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

SENIOR TIMES • AUGUST 2020

AUGUST 2020 Volume 8 • Issue 8

Blue bridge gets fresh coat of paint By Senior Times staff

Necessity is the mother of invention for Tri-Cities innovators Page 5

Beloved ‘Uncle Jimmy’s Clubhouse’ show put kids front and center Page 10

Right on schedule, food follows wine at Kennewick’s Columbia Gardens Page 13

MONTHLY QUIZ For whom is Dallas Road in East Benton County named? It is accessed by taking Interstate 82, Exit 104.

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Answer, Page 9

As blue bridge traffic speeds by overhead, workers beneath are cleaning and painting the metal surfaces. It’s been 25 years since the steel arch-through bridge connecting Pasco to Kennewick received a fresh coat. But don’t worry — the paint colors will remain the same — blue and gray. The 66-year-old bridge spanning the Columbia River wasn’t always blue. When it first opened in 1954, it sported green paint. This summer’s bridge work is taking place under the wheels passing above on Highway 395 so the painting project will not affect traffic. The existing steel bridge surface needs to be repainted as it is deteriorated and peeling, exposing the steel to the elements, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation. Workers are cleaning and repainting the surface to prolong the life of the Tri-City landmark. The first stage of the $8.8 million project will prevent further deterioration and preserve the steel truss elements supporting the roadway deck and the horizontal section defining the lower part of the truss. This stage is set be completed by fall 2020. The second stage involves painting the remaining steel elements of the bridge, the truss spans. It’s set to start in 2023. Go to https://bit.ly/wsdotbluebridge to see what it looks like beneath the bridge.

By Wendy Culverwell Jerry Rhoads, founder and chief executive officer of KC Help, explains how the Pasco nonprofit sanitizes donated medical equipment before preparing it for area residents who lack insurance or Medicare coverage for wheelchairs, walkers and other home medical items.

Private donation boosts Pasco nonprofit to help region’s most vulnerable By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz

A $40,000 private donation is helping a Pasco nonprofit and the people it serves stand a little taller. An unidentified supporter contributed the money to the Knights Community Hospital Equipment Lend Program, better known as KC Help, through the Three Rivers Community Foundation. The donation supports KC Help’s mission to help the most vulnerable TriCitians — people who need wheelchairs and other durable medical equipment that isn’t paid for by insurance or Medicare. It serves about 200 people each month and has exported its model across

the Northwest and to Mexico. KC Help spun out of the Tri-Cities Chaplaincy House in the mid-1990s after beginning as a group of volunteers who refitted homes to accommodate ill residents and their medical gear. Jerry Rhoads, founder and chief executive officer, said it branched into durable medical equipment when it spied a gap — insurance and Medicare wouldn’t always pay for the equipment people needed. It tested the idea with a pilot in 1996. “We were overwhelmed,” he recalled. Rhoads, who spent his career as an electrical engineer in the Navy and then uNONPROFIT, Page 14

Friends of Badger Mountain readies its new vineyard trail for a fall debut By Senior Times staff

The local nonprofit that built public trails on Badger and Candy mountains is preparing to open a new trail as it presses for a 20-mile through-trail linking Amon Basin and the Yakima River by way of Little Badger, Badger, Candy and Red mountains. Friends of Badger Mountain, which marked its 15th anniversary in June, will celebrate by opening its newest trail this fall. The Red Mountain Vineyard Trail should open by Thanksgiving, said Sharon Grant, a member of the board and spokeswoman. The newest trail follows a recent win for local hikers: The city of Richland

completed its drawn-out project to replace the uneven steps at the trailhead to Badger Mountain Centennial Preserve this spring. The project was partially completed in April 2019, leaving a steep gap in the path. For the next year, most visitors detoured around the closed section. Heartier souls scrambled the steep hillside beside the closed trail. Badger Mountain debuted in 2005, thanks to a partnership between the allvolunteer conservancy-minded nonprofit and Benton County. The team followed that up with a new trail network on Candy Mountain in 2017. uBADGER, Page 2

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Tri-City mayors dream of returning focus to potholes, parks and police By Senior Times staff

Tri-City mayors expressed a collective desire to move beyond the Covid-19 pandemic and return to the workaday world of potholes, parks and police budgets during their annual “State of the Cities” address. The mayors of the four cities delivered their traditional overview of municipal government on July 22. The Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce puts on the annual event, typically drawing crowds of 400 to 500 to lunch and learn about municipal initiatives and priorities. As with most 2020 gatherings, the in-person luncheon gave way to a virtual meetup over Zoom. Kennewick Mayor Don Britain, Pasco Mayor Saul Martinez, Richland Mayor Ryan Lukson and West Richland Mayor Brent Gerry delivered overviews of key economic development wins and losses as well as upcoming projects. Kennewick has new fire stations to build and economic development visions for Vista Field and Southridge, and Pasco will build its long-awaited Lewis Street overpass as soon as

BNSF Railway signs off on its plans. Richland is readying the Duportail Bridge for its debut this fall Don Britain as it prepares to build a pair of new fire stations. And West Richland brings a new well online this fall that will supply drinking water Saul Martinez as it braces for a wave of new residential development. For the mayors, reopening business is Priority No. 1. The mayors implored residents to wear masks and do what it takes to reduce the spread of coronavirus that causes the deadly Covid-19. By late July, 151 residents of Benton and Franklin counties had lost their lives to the disease. The mayors said it’s too soon to predict what the pandemic will mean

for the tax revenue that pays for police services, pavement maintenance, parks and a myriad of other cityRyan Lukson functions. But they hinted at distress to come. Richland is looking at a possible 10% decline in property tax revenue, LukBrent Gerry son said. Pasco expects the pandemic to cause a $3 million hit to its budget in 2020 and again in 2021. West Richland hasn’t quantified the hit, but Gerry predicts declines across all the revenue streams that support the general fund, which in turn pays for police, parks and other municipal services. “It will be several months before we know the full impact,” Lukson said.

e l i m s r u o Y s s e c c u s r u is o Photo by Melanie Hair The city of Richland finished work on new steps at the trailhead for Badger Mountain Centennial Preserve. Friends of Badger Mountain is working to extend the trail to Amon Creek on one side and the Yakima River on the other.

BADGER, From page 1

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More than 310,000 people used the two mountains in 2019. Four out of five hikers live in the Tri-Cities, according to a survey by Richland park rangers. Friends of Badger Mountain has long had Red Mountain in its sights. Unable to secure a corridor across its privately owned ridgeline, it lowered its focus to the vineyards below. The Red Mountain Vineyard Trail will carry the ridge-to-ridge trail through vineyards of the popular wine grape growing area. Hedges Winery in Benton City built its first section. The final “ridge” is Little Bad-

ger Mountain, which is in the city of Richland. The 3.5-mile trail will extend from the Sagebrush Trail on the eastern boundary Badger Mountain through the “saddle” to Little Badger, which boasts Richland’s highest elevation. Friends of Badger Mountain planned to begin raising the $500,000 in January to buy the remaining 21 acres to complete the trail. That is on hold because of the Covid-19 crisis although donations can be made online through friendsofbadger. org/little-badger-mountain. The city of Richland set aside $200,000 in lodging taxes to support the project.

SENIOR TIMES • AUGUST 2020

OUR VIEW

‘But, for the common good, we have to come together in a crisis’ By Senior Times staff

