For the second year in a row, the Arbor Day Foundation has named Columbia Basin College as a Tree Campus USA College. Last year CBC was the first and only community college in the state of Washington to be named a Tree Campus USA school and is one of only 74 colleges and universities in the United States with this honor.

Tree Campus USA, a national program launched in 2008 by the Arbor Day Foundation, honors colleges and universities for promoting healthy urban forest management and engaging the campus community in environmental stewardship.

CBC met the required five core standards of tree care and community engagement in order to receive Tree Campus USA status. Those standards are establishing a campus tree advisory committee; evidence of a campus tree-care plan; verification of dedicated annual expenditures on the campus tree-care plan; involvement in an Arbor Day observance; and the institution of a service-learning project aimed at engaging the student body.

Kennewick, Wash.-- Low income and seasonal migrant workers are getting the chance to experience higher education thanks to additional funding to grant programs at Columbia Basin College.

Of the two programs, one is designed to help migrant and seasonal workers get their G-E-D, while the other provides academic and support services to first generation college students.

Erik Ben`zekry studies hard to become the first in his family to earn a college degree. He knows without help from Columbia Basin College, he still would be working in retail,"They include me in everything and got me started and got me going and showed me the way when I was confused, answered my questions, helped me with getting text books and everything, and just basically, it was tough to start but after you get started enrolling, I was unstoppable."

From the study facilities, to the staff, migrant worker Gerardo Huerta who's involved in the high school equivalency program, hopes the exposure to higher education will be an inspiration for the people that mean to most to him, "To be example for my brothers, for all the people who know who I am, and I want to be an example of life and example of success."

And just like Gerardo, the school has plenty of success stories says Director of Student Support Services, Amy Stroud, "They go on to transfer to universities, from there they've contacted me to let me know they're pursuing graduate degrees and careers."

According to the college, the funding for both programs will last over a five year period with a total over $3.7 million.

A member of the KEPR Action News team said young men came to her door claiming to be part of the Columbia Basin College football team. The group wanted to raise money for the team and promoted football coming back to the college. But the CBC athletic director said the team is not affiliated with the college.

PASCO, Wash. -- Rumors swirled recently that Columbia Basin College was resurrecting its football program. Indeed, there is a new football team in town, Columbia Basin Football, but Action News found the two groups are not connected at all.

Multimedia Watch The Video Despite similar names, Columbia Basin Football is part of a larger organization called the Northwest Community College Football League (NWCCFL). This year, the NWCCFL expanded in Eastern Washington with the creation of Columbia Basin Football. Head coach, James Gonzales, touted the program as a new opportunity for local athletes who were overlooked in high school, injured, or never got a fair shot at playing college ball. "This gives us and them the ability to showcase their talents."

To be eligible to play on the football team, players must be a student at CBC.

But Columbia Basin College (CBC) athletic director Scott Rogers was adamant that the team was not affiliated with the college. He said he receives up to four phone calls a week from students, athletic directors and others, inquiring about the football program. But Rogers turns them all away with the same answer: "Unfortunately, CBC does not have a football team." After 20 years without a gridiron gang, CBC officials don't plan to bring one back now "It's too expensive," Rogers continued. "It's just not in the cards."

But it's not just confused callers that are a burden. The college is now looking into more serious concerns.

On Thursday, CBC spokesperson Frank Murray told KEPR the college is investigating claims that the football players are using the CBC's name in fundraisers. "(Columbia Basin Football) is a legitimate organization, no question, its just how its being represented," Rogers said.

Confusion arose when a member of the KEPR Action News team said young men came to her door claiming to be part of the CBC football team. The group wanted to raise money for the team and specifically promoted football coming back to the college.

The group is selling coupon booklets in neighborhoods across the Tri-Cities for $20 each. The booklet offers discounts for several stores, including many out-of-area companies like World Market and New York & Company. The front of each booklet is labeled "N.W. Community College FB League: Columbia Basin Football" with a logo of the team, season schedule and other information.

Nowhere on the booklet does it reference Columbia Basin College but but least one person felt they got burned anyway. Murray said one person returned the coupon book to the college, frustrated that she believed she was donating to CBC, only to find out later that she wasn't.

