Henry’s Restaurant in West Richland will be celebrating St. Patrick’s Day on March 17 with a special for the day. This St. Patrick’s Day special will be a main course of Corned Beef and Cabbage; the meal will come with Steamed Baby Red Potatoes, Steamed Cabbage, Garden Salad & Dinner Rolls all for $10.95. For more information or to make reservations, which are accepted call 509.967.2657.

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My family and I were at Round Table Pizza in Richland last night talking to a friend, Keith McNeely and the topic of this blog came up. As we were talking to Keith, he mentioned that he really enjoys reading these blogs to stay informed about all the events going on in the Tri Cities. He also mentioned that he would like to see more about wine tastings in the area. Of course I had to go home and look into wine tastings in the area.

E very Wednesday evening at Barnard Griffin in Richland there is a wine tasting. Each week five different wines are chosen with snacks to go with each wine. The cost is $5 and those who make wine purchases during this time receive a 5% discount. For more information call Barnard Griffin at 509.627.0266.

Anelare Wine has a tasting studio open Thursday and Friday from 4:00 to 8:00, Saturday from Noon to 8:00, and Sunday from Noon until 4:00. There are also appointments available at other times for formal tastings or for a bar tasting. For more information or to make an appointment call Analare Winery at 509.735.3838.

Gesa Credit Union in Kennewick will be having a St. Patrick’s Day celebration and Ribbon Cutting for on Wednesday, March 17, 2010 from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm. Come and join Gesa Credit Union for Irish foods, drinks and entertainment, in celebration of the opening of their newest branch in South Kennewick. For more information or to RSVP email events@gesa.com or call 509.972.6162.

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CNNMoney.com recently published a report about the top housing markets where recovery has been the best. One of those markets is Kennewick, Washington in the Tri Cities. Since 2006 the housing market in Kennewick has increased 5.7% and it is being forecasted that the market will continue going up at least 3.9% in 2011. The expected steady rise of the housing market in Kennewick is a result of the cost of living being 27% lower than that of Seattle. Employment has also continued to stay strong in the area; the unemployment rate in December was 8.1% which is well below the national average.

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Nationally, housing prices are not doing well, data from the National Association of Realtors stated that existing homes sales fell 7.2% in January. However the Tri Cities are still doing well, a recent article by Smartmoney ranked the Tri Cities as one of five metro areas that are forecasted to have the best home prices in 2010. The Tri Cities are expected to have an increase in home values of about 3.96% in the fourth quarter of 2010. There are several factors Smartmoney found that influenced the forecast, they are: household income growth, population growth, the unemployment rate, and cost of housing. The Tri Cities is doing well in all of these areas; as a result of the stimulus money going into Hanford the Tri City area was able to keep unemployment rates down and housing prices continue to do well. The other four areas doing well in respect to home prices are: Fairbanks, Alaska; Charleston, South Carolina; Corvallis, Oregon; and Anchorage, Alaska.

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At 12:01 am on Tuesday morning 2,544 tickets were put up for sale on the Hanford website for those interested in getting seats for the Hanford tours. Within 13 hours all of these seats were purchased, within the first minute of registration 500 seats had been purchased and in the first 30 minutes of registration 1,000 seats had been bought. All of the seats went fast this year but last the seats were sold an hour faster, but last year there weren’t as many B Reactor seats available. For those thinking they missed out on the opportunity to tour Hanford and the B Reactor there is also telephone and in person registration which. For these registrations there are 10 seats reserved per tour. Also, when there are cancellations the openings are posted on Hanford’s website without public notice; so pay attention to the site for cancellations. There are typically two to three cancellations per tour the morning of the tour.

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The Tri City Regional Chamber of Commerce will be having their fifth annual dinner and awards program on March 24. The program will begin at 5:30 at the Three Rivers Convention Center. An instructor for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Institute for Organization Management, Pat McGaughey will be the keynote speaker. McGaughey will be speaking on how to succeed in the current economy. Tickets for the even tare $50 per person or a table can be purchased for $400; the deadline to register for tickets is March 17. To purchase tickets call 509.736.0501. or email info@tricityregionalchamber.com.

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Columbia Basin College’s main entrance off of Argent finally has a name. The entrance has been named Saraceno Way after Bill Saraceno who has played a large role in capital projects around the Pasco college. Saraceno is known throughout the state system of colleges for his expertise. CBC President Rich Cummins says that Saraceno’s help and ezpertise has been invaluable to CBC and the community.

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Friends of Badger worked hard this weekend to begin work on a new trail on Badger Mountain. Saturday and Sunday a combined total of nearly 130 people showed up to help work on the new trail, which will be called Sagebrush Trail that will connect to the Skyline Trail on the eastern edge of Badger and end at the water towers at the base of the mountain. This trail is a need, nearly 59,000 people used Badger Mountain between May of ’08 and May of ’09. President of Friends of Badger, Sharon Grand, knows that number is increasing. Last Sunday Grant and another member of the group counted over 200 people in just one hour. The trail is getting plenty of use, the adding of this trail will most likely disperse the traffic.

