Patriotism and luck showcased at Moses Lake Business Expo
JOEL MARTIN | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 5 months, 2 weeks AGO
The dual themes of St. Patrick’s Day and the U.S. Semiquincentennial - 250th anniversary of the nation's founding - made the Moses Lake Business Expo a colorful event Tuesday.
JOEL MARTIN/COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD
Karisti Cox of Brookdale Hearthstone took the Best Costume prize for her Uncle Sam outfit at the Moses Lake Business Expo Tuesday.
Patricia Tapia, right, takes a shot at Bud Clary Auto Group’s basketball hoop at the Moses Lake Business Expo Tuesday, with Sales Consultant Abel Guerra looking on.
Spencer King, left, and Vicki Rivers of LocalTel went all-out for the Irish side of the Moses Lake Business Expo’s theme.
From left: Terrilynn Martin of Movement Mortgage talks with Connie Scott and Rylee Miranda at the Moses Lake Business Expo Tuesday, while 2-year-old Wyatt and 1-year-old Jackson wait patiently in the stroller.
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. | March 20, 2026 3:55 AM
MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce’s annual Business Expo drew between 1,100 and 1,200 people Tuesday, Chamber Director Debbie Doran-Martinez estimated.
“We’re getting some really good foot traffic,” said Kendyl Crum, with ServiceMaster Restore, a home restoration specialty company. “It’s been really busy and (we’ve had) a lot of good conversation, and that’s important.”
The theme this year was “Stars, Stripes and Shamrocks,” combining St. Patrick’s Day with the 250th birthday of the United States. The Commercial, Ag and 4-H buildings at the Grant County Fairgrounds were filled with people and booths decorated either in red, white and blue or bright green.
Karisti Cox, senior living specialist with Brookdale Hearthstone, was decked out in full Uncle Sam regalia.
“We’re doing a free educational series for people who are looking to learn more about health care needs for their aging parents,” Cox said. “This has been a really great outlet to let people know how to get some free education and free resources in the Columbia Basin.”
This is the first year that the expo has taken up all three buildings, Doran-Martinez said. Last year, only the 4-H and Commercial buildings were used, and the space was crowded. This year had only eight more exhibitors than last year, but with additional space, there was a little more room between booths.
Food was supplied by Top Gun Concession & Catering, and also reflected the theme, Doran-Martinez said.
“We had some wonderful corned beef and cabbage, celebrating St. Patrick’s Day,” she said.
Most of the exhibitors paid some homage to the themes. Vicki Rivers and Spencer King at LocalTel had matching green shirts, and King had a leprechaun hat, a bright orange beard and a green plaid kilt as well. Bud Clary Auto Group brought in vehicles, all of which were either red, white or blue. They also had a foam rubber basketball and a small hoop and gave prizes to anyone who could sink a shot.
“One basket gets a hat,” said manager Brandon Love. “And a young lady made it from (about 15 feet away) and we gave her a detail kit. We’re just having fun.”
There were prizes for the best costumes and the best booth for either theme, Doran-Martinez said. Cox took first place for best costume. Second place went to Kar Vanerstrom, who was dressed as a shamrock, and third to Barry Sterner of Rue & Sage.
“Barry was all decked out with some pretty wild shamrock golf pants,” Doran-Martinez said.
The best-decorated booth went to Pioneer Meadows, with Guild Mortgage as runner-up. Rue & Sage got an honorable mention for their booth as well, Doran-Martines said, but didn’t qualify for a prize because the decorations weren’t aligned with the themes. Columbia Basin Allied Arts’ booth also got an honorable mention for creativity.
“It was a great time,” Doran-Martinez said. “We thank all of our sponsors for supporting it and the community for coming out and supporting local businesses. We always want to make sure that they shop local first.”
Karisti Cox of Brookdale Hearthstone took the Best Costume prize for her Uncle Sam outfit at the Moses Lake Business Expo Tuesday.
Patricia Tapia, right, takes a shot at Bud Clary Auto Group’s basketball hoop at the Moses Lake Business Expo Tuesday, with Sales Consultant Abel Guerra looking on.
Spencer King, left, and Vicki Rivers of LocalTel went all-out for the Irish side of the Moses Lake Business Expo’s theme.
From left: Terrilynn Martin of Movement Mortgage talks with Connie Scott and Rylee Miranda at the Moses Lake Business Expo Tuesday, while 2-year-old Wyatt and 1-year-old Jackson wait patiently in the stroller.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.