"The biggest concern I have is that they're raising money in the community for an organization that is completely justified to exist but they're doing under the name of CBC athletics and some people think they're donating to support the college," Rogers said. "And that's misleading."

After a quick search on the Internet, KEPR found a video produced by the Washington Sports Network - which highlights tryouts for the NWCCFL Columbia Basin Football team - only made the connection more confusing. A reporter in the video, describing the scene, clearly states: "We're at Chiawana High School for the Columbia Basin Community College tryouts for football."

Again, the CBC athletic director flat out denies a connection to the college.

President of the NWCCFL, Kory Hill, was adamant that the league is an independent, non-profit, and assured KEPR that they are very careful never to tie CBC's name to their league. He called the reporter's words a mistake and promised to fix it.

Gonzales added "I can see the confusion but, clearly, on the front of those cards it states Northwest Community College Football League so in no way were we trying to mis-represent who we are. This is our first year so we are going to have some growing pains."

RESOURCES:
Columbia Basin College Athletics: www.columbiabasin.edu/athletics 
Northwest Community College Football League (NCCFL): http://www.nwccfl.com/ 
Columbia Basin Head Coach: James Gonzales Phone - 360-451-1319 Email - dballcoach@gmail.com
Columbia Basin Football Combine Video: http://vimeo.com/10448019http://vimeo.com/10448019 
2010 NWCCFL League schedule: http://www.nwccfl.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=20&Itemid=43

The Pasco college also is getting $10,000 from the Washington College Access Network to do outreach to middle and high school students about higher education.

The two programs receiving the federal funding are the High School Equivalency Program, or HEP, which helps migrant and seasonal farm workers earn their GED; and the Student Support Services/TRiO program, which provides support to students who are disabled, low income or the first in their family to attend college, CBC announced Tuesday.

HEP's grant is for $450,026; the SSS/TRiO grant is for $301,347. Both grants are expected to be renewed for five years, the college said.

Additional news stories can be accessed online at the Tri-City Herald.

As a Military Friendly School, CBC is receiving a plaque commemorating the distinction, being included in a basic listing in the G.I. Jobs magazine which publishes in September, and will have a basic listing online at www.militaryfriendlyschools.com. The magazine states that CBC’s “policies, efforts, and results were carefully gleaned through its survey and weighted into its rankings”. 
                                                 

The honor comes with a plaque and recognition in the magazine's September issue and www.militaryfriendly schools.com.

About 200 veterans take classes at the college, which has put on or helped with several veteran-related activities, said a CBC news release.

The college rents space to the Columbia Basin Veterans Coalition so it has a central spot to help veterans. The college also put on a forum for vets on transitioning to higher education and held a Veterans Day ceremony.

The local chapter of Combat Veterans International also donated $15,000 for CBC scholarships for veterans.

Additional news stories can be accessed online at the Tri-City Herald.

Hundreds of low income and first generation students at Columbia Basin College are getting some major financial support.

The college recently received two grants from the U.S. Department of Education totaling more than $750,000.

A little more than half of that money will support migrant and seasonal farmworkers who are working toward their GED.

The rest will help low income, disabled and first generation students who are planning to transfer to a four year institution.

The Washington College Access Network also recently donated $10,000 to the school.

That money will go toward providing outreach programs to middle and high school students.

Two of Columbia Basin College’s longest-standing grant programs have received at total of $751,373 from the U.S. Department of Education.  And another $10,000 was awarded to the College from Washington College Access Network to provide early outreach to area middle and high schools.

CBC High School Equivalency Program (HEP) was selected to be funded $450,026 through June 30, 2011, while “it is anticipated that the grant will be for a total of 5 year(s),” according to the grant award letter.  HEP provides intensive instructional, supportive, and financial services to eligible migrant and seasonal farmworkers preparing to obtain a GED.  The award translates into GED services to 150 participants annually, 750 during a five-year grant cycle.  Historically, averages of 72 percent of CBC HEP participants obtain their GED and subsequently are placed in institutions of higher education, occupational training, the military, or gain employment.

