Living TC Spring 2018

 REASONS TO GROW A BACKYARD GARDEN FOSTER CARE IN TRI-CITIES

PASCO’S LOCAL PUMPKIN Local Delivery Straight to Your Doorstep

MRS. WASHINGTON Discussing Health and Wellness

OPENING SOON Porter’s BBQ

Spring 2018

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SOUTHERN BBQ Porter’s opening new location

in this issue Spring Cleaning for Your Mind & Body

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OPENING SOON: SOURTHERN BBQ CATCHING UP WITH LOCAL DEMAND | p6 Porter’s opening second location in Kennewick

SPRING CLEANING FOR YOUR MIND & BODY | p10 Mrs. Washington shares tips for a healthier you

PASCO’S LOCAL PUMPKIN | p14 Local produce delivered straight to your doorstep

FROM ANISE TO ZEN | p18

Pasco’s Local Pumpkin

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5 Reasons to grow a backyard vegtable garden

NONPROFIT: FOREVER HOMES | p20 Kennewick couple helps strengthen foster families

SPRING EVENT CALENDAR | p22 from cookie design to cowboy gatherings

Nonprofit: Forever Homes helps foster families 4

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spring 2018 Editor Ruth Paul Advertising Director Sean Flaherty Design Team Jonathan Hooley Sara Nelson Design Cover Photo Photography by Taylor Alton tayloraltonphoto.com On the Cover Mrs. Washington, Deidre Murphy Contributors Carolyn Henderson Laura Kostad Renee Pottle Jackie Sharpe Ravella Alicia Walters

333 West Canal Drive Kennewick, WA 99336 For Editorial Info: Ruth Paul rpaul@idahostatesman.com For Advertising Info: carol@livingtc.com 509-582-1438 facebook.com/livingtcmagazine

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opening soon

Southern barbecue catching up with local demand A couple of Tri-City brothers are busy opening a spacious off-site restaurant and massive new kitchen to satisfy locals hungry for Porter’s Real Barbecue

Story by Jackie Sharpe Ravella WHEN PORTER KINNEY MOVED FROM THE TRI-CITIES TO SOUTH CAROLINA HOW DRASTICALLY REAL, authentic Southern barbecue would alter his career.

And that this barbecue would become so popular that he would need one giant kitchen to serve three operations.

scheduled to open this spring. Porter’s also has a booming catering business.

That 3,000-square-foot facility is opened in February 2018 and will serve the original Porter’s Real Barbecue restaurant in Richland and a new Kennewick location

At age 19, while Porter was working in South Carolina as a door to door salesman for home security systems, he came across some of the best barbecue he had ever

Pulled pork sandwhich, provided by Eli Stanfield for Porter’s Real Barbecue 6

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had. Cooking in the South sometimes meant taking less desirable cuts of meat and turning them into something special. A brisket, one of the toughest parts of meat from the cow, can be turned into one of the best cuts of beef when it is cooked properly

He started cooking for family, and then people offered to pay for it. His wife was his biggest supporter and gave the thumbs up or down on the recipes. It took a few years for him to make the barbecue that he does now.

opened Porter’s Real Barbecue store front -- with commercial smokers -- in the plaza shopping center to a line of people waiting for delicious barbecue. It is advised that people get there early because they do run out of barbecue.

Growing up in the Tri-Cities, the term "barbecue” meant throwing some burgers and hot dogs on the grill. But in the South it meant a different thing. There, it takes a day and a half of work on a meal. Everything from raising the animal right to seasoning and smoking it over a pit and attending it for hours is serious business.

Porter wanted to do something he was passionate about and felt there was a market for the type of barbecue he was making.

He said goodbye to Hanford in 2014 and hello to his first food truck, an old RV, and Porter’s Real Barbecue opened for business in the John Dam Plaza park in Richland. His brother Reed, a silent partner, lived in the South and agreed that his brother made great barbecue. His mom, Linda, and Kate worked the food truck with Porter.

“When we sell out, you just have to wait until the next day," Porter said.