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The CBC music department has four musical concerts/performances scheduled in March; they will all begin at 7:30 pm and are free. The first event is a Wind Ensemble concert featuring the Columbia Basin concert Band and the Mid-Columbia Brass Quintet; this will take place on March 9. The next event is a Winter Jazz Night, the will be featuring Freeform and the CBC Jazz Ensemble, this will be on March 11. On March 16 there will be a Winter Vocal/Orchestra Concert featuring the CBC Concert Choir, Chamber Choir, and the CBC Symphony Choir. There will also be a Robert Richardson Recital on March 18 featuring finalists for the Robert Richardson Memorial Scholarship. Call Randy Hubbs at 509.542.5535 for more information.

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On Tuesday March 9, John Buchanan will be giving a free lecture titled, “The Geology of Mars and the Scablands.” The lecture will begin at 7:00 pm in the Benton PUD auditorium. John Buchanan is a professor at Eastern Washington University in Cheney, he teaches geology and is the director of the environmental science center. Call George Last at 509.946.8050 for more information.

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Those interested in attending Washington State University Tri Cities are invited to come to the campus with their parents for an in-depth tour on Tuesday March 9 beginning at 11:00 am. The Discover WSU Tri Cities program includes panel discussions with students, meetings with professors, and an overview of academic programs. Reservations are not required but they are encouraged; to do so call 509.372.7250, email admiss@tricity.wsu.edu, or go to the WSU Tri Cities website click on visit, and follow the directions.

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Beginning March 15, White Pass Ski resort will begin to sell their discounted season passes for the 2010-2011 ski season. Passes for adults (ages 13+) will go on sale for $379 regularly $529, student (ages 7-12) passes are $179 regularly $269. Children 6 and under and adults 73 and over are free, there is only a $20 processing fee. Those who buy their passes early are able to use the pass from the day they bought it through the end of the ski season and continue to use it through the following ski season. Pass holders can use their lift ticket on the whole mountain as well as redeem up to 5 free days at their sister resort, Mission Ridge(some restrictions apply). White Pass ski resort is about 2.5 hours from the Tri Cities by car, one of the closest ski resorts to the Tri Cities.

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On March 11 at the Tri City Americans hockey game against the Seattle Thinderbirds, a silent auction will be held to raise money for a World Harvest Missions orphanage in Haiti. There is also going to be discount tickets sold for the game until Friday for $10, $3 will go towards the orphanage. Several people from the Tri Cities went down to the orphanage after the earthquake in January to help, so there is a connection between the Tri Cities and the orphanage. Those interested in purchasing the discounted tickets for the are asked to call 509.366.8817.

Garner Economics, a consulting firm based in Atlanta, recently published a report that shows between the months of January and June of 2009 that the Tri Cities was one of nine metro areas showing positive job growth. The report also ranked the Tri Cities first in the nation in job growth throughout 2009. Every month last year the Tri Cities showed positive job growth, a regional economist stated that throughout the year there were nearly 2,300 jobs added, due to the stimulus funding. Stimulus money brought into the Tri Cities has saved about 280 jobs and created room for the equivalent of nearly 1,500 full time hobs.

Source: TRIDEC

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Bridging Partnerships Small Business Symposium is the Tri-Cities premier small business event. It will begins on April 28th and goes until the 29th at the TRAC in Pasco. Attendees will learn about government contracting with representation from Hanford Prime Contractors, Site Contractors, Tri-Cities Area Ports, municipalities, and state & federal agencies. Bridging Partnerships offers excellent networking, partnering and education opportunities!

Event highlights include: Welcome Reception, Hanford Site Bus tours, Breakout sessions with leading industry and government experts, Enlightening Keynote Speaker-Sunny Kobe Cook "The Mattress Queen", Business Expo with representatives from DOE, the Prime Contractors and other site and area contractors.

Source: TRIDEC

On Thursday February 25, Wayne Martin was awarded the 2010 Community Stewardship Award at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Martin began his work at the lab with only a bachelor’s degree and then he met Bill Wiley who was the director at the lab from 1984 until 1996. Wiley took an interest in Martin and encouraged him to do things he never thought he could do. Martin went on to get his doctorate and is a mentor to graduate students at the lab. The Black History Month Panel stated that the need for black scientists is still as strong as ever, Martin adds that the need for students of all races in math and science is strong and they need to be encouraged to go into such fields. Martin states that such encouragement starts in the home, with parents challenging their children to take the more difficult math or science classes in high schools.

Beginning March 1, a new fee structure for solid waste disposal will go into effect in Richland; but with it comes an increase in curbside services. Richland will provide organic yard waste pickup service at the curb with an optional curbside recycling program. The monthly fee for both yard and garbage pickup will be $16.90 a month but a reduced rate of $16.10 will be charged until green auto cans are in operation. Richland residents can sign up for recycling service for $5.70 a month, available later this spring. Residents will still be able to dispose of leaves, grass, shrubs, tree limbs, and other organic waste for free at the landfill, but those hauling household trash, furniture and demolition debris such as rocks dirt and lumber will be charged a $10 fee.
Non-residents will be charged a minimum of $10 for yard debris, $20 for household trash under 1,200 pounds and $73 for each ton. Free disposal will continue for electronics, such as computers and television sets, as well as for household hazardous wastes through the Benton County Moderate Risk Facility located at the landfill.