CBC Student Support Services (SSS)/TRiO was awarded a $301,347 one-year grant; also anticipated for renewal for a total of five years or $1,506,735.  In its 17th year, SSS/TRiO has provided academic and other support services to almost 2,000 low-income, first-generation, and disabled college students whose goals are to transfer from CBC to four-year institutions.  The grant will provide SSS/TRiO the ability to continue to serve 200 underserved/under-represented students annually.

Through a $10,000 Washington College Access Network (WCAN) grant, CBC will provide outreach to more middle and high school students.  WCAN’s goal is to improve preparation and access to higher education to all students, particularly low-income, first-generation college-going students, and those of color.  This grant could be extended for a second year at an additional $10,000.

“Receiving these grants is extremely important for Columbia Basin College because it will allow us to continue providing great support for these students, assuring that CBC keeps its mission of providing open access to higher education for the residents of Benton and Franklin counties,” states VP of Diversity & Outreach Martin Valadez.

PASCO, Wash. -- Enrollment continues for Columbia Basin College but now students are having a hard time getting classes. College budget cuts are taking a toll on everyone including teachers, staff and students. Now that more students are trying to go to college many of them are having hard time because of the lack of classes.

Bill Saraceno, with Administrative Services at CBC, said "So far we've experienced a little over $5 million in cuts in the last year two years."

Saraceno says this year will be no different. The school is expecting about a $1.5 million cut on October 1st.

"We've had to reduce programs, and offerings to our students," said Saraceno.

The school has also cut back on staff which means fewer classes for the increasing enrollment. In fact, for this next school year CBC will cut about 100 classes making it tough for students.

Curt Freed is the VP of Instruction at the college. He said, "The majority of the classes on campus are at 100% capacity. We can't accept any further students in them, so students are going to see fuller classrooms. They're also going to find it difficult to get the schedule they need."

That is the case for incoming freshman, Saleh Jaber. "I registered for all the classes I wanted but the times are terrible. I have to be in school all day. I start at 8 AM and finish at 8 PM," said Jaber.

This year, CBC expects to have about 7,000 students, but if the budget cuts continue it may take a little longer for them to get that degree.

"They're not going to be able to graduate when they want and so therefore it does affect their future for a job. If they can't get all the classes and get through their degree requirements it makes it extremely difficult for them to get a degree," said Saraceno.

My wife and I went to the opening of The Drowsy Chaperone at Columbia Basin College. Additional performances are scheduled Thursday through Sunday. We found the plot to be unique and entertaining, the singing and dancing to be outstanding and the acting to be of excellent quality.

Over the years we've enjoyed many theater productions and this one is certainly near the top of the list. To take a phrase from Mr. Movie, this is a five-star show.

Tom Powers, Kennewick

Additional news stories can be accessed online at the Tri-City Herald.

Columbia Basin College's year-old nuclear technology program received grants totaling more than $260,000 in July to fund curriculum development and equipment purchases.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission awarded $100,000 to CBC's program as part of its $4.7 million award to nuclear education institutions in 22 states.

The U.S. Department of Energy gave CBC more than $166,000 to develop the nuclear technology program. The DOE awarded a total of $18.2 million to nuclear education institutions across the country.

Derek Brandes, dean of career and technical education at CBC, said Washington River Protection Solutions has also committed to funding $625,000 in scholarships, equipment and instruction over a five-year period.

CH2M Hill Plateau Remediation Company also plans to support the program by providing internships worth $200,000 and faculty worth $300,000 over a five-year period, Brandes said.

He said Energy Northwest has also contributed in-kind support, equipment loans and curriculum development to the program.

"The nice thing is that, with the support, all students have ways to help defer the costs," he said.

CBC restarted the associate degree program for nuclear technology after a break of 17 years, Brandes said.

In 1992, nuclear plants like Hanford were focusing on cleanup, not on growing the industry, he said, so there was little demand for CBC's program.

But now, Energy Northwest plans to renew the Columbia Generating Station's operating license for 20 years, and new nuclear plants are being planned across the country. The aging workforce will soon need to be replaced, especially since the average age of nuclear workers is 55, Brandes said.

