Recently the Tri-City Herald reported that the city of Kennewick is considering annexing the Tri-City Heights subdivision from Benton County. Tri-City Heights, a 305-acre ‘island’ of county property surrounded by the city, contains 710 parcels according to Christina Palmer, assistant director of support services, and it is the last remaining piece of a 2005 plan to annex these ‘islands’ by the city.

Most of the homes in the subdivision were built in the early 60s out in the middle of nowhere. Once Columbia Center Mall was built, Kennewick started annexing more and more land to the west. A number of subdivisions resisted the urge to merge and the city even went so far as to deny water to home buyers in these subdivisions unless they would sign a power of attorney allowing the city to vote for them in any annexation bid.

Now many of the original home owners have moved on and the new owners don’t really know what all the fuss was about. But they do hear horror stories from their neighbors about septic tanks failing and the cost to put in new ‘engineered’ systems because the city refuses to allow county residents to hook up to the sewer. Take away their right to vote and force the residents into an expensive septic system — and the city wonders why there is bad blood?

But what caught my attention was a news story on KEPR TV by Molly Kelleher about road conditions on a section of 4th Street in Kennewick between Union and Edison. The TV station got an email calling it “the worst roughest street” in the city and that no one will “lift a finger over this.” The station went out with its cameras and could see the reason for the ‘road rage’, there are noticeable potholes, cracks and bumps along the whole stretch. When I drive this section of road (about 4-5 times a week) I have always figured that the city was ignoring it just to get even with some ole curmudgeon who had given the city council guff in years past.

The city’s response is the reason I have a problem with annexation of Tri-City Heights, my neighborhood. They told the reporter that this road used to be Benton County land and now Kennewick promises to get the work done, or at least a bid, next year. But I went back trough the city council minutes and found that this property was annexed in July of 2000 — Eight! yes Eight! years ago. Why is the city trying to blame this on Benton County? If the city does not have enough money to maintain land they have already annexed, why would I want to have them annex any other property?

I have just finished listening to a series of sermons by Pastor John Piper on baptism and church membership. As a pastor of a Baptist church, Pastor Piper spoke on the dilemma of allowing into church membership someone who was baptized as an infant but is not yet convinced of the Baptist understanding of believer baptism. Should the person be excluded from membership? In other words, should the door of the local church be narrower than the door to the Kingdom?

In his first sermon, How Important Is Church Membership?, Pastor Piper asks which is more serious? Excluding from membership a person who gives credible evidence of saving faith or receiving into membership a true believer who is not ‘biblically’ baptized? If a non-member can worship, take the Lord’s Supper, attend Sunday School, be a part of a small group, and be visited by a pastor in the hospital, is denying church membership a big deal? Especially since the person could simply go to another church that shares his view of baptism?

How serious is it to say to a regenerate person: “You are not permitted to be a member of this church”? Pastor Piper thinks it is very serious and argues from scripture the importance and necessity of church membership.

Now you may say, what’s this to you? I thought you were one of those baby-sprinkling Christians? Well, the mirror image of this problem occurs in Presbyterian/Reformed churches. Families are expected to baptize their infants. If they have not (yet) come to accept the reformed teaching on covenant families then they can’t join. (Of course if they are beyond child bearing age or sterile then they can believe whatever they want.)

So Baptists and Reformed Christians have a similar dilemma and I appreciate Pastor Piper’s approach and willingness to deal with a very tough subject. Neither group is immune. We each have our pet doctrines. I pray our churches are able to welcome all believers into membership without requiring more than just faith. Hmm, maybe we should have a saying like, ‘Faith Alone’ as a slogan, wonder how you would say that in Latin?

I visited my folks in Tehran, Iran 30 years ago. When I told friends about the traffic there I know they thought I was making up stories about how crazy it was. Now YouTube comes to the rescue. I ran across this video today and all I can say is wow! The only real rules they follow are the traffic lights which are not visible on the video.



