The Columbia Basin College Board of Trustees tonight named its main entrance off Argent Road in honor of Senior Vice President for Administrative Services, Bill Saraceno.

Saraceno Way carries the name of the man who has been the driving force for capital projects at CBC since 1985.

President Richard Cummins says Saraceno's efforts are evident throughout the CBC campus.

"Bill Saraceno has been a driving force in over $100-million in important construction projects since 1995.  Bill is renowned throughout the state system of community and technical colleges for his expertise and knowledge, which has been invaluable to CBC and the Benton-Franklin community.  I'm proud to announce that the College's main entrance will now be called Saraceno Way," said Cummins.

The entrance way was completed in 2000 following the opening of the new Hawk Union Building.  The latest facility, the 88,000 square foot Center for Career and Technical Education, is on Saraceno Way and is scheduled to open in 2011.

The second event for the Columbia Basin College Reads series, making Pakistani–themed kites, will be Tuesday, March 9th at 12:40 p.m in the CBC Gjerde Center.

Thirty CBC students will be guided through the art of Pakistani kite making.  Although authentic Pakistani kites will not be made, as it requires a sewing machine and razor blade, they will learn the importance of the works of art in Pakistani and Indian culture and be encouraged to decorate their kites in this theme.

Each participant will receive a free copy of the book Kites for Everyone by Margaret Greger.  The late Margaret Greger is known worldwide for her love of making and flying kites, as well as being an inductee in the World Kite Flying Museum’s Hall of Fame.  Her widower Greg Greger continues her love of kite making by participating in events such as this and the Richland Kite Festival.  Greg will lead students through the kite making process.

This event is co-sponsored by the Associated Students of CBC and the CBC Reads committee.

Eighteen Mid-Columbia women -- including a mother and daughter -- were honored by three Tri-City chapters of Soroptimist International on Thursday.

This was the first time awards were presented to a mother and daughter on the same evening since the Pasco-Kennewick club, the oldest in the area, was chartered in 1948.

All the women were recognized for their volunteer service or educational pursuits by Soroptimist International of Mid-Columbia, Soroptimist International Pasco-Kennewick and Soroptimist International Three Rivers.

The award ceremony emphasized the Live Your Dream campaign, designed to inspire women and girls to live their dreams and pass on their good fortune to others.

"This is just the second year that all three clubs have had a combined program," said Marilyn Heasely, a member of the Three Rivers club.

Three teens, ages 14 and 17, received the Violet Richardson Award for commitment to making the world a better place through their accomplishments as volunteers. They were Lauren Goetz of Kennewick, Desiree Westfall of Kennewick and Katerina Howard of Pasco. Howard is the daughter of Ruby Award winner Kim Keltch.

Winners of the Women's Opportunity Award -- for women who often have made a significant life change and returned to school -- were Julie Savard of Richland, who is working on her nursing degree at Washington State University Tri-Cities; Celinda Parrish-Shaftoe of Kennewick, who is enrolled in the ultrasound program at Columbia Basin College; and Diana Young of Prosser, who is working on a bachelor's in social sciences at Washington State University.

Renee Suwalski of Kennewick, who attends Yakima Valley Community College and is pursing accreditation as a pharmacy technician, won second place.

The Three Rivers club also presented a Women's Opportunity Award as a memorial to Luella Bixby, a former member of the Pasco-Kennewick club and charter member of the Three Rivers club. The award went to Shannon Allen of Kennewick, who's working on a nursing degree at Columbia Basin College.

The Ruby Award is a service award that honors a woman who works to improve the lives of other women and who inspires and encourages them. The winners were Bonnie Roseberry of Pasco, director of the "Don't Quit" program at Columbia Basin College; Kim Keltch of Pasco, domestic violence services coordinator for the Pasco Police Department; and Barb Puigh of Richland, acting director of Elijah Family Homes.

Other awards were:

• First place in the Professional/Technical Award went to Livier Lopez of Pasco; second place, Elizabeth Venegas of Kennewick.
• The Helen Cox Memorial Award to encourage women to fulfill their educational goals to maximize their business career potential was given to Rachel Hysjulien of Richland.
• The Fellowship Award for outstanding post-graduate study went to Megan Moody-Pitkin of Richland, who is working on a master's of business administration with a specialty in health care management through Phoenix University.

Soroptimists work through service projects to improve lives of women and girls in local communities and throughout the world.

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

The board of trustees approved the new name Monday night. Saraceno is "the driving force" behind capital projects at the Pasco college, a CBC news release said.

"Bill is renowned throughout the state system of community and technical colleges for his expertise and knowledge, which has been invaluable to CBC and the Benton-Franklin community," CBC President Rich Cummins said in the statement.

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

Ready for a good tragedy, complete with blood and guts?

Columbia Basin College has what you need when Shakespeare's MacBeth opens March 5 in the CBC theater.

For those non-Shakespearean types, MacBeth is about a shady nobleman and war captain who stumbles upon three ugly witches who promise him the title of King.

Being the ambitious sort, MacBeth likes the ring of "King" and shares the witches' promise with his equally ambitious wife. She, in turn, sets in motion a scheme of lies and murder to retrieve the promise on her husband's behalf.

But evil rarely wins as the greedy couple get their due.

"The crown and the bloodshed to gain it begin to wear heavily on MacBeth and his wife, and we watch as their ill-gotten gains drive them to madness and more bloodshed, as their country descends into chaos," said Ginny Quinley, CBC's drama teacher.

"The only hope of redemption lies in the rightful heir to the throne, Malcolm, and the unfailingly honest and loyal nobleman, MacDuff."

Ryan Clements plays MacBeth and Melissa Barcroft is his rapacious wife. The witches are portrayed by Bri Wenger, Avril Martinez and Cady Rutherford. Skylar Kovach is Malcolm and Michael Burmudez is MacDuff.

CBC student Stephanie Fanning directed this 60-minute version of the Shakespeare original.

Curtain time is 7:30 p.m. March 5-6. The play has a PG rating. Tickets are $10.

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

The Mid-Columbia Literary Festival is bringing back two of the Inland Northwest's brightest writing talents tonight.

Award-winning authors Jess Walter of Spokane and Pete Fromm of Great Falls, Mont., will discuss their work at 7 p.m. at HUB Mainstage on the Columbia Basin College campus in Pasco.

Both writers have appeared at past LitFest events, and their return is a good turn for Tri-City book lovers.

Walter's latest novel, The Financial Lives of Poets, earned critical acclaim. "The funniest way-we-live-now book of the year," Time magazine raved.

He has published five novels and one nonfiction book, all to favorable reviews. The Zero, a novel exploring the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, was a finalist for the National Book Award.

Fromm's latest novel, As Cool As I Am, earned him an unprecedented fourth Pacific Northwest Booksellers Literary Award.

His novel How All This Started, a story collection, Dry Rain, and his memoir, Indian Creek Chronicles, also earned the prestigious award.

Indian Creek Chronicles, Fromm's account of a winter alone in Idaho and Montana's Selway-Bitterroot wilderness, ought to be a staple in any collection of outdoor tales.

The memoir puts Fromm among the American West's most promising writers, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Tonight's LitFest event celebrates good books and this unique corner of America. Don't miss it.

