GALLERY: 2025 at the Masquers
JOEL MARTIN | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 10 months, 1 week AGO
Colonel Mustard (Dave Stearns) left, and Professor Plum (Justin Martin) hold the dead body of the cook while talking with Wadsworth (Rebecca Grommesh) in the Masquers Theater production of the mystery-comedy “Clue! On Stage” in February.
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Rona (Cassie Nelson, right) unloads her anger at the disaster that took her child’s life on Revlon (Tanya Sheelke, left) and Sian (Kristina Allman) in a rehearsal of the Masquers play “The Revlon Girl,” opening April 25. “The Revlon Girl” looked at the lives of four women who lost children when a mountain of coal slag slid onto the mining village of Aberfan, Wales in 1966.
Cave people dance, sing and evolve in the Masquers Theater production of “Firebringer” in June. The musical broke some new ground for the Masquers, with live musicians and a younger cast.
The Masquers Theater finished off 2025 with “Christmas with Little Women,” a holiday adaptation of the classic Louisa May Alcott novel, in December.
From left: Urchins Ronnette (Kylie Youngren), Chiffon (Lydia Harris) and Crystal (Rachel Bresee) sing about life on Skid Row in the Masquers production of “Little Shop of Horrors” in October.
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. | January 2, 2026 1:20 AM
SOAP LAKE — The Masquers Theater brought laughter, drama and joy to the stage in 2025. Here’s a look back at the troupe’s productions for the year. The theater continues to be a big draw for visitors to Soap Lake and puts on a variety of productions throughout the year, including dramas, musicals and comedies.
Rona (Cassie Nelson, right) unloads her anger at the disaster that took her child’s life on Revlon (Tanya Sheelke, left) and Sian (Kristina Allman) in a rehearsal of the Masquers play “The Revlon Girl,” opening April 25. “The Revlon Girl” looked at the lives of four women who lost children when a mountain of coal slag slid onto the mining village of Aberfan, Wales in 1966.
Cave people dance, sing and evolve in the Masquers Theater production of “Firebringer” in June. The musical broke some new ground for the Masquers, with live musicians and a younger cast.
The Masquers Theater finished off 2025 with “Christmas with Little Women,” a holiday adaptation of the classic Louisa May Alcott novel, in December.
From left: Urchins Ronnette (Kylie Youngren), Chiffon (Lydia Harris) and Crystal (Rachel Bresee) sing about life on Skid Row in the Masquers production of “Little Shop of Horrors” in October.ARTICLES BY JOEL MARTIN
Home prices up in most Basin markets
MOSES LAKE — Home prices increased in most, but not all, markets of the Columbia Basin this year, according to data from the real estate website Redfin. The median home price in Moses Lake in September was $364,821, according to Redfin’s data, up 5.4% from September 2025. Ephrata’s median price wasn’t far off, at $368,824, but that represented a 12.5% increase over the same time period. Quincy’s median price topped the list of local cities at $405,235, a 10.1% year-over-year increase. Othello, in contrast, dropped by 17.1% year-over-year, to $298,226.
BASIN EVENTS Nov. 6-14
COLUMBIA BASIN — Now that everyone has adjusted from the Daylight Saving Time changeover, it’s time to get out of the house and off to something fun. Here are a few destinations to check out. Nov. 6 Members Exhibition Gallery opening for show of artworks by museum members. Opening reception 4-7 p.m. at Moses Lake Museum & Art Center, 401 S. Balsam St. Info: www.moseslakemuseum.com.
Going rogue
Moses Lake salon celebrates creativity and independence
MOSES LAKE — The new salon on East Broadway is called Rogue Collective for a reason. “We had this dream to do it all together,” said owner Dana Mendoza. “That’s where the ‘collective’ came from. It’s a pretty amazing group of women. Everyone has their own separate gifts and talents.” The “rogue” part of the name comes from the fact that the professionals all came from other salons with the same idea: to do things their own way.