Competition’s tough this year for GWATA’s top honors — Entrepreneur of the Year and Tech Savvy Business of the Year.

We think it should all be settled with cage fights. Say, nominee Nancy Tedeschi, inventor of the SnapIt eyeglass screw, in a match with wine-rack designer Steven Bechard for who’s the top tech-world mogul. And they should wear colorful leotards, too.

Since that won’t happen, GWATA (Greater Wenatchee Area Technology Alliance) will hold an awards luncheon to announce the winners. It’ll take place from noon to 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 27, at the Wenatchee Convention Center.

Announced Monday, nominees for the honors are:

Tech Savvy Business of the Year: Corban Security, Genext, Key Methods, Inner Circle Gym, InDemand Interpreting, SGL Automotive Carbon Fibers, Stemilt Growers and Voortex Productions.

Entrepreneur of the Year: Dominick Bonney of Strategically Social, Korey Korfiatis of Legwork Social, Mark Stockman of Black Diamond Sports Therapy, Nancy Tedeschi of Eyeego SnapIt Screw, Ryan Kelso of Complete Design and Steven Bechard of Reasonable Racks.

The award for Future Technology Leaders will be announced, too. Nominees are: the fourth-grade class at Columbia Elementary School (using iPods to improve reading skills), the Wenatchee Valley Technology Skills Center (award-winning video production), Eastmont High School Skills USA Team (reengineering a hydro-power generator) and Rambots 4-H Club (building a competition robot).

Hosting the event will be a pair of Masters of Ceremony: Larry Cramer, owner of Application Dynamics, and Amy Lewis, former GWATA program manager and now marketing director for Corban Security.

Admission is $25 for members and $30 for non-members, with a free sandwich for anyone who dresses like “El Murcielago” (The Bat) and puts a competitor in a head-lock.

Advanced registration is required. Do it at gwata.org or by calling 661-9000.

Sixty years of aluminum — not too shabby

The Town Toyota Center wasn’t the only issue on the minds of state legislators these last couple of weeks. It just seemed like it.

Sen. Linda Evans Parlette, bless her heart, rode passage of a measure (Senate Resolution 8693) to honor Alcoa Wenatchee Works for its 60 years of contributions to the prosperity of the Wenatchee Valley.

Sure enough, the resolution noted the company’s 450 jobs and $52 million annual payroll. But it also mentioned (since 2002) the company’s 125,000 employee volunteer hours and $1.4 million in Alcoa Foundation grants to nonprofits, schools and other community organizations.

And, oh yeah … the company makes tons of aluminum using hydropower from the Chelan County PUD’s dams.

“I thought it was important for the legislature to join Alcoa in celebrating this (60 year) milestone,” Parlette said.

This weekly column is compiled from “Everyday Business,” a blog by World reporter Mike Irwin. You can reach him at 665-1179 or irwin@wenatcheeworld.com.