Crane celebration set for mid-March

Othello’s 27th annual Sandhill Crane Festival, with a theme of Flyways and By-Ways, is just around the corner. The festival runs Friday, March 21, through Sunday, March 23 at the Othello Church of the Nazarene, 835 S. 10th Ave.

The annual event includes guided tours to view sandhill cranes as well as tours highlighting Eastern Washington’s geology.

Author Bruce Bjornstad will give a presentation Friday night on the evolution of Grand Coulee, and Saturday night’s presentation will be on “Wild Stories from the History of Bird Migration Research,” shared by author Rebecca Heisman. Both authors’ books can be purchased in advance or at the door.

Saturday’s events will also feature presentations on Pacific and Inland Northwest wildlife and a variety of children’s activities, including origami crane mobiles, faux binoculars, mask making and more. 

A $10 general admission ticket covers all lectures and events on Saturday. Children under 12 are free with a paid adult. Viewing and hiking tours have an added cost per tour. Online registration begins Saturday, Feb. 1.

Contact othellocranefest@gmail.com, 509-989-5606 or go to: othellosandhillcranefestival.org.

Book lovers rejoice: Libraries forge borrowing agreement

Library lovers in the Tri-Cities area now have more options when it comes to book borrowing.

Five regional libraries have entered into a reciprocal borrowing agreement, meaning that patrons of one library can get a free library card at the other four libraries. To get one, patrons will need to show up at the library they wish to visit with a valid photo ID.

Richland Public Library, Mid-Columbia Libraries, Walla Walla County Rural Library District, Walla Walla Public Library and Columbia County Rural Library District have all signed on to participate.

The agreement allows patrons to check out physical items and databases, but digital resources such as Libby, Hoopla and Kanopy are not included.

Some libraries might allow added access to digital resources. The Richland Public Library, for example, allows access for $25 a year. When registering for the reciprocal card, patrons can ask for additional access at the front desk.

A reciprocal card can only be used at the library where it was obtained, not for all of the libraries in the agreement. That means that a Walla Walla Public Library reciprocal card cannot be used at the Mid-Columbia Libraries, as one example.

Materials also need to be returned to the library they were checked out from.

Broadway star to give keynote at Tri-Citian of the Year event

Tony Award winner Santino Fontana, a Richland High School graduate, will return to the Tri-Cities to provide the keynote at this year’s Tri-Citian of the Year event. 

Fontana is perhaps best known for providing the voice for the villain Prince Hans in Disney’s “Frozen.” He’s also received a Tony Award, two Drama Desks, an Outer Critics Circle, a Lortel, an Obie, and the Clarence Derwent Award for his work in both plays and musicals.   

His most recent Broadway performance was as Michael/Dorsey in “Tootsie.”   

Nominations for the Tri-Citian of the Year award are still being accepted for the April 17 ceremony at the Three Rivers Convention Center in Kennewick. 

The Tri-Citian of the Year is a recognition given to individuals who have demonstrated outstanding service above self. The award is a way to show appreciation to efforts exerted in building community through service. 

Sharon Grant, a longtime Friends of Badger Mountain leader, received the award in 2024.

Nominations, sponsorships, tickets and a list of previous award winners are available at tricitianoftheyear.com.

WSU’s new apple variety gets new name

Washington State University’s newest apple has an official brand name: Sunflare.

The new name resulted from a public contest that drew more than 15,000 responses.

The new tart, crunchy, juicy fruit is a cross of Honeycrisp and Pink Lady and will reach grocery stores in 2029.

Thousands of name entries were winnowed down by WSU faculty and staff as well as public focus groups of apple lovers. The university sought a creative, distinctive name that consumers will remember and link positively with the apple. Sunflare won in part by best reflecting the apple’s physical qualities.

Winning contestant Ryan Escarcega, a 49-year-old food service salesperson and chef from Centralia was inspired by the variety’s bright hues as well as the powerful solar storms that sparked northern lights visible across North America last spring.

Furniture chain gets ready for Richland

The building at 1895 Fowler St. in Richland has been quiet since Ennis Fine Furniture sold it in July 2024, but it won’t be for long.

La-Z-Boy Inc., which bought the 21,651-square-foot building for $3.5 million, is getting ready to open its doors. 

In December, the city of Richland issued a $1.1 million building permit to the furniture company known for its recliners. Plans include an interior remodel with new walls, plumbing and mechanical work. 

The company plans to open a full-line furniture store in early April. 

La-Z-Boy will have about 40 vignettes of furniture and between 90 and 110 different chairs. 

La-Z-Boy, known for its recliners, also sells sofas, sectionals and dining groups.