BRIEFS

SUMMER BURN BAN

DAYTON - Effective on Monday, July 11, outdoor burning will not be allowed in Columbia County Fire District 3 as part of a summer burn ban to prevent fires, the agency announced last week.

SOLAR GARDENS OPENS

WAITSBURG - Travis Richardson, chair of the Dayton Farmers' Market, and his finance Loretta Bradley are opening Solar Gardens & Sharpening this week to offer retail sales of local fruits and vegetables, and sharpening services. The business, located behind the three landmark solar panels along Highway 12 just outside Waitsburg, will be open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. For more information, call 509-386-6431.

MONUMENTAL REOPENS

POMEROY - Lower Monumental Lock and Dam's navigation lock service reopened to recreational vessels at 8 a.m. Friday, July 1. The navigation lock had been closed since June 22 to recreational vessels after loose concrete was discovered on the wall at an existing repair site inside the lock. Loose concrete has been removed and a debris shield put in place. Lower Monumental's navigation lock, located at Snake River mile 41.6, is part of the federal inland channel system that provides navigation from the mouth of the Columbia River near Astoria, Ore., to port facilities on rivers in Lewiston Clarkston. The lock went into service on April, 15, 1969. The entire lock chamber is 86 feet wide by 650 feet long by about 130 feet deep. When in operation, vessels on top of the water surface level are lifted\lowered about 100 feet. In 2010, traffic through Lower Monumental's navigation lock consisted of 2,559,600 tons of grains, petroleum products, fertilizer, wood products and miscellaneous cargo.

WATCH FOR SPEED PATROLS

WALLA WALLA - Between July 15 and August 7, law enforcement officers throughout Walla Walla, Asotin and Garfield Counties will be part of a statewide effort in search of speeding drivers. "Speeding is a major contributing factor in fatal and serious injury crashes in Washington, and therefore, is a priority of Target Zero," said Lowell Porter, Director of the Traffic Safety Commission. "Well publicized and highly visible speed enforcement is a proven combination that reduces fatal crashes. Obeying speed limits is something everyone can do to support highway safety in Washington."

FESTIVAL MEXICANO

PASCO - The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission Folk Arts in the Parks Program invites the public to the sixth annual Festival Mexicano at Sacajawea State Park. The festival runs from noon to 7 p.m. Sunday, July 17, at Sacajawea State Park, 2503 Sacajawea Park Road, east of Pasco, off U.S. Highway 12, between Pasco and the Snake River Bridge. The event features traditional music, arts, crafts, dance and performances by local musicians. Food will be available for purchase. Festival Mexicano is free to the public. Headlining the program will be Yakima Valley-area musical group, Tormenta de Durango. Other performers include Pegaso Musical from Hermiston, Ore., and Los Ilimitados de Michoacán and Conjunto las Águilas, both from the Tri-Cities area. Festival Mexicano is part of a broader series of events celebrating Washington's diverse cultures and presented by the Folk and Traditional Arts in the Parks Program. The program is a partnership between the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission, the Washington State Arts Commission, the Washington State Parks Foundation and Northwest Heritage Resources with funding provided by National Endowment for the Arts and the Washington State Arts Commission program grants. For a full schedule of Folk and Traditional Arts in the Parks Program events, visit www.parks.wa.gov/events.

PLAYGROUND FUNDRAISER

DAYTON - Timed to coincide with Dayton's alumni weekend and Mule Mania, the Kiwanis Club plans a special hot dog fundraiser for the new downtown playground on Saturday, July 16, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.