Senior Times - July 2019

July 2019

Volume 7 • Issue 6

Take caution when booking summer vacation home

Page 6

Restaurant built as grocery a century ago

Page 7

Doctor creates clinic with nontraditional setting, membership

Page 12

MONTHLY QUIZ

Kennewick was incorporated into what county?

Answer, Page 12

Wildhorse expansion scheduled

Casino’s $85M plan to add bowling alley, more food, kids area

BY SENIOR TIMES

An $85 million construction project at Wildhorse Resort and Casino near Pendleton will add a new 24-lane bowling alley, food court and larger arcade.

Work began last month on the first phase of the project that includes the expansion of the Children’s Entertainment Center, a family-friendly wing filled with video games, jungle gym and karaoke, and Cineplex concession area.

The project’s second phase — a new hotel tower with 214 rooms and bigger events center — is expected to begin in a few months.

The whole project will add about 300,000 square feet to the existing facility.

Wildhorse, owned and operated by the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, is about 75 miles southeast of the Tri-Cities in Oregon.

Visitors to the resort will see changes in traffic flow for pedestrians and drivers, both inside and outside the main building as contractors move equipment on site and fence off areas for construction.

Chief Executive Officer Gary George encouraged the uWILDHORSE, Page 2

Courtesy Jamie Ssenkubuge/Water from Wine Pat Tucker and his daughter Jamie Ssenkubuge stand outside their Paterson tasting room for their nonprofit Water from Wine, which donates wine sale profits to organizations working to bring clean water to communities around the world.

Water from wine

Sandpiper Farms creates nonprofit to fund clean water work

BY ARIELLE DREHER for Senior Times

I

n a way, the family behind the local nonprofit Water from Wine is bringing the first miracle of Jesus turning water into wine into a modern-day context, leveraging the rich wine-growing potential in the vineyard at Sandpiper Farms with the global need for clean drinking water.

The nonprofit’s name, Water from Wine, is the eventual outcome of the organization’s process.

Pat Tucker, the owner of Sandpiper Farms, came up with the model and idea, merging his work at the farm

with his desire to give back.

Tucker grows grapes on the six-acre vineyard and then has local winemakers make the wine.

The nonprofit sells the wine and donates proceeds to clean water charities working in communities around the world.

The idea for Water from Wine, Tucker said, came from his involvement with his church’s mission in rural Honduras. A member of Hillspring Church in Richland, Tucker has been to Africa twice and said his trips exposed him to the global need for water.

“It was very profound to me,” he said.

Tucker has been a farmer in the region for decades, starting Sandpiper Farms in 1974, and he sees Water from Wine as a part of God’s plans for him after being abducted and tortured by two former employees in 1996.

Tucker survived and experienced a spiritual conversion that night. He credits his life and work today to that purpose.

In 2014, he was struggling with the vineyard on his property and considering different options for it, from selling it to tearing it out.

Then he got an idea.

“It kind of just dawned on

uWINE, Page 5

Health, finances top concerns

Council surveys 60-plus

BY SENIOR TIMES

Seniors are most concerned by health and financial matters, with women and lower-income seniors particularly prone to worrying about financial security.

That’s according to a recent survey of U.S. adults aged 60 and older from the National Council on Aging.

When thinking about the future, two-

thirds of those surveyed (64 percent) report being very or somewhat worried about their physical health. Nearly six in 10 say they are worried about health care costs exceeding their retirement income (56 percent) and about losing their independence (54 percent).

About half worry about outliving their savings (48 percent), becoming a burden to their family or others uCONCERNS, Page 3

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Senior Times • July 2019

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WILDHORSE, From Page 1 public to watch for signs so they know where to go.

“Our goal is to make this expansion as seamless as possible for our guests,” George said. “We’ll have ample signage in the parking areas and inside the resort to direct guests and make it easy for them to reach their destination.”

While some parking areas will be consumed by the construction, new parking areas will be built to add about 200 more spaces.

Customers are encouraged to use shuttles and valet service to avoid lengthy walks at those times when the resort is busiest.

The main entrance to the Cineplex will be moved, and once inside, moviegoers and hotel guests will find the walkway rerouted and clearly marked.

Even so, moviegoers may want to arrive earlier than usual.

The general contractor for the project is Lydig Construction of Kennewick.

The resort features a 24-hour casino, hotel, RV park, seven restaurants, a five-screen Cineplex, 18-hole golf course, travel plaza for commercial trucks and private vehicles and a tribal museum.

Last expanded in 2011, Wildhorse offers more than 1,200 slots, table games, live keno, bingo and live entertainment Thursday to Saturday.

Courtesy Wildhorse Resort and Casino A project to expand Wildhorse Resort and Casino, located four miles east of Pendleton off Interstate 84, is underway to add a bowling alley, food court and new arcade, as well as new hotel tower and events center.

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Senior Times • July 2019 CONCERNS, From Page 1

(46 percent), and prescription drug costs exceeding their retirement income (43 percent). More than onethird worry about paying their bills (38 percent) and where they will live in the future (34 percent). Fewer worry about their mental health (30 percent) and about loneliness (28 percent).

On nearly each of these concerns, with the notable exception of physical health, women are significantly more likely than men to be very or somewhat worried than men. On losing independence, paying bills, and becoming a burden, the difference exceeds 10 percentage points.

The gap is even greater between lower-income or upper-income earners, exceeding 30 percentage points for concerns on paying one’s bills, outliving one’s savings and health care costs exceeding one’s retirement income.

On a scale of 1 (worst possible) to 10 (best possible), 61 percent surveyed rate their life today with an 8, 9 or 10, and 59 percent rate the life they expect to have three years from now with an 8, 9 or 10.

Satisfaction with life today is comparable among females (62 percent rate it with an 8, 9 or 10) and males (60 percent), but it is significantly lower among low-income earners

QUICK FACTS u 75 percent of seniors are fully retired. u 71 percent say financial security is very important and 25 percent of seniors say their financial security is worse than expected. u 68 percent rank being involved with family, friends very important. u 30 percent worry about their mental health Source: National Council on Aging poll

(50 percent of those with a household income under $50,000) than among middle-income earners (63 percent of those with a household income between $50,000 and $100,000) and upper-income earners (81 percent of those with a household income of $100,000 or more).

The proportion of seniors giving a high rating to their financial situation ranges from 24 percent among lowincome earners to 73 percent among upper-income earners.

Financial security is vital to U.S. seniors: 71 percent say it is very important to them and an additional 26 percent say it moderately important. Women (76 percent) are even more prone than men (65 percent) to rate financial security as very important.

Financial security comes ahead of staying involved with family and friends (very important for 68 percent), practicing healthy living habits, such as healthy eating, exercising, not

smoking, etc. (59 percent) and staying active with interests and activities (57 percent). In contrast, 35 percent rate learning new things and 15 percent getting involved in the community as very important.

However, one quarter of seniors surveyed say their financial security is worse than they expected (25 percent). About as many say so of their physical health (23 percent). Fewer do about their social connections (11 percent) and their mental health (6 percent).

Lower-income seniors are more likely to describe their financial security as worse than expected (40 percent), and also are more likely to say so of their physical health (28 percent), their social connections (16 percent), and their mental health (10 percent) compared to high-income seniors (6 percent, 16 percent, 8 percent and 3 percent, respectively).

Three-quarters of seniors are either fully retired (67 percent) or retired but

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doing some paid work from time to time (9 percent). The remainder includes mostly people who still are working before retiring (17 percent) or cutting back to part time before fully retiring (2 percent). About 4 percent plan to work for the rest of their life because they want to, while 2 percent plan to work for the rest of their life because they need to.

The most common source of income in retirement is or is expected to be Social Security (cited by 93 percent), followed by a pension plan from an employer (49 percent), savings and investments in bank accounts, brokerage accounts or mutual funds (43 percent), an individual retirement account (37 percent), a retirement savings IRA though an employer such as a 401(k) (30 percent), the value of a home (22 percent), income from working (13 percent) and other property income (6 percent).

More than half of the seniors surveyed live with a spouse or partner (55 percent) and one-third live alone (31 percent). The rest live with children or another family member (10 percent), with a roommate (2 percent) or in a retirement community (1 percent).

The findings are from an Ipsos poll of 1,227 U.S. adults aged 60 and older conducted May 29 to June 14.

4

Senior Times • July 2019

CALENDAR OF EVENTS Bring your grandchildren and families to events with a star.

SATURDAY, JULY 6

• Cherry & Berry Days: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Bill’s Berry Farm, 3674 N. County Line Road, Grandview. Information: 509-8823200.

