Senior Times - November 2020 by Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business/Senior Times

SENIOR TIMES • NOVEMBER 2020

NOVEMBER 2020 Volume 8 • Issue 11

KGH on track to become recovery center By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz

Surge in donations prompts Richland thrift store expansion Page 3

ER doc opens urgent care clinic at Columbia Point Page 5

Opening of shopping plaza cause for celebration in 1960 Page 8

MONTHLY QUIZ When Richland, Pasco and Kennewick were the only high schools in the Tri-Cities, for a longtime their intra-city rivalries were the biggest sporting events in the Tri-Cities. Who dominated the 1955 football rivalries between the three schools?

Answer, Page 9

The former Kennewick General Hospital will become a recovery center serving clients with drug addiction and mental health issues under a plan approved in late October by the Kennewick Public Hospital District Board. The district’s board of commissioners accepted a two-part feasibility study that lays the foundation to convert the hospital on Auburn Street into what it calls the Two Rivers Rehabilitation Center during its Oct. 29 meeting. Benton and Franklin counties helped fund the $50,000 study. The Tri-Cities is the only community of size in Washington that lacks a recovery and detox center. The Benton Franklin Recovery Coalition led by Michele Gerber has spent the last two years promoting the need to help people with substance abuse disorders and mental health issues in their own hometown. Accepting the study is the first step to converting the old KGH into a 76bed recovery center and detoxification facility. The plan gives the hospital district a fresh mission following its 2017 bankruptcy. It lost most of its physical assets, including the hospital on Auburn Street, now known as Trios Women’s and Children’s Hospital, after being overwhelmed by more than $200 million in debt. The private company now called LifePoint acquired Trios and, separately, Lourdes Health in Pasco. uKGH, Page 7

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Courtesy Sana Behavioral Health Sana Behavioral Hospital, a 16-bed psychiatric facility for those 55 and over, will open in the spring at 7319 W. Hood Place, near the Tri-Cities Cancer Center, in Kennewick.

New in-patient facility to offer senior-specific psychiatric care By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz

The Tri-Cities isn’t often the second location for any growing chain. But it is for a Salt Lake City-based joint venture that is building psychiatric hospitals for seniors in the West. Sana Behavioral Health will open a $2.8 million, 16-bed hospital at 7319 W. Hood Place next spring. It will be the second of five Sana senior psychiatric hospitals being built in the West, said Ryan Eggleston, president of Sana Medical Group. The Kennewick hospital will employ 44, including medical and psychiatric physicians, an administrator, director of nursing and others. The 16,518-square-foot, singlestory building is just north of the Tri-Cities

Cancer Center in a cluster of medical facilities. The first Sana Behavioral Hospital opened in April in Prescott, Arizona. A third is planned in Hurricane, Utah, and the fourth and fifth will be built in 2021 in Arizona and Colorado, respectively. The Sana model targets underserved, tertiary markets, meaning rural areas. A Las Vegas-area edition operates under a different structure. The Kennewick hospital will be a twin to the newly opened Prescott Sana hospital. It’s no accident Sana selected the TriCities for its second location. Eggleston said demographics, population size, Medicare data and existing access to uSANA, Page 10

New lease on old Herald building good news for downtown Kennewick By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz

The former Tri-City Herald building, the largest and newest privately-owned office building in downtown Kennewick, has new tenants. Vivid Learning Systems, owned by private equity-backed Health & Safety Institute, leased space at 333 W. Canal Drive, a decision that promises to bring more professionals to downtown Kennewick and bolster the fortunes of businesses in the city’s historic heart. In a separate deal, a third-party distributor for Amazon leased 13,000 square feet of warehouse space attached to the office building. The Herald building is owned by D9 Contracting, a family-owned drywall business that bought the property from McClatchy, the Herald’s parent company, in 2019.

Vivid provides online safety education programs for employers. It spun out of the U.S. Department of Energy in the late 1990s with a focus on the Hanford site and has been owned by HSI since 2018. HSI in turn is majority-owned by Waud Capital Partners, a $3 billion private equity firm. Vivid leased the space to consolidate the 80-100 local employees who had been crowded in three locations, said Duane Tumlinson, vice president of sales operations. Tumlinson said Vivid wasn’t focused on a particular city, but the Herald building had the space and amenities it needed and was move-in ready. Vivid’s impact won’t be felt until the Covid-19 pandemic is past. Most employees are working from home, though members of its accounting and information technology uTENANTS, Page 4

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SENIOR TIMES • NOVEMBER 2020

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By Senior Times staff

Tri-City area nonprofits forced to cancel popular fundraising events are banking on supporters joining their online campaigns. Donations play a powerful role in helping organizations that help people face challenges and the need does not go away because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Here are some of the virtual fundraisers taking place in November. Submit your event to editor@tcjournal.biz for inclusion in future editions.

Columbia Industries plans virtual Evening of Miracles

Columbia Industries will hold a livestreamed Evening of Miracles to support programs that serve people with disabilities.

uBRIEFS Walter Clore center closure is now permanent

The Walter Clore Wine and Culinary Center is closing permanently. The taxpayer-funded wine center in Prosser is owned by the Port of Benton and operated by the independent Walter Clore board. The board recently notified the port it is terminating the operations agreement and vacating the building within 90 days, said Diahann Howard, the port’s executive director. Commissioner Bob Larson commented on the move at the port’s Oct. 21 meeting and urged the port to move quickly to find a new purpose for the wine center. The center announced it was suspending wine tastings in August and furloughing staff but made no mention that it was preparing to suspend

The event features live and silent auctions and more. It will be from 6-7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 18. Cost is $50 per person and includes a bottle of CI EmpoweRED merlot and a charcuterie tray provided through CI’s Opportunity Kitchen program. Go to bit.ly/eom-2020 for details.

