Happy holidays from the Columbia Basin Herald
General Manager and jack-of-many-trades Bob Richardson reviews a copy of the most recent edition of the Basin Business Journal, one of multiple publications put out by the team at the Columbia Basin Herald.
R. HANS MILLER/COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD
Cecilia Johnson - who is constantly making sure ads are ready to roll and that the rest of us are organized - smiles at the camera the week before Christmas. Cecilia participated in our ... interesting ... sweater week. She wishes all of the Basin a wonderful holiday season and a successful 2023.
Senior Reporter Charles Featherstone leans back for a moment to indulge his editor in a photo op. Featherstone covers business issues, but in his spare time herds cats and enjoys brewing beer and playing music for his wife, Jennifer.
Senior Reporter Cheryl Schweizer pauses in typing up a story - probably about health care - for a quick picture. Cheryl is a Pacific Northwest native and has come to love working in the Columbia Basin. She is also a fan of the boss's chocolate dish.
Heather Boen is the young professional folks speak to when they're getting their subscriptions taken care of. She also helps us keep distribution organized and keeps everything running smoothly.
Janis Rountree is our advertising manager and has her finger on the pulse of the community, often providing tips about different events coming up around the Basin to the editorial team. She's happy to help businesses grow and hopes she can help them succeed in 2023.
Jeannie Austin is the receptionist here at the Columbia Basin Herald. Additionally, she helps families during their toughest times as they're placing obituaries with us. She hopes we can help spread good news with birth and wedding announcements in the new year and is looking forward to spending time with her children over the holidays.
Laurie Herbert, left, Velma Dunkin, center, and Joel Martin share a quick hug Thursday morning. Herbert processes legal ads and a variety of other items for our clients. Dunkin works with advertisers in a wide array of industries and Martin does - well, a little bit of everything, including reporting, page design, wrangling editors and making loads of dad jokes.
Ad sales rep Velma Dunkin and her two grandchildren attend a play. Dunkin is involved in loads of things around the Basin and loves spending time with her family.
Ad sales representative Mallory Tidball with her fiance Avery Miller, a lineman for the utility district. Tidball came to the CBH in 2022 and is working with clients to help them grow during the challenges presented by the current economy. We wish her and Avery the best on their upcoming wedding.
Mallory Tidball smiles for the camera Thursday morning. Tidball is available to help with advertising in the CBH or the Basin Business Journal.
Rebecca Pettingill takes a break from her Red Bull to ham it up for a moment and indulge her editor. Pettingill covers education as well as the cities of Soap Lake and Ephrata, among other duties. She's psyched to start 2023 in a new ride to take her on adventures.
Managing Editor Rob Miller and his wife Brandee Miller on a day trip through the Cascades earlier this year. Originally from Western Montana, Miller returned to the Northwest after spending about two decades in Texas. He is grateful for the welcome he's received from the community and for the chance to be close to his family again.
Distribution Manager Chris Richardson, left, and his father, and CBH General Manager Bob Richardson at a recent Seahawks game. Many of the staff at the paper are natives and appreciate the lifestyle offered by the Columbia Basin where folks treat people like family whether they're blood related or not.
Receptionist Jeannie Austin's three children decorate cookies in preparation for the Christmas holiday.
During the 2022 calendar year, the staff here at the Columbia Basin Herald have been blessed to serve an amazing community. We’ve had a chance to cover a wide variety of community events, from tragedies and deaths to blessings and births, we’ve been allowed inside of people’s lives. With humility and gratitude for your support, the team here at CBH wishes all of our community a joyous holiday season and a wonderful 2023.
Appreciated support
I would like to personally thank the residents of the Columbia Basin for their continued support of our newspapers and magazines, The Columbia Basin Herald, Sun Tribune section and the Basin Business Journal as well as Moses Lake, Grant County and Adams County magazines.
This past year has been an awesome year to continue to grow our products with local content. We are all lucky to live in an amazing area. We truly appreciate all of you! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all!
Bob Richardson
General Manager/Publisher of Hagadone Media Washington
Grateful accomplishments
This has been a year filled with challenges and accomplishments that the Columbia Basin Herald team couldn’t have done without the support of the communities we serve.
I would like to thank the folks in the community that help us inform people by always being available to speak with us about local events — both happy and sad — as well as the readers that send us news tips and feedback. The editorial team’s job here at CBH offers unique challenges and since we don’t have psychic powers, your efforts to help us keep the community informed are truly appreciated. With your help, we’re working to focus on local coverage that provides our readers with news that impacts them in their homes, on their commutes and in their communities.
With the Basin community’s help, we’ve been able to relaunch our sports section, start a podcast (Studio Basin is available on Spotify and several other platforms. #NotSoSubtleHint), improve the paper graphically, provide in-depth coverage of wildfires, homelessness, agriculture and industry here in our little corner of the Pacific Northwest.