"We've been aggressively pursuing this," he said.

Last year, 36 students started the program, and this fall, more than 30 are planning to enroll. They come from the Tri-Cities, Western Washington, Idaho and as far as Colorado. Some recently finished high school and some returned to school to change professions.

Students can choose from two program options: radiation protection technician or instrumentation and control.

A radiation protection technician, or health physics technician, works to minimize a nuclear worker's radiation exposure. A student who chooses the instrumentation and control option will learn how to program or replace control mechanisms and monitor pressure in a nuclear plant.

Possible program options for the future include those for chemistry technicians, operators and electrical and mechanical maintenance.

And student demand is high, Brandes said.

"Last fall, we had 57 applications in 10 days," he said.

Ruby Barajas, one of those applicants, was hired as an administrative assistant at Energy Northwest in February 2009, where she met Marisela Linares-Mendoza, a liaison between Energy Northwest and CBC.

Linares-Mendoza told Barajas about the nuclear technology program at CBC and the opportunities it might hold for her.

"It made me more interested, especially as I was starting to work in the field," Barajas said. "I jumped right on top of it."

Barajas had previously attended CBC, graduating in 2006 with an associate's degree in nursing, completing the prerequisites for the nursing program.

Jessica Knappek started the instrumentation and control program last fall, the only female to do so, Brandes said.

For two years, she had pursued engineering at CBC, but was not sure where to go next. When the nuclear technology program was offered, she said she decided to give it a try. Her mother, sister and brother in-law all work in the nuclear industry, so she was familiar with the work environment.

"This more is matched to what I want," Knappek said. "I find the nuclear field just way more interesting to anything else that has come across—isotopes and elements and how they interact with each other—I knew that interested me a lot."

Knappek said she is planning to complete the radiation protection technician degree as well, since it only requires an additional year of classes.

A year ago, the NRC gave a scholarship grant that funded more than 20 student scholarships, Brandes said, and this year's grant is for curriculum development, especially the radiation protection technician option.

A portion of the NRC grant — $30,000 — will help pay for equipment like radiation detectors and contamination simulators, Brandes said. All of the DOE grant will also fund equipment purchases.

Knappek said she received an NRC scholarship covering tuition and books for her first year in the program, and may apply for it again this year.

Students take core classes like Basic Nuclear Math and Physics and Introduction to Radiation Safety in the program's first year, and then classes more specific to their option the second year.

Classes are only offered at night, Knappek said, which is helpful to the many students who have full-time jobs.

Often, students need a year of basic classes at CBC like pre-calculus and college-level English, Brandes said, before they can start the nuclear technology program.

He said the program follows the National Uniform Curriculum standards developed by the Nuclear Energy Institute and used at 23 other community colleges throughout the country.

Students are also required to complete an internship during the program’s first year or in the summer between the first and second years.

This summer, Knappek has an internship at Hanford's Plutonium Finishing Plant, observing technicians and operators and learning how to monitor radiation.

The classes are taught by 12 adjunct faculty this year. All of them work in the nuclear industry at companies like Energy Northwest and WRPS, Brandes said.

Applying to the program is even more competitive for faculty than for students, he said.

"So many people want to give back to our community," he said.

Knappek said the faculty brings their field experience down to a classroom level for the students, explaining acronyms and terms.

"The professors are great," she said. "They are generally all from the field or the industry, so they all are very experienced and have a lot of knowledge about what they're teaching. … The instructors know how to connect it to us really well and make it really easy to understand."

Barajas enrolled in the health physics program last fall, and plans to eventually transfer departments at Energy Northwest.

"It's a really good program," Barajas said. "I have the benefit that what I learn at school, I come to work the next day, and I can apply what I've learned."

For more information about the program, contact Brandes by calling 544-4914.

Columbia Basin College in Pasco was selected as the 2010 Washington Outstanding Postsecondary/Adult Agricultural Education Program.

The award, given by the National Association of Agricultural Educators recognizes the nation’s most successful agricultural education programs by highlighting the local programs and teachers that achieve success. Winners are educators who have developed an outstanding agricultural education program at either the postsecondary or adult education level. Kerrin Molton is the CBC program instructor. CBC now competes against winners from surrounding states for the opportunity to be named the 2010 NAAE Outstanding Postsecondary/Adult Ag Program for Region 1.