Additional information will be mailed to each resident or it can be found by visiting the City of Richland website, link to Curbside Recycling/Landfill. An informational video has also been produced and is available on the website and will air on Richland’s CityView, channel 13 throughout March.

Source: TRIDEC

Beginning this Monday night, March 1 until April 5, the Kennewick School District will be offering free love & logic parenting classes. The classes will be at Vista Elementary School from 6:00 pm until 7:30 pm; childcare will not be provided. The classes will be taught by counselors from the Kennewick School District and will be able to answer any questions from the participants. Contact Sara Gardner at 509.222.6084 for more information or to reserve a spot.

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Tourism is on the rise in the Tri Cities, according to the Tri Cities Visitor and Convention Bureau, last year there was a 4 percent increase in the number of hotel rooms rented in the area. The bureau compared this to other areas in Washington, in Spokane, Yakima, and King County they saw drops in their hotel occupancy. In the Tri Cities, tourism is a $366 million industry and it helps to sustain nearly 4,400 jobs. The main attraction to many North westerners are the local wineries, the great weather, and the golf. Last year there were nearly 113,000 visitors who came to the Tri Cities for some of the 162 conventions that brought in more than $3.5 million. This year it is expected that there will be about 180 conventions that are expected to be worth around $34.9 million.

NIGHTLIFE

Don Millard, 5:30 p.m., Emerald of Siam, 1314 Jadwin Ave., Richland. No cover.

Kevin Selby Experiment, 6 p.m., Bookwalter Winery, 894 Tulip Lane, Richland. No cover.

Moment’s Notice, 9 p.m., Jack-son’s, 3320 W. Kennewick Ave. Cover: $5.

Burner Brothers, 9 p.m., Dax’s Bar and Grill, 1004 Lee Blvd., Richland. No cover.

The Quick and Easy Boys with Emnity and the Slooches, 9 p.m., Ray’s Golden Lion, 1353 George Washington Way, Richland.

The Wilson Ford Project, 7 p.m., AVA Wine Room and Bottle Shop, 3617 Plaza Way, Kennewick. Call 736-6300.

Bluestone Jazz Trio, 8 p.m., Cheese Louise-Richland, 619 The Parkway, Richland.

Caleb Knutzen, 9 p.m., Bonefish Grill, 133 Gage Blvd., Richland. No cover.

Neighbors from Hell, 9 p.m., Burbank Tavern, 223 N. Second St., Burbank.

MUSIC

La Catrina Quartet, 8 p.m., Battelle Auditorium, 902 Battelle Blvd., Richland. Free. Call 946-1175. Mexican-American string quartet will play works by traditional and contemporary Latin-American composers.

The Love And War Tour, 6 p.m., Calvary Chapel Tri-Cities, 10611 W. Clearwater, Kennewick.

FUNDRAISER

Richland High School Theatre Arts Book Fair!, 10 a.m.-10 p.m., Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 1321 N. Columbia Center Blvd., Kennewick. Call 967-6535 ext. 1669. Store will donate a percentage of each purchase to the Theatre Arts Department.

DANCING

Contra dance with Contraversatile, 7:30 p.m., Shuffler Shanty, 717 N. Irving, Kennewick. Cost: $6-$8. Call 946-5542.

Father Daughter Ball, 7 p.m., TRAC, 6600 Burden Blvd., Pasco. Cost $20 per father/father figure, girls are free. Call 736-2086.

Tri-Cities Dance, 6 p.m., Pasco Red Lion, 2525 N. 20th Ave., Pasco. Cover: $5.

OUTDOORS

Eagle Tours, 3:30 p.m., Sacajawea State Park, 2503 Sacajawea Park Road, Pasco. Donation Did you know that the American Bald Eagle winters in Sacajawea State Park in Pasco? See for yourself. Meet at the front gate of the park.

SPORTS 2010 Washington UPA Spring Championships, 9 a.m., Starfit Fitness Center, 540 N. Colorado St., Kennewick. Cost: $60-$80 for competitors, free for spectators. Call 539-6617. Powerlifting event sponsored by the Washington State United Powerlifting Association.

THEATER

The Secret Garden — a musical, 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m, Hanford High Auditorium, 450 Hanford St., Richland.

Beauty & the Beast, 7 p.m., Chief Jo Auditorium, 504 Wilson, Richland. Tickets: $7-$13.

Thoroughly Modern Millie, Jr., 7 p.m., Enterprise Middle School, 5200 Paradise Drive, West Richland. Tickets: $3-$5. COMEDY

Live stand-up comedy, 8 p.m., Jack Didley’s Night Club, 109 W. Kennewick Ave. Cover: $5.

Source: Tri City Herald

Stephanie Fanning, a student at Columbia Basin College has directed a 60 minute version of the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare. There will be two showings, one on March 5 at 7:30 pm and the other on March 6 at 7:30. Admission is a $10 donation at the door which will be used to help theatre students at CBC to be able to attend the Northwest Drama Conference.