There’s no established playbook or business strategy for weathering the Covid-19 pandemic. The rules keep changing as the cases keep rising. Uncertainty seems the only certainty. But there’s a mindset we can adopt to help us to meet these challenges. Our former Secretary of Defense, retired Gen. Jim Mattis, offered insight on leading through a crisis during a June 18 meeting with the Columbia Basin Badger Club, a civic discussion group. It’s clear people listen when the four-star general who grew up in Richland speaks. More than 1,000 people registered for the Zoom meeting, which attracted listeners from as far away as Canada, Sweden and India. Mattis said Covid-19 provides a good impetus to speak about leadership in general, but especially about crisis leadership. He said how you lead in a crisis — whether as a parent or at a school district, business, bank, farm, or on a sports field or battlefield — it’s the leader’s role to keep moving with a forward momentum. Incredible ideas can take shape in dark times. Just read Editor Wendy Culverwell’s page 5 story about how Tri-City innovators are rising to the challenge. Mattis noted that life doesn’t always work out as planned. Ask any graduating college or high school senior who didn’t get to experience much anticipated pomp and circumstance and doesn’t yet know whether there will be online classes or dorm life come fall. Ask any business dipping into profit mar-

uBRIEF Public pools won’t open this year. Here are some other activities The cities of Kennewick, Pasco, Prosser, Richland and West Richland are encouraging residents to check out their summer recreation offerings after concluding it won’t be possible to open public pools and other aquatic facilities in 2020. “Under the governor’s Safe Start Washington Plan, we could not feasibly open swimming pools, wading pools, or splash pads until later reopening phases by the state permitted gatherings applicable to their

gins to keep the doors open. Mattis suggested standing as a sentinel, looking ahead for what’s next and what the weather will be. Of course, none of us has a crystal ball. It’s easier to get mired by immobility and fear. “The leader’s role is to shift. There’s a fundamental essence to a crisis and that essence is unpredictability. None of us could predict Covid,” he said. That’s the thing about a crisis — it is unpredictable. It tests any leader’s abilities. Mattis talked about his own pathway to leadership and how books and studying history helped shape him. He said to look at how others managed during hard times. He cited former presidents, current leaders and Greek philosophers as contributing to his life lessons in leadership. He praised his own parents and the Tri-Citians from the Greatest Generation who informed his character. Though there’s so much about Covid-19 we don’t know, decisions still have to be made. Do we open partially? Do we allow workers to continue working from home? Do we furlough employees? Do we take an early retirement? Do we downsize? There’s no right answer. As Mattis said, we must make decisions based on what prudence and science tell us at this point in time. Incomplete information is unavoidable. We just have to deal with it. A leader’s first responsibility is to define responsibility, Mattis said. To do that, start from the known, no matter how little. “This takes honesty. Leaders have use. This decision is very disappointing to us,” the five cities said in a joint statement. The public is invited to explore other options, including virtual recreation programs and miles of walking trails, at their individual city’s website. Each city will host a drivein movie series when it is allowed under the phased reopening plan. In the interim, explore the municipal offerings online: • Kennewick: go2kennewick.com • Pasco: pasco-wa.gov • Prosser: cityofprosser.com • Richland: richlandparksandrec. com • West Richland: westrichland.org

to say what they don’t know,” he said. “Use competence and compassion to make decisions. It’s a wise approach, pandemic or not.” And empathy for others should continue to be a core value of what it means to be a good neighbor and a good American. “Empathy is a tool that connects people with where they’re at,” Mattis said. Passions run high in a crisis. Instead of railing against who is and isn’t operating their business legally, whether our elected officials are getting it right, or wringing hands over who is not wearing a mask when they should be, take a deep breath and dig deep for empathy. Be magnanimous. Be gracious. He admits this can be hard in a democracy: “We’re all brought up to be captains of our own ship. But, for the common good, we have to come together in a crisis. This is where confident, persuasive leaders come together.” Where do we turn locally to see such leaders in the midst of the Covid-19 crisis? Mattis asked. He offered a long list of examples

of those showing up to do their jobs every day of the pandemic: health care workers, post office and delivery personnel, grocery store workers, police officers and firefighters. Despite the divisiveness of our time — what Mattis called a “raucous period” — America is a country worth fighting for. “It’s not a perfect country but it’s always getting better,” he said. Mattis said the point to make about America is we haven’t always gotten it right, but we have a unique ability to get it right. We need to listen to each other and find the common ground, he said. He encouraged listening with a willingness to be persuaded. To stay true to your values. “Don’t doubt your values but doubt your doubts,” he said. To make real and valuable changes, let’s all take the next step forward. Perhaps it leads to a pivot. Or a detour. Perhaps it leads down the same path. We all can stand to lead with more heart and empathy, and perhaps come out on the other side of this stronger and more resilient than before.

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SENIOR TIMES • AUGUST 2020

Meals on Wheels continues meal service, vouchers for farmers markets By Senior Times staff

Mid-Columbia Meals on Wheels continues to offer weekly frozen meals to all seniors and vouchers for fresh produce at area farmers markets to low-income seniors. The frozen meal service is available for all Benton and Franklin county seniors ages 60 and over. All senior meals are provided on a donation-only basis. Homebound seniors are eligible to receive a weekly delivery of seven frozen meals. Seniors who still drive may pick up their meals at the following locations: • Meals on Wheels Café/administration offices, 1824 Fowler St., Richland: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

• Kennewick, Pasco, Pasco Parkside, Richland, Benton City and Prosser sites: 10 a.m. to noon Tuesdays. • Connell Community Center, 211 E. Elm St.: 10 a.m. to noon Wednesdays. “We know that many seniors are worried about access to food during this pandemic. We want to reassure all local seniors that we are here to offer meal assistance if they need us. We’ve been working hard to secure funding for our program, and thanks to amazing community support, we’re able to serve every client, with no waiting list to receive meals, said Kristi Thien, nutrition services director for the program. Since April, Mid-Columbia Meals

on Wheels has produced all its own frozen meals, building a large inventory to ensure continued service throughout the prolonged Covid-19 crisis. “We wanted to reduce our reliance on outside sources to provide nutritious meals for our clients,” Thien said. “Our seniors deserve the very best we are able to provide.” In addition to traditional meal service, Mid-Columbia Meals on Wheels also administers the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program, which provides eligible low-income seniors with $40 in vouchers to use at local farmers markets. Seniors who are unable to access the markets can appoint a proxy to shop on their behalf. For an applica-

tion to receive vouchers, seniors may call the Meals on Wheels office at 509-735-1911 or email admin@seniorliferesources.org. Mid-Columbia Meals on Wheels also has been hosting weekly minifundraisers called Midweek Motivators. Each Wednesday, supporters can donate toward the cost of twoor four-serving complete dinners. Past favorites have included lasagna, chicken satay and jambalaya. Details are available at seniorliferesources. org or on the Mid-Columbia Meals on Wheels Facebook page. Mid-Columbia Meals on Wheels serves more than 20,000 meals each month to seniors throughout Benton and Franklin counties.

Pair of leases lets Benton County elections spread out for 2020 cycle By Senior Times staff

Benton County Auditor Brenda Chilton is heading into a busy presidential election season with plenty of room to spread out in both Prosser and the TriCities. The auditor’s office signed temporary leases for a fruit warehouse in Prosser and a former restaurant in Richland to carry out election work through the 2020 season, funded with a $250,000 federal grant to mitigate the impact of Covid-19 on elections. It will process ballots in the fruit warehouse. The former Chuck E. Cheese’s restaurant, near the Richland Wye on North Columbia Center Boulevard, will serve as voter central for both the Aug. 4 primary and the Nov. 3 general election. Chilton said the money, awarded through the Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security, or CARES Act, allowed her to tackle the most pressing challenge of every election – having enough space to process ballots and serve voters. The auditor’s office operates in two

small spaces, one at the county courthouse in Prosser and the other at its Canal Street annex in Kennewick. Both are cramped in the best of times. The general election will require 20 to 30 extra hands just to open all the envelopes. The Canal Street annex regularly sees several hundred visitors in the days leading up to an election, stressing the already small building and parking lot. The Covid-19 pandemic upended the delicate balancing act. The five-month leases for a FruitSmart warehouse in Prosser and the former family restaurant give election staff room to spread out and maintain social distancing. Chilton hopes to extend the leases for two years because she’s uncertain if the pandemic will be over for the 2021 election cycle. She’s requested funds in her budget request to the county commission. Ballot processing in Prosser won’t directly affect the public. The space has new locks and other security features to preserve the integrity of the ballots. Ballot processing will be livestreamed

Photo by TCAJOB The Benton County Auditor leased the former Chuck E. Cheese’s restaurant at the Richland Wye to provide enough space for social distancing during the 2020 election cycle.

over the internet to enable monitoring. Chilton said she welcomes in-person monitors as well but advises those who want to watch ballots being opened in person to call her office to confirm when that is happening. The former restaurant space, 2610 N. Columbia Center Blvd., replaces the

Canal Street annex as voter central. Voters needing replacement ballots should plan to go there. In Washington, voters can register in person as late as 8 p.m. on Election Day. The Chuck E. Cheese spot has room for the public, voting booths and a secure drop box for those who participate at the last second. It also has ample parking and a new drive-up ballot drop box. Chilton said about half of voters in Benton County drop ballots in the 10 county drop boxes. The rest arrive by U.S. mail. No postage is needed on Washington ballots. A parking lot monitor on Canal Street will direct visitors to the new spot and provide a map. The Tri-City’s Chuck E. Cheese’s restaurant moved to a new location by Vista Field in Kennewick about two years ago. The old space has been empty ever since. Chilton said she kept the upgrades to a minimum. Visitors will find the old kid-friendly restaurant colors on the wall.

