 6 to allow crews to install permanent lights. “This really is the final (closure),” wrote Grant County Administrator Tom Gaines in a media release. “The roundabout will close at 6 a.m. Monday, and we plan to reopen by Friday, possibly sooner if the work finishes early.”
Ybarra announces run for Washington Senate
QUINCY — State Representative Alex Ybarra, R-Quincy, has announced his candidacy for the Washington Senate. If he’s elected, he would replace Judy Warnick, R-Moses Lake, who announced her retirement in March.
Othello Community Museum to open April 25
OTHELLO — With a couple of new exhibits, a new heating-cooling system, rearranged displays and a thorough cleaning, the Othello Community Museum will open for the summer April 25. The goal, said Molly Popchock, museum board secretary, is to operate for a full season.