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On Saturday February 27 there will be a Travel Expo put on by Travel Leaders. The Travel Expo will be at the Holiday Inn Express which is by the TRAC in Pasco. The event will begin at 11:00 am and goes until 4:00 pm. There will be cruise and tour vendors offering deals about travel around the world. During the expo there will also be presentations about various topics like adventure travel and culinary tourism, for the schedule click here. The admission cost for the event is $2 which will go to the Children’s Hospital. Call Liz Reinkens at 509.943.4686 for more information.

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The Rough Stock Rodeo will be at the TRAC in Pasco on March 6. The Rodeo begins at 7:00 pm but the doors open at 6:00 pm. Admission tickets are only available at the Kennewick Ranch & Home, they cost $25 per person for gold reserved seats or $20 per person for silver reserved seats. General admission tickets cost $18 per person, children ages 4-11 are $12 per person, under 4 is free; these tickets may be purchased either at the Kennewick Ranch & Home or at the TRAC Center. Contact Robbie Klima at 509.539.0543 for more information.

The Richland School Board made a decision on who will be the new superintendent. Tuesday night in a 2 ½ hour closed door meeting the board deliberated over which candidate would replace Jean Lane, who is retiring. Rick Jansons, the chairman of the board, said the board chose James Busey because of his vision and ability to move the Richland School District to new heights that will challenge students and help them to succeed. James Busey is currently serving as the superintendent for the Lake Chelan School District, before that he was the superintendent at the Zillah School District, and before that he was a teacher for several years as well as an administrator.

The IHOPs in the Tri Cities will be giving away free pancakes today until 10:00 pm. National Pancake Day is being celebrated by IHOP for the fifth year, in over 1,400 restaurants. The Pasco IHOP and the Kennewick IHOP are hoping to raise at least $6,000 dollars. Last year the Tri Cities IHOPs were able to raise $3,000, nationwide IHOPs were able to raise about $1.75 million. The money raised will go to Children’s Hospital and other worthy local causes.

The Lower Columbia Basin Audubon Society will have a public meeting tonight at First Lutheran Church in Kennewick. Dennis Dauble, a fisheries biologist, will be speaking at the meeting about the ecological relationship between fish and birds. Dauble will also be providing a general background about the fish in the Tri Cities area. The meeting will begin at 7:00 pm with a short, 30-minute business meeting; Dauble’s talk will start at 7:45. Visit the Lower Columbia Basin Audubon Society’s website for more information.

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The American Cancer Society is looking for team captains or members who would like to participate in the Columbia River Relay for Life. Those interested are asked to attend a rally on February 23 at the Columbia Basin College Health Science Center in Richland. The rally for the event will begin at 6:00 pm. The Columbia River Relay for Life is a fundraiser; all proceeds go to cancer research and education. Visit the Columbia River Relay for Life website for more information.

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This Wednesday at Columbia Basin College there will be an eating disorder awareness event from 1:00 to 3:00 pm. The event will be held in room TD 435. There will be a showing of America the Beautiful which looks at America’s fixation on outward appearance and unrealistic views of beauty. There will be materials available in the HUB from 8:00 am to Noon. Call Carrie DeLeon in the CBC counseling department for more information at 509.542.5508.

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The Richland City Council are looking for, and accepting applications for two positions to be filled on the planning commission. Positions 6 and 8 will be expiring on March 1; applications for these positions will be accepted until March 8. Applicants must be residents of Richland and have a desire to be involved with land use development. An applicant must also know about community priorities and have a background in civil engineering, urban planning, architecture, geology, transportation, or economic development. To learn more about the planning commission positions or to get an application visit the City Clerk’s Office in Richland or call 509.942.7388.

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The West Richland Golf Course in the Tri Cities will be having a ground breaking ceremony on Thursday, February 25. The first clubhouse was destroyed in 2008 by a fire. The groundbreaking will be for the new clubhouse at the golf course, there will also be a reception on the 25th. The West Richland Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring the event along with the City of West Richland. The ground breaking will begin at 11:30 am at the West Richland Golf Course. For more information about the ground breaking or the reception call 509.967.0521.

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The Tri City Regional Chamber of Commerce will be celebrating the opening of Charter College this afternoon with a ribbon cutting. The ribbon cutting will take place at Charter College which is located at the Broadmoor Mall in Pasco. The open house and ribbon cutting will begin at 2:00 pm. For more information about the ribbon cutting or to RSVP call 509.736.0510 or email info@tricityregionalchamber.com.

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Washington State University in both Pullman and the Tri Cities have received nearly $1.1 million by the Department of Energy. The Bioproducts, Sciences, and Engineering Laboratory on the Tri Cities campus received about $620,000 in funding for the research by the Bioproducts and Bioenergy team. The Pullman campus received $495,000 to go towards algae research by the College of Agriculture, Human and Natural Resource Sciences.

