Former Big Bend Instructor Rogers to be Honored Saturday

Former Big Bend Instructor Joe Rogers will have his legacy cemented on Saturday with the dedication of the Joe Rogers Trail — a portion of the city’s existing activity trail between BBCC and Paul Lauzier Memorial Athletic Park.

The trail dedication is being held on Saturday (Sept. 16) and will begin at 10 a.m. in the parking lot of the Wallenstien Theater on the Big Bend campus.

Joe spent 35 years teaching at the college and chaired the school’s Social Science Division. He specialized in Anthropology and Sociology and taught photography. He was also known to have a passion for music and played the guitar in several local bands and was a founding member of the Columbia Basin Allied Arts.

An avid athlete and outdoorsman, Joe ran marathons, canoed, and biked and served as the chair of the Trails Planning Team (TPT), from its inception in 2003, until his death in 2015. The TPT promotes walking and biking trails in the Moses Lake area.

During the dedication, several students from North Elementary School will receive new bicycles donated by Moses Lake Parks and Recreation. The winning students participated in an essay contest advocating for a healthy lifestyle and titled, “Why bikes are one of the best ways to get around Moses Lake”.

Saturday’s ceremony is scheduled to last until around noon, and the public is invited to attend.