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KENNEWICK --- It's hard to believe 10 years have gone by since Dec. 31, 1999.
On that night, all department managers had to work as we awaited the impending doom of Y2K and how the Tri-City Herald's computers were set to crash.
Of course, it never happened. And we all went on with our lives.
When it came to sports, there were plenty of highlights and a few lowlights over the last decade.
Here they are, in no particular order:
The athletes
The Mid-Columbia has produced some outstanding athletes during the past 10 years -- many at the top of their profession. Below are just a few.
Richland's Hope Solo is one of the best women's soccer goalkeepers in the world. Kennewick's Leilani Mitchell has played for the New York Liberty in the WNBA the last two seasons. Young Chelsea McClammer of Benton City represented the United States in the women's wheelchair 400 meters at the Paralympics in 2008.
Pasco's Jeremy Bonderman, now trying to recover from injuries, pitched for the Detroit Tigers in the 2006 World Series. Hanford High graduate Jason Repko has been in the big leagues with the Los Angeles Dodgers, while Moses Lake's Ryan Doumit has been the starting catcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Walla Walla's Eric O'Flaherty has been a reliever for both the Seattle Mariners and the Atlanta Braves, and Richland's Travis Buck has spent time with the Oakland A's.
In the NFL, Walla Walla's Drew Bledsoe finished an outstanding career as a quarterback, Kennewick's Adam Carriker was a top draft pick for the St. Louis Rams, Walla Walla's Peter Sirmon has some strong years at linebacker for the Titans; Pasco's Tyler Brayton has played on the defensive units of the Oakland Raiders and the Carolina Panthers; Pasco's Anthony Davis finished his NFL career with a Super Bowl title with the Baltimore Ravens in 2001; and former Kennewick resident Mike Reilly is just getting started as a quarterback with the Rams.
Coaching-wise, Sunnyside's Scott Linehan got a chance to be head coach of the Rams for a few seasons.
A couple swimmers from Richland, Cody Roberts and Joe Wertz -- both freshmen in college -- were two of the best in their age group in the nation this summer.
Baseball
From youth leagues up through minor league baseball, the Mid-Columbia was a hotbed of activity on the diamond during the last 10 years.
The Tri-City Posse, an independent franchise in the now-defunct Western Baseball League, began the decade at what is now called Gesa Stadium in Pasco. But in 2001, the Posse was gone and the Tri-City Dust Devils, the Northwest League affiliate for the Colorado Rockies, stepped in. The club celebrates its 10th season here next summer.
Other highlights included a Richland team playing in the Little League World Series; the Twin City Titans (twice) and the Kennewick Bandits (once) finishing second in the championship game of the American Legion World Series; eighth state titles for DeSales; three for Richland, one each for Southridge, Kennewick, Othello and Liberty Christian; and numerous Babe Ruth and Bambino World Series appearances from Kennewick.
Events and facilities
The Mid-Columbia, and especially the Tri-Cities, became the place to be for championship events in the last 10 years.
Sun Downs Race Track in Kennewick held horse races every spring, while the same venue hosts the Horse Heaven Round-UP PRCA rodeo every August.
Columbia Basin College built a new baseball field, softball complex, andf soccer fields. The Horn Rapids ORV Park consistently draws thousands of riders and fans to its facility for motocross and kart racing.
The Toyota Center and the adjacent Toyota Arena both have sheets of ice. The Tri-City Americans have called the Center their home since 1988, while the Junior A Tri-City Titans play their NorPac League games at the Arena.
The Americans, who started the decade struggling to make the playoffs, finished the decade atop the U.S. Division two years running. In between, in 2004, then-owner Daryl Porter tried moving the team to Chilliwack, British Columbia.
Only when former Americans Olaf Kolzig and Stu Barnes, current general manager Bob Tory, and local businessman Dennis Loman stepped in to buy the team and the franchise was saved.
In Pasco, the Trade, Recreational and Agricultural Center (TRAC) plays host to rodeos, motocross and other sporting events throughout the year.
The Tri-Cities has three football venues that seat 8,000 fans -- Richland's Fran Rish Stadium, Kennewick's Lampson Stadium and Pasco's Edgar Brown Stadium -- the latter undergoing a multi-million dollar upgrade.
The Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges has staged its men's and women's championship basketball tournaments for much of this decade at the Toyota Center.
State high school championships in volleyball, cross country, track, golf, softball and tennis were held in the Tri-Cities.
And finally, the area's biggest annual event -- the Lamb Weston Columbia Cup for unlimited hydroplanes -- continues to be held each July on the banks of the Columbia River between Kennewick and Pasco.
This area did lose two facilities this decade. Owner Paul Alderman decided to sell Tri-City Raceway to the Port of Kennewick two years ago. The lights and grandstands of NASCAR-style racing went away.
Out at Horn Rapids ORV Park, the water pit which held the United States Sprint Boat Association races was drained and used instead for more motocross.
Football
The decade for Northwest football fans began strong, with Washington State going to bowl games and the Seahawks making it to the Super Bowl in 2006.
In high school, Pasco won 4A state titles in 2000 and 2003. Connell won titles in 2002 and 2009; Othello was a state champ in 2004, and Prosser in 2007. Tri-Cities Prep won the 1B state title in 2009.
But the biggest football news came in 2005, when the Tri-Cities Fever was formed and played in the National Indoor Football League. Under coach Dan Whitsett, the Fever won the NIFL title that first season.
The team has struggled the last few seasons in the af2, but original owners JR and Teri Carr, who sold the team after its second season, purchased the team back this past year. It will play in the Indoor Football League this coming season.
Golf
This area is well-known for its golf courses. Because of the good weather, they open earlier than other Northwest courses and get a steady stream of out-of-town customers.
In the last few years, a couple of new courses were added with Wine Valley Golf Club in Walla Walla and Palouse Ridge in Pullman.
Participant sports
More and more Mid-Columbians are setting out on their own to participate in sports in the last 10 years.
The Cable Bridge Run hit the magic 2,000-participant number in 2008.
Want to joing a running group? The Three Rivers Road Runners Club will help you get started.
How about hiking? The Inter-Mountain Alpine Club (IMAC) can get you there.
There are groups for cycling (Chinook Cycling Club), sailing (Columbia Basin Sailing Club), skiing (Desert Ski Club) ... you name it. Heck, there's even a softball league for players 50 years-old and up.
The idea is, don't just watch others do something. Do it yourself.
That's what Mid-Columbians did in the first decade of the 21st century.