The Tri City Regional Chamber of Commerce is having their annual dinner on Wednesday, March 14. The evening will begin at 5:30 with a social hour, the dinner will begin at 6:30. The agenda for the rest of the evening will include a sponsor appreciation, recognition and awards presentation, 2009 chairman’s message and board recognition, the 2010 chairman’s message and a keynote speaker. The keynote speaker will be Pat McGaughey who will be talking about high performance in today’s economy. The dinner will take place at the Three Rivers Convention Center in Kennewick. Tickets for the dinner cost $50 per person or $400 for a table of eight and can be reserved by calling the Chamber at 509.736.0510. Deadline for registration is March 17.

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On February 23 the Ice Harbor Brewery, in Kennewick, will be hosting a Wine and Dine dinner featuring Anelare Winery. Beginning at 7:30 there will be a presentation by a representative from the winery. On the menu will be red-wine poached pears stuffed with mascarpone, chipotle marinated filets, and white and dark chocolate tiramisu. The cost per person is $50, the only forms of payment accepted is cash and check. Tickets are pre-sold only; to order them call Tess Canaday at Ice Harbor Brewery, 509.586.3181.

The Richland School District has been interviewing candidates for the soon to be open superintendant position. Last week the school board interviewed several candidates and they have narrowed down the list to two.  The two candidates that are being considered are: James Busey, who is currently the superintendant of the Lake Chelan School District; and Steve Chestnut, who is currently the superintendent of Selah public schools. The two candidates will be going through day long sessions today and tomorrow. These sessions will include a tour, lunch with the board members, and meetings with staff. From 7:30-9:00 pm there will be an open forum in the Richland High School Library for community members to ask questions. The new superintendant is expected to be announced in March.

On March 9 internet registration will begin for those interested in tours at Hanford. The Department of Energy has planned 60 tours for this year of the nuclear reservation between April 13 and September 15. For a list of all the tour dates or to register for the Hanford tours visit the Hanford website.  The Department of Energy has also schedule an additional 50 tours of the B Reactor between April 6 and September 25. For a list of all the tour dates or to register for the B Reactor tours visit the B Reactor Tour Headquarters between the hours of 8:00 am and 4:00 pm after registration begins on March 16. Those would like to participate in the tours must be 18 years old or older and to visit Hanford a participant must be a U.S. Citizen.

On Thursday there will be a wine seminar at Washington State University Tri-Cities about learning to detect defects in wines. The seminar will be led by Thomas Henick-Kling, director of WSU’s Viticulture and Enology Program, and Richland Larsen, USDA plant pathologist at the WSU extension in Prosser. The wine seminar will begin at 6:30 pm in the Consolidated Information Center at WSU Tri Cities. Participants must be 18 years old or older and the cost is $35 per person. Preregistration is required, you may preregister at the WSU Tri Cites website or by calling 509.372.7606.’

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This Saturday February 20, the annual regional science bowl, sponsored by the Department of Energy and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, will be held in Richland. About three dozen teams of high school students will compete in the event. Teams will answer questions about subjects like astronomy, biology, chemistry, mathematics, physics and other topics. The team who wins the double elimination competition will be able to compete in the national science bowl in Washington D.C. with the trip paid for. The competition will begin at 8:15 am, and the awards ceremony is expected to begin at 3:00 pm.

Several years ago churches in the Tri Cities area joined together to put on an event called ShareFest. The event brings area churches together to hold food and blood drives, do service projects, and hold special offerings for community groups. This year there will be a blood drive March 15 – 26 at various churches in the area. The ShareFest workday will be on March 20 this year and collection Sunday, where churches hold the special offering, will be on March 21. In past five years that collection has gone to fourteen different agencies like; Grace Clinic, Boys & Girls club, Young Life, Union Gospel Mission, Domestic Violence Services, and others. This year the money raised will go to the Benton-Franklin Juvenile Drug Court. For more information about ShareFest 2010 visit their website.

West Richland residents will be voting for the second time on an EMS tax that would fund ambulance transport services. Currently Benton Fire District 4 does run any ambulances, when they respond to an emergency where an ambulance is needed they have to call an ambulance from Richland Fire Department of Fire District 2 in Benton City. The first time the levy went to vote it was paired with a $3 million bond and did not receive the 60% needed to pass. This time through the levy is by itself and would cost residents about $0.50 per $1,000 of assessed value. The levy will be put to vote April 27.

For the past 14 years Junior Achievement in the Tri Cities has been putting on a Bowling Classic Fundraiser. There will also be an online auction on March 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, & 6. For the bowling classic team captains need to recruit four other players to make a team, each player must be 18 years or older, they also need to raise a minimum of $100 to be eligible to win prizes. There is $50,000 in prizes ranging from vacations to Costco gift cards to various gift certificates. To enroll a team in the event visit the Junior Achievement Website.

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According to the Washington Center for Real Estate Research at Washington State University, in the fourth quarter of last year, 2009, home sale shot up 21.3 percent. When compared to the fourth quarter home sales in 2008 this is a big improvement, up 46 percent. The median home sale price is still down though; in 2009 the median home sale price in the last quarter was $244,000 which is 8.5 percent lower than what it was in 2008. Over the whole year the median sale price was $250,700 which is down 11.8 percent compared to 2008.