• Junk in the Trunk: 9 a.m. to noon. East Benton County Historical Society, 205 W. Keewaydin Drive, Kennewick.

• Claire Hastings artist reception: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Hedges Family Estate, 53511 N. Sunset Road, Benton City.

• Cynthia Rutherford artist reception: 1-3 p.m., Tucannon Cellars, 40504 N. Demoss Road, Benton City.

TUESDAY, JULY 9

• Living with Alzheimer’s – for late-stage caregivers: 1:30-4:30 p.m., Kadlec Healthplex, 1268 Lee Blvd., Richland. Call: 509-943-8455

THURSDAY, JULY 11

• Live at 5 Summer Concert Series – Black Rose Concept: 5-9 p.m., John Dam Plaza, 1815 George Washington Way, Richland.

FRIDAY, JULY 12

• Family move night - “Captain Marvel”: 8 to 11 p.m., John Dam Plaza, George Washington Way, Richland. Free.

• Woman Work – All-Women Art Show: 6-9 p.m., DrewBoy Creative, 285 Williams Ave., Richland.

SATURDAY, JULY 13

• Cherry & Berry Days: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Bill’s Berry Farm, 3674 N. County Line Road, Grandview.

Information: 509-882-3200.

• Miss Tri-Cities and Miss TriCities Outstanding Teen pageants: 7-10 p.m., Southridge High School auditorium, 3520

Southridge Blvd., Kennewick.

Tickets: misstricities.org • LIGO Second Saturday Public Tour: 1:30-2:45 p.m. and 3:30-4:45 p.m., walking tours; 3 p.m. public talk. LIGO Hanford Observatory, 127124 N. Route 10, Richland.

SATURDAY, JULY 20

• Armchair Astronaut virtual reality experience: 6:30-8:30 p.m., Richland Public Library, 955 Northgate Drive. Pre-registration required. Waiver forms required.

Register: Eventbrite.com, 509-9427680 or glightfoot@ci.richland. wa.us.

• Sundown in Tri-Town: 2-8 p.m., Downtown Pasco, corner of South Fourth Avenue and West Columbia Street. Information: 509528-8131. Free.

• All-you-can-eat crawdad boil: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., 1110 Osprey Pointe Blvd., Pasco. Tickets: pascochamber.org/crawdad-boiltickets.html • Washington Rocks: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., the Reach Museum, 1943 Columbia Park Trail, Richland. hands-on activities all about rocks, gems, minerals, fossils and more.

Vendors on site. Free

THURSDAY, JULY 18

WEDNESDAY JULY 24

MONDAY, JULY 15

• Starry, Starry Date Night: 7-8:30 p.m., Richland Community Library, 955 Northgate Drive.

Instructor-led workshop to paint personalized version of Vincent Van Gogh’s “The Starry Night.” Preregistration required. Register: Eventbrite.com, 509-942-7680 or glightfoot@ci.richland.wa.us. Free.

• Fraud Prevention Seminar: 10-11 a.m., Affinity at Southridge, 5207 Hildebrand Blvd., Kennewick.

Kennewick Police Department to present.

FRIDAY, JULY 19

• Three Rivers Folklife Society Contra Dance: 6-9 p.m., Memorial Park, 350 N. 14th Ave., Pasco. $5 for seniors 65+ and students, $8 for adults, 12 and younger are free. Go to: 3rfs.org.

• Sunset at Southridge: 5:30-8 p.m., Southridge Sports Complex, 2901 Southridge Blvd., Kennewick.

Information: sunsetatsouthridge. com.

• Family Movie Night - “How to Train Your Dragon 3”: 3”:, 8 to 11 p.m., John Dam Plaza, George Washington Way, Richland. Free.

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• The Moneta Project Memory Café: 8-10 a.m., 1834 Fowler St., Richland. Breakfast for those with dementia and caregivers. RSVP: 509-735-1911 or smcdonald@ seniorliferesources.org.

• Moon Landing 50th Anniversary Party: 2-5 p.m., Richland Public Library, 955 Northgate Drive. Ages 12 and older.

Activities, speakers, refreshments and more. Information: 509-9427680 or glightfoot@ci.richland. wa.us.

SATURDAY, JULY 27

• Sweet as a Peach Days: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Bill’s Berry Farm, 3674 N. County Line Road, Grandview. Information: 509-8823200.

• Hunt & Gather Vintage in the Park Show: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., John Dam Plaza, 1815 George Washington Way, Richland.

TUESDAY, JULY 30 • Memory Care Café: 10 a.m. to noon, Richland Public Library conference rooms, 955 Northgate Drive. Casual gather for those diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or other dementia and their caregivers. Information: 509-9427680 or glightfoot@ci.richland. wa.us.

THURSDAY, AUG. 1

• The Science of Space Odysseys: 7-8:30 p.m., Richland Public Library, 955 Northgate Drive, Richland.

FRIDAY, AUG. 2

THURSDAY, JULY 25

• Live at 5 Summer Concert Series - Fallout: 5-9 p.m., John Dam Plaza, 1815 George Washington Way, Richland.

• Sunset at Southridge: 5:30-8 p.m., Southridge Sports Complex, 2901 Southridge Blvd., Kennewick.

Information: sunsetatsouthridge. com.

• Family movie night “Incredibles 2”: 8-11 p.m., John Dam Plaza, George Washington Way, Richland. Free.

JULY 26-27

SATURDAY, AUG. 3

• Art in the Park: 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., July 26; 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., July 27. Howard Amon Park, 500 Amon Park Drive, Richland.

JULY 26-28

• Tri-City Water Follies: Columbia Park, Event schedule: waterfollies.com

• Sweet as a Peach Days: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Bill’s Berry Farm, 3674 N. County Line Road, Grandview. Information: 509-882-3200.

• Junk in the Trunk: 9 a.m. to noon. East Benton County Historical Society, 205 W. Keewaydin Drive, Kennewick.

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5505 W. Skagit Ct., Kennewick, WA

Senior Times • July 2019 WINE, From Page 1 me that if I did something good with the proceeds from that vineyard, that I’d take better care of it, and that’s in fact what happened,” he said.

He had never made wine from the vineyard’s grapes before, and he knew he would need help. He didn’t have to look much further than his own kin.

Jamie Ssenkubuge, the executive director of Water from Wine, is Tucker’s daughter. With a background in global nonprofit work and a degree in global development, Ssenkubuge moved back to the Tri-Cities in 2016 after a five-year stint living abroad and working for several nonprofits.

Water from Wine has a fairly straightforward model. The six-acre Sandpiper Farms vineyard can produce 1,000 cases of wine.

Tucker grows grapes that can be made into cabernet sauvignon and rosé, and soon he plans to donate the vineyard to the nonprofit, too.

Each fall, volunteers come to harvest the grapes, and the fruit is sent to different local wineries.

Volunteers enjoy a meal in the aptly-named Cana Lodge at the vineyard for their efforts.

Water from Wine then sells the rosé and the cabernet sauvignon, made by Horse Heaven Hills Winery, with 100 percent of the proceeds from each bottle sale going to nonprofits supporting clean water globally.

Water from Wine coordinates and works with a handful of nonprofits whose mission is to bring communities fresh water globally.

It had donated more than $300,000 as of May 2019 to various nonprofits, which Tucker says makes all the work worth it.

“My most favorite thing of this whole job is signing the checks that go to those nonprofits. It makes me feel like it’s all worthwhile when I can sign a check and put it in the mail,” he said.

Water from Wine has donated more than $230,000 to date to Seattle-based nonprofit Water1st International, its biggest partner,

Courtesy Jamie Ssenkubuge/Water from Wine Water from Wine hosts a one-day volunteer harvest day event for volunteers to pick grapes that are made into the wines they sell.

although the nonprofit partners with several nonprofits working in the water sector — mainly ones based on the West Coast.

Ssenkubuge audits the practices of nonprofits Water from Wine donates to ensure they are building sustainable water infrastructures in communities that will last.

“I love knowing that they are not just going into communities and building a well or a water system, and then leaving never to be seen again, but they really invest their time in these communities and trust the local leadership to be involved,” she said.

Water From Wine sells wine direct-to-consumer only, either online and in its two tasting rooms — one in Paterson and one in Leavenworth.

Because their grapes only yield two types of wine, Ssenkubuge and Tucker sell other Tri-City wine in their tasting rooms.

While Paterson Cellars is a licensed winery, they do not make wine themselves.

The Leavenworth tasting room opened last summer — and Ssenkubuge said that business is going well.

