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Articles from the March 1, 2012 edition


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  • Book Fair comes to Lind Elementary School

    Updated Mar 1, 2012

    Lind Elementary School is hosting a Luau themed book fair put on by the Lind Fun Fair, called “It’s a reading celebration” from Mar. 2 until Mar. 7. Along with the Book Fair, the grade school students are participating in dress-up days at school. On Monday, Mar. 5, the students are having a Hawaiian day and Mar. 7 is crazy-day dress up day. The Grade School library is also decorated as part of the Luau theme for the book fair. Family Night is on Mar. 5 and the Lind Elementary School Library is open from 6 until 7:30 p.m....

  • Bingo night at Washtucna Lions Club

    Updated Mar 1, 2012

    The Washtucna Lions Club is hosting a Bingo night on Saturday, Mar. 10 at 7 p.m. This is the final Bingo night until October. The Washtucna Lions Club is located at 240 Main Street in Washtucna. For more information, call 509-646-3244....

  • Town hall meeting focuses on city’s water crisis

    Updated Mar 1, 2012

    The City of Ritzville and its contracted engineering firm are hosting a town hall meeting on Tuesday, March 13, at 6 p.m. The purpose of the meeting is to update citizens on the conditions of the city’s aging water wells and the water mains that deliver water to individual users. Plans for the meeting include presenting the findings of the engineers regarding the age and condition of the city’s system, the volume of water needed to serve the city and the types of backup needed if a specific well fails or has to be taken off...

  • LRS Broncos slate basketball banquet

    Updated Mar 1, 2012

    The LRS boy’s basketball team has an award banquet on Sunday, Mar. 18 at 2 p.m. in the Ritzville High School cafeteria. Those attending the banquet are asked to bring their favorite finger food with serving utensils. Plates and napkins are provided....

  • Wanted: Economic vitality

    Katelin Davidson|Updated Mar 1, 2012

    Local leaders believe wheat center, niche industries would create new opportunities For about 30 years, having a wheat museum in Ritzville has been a discussion among community members. Today, the Ritzville Public Development Authority (PDA) committee is moving forward with a business plan in hopes of building a Wheat Interpretive Center in Ritzville. Erika Hennings, chairman for the Ritzville PDA, began helping community members turn their goal into a reality about four...

  • Eagles preparing for Easter egg hunt

    Updated Mar 1, 2012

    Organizers of the annual Community Easter Egg Hunt, sponsored by the Fraternal Order of Eagles No. 2739, begins their collection of items for the hunt next week. The event is scheduled for Saturday, Mar. 31, at Ritzville City Park. All monies and donations collected are awarded in prizes, such as toys and cash, to participants at the hunt. Donations may be sent to PO Box 322, Ritzville WA 99169, with checks made payable to the Eagles Auxiliary. For questions call 660-1124....

  • Ralston Grange sets upcoming activities

    Updated Mar 1, 2012

    The Ralston Grange is sponsoring an afternoon of Bingo and Bunko at the hall on Sunday, Mar. 18 and it is open to all area residents. Bingo and prizes are in the basement of the hall and Bunko, an easy to learn dice game, is in the main hall. Following the games, the Junior Grange is preparing a light dinner for everyone to enjoy. Admission is free, but all donations to the Ralston Grange are appreciated and help to fund the continuation of their community support. The Grange plans a full slate of activities for this spring....

  • Washtucna honor roll students announced

    Updated Mar 1, 2012

    The Washtucna School District is proud to announce the first semester 2011-2012 honor roll and students with outstanding attendance. Junior high and high school students achieving honor roll status with a GPA greater than 3.25 or higher are seniors Jena Goude, Jason Hulett and Amanda Woodard. The juniors are Amber Dainty, Sam Harder and Sawyer Hostetler, and for the freshman class are Gail Harder and Brooklynn Hostetler. Also achieving honor roll status are seventh grade students Britte Harder and Nicole Harder, and eighth...

  • Scholarship deadlines approaching

    Updated Mar 1, 2012

    The deadline for applying for the David L. and Frances G. Ray Scholarship sponsored by the Ralston and Rimrock Granges, is Apr. 1. Up to $3,000 is available to high school seniors, home-schooled graduating seniors or graduates from the Ritzville, Washtucna, Lind, LaCrosse, Kahlotus, Connell, Odessa or Christian Heritage school districts. Applicants do not need to be Grange members, but in addition to these qualified districts, any senior who is a descendant of a current Ralston and Rimrock Grange member outside of these distr...

  • Bus route plans in the works

    Updated Mar 1, 2012

    With the academic cooperative beginning in the fall of this year, transportation routes have began being designed by school administration. Rob Roettger, superintendent of both Lind and Ritzville schools, has worked with Lynn Sackmann, supervisor of transportation in Lind, to determine the best routes for students next school year. “The main difference is that we’re going from 13 to 16 routes, so that way we don’t have kids on the bus for too long,” said Roettger. “All of the kids will be on the bus for about the same amou...

  • Ritzville lads shattered swimming records in 1960/61

    Miles Athey, Special to The Journal|Updated Mar 1, 2012

    Editor’s Note: This is the sixth in the series of 11 articles. We published installment No. 7 instead of this one last time. Next week we will publish article 8. Part Eight: The Summers of 1960 and 1961 By the summer of 1960, the Ritzville Swim Club was beginning its ninth season. Since 1952, the team that Benner Cummings had nurtured with such care and precision, had set, broken and re-established an estimated 300 men’s swimming records. These marks included pool records in a dozen Inland Empire pools plus swim meet, ass...