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

Eight CBC engineering technology students and CBC associate professor Paige Wyatt assist about 100 freshmen students at Delta High School in Richland collect data using total stations for a math class exercise taught by teacher Linda Estes.

Tri-City Herald Week in Photos

William Shakespeare’s tragedy “Macbeth” will be presented by the Columbia Basin College Theatre Arts Department March 5 and 6 at 7:30 p.m. in the CBC Theatre.

“Macbeth” is a cautionary tale of murder, greed and the fruitlessness of ambition.  It is one of the bard’s most well-known and widely read plays.  It follows the story of Macbeth, played by Ryan Clements.  He’s a nobleman and war captain who happens upon three witches, portrayed by Bri Wenger, Avril Martinez and Cady Rutherford, who promise him the title king.

Macbeth shares this information with his ruthlessly ambitious wife, played by Melissa Barcroft, who then sets in motion a series of lies and murders to gain what was promised.

Soon the crown and the blood that is shed to gain it begin to wear heavily on both husband and wife, and we watch as their ill-gotten gains drive them to madness and more bloodshed as the country descends into chaos.  The only hope of redemption lies in the rightful heir to the throne, Malcolm, played by Skylar Kovach, and the unfailingly honest and loyal nobleman, MacDuff, acted by Michael Burmudez.

This 60-minute version is directed by student Stephanie Fanning.  Its suitability for kids is comparable to the PG moving rating.

Tickets are a by donation of $10, which will go toward sending CBC Theatre students to the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival in Reno, Nev.  Ticket outlets are Shelby’s Floral in Kennewick, Adventures Underground in Richland, the CBC Bookstore on the Pasco campus, and at the door.

CBC faculty members exhibit their art
The Columbia Basin College Faculty Art Exhibition will be on display March 1-March 24, and an opening reception with the artists will be on Thursday, March 4, at 3 p.m. in the Esvelt Gallery.  This is an annual exhibit that showcases recent work created by current and emeritus CBC art faculty.  The 11 participating artists are Howard Barlow, Morse Clary, James Craig, Chris DeGraff, Mary Dryburgh, Vicki Gravenslund, Zachary Mazur, Ted Neth, Tracy Petre, Greg Pierce, and Karen Starkey.  A wide range of media will be presented including painting, drawing, sculpture, ceramics, photography, and graphic design.  Regular gallery hours are Monday-Thursday from 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and Friday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.  Admission is free.

CBC Lecture series honors Eleanor Roosevelt
“Eleanor Roosevelt:  No Ordinary Woman,” a presentation by Joan Wolfberg, will honor the late First Lady on March 18 at 7 p.m. on the main stage of the Columbia Basin College HUB.  It will be hosted by the Franklin County Historical Society and Soroptomist International of Pasco- and Kennewick.  Eleanor Roosevelt was the most powerful woman in America for more than 30 years, and Wolfberg takes you on an amazing journey from Eleanor’s shy, awkward childhood, to life as the First Lady and later to the United Nations.  She believed in the equality of women and the racial minorities before it was popular.  Joan Wolfberg is a Chautauqua scholar and professional actress formerly with the New Mexico and Florida Humanities Councils and currently serving as a speaker for United Jewish Communities.

CBC LitFest 2010 hosts authors Walter, Fromm
The first event of LitFest 2010 is meant to spread the love of all literature.  Don’t miss the opportunity to hear about great titles, meet the authors and share the joy of reading.  On March 4, LitFest will host Jess Walter and Pete Fromm on the HUB Main Stage at 7 p.m.  Walter is the award-winning author of five novels and one nonfiction book.  His book, The Zero, was a finalist for the National Book Award.  Hailed as one of “America’s best-kept literary secrets,” Pete Fromm’s latest novel, As Cool As I Am, earned him an unprecedented fourth Pacific Northwest Booksellers Literary Award.  For complete information, visit www.columbiabasin.edu/litfest.

Music offerings run the gamut in March
The CBC Winter Instrumental Concert will be held Tuesday, March 9, at 7:30 p.m. in the CBC Theatre.  The Columbia Basin College Band, directed by Randy Hubbs, will present a concert with lots of variety.

The CBC Winter Jazz Nite will be Thursday, March 11, at 7:30 p.m. in the CBC Theatre.  Come hear the award-winning jazz ensemble in an exciting evening of instrumental and vocal jazz.  The CBC Jazz Ensemble, directed by Randy Hubbs, and FreeForm, directed by Dave Cazier, will thrill you with a variety of jazz styles.

The CBC Winter Choral-Orchestra Concert is Tuesday, March 16, at 7:30 p.m. in the CBC Theatre.  The CBC Choir and the Desertones, directed by Dave Cazier, have been celebrating musical excellence at CBC for many years, and this concert will present a variety of choral musical styles.  The CBC Orchestra, directed by D. Robert Burrows, will perform selections from the Baroque and Classical periods.

A Robert Richardson Recital will be held Thursday, March 18, at 7 p.m. in the CBC Theatre.  The love of music by long-time Tri-Citian Robert W. Richardson, who died in 1990, lives on with a music scholarship in his name.  This recital is the final phase of a process designed to select the top three candidates to receive the Robert Richardson Scholarship.  Come hear the best high school musicians in the area.

Richland, WA- When your kids ask you why they need to know math, tell them this.

Today engineering students at Columbia Basin College took the freshmen at Delta High School outside and let them get hands-on experience with equipment works.

The math students have been working with angles, and their teachers wanted to let them see and touch a real-life application.

"It's not just a couple of lines on a piece of paper," says CBC Associate Professor Paige Wyatt. " It has real meaning, a real use. The other nice thing is surveying is an excellent field to go into, so it could lead to some careers if the kids dive in an really enjoy it."

In case your kids ask, surveying helps engineers determine land boundaries and build straight and level roads.

Columbia Basin College invited the students to attend classes going over the importance of studying up for college.  For most of these kids, it was their first trip to a college campus.

A number of students told us the experience today will help inspire them to get good grades so they can one day go to college.

The whole point of today's visit was to show students that college is an option.

The school assistant principal says a lot of the children come from low-income families and college may not be discussed frequently.

CBC officials say they have increased early outreach efforts over the last two years.

Published Feb. 24, 2010
By Adam Harding, KNDU TV

PASCO, Wash--  Solar panels are the newest gadgets to hit the CBC campus.  They help power the  newest building, the 'B' building.  The building just opened up last September and just taking one walk down the hallway you can see how up-to-date it really is.

But it's what you don't see that really separates this building from the rest.  Solar panels gather energy and heat large amounts of water-- enough to continuously provide hot water.

Computer panels in the hallway illustrate the energy cycle.  And school leaders say it's a huge money saver.

"We know that we're converting a lot of our sunshine into free energy, which in fact makes hot water.  Hot water is probably one of the most expensive things you use in your home, aside from maybe heating during a cold winter," says Bill Saraceno, senior vice president of administration for the college.  "That's just constant churning on your meters--you can watch your meters spin like crazy when your hot water meter turns on."

Saraceno says the school will be able to fully see the money saved this coming September; that's when they'll look at the annual cost and compare it to the previous year.

In the meantime, they plan to use similar technology as they continue to expand.

Thursday, a 12-minute video tribute to him was unveiled just before one of the scientists he had encouraged, Wayne Martin, was given the 2010 Community Stewardship Award by the Black History Month Committee at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.

The video can be viewed online here.

