Sandhill Crane Festival will go on

OTHELLO - Bird enthusiasts can migrate to Othello once again in

late March.

The Othello Sandhill Crane Festival will go on for the 14th

year.

The festival committee announced the cancellation of the festival

in December after members said they could not organize the festival

on the same scale as before due to a lack of volunteers and

festival speakers.

OTHELLO - Bird enthusiasts can migrate to Othello once again in late March.

The Othello Sandhill Crane Festival will go on for the 14th year.

The festival committee announced the cancellation of the festival in December after members said they could not organize the festival on the same scale as before due to a lack of volunteers and festival speakers.

Othello city staff decided to help the committee by filling the 35 speaker slots during the festival's three-day event, which runs from March 25 to March 27.

"The city put in many hours to resurrect the festival. We felt that they had accomplished what we had asked of them," said Dixie Fultz, festival committee chairwoman.

Othello City Administrator Ehman Sheldon and Administrative Secretary Marcie Uptegrove compiled the festival speakers list from past years and started work on securing speakers in late December.

"They accomplished what usually takes us three to four months to do. But Marcie had to seclude herself in the back office and not answer phones in order to secure the speakers," said Fultz.

She said committee members will now work on writing the biographical description and scheduling of the speakers for the brochure in the upcoming weeks.

"We could have the brochures mailed by the first week of February," said Fultz.

The brochure has registration information in it.

Fultz said she has been able to pre-register close to 500 people in the last eight years she has served as committee chairwoman.

She said the continuation of the festival will benefit Adams and Grant counties.

"This the largest festival of this kind in Washington state. We only have two motels in Othello and when those are full, we start sending people to Moses Lake. People stay in Othello during the festival, but then head back to Moses Lake for food or activities all the time," she said. "It would have been a tremendous financial loss to not have the festival."

The crane festival is an educational event that offers wildlife and environmental tours in Grant and Adams counties and gathers bird speakers and refuge specialists for festival visitors.

The festival allows visitors to explore the Columbia National Wildlife Refuge, a 23,200 acre area noted for its fishing, hiking, wildlife and unique geographic landscape.

The committee is still looking for volunteers to help set up and tear down in March and also to fill longer-term volunteer needs.

For more information, call 509-488-2802.