Holiday cheer around the Basin
JOEL MARTIN | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 2 years, 10 months AGO
A Grant Transit Authority bus dashes through the snow at the 2022 Moses Lake Ag Parade. This year’s event is Dec. 1.
FILE PHOTO
An excited family waits for Santa to make an appearance at last year’s Winterfest in Soap Lake. This year’s event is Dec. 2.
The Grinch sits in an orange Grant County Jail jumpsuit on the back of the GCSO’s paddy wagon as part of last year’s Bells on Basin parade in Ephrata. Bells on Basin returns Dec. 9.
Joel Martin has been with the Columbia Basin Herald for more than 25 years in a variety of roles and is the most-tenured employee in the building. Martin is a married father of eight and enjoys spending time with his children and his wife, Christina. He is passionate about the paper’s mission of informing the people of the Columbia Basin because he knows it is important to record the history of the communities the publication serves. | November 22, 2023 1:30 AM
MOSES LAKE — Here comes Santa Claus, here comes Santa Claus, right down just about every main drag in the Columbia Basin. Many local communities will hold holiday celebrations over the next couple of weekends. Here are some places to load up on Christmas joy:
Winterfest
Soap Lake will hold Winterfest on Dec. 2. The fun starts at 10 a.m. with a holiday bazaar at the Soap Lake Community Center, 121 Second Ave. SE, offering crafts, food, jewelry and more, and a book sale at the Soap Lake Public Library, 32 Main Ave. E. Turkey bingo will be held at noon at the Del-Red pub, 311 Main Ave. E. Coffee and hot cocoa will be served at 3 p.m. at McKay Healthcare & Rehabilitation, 127 Second Avenue SW, and caroling will begin at 5 p.m. Santa will make an appearance at 4 p.m. at Marina Drive and Main Avenue for photos with children. More information is available from the Soap Lake Chamber of Commerce, [email protected].
An excited family waits for Santa to make an appearance at last year’s Winterfest in Soap Lake. This year’s event is Dec. 2.Bells on Basin
Ephrata will celebrate Bells on Basin on Dec. 9, including a 5K or 1-mile run at 9 a.m. and Polar Express passports at 10 a.m. at the Ephrata Recreation Center, 121 Alder St. SW. Hot cocoa and popcorn will be served free at 4 p.m., followed by the tree lighting and live music at 4:45 and the Bells on Basin Parade at 5. The event is sponsored by the Ephrata Chamber of Commerce, www.ephratachamber.org.
The Grinch sits in an orange Grant County Jail jumpsuit on the back of the GCSO’s paddy wagon as part of last year’s Bells on Basin parade in Ephrata. Bells on Basin returns Dec. 9.Quincy Valley Christmas
This Quincy holiday celebration will take place Dec. 1-3: The Christmas Light Parade will start at 5:30 p.m. Friday on Division Street in the Cenex parking lot and finish at the Port of Quincy, 101 F St. SW, for photos with Santa. There will also be a walk-through living Nativity 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Quincy Valley Historical Society & Museum, 415 F St. SW. Saturday there will be a Christmas Market 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Quincy Public Market, 1004 F St. SW, and the Festival of Trees at 6 p.m. at the Quincy Business & Event Center, 111 F St. SW. Sunday the Quincy Valley Allied Arts Community Choir will offer its concert at 6 p.m. at Quincy High School, 403 Jackrabbit St. More information is available from the Quincy Valley Chamber of Commerce, 509-787-2140.
Ag Parade
Moses Lake’s annual Ag Parade and Street Party will be Dec. 1 at Sinkiuse Square. The party begins at 5 p.m. with music and free french fries and hot chocolate, as well as a Santa sleigh for family photos. At 7 p.m. the parade will roll down Third Avenue with trucks and farm equipment decked out in bright lights. The event is organized by the Downtown Moses Lake Association, www.downtownmoseslake.org.
Wanapum Heritage
The Wanapum Heritage Center, at Priest Rapids Dam near Mattawa, will host Shop till you Drop this Saturday and Dec. 9 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. There will be live demonstrations of beadwork, tule mats, weaving and hemp string, as well as a variety of local and traveling artists offering unique handmade arts and crafts. More information is available by calling 509-766-3461.
ARTICLES BY JOEL MARTIN
Endless battle
Noxious Weed Control Board works to keep invasive plants under control
MOSES LAKE — Some of the nastiest plants in Grant County were the topic of a class led by Jay Johnson, a consultant with the Grant County Noxious Weed Control Board, Tuesday. The Noxious Weed Control Board, as its name would suggest, is tasked with keeping weeds under control in Grant County. That’s not a small job; the board’s website lists 129 species of noxious weeds that are found around Grant County. A noxious weed is defined as an invasive, non-native plant that threatens agricultural crops, local ecosystems or fish and wildlife habitat, according to the Noxious Weed Control Board. Washington state law requires that these weeds be identified and their spread kept to a minimum, if not completely eradicated. “We’re one of those agencies a lot of people don’t really understand,” Johnson said. “We’re a county office and … our funding is tax-based assessment. When you get your tax bill and you look down at all the expenses that you pay for, there we are.”
BASIN EVENTS: Oct. 16-24
COLUMBIA BASIN — Whether you feel like shopping, crafting, learning or seeing a show, there’s something happening for you this week in the Basin. Oct. 16 ‘My Family (Mi Familia)’ screening Spanning three generations, “My Family (Mi Familia)” is a heartfelt drama that follows the Sánchez family as they build their lives in East Los Angeles. Through love, hardship, triumph, and sacrifice, the film explores the immigrant experience, the strength of family bonds, and the traditions that connect one generation to the next. Lowrider show and taco truck before the screening. Sponsored by Columbia Basin Allied Arts, EDUBS C/S and the Moses Lake Creative District. $12 per person. Doors open at 6 p.m., film begins at 7 p.m. at the Moses Lake Civic Center Auditorium, 401 S. Balsam St. Tickets and info: www.cba-arts.org.
Moses Lake author encourages women to look beyond church culture norms
MOSES LAKE — A Moses Lake author’s book, “A Christian Woman Striving to Live Her Faith in a Man-Controlled World,” takes aim at the role to which many churches relegate the female half of their congregations. “It’s to encourage women in the faith,” Linda Curran said. “A lot of churches say, ‘Teach Sunday school, do this, do that, but don’t (evangelize.)’" In her book, Curran recounts a time when she moved to a new community and joined a church there. She was surprised to learn that, as a new female member, she had been automatically assigned church cleaning duties. When she questioned it, she wrote, she was met with condescension and her objections were brushed aside. In other churches, she said, women who were capable of teaching were relegated to “women’s ministry.”