Chaplaincy Health lights the path

Chaplaincy Health Care will hold Lighting the Path, a virtual fundraising campaign through Nov. 20. Proceeds will support essential services to those facing end-of-life illness, crisis and loss. The campaign is being held in lieu of Chaplaincy’s traditional breakfast event. Go to chaplaincyhealthcare.org/ lighting-the-path for details or to

its deal to run the wine center for the port. It was caught off guard when the port confirmed the termination notice. It said it would issue a formal announcement Oct. 22. The $4 million tasting and event center at 2140 Wine Country Road opened in 2011. It was built with a combination of state and federal grants and fundraising by the volunteer board. Howard said the port will continue to honor the terms of the grant as the property owner and manager. There are 10 years remaining on the agreement.

Pacific Pasta seeks new home as lease runs out

Pacific Pasta & Grill in Kennewick is looking for new space after losing its lease at 7911 W. Grandridge Blvd. Mary Sue Hsu, who owns the restaurant with her husband and daugh-

make a contribution.

Cancer center holds ’80s House Party

The Tri-Cities Cancer Center will hold a virtual ’80s House Party themed Autumn Affair from 6-10 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 14. The online soiree features a DJ and presentations by staff, board members and cancer survivors. There will be an online auction as well. Tickets are $150, which includes a bag with dinner, wine and cocktails for two, as well as a link to the event. Bags will be delivered Nov. 13.

Looking to help?

United Way of Benton & Franklin Counties established a website, volunteertricities.org, as a one-stop shop to match supporters with organizations.

ter, said the family likely will take a few months off to recover from a difficult year beset by health issues. They are looking for a smaller spot to house the restaurant. Its current 120-seat configuration is too big, particularly in a pandemic. Even with occupancy limited to 25% by the state’s Safe Start program, it seldom reached that level, she said The landlord, Gerald & Spring Covington Living Trust, put its 3,425-square-foot building and 0.56acre site on the market in March. Pacific Pasta’s lease expires Oct. 31. It is being marketed for $699,000 as either a restaurant or a potential office or retail space. The taxable value is $727,000. Fixtures, furnishings and equipment are not part of the sale. Professional Realty Associates is the listing agent, for the owner. The restaurant was built in 2005 and opened as Nothing But Noodles before changing names in 2012.

SENIOR TIMES • NOVEMBER 2020

Surge in donations prompts Richland thrift store expansion By Kristina Lord

publisher@tcjournal.biz

When one door closes, another opens — in this case quite literally. The unexpected closure of a neighboring business and a spring surge in community donations prompted Community Thrift’s expansion. The 1½-year-old thrift shop at 303 Wellsian Way in Richland recently took over the lease of the storefront once occupied by Cascade Sign & Apparel after it closed in September. The mid-September move into the nearby space meant the 4,175-squarefoot thrift store owned by Dustin Stordahl could expand. It was able to move its pricing and production room into the former 2,500-square-foot Cascade shop and turn the room behind the existing store into a kids’ toy and clothing section. The store also was able to expand its shelving 25% and doubled its clothing inventory, Stordahl said. It’s a critical move as the store has seen donations increase tenfold since the pandemic began, a sign that families have been cleaning while forced to stay home to prevent the spread of coronavirus. “We’ve been overwhelmed to be honest. We were working 16 hours a day,” Stordahl said of the spring donations. “It was a lot of work.” Stordahl, 35, said when the pandemic forced the store’s closure in March, he was driving to the store 10 times a day to rotate out the 4X4 donation boxes outside the shop. “If you don’t have new items everyday people can quickly get tired of your store. We try to put out several thousand new items a week,” Stordahl said. The store uses a color tag system and the discounts for each color change during the five-week rotation. It offers senior discounts (20% off on Mondays) and discounts for veterans (10% every day). Community Thrift closed for more than a month in March but reopened as many items it carries were considered “essential” under the state’s emergency stay-home order, though it wasn’t technically included on the state’s “essential” list. “We made the decision to open. We sell tools and office supplies like those that were on the essential list. We’re no different than what Walmart or Harbor Freight sells. We’re essential until they tell us otherwise,” Stordahl said. About three years ago, when Stordahl was working as the information technology manager for Goodwill Industries of the Columbia in Kennewick, he learned the nonprofit was discontinuing its pickup service. He knew the community needed such a service

and Community Thrift was born. Everything for sale in the store is donated from the community, he said. Stordahl spent six months designing the Community Thrift mobile app which allows customers to easily schedule donation pickups. Nontechnical savvy shoppers can get the same service — they just have to call the store. “The majority of donors want convenience to get rid of stuff,” he said. His long-term goal would be to open a Costco-size store in a central Tri-City location but he’s an entrepreneur and recognizes the need to be nimble, so he’s not ruling out other ideas, including a franchise model or operating multiple stores. A larger operation would enable him to earmark profits into the nonprofit arm of his business with the goal of providing a self-sustaining revenue stream for large community projects, like a splash park or a water park, he said. “It’d be cool where we can do large community projects. It’s very optimistic,” he conceded. He’s already set up the 501(c)(3) nonprofit called Community Partners Inc. “My vision is that growing the store will create a domino effect and generate funding to do more projects,” Stor-