Maurice Foxworth, left, Wayne Martin, John Brooks Slaughter and Novella Bridges discuss Thursday the past, present and future of blacks in science, as well as the state of science and math education in the U.S. as part of the Pacific Northwest Laboratory's Black History Month Celebration.

Martin hadn't planned to return to school after he earned a bachelor's degree and started working at the national lab in Richland. But that was before Wiley, who was director of the lab from 1984 until two years before his death in 1996, took an interest in Martin.

"He convinced me to do things that I never would have done," said Martin, who now holds a doctorate in environmental science and acts as mentor to graduate students at the lab.

The video, created by the National Visionary Leadership Project, will be used nationwide to inspire students, including black students, to consider a career in science.

Much has changed since Wiley earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry in 1954 at a time when his choice of schools in Mississippi was limited to those that accepted blacks.

But the need for black scientists to "reach back and grab those behind them" remains as strong as ever, said panelists at a Black History Month celebration Thursday at PNNL.

"There are thousands of Bill Wileys out there to be developed," said John Slaughter, the first black director of the National Science Foundation from 1980-82. He now is professor of education and engineering at the University of Southern California.

Students of all races need to be encouraged to stick with math and science, Martin said. Too few U.S. citizens are entering technical fields, he said.

The problem stems from high school when it's easy for students to opt out of challenging science and math classes if they don't have families who encourage them to take the courses and do the work, he said.

"If we do not get them early, they are lost to these particular disciplines," he said.

The percentage of minority students studying math and science in high school that's needed to pursue math and science higher education is particularly low, Slaughter said.

"They opt out because in many cases they are taught by teachers who do not have a minor or major in math or science," he said.

Institutions such as national labs can help ensure diversity by recruiting at smaller universities and colleges that have strong programs in specialized scientific areas, Martin said.

Labs need to be not just innovative, but also increase their rate of innovation, he said.

"The only way to do that is with people of diverse backgrounds," he said.

The panel, led by moderator Rufus Friday, publisher of the Tri-City Herald, also discussed what might amaze Wiley if he could see the changes that had come to the national lab.

His vision was behind the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, which does molecular research on the environment across a range of scientific disciplines, including chemistry and biology.

A belief in integration of sciences and disciplines to solve tough problems is common today, panelists said.

Wiley would have been amazed by new ways to communicate, such as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube, said Novella Bridges, a senior research chemist at the national lab. And he would have enjoyed and made full use of them, panelists agreed.

Maurice Foxworth, an attorney who worked at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, said Wiley would be surprised at his continuing influence.

Slaughter agreed. But Wiley also would be disappointed in how little progress has been made in the United States to involve all its people in science and technology fields, he said.

Wayne Martin, Ph.D. has been a Columbia Basin College Trustee since 2000.

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

Delta High School freshmen will see how math concepts learned in the classroom apply to real-world situations with a hands-on lesson from Columbia Basin College’s Engineering Technology students tomorrow, Tuesday, March 2.

CBC Associate Professor Paige Wyatt and her sophomore students will set up total stations and assist the Delta High students in learning how to use the surveying equipment to read angles.  The Delta High freshmen will take the data back to their math class, taught by Linda Estes, to see if it adds up.

The activity will be done with all five math classes running between 8:30 a.m. and 3 p.m., at or near the Delta campus in Richland.  For more information, please call Delta High School at 544-8355.

This activity was originally scheduled in December 2009, but was rescheduled due to inclement weather.

Today, 250 sixth-grade students from Park Middle School will experience a day in college courtesy of I’m Going to College (IGTC) and Columbia Basin College. At 9 a.m. students will arrive on the CBC campus, be divided into groups, and attend classes designed just for them.

College Bound, Vocational, and College 101courses provide insight to the programs CBC and other colleges offer, explain why and how to attend college, and moreover what to expect once enrolled.

For most sixth-graders, this will be their first time on a college campus. To complement the experience, IGTC also provides food, t-shirts, and backpacks for all students. Prior to today, the sixth-graders worked with their middle school teachers to complete a Northwest Educational Loan Association (NELA) donated IGTC activity book where they explored different types of colleges, financial aid programs, and career choices.

As an associate professor at Columbia Basin College, Gene Holand, is creative and edgy.  Holand, who is in his 30th year at CBC, is a teacher and speaker whose expertise in sales, marketing, personal development and innovation has produced several award winning achievements.

He is known for presentations and seminars that are funny, insightful, and in your face.

He is real world and irreverent.  His students refer to him as the "polisher" or the "finisher", because he demands that they become the "architects of their own destiny" and to use passion, commitment and dedication to build their life's vision.

Holand teaches sales, marketing, management, innovations and human relations and creative marketing.

The Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business recently quizzed Holand to find out more about his marketing classes and how local businesses might find value in using the CBC students.

TCAJoB:  What is Creative Marketing Consultants?
Holand:  CMC is a practical and student-centered project oriented class, utilizing marketing skills to develop marketing campaigns and plans, graphics and image packages for Tri-Cities-area businesses and charitable organizations.

TCAJoB:  What type of services does CMC offer?
Holand:  Graphics, image packages, light photo work, conceptual work including product design, trade show booth design, business cards and flyers.  Our only exception is heavy duty research projects which take a great amount of time and dollars.

TCAJoB:  How did it get started?
Holand:  This course was designed and developed as an in-class project.  We were asked by General Motors to do a local, on-campus project.  The students designed and executed a marketing plan to create awareness of General Motors vehicles to a buying population that was virtually untapped.

Working with McCurly Dealership and a $2,500 budget, we amassed a $35,000 promotional plan.  after the project completion and execution we began, with our local advisory committee developing Creative Marketing Consultants, which brought the real world into the classroom.  From that day forward we have three classes each quarter -- BUS 267, 268 and 269 Marketing Special Projects.

TCAJoB:  What is your goal with the class?
Holand:  That each student experience and explore innovation and leadership.  All student develop their creative skills through challenging projects and team participation working for a common goal.  And that each student find their own strengths and potential.

TCAJoB:  What are some of the most creative, successful campaigns your students have come up with?
Holand:  We had the opportunity to work with Kestrel Winery of Prosser in the concept and design of the 'The Lady in Red' and Platinum Series, taking them from 6,000 cases a year to 36,000 cases.

We also worked with the Washington Restaurant Association to develop a food show, 'Food, Wine and the Bottom-line,' bringing both suppliers and restaurants together. 

We have done two successful years with the 'Nutcracker Bullet.'

We re-imaged the CBC logo and tagline; created an image packaging for Dolly's Cupcakes, a handmade children's tea set, sold at Nordstrom's, and designed the logo for the Tri-Cities Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.  We've also done graphics and poster design work for the Tri-Cities Wine Festival.

During the past two years we have been working with New Horizons High School’s marketing class on a statewide campaign for high school dropouts titled ‘Destination Graduation.’  Their instructor Sue Edmonds is one of my graduates.

We did the design and image creations for two businesses, one in the Dominican Republic that sells cigars and an African company that sells tea, that involved out of country communications to create the packaging necessary for U.S. retail sales.

During the 2009-2010 school year we had several new clients with huge projects, including Tri-Cities Rotary Duck Race and The Pasco Downtown Development Association.

We’re working with Last Chance Distillers of Prosser, naming and designing its new whisky, gin, vodka and moonshine bottles and labels.

