Teals defends seat on irrigation board

MOSES LAKE — There’s work Richard Teals wants continued in his bid for re-election to the Moses Lake Irrigation & Rehabilitation District board on Dec. 8.

Teals, a six-year board member and president, wants the district to dredge Parker Horn and continue improvements to Connelly Park.

The district is currently going through the permitting process to allow the dredging of 60 years of sediment. A new dredge machine was also bought.

When Teals started serving on the board, the district owned one weed harvester previously used in Lake Washington.

“In 2002, we had one harvester that operated infrequently and the lake was being overtaken by weeds,” Teals recalled. “I felt the lake was such an important body, I wanted to work to keep it up.”

The district now has two weed harvesters he says operate on a “very efficient model.”

“We’ve attacked the weeds in the lake … we know where they are to attack them properly,” Teals commented.

He spoke of improvements made at Connelly Park near Moses Lake, including a new playground structure, bathroom upgrades, new well, improved swimming beach and “state of the art boat launching facilities.”

“We’ve worked hard to make Connelly Park an area that’s family friendly,” Teals says.

Teals, a retired English teacher for the Moses Lake School District, is defending his seat against Rich Archer, a Moses Lake car salesman.

The election is from 1 p.m. to  8 p.m., Dec. 8, at the Moses Lake Fire Station, 701 E. Third Ave., Moses Lake.

Your tax statement shows if you own property within the irrigation district’s boundaries and are eligible to vote. The irrigation district also has a master list of voters.

All voting must be done in person at the fire hall.

For more information, call 509-765-8716.

Originally printed November 25, 2009.