Photo by Kristina Lord Owner Dustin Stordahl stands inside the recently expanded Community Thrift store at 303 Wellsian Way in Richland. He moved his production and pricing area into a vacant shop to expand the store’s children and toy area.

dahl said. He hasn’t done anything with the nonprofit yet, though he has made modest donations to several Tri-City nonprofits, including Vibe Music Center, Beautiful Threads and Bethlehem Lutheran School. He doesn’t have a timeline for this vision, as he still is trying to get his feet under him. He’s invested $180,000 into the business and recouped $115,000. His monthly net revenue varies widely, and he’s keeping his eye on the long-term plan to build a multimilliondollar enterprise to do multimilliondollar projects, he said.

But operating a business isn’t cheap. He has leases, salaries, taxes and a $1,000-a-month trash bill, as not every donation is fit to sell in the store. He draws his own salary to “sustain my own livelihood” (He and his wife have three children under 4) from his other job – he operates an IT consulting company, Innovative Enterprise Systems. “I do pretty well without the store,” he said. Community Thrift is open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. seven days a week. Community Thrift: 303 Wellsian Way, Richland; communitythrift.shop; Facebook; Instagram; 509-315-1970.

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SENIOR TIMES • NOVEMBER 2020

TENANTS, From page 1

team have moved into second-floor space that includes a break room and west-facing balcony. Tumlinson expects to take over more of the second floor, including the former newsroom, when the pandemic lifts and workers come back to the office. It is unclear how many people that will be. He noted that like many employers, Vivid expects some to continue to work from home in the future. Vivid was not looking to be a catalyst for downtown, but it embraces its new neighborhood. “I think downtown Kennewick could be the coolest downtown in the area,” he said. When workers do return, they will be welcomed by downtown’s mix of restaurants, shops, professional services, salons and tattoo parlors. The city and a key downtown business association are thrilled. More workers in downtown means more customers and energy, said Evelyn Lusignan, the city’s spokeswoman. “This great location is a key component to advancing and sustaining that vibrancy by having workers in the heart of our historic downtown,” she said. The Herald building consists of two parts. The 49,000-square-foot Class A office opened in 2004, attached to an older 60,000-square-foot warehouse and press room. For a time, the building was filled

with 175 or more newspaper employees. But the headcount sank as challenging newspaper economics forced McClatchy into successive rounds of layoffs that left large areas of the building unoccupied. The warehouse, once crammed with a printing press, stacks of giant newsprint rolls and other equipment, emptied when the press shut down and was dismantled and sold for parts. The trucking firm, operating in a part of the space, receives several semitrucks filled with Amazon packages a day and distributes them via a fleet of about 15 trucks to a large swath of the Mid-CoCourtesy SVN Retter & Co. lumbia. The former Tri-City Herald building at 333 W. Canal Drive has welcomed McClatchy sold the property to D9 two new tenants. Contractors in October 2019 for about “We miss the proximity of having the partment and second-floor newsroom. $4 million. The first and second floors wrap D9 moved its own corporate offices paper nearby,” she said. Reporters and and operations into the building while photographers often reported on what around wide, open hallways with curvmarketing the rest to tenants. Mike Det- they saw happening in their neighboring blue carpeting, designed as a nod to rick Sr. of D9 said the family is pleased hood. “They were such a great neigh- the area’s three rivers. A long, elevated dormer with transom windows down the with the leasing activity to date and bor.” But the Detricks and Vivid are wel- middle draws light to the middle of the looks forward to Vivid expanding its building. footprint in the future. It spent more than come neighbors. “We are thrilled to see the Herald Button called it fantastic office space $9 million to build it in 2004. The Herald remained in its namesake building continue to play a professional and a great way for professional organibuilding for 10 months after the sale. In role in downtown,” she said. HDKP zations to get a foothold in downtown. Scott Sautell of SVN Retter & ComAugust, it moved a new, smaller office promotes the downtown area through on 24th Avenue in Kennewick’s South- improvement efforts, public events and pany Commercial Real Estate is the recruitment drives. That includes help- leasing agent for the building. Office ridge area. space is available for $15 a square foot The Historic Downtown Kennewick ing D9 woo more tenants. The interior layout includes a mix of and warehouse space for $7 a square Partnership misses the Herald, an iconic downtown business. It was a terrific private offices, conference rooms and foot on a triple net basis, meaning tenpartner for downtown, said Stephanie large open office spaces, once home to ants pay taxes, insurance and other ocButton, executive director. the Herald’s first-floor advertising de- cupancy costs.

