The Academy of Children’s Theatre is planning a Princess Breakfast event at Applebee’s in Richland on Saturday, February 9th from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. Tickets are $11, and include a pancake breakfast.  

A full complement of actresses portraying famous princesses will be on hand to greet guests, sign autographs, pose for pictures, and interact with using all their royal character and talents.  

Proceeds benefit funding ACT’s acting performance ensembles’ participation in the Kaleidoscope Youth Theatre festival this Spring. 

Costumes and cameras are encouraged.  To make a reservation in advance, go online to www.academyofchildrenstheatre.org or call 509-943-6027.  

On Thursday, February 7, from 7:30am-11am, Prosser Memorial Health will hold its annual Go Red Health Fair. February is Heart Health Month and this event is open to both women and men, attendees are encouraged to bring a friend. The health fair provides heart health information and several screenings and tests will be offered. Screenings include: blood sugar and blood pressure checks, bone density screenings, pulmonary function tests and body mass index (BMI). A lipid panel (HDL, LDL, Triglycerides), is also offered for only $5.00 and requires a 10-12 hour fast prior to blood being drawn. Light refreshments served.

Mission Support Alliance is excited to announce the recipient of the 2018 Kathryn A. Wheeler Safety Leadership Award – Jerry Bosley. Jerry, deputy vice president of MSA’s Site Services and Interface Management organization, has been committed to safety for his more than 30 years on the Hanford Site and is incredibly deserving of this award.

Jerry has been a leader in resolving safety issues – he is always willing to tackle the hard discussions and issues to ensure that both the workforce and management are doing the right thing. He is a firm believer in quality training as it relates to safety, which has no doubt helped avoid countless injuries. Jerry is committed to creating inclusion and collaboration when it comes to safety to help groups find and maintain success. “Jerry goes out of his way to get to the bottom of safety concerns and provide feedback,” shared MSA President Bob Wilkinson. “The type of management style, along with his caring and empathetic nature, have helped create a strong safety culture at Hanford and MSA.” 

The Kathryn A. Wheeler Safety Leadership Award is awarded each year and recognizes a member of the MSA workforce who demonstrates support of safety through worker engagement and activities that are collaborative, cooperative and proactive. The award highlights the importance of a safe work environment, which is essential to a successful Hanford mission. It honors Kathryn A. Wheeler whose dedication to the safety of her coworkers embodied MSA’s safety culture principles.  Kathryn passed away in 2012 and the annual award was established in her memory.

Mid-Columbia Mastersingers invites 4th through 12th graders who love to sing to join one of four youth choirs for Spring Session this February through May. 

No audition is required; registration is open at www.mcmastersingers.org. Rehearsals will begin on Monday Feb. 4 at CBC for the four MY Choirs: Mid-Columbia Boys’ Choir, Mid-Columbia Girls’ Choir, Mid-Columbia Young Men's Choir, and Mid-Columbia Young Women’s Choir. Participants will have the opportunity to perform with the Mid-Columbia Mastersingers and the Mid-Columbia Ballet. 

Students who sing in choir outperform non-arts peers on the SATs and show a 20 percent increase in test scores in both language and math. By singing in choir, students learn to analyze problems, and to solve them in collaboration with colleagues to achieve a common goal. 
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Spring Session will be the second in the 2018-19 choir season, following the Fall Session in which participants performed with the Richland Players, Mid-Columbia Symphony, Mid-Columbia Mastersingers adult choirs, and visiting special guests The African Children’s Choir. The Mastersingers Youth program grew out of the successes achieved by the Mid-Columbia Boys' Choir in the four years since its inception in 2014. As these boys aged and their voices began to change, demand arose for a Young Men’s Choir focused on the unique needs of this group. The expansion in Fall 2018 also introduced a long-sought-after Girls’ Choir, providing extracurricular choral opportunities for girls and young women as well.
 
MY Choir Directors Kurtis McFadden, JoLyn Glenn, Scott Wagnon, and Marianne Larsen also teach choir in the Pasco and Kennewick School Districts and in the community. Because of this, they highly value in-school music programs and encourage students to participate in school choir as their primary source of musical education. The programming offered by MY Choirs is meant to be supplemental to the curriculum taught in schools, and to provide additional performance opportunities as well as an alternative for students whose schools do not provide a choir group or whose schedules do not allow them to participate.

Mastersingers Youth (MY) Choirs is committed to accessibility, and offers an established, need-based financial aid program to ensure than any child who wants to sing in a MY Choir has the opportunity to do so. Tuition for Spring session is $40/month for four months, February through May, plus small fees for registration and uniform. 

Ben Franklin Transit (BFT) is set to launch the second of three new services with early 2019 start dates with the introduction of Tri-Cities General Demand service on Feb. 4. The service, for which customers can make reservations beginning Monday, Jan. 28, is similar to that launched in Finley earlier this month and already in place in Benton City and Prosser.

