There's no place like home

There's a lot to be said about growing up in a small town, both good and bad. Some people are happy to go off to bigger and better once they've graduated high school.

And others thrive on remaining in the town they were raised. The advantages of doing so include

knowing your neighbors well, volunteering at the local fire department or neighborhood school, and becoming part of a close-knit community. Your kids may even get your teachers in school, which creates some continuity in education for families.

Sometimes the closeness is suffocating and too much like living in a fish bowl.

But once some people leave home for college, work or the military, they find returning home is looking good. It's largely in part because of the caring and concern shown.

We think an example of small-town living at its best was shown this week in our front-page story titled "Local Molahiettes show support for Kaylee."

Kaylee Stine, 19, of Moses Lake, was diagnosed with breast cancer this year as she was preparing to leave for college. The news reached several people in town, including about 50 people who gathered Thursday night at Lions Field in Moses Lake.

Some of the people included Stine's friends from her high school dance team, the Molahiettes.

Stine was a member of the team all four years in high school and gained some true friends. The girls and their coaches attended the support event for Stine, sporting matching T-shirts they're selling for $16 each. Six dollars of every shirt sold goes toward Stine's treatment costs. The girls raised $1,200 as of Monday.

Their efforts don't stop there. On Oct. 17, the Molahiettes will decorate the Moses Lake Chiefs football game in pink and raise money for Stine and other area cancer patients and survivors, Stine's former coach Lori Baker told the Herald.

We encourage you to attend the game, be part of the community and support Stine. The game starts at 7 p.m. on Oct. 17 at Lions Field in Moses Lake.

- Editorial Board