SENIOR TIMES • AUGUST 2020

Necessity is the mother of invention for Tri-City innovators By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz

Great disruptions can bring great opportunities. For Derrick Stricker, a Tri-City commercial real estate broker, working during the Great Recession in Chicago drove that idea home. Now, a decade older and working in the Mid-Columbia, he’s one of the many local entrepreneurs who see new opportunity in the Covid-19 pandemic. Or rather, an old one. Stricker organized a team to create DaVista Drive-In Theater and Event Center, a social distancing-friendly concept that could be installed at the former Vista Field municipal airport east of Columbia Center in the heart of Kennewick. “It came to fruition on my white board in my war room,” he said, referring to his home office. Stricker’s drive-in is just one of many new businesses emerging from the Covid-19 chaos. Goose Ridge Winery is making sanitizer through its grape-based vodka distillery. A Richland logo business is distributing face masks. A small restaurant chain launched its own delivery service to compete with out-of-state apps. It’s welcome news, said Karl Dye, president of the Tri-City Development Council, the region’s economic development agency. Placemaking supports development and makes the Tri-Cities attractive to talent. “We need the amenity-based community,” he said. The Port of Kennewick, which owns the airfield, turned down Stricker’s request to discuss a possible lease arrangement with staff in June. It said it wants to follow its plan to ask for proposals and select the best for Vista Field, its marquee development project. Stricker is undaunted. He plans to press ahead with a possible Vista site

and to consider others if he can find a central location with enough acres and asphalt. “To me it’s not dead. It’s ‘no’ for now but it might be ‘yes,’ ” he said. Covid-19 has revived interest in drive-in theaters across the country, breathing new life into old properties. Walmart announced it would set up drive-in movie theaters in 160 Walmart Supercenter parking lots between August and October. Stricker said there’s a market in the Tri-Cities. He served on the Vista Field Vision Committee that spelled out the urban mixed-use plan for the airfield. A drive-in was proposed then. It was proposed again as part of MyTri2030, a Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce visioning process. Stricker serves as past president on the chamber’s executive committee. “Right now, it’s scary launching a new business,” he said. “But it could be a very big win without committing a lot of capital.” Benton and Franklin counties received some Covid-19 relief when they moved to a modified version of Phase 1 in early July under Washington’s Safe Start program. The move allowed some business activity to resume with safety standards in place. The two counties continue to have some of the highest infection rates in the state and region. The move away from the most limited phase was welcome relief to the restaurant and hospitality sectors. Business plummeted in March when Gov. Jay Inslee issued the Stay Home, Stay Healthy order, sidelining businesses called “nonessential.” The stay-home order drove Tracy LaMarr to rethink how she and husband Steve run their two Chicken Shack restaurants — one in West Richland and another in Pasco. The couple also own a homebuilding business. Tracy was unhappy with the third-

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Courtesy Derrick Stricker Derrick Stricker, a Tri-City commercial real estate broker, wants to create a drive-in movie theater and event space that would allow for social distancing and other measures needed by the Covid-19 pandemic. TriCities entrepreneurs are looking for opportunities in the crisis.

party delivery services that ferry orders to customers’ homes even before the pandemic hit. “Often the poor service isn’t by us. Drivers got the wrong order of forgot the sauce. All that reflects on us. It’s Chicken Shack that forgot the sauce. It’s Chicken Shack that gets the bad reviews the next day,” she said. When Chicken Shack lost its dining room business in March, she realized that third-party services and their 30 percent fees were a nonstarter. The Chicken Shacks wouldn’t survive the financial hit. Covid-19 gave her an incentive to reinvent the delivery model. The LaMarrs stood up their own delivery service, complete with web-

site and drivers personally trained by Tracy. The LaMarrs started Tri-Cities Food Dudes — TCFoodDudes.com — to support Chicken Shack. But other desperate restaurant owners heard about it and wanted in. Now it delivers for 20 area restaurants and is adding more all the time. LaMarr, who leaned heavily on her homebuilding expertise, is coaching restaurants on the art of Facebook and online ordering. “We’re totally in control of the service,” she said. She expects to keep the ordering service, which has 14 employees, gouINVENTION, Page 6

SENIOR TIMES • AUGUST 2020

Check fraud is helping drive up financial fraud We have all seen the news: card skimmers, check fraud and compromised accounts. With financial fraud on the rise, where does your financial institution stand in terms of losses, security and products to assist you in safeguarding your accounts and identity? The American Bankers Association does a survey each year to determine the amount of fraudulent transactions against deposit accounts. In 2018 the total amount of fraudulent transactions was 25.1 billion, up from 19.1 billion in 2016. The addition of EMV chips has slightly decreased the amount of debit card fraud to 44%. However, losses incurred by check fraud — the payment method targeted most often — increased to 47%, while losses attributed to electronic banking transactions trailed at 9%. With recent data breaches and the presence of skimmers, businesses have become more conscious of the risk associated with fraud and identity theft. Often, businesses do not consider

checks to be as great of risk. However, as the numbers above show, the risk is greater. Antoinette Check Burnside fraud may not Community First receive the Bank / HFG Trust media attenGUEST COLUMN tion that credit/debit card, tax fraud and Social Security fraud do, but it is a big problem for U.S. companies. A study by the Association for Financial Professionals found 71% of businesses surveyed in 2015 experienced actual or attempted check fraud. Technology is a big reason check fraud remains such a significant crime. Criminals can easily use a personal computer, software, and a highquality color printer to produce realistic-looking checks that can often

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escape detection. After all, businesses use the same tools to create legitimate checks for payment. Additionally, because checks contain the following critical information criminals can mimic legitimate checks which helps them elude detection: • Business name • Address • Phone number • Bank name and address • Bank account and routing numbers • Signature There are many steps one can take to lessen their exposure to fraud. Below are a few to consider: • Protect your checks. • Monitor your bank account for fraudulent transactions, including check washing where the dollar amount has been altered. • Consider enrolling in a check verification program such as Positive Pay Turn on notifications that alert you to transactions such as deposits and INVENTION, From page 5

ing after the pandemic passes. Ordering online and through the app isn’t going to fade with the memories of the stay-home order. “I think it’s a necessary thing,” she said. “TCFoodDudes keeps the money here, local, instead of the third parties coming from out of the community. The money stays here.” The pandemic has forced others to face questions about the future. Fuse Fund, a new Richland-based investment fund based in The Parkway business incubator that shares its name, was on the verge of investing in its first two companies when the pandemic struck, said Marty Conger. Conger retired as chief financial

withdrawals that exceed set limits. • Reduce the number of checks you write by enrolling in cash management services and utilizing ACH transactions to pay vendors and employees. • Download an app that allows you to turn your debit card on and off as needed, keeping it safe from skimming when not in use. • Turn on texting services to advise you when dollar amounts are exceeded, along with the transaction type and geographic location. Criminals are being creative and aggressive in committing fraud. Protect your business by implementing these safeguards on your account. It takes a lot less time to implement these safeguards than it does to close an account that has been compromised. Antoinette Burnside is assistant vice president and product manager for Kennewick-based Community First Bank and HFG Trust. officer of the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and leads the Fuse Fund board, which launched earlier this year to invest in local start-ups. The fund’s investment committee asked its two targets — a nutrition company and a blockchain-based credit card processor — to refine their plans to reflect the changing business conditions. “We put them through a ringer. But we think they have pivoted and have a pathway to success,” he said. Fuse Fund is moving ahead with both investments. Fuse is encouraging businesses to think like entrepreneurs. “If you’re just waiting for the world to return to normal, that’s a pathway to go out of existence,” he said.

