Senior Times - August 2023

New veterans clinic coming to the Tri-Cities

By Sara Schilling sara@tcjournal.biz

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs plans to open an expanded outpatient clinic in the Tri-Cities.

A specific site hasn’t been selected – in fact, the selection process is in the early stages. But Vista Field in Kennewick is one of the areas that’s drawn interest from potential developers as a possibility.

The new clinic will replace the existing one in the Richland Federal Building, and it’ll add an array of specialties for veterans on top of what’s currently offered locally, from dental to pharmacy.

The VA is looking to locate the new clinic in a roughly 34-plus-square-mile area of west Kennewick and south Richland bounded by interstates 82 and 182, Highway 395 and State Route 240.

The clinic could be a new build, or it could move into an existing facility that fits the VA’s criteria, according to an advertisement from the agency seeking expressions of interest from developers.

That’s where Vista Field comes in. Three developers approached the Port of Kennewick – which owns the former municipal airport that’s now envisioned as a regional town center with a mix of commercial and residential development – about listing Vista Field as the clinic location in their submissions.

Because the port is a public agency, discussion among port commissioners

about whether to give the OK to that initial step happened during a public meeting, where details about other sites being eyed by developers wouldn’t necessarily make it into the public sphere in the same way.

A site for the new clinic will be selected by January 2025, said Linda Wondra, public affairs officer for the Walla Walla VA Medical Center, a net-

work that includes the Richland clinic.

The new clinic is planned to open in 2028. The need is clear, Wondra said.

“The Tri-Cities area has more veterans seeking care than other locations within the Walla Walla catchment area, and it is important to bring needed specialty care services to the Tri-Cities area so these veterans can access and receive more VA services closer to home,” she said.

Vista Field as a possible site

Port of Kennewick staff brought the developer requests to port commissioners at a special meeting in June. The staffers reported that a clinic at Vista Field wouldn’t be consistent with the master plan as approved by the port and the city of Kennewick and may not be consistent with city zoning.

They also noted that it’s unclear if Vista Field meets the VA’s criteria for a suitable site, based on the limited information included in the agency’s advertisement.

But, after lengthy discussion, com-

uVA

, Page 2

For one Tri-City family, a misplaced photo brings loved one back to life

By Sara Schilling sara@tcjournal.biz

I didn’t know the photo was missing until I heard from Patti Wagner.

I’m not sure I even remembered it existed. I’d certainly seen it before –an image of my paternal grandmother, Merlyn Putnam Schilling, taken when she was a teenager.

She’s wearing a light-colored dress and a jeweled necklace, and she’s holding a bouquet of flowers.

The photo sat on a bookshelf in my childhood home in Kennewick for years, one of many on display.

But I didn’t spend a lot of time

looking at those old photos or learning the stories behind them as a kid, and I never met Merlyn, who went by Mynn. She died before I was born.

So, the photo wasn’t at the top of my mind when Wagner contacted me about it.

She found it at the Goodwill on West Court Street in Pasco, with Mynn’s name written on the back. It was there by mistake, inadvertently left in a frame my parents donated when they downsized and moved across the river. Wagner figured it may have ended up at the store in error, and some online sleuthing led

her to me. In no time, the photo was back with my family.

It’s not the first time Wagner has reunited loved ones with a lost item.

The 68-year-old retired nurse is an expert thrift store shopper, even regularly meeting up with friends to thrift together. She’s an avid reader and is often on the hunt for books.

But sometimes she comes across items that seem too personal and too special to be left on thrift store shelves. She’s found military discharge papers and a college girl’s diary from the 1940s.

was the Academy Award-winning cinematographer from Pasco?

uWAGNER, Page 6

A map showing the general area of west Kennewick and south Richland where the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is looking to locate a new veterans clinic in the Tri-Cities.

Photo courtesy Schilling family Merlyn Putnam Schilling smiles in an undated photo.

509-737-8778

Mailing address: 8524 W. Gage Blvd., #A1-300 Kennewick, WA 99336 srtimes.com

STAFF

Kristina Lord Executive Editor 509-344-1261 kristina@tcjournal.biz

Sara Schilling Reporter 509-344-1286 sara@tcjournal.biz

Tiffany Lundstrom Associate Publisher for Sales  509-344-1271 tiffany@tcjournal.biz

Chad Utecht Advertising Account Manager 509-344-1274 chad@tcjournal.biz

Vanessa Guzmán Production Manager 509-344-1278 vanessa@tcjournal.biz

Erin Landon Business Assistant 509-344-1285 erin@tcjournal.biz

Rachel Visick News Assistant / Researcher 509-344-1281 rachel@tcjournal.biz

Paul Read Group Publisher 509-344-1262 paul@tcjournal.biz

– CORRECTION –

• The answers to the July edition’s puzzles weren’t correct. You can find last month’s puzzle answers on page 13. We apologize for the error.

Senior Times, a publication of Mid-Columbia Media Inc., is published monthly. Subscriptions are $21.69 per year, prepayment required, no refunds. Contents of this publication are the sole property of Mid-Columbia Media Inc. and can not be reproduced in any form without expressed written consent. Opinions expressed by guest columnists and advertisers do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Senior Times staff, other guest columnists or other advertisers, nor do they imply endorsement by Senior Times staff, other guest columnists or advertisers. Every effort will be made to assure information published is correct; however, we are not liable for any errors or omissions made despite these efforts.

Exhibit features horses of the Horse Heaven Hills

Learn about the horses of the Horse Heaven Hills at the East Benton County Historical Museum in Kennewick.

The museum has turned the Benton Theater into an art gallery featuring the prismacolor work of Ginny Harding and sculpture by Michael B. Salazar.

There also will be historical interpretation about the history of wild horses in the Horse Heavens. It will document their start, struggle and future.

VA CLINIC, From page 1

missioners agreed to allow the developers to list Vista Field in their submissions. The decision doesn’t bind the port to sell or lease Vista Field property or change its use, but merely leaves open the possibility of a clinic at the site instead of closing the door for good at this point.

“We’re not committing. There are plenty of other exit ramps if it doesn’t work for us. But I say, let’s give the VA the opportunity and go from there,” Commissioner Thomas Moak said during the meeting.

Port staff will continue marketing

The exhibit runs through August.

Cost of admission is $5 for adults, $4 for seniors/veterans and $1 for kids.

Museum hours are noon to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

The museum has operated in downtown Kennewick’s Keewaydin Park since 1982.

Pasco chamber launches school supplies drive

With the start of school approaching, the Pasco Chamber of Commerce is hosting a school supplies drive through Aug. 30.

Proceeds from this drive will be distributed throughout the Pasco

Vista Field for uses consistent with the master plan.

At a meeting in July, commissioners in a 2-1 vote approved a resolution clarifying that if the VA chooses Vista Field as the clinic site, the development would need to adhere to the master plan design and concepts. Moak voted against, saying the “hard language” was premature and sends a message that the port doesn’t want the clinic at Vista Field.

Commissioners Skip Novakovich and Ken Hohenberg said they don’t see it as closing the door, but as providing clarity.

The port shuttered the former airport in 2013 and began working on its transformation; the 103-acre site is next to the Toyota Center and the Three Rivers Convention Center.

The port has invested $4.9 million in infrastructure for the first 20 acres of development – a phase that’s set to include four parcels for single-family development, seven for live-work development and 10 for mixed-use. At full build-out, Vista Field is planned to include 750,000 square feet for retail, office, service and entertainment uses, 1,100 residential units, and more.

Clinic details

The existing Richland veterans clinic opened in May 2008.

It offers services including primary

School District.

