Ritzville Festival Association set to dissolve

RITZVILLE – The Ritzville Festival Association will dissolve by the end of the year.

The remaining five board members reached the difficult decision at their March meeting.

“We’re old,” Secretary/Treasurer Debbie Balfe said, referring to herself and fellow board members, John and Janis Marshall and Chris and Vicky Johnson, who are all in, or approaching, their 70s.

For decades, the association sponsored the community float, appearing in nearly 20 regional parades each year. The association also sponsored multiple generations of “Ritzville Royalty” for the float, from participants in the Washin...