I also found this description of the Tehran traffic:

As I have previously commented Tehran traffic works – but I’m unsure how. …

One of the problems is that there seems to be no concept of “lane keeping”. People turn right from the inner lane, swinging across moving traffic by dint of simply turning across someones bow and hoping they will stop and give way. The same applies to turning left – simply cut across from whatever lane you are in. Three lanes? Forget it, theres room for five abreast. Traffic circles are a case of Formula One – whoever gets into the intersection first just keeps going, accelerating if necessary to cut across any traffic approaching from the left. The other problem is the concept of giving way to anyone or anything. Intersections are nightmare country as you simply aim for any gap in the cross traffic and force your way across. Pedestrians have a strong Kamikaze streak and simply wade out into the traffic stream weaving and dodging their way between cars, buses, trucks and juggernauts.

I could not help myself. I just saw this book title in the list of new titles at my local library and had to place it on reserve; How to Improve Your Marriage Without Talking About It Hopefully the first page will have something in large type saying: Give this book to your wife. But I doubt it.

Kidding aside, marriage is a blessing from God and I wonder at times how my dear wife (DW) puts up with me (no “Amens” from the peanut gallery, please). The amazon blurb for the book had this line:

The secret of the silent male is this:
his wife supplies the meaning in his life.

which is cute, but this saying shows the authors might mix some humor with their advice:

Male emotions are like women’s sexuality:
you can’t be too direct too quickly.

If I get through the book I will let you know what I think. And maybe my DW will let you know if it did any good!

Pastor Wilson’s productivity has always amazed me. Being a pastor is a full time job. Yet he finds time to blog, write books, and handle critics. He recently gave a little hint of how he does it in his post The Fruitfulness of Plodding.

I believe in plodding. Productivity is more a matter of diligent, long-distance hiking than it is one-hundred-yard dashing. Doing a little bit now is far better than hoping to do a lot on the morrow. So redeem the fifteen minute spaces. Chip away at it. For example, I have a stack of six books that I am working through most weekday mornings — a page or two of each every time I sit down to read. I do the same thing with writing — if you have time for a little bit, then do a little bit.

and our excuses of not having enough time is really a matter of priorities.

A sixty hour work week is an honest job and a significant load, but a lot of the problems that come to people who work this much happen because of where those sixty hours are placed. It is possible to work sixty hours and still have lots of time left over for family. A week has a total of 168 hours in it. Sixty hours of work leaves 108, and eight hours of sleep a night take away another 56 hours, leaving you with 52 hours a week to play tag with the kids.

Now what is my excuse?

If you have ever wondered if there was a good reason not to do drugs this is your video!
The captions just make this clip that much funnier.

PS. If you ever consider playing the ‘air guitar’ in public, just remember this video.

Give Us Your Best Shot is Costco’s theme for this years contest. Your best shot might just win you a $2,500 Costco Cash card if yours is the best photo from all entries submitted by Costco members around the world. If it is the best from the United States then you have a chance at a $1,500 Costco Cash card for first place, $1,000 for second, and $500 for third. Every card-carrying Costco member (who is at least 18 years old) may enter one photo.

Looking at the 2007 winners, competition looks pretty stiff. The theme last year was “Photo Finish” and I notice that the winning international photo most definitely reflected the theme.

You can submit your entry online or by snail mail. Just make sure it is submitted or postmarked by September 30, 2008.

Go ahead — give it your best shot….

P.S. Employees of Costco are not eligible for this contest but do have their own Employee Contest

Over the last week or so I have been able to get out for some walks and map the trails in the west end of the Yakima Delta HMU (Habitat Management Unit) run by the Corps of Engineers. This time of year many of the off-shoot trails are overgrown with with grass standing 3 to 4 feet high. There are about 8 to 10 geocaches in this area.

I have submitted the maps to NorthWest Trails for inclusion in the next update. Now that this section of the HMU is done, I want to map the much larger eastern end but that will take some time.

Below are the Yakima Delta – West trails overlaid on Google Earth.

Books usually do not get fancy trailers like this. My boys tell me that it is a pretty good summary of the books.

Maybe it will entice some kids to read a couple books this summer….

HatTip: Open Culture