Interested in participating?

Donation boxes can be found at these locations:

• Red Lion Hotel, 2525 N. 20th Ave., Pasco

• Speck Hyundai of Tri-Cities, 2910 W. Clearwater Ave., Kennewick

• Pasco Grocery Outlet, 5710 N. Road 68, Pasco

• Pasco Chamber Office, 1110 Osprey Pointe Blvd., Suite 101, Pasco

• Blue Compass RV, 1002 N. 28th Ave., Pasco

If you are unable to visit any of the donation box locations, but are still interested in donating, send an email to: kelly@pascochamber.org

outpatient care, women’s health care, mental health/social work support and homeless veteran housing support.

“We have outgrown (the clinic) and cannot provide the services our veterans need within the existing space. The veterans in the Tri-Cities area can be better served by expanding services in this area to reduce travel time and increase efficiency in providing the world class health care the veterans deserve,” Wondra said in a statement, noting that about 7,400 enrolled veterans in the Tri-Cities area, as well as 2,700 in the Boardman, Oregon, area, will benefit from the new clinic.

An interim expansion of the existing clinic is anticipated by mid-2024 and will add physical therapy and expand behavioral health support.

The new clinic will add several more specialties, including radiology, optometry, dental, audiology, prosthetics, home-based primary care, laboratory and pharmacy services.

The project is estimated to cost $21plus million.

It’s one of 31 projects nationwide selected for PACT Act funding. The PACT Act – formally the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2022 – is the largest expansion of veteran health care and benefits in generations, Wondra said.

Senior-focused agency welcomes new leadership

By Kristina Lord kristina@tcjournal.biz

Though the top leadership is changing at Senior Life Resources Northwest, its focus on serving seniors remains stronger than ever.

The Richland-based nonprofit is ready to welcome its fourth executive director as it prepares to celebrate its 50th anniversary next year.

Executive Director Grant Baynes plans to retire before the end of the year, though he’s not leaving just yet. He’s training his replacement, Brandy Hickey, and he’s got a hard deadline for handing over the reins.

On Dec. 6, he flies to his native New Zealand for an extended trip to kick off his second retirement.

In 2015, he retired from the city of Richland as fire chief after more than 35 years in the fire service. It’s also the year he started at SLR.z

With Bayne’s retirement, SLR’s board of directors spent considerable time analyzing the knowledge, skills and talents needed in its next leader, said Dave Sanford, board president.

“We developed a rigorous process to screen and evaluate candidates to

ensure we selected a successor who will not only hold the gains the organization has made under Grant’s leadership, in terms of both our client services, as well as our work-

place culture, but is also able to meet the challenges of the future. Brandy Hickey is a proven leader with a strong passion for helping others, building teams and fostering posi-

tive relationships,” Sanford said.

Sanford said SLR has skilled and passionate directors for its programs and a dedicated, hard-working team of staff and volunteers. “Now we have a new leader who fits our organization well and will work closely with the board to support the programs that are at the heart of our mission,” he said.

Hickey, who has 15 years’ experience working in nonprofits, said she knows she has big shoes to fill, but she’s excited to take on the executive director role at the agency that offers senior home care and food services.

Hickey served as director of Cork’s Place at Chaplaincy Health Care for eight years and most recently as chief development officer of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Benton and Franklin Counties. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration, management and operations from Seattle University and has certifications in crisis intervention management and mental health.

Hickey said she loves serving the

Photo by Sara Schilling

Senior Life Resources Northwest has hired two new leaders. Carla Martinez, left, is the new Meals on Wheels director, and Brandy Hickey is SLR’s incoming executive director. They are standing inside the Fowler Street Cafe in Richland where lunch is served from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday to Friday.

AUG. 4

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

• Richland Farmers Market: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., roundabout at Lee Boulevard and The Parkway in Richland. Call 509-539-7229.

• Vista Field ArtWalk: 4-8 p.m., 6600 W. Deschutes Ave. in Kennewick. Call 509-987-1626 or email david@portofkennewick.org.

AUG. 5

• Pasco Farmers Market: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., corner of South Fourth Avenue and West Columbia Street in Pasco. Call 509-528-8131 or email ddavis@downtownpasco.com.

AUG. 9

• Wednesday in West: Community Market & Food Truck Night: 4:30 p.m. to dusk at Flat Top Park, West Richland. Email market@ westrichland.org.

AUG. 10

• Kennewick Farmers Market: 4-7 p.m., 10 E. Bruneau Ave., Kennewick. Call 509-308-0790 or email FarmersMarket@publicmarketcrw.com.

AUG. 11

• Richland Farmers Market: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., roundabout at Lee

Boulevard and The Parkway in Richland. Call 509-539-7229.

• Vendor Village: 3-9 p.m., HAPO Center, 6600 Burden Blvd. in Pasco. Cost: $10 for adults, free for children. Email info@hapocenter.com or call 509-543-2999.

AUG. 12

• Pasco Farmers Market: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., corner of South Fourth Avenue and West Columbia Street in Pasco. Call 509-528-8131 or email ddavis@downtownpasco.com.

• Second Saturday Uptown Richland Artwalk: noon to 4 p.m., Uptown Block, George Washington Way in Richland. Email uptownartwalkers@gmail.com.

• Summer Saturdays Night Market: 4-8 p.m., Columbia Gardens Wine & Artisan Village, 325 E. Columbia Drive, Kennewick. Call 509-205-4365 or email ninjabistro509@gmail.com.

• Peony Propagation Procedures – Garden Education Series Class: 10-11 a.m., Waterfall Classroom at the Demonstration Garden, 1620 S. Union St., Kennewick. Call 509-735-3551.

AUG. 17

• Kennewick Farmers Market:

Bring

4-7 p.m., 10 E. Bruneau Ave., Kennewick. Call 509-308-0790 or email FarmersMarket@publicmarketcrw.com.

• Gale Metcalf: My Interviews with the Stars: 7-9 p.m. at the East Benton County Historical Society & Museum, 205 Keewaydin Drive, Kennewick. Longtime newsman Gale Metcalf, who writes the Senior Times’ monthly history column, will share yarns from his best celebrity interviews, including Johnny Cash, Jerry Reed and more. Free. Contact Misty Ayers, ebchsmuseum@gmail. com or 509-582-7704.

AUG. 18

• Richland Farmers Market: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., roundabout at Lee Boulevard and The Parkway in Richland. Call 509-539-7229.

• Benton City Movies in the Park: “Lightyear”: dusk at City Park, 806 Dale Ave., Benton City. Go to: bentoncitychamber.org/movies.

AUG. 19

• Benton Franklin Fair and Rodeo Parade: 10 a.m., downtown Kennewick. Go to: bentonfranklinfair. com, call 509-222-3749, or email info@bentonfranklinfair.com.

• Pasco Farmers Market: 9 a.m.

to 1 p.m., corner of South Fourth Avenue and West Columbia Street in Pasco. Call 509-528-8131 or email ddavis@downtownpasco.com.

AUG. 22-26

• Benton Franklin Fair and Rodeo: Benton Franklin Fairgrounds, 812 W. Washington St., Pasco. Go to: bentonfranklinfair. com, call 509-222-3749, or email info@bentonfranklinfair.com.

AUG. 24

• Kennewick Farmers Market: 4-7 p.m., 10 E. Bruneau Ave., Kennewick. Call 509-308-0790 or email FarmersMarket@publicmarketcrw.com.

AUG. 25

• Richland Farmers Market: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., roundabout at Lee Boulevard and The Parkway in Richland. Call 509-539-7229.

