DELIVERING NEWS TO MID-COLUMBIA SENIORS SINCE 1982
DECEMBER 2022
Vol. 10 | Issue 12
Retired Tri-City teacher builds business dressing up dogs By Robin Wojtanik for Senior Times
An online business based in the Tri-Cities ships all over the country to provide custom creations for people who want to dress up their dogs. Kori Pollington of Kennewick put a new leash on retirement life by opening an online boutique featuring custom dog apparel. K9 Haberdashery offers outfits designed to wear frequently, and not just for parties or parades. “I think we have our pets way too little of time and we need to enjoy every single minute with them,” said Pollington, a retired Pasco teacher who launched her store in 2019. Ranging in price from $25 to $50, the outfits can take up to two days to make, sewn by hand and custom fit to each dog’s measurements. Pollington got her start in textiles in middle school when she took a home economics class and continued learning the trade with courses at Washington State University.
Photo by Wendy Culverwell Sophie, a rescue dachshund, models a birthday outfit created by her owner, Kori Pollington, the Kennewick founder of K9 Haberdashery.
She sewed on the side just for fun, sometimes making clothes for her children. Her grandmother was a professional seamstress. “It’s just something I’ve always done,” she said.
But it was when she got her first dog, a dachshund named Rusty, that her talent and passion for dog clothes first developed and she found she could market her skill. “I would see pet clothes in stores
and think, ‘I can make that and I’d do it better,’ ” Pollington said. Her first outfit had a Seattle Seahawks theme. “When I realized I had turned a hobby into a business, it was special. When I first sewed my label into fabric, I said, ‘This is the real deal.’ It was a moment.” Whether a dress, jacket or Halloween costume, all of the outfits are lined to make them sturdy and comfortable for the dogs to wear, including harnesses and hats. “Dogs will wear hats if you do it right,” she said. Each clothing item features a metal attachment or opening for a leash to encourage ease of use, in addition to a thick piece of Velcro to hold it on snugly. “If dressing them up helps you go to a party with them, or a parade with them, it’s just that much more special,” she said. Retired after 30 years with the uK9 HABERDASHERY, Page 2
Tri-Cities’ free health clinic celebrates its 20th anniversary By Laura Kostad for Senior Times
The majority of the patients Grace Clinic serves work hard at their jobs to make ends meet – but they don’t have health insurance. They arrive at the Kennewick clinic seeking free medical care offered by a team of compassionate medical professionals who volunteer their time. “Most of our patients, and many of our volunteers, work at local businesses … By offering free health care, we are literally strengthening the workforce by helping people work and care
for their families,” said Avonte Jackson, Grace Clinic’s director. The Tri-Cities’ only free health care clinic turned 20 this summer and recently celebrated its 100,000th patient visit. “What’s important to understand is it’s 100,000 times someone walked in to access a service they wouldn’t have otherwise,” said Mark Brault, Grace Clinic CEO and the 2022 Tri-Citian of the Year, one of the community’s top honors.
Filling a community need
The clinic provides medical, ur-
gent dental, mental health counseling, telehealth, prescription assistance and food pantry access to low-income residents of Benton and Franklin counties and Burbank, which is in Walla Walla County. Patients’ annual income must be at or below 200% of the federal poverty level, or $55,500 for a family of four. More than 32,000 Tri-Citians lack health insurance, or a little more than 10% of the population, according to Grace Clinic estimates. Brault said 96% of Grace Clinic’s patients are working people. “Nobody else wants them, but we
want them,” said Andrea McMakin, Grace Clinic’s communications coordinator. Brault said when people don’t have access to health insurance, access to health care is significantly constrained since many providers won’t see uninsured patients. A survey of Grace Clinic’s patients revealed that between 52% and 56% would seek care at an emergency room if the clinic didn’t exist. Federal law obligates emergency rooms to treat those seeking care, but uGRACE CLINIC, Page 7
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
MONTHLY QUIZ
In what year was the 38-stall roundhouse erected in Pasco? Camp Hanford built memories while protecting plutonium production
Page 5
Stone Soup serves up soul-satisfying bowls with side of community
Page 9
ANSWER, PAGE 13
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