Journal of Business - December 2022

“The more the community supports PSC and chooses to use it, the more it makes the airlines want to add seats, add routes, or entice new airlines to serve our region. The busier we are, the easier it is for me to recruit new services to the market.”

Inslee seeks $10 million for energy institute at WSU Tri-Cities

By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz

Gov. Jay Inslee will seek $10 million in 2023 to establish the Institute for Northwest Energy Futures at Washington State University Tri-Cities.

The move fulfills the dream of the late Bob Ferguson, an influential U.S. Department of Energy and Energy Northwest executive who endowed the institute’s first chair with a $500,000 gift shortly before his death in August.

Inslee announced his intent to fund the institute at a press conference in Richland on Dec. 12, where he was flanked by Kirk Schultz, president of WSU, Sandra Haynes, chancellor of WSU Tri-Cities, and Sen.-elect Matt Boehnke, R-Kennewick.

Gov. Jay Inslee

The governor called the institute one of the state’s most important undertakings.

“We understand in the state of Washington and WSU and the Tri-Cities a fundamental precept of energy. The No. 1 source of renewable energy is not below our feet. It’s not buried in the ground as fossil fuels,” he said. The No. 1 resource, he went on, is the human capacity to innovate.

“The Tri-Cities is the center of capability as far as per capita engineers,” he said.

“I could not be more excited about anything going on in the state of Washington. The sky is the limit.”

Inslee’s announcement coincided with the U.S. Department Energy’s announcement that scientists conducted fusion experiments that generated more power than they consumed on Dec. 5 at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory near San Francisco, a groundbreaking development with vast potential to transform how humans generate and use energy.

Inslee said fusion research is the kind of work that could – should – happen in Washington state.

The Lodge at Columbia Point is adding a proper restaurant

By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz

The Lodge at Columbia Point is sacrificing two guest rooms to make space for a proper kitchen for its Drumheller’s restaurant.

The wine-themed boutique hotel opened with 82 rooms and no restaurant in 2017. It initially offered wine tastings and bar service on the first floor, with event space on the second.

It added Drumheller’s Wine & Food –named for The Lodge’s late founder Tom Drumheller – in a second-floor meeting space a year later, served from a small kitchen next door. The small kitchen sup-

ported room service and dinner but prevented The Lodge from providing a full food program.

Michel Gabbud, who was named general manager five months ago, said the commercial kitchen and full restaurant space in the former ground floor lobby will allow The Lodge to serve food from 6:30 a.m. to 11 p.m., whether it is through the guest room menu or walk-in customers.

With the support of its Cannon Beach, Oregon, owners, Escape Lodging, The Lodge is pressing ahead with the $1.5 million renovation, while promising to minimize the impact on its overnight guests.

Housing market slowdown means more inventory for buyers

By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz

Brett Lott’s entry in the 2022 Parade of Homes was everything a move-up buyer in the Tri-Cities could want.

Upscale south Richland address? Check. Comfortable home office? Check. Wellappointed kitchen overlooking an elegant living room with coffered ceiling and a custom-built mantle over the fireplace? Check, check and check.

But four months after the Home Builders Association of Tri-Cities held its annual new home showcase, the entry by Brett Lott Homes was on the market, with an asking price of $730,000.

Lott was optimistic enough that his com-

pany continues to build homes. But its unsold house was symbolic of a slowdown in home sales in the Tri-Cities, particularly at the upper end of the market.

“It’s a completely different market than it was four months ago,” said Ron Almberg, designated broker with Keller Williams TriCities and the 2022 president of the Tri-City Association of Realtors. “It’s like someone slammed on the brakes.”

The number of homes listed on the market rose by 54% in November, while the number of closed and pending sales fell 41% and 46%, respectively, compared to the same month in 2021, according to the figures released Dec. 13 by the Realtors association.

- Buck Taft, Tri-Cities Airport manager

Photo by Wendy Culverwell

Michel Gabbud, the new general manager of The Lodge at Columbia Point, is overseeing a $1.5 million renovation that will install a restaurant and sweeping food program at the boutique wine-focused property.

Christmas Carol Lane came back, thanks to business-savvy neighbors

By Kristina Lord publisher@tcjournal.biz

A group of Kennewick women lean on their business-savvy skills to keep their neighborhood’s longtime Tri-City tradition alive.

Debie Britton, Sandy Nettleton and Dayna Faultersack are the organized women who take the transformation of their Kennewick subdivision into Christmas Carol Lane very seriously.

Six years ago, the women resurrected the holiday tradition dating back to the 1960s.