“We’re happy with the way it’s going, but it would be great to just continue seeing more sales happen there, and the more sales that happen, the more we can give away,” she said.

The Leavenworth tasting room has proven to be the busiest, as it is in a

more touristy area with other wineries offering tastings and can attract customers from both the eastern and western parts of the state.

The Paterson tasting room, connected to the actual vineyard, offers tastings by appointment.

Water from Wine recently started a wine club that allows people to sign up for a subscription service to pay a set price and receive three shipments throughout the year.

For as low as $50, the club memberships have discounts and tasting advantages. Ssenkubuge said many members give their wine away as gifts, including those who aren’t wine-drinkers themselves.

Currently all the profits from the wines made with the Sandpiper vine-

5

yard grapes (the Horse Heaven Hills cabernet sauvignon and the rosé) are donated to nonprofits, while Water from Wine sales of other local wines in its stores and wine club packages help offset operating costs.

For now, Sandpiper Farms has taken on the overhead costs of maintaining the orchard, as well as paying for wine production but Tucker hopes to shift that model into a more selfsupporting operation in the future.

He is looking for companies or individuals to sponsor a row of his orchard for $3,000, which is worth the price tag for the outcome.

Each row of grapes yields about 40 cases of wine, which means the retail sale (and eventual donation) is valued at about $14,400 per row.

“You’re actually leveraging your donation by our efforts, marketing and volunteers and other donations because I do expect to continue donating overhead and staffing,” Tucker said.

Water from Wine still is relatively small, due to the vineyard’s size and its current model. Its wine can only be bought online or in the Paterson or Leavenworth tasting rooms. It sells and ships through its website to Washington, Oregon and California.

To volunteer for the harvest or learn more about Water from Wine and tasting times, go to waterfromwine.org.

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Senior Times • July 2019

Be wary of summertime vacation scams

Summer is upon us and we want to go to our favorite destination for the lowest cost possible. The idea of traveling to an exotic destination by using timeshares or vacation rentals is appealing.

Doing a quick search online can yield a wide variety of choices. The promise of amazing experiences and interesting places may entice you and cause you to lower your guard by not doing the proper research.

Since January, there have been 160 reports in the United States of travel and vacation scams, with the average amount reported lost $2,000.

The main method of contact reported to BBB Scam Tracker was by phone and the payment method requested by the scammers was via credit card.

So many scammers would love to take advantage of unsuspecting vacationers by making false promises and creating a sense of urgency to fool them into paying for something that doesn’t exist. They want to distract you with a deal that could disappear quickly or pressure you to act prior to doing your research. First, let’s dive into the different ways scammer use this tactic to get your money or personal information.

In travel and vacation scams, con artists post listings for properties that either aren’t for rent, don’t exist, or are significantly different than pictured. They then lure in vacationers with the promise of low fees and great amenities. Typically, the “owner” creates a false sense of urgency — Tyler Russell maybe another Better Business Bureau vacationer is interested in the rental — to get you to pay up before doing sufficient research.

Another common travel scam is the timeshare resale scam. A timeshare owner who is looking to sell gets a call from someone claiming to be a real estate broker or agent. These scammers claim to specialize in timeshare resales and promise they have buyers ready to purchase. To secure this service, the scammer pressures the target into paying an upfront fee.

The timeshare owner pays up, but the reselling agent never delivers.

What can you do to avoid these

types of scams? Better Business Bureau Northwest and Pacific offers these tips: u Talk with the owner. If you are not using a service that verifies properties and owners, do not negotiate a rental solely by email. Many scammers don’t live locally, so get the owner on the phone and ask detailed questions about the property and local attractions. Getting vague answers is a clear red flag. u Check public records. Investigate on Google or another search engine.

Look up the address and use Google street view to confirm the property matches the one advertised. Also, verify distances to beaches, attractions and airports while on the site. u Look for reviews and ask for references. While you’re vetting properties, don’t forget to check bbb.org and other online reviews. These profiles have customers’ experiences and contact information for the business. u Don’t wire money or use a prepaid debit card. You should never pay for a vacation rental by prepaid debit card or wire transfer. These payments are the same as sending cash.

Once you send the money, you have no way to get it back. That’s why

scammers depend upon these forms of payment. Paying with a credit card is your best bet to avoid losing money. If your rental ends up being a scam, you can dispute the charge and dramatically limit your liability. u If it’s too good to be true, it probably is. Scammers lure in targets by guaranteeing sales or promising vacation rentals at low prices. Do your research. If the listing you are considering is much cheaper than others in the area, be suspicious. In general, free online ad services are also going to be riskier than a site with fraud protection features.

You can find our information on so many travel-based and time share businesses by going to our website, bbb.org, where you can find reviews, complaints and contact information on businesses. You also can help your neighbors and friends by reporting a scam by going to BBB Scam Tracker. It doesn’t take a lot of time and it helps Better Business Bureau Northwest and Pacific get the word out about vacation and travel scams to others in your community.

8 Tyler Russell is the marketplace manager for the Better Business Bureau Northwest and Pacific.

Franklin county fastest growing in state, Benton close behind

BY SENIOR TIMES

Franklin County was the fastestgrowing county in the state between 2018-19, with Benton County nipping close behind at No. 3.

Kennewick ranked No. 5 in the state for population growth, adding 1,820 people; Pasco ranked No. 8, adding 1,700 people; Richland ranked No. 11, adding 1,530 people The Tri-City area’s population grew by 2.25 percent – or 6,520 people – over last year for a total of 296,480.

That’s up from 289,960 last year, according to the state Office of Financial Management’s data released June 28.

Here’s how Benton and Franklin counties’ cities grew from 2018-19: u Benton City: 3.4 percent growth for a total of 3,520 people. u Richland: 2.8 percent growth to 56,850 people. u Pasco: 2.3 percent growth to 75,290 people. u Kennewick: 2.2 percent growth to 83,670 people. u Connell: 0.73 percent growth to 5,500 people. u Prosser: 0.32 percent growth to

6,145 people. u West Richland: 0.13 percent growth to 15,340 people.

The two smallest cities in the two counties, Mesa (population 495) and Kahlotus (population 165), showed no year-over-year growth.

Here’s how Benton and Franklin counties grew from 2018-19: u Franklin County: 2.3 percent growth to 94,680 people. u Benton County: 2.2 percent growth to 201,800 people.

The state’s year-over-year population grew by an estimated 118,800 people, a 1.6 percent increase over the past year, to more than 7.5 million, according to the state’s annual estimates.

Migration is once again the primary driver behind Washington’s population growth, according to the state.

From 2018-19, net migration (people moving in versus people moving out) to Washington totaled 90,100, up by 3,300 from last year. Net migration accounted for 76 percent of the state’s population growth, with natural increase (births minus deaths) responsible for the other 24 percent. uGROWING, Page 15

Senior Times • July 2019

7

Parkway building sees many transformations Frost Me Sweet’s location built as market in 1911

BY EAST BENTON COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY

City Market, built in 1911, is now home to Frost Me Sweet restaurant in the Richland Parkway. The East Benton County Historical Museum’s new exhibit, “Local Eats,” opens midJuly to celebrate the food pioneers of Benton County past and present.

for Senior Times

Buildings are landmarks of history, but landmarks evolve. Nowhere is that more evident than 710 The Parkway in Richland.

This heritage building in Richland was originally built in 1911 as the City Market before the city was incorporated. The photo accompanying this story was snapped shortly after the building was built, as you can see there are still extra loose brick around the edge. The building was built by Joseph Schuster and George Cress. Schuster’s family had run a meat market in Portland.

The building grew in time along with the neighborhood to span not only its original frontage on George Washington Way, but also to meet the frontage on the what is now known as The Parkway. It was originally the Greenway because lawn spread between the buildings.

Once it was too small to compete with larger supermarkets, it became the Stan Rudolph Insurance office.

After this, it transformed into the Frontier Tavern to become a vital part of the city’s nightlife and music scene. In the 1990s it hosted grunge bands like Cereal before becoming vacant for 10 years.

The Croskrey family, who opened Boehms Chocolates and Gifts, worked hard to get the space usable again. Frost Me Sweet owner Megan Savely recounts hearing stories about the former occupants’ efforts.

“Their daughter told me her parents had her carrying buckets and buckets of water up from the basement,” Savely said.

That’s not to say there wasn’t still renovations to do when Frost Me Sweet took occupancy in 2011. The restaurant wanted to put its unique stamp on the location, including refinishing the floors that still showed cigarette burns from the Frontier Tavern days.

