Students at Columbia Basin College in Pasco get into the Groundhog Day spirit today by watching the movie "Groundhog Day" over and over.
 
Students grabbed bags of popcorn and sat in a classroom at the school to watch the 1993 classic starring Bill Murray.
 
The student body played the film three times in a row today.
 
Many students even watched the movie multiple times.
 
They say it's the perfect film to celebrate Groundhog Day.

Published with permission of the Tri-City Herald. Additional news stories can be accessed online at the Tri-City Herald.

Columbia Basin College is offering a new accredited program in aerospace machine maintenance.

The program has been created through a Governor's Investment in Aerospace grant. The meeting will be at 8 a.m. Monday in the CCTE building, Room A-203 at 2600 N. 20th Ave., Pasco.

The seven-month program is limited to 12 students. Tuition, lab fees and tolls will be about $2,500 during the three quarters of study.

According to a news release, more than 650 companies in Washington build and supply the aerospace industry, which will provide job opportunities for program graduates.

To RSVP to the information session, call 542-4443.

Published with permission of the Tri-City Herald. Additional news stories can be accessed online at the Tri-City Herald.

Four individuals inducted into the Mid-Columbia Ag Hall of Fame on Thursday represent the best of what farmers have and continue to do in meeting agriculture needs, said Dan Newhouse, Washington's director of agriculture.

"We are one big ag family, and part of the challenge is to attract the next generation into our industry," said Newhouse, a farmer from Sunnyside who served seven years in the Legislature before becoming director of agriculture.

As keynote speaker, Newhouse said it is important to reconnect all of Washington to agriculture.

"I can count on one hand, and still have fingers left, the number of farmers in the Legislature," he said.
 
Newhouse said there is a growing "hunger" across the state for knowing "what we produce."

The ag director noted Washington grows 300 crops worth $40 billion a year, representing 12 percent of the state's economic picture.

In praising the honorees at Pasco's Red Lion Hotel, Newhouse said Ben and Alma Grant were the type of generous and dedicated farmers he wished he'd had as a neighbor.

Newhouse also praised Basin City's Lana Cline for her dedication and years spent inspiring and guiding youth through 4-H programs and other ag-related efforts.

And he applauded the work of Jared Balcom of Balcom and Moe in Pasco as a leader in agribusiness, as well as the commitment of Columbia Basin College President Rich Cummins in building a nationally recognized ag education program.

The Grants received the Pioneer award. Cline received the Ag Mentor Leadership award, and Balcom was named Agribusinessman of the Year. Cummins was honored with the Visionary award.

Newhouse named his top concerns as international marketing efforts, ensuring a migrant work force for the Mid-Columbia agricultural industry, and having enough water to support that industry.

"We depend on migrant workers. Without an immigration policy, the source of our labor is at risk," Newhouse told the audience of almost 300 people -- mostly farmers -- at the banquet.

The Grants, who moved to the Columbia Basin in 1951, were recognized for their decades of generosity toward other farmers, helping to harvest and salvage crops, providing summer jobs and establishing scholarships for university students in their home state of Oklahoma.

Cline was praised for 30 years of dedicated service for many 4-H clubs in Franklin County where she was named 4-H leader of the year.

"I've been blessed to work with kids and animals all my life. There's no better life than being a farmer's wife," Cline said.

Balcom put a potential career in biology aside to join the family business, and then became a leader in the potato and fruit growing industries.

"I had a lot of great people around me. I was in the right place at the right time," he said.

Cummins was described as a man of conviction who followed through on a promise to revive an ag education program at CBC, despite financial challenges. "I'm just proud to be part of this community," he said.

Thursday's event was the 12th year of the program that's given 51 individual awards to farmers and friends of agriculture in the Mid-Columbia.

The hall of fame has been sponsored since 2000 by the Pasco Chamber of Commerce and the Port of Pasco.

Published with permission of the Tri-City Herald. Additional news stories can be accessed online at the Tri-City Herald.

PASCO -- Neither Mark Kafentzis nor Dave McKay expected so many people to attend their Columbia Basin College Wall of Fame induction ceremony as part of the Follow Your Dreams reception and banquet at CBC on Thursday night.

"I didn't expect this large of a crowd," said Kafentzis, who now lives on the west side of the state. "I didn't even recognize CBC. We used to call it Tumbleweed Tech."

McKay agreed.

"I wasn't expecting this many people," McKay admitted. "The last time I was here was in 1970, and (then-CBC baseball coach) Ed Maxwell picked me up at the train depot. Today, he picked me up at the airport."
 
An estimated 200 people were in attendance -- all tables and seats were sold out -- to hear stories from the two former CBC stars, as well as guest speaker Dick Zornes.

Kafentzis, a Richland High graduate, was inducted after playing as a defensive back for CBC, the University of Hawaii and in the NFL.

He came, he said, from a family of athletes by necessity.

"I came from a family of 13 kids, and my mom would set the table for 10," said Kafentzis, who weighed just 148 pounds in high school. "My father knew I loved football. He thought if I was going to play college football, it would be as a field-goal kicker. That motivated me."

Kafentzis worked hard at CBC, gained weight and strength, and as Zornes said, "When he left here he was a major-college talent."