In their Concord Heights subdivision in south Kennewick – between 23rd to 26th place off 27th Avenue and Garfield Street – homeowners display plywood-size songboards featuring Christmas carols in their front yard. Each one is unique to the house.

The development is made up of 95 homes, with about 70 participating.

Many decorate their songboards to match the carol’s theme, using lights, inflatables or cutouts.

At Britton’s home, the songboard features “All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth,” and wooden cutouts of the Chipmunks and David Seville.

The home with “The Most Wonderful Time of Year” songboard is decorated with characters from the movie “Elf.” Another home features a “Frozen” theme, and “it’s something to behold,” Britton said.

Those who drive through the neighborhood to check it out shouldn’t expect a razzle-dazzle experience with streaming music via a radio station and Clark Griswold-level light displays.

“We’re not a business. We are a neighborhood having fun,” Faultersack said.

The Christmas Carol Lane ladies encourage visitors to look through their child’s eyes.

“What we’ve found is at night in the dark with spotlights on the songboards, it’s still very much magical,” said Britton, who remembers visiting the lane as a kid.

Faultersack wanted to be a part of this magic when she was driving through the lane 17 years ago and spotted a home for sale.

“We bought the house because we wanted to be in Christmas Carol Lane,” she said.

New families moving into the neighborhood receive a welcome letter explaining what life on the lane looks like around the holidays.

“You have moved into a close neighborhood of people that look after each other. Welcome!! We hope you will embrace the experience. We have a lot of fun,” the letter reads.

When Britton bought her house more than 37 years ago, she said her sales agreement stated it was a requirement to decorate with the songboards.

Today, homeowners aren’t required to participate, and they can trim their yard as little or as much as they’d like.

“There has been a lot of real estate moving, as you know. We’ve had a lot of younger people moving into the area, and they’ve really embraced this revitalization in the last six years. Every year it gets better and better,” Britton said.

Reviving the lane

Without a system in place to educate neighborhood newcomers and assist those needing help to freshen or post their signs, the tradition lost steam over the years.

Nettleton, a retired cashier, organized a community meeting about six years ago and 40 people showed up.

The three women connected and began to mobilize.

They launched a website, public Facebook page and private Facebook group for neighbors.

Faultersack, a substitute teacher who also teaches at Mid-Columbia Partnership, created Spotify, Pandora and YouTube playlists featuring Christmas Carol Lane’s featured songs.

Nettleton, who has lived in the neighborhood since 2013, transformed her garage into a neighborhood workshop so people could drop in to paint their songboards.

Britton called Nettleton “our best cheerleader” and a “good peopley-person” who is able to foster connections.

Work parties canvas the neighborhood in the weeks leading up to Christmas, pounding fence posts and attaching the plywood songboards for those who need assistance.

In the past six years, the group has built and produced about 54 songboards.

Faultersack points to Britton’s organizational skills and encouraging nature as key to the project’s success.

After all, Britton has experience running a business. She owns Tri-Cities Diesel in Pasco, taking over the 53-year-old family business from her dad more than 30 years ago. It’s a full-service pump and injector

rebuild facility that also offers engine diagnostics for diesel pickups.

Close-knit neighborhood

The neighborhood rallies around Christmas but it also celebrates other holidays. The women help to organize an Independence Day barbecue.

Britton keeps her clipboard handy as she’s already thinking about winter during the hot summer days.

She passes out forms to people if they want to replace their songboard or change their song. She shares a list of ways people can help and the welcome letters.

Neighbors bring potluck dishes to share at a wintertime chestnut roast around fire pits. Some years Santa drops in to visit.

“We take hayrides around the block and sing,” Britton said.

They participate in the Hometown Holiday Parade in downtown Kennewick.

They look after one another. One year a neighbor needed assistance to get her

husband home from the hospital in a snowstorm and asked for help. Within 15 minutes, three men were shoveling her driveway.

A lost dog was reunited with its owner after another neighbor spotted it and posted about it in their Facebook group.

Those who live on the lane refer to where their neighbors live by their carol songboard instead of house numbers.

“I have had a lot of people tell me: ‘We don’t have neighbors like this anymore,’ ” Britton said.

The three women wear their bright red Christmas Carol Lane T-shirts. One of their neighbors bought them T-shirts that say “Christmas Carol Lane Police” on them.

They know it’s in good humor, but they embrace their role of patrolling their neighborhood to keep it connected and Christmas Carol Lane sparkling with good cheer.

“This is what we do,” Britton said.

Go to: christmascarollane.org or find on Facebook @ChristmasCarolLane.

Photo by Kristina Lord Sandy Nettleton, from left, Debie Britton and Dayna Faultersack are the women who spearheaded the revitalization of Christmas Carol Lane. The south Kennewick subdivision encourages homeowners to display songboards featuring Christmas carols, a tradition dating back to the 1960s.