The Frost Me Sweet owners also painted the building in their signature Frost Me Sweet aqua color. With its expansion as a restaurant, renovation has spread to the suite next door, originally the first Gesa location in Richland. One unique aspect of this building’s past has ensured it will keep its historical legacy somewhat intact.

“We keep our beer and wine in the vault,” Savely said. It was just too challenging to remove.

The building provides a great his-

Courtesy East Benton County Historical Society

torical anchor for Frost Me Sweet.

The owners first had a successful run as Sweet Beans an espresso stand on Thayer Drive, but quickly outgrew their location. Word has got out about their offerings – they’re known for their tasty cupcakes and cakes – and this spring their shop was featured on Guy Fieri’s popular TV show “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.”

“It was pretty amazing,” Savely said. She especially enjoyed working with Fieri’s staff, calling them really great people who tirelessly worked to make the television magic happen.

“Guy was here for three hours, but the crew was here for days,” she said.

Frost Me Sweet will be one of several local restaurants featured in the museum’s upcoming “Local Eats” exhibit. This exhibit opens in mid-July and will celebrate the food pioneers of Benton County past and present.

Guests will get a chance to peruse

old menus recipes and memorabilia from some of the original restaurants that aren’t around anymore, as well as some new classics bursting onto the national foodie scene, like Frost Me Sweet. People with original memorabilia and stories to share are encouraged to get in touch with the museum as we are still putting our exhibits together.

Museum happenings u Invest in family: STCU credit union is sponsoring Thursdays for all of summer break. This means kids are admitted free with paid adult admission every Thursday from noon to 4 p.m. It’s a great opportunity to bring kids down and interact with new exhibits like our children’s train table and vintage dollhouse. u Junk in the Trunk: 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, July 6. This community yard sale and vendor fair will be in the museum’s east parking lot at 205 E. Keewaydin Drive in Kennewick. It is free to shop and park. Sellers and vendors can rent a 10-by-10 booth and sell from their

vehicle for $20; museum members pay $10. Pre-registration for vendors is required. u History hangout at the farmers market: The East Benton County History Museum is bringing history to the Kennewick and Richland farmers markets this summer. We will bringing scrapbooks and other notable items for the public to view while shopping. Specific dates will be announced on our Facebook page.

Questions? Email Ebchsmuseum@ gmail.com or call 509-582-7704.

The East Benton County History Museum is operated by the East Benton County Historical Society and is dedicated to collecting and preserving the history, heritage and culture of east Benton County. The museum is open from noon to 4 p.m. or by appointment Tuesday through Saturday. Admission is $5 for adults, $4 for seniors and veterans, $1 for youthS and students with valid school ID. For more information, go to ebchs.org.

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Senior Times • July 2019

uBRIEFS Vietnam-era veterans to be honored across state

Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Washington, will be honoring Vietnam-era veterans from Central Washington with a special pin during ceremonies across the state.

Newhouse will host pinning ceremonies in Moses Lake, Okanogan and Sunnyside throughout the year.

The Vietnam War Commemoration program is part of a nationwide effort to thank and honor all Vietnam-era veterans as part of the 50th anniversary of the war.

Veterans and family members of

veterans in the 4th Congressional District may fill out an application to receive a service lapel pin and/or attend a pinning ceremony.

“There are over 200,000 veterans in Washington who served during the Vietnam War. I want to honor these heroes, including unreturned veterans, and their families. I have partnered with Vietnam War Commemoration as a part of a nation-wide effort to ensure all Vietnam-era veterans of Central Washington receive the recognition they deserve,” Newhouse said.

Pinning ceremonies will be: u Monday, July 29 in Moses Lake: American Legion Post 209, 538 W.

Broadway Ave. u Thursday, Aug. 22 in Okanogan: American Legion Post 56, 801 Second Ave. N. u Friday, Nov. 8 in Sunnyside: VFW Post 3482, 615 North Ave. Interested veterans and families can contact Britten Hershberger at 509-452-3243 for more information.

The application form is online at https://newhouse.house.gov/vietnamwar-50th-commemoration.

CBC plans outdoor musical performance

Columbia Basin College will perform “Mamma Mia!” at the CBC Diane Hoch Amphitheatre.

Performances are at 8 p.m. July 18-20 and 25-27.

This musical, written by British playwright Catherine Johnson, is based on the songs of the Swedish pop group ABBA. The title of the musical is taken from the group’s 1975 chart-topper of the same name. The musical also includes other ABBA hits like “Super Trouper,” “Lay All Your Love on Me,” “Dancing Queen,” “Knowing Me, Knowing You,” “Take a Chance on Me,” “Money, Money, Money,” “The Winner Takes It All” and “SOS.” Food and drink will be provided

by CG’s Public House. Patrons needing hearing impaired interpreters may contact the Columbia Basin College Resource Center at 509-5424412 to request accommodations before the show.

Tickets are on sale at Columbia Basin College, by calling 509-5425331 or at columbiabasin.tix.com.

Tickets cost $25 for adults, $23 for seniors and $12 for children 12 and under. The show is rated PG for strong innuendo.

New Pasco school named for veteran, local educator

Pasco School District’s newest middle school will be named after military veteran and longtime educator Ray Reynolds.

A joint groundbreaking ceremony for the $46.5 million Reynolds Middle School and $28.5 million Columbia River Elementary was May 23 at the construction site of the two new schools at 9011 Burns Road, near the intersection of Springer Lane and Burns Road.

Both schools will open for students in the 2020-21 school year.

Reynolds attended Pasco High School in 1945 before moving to Idaho for further education. He eventually joined the Army and served in the Korean War. He continued his service in the Army Reserves from 1953-87, when he retired as a major general.

Reynolds attended college at Kansas State University, where he played football and basketball. In the years following the Korean War, he attended the University of Montana, before graduating from Eastern Washington College, now Eastern Washington University.

From 1955-61, Reynolds served on the Washington State Patrol, and from 1961-68 he taught and coached at Eastern Washington College. In 1968, Reynolds began his tenure with the Pasco School District, and over the next three decades, he worked as a teacher, coach, assistant principal, principal and director of secondary education.

He retired from Pasco School District in 1999.

Senior Times • July 2019 uBRIEFS Free fun planned at carousel Monday nights until Aug. 26

The Gesa Carousel of Dreams and Kennewick Irrigation District have teamed up to present Summer Fun Nights events each Monday through Aug. 26.

Each event runs 4-7 p.m. at the Gesa Carousel of Dreams, 2901 Southridge Blvd., in Kennewick.

Activities will vary each week and will include carousel rides, balloon animal sculpture, visits from movie princesses, face painting, arts and crafts, indoor inflatables and other surprises.

In addition, the Kennewick Irrigation District will have information on canal safety and the importance of staying away from canals.

KID staff also will host a coloring contest each week for children who attend the event.

Each week there will be two to three free activities in which the entire family can participate. Additional activities, including carousel rides, are offered at discounted prices.

Tri-Cities Airport among busiest small airports

The Tri-Cities Airport in Pasco has been named one of North America’s busiest small airports for 2019.

With 518,405 scheduled seats in the last 12 months (June 2018 to May 2019), Pasco is the eighthbusiest small airport on the continent, according to global aviation database Official Aviation Guide The database categorizes an airport as “small” if it has more than 10,000 departing seats annually but less than .05 percent of scheduled departing seat capacity in North America. There are 543 such airports in the continent’s aviation system, and Pasco is one of the 10 busiest.

Tri-Cities Airport has an average of 20 daily flights to Denver, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Phoenix-Mesa, Salt Lake City, San Francisco and Seattle.

The airport’s available seats will rise this summer as Delta begins a fourth nonstop flight to MinneapolisSt. Paul and serves Salt Lake City on a larger plane. Increased seasonal service from Allegiant Airlines also will provide more availability to Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Phoenix.

The top five busiest small airports are Hector International Airport in Fargo, North Dakota; Akron-Canton Airport, Cleveland, Ohio; Key West International Airport, Key West, Florida; Billing Logan International, Billings, Montana; and Rick Husband Amarillo International, in Amarillo, Texas. Of the top ten, only one non-US airport made the list: Yellowknife Airport, in Canada’s Northwest Territories.

Richland seeks member to serve on utility committee

The Richland City Council is accepting applications from citizens interested in serving on its Utility Advisory Committee.

Applicants must be Richland residents.

The committee meets bimonthly at 3 p.m. on the second Tuesday. The appointment term is through Sept.

30, 2021.

Details are available at ci.richland. wa.us/bccvacancies or by calling the city at 509-942-7388.

The application deadline is Monday, July 8.