McKay, from Canada, was signed by Maxwell after the coach saw him play in a tournament in Portland one summer. McKay said if not for that call, he probably would've been an architect living in Vancouver.

Instead, McKay would embark on an eight-year major league baseball playing career, then become a valued coaching assistant for future Hall of Fame manager Tony LaRussa for the next 26 seasons -- earning three World Series championship rings along the way.

"It just doesn't make any sense," McKay marveled at his long baseball career. "I sometimes sit back and wonder how this all happened. I've been blessed.

"This is where it all started," he continued. "It's nice to be back."

For Zornes, it was great chance to come back to his old stomping grounds, where in 1978 his football team went 10-0 and was crowned national junior college champion by two different polls.

Off that team, 17 players signed with Division I football teams, and 18 more signed with either Big Sky Conference schools or in-state colleges.

"I thought CBC was one of the best jobs I ever had, and it was a great place to work," said Zornes.

The football coach was working for the B.C. Lions of the Canadian Football League. Around Christmas of 1976, he and the other coaches were let go.

A month later, he was hired to coach CBC's football team.

"We had to do a few things," said Zornes. "We started a weightlifting program. Second, I had to figure out a sales pitch to go out and recruit players. JC ball was the second best football in the state at the time. Our sales pitch had to do with the community. The other thing we wanted to do was recruit good athletes."

Zornes then appealed to the crowd.

"People, you have to increase your support," he said. "Times are tough, but it's tougher for these young people. I urge you to get involved at an even deeper level."

NOTES: The proceeds of the banquet and auction go toward facilities improvement and athletic scholarships. ... CBC athletic director Scott Rogers said both Maxwell and Kafentzis were approved at last week's NWAACC board of directors meeting to be inducted into the NWAACC Hall of Fame later this year. The banquet will take place in the Tri-Cities. ... Rogers showed photos of the new locker rooms facility the baseball, softball and men's and women's soccer teams use. It opened for business last March 4, and includes coaches' offices, restrooms and a concession stand. ... In the last 10 years, CBC athletes have moved on from the Pasco community college to 75 different four-year schools.

Published with permission of the Tri-City Herald. Additional news stories can be accessed online at the Tri-City Herald.

The 2012 Mid-Columbia Ag Hall of Fame ceremony will honor five different people today at the Pasco Red Lion at 6:00 P.M.

Five different people from Franklin County will be inducted into the hall of fame for the work they have done in the local ag industry.

Benjamin and Alma Grant will receive this year's Pioneer Award for their farming work.

Lana Cline is getting the Agriculture Mentor Leadership Award for her work with the 4-H club.

Jared Balcom is the Agribusiness Person of the Year for his work in the potato industry.

Richard Cummins is this year's recipient of the Visionary Award for reviving the agricultural program at Columbia Basin College.

The Mid-Columbia Ag Hall of Fame began in 2000 through the Pasco Chamber of Commerce.
 
Anybody living and working in the greater Franklin County area is eligible for the hall of fame.

Published with permission of the Tri-City Herald. Additional news stories can be accessed online at the Tri-City Herald. 

For years, the nuclear industry has grappled with the challenges associated with an aging workforce. Along with plans for industry growth, the expected attrition of a large portion of the industry’s work force has prompted an unprecedented recruitment effort.

Energy Northwest management recently toured Columbia Basin College's new building, the Center for Career and Technical Education, and heard an overview of its Nuclear Technology program. Energy Northwest has partnered with CBC to establish the program, which is training a new generation of skilled nuclear workers. -Photo by Dawn Alford/Columbia Basin College

Up to 160,000 workers will be needed by 2013 and as many as 200,000 workers will be needed by 2018 to fill the gap in the electricity sector. Additionally, to maintain the current work force, the industry will need to hire approximately 25,000 more people by 2015.

To address this challenge the Nuclear Uniform Curriculum Program was developed by the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations and the Nuclear Energy Institute. The NUCP is an industry-wide strategy to ensure the next generations of nuclear workers are available and ready to meet the challenges associated with such a special and unique work environment.  

In 2008, Energy Northwest collaborated with Columbia Basin College to develop a two- year degree program. The CBC Nuclear Technology program is designed using the NUCP requirements.

“By organizing industry partnerships with two-year education programs, it allows us to leverage our resources to provide the next generation of highly-skilled nuclear workers,” said Stacey Presnell, Energy Northwest in-grade Training program lead.

The program was created with the intention of providing a higher education specifically geared toward the technical maintenance disciplines and cultivate a highly-skilled nuclear worker pipeline. It uses Energy Northwest training experts, including 13 instructors, bargaining unit apprentice instructors and other industry experts as well as CBC professors to deliver on-campus college instruction. There are also on-site internships and site-specific labs and practical exercises to prepare the students for a career in the nuclear industry.

Last week, nearly 30 people – including Energy Northwest’s senior management and managers – toured CBC’s new building, the Center for Career and Technical Education to learn more about the CBC Nuclear Technology Program and to get a better understanding of how the program is working and its needs.

Employees learned that in the first phase of developing the program, Energy Northwest along with CBC assessed what programs were needed based on the supply and demand needs for critical work force areas. Based on region and community needs the first two degree options established were Radiation Protection and instrumentation and control technicians. Today, the program also offers a non-licensed operator option.

