GALLERY: Ribbon cuttings 2025
JOEL MARTIN | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 9 months, 2 weeks AGO
Cody Hall cuts the ceremonial ribbon at Blue Palm Frozen Treats in Moses Lake in February. Hall, who bought Blue Palm in 2020, remodeled the building completely and added ice cream to go with Blue Palm’s signature frozen yogurt.
FILE PHOTO
Owner Rick Rodriguez snips the ribbon on The Shack, an electronic accessory shop, in April. The Shack was the first tenant in the Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce’s Catalyst Project.
Pure Country Harvest in Moses Lake celebrated its 10-year anniversary with a ribbon-cutting in April.
Dr. Michael Rees officially opens his dental clinic, Smile Surfers, with a ribbon-cutting in April.
Zach Moore, flanked from left by Chris Moore, Brooke Keith. Lorie Moore and Brad Moore, cuts the ribbon at Moore Brewing Company’s first birthday celebration in May.
From left, Quincy Valley Medical Center commissioners Anthony Gonzalez, Sherri Kooy, Michelle Talley, Randy Zolman and Chief Executive Officer Glenda Bishop cut the ribbon on the new QVMC in May.
Columbia Basin Cancer Foundation Executive Director Angel Ledesma cuts the ribbon at the foundation’s new office in Moses Lake in June.
Manager Anthony Briceno, left, watches as Silvia Martinez cuts the ribbon commemorating the remodel of the Othello Walmart in June.
The Up Town Art Gallery held a ribbon-cutting in June. The gallery is part of the Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce’s Catalyst Project.
Plume owner Janine Coutts cut the ribbon at her new store in the Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce’s Catalyst Project in June.
Larisa Vorobey, left, with help from her daughters Noami, 3, and Allison, 18, cuts the ribbon on Psalms 23, the coffee shop Larisa and Allison opened in July in Moses Lake.
Brookdale Hearthstone Executive Director Laurie Ahmann, second from right, cuts the ribbon on the facility’s chapel surrounded by representatives of local churches and Brookdale Hearthstone staff.
State Rep. Alex Ybarra cuts the ribbon on the Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce’s Catalyst Center in August. The canter houses the Chamber’s own office as well as five other small businesses.
Sun City Cycle & Sports owners Andrew Spark, left, and Jeremy O’Neil cut the ribbon on their new bike shop in Moses Lake in August.
Members of the community came to celebrate the ribbon cutting at Palmer’s Adventure Farm to kick off the start of their Fall Fest in September.
The Cape at Interlake Community Manager Nancy Hernandez, with a little help from State Rep. Alex Ybarra, cuts the ribbon on the new apartment complex in September.
Laura Farias, with her husband Martin Farias, numerous children and grandchildren and members of the Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce, cuts the ribbon on Cold Diggers’ new location at Nelson Road and Pioneer Way in October.
Principal David Thomsen cuts the ribbon on CliftonLarsonAllen’s new office in Moses Lake in November. CLA is the first tenant in the brand-new Moberg Professional Building.
Dr. Calvin Despain, with a little help from his daughter Elsie and his son Taysom, cuts the ribbon at the new Skyview Dental Clinic in December.
Christine Villarreal, left, and Esmeralda Sanchez, right, hold the ceremonial ribbon as Mandy Schuh helps 3-year-old Roman make the cut at the grand opening of Pillar Rock Accounting, Seventh Sense Serenity and Christine’s Waxing Room in December.
Plume owner Janine Coutts cut the ribbon at her new store in the Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce’s Catalyst Project in June.
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 3, 2026 3:00 AM
MOSES LAKE — The Basin’s business community grew in 2025, and many businesses, especially Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce members, celebrated that growth by cutting a ribbon at new or upgraded locations. Here’s a look back at some of those events.
Editor's Note: The Columbia Basin Herald is proud to work with local businesses, and we encourage our readers to shop locally, whenever possible. Supporting local businesses boosts the local economy and supports neighbors' dreams.
Owner Rick Rodriguez snips the ribbon on The Shack, an electronic accessory shop, in April. The Shack was the first tenant in the Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce’s Catalyst Project.
Pure Country Harvest in Moses Lake celebrated its 10-year anniversary with a ribbon-cutting in April.
Dr. Michael Rees officially opens his dental clinic, Smile Surfers, with a ribbon-cutting in April.
Zach Moore, flanked from left by Chris Moore, Brooke Keith. Lorie Moore and Brad Moore, cuts the ribbon at Moore Brewing Company’s first birthday celebration in May.
From left, Quincy Valley Medical Center commissioners Anthony Gonzalez, Sherri Kooy, Michelle Talley, Randy Zolman and Chief Executive Officer Glenda Bishop cut the ribbon on the new QVMC in May.
Columbia Basin Cancer Foundation Executive Director Angel Ledesma cuts the ribbon at the foundation’s new office in Moses Lake in June.
Manager Anthony Briceno, left, watches as Silvia Martinez cuts the ribbon commemorating the remodel of the Othello Walmart in June.
The Up Town Art Gallery held a ribbon-cutting in June. The gallery is part of the Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce’s Catalyst Project.
Plume owner Janine Coutts cut the ribbon at her new store in the Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce’s Catalyst Project in June.
Larisa Vorobey, left, with help from her daughters Noami, 3, and Allison, 18, cuts the ribbon on Psalms 23, the coffee shop Larisa and Allison opened in July in Moses Lake.
Brookdale Hearthstone Executive Director Laurie Ahmann, second from right, cuts the ribbon on the facility’s chapel surrounded by representatives of local churches and Brookdale Hearthstone staff.
State Rep. Alex Ybarra cuts the ribbon on the Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce’s Catalyst Center in August. The canter houses the Chamber’s own office as well as five other small businesses.
Sun City Cycle & Sports owners Andrew Spark, left, and Jeremy O’Neil cut the ribbon on their new bike shop in Moses Lake in August.
Members of the community came to celebrate the ribbon cutting at Palmer’s Adventure Farm to kick off the start of their Fall Fest in September.
The Cape at Interlake Community Manager Nancy Hernandez, with a little help from State Rep. Alex Ybarra, cuts the ribbon on the new apartment complex in September.
Laura Farias, with her husband Martin Farias, numerous children and grandchildren and members of the Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce, cuts the ribbon on Cold Diggers’ new location at Nelson Road and Pioneer Way in October.
Principal David Thomsen cuts the ribbon on CliftonLarsonAllen’s new office in Moses Lake in November. CLA is the first tenant in the brand-new Moberg Professional Building.
Dr. Calvin Despain, with a little help from his daughter Elsie and his son Taysom, cuts the ribbon at the new Skyview Dental Clinic in December.
Christine Villarreal, left, and Esmeralda Sanchez, right, hold the ceremonial ribbon as Mandy Schuh helps 3-year-old Roman make the cut at the grand opening of Pillar Rock Accounting, Seventh Sense Serenity and Christine’s Waxing Room in December.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.”