SENIOR TIMES • AUGUST 2020

Protecting the health of those needing long-term care In response to Washington’s budget shortfall due to Covid-19, state agencies have proposed devastating cuts to long-term care services — $220 million under the worst-case scenario — which would kick 1 in 3 current recipients off various support programs. Long-term care services keep seniors and people with disabilities healthy by assisting with daily activities like eating, bathing and taking medications. Without these services, people will not have the support they need to maintain a dignified quality of life. Their conditions may worsen, making them even more vulnerable to Covid-19 and less likely to have the resources to care for themselves should they fall ill. These cuts would limit options and supports, making it harder for seniors to age in place and would exacerbate the long waiting list for services faced by people with developmental or intellectual disabilities,” said Doug Shadel, AARP Washington state director. “Vulnerable adults served through these programs would experience less

uBRIEFS Bankrupt Tuesday Morning closing Kennewick store

Home furnishings retailer Tuesday Morning will close its Kennewick store after filing for protection from creditors under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code in May. Dallas-based Tuesday Morning Corp. (NASDAQ: TUES) informed customers of the decision via email on July 23. The company is conducting a store closing sale at 7411 W. Canal Drive until it shutters its doors. The off-price retailer specializes in home furnishings, seasonal decor and other decorative items. Tuesday Morning has 687 stores in 37 states. It plans to permanently close 230 as part of the bankruptcy, including 132 in the first phase. It filed to reorganize its business under Chapter 11 on May 27 in U.S. Bankruptcy Court for Northern Texas — Dallas division, citing financial pressures of the Covid-19 pandemic that forced it to close many of its stores. The company said it has secured a $100 million debtor-in-possession financing to continue operations during the bankruptcy proceedings. Tuesday Morning is one of at least

support and fewer options to remain at home amidst the Covid-19 pandemic. A coalition of long-term Cathy MacCaul care advocates AARP Washington has assembled to fight these GUEST COLUMN cuts to critical care. Our organizations represent a broad spectrum of services and supports for more than 70,000 clients and their caregivers. We serve and represent the most vulnerable populations. Long-term care is essential for discharging patients from hospitals and preventing readmissions. Clients receiving long-term care services they need are much less likely to require hospitalization. Cuts will inevitably lead to lower-quality care, resulting in more health complications and more state health care costs in other programs. Sixty-one percent of Washington

state’s Covid-19 deaths are nursing home-related, a whopping 20% higher than the nation’s average as of early July. Cutting long-term services will hobble our ability to respond to a second wave of the pandemic. Dan Murphy of the Washington Association of Area Agencies on Aging worries about what will happen to people if they lose long-term care services. “People turn to Washington’s Medicaid long-term care system as a last resort after they have exhausted all other options. Removing their last resort for support would be a disaster,” he said. Washington leads the country in providing long-term care at home and in the community at a per-person cost lower than 37 other states. Caring for people at home when that level of care fits their needs reduces Covid-19 exposure and keeps other state health expenditures down. We all want the security of knowing that we and our loved ones will have the care we need when we need it most. Our long-term care system

is already under strain. We cannot meet the needs of the most vulnerable Washingtonians if we shred the longterm care safety net when we need it the most. The Long-Term Care Coalition is an alliance of family members, aging and disability advocates, businesses, long-term care providers, labor and consumer rights organizations formed to prevent cuts to services. Members include AARP, Adult Family Home Council, Casa Latina, Catholic Community Services, Consumer Direct Care Network Washington, LeadingAge Washington, National MS Society, Office of Developmental Disabilities Ombuds, Puget Sound Advocates for Retirement Action, SEIU 775, Washington Association of Area Agencies on Aging, Washington State Senior Citizen’s Lobby, Washington Health Care Association and Washington Home Care Coalition. Cathy MacCaul is the advocacy director for AARP Washington.

11 major retail brands that have filed for bankruptcy this year, according to a running list posted by the Washington Post. Those with local outlets include General Nutrition Centers, Lucky Brands, J.C. Penney and Ascena Retail Group, parent company to Ann Taylor, Lane Bryant and Catherine’s.

work to remember and learn from our past to improve the quality of life for our future,” said Pasco Mayor Saul Martinez.

out free goodie bags to former Hanford workers. The Covid Summer Survival Kits contain hand sanitizer, masks, antibacterial wipes, lip balm, ice packs, stress balls and other items. Former Hanford workers can pick up their free Covid Summer Survival Kit at a drive-thru from 10 a.m.-noon Aug. 13 in the parking lot on the corner of Lee Boulevard and Jadwin Avenue in Richland.

Pasco honored for African American history project

Pasco is one of five cities selected for the Association of Washington Cities’ 2020 Municipal Excellence awards.  Pasco was selected from 25 applicants for its efforts to record African American history in east Pasco. The project documented key heritage properties in the area that were home to the majority of African American residents who came to work at the Hanford site.   Many were lost in the name of 1980s era urban renewal projects.  The study will be submitted to the National Register of Historic Places.  A video about the work is posted at bit.ly/PascoAfricanAmerican HistoryProject.  “This honorable award demonstrates the importance of our heritage in Pasco and the great people that

Planning a move?

If you are planning to move, please let us know in advance so you don’t miss one issue. Email information to ads@tcjournal.biz.

Covid survival kits available for ex-Hanford workers Nuclear Care Partners is partnering with the Tri-Cities Cancer Center, Windsong at Southridge Memory Care and Heartlinks Hospice & Palliative Care to give

SENIOR TIMES • AUGUST 2020

2020 State Total

7,656,200 Franklin Yakima Benton

Walla Walla

2020 population

Numeric change 2019-20

Percent change 2019-20

Percent change 2010-20

Benton County

205,700

3,900

17.4

Kennewick

84,960

1,290

1.5

Richland

58,550

1,700

West Richland

15,710

370

2.4

Prosser

6,220

1.2

Benton City

3,560

1.1

17.2

Franklin County

96,760

2,080

2.2

Pasco

77,100

1,810

2.4

Connell

5,500

Mesa

495

1.2

Kahlotus

165

-15

Yakima County

258,200

2,250

0.88

6.2

Yakima

95,490

1,050

1.1

Walla Walla County

62,580

380

0.6

6.5

Walla Walla

34,400

160

0.47

8.4

Graphic by Vanessa Guzmán Source: Office of Financial Management

Tri-City region’s population tops 300,000 By Senior Times staff

Pasco and Richland were among the state’s top 10 cities for population growth, and Benton and Franklin counties each grew about 2% in the past year. Benton County, the state’s 10th largest county, grew 1.9%, adding 3,900 people, and Franklin County, the state’s 14th largest county, grew 2.2%, adding 2,080 people. That’s according to the latest population tallies released by the state. The state’s total population topped 7.6 million residents, according to annual April 1 estimates prepared by the Office of Financial Management. The state released the data June 29. Though year-over-year data shows modest growth in Benton and Franklin counties, the area’s growth over the past decade shows an explosive

uBRIEF Benton County adds $500K to emergency housing fund

Benton County has increased its emergency housing program budget by $500,000 to aid the homeless and to help residents facing financial challenges due to the Covid-19 crisis. The money is available immediately through Benton County Human

uptick, with Benton County up 17.4% and Franklin County, up 24%. The Covid-19 crisis did not have a discernible impact on the 2020 estimates because most population change occurred before the crisis began, OFM said. Strong population growth continued in Washington, with the state adding 109,800 people over the last year, a 1.5% increase. Migration continues to be the primary driver behind Washington’s population growth. From 2019-20, net migration (people moving in minus people moving out) to Washington totaled 83,400, which was down by 6,700 from last year. Net migration accounted for 76% of the state’s population growth, with natural increase (births minus deaths) responsible for the other 24%. Services to help homeless people who need help securing permanent housing and to help residents with rental or utility payments. To be eligible for assistance, individuals and/or families must meet program income requirements. Funding will be allocated based on priority to individuals and families identified with the highest need. Call 509-737-2946 for information and screening assistance.

SENIOR TIMES • AUGUST 2020

Just for Fun Crossword

Across 1 “ --- now or never” 4 Hard on the nose 9 Vast amount 10 Arranged for voices 12 Pie-crust ingredient 13 Only state with two official languages 14 Puncture 16 Caltech, for ex. 17 Sparse fluid 18 P --- puzzle 20 A freckle past -- 22 Once more 26 Exultation 28 Attempt 29 Comedienne née Molinsky

Solutions on page 11

32 Commuter computer 34 Taking the place 36 Outer covering 37 Softened 38 “Halt, --- fire!” 39 Prolonged blockade 40 Advent mo.