After he met his wife Kate there, they returned to the Tri-Cities, where his brother, Reed Kinney, helped him get a job. He worked at Hanford, and Kate was a full-time registered nurse.

In 2010 Porter experienced an injury working at Hanford. While recuperating at home, he experimented with making barbecue, sauces and rubs because he could not find good barbecue in the Pacific Northwest that tasted like what he was nostalgic for in South Carolina.

When there is enough food, diners can be sure they're not getting leftovers the next day.

“It feels wrong to charge customers for reheated leftovers, " he said. "I would rather throw out a full brisket at the end of the day."

Among the three of them, prep included running back and forth at 3 a.m. to check on the meat in the smoker that was housed inside the truck, shopping and making all the sides. Porter’s Real Barbecue sold out every day -- roughly 100 pounds of barbecue -- by 2 p.m.

With the growing demand for their barbecue at the restaurant and catering business, in addition to an upcoming second location, Porter and Reed decided it was time for a facility that could accommodate that demand. They were turning down business because they lacked the space to make enough barbecue.

Eight months later, in June 2015, partners Reed (no longer a silent partner) and Porter

With a leasing option to buy, the Kinney brothers moved into a brand-new

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Tri-Cities native Porter Kinney brought his love of Southern barbecue to the Northwest and opened Porter’s Real Barbecue, which he owns with his brother, Reed. Provided by Reed Kinney

Porter’s Real Barbecue in Richland moved out of an RV and into a building in 2015.

Photo by Jackie Sharpe

3,000-square-foot space built to their specifications in January. Located on Terminal Way in Richland, the facility has a 2,500-square-foot kitchen, and the remaining space is for offices.

commercial smokers and room for another, with the capacity to make 3,000 pounds of barbecue. They can do five times the volume out of this facility than in the restaurant, meaning they can also serve the catering business and second restaurant.

They picked this industrial location because it is easy to supply the Richland restaurant and allows quick access to the highway to supply the new location and catering jobs.

The facility is not open to the public.

The facility will serve as the central headquarters for making all the barbecue and side fixings like the family molasses bar recipe from past generations. There is more control over the consistency of the food by cooking under one roof, which reduces the need for large kitchens at the restaurants.

Fresh, quality food will be delivered daily to the locations.

The duo is excited and feels this is a great business decision. The facility has two

In addition, Porter will not have to train cooks at two locations. There is an

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additional 1,000 square feet connected to the building available for another tenant, but the brothers have an interest in buying the entire building.

Kate, who is his unsung hero, handles all the drop-off catering, 20 percent of the business -- double from last year, all due to word of mouth. They have eight employees, but more staff will be hired soon.

Porter likes having a small menu and providing quality instead of bringing in too many items. He buys quality meat throughout the Pacific Northwest and loves apple and cherry wood for the smoker.

And his secret? The only secret he could tell me about his barbecue is an important lesson he learned: If you buy quality beef, the rub does not need to be overly complicated because you do not want to mask the natural flavors of the meat.

More about Porter’s Real Barbecue For more information, visit http://portersrealbbq.com or call (509) 942-9590. The new location to open this spring will be located on Columbia Center Boulevard across from Red Robin in Kennewick.

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lifestyle

Spring cleaning for your mind and body

Deidra Murphy made two earlier attempts at the crown before winning the title of Mrs. Washington in 2017.

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Deidra Murphy, Mrs. Washington 2017, hopes the small changes that conquered her anxiety and insomnia will help others facing the same battles.

Story by Alicia Walters, whenintricities.com Photography by Taylor Alton, tayloraltonphoto.com

S

itting down with Mrs. Washington 2017, Deidra Murphy, and discussing possible goals for the upcoming spring regarding health and wellness, I realized that what I often prioritize in my spring cleaning effort fails too often to address the real “cobwebs” that are having a negative impact on my quality of life.

Murphy’s kind manners and calmness radiated overall health – the kind that is earned.

The message she has to share is unique yet refreshingly relatable for many women.

