One of the latter is the way so many people are getting way too excited about the vitrification plant bringing more jobs to the Tri-Cities. I want the nuclear waste cleaned up as quickly as possible, and I believe that's the only way our area will earn the respect of the Northwest's general public. But high-paying, temporary construction jobs aren't the way to do it. Please keep that in mind when the vit plant is approved, so we aren't left with boarded up houses and empty stores. Speaking of stores, my pet peeve remains customer service.
Economic growth needs support from every waiter, gift store clerk and office secretary.
Even in good times, businesses cannot make it without paying attention to the needs of existing and potential customers. With today's technology, there's no excuse for not having a basic answering system in place to answer customer questions around the clock. That said, I'm going to miss my role as a reporter. For the most part, I've been able to pick stories that are fun to write and useful to Herald readers. And I've had a few mini-adventures in the process.