The Columbia Basin College Board of Trustees is holding its annual retreat from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. today in the Beers Board Room on the Pasco campus, 2600 N. 20th Ave.

The board will discuss the college's mission, accreditation, legislation and the budget.  A closed-door session will be held to review the performance of a public employee.

Additional news stories can be accessed online at the Tri-City Herald.

PASCO, Wash.--  The financial aid office at Columbia Basin College is still closed to students so staff can sort through a high number of applications.

The number of people applying for financial assistance is up 20% this year over last, compared to enrollment which is up 3.8%, according to Erica Jesberger, Communications Consultant for CBC.

The Financial Aid Director, Ceci Ratliff, says the economy is the reason for the jump. She explains even though the job market is good in the Tri-Cities, there's still fear about jobs nationally, so more people are going to college and even more are looking for ways pay for it.

Ratliff says the number of applicants for financial aid has been up for the past three years. They shut down for one week last year, and Ratliff says, "We have been closed on Fridays for several years now to help catch up with paperwork but the Fridays haven't been enough when we have the big backlog for the fall quarter. This year, we have closed more days and more weeks than we ever have in the past." There are about 2,700 applications to sort through.

The CBC Financial Aid office will open up again on Monday, August 16th. Students can still check their status at the student employment office or drop off documents outside the financial aid office.

The performance of Rent was a pleasant surprise. The actors were outstanding. They really did a wonderful job of portraying the characters. I always have enjoyed the movie Rent and they did not disappoint. The actors showed us that there is no right or wrong person to play the characters. Each one brings his or her own personality to the part. The singing was beautiful, brought tears to my eyes on the final song.

Bravo to the entire cast. You should be proud of your performance, job well done.

Jodi Henry
Kennewick

Additional news stories can be accessed online at the Tri-City Herald.

PASCO -- Time, the sages tell us, is a relative thing.

For example, young adults who weren't even born 32 years ago, look upon that time span as an eternity.

On the other hand, the former players and their partners who attended the private reunion of the 1978 football team at Columbia Basin College last Saturday night, regard the 32 years as sort of a timeout -- a few ticks of the clock -- since they hung up their pads after defeating Mt. Hood Community College 20-10 to claim the national title.

"We were a great team, but now we have become a great football family," Scott Kitts, a former all-conference selection, pointed out.

To emphasize the point, warm hugs were the order of the day at the Pasco Red Lion rather than handshakes.

And despite the passage of time, there was still some unfinished business to be settled.

As the first and only CBC team to win a national title, it was only fitting that they became the first team to be selected to the CBC Hall of Fame.

The only regret expressed by any of the new inductees was that they would have preferred to win it on the playing field instead of two polls, one of which was the J.C. GridWire.

"We were hoping for a playoff game against second-ranked Kilgore, Texas," said Mark Kafentzis, one of four players on the 10-0 team selected as an All-American.

Dick Zornes, who coached the team before leaving after the season to take over the Eastern Washington University football program, added his agreement.

"That was a very good football team and we would have defeated anyone we played," he said. "It was the best job I ever had because everything was there. At Eastern I had to start from scratch."

Larry Hattemer, the offensive coordinator who went with Zornes to Eastern, agreed.

"The thing that thrilled me the most was knowing we could run the ball," said Hattemer. "That meant we could control the game. It also opens up the opportunity when we needed to pass."

The team's list of accomplishments is long and impressive.

It was led by four junior college All-Americans -- running back Tom Ramberg, defensive back Kafentzis, offensive lineman John Little, and defensive end Dave Schneider.

In addition, 17 players earned NCAA Division I scholarships.

Seven players were all-conference selections.

Three players went on to play in the National Football League: Kafentzis (Baltimore Colts); tight end Smiley Cresswell (New England); and tight end Clint Didier (Washington Resdskins, including three Super Bowl rings).

Little, after a career at Washington State, was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys but elected not to play.

The success of the team was its balance.

