Fats Domino, Concert Posters, and Kennewick History

Jul 19, 2010 Kennewick Life

Oh, I wish I knew more about Kennewick’s history. Here’s why:

I was in Cleveland for a few days last month. That’s where the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is (one of my favorite places ever). As I was arriving in Cleveland and walking through the airport to get my suitcase, there was a display of rock concert posters on the wall. And this one caught my eye:

(click for larger version)

That’s a reproduction on the airport wall. I know that because, when I visited the Rock Hall a few days into my visit, I saw the original inside. And yes, it was very cool to see “Kennewick” mentioned by name in such an important place for music history. The poster dates back to 1959. According to this web site, he played down in Klamath Falls the night before, and in Portland two nights before the Kennewick show. But this web site has a concert poster showing that he performed in Vancouver, BC, the night before the Kennewick concert.

All of this really tickled my curiosity. I never knew that the legendary Fats Domino performed in Kennewick, and I never heard of a place called the Tri-City Center. I’ve been doing some searching online, and there’s nothing about the Tri-City Center to be found anywhere.

The only other thing I found online about this poster/concert is this web site where, even though they list the year incorrectly as 1955, you can buy a print of the poster for only $5. (I’ve never heard of that web site and have no idea how trustworthy it is; this is not an endorsement/recommendation.)

UPDATE: Joe from VintageConcertPosters.com sent us this link to another Fats Domino poster, which shows that he played the same Tri-City Center venue on June 29, 1962. Thx Joe.

Do you know anything about the Tri-City Center? Do you know someone who was around back then and who would know? I’d love to hear about this place — where was it? What is it now? Comments are open.

Free Movies This Summer at Regal Cinemas, Kennewick

Jun 12, 2010 Kennewick Life

School’s out and that means a lot of folks are going to be looking for things to do with their kids this summer. Regal Cinemas in Kennewick is helping again with a summer-full of free movies beginning June 22nd and ending August 19th.

The free movies will be shown every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at 10 am. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. Here’s the schedule for Regal Cinemas in Kennewick:

June 22-23-24, 2010: Tale of Despereaux (G), Coraline (PG)
June 29-30, July 1 2010: Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything (G), Astro Boy (PG)
July 6-7-8, 2010: Charlotte’s Web (G), Planet 51 (PG)
July 13-14-15, 2010: The Rugrats Movie (G), Ice Age 3 (PG)
July 20-21-22, 2010: Rugrats In Paris (G), Kung Fu Panda (PG)
July 27-28-29, 2010: Wallace & Gromit (G), Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (PG)
August 3-4-5, 2010: Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius (G), Monsters vs. Aliens (PG)
August 10-11-12, 2010: Doogal (G), Hotel for Dogs (PG)
August 17-18-19, 2010: Muppets From Space (G), Paul Blart: Mall Cop (PG)

The schedule is subject to change, so you may want to check with Regal Cinemas before showing up at the mall for this summer’s free kids movies.

Google Doesn’t Know Where the Convention Center Is

Feb 26, 2010 Kennewick Life

If you’re new to Kennewick, or just don’t know where the Tri-Cities Convention Center is, don’t rely on Google Maps to help you find it. If you click this link to see West Kennewick and the area around the Toyota Center, you’ll notice that Google has the Convention Center a little too far to the north.

That building isn’t the Convention Center; it’s the old Joe’s Sporting Goods/Wal-Mart building. Odd to see a mistake like that on two well-known buildings, neither of which is exactly new at this point.

Kennewick’s Most Dangerous Intersection

Jan 5, 2010 Kennewick Life

If I asked you to name it, I’m guessing you’d say the new roundabouts near the Blue Bridge. But those aren’t technically an intersection, are they? I’m thinking not.

The intrepid reporters at KEPR-TV (my old stomping grounds) are reporting that the actual winner of most dangerous intersection in Kennewick is Clearwater Ave. and Columbia Center Blvd. Hmmmm. Not much of a surprise, is it?

They’re basing it on the 17 accidents that happened at that intersection in 2009. That makes it the worst intersection in the whole Tri-Cities. KEPR says it’s been the most dangerous intersection in Kennewick since 2003.

So … be careful seems to be the thing to say right about now.

Does Kennewick really need a lighthouse?

Oct 14, 2009 Kennewick Life

This photo is of a lighthouse on the Desert Course (I think) at Golf Universe mini-golf in Kennewick. It seems to me that this should be the only lighthouse in the city of Kennewick.

But the Port of Kennewick is moving ahead with plans to build a lighthouse at Clover Island. Yep. It’s a $1 million project that involves building a 62-foot tall lighthouse to draw people to Clover Island and create an “icon” for the area. The project also includes a plaza, a gateway arch, and walking paths between the island and downtown Kennewick. And it includes a lighthouse.

A lighthouse!

Lighthouses are pretty cool. They’re unique. They’re kinda fun to look at for a moment or two. And they’re built to mark a hazardous coastline and assist boats and airplanes with navigation. Thanks to modern technology (like GPS and more sophisticated navigational tools), lighthouses are pretty much a thing of the past. They certainly don’t serve much functional value at this point, and that’s all the more true on Clover Island. I read the paper and watch local TV news regularly, and have done so for 15 years, and I can’t recall a single occasion when a boat ran aground on the shoreline at Clover Island. Did I somehow miss the news that this has become a dangerous stretch of water/land?

Look, I’m as much a fan of the Clover Island area as anyone. Cedars and Ice Harbor Brewery are two of our favorite restaurants. Continuing to develop the area and make it attractive to visitors and businesses is terrific. But, in light of the current budget situation and the need to spend money as wisely as possible … is a lighthouse really the best idea?