AUG. 26

• Pasco Farmers Market: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., corner of South Fourth Avenue and West Columbia Street in Pasco. Call 509-528-8131 or email ddavis@downtownpasco.com.

Planning is a part of life, so why not pre-plan your end-of-life wishes?

Pre-planning your funeral is an important part of ensuring that your final wishes are respected and that your family is not left with unexpected costs or decisions to make.

Tips to protect your Apple Health coverage

If you’re enrolled in Apple Health, watch your mailbox closely. Why? Because for the first time in more than three years, Washingtonians and all Americans on Medicaid must show they still qualify for the program.

Before March 2020, when the Covid-19 pandemic erupted, Medicaid recipients had to fill out forms every year to demonstrate they still qualified. But that requirement was suspended as part of coronavirus relief that went into effect as unemployment soared and millions of Americans lost their jobs.

Pre-pandemic rules are now back in place, and federal officials estimate that more than 2.5 million older adults nationwide will lose their Medicaid benefits, including roughly 30,000 here in Washington when the recertification process is complete.

Apple Health, the state’s

senior community.

“The job chooses you in a lot of ways,” she said. “This is where I wanted to land. This is home.”

New Meals director

Carla Martinez is the new Meals on Wheels director after initially being hired to oversee fundraising for the program. When her predecessor, Cara Hernandez, left for a job at Chaplaincy Health Care, Martinez agreed to step into the role.

Martinez has a master’s degree in organizational leadership from Gonzaga University and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Western Washington University. She spent 15 years as a health care administrator and 18 years as a public affairs manager at Energy Northwest. Most recently, she worked at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Benton and Franklin Counties as a donor relations director.

She’s come full circle, as her first job was working in a senior dining facility.

“I have a passion for seniors,” she said.

It’s a theme that runs through the agency, Baynes said. “It’s not about us but the people we serve,” he said.

Serving seniors

The agency serves seniors in a variety of ways. It operates two different programs: Home Care Services, providing in-home assistance to seniors in eight counties; and Mid-

Medicaid program, currently has over 2 million enrollees, including 300,000 people over the age of 50. People in their 50s and 60s are more likely than those who are younger to manage the care of a chronic health condition. Loss of their health care coverage could be devastating, which is why the recertification process is so important. However, there are steps that Washingtonians on Apple Health can take to make the process easier. As unsettling as this may be, especially for Medicaid recipients who haven’t been through this before, there are steps you can take that will help:

Columbia Meals on Wheels, which offers home-delivered meals and well-checks for homebound clients, and a dining center program that serves hot meals for seniors.

The nonprofit’s workforce includes 30 people on the Meals on Wheels side of the operation, and 48 nonunion and 740 union staff on the home care side.

There also are 15 staffers in human resources/finance/administration.

Meals on Wheels also relies on the help of about 500 volunteers.

SLR’s total budget in 2023 is $34 million, with $2.8 million earmarked for Meals on Wheels operations.

During the pandemic, Meals on Wheels closed its dining centers and instead delivered frozen meals and later offered drive-thru hot meals.

Its eight dining centers eventually reopened, but it’s taking a while to return to prepandemic attendance, Baynes said.

In 2019, 57,576 meals were served at group dining sites. In 2022, 49,002 meals were served.

The centers serve seniors hot meals five days a week in Kennewick, Pasco, Richland, Benton City, Prosser and Connell.

“The food is absolutely phenomenal,” Hickey said.

The Meals on Wheels program serves 600 to 700 meals per day to seniors age 60 and older with about three-quarters delivered to individual homes, and a quarter served in a

• Update your contact information. With Apple Health, you have 30 days from when your contact details have changed to update information like our home address, phone number and email address. You can call the Washington Healthplanfinder Customer Support Center at 1-855-923-4633.

• Keep an eye on your mail. All states must send letters to Medicaid recipients letting them know how to renew their coverage or if the state believes they no longer qualify.

• Complete any included forms and return them right away. Pay close attention to the instructions. Because every state runs its own Medicaid program, there is no one-size-fits-all way this process will work. The rules for Washington could differ from those for your family and friends in neighboring states. States have until June 2024 to complete this

group setting.

In May, the agency served up 21,562 total meals. Of those, 5,249 were meals at a dining site and 16,313 were delivered. The numbers are up more than 20% over the previous May.

The agency served 256,000 meals total last year.

Baynes noted there are more seniors to feed in the community.

“We know there are more in need and want to meet that need,” he said.

Martinez said Meals on Wheels offers more than a hot meal, too. It provides a well check for homebound seniors. Sometimes Meals on Wheels volunteers are seniors’ only link to the rest of the world.

With the nation’s mental health crisis, this is more important than ever, Hickey said. “Those connections grow so important. It’s really a big thing,” she said.

Martinez said checking in on seniors who may not feel valued or as if they have a purpose is critical. “I know we offer that connection,” she said.

There are no financial qualifiers for service, and all meals are provided on an optional, confidential, donation-only basis. Seniors are asked to donate only what is comfortable within their own budgets. No senior is denied service, and there is no waiting list. Call 509-735-1911.

The meals program has an $800,000 funding gap. It is in the process of hiring a philanthropy

process, so watch for that letter.

If you are told that you are losing coverage, you do have options:

• You can reapply to see if you still qualify.

• You can get coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace, and you may qualify for subsidies to help lower your costs. Go to wahealthplanfinder.org or call 1-800-562-3022 for more information about Marketplace coverage.

• Your employer may offer health care coverage.

AARP Washington is committed to helping older people keep their Medicaid coverage. We will continue to monitor Washington’s process and actions to help minimize the number of Washingtonians who lose health coverage and help those folks connect with other low-cost options.

 Christina Clem is a communications analyst at AARP Washington.

program manager to oversee fundraising because “fundraising is a big challenge,” Baynes said.

Oktoberfeast

To help plug the shortfall, planning is underway for an Oct. 7 fundraiser, Oktoberfeast, which features a 5K fun run along the Columbia River, food, beer (and root beer) and live music. The family-friendly event welcomes kids and dogs. Participants can run on their own or on a team.

The registration bundle includes entry to the race, lunch, a drink, a collectible beer mug, and a collectible T-shirt. Bringing your pup? Be sure to add on the dog bandana option so you and your pooch can match on and off the course.

Following the run, enjoy a Bavarian-style lunch prepared by the Meals on Wheels kitchen team (last year’s menu featured Bratwurst sandwiches, German potato salad, German red cabbage, sauerkraut and black forest cake. Vegetarian sausage and regular hot dogs are available, too.). There also will be a Kid Zone, a dog corner with snacks for the pups, a beer garden featuring local craft beer, tuba-tastic tunes by The Tubadors and more.

Proceeds benefit the Meals on Wheels program.

To sign up, go to: runsignup. com/Race/WA/Richland/Oktoberfeast2023.

GUEST COLUMN

Christina Clem AARP

Recently, she found a baby book – one that had been carefully filled out.

It turned out the baby book belonged to a woman who died in 2021, and it ended up in a Goodwill pile by mistake. Wagner was able to track down the woman’s sister and return it.

“She wanted to pay me, and I said, ‘Absolutely not. This belongs to you,’” Wagner said. “When she started crying, I almost started crying, too. She was so happy to get it back. It’s a good feeling.”

Wagner sometimes enlists help from her brother in tracking down family members; he found the grandson of the 1940s college girl who documented her life in the diary.

Unfortunately, not all of Wagner’s thrift store finds end up back with family.

Sometimes she identifies and reaches out to a relative but doesn’t hear back. In those cases, she holds onto whatever it was she was trying to return, rather than tossing it.

