Kennewick proclaims January National Mentoring Month; council highlights downtown funding and seeks more commission engagement

Kennewick — The Kennewick City Council on Jan. 7 proclaimed January 2025 as National Mentoring Month and recognized local mentoring groups, while council members also discussed directing business-and-occupation tax commitments to support downtown Main Street efforts and asked for stronger ties between the council and city boards and commissions.

Mayor Gretel Crawford read the proclamation naming January 2025 National Mentoring Month in the City of Kennewick and invited Joe Thornton — introduced in the meeting as “Big Bro Joe” — to the podium. Thornton, associated with the Big Bro Joe Foundation and local mentoring efforts, thanked the city and said, “Our youth need us and just having the city behind us just show exactly the strength of unity and community.”

The proclamation text cited Mentor Washington and local programs including the Big Bro Joe Foundation and Communities in Schools of Benton Franklin Counties as organizations that train mentors and…