Brookdale Hearthstone Christmas Parade delights seniors, children
JOEL MARTIN | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 8 months AGO
Santa and Mrs. Claus make their entrance at the Brookdale Hearthstone Christmas parade Dec. 23.
JOEL MARTIN/COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD
Local businesses and organizations entered floats in the Brookdale Hearthstone Christmas parade.
About 200 people, mostly children, swapped a pair of socks for a stocking to fill with candy at Brookdale Hearthstone Dec. 23.
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 7, 2026 3:00 AM
MOSES LAKE — The spirit of Christmas paid a visit to Brookdale Hearthstone on Dec. 23, with a parade, a visit from Santa and lots and lots of candy for children.
“(Our residents) deserve the best,” said Brookdale Hearthstone Lifestyle Director Imelda Broyles. “And unfortunately, some of them don't drive. So we said, let's bring (Christmas) over here and start a new tradition.”
The stockings weren’t hung by the chimney with care, exactly. Participants brought in a pair of socks to donate to Care Moses Lake, and in return received a stocking they could take around and collect candy.
“I don't know how many stockings we had, but I know it was well over 120 stockings and we ran out,” said Brookdale Hearthstone Living Sales Specialist Karisti Cox. “We had kids who had their stocking caps that they took off their heads and were using them.”
About 200 pairs of socks were collected, Broyles said.
Santa and Mrs. Claus led a parade of small floats through the halls of Brookdale Hearthstone into the dining room. The floats were made by residents and staff, and included cleverly-constructed gingerbread houses, a sleigh and Santa’s workshop. The Clauses settled into chairs with a sign reading “North Pole” and waved as the floats, staff and children filed through.
Many of the floats and displays came from local businesses and organizations that had partnered with Brookdale Hearthstone for the occasion.
“They wanted to support this cause,” Cox said. “They saw something great in it.”
The event drew support from the Kiwanis club, Big Bend Community College, Door to Door Moving, Assured Home Health and Hospice, Savoy Life, Cobie’s Dry Cleaning, the Moses Lake Police Department, Lowe’s, My Little Sunshine Childcare Center and Columbia Bank, according to Broyles.
“Our residents are incredibly happy and grateful,” Broyles wrote in a message to the Columbia Basin Herald. “For many of them, moments like this mean everything … This parade is about bringing joy to those who can no longer go out to see parades, creating connection, and reminding our residents how deeply valued and loved they are.”
Local businesses and organizations entered floats in the Brookdale Hearthstone Christmas parade.
About 200 people, mostly children, swapped a pair of socks for a stocking to fill with candy at Brookdale Hearthstone Dec. 23.ARTICLES BY JOEL MARTIN
Quincy National Night Out scales down
QUINCY — Quincy’s National Night Out was more compact this year, which worked out well, said QPD Sgt. Joe Westby, who’s in charge of event planning for the Quincy Police Department. “National Night Out is a big event, and the fact that we’re able to shrink it up is like a breath of fresh air,” Westby said. “If you're always doing the same thing, it's kind of nice to switch things up and see how it works.” National Night Out took place Thursday on the block of C Street next to the police station, a shift from previous years when it was held at Lauzier Park. The smaller space meant fewer emergency vehicles for children to explore, but it also meant less walking for attendees. Grant County Fire District 5 brought a fire truck, and the Grant County Sheriff’s Office had a patrol boat. Renew, the Grant County behavioral health agency, had a booth and so did Quincy Partnership for Youth. Veterans Operation Creation sang the national anthem, and the Quincy Animal Shelter brought kittens that piled over each other making friends with passersby. As before, the QPD served grilled hot dogs.
Quincy Police retirements leave big shoes to fill
QUINCY — There are some big shoes to fill at the Quincy Police Department. “We’re losing 48 years of experience between them,” Quincy Police Chief Ryan Green said at the retirement party for Capt. Jorge Trujillo and Det. Damon Powell Thursday. Trujillo, who grew up in Sunnyside, has been with QPD for 19 years, he said, coming on as a patrol officer fresh out of the military. From there he served as a field training officer, a detective and finally captain. “I consider him my left-hand man,” Green said. “He runs the operations side of the house … He knows the agency very well, and he knows the community.” Trujillo has some projects around the house to tackle now that he’s retired, he said.
Big fun on a small scale
Wheat Land Communities’ Fair opens Thursday
RITZVILLE — The Wheat Land Communities’ Fair isn’t as big or as flashy as some of the county fairs around central Washington, but the folks who keep it going like it just the way it is. “It’s somewhere you can go and get an old-time traditional feeling, and you’re comfortable letting your kids roam the grounds and experience all that it has to offer,” said Board Member Lori Williams. “It’s more of a feeling than (one) specific thing,” The fair starts Thursday in Ritzville and runs through Sunday. Starting Friday, the 56th Ritzville Rodeo will take place alongside the fair at the rodeo grounds. This year the entertainment budget was expanded, Williams said, to be able to offer more fun that’s covered by the cost of admission. For the kids, there’s face painting, balloon art, Lego crafts, races, contests and games. Children can also ride on a little train towed around the fairgrounds behind a tractor.