Ellensburg Community Morning Show, Thursday, October 29th
NEWS
Five parts of Kittitas County are a step closer to federal Opportunity Zone status. Governor Bob Ferguson nominated five of the six census tracts the Kittitas County Chamber of Commerce put forward for the program, which gives private investors federal tax breaks for putting money into lower-income areas. In Ellensburg, the nominated tracts take in the future fieldhouse at Rotary Park, the WinCo distribution center, C-W-U's historic Old Heat building, the Sanders Mill neighborhood, Mallard Meadows and Pathways Place, and the Gateway Two area at the east end of University Way. In Upper County, the tract covers Bullfrog Flats, Wildwood Ranch, and Teanaway Court near Cle Elum. The nominations now go to the U.S. Treasury for review, and new designations are set to take effect January first. Chamber C-E-O Amy McGuffin says this is not a grant and doesn't guarantee anything gets built. It's a tool to help draw private money to projects like fixing up commercial buildings, growing businesses, and building housing.
Roslyn Brewing Company has new owners, and they're all locals. Four couples, Kent and Dayna Larimer, Paul and Krissy Adams, Ron and Loretta Sweigard, and Mike and Maria Adams, now co-own the brewery. It was founded in 1990 and carries on a Roslyn brewing tradition that goes back to the late eighteen hundreds. Kent Larimer has been the head brewer since he and two college friends bought the place in 2004, and he'll keep brewing. The new owners plan to add indoor seating, put up new signs, and host more events. They marked the handoff with an Oktoberfest open house last Saturday.
In Cle Elum, the owner of Miners Pizza is trying to buy the building she's in, and keep her neighbors in it too. Ashley Evans tells the Daily Record the owners of the Coleman Building on First Street put it up for sale this summer, and the likely buyers would have raised rents enough to push out Miners along with AmeriTitle and Johnston and Williams Funeral Home. Instead, the longtime owners offered Evans a deal to buy the 1903 building herself. She needs a two-hundred-thousand-dollar down payment by November 15th, has saved about fifty thousand so far, and is running a gift card drive to help close the gap. Roslyn real estate agent Courtney Cooper-Neese is donating her commission to the cause.
The Kittitas County Auditor's Office says it has received no information pointing to any noncitizen voters in Kittitas County. The statement came Tuesday, a day after the acting U.S. Attorney in Seattle claimed more than 400 noncitizens have voted in Washington and asked the state to set their ballots aside. Secretary of State Steve Hobbs disputes the numbers and says his office is reviewing the request. The county auditor says the election is being run strictly by state and federal law, and if an official source identifies a suspected noncitizen voter here, the case goes to the county canvassing board and the prosecutor's office. Ballots for the November 3rd election need to be in a drop box by 8 p.m. Tuesday, or postmarked by that day.
Two deadlines to know about. Sealed bids for the farm lease tracts at Bowers Field airport are due today at 4 p.m. at the county Public Works office, 411 North Ruby Street, and that's when the county opens them. And tomorrow is the last day to apply for one of Ellensburg's two seats on the new countywide Public Facilities District board. You have to live in the city. Call the City Manager's Office at five-oh-nine, nine-six-two, seven-two-two-one. The city is also taking applications for two openings on the Environmental Commission starting in January. And a public hearing that was set for Monday night's city council meeting, on a request from Ward Rugh to vacate several rights of way near University Way and Cora Street, has been cancelled. It will be rescheduled.
Some school news. Mt. Stuart Elementary held its twelfth annual Wacky Fund Run earlier this month, with kids from kindergarten through fifth grade running an obstacle course in their Halloween costumes. The Mt. Stuart Parent Group sponsors it, and all the money raised goes back to students for camps, field trips, books, and equipment. And members of the Kittitas chapter of Family, Career and Community Leaders of America are back from the regional fall conference in Sunnyside. Kittitas student Lily Parker led a workshop there on promoting chapters through social media, and Anna Main was recognized for her interest in becoming a teacher.
A Central Washington University art professor has a new public exhibit at the Tri-Cities Readiness Center in Richland. Gregg Schlanger's show, called "Camaraderie," is a set of laughing portraits of Washington National Guard soldiers from the 161st Infantry Regiment and their families, printed on glass over a 1947 map of the state. The Washington State Arts Commission commissioned it, and it's open to the public.