And we are designing a series of wine labels to be distributed over the next five years for the Washington State FFA Foundation.

TCAJoB:  How has the class changed, if at all, since you started?
Holand:  Our client list has grown, providing a large variety of opportunities for my students.  And we have moved into a new building – going from 800 square feet to 1,200 square feet.  The classroom was designed and laid out by my students and myself.  We have 12 foot ceilings for photography work, a printing lab where we can print anything from standard 8.5 x 11 to 44” wide posters of photo quality.  We can print one sample for the client and then send them to several high quality printing shops in our area to have quantities printed.

And last we have added a series of classes on Innovation better known as the Innovation Institute, where we take your creative thinking and processing to new and exciting levels.  This class has been taught to several area businesses as well as my students.

TCAJoB:  What are the most important things your students learn through the class?
Holand:  That the phrase “fail often to succeed sooner” is ingrained in them and their work, because I believe that this is the place to make your mistakes.  They sometimes refer to me as the polisher or the finisher, because I will not let anything out of that classroom as a finished project that I would not be proud of.  Please understand that I will not do the work, but I will make suggestions for changes.

TCAJoB:  What type of feedback do you receive from the business owners who use Creative Marketing Consultants?
Holand:  Everything from ‘Great job, I can’t believe this came from a community college class” to ‘Not exactly what we needed.”  We realize that we cannot satisfy every client that comes to us.  But we also do our best with every client.

TCAJoB:  How much do clients pay Creative Marketing Consultants?
Holand:  We do not and cannot charge.  We are not in the competitive market place.  We use our clients as learning experiences.  Several clients have made donations to the CBC Foundation in the name of CMC, which we use for scholarships.

TCAJoB:  How can business owners get help from Creative Marketing Consultants?
Holand:  All they have to do is call my cell number 948-1300 or come by our classroom in the B building room 108 any day Monday through Thursday at 11:30.

This year’s CBC Oktoberfest was a huge hit, with strong attendance, an ideal venue, attractive decorations and excellent food.  CBC President Rich Cummins opened the event with gracious comments about positive labor relations, which were echoed by WPEA Staff Rep Dave Schiel and President Greg Parker.  Participants were invited to decorate pumpkins in small groups, and the entries were remarkably creative.

A note of levity was provided by the renowned bodybuilders Hans and Franz (Dave and Greg), who made a special guest appearance.  Hans and Franz invited classified employees to “Get pumped up – wit ze union!” and displayed their bulging biceps and chiseled abs.  The pair praised CBC for strengthening the community and called upon union members to “flex” their political muscle by attending Lobby Day on behalf of community college funding.  The appearance culminated in a “flex-fest,” in which President Rich Cummins good-humoredly participated.

Especially during these times of budgetary pressure and uncertainty, WPEA continues to value its positive and collaborative relationship with CBC.

Call it chance, call it luck or call it serendipity, the Mid-Columbia Literary Festival folks have stumbled across a great new venue for their Lit Fest 2010 opener.

Well, not stumbled, exactly; they went looking for it, so the serendipity idea probably is not accurate. (But it's such a pretty word!)

Tonight the first event will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. at Bookwalter Winery, 894 Tulip Lane in Richland.

It's a twist on the usual and continuing practice of Lit Fest, bringing celebrated authors to Columbia Basin College to talk about their works.

Why not, wondered Lit Fest board member Ed Frost and Michelle Price, Barnes & Noble Booksellers' community relations manager, have a session built around book readers?

"About the Book" was born.

Lit Fest recruited speakers who've each shown a lifetime of respect for the printed word.

Moderator will be Chris Sivula, a member of the Lit Fest board of directors and editorial page editor of the Tri-City Herald.

In order of presentation, the presenters, talking about books they love, will appear in this order:

1. Bonnie Taylor, who has a background in journalism, mostly in Florida with the Orlando Sentinel, Miami Herald and Rollins College. She is co-author of several mysteries published in the 1980s and 1990s. She helped found the Herald's book page as a volunteer in 1988. She is on the Lit Fest Committee and still writes book reviews for the Herald.

2. Amanda Workman is the librarian at Desert Hills Middle School -- which she loves! She has worked in libraries for over 10 years, including the central libraries of Portland, and Olympia, and is currently the Benton-Franklin Reading Council secretary. A young adult book enthusiast, and self-proclaimed nerd, she loves all types of books but finds herself gravitating toward fantasy and graphic novels.

3. Pam McDonald and her husband, Ted, and their 19-year-old son have lived in the Tri-Cities since 2001. Pam is a contract specialist for Dade Moeller & Associates in Richland. She has been a contract administrator for over 25 years. Pam belongs to two book clubs in the Tri-Cities and has been an avid reader since she was 8 years old.

4. Robert Ingersoll works for Goodwill Industries. He says he loves to read, and his favorite author is Mark Twain. He also likes memoirs, biographies, history, science fiction and other genres.

5. Aaron Schroeder says he has been interested in literature since discovering Charles Bukowski in eighth grade. His love of reading was encouraged by many of his high school teachers who would frequently allow him to read books in class rather than pay attention to their lectures. When Aaron began working at Barnes & Noble in Kennewick five years ago, he believed that the only good authors were dead Russians. With a little curiosity and encouragement by Barnes & Noble customers and employees, Aaron soon found himself interested in a much broader range of authors.

6. Allison Stormo is the Sunday features and book editor of the Herald where she has been working for nearly 10 years. She's an Oregon native and lives in Richland. She is a graduate of the University of Oregon with a journalism degree. Her book collection well surpasses her bookshelf space and includes all her books from her childhood. She tries to attend Wordstock book convention in Portland every year.

7. Carol Berry was a school librarian for 33 years, now enjoying retirement. She is a member of the Lit Fest planning committee and president of The Literacy Connection, a nonprofit organization coordinating author visits to schools in the region. She first started working with authors while a member of the executive board for Mid-Columbia Young authors from 1983-90.

8. Ed Frost is a member of the Lit Fest steering committee. He loves short stories. His favorite fiction author is Kurt Vonnegut, his favorite nonfiction author is David Halberstam and his all-time favorite book is A Confederacy of Dunces.

Programs with authors begin in March and run through May. Most events take place at Columbia Basin College, a principal sponsor of Lit Fest. Other current and past sponsors are Barnes & Noble, Battelle, Baker Boyer Bank, Louise Foskett Estate, The Children's Reading Foundation of the Mid-Columbia, Humanities Washington and the Tri-City Herald.

For more information, call 542-4772 during business hours or visit the website at www.columbiabasin.edu/litfest at any time.

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

In recognition of Eating Disorders Awareness Week this week, the Columbia Basin College counseling department is sponsoring an awareness event from 1 to 3 p.m. Wednesday in room TD 435.

The session will provide resources, education and support to those affected by eating disorders.

The documentary film America the Beautiful will be shown. It examines America's fixation with outward appearance and the unrealistic standards of beauty.

Materials on eating disorders will be available in the HUB from 8 a.m. to noon. For more information, call Carrie DeLeon in the CBC Counseling department at 542-5508.

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

PASCO -- Columbia Basin College hired Dan Headley as its new women's volleyball coach, filling the spot left by John Patrick's surprise resignation last season.