Formerly provided under a contracted service called “Taxi Feeder,” the new Tri-Cities General Demand service will provide customers in areas of Kennewick, Pasco, Richland, and West Richland with pre-scheduled pickups at designated stop locations in each city. From one of these designated BFT General Demand stops, customers will be picked up within a scheduled window of time and taken to one of several connection points to access the BFT bus system (list of pickup and drop-off points available at www.bft.org/NewPlaces).

Return trips work the same way, with scheduled pickups from one of the designated connection points and drop-offs at a Tri-Cities General Demand stop. All General Demand trips will require advance scheduling. Customers can start making reservations for Tri-Cities General Demand service at 8 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 28 for rides beginning Monday, Feb. 4.

How to Make Reservations
Reservations must be made at least one day, or up to seven days, before the ride is needed by calling (toll-free) 877.646.4287 Monday thru Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday rides must be scheduled by 5 p.m. the prior Friday.

Service Hours
Monday thru Friday, 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. (last pickups scheduled for 7:30 p.m.)
Saturday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. (last pickups scheduled for 6:30 p.m.)

These hours will be extended to 10 p.m. Monday thru Saturday, with last pickups scheduled for 9:30 p.m., when the BFT bus network and Dial-A-Ride hours are extended on Mar. 11.

Costs
The cost to use the Tri-Cities General Demand Service will be $1 or $3 (for premium distance) each way plus any applicable bus fare when transferring to a BFT bus route. Alternatively, a BFT Freedom pass, which costs $50 per month, may also be used as it covers unlimited use of all BFT services.

The new Tri-Cities General Demand service is the second of three measures approved by the BFT Board of Directors on Nov. 26, 2018 on an interim basis, following the closure of longtime contracted taxi service provider, Tri-City Taxi (TCT), which announced its immediate closure on Oct. 30, 2018.

Discontinued following the announcement were BFT’s Taxi Feeder Service, Night Service, and Sunday Taxi Service. The Nov. 26 vote approved the introduction of new BFT-operated services on an interim basis while BFT conducts a search for a third-party contractor that could provide one or more of the services in the longer term.

The first of the approved services, Finley General Demand, launched Jan. 2. Both new General Demand services—in Finley and Tri-Cities—will be provided by BFT’s ADA-accessible Dial-A-Ride vehicles and drivers. The third approved service will come Mar. 11 in the form of later operating hours for most BFT bus routes and for Dial-A-Ride services, which will begin operating until 10 p.m. Monday thru Saturday.

More Information
For more information about the new service or to purchase a pass, customers may visit www.bft.org/NewPlaces or contact Customer Service at 509.735.5100.

More information about Ben Franklin Transit and its services can be found at www.bft.org.

Prosser Memorial Health is proud to announce Dr. Terry Murphy, Chief of Staff and an Emergency Room Physician at Prosser Memorial Health, has been appointed by Governor Jay Inslee to the Washington State Medical Commission Board representing the state in the 4th Congressional District. “Dr. Murphy has a demonstrated commitment to high-quality patient safety,” Gov. Jay Inslee said. “As an emergency room physician, she sees patients under the most difficult of circumstances every day. Terry will make an excellent addition to the Medical Quality Assurance Commission.”

The Medical Commission is made up of 13 members licensed to practice in the State of Washington, two members are licensed physician assistants; and four members of the public. Each congressional district in the state must have at least one physician member. If a physician, they must be licensed to practice in the state for at least five years. The responsibility of the Washington Medical Quality Assurance Commission is to regulate the competency and quality of medical professionals licensed to practice medicine and surgery by establishing, monitoring, and enforcing qualifications for licensing, consistent standards of practice, continuing competency mechanisms and discipline. The mission of the commission is to promote patient safety and enhance the integrity of the profession through licensing, discipline, rulemaking, and education.

When asked why she wants to serve on the Medical Commission, Dr. Murphy stated, "I am a Board Certified and Fellowed Emergency Physician in Prosser WA practicing in beautiful eastern Washington since 2007. I am passionate about excellent and safe care provided for patients, and also committed to fairness for all parties involved. The Commission shares this same commitment to quality and safety and I would be a good addition to complete the 21 commissioners. Washington residents, patients and physicians deserve our best to these pillars."

​“This is a tremendous honor and acknowledgement by the Governor and Commission on the outstanding level of care Dr. Murphy provides to patients. We are fortunate to have Dr. Murphy on our leadership team as the Chief of Staff as well as her hands-on work in the Emergency Department,” said Craig Marks, Chief Executive Officer at Prosser Memorial Health.

For the 16th consecutive year, Benton PUD received the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting award from the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada for Benton PUD’s 2017 comprehensive annual financial report (CAFR). 

