Charlotte Observer editorial page editor Taylor Batten had a blog post this week on the interesting way some bills are moving through committees:

Tickets are on sale for the 10th annual Gingerbread Benefit on Thursday, Nov. 29 to support Triangle Family Services.

The daylong event includes an afternoon preview of the to-be-auctioned gingerbread houses, a children's tea party with Santa and an evening event featuring music, drinks, food and live and silent auctions.

The gingerbread houses are made by local chefs, including Kim Reynolds of Second Empire, Mairea Gregory of the Upper Crust Bakery and Daniel Benjamin of The Umstead Hotel & Spa. The gingerbread houses will be auctioned off during the evening event.

Tickets cost $25 for the gingerbread house preview from noon-1 p.m. at the Umstead Hotel's ballroom. Tickets for the tea party with Santa cost $55 per person or $195 for a family of four. Tickets for the evening event cost $95 per person or $180 per couple.

The evening festivities include holiday music, drinks, desserts and appetizers. Plus, attendees can bid on jewelry, getaways, gourmet dining and sports items. For more information and to purchase tickets, go to tfsnc.org. That event is from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Umstead Hotel.

Triangle Family Services is a nonprofit that provides support to 7,000 residents a year by providing programs related to financial stability, family safety and mental health services.

Readers often ask whether we have all of The N&O's editorial board endorsements in one place. Here are our endorsements this year:

House (8pm, Fox) - Tonight's two-hour series finale includes a retrospective and the final episode, in which House's (Hugh Laurie) treatment of an ailing drug addict leads him to sift through his own life and speculate on his future.

Burt Bacharach & Hal David: The Gershwin Prize for Popular Song (9pm, UNC-TV) - Burt Bacharach and Hal David receive the honor from President Obama during a concert at the White House. Performers of songs by the duo include Sheryl Crow, Michael Feinstein, Diana Krall, Lyle Lovett, Dionne Warwick, Stevie Wonder and others.

The Bachelorette (9pm, ABC) - 19 bachelors move into a Charlotte mansion to begin competing for the affections of Emily Maynard. Tonight, a one-on-one date has a concert by country band Gloriana, and thirteen of the men perform with the Sesame Street Muppets as they and Emily raise funds for a local hospital. There's also an altercation between two men that almost comes to blows, and a date at a resort Emily remembers from her childhood (please let it be South of the Border!). Three men are sent home.

Witness (10pm, NGC) - National Geographic Channel presents first-person accounts of the deadly tornado that struck Joplin, Mo., on May 22, 2011, killing more than 150 people devastating the city.

Lots of letters today about House Speaker Thom Tillis' decision to use taxpayer money to pay two former staffers an extra month of salary after they resigned over improper intimate relationships with lobbyists. You'll see most of these in the paper, too.

How I Met Your Mother (8pm, CBS) - Marshall freaks out when he realizes fatherhood is staring him in the face. Also, Ted and Robin come to an understanding about their relationship.

The Voice (8pm, NBC) - The semi-final round kicks off with the Top 8 vocalists.

The Pitch (9pm, AMC) - This is the official premiere of the new AMC reality series about real-life advertising agencies. It featured a prominent Durham firm in its sneak peek episode a few weeks ago. That episode with McKinney (McKinney ad director Jonathan Cude at right) battling a New York agency for a Subway campaign, will repeat after this episode at 10. The 9 p.m. episode has two groups pitching ideas to Waste Management. "The Pitch" has been promoted heavily during Sunday airings of "Mad Men" in an attempt to attract fans of that show.

House (9pm, Fox) - The team takes the case of a 6-year-old girl with a genetic condition and must work with her specialist mother to treat her. Elsewhere, House and Wilson take a vacation.

Death Row: The Final 24 Hours (10pm, Discovery) - A special report examining how capital punishment is administered.

Castle (10pm, ABC) - A body with human bite marks is discovered, and the sole witness claims a zombie killed the man. Castle and Beckett then explore New York City's zombie subculture to unearth the murderer.

The Secret Life of the American Teenager (8pm, ABC Family) - Amy worries she might be pregnant fora  second time, and Ben tries to impress Dylan's parents. Also, George is puzzled by Anne and Nora's bonding.

2 Broke Girls (8:30pm, CBS) - Caroline helps Max prepare her first tax return, but in doing so, forgets to mail Earl's return.

House (9pm, Fox) - House and the team take on the case of a man who is bleeding from his eyes. Meanwhile, House's favorite hooker, Emily, is leaving the business to get married, so he teams up with his "wife," Dominika (Karolina Wydra, left), to sabotage Emily's relationship.

Eureka (9pm, Syfy) - In the Season 5 premiere, the Astraeus crew returns to Eureka four years later and must adapt to a myriad of changes, including a more oppressive version of Deputy Andy.

Smash (10pm, NBC) - Karen and Ivy team up to form an awkward alliance when movie star Rebecca Duvall (Uma Thurman) shows up for work.

Castle (10pm, ABC) - When things get tense with Beckett, Castle decides to team up with a new partner: a tough gang-unit detective who exposes him to a seedier side of police business and puts him in risky situations.

Here's a friendly reminder about the first of several upcoming free food opportunities:

Starting at 7 a.m. tomorrow, Tuesday, Feb. 28, IHOP is celebrating National Pancake Day with a free short stack of buttermilk pancakes for every customer.

In return, customers are asked to consider making a donation to Children's Miracle Network Hospitals and other designated local charities.

The giveaway runs through 10 p.m. That's 15 hours of free pancakes.

IHOP restaurants across the country will be participating. Click here to find a nearby location.

How I Met Your Mother (8pm, CBS) - Robin moves to the suburbs with Lily and Marshall and Ted wonders what to do with her empty room. Meanwhile, Barney decides to court a stripper.

*House (8pm, Fox) - House's mother (Diane Baker) shows up with news about a new man in her life.

Being Human (9pm, Syfy) - Josh reaches out to Nora and Sally finds out who has been haunting her. Meanwhile, Aiden is targeted by werewolf twins.

*Alcatraz (9pm, Fox) - An innocent man from Alcatraz resurfaces to commit crimes.

Hawaii Five-0 (10pm, CBS) - A famous talk-radio DJ is murdered and the investigation brings Five-0 in contact with a retired NYPD bomb expert (at James Caan, right with son Scott Caan) with ties to the victim.

Smash (10pm, NBC) - Derek hosts a party for a popular young star, reminding Karen she must propel her career. Meanwhile, Eileen tests a crafty way to secure funds and Tom dates someone new.

Lost Girl (10pm, Syfy) - Kenzi inadvertently brings home a vicious Fae spider that can make people psychotic after she performs a spiritual cleansing of a house.  

Fashion Police (10pm, E!) -  A review of last night's 2012 Academy Awards show fashions.

*Rescheduling of Daytona 500 will likely preempt "House" and "Alcatraz" tonight, but it's not 100% certain yet.

The Voice (8pm, NBC) - 'The Voice' follows their post-Super Bowl debut with a two-hour episode containing more blind auditions. Coaches Cee Lo Green, Christina Aguilera, Adam Levine and Blake Shelton at left.

House (8pm, Fox) - Following a violent incident involving a patient, House and the team are placed under review by the neurology chief.

The Bachelor (8pm, ABC) - The remaining women (both North Carolina women are still in the mix, but something tells me that changes tonight!) visit Panama, and hopefully, Emily from Chapel Hill can stop talking about Courtney for five seconds.

Alcatraz (9pm, Fox) - We've only seen prisoners up to now, but tonight an old guard resurfaces and encounters an old acquaintance.

Hart of Dixie (9pm, CW) - Tonight's Valentine's dance episode features a performance by Raleigh native Tift Merritt.

Smash (10pm, NBC) - This much-hyped debut of NBC's (much better!) answer to "Glee" follows a group of professional adult people staging a Broadway show. In tonight's debut, a writing duo come up with the idea to base a musical on Marilyn Monroe, and an experienced chorus girl competes against a promising newcomer. It has a great cast, which includes Debra Messing, Angelica Huston and Katharine McPhee. Here's my full review.

Lost Girl (10pm, Syfy) - Bo protects a human woman after a fury tries to hire Bo to kill her husband's mistress.