Headley, a former CBC assistant in 1996, has also served as an assistant at several Mid-Columbia high schools, including Connell, Kennewick, Prosser and Southridge.

As a collegiate player at Lewis-Clark State College in Lewiston, Headley was named team captain for two seasons.

Later, he transferred to William Woods University to help the Owls win the NAIA national championship in 2002.

After college, Headley founded, directed and coached the StrikeForce Volleyball Club in Kennewick.

Patrick accumulated a 747-360 record in 22 seasons at CBC and reached the NWAACC tournament in all but four seasons.

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

The following students were listed on the fall quarter honor roll at Columbia Basin College in Pasco.

President's List
Students who earn 12 credits in courses 100 or above within the quarter and achieve a quarterly GPA of 3.85-4.00 are named to the President's Honor Roll.

Cody Almquist, Elizabeth Anderson, Michelle Anderson, Shauna Anderson, Shawna Anderson, Miguel Angel, Elizabeth Arnold, Ryan Bales, Alina Baranovskaya, Stephanie Beckman, Erik Ben-zekry, Dan Berghofer, Fallon Berglin, Amy Bernard, Bethany Bjur, Stevi Blythe, Susan Brenchley, Shayn Brock, Charles Brunkhorst, Joseph Byrd, Jessica Carter, Oscar Castrellon, Jessica Castro, Joe Chapman, Alison Christ, Josef Christ, Jesse Clossey, Alexandra Colvin, Cristin Constantinescu, Jeanette Corriell, Jay Cruto, Jaleh Davari, Lindsey Day, Daniel Delamare, Ariel Deleon, Jose Diaz, Amber Dickerson, Karen Doiron, Deshaun Dowdy, Chelsie Elliott, Mary Ellwein, Katie Erickson, Lindsay Evans, Cynthia Fajmon, Lance Foglesong, Marcos Franco, Matthew Friehauf, Maxwell Garrett, Angie Garza, Ryan Garza,Jennifer Gintner, Hillary Gregg, Eliseo Gutierrez, Alyssa Hall, Brandon Ham, Derrick Haney, Erienne Harding, Reed Harston, William Hayes, Ambre Helland, Jessica Higley, Jacob Hoff, Danica Hope, Adam Houghton, Audrey Howlett, Travis Hughes, Summer Imran, Angela Ingalls, Christina Jackson, Andrew Jensen, Rhiannon Johanson, Charity Johnson, Clayton Johnson, Dawn Johnson, Jennifer Johnston, Julia Kasper, Lisa Kessler, Miamae Kiamco, Zea Kiamco, Jennifer Labeaf, Michael Laferriere, Ann Lam, Mary Lam, Cheyann Larsen, Justine Lobach, Robert Lopez, Carol Madron, Alejandro Magana, Nikhil Malhan, Kristin Mann, David Mantay, Shauna Maple, Lori Markle, Amanda Martinez, Brooke Martinez, Luke Mcalister, Paige Mcculley, Kelly Mcintosh, Matthew Mckinnon, Joanna Mcleod, Andres Mendoza, Jose Mendoza, Tamra Meyer, Angelique Miehm, Oleysya Mikheeva, Colter Morton, Karissa Mueller, Catrina Murphy, Julia Murphy, Rachel Neff, Tina Nguyen, Scott Niebuhr, Ashley Nogales, Justin Norris, Kimberly Oates, Leonie Oostrom, Raquel Patino, Elizabeth Pearson, Sarah Pedersen, Kathryn Pfaff, Robert Pfaff, Anthony Pheasant, Meghan Pickett, Thomas Powers, Linda Ramirez, Tracy Rasmussen, Sarah Rausch, Secret Reinhardt, Karianne Renicker, Miranda Rhoten, Cheyenne Rivera, Jeff Rivera, Kelly Roberts, Eduardo Rodriguez, Eustorgio Rodriguez, Rebecca Rogo, Mary Rose, Alexis Sanchez, Kaelynn Sant, Dmytro Serhiychuk, Jason Skouson, Skip Smith, Stacey Smith, Sierra Sonderman, Rebecca Sorensen, Nadia Soto, Jeremie Spencer, Dustin Stordahl, Carrie Surratt, Michael Sydor, Nicole Sydor, Nidia Tapia, Joy Thatcher, Christine Tixier, Daniel Tixier, Andrea Trumbach, Candice Tschauner, Eileen Urbina, Angela Velasquez, Anthony Vorpagel, Stacy Wachob, Mackenzie Waddell, Lauren Walker, Ho Wan, Lisa Ward, Rachelle Ward, Sam Ward, Michael Warren, Kristopher Welsch, Erica Wheeler, Brenda Wiesner, Riley Workman, Nicole Yanez, Michael Zhang.

Dean's List
Students who earn 12 credits in courses 100 or above within the quarter and achieve a quarterly GPA of 3.50-3.84 are named to the dean's honor roll.