To her, those artifacts of other people’s lives are still special.

“They’re treasures,” said Wagner, who lives in Pasco with her husband, Kenneth.

They have two children and four grandchildren.

Wagner’s kindness in returning Mynn’s photo made an impression on my family.

“I thought it was exceptionally, incredibly nice,” said my mom, Judy Schilling. “I was touched that someone who didn’t know us went to so much trouble for us.”

My mom is the keeper of our family’s history. She’s the one who wrote Mynn’s name on the back of the picture; in fact, she’s labeled all our family photos so my older brother, Al Schilling III, and I will be able

to identify the faces in our family tree stretching back generations.

Unlike me, my mom and brother both spent time with Mynn, though not when she was at her best. She died in 1978, five years after a serious illness left her in need of 24hour care and unable to speak.

My dad, Al Schilling Jr. – who goes by Bert – remembers when she was full of life.

She was energetic and magnetic –the ultimate hostess, he said. And she had a gift for remembering people’s names, which helped my grandfather, Al Schilling Sr., immensely.

He was in the hospitality business, working his way from bellboy to manager of hotels such as The Historic Davenport in Spokane and the Fairmont Olympic Hotel in Seattle. He hosted movie stars, astronauts and presidents, and he helped run Spokane’s Lilac Festival and Seattle’s Seafair.

Mynn was by his side through it all, whispering names in his ear and supporting him as best she could.

She used her gifts to enrich my dad’s life, too.

She was a great cook, and she’s responsible for Bert’s lifelong love of crepes and for a ramen-like soup we call “skinny noodles” – which she created just for him after he tried a similar dish at a restaurant.

She also filled their home with music, especially showtunes. To this day, my dad adores “The Sound of Music,” “Phantom of the Opera” and the like, and he plays the piano beautifully.

Like many parents, she pushed him to work hard and succeed.

She also showed him a deep, enduring love, which he’s passed onto his own kids.

“I miss her,” my dad said. “She was central to my life.”

My dad doesn’t talk about his mom much, at least not in day-to-day conversation. But the photo of her as a teenager, and Wagner’s kindness in getting it back to us, brought up memories.

I heard stories I’d never known. I looked at the old photo in a new way.

In it, I still see a girl I never met in a light-colored dress and jeweled necklace, holding flowers. But I also see my own dark hair, my niece Ty Schilling’s sparkling eyes and hints of my brother.

I see my dad, who’s now lived far longer without his mom than with her.

I’m glad to hear him speak her name aloud.

I’m glad she’s back with us, where she belongs.

 Sara Schilling works as a reporter for the Senior Times and Tri-Cities Area Journal of

It’s not something you really want to think or talk about, but planning ahead for your own funeral can provide peace of mind for your family.

to help guide you through the process of planning ahead.

Photo courtesy Schilling family

Members of the Schilling family hold a photo of Merlyn Putnam Schilling that ended up at a thrift store by mistake and was returned by Patti Wagner of Pasco. From left are Bert Schilling, Al Schilling, Ty Schilling and Sara Schilling.

Courtesy Patti Wagner

Patti Wagner of Pasco enjoys returning items to family members that end up on thrift store shelves by mistake.

Grape festivals give way to bicounty fair, which turns 75 this year

By Gale Metcalf for Senior Times

The love of grapes has always been a sweet sentiment here. Today, it is wine grapes.

Once upon a time, it was juice grapes.

They were a special commodity here – for commerce, for sweetening the air in late summer and early autumn, and for worldwide bragging rights, as Kennewick was home to the largest single Concord grape vineyard in the entire world.

It was that vineyard that produced the essential ingredient for nationwide distribution of grape juice rolling off the assembly lines of Church Grape Juice Co. and then the Welch’s plant in downtown Kennewick.

This month, the region will celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Benton Franklin Fair, which has roots in the annual grape festivals and grape carnivals held during the first half of the 20th century.

It was in 1946 and 1947 that the last grape-centered community agricultural festivity was to be, before giving way to our bicounty fair as it is known today.

For many years, the celebrations centered around juice and table grapes, with festivities variously known as the Grape Carnival, Kennewick Fair, and even briefly, the Benton Franklin Fair in the 1930s.

The Great Depression doomed such county fair and community festival-like events, and it wouldn’t be until the mid-1940s that they reawakened when World War II revitalized the area.

In 1946, the Grape Festival Association formed to channel this energy into renewing what had once

been a near-annual agricultural celebration.

The objective, according to the late Ken Serier, a longtime Kennewick city attorney, was “to conduct a local talent show and an agricultural fair.”

Serier and Kennewick businessman J.C. Pratt were the primary organizers of the Grape Festival. Pratt operated an automotive garage and ran an early bus line in the TriCities.

Grape Festival festivities spread out from downtown Kennewick, leapfrogging over Keewaydin Park and taking in areas now occupied by Kennewick City Hall, the East Benton County Historical Museum, and the Keewaydin branch of the Mid-Columbia Libraries.

The three-day event was held in

early October.

A noted performer was nationallyknown band leader Spike Jones. He and his musicians entertained all three days.

One of the most popular events of the 1946 festival was the raffling of three new 1946 automobiles. One was a convertible and two were fourdoor sedans. At midnight ending each of the fair’s three days, winners of the cars were drawn.

Much of that specific event’s popularity stemmed from a public starved for new cars. During World War II, civilian car production was put on hold as manufacturers geared up for production of war materials.

Festivities also included pageantry. The Queen of the Realm of Concordia – or fair queen – was Joan Smith of Prosser, who graduated

from Prosser High School in 1947. Judges were three members of Spike Jones and His City Slickers band.

All three days of the 1946 Grape Festival featured a parade. The Thursday float parade featured 127 entries; a horse parade was held on the Friday of the festival; and a children’s pet parade followed on Saturday.

A slogan contest sponsored by the chamber of commerce produced a winner in Kennewick: “Cornucopia of the Columbia.”

Citizens were encouraged to begin wearing purple blouses, shirts and garments in mid-September.

On vacant lots between Auburn and Benton streets on the north side of Kennewick Avenue, a stage was

uGRAPE FESTIVALS, Page 12

Courtesy East Benton County History Museum Spike Jones and His City Slickers performed at the 1946 Grape Festival in Kennewick.

Pasco First Avenue Center

505 N. First Ave., Pasco 509-545-3459

pascoparksandrec.com

• Drop-in snooker: 9 a.m. Mondays-Fridays.

• Mexican train dominoes: 12:30 p.m. Mondays.

• Pinochle: 1:30 p.m. Tuesdays.

• China painting: 9 a.m. Wednesdays.

Keewaydin Community Center

500 S. Auburn St., Kennewick 509-585-4303 go2kennewick.com

• Bunco: 1-3 p.m. Fridays. Cost: $1 per day.

• Bridge: 12:30-4 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays. Cost: $1 per day.

• Mahjong: 1-4 p.m. Wednesdays. Cost: $1 per day.

• Dominoes: 12:30-2 p.m. Tuesdays and Fridays. Cost: $1 per day.

• Pinochle: 12:30-4 p.m. Wednesdays. Cost: $1 per day.

• Creative palette art: 9 a.m.-noon Tuesdays. Cost: $1 per day.

• Sewing: 1-4 p.m. Tuesdays. Cost:

SENIOR ACTIVITIES

$1 per day.

• Woodcarving: 1-3 p.m. Wednesdays and 9 a.m.-noon Fridays. Cost: $1 per day. Bring supplies or borrow from the class.

• Billiards: Daily. $2 per day or $20 monthly pass.