Before being crowned Mrs. Washington 2017, the Kennewick native struggled with her wellness. She had been employed as a school teacher and cheer coach, but a decline in her health in 2013 led her to trade teaching for being the office manager at her husband’s chiropractic clinic. She was sleeping 1-2 consecutive hours a night and starting to gain weight. In 2014, she cut back her hours as office manager but kept coaching and continued to get only 1-2 consecutive hours of sleep.

Insomnia turned into a nightly battle and brought on severe anxiety and real panic

attacks. In addition, she had chronic bronchitis that seemed untreatable. Eventually, she was so overwhelmed with an enormous sleep deficit that enjoying life was no longer possible for her. She lost her desire to interact with other people or even travel.

She credits her faith-based upbringing with giving her the strength to recognize that it was up to her to change.

“I knew deep down I wanted to be alive and enjoy living again,” she says. “I wanted to want to attend social events again.”

In spring 2015, after she realized she was 40 pounds heavier and completely sleep starved, she quit coaching and started to take control of her health. Murphy started to educate herself about health and wellness. She implemented small changes at

first, and those changes became habits.

More changes were added and she decided to compete for Mrs. Washington to challenge herself physically and, hopefully, to inspire other women to reach toward their fitness and mental health goals. Murphy created a wellness platform based on her personal struggle with food intolerance, anxiety and insomnia and how she overcame them using a holistic healing approach.

That year she competed for Mrs. Washington for the first time, placing first runner-up. In 2016, she competed again, placing in the top 10. The following year, she won.

When your mind is full of beautiful thoughts, it will show on your face. Maybe that’s where the term “beauty sleep” comes from.

Getting adequate sleep is so subjective. Not everyone will have to make drastic lifestyle changes to get more sleep. For some of us, it could just be a matter of not watching an

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extra hour of TV or turning our phones off earlier.

For Murphy, she really had to make changes to her work and social obligations to help her manage her anxiety in a way that would allow her to sleep.

“I quit coaching. It was just too time consuming and stressful. I stepped out of the office. I learned to say ‘no’ when social opportunities came up that would conflict with my sleep schedule.”

She designated 9 p.m. as the time when the TV is turned off, electronics are docked and she reads from a paper book to help her fall asleep. She says, “I noticed a real improvement in my well-being after two months of sticking to this sleep schedule.”

When she wakes up in the morning, she begins her day with gratitude.

“I come from a very faith-based upbringing,” she says. “Beginning each day with gratitude and even recording what I’m thankful for in a journal starts my day off with positive thinking that can really shape my attitude throughout the day.”

To overcome her health problems, Deidra Murphy drastically changed her diet, replacing processed and fast food with more whole foods and doing more meal prep at home.

Nourish Yourself Murphy knew that her body depended on her food choices to feel whole again, so she took a holistic approach to her diet and exercise routine. She cut out fast food and processed food and started meal planning and cooking at home. No matter what her day throws at her, she will have a healthful snack packed in her purse to fall back on when she’s on the go instead of stopping for fast food as she would have in the past.

“It’s about respecting my body and giving it what it needs to feel healthy,” she says.

Deidra Murphy spends an hour every morning working out in a simple home gym that consists of a treadmill, a floor mat and some free weights.

Her fridge is always well-stocked with fresh poultry, fish and vegetables. She incorporates healthy fats, lean protein and nutrient-dense greens in every meal. Healthy fats from fish, avocados and coconut oil will help you feel satiated without putting on pounds; actually, they help your body metabolize your food and feed your brain.

We often think of physical and mental health as separate entities, but what you feed your body directly relates to your mental well-being.

Murphy, 30, spends about an hour every

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morning exercising in her home gym. There are many benefits to a home gym; the biggest is the amount of time it saves. Rather than having to get ready for the gym, commute there and back, she can just step into her garage. Her home gym is simple: a treadmill, floor mat and some free weights.

Moving your body for half an hour to an hour every day releases endorphins and helps you feel better. You can find workout videos by Murphy at thesynergychallenge. com, where you can also get a free copy of her eBook, “Getting It Back.”

Wherever you are right now is where you can choose to start to make those changes that will improve your mental and physical health.

“It’s those two-degree changes done consistently over time that create real results,” Murphy says.

Her husband, Dr. Chris Murphy, D.C., also wrote a book, “The 5 Foundations of Remarkably Healthy People,” which is a helpful resource for people wanting to educate themselves about how to live a healthier lifestyle.

Dress Your Truth Deidra encourages women to “dress their truth,” meaning dress your actual age, body type and true style. She loves to help women debunk erroneous “fashion rules” and has a free file on her website that addresses some of these, including how to style white after Labor Day and pair mismatched belts and shoes.

Style by Deidra, an independent fashion styling business, strives to empower women to be happy in their clothing right now, as they are, and use that confidence as a stepping stone to overall wellness. For more from Mrs. Washington 2017, check out her weekly podcasts on iTunes under the title, “Miss Style, Strength, and Grace” or on her website at stylebydeidra.com/podcasts.

Alicia Walters is the author of the blog whenintricities.com.

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local

Pasco’s Local Pumpkin Delivers Fresh Local Produce Straight to Your Doorstep Story by Laura Kostad Photos by John and Cathy Franklin WHEN WARM WEATHER RETURNS TO TRI-CITIES, SO WILL THE seasonal delight of locally grown produce.

local, high-quality produce delivered right to their door.

StEven now, on the tail-end of winter, it’s still possible to find Washington-grown apples, potatoes, pears, carrots and onions.

Not everyone can make it to local farmers markets, and making special trips to certain grocery stores just for the produce can be difficult if you have small children to juggle or are constantly on the go. And even when a crop is in-season in our region, a lot of grocers don’t source from local farms.

And more may be soon to come.

John Franklin, who owns Local Pumpkin with his wife, Cathy, says that with the mild winter we’ve had, local farmers are predicting spring crops will be available earlier

than usual, perhaps as soon as late March, with asparagus kicking off the season. Other crops -- rhubarb, spring salad mix, spinach, radishes, green garlic, salad onions and perhaps kale -- could shortly follow.

That’s good news for local farmers markets as well as the Franklins, who wanted to make it easy for people of Tri-Cities and beyond to get

That’s where the Pasco couple saw

Local Pumpkin sources local produce when it is available -- so apples in the winter, asparagus in the spring, peppers in the summer and tomatoes through the fall.

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networking with local farmers to acquire a diverse array of produce and grocery staples.

John said they started out with about 25 customers, operating just during the local season for produce. Now Local Pumpkin delivers year-round, serving about 400 active customers across Tri-Cities, West Richland, Benton City and Burbank. Some 900 have taken advantage of the service since it started. The business side of things still operates out of the Franklins’ home, but box packing has moved out back to their converted barn.

Local Pumpkin employees pack boxes on delivery day.

an opportunity to create a sustainable family business whose goal is to put locally grown organic produce and staples in the hands of area residents at affordable prices.

“We want to support and promote people trying to get the most out of healthy foods,” said Cathy Franklin.

And the best part is: they deliver.

“We bring the farmer’s market to you,” said John Franklin.

It all started in September 2014 in their living room, with the help of their children.

Using the concept of community-supported agriculture (CSA), the couple began

Every Friday, the Franklins send out an email announcing that the online store is open for the upcoming week. Previously, customers selected from a variety of box sizes, which consisted of a preset selection of produce. John explained that many customers enjoy the culinary adventure of coming up with dishes that utilize whatever comes in a given week.

This past year, though, Local Pumpkin launched a new ordering interface which enables box content customization to suit

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customers’ individual needs. It’s also now easier to edit subscription preferences.

Box pricing ranges from $22 to $37. The Franklins said their most popular box is the Harvest Box, which is recommended for a two- to four-person household and rings in at an affordable $29. John said he routinely visits local grocery stores to compare prices.

“When we get good prices, we pass it on,” said Cathy.

In addition to fruits and vegetables, Local Pumpkin also offers box add-ons consisting of baked goods made fresh in West Richland at TSP Bakeshop, including gluten-free options, fresh herbs, organic cage-free eggs from Walla Walla, locally produced honey from D’s Bees and grassfed free-range beef and pork from Neiffer Triangle 4 Ranch in Ione, Ore. “We go to almost all the farms we work with to see the conditions,” said Cathy.

“Those animals get to live as they were intended to and they’re cared for by people who care about them, what they are, and what they provide to us … they take care of the land and animals with appreciation.”

Local Pumpkin offers 5 different produce boxes, from the “Grab n Go Box” for healthy snacks to the “Family Box” that feeds a 3- to 5-person household.

Schreiber & Sons Farm in Eltopia, Bill’s Berry Farm in Grandview, and Alvarez Organic Farms and Bautista Farms of Mabton are some of Local Pumpkin’s primary suppliers. John and Cathy said they obtain some specialty items from several other local farms in Othello, Sunnyside and Hermiston. John said the farthest they source is 60 miles during the Columbia Basin’s growing season.

During the off-season months, in order to continue year-round services, Local Pumpkin works with Organically Grown Company, based out of Portland, to source produce from small farms in California, as well as some in Mexico.

“We try to keep it in the U.S.,” said John.

He said customers should bear in mind that organic produce grown in Mexico is held to the same high standards as domestically produced fruits and vegetables and goes through the same organic certifier.

“By design, food is supposed to nurture and care for us,” explained Cathy.

Local Pumpkin delivers mostly organic produce year-round -- local or Washington-grown when they can -- to households across Tri-Cities and beyond.

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“Eat good, feel good,” added John.

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gardening non-profit

From Anise to Zen: 5 Reasons to Grow a Backyard Vegetable Garden Story and photo by Renee Pottle SPRING WILL BE HERE SOON, WHICH MEANS IT’S TIME TO PLAN YOUR BACKYARD GARDEN. IF YOU HAVE been contemplating a garden for a while but haven’t been brave enough to start, this is the year to move forward.

Why? Glad you asked.

It’s Easy to Get Started Our early springs, sunny summers and long autumns practically beg for a garden. You don’t even need to dig up a backyard plot. Start with a few containers on the deck, build a raised bed in a corner of the yard or add vegetable seedlings to the flower bed. According to Rafael Robles, nursery manager at Beaver Bark in Richland, new gardeners might start with easy-to-grow lettuce, cucumbers, cabbages and tomatoes, and avoid finicky melons. You can find everything you need -from soil, to containers, to seeds or seedlings -- at one of our local nurseries or garden centers.

Grow Unusual or Hard-to-Find Herbs and Vegetables Got a hankering for sunchokes? Missing the giant yellow 18

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tomatoes that Mom used to grow? Want to try sorrel or anise or yard-long beans? Plant them in your own backyard. Although our excellent farmers markets offer some unusual vegetables, each year I plant my own Evergreen tomatoes and purple carrots to ensure abundance.

Whittle Your Waist and Find Your Zen We are a stressed-out nation and could use a mental break. An easy and productive way to get that break is to tend a garden. Studies show that working in the garden reduces blood pressure, improves mood and leads to a sense of well-being.

Gardening also helps our physical health. All that digging, pulling, walking and bending is a gentle way

to help us get in shape. Gardening whittles your waist by decreasing the stress hormones that cause a big belly. Plus, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says a roughly 150-pound person burns about 330 calories per hour doing light gardening. We don’t have to run a marathon to get healthy; caring for a garden does the same thing – and produces food treats.

Give Your Family a Great Experience A backyard garden is the world’s best playground. My grandchildren love the garden. They love to help plant the seeds and seedlings. They love to play among the raised beds. They love to pick tomatoes or raspberries or carrots or green beans and eat them out of hand. Your family will love your garden, too. There is no better gift than passing on your love of growing and enjoying fresh foods.

Embrace Serendipity Each gardening year brings a new surprise.

Sometimes it’s five large pumpkins in the middle of the green beans – last year’s

seeds transferred with the compost. Other years may bring volunteer tomato plants in the cucumber bed, green beans among the tomatoes, Swiss chard pushing up through the squash plants and zucchini just growing everywhere. Treat your garden like an annual experiment and you’ll never be disappointed.

Your garden, whether one pot on the deck or filling the whole backyard, will be a source of personal pride and joy. But do avoid these common garden fails: Over-watering: Keep seeds and seedlings moist, not wet. Too much water drowns tender seedling roots and prevents seed germination.

Planting too early or too late: Some plants, like English peas and watercress, like the cool days of early spring. Others, like tomatoes, wither and die in the cold air.

Most lettuce planted in our hot July weather will be bitter and bolt before harvest. Longseason favorites like winter squash, melons and potatoes must be planted by mid-June to mature before the season is over.

Mid-Columbia is a gardening Eden, there are some plants that are difficult that should be left to the experts. Sweet potatoes love warm, humid Southeast days while perennial artichokes and cardoons require warm winters and cool summers.

Herbicide drift: If you or your neighbors enthusiastically attack weeds with chemicals, beware of them drifting onto your garden.

For years I couldn’t figure out why my forsythia bush was withering, until I noticed the neighbor spraying the bindweed on his side of the fence. Plant your garden away from weed hunters on a mission!

Renee Pottle writes about food and gardening from her home in Kennewick.

Online resources for beginners Mother Earth News: www.motherearthnews.com Benton Franklin Cooperative Extension: www.extension.wsu.edu/ benton-franklin/

Planting hard-to-grow crops: Although the

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nonprofit

Rejuvenate Retreat in Auburn Photo by Teona Golding

Local foster families get the support they need Story by Teona Golding A LARGE ROOM RESTS READY WITH CHAIRS, PERSONALIZED JOURNALS atop each, three masseuses and relaxing music playing. Friendly smiles greet the nearly 60 foster and adoptive moms who are invited to leave their worries at the door.

Welcome to the Rejuvenate Retreat of Auburn, one of three offered nationally, designed to help women practically navigate and emotionally cope with the often difficult work they do in their homes.

Night one of last October’s retreat, a comedy skit had the ladies laughing.

Day two, a local artist taught quilling (an art form using rolled paper) as well as a painting class. A yoga instructor and three masseuses taught the women self-care techniques. On the final day, the moms attended a tea party, bidding on gift baskets with tickets they had earned participating in retreat activities.

All services and over 50 baskets donated from businesses and community members are part of 20

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a coordinated community effort to create this place of pause, reflection and communion with others on the same path. Their collective efforts are a powerful message to foster and adoptive mothers: “You are not alone.”

“Not alone” in their challenges to raise clinically traumatized and special-needs children while balancing court appointments and strained family visits. “Not alone” in their frustration to find counselors equipped to understand the family upheaval and individual abuse or neglect suffered by a foster child.

Not single-handedly feeling weary and isolated.

Kennewick’s Lynn and Jennie Owens are no strangers to the often

isolating foster journey. Parents to four adopted children, their family experienced disheartening gaps in community resources and decided to be a part of the programmatic solution needed for other families.

They founded the nonprofit Forever Homes in 2009 with a mission to make sure that every foster child and orphan has a permanent, safe and loving home. Their strategy is to support foster and adoptive families so they can support their kids, specifically through providing counseling resources, online and in-person trainings and retreats that focus on self-care.

Counselors qualified to address the unique trauma of foster and adoptive children have been a significant deficit in both Benton and Franklin counties. Previously, foster and adoptive families would travel to Seattle, Portland or Spokane to

access counseling tailored to the traumas suffered by foster children. Even securing a therapist who accepts Medicaid—the insurance most foster and adoptive children have—is nearly impossible since it is not profitable to providers offering traditional counseling services. To fill this gap, Lynn went to graduate school, became a licensed counselor and trained alongside renowned therapists. Within six months of opening the Canyon Lakes Family Counseling Center in Kennewick in 2013, he already had a waiting list.

more access to appropriate counseling.

It quickly became apparent that more counselors were needed. Forever Homes is currently working on a campaign to train four local counselors in the techniques necessary to reach foster and adoptive children. The project will cost just over $30,000.

For donors, each dollar will be used twice: once to train the counselors free of charge and, again, as the counselors put each free training dollar back in the hands of foster and adoptive families. This is achieved through accepting more Medicaid patients, waiving copays, and/or providing free services. Not only will this lift the financial burden to foster and adoptive families, but the children will have shorter wait times and

Slowly, they began to provide training to families and, most recently, to professionals. In 2017, Jennie taught “Beyond ACES: How to actually help those students who have experienced early trauma” to Kennewick School District teachers. The first Rejuvenate Retreat was in 2016, and they have really filled a large need. There is something about being able to get away and focus that allows healing and rejuvenation.

From the beginning of Forever Homes, Lynn and Jennie knew their aim was to support foster and adoptive families. How they would accomplish this has evolved.

Initially they provided online support groups and resources.

Jennie explained that in the beginning, “We weren't able to do as much with Forever Homes because we were in the middle of parenting our own deeply traumatized children and were struggling ourselves.”

The first retreat came as Jennie felt called to support mothers in a way that she herself needed but to which she did not have access. The retreat was held 90 minutes from the Tri-Cities in Adams, Ore., and then was taken to western Washington to reach

more moms. From there, women who had traveled from out-of-state expressed interest having the retreat in their states.

Today, foster and adoptive families from Wisconsin and Pennsylvania also have their own events. In fact, over 11,000 foster and adoptive families have been supported through counseling services, trainings and retreats since Forever Homes’ inception.

In expressing her gratitude for the Auburn retreat, one mom attending, Monica, captured the indispensable value of the work Forever Homes is doing,.

“The work we do does not move forward without the support of our communities,” she said. “We need wraparound services like these to be renewed and strengthened, taught and humbled, inspired and preserved to keep the fire lit or rekindle that fire so it will burn bright and strong for the children currently in our care and the ones who will come in the future.”

The next retreat is Oct. 5-7 at Black Diamond Camp in Auburn. Prices start at $xx. Registration ends Sept. 21. People may register for the retreat or make donations to Forever Homes at foreverhomes.org.

March 26 7 PM BroadwayattheToyotaCenter.com 800-745-3000 S pri n g 2018

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2018 Spring Events Calendar MARCH 3rd Annual Mid-Columbia Arts Fundraiser “All You Need is Love” March 10, Three Rivers Convention Center, Kennewick Tickets start at $100; All You Need is Love Mid-Columbia Arts Fundraiser Facebook page Come together as the Mid-Columbia Ballet, Mid-Columbia Mastersingers, Mid-Columbia Musical Theatre and the Mid-Columbia Symphony hold their third annual fundraiser. Live, silent and online auctions, dinner and drinks, entertainment, etc. Several ticket levels and sponsorship options are available. Consider filling a table of your closest friends or having your business serve as an event sponsor.

Lecture: Tuning In to Northwest Radio History March 15, 7-8:30 p.m., Franklin County Historical Society & Museum, Pasco Free.

Learn about innovations in technology, programming and business as far back as the 1920s.

“The Sound of Music” March 26, 7 p.m., Toyota Center, Kennewick Tickets start at $37; ticketmaster.com Widely acclaimed “The Sound of Music” is inspiring a whole other generation of audiences with its music and theatrical performance.

Tri-Cities Cancer Center Foundation’s 18th Annual Fundraising Breakfast March 29, 7:30 a.m., Toyota Center, Kennewick Free, but RSVP required; (509) 737-3373 This breakfast is held every spring to educate the community about the Cancer Center and to raise funds in support of cancer patients and their families. The event includes patient testimonials, a video presentation, reports from the CEO and Foundation Board as well as a delicious breakfast. The breakfast is generously sponsored by the Mission Support Alliance (MSA). Organizers hope you will attend and join in financially supporting the community’s Cancer Center.

Dirty Dancing April 25, 7 p.m., Toyota Center, Kennewick Tickets start at $37; ticketmaster.com See this classic story performed on stage.

Time Out for Women April 27, 6:30 p.m., and April 28, 4 p.m., TRAC Center, Pasco Tickets start at $64, eventbrite.com For women of faith to come together, take a time out from their schedule to be inspired, renewed and gain focus in their busy lives.

MAY Spring Fling and Grand Opening at the Farm May 5, 11-3 p.m., My Garden Overfloweth, Paterson Free; mygardenoverfloweth.com Join us at the farm for the grand opening of our new facility as well as our 2nd Annual Spring Fling. Artisan and food and drink vendors, fresh-cut flowers, hanging flower baskets, design classes and more.

8th Annual Badger Mountain Challenge

Mother’s Day Floral Design Class

Spring Wine Glass Painting Class with Lisa Day

APRIL

May 12, 1-3 p.m., Badger Mountain Vineyard and Powers Winery, Kennewick Tickets $60 plus tax, mygardenoverfloweth.com A wonderful experience for mothers and daughters to enjoy spending quality time together arranging flowers and tasting wine and tapas (sold separately). bridestricities.com

March 22, 6-8 p.m., The Wet Palette Paint Studio, Richland Tickets $30 plus tax; eventbrite.com Learn to paint customized wine glasses.

Ticket price includes two glasses of your choice; each additional glass $5.

April 13-15, Benton County Fairgrounds, Kennewick Tickets $5-20; columbiarivercowboygathering.com.

The Columbia River Cowboy Gathering is an annual country music festival with live music, poets and other entertainment.

Evening concerts include Georgette Jones, Dion Pride, Joni and Olivia Harms and James Carothers.

Brian Regan March 16, 7 p.m., Toyota Center, Kennewick Tickets start at $35.50; ticketmaster.com Brian Regan is known for his hilarious comedy while keeping the jokes clean.

Cookie Design with Marla’s Cookie Co. March 24, 1-3 p.m., My Garden Overfloweth, Paterson Tickets $32.50; eventbrite.com Students will receive 12 undecorated cookies and all the supplies to decorate them as well as instructions from Marla Rogers, owner of Marla’s Cookie Co.

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March 30-31, Badger Mountain, Richland Register at badgermountainchallenge.com; registration ends March 23.

Hosted by Nomad Trail Runners of Eastern Washington, this race is Southeastern Washington’s only 100-mile endurance run, 50-mile or 50k ultra-marathon and 15k trail run.

Columbia River Cowboy Gathering

The Metropolitan Opera: “Luisa Miller” April 14, 9:30 a.m., and April 18, 1 and 6:30 p.m., Regal Columbia Mall Stadium 8, Kennewick Tickets $25.20; www.regmovies.com Fathom Events and The Met: Live in HD present a broadcast of Verdi’s “Luisa Miller.”

Live in select cinemas nationwide; 4 hours.

Badger Mountain Challenge Photo by Spencer Reathaford

Nov. 8 - Dec. 29

Jan. 30 - Feb. 23

January 3-26

March 6-30

Gallery Aglow

Tracy Horner & Jane Holly Estrada

Tri-City Quilters

John Clement & Jill Smith

89 Lee Blvd, Richland, WA 99352 galleryatthepark.org

(509) 943-9815

Hours: Tues-Fri 10-5:30, Sat 10-5

Spring Wine Glass Painting Class

usbank.com/mortgage

When you’re ready to build, let us build the best loan for you.

Building a home involves many decisions. One of the most important is the financing, and choosing a partner who will guide you through the process to find the best loan to fit your needs.

Call today, and put our knowledge to work for you.

Brian Regan - Comedian Provided by Toyota Center

EQUAL HOUSING

Sheryl L. Irwin sheryl.irwin@usbank.com 509.943.9371 NMLS #: 53791

Javier Almaguer javier.almaguer@usbank.com 509.460.5005 NMLS #: 98239

Loan approval subject to credit approval and program guidelines. Interest rates and program terms are subject to change without notice. Some restrictions may apply. Mortgage and Home Equity products offered by U.S. Bank National Association. Member FDIC. ©2017 U.S. Bank 160038 2/17

S pri n g 2018

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