State officials keeping close watch on drought conditions

Gov. Jay Inslee expanded the state’s drought emergency to include 27 watersheds — nearly half the state — due to worsened, poor water supply conditions and warmer and drier weather predictions through the summer.

The Lower Yakima watershed is among the 27 watersheds statewide included emergency drought declaration.

On June 4, the state Department of Ecology began accepting applications for grants to help those experiencing hardships related to the drought emergency.

More than half of the rivers in the state are showing stream flows in the bottom 10 percent of flows measured for this time of year as of June 19, according to the Department of Ecology.

Daytime temperatures in the Yakima River are reaching 80 degrees, which becomes a thermal block for fish movement, according to the Department of Ecology.

This past March through May was tied as the 13th driest on record for Washington since 1895, with especially dry conditions on the Olympic Coast which had the second driest, according to the Department of Ecology.

About half of the U.S. Geological Survey water level stations are showing stream flows below the 10th percentile. There have been daily record lows for the Hoh, Hoko, Calawah, Satsop, Cedar, Deschutes, Mashel and Samish rivers as well as other lowland rivers and streams, according to the Department of Ecology.

Warmer than normal temperatures are forecast through August, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s climate prediction center.

Snowpack conditions have deteriorated since April 1, declining from 80 percent to 58 percent of normal.

Averaged water supply forecasts for Washington have declined since May. More than two-thirds of the state has projections of 80 percent or less of normal water volumes, with many below 70 percent.

As of June 13, the U.S. Drought Monitor has classified 11 percent of the state as being in severe drought, 33 percent of the state as being in moderate drought; and 27 percent as abnormally dry.

Del Taco restaurant under construction in Richland A new Del Taco restaurant is under construction at 155 Wellsian Way in Richland, across from the north entrance of Fred Meyer.

The restaurant will be 2,468 square feet, with capacity to accommodate 86 people. It’s adjacent to the Richland Goodwill store.

The Hill Companies Richland LLC of Boise applied for the building permit, which was issued May 21.

The nearest Del Taco is in College Place. The company website says it has 580 locations in 14 states.

Del Taco’s menu includes taco and burritos, as well as burgers, fries and salads.

O’Brien Construction Co. Inc. of Kennewick is the general contractor.

RiverFest event set for Sept. 7 in Kennewick

With strong regional participation and more than 3,000 attendees during last year’s RiverFest, the Pasco Chamber of Commerce and its partners will be offering it again this year.

The free event, which focuses on the importance of the Columbia and Snake river dam system, will be from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 7 at Columbia Park, near the Lampson Pits, in Kennewick.

The family-friendly event focuses on the clean-energy hydropower and transportation system the dams enable and successful salmon management.

RiverFest aims to promote the facts about the rivers, dams, and economic and wildlife ecosystem they enable.

Federal and locally-elected representatives will be available for conversations.

Planned are more than 100 activities and exhibits, live music and food vendors, hands-on activities for children, Coast Guard and Pasco fire boat tours, barge and tugboat demonstrations, a build-your-own mini boat to race event, cultural performances, reenactments and a story tent.

For more information, go to pascochamber.org/riverfest or find on Facebook.

Tired of climbing stairs?

Call Realtor Kay 509-520-1046

Kay Lehmann, SRES®

YOUR Seniors Real Estate Specialist ®

Kay@RealtorKayLLC.com

100 N. Morain, Suite 308 Kennewick, WA 99336

9

10

Senior Times • July 2019

Pasco First Avenue Center

505 N. First Ave., Pasco • 509-545-3459 • pascoparksandrec.com

Most of Pasco’s senior services programs take place at the First Avenue Center, unless otherwise listed.

Activities, times and location subject to change. For more information, call 509-545-3459.

• Adult Lap Swim: noon to 1 p.m. and 6-7 p.m. through Aug. 23.

Memorial Aquatic Park, 1520 W. Shoshone. $2 per person.

• Basin Wood Carvers (18+): 1-3 p.m. Thursdays. Cost: Free.

• China Painting (18+): 9 a.m. to noon Tuesdays. Bring your own project and supplies.

• Cribbage (40+): 1-3 p.m.

Wednesdays and Fridays.

• Drop-In Snooker (50+): 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Cost: $1 per day.

• Enhance Fitness (40+): Class focuses on stretching, balance, low impact aerobics and strength training. 10-11 a.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Call 509-545-3456 to register. Location: Pasco City Hall Activity Center, 525 N. Third Ave., Pasco.

• Foot Care for Adults (18+): Get your feet cared for by a licensed,

registered nurse. 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays by appointment only. Cost: $30.

Call 509-545-3459.

• Happy Feet Foot Care (60+): Get your feet cared for by a licensed, registered nurse. 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays by appointment only.

Cost: Free with suggested donation of $12 to $15 per person. Clients must meet federal and state guidelines for eligibility. Call: 509-5453459.

• Mexican Train Dominoes (40+):

12:30-3 p.m. Mondays. Cost: Free.

• Pinochle (40+): 7-9 p.m. Tuesdays and Fridays.

• Wavemakers Aqua Fit: Class for those with arthritis, fibromyalgia, lower back pain, muscle weakness, those who use a cane or a walker and anyone who loves the pool. Location: Oasis Physical Therapy, 6825 Burden Blvd., Suite D, Pasco. This class is offered on various days/times. To register, call 509-545-3456.

Prosser Senior Community Center

1231 Dudley Ave., Prosser • 509-786-2915 • cityofprosser.com All activities are at the Prosser Senior Community Center unless otherwise listed. Activities, times and locations subject to change. For more information, call 509-786-2915.

• All-you-can-eat breakfast: 8-11:30 a.m. the last Sunday of each month. Location: dining room.

Suggested donation: $6 adults, $3 for those 8 and younger.

• Bingo (18+): 9:30 a.m.

Wednesdays. Location: dining room.

Three cards for $1.

• Bingo at Night (18+): 6 p.m. second Friday of the month. $10 buy-in.

• Birthday Celebration: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Third Friday of the month.

Call 509-786-1148 to verify.

Location: dining room. Provided by

Y D A E T ROCK S RI-CITIES T G N NST I I A X G O A K B

BAC G N I SE! T A H E S I FIG D ON’S S N I K R PA

Rock Steady Boxing Tri-Cities gives people with Parkinson’s disease HOPE by improving their quality of life through this non-contact boxing based fitness program.

Ask about our Senior FIT Non-Contact Boxing Program!

For more information call, (509) 585-8863 or visit www.rocksteadyboxingtc.com

Meals on Wheels. Suggested donation of $2.75.

• Enhanced Fitness: 2-3 p.m.

Mondays and Wednesdays. Location: dining room. Free.

• Foot Care Wednesday: For appointment, call: 509-303-0079. Fill out foot care application for assistance at center or $25 for private pay.

• Mah Jongg: 1-3 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays. Location: living room. Free.

• Meals On Wheels: 11:45 a.m.

Monday through Friday. Location: dining room. Suggested donation of $2.75. For reservations, call 509786-1148.

• Pinochle: 5:30 p.m. Thursdays.

Location: living room. Bring potluck dish to share. Free • Table Pool: Noon to 3 p.m.

Mondays and Tuesdays. Free.

• Tai Chia Quan: 6 p.m.

Mondays; beginners first Monday of month; 5 p.m. Wednesdays and Fridays open practice for club members. Location: dining room. Call: 509-430-1304 • Wellness Class: 10:30 a.m.

Mondays and Thursdays. Taught by Cheri Eisen of Sirius Therapeutics.

Location: living room. $4 per session for members, $5 for others. Call: 816-510-5025.

West Richland Senior Center 616 N. 60th, West Richland 509-967-2847 All activities are at the West Richland Senior Center. For more information, call 509-967-2847.

• Potluck Lunch: noon, second Tuesday of the month. Bring a dish to share.

• Bingo: noon, third Monday of the month. Hot dog luncheon at noon. $3 suggested donation.

• Pinochle: 1 p.m. Mondays.

• Bunco Potluck: noon, first Wednesday and third Friday of the month.

• TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) Fitness: 11 a.m. Thursdays.

• Exercise: A co-ed, light cardio class, led by exercise video, is 9 a.m.

Tuesdays and Thursdays. A donation of 50 cents for members and $1 for others is requested.

Senior Times • July 2019

11

Kennewick Community Center

500 S. Auburn St., Kennewick • 509-585-4303 • go2kennewick.com All activities are at the Kennewick Community Center unless otherwise listed. Activities, times and location subject to change. For more information, call 509-585-4303.

• Bingo: 1-3 p.m. every Wednesday. Cost: $1.

• Bingo Tournament: 1-3 p.m.