The Tri City Economy continues to do well despite the nationwide down economy. Last year there were 3,400 more non-farm jobs than there were in 2008. Some credit the success of the Tri Cities to the $2 billion in stimulus money that was granted to the Hanford Nuclear Reservation but according to Dean Schau, an economist for the Tri Cities region, the money didn’t help create more jobs but it helped to keep already existing jobs. Schau believes that the Tri Cities has been diversifying since the 1980s into industries that are pretty good. Industries like health care and the food industry.

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The Tri Cities have used to be highly dependent on the Hanford economy, but according to a study by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory less that 8% of local jobs in the area were with Hanford prime contractors last year. Even though billions of dollars are poured into the cleanup at Hanford the area just isn’t as dependent on Hanford as the used to be. Employment jobs in Benton County and Franklin Counties have gone up 33% since 1994. An economist believes that in order for the Tri Cities economy to keep going up they need to diversify a little more but right now everything is looking good, there are scientific jobs, health care jobs, food processing jobs, along with other new jobs in the area. If the Tri Cities keeps adding more jobs and diversifying then they are making great progress towards a strong future.

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Around the Tri Cities school maintenance and operations levies are passing at the polls. These levies help pay for extracurricular activities such as sports, art, music, along with other day-to–day expenses such as transportation and utilities. Levies have to have 50% of the votes a yes in order to pass. The Kennewick School District received 62% yes votes; Richland School District is at 65%; and the Pasco School District is passing with 56%.

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As part of the Washington State Main Street program, the Historic Downtown Kennewick Partnership is joining with various communities statewide to help save the program. As a result of budget cuts the Main Street Program could be cut. Since 1991 the program has helped 11,810 people to get jobs in 3,721 businesses. A majority of the money going into the program is from private contributions, for every $1 the program has to put out there is about $96 coming in from investors. Last year the program was cut back 75% of what it originally was. Even though the budget is in a pinch, last year the Historic Downtown Kennewick Partnership had one of its best years with plenty of private contributions from local businesses and the City of Kennewick. Many people are rallying together to save the Main Street Program, in fact several people created a group on Facebook titled “Supporting Main Street in Washington State.” To learn more about the program visit the Washington State Department of Commerce website.

Washington State Tri Cities will be opening the Chancellor’s Art Exhibit on Wednesday at 5:00pm. The exhibit will showcase several artists from in and around the Columbia Valley. Fourty-four pieces will be on display until the end of the April in the East Building administration corridor. The exhibit will be open to the public on weekdays from 7:00 am until 10:00 pm. There is no charge for the opening or to view the art pieces.

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The second annual Cavalcade of Authors will be happening this Friday, February 10, at the Red Lion Hotel in Pasco. The authors that will be attending are: Buckingham, Dia Calhoun, Patrick Carman, Brenda Cooper, Lorie Ann Grover, Maureen McQuerry, Ben Mikaelsen, Deborah Reber and Suzanne Selfors. Some authors will be going to local schools this week to encourage them to read and begin to write stories. There are a few authors who will be going to local schools that will not be attending the Cavalcade of Authors event. The Cavalcade is a daylong event, students can only attend if they have read books from four of the authors going. The organizers are expecting about 225 students this year from Richland middle and high schools along with some students from Kennewick High. There will be a Buckingham’s Community Session at the Richland Public Library this Thursday from 4:30-6:00pm. The event organizer, Michelle Lane, is looking to expand this event in the next few years but needs corporate sponsors to make that happen. Those interested in sponsoring may email Michelle Lane at michelle.lane@rsd.edu.

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The Washington Parks and Recreation Commission are going to be discussing possible ideas for Sacajawea State Park.  The meeting will take place at the Sacajawea Interpretive Center in the park. The commission is looking at constructing a play structure to incorporate the cultural history of the park. They are also looking at putting in a native plant area and a plan for the Wanapum Village. The meeting will begin at 7:00 on Wednesday, for more information visit the Washington Parks and Rec. site.

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AARP will be putting on several driving classes this month for senior citizens at various places in the community. The purpose of these classes is to refresh seniors on driving knowledge and to allow and possibly for them to get insurance discounts. The classes cost $12 for AARP members and $14 for non-members.  The first set of classes are Monday and Tuesday at the Richland Community Center from 12:30 pm until 4:30 pm to register call 509.942.7529. There is also a Wednesday and Thursday class at the Pasco Medical Center from 9:00 am until 2:00 pm to register call 509.545.3459. On February 24-25 at Kadlec Regional Medical Center there is a class from 5:00 pm until 9:00 pm to register call 509.942.2600. Also on the 24-25 there is a class at The Manor at Canyon Lake from 1:00 pm until 5:00 pm to register call 509.586.5005.

Habitat for Humanity in the Tri Cities, Washington area has always had plenty of people applying for a house but this year they are running low on applicants. Theresa Richardson, executive director of Habitat for Humanity, said that they have never been in need of applicants before. Currently the program has five lots waiting for houses to be built and 3 houses that will be finished in the next couple of months on Yolo Street in Kennewick with only one family waiting for a house. Since 1994 when Habitat for Humanity started in the Tri Cities there has never been a lack of applicants. In the past 16 years there have 62 houses built and dedicated to families. The nonprofit is getting applicants but many of them are being turned away because of bad credit. Families with bad credit are asked to get consumer credit counseling and then reapply again in six months. In order for a family to receive a house they need to be able to afford $550-$600 a month and put in 500 hours of work on the house. To apply for a Habitat for Humanity house visit their office at 313 Wellsian Way or call 509.943.5555.

