PREVIEW: A look at Soap Lake's Folk and Food Festival
JOEL MARTIN | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 1 year, 5 months AGO
Rylei Franks playing his set Saturday at Smokiam Park in Soap Lake during the Folk and Food Festival. The event included live music and a variety of vendors.
JOEL MARTIN/COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD
The audience takes refuge on shaded grass at the park while listening to performers Saturday. This year’s Folk and Food Festival is the first for the city and organizers are hoping to make it an annual event.
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. | July 15, 2024 2:55 AM
SOAP LAKE — Soap Lake’s inaugural Folk and Food Festival had a decent showing despite the triple-digit temperatures on Saturday. While performers did their thing on stage, the audience found a shady spot and enjoyed cold drinks to fight the heat. Full coverage of the event will be in Wednesday’s edition of the Columbia Basin Herald.
The audience takes refuge on shaded grass at the park while listening to performers Saturday. This year’s Folk and Food Festival is the first for the city and organizers are hoping to make it an annual event.ARTICLES BY JOEL MARTIN
‘Our favorite time of year’
Shop with a Cop brings smiles to both children and officers
MOSES LAKE — The heavy police presence outside local stores recently wasn’t because of a crime wave. It was police officers engaging in their favorite annual event. “This is one of those times throughout the year that we don't have to go and ask for volunteers to help,” said Moses Lake Police Chief David Sands. “The first day we put it out, I think we got 20-some people say ‘Yeah, we’re in.’ That's just under half the department right away.“
BASIN EVENTS: Dec. 19-27
COLUMBIA BASIN — It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, and a lot of people will be spending time at home with their families or at the church of their choice. Still, there are a few things happening around the Basin. Here are some ideas:
Chimney maintenance is essential for safety
MOSES LAKE — With Christmas just around the corner, lots of folks are using their fireplaces for warmth, roasting chestnuts or just a pleasant atmosphere. But before Santa pays your chimney a visit, you should make sure it’s in good working order. Chimney fires are responsible for more than three-fourths of residential building heating fires, according to the U.S. Fire Administration. Regular inspections and cleaning are the best way to prevent that, said Michael Harper, known as The Chimney Guy. “If they’re using (the fireplace) aesthetically – date night, Christmas, New Year’s, show-off times, something in the background here and there, (they should) have it inspected once a year for peace of mind,” Harper said. “If they’re using it two to three days a week religiously through the winter months, they need to have it cleaned once a year.”