Wednesday, May 15. Cost: $8 at the

door. Advanced registration: $5.

• Bridge Tournament: 2-6 p.m. second Sunday of each month. Cost: $1. RSVP: 509-586-3349.

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

• Chinese Mahjong: 1-4 p.m.

Wednesdays. Cost: $1 per day.

• Dominos: 12:30-2 p.m. Tuesdays

and Fridays. Cost: 50 cents per day.

• Indoor Walking: 9 a.m. to noon Monday through Friday. Cost: $1 per day. Location: Southridge Sports Complex, 2901 Southridge Blvd., Kennewick.

• Party Bridge: 12:30-4 p.m.

Tuesdays and Thursdays. Cost: 50 cents per day.

• Pinochle: 6:30-8:30 p.m. Mondays and Fridays. Cost: 50 cents per day.

• Sewing: 6-8:30 p.m. Thursdays.

Cost: $1 per day.

• Woodcarving: 1-3 p.m. Wednesdays. Cost: 75 cents per day. 9 a.m. to noon Fridays. Cost: $1 per day. Bring supplies or borrow from the class.

Richland Community Center

500 Amon Drive, Richland • 509-942-7529 • ci.richland.wa.us All activities are at the Richland Community Center unless otherwise listed. Activities, times and location subject to change. For more information, call 509-942-7529.

• ACBL, Duplicate and Party Bridge: Various groups. For a schedule of each group, cost and location, visit the Richland Community Center or call 509-9427529.

• American Mahjong: 12:30-4 p.m. Thursdays. Location: game room. Cost: free.

• Birthday Club Social: noon to 12:30 p.m. second Tuesday of each month. Location: lounge. Cost: free.

• Bridge Buddies: 5:30-9:30 p.m.

Tuesdays, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Thursdays. Location: game room.

Cost: $1.

• Chess Club: 1:30-4:30 p.m.

Sundays, Richland Public Library, • Cribbage: 8:30-1:30 a.m.

Wednesdays. Location: lounge. Cost: free.

• Dominoes: 1 p.m. Thursdays.

Location: lounge. Cost: free.

• Fitness Room: 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturdays and noon to 4 p.m.

Sundays. Location: Fitness room.

Cost: $2 per day or $8 per month.

• Foot Care for Fabulous Feet: Have a licensed registered nurse specializing in geriatrics care for your feet 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Thursdays.

Location: wellness room. Cost: $30.

For an appointment, call 509-9427529.

• Greeting Card Recycling: 9-11 a.m. Mondays. Location: meeting room. Cost: free.

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

Cost: $1.

• International Folk Dancing: 7-9 p.m. Thursdays. Location: Riverview room; 6-9 p.m. the first Saturday of the month for a potluck and dancing. Location: activity room.

• Party Bridge: 8:30-11:30 a.m.

Mondays and Wednesdays. Location:

game room. Cost: $1.

• Pie Socials: noon to 12:30 p.m. third Tuesday of each month.

Location: lounge. Cost: free.

• Pinochle Players: 5:30-8:30 p.m. Fridays. Location: game room.

Cost: $1.

• Poker: Noon to 3 p.m.

Mondays. Location: game room.

Cost: $1.

• RSA Dance: 1-3:30 p.m. third Friday of the month. Location: Riverview room. Cost: $7 per person.

• RSU Potluck: 4-6 p.m. fourth Friday of the month.

12

Senior Times • July 2019

Richland doctor offers membership health care Tri-City native offers nontraditional setting for personalized care

BY ROBIN WOJTANIK for Senior Times

A new membership-based health care clinic is available in Richland, the brainchild of a board-certified internist who wanted to offer more patient-focused care.

Dr. Jessica Schneider, a Hanford High School graduate, decided to jump off the “hamster wheel” she said was inherent in traditional medical practices to open Empowered Health.

She said she found herself facing two dilemmas: “One, just getting very burned out, with shorter and shorter appointment times being mandated from the top down, and feeling like the only time I had was to throw medication at patients. I became more and more frustrated, feeling like I had these other solutions. I had this huge toolbox to offer, and yet I had this very focused outcome. Most people are conditioned to medication, so that’s what it landed on most of the time.”

Out of medical school for about a decade, Schneider said she first began experiencing burnout within two years of leaving residency.

“I hit the crux of that about four years into practice. And unfortunately, all of my colleagues are in the same spot,” she said.

Feeling like she might be pressed

Courtesy Empowered Health Dr. Jessica Schneider’s new Richland clinic, Empowered Health, breaks tradition to offer more personalized patient care.

to leave medicine altogether due to disillusionment, the Tri-City native began investigating other options.

“I found this blend of concierge and direct primary care membership,” Schneider said. “The idea is that you can step outside of the insurance model and hit on a lot of the pinpoints we have within the larger system right now, which is time, trust and transparency.”

She opened Empowered Health in the Richland Parkway this spring in a corner building on Knight Street, in the office space formerly occupied by Gravis Law before it moved one suite north.

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Visit srtimes.com or call 509-737-8778

Schneider said her clinic benefits patients by working outside the typical “insurance model” that she described as rushing patients in and out in a limited time, allowing symptoms to be treated in a reactive fashion only.

Instead, new patients at Empowered Health spend 90 minutes with the doctor, and this includes time mostly spent in her office, not an exam room.

Schneider said most primary care doctors carry a patient load of up to 3,000, and with the prototype she’s following, she expects to max out at 600 patients.

“It allows a lot more time and attention from the doctor. And for the doctor, it allows you to have a newfound caring and empathy for your patients because you can know them more and know what else is going on in their life,” Schneider said. “It restores that original relationship of what we think about medicine, where

100 to 200 years ago, you knew your doctor and the doctor knew the family and there was a lot more going on than the quick in and out.”

Schneider believes lifestyle is often the root cause of chronic illness.

“We’ve had so many advancements in medicine with life-sustaining treatments and these brilliant, designer medications, but we’ve also gotten sicker as a population and a lot of it has to do with lifestyle. We’re spending all this time and we’re seeing people get worse because we can’t address the underlying issues, and your doctor doesn’t have time to talk about it,” she said.

Schneider completed a fellowship in integrative and functional medicine, which encourages a proactive approach to treatment.

“Instead of waiting for chronic illness to happen, we’re working with you, listening to your lifestyle, looking at advanced biomarkers to actually show you years before something might develop that you’re actually on the road to that,” Schneider said. “For example, we look at markers of insulin resistance that aren’t routinely tested — fasting insulin is an example. If that’s elevated, your risk of diabetes within five years is significantly higher, but we (doctors) are often not checking that.”

She sees her clinic as a practice for the future, which could keep more physicians in the field.

“In this community, every time we turn around, there’s another doctor leaving practice. With this model, that’s not going to happen,” Schneider said. “From a fulfillment of a love and a calling as a career, this is much more satisfying for a physician. Now I see myself being able to practice for 20, 30, 40 years rather than counting the days until retirement, or burning out much quicker than that.” uMEMBERSHIP, Page 13

Senior Times • July 2019

Meals on Wheels July menu Meals on Wheels is a program of Senior Life Resources Northwest and is supported by donations. For those 60 and older, the suggested donation is $2.75 per meal. Meals may be purchased by those younger than 60 for $7.25. Menu substitutions may occur.

For reservations, call between 9 a.m. and noon the day before your selected meal. For reservations in Richland, call 509-943-0779; Kennewick: 509585-4241; Pasco: 509-543-5706; Parkside: 509545-2169; Benton City: 509-588-3094; Prosser: 509-786-1148; and Connell: 509-234-0766.

The Senior Dining Café at 1834 Fowler St. in Richland serves soups, sandwiches and salads without a reservation. Hours are from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday. Call 509-736-0045.

• Wednesday, July 3: Chef salad, pineapple, bread and oatmeal raisin cookie.

• Thursday, July 4: Closed for Independence Day • Friday, July 5: Shepherd’s pie, mixed veggies, tossed salad with dressing, bread and chilled peaches.

• Monday, July 8: Cranberry chicken, confetti rice, peas and onion, bread and chilled peaches.

• Tuesday July 9, Macaroni and cheese, sausage patty, tossed salad with dressing, bread and blueberry and cherry crisp.

• Wednesday, July 10: Chicken tetrazzini, broccoli, tossed salad with dressing, bread, cranberry Jell-O salad.

• Thursday, July 11: Beef tacos, rice and beans, lettuce, tomato, cheese, salsa, sour cream and citrus salad.

MEMBERSHIP, From Page 12 Empowered Health does not accept insurance and instead runs on a membership system.

