Published Mar. 31, 2010<\/SPAN> One day last week, the Herald ran stories on two different public projects, which got us thinking about all the ways the Tri-Cities keep changing for the better.<\/P> These seemingly unrelated stories appeared on the front of the March 22 Mid-Columbia section.<\/P> One was about improvements in downtown Pasco. The other was about plans for a shade structure on Clover Island. <\/P> Opposite sides of the river. Different cities. Different counties.<\/P> The common tie is that both stories are about public projects that benefit the community as a whole.<\/P> The Port of Kennewick is planning to provide a shade structure at Clover Island. The Metz Family Plaza will include a statue of a family getting ready for a “group hug.”<\/P> If approved by the Kennewick City Council next week, the plaza will add one more amenity to our community’s riverfront.<\/P> Using wisteria to provide the shade should make this a fragrant and pleasant stop along the river for bikers, joggers, boaters and anyone out for an evening stroll. (Let’s just hope the bees don’t read the Herald.)<\/P> Plus, using the decorative vine saves significantly on the project cost.<\/P> Almost directly north on the other side of the Columbia River, several businesses are taking advantage of a grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to upgrade their storefronts.<\/P> But it’s really a group project.<\/P> Business owners are working with Columbia Basin College<\/STRONG>, the city and the Pasco Downtown Development Association to revitalize the area.<\/P> And, perhaps more importantly, along with the remodeling, the grant also provides education and training on how to run a successful business.<\/P> It’s one thing to give a man the proverbial fish, but it’s an entirely different operation to teach him how to fish and throw a pole and a net in with the deal.<\/P> Mi Hacienda Restaurant and Grill was the first downtown Pasco business to get the facelift. Now, seven more are lining up for a similar makeover.<\/P> It’s not hard to envision Pasco as a destination for visitors looking to experience another culture without leaving the Northwest. What Bavaria did for Leavenworth, Latin American can do for Pasco.<\/P> Newspapers, the Herald included, carry plenty of bad news — an accident on this page, a fire on that one, gang and criminal activity sprinkled liberally throughout the pages.<\/P> But we report on the good things happening too. There’s no shortage of them in the Tri-Cities. <\/P> The front page of that particular Mid-Columbia section was rounded out with two other good news stories: one about the YMCA opening another preschool and the other about a Richland man who built a plane.<\/P> It’s worthwhile to take a moment now and then to reflect on what makes this a great community. One reason is we’re always working to make it better.<\/P> A shady spot in Kennewick and a facelift for a Pasco business may not seem connected, but both are reminders of the many previous, current and future projects that improve the area we call home. <\/P>
OPINION Section, Tri-City Herald<\/P>