Richland Community Center

500 Amon Park Drive, Richland 509-942-7529

ci.richland.wa.us

• Fitness room: 8 a.m.-9 p.m. Mondays-Fridays; 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturdays; noon-4 p.m. Sundays. Location: Fitness room. Cost: $2 per day or $8 per month.

• Billiards: Daily. $2 per day.

• Greeting card recycling: 1-3 p.m. Tuesdays. Cost: free.

• Pinochle: 6-8:30 p.m. Fridays. Location: game room.

Cost: $1.

• Party bridge: 8:30-11:30 a.m. Mondays and Wednesdays. Location: game room. Cost: $1.

• Senior duplicate bridge group: 12:30-3:30 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays.

• Contract duplicate bridge: 12:303:30 p.m. Tuesdays and 5:30-8:30 p.m. Wednesdays. Location: game room.

• Table tennis: 6:30-8:45 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays, 12:30-3:45 p.m. Sundays.

Prosser Senior Community Center

1231 Dudley Ave., Prosser 509-786-2915 cityofprosser.com

• Pool: 9 a.m.-1 p.m. MondaysFridays. Cost: free. Location: pool room, membership is required.

• Mahjong: 1-3 p.m. Tuesdays. Location: living room, membership is required.

• Daytime bingo: 9 a.m. Wednesdays. Location: dining room Cost: 3 cards/$1.

• Evening bingo: First Friday of every month. 5 p.m. Cost: $10. Location: dining room.

• Foot care: Second Wednesday of each month: Appointments can be made by calling 509-790-1905.

• Pinochle: 1 p.m. Thursdays. Location: living room, membership is required.

• Crafts: 10 a.m. Tuesdays. Register by calling 509-786-2915.

• Bunco/Game Night: Fourth Friday of month, 5 p.m. Location: dining room.

• Tai chi quan: 6 p.m. Mondays. Contact Kraig Stephens at 509-4301304.

• All-you-can-eat community breakfast: Last Sunday every month, 8-11:30 a.m. Location: dining room. Cost: Suggested donation $8 per person and $5 per child, 8 and under.

Bill Shane Senior Center

616 N. 60th, West Richland 509-967-2847

• Bunco potluck: 11:30 a.m., first Wednesday and third Friday of the month.

• Exercise: 9 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays.

• Bingo: lunch starts at 12:30 p.m., game starts at 1 p.m., last Monday of the month.

• Sewing: 10 a.m., fourth Tuesday and fourth Wednesday of the month.

• Pinochle: noon, first and third Monday of the month.

• Painting: 1-3 p.m., every Saturday.

Crossword Across

1

Word search - County fair

Find the words in the grid. When you are done, the unused letters in the grid will spell out a hidden message. Pick them out from left to right, top line to bottom line. Words can go horizontally, vertically and diagonally in all eight directions.

SUDOKU

7 Marshland

13 Sort of fly

14

He played Dr. Foreman in “House”

21 Buyable apartments

Rouge, rosé or blanc,

Very

Au

How to beat Str8ts –

Like Sudoku, no single number 1 to 9 can repeat in any row or column. But... rows and columns are divided by black squares into compartments Each compartment must form a straighta set of numbers with no gaps but it can be in any order, eg [7,6,9,8]. Clues in black cells remove that number as an option in that row and column, and are not part of any straight. Glance at the solution to see how ‘straights’

Like Sudoku, no single number 1 to 9 can repeat in any row or column. But... rows and columns are divided by black squares into compartments Each compartment must form a straighta set of numbers with no gaps but it can be in any order, eg [7,6,9,8]. Clues in black cells remove that number as an option in that row and column, and are not part of any straight.

Glance at the solution to see how ‘straights’ are formed.

Str8ts

example

©

To complete Sudoku, fill the board by entering numbers 1 to 9 such that each row, column and 3x3 box contains every number uniquely.

45 64532 4521 4321 35214 21 21 65 3

For many strategies, hints and tips, visit www.sudokuwiki.org for Sudoku and www.str8ts.com for Str8ts.

For many strategies, hints and tips, visit www.sudokuwiki.org for Sudoku and www.str8ts.com for Str8ts.

If you like Str8ts and other puzzles, check out our books, iPhone/iPad Apps and much more on our store.

How to beat Str8ts: No single number, 1 to 9, can repeat in any row or column. But rows and columns are divided by black squares into compartments. Each compartment must form a straight, a set of numbers with no gaps but it can be in any order, eg: 7, 6, 8, 9. Clues in black cells remove that number as an option in that row and column, and are not part of any straight.

ANSWER

James

Wong

Howe–≠)º

It’s fire season: Get prepared for wildfires, smoky skies

The forecast from the National Interagency Coordinating Center (NICC) could hardly be more chilling. It shows the Pacific Northwest, Washington included, facing an extreme risk of wildfires this year.

What, you may ask, is the NICC and why should we pay attention to its forecasts?

Based in Boise, Idaho, the NICC tracks wildfires throughout the U.S. and coordinates the response to fires nationwide. The agencies whose efforts it coordinates are engaged in preventing and combating wildfires.

On July 27, the NICC reported that more than 226,000 acres were burned in large fires and more than 8,754 personnel were assigned to wildfires.

Since Washington is wildfire country, the forecast of a severe fire risk ahead is obviously worrisome –with seniors at special risk.

Age and infirmity can make it difficult to evacuate when ordered to do so. Even if you’re not near a wildfire, the smoke from fires far away can cause harm. The more pulmonary issues you have, the greater your risk.

So, what can you do to make it through this year’s wildfire season in good shape? Here’s a three-step guide to wildfire survival:

• Pay attention to all warnings of wildfires, even if they are not in your backyard. Wildfire smoke blows far and wide. The fires that blanketed the East Coast in smog in June were in Canada, hundreds of miles away. Watch the local weather

forecasts for red flag days – dry and windy conditions that make the fire risk high.

• Heed the advice from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on how to handle wildfire smoke without it getting the best of you. The trick is preparing in advance.

• Learn more about the American Red Cross Wildfire Preparedness Program – a national effort by the Red Cross to teach individuals how to prevent wildfires. The Red Cross and local firefighters tested the program recently in a pilot run in Chelan County. More pilot programs are on the way. Stay tuned.

How you prepare for this summer’s wildfire season depends on where you live. If you live near wilderness, you must prepare to defend against fire and develop plans to evacuate or shelter in place until a fire is contained. Even if fire is not a direct threat, the summer still is likely to see periods of dangerous smoke filling the skies over Washington that’s thick enough to make you ill.

If you face a real fire threat, do what you can to defend your house and grounds – and your family. You can do a lot to protect against fire by establishing a 100-foot defensi-

ble perimeter around your house –clearing out anything that could burn from within the perimeter.

Remove anything flammable from within five feet of the house –trash, wood piles, compost heaps. Farther out, clear out low-lying shrubbery that might help fire climb into tree crowns.

Trim grass to under 4 inches. Trim all branches that are within 10 feet of the ground and space all trees at least 10 feet apart. Break up lawns with gravel paths to serve as firebreaks. Keep propane tanks far from your house.

Prepare to evacuate or shelter in place if fire breaks out. Have two weeks’ worth of supplies on hand: water, non-perishable food, sanitary needs and the like to sustain you if you must stay indoors for a time.

Have a go-bag ready in case you must evacuate. You want changes of clothing, toiletry supplies, a flashlight and battery-powered radio plus extra batteries, copies of important papers and medical prescriptions. Take charging gear for all your electronic devices. And take some cash with you since ATM machines may not be working. Keep the bag handy so you can grab it as you head out the door.

