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.

Fairgrounds Director Mickey Webb told county commissioners during their meeting April 17 his group would match the offer. The funds will be designated for much need repairs and maintenance on the grounds

“We’ll use the money to fix picnic tables and for purchasing pallets to use as barriers,” Webb said. “We also need paint, mulch and compost, along with and flowers and trees for planting at the fair grounds.”

Webb also told commissioners Lowe’s will provide (and pay for) volunteers who can help with any projects in the run-up to the Grant County Fair in August.

In addition, Webb informed commissioners 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,”

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

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.

Webb mentioned he hopes the seats in the rodeo arena will be deemed safe for one more year. If not, he said he will arrange to have the seats torn out and rent temporary seats for the five days of the fair and rodeo.

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

Another item on Webb’s is the 43,000 gallon tank used to store water for livestock and horses during the fair, which he says, “has gotten too rusty and needs to replaced as well.”