HMB Review staff makes its own holiday light

The staff of a newspaper never likes being in the dark when it comes to local events, but employees at the Half Moon Bay Review didn’t seem to mind the darkness one bit at their own big event – the annual Christmas party.

Rain and howling wind did a number on the power station in Half Moon Bay, Calif., the night of Dec. 18. Power blinked off right at 7 p.m. – the exact start time for the Review’s party, which had long been planned at the newspaper offices. That took care of the festive lights Publisher Debra Hershon had painstakingly hung throughout the office.

Taking a cue from the Who’s down in Whoville, the Review staff didn’t let a little darkness get in the way of its celebration. Candles added an intimate quality to the evening and the caterer was able to continue cooking with propane under a tent outside the office.

Magically, the lights came on in time for the white elephant gift exchange … then shut off again shortly afterward. The sated staff called it a night at that point.

The only thing missing as a result of the power outage was the loss of the YouTube yule log video staff hoped to play on a nearby computer.