During the second phase of the project, curriculum and program requirements were defined for each concentration area. Out of this partnership, an associate in Applied Science in Nuclear Technology degree was established.

The third phase was the implementation of the program. This has been a very successful program. To date there are seven graduates from the Nuclear Technology Program and an additional 17 students graduating this spring.

The program is now ready to enter the fourth phase of the NUCP – to bring in the next generation of the new workers to nuclear facilities as part of an in-grade program and hire a select few of the best graduates from the program.

“Now we have the opportunity to grow our own pipeline,” said Presnell. “History has demonstrated that local individuals, with deep roots in the community and educated locally, will have a greater propensity and incentive to stay long term with a local company.  We are growing our own source of new workers by strategically collaborating with Columbia Basin College which is located near us and thereby we will likely have less employee turnover.”

Furthermore, Presnell says, “The students are being instructed from our own training instructors who are fostering our expectations for safety, the right processes and requiring excellence from the students.”

In addition, Energy Northwest, National Academy for Nuclear Training (INPO), and Columbia Basin College, awarded their first two Nuclear Uniform Curriculum Certificates of Achievement.  Brian Kirschman, and Steve Roades satisfied the initial nuclear training fundamentals required for a Instrumentation and Control Technician.  The certificates certify that this curriculum complies with the requirements specified by the ACAD 08-006 Uniform Curriculum Guide for Nuclear Power Plant Technician.  “The exemplary dedication to their program of study is exactly what the future of nuclear power is looking for” said Presnell.

Energy Northwest currently has several employees continuing their education with the program. If you would like to learn more about the program, contact Stacey Presnell at ext. 4228 or slpresnell@energy-northwest.com.

-------------------------------
Community members interested in learning more about CBC's Nuclear Technology program are encouraged to contact Dawn Alford, Outreach and Retention Specialist at 509-542-5524 or email Nuclear.Technology@columbiabasin.edu.  You may also visit the Nuclear Technology program webpage.

Columbia Basin College in Pasco is hosting a College Night tonight from 6 - 8 PM in the Gjerde Center.
 
The event gives insight to high school seniors and their parents about college life.
 
A panel of current CBC students will discuss the changeover from high school to college and answer questions.
 
Organizers will also go over ways to receive financial aid.

After the program, students and their parents will have an opportunity to tour the different programs of study at CBC.
 
Two $1,000 scholarships will also be awarded to high school students who attend the event.
 
To apply for the scholarship, visit columbiabasin.edu/foundation.

For more information, call (509) 543-4423 or email roy.garcia@columbiabasin.edu.

The Mid-Columbia Ag Hall of Fame has put together a deserving lineup for its induction ceremony Thursday evening.

The keynote speaker at the banquet will be Dan Newhouse, director of the state Department of Agriculture, but the stars are the inductees.

In recent years, the Ag Hall of Fame has expanded its awards to include additional categories and broadened its reach to a 150-mile radius of its roots in Franklin County. But it just so happens that all of this year's honorees are from Franklin County.

New to the roster this year:

Benjamin and Alma Grant

The Grants were early settlers in Block 1 north of Pasco and will receive the Pioneer Award. They moved here in 1951 and began a custom harvesting operation, where Benjamin Grant became skilled at adapting machinery to fit challenging situations.

The couple was generous with both time and money, contributing to several community projects and creating a scholarship at their alma mater, Oklahoma State University.

Lana Cline

Cline, a long-time volunteer in the 4-H program, will receive the Agriculture Mentor Leadership Award. She helped start and mentor 4-H clubs in Basin City, Connell and Mesa. Cline also helped bring back 4-H summer camp, held each year at the Camp Wooten Environmental Learning Center on the Tucannon River.

She assisted in the formation of the Columbia Basin Junior Livestock Show in Connell and the Sage & Stirrups 4-H Horse Club.

Jared Balcom

Balcom is the Agribusiness Person of the Year. He is a potato farmer and president of Balcom & Moe in Pasco. Though Balcom grew up on a farm, he had his future set on a career in biology. But his farming roots called and he took the helm of the family business, stretching the legacy into its fourth generation. He is a leader in the industry at a young age, holding positions with the U.S. Potato Board, the Potato Leadership Institute and the Washington Onion and Potato Association.

Richard Cummins

Cummins is the president of Columbia Basin College and in 2004 helped revive the once disbanded agriculture program there. For that, and many other reasons, he will receive this year's Visionary Award.

Through creative means, Cummins brought leaders from the ag community together as stakeholders in CBC's ag program, listening to their needs and recruiting them to assist with scholarships and internships. By working with Washington State University Tri-Cities and ag teachers at Mid-Columbia high schools, a degree-focused curriculum debuted after three years of planning.

Cummins' leadership at CBC is commendable on many levels, especially in these challenging economic times for higher education. That he continues to champion agriculture shows his true understanding of what is important to this community. He helped resurrect the school's research farm and has pushed for innovations in the crops grown there.

The Mid-Columbia Ag Hall of Fame was founded in 2000 through the Pasco Chamber of Commerce but has struggled to find a proper home to honor its inductees year-round. That's still a challenge we hope to see addressed in the near future.

But with some vision, organizers have greatly increased the scope of the event, increasing attendance along the way.