Prices start at $155 a month for those older than 18, which covers appointments, phone calls or online communication with the doctor.

If any bloodwork, imaging, medication or screening tests are needed, these can be submitted for insurance coverage, but Schneider’s team also can create a “superbill” for insurance companies that could be incorporated into a deductible.

Since Empowered Health will cost nearly $2,000 annually on top of insurance coverage, Schneider said those who join are more likely to be personally invested in maintaining their optimal health.

“Any time we put money into something, we also put our energy into it. So if we’re going to put our money into it, we’re more likely to actually invest in the changes and be proactive,” Schneider said.

As an internist, Schneider can handle a range of medical issues, but may refer out patients if needed. She intends patients to avoid “99 percent” of issues typically treated by urgent care visits since use of a patient portal allows access with the doctor within 24 hours, including weekends and holidays.

Patients are a good fit for Empowered Health if they want to prevent chronic disease, decrease medication burden, learn more about their own medical conditions and want to feel better next year, Schneider said. » Empowered Health: 503 Knight St., Suite B, Richland; 509-392-7047; empoweredhealth institute.com; Facebook; Instagram.

» For more information about Senior Life Resources Northwest, go to seniorliferesources.org.

Just for Fun SUDOKU SUDOKU

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STR8TS STR8TS

• Friday, July 12: Hamburger, potato salad, baked beans, lettuce, tomato, onion and apple slices.

• Monday July 15: Swedish meatballs, tossed salad with dressing, broccoli, bread and applesauce.

• Tuesday, July 16: Chicken enchiladas, black beans, coleslaw, pineapple upside-down cake.

• Wednesday, July 17: Chicken Caesar salad, breadstick, fruit, cottage cheese, and pear crisp.

• Thursday, July 18: Tuna pasta salad, three bean salad, chilled peaches and chocolate chip cookie.

• Friday, July 19 (birthday day): Roast beef with gravy, mashed potatoes, Italian vegetables, dinner roll and ice cream.

• Monday, July 22: Rosemary chicken with mushroom gravy, au gratin potatoes, green beans, bread and chilled pears.

• Tuesday, July 23: Scrambled eggs and peppers, sausage patty, roasted red potatoes, bran muffin and cranberry Jell-O salad.

• Wednesday, July 24: Chicken parmesan casserole, cauliflower with red peppers, bread and chocolate cake.

• Thursday, July 25: Beef stroganoff, green peas, bread, cottage cheese & pineapple.

• Friday, July 26: Sloppy joe, apple cabbage slaw, mixed vegetables and chilled pineapple.

• Monday, July 29: Tuna noodle casserole, lyonnaise carrots, bread and citrus salad.

• Tuesday, July 30: Chicken salad sandwich, broccoli salad and cake with strawberries.

• Wednesday, July 31: Beef lasagna, mixed vegetables, bread and chocolate pudding.

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

Answer

Turn Back the Clock...

1969

13

July 20: Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin become the first people to land on the moon.

into Y.akima County. Benton County was not created until 1905.

— Source: East Benton County History Museum

Str8ts example

14

Senior Times • July 2019

uBRIEFS BLM issues restrictions for fires on public land

A fire restriction on public lands has been ordered for several Eastern Washington counties, including Benton and Franklin.

The Bureau of Land Management Spokane District issued fire restrictions June 22 on lands administered by the BLM and the Bureau of Reclamation in the following counties: Adams, Asotin, Benton, Chelan, Columbia, Douglas, Ferry, Franklin, Garfield, Grant, Kittitas, Klickitat, Lincoln, Okanogan, Pend Oreille, Spokane, Stevens, Walla Walla, Whitman and Yakima.

Caution is advised when operating motor vehicles on roads or trails with vegetation or high grasses. Due to the fire hazard risk, the public is asked not to bring fireworks or exploding targets onto public lands. While campfires are allowed in certain places and circumstances, the public is asked to ensure any campfires are completely extinguished and cold before leaving camping area.

Target shooting with the use of exploding targets, including Tannerite, is prohibited. Target shooters who start wildfires may be responsible for the cost of fire suppression. Wildfires caused by recreational target shooting in dry grasses have steadily increased in the Spokane District over the last few years, according to the BLM. The easiest ways to prevent these fires from starting is to ensure target areas — at least 20 feet around the target — is free of dry vegetation, minimize the use of ammunition containing steel and avoid shooting under hot, dry and windy conditions.

Jacobs Radio launches new country station

Jacobs Radio has launched a new country station that focuses on country hits from the 90s and 2000s with artists like George Strait, Kenny Chesney, Tim McGraw, Keith Urban, Garth Brooks, Martina McBride and Rascal Flatts.

The new station is called TriCountry 102.3 FM. “We decided to create a new radio station with a huge song library where you already know all the words and can sing along with every song,” said station owner Jeff Jacobs.

Courtesy U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Ice Harbor Lock and Dam near Burbank is among the list of federal dams that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is reviewing.

Snake River dams key to economy

There are some dams that should come down and those that shouldn’t.

Hopefully, as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers conducts its review of the 14 federal dams on the Columbia and Snake rivers, that will become abundantly clear.

Don C. Brunell That review is Business analyst expected to be ready for public comment in late 2020.

Here is the difference.

Demolishing the two dams on the Elwha River west of Port Angeles was a good thing. They were built in the early 1900s to bring electricity to the Olympic Peninsula at a time when salmon and steelhead were plentiful in other Pacific Northwest rivers. Neither dam had fish ladders.

On the Elwha, the issue was clear: removing the dams allowed salmon and steelhead to move upstream to spawn. Neither could provide flood protection, irrigate farmlands or were navigable.

But breaching the four lower Snake River dams is entirely different.

For one thing, the billions of dollars paid by Bonneville Power Administration ratepayers to improve fish passage and spawning habitat throughout the Columbia/Snake river system is now paying off.

It wasn’t always that way. In 1992, a single male sockeye salmon, dubbed Lonesome Larry, managed to swim 900 miles from the mouth of

the Columbia River to Redfish Lake in Idaho’s Sawtooth Mountains. By 2011, the Idaho Fish and Game Department reported that 1,070 sockeye returned to Redfish to spawn.

Of the 13 salmon and steelhead stocks in the Columbia Basin listed under the Endangered Species Act, only four migrate through the lower Snake River dams.

The bigger problem has been young fish swimming downstream to the ocean where they are intercepted by hordes of natural predators such as cormorants. As for dams, Northwest River Partners reports survival through the Snake River dams for young salmon averages 97 percent. It is even better for juvenile steelhead at 99.5 percent.

Salmon maturing in the ocean must dodge the engulfing nets from fleets of giant trawlers, many of which are foreign. The small percentage of mature salmon that return to the Columbia and Snake also must run the gauntlet of seals, sea lions, nets and fishing lines.

While the Elwha dams produced very little electricity, the four Snake River dams can provide enough electricity for 1.87 million homes when generating at full capacity. On average, they contribute 5 percent of the Northwest’s electricity supply.

A 2015 BPA reliability analysis concluded that replacement of the lower Snake Dams with natural gas generation would increase the region’s carbon dioxide emissions by 2 million to 2.6 million metric tons annually.

The network of dams is the marine highway created on the Columbia and

Snake rivers. It is the most environmentally friendly way to move cargo from Lewiston to Astoria. A tug pushing a barge can haul a ton of wheat 576 miles on a single gallon of fuel.

For comparison, if the dams were breached in 2017, it would have taken 35,140 rail cars, or 135,000 semitrucks to move the cargo that was barged on the Snake River that year.

Ten percent of all Northwest exports pass through the four lower Snake River dams, which include Ice Harbor Lock and Dam outside Burbank, Lower Monumental Dam south of Kahlotus, Little Goose Lock and Dam near Starbuck and Lower Granite Lake Dam miles south of Colfax.

These dams generate $20 billion in trade, commerce and recreation income. Water from their reservoirs nourishes thousands of farms, orchards and vineyards.

“In the end, when the latest study and public hearings are done, the conclusion should be the same as the previous efforts: the Lower Snake River dams must remain,” Walla Walla’s Union-Bulletin concluded in a 2016 editorial.

While Gov. Inslee got his appropriation of $750,000 for stakeholder input on Snake River dam removal, our money should be directed on how to improve, not remove, those dams.

8 Don C. Brunell is a business analyst, writer and columnist. He retired as president of the Association of Washington Business, the state’s oldest and largest business organization, and now lives in Vancouver. He can be contacted at theBrunells@ msn.com.