The Certificate of Achievement is the highest form of recognition in the area of governmental accounting and financial reporting, and its attainment represents a significant accomplishment by a governmental entity and its management.  The CAFR has been judged by an impartial panel to meet the high standards of the program including demonstrating a spirit of full disclosure to clearly communicate its financial story and motivate potential users and user groups to read the CAFR. 

The Government Finance Officers Association is a non-profit professional association serving approximately 19,000 government finance professionals.

Kadlec Foundation is pleased to welcome three community-minded individuals to join the Foundation Board of Trustees this January. The Foundation Board serves as the community voice to Foundation work, ensuring donor intent is being honored with appropriate projects, programs and services at Kadlec Regional Medical Center, the only non-profit hospital in the area with a Foundation.

Alma Feil is the VP of Business Development with HAPO Community Credit Union. She started her credit union career in 2001 as a teller while attending nursing school. She found her passion in the credit union philosophy and a new career path. In her current role, Alma is responsible for strengthening existing relationships with HAPO’s members and developing relationships with future members. Alma is very active in the community, including with the chambers, serving on several boards and committees and working closely with local business to support growth within Tri-Cities, Walla Walla, Yakima, Hermiston and Vancouver.

Kristin Sweezea is a seasoned sales leader, manager and broker in the real estate industry. Currently she is serving as Regional Sales Director in South Washington for New Home Star, WA LLC, a national real estate sales management firm, serving builders and developers across North America. Kristin’s role includes recruiting, developing and managing an elite sales team for New Home Star’s regional builder partner, Hayden Homes. Prior to her current position, Kristin worked directly for Hayden Homes as a top performing community manager from 2006 through 2016.  

Roy Wu and his wife, Paula, are the owners of the local Home Instead Senior Care franchise, serving the Tri-Cities, Walla Walla and Prosser, providing the highest-quality in-home care services for local seniors and their families. Roy was born and raised in the Washington, DC area where he received his undergraduate degree in Communications. He has a Master of Business Administration with an emphasis in Healthcare Administration. Roy’s career includes working in various sectors – Philanthropy, Education, and Health Care – all he feels has prepared him well for a life of service to better individuals and local communities. 

Kadlec Foundation’s full board can be found at https://www.kadlec.org/foundation/about-us/board-of-trustees. For more information on Kadlec Foundation, email [email protected] or call (509) 942-2661. 

Fuse SPC and the City of Kennewick present a food-edition of the popular Launch Ideation series, an intro-to-small-business workshop. The five-week series starts at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 5 at Red Mountain Kitchen in downtown Kennewick. 

Weekly workshops focus on idea formation, customer validation, digital and traditional marketing, legal and financials, managing home and business, and ends with a presentation or “pitch night.” Instructors are typically past graduates of the Launch series, successful small business owners and experts in specific topic areas. This Launch series is for anyone with an idea for a food-based business, like sauces and cupcakes to food trucks and restaurants.

Cost for the series is $75 and includes a membership to Fuse SPC’s coworking program. Current Fuse members can enroll for $50. Enroll on-line at fusespc.com, or through the Fuse Facebook page. Fuse and the City of Kennewick partner with Red Mountain Kitchen, a commercial kitchen space in downtown Kennewick available to home-based food businesses.

Launch is a series of workshops developed to help entrepreneurs at all stages of small business development. From techies to foodies, entrepreneurs can find their connections, resources and tools to succeed. Launch has an event for all levels business, from the dreaming stage to the million-dollar brick and mortar. 

Fuse SPC focuses on innovation, collaboration and community building. Located in Richland’s The Parkway, it offers small business and idea development classes and workshops. With a grant from the City of Kennewick, Fuse offers its small business workshops and events in Kennewick locations throughout 2019.

For more information or to register, the public may visit fusespc.com or call (509) 572-3340.

Mid-Columbia Libraries announces the southeast Washington regional finals for the Poetry Out Loud, a national student recitation competition. Twelve students from six regional high schools will recite classic and contemporary poems on Tuesday, Jan. 29 from 6:30 to 8:30 pm at Mid-Columbia Libraries’ Kennewick Branch, located at 1620 S. Union St.

This event is free and open to the public. Participating schools include Delta, DeSales, Kamiakin, and Richland high schools, Mid-Columbia Partnership, and Walla Walla Valley Academy. Interlude music will be provided by Classical Guitar Society of the Tri-Cities.

The winner of this competition will advance to the state Poetry Out Loud contest in early March. The Washington state champion will advance to the Poetry Out Loud national finals beginning April 30 in Washington, DC, where $50,000 in awards and school stipends will be distributed.

The competition, presented in partnership with the Washington Arts Commission, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Poetry Foundation, is part of a national program that encourages high school students to learn about great poetry—both classic and contemporary—through memorization, performance, and competition. Since 2005, Poetry Out Loud has reached more than 3.6 million students and 55,000 teachers from 14,000 schools nationwide. Visit arts.wa.gov/arts-in-education/poetry-out-loud for more information.