A caring affair
JOEL MARTIN | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 1 year, 12 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. | September 6, 2024 2:45 AM
MOSES LAKE — There are a lot of ways to do good in Moses Lake, and a lot of folks who would like to help others. The two will come together next weekend at the annual Care Fair, hosted by Care Moses Lake.
“There are more than 50 nonprofits and service organizations playing an important role in Moses Lake,” Care Moses Lake organizer and founder Michaelle Boetger wrote in an email to the Columbia Basin Herald. “Whether you feel passionate about helping out our local youth, the animals, feeding those in need, joining a service group … whatever it might be, there’s a group you can support.”
Care Moses Lake’s niche is making sack lunches for those in need. Besides Care Moses Lake, attendees can expect to see representatives from Parent-to-Parent Grant/Adams County, Central Basin Community Concert Association, Imagination Library Moses Lake, Youth Dynamics, Manta Ray Aquatics, Moses Lake Community Coalition, SkillSource, Columbia Basin Dispute Resolution Center and Columbia Basin Allied Arts, according to the announcement.
Along with the nonprofits, there will be glitter tattoos by Amy’s Artistic Expressions, a selfie wall for capturing memories and local authors S. Evan Townsend and Judith Ann McDowell with books for purchase.
A bean bag toss is often part of events like the Care Fair, but Care Moses Lake is taking that a step farther, Boetger wrote.
“Instead of throwing bean bags we’ll be throwing peanut butter and jelly sandwiches,” she wrote. “We make up to 200 Care Sack lunches every week that have a PB&J. We’ve done this a few times at events this year and it’s so fun.”
This is the third year Care Moses Lake has hosted the event, which this year is timed to coincide with several other events happening downtown the same day: Sip & Stroll, Art on 3rd and the Walk to End Alzheimer’s.
“The Care Fair has been a great resource to connect local nonprofits,” Youth Dynamics Director Sean Sallis wrote in Boetger’s announcement. “We are thankful for the partnerships we have developed through Care Moses Lake. Youth Dynamics relies on outside funding as a non-profit and we have been able to introduce new businesses, groups and people to our ministry thanks to Care Moses Lake.”
“The SkillSource team is always looking for ways to connect with local businesses and community members,” Emily Anderson, career and training manager at SkillSource, wrote. “Events like the yearly Care Fair allow us to meet residents, share the services we provide as a non-profit and connect with other agencies from the area. We appreciate the effort that goes into planning an event like this and are happy to participate again this year.”
MOSES LAKE CARE FARE
Youth Dynamics
106 E. Third Ave.
12-5 p.m.
Sept. 14
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.