Tri-City Area and Real Estate Blog

City of Richland park official have rewritten the master plan for Goethals Park to where nature and local children can connect and interact as kids most certainly love to do!  The plan is to include a wetland area (creek), a shrub-type environment, tunnels, a hill, logs, trails sand play area and a tree house. All these features will lend themselves to children’s imaginations and their need to have fun, including getting down and dirty, rolling down a hill, building a dam across the creek, anything and everything a child’s mind can create. This project is one of many that Richland Park officials hope can renovate some of the older parks in town and bring families back into the parks. One offical said it sounded like a kid in a candy store to have all these places to play. Others were excited about the treehouse project and couldn’t wait to see it all come together.  Looking for a good time with your kids? This could be the place for you!!  Volunteers through the Mid-Columbia Make a Difference Day program will be helping with construction.

Golden Heart Awards were bestowed upon 7 individuals and 1 group during last Tuesday’s gathering at the Red Lion Hanford House in Richland. The award is based on exceptional service to the Tri-Cities community. The breakfast gathering was sponsored by Stevens Center Management with various awards being sponsored by multiple organizations. The award for a group in 2010 went to Safe Harbor Crisis Nursery’s Sails Outlet, which raises fund for the crisis nursery.  Seven individuals received the award for their unselfish commitment to service in the Tri-City area, and they were: Nancy Russell of Kennewick, Tabitha Johnson, Ronni Dreisbach, David Carl, Jean Stacy and Steve Haberman. Many congratulations to eveyone involved and our deepest appreciation for all that you do to make the Tri-Cities a wonderful place to live!

Full Throttle Motorcycle in Kennewick and the Desert Thunder Motorcycle Group are sponsoring the third annual Ridin’ for Rover Poker Run to benefit the Benton Franklin Humane Society. The event will be April 25. Registration and check-in will be at 9a.m. at the Full Throttle parking lot at 135 Vista Way in Kennewick. The cost is $20 per rider and $15 per passenger, plus one pet care item from the Shelter’s Wish List at www.bfhs.com. Dairy Queen is donating lunches to all registered riders and the event’s finale stop will be at Dairy Queen at 91 Gage Blvd., in Richland.

Nationwide Open Houses

The above video highlights the Nationwide Open Houses that were done here in the Tri-Cities last weekend and highlights Distinctive Properties, Inc., agent Jackie O’Connor giving information about housing prices, absorption rates and   highlighting a current Distinctive listing in Kennewick.

Washington State University has diverse campuses throughout the state, however the Tri Cities branch campus is leading the group as the fastest growing, with the health and science fields seeing the most growth. Steadily rising enrollment numbers at the Richland campus have been seen with 1,507 student currently attending classes. Nursing programs are specifically up 30 percent over last fall and engineering programs are up 25 percent.  Officials at the university are envisioning a Wine Science Center with labs, a teaching vineyard and greenhouse.  Student government leaders also are hoping to find a way to bring together the diverse ages of students attenting the Tri Cities facility.  To read more information about upcoming plans – http://bit.ly/bpBW46

The beauty of spring has been obvious in the last couple of weeks all over the Tri-Cities, and each morning as we drive to work many of us see it and rejoice in the season filled with light greens, pinks, yellows and reds. Gardeners have begun the ritual of trimming off the old and planting the new. Am I a gardener? No not really, but I am certainly am an enjoy-er of their efforts.  Tree lined streets like West 10th in Kennewick and its flowering pear and plum trees makes me smile all the way down the stretch. The beauty of dogwoods in yards, tulips, crocuses, forsythias and other plants bring color into our desert community and the smell of new mown grass brings delight to my senses.  Walking along the waterfront trail in Richland is also a delight in color and creatures with geese and ducks quacking long the paths.  Yes, spring has sprung here in the Tri Cities after a mild and delightful winter.  Don’t let this wonderful season pass you by – stop and enjoy the beauty of all that surrounds us in the Mid Columbia region.