15

Senior Times • July 2019 uBRIEFS Benton, Franklin counties record rise in homelessness

The total number of people experiencing homelessness in Benton and Franklin counties was 222, an increase of 59 people over last year’s count.

That’s according to the state Department of Commerce’s statewide results of the 2019 Point-inTime count, an annual one-night snapshot of people experiencing homelessness conducted on Jan. 24.

Sanctioned by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the count attempts to provide a consistent set of data from around the country on “sheltered” and “unsheltered” homelessness.

“Availability of enough affordable, safe and appropriate housing strengthens communities and supports economic vitality,” said Department of Commerce Director Lisa Brown.

In Washington state this year, the total number of people experiencing homelessness on the night of the count was 21,621, a decrease of 683, or about 3.1 percent. Total sheltered homeless individuals increased by 339, while the total unsheltered count dropped by 1,022, or 9.6 percent.

Sheltered homelessness refers to people living in a supervised publicly or privately operated temporary shelter, including congregate shelters, transitional housing and hotels and motels paid for by charitable organizations or federal, state or local government programs.

Unsheltered homelessness refers to those with a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designated as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings, such as a car, park, abandoned building, bus or train station, airport or campground.

About half of Washington counties (21 of 39) saw an increase in the numbers of people experiencing homelessness, with Snohomish County topping the list at 258 more than last year. While King County recorded a decrease of 913 overall, the other 38 counties combined for an increase of 70 unsheltered and 230 overall.

The report noted that across the state, households with the lowest incomes, and fixed incomes are not keeping pace with rent increases.

National research shows that rent increases are associated with corresponding increases in homelessness.

“Homelessness is a statewide challenge, not just an urban problem, and the solutions must be as multifaceted as the causes,” Brown said. She said the state’s focus on quality, comprehensive data collec-

tion and transparency around state and local investments to address homelessness is crucial to effective policy and action.

According to Tedd Kelleher, managing director of homeless programs at the Department of Commerce, the more detailed state Homeless Management Information System data show an estimated 29,800 people were successfully housed during the federal fiscal year 2018. He said that state and local homeless services providers have continued to emphasize rapid rehousing approaches – providing housing search case management resources and temporary rental assistance to efficiently move people out of homelessness.

Brown said the Department of Commerce has made significant progress in the last four years. “Our state and local HMIS data keeps getting better. In the near future we will be able to see trends, evaluate outcomes and analyze costs more effectively,” she said.

Learn more about Washington state homeless programs at commerce.wa.gov/servingcommunities/homelessness.

Columbia Generating Station rejoins grid after refueling

Columbia Generating Station reconnected to the Northwest power grid at 5:41 a.m. June 21 following its 24th nuclear refueling, just in time to meet the higher electricity demands summer brings.

During the last several weeks, Energy Northwest employees, with support from more than 1,200 temporary workers, also completed thousands of individual maintenance improvements and upgrades to sus-

tain the nuclear station’s generation efficiency and electricity output.

Biennial refueling is necessary to add fresh nuclear fuel to Columbia’s reactor core, but also an opportunity to perform maintenance projects that can best be accomplished only when the reactor is offline. In addition to replacing 260 of the 764 nuclear fuel assemblies in Columbia’s reactor core, work crews installed a 34-foot, 133-ton refurbished low-pressure turbine rotor.

Equipment replacements, refurbishments and upgrades have increased Columbia’s gross generation capacity from 1,150 megawatts in 2010 to 1,207 megawatts beginning in 2017. During the last two years the station set nine monthly generation records, and five annual generation records during the last seven years.

During 2018, the plant sent more than 9.7 million megawatt-hours of carbon-free electricity to the grid, a record for its 34-year operating history. Columbia continues to produce enough clean energy to power Seattle and part of its metro area.

Energy Northwest and the Bonneville Power Administration time the biennial refueling to coincide with spring time snow melt and runoff that maximizes power output from the region’s hydroelectric system and minimizes the impact of taking the nuclear station offline.

Together, nuclear and hydro provide the region’s only full-time clean energy resources.

The electricity produced at Columbia Generating Station, located 10 miles north of Richland, is sold at-cost to BPA. Columbia’s refueling began at midnight May 10.

Str8ts Solution

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

2

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

GROWING, From Page 6 This year, 69 percent of state population growth occurred in the five largest metropolitan counties: Clark, King, Pierce, Snohomish and Spokane — down from 70 percent in 2018. However, momentum continues to shift to other metropolitan and nonmetropolitan counties: those with populations between 100,000 and 300,000 saw their share of growth increase by 1 percent to 19 percent while the share for counties under 100,000 people remained at 12 percent.

The April 1, 2019, population estimate for Washington’s incorporated cities and towns is 4.9 million , an increase of 74,400 people from the prior year.

Seattle’s population increased by 16,900 people for a total of 747,300.

Washington’s population has grown by 821,900 people since the last decennial census — April 1, 2010. The state has grown by an average of 91,300 people per year this decade, exceeding that of 83,000 the previous decade.

King County is the main contributor, with total growth of 295,100 people over nine years, compared to 194,200 people between 2000 and 2010.

Puzzle answers from page 13

Str8ts Solution

Str8ts Solution

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

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

7 6 5 4 3 2 9 8 1

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

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

3 2 7 1 5 6 4 8 9

8 4 5 7 9 3 1 6 2

7 6 2 4 3 9 8 5 1

5 3 4 2 1 8 6 9 7

1 9 8 6 7 5 2 3 4

4 8 9 5 6 1 7 2 3

6 5 1 3 2 7 9 4 8

2 7 3 9 8 4 5 1 6

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

Sudoku

9 1 6 8 4 2 3 7 5

3 2 7 1 5 6 4 8 9

8 4 5 7 9 3 1 6 2

16

Senior Times • July 2019

Estate planning too important to ignore

Property owned by a spouse does not automatically transfer to the surviving spouse at death. Instead, something more is needed in the estate plan to accomplish this feat.

In all the complexity of the estate plan, the community property agreement is one document in particular that offers simplicity, and yet still is a powerful component to an estate plan. It can be drafted on a single page and contain fewer words than this column. And in my opinion, it provides the simplest, most cost effective method to transfer assets between spouses at death.

But Washington is a community property state, so why would you need a community property agreement?

The fact that Washington is a “community property state” carries with it a specific meaning. It means generally that all property acquired during marriage is community property, and it is owned one-half by each spouse. All property acquired either before marriage or during marriage but by gift or inheritance remains “separate property” (i.e., not community property).

This is all that it means when we say colloquially that Washington is a

community property state. It’s a statement as to the character or nature of the property acquired by a married couple.

It does not mean that the surviving spouse has an interest in all the property, and it does not mean that the surviving Beau Ruff spouse is autoCornerstone matically entiWealth Strategies tled to the property at the death of the first spouse. It does not mean that the property vests in the surviving spouse automatically. The law requires something more to accomplish all this.

The community property agreement is between spouses concerning the character and disposition of community property. It is specifically authorized under Washington law and codified under RCW 26.16.120.

It typically adds two important prongs to the general community property law outlined above.

First, it provides that the spouses agree that all property acquired at

any time be treated as community property. Even though a portion of a couple’s property may have been acquired before marriage or by gift or inheritance and therefore not technically community property, the couple are agreeing that it shall nonetheless become community property in character. So, the first prong changes all property, whether separate or community, into community property. The second prong says that at the death of the first spouse, all community property shall automatically vest in the surviving spouse.

The community property agreement provides the means to accomplish what most people understand the basic community property laws provide: the vesting of all property in the surviving spouse upon death.

This agreement is not right for everyone, however. It does not work well for couples who have an estate subject to the estate tax (for 2019, those are estates valued at greater than $2.129 million for purposes of the Washington estate tax).

It also doesn’t work well if the couple are planning on implementing specific creditor protection strategies in the estate plan. And, because it necessarily gives all assets to the sur-

viving spouse, it doesn’t work where the plan is to not give all assets to the surviving spouse. For example, where a person has specific gifts outlined to children or where the couple has a blended family (think second marriage with “his,” “hers” and “ours”) and wishes to preserve the interests of the biological children in their inheritance, then the community property agreement may not work best. But for the average couple that simply wants all assets to go the survivor, the agreement could be the best way to transfer assets.

Of course, it is always best to seek the advice of a skilled estate planning attorney to figure what works best with your unique set of facts.

But don’t feel put off by the complexity of the estate planning documents or the estate planning process.

It is important to have the estate plan in place and it need not be an arduous process, especially if the community property agreement is included.  Attorney Beau Ruff works for Cornerstone Wealth Strategies, a fullservice independent investment management and financial planning firm in Kennewick.

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