Panhandling With a Twist Advertises Jobs, More Briefs

A Yakima businessman who has been standing on street corners with a sign looking for workers is getting national attention.

Lance Forsee, owner of Yakima's Colonial Lawn and Garden, has been featured on national radio programs and Seattle TV stations and he has garnered a lot of attention here in Yakima.

Foresee stands on the corner with the sign that says he is looking for quality employees. It is a twist on a panhandler sign. He says his panhandling for employees is really working.

A lot of applications are coming in from people who say they saw the guy standing on the street corner.

John Ball tells KIT News, “I talked to them about some of the historic features and characteristics of the community that make us different than other places.” He says designers have toured the museum and looked at the impact of the Yakima Nation and the unique geology that makes the valley different and unique.

The central plaza and potential of surrounding retail is something Ball is looking forward to. He says it will be something that is a draw for the community.

Ball travels extensively and he says he has seen many other central plazas be successful in many other cities.

It is National Salvation Army week and staff at local chapters are showing their support for all the volunteers who help out.

Major Jack Smith with the Salvation Army in Yakima says this week is an important time for the organization because it reminds people that giving knows no season.

Through the course of the year our funds run out and we can always use a little shot in the arm to help us to help others.

President Eisenhower started the annual celebration, now in its 61st iteration, back in 1954 to show support for all the donors and volunteers that work year-round to give back to people in need.

The state of the city is healthy and progressing, that from Yakima Mayor Micah Cawley, who along with other council members attended the annual State of the City lunch at the Yakima Red Lion Hotel Monday.Cawley says the city is in a better place internally then it has been in years.

“You’re seeing the beginning phases of our city manager getting settled … the city getting refocused and ready to move ahead.”

It is not smooth sailing however, as Cawley says one of the biggest challenges is trying to get the community together on projects like the redesign of downtown. But he says the good news is that in his opinion the state of the city is healthy and progressive.

The Union Gap City Council on Monday rejected a proposed ban on the retail sale of marijuana on a 4-3 vote.The city is now planning a public hearing for May 27 to deal with a moratorium on sales that has been extended to June.

City officials say they will hold more meetings to discuss the issue further and have no plans to allow retail shops to open anytime soon in the city of Union Gap.

AP: President Barack Obama is presenting the Medal of Honor to a former Army sergeant who saved a fellow soldier's life and helped evacuate other wounded Americans while under persistent fire during a 2007 ambush in Afghanistan.Obama will award the medal to Kyle J. White today at the White House.

White is a Seattle native now living in North Carolina. He will be the seventh living recipient to be awarded the Medal of Honor for actions in Iraq or Afghanistan.

Filed Under: charity, economy, government, history, marijuana, medal of honor

Categories: Northwest News, Yakima News