Road Updates
The access road gate at Irene Rinehart Riverfront Park closes for the winter at the end of the day tomorrow. Park restrooms close Saturday, except Rotary Park, which stays open through Monday for the end of youth soccer. The downtown restrooms at Unity Park and at Third and Main stay open all winter. Crews are also running new communication lines through downtown alleys on weekends through early December, in the area between Fifth Avenue and Capitol, and between Ruby and Wenas streets. And the city asks that you keep leaves out of the street and gutters, where they clog storm drains. Leaves can go in your Waste Management yard waste bin or to the transfer station on West Green Avenue.
Local Events
Spooky Trivia Night runs from 5 to 8 tonight at the Bistro in the S-U-R-C on the C-W-U campus. Bring a team of up to five, or join one when you get there.
Toastmasters meets tonight at 5:30 at the Hal Holmes Community Center, 209 North Ruby Street.
And looking ahead to Halloween weekend: Tomorrow night the Rocky Horror Picture Show is back at McConnell Auditorium at 9, with a shadow cast acting out the movie. On Saturday, the Downtown Trick-or-Treat and Harvest Fest runs from 3 to 5 in downtown Ellensburg and Unity Park, with businesses handing out candy and family activities. And the 34th annual Boo Central is Saturday from 5 to 7 in the S-U-R-C Ballroom at Central. It's free, with games, treats, and trick-or-treating for kids of all ages.
SPORTS
The Wildcat volleyball team takes an eleven-match winning streak to Seattle tonight for a 7 o'clock match at 25th-ranked Seattle Pacific. Central is 15 and 4 overall and 11 and 2 in conference. The Wildcats play again Saturday at noon at Montana State Billings.
Women's soccer is in Nampa, Idaho, today for a 3 o'clock match at Northwest Nazarene. The Wildcats, 5 and 8 and 4 on the season, come home Saturday for Senior Day against seventh-ranked Western Washington at 11 a.m. at Tomlinson Stadium.
Basketball season tips off this weekend at Nicholson Arena with the C-W-U D-Two Tip-Off Classic, Friday through Sunday. The women play Minnesota State Moorhead tomorrow at 1, Midwestern State Saturday at 1, and 24th-ranked U-T Tyler Sunday at 1. The men play Chico State tomorrow at 3, Cal State San Bernardino Saturday at 3, and 23rd-ranked Lubbock Christian Sunday at 3. Western Washington and Montana State Billings are in the field too, so there's a game going most of the day all three days.
Wildcat football, 6 and 2 overall and unbeaten at 6 and 0 in the Lone Star Conference, plays at Eastern New Mexico on Saturday. Kickoff is 1 p.m. our time. Central has won six straight.
On the high school side, the Ellensburg girls swim team finished the regular season undefeated and won the Central Washington Athletic Conference title in Prosser last Saturday. They swim at Whitman College tomorrow. The Bulldog girls soccer team beat Selah 4 to 1 to open the district tournament, and plays a semifinal at home Saturday. And Cle Elum-Roslyn girls soccer, 13 and 2 on the year, plays Tri-Cities Prep today.
WEATHER
The forecasted high today in Ellensburg is 48 degrees with a low tonight of 22 degrees. Mostly sunny, with calm wind turning east at about 5 miles an hour this afternoon. The sunset is at 5:50 p.m. Clouds move in overnight, with a 40 percent chance of rain showers after midnight turning to snow showers toward morning. Tomorrow starts with a chance of snow showers mixing with rain before it clears, with a high near 49. No weather alerts are in effect.
WHAT'S FOR LUNCH AT THE FISH OPEN TABLE?
The FISH Open Table lunch today is Mediterranean chicken pasta, with feta, tomatoes, and arugula, served with mixed vegetables and fruit. The senior lunch is open to all seniors age 60-plus from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Ellensburg Open Table at 204 North Main Street, and from 11 a.m. to noon at Dru Bru, 1015 East Second Street in Cle Elum. The community lunch for anyone needing a hot meal is from 1 to 2 p.m. at the Ellensburg Open Table.
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