12 Where to find swinger Michelle Wie 15 Songwriter --- Perkins 19 UN nuclear watchdog 21 Set on fire 23 What one goes around in 24 Subtly sarcastic 25 Big Apple corps Down 27 Cleverly avoid 1 Prophetic Bible book 29 Dandy beginning? 2 Blessed Mother 30 Singles 3 --- City (Baghdad district) 31 Slimming drug 4 Pains 33 Urge along 5 Half a dance, perhaps 35 Brain surgeon’s test 6 Quarreling equipment 7 Pakistan neighbor 8 Politician’s stand? 11 Snockered

Word search - Food Bacon

Dill

Mild

Snow

Beat

Egg

Mince

Soy

Bin

Grog

Mop

Tea

Bloody Mary

Gyros

Mug

Thyme

Bowl

Ham

Nougat

Tin

Bun

Ice box

Peel

Toss

Cake

Infuser

Plug

Towel

Can

Jug

Pot

Urn

Chef

Lime

Round

9 3

Very Hard Very Hard

7 57 5

5 85 8 3 39 4 9 4 2 2 1 16 6 6 6 5 45 4 1 1 3 3 2 2 5 5 8 8 9 94 4 9 9 3 3 1 31 3 7 7 6 26 2 8 8 6 6 5 5 9 29 2 1 1 8 8 7 7 1 1

Medium Medium

2 4

Wiper

SUDOKU SUDOKU

Sudoku - Tough

6 6 5 5 2 6 6 4 1 1

Sieve

Str8ts - Easy

STR8TS CupSTR8TS Mace

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, fill the board by entering To complete Sudoku, fill the board by entering Like Sudoku, no single 1 to 9 can repeat any 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 to 9 such that each row, column and 3x3 or column. But... rows and columns are Aug.are 3: The Navy submarine James Madison or column. But... rows and columns box USS contains number box every contains everyuniquely. number uniquely. divided by black squares into compartments. 2 1 41 5 4 5 divided by black squares into compartments. 2 made the first successful underwater test of the Each compartment must form a straight For many strategies, hints and tips, Each compartment must form a straight - 6 4 5 6 3 4 2 5 3 For many strategies, hints and tips,Quiz answer from Page 1 2 a set of numbers with no gaps but it can be C3 missile. visitnuclear www.sudokuwiki.org for Sudoku a set of numbers with no gapsmulti-warhead but it can be4 5 Poseidon 2 1 visit www.sudokuwiki.org for Sudoku in any order, eg [7,6,9,8]. Clues in black cells 4 5 2 1 and www.str8ts.com for Str8ts. Aug 12: The independent United States Postal in any order, eg [7,6,9,8]. Clues in black cells and www.str8ts.com for Str8ts.Lloyd Dallas Jr., a two-term 4 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 Benton Service 3(USPS) and existing United and column, and are not part of any straight. If you likethe Str8ts and other puzzles, check out our County commissioner 5 2 was 1 4 created and column, and are not part of any straight. If you like Str8ts and other puzzles, check out our 3 5Department 2 1 4books, was Glance at the solution to see how ‘straights’ iPhone/iPad Apps and much more onserving our store.from 1975-83. States Post Office set to be phased Glance at the solution to see how ‘straights’2 1 3 books, iPhone/iPad Apps and much more on our store. are formed. 2 1 3 out. are formed.

ANSWER

Turn Back the Clock...

1970

Aug 26: The Women’s Strike for Equality took place in New York City, with an estimated 25,000 marchers demonstrating in favor of equal pay for equal jobs.

— Source: East Benton County Historical Museum

Str8ts example

SENIOR TIMES • AUGUST 2020

Beloved ‘Uncle Jimmy’s Clubhouse’ show put kids front and center By East Benton County Historical Society

For generations, it was the radio and its broadcasts of mysteries, westerns, police dramas and comedy that echoed storylines of adventure in the family living room with such presentations as “Inner Sanctum,” “The Shadow,” “Gunsmoke,” “The Lone Ranger,” “The FBI in Peace and War,” “Mr. and Mrs. North,” “Fibber McGee and Molly” and “The Abbott and Costello Show.” The talents and tenacity of Edward R. Murrow and Lowell Thomas with his signature sign-off, “So long until tomorrow,” brought news of the world into the home by radio. But, then came television and its local infancy in early 1950s in the Tri-Cities brought with it to homes the awe and wonder of something so dramatically unparalleled for its time. Even in areas where TV broadcasting was not yet possible because the airwaves did not yet exist, just the novelty of it was known to draw visitors to a neighbor’s home just to see — not watch because they couldn’t — the new television set a family had won in an essay contest. KIMA-TV in Yakima began broadcasting in 1953. In 1954, KIMA came out with a satellite station in the TriCities, KEPR-TV. It aired for the first time on Dec. 28, 1954. From those early days of KIMA and KEPR, and for the next quarter of a century or so, perhaps the most iconic show broadcast locally was not related to the sciences, the adventures, the newsmakers or the politicos.

It centered around youngsters hardly old enough to attend school — and in some cases not. It was “Uncle Jimmy’s Clubhouse,” broadcast out of KIMA and through the airwaves of KEPR. The show was the brainchild of Jimmy Nolan, an early-day KIMA television personality who in a TV career of nearly 30 years was at times a newsman and a weatherman, a program director and an announcer. But, it was as a warm-hearted, favorite-uncle-like host that Jimmy Nolan was best known for, and he was truly known by virtually every child in the broadcast landscape of his show, whether by actual participation, viewing or word of mouth. The live 30-minute weekday afternoon broadcast featured children on his show either on their birthday or very near it. Even children not able to be on the show could experience the joy of hearing their name broadcast on television when it was read from the birthday book that was an important feature of each show. Each child on the show was interviewed by Uncle Jimmy, and Nolan also played short cartoon clips and promoted products of sponsors. Darigold, the local milk distributor, was one such sponsor, and one lucky child on a given broadcast got to drive a miniature milk truck. Family members unable to attend a child’s on-air showing gathered excitedly before the television, often joined by extended family, friends and neighbors wanting to see the blackand-white broadcast in days of film, before videotape, and before today’s

Courtesy East Benton County Historical Society Johnny Willox appears on “Uncle Jimmy’s Clubhouse” TV show in 1955. The popular show was first broadcast on July 20, 1953, KIMA’s second day on the air, and continued unabated until the late 1970s.

recording and editing by computer. It was unquestionably to all of them a very momentous event. Children on shows before color TV existed were treated not to a blackand-white look viewers got, but to a colorful birthday festival of balloons, decorations and other recognizable birthday features like cake and ice cream. “Uncle Jimmy’s Clubhouse” was first broadcast on July 20, 1953, KIMA’s second day on the air, and continued unabated until the late 1970s. Some 6,000 episodes of the local children’s show aired and one estimate places the number of kids visiting “Uncle Jimmy’s Clubhouse” upwards to 40,000. Some of those youngsters visiting the earliest shows are in their 70s today. Jimmy Nolan was born James Walter Nolan Jr. in Moscow, Idaho, on Sept. 25, 1918, and he graduated from Cowiche High School in the Yakima Valley in 1936. His family, who called him “Bud,” had moved from Idaho and operated two apple orchards. He was student

body president, and competed in tennis and debate in high school before attending and graduating from then Washington State College in Pullman with a bachelor’s degree in speech in 1940. His broadcasting career started in radio at KUJ’s AM station in Walla Walla in 1940. It was there he met Esther Rehberg, who would become his wife. During World War II, he served in the Army from 1942-46. Following his discharge, he went to work for KIT radio in Yakima, and left in 1953 to become program director for KIMA. Nolan retired in 1981 and moved to a community near Gig Harbor. But, he never quite retired from “Uncle Jimmy’s Clubhouse” for in the summer of 2003 it was brought to life once again with his marvelous on-air talents when he returned to Yakima where he taped five reunion episodes the show. He died from pancreatic cancer in 2004 while still living in the Gig Harbor area.

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SENIOR TIMES • AUGUST 2020

The No. 1 threat to your investment success There is the obvious investment advice that certainly you’ve heard again and again: Set clear and realistic long-term goals. Keep investing regardless of market fluctuations. Diversify, don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Select quality low-cost globally diversified investments. Seek out a fiduciary professional to support the financial side of your life. All great advice, especially during the uncertainty of Covid-19. But I’m going to lay it all out there for you — what I think is the biggest threat to investment success. That threat is YOU. Here’s why. Like Michael Jackson’s famous song lyrics, “I’m starting with the (wo)man in the mirror.” Walk into your bathroom and look in the mirror. That person staring back at you, is that person your financial friend or foe? Your behavior is the biggest determinant of success. It is not the markets or the funds you pick, nor is it any global event that has occurred in the past, present or to come. You and your actions are what most influences long-term investment success. You can be invested in the most perfectly crafted, low-cost, globallydiversified portfolio, but if you abandon your strategy before it has a chance to work (aka, the long term) you won’t be successful. People abandon their strategy for a couple of reasons. For one, they lose heart because of declines and volatility, or they become fearful based on what’s happening around them. Sounds a lot like recent times, doesn’t it? Here are a few reminders to help keep you going. 1. Over time, markets go up. Since 1926 there have been roughly an equal number of bear and bull markets, varying in duration and severity. Even so, between 1950-

uBRIEF Green2Go has lockboxes for cannabis

Green2Go Wellness, a corporate sibling to the Green2Go cannabis retailers, is providing secured boxes and bags to keep legal cannabis out of the hands of minors. Owner Steve Lee is partnering with the Benton-Franklin Health District