With Ramberg rushing for more than 1,000 yards, and quarterback James Brittain passing enough to keep the opponent's defense honest, the Hawks defense allowed only an average of 160 yards per game and gave up just 43 points in 10 games.

"It was the best team I was ever a part of," said Gary Houser, the former defensive coordinator. "I coached 28 years, including a number of years as head coach at Chico State in California, but the three years at CBC surpassed anything I had experienced."

John Howard, who coached the defensive secondary, said, "The thing that impressed me the most was the fact we had 135 players turn out to start the season and when it was over there were 133. We only lost two players. That was amazing."

Three-dot sport page: Ken Wilson, former middle linebacker and now in the real estate financing business in Boise, was the prime mover in organizing the reunion of the 1978 team... Howard is now retired after coaching nearly 30 years at CBC. However, he only moved across the road to the Sun Willows golf course... Kafentzis, after leading the way for four of his brothers to play for the University of Hawaii, has been in the security business for 10 years as the Edwin Jones representative in Buckley.

* Hec Hancock is a retired Herald sports editor and columnist who periodically writes columns for the Herald.

Additional news stories can be accessed online at the Tri-City Herald.

Drowsy Chaperone is a humorous musical that's peppered with enough comedy to take the audience on a journey through a flurry of classic and silly songs.

Janet, played by Mindy Krejci, tests the love of her blindfolded groom, Robert, played  by Greg Rose, as the Man in Chair, played by Richard Reuthers, watches in delight in CBC's Drowsy Chaperone. - Herald/Kai-Huei Yau

Director Ginny Quinley says anyone over the age of 13 will enjoy the music as well as the comedy. "It's truly a laugh-a-minute kind of show," she said. "If the audience doesn't find the outlandish characters funny, they should certainly love the man who sits in a chair and makes hilarious comments on the (various) performances throughout the show."

The cast includes well-known Tri-City actors Joyce Bean, Jim Salaba, Kevin Nettleton, Mindy Krejci, Korry Watkins, along with Mark Barton, Chantelle Benicki, Paul Brooks, Sergio Bueno, Eric Eberle, June Gillespie, Heather Harvey, Molly Holleran, William Lenske, Colleen Roddy, Greg Rose, Sam Schick and Richard Butler.

The quirky play earned five Tony Awards in 2006.

As the curtain opens, a man sitting on a chair begins talking about the magic of musicals, then rips into a medley of some of them -- one of which is The Drowsy Chaperone.

From there the play unfolds as a cast of characters gathers on stage for a wedding at the home of Mrs. Tottendale, who's a bit ditsy. The bride has a chaperone who's inclined to drink a little too much and that makes her drowsy.

One thing leads to another as the man in the chair moves the play forward with music and a bit of hilarious mayhem.

"What started out as a clever bachelor party skit ended up a Tony Award winner and now a CBC Summer Showcase production," Quinley said.

The play's inspiration actually evolved from the prenuptial celebration of two Canadian theater actors whose friends decided to create a play about the theater genre they loved most -- musicals -- so they wrote a short play made up of several different musicals, and the spoof ended up a Broadway smash, she said.

Curtain time is 7:30 p.m. Aug. 13-15, 19-21 with 2 p.m. matinees Aug. 17 and 22. Admission is $17 adults, $15 students and senior citizens. Tickets are at Shelby's Floral in Kennewick, Adventures Underground in Richland, the CBC bookstore in Pasco or at the door.

Additional news stories can be accessed online at the Tri-City Herald.

"Managing declining Hanford employment has been a Tri-Cities crisis since 1945."

It's past time to accept that the Tri-Cities' nuclear technology future will not be a replay of its nuclear technology past.

Our nuclear future will not include a restart of mothballed Department of Energy reactors. Idaho and other states are more nuclear-friendly. Our nuclear future might not even include more commercial power reactors along the Columbia.

Our nuclear future can be supporting nuclear power as an alternative to coal and oil. The Tri-City advantage is its collection of trained and experienced professionals with broad expertise in the highly regulated areas of nuclear design, construction, certification and operations. This town has mission capability and operational rigor in its DNA. In addition, much of this expertise now is in small businesses supporting the Hanford cleanup.

