Burbank Community Library

Here’s a digest of Burbank and Wallula news items from the last few weeks:

• The Union-Bulletin reported [subscription required]: “The trial for a man who allegedly was growing more than 200 marijuana plants in his Burbank residence last spring has been postponed in Superior Court. Douglas H. Brown, 58, of 158 Ray Blvd., now is set for trial Jan. 13 and 14.” [November 25]
• The Union-Bulletin reported [subscription only] that “Ty A. Cornwell, 25, 110 N. Columbia Way, Wallula, was charged Nov. 30 with first-degree theft. Cornwell is accused of wrongfully obtaining or exerting unauthorized control over iron railroad plates, bars and spikes between Nov. 19 and 20.” [December 2]
• The Tri-City Herald’s AtomicTown.com ran a story about a karaoke contest going on Tuesday nights at the Out & About nightclub in downtown Pasco. It included this mention: “Jessica Flores, 25, of Burbank, is another singer who knows her stuff. Wearing red spiky heels with her hair splashed with a purple hue, she fit the rock star mode. She also engaged the crowd by strolling through the room as she belted out Melissa Etheridge’s rock tune Your Little Secret. Flores said she has plans to make a stab at trying out for American Idol next year.” [December 3]
• The Union-Bulletin ran a story [subscription required] entitled A COLD SEARCH FOR AN ELUSIVE BALD EAGLE ALONG THE COLUMBIA PROVES FRUITLESS. In it, author Don Davis noted: “It’s about time for the regal birds (in looks, if not in character) to arrive at Charbonneau Park, above Ice Harbor Dam; Columbia Park, in Kennewick; Hood Park, west of Burbank on the Snake River; the Burbank area ponds; and along the Columbia from Wallula Gap westward.” So keep an eye out! [December 16]
• The Union-Bulletin also reported [subscription required] that a Kennewick man was jailed in connection with a staged robbery of the Burbank Sun Mart last April. Aaron R. Weissenberger, 36, had been convicted by a jury of second-degree theft on November 3. [December 8]
• The Tri-City Herald reported: “Three new buses are to begin ferrying passengers next month on the Grape Line between Pasco and Walla Walla, thanks to $1.9 million in federal stimulus money. Grape Line, through a partnership between the Washington Department of Transportation and Greyhound, runs three roundtrips daily between the cities. The service, which began in November 2007, picks up passengers in Touchet, Wallula, Burbank and College Place and in the two cities. A one-way trip from Walla Walla to Pasco or from Pasco to Walla Walla costs $6.50 and takes a little less than two hours, according to the Grape Line website.” The Union-Bulletin’s coverage [subscription required] is here. [December 17 & 18]
• KNDU reported (including video) that froken turkeys were delivered to several area food banks — including one in Burbank — as part of a Hanford food drive (now in its 24th year). [December 18]

Here’s a digest of Burbank and Wallula news items from the last few weeks:

• The Tri-City Herald and the Walla Walla Union-Bulletin recapped the November 3 elections with stories about Terry Nealey’s victory over Laura Grant here and here and stories about Rob Dunning’s victory in the Port of Walla Walla race here and here. [November 3 & 4]
• A breakdown of election results by county is here. Walla Walla County results that are relavent to the Burbank/Wallula area are excerpted below:

WALLA WALLA COUNTY RESULTS

Initiative Measure 1033  (lower property taxes)  rejected state-wide
Yes: 5,250 | No: 5,788

Referendum Measure 71  (domestic partnerships)  approved state-wide
Approved: 4,352 | Rejected: 6,763

Legislative State Representative (Dist. 16 Pos. 2)
Laura Grant: 4,992 | Terry R. Nealey: 6,235

