Franklin Pool Going to the Dogs
Franklin Pool will welcome dogs and their owners on the last day of the summer swimming season, Sunday, August 26th, from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm as the pool plays host to the 6th annual Paws In the Pool event. Admission for dogs is free, but owners do have to buy a general admission ticket which costs $2.00 for kids, $3.75 for adults, and $2.25 for senior citizens. A family pass, which can be used for up to 2 adults and as many as 4 kids, costs $10.00.
“The Paws in the Pool event is always a lot of fun ,” said Recreation Supervisor Traci Bennett. “We get dogs of all breeds, shapes, and sizes. They really enjoy getting the chance to splash around in the pool, and so do their owners,” said Bennett.
The event also provides a great community outreach opportunity for the Humane Society of Central Washington. Society staff will be on hand to provide information to pet owners and to accept donations of money and/or supplies, including pet food, towels, laundry soap, bleach, and kitty litter. The Society, which has been operating as a nonprofit organization in Yakima since 1904, provides a range of services to the community including pet adoption, animal control, pet owner education, and quality animal care.
When first arriving for Paws In the Pool, dogs need to be kept on leashes. However, once inside the fenced-in area around the pool, dogs are free to do as they please and enjoy a day of swimming fun.
“We’ve had a great summer at Franklin Pool this year,” said Bennett. “We had the kind of weather that brought people out to the pool. That’s exactly what we hope for every year,” said Bennett. “The Paws in the Pool event will be a fantastic way to top off the season. We’re looking forward to it.”
For more information about this article, contact Recreation Supervisor Traci Bennett by phone (575-6348) or by e-mail (tlbennet@ci.yakima.wa.us).
City/County Buyer Receives Certification
Colleen Bailey, a buyer for the combined City of Yakima/Yakima County Purchasing Division, recently received her credentials as a Certified Public Professional Buyer from the Universal Public Purchasing Certification Council (“UPPCC”).
“Meeting the high standards of the Certified Public Professional Buyer (“CPPB”) program is a great accomplishment for Colleen,” said City/County Purchasing Manager Sue Ownby. “It takes hard work. Colleen deserves a lot of credit for putting in the time and the effort to receive her credentials,” said Ownby.
In order to be awarded the CPPB designation, Bailey, who has worked for the Purchasing Division since 2009, had to meet rigorous education and experience requirements as well as pass a demanding 4-hour exam administered by the
UPPCC.
Bailey is the second buyer in the City/County Purchasing Division to receive the CPPB designation this year. In January, Susan Knotts, who has worked for the division since 2003, also was awarded her credentials.
Established 30 years ago, the UPPCC promotes and elevates professionalism and ethical conduct in public purchasing through its certification programs. The UPPCC’s Certified Public Professional Buyer and Certified Public Purchasing Officer designations are recognized not only in the United States, but also are accredited by the International Federation of Purchasing Supply and Management, which consists of 42 member countries spread across 6 continents and represents more than 200,000 members worldwide.
“It’s very important for the community to have a high level of trust in its government purchasing operations,” said Ownby. “Having staff members with credentials and certification from organizations like the UPPCC goes a long way toward helping our division achieve that goal.”
For more information about this article, contact Purchasing Manager Sue Ownby by phone (575-6093) or by e-mail (sue.ownby@yakimawa.gov).
Business Spotlight
The articles in the Business Spotlight section have been generously provided by New Vision.
Gluten Free Bakery Moves To Yakima
Jenny Mae’s Gluten Free Bakery, which first opened its doors about two years ago in Wiley City, recently moved to a bigger and better location in Yakima. The new store is located at 730 North 16th Avenue, Suite #2.
Jenny Mae’s won 2nd place in New Vision’s Enterprise Challenge business plan contest in 2010. Since participating in the Enterprise Challenge, the homegrown business has added new product lines based on customer demand. The bakery now creates and distributes a wide variety of handmade, gluten free food items including breads, cookie dough, pizza crusts, pie shells, and hamburger buns.
Owners Jenny Mae and Jeff Simmons started the business to meet the needs of the expanding gluten free market. After experiencing steady growth over the first year and a half or so that the bakery was in business, the couple felt it was time to relocate to a larger and more accessible facility.
The new location on 16th Avenue, which opened earlier this spring, not only meets the current needs of the business, but provides room to grow in the future.
Peninsula Packaging Adding More Employees at New Facility
It didn’t take long for Yakima’s new plastics company to expand its footprint.
Near the end of 2011, Peninsula Packaging bought the agricultural thermoforming division of Packaging Plus. Peninsula initially operated out of the former Packaging Plus facility on Longfibre Road near Costco, but quickly realized it needed more room in order to meet growing customer demand.
Earlier this year, Peninsula leased a big section of the former Ace Hardware building on River Road. The company then installed about $20 million of new thermoforming, plastics extrusion, and labeling equipment at its new 188,000 square-foot facility.
Peninsula has been hiring employees over the last few months to staff the new plant, and estimates it will ultimately need about 30 total workers to operate the River Road Facility.
For more information about Business Spotlight articles, contact New Vision by phone (575-1140) or by e-mail (info@ycda.com).