Procuring Newhouse as the speaker has upped the profile of the awards ceremony even further, and the Port of Pasco continues to offer its support as the main sponsor of the event.

Tickets are $65 per person or $480 for a table of eight. The event starts at 6 p.m. Thursday. For more information, contact the Pasco Chamber of Commerce at 547-9755.

Published with permission of the Tri-City Herald. Additional news stories can be accessed online at the Tri-City Herald.

YAKIMA, Wash. (AP) — Nine months after revealing to classmates that she had faked her pregnancy for a senior class project, a Washington state teenager is promoting a new book that details the experience and explores her reasons for taking on the project.
 
Gaby Rodriguez of Toppenish, Wash. earned international headlines last April when she announced at a high school assembly that she had worn a faux baby bump for months to explore stereotypes about teen pregnancy.
 
Only a handful of people, including her mother, boyfriend and principal, were in on the secret. The rest of the Toppenish community, where buildings are adorned with Western-themed murals in central Washington's agricultural Yakima Valley, had no clue.
 
Some people credited her for selflessly committing to her idea and addressing such a serious topic, while others lashed out at her for lying for a school project.
 
Some critics still don't understand what led her to take on the project in the first place, Rodriguez said in a recent interview, and she hopes that they'll get that from her book, "The Pregnancy Project."
 
The book was written with a ghostwriter. A movie about the experience, starring "Spykids" actress Alexa Vega, premieres Jan. 28 on the Lifetime movie network, and Rodriguez is making numerous television and radio appearances to promote her story.
 
The book details her mother's first pregnancy, at age 14, and marriage to the baby's father — a 16-year union troubled by allegations of abuse that produced seven children. Their three daughters got pregnant as teenagers and two sons got their girlfriends pregnant.
 
Teen pregnancy was practically a family tradition, said Rodriguez.
 
"It's hard to understand why they didn't learn from each other; I guess they all needed to make their own mistakes," she wrote in the book. "They have great kids, but it's never easy to have children before you're even fully grown yourself."
 
Her mother, Juana, said it was difficult to share her story so openly.
 
"There are a lot of women who go through stuff like that and they prefer to try to forget it, but sometimes it's better to get it out," she said, adding that the story was an important part of understanding Gaby, who was born later and has a different father.
 
"A lot of people were making comments, 'How could she do that?' without really knowing. They needed to know."
 
The experiment took on particular significance in Toppenish, which is about 75 percent Hispanic. Latinas have the highest teen pregnancy and birth rate among any major racial or ethnic minority.
 
In the top 5 percent of her class, Rodriguez participated in a leadership class and lectured her friends about safe sex. But she still heard the refrain — often from members of her own family — that she'd end up just like her sisters.
 
"Being a Hispanic girl from a family full of teen pregnancies meant that my odds of also becoming a teen mom were way higher than average," she wrote. "If I gave people what they predicted, how would they react?"
 
The profile of teen moms has changed in recent years. Kids on shows like MTV's "Teen Mom" and "16 and Pregnant" have taken spots alongside movie stars on magazine covers. Now 18 and a student at Columbia Basin College studying psychology, Rodriguez said she doesn't condone teen pregnancy.
 
"It's something we have to be very aware of. I wish we could have more information on that in schools — and if parents don't want that, they should be more open about it," she said. "In my home, my mom was always open with me about it, and I'm absolutely glad that she was."
 
After her grand revealing, a student who was pregnant told Rodriguez she was glad she had taken on the project.
 
"She was so proud of me," Rodriguez said of the girl, now a senior. "Because it showed how much she had to struggle and I gave her the inspiration to move forward and inspire her child now."
 
 If anything, Rodriguez believes that should be the biggest message from her experience: Things will definitely be OK.
 
"It's not the end of the road for them," she said. "It's going to be harder, but it's not the end of the road."

On January 30, 8 a.m. in room CCTE, A-203, CBC will hold an informational class regarding the new Aerospace Machine Maintenance program.  Potential students can hear the advantages of the program.  “The program is seven months long, has 44 credits, and only 12 students are allowed at this time”, says Derek Brandes, dean, Career and Technical Education.  Once students complete the program, they will be equipped with the knowledge and skills to step into this industry.   With the GIA grant that CBC received, costs to the student will be minimal. Tuition, lab fees, and tools will be approximately $2,500 for the entire three quarters.  That would be at least 50 percent less than what a student would normally pay for tuition and books for three quarters without this grant funding. 

CBC is one of 11 colleges in Washington state to benefit from the grant.  To enroll in the January 30th information session, please contact Deborah Brown 509-542-4443.

Following the program, students and their parents will have an opportunity to tour the different programs of study at CBC.  Two, $1,000 scholarships will be awarded to high school students who attend College Night.  Students must turn in their scholarship application at College Night.  Applications are available online by going to: columbiabasin.edu/collegenight.  

For more information, call 543-4423 or email roy.garcia@columbiabasin.edu. 

The College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) is a unique, federally funded, educational program designed to help students from migrant and seasonal farm worker backgrounds succeed in college. CAMP provides students with intensive academic, career, financial, and support services during their first year of college.