Port Commisssioner (Dist. 3)
Clarence Anderson: 3,582 | Ronald Dunning: 5,403

• The U-B reported that “a five-woman, seven-man jury found Aaron R. Weissenberger guilty of second-degree theft” in a staged robbery of the Burbank Sun Mart in April. [November 4]
• The Tri-City Herald ran a story about a Burbank woman who pleaded innocent to allegations she tried to buy two packs of cigarettes with a $5 bill doctored to look like a $50. She faces trial Janunary 11 on one count of forgery. [November 6]
• The Herald reported that a 49-year-old Pasco man is facing drunken driving charges after colliding with a semi-truck Wednesday night near Burbank. [November 13]
• The U-B reported that “plans to develop a new business park in Burbank are well on their way. Port of Walla Walla executives met Thursday to discuss the new development, among other topics. The Burbank Business Park Conceptual Master Plan shows the potential location as a stretch of 30 small lots that run along U.S. Highway 12 just before the Snake and Columbia rivers meet. These lots will be sold to businesses to create a cluster of stores, professional offices and potentially living spaces.” [November 13]
• The Mid-Columbia Koi and Pond Club will hold a Christmas party Dec. 5 at the home of Randy and Jisica Watkins, 102 Off Place, Burbank. [November 14]
• KNDU ran a segment (video only) about a Burbank man received new heart and a “second chance at life”. [November 17]

From the Walla Walla Union-Bulletin / October 20, 2009

PROPERTY TAX DEADLINE APPROACHES
By the Walla Walla Union-Bulletin

County Treasurer Gordon Heimbigner is asking landowners to remember the deadline for property tax payments is fast approaching.

Payments are due by Nov. 2, Heimbigner said. Options include mailing to the Treasurer’s Office, 315 W. Main St., or drop-off in boxes in the alley between the courthouse and jail or at Baker Boyer Bank, 7 W. Main St., Walla Walla, and 630 S. College Ave., College Place.

People also may make payments at the treasurer’s office, but because of the flu pandemic, officials are encouraging payments to be mailed or placed in the drop boxes, Heimbigner said. Payments may also be made through the county Web site, but a fee is charged.

From the Walla Walla Union-Bulletin / June 24, 2009

COUNCIL COMMITTEE TARGETS EARLY LEARNING
By Maria P. Gonzalez of the Walla Walla Union-Bulletin

WALLA WALLA – Helping the region’s children start school prepared, and ensuring that they stay in school and graduate, will be the core mission of a community group over the next few years.

The resources and steps needed to meet those goals have been outlined and presented following six months of detailed study by a group of concerned residents.

In its first year, the nearly 70 members making up the region’s study committee tackled the issue of how to help children reach their educational goals by also helping them meet basic needs like stable housing and mental health care.

The committee was formed as part of the region’s Community Council, made up of area residents who seek to pave a positive future in the region. That region is described as communities from Burbank to Dayton and from the Snake River to Milton-Freewater.

The end product of 24 weeks of meetings and study is “Enhancing the Educational Attainment of Our Region’s Children,” a compilation of the group’s work that includes dozens of conclusions and recommendations.

See the full article here and a related article by the UB here.

As soon as the report is available electronically, we’ll post it here.

Also, watch for the Burbank Library (and the other libraries in the Walla Walla County Rural Library District) to play a significant role in the pursuit of this important goal.

From the Tri-City Herald / June 19, 2009

PROPERTY NOTICES GOING OUT IN BURBANK, TOUCHET
By the Herald staff

WALLA WALLA – The Walla Walla County Assessor’s Office will be mailing property revaluation notices Monday to property owners in the Burbank and Touchet areas. Taxpayers in the rest of Walla Walla County will receive a notice only if there is a change in their property value.

If property owners feel that they should have received a “change-in-value” postcard and didn’t or simply want to inquire, they should call the assessor’s office.

People who are 61 or older or permanently disabled and have an income of less than $35,000 per year may be eligible for a tax exemption. For more information, call the Walla Walla County Assessor’s Office, 509-524-2560 or 866-527-3268.