SENIOR TIMES • NOVEMBER 2020

ER doc opens urgent care clinic at Columbia Point By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz

The Tri-Cities has a new urgent care clinic for patients with conditions that are not life threatening. Dr. Prabhjot “Jyoti” Kahlon, an emergency room veteran who has worked at both Kadlec Regional Medical Center and Lourdes Health, opened Health First Urgent Care on Aug. 31 at 37 Columbia Point Drive in Richland. Kahlon and her medical team treat colds and flu, cuts, scrapes and broken bones. The private, independent clinic also offers PCR Covid-19 testing, which looks for genetic material of the virus, with results returned in 24 to 48 hours. Covid visits are conducted via video and testing is drivethru. For all others, the lobby is limited to one patient. Kahlon, who studied medicine at Ross University and trained in emergency medicine at Michigan State University, moved to the Tri-Cities with her husband to raise a family about a decade ago. She worked part time in area ERs when the couple’s children were younger. But as they grew, she looked for a new outlet for her skills. She and her husband, Janmeet “Rocky” Sahota, a neck and spine surgeon at Tri-City Orthopaedics, decided on opening an urgent care clinic at the entrance to Richland. The couple paid $1.2 million for a former Sleep Country store near Winco in late 2019. They converted the 6,200-squarefoot retail space into the clinic. Renovations began in early 2020, shortly before the Covid-19 pandemic hit. Construction stopped briefly after Gov. Jay Inslee issued the Stay Home, Stay Healthy order to contain the spread of coronavirus in March, but resumed since health care is an

Courtesy Dr. Prabhjot “Jyoti” Kahlon Dr. Prabhjot “Jyoti” Kahlon, an emergency room physician, opened Health First Urgent Care in late August at 37 Columbia Point Drive, Richland. The clinic treats non-life-threatening conditions.

essential service. Kahlon said they used the downtime to alter the plans. They installed pathogen-killing air filters and set up the space to support limited visitors, social distancing and virtual visits. Health First has eight exam rooms and an X-ray lab. Health First is the latest in a growing number of urgent care clinics in the Tri-Cities. Some are affiliated with area hospitals while others such as Health First are independent, usually owned and operated by physicians. Kahlon said there was a need for another to support the region’s growing population, which passed 300,000 in 2020, according to the state Office of Financial Management. “As a physician and a consumer of medical resources in the Tri-Cities, I believe that there is a growing need for accessible health care here. Health First Urgent Care was founded with the vision that we can deliver excellent and convenient health care

in a beautiful modern facility where people are friendly, caring and competent,” she said. Health First is independent and not affiliated with any hospitals. It accepts private pay and bills most insurance plans. It fills the need for medical care for conditions that are too urgent to wait for an appointment with a primary care provider but not so urgent that they call for a spendy visit to a hospital emergency room. People with major trauma such as knife or gun wounds or who are experiencing life-threatening medical conditions should call 911 or head to the nearest emergency room, not an urgent care clinic, she said.

Opening an urgent care clinic married her training as an emergency room physician with a desire for a more controlled work environment. Kahlon said she chose the space at Columbia Point because it is easy to reach and is extremely visible from George Washington Way. There were nearly 8,000 urgent care clinics in the U.S. in 2017, according to the Urgent Care Association. They offer an affordable choice for patients seeking help for nonemergencies and are widely supported by health insurers because most conditions can be treated more economically outside of an ER. The National Center for Health Statistics, which is part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, noted the average urgent care clinic visit runs about $150, while an ER visit can easily top $1,000. In a 2017 survey of emergency rooms, 10% of patients who sought treatment in an ER were admitted to the hospital. Health First Urgent Care is open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekends. Kahlon serves as lead physician. Staff includes physician assistants, nurse practitioners, an X-ray tech and medical assistants as well as a lab technologist. Call 509-300-1500 or go to healthfirstuc.com for information or to schedule an appointment. Walk-ins are welcome.

SENIOR TIMES â&#x20AC;¢ NOVEMBER 2020

SENIOR TIMES • NOVEMBER 2020 KGH, From page 1

The district remained in existence, with a mission to fill the local gap in health care services. A recovery center fits the bill, its commissioners said. “If we can pull this off, it will be a fantastic purpose for the hospital district,” said Gary Long, the board’s president. “We can still make a real difference,” added board member Dr. Leonard Dreisbach. The stars behind the Two Rivers plan began to line up when LifePoint applied for a certificate of need to consolidate its Kennewick beds at the Trios Southridge Hospital, signaling its intent to move the birthing center out of downtown, with a decision due in early 2021. The move will free a 100,000-square-foot hospital. The hospital will be repurposed with 60 in-patient beds and a 16-bed detox center with both secured and unsecured beds for law enforcement purposes. LifePoint has not commented on its plans, but Lee Kerr, the district’s superintendent, said it has a tentative purchase and sale agreement to buy back the hospital on terms he described as “favorable.” The district expects to fund the down payment with proceeds from

the Tri-Cities Cancer Center, which bought out the ownership interests of Trios and Lourdes when they were acquired by a for-profit company, now known as LifePoint, for $325,000 apiece. The Benton Franklin Recovery Center’s Gerber, who lost her son as a young adult after he became addicted to painkillers following an accident, has promoted the idea to civic and government agencies over the past two years. The feedback has been uniformly positive, she said. Two Rivers has the coalition’s “complete support,” she said. The public health district would own the facility but would not operate it. Instead, it would lease space to operators who would treat patients funded by a mix of Medicaid, Medicare, private insurance and self-pay. Accepting the feasibility study sets the stage to raise the money it needs to convert the hospital. The health district receives about $1.5 million annually in property tax revenue. At the Oct. 29 meeting, the board agreed to raise its property tax rate by 1%, the amount allowed under state law. The added funds will support its recovery center vision. It also agreed to pursue grants and to request funds in the state’s capital

Photo by Wendy Culverwell Michele Gerber of the Benton Franklin Recovery Coalition has long pushed for residential treatment for substance abuse and mental health disorders. The Trios Women’s and Children’s Hospital will become Two Rivers Rehabilitation Center under a plan set in motion two years ago and now coming to fruition.

projects budget. The hospital would have to be licensed by the state health department. An inspector toured the facility in July and gave feedback on the upgrades it needs. Kerr said the visit was encouraging, which district took as a sign the state will support the project. Gerber, of the recovery coalition, said a recovery center will be good not only for families trying to help

loved ones, but for the local economy. Inpatient treatment costs tens if not hundreds of thousands of dollars, money that currently follows patients to treatment centers out of the area and even out of the state — if they seek treatment at all. A recovery center will reduce drugrelated crime and bring in more medical professionals and boost the entire community, she said.