CAMP aims to prepare and provide students with the skills and tools necessary for success in college, career, and life. CAMP strives to help students successfully complete an Associate of Arts degree, transfer to a four year institution, and graduate with at least a bachelor’s degree, all while maximizing student development.

Melinda Martinez, Outreach Specialist for CAMP at Columbia Basin College, mentioned “I believe the best part of the program, aside from meeting and bonding with about 64 other CAMP Scholars, is the intrusive advising and support structure we offer, along with providing students with the resources they need to be successful throughout their college career. Many students, who are the first in their family to attend college, do not know how to navigate the college system.”

Previous CAMP Scholar, Arianna Valdez, added “CAMP has helped me from the very beginning since my first week of school as a freshman at CBC, and is still helping me as I get ready to begin my studies at Eastern Washington University.

The CAMP staff has helped me break out of my shyness and has helped me learn almost everything I need to know about college system. They’ve supported me all the way through my first year and now I know I can finish school and be successful in life. I’ve enjoyed every day I spent with the CAMP staff and students, especially during the events we had planned and visitations we made to universities.  

The program helped me make my first year in college much easier than I thought. With their help, counseling, and guidance, CAMP has been the best support and help I’ve never had. If I could rejoin, I would do it all over again!” Ms. Valdez, CAMP 2009-2010 cohort, earned her AA from CBC and just began her first quarter at Eastern Washington University.

CBC CAMP Scholar Applications for the 2012-2013 academic year are due February 15, 2012. We consider all applications after this date based on space available. CAMP is limited in the number of students served per academic year.

For more information, please contact Melinda at 509-542-4602 or by email at mmartinez@columbiabasin.edu. Applications may be found at www.columbiabasin.edu/camp

The United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC) Foundation announced today that five business owners from the Pasco, WA area have been selected as winners of the USHCC Foundation’s national Green Builds Business (GBB) Program. The Pasco GBB participants were honored with a special welcome from Pasco Mayor Matt Watkins on the first day of the training program and Kennewick City Mayor Steve Young on day two of their training.

Green Builds Business, underwritten by Walmart, is a signature program of the USHCC Foundation. The two-day training program encourages business owners across the country to incorporate sustainability measures into their overall business plans by teaching best practices for lowering operating costs, increasing revenues and motivating workers with green initiatives.

“As evidenced by their projects, the winners of the Pasco Green Builds Business program demonstrate a commitment to the continued education surrounding environmental sustainability,” says USHCC President & CEO Javier Palomarez. “It is this type of training, and these types of proactive entrepreneurs who will help ensure the health and success of both of our business and our environmental landscapes for years to come.”

The GBB program, held in Pasco, Washington on December 9 and 10, 2011, was co-hosted by the Tri-Cities Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (TCHCC). The five business owners selected will receive a combined 24 hours of one-on-one green coaching with Bill Roth, Green Business Coach for Entrepreneur.com and Founder of Earth 2017. Roth will help the winners formulate a green business plan or implement a green project that holds the potential of creating jobs, growing profits and reducing emissions this year.

 The winners from the 2011 Green Builds Business program in Pasco include:

Derek Brandes and Brett Riley of Columbia Basin College. Brandes and Riley aim to establish a LEED certification program at Columbia Basin College and will take this additional training opportunity to learn the details of what is required for a LEED certification program, and how to implement that process effectively.

Rudy Pena of Rudy’s Pepper Blends, a homemade chili powder company, who is looking to expand his current business to canned goods, and beyond. Pena will use this training to learn how to expand his company with environmentally-conscious and sustainable business practices.

Isabel Quiroz who works in the candle making business will maximize this opportunity by learning how she can develop environmentally friendly packaging for her products. Quiroz’ goals include website development, branding and marketing initiatives for a business model that will donate a percentage of earnings to charity.

Martin Valadez, in Business Consulting and Development at Tonatiuh Consulting. Valadez aims to help local business attain their own green certification and will utilize his one-on-one opportunity to gain the knowledge, training and green certification necessary to accomplish his goals.

“The Tri-Cities Hispanic Chamber of Commerce is grateful to the USHCC Foundation and Walmart for working with us to make this program possible, and we are proud of all of the individuals who participated,” says TCHCC President Martin Valadez. “It is encouraging to hear how our local business owners will integrate these new skills and knowledge into effective, sustainable and prosperous businesses and we look forward to seeing the impact and influence they have on the surrounding community.”

For more information, visit www.ushcc.com. Please visit www.ushccfoundation.org for more information on the USHCC Foundation.

According to the recent state Supreme Court ruling on McCleary v. Washington, the state is not complying with Article IX, Section 1 of our state’s Constitution, which requires the Legislature to “make ample provision for the education of all children in Washington.”

The Court noted that a full definition of “basic education” includes “the basic knowledge and skills needed to compete in today’s economy and meaningfully participate in this state’s democracy.”

While recognizing K-12’s priority in the decision, the long-range impact could be a game-changer for higher education as well, because the court acknowledged that a “basic education” must include meaningful employment skills and knowledge. Increasingly, higher education provides that training.

Why? Because 67 percent of all jobs in Washington will require some postsecondary education or training.