This collection of local, technical and small-business expertise is a critical asset in our interconnected and globalized world, where technical expertise and entrepreneurship are the key competitive advantages. There are two points to consider:

1. The U.S. will be competitive when there is a need for innovation, design and certification. We rock in aircraft, information technology and even movies and video games. These products all require trained, skilled and experienced people. We will do best with finished products selling at a premium. Our model should be selling wine, not grape juice.

2. Nuclear power is expanding globally regardless of what the U.S. does domestically. The demand for electricity will continue to grow across the world.

The Tri-Cities' sustained technology base can be through its strengths in design, fabrication, certification, project management and expertise in international programs.

Even compared to our longtime nuclear neighbors in Oak Ridge, Tenn., Idaho Falls and Aiken, S.C., the Tri-Cities has a more comprehensive local expertise in nuclear system design, nuclear plant operations and nuclear waste treatment. All of these areas have critical regulatory compliance and certification requirements that are difficult to outsource.

Knowledge-based businesses supporting commercial nuclear power are natural fits to these Hanford-developed strengths. Just as the natural strength of the west side is aviation and avionics, the natural strength of the Tri-Cities is nuclear certified project work.

What's missing from this picture?

It's time to wake up and smell the coffee. Our most distinctive local skill set is most competitive supporting commercial nuclear power.

We need enhanced local opportunities for strengthened professional development, with the associate's degree program in nuclear technology at Columbia Basin College being a great start. In addition, there is a need for certificate based, single course training. It's past time to enhance the emerging nuclear engineering program at Washington State University Tri-Cities and couple it with internships in the local nuclear sector.

State government has a key role, because both CBC and WSU Tri-Cities are state institutions. The state should lead by establishing a public/private Nuclear Technology Center similar to the new Aerospace Technology Center on the west side. There is significant federal and commercial support for training at CBC; it's time to take the opportunity and build upon this foundation.

Small businesses easily can miss international opportunities. It makes sense to form a local "nuclear chamber of commerce" and work with TRIDEC and the state on trade missions that promote Washington businesses around the world. We should be known for nuclear expertise as well as apples and airplanes.

There only are a few locations with this concentration of expertise in an entire industry. Oak Ridge, Idaho Falls and Aiken all face challenges and opportunities similar to the Tri-Cities. If we don't build a post-Hanford cleanup future, they will.

William Karl Pitts is a nuclear physicist specializing in radiation detection technology and measurement applications. Before moving to Richland 10 years ago he was a physics professor at the University of Louisville and was involved with the university's planning for supporting local economic development. He can be reached at nuclear99352@gmail.com.

Additional news stories can be accessed online at the Tri-City Herald.

As a former actor for more than 20 years, I was a little concerned before seeing Columbia Basin College's production of Rent last weekend.  To put it simply, I shouldn't have been.  Nor should anyone else here in the Tri-Cities.  These kids did more than do the show justice. They discovered and showed the beautiful heart of this wonderful show.  It's not flawless, but it breathes and lives and dies on the stage, and that is exactly what makes live theater so magical.

Great performances by all, but a special nod to Ryan Thiessen and Jessica Ballard as Roger and Mimi.  They connect exceptionally, and in this humble actor's opinion are scratching the surface of being able to play these parts anywhere, on any stage.  To Ginny Quinley, John Tuttle and the entire production staff, thank you.  Smile deep and proud because you deserve it.  And fellow Tri-Citians, go see this show.  See it with open minds and open hearts.  See it as nothing more than people.  No agendas and no judgments.  Watch it with love in mind, and you never know, it might change your life.

A.J. James
Kennewick

TRI-CITIES-- So many people are asking for financial aid, that the financial aid office at CBC will be shut down for three weeks to deal with them all.

CBC estimates a 20 to 25 percent increase in the number of applications from last year.

The financial aid office actually merged with the student employment office to share some of the work load. Daphne Lightfoot says about 12 students came to check on the status of their financial aid in the first hours the financial aid office was closed.