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SENIOR TIMES • NOVEMBER 2020

Opening of shopping plaza cause for celebration in 1960 By East Benton County Historical Society

When the Golden Arches of McDonald’s first emblazoned across the skylines of Othello and Prosser, the glow dazzled the rural communities with pride and a turnout of civic and elected leaders sharing a first McDonald’s breakfast in their towns. What occurred in those communities and what occurred in Kennewick 60 years ago this month were more than events. They were “happenings” — events that excited their communities with the promise of new ways of shopping and of eating. In Kennewick, Nov. 10, 1960, was a happening day. Midtown Plaza at the corner of Fourth Avenue and Vancouver Street made its debut with a Gene and Jules supermarket on one end and Ray’s Drug and Hardware on the other. Hundreds descended on the neighborhood to experience the one-stop shopping center. Six decades later, the neon “Midtown Plaza” sign is an iconic fixture. In 1960, it beamed life to a neighborhood night sky and welcomed daytime shoppers with its broadshoulder look.

Photo by Wendy Culverwell Midtown Plaza was a major “happening” when it opened 60 years ago this month at Fourth Avenue and Vancouver Street in Kennewick. Gale Metcalf of Kennewick, now retired and living nearby, was one of the first box boys at the anchor tenant, Gene and Jules supermarket.

A festive atmosphere that first weekend filled the market with beaming faces and greetings among friends and strangers negotiating the aisles, which were brimming with wellstocked shelves. The wide interior opening connect-

ed Gene and Jules with Ray’s Drug and Hardware. It was the perfect spot to record shopper observations for a live remote radio broadcast. Jack and Jean’s Oven Fresh Bakery was another prominent tenant. It extended gaiety and pleasantries

with aromatic pastries, doughnuts and friendly service by Jack and Jean and their employees, like the warm-hearted brunette with a beaming smile, Judy Fogelman. Midtown Plaza broke ground for one-stop shopping in Kennewick. It replaced a large white home that was set back on what was then an expansive piece of land. The plaza also offered a furniture store, barber shop, dry cleaners and a laundromat. Today there is a gas station and convenient store at the corner but it is a latecomer. In 1960, the parking lot was filled during peak shopping hours. Midtown Plaza was the brainchild of Gene Wright and Jules Howard, enterprising Pasco businessmen. The partners owned two successful stores in Pasco, the Eastside Market and the Westside Market. On that November 1960 Thursday, Wright and Howard expanded their “customer-is-always-right” philosophy into a Kennewick neighborhood and brought a new air of excitement to grocery shopping in Kennewick, a town of about 14,000. At the time, residents could shop at Sherman’s and the Campbell’s markets and Safeway in its original downtown Kennewick spot at Auburn Street and Second Avenue. There were no Albertsons, WinCo Foods or Fred Meyer. There were no “marts”— Wal- or K- or otherwise. The land covered by Columbia Center mall was a sagebrush-covered sanctuary for coyotes and jackrabbits. The General Mills grain elevator on today’s Clearwater Avenue was Kennewick’s unofficial western border. Hustling and bustling on that first day after school were the original seven box boys selected from Kennewick’s lone high school at the time: seniors Mike Grady, Florian Kuffel, Dick Ward, Jeff Robinson and Gary Evans, and Kennewick High juniors John McCracken and Gale Metcalf. The box boys wore white shirts and ties under clean white aprons. They called out “coming” and sprinted to calls for “customer service.” Monte Jensen supervised the teens. Night managers were Bill Sarver, Harley Trapp, Jim Donahue and George Rawlings. Roy Nelson, former owner of Nelson’s Market, greeted shoppers as the first manager. His No. 2, Jiggs Meyers, was an efficient, confident and friendly charmer of customers who gave them every courtesy. uMIDTOWN PLAZA, Page 10

SENIOR TIMES • NOVEMBER 2020

Just for Fun Crossword

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Solutions on page 11

30 Bloody Mary ingredient 32 Strip 33 Defer 34 Maxims 35 Valuable item Down 1 Sometimes found with that 2 Yarn quantity 3 Like many a student film 4 Grid for greenery 5 Like Steve Jobs’s father 6 Foundation 7 When the Sup. Court’s new term begins

8 Brain twister 9 Impressionist PierreAuguste -- 13 Stamp out 14 Pierce with a tusk 18 Pretended to be 19 Of like kind 20 Marches 21 --- Doria, Nantucket wreck 22 Could be the Moonlight or Kreutzer 24 Unnamed woman 26 Dippity-do and others 27 Barbecue dish 28 Small landmass 29 Guitar guru --- Atkins 31 Stitch

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Anklet

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. Rules of Sudoku - To complete Sudoku, fill the board by entering numbers 1 to 9 such that each row, column and 3x3 box contains ever number uniquely. For more strategies, hints and tips, visit www.sudokuwiki.org and www.str8ts.com.