2019 the stock market rose on 54% of trading days. Why? Because earnings continue to increase Angie Furubottenover time. LaRosee They won’t Avea Financial increase daily, Planning or even with GUEST COLUMN every quarter, but they will rise over time because people who work at companies are incentivized toward growth, moving life forward. 2. Even though markets go up, it is not always a smooth ride. From 1974-2019 a dollar invested in the S&P 500 would have turned into $154. All that despite major global events, many that we’ve already forgotten, like the oil embargo, high inflation, Black Monday, savings and loan crisis, conflicts with Iraq, the dot com crash, 9/11, and of course the subprime mortgage crisis leading to the Great Recession. Many of these events made for a roller coaster ride. 3. Think you can time the market? Think again. There are no academic papers that support the consistent success of that approach to investing. The only reasonable alternative is to remain invested through even the toughest of times, requiring patience and tenacity. 4. Performance, when it comes down to it, is determined by just a few really good days. Between 1999 and 2018, if you miss the 10 best days, your performance was cut by about half. That’s just 10 days in the span of nearly 20 years. Performance also is driven at any given time by just a few strong performers. Trying to pick those winners is nearly impossible versus being broadly diversified. What can you do to protect your investments? First and foremost, stay calm. I and Educational Service District 123 on the campaign to prevent underage cannabis use. The secured storage devices are free and available to those who complete a survey and sign a release form. The devices will be distributed at Green2Go Wellness, 419 W. Columbia Drive, Kennewick, while supplies last. Call 509-497-2020 for information.

describe market cycles like the changing seasons. Anticipate winter but know that the promise of spring is right around the corner. Get clear on your goals and assess what’s going on in your life. Has anything changed? That might be a reason to modify your investment strategy. Market volatility, fear or greed are not good reasons to make sudden changes. Watch the expenses on your investments. Often, you can replace higher-fee funds with lower-cost options. Much like the lottery (which should only be played for entertainment purposes), you can’t win if you don’t play. You must be in the market and stay in to win. Be informed. Read books or blogs, watch videos and listen to podcasts to arm yourself with knowledge. On Episode 21 of my podcast “The Financial Side of Life,” I interviewed Sarah Stanley Fallaw, daughter of “The Millionaire Next Door” author Thomas J. Stanley. She continues his legacy by studying the “science of building wealth” and has identified

six wealth factors: frugality, confidence, responsibility, planning, focus and social indifference. Learn more about these concepts and how they can apply to your life. Although February and March were tough, the markets have largely come back. This gives you yet another chance to prepare yourself and make a plan for the inevitable ups and downs the rest of 2020 may bring. You can remove your biggest threat by understanding your own behavior. The next time you look in the mirror, you will undoubtedly see a friend looking back at you and be well on your way to long-term investing success. Angie Furubotten-LaRosee is a certified financial planner, speaker, podcaster and founder of Richland’s Avea Financial Planning, a fee-only, fiduciary financial advice and investment management firm for women in science, technology, engineering and math and education.

Puzzle answers from page 9

Crossword 1 9

12 14 17 20

M E

H O R

D A

A W A

Str8ts

Str8ts Solution

N 23

33 36

O R

38 40

5 4 6 2 1

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

Sudo

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

7 6 5 4 9 2 3

US 11x11 Wordsearch No.310 - Food Word search Sudoku Sudoku Solution

Str8ts Solution N 5I G 4P I U 6 N C F 2O U 1L S B E G 7 R O Y 9R N 8G

6T P 5B O 1 L M 5 J U 1E W 4 3U B2 2L G 3 I I 6 U N 8A M 7 9Y O

B1 A 2C O O2 G3Y 8R W I P E 4 9 L E M Y G3 C L A O A 6A 7A O N7T 5K A X S A 5 8 4 D T O P Y6 D4O 3O S7 I 5E 6V

N 9 O 7 R 8 H 6 E C P 4 E 3 E 5L 1 E

S8 S9 O 3 T A7 F5 E6 H C B1 G2

D7 L6 I M E5 M4 I9 N C E2 G3

4 2 5 7 6 3 1 8 9

9 7 8 4 1 5 3 6 2

1 3 6 2 9 8 4 5 7

8 9 1 5 3 6 7 2 4

2 5 7 1 4 9 8 3 6

6 4 3 8 2 7 5 9 1

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

3 8 2 6 7 4 9 1 5

7 1 9 3 5 2 6 4 8

5 6 4 9 8 1 2 7 3

4 2 5 7 6 3 1 8 9

9 7 8 4 1 5 3 6 2

SENIOR TIMES • AUGUST 2020

Bike shop vet opens Reborn in Richland’s Uptown By Jeff Morrow for Senior Times

Charles Conte Jr. decided late last year it was time to move to the TriCities, where his wife Susan’s family lived. In January, the family moved from Virginia, where Charles worked in his father’s bike shop chain, Conte’s Bike Shop. He intended to work for a local nonprofit. “Susan was born and raised here,” Charles said. “Her parents live in the Tri-Cities, and that was the driving force for us to move here — to be close to Susan’s family.” Charles, however, decided against working for a nonprofit. “I thought long and hard about what made me happy,” he said. Bicycles. Bicycles make him happy. So the Contes opened Reborn Bike Shop at 1341 George Washington Way in Richland at the Uptown Shopping Center on May 14. Charles said the Tri-Cities is perfect for his store. “The infrastructure is here. There are plenty of bike trails,” he said. “The government has done a wonderful job with the greenways.” Reborn — which operates in a 2,500-square-foot building — sells new bikes, as well as pre-owned and others on consignment. Trade-in options also are available. The bike shop offer warranties for all its bikes. “We have bikes for as little as $35, up to a few thousand dollars,” Charles said. The store also sells wheels, tires and tubes, parts, accessories, helmets, shoes, clothing and car racks. It also offers bike service and repairs with free estimates and professional bike fittings, with three service bays. Reborn also rents bicycles. The daily rental rate for a hybrid is $30, while road and mountain bikes rent for $50 a day. There also are weekly rates.

Opening a new store during a pandemic may be an unusual move by a business owner. But bicycles were deemed essential as transportation during the Covid-19 outbreak. Charles said the shop’s staff has been doing a great job making sure all inventory in the store is disinfected. “We’re doing this with the safety of the staff and clients in mind,” he said. Charles knows the bicycle business. His father, Charles Conte Sr., opened his first bike shop in the Virginia area back in 1957. Over the years, the Conte’s Bike Shop chain has been a popular and successful business, expanding to its current footprint of 14 stores in Virginia, Washington, D.C., and Florida. Charles played a role in his father’s success. “I started in my father’s business when I was 13 years old,” said Conte, now 54. “I was servicing pre-owned bikes. He allowed me to sell bikes to clients.” Most of the family — he has five sisters and one brother, David, who runs the family business — is involved in the company. The National Bicycle Dealers Association ranked Conte’s among America’s Best Bike Shops of 2019 and it’s been ranked among the best for 10 years. Considering there are an estimated 5,200 bicycle retailers in the United States, that’s elite company. So this is the background Conte brings to the Tri-Cities. “Where I come from, it’s tough,” he said. “I ran one of the largest stores in the company in Arlington, Virginia, with 7 million people around the region. There is a demand for high-end customer service. “Here at Reborn, we’re not just another real solid choice. We’re experts in the business. We give really good information.” It starts, Charles said, with customer service.

One of the first things he did was to hire Tony Tran as his lone full-time employee. Tran, better known among the local biking community as Dr. Tony Tran, the bike doctor, has worked locally (at Kennewick Schwinn and Markee’s) for 37 years until he decided to step away from the business, Courtesy Reborn Bike Shop Charles said. “He was kind of Susan and Charles Conte Jr. opened Reborn Bike Shop burned out,” he at 1342 George Washington Way, in the Richland Uptown Shopping Center, in May. said. But Charles problems with the supply chain. was able to conA May 18 article in the New York vince him to work at Reborn. Times stated that people, trying to Tran has certifications on most of the top bicycle brands, including Can- avoid public transportation, were buynondale, Giant, Schwinn, GT, Trek and ing more bicycles. The pandemic forced factories that Diamondback. Tran is a great addition, Charles make bicycle parts to shut down at the beginning of the year in Asia. That said. “At any bike store, you need to have stalled production of new bikes. Now the global supply chains are someone who knows the service end of the business. You deal with older prod- struggling to meet demand. “We’re looking at a gap of five to ucts, but also the new technology,” Charles said. “You better know how to eight months for products,” Charles said. “Mainly bicycle tires, tubes, baby service the customer.” So far, Charles said, the business is seats. A lot of things in the business are either out or hard to get. In pre-owned off to a strong start. “It’s about 50-50 service and sales bikes, even that market is tight.” Still, with his years of experience for revenue,” he said. “Business is and his connections, Charles said he is good. Customers are going to our website. They’re buying, selling, consign- confident he can find what a customer ing. They’re also talking to their neigh- is looking for. The store appears to have plenty of bors about us. Word of mouth is getting out there. Clients are helpful, through inventory, and Susan said they have more in storage. (reviews in) Google and Yelp.” And this is just the start. Charles said That’s good because while the bihe eventually would like to do what the cycle business overall really started to take off in March, there were some family business did on the East Coast: expand. He has plans to open Reborn Bike Shop stores elsewhere in the state as well in Oregon. But first things first. The Contes want to get the Richland store up and running well. He’s confident it will do well. “I didn’t study my competition when this started because of my experience,” Charles said. “I knew this was going to work.” Store hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday; 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday; and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Reborn Bike Shop: 1342 George Washington Way, Richland; 509-3719483; rebornbikeshop.com.