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Local figures echo the national trend. The National Association of Realtors reported a 37% decline in its pending home sales index for October. It was sharper in the West at 47%. “Pending” sales are homes with a signed contract that have not closed.

The market has slowed, but the situation is not dire. The economic engines that drive the Tri-Cities – federal spending at Hanford, agriculture and food processing – remain intact and relatively recessionproof.

Dave Retter, president of Retter & Company | Sotheby’s International Realty, the market’s largest real estate firm, sees little to suggest demand for housing to buy or rent will shrink.

There were 1,700 jobs on offer during a recent Hanford job fair. Reser’s Fine Foods upgraded to a larger food processing plant in Pasco. Darigold Inc. broke ground on a $600-plus million plant that will employ hundreds.

Local Bounti Inc. restarted construction on its commercial greenhouse in Pasco and a pair of distribution warehouses stand ready for Amazon Inc.

“I’m not aware of any negative news, employment wise,” Retter said.

Interest rates to blame?

The traditional holiday slowdown partly explains the home sale activity, which dropped to 227 sold and 210 pending in November. Six – and counting – interest rate hikes by the Federal Reserve to combat inflation pushed the average 30-year mortgage interest rate to the 6.6%-7% range, from about 3.2% in January.

The average dipped to 6.49% on Dec. 1, adding more uncertainty for buyers trying to pick the moment to lock in the lowest rate.

“All of us are convinced it is interest rates,” Almberg said.

Buyers, he said, are wary of locking into

term average and the ultra-low rates that buyers expect are a more recent phenomenon.

Higher interest rates coupled with home price appreciation added $1,000 to the monthly mortgage payment for a buyer who financed a typical home in October versus January, according to Freddie Mac, the federally controlled entity that provides liquidity to the home lending market by purchasing mortgages and packaging them for investors.

Freddie Mac based its estimate on a buyer financing a $400,000 mortgage in January 2022 and a $430,000 for the same theoretical home in October, reflecting home price increase. The higher price and higher interest drove the monthly payment to $2,700, from $1,700, it said.

That’s a realistic scenario for Tri-City buyers.

The average home sold for $423,500 in November, unchanged from a year ago. The median was $392,000.

In a sign of buyer unease, it took 37 days on average to sell a home, a lifetime compared to the five days a year earlier.

Good news for buyers, agents

While buyers contend with the higher cost of borrowing, they at least have more to choose from.

The number of homes on the market rose to 647 in November, the most of any

month since September 2019, when there were 674. The Tri-City market is considered balanced with 1,200 for sale, so the shortage is real.

But momentum has shifted toward buyers, Almberg said.

“We just got out of two- or two-and-ahalf years of sellers asking for everything and offering nothing. Now, buyers are asking for repairs and seller’s concessions and sellers paying closing costs.”

Almberg and Retter both said slowdowns restore a sense of normalcy for agents who spent the past two plus years scrambling to keep up with the fast pace.

Almberg laughed when he recently overheard younger agents lamenting that they had to organize open houses to bring in buyers – a routine selling strategy when markets are in balance. It is unclear if the slowdown will affect the 1,200 or so licensed agents working in the Tri-Cities.

Local Realtors renew their membership in the Realtors association in December and January, so it will be several months before it is clear how many continue in the profession.

Almberg said the pause means agents can be thoughtful about their business instead of scrambling to react.

“They need to really dig into the activities that are going to build their real estate business,” he said. “Most experienced agents I talk to are liking the shift in the market. None of us really liked the chaos of the last couple of years.”

Green shoots of spring

Market leaders anticipate a spring thaw on the theory the market will adapt to the new reality and lenders dust off products such buydowns and adjustable-rate mortgages.

“I think the lending side is trying to play catchup,” Almberg said.

Retter said buyers are still out there, just holding back and waiting for the market to stabilize.

“Four months ago, we had 10 offers per house. Those people have not gone away,” he said.

Now, Retter said, buyers are pausing, hoping interest rates will fall back to the 5% range as the feds ease up on future rate moves and lenders narrow the spread between the federal rate and what they charged.

is correct; however, we are not liable for any errors or omissions made despite these efforts.

Veteran real estate professionals will persist, he said.

“Our veterans recognize and adapt to the changes and stay true to the fundamentals, like calling people back and understanding the business,” he said. “Real estate matters.”

As ERs fill, docs beg employers not to require notes from sick workers

By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz

As local emergency rooms, urgent care centers and walk-in clinics fill with patients reporting respiratory distress, Tri-City doctors have a plea to employers: Be flexible.

