MOSES LAKE — Moses Lake School District teachers, aides and administrators fanned out along Third Avenue and adjoining side streets with shovels and flowers Tuesday morning. By noon, all the planter boxes in the downtown area were full of flowers.

The flowers are grown by the horticulture classes at Moses Lake High School, and normally the boxes are planted by MLHS horticulture students and FFA members. But with schools closed as part of the effort to combat the COVID-19 outbreak, students weren’t allowed to do the planting. So MLSD staff members took over the job.

Horticulture instructor Tony Kern estimated about 50 people volunteered, and he expressed gratitude for the help.

“We’ve had such tremendous support from the staff,” said MLHS career and technical education director James Yonko. “It’s been great to see.”

Heidi Melcher and Sarah Aiken said it was a way to help the students, and Vicki Swisher said the project provides some support for downtown businesses. It’s a way to make the days of downtown business owners a little brighter, Swisher said.

There were other benefits. “(We) get away from all our Zoom meetings,” Swisher said.

“And see people that we haven’t seen,” said Kay White, who was working with Swisher to fill a planter.

“This is a way to get out and do something,” Tammi Miers said.

“And see people,” Carol Garneau said. “It’s been wonderful to see people.”

“I needed a break from my computer,” Melcher said.

Plants were laid out according to a plan sketched out by Kern.

“I had no idea there was a pattern to this. I thought it was random,” Melcher said.

Staff members had all the planters on Third Avenue, the planter around the clock tower at the intersection of Third and Ash, and the planters on the side streets filled by noon.

“We’re whipping it on out,” Jackie Wells said. “Coronavirus can’t stop us.”

Cheryl Schweizer can be reached via email at [email protected].