SENIOR TIMES • AUGUST 2020

Right on schedule, food follows wine at Columbia Gardens By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz

The Port of Kennewick used wineries to woo tourists and hungry crowds to an industrial stretch of Columbia Drive. Now food is following, all part of the port’s plan to use its wine-themed tourism to spark development and reconnect Kennewick to its downtown waterfront. “The tourism focus was the driving factor for transitioning the neighborhood,” said Tana Bader-Inglima, the port’s deputy director. Five food trucks and a farm stand have joined four wineries at Columbia Gardens Urban Wine & Artisan Village, east of the cable bridge. Beus Brothers Farm Market is the latest and most unexpected addition. Brothers Curt, Kevin and Kyle Beus leased a gravel area opposite the food trucks in late June. The brothers set up a tent and trailer as well as cooling shed to support the farm stand, which is a sister to their similar stand in the parking lot of Griggs Ace Hardware in Richland. They expected to stay open until late fall, when the last of the harvest wraps up. Curt said the family sells local produce as well as lamb, chicken, Thanksgiving turkeys and other meat they raise in the area. The farm stand season will run through Christmas tree sales in the fall, he said. Curt said the stand is chiefly an outlet — and showcase — for Northwest produce, meats and gourmet items. “We’re not buying stuff from California,” he told the port commission during a routine business meeting in June. “We’re trying to promote local agriculture, local artisan foods.” The Beus Brothers Farm Market helps cement the port’s dream of bringing visitors to the area along Duffy’s Pond. The port designed Columbia Gardens as a catalyst to bring wine tourists to an area that been cut off from the river on the theory food and other tourism-friendly activities would follow. Bartholomew Winery and Monarcha Winery moved in during the first phase. Both produce wine on site, taking advantage of a custom wastewater system installed by the city of Kennewick to support the project. The second phase brought two tasting rooms, Gordon Estates and

Photo by Wendy Culverwell The Port of Kennewick’s tourism focus at Columbia Gardens Urban Wine & Artisan Village has paid off with the arrivals of five food trucks, four wineries and now, a farm stand, Beus Brothers Farm Market.

Cave B Estate Winery, and room for six food trucks. Swampy’s BBQ, led by Ron Swanby, moved in last year and takes up two spots, one for the truck and other for the permanent smoker. 2020 saw the additions of Don Taco, Ninja Bistro and Ann’s Best Creole & Soul Food. Rollin’ Fresh Ice Cream is a regular as well, though it has relocated to nearby Clover Island. Ninja and Ann’s both hail from Richland. Ninja Bistro debuted at John Dam Plaza while Ann’s has a brick-and-mortar restaurant at the Richland Airport. The individual trucks set their own days and hours. Links to their sites are available through portofkennewick.org on the Columbia Gardens and Clover Island pages. There is more to Columbia Gardens than food, wine and farm produce. Visitors can pick up food and stroll along the walkway by the cleaned-up pond, which is alive with herons, ducks, geese and other waterfowl, all in the long shadow of the cable bridge. The trail links to the Sacagawea Heritage Trail and Clover Island. A mix of public and private development is expected to follow at Columbia Gardens. The port owns other parcels in the area, including the 6.7acre former manufactured home park called “The Willows” and the 3.2acre Cable Greens.

Please recycle your newspaper when you are finished reading it, or pass it on to a family member or friend.

Photo by Chad Utecht

SENIOR TIMES • AUGUST 2020

NONPROFIT, From page 1

Energy Northwest, retired in 2001 to follow a calling to serve others. He leads a team of 40 volunteers who sanitize and repair thousands of donated wheelchairs, walkers, hospital beds, bathroom equipment and other in-home medical gear. Their efforts have helped thousands of people live more mobile, comfortable lives. KC Help supplies wheelchairs — both motorized and non — crutches, hospital beds, bathroom assist, lifts, walkers and countless other items. One patient still moves Rhoads to tears — a young girl with a blood disorder needed a wheelchair. He recalls how the then 8-year-old smiled “ear to ear” when volunteers presented her with a bright yellow model. The child-sized chair was a tight fit but it’s what the organization had on hand. Rhoads told her to return soon and he would ensure she got a better fit. The relationship continued for several years. The girl lost a leg and then her life a few years later when her illness progressed. Even now Rhoads is visibly moved by her memory. The girl’s beaming image is featured in the banner KC Help uses to highlight its work and honor her memory. “There are 21,000 stories like that,”

he said. KC Help does not compete with for-profit companies that sell in-home medical supplies and it does not repair equipment it does not own. Rather it keeps its focus on serving people who need equipment who either have no insurance or whose providers won’t pay for it. Wheelchairs are a classic example. A doctor might prescribe a motorized

“There’s really nothing we can’t do if we come together as a community.” - Jerry Rhoads, KC Help wheelchair for a patient with a deteriorating condition. But if the patient can walk with the aid of a walker — typically a metal frame that supplies stability and costs far less than a wheelchair — insurance and Medicare may refuse to cover it. “The doctor can send a prescription to us and we can fill it,” he said. It’s also rare for a patient to receive both a motorized wheelchair and a nonmotorized one, although there are many situations where the person using the chair might need to switch between the two, such as hilly locations.

KC Help has hundreds of wheelchairs of both varieties at the ready, with more being donated all the time. KC Help reaches clients through local health care organizations. Social workers regularly call on the nonprofit with lists of clients who need medical equipment. KC Help first operated from a rented storage unit. But it needed room to clean, repair and store donated equipment and to meet with clients. The storage unit didn’t get the job done. About five years ago, it bought a small commercial building just north of Pasco City Hall. The state Knights of Columbus chapter supplied $70,000 to help retrofit the building in support of the local chapters that birthed the nonprofit. KC Help took out a $160,000 mortgage, which has a current balance of about $50,000. Rhoads said the $40,000 gift will help reduce debt and support efforts while financial donations are dimmed by the Covid-19 pandemic. He would like to dedicate some to creating an endowment fund to give KC Help a continuing source of revenue. Its annual budget of $83,000 covers both the Pasco operation and a separate one in Wenatchee. The Pasco building was a disjointed structure with multiple additions and a leaking roof. Volunteers cleaned it up and renovated it with a donation station, room to welcome clients, cleaning and maintenance stations and lots of storage. Local contractors stepped in too. Don Pratt, the late homebuilder and Tri-Citian of the Year, teamed with the Tri-City Home Builders Association to replace with leaky roof with a 50-year model that will serve it for decades. That’s one of countless examples of builders who stepped up to help, he said. KC Help briefly shut its Pasco center when the Covid-19 pandemic forced it to rethink how it processes donations and meets with the public. Today, donated equipment is placed in an external container equipped with a

uBRIEF State offers support to those stressed by Covid-19

Washington has launched Washington Listens, a support program and phone line to help people manage elevated levels of stress due to the pandemic. People who call the Washington Listens support line will speak with a support specialist and get connected to community resources in their area. The program is anonymous. The Washington Listens support line is 1-833-681-0211. It is available

commercial grade disinfection system. From there, donations are brought inside for scrubbing and repairs. Masked volunteers greet visitors under a tent in front of the building. While KC Help is a passion project for Rhoads and a core group of volunteers, its leader said the community is responsible for its success. KC Help began as a pilot in 1996 and applied for 501(c)(3) status in 1997. Rhoads organized the nonprofit as a thesis project for his master’s in engineering management at Washington State University Tri-Cities. He helped it become a true nonprofit — relying on donations of equipment and cash. He deliberately avoided charging fees, though beneficiaries are welcome to make donations and it does ask clients to pay for consumable equipment such as wheelchair batteries. Professors challenged the donation model when he presented his theses, saying the business model had too little income to work. Rhoads had an answer ready: If the community wants this, it will support it. Community support has been fierce and continuous. Donated equipment arrives like clockwork during its Tuesday and Thursday hours. During a tour, owners of a private care home brought in equipment they no longer needed because the user had died. Volunteers greeted the regular visitors by name. “There’s really nothing we can’t do if we come together as a community,” he said. KC Help is preparing to expand its Pasco center. Rhoads wants to make the changes forced by Covid-19 permanent. That means adding more space to welcome clients and to sanitize and store donated equipment. The concept is preliminary. But Rhoads is optimistic. “This community created this,” he said. from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. TTY and language access services are available by using 7-1-1 or their preferred method. The Washington Listens support line is made available by a $2.2 million Crisis Counseling Assistance and Training Program grant funded by Federal Emergency Management Agency and supported by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Resources and self-help tips are available at walistens.org.