In fact, according to a 2008 report by the Council on Competitiveness, roughly half these jobs call for “middle skills,” attained through education beyond high school but less than a four-year degree. Middle-skills jobs are projected to remain the largest portion of our state’s jobs for the long term. Simply stated, a high school education will not qualify students for the vast majority of the state’s jobs. It’s an inescapable conclusion that middle-skills credentials -- a large part of the mission of community and technical colleges -- are “the basic knowledge and skills needed to compete in today’s economy.”

So what? Why should taxpayers care, especially when we have huge deficits?

The answer, as Adam Smith wrote in 1776, is that the wealth of nations is directly correlated to the development of its human capital. In the 21st century, when people increasingly work with brains instead of brawn, more people carry the means of production between their ears. Management guru Peter Drucker labeled this “knowledge work.”

A knowledge worker does the “nonroutine” work that has increased as our economy shifted from manufacturing to services, solutions, information and design. A knowledge worker, generally a technologist or technician, uses applied theory. Welders, machinists, nurses, dental hygienists, auto mechanics, nuclear technicians, IT specialists and first-responders are middle-skills workers prepared by the community and technical colleges in our state. They represent about half of the 67 percent of jobs in the economy requiring credentials past the high school diploma. Of the other half, 41 percent uses the community college for the first credits toward baccalaureate degrees.

Some disagreement is certain with limited state resources. Nevertheless, it is difficult to argue that community and technical colleges are not part of “basic education” when the gold standard of employment preparation is applied. Without this pool of prepared knowledge workers in our state, the industries they support, from Boeing to Microsoft to thousands of local businesses, will leave or fail.

The state Supreme Court’s landmark decision forces a much needed redefinition of “basic education.” This has always made sense as the economy has dramatically changed. Until about 1900, “common schools” provided a “basic education” through the eighth grade for our agrarian nation. Industrialization and urbanization transformed the U.S. through the 20th century, when high school became the terminal credential for preparing the bulk of American workers. Today, as we face unprecedented 21st century challenges from China and other international competitors, the definition of a “basic education,” one that gives students the opportunity to learn the “basic knowledge and skills needed to compete in today’s economy,” must include a large portion of higher education.

Officials in Olympia are contemplating a sales tax referendum aimed at “buying back” the cuts proposed for our state’s colleges and universities. Alternately, a proposal more in line with a 21st century education would keep higher education in the protected base funding while recommending some different areas of state budget to be “bought back” by taxpayers. If CBC, for example, is reduced another 13 percent, as is currently proposed, it will have lost almost 40 percent of its state funding in three years.

Clearly, the definition of “basic knowledge and skills” needs revisiting.

Fewer dollars mean fewer knowledge workers at the historical moment when our economic well-being needs them most.

Education, an engine that helps create the middle class, must be a top priority of government because the return on investment equals job, jobs and more jobs for our state.

-- Rich Cummins is president of Columbia Basin College in Pasco.

Published with permission of the Tri-City Herald. Additional news stories can be accessed online at the Tri-City Herald.

PASCO — Cameron Mitchell was a little surprised to hear some Tri-Citians think of him in the same light as Martin Luther King Jr.

“I thought, ‘What did I do that merited (the 2012 Martin Luther King Jr. Spirit Award)?’ ” he said.

The Benton-Franklin Superior Court judge will be honored today at noon during the 21st annual bell-ringing ceremony at Pasco’s Columbia Basin College.

Benton-Franklin Superior Court judge Cameron Mitchell is the recipient of the 2012 Martin Luther King Jr. Spirit Award. Mitchell became Benton-Franklin Superior Court’s first minority judge when then-Gov. Gary Locke appointed him to the bench in 2004.  -TCH

Mitchell, 53, of Richland, said he can’t think of any person whose legacy he would be more proud to be associated with than King.

“What a great honor,” he said.

Mitchell became the court’s first minority judge when then-Gov. Gary Locke appointed him to the bench in 2004.

Mitchell said it would have been more difficult and less likely for him to wind up a Superior Court judge without the work of King and other civil rights leaders.
He said he enjoys the chance he has as a judge to contribute something positive to the community and the people he comes into contact with.

Mitchell was last elected in 2008, and said he plans to run for re-election this year.

He graduated from Richland High School in 1977. He played football at Washington State University and played in the 1981 Holiday Bowl. He was selected to the Pac-10 Academic All-Conference Football team.

He had the chance to go pro, but his father, CJ Mitchell of Richland, said that his son decided to go to law school instead. He received his law degree from Willamette University in Salem.

Cameron Mitchell worked as an attorney with the Washington Attorney General’s Office and the U.S. Department of Energy. He became an administrative law judge in 1993.

His father said watching his son put on a judge’s robe and be sworn in as the first black Benton-Franklin Superior Court judge is one of the highlights of his life.

“That’s the day I cried,” said his father, who still remembers when he couldn’t buy a home in Richland because of the color of his skin.

He’s a great listener, and that is what makes him a good judge, his father said.

“I’ve very proud of him,” he said. “And I’m very proud of the fact that he isn’t a ‘rah rah, look at me’ kind of guy.”

CJ Mitchell said he will be at CBC on Monday to watch his son receive the same award he received in 1998.

Cameron Mitchell said he hopes that he can be as positive of an influence in the community as his father has been.

“I can’t think of anyone who is more deserving than Judge Mitchell,” said fellow Superior Court Judge Carrie Runge.