Wildfire smoke dangers

The danger from wildfire smoke is less obvious but no less real. The old adage “where there is smoke there is fire” can be turned inside out to remind us where there is fire, there is smoke. Every fire throws off smoke – a mix of noxious fumes and abrasive sub-microscopic particles. The CDC warns that wildfire smoke can produce symptoms ranging from stinging eyes to difficulty breathing to asthma attacks.

Wildfire smoke can affect anyone, but seniors with heart and lung issues are at the greatest risk.

Risky as wildfire smoke is, it is

nearly impossible to avoid during wildfire season.

The best stay-safe strategy is to expect it and prepare for it.

On June 30, the CDC published a health advisory alert advising health care professionals to be on the lookout for patients suffering serious side effects from smoke. It warned that “appropriate and prompt treatment is crucial to reduce morbidity from wildfire smoke.”

Fortunately, there is plenty you can do to minimize the risks, especially before the smoke builds up to dangerous levels.

Your local weather forecast will warn of lowered visibility because of wildfire smoke. Your local health department will issue alerts as smoke covers the region. Your nose and eyes will alert you to danger. Once you have been warned, do all you can to minimize your risk.

Here’s is advice from the CDC on how to stay healthy in a smoky environment:

• If authorities tell you to go inside and stay there, do so. Venture out as little as possible until the stay-home order is lifted.

• Shut windows and doors to keep smoke out. If it is too hot to stay buttoned up inside, check with local authorities on what public shelters are available.

• If you have an air conditioner, run it, but keep the fresh air intake closed and keep the filter clean.

• Run an indoor air purifier if you have one. They sell for under $100 and can be a good investment if you live in an area where wildfire smoke is a frequent threat. You can make your own purifier by putting furnace air filters on the front and back sides of a box fan. Use duct tape or bungee cords to hold the filters in place,

• Don’t add to indoor pollution by

uFIRE SEASON, Page 12

Lynda Sanders Community Medicare Specialist

GUEST COLUMN

Gordon Williams American Red Cross

Trash Bandits stand ready to jettison your junk

By Jeff Morrow for Senior Times

Israel Moore was always interested in owning his own construction company, and that dream came true in 2014.

But something interesting happened a year later: he found a second business in hauling people’s junk away.

Moore launched Trash Bandits, a professional junk removal service, eight years ago.

“My construction company (MyPROcontractor) had bins for tossing away junk,” he said. “Other companies started asking for the bins. I had a dumpster that I rented out to a company.”

Suddenly, Moore found that junk removal was big business.

“And then Jennifer got involved, and she has taken it to another level,” said Moore.

Jennifer is Jennifer Freund, Moore’s friend and business partner. She also has a personal organization business, and she’s helped streamline Trash Bandits. Services provided

So just what does Trash Bandits do?

For a fee – depending on what needs to be removed – the company will take away the following items: furniture, yard waste, electronics, appliances, some hazardous waste (such as paint), wood debris, metal, old lawn mowers, cardboard, newspaper, concrete and brick, dirt and gravel, mattresses and hot water

tanks.

The company serves the following areas: Kennewick, Pasco, Richland, Prosser, Finley, Burbank, Walla Walla, Moses Lake and Pendleton.

They’ll do their best to recycle products to places such as Habitat for Humanity or Goodwill.

“We treat people’s stuff like we’d want our stuff to be treated,” Freund said.

That also means following the latest ecological guidelines with dumping.

“And concerning your sensitive identification, with us it’s secure when we drop it off. No one is go-

ing to go through your stuff,” Freund said.

Trash Bandits helps a lot of elderly people, many of whom can’t move their own stuff.

“We go through a lot of these people’s personal items,” Freund said. “We take care to go through their personal stuff for them. We’re making community connections. When you let people into your own home, that’s trust.”

Freund talks about the time while moving an older person’s belongings, they came across an old recipe box that was marked in the toss out pile.

They got the box back to the owner.

A growing business

Moore said that Trash Bandits’ services have been on the rise over the last year.

“We’ve been advertising on Facebook and Google,” he said. “And a lot of word of mouth.”

The company has four trailers, two roll-off dumpsters and eight junk bins to carry off that unwanted excess on your property.

“We’ve doubled in trailers in a year’s time,” said Moore, who is quick to credit Freund for much of the company’s growth. “This has been Jennifer’s baby. Over the next year, she expects to hire more people.”

Trash Bandits currently has two full-timers (Freund and Moore) and two part-timers.

“My five-year plan is to have at least five full-time junkers, and at least one office person,” Freund said. “I want to do marketing.”

With success comes imitation.

Freund says there are a number of people in the Tri-Cities who have a truck and trailer. Those people advertise that they’ll remove your junk for a lot less money.

Freund says that’s OK.

“But the majority of them are not licensed, bonded or insured,” she said. “If they break something of yours in the house while removing the junk, you have no recourse.”

In a community of more than

uTRASH BANDITS, Page 16

Photo by Jeff Morrow

Jennifer Freund, left, and Israel Moore have turned removing junk from people’s houses and property into a successful venture called Trash Bandits.

TRI-CITY BOOK CLUBS

• 6 p.m. Aug. 15, Mid-Columbia Libraries, West Pasco branch, 7525 Wrigley Drive, The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune.

• 1 p.m. Aug. 16, Mid-Columbia Libraries, Pasco branch, 1320 W. Hopkins St., Pasco, The Swimmers by Julie Otsuka. The Revolutionary: Samuel Adams by Stacy Schiff is the Sept. 20 book. The group typically meets the third Wednesday of the month. Contact Susan Koenig at 509302-9878 or SMKoenig@ymail. com.

• 5:30 p.m. Aug. 17, MidColumbia Libraries, Kennewick branch, 1620 S. Union St., Bring Your Own Book Book Club. Dying to talk about the book you’ve been reading? This is the book club for you. The club seeks readers of all genres. Come chat about books you have enjoyed lately.

• 6:30 p.m. Aug. 21, Richland Public Library, 955 Northgate Drive, The Littlest Library by Poppy Alexander. Her Hidden Genius by Marie Benedict is the Sept. 18 book. The group typically meets the third Monday of the month. Contact: Sue Spencer, sue_ spencer_england@hotmail.com or 509-572-4295.

• 6 p.m. Aug. 22, Mid-Columbia

Libraries, Benton City branch, 810 Horne Drive, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid.

• 6:30 p.m. Aug. 22, MidColumbia Libraries, Kennewick branch, 1620 S. Union St., Read the Rainbow Book Club. Mid-Columbia Libraries and Richland Public Library host Read the Rainbow, an LGBTQIA+ and allies book club for adults, which rotates around library branches in the Tri-Cities area. Bring a coming-of-age story you are reading or have recently read and discuss with other readers. Leave with ideas for your next read. Sharing is optional and listening is welcomed.

• 1 p.m. Aug. 23 at Richland Community Center, 500 Amon Park Drive, Richland, The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave. Horse by Geraldine Brooks is the Sept. 27 book. The Richland Seniors Association book club typically meets the fourth Wednesday of the month.

• 7 p.m. the first Friday of the month, Caterpillar Café at Adventures Underground, 227 Symons St., Richland. Contact Sarah at 509-946-9893 for upcoming titles.

To add your book club to this list, email details to info@tcjournal.biz.

FIRE SEASON, From page 10

lighting candles in the house. Don’t light the fireplace, even if it gets chilly at night.

• Cook as little as possible and use the oven sparingly. The lit burner on a gas stove feeds pollutants into the air.

• Don’t rely on paper face masks to keep you safe from wildfire smoke. The mask won’t keep dangerous particles out of your lungs.