How to How beat to Str8ts beat–Str8ts – To complete Sudoku, the board by entering 7: Royalany Caribbean Cruise Line,Tomade its fill first complete Sudoku, fill the board by entering Like Sudoku, no single 1 to Nov. 9 can repeat row Like Sudoku, nonumber single number 1 to 9 caninrepeat in any row numbers 1 to 9 such that each row, column and 3x3 numbers 1 tooriginal 9 such that each row, column and 3x3 or column. But... rows and columns are voyage as passengers boarded the company’s or column. But... rows and columns are box contains every number uniquely. box contains every number uniquely. divided by black squares into compartments. 2 1 41 5 4 5 divided by black squares intoship, compartments. 2 MS Song of Norway, departed from Miami. Each compartment must form a straight For many strategies, hints and tips, 6 4 5 3 2 Each compartment must form a straight Quiz answer from Page A1 For many strategies, and tips, 6Union 4 5released 3 2 10: The Soviet U.S. Army Majorfor hints a set of numbers with no gaps but itNov. can be visit www.sudokuwiki.org Sudoku a set of numbers with no gaps but it can be4 5 2 1 visit www.sudokuwiki.org for Sudoku in any order, eg [7,6,9,8]. Clues in black cells C. D. Scherrer 4 5and Brigadier 2and1www.str8ts.com Nobody. for Str8ts. General General Claude M. in any order, eg [7,6,9,8]. Clues in black and www.str8ts.com for Str8ts. 4cells 3 6 2 1 5 remove that number as an option in that row 6 5 4 3 2 1 remove that number as an option in that row Jr., who had beenIfheld captive since Oct. 21, check Kennewick beat Richland 20-7. and column, and are not part of any McQuarrie straight. you like Str8ts and other puzzles, out our 3 5 2 1 4 and column, and are not part of any straight. If you like Str8ts and other puzzles, check out our 3 mistakenly 5 2 1 4books, Glance at the solution to see how ‘straights’ iPhone/iPad Apps and much more on our store. when the pilot had landed in the Armenian Richland Pasco 6-0. Glance at the solution to see how ‘straights’2 1 3 books, iPhone/iPad Apps and much more on beat our store. are formed. 2 Turkey. 1 3 SSR during a flight in are formed. Pasco beat Kennewick 27-20.

ANSWER

Turn Back the Clock...

1970

Nov 25: A bank in Buffalo, New York, became one of the first in the U.S. to allow customers to take advantage of a network of 24-hour automated teller machines (ATMs).

— Source: Franklin County Historical Society

Str8ts example

SENIOR TIMES • NOVEMBER 2020

MIDTOWN PLAZA, From page 8

Barcodes and scanners were decades away. Prices were stamped in ink and tallied on registers by the capable fingers of checkers like Jean Wright, Faye Foster, Amy Hampton, Bonnie Dietrich and a dark-haired checker named Opal. Even the money was different. Coins now sought for collections, like the so-called 1943 “lead penny” and buffalo head nickels minted from 1913-38 commonly circulated in the new Gene and Jules. Silver certificates were still the paper exchange, not Federal Reserve notes. Produce manager Dale Howard had customers awed by the beauty of his displays and the freshness of his fruits and vegetables. Meat manager M.E. “Smitty” Smith was excellent on his cuts and in his knowledge of meats he willingly shared. Frequently supplying Nalley products was Al Robinson, who would become a Little League icon in Kennewick. Al Robinson Park, a

home of National Little League baseball across from Westgate Elementary School, is named for him. That first weekend was a hotbed of activity for Wright and Howard not only for the explosive, exciting business they opened, but because the following day, Nov. 11, was Veterans Day. It featured the traditional homecoming for Kennewick and Pasco high schools, and their season-ending football rivalry dating back to when the holiday was known as Armistice Day celebrating the end of World War I. Wright and Howard annually sponsored the Wright-Howard trophy awarded the winner to showcase for a year. On Nov. 11, 1960, as their namesake store bustled with shoppers, the business partners were at the Lion’s Den presenting the Wright-Howard trophy to Kennewick for its 7-0 win. This essay made possible by the Washington State Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation.

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SANA, From page 1

psychiatric services contributed to its decision to invest in Kennewick. And it helps that Eggleston’s sister lives here, so he was already familiar with the area. Business leaders, he added, were very welcoming when he scouted potential locations. “We are really excited about the community. We think we can be a great enhancement to the health care scene,” he said. Sana is a joint venture with ERH Healthcare, a hospital developer, and FJ Management Inc., its capital partner. The small facilities serve seniors 55 and older — aging baby boomers — with age-appropriate programming in an in-patient setting. The World Health Organization estimates that 15% of adults 60 and over suffer from a mental disorder. And demand is rising with the aging population. By 2050, there will be 2 billion people age 60 or over, accounting for 22% of the world’s population. “Older people face special physical and mental health challenges which need to be recognized,” the global health organization noted. At Sana, activities, education and therapy are tailored to the challenges faced by seniors. The vibe is homey and comforting, particularly for seniors with mental health challenges. “They look a lot more welcoming

than most psychiatric units would look like,” he said. “Seniors struggling with psychiatric issues don’t have to ask, ‘Where am I?’” Eggleston said Sana will open with 16 beds because Washington requires a certificate of need from the health department for larger facilities. It expects to expand by eight beds in the future. Patients are typically referred from emergency rooms that treat medical conditions and then look for places to send psychiatric patients. It also accepts patients from senior care facilities that are not set up to manage psychiatric issues. It accepts patients who also are experiencing dementia and direct referrals. Its focus is treating psychiatric issues and not dementia. The hospital can treat medical conditions such as diabetes. Costs are typically borne by Medicare and Medicaid because patients are seniors, but it also accepts commercial payment for patients who are still covered by private insurance. It won’t take patients under involuntary psychiatric holds until it secures the proper licensing for that. Eggleston said the typical stay is 1014 days, the amount of time it takes for a patient to have medication prescribed or adjusted and to stabilize. Annual revenue for the Kennewick facility is projected to be $6 million. Chervenell Construction of Kennewick is the general contractor.