If an employee calls in sick, do not require a note from a doctor.

Sick employees who can’t immediately access doctors often turn to emergency rooms that are already slammed with rising cases of influenza, RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) and Covid-19, according to Tri-City emergency physicians convened by the Benton-Franklin Health District to alert the community to the brewing crisis.

“It would be good if employers had some flexibility,” said Dr. John Matheson, ER director for Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland. He was joined by peers from Trios Southridge Hospital in Kennewick and Lourdes Medical Center in Pasco.

“For someone to come into the emergency room to get a note that says they can’t come into work may distract from other priorities,” he said.

Washington employers must provide at least one hour of paid sick leave for every 40 hours worked under a law that took effect in 2018.

The health district sounded the alarm Dec. 8, saying the tide of illness is overwhelming medical services. The health district together with ER managers urged residents to take precautions such as getting flu and Covid-19 vaccinations, wearing masks, washing hands and staying home when ill.

Emergency rooms have been slammed by rising cases. Dr. Larry Jecha, interim public health officer, said the numbers are rising.

“We are concerned with the activity we are seeing,” he said.

RSV and flu are running six to eight weeks ahead of schedule, with rising numbers reflected in ER visits and school absenteeism. Covid-19 numbers are stable, but Jecha said virus levels are increasing in local wastewater samples, signaling a rise in the general population.

“Don’t overload our health care system,” he said.

Heather Hill, the district’s public health nurse, said the data area hospitals submit is clear: The trend is going in the wrong direction.

“We know what’s coming into our emergency rooms,” she said. “It is extremely high right now for influenza and RSV.”

She added that the district has requested Tamiflu and other medications from the strategic national medical stockpile amid a nationwide shortage.

Dr. Matthew Lamb, medical director for Lourdes, calculates he has seen 500 patients in the emergency room in the past four weeks, an unusually high level of activity for the Pasco hospital. Respiratory illness is driving more patients to seek emergency care.

The emergency room is not the best place to go except in life-threatening situations, such as difficulty breathing, he warned.

Lamb encouraged patients to visit the emergency room in true emergencies, but to consider their primary care physician, an urgent care clinic or walk-in clinic for other care.

ER visitors should expect long wait times, he added.

All three hospitals confirm they face shortages of beds and hold patients in the emergency room until beds are available. Dr. Adam Smith, OB/GYN and medical chief of staff at Trios, said the Kennewick hospital is prepared, but encourages residents to avoid getting sick.

Avoiding illness is key to managing the crisis and preserving hospital capacity for true emergencies such as heart attacks, strokes, injuries and life-threatening crises. Simple precautions can be taken to avoid illness or reduce its severity, lessening demand on health care workers, the doctors said.

The health district confirmed flu shots remain widely available in the Tri-Cities and are effective at preventing influenza or reducing the severity. It also continues to encourage area residents to get the bivalent Covid-19 booster.

“We’d really like to prevent the illness to begin with,” Matheson said. “If you’re sick, stay home.”

Go to: bit.ly/BFHDRespiratory.

Hanford board seeks members

The Hanford Advisory Board is seeking applicants for several vacant seats.

The board is a nonpartisan group of local representatives that provides recommendations to the three parties responsible for the Hanford site cleanup. They include the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the state Department of Ecology.

Positions are open for the publicat-large seat, for a regional citizen, environmental or public interest organization with an interest in Hanford, and a representative from a local or regional public health organization.

Applications will be accepted through Dec. 31. Go to bit.ly/HABApplications.

DATEBOOK

VISIT TCJOURNAL.BIZ AND CLICK ON EVENT CALENDAR FOR MORE EVENTS.

DEC. 1-31

• Senske’s annual Holiday Light Show: 5 p.m.-midnight runs nightly in December, 400 N. Quay, Kennewick.

DEC. 2-31

• City of Richland Winter Wonderland: 5-9 p.m. runs nightly in December, John Dam Plaza, 815 George Washington Way, Richland. The stage, trees and park will be lit with thousands of dancing lights set to a soundtrack of holiday tunes.

DEC. 16

• Virtual Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program: 10-11 a.m. Program geared toward small businesses or startups developing innovative technology interested in selling that technology to federal agencies. Information at washingtonptac. ecenterdirect.com/events.

• Benton Franklin Transit and Townsquare Media Toy Trolley: 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Ranch & Home, 845 N. Columbia Center Blvd.,

Kennewick. Help fill the trolley with new, unwrapped gifts for kids up to age 17.

DEC. 17

• 44th Lampson Cable Bridge Run: 9 a.m.-noon. 1 mile, 5K, or 10K race/walk. Register at raceroster.com/events/2022/60214/ lampson-cable-bridge-run-202210k5k1-mile.