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Thursday night several people attended the consultant’s report at the Clover Island Inn in Kennewick. The meeting was about the revitalization strategies for Columbia Drive’s riverfront real estate, the proposed strategies received a tentative passing from those in attendance. The strategy includes the construction of tall buildings on the river side of Columbia Drive. Many feel that this is a great plan; some say that the river is the Tri Cities’ best asset and to see the city capitalize on it is wonderful. Others are concerned that the plan would push the lower income residents out of the area, according to the plan this isn’t going to happen. Since the plan has a tentative passing the next step is to look at how to fund the project.

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Today at 4:00 pm there will be a grand opening at a new restaurant in Kennewick called Six Degrees. Six Degrees is a restaurant and bar with a combination of comfort gourmet food and a rock and roll atmosphere. One of the co-owners is expecting the décor and atmosphere to be one that would remind parents of the era they grew up in. The cost of the meals is pretty average, they are between $7 and $12, the most expensive entrée is about $15. Tonight there will be a rock n’ roll food challenge with a chance to win a free T-Shirt and have your name on the rock n’ roll Wall of Fame. In order to participate in the challenge a person needs to pay $20 and have to eat three half-pound burger patties, 24 pieces of cheese, 12 pieces of applewood smoked bacon, 8 ounces of smoked pulled pork, criss-cut fries stuffed in four sandwiches stacked on top of each other with three onion rings and three pounds of extra fries topped with chili, onlions, cheddar cheese and chipotle lime sour cream in 30 minutes or less. Six Degrees will have a variety of draft beers, bottled beers, and Washington wines. The restaurant is located on 3311 W. Clearwater Ave in Kennewick, they will be open from 11 am – 11 pm Monday through Thursday, 11 am to midnight Friday and Saturday, and 11 am – 10 pm on Sunday.

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Scott McMillin, an artist from Kennewick Washington, will be opening up an art gallery in downtown Kennewick called Splash. After graduationg high school, McMillin moved to Seattle and became a model and worked for Nordstrom. After a couple of years he moved to Santa Barbara, California where Nordstrom had opened a new store, he also worked for Sak’s Fifth Avenue and other exclusive shops. Then he got the itch to come back to his hometown. McMillin is really enjoying getting his art gallery all set up, he has featured in his shop various pieces of art from top-notch artists. On Thursday from 6:00 pm-9:00 pm Scott McMillin will be featured in an Art Walk in Downtown Kennewick. McMillins longtime friend Judy Stewart, daughter of Jimmy Stewart, will be attending the art walk in support of McMillin.

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Ms. Carla McConnell, Project Manager
Manhattan Project Sites Special Resources Study
U.S. Department of the Interior
National Park Service, Denver Service Center
12795 W. Alameda Parkway
PO Box 25287
Denver, CO 80225-0286

Need help with your taxes? On Thursdays between the hours of 12:30 and 3:30 at the Kennewick Senior Center there will be the opportunity for people to get help with their taxes. To schedule an appointment call 509.585.4303, if time permits they also accept walk-ins. This assistance is sponsored by AARP, the IRS, Tax Aid, and the Kennewick Senior Center.

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A man in Florida a few years back, stopped making payments on his home and was foreclosed on. When John King stopped making payments he assumed that was the end of that, but recently he now has collectors after him for $44,000 stemming from the default. Unbeknownst to King when a person is foreclosed on, lenders still have the right to collect their money, lenders can collect by taking wages, tapping bank accounts, and placing liens on other assets help by the debtor. In Florida mortgage holders are permitted to seek a deficiency judgement within five years and, if granted, allowed 20 years to collect. This past year mortgage rose to $1.01 billion in the first nine months. During the last quarter of 2009 4.5% of mortgaged houses were foreclosing, this number is the highest in 37 years. Obama is working to rectify and make foreclosures less likely to happen with his Home Affordable Modification Program. This program would cut a person’s monthly payment to one-third their income.

On Thursday the Columbia River Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution will be holding their February meeting at the Tri Tech Skills Center. A singer, Don Ohman, will be presention the meeting. The meeting will take place at the Tri Tech Skills Center  in Kennewick at 12:00 pm. For more informatino call 509.547.2036.

Some people are very pleased with Presidents Obama’s State of the Union address while others are upset by his informal tone, and still some are not pleased with the way he bashed the previous administration. There is one thing everyone can agree on though, that is the lack of attention President paid to the housing industry, a large part of the failing economy. The few lines given in his one hour and nine minute speech is barely enough to warrant Obama addressing the housing issue at all. Basically President Obama wants to raise home values, congratulate us on saving a few bucks, and lets do it some more! So what is he saying about the ousing industry, are we going to create more tax incentives, maybe FHA will change their standards, or maybe revamp HAMP? Who knows, only time will tell what will happen with the nationwide housing industry.

CREHST Museum in Richland will be welcoming Melvin the Elk to one of their galleries this afternoon. Melvin the Elk lived on the Fitzner/Eberhart Arid Lands Ecology Reserve along the face of the Rattlesnake Mountain. Melvin was born on the reserve in 1978 and lived there until he died of natural causes in 1996. Biologists fitted Melvin with a radio transmitter collar in 1984, they were able to learn alot about the Elk herd on the reserve; like their habitat use, foraging, daily patterns, mating cycles, water use, and other activities. Melvin was the largest bull elk, he had antlers growing as long as 53 inches at one time. Admission for the CREHST Musuem is $3 for students (age 7-17), $4 for adults, and free for those over 62 years of age and those under 6 years of age.
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Washington state is the second largest wine producing state in the United States, second only to California. Washington’s grape production did well last year and is predicted to do just as well this year, last year they did extremely well in wine production as well as in juice production. According to the Washington Association of Wine Grape Growers the most popular type of wine has been Chardonnay. The demand for Chardonnay is diminishing while the demand for Reisling is increasing. John Bookwalter, owner of J Bookwalter Winery, isn’t going to strike out the grapes. According to Bookwalter, "America’s love affair with Chardonnay isn’t over yet." He also believes that the this years grape crop is increasing but they will most likely level out in the near future.

The 2010 Regional Economic Outlook Forum met yesterday at the TRAC in Pasco to discuss the future of the Tri Cities in terms of its economic outlook. The keynote speaker, Brian Wesbury is very optimistic saying that the American economy will have a recovery this year. Wesbury, along with the other speakers, is very positive about the Tri Cities growth, he believes it will continue to expand as it is becoming less dependant on the Hanford economy. One service that is expanding is health care; Kadlec Medical Center, Kennewick General Hospital, and Lourdes Medical Center are all int eh process or completing new buildings which makes for more jobs in the medical field. The health care growth is due in part to the growing population of the Tri Cities as well as the influx of retirees in the area. The housing market is also doing well with sales up from 2,835 last year to 3,233 this year. The Tri Cities is doing well as an economy, some advise that the Tri Cities take care of the infrastructure and invest in the education and transportation to keep the prospects up in the long run.

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The Kennewick School District has organized a community bus tour for Thursday, February 4. As part of the tour those in attendance will be able to visit Tri-Tech Skills Center and Vista Elementary. The tour begins at 8:00 a.m. at the district administration building located at 524 S. Auburn St. with coffee, muffins, and presentations by Superintendent, Dave Bond, and school principals. From there a Kennewick School Bus will take everyone to Tri-Tech Skills Center and Vista Elementary. While there those in attendance will have a unique opportunity to actually go into classrooms; talk to teachers, students, and administrators; and see what education today really looks like. Then the bus will go back to the district at 11:30 a.m. for lunch and a Q&A session. If you are interested in attending please RSVP by February 1 so there will be enough lunch and materials for everyone. You my RSVP by calling 222-5001 or e-mailing Ellen Love at ellen.love@ksd.org.

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The Chiawana High School boys Basketball game was quite the experience for those in attendance. A Chiawana senior was "blown away by how big the crowd was." Tuesday night the Chiawana Riverhawks took on the Pasco Bulldogs in basketball at the Chiawana gym. The game was neck in neck until the end when the Riverhawks narrowly escaped with a 68-67 win. With 30 seconds left in the game Pasco gained possetion of the ball; it went from Jeremy Streicher, who had the game high of 23 points, then the ball was passed to Jeremy Le Mieux. Then in the final 3 seconds Le Mieux passed the ball to Ponce who scored a 2-point shot, but it was no good; the shot was made after the buzzer went off. The Riverhawks were elated and rushed onto the court, met by a crowd of student fans.

The high scoring players for the Chiawana Riverhawks, who scored 68 points, are:

Jordan Downing 21, Knight 2, Smith 9, Walter 5, Zamora 19, Graff 6, DeWitt 2, Lopaya 4. Totals 25-53 13-20 68.

The high scoring players for the Pasco Bulldogs, who scored 67 points, are:

Jeramie Streicher 23, Wilborn 6, Ponce 10, Wright-Lamb 9, Le Mieux 5, Search 4, Mendoza, Elizondo 10. Totals 25-76 7-15 67.

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 The first award was for their work to speed up protein analysis. PNNL teamed up with Pressure BioSciences Ind. in Massachusetts to make proteain analysis quicker and more cost effective. In order to do this they found out that is proteins were under high pressure instead of just placed with enzymes to make them smaller then it cuts the process down to a few minutes instead of taking hours. This process has been liscensed and is being sold to costumers doing life sciences research.

The second award was for their research in reducing the manufacturing costs of metal tubes. In order to do this PNNL teamed up with Sandvik and LSP Technologies in Ohio. Both companies began with pilger dies which are used in industrial manufacturing to reduce the circumference and thickness of the metal in metal tubes. Pilger dies tend to crack and fail quickly so the two companies used laser pulses on the pilger die to create deep stresses which will make the dies last up to six times longer.
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