  • Phillips earns Big Bend Electric scholarship

    Updated Mar 1, 2012

    At the 73rd Big Bend Electric Co-op annual meeting on Feb. 25 in Basin City, three high school seniors were introduced as scholarship recipients and read their scholarship essays to the membership. The three students are: Palmer Phillips, Ritzville High School, Elaine Pierson and Megan Booker from Connell High School. All three students are active in their schools and communities. The Big Bend Electric Co-op scholarships are valued at $2000 for each student, split up at $500 per year for up to four years. The following is...

  • Citizens may not afford city improvements

    Updated Mar 1, 2012

    Late in 2010, it was announced that city utilities would be raised $16 a month ($17 after the tax was added) to cover the costs of borrowing due to a city redo of the sewer lagoons. I asked the members of the council two questions: did the council members think there may be citizens who would find it difficult to pay the extra $16 a month, and did the city council members think the increase of $16 per month would be tough on local businesses, especially Main Avenue businesses, who would also have to pay the higher city...

  • Take time to understand the age of Ritzville's infrastructure

    Stephen McFadden|Updated Mar 1, 2012

    Ritzville is aging. To the point where major investments will likely be needed in order to continue delivering critical services to residents. The current economic conditions of the state and nation don’t make this a good time to be facing major investments. We can all expect to be asked to help pay for these improvements. Two agencies are planning critical town hall meetings. You should make plans to attend them. Each meeting will deliver valuable information about the condition of two extremely important pieces of i...

  • Clara (Franz) Reimer

    Updated Mar 1, 2012

    Clara Evelyn (Franz) Reimer passed away on Sunday, Feb. 19, in North Newton, Kansas. She was born on the family farm near Lind, to Julius and Agatha Franz. She began her primary school at the Schrag country school and continued on to graduate from Lind High School. She then attended Bethel College and graduated with a degree in Home Economics. When she returned home, she taught home-ec in Lind for several years. In June 1949, she married Walter Reimer and the two made their...

  • Herbert Kent

    Updated Mar 1, 2012

    Herbert Kent, age 95, an Adams County pioneer and Benge area farmer, passed away Saturday, Feb. 25, at Columbia Crest Care Center in Moses Lake....

  • Kenneth Sack

    Updated Mar 1, 2012

    Kenneth Sack, age 83, died Friday, Feb. 24, he was born Oct. 21, 1928. Per his request, no services will be held. A full obituary will run at a later date....

  • Ritzville Police Report

    Updated Mar 1, 2012

    Feb 3, 4:20 p.m. — Police Chief David McCormick responded to the area of N. Jefferson Street and West Alder Avenue to investigate a report of juveniles riding four-wheelers. McCormick observed the four juveniles driving four-wheelers on a vacant lot. He contacted an adult who was watching them and said a citizen was concerned for the juveniles’ safety. McCormick then contacted an individual responsible for the property to make sure it was all right that they ride there. As he was leaving the area, he saw the quartet ret...

  • Technology, satellite office allows local to work from his hometown

    Katelin Davidson|Updated Mar 1, 2012

    Even in a struggling economy, Damon Roth managed to move back to his hometown and continue working for the company that had employed him for the past six years. Roth runs a satellite office in Ritzville that is part of the Environmental Engineering and Technology, Inc. Environmental Engineering and Technology, Inc. is a consulting firm that deals with water treatment issues, specializing in both water and wastewater fields. The firm provides services that help with studies con...

  • We Are The Champions...

    Dale Anderson|Updated Mar 1, 2012

    I noticed early this season, in a game played in Warden, that the Bronco boys were wearing new basketball uniforms. There are times when it may be difficult to remember what last year’s team wore compared with this year’s group, but I noticed it right away. The team was wearing red away jerseys, not the black ones that we have grown accustom to. Why is this even important to me? Well, I happen to remember which team, where and when the last time red uniforms were worn by a B...

  • Get nest boxes ready for new occupants

    Updated Mar 1, 2012

    Spring may officially be several weeks off, but now is the time to have bird nest boxes cleaned out and ready for new, incoming occupants. Many backyard sanctuary managers who use nest boxes leave them up year-round and leave nesting materials in them through the winter, when some birds will use them as nighttime roost sites. But migrating birds that use cavities for nesting, like bluebirds, swallows and wrens, will be returning next month and they prefer clean quarters to follow their instincts to build their own nests. All...

  • Senate supports agricultural fairs

    Updated Mar 1, 2012

    In almost 20 years representing our district here at the Capitol, I’ve seen plenty of evidence to support the notion that what makes sense from a political standpoint can make little or no sense from a policy standpoint. This week, the majority party in the House of Representatives brought forth its proposed “fix” for what is now a smaller gap in the state operating budget ($1.1 billion, down from $1.5 billion earlier this month); unfortunately, the House plan is another prime example of good politics, bad policy. Pleas...

  • K1, P1 Ritzville style

    Sandra Weigand|Updated Mar 1, 2012

    Ritzville, you are awesome! During our church service this morning, Sandy Wilks, Director of the Ritzville Food Bank, reported on the crocheted and knitted hats, scarves and mittens she has already received for the 2012 Christmas boxes that will be distributed the week of Christmas to patrons of the Food Bank. Women and men (yes, I said men) in our community are knitting and crocheting these treasures, and she has already received an impressive number, but needs lots more. It occurred to me that any group that gathers...

  • LRS teams to be honored Saturday at state hoops championships

    Updated Mar 1, 2012

    The LRS boys and girls varsity basketball teams are receiving their Academic State Championship plaques during the State Championships at the Spokane Arena on Saturday, Mar. 3. The both the LRS boys’ team and girls’ team receives their awards around 5:30 p.m. at halftime of the 2B girl’s championship game....