DEC 20

• Richland Chamber Luncheon: noon-1 p.m., Three Margaritas, 627 Jadwin Ave., Richland.

DEC. 31

• First Night Tri-Cities 2023: 4-9 p.m., Gesa Carousel of Dreams, 2901 Southridge Blvd., Kennewick. Carousel rides, live performances, face painting, virtual reality simulators, inflatables, games, fireworks show.

JAN. 4

• Virtual Procurement Technical Assistance Center

workshop, “Contracting Coffee Hour”: 8-10 a.m. Free forum with three retired contracting officers, a large business, small business liaison and a Procurement Technical Assistance Center counselor to answer questions. Details at washingtonptac. ecenterdirect.com/events.

JAN. 10

• PNNL lecture, “Quantum Computing: Potential and Prospects”: 5 p.m. via Zoom. Details at pnnl.gov/events.

JAN. 11

• West Richland Area Chamber of Commerce Membership Luncheon: noon-1:30 p.m., The Mayfield Gathering Place, 331 S. 41st Ave., West Richland. Details at westrichlandchamber.org.

JAN. 17

• Home Builders Association of Tri-Cities membership meeting: 11:30 a.m., Richland Courtyard, 480 Columbia Point Drive, Richland.

RSVP by calling 509- 735-2745 or email sarah@hbatc.com.

JAN.

19

• Columbia Basin Badger Club, “Around the World in 412 Days”: noon via Zoom. Hear tales from former Pasco Mayor Matt Watkins who toured the world by himself during the pandemic. Register at columbiabasinbadgers.com. Cost: $5 for nonmembers.

• Ag Hall of Fame Honors 2023 Inductees: 5 p.m., Red Lion Hotel and Conference Center, 2525 N. 20th Ave., Pasco. Purchase tickets at PascoChamber.org.

JAN. 26-27

• Tri-Cities Day at the Capitol: 11 a.m., The Olympia Hotel at Capitol Lake, 2300 Evergreen Park Drive SW, Olympia. The Tri-Cities Legislative Council will share its priorities with key legislators and leaders in state government and network with business leaders. Details at web. tricityregionalchamber.com/events.

OPINION

OUR VIEW

Pasco council gets serious about addressing ‘systemic issues’ at DPDA

By Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

The Pasco City Council faced a difficult decision in its final meeting of 2022. Should it fund the Downtown Pasco Development Authority, the troubled nonprofit responsible for managing the Pasco Specialty Kitchen, Cinco de Mayo, Fiery Foods Festival and downtown business revitalization efforts?

In the end, it said “yes,” voting 5-2 to award up to $240,000 to support operations in 2023, but with sensible conditions that include monthly meetings, a mid-year review and a council-ordered review by a consultant, set to begin in January.

There’s little question 2023 will be a make-or-break year for DPDA, created by the city and funded by city grants and donations. It has struggled under a series of setbacks and leadership changes in recent years.

DPDA has an enthusiastic new executive director, Jerry Martinez, whose optimism makes many in the community feel he is the person to lead the organization going forward.

The council made the correct decision when it agreed to fund the effort. To do otherwise would have kneecapped Martinez and his team as they work to restore trust in an organization that has suffered from “systemic issues,” according to the council.

This includes a five-figure financial hit

running the 2022 Cinco De Mayor celebration, one of Pasco’s marquee events.

Martinez requested $240,000 from the city to support operations, more than twice the $100,000 it received in the most recent funding cycle. The council put significant conditions on the money, including a requirement that DPDA officials report on their progress to the council every month.

DPDA will get $120,000 to support operations through June 1.

After that, it will receive up to $60,000 each in the third and fourth quarters if it proves it is meeting its obligations under its contract with the city. City government watchers can expect to see Martinez at the council’s public meetings.

Councilmen Pete Serrano and David Milne cast the two “no,” votes. Both signaled weariness sending money to an organization that has not succeeded in the past. Their concerns are warranted.

The remaining five took a leap of faith, giving DPDA a chance to prove itself, pending the consultant review. We look forward to hearing the consultant’s recommendations for DPDA, but this likely will not be available for at least six months.

In the interim, Councilman Irving Brown Sr., appointed to the council in July, said it better than we ever could:

“If we say we’re going to support them, we need to pull out all the stops and fully support them.”

Washington employers shine in annual awards ceremony

Washington is fortunate to be a state filled with strong, resilient and innovative employers.

We were reminded of that last month during the annual Association of Washington Business awards ceremony in Tacoma.

AWB handed out a record 13 awards at the Nov. