Kennewick Real Estate Blog

Like them or not — and apparently a lot of folks are in the “not” category — the new roundabouts just south of the Blue Bridge in Kennewick seem to be doing exactly what they’re supposed to be doing: cutting down on the number of traffic incidents.

According to this article, in the first 16 days after the project officially ended, there were only two collisions. In the same 16-day period last year, there were seven.

Small time sample there, but good news nonetheless.

The Kennewick School District is looking for some help in coming up with a name for the new elementary school that will open next year near Badger Canyon. There’s a committee of parents and district staff that’s gathering ideas and will choose three finalists.

Submit your idea via email to Lorraine Cooper at lorraine.cooper@ksd.org, and be sure to explain in a short paragraph or two why you’re recommending the name. You’ve got until December 4 to share your idea(s), and the top three will be announced around December 8th for voting.

Now, I know you’re tempted to suggest Matt McGee Elementary (as am I), but that’s probably not gonna fly. If you read KSD’s school naming policy (PDF), you’ll discover this:

“New district buildings shall be named after persons who have attained national or local prominence in the fields of education, arts and sciences, politics, military achievements and statesmanship, or other notable accomplishments; after past U.S. Presidents or Washington national senators or representatives; after the geographical characteristics of the area in which the facility is located, or after other important events or achievements.”

See? I’ve actually attained national prominence in my field, and international prominence in my hobby, but not in the “fields” listed above. So, I’m out. (sigh) Just go with your second choice and email it by December 4th.

If you’ve been driving (or living) in the area, this is old news by now: Some sections of Fourth Avenue are closed today due to paving work in the area. The closures will continue tomorrow and again on Monday.

The paving starts at 7 a.m. each day and covers Fourth Avenue between Edison and Union streets. Traffic will not be allowed to cross the new pavement to enter or leave driveways and intersections for up to an hour at a time, according to the city.

The Benton-Franklin Health District has just announced that “very limited” amounts of H1N1 vaccines have been distributed to certain pharmacies in Kennewick. These shots are for people in “high risk categories that are unable to get the vaccine from their health care providers.”

As of today (November 16, 2009), here are the Kennewick pharmacies on the BHFD list:

Fred Meyer Pharmacy (10th Avenue, Kennewick)
By appointment only.
Call (509) 735-8733
Serve age 13 years and older

Safeway (Kennewick Avenue, Kennewick)
Call (509) 783-2622 for an appointment
Serve age 8 years and older

Target (Columbia Center Blvd., Kennewick)
Call (509) 735-7272
Clinic Dates: November 18 from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. and November 21 from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Serve 10 years and older

BFHD says the priority groups for this vaccine are as follows:

• pregnant women
• parents and caregivers of children less than 6 months old
• individuals 6 months through 24 years old
• individuals 25 through 64 years old with chronic illnesses

This post is being published on our blog on November 16. If you’re reading this on some other date, you may want to visit the BFHD web site for the absolute latest updates related to the H1N1 flu shots.

If you don’t watch KEPR-TV news, you may have missed this from Friday’s newscast: Gold’s Gym will be taking over the Hastings facility in Kennewick after the new year. And not only that, but Gold’s also some pretty big plans. Check this out:

Gold’s is moving into the Hastings building in the shopping center off of highway 395. Hastings’ lease ends December 31 and construction on the gym will start soon after. In addition to weights and cardio machines, the floor plan calls for a pool, racquetball court, spin class rooms and a kid zone to name a few amenities.

The plan should also bring between 200 and 300 jobs. Part of that is for gym employees and the other part are for local construction sub-contractors.

Sounds like a nice facility they’re putting in, and Gold’s people say it should be open by June or July.