I would also like to thank the community for welcoming my wife, Brandee, and I to the Basin. Having grown up in Western Montana and been away from the PNW for more than two decades, the friendly reception you’ve given us has reinforced my belief that we made the right decision on where to move.
Be safe, stay warm, have a wonderful holiday break and remember that what matters most is what is happening in your community. Support one another and let’s make 2023 a year filled with joy, growth and as many laughs as we can fit into it.
With appreciation,
R. Hans “Rob” Miller, Managing Editor
Merry partnerships
I want to wish friends, family and business partners a very Merry Christmas!
I’m so blessed to work with so many wonderful businesses throughout the year and honored to help them build their business.
Thank you all, for your trust and support. I look forward to working with you in 2023!
Cheers!
Janis Rountree
Advertising Manager
Distribution dreams
I would like to wish happy holidays to all of our Columbia Basin Herald subscribers as well as the advertisers. Without you, what we do here at the Herald in our circulation department would be impossible!
Merry Christmas,
Chris Richardson, Distribution Manager
Welcomed reception
To the readers of the Columbia Basin Herald,
I am the Receptionist and legal ads/obituary coordinator here at CBH. I joined the team almost a year ago, and it has been my honor getting to know each customer I’ve had the pleasure of working with.
Before working here I can honestly say, I had never bought a paper. I had no idea what I was missing out on, and I’m not just saying that. Like each of you, I get to read through the paper daily. I now know more of what is going on in our community — and there is a lot! Who would have known, right?! On top of that I have gotten to visit many businesses and events that I simply didn’t know existed. I know the adventuring to new places and events will continue for my family and me.
Each day I look forward to seeing our regulars come into the office for their daily papers, answering your phone calls and being a small part of bringing you your newspaper.
Thank you to all of you and to my coworkers here at CBH for making this a place I am proud to be a part of.
Wishing each and every one of you a Merry Christmas and a safe and Happy New Year!
Jeannie Austin, receptionist/ads coordinator
Grateful expectations
Happy holiday season from my family to yours. I’m so grateful for the opportunity to have amazing clients. Your support means the world to me. Here’s to an awesome 2023!
Velma Dunkin, Columbia Basin Herald Sales Representative
Christmas blessings
Peace and blessings, everyone! Thank you so much for letting me and my wife Jennifer find a home here. After many years of wandering hither and yon around the world, it feels odd — and a little good — to finally find ourselves in a place we don’t want to leave.
This year, four kittens abandoned by their mother found their way to our front porch, where they have been staying ever since. Jennifer and I have been claimed. It’s been a wonderful gift. God bless you all, and thank you. Merry Christmas everyone and a blessed New Year to you all.
Charles H. Featherstone, Senior Reporter
Family joy
I would like to thank the folks in the Columbia Basin communities for another great year. Because working as a reporter lets me get out of the office more than I’ve been able to in the past, I’ve had the chance to reconnect with some of the smaller towns in Grant and Adams counties. Royal City, George, Ritzville, Washtucna and Wilson Creek all have their unique charms and I’ve enjoyed experiencing them for the first time in years. Thanks to all the folks who took the time to tell me their stories.
My wife Christina and I have found Moses Lake to be a wonderful place to raise our family, and we look forward to another year in this community. Merry Christmas to all!
Joel Martin, reporter/paginator
Little joys
Dear Columbia Basin community,
With the holiday season upon us, I hope that you are able to find joy in small moments and see the good in the world. It is easy to get down about the negative things in our lives but the good I have personally experienced in the Basin, far outweighs the bad.
I feel blessed to live and work in a place where the kindness of a stranger is common and community is truly felt.
I want to thank all our readers, advertisers, partners and friends for their support and allowing us to continue to tell the stories of the Basin.
Please say hello if you see me around.
Sincerely,
Rebecca Pettingill, Columbia Basin Herald staff writer
Storyteller’s thank you
With another eventful year almost in the books, I want to express my gratitude to all the people who have helped me, both professionally and personally, and those who have allowed me to talk to them about all kinds of subjects. The Columbia Basin is filled with fascinating people, and they have fascinating stories to tell — even those who don’t know it. I have had the very good luck to meet a lot of those people, from Quincy to Othello, Mattawa to Moses Lake, Ephrata to Royal City, and get those stories out there for others to hear.
In fact, I’ve had the very good luck to be telling those stories for a while now, and to work with crews throughout my time at the CBH who are jaw-droppingly talented.
I’m also grateful for the people who read the stories, talk to me about them, tell me about the interesting people that they know, and the advertisers and readers who make it possible to keep doing this, the most fun job ever.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Cheryl Schweizer, reporter
Joyous relationships
I appreciate the relationships I have built over the months with the Herald. It's been a pleasure to work with you all this year. Merry Christmas and a Happy New year to you and yours! Looking forward to seeing what 2023 can bring!
Mallory Tidball, Advertising Sales Representative
