Lowe's donates $2,500 to Grant County Fairgrounds

EPHRATA — Lowe’s is donating $2,500 to the Grant County Fairgrounds as part of its Lowe’s Heroes program, according to Grant County Fairgrounds Director Mickey Webb.

“We’re looking at possible projects, and I’d like to match that $2,500,” Webb told the Grant County Commission on Monday.

Webb said Lowe’s will donate material at cost and will provide (and pay for) “volunteers” who can help with any projects in the run-up to the Grant County Fair in August.

“I’m going to get them a list soon, and if they don’t have it, they can order what is needed,” Webb said. “It’s going to be things we need anyway — paint, wood panel, mulch, compost, plants.”

Webb said projects that the Lowe’s money could help with include fixing picnic tables, planting flowers and trees, and even using pallets to create barriers.

“Have you asked for donations from the community yet?” wondered Commissioner Richard Stevens, who also noted there are some very generous members of the community who might be happy to help with maintenance and repair work on the fairgrounds.

Webb also told commissioners that he has been talking with the Rodeo Board and that arrangements have been made to begin removing some or all of the long line of tall poplar trees behind the Rodeo Board’s office because “all those trees are about half dead, and they’re in bad shape,” Webb told the commissioners.

Under the right conditions, one or more of those trees could fall right on top of the rodeo office and damage or destroy the building, Webb added.

Webb told commissioners that another line of dying trees along the eastern edge of the campground might also have to be felled and their stumps ground down as well.

Finally, Webb told the commissioners that he hopes the seats in the rodeo arena will be approved as safe for one more year. If not, he said he is making arrangements to have those seats torn out and to rent temporary seats for the five days of the fair and rodeo.

It will cost about $110,000 to rent seats for five days, Webb said, and take about two weeks to remove the current seating.

Webb also told commissioners that the 43,000 gallon water tank used to keep water for livestock and horses during the fair has gotten too rusty and needs to replaced as well. He suggested renting a 6,000 gallon portable tank fed by the fairgrounds well for the duration of fair.

“There are too many holes to weld it?” asked Commission Chair Cindy Carter.

Webb suggested a new use for the old water tank — turn it on its end and use it as the new entrance for the Grant County Fairgrounds, since the Moses Lake School District has acquired the land where the current sign sits and intends to build the new high school there.

Charles H. Featherstone can be reached via email at countygvt@columbiabasinherald.com