SENIOR TIMES • NOVEMBER 2020 uBRIEFS Act now to get Economic Impact Payment

The Internal Revenue Service is encouraging people who don’t normally file a tax return to register to receive Economic Impact Payments on Nov. 10. National EIP Registration Day is set 11 days ahead of the official Nov. 21 deadline to register. The IRS has previously sent 9 million letters to people who may be eligible for the government’s $1,200 payments but don’t normally file a return. Most eligible U.S. taxpayers automatically received their payments earlier this year, but others should register under the “non-filers” tool to get their money. Go to bit.ly/NationalEIPDay to enter information. Go to irs.gov/coronavirus/non-filers-enter-paymentinfo-here for more information.

Medicare open enrollment runs through Dec. 7

The Medicare open enrollment period for 2021 runs through Dec. 7. During the annual election period, people on Medicare can switch between Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage, drop or switch a Part D prescription drug plan, or switch to a different Medicare Advantage plan. The Statewide Health Insurance Benefits Advisor program is offering one-on-one counseling appointments by phone or video to help recipients navigate the process. Services are free. Call the Consumer Hotline, 800-

562-6900, or go to insurance.wa.gov/ contact-washington-state-shiba-program for information.

Social Security benefits going up in 2021

Social Security and Supplemental security Income benefits will rise 1.3% in 2021 for the roughly 70 million Americans who receive benefits. The increase is a cost-of-living adjustment. The Social Security Act ties annual increases to the consumer price index as determined by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics. In 2021, the maximum amount of earnings subject to Social Security tax increases to $142,800, from $137,700.

Alzheimer’s Town Hall is Nov. 13

The Alzheimer’s Association Washington chapter will hold a virtual Town Hall for residents of Washington’s Fourth Congressional District from 11 a.m. to noon Friday, Nov. 13. The annual event covers federal and state policies that affect people impacted by Alzheimer’s and dementia. The session includes a brief presentation with time for questions. Go to alzwa.org/townhalls to register, or call Brad Forbes, 206-5293867.

NARFE meetings are held monthly the first Wednesday, except July and August. Call 509-378-2494 for meeting link and more information.

Jeff Bezos matches gifts to United Way

United Way of Benton and Franklin Counties is encouraging supporters to make contributions by Dec. 31 to qualify for a match from billionaire Jeff Bezos, who has committed $10 million to United Ways and Community Foundations in Washington. The local chapter is specifically asking for donations of $300, or $600 for married couples filing jointly, which is the amount deductible from federal income taxes under the federal coronavirus relief bill. Go to give.uwbfco.org/give

Skipping house payments? Know your mortgage status

Washington homeowners who have not been able to make mortgage payments during the pandemic are encouraged to understand the status of their loan with their lender or servicer to avoid problems later. The Washington State Department of Financial Institutions counsels those who have not made payments to know if they are in forbearance status or if the lender considers them

in default and plans to begin the foreclosure process when a moratorium on foreclosures ends. The federal coronavirus relief package includes a moratorium on Federal Housing Administrationinsured single-family mortgages. It remains in effect through Dec. 31. DFI cautions that if a mortgage is in forbearance, it will expire, and the missed payments will have to be made up. When it ends will depend on who owns the loan and other factors. The Washington Homeownership Hotline, 877-894-4663, can assist. Go to homeownership-wa.org/managing-your-mortgage.

Safe deposit box auction is Nov. 5-12

Coins, currency, jewelry, watches, stamps and other items abandoned in safe deposit boxes will be sold in an online auction from 11 a.m. Nov. 5 to 11 a.m. Nov. 11. Items can be viewed in person during this time. The Washington State Unclaimed Property auction covers collectibles but not personal papers, photos, land, vehicles or other tangible property. Go to murphyauction.com for details. The auction is being conducted by James G. Murphy Co. of Kenmore.

Puzzle answers from page 9

NARFE group plans Nov. 4 virtual meeting

The National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association #1192 plans its monthly meeting and program at noon Nov. 4 via Zoom.