A related article in the June 20 edition of the Walla Walla Union-Bulletin also states:

“Sales research has shown that most areas of Walla Walla County have declined in value during the last year approximately 5 percent to 10 percent, but some properties have actually increased slightly,” [County Assessor Bill] Vollendorff said in a release.

The fall in values does not necessarily translate to lower taxes, however, as rates are based on the overall levy to be collected.

From the Walla Walla Union-Bulletin / June 4, 2009

SWINE FLU REPORTED IN WW COUNTY
By Sheila Hagar of the Walla Walla Union-Bulletin

Public health officials received first confirmation of a positive influenza A, or swine flu, case in Walla Walla County.

The illness was identified in a hospitalized child who has now been discharged and is recovering at home, said Harvey Crowder, administrator for Walla Walla County Public Health Department.

“While this is our first reported case, we believe the virus has been here for a period of time,” he added.

Under law, Crowder was not allowed to disclose any other information about the patient, including if the boy or girl attends public school, but did say there are no concerns for the child’s family surrounding the H1N1, or swine flu, virus.

It is very late in the year for all influenza, he conceded. “We’re finding other kinds of flu here, too. Usually by this time of the year, the flu has dissipated.”

His office is advising people to continue following the Centers for Disease Control recommendations for protection and prevention, Crowder said.

Update: The June 30 edition of the Tri-City Herald contains this article about a Tri-City resident who has been diagnosed with the H1N1 (swine flu) virus, but who is hospitalized in some unknown location outside the Tri-Cities. The article calls this the “first confirmed case in Benton or Franklin counties.” However, if the person is not currently in Benton or Franklin counties and we have no way of knowing when the person was last in either of these counties, it seems strange to categorize it as such. The article goes on to say: “A spokeswoman for the state Department of Health said no information about the case or the patient’s location could be released.” I guess we’ll have to wait to see if any additional information is forthcoming.

(I also find it a bit strange that the article refers to the person diagnosed with the virus as a “Tri-City resident”, since there is really no such thing as a Tri-City resident — one is either a resident of Richland, Kennewick, or Pasco. It also leaves the door open for this to be the first confirmed case in Benton or Franklin counties, which again just shows how little information is actually coming out of the state Department of Health.)

From the Tri-City Herald / May 9, 2009

HIGHWAY 12 / TANK FARM ROAD INTERCHANGE PROJECT ON HOLD
By Joe Chapman

A study of a proposed interchange at Highway 12 and Tank Farm Road has been completed, but the $28 million project will sit on the shelf until someone ponies up the money to build it.

The interchange on the outskirts of east Pasco would allow the state Department of Transportation to close three at-grade intersections on Highway 12 between the East Lewis Street interchange and the Snake River. Recent commercial development and road improvements have increased traffic and accident rates along the corridor, and fog off the Snake River can make the driving even trickier there.

“Safety was one of the big issues we were looking at,” said Bob Hooker, project manager for the state DOT, who presented plans for the interchange to the Franklin County Commission this week.

……

Also, the DOT plans to start building a new interchange just east of the Snake River at the intersection of Highways 12 and 124 in about year.

……

But unlike the Highway 124 interchange, the state hasn’t committed any money to design or build the Tank Farm Road interchange.

Despite the accident rate along the corridor and the fact the project is in DOT’s long-range plan, the project is too low on the department’s priority list to fund it now, Hooker said.

Future funding may have to come about the same way funding for the study did. A coalition of Pasco business interests called the Pasco-Highway 12 Safety Alliance lobbied the state Legislature for money to do the study.

Franklin County Commissioner Brad Peck sought assurance from Hooker that the interchange, whenever it happens, won’t interfere with feasibility of an idea he has promoted.

Peck has argued that if a new bridge is built across the Columbia River it should be placed in the vicinity of east Pasco or Burbank to link up with the Finley bypass and divert traffic from going through the heart of the Tri-Cities.

See the full article here.

Late Update: Here’s an article from the Tri-City Herald (June 25, 2009) about $2.6 million in new federal money to improve Highway 12 in Walla Walla County.