Nothing like a good book
JOEL MARTIN | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 1 year, 4 months AGO
A boy reads “Kondo & Kezumi Reach Bell Bottom” by David Goodner to a kitten at Adams County Pet Rescue’s Kitty Litterature Day.
COURTESY PHOTO/ADAMS COUNTY PET RESCUE
A child reads at Adams County Pet Rescue’s Kitty Litterature Day while a kitten gives his face a sniff. The readers brought their own books, of varying reading levels.
A kitten learns about his own species from a picture book read by a girl at Adams County Pet Rescue’s Kitty Litterature Day event July 13.
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 25, 2024 3:00 AM
OTHELLO — Adams County Pet Rescue’s first Kitty Litterature event July 13 worked out well all around, said ACPR Board Member Tammy Foley.
“It was kind of a win-win to get kids reading in the summertime and get extra attention and love for little shelter kitties,” Foley said.
Sixteen children came down to the shelter and read books to the kittens there, Foley said, and another 12 came and were put on a waiting list. Readers brought their own books, ranging from oversized picture books to more advanced chapter books.
“(The cats) didn’t think it was story time, they sort of thought it was recess,” Foley said. “But the more the kids read, the more they settled down, and several of them were snuggling in the kids’ laps. After two hours when the kids left, every one of those kitties was sound asleep.”
Foley said she got the idea from a shelter she worked at previously in Louisiana. The Kitty Litterature was such a success, the shelter is planning to make it a regular thing, alternating months with Books and Barks, where kids will read to the shelter dogs.
“I have a feeling that Books and Barks will fill up even faster than Kitty Litterature because generally speaking, we have more dog lovers,” Foley said.
Books and Barks will debut Aug. 6. The registration link will be posted shortly before that on ACPR’s Facebook Page, Foley said.
Joel Martin may be reached via email at [email protected].
A child reads at Adams County Pet Rescue’s Kitty Litterature Day while a kitten gives his face a sniff. The readers brought their own books, of varying reading levels.
A kitten learns about his own species from a picture book read by a girl at Adams County Pet Rescue’s Kitty Litterature Day event July 13.ARTICLES BY JOEL MARTIN
Wahluke Jr. High earns Culture Kick-Off Award again
MATTAWA — Wahluke Junior High School has been honored with the 2025 Culture Kickoff Award for the second year in a row, according to an announcement from the Association of Washington School Leaders and the Association of Washington School Principals.
Cops for Tots
Moses Lake Police collect toys for local children
MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Police Department is focused on supporting local children this year with their revamped annual toy drive. “We had been doing this for a while, through Toys for Tots,” said MLPD Public Records Technician Cristina Valdez. “But last year we decided to change it to Cops for Tots so that we could make sure the toys stayed within our own community.” Officers and support staff stationed themselves outside both entrances of the Moses Lake Walmart Saturday evening.
Local bean bag champ eyes pro game
MOSES LAKE — We’ve seen the game at almost every outdoor community gathering: two or more players tossing bean bags at a board tilted up at an angle, aiming for a hole in the board. But that bean bag toss game, also called cornhole, is more than just a casual pastime; it’s a serious sport with dedicated players. “I’m trying to go pro right now,” said Camryn Barrientoz of Moses Lake. “I was No. 2 in Washington, and since I did really well in this regional (tournament), it got me enough points where it bumped me up to No. 1 in Washington.” That regional tournament was held in Wenatchee Dec. 12-13, and Camryn, along with his doubles partner Jay Robins, took back-to-back titles, according to an email Camryn sent the Columbia Basin Herald.