Telephone auction set to aid police, education
Candice Boutilier/Columbia Basin Herald<br> Several items are available for bid during a telephone-style auction sponsored by the Columbia Basin Herald on Monday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The auction benefits the Moses Lake Regional Tactical Response Team and the Newspapers in Literacy program.
MOSES LAKE — The Columbia Basin Herald is hosting a telephone-style auction benefiting the Moses Lake Regional Tactical Response Team (TRT) and Newspapers in Education (NIE) program.
People interested in bidding on items featured in the Herald can call the newspaper’s office at 509-765-8882 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday, said Circulation Director Tom Hinde. Items up for bid are featured in a two-page spread in this edition of the Columbia Basin Herald and the Monday newspaper.
Auction items include a photography session, tools, bedding, jet ski rental, a trip, TVs, movie passes, guided goose hunt and a canyon tour. All the items were donated by local businesses and groups.
TRT members and volunteers are taking bids on the items over the phone, Hinde said. The auction ends at 8 p.m., sharp. People can also call to make a donation if they are not interested in the auction.
He said they hope to raise $5,000. Eighty percent of the proceeds benefits the TRT to outfit an armored truck and the remaining 20 percent goes toward the NIE program.
Brink’s Home Security donated an armored truck to the TRT to be used in high-risk situations police responded to during emergencies, said Moses Lake Police Officer Aaron Hintz. Moses Lake Steel Supply and Les Schwab donated parts for the vehicle.
He said they need to purchase paint, complete interior work, mechanical work, install radios, lights, breaching equipment and ladders.
The TRT is comprised of police from the Moses Lake Police Department, Grant County Sheriff’s Office, Ephrata Police Department, Adams County Sheriff’s Office, Grand Coulee Police Department and the Moses Lake Fire Department. The team responds to calls in Grant and Adams counties.
The TRT responds to high-risk situations, such as hostage situations.
The NIE program promotes literacy by giving newspapers to teachers and students to use in a classroom setting, Hinde said. The program is in more than 50 classrooms across Grant and Adams counties and is free. The program encourages improvement in language, writing arts, current event knowledge, history, reading and speech skills.
“The program is really a great benefit,” he said.
For more information about the auction or to sign up for the NIE program, contact NIE Coordinator Jenna Erickson at 509-765-8882.
“Jenna would love to sign them up to get classroom copies,” Hinde added. “We just want to make sure they’re used in the classrooms.”