• Consult with your doctor about other strategies to consider when wildfire smoke is thick. That’s particularly true if you have asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema or serious heart issues.

• If you are planning a trip, check out conditions at your destination before leaving home.

If air quality is bad at your desti-

GRAPE FESTIVALS, From page 7

erected for entertainment and other festival events. It was called Festival Plaza. Many agricultural displays filled out the rear parking lot of Washington Hardware in downtown Kennewick.

The festival that year featured aerial demonstrations from U.S. Army jet fighters and U.S. Forest Service firefighting planes. Air shows were at Vista Field and featured world champion aerial acrobat Tex Rankin.

A Rodeo Cowboys Association rodeo was held at the Richland Wye. On the Saturday evening of the festival, a football team of all-stars from Yakima played the Fort Lewis Artillerymen team on the Kennewick High field, and noted band leader Jack Teagarden’s orchestra played for each evening’s dances.

Similar festivities followed in the Grape Festival of 1947. The association had met in the spring and found strong sentiment existed among business owners and others to follow with a second festival.

nation, put off the trip for another day. Remember that air quality can change in a twinkling. In Bremerton, where I live, the air was fine a day ago. Overnight brush fires in adjacent Mason Country turned the air smoky.

If you live in Washington, you have to accept periods of bad air. As I write this, smoke from the Tunnel Five fire on the Columbia River has left skies smoky over a dozen southern and western counties.

As with so many potential hazards, a little prevention can go a long way.

Gordon Williams is a volunteer with the American Red Cross’ Northwest Region Communications Team

It was to be held Sept. 18-20, and promoted with the theme, “Preview of the Columbia Basin.”

Like 1946, a “Smile Queen” was named and crowned as Queen of the Realm of Concordia. Three judges named the winner, with 80% of the score based on an entrant’s smile. Nancy Bennett, the daughter of Thorson H. Bennett and G. Beth Bennett, was that year’s winner. (Thorson Bennett served many years as principal of Kennewick High School.)

By 1948, grape festivals became memories and history.

This year’s Benton Franklin Fair & Rodeo runs Aug. 22-26 in Kennewick.

Gale Metcalf of Kennewick is a lifelong Tri-Citian, retired Tri-City Herald employee and volunteer for the East Benton County History Museum. He writes the monthly history column.

Practicing

MEALS ON WHEELS MENU

Mid-Columbia Meals on Wheels senior dining sites serve hot meals from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday (Tuesday through Friday in Connell). Meals are free for seniors age 60 and older.

Seniors must make reservations 24 business hours in advance by calling 509-735-1911.

Friday, Aug. 4: Chicken salad sandwich, pea and cheese salad.

Monday, Aug. 7: Barbecue chicken, roasted carrots, potato salad, cornbread.

Tuesday, Aug. 8: Beef stroganoff, garlic noodles, green beans.

Wednesday, Aug. 9: Chef salad, ranch dressing, wheat roll, pineapple.

Thursday, Aug. 10: Chicken enchiladas, Spanish rice, black beans, Mexican coleslaw.

Friday, Aug. 11: Salisbury steak, mashed potatoes, brown gravy, broccoli.

Monday, Aug. 14: Turkey tetrazzini, green peas, tossed salad.

Tuesday, Aug. 15: Cranberry chicken, confetti rice, garden vegetables.

Wednesday, Aug. 16: Sloppy joes, mixed vegetables, coleslaw.

Thursday, Aug. 17: Roast beef with gravy, mashed potatoes, Italian vegetables, wheat roll, ice cream.

Friday, Aug. 18: Tuna pasta salad, broccoli salad, crackers.

Monday, Aug. 21: Spaghetti and meat sauce, green beans, breadstick.

Tuesday, Aug. 22: Baked cod with dill sauce, herbed potatoes, squash

medley.

Wednesday, Aug. 23: Chicken chop salad, salad greens, carrot sticks.

Thursday, Aug. 24: Three bean chili, chuckwagon corn, cornbread.

Friday, Aug. 25: Roast turkey with gravy, mashed potatoes, broccoli Normandy, wheat roll.

Monday, Aug. 28: Sweet and sour chicken, fluffy rice, Asian vegetables, cookie.

Tuesday, Aug. 29: Meatloaf with gravy, mashed potatoes, mixed vegetables.

Wednesday, Aug. 30: Tuna noodle casserole, Lyonnaise carrots.

Thursday, Aug. 31: Hamburger, baked beans, apple cabbage slaw, lettuce, tomato, onion.

Dining site locations:

• Kennewick Community Center, 500 S. Auburn St.

• Pasco First Avenue Center, 505 N. First Ave.

• Pasco Ray Pfleuger Center, 253 W. Margaret St.

• Richland Community Center, 500 Amon Park Road North.

• Benton City Desert Rose Facility, 510 14th St.

• Prosser Senior Center, 1231 Dudley Ave.

• Connell Community Center, 211 E. Elm St.

• Meals on Wheels Cafe, 1834 Fowler St., Richland. No reservations required at this site.

Horseshoe pitching world championship coming to Tri-Cities

The Tri-Cities will play host to the World Horseshoe Pitching Championships in 2024 and 2027.

The announcement was made during the 2023 tournament in Lansing, Michigan, where Visit Tri-Cities’ Kevin Lewis, president and chief executive officer, and Natalie Clifton, sports sales manager, finalized the agreement with National Horseshoe Pitching Association officials.

“Horseshoe pitchers are some of

the most friendly people you will ever meet, and we are excited to be selected to host the sport’s most celebrated event in the Tri-Cities,” Lewis said.

The Toyota Center & Arena at 7000 W. Grandridge Blvd. in Kennewick will serve as the primary venue for the two-week competition, which runs July 29 to Aug. 10, 2024. The facility offers 44,000 square feet of playable floor space.

The world championship brings in 1,000 participants competing for the world title, which will have a nearly $1 million impact on the Tri-City economy, Visit Tri-Cities said in a news release.

Hidden message: There is something that feels so all American about a county fair.

Editor’s note: The answers to the July edition’s puzzles weren’t correct. The correct answers are below. We apologize for the error.

Emerging treatments could reduce Alzheimer’s effects

A new treatment for Alzheimer’s disease approved by the Food and Drug Administration in July is just the start of promising new medicines emerging to slow the effects of Alzheimer’s disease, according to Dr. Michael Rosenbloom, a University of Washington Medicine behavioral neurologist.

Two other drugs also were found to have a favorable influence in the Clarity AD study, which served as a basis for the FDA’s approval of lecanemab, which is marketed as Leqembi.

Lecanemab slowed participants’ cognitive and functional decline by 27% over the course of 18 months during Clarity AD trials, Rosenbloom said in a news release, adding that the drug’s longer-term effectiveness is not well understood.

Donanemab, a drug that has similar mechanisms of action to lecanemab, also was found to slow cognitive and functional decline in the Trailblazer-ALZ 2 study published this spring.

“When you see multiple drugs of the same class meeting the primary outcome measures, this shows that this is not a fluke. We have a real disease-modifying agent that is beneficial for patients,” said Rosenbloom, the director of clinical trials at UW Medicine’s Memory & Brain Wellness Center. “When I became a behavioral neurologist over 13 years ago, the idea of having a disease-modifying drug sounded like science fiction.”

The AHEAD study will further measure and monitor the influence of lecanemab. Researchers are enrolling participants ages 55 to 80 who are at higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.

UW Medicine is one of nearly 75 locations enrolling for the study across the United States and Canada.

Rosenbloom said lecanemab could become available to UW Medicine patients over the next several months.

