Send us your milestones

In this time of the coronavirus pandemic, we at The Ritzville Adams County Journal and Free Press Publishing are asking readers to send in community news. We'd like to publish more of those good news milestones - births, weddings, anniversaries and others.

The fact these life milestones are occurring during such strange times make them no less significant; in fact, more memorable. While they will likely not be accompanied by the usual fanfare and family/community get-togethers, they will certainly have distinctions that are hopefully unique to this point in time.

Drive along the Ritzville Golf Course on Division Street, and you will notice posters of Lind Ritzville High School seniors of 2020, who are missing out on a number of milestone celebrations this year. This is the first time ever that the graduation milestone is being recognized in this manner.

Sarah Dinkins, a Lind Elementary School teacher with a graduating son, said it's important to remember milestones.

"We just wanted to make sure our seniors are recognized for all their accomplishments," Dinkins said. "It's hard to go all 12 years and work that hard without recognition."

Along with graduating seniors and their families denied so many aspects of this milestone that most of us adults had the privilege to experience, my heart goes out to new mothers.

The birth of a baby is one of the best reasons for family and friends to unite; from the baby shower filled with games and gifts to the baby's first Christmas.

Send us a high-resolution photo of the new baby with the proud parents. Include the baby's full name, birth date, length and weight, and names of mom, dad, siblings and grandparents.

Engagements and weddings are also improtant milestones. Send us a photo of the happy couple within two weeks of the event so we can get it published in a timely manner. Don't forget to include the who, what, where and when - and contact information in case we have questions.

For anniversaries, we'd like to see information on those that are 50 years or more. Include the details, as well.

And when it comes to birthdays, we're looking for those celebrating at least 100 years. A nice photo and a 100-word note would be a great way to recognize centennarians in your life.

Whatever milestone you may be experiencing, let us here at The Journal help share your news.

With the COVID-19 pandemic, we're working company-wide with a skeleton crew. Ad revenue is, of course, significantly lower than usual, so pages are limited. But we can still find a way in print or online to share those milestones.

Email your community milestones to me, Katie Teachout, at [email protected]. Or drop them off at our office at 216 W. Railroad Ave., Ritzville. You can also mail the details to us at P.O. Box 288, Ritzville, WA 99169. If you have questions, drop me a note or give me a quick call and I'll help you out.

I look forward to hearing from you.

- Katie Teachout is the editor of The Ritzville Adams County Journal. Email her at [email protected].