Cameron Mitchell has been the presiding judge for Superior Court for about a year, which means he handles administrative issues in addition to the standard work of a judge.

“He’s been a great leader,” Runge said. “He leads by example.”

He has an innate sense of fairness and justice and treats everyone equally, Runge said.

He also has an amazing amount of patience and integrity, she said. He has handled difficult cases with trying individuals, and has listened to them and let them have their day in court.

“He doesn’t shut down people,” she said. “He lets them have their day.”

Benton County Prosecutor Andy Miller recalls a difficult murder trial several years ago, when Walter W. Copland, a retired Tacoma police captain, was found guilty of killing Harvey “Al” Anthis after an evening of excessive drinking.

During the whole trial, not a single person lost their temper, despite a lot of emotion on both sides and the legal issues, Miller said.

Mitchell runs a courtroom in a very professional and courteous manner, Miller said.

“It was one of the best tried cases I’ve had, and I give a lot of credit for that to Judge Mitchell,” he said.

Cameron Mitchell treats everyone with respect, Miller said. “He’s an excellent judge,” he said. “He takes each case very seriously and he’s very patient.”

Cameron Mitchell is as nice in person as he is on the bench, Miller said. He’s involved in the community and has friends in all different walks of life.

“I’ve never heard anybody say anything negative about him,” Miller said.

IF YOU GO
-- What: Martin Luther King Jr. bell-ringing ceremony
-- When: Noon today
-- Where: Martin Luther King Jr. statue at Columbia Basin College, 2600 N. 20th Ave., Pasco.
-- Details: Benton-Franklin Superior Court Judge Cameron Mitchell will be named the Spirit Award winner. Dana McLeod, information technology project manager for Lockheed Martin, will be the keynote speaker.

Published with permission of the Tri-City Herald. Additional news stories can be accessed online at the Tri-City Herald.

People across the country are honoring the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. today.

Hundreds of people from across the Mid-Columbia gathered in Pasco to remember Dr. King's messages of equality and service.

Many local residents recognize our country has come a long way since Dr. King gave his famous speech in 1963, but many also say we still have some work to do.

Superior court judge Cameron Mitchell is no stranger to service.

"The most rewarding thing is when you think you have the opportunity to positively impact someone's life, or to make some type of difference" said Mitchell.

Mitchell, who is the first African-American superior court judge in Benton and Franklin counties, was honored today at Columbia Basin College.

He was named the 2012 Martin Luther King Jr. Spirit Award winner.

"Exciting, overwhelming and kind of humbling" said Mitchell.

Before Mitchell was honored, hundreds gathered outside the college for a traditional and peaceful bell-ringing ceremony.

Then the crowds went inside to celebrate the legacy of Dr. King, and recognize the steps our country has taken towards total equality.

"When I first came here, for example, we all lived in east Pasco, everything was segregated and you couldn't eat at the Pasco bus station" said CJ Mitchell, Cameron Mitchell's father.

Many residents say King's dream has sparked many changes, but there is room to grow.

"I feel that the dream, we're definitely on our way, but there's still work to be done" said Shawn Fite, Kennewick resident.

"I think it has been realized. There's always room for improvement because there's always going to be misunderstandings and miscommunications, and things like that" said Shayn Fite, Kirkland resident.

"We are dreaming of a future where nobody is discriminated against, no matter what their color, their sex, their religion, their preferences in life" said Sheila Sullivan, Richland resident.

Mitchell says he continues to serve the community because others have served him.

He says he's just giving back what he's received.

"If you can make a positive impact, that in itself is gratifying" said Mitchell.

In addition to being a superior court judge, Mtchell also mentors and coaches local students in several different programs.

He currently co-chairs the Juvenile Justice Advisory Board.

PASCO, Wash. --  Columbia Basin College celebrated the life of Dr. Martin Luther King  with their 21st annual bell ringing ceremony.
 
"it is a day to dedicate ourselves to the progress that we've made, but to remember there is much work ahead," says CBC President Richard Cummins.

Dr. King would have turned 83 years old Sunday.  Instead his legacy lives on through the service of others, like Superior Court Judge Cameron Mitchell, the recipient of the 2012 MLK Spirit Award.  Mitchell  is the first African-American superior court judge in Benton and Franklin counties.  He was born and raised  in the Tri-Cities and not the first member of his family to be honored with this prestigious award.
 
"This is exciting, overwhelming and kind of humbling.  it's a little bit hard to imagine what I may have done to be deserving of such an honor," says Mitchell.
 
Mitchell who has sat on the bench in  Benton and Franklin counties as Superior Court Judge since 2004, says he owes everything to his family, particularly his father, CJ Mitchell  who won this same award in 1998.
 
"If I could have just a small amount of the impact he's had then I would be very happy with how my life turned out," says Mitchell about his father.

Derek Brandes, Brett Riley, Rudy Pena, Martin Valadez, and Isabel Quiroz were selected as winners of the USHCC Foundation’s national Green Builds Business Program. 