Registration underway for mediation training

The Dispute Resolution Center is offering 40-hour mediation training for those interested in volunteering with the center, professionals seeking to resolve conflicts

in their workplace or anyone who would like to improve their ability to manage conflict.

These training sessions will provide the necessary skills to more effectively address disputes and communicate with others. The sessions are Oct. 13, 14, 15, 28 and 29 at The Dispute Resolution Center, 5219 W. Clearwater Ave., Suite 11, in Kennewick.

To register or for more information, go to drctc.org, or call 509783-3325 with questions.

Longtime appliance store owner dies at age 77

A longtime Tri-Citian who owned an appliance store and served as a Rotarian and Mason died July 4 at age 77.

Harry Garrison moved with his family to the Tri-Cities in 1976 to work at Hanford for Westinghouse during the development of the Fast Flux Test Facility, according to information in his obituary.

In 1983, in his spare time, he and his wife, Patricia, started a small appliance business, operating from their garage, fixing and cleaning up old appliances. They then sold them to fuel the college fund for their daughter, Pam.

They eventually opened Northwest Appliance, which expanded into two stores, in Kennewick and Hermiston. Today, they’re called Garrison’s Home Appliance.

Harry continued the tradition of his father and served as a 50-year Mason (1971-23) and past master and secretary from 1988-2010 at the Richland Masonic Lodge #283.

He also was a member of the Columbia Center Rotary, serving as chairman of the International Service Committee and helping to shepherd projects in foreign countries that benefited children and families without resources, including providing potable water, school supplies for needy children, building schools in remote areas for indigenous people and more.

He and his wife also were board members of the Richland Yacht Club for many years.

He is survived by his wife, Patricia, daughter Pamela Frick, and her husband, Glenn, and grandsons, Justin and Chance Frick.

Services were July 21 at Mueller’s Tri-Cities Funeral Home, 1401 S. Union St., Kennewick.

New organic, natural food store opening pushed back to September

By Kristina Lord kristina@tcjournal.biz

A growing organic and natural foods chain is gearing up to open a new grocery store Sept. 6 in Kennewick.

Natural Grocers is remodeling the 15,597-square-foot building at 751 N. Columbia Center Blvd. It used to be home to Joann Fabric and Craft, which recently opened a store at Columbia Center mall.

Construction delays have twice pushed the projected opening date back. The store was originally set to open Aug. 2.

The new grocery store, which will employ 16 people, will sell organic produce, body care, books, bulk foods, dairy products, dietary supplements, frozen products, grab-and-go items, household and organic pet products, meat and seafood.

The family-operated company has 166 stores in 21 states, including four others in Washington.

“Natural Grocers is thrilled to be opening a new location in Kennewick. We’ve been serving communities in Washington since 2014, when we came to Vancouver. We currently have four stores in Washington: two in Spokane and two in Vancouver. Kennewick is the perfect place to bridge the gap in south-central Washington – something many locals have been asking us to do for years,” said Katie Macarelli, spokeswoman for Natural Grocers, in an email to the Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business.

The store’s parent company, Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Inc., which trades under the symbol “NGVC,” reported in May that it had signed leases for an additional five new stores it plans to open in fiscal year 2023 and beyond. It opened 26 new stores over the fiveyear period ending Sept. 30, 2022.

The company’s net sales were $283.2 million for the three months ending March 31, 2023, an increase of $11.4 million, or 4.2%, compared to net sales of $271.8 million for the same period a year ago, according to documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The company leases most of its stores, a bulk food repackaging facility and distribution center and its administrative offices. Lease terms generally range from 10 to 25 years, according to financial documents.

Each store costs the company an average of $2.4 million to open, with a five-year expected return on investment.

sas City, Missouri, is the general contractor for the tenant remodel, valued at $812,400, according to the building permit filed with the city of Kennewick.

The Kennewick store plans to partner with the nonprofit Second Harvest. Whenever customers bring in their own reusable bag, Natural Grocers donates 5 cents to its local food bank partner. Stores also hold additional fundraisers and food drives throughout the year.

Natural Grocers got its start in 1955 in Colorado. It operates a bulk food

Chad

coaching.

On weekends, he likes to chase ducks, geese and fish. He’s always quick with a smile and a funny story, and always ready to lend a hand. We think he’s one of the nicest guys around.

Best

“Building relationships and meeting new people.”

BCCM Construction Group of Kan-

uNATURAL GROCERS, Page 16

Photo by Senior Times

The organic Natural Grocers is opening in the former Joann Fabric and Craft at 751 N. Columbia Center Blvd. in Kennewick.

Chad Utecht Advertising Account Manager

300,000, there should be plenty of work for all junk haulers.

Trash Bandits has developed a reputation in the community.

“We work with 80 Realtors and property management companies,” Freund said. “We have done removal in places involving hoarding cases.”

They also get a lot of jobs from people who live outside the area, whose parents in the Tri-Cities have recently passed away and need their parents’ places cleaned out.

“They don’t know what to do,” Freund said.

Trash Bandits also moves personal belongings from place to place, and the company has helped some older folks by helping move furniture inside their homes.

The company also works with the nonprofit iMPACT! Compassion Center, setting up clients with case workers to help meet their needs, whether they are diapers, microwaves, freezers or baby clothes.

“If we hear from specific organizations that they have needs, we keep an eye out for those needs,” Moore said.

Then there are the unpleasant jobs that need to be done, like cleaning out a tenant’s apartment after being evicted. Or cleaning up an apartment that was used to make drugs

such as fentanyl.

That’s when the Trash Bandits put on their hazmat suits and dive in.

Still, the No. 1 job for business seems to be junk pickups.

“That’s what most people want,” said Moore. “But No. 2 is full cleanouts.”

Those are usually storage unit clean-outs, when customers don’t want to pay another month’s rent for that storage unit.

And they always happen at the end of a month, and in bunches.

Junk hauling in the Tri-Cities has become big business.

“We put in 10 to 15 hours a day, six days a week,” Freund said.

But they both love it.

“I love a customer’s response when they say it’s money well spent,” Moore said. “What could take someone a number of trips to the dump in their pickup truck, it’s gone in minutes with us. And I like the fast pace of it.”

Freund agreed.

“Every day is different,” she said. “I love how what we do lifts the weight off of a customer’s shoulders. That pile of junk sitting in their garage for three years is suddenly gone. I just love seeing the relief on their faces.”

search Trash Bandits: 509-416-0141; trash-bandit.com.

repackaging facility and distribution center in Golden, Colorado.

“We are here to fuel your outdoor adventures, support your community through outreach and education, and provide your day-to-day grocery needs. We look forward to empowering the health and wellness of the Kennewick customers and your surrounding communities by offering the highest-quality products at always affordable prices, environmentallyfriendly practices and by providing our employees with great jobs that pay well,” Macarelli said.

Freebies, sweepstakes and discounts are planned during the store’s grand opening.

Store hours will be from 8:30 a.m.8:36 p.m. Monday-Saturday and 9 a.m.-7:35 p.m. Sunday. The unusual store closure hours are correct.

“Our closing hours might seem a little odd to some (i.e., 9:06 p.m., 8:35 p.m.), but we did that on purpose – to remind customers that they are always welcome and that they shouldn’t feel rushed when shopping with us,” according to a blog on its website.

Go to: naturalgrocers.com/store/ kennewick.

NATURAL GROCERS, From page 15

TRASH BANDITS, From page 11

Courtesy Natural Grocers

A produce manager stocks apples at a Natural Grocers store. The store at 751 N. Columbia Center Blvd. in Kennewick is expected to open in September.