Mckenzie Acker, Danielle Alexander, Roth Alexander, Bethany Allen, Alexis Almeida, Taylor Anderson, Darian Andrew, Anastasia Andrews, Nayeli Aranda, Robert Armstead, Ean Arnold, Jaryd Arnold, Jason Arnold, Hector Arredondo, Vickie Atkinson, Camber Ault, Dustin Ault, Derek Avery, Maria Ayala, Christopher Ayres, Angela Ball, Justin Barham, Brian Barrett, Jacob Bassett, Elizabeth Bayuk, Marianeth Becerril, Stephanie Bechen, James Beitz, Nicole Bennett, Markus Berghofer, Molly Beus, Vanessa Blaak, Justin Blanchard, Zachary Blotz, Stephan Boone, Briana Bouche, Samantha Boyd, Fred Bradley,Vanessa Bragg, Jordan Briggs, Kamara Brooks, Vanessa Burge, Kyle Cantrell, Jamie Carroll, Wade Carter, Bryson Casale, Shelby Case, Chelsea Chapman, Teri Chase, Rosa Chavez, Robert Christenson, Drew Church, Christopher Cisneros, Andrew Coates, Brittney Colgan-ball, Zachary Collin, Sarah Conley, Daniel Connolly, Krystin Cook, Julie Cooper, Shontee Cornejo, Sarah Corpron, Liset Corral, Laurie Cossey, Tara Crider, John Crigler, Elicia Criscola, Jeslaine Cruto, Erika Cruz, Jaime Cuevas, Yesenia Cuevas, Kelsey Cunningham, Kayla Curtis, George Daud, Ashley Davidson, Bethany Davis, Amanda Day, Emily Day, Danielle Dean, John Dean, Nancy Deatherage, Sara Deibler, Chanell Dejesus, Carmen Delosier, Robyn Demers, Ashley Denn, Eloise Devine, Richard Devine, Allison Dewald, Gilberto Diaz, Sheira Diaz, Travis Didier, Liliya Dillingham, Suzana Djuric, Lawrence Dowell, Shelly Dowen-Johnson, Matthew Draisey, Afton Dunham, Amy Durham, Tyler Durham, Felicia Eddy, Sharesse Edie, Travis Ehart, Daniel Elfers, Socrates Escalera, Beatriz Espinoza, Cassandra Evans, Nico Face, Erin Fardell, Jake Fife, Jayme Finch, Esther Flatau, Monica Flores, Irina Foley, Hayley Foraker, Shantell Forbes, Patrick Forgette, Jace Fox, Margaret Francik, Arich Fuher, Sadie Funk, Adriana Gaeta, Jasmine Gallardo, Jessica Gallegos, Kathryn Gamble, Whitney Garcia, Ryan Gardner, Karla Garten, Delia Garza, Ursela Gaskill, Dana Gassman, Jennifer George, Russell Gibson, Robney Gilbert, Mary Gilmore, Andrea Gizzarelli, Crystal Gjerdevig, Jill Glasford, Hannah Goetz, Brian Gomez, Francisco Gonzalez, Julissa Gonzalez, Tanna Gore, Daniel Gottschalk, Madison Gould, Kalei Grayson, Courtnee Grego, Raul Guerrero, Rudy Guidry, Adrian Guzman, Erin Gwinn, Lacey Halverson, Dakota Hamm, Othniella Harding, Jordan Harshfield, Crystal Hayes, Forrest Heller, Arlene Henriques, Tayler Herman, Daniel Hernandez, Maria Hernandez, Samuel Hewson, Zachary Hilliard, Kylee Hines, Melinda Hoksbergen, Dayl Holmes, Amity Holt, Heidi Hooper, Kelcee Hope, Robert Hornibrook, Rebecca Houck, Joshua Howell, Adam Huckleberry, Sharon Hughes, Kristin Ingalls, Larissa Iracheta, Olivia Jackson, Trenten Jackson, Amy Jensen, Kyle Johnson, Drew Jones, Jason Jones, Cheryl Jurgilewicz, Colby Kadinger, Jessica Kaiser, Adriana Katz, Jennifer Keene, Natosha Keogh, Jessica Kestler, Kristina King, Kody Kinziger, Cassandra Kisler, Kathryn Klopfenstein, Taylor Knipp, Jamie Koelzer, James Korolev, Sophol Lam, Stephen Lambert, Deborah Langston, Hailey Lanning, Margaret Laubach, Shawna Lauria, Harley Lawrence, John Lawton, Garrett Lefebre, Alejandra Leos, Ashley Leseberg, Coleen Lewis, David Lewis, Jessica Lewis, Cara Linde, Katherine Lindquist, Charles Linja, Adam Lloyd, Hannah Lockard, Dena Lodahl, Austin Lomax, Rebecca Long, Johnny Lord, Trevor Lott, Andrew Low, Katie Lowery, Levi Luca, Kayla Macfarlan, Mandy Machinal, Ann Marchand, Aaron Martin, April Martin, Saul Martinez, Michaela Marty, Kiya Masters, Jeffrey Matthews, John May, Jessica Mccoy, Ronica Mccoy, Christopher Mcelroy, Karlene Mcgregor, Manna Mcintosh, Michelle Mckee, Melanie Mckenna, Errika Mcpeak, Maida Mehmedovic, Leann Melvin, Bianca Mendoza, Blanca Mendoza, Rachael Michel, Kelsey Miller, Wendy Miller, Deborah Moles, Brittney Molina, Robert Montano, Jerry Moore, Tricia Moore, Jamie Morgan, Lee Moulton, Felicia Murray, Shyamal Nand, Joy Nauertz, Kevin Neill, Braden Nelson, Cherrie Nichols, Courtney Nichols, Larry Nichols, Wendy Nichols, Ii Nielsen, Nelson Noble, Wade Nolen, Bren Norman, Cyndi Nunez, Mark Nuzum, Aurora Oberg, Colton Obrien, Angelyca Ochoa, Leah Oeder, Jennifer Oliver, Chris Omolo, Kirby Orr, Mason Ortiz, Megan Osborne, Eldon Otta, Kurtis Paine, Sabdi Palma, Lindsay Palmer, Trampis Palmer, Devin Papp, Robert Parchen, Neil Parker, Daniel Parr, Glenn Patrick, Malia Pearson, Amy Pederson, Tyler Peterson, Huy Pham, Adam Phillips, Katelynn Pierce, Martha Pineda, Ryelee Plager, Nella Porter, Brooke Preston, Roman Pruneda, Ross Quesnell, Stacy Quick, Udiel Ramirez, Kayla Rasmussen, Bethany Rawls, John Reilly, Rachel Reinemann, Jasmine Reyes, Rolanda Reyna, Caleena Richards, Sheri Richards, Jessica Rinehart, Carl Rivera, Violeta Rivera, Jordan Roberts, Kyle Roberts, Michelle Roberts, Grant Robinson, Nicole Rodriguez, Adisa Salaka, Aydee Sanchez, Lisa Sanchez, Nicole Sand, David Sanders, Georgia Schafer, Kelsey Schalock, Mark Sebelien, Allan Serrano, Samuel Sheldon, Lina Shelestovskiy, Chanse Shepard, Toya Shepherd-stritter, Kathryn Short, Melissa Siebol, Robert Siegel, Eric Simiele, Emily Sinclair, Kinbri Sipes, Kerra Sivonen, Alexandra Smith, Michelle Smith, Terrance Smith, Tyler Smith, Jesus Solorio, Maritza Sosa, Allyssa Souza, Hannah Stanfield, Mandi Steinhoff, Brittney Stephens, Chelsea Stevenson, Tate Stock, Kathrine Stroh, Merilee Strong, Lacey Stroud, Hailee Stroup, Troy Suss, Caleb Suttle, Alexander Swensen, Kimberly Swenson, Glen Taft, Anthony Tappin, Andrey Tarasov, Traci Taylor, Amanda Tedeschi, Jeremy Tegrotenhuis, Jeremiah Thatcher, Austin Thomas, Christy Thompson, Emily Thompson, Alex Thomsen, Chase Tomjack, Danny Trapp, Jacqueline Travis, Laurie Trescott, Elvira Trevino, Nigel Tritt, Terryn Turner, Theodore Uecker, Zachary Underhill, Lucas Urlacher, Homar Ursua, Michelle Ursua, Joseph Vanburen, Jennifer Vandyken, Daisy Vargas, Holly Veach, Benjamin Vedder, Amalia Veliz, Courtney Verret, Thomas Verret, Joshua Vunkannon, Jonathan Walker, Kathryn Wall, Chris Walters, Jordan Warner, Jake Waters, Kendra Waters, Eric Watts, Sarah Weaver, Joshua Weston, Michelle Wheeler, James Whitney, Dave Whittam, Holli Wiberg, Patricia Williams, Amanda Wilson, Bryce Wilson, Paris Wilson, Jacqueli Winters, Aric Wokojance, Riley Woodford, Anna Workman, Anthony Wright, Jessica Wright, Lindsey Wright, Mykael Wylie, Lindsey Yearout, Guadalupe Zavala, Luis Zecena, Richard Ziegele, Jennifer Zilar.

