Ephrata council ok's 'Purple Heart' designation for city
EPD officer honored with 'Three Pillars' award.
EPHRATA — City council members last week approved a resolution designating Ephrata as a “Purple Heart City” in tribute to military members wounded or killed in combat.
Councilman Phil Borck proposed seeking the recognition locally after traveling in western Washington along Highway 2 and seeing Purple Heart signs posted at entryways to the municipalities of Monroe and Sultan.
“It’s a way to honor people who served,” he told fellow council members during their Aug. 5 meeting.
Borck said his intent was spurred in part because his father, Lawrence, was a Purple Heart recipient wounded in combat while serving with the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II.
With the council’s resolution and support from Mayor Steve Oliver, Ephrata can proceed with an administrative process to request the formal designation, said city clerk Rob Miller. The city will receive two free signs, but two more will also be requested — one for each of Ephrata’s four road entryways, said Miller.
Borck noted the city’s proclamation is to be read annually during the first week of August as a tribute to veterans for their service and sacrifices. Also supporting the resolution were fellow council members Kathleen Harris, Beau Lamens, James Mathis, Valli Millard, Matt Moore, and Mike Warren.
The community’s number of past Purple Heart honorees was not specified. But Jeff Krausse, a veteran and one of the Ephrata American Legion Post members in attendance during last Wednesday’s meeting, said a few medal recipients are still alive locally.
The primary national organization is the Military Order of the Purple Heart, formed in 1932 and chartered by Congress. National Purple Heart Day is observed on Aug. 7.
In Washington state, 36 municipalities and six counties, including Chelan and Douglas counties in eastern Washington, have received the designation. So have numerous American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars posts, businesses, school districts, and more.
In other business last week, the council:
— Attested a proclamation recognizing EPD officer Zachary Smith for representing the “Three Pillars” of City of Ephrata values — trust, commitment to public service and good stewardship of tax dollars, and “doing the right thing.”
Smith was nominated for the 2026 Three Pillars Award by Sgt. Jack McLauchlan, who lauded Smith’s dedication to service, “exemplary” investigative work, and “results-driven” policing which has “recovered taxpayer dollars and improved community safety.”
The nomination was approved by the review committee of clerk Rob Miller, city administrator Ray Towry, and Mayor Steve Oliver, who presented the award to Smith.
— Accepted as complete a new pavement project at the Ephrata Sports Complex. In March, the city awarded a contract to low-bidder Tommer Construction Co. to place a large concrete pad near the Splash Zone pool for new recreational pickleball and futsal courts.
The project, completed under budget at $574,410, also includes a foundation for a future overhead cover plus an asphalt-paved parking area for vehicles.
Josh Johnson, the city’s parks and recreation director, was cautiously hopeful the pickleball courts could be painted and ready for play sometime in September.
— Accepted a $1,000 donation from Granco Federal Credit Union for the police department’s inaugural sponsorship of a National Night Out event. The program — held in communities nationwide to build positive relationships with police — was initially planned locally for Aug. 4 at Splash Zone, but postponed due to unhealthy air quality from regional wildfire smoke.
If conditions improve, police chief Erik Koch hoped a community gathering including food and beverages can be scheduled next month. He thanked Granco for reaching out to the department and donating to the event.
— At the request of Koch, approved a “stop gap” contract from this September to next February followed by a new five-year contract through 2031 with Axon, which will continue to provide the police department with body-worn cameras, support systems, Taser weapons and materials, and training.
State law requires most law enforcement officers to use body-worn video cameras to document their responses to calls for service.
Under the new agreements between the city and Axon, future costs for equipment, maintenance, and replacement components are estimated at $31,000 annually, which is about $2,000 less per year than current costs, according to the proposal.
