Moses Lake Alumni select scholarship winners
JOEL MARTIN | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 3 years AGO
Some of the winners of Moses Lake Alumni Association scholarships line up for a photo at McCosh Park Monday. Back row, from left: Madeline O’Neil, Tina Nguyen, Avery Sandhop, Cyerra Brent. Front, from left: Alissa Whitaker, Kalyn Clark, Kyia Hunter-Kanoff, Krithika Suresh, Kylie McLauchlan. Not pictured: Angel Miguel Espinoza, Sydney Macdonald, Madylin Morigeau, Eric Shaporda, Rebecca Shaporda.
JOEL MARTIN/COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD
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. | August 9, 2023 6:20 PM
MOSES LAKE — Fourteen Moses Lake High School seniors will have a little help with college thanks to a scholarship from the Moses Lake Alumni Association.
This is the 17th year the association has offered the scholarships, according to association Secretary (and historian) Susan Blackwell.
“This year, we just topped $250,000 (over the years),” Blackwell said.
The amount of the scholarship varies from year to year depending on how much is donated to the fund, Blackwell said. To apply, students fill out an application form and submit transcripts and letters of recommendation, as well as a letter stating what their goals are, she added. Then those applications are ranked by a committee within the association. One recipient chose to defer her scholarship to next year.
Members of the association pay annual dues, and many donate more to the scholarship fund, Blackwell said. In addition, some graduating classes have banded together to give memorial donations at their high school reunions.
“The Class of ’62 actually donated eight memorial scholarships in memory of Mr. Gary Frey, who was one of our instructors and a wrestling coach,” she said. “He attended most of our reunions, including the one last November, and then passed away in December.”
The Alumni Association always welcomes new members, Blackwell said. More information on the association and the scholarships can be found on its Facebook page, or interested parties can write to the association at P.O. Box 1446, Moses Lake, WA 98837.
“(We want to express) gratitude for all of the faithful members who have donated year after year after year, including the memorial scholarship donors,” Blackwell said. “It's very important.”
Joel Martin may be reached via email at [email protected].
ARTICLES BY JOEL MARTIN
Quincy National Night Out scales down
QUINCY — Quincy’s National Night Out was more compact this year, which worked out well, said QPD Sgt. Joe Westby, who’s in charge of event planning for the Quincy Police Department. “National Night Out is a big event, and the fact that we’re able to shrink it up is like a breath of fresh air,” Westby said. “If you're always doing the same thing, it's kind of nice to switch things up and see how it works.” National Night Out took place Thursday on the block of C Street next to the police station, a shift from previous years when it was held at Lauzier Park. The smaller space meant fewer emergency vehicles for children to explore, but it also meant less walking for attendees. Grant County Fire District 5 brought a fire truck, and the Grant County Sheriff’s Office had a patrol boat. Renew, the Grant County behavioral health agency, had a booth and so did Quincy Partnership for Youth. Veterans Operation Creation sang the national anthem, and the Quincy Animal Shelter brought kittens that piled over each other making friends with passersby. As before, the QPD served grilled hot dogs.
Quincy Police retirements leave big shoes to fill
QUINCY — There are some big shoes to fill at the Quincy Police Department. “We’re losing 48 years of experience between them,” Quincy Police Chief Ryan Green said at the retirement party for Capt. Jorge Trujillo and Det. Damon Powell Thursday. Trujillo, who grew up in Sunnyside, has been with QPD for 19 years, he said, coming on as a patrol officer fresh out of the military. From there he served as a field training officer, a detective and finally captain. “I consider him my left-hand man,” Green said. “He runs the operations side of the house … He knows the agency very well, and he knows the community.” Trujillo has some projects around the house to tackle now that he’s retired, he said.
Big fun on a small scale
Wheat Land Communities’ Fair opens Thursday
RITZVILLE — The Wheat Land Communities’ Fair isn’t as big or as flashy as some of the county fairs around central Washington, but the folks who keep it going like it just the way it is. “It’s somewhere you can go and get an old-time traditional feeling, and you’re comfortable letting your kids roam the grounds and experience all that it has to offer,” said Board Member Lori Williams. “It’s more of a feeling than (one) specific thing,” The fair starts Thursday in Ritzville and runs through Sunday. Starting Friday, the 56th Ritzville Rodeo will take place alongside the fair at the rodeo grounds. This year the entertainment budget was expanded, Williams said, to be able to offer more fun that’s covered by the cost of admission. For the kids, there’s face painting, balloon art, Lego crafts, races, contests and games. Children can also ride on a little train towed around the fairgrounds behind a tractor.