SENIOR TIMES • AUGUST 2020

Tri-City champion Brad Fisher dies from brain cancer By Senior Times staff

Brad Fisher, a wealth manager, former Kennewick mayor and unflagging advocate for Tri-City control of the Columbia River shoreline, died July 19, a little over a year after being diagnosed with glioblastoma, a type of brain cancer. He was 63. Fisher’s daughter, Chelsea Goff, announced his death on Facebook. Goff said her father intended to retire when he was 70. Instead, doctors told him “to start completing his bucket list items.” Fisher, who worked at RBC Wealth Management in Kennewick, was a Tri-City native who graduated from Kamiakin High School and attended Washington State University. He and his wife Jennifer lived in Richland. He served as mayor of Kennewick in from 1988-89. He was best known in recent years for his work to convince Congress to return 34 miles of Columbia River shoreline to Tri-City control. The reconveyance effort targeted 40,000 acres of formerly private land that have been in Army Corps of Engineers ownership since the mid1940s, when the government bought waterfront land in anticipation of

building McNary Dam and the associated flood control levees that divide the river from much of the Tri-Cities. Brad Fisher F i s h e r teamed with former U.S. Rep. Doc Hastings, RPasco, and Gary Petersen, retired director of federal programs for the Tri-City Development Council, to advocate for a return of the shoreline. Hastings’ successor, U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Sunnyside, introduced legislation in 2018 but it was flagged for further review by the Congressional Budget Office. “I called him Mr. Rivershore Transfer,” Petersen said. “He was the one that started the process almost seven years ago. Why don’t we bring the rivershore back to the community? He was a very community — minded individual.” Their argument that the waterfront is a neglected gem that could anchor the Tri-Cities won support from almost every local public agency and a long list of business groups. Newhouse added language to a

bill that called on the Department of Defense to account for how it acquired the land, which led to reams of documents showing it paid landowners for their property. Today, the reconveyance effort is led by Petersen’s successor at TRIDEC, David Reeploeg. Reeploeg said there are still details to iron out, but he is working with Newhouse and hopes to include legislation in the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act. Fisher together with Hastings and Petersen argued that flood concerns are a thing of the past due to the network of dams that control the Columbia and Snake rivers. With cities and possibly counties in control, the levees that were built too tall in the first place could be lowered and the shoreline maintained for

uBRIEF Virtual back-to-school drive helps kids in foster care

Treehouse is calling on organizations and groups to hold virtual back-to-school drives to supply youth in foster care with the gear they need.

recreation, with some concessions to possible commercial development. Opponents countered that local control would lead to excessive development. The region’s celebrated waterfront green spaces would become a luxury playground reserved for the wealthy who could afford waterfront condos and restaurants, some fear. Local control also would mean taking over the costs now borne by the military department, such as the massive flood control pumps due for replacement. Fisher traced the effort to a brief exchange with U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash. In 2014 during the grand opening festivities for the Reach museum in south Richland. Murray encouraged local collaboration. The annual drive gathers clothes, supplies and other essentials. Donations will be conducted online and handled via shipping services. Go to treehouseforkids.org/bts to learn about helping children in foster care and organizing a donation drive.

LIFE

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SENIOR TIMES • AUGUST 2020

PPP loans a ‘lifeline’ as Tri-Cities struggles to put Phase 1 behind By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz

As Tri-City business and civic leaders work to tame local Covid-19 infection rates so more businesses can open, some of the Mid-Columbia’ biggest employers say forgivable paycheck loans were a “lifeline” that helped them keep valuable employees. Benton and Franklin counties moved into a modified version of Phase 1 of Washington’s Safe Start economic recovery program in early July, the same time the U.S. Small Business Administration released the names of the mil-

lions of U.S. companies that received Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans through the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security, or CARES Act. Economic recovery and the millions of dollars in PPP loans that flowed to the Tri-Cities are connected. For businesses to revive, they need to be in business. Employers who received PPP loans say that’s just what happened. “To have that government support was a relief. It reduced the stress,” said Chris Senske, owner of Senske Lawn & Tree Care Inc., a Kennewick-based

landscaping firm with branches in Washington, Idaho and Utah. Senske received between $2 million and $5 million — the SBA gives ranges rather than exact amounts. It was one of nearly 500 Tri-Cities companies that received $150,000 or more. Another 2,200 received up to $150,000. Senske said the company used about 83% of its PPP loan for salaries and the balance for other allowed expenses such as rent. “We had a lot of employees were potentially at risk for their jobs,” he said. It used the PPP money to keep all its 472 employees, including bringing back people who were laid off in the beginning of the pandemic. The Tri-City economy is far from recovered. A modified version of Phase 1 is still heavily restricted. The state authorized the modifications after Tri-City Development Council and other groups pled for relief, telling the governor the community was dying. Goodwill Industries of the Columbia, a Kennewick nonprofit serving people with disabilities, is another local organization that received between $2 million and $5 million in PPP loans, according to the SBA database. The money kept more than 350 people on payroll with benefits during a shutdown that lasted more than three months, said Ken Gosney, executive director, who called the loan a “lifeline.” It was a similar story for Lampson International, the Kennewick based crane manufacturer, another company that received between $2 million and $5 million. “It helped us maintain our current level of staffing,” said Kate Lampson, director of public relations and marketing. Jim Davis, chief executive officer of Tri-Cities Community Health, said visits to its clinics in Kennewick and Pasco dropped by half when the stayhome order hit. A typical business would cut staff, but the health clinic was loath to lose its experienced dentists, hygienists and other professionals. Its loan, between $2 million and $5 million, allowed it to keep a staff Davis said would take years of recruiting to replicate. Routine dental visits were the hardest hit. The clinic kept its dentists on payroll even with reduced workloads. Hygienists, prevented from working by the stay-home order, were put on “standby” status. That allowed them to collect state and federal unemployment benefits while the clinic continued to pay fringe benefits, including health insurance. “I didn’t want to even think about any of our team having to go through

a pandemic without health insurance,” he said. When dental work was authorized to resume, it brought its staff back to fulltime status. By early July, patient volumes had returned to about 80% of pre-Covid-19 levels. Christensen Inc., a Richland-based fuel, lubricants and propane distributor, said that although it continued operating as an essential business, it recorded significant declines in the second quarter due to the pandemic. The company was largest PPP recipient in the region, receiving between $5 million and $10 million, the SBA said. “The PPP loan assistance program accomplished what it set out to do. It allowed Christensen to keep team members employed, avoid layoffs and continue to support our communities during this time of crisis. We’re grateful for this assistance and have seen business slowly start to come back here in the third quarter,” the company said in a written statement in response to a Journal of Business inquiry. Michael Atkinson runs two staffing firms in Kennewick. Agrilabor Inc. and Atkinson Staffing Inc. provide workers for dairies and plants processing potatoes, onions and other crops. Agrilabor specializes guest workers who come to the U.S. under the H-2A visa program. Agrilabor and Atkinson Staffing received between $2 million to $5 million each. The PPP loans offset the soaring cost to follow Covid-related rules. Atkinson created a sewing division to produce face masks, which weren’t available at the start of the pandemic. It had to increase the number of vehicles it uses to transport workers to jobs — which drove up the need for trained drivers, operating expenses and insurance. Most of all, it helped Atkinson raise pay rates to incentivize workers who otherwise would have earned more on unemployment because of the $600-aweek federal benefit that expires in July. “Our expenses have gone up incredibly to manage the virus, and we have to pay more to incentivize people to come to work,” he said. For the week of June 21-27, the Washington Employment Security Department reported 696,272 unemployment claims, a decrease of 3.1% from the prior week but 473% higher than the same week a year ago. Locally, the unemployment rate was 9.1% in June, the most recent available. Unemployment has eased slightly from the pandemic high of 13.5% recorded in April.