Crossword 1

12 15

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33 35

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Str8ts

Str8ts Solution 9

O C

C O D 32

7 8 6 6 8 7 5 9 7 6 1 2 3 2 5 8 1 2 3 4 1 2 4 3 4 2 3 4 7 6 3 4 5 7

Sudo

3 2 1 1 2 3 4 3 4 5 1 7 4 7 5 6 7 5 6 8 6 7 5 8 9 6 9 8

US 11x11 Wordsearch No.304 Word search Sudoku Sudoku Solution

Str8ts Solution K S E 6N L A 7 O E T J S 8A T 1C Z S 4 E H F 2O C 3E

7A N8 K6 L E 2T 8G M 7 S5 K9N 1U O U V A P R 6T F T1 Y2G 3O 3 R2 O5B 4E M F 1A C2 L3 Y4B S 2H C O4 A 3H 7I R B K A T K 8 W O W E T C 3C L4 W7 S 6T 5N 4T E5 N N7O 6B

1I U R T3 2 O N 4 B V R E1 O 7 C5 U K6 5 B B 6 7 E R A P8 T P9

S3 L4 I 5 A T7 K6 I L T A9 I8

9 5 7 2 8 4 3 6 1

4 6 8 1 3 5 9 2 7

3 1 2 6 9 7 8 5 4

6 8 9 4 7 3 2 1 5

1 7 3 8 5 2 4 9 6

2 4 5 9 1 6 7 8 3

For more strategies, hints and tips, visit www.sudokuwiki.org and www.str8ts.com.

7 9 4 5 6 8 1 3 2

5 2 1 3 4 9 6 7 8

8 3 6 7 2 1 5 4 9

9 5 7 2 8 4 3 6 1

4 6 8 1 3 5 9 2 7

SENIOR TIMES • NOVEMBER 2020

uBRIEFS Grants support behavioral health in Tri-Cities

The Washington State Department of Commerce awarded $33.8 million to 22 projects that collectively support 396 new beds and outpatient services for people with behavioral health and other challenges, including those leaving Eastern and Western state hospitals. The competitive grants support the governor’s five-year plan to modernize the state’s mental health system. Mid-Columbia recipients include: • Americare LLC, which provides specialized dementia care, received $2 million to support 40 beds in Pasco. • SHC Medical Center, Toppenish/ Astria Hospital received $2 million to support 10 long-term civic confinement facilities in Toppenish. • Lutheran Community Services Northwest received $510,000 to support outpatient services in Kennewick. • Virginia Mason Memorial Hospital received $1.3 million to support outpatient services in Yakima.

Richland hypercar grabs ‘Fastest Production’ title

SSC North America of Richland reclaimed the title of the world’s “Fastest Production Vehicle” with its

1,750 horse-powered Tuatara. Driver Oliver Webb set the recordbreaking drive on Oct. 10 near Pahrump, Nevada, along Highway 160. The Tuatara delivered an average speed of just over 316 miles per hour. SSC first set the record with its debut car, the Ultimate Aero. SSC founder Jerod Shelby said the company will product 100 Tuatara vehicles in a release announcing the Nevada performance results.

Support kids in foster care with Christmas stockings

Heads Up Tri-Cities and United Way of Benton and Franklin Counties are organizing Christmas stockings for children living in foster care in the Mid-Columbia. To participate, contact the Foster Kids Committee at headsuptricities05@gmail.com. Let the organizers know how many children you want to sponsor and age or gender preference. The committee will assign children and coordinate stocking dropoffs. Participants buy age-appropriate toy and games for “their” children. Gift cards are allowed. Food is not. Unwrapped gifts can be dropped off from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Photo by Wendy Culverwell The Senior Times team distributed 1,000 goody bags during the Oct. 20 Senior Times Drive-Thru Expo at the Southridge Sports & Events Complex in Kennewick. “Thank you to everyone who came out and to our sponsors,” said Senior Times Editor Wendy Culverwell.

Monday to Thursday, Nov. 30-Dec. 4, at the United Way office, 401 N. Young St., Ste. B, Kennewick.

State makes Covid funds available to immigrants

The state of Washington is providing up to $3,000 in assistance to Washington residents who have been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic but are unable to access federal stimulus program and other social support because of their immigration status. The state dedicated $40 million in federal funds to the Washington Covid-19 Immigrant Relief fund. It was developed with input from immigrant rights and social service advocates is accepting applications. The Legal Foundation of Washington is administering the program. While active, the program will award $1,000 to eligible recipients, up to $3,000 per household. Go to immigrantreliefwa.org for application information. Benefits will be disbursed by Dec. 28.

Richland library reopens to patrons

The Richland Public Library reopened to the public on Oct. 26 while continuing to provide curbside service. The library is open from 3-6 p.m. weekdays, and curbside service is available from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. at 955 Northgate Drive. Patrons must be masked and maintain social distancing while inside the building. Visits are limited to 30 minutes. Sanitation stations will be available throughout the building. No food or drink is allowed inside. Computers and printers are not available and water foundations are

turned off. Those unable to wear a mask can use online resources and curbside pickup; they won’t be allowed in the building. Go to myrichlandlibrary.org or call 509-942-7494 for information.

Free flu vaccines for uninsured adults

Free flu vaccinations are available to uninsured adults through a partnership between the Washington Department of Health and Safeway and Albertsons. In the Tri-Cities, the Safeway Pharmacy at 2825 W. Kennewick Ave. is one of the 23 locations offering no-cost vaccinations. There is no administration fee or requirement to prove residency or immigration status. Everyone 6 months and older needs a new flu vaccine each year, according to the health department. Young children, pregnant women, people with underlying health conditions and those age 65 and over are at high risk for complications from flu. Go to knockoutflu.org for more information.

Covid-19 testing and surprise billing ban extended Washington Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler has extended an emergency order to protect consumers from surprise bills for testing for Covid-19 through Nov. 24. The orders require health insurers to waive copays and deductibles and protects customers from surprise bills for lab fees for medically-necessary testing for the virus.