"It's nationwide. It's not just at CBC. And I know it's a huge number. But people want to come back to school. It's just when you don't have work and there isn't a lot of work out there, people go back to school," said Lightfoot.

For right now, you can drop off financial aid applications in a locked blue box outside the financial aid office and check the status of your paperwork at the student employment office.

The Columbia Basin College Financial Aid office will be closed to the public July 26 – August 13 for processing, due to the increase in the number of applications for fall quarter financial aid.

During this time, students may check their financial aid status at the Student Employment office located upstairs in the H building, and can drop off financial aid documents in the blue box outside the Financial Aid office.

Fall quarter tuition is due August 11. If students have not received a financial aid award letter from CBC by August 11, they will need to pay their tuition in full or enroll in the Student Tuition Easy Payment Plan (STEPP) program. For more information about STEPP, visit columbiabasin.edu/stepp.

The annual Columbia Basin College surplus sale is set for July 29-31.

This year's items include: computer equipment, printers, media equipment, books, tables, chairs, desks, typewriters, televisions and a portable basketball hoop.

The sale will be held at 3414 Swallow St., just off Fourth Avenue in Pasco.

A bid catalog will be available at the door.

Preview and bidding is set for 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. July 29, 30 and 31.

Pickup will be from 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Aug. 19, 20 and 21 at the same location.

For more information, call 542-4832.

Additional news stories can be accessed online at the Tri-City Herald.

PASCO -- The Columbia Basin College women's basketball team ranked ninth nationally this year in grade point average among community college women's basketball teams across the nation.

The Hawk players compiled a 3.115 GPA during the 2009-10 season.

Additional news stories can be accessed online at the Tri-City Herald.

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Columbia Basin College

This year, Columbia Basin College hosted their second annual "Arbor Day Tree Planting" event. Managed and planned by the campus Sustainability Committee, participants helped plant hundreds of trees, large and small, to beautify the campus and create a small nursery area for future growth and nursery stock. Those who attended learned proper tree planting techniques from community volunteers and the Department of Forestry and received small tree seedlings to take home and plant in their communities.

The Sustainability Committee is comprised of students, faculty, staff, and community members and truly helps their campus emulate Columbia Basin College President's favorite quote, "The true meaning of life is to plant trees under whose shade you do not expect to sit."

Learn more about Columbia Basin College's sustainability efforts.

Campus Contact: Brittney Stephens, ASB Pres
Staff Contact: Brady Brookes
College Website: www.columbiabasin.edu

The Agriculture program at Columbia Basin College is designed to focus on education and prepare the next generation of agriculture professionals.

Students gain hands-on experience at Columbia Basin College.                                                                                     Photo by Dawn Alford, CBC

Courses are industry-driven and provide students with a deeper understanding of both the science and business of modern agriculture, natural resources and the food and fiber industry.

The college's ag program prepares not only aspiring growers of crops, but also students who are interested in other industries, such as marketing, agribusiness, ornamental horticulture and animal science.

Courses in horticulture, soil science, animal science, agribusiness and agriculture and food systems are combined with general education requirements in the two-year associate in applied science degree in agribusiness. This degree will meet the requirements for the first two years of a bachelor's degree at most universities in a wide range of agricultural majors, from agronomy to animal science.

Additionally, there are opportunities available to remain at CBC to complete a bachelor of applied science degree with an emphasis in agriculture. Scholarships and internships are available to all students based on their interests and qualifications, thanks to the generous support of agricultural companies in the Columbia Basin.

Founded in 1955, Columbia Basin College has served Benton and Franklin counties for more than half a century.

As a public institution, CBC continually expands and renovates programs and structures to meet the community's needs. The enrollment of the college has grown from 299 students in 1955 to more than 7,500 students per quarter today. Still, CBC maintains small class sizes, averaging between 22-50 students per class, and a talented, caring faculty.

Located in the Tri-Cities, Wash., population 150,000, CBC's main campus is in Pasco, and its Health Science Center is located in Richland.

CBC is accredited by the Northwest Association of Colleges and Universities and offers associate in applied science, associate in arts & sciences, and bachelor of applied science in applied management degrees, as well as one-year certificates, GED and High School completion.