JOEL MARTIN

Local mothers group collecting toys for Christmas

MOSES LAKE — Christmas can be a really worrisome time for families with children, especially during tough economic times. However, when people are worried, moms come to the rescue.

Moses Lake tree lighting kicks off the holiday season

MOSES LAKE — Downtown Moses Lake blazed into light Friday evening as the enormous holiday tree in Sinkiuse Square was lit to mark the beginning of the holiday season. About 500 people came to the event, said Mallory Miller, executive director of the Downtown Moses Lake Association, which staged the event. In addition to the tree lighting itself, there were craft tables and a scavenger hunt for the kids and hot dogs and hot cocoa for everybody. The turnout was bigger than last year, said volunteers Jesseanne Polmateer and Mason Golliher, who were handing out fliers for the scavenger hunt. There were about 300 people at the end of the night last year, Golliher said, and within the first half hour they had already given out more than 100 fliers.

Pizza Hut opens in Othello

OTHELLO — Othello’s first Pizza Hut opened Tuesday with a ribbon-cutting followed by a line out the door for lunch.

Youth coding marathon coming to Moses Lake

MOSES LAKE — Budding coders, artists and musicians from sixth through 12 grade are invited this weekend to take part in Counterspell, a 24-hour hackathon in which participants will create games. “It’s going to be the first event of this kind in our region,” said Amiya Saha, a Moses Lake High School senior who’s one of the organizers. “A lot of these have been in Seattle and larger cities, but we want to share technology with rural communities.”

Trimmed and ready

Festival of Trees to raise funds for Habitat for Humanity

MOSES LAKE — Folks who are pining for a Christmas tree will find them all spruced up with lights and decorations at the annual Festival of Trees Dec. 7. The event is Habitat for Humanity of Greater Moses Lake’s biggest fundraiser of the year, said President Rebecca Mabius. It will be held in the Advanced Technologies Education Center at Big Bend Community College. “This year we have 13 trees that will be available for purchase, and they’re donated and decorated by individuals and businesses here in the community,” Mabius said.

Socktober drive brings in 1,300 pairs of socks

MOSES LAKE — Some feet will be warmer this winter in Moses Lake. A whole lot of feet, in fact. Greenpoint Technologies and Red Door Cafe’s joint project, Socktober, brought in 1,300 pairs of socks last month, according to an email from organizer Amy Ward. This is the first year that Moses Lake has done Socktober and the response was overwhelming, said Phyllis Lavalle, Ward’s mother, who helped her count and package the socks Nov. 8. The drive was given a big boost by Bombas, a nationwide clothing retailer that specializes in socks.

‘Wonderful people’

Fabric Patch community contributes more than $52,000 to fight cancer.

EPHRATA — The Fabric Patch’s breast cancer auction was not your typical fundraiser. There was no expensive venue, no banquet, no volunteers pouring wine or selling raffle tickets. Just a camera, a few dedicated women, and thousands of bidders.

Serving the unseen

His Helping Hands helps people in need stay warm through the winter

EPHRATA — Cold weather and a tough economy can be a nasty combination, and sometimes people fall unseen through the cracks.

Vets honored at Ephrata parade

EPHRATA — It wasn’t a huge crowd that turned out for the Veterans Day parade in Ephrata, but it was a reverent one.

Local talent takes over at Moses Lake Museum

MOSES LAKE — The members take over the museum this month, as the Moses Lake Museum & Art Center’s Members Exhibition showcases local talent on tap. “The show features a wide variety of art in different styles,” Museum Communications Coordinator Natalia Zuyeva wrote in an email to the Columbia Basin Herald. “Ceramics, acrylic, watercolor, stained glass and more are present in this year’s show.”