Mckenzie Acker, Danielle Alexander, Roth Alexander, Bethany Allen, Alexis Almeida, Taylor Anderson, Darian Andrew, Anastasia Andrews, Nayeli Aranda, Robert Armstead, Ean Arnold, Jaryd Arnold, Jason Arnold, Hector Arredondo, Vickie Atkinson, Camber Ault, Dustin Ault, Derek Avery, Maria Ayala, Christopher Ayres, Angela Ball, Justin Barham, Brian Barrett, Jacob Bassett, Elizabeth Bayuk, Marianeth Becerril, Stephanie Bechen, James Beitz, Nicole Bennett, Markus Berghofer, Molly Beus, Vanessa Blaak, Justin Blanchard, Zachary Blotz, Stephan Boone, Briana Bouche, Samantha Boyd, Fred Bradley,Vanessa Bragg, Jordan Briggs, Kamara Brooks, Vanessa Burge, Kyle Cantrell, Jamie Carroll, Wade Carter, Bryson Casale, Shelby Case, Chelsea Chapman, Teri Chase, Rosa Chavez, Robert Christenson, Drew Church, Christopher Cisneros, Andrew Coates, Brittney Colgan-ball, Zachary Collin, Sarah Conley, Daniel Connolly, Krystin Cook, Julie Cooper, Shontee Cornejo, Sarah Corpron, Liset Corral, Laurie Cossey, Tara Crider, John Crigler, Elicia Criscola, Jeslaine Cruto, Erika Cruz, Jaime Cuevas, Yesenia Cuevas, Kelsey Cunningham, Kayla Curtis, George Daud, Ashley Davidson, Bethany Davis, Amanda Day, Emily Day, Danielle Dean, John Dean, Nancy Deatherage, Sara Deibler, Chanell Dejesus, Carmen Delosier, Robyn Demers, Ashley Denn, Eloise Devine, Richard Devine, Allison Dewald, Gilberto Diaz, Sheira Diaz, Travis Didier, Liliya Dillingham, Suzana Djuric, Lawrence Dowell, Shelly Dowen-Johnson, Matthew Draisey, Afton Dunham, Amy Durham, Tyler Durham, Felicia Eddy, Sharesse Edie, Travis Ehart, Daniel Elfers, Socrates Escalera, Beatriz Espinoza, Cassandra Evans, Nico Face, Erin Fardell, Jake Fife, Jayme Finch, Esther Flatau, Monica Flores, Irina Foley, Hayley Foraker, Shantell Forbes, Patrick Forgette, Jace Fox, Margaret Francik, Arich Fuher, Sadie Funk, Adriana Gaeta, Jasmine Gallardo, Jessica Gallegos, Kathryn Gamble, Whitney Garcia, Ryan Gardner, Karla Garten, Delia Garza, Ursela Gaskill, Dana Gassman, Jennifer George, Russell Gibson, Robney Gilbert, Mary Gilmore, Andrea Gizzarelli, Crystal Gjerdevig, Jill Glasford, Hannah Goetz, Brian Gomez, Francisco Gonzalez, Julissa Gonzalez, Tanna Gore, Daniel Gottschalk, Madison Gould, Kalei Grayson, Courtnee Grego, Raul Guerrero, Rudy Guidry, Adrian Guzman, Erin Gwinn, Lacey Halverson, Dakota Hamm, Othniella Harding, Jordan Harshfield, Crystal Hayes, Forrest Heller, Arlene Henriques, Tayler Herman, Daniel Hernandez, Maria Hernandez, Samuel Hewson, Zachary Hilliard, Kylee Hines, Melinda Hoksbergen, Dayl Holmes, Amity Holt, Heidi Hooper, Kelcee Hope, Robert Hornibrook, Rebecca Houck, Joshua Howell, Adam Huckleberry, Sharon Hughes, Kristin Ingalls, Larissa Iracheta, Olivia Jackson, Trenten Jackson, Amy Jensen, Kyle Johnson, Drew Jones, Jason Jones, Cheryl Jurgilewicz, Colby Kadinger, Jessica Kaiser, Adriana Katz, Jennifer Keene, Natosha Keogh, Jessica Kestler, Kristina King, Kody Kinziger, Cassandra Kisler, Kathryn Klopfenstein, Taylor Knipp, Jamie Koelzer, James Korolev, Sophol Lam, Stephen Lambert, Deborah Langston, Hailey Lanning, Margaret Laubach, Shawna Lauria, Harley Lawrence, John Lawton, Garrett Lefebre, Alejandra Leos, Ashley Leseberg, Coleen Lewis, David Lewis, Jessica Lewis, Cara Linde, Katherine Lindquist, Charles Linja, Adam Lloyd, Hannah Lockard, Dena Lodahl, Austin Lomax, Rebecca Long, Johnny Lord, Trevor Lott, Andrew Low, Katie Lowery, Levi Luca, Kayla Macfarlan, Mandy Machinal, Ann Marchand, Aaron Martin, April Martin, Saul Martinez, Michaela Marty, Kiya Masters, Jeffrey Matthews, John May, Jessica Mccoy, Ronica Mccoy, Christopher Mcelroy, Karlene Mcgregor, Manna Mcintosh, Michelle Mckee, Melanie Mckenna, Errika Mcpeak, Maida Mehmedovic, Leann Melvin, Bianca Mendoza, Blanca Mendoza, Rachael Michel, Kelsey Miller, Wendy Miller, Deborah Moles, Brittney Molina, Robert Montano, Jerry Moore, Tricia Moore, Jamie Morgan, Lee Moulton, Felicia Murray, Shyamal Nand, Joy Nauertz, Kevin Neill, Braden Nelson, Cherrie Nichols, Courtney Nichols, Larry Nichols, Wendy Nichols, Ii Nielsen, Nelson Noble, Wade Nolen, Bren Norman, Cyndi Nunez, Mark Nuzum, Aurora Oberg, Colton Obrien, Angelyca Ochoa, Leah Oeder, Jennifer Oliver, Chris Omolo, Kirby Orr, Mason Ortiz, Megan Osborne, Eldon Otta, Kurtis Paine, Sabdi Palma, Lindsay Palmer, Trampis Palmer, Devin Papp, Robert Parchen, Neil Parker, Daniel Parr, Glenn Patrick, Malia Pearson, Amy Pederson, Tyler Peterson, Huy Pham, Adam Phillips, Katelynn Pierce, Martha Pineda, Ryelee Plager, Nella Porter, Brooke Preston, Roman Pruneda, Ross Quesnell, Stacy Quick, Udiel Ramirez, Kayla Rasmussen, Bethany Rawls, John Reilly, Rachel Reinemann, Jasmine Reyes, Rolanda Reyna, Caleena Richards, Sheri Richards, Jessica Rinehart, Carl Rivera, Violeta Rivera, Jordan Roberts, Kyle Roberts, Michelle Roberts, Grant Robinson, Nicole Rodriguez, Adisa Salaka, Aydee Sanchez, Lisa Sanchez, Nicole Sand, David Sanders, Georgia Schafer, Kelsey Schalock, Mark Sebelien, Allan Serrano, Samuel Sheldon, Lina Shelestovskiy, Chanse Shepard, Toya Shepherd-stritter, Kathryn Short, Melissa Siebol, Robert Siegel, Eric Simiele, Emily Sinclair, Kinbri Sipes, Kerra Sivonen, Alexandra Smith, Michelle Smith, Terrance Smith, Tyler Smith, Jesus Solorio, Maritza Sosa, Allyssa Souza, Hannah Stanfield, Mandi Steinhoff, Brittney Stephens, Chelsea Stevenson, Tate Stock, Kathrine Stroh, Merilee Strong, Lacey Stroud, Hailee Stroup, Troy Suss, Caleb Suttle, Alexander Swensen, Kimberly Swenson, Glen Taft, Anthony Tappin, Andrey Tarasov, Traci Taylor, Amanda Tedeschi, Jeremy Tegrotenhuis, Jeremiah Thatcher, Austin Thomas, Christy Thompson, Emily Thompson, Alex Thomsen, Chase Tomjack, Danny Trapp, Jacqueline Travis, Laurie Trescott, Elvira Trevino, Nigel Tritt, Terryn Turner, Theodore Uecker, Zachary Underhill, Lucas Urlacher, Homar Ursua, Michelle Ursua, Joseph Vanburen, Jennifer Vandyken, Daisy Vargas, Holly Veach, Benjamin Vedder, Amalia Veliz, Courtney Verret, Thomas Verret, Joshua Vunkannon, Jonathan Walker, Kathryn Wall, Chris Walters, Jordan Warner, Jake Waters, Kendra Waters, Eric Watts, Sarah Weaver, Joshua Weston, Michelle Wheeler, James Whitney, Dave Whittam, Holli Wiberg, Patricia Williams, Amanda Wilson, Bryce Wilson, Paris Wilson, Jacqueli Winters, Aric Wokojance, Riley Woodford, Anna Workman, Anthony Wright, Jessica Wright, Lindsey Wright, Mykael Wylie, Lindsey Yearout, Guadalupe Zavala, Luis Zecena, Richard Ziegele, Jennifer Zilar.