Brandes and Riley intend to use their time to research and develop a green incubator program.  They will coach area businesses and assist them in the processes and benefits of becoming green.  Rudy Pena owns Rudy’s Pepperblend and is using his training to expand his business to canned goods while utilizing environmentally-conscious practices.  Martin Valdez with Tonatiuh Consulting is helping area business obtain their green certification.  Using his time to gain valuable knowledge and training to further obtain his goals in this realm is his intent.  CBC student, Isabel Quiroz, runs a local candle-making company. She is developing eco-friendly packaging for her products with her time. 

CBC commends the award winners for advancing our community in green technology.

PASCO -- Columbia Basin College's forensic science lab should be named for long-time law enforcement instructor Jim Ownby. That is what 18 active and retired law enforcement officers, a Benton County District Court judge and the president of CBC recommended this week.

For about two decades starting in 1974, Ownby was the sole faculty member for the law enforcement program at Columbia Basin College. He taught and mentored hundreds of students who became law enforcement professionals, many in the Mid-Columbia.

He died in November.

Ownby started his career serving with the military police in Germany, then joined the Walla Walla police. Later, he took a job with the Washington State Patrol in the Twisp area.

After a leave of absence to earn a master's degree in law enforcement, Ownby served as a trooper in the Tri-Cities and then took the job at CBC.

Frank Murray, communications director for the college, said the trustees seemed to be generally in favor of naming the building after Ownby.

However, the college policy on naming facilities requires CBC President Richard Cummins to appoint a committee to bring recommendations to the board at its February meeting.

If the trustees agree on a name, they likely will vote at their March meeting.

Published with permission of the Tri-City Herald. Additional news stories can be accessed online at the Tri-City Herald.

PASCO -- Hundreds of aspiring doctors, chemists, lawyers and teachers may never reach their goal because they lack one thing -- legal citizenship.

Ricardo Sanchez, director of the Latino/a Educational Achievement Project (LEAP), told the Columbia Basin College board of trustees Monday that undocumented students, without enough money to pay tuition, are blocked from applying for state-funded financial aid for higher education.

He was at the meeting to ask the board to consider a resolution allowing Washington high school graduates who meet state low-income guidelines and are considered residents for purposes of higher education, the ability to receive financial aid through the State Need Grant program.

"In 2003, the Washington state Legislature passed House Bill 1079 giving undocumented students the right to pay tuition at in-state rates. This is just the rest of the equation," he said.

"Thousands of dollars have been spent educating these students in grades K-12, and now they're being denied a chance at a higher education," Sanchez said.

He admitted that it is a tough issue in a difficult economy.

"But we're not asking for more money. We're just asking for these students to be included in the pool of those eligible," he said.

Sanchez was accompanied by six CBC students who spoke about the struggles they and their friends have had attempting to reach their dreams.

Stephanie Fuentes of Pasco told about a friend who discovered she was undocumented only after applying to attend CBC.

"She wants to be a lawyer, that's her goal. But without financial aid, she has to work one quarter, attend classes the next. We need to help her and others like her who are struggling to reach their potential," Fuentes said.

Christian Gonzalez of Othello has a friend who aspires to be a mathematics professor.

"He graduated from high school in 2011 with a 3.5 GPA. What he could contribute to society and the world is important. It would be an advantage to our economy, have an impact on our society and improve our nation to help students achieve their dreams," Gonzalez said.

Sanchez said this isn't just a Latino issue.

"It's about mainstream Americans stepping up to get this done," he said.

This idea isn't new. Sanchez tried to get a bill giving undocumented students access to financial aid through the 2009 legislative session.

"It didn't pass, and then the economy went sour," Sanchez said.

Even though the Legislature is facing daunting budget challenges this year, Sanchez decided to try again. He has been visiting as many school board meetings as possible, spreading the word and asking for support.

"This is too important an issue to drop. It would be tragic for the kids," Sanchez said. "As Martin Luther King said, it's always the right time to do right."

CBC Board President Renee Finke thanked the group for the information and said the board would take the issue under advisement.

For more information about LEAP, go to www.leapwa.org

Published with permission of the Tri-City Herald. Additional news stories can be accessed online at the Tri-City Herald.

Nine months after a Toppenish high school student reveals her pregnancy was faked for a

Gaby Rodriguez's fake pregnancy experiment is becoming book, Lifetime movie

school project, a book and movie are due out about Gaby Rodriguez.

Rodriguez is in Hollywood today taping segments for the Dr. Phil show. Her book "The Pregnancy Project" will be released next Tuesday, followed by a movie airing on Lifetime on January 28th.

Over the phone today, Rodriguez told us she hopes teens will use her experience to make better choices for their future.

"Making rational decisions before you make this life-changing mistake and have your life intact before you start someone else's life," says Rodriguez.

Rodriguez used a fake belly to appear pregnant, only a select few including her mother and boyfriend knew the truth. She's now a student at Columbia Basin College, and plans to study psychology at Washington State University.

The ceremony kicks off at the King statue on the CBC Pasco campus at noon with opening remarks from CBC President, Rich Cummins.  The program will also include a dance by Miss Juneteenth, Arisha Fite; performance by the Federation of Choirs, and the presentation of the 2012 Martin Luther King, Jr. Spirit Award.  The MLK Spirit Award is presented annually to a person who has demonstrated positive social change in our community. 

Americorps will have activities for children following the ceremony.  Refreshments will be provided and there is no admission charge.