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

Was America founded as a Christian nation?

Like so many of our public debates, those who argue on opposite sides tend to speak past each other.  In fact, both sides are correct as long as we add some clarifications.

Was America founded as a Christian nation?  Answer:  No.  Was America founded as a nation of Christians?  Answer:  Yes.

When we speak of a “Christian nation,” we are not asking if most – in fact nearly all – of the citizens and founders of the nation were Christians.  Indeed they were.

We are asking if the framework of the nation was built on Christian principles.  Did our founding documents “establish” Christianity as a basis for government and for citizenship much in the same way that Israel is a Jewish republic or Saudi Arabia is an Islamic state?

The answer to this question is an unequivocal “no.”

Our nation did not emerge organically from a common faith or ethnicity, but rather from a set of documents – primarily the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation) our first constitution) and our current Constitution.

Thomas Jefferson, the primary author of the Declaration of Independence, believed in God, as did all the founding fathers, but Jefferson’s faith can only loosely, if at all, be described as “Christian.”  He glorified the teachings of Jesus (which he compiled into the “Jefferson Bible”), but he did not consider Jesus to be the son of God nor did he accept miracles or anything else in the Bible that conflicted with his belief in a rational universe.

The Articles of Confederation acknowledged the “Great Governor of the World,” but, leaving aside the proforma “Year of our Lord” date stamp at the very end of the document, the U.S. Constitution makes no reference at all to religion, a God or a Creator, except in the First Amendment clause prohibiting Congress from making any law “respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”

The religion that was thus encoded in the Constitution was not Christianity, but religious liberty.  In fact, the founders established the first modern nation that did not rest upon God or religion as the basis of state authority.

The founders vested the authority of the state in the hands of the people, whose citizenship had nothing to do with their religious convictions.  Their ideas about government came from John Locke, Scottish republican thinkers and classical political thought, not the Bible.

“In God we Trust” did not become our “national motto” until 1956, two years after “Under God” was added to our Pledge of Allegiance.

Does this mean the founders were irreligious?  Quite the opposite.  They simply believed, as James Madison said, that “Religion and government will both exist in greater purity, the less they are mixed together.”

And they weren’t merely protecting the “purity” of religion from the corruption of politics.  In arguing against the establishment of religion in Virginia, Madison worried that “an established clergy” would aid “rulers who wished to subvert the public liberty.”

If our founding documents do not support the notion of a “Christian nation,” it also is not accurate to say that the founders were not deeply religious and mostly Christian.  Sure, there were a handful of deists, including Benjamin Franklin.

But even Franklin sought to “imitate Jesus and Socrates.”  If not a Christian nation at its founding, the U.S. was, in other words, a nation of Christians whose founders – with the support of certain newer denominations such as the Baptists – wished to see the free exercise of religion flourish outside the boundaries of state support or control.

And flourish it did.  With no particular denomination or doctrine given state privilege, the number of new denominations and congregations exploded in the early republic, leading Alexis de Toqueville to remark in the 1830s that, “There is no country in the whole world in which Christian religion contains a greater influence over the souls of man than in America.”

The same is true today if the U.S. is compared to other advanced industrial nations.  Religion and spirituality of all kinds have prospered in America precisely because our founders did not write them into the social contract.

Could the founders have foreseen that their ideas about religious freedom would be extended to protect even non-Christian religions?  Probably not.  But neither would they have foreseen that the phrase “all men are created equal” would be extended to include women, blacks and other nonwhite male property holders.

They lived in a different time, but their vision of religious freedom has been remarkably durable and incredibly effective in keeping our nation from devolving into the kind of sectarian conflict that we witness today in Iraq and other parts of the world.

David Arnold received his Ph.D. in U.S. history from UCLA and he now teaches at Columbia Basin College.

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

PASCO -- When Doug Gruba worked at Tri-Cities WorkSource he helped the unemployed find jobs. Now, he's trying to peddle his skills to prospective employers after being laid off last year.

Sue Beitilich, an administrative office supervisor for the city of Kennewick, shows Doug Gruba of Kennewick the city's online application system Thursday during Columbia Basin College's annual Career Expo. Photo by Kai-Huei Yau of the Tri-City Herald

And he's keeping his options wide open. The Kennewick man, who has a master's in clinical psychology, was among more than 500 job seekers Thursday at the 26th annual Career Expo at Columbia Basin College.

Gruba, 53, gave a one-minute pitch about himself to a group of employers at the job fair as part of a live resume program.

He has worked as a middle school teacher in California and as a food science technician at ConAgra in the Tri-Cities. He's also teaching himself about financial investing.

"I hope age is not an impediment (to being hired)," he said.

Hunting for jobs can be challenging, but he remains optimistic, thanks to support from his wife, former boss and co-workers.

Daphne Lightfoot, director of student employment services at CBC, said, "The expo was a huge success."

There were about 60 employers, including first-time participants the U.S. Census Bureau, Mission Support Alliance (at Hanford), Northwest Pilates and a new beauty salon.

Job seekers represented a range of education and experience, said Brent Howard, division manager at Sun Pacific Energy, a wholesale and retail gas business that owns, among others, Sun Mart convenience stores.

Some were looking for a career and others for a job, Howard said. "People are exploring all options and their horizons are widening." They realize old jobs aren't coming back and that they need to be prepared for different types of jobs in the future when the national economy turns around, he said.

Job seeker Joe Chapman, who also participated in the live resume program, said, "There may be fewer positions. (But) the employers are looking for people." Chapman, 35, a former newspaper reporter is now a full-time computer science student at CBC. He was impressed by the turnout and the quality of presentations.

CBC student Sharon Groff, 60, wants to be a medical office assistant. The West Richland woman has been unemployed since August after a Hanford subcontractor she worked for lost the service contract.

Groff talked with representatives from area hospitals and the federal prison system for possible job leads after she graduates in about six months.

Health care is a growing industry in the Tri-Cities. "I'm confident about finding a job," she said.

WorkSource is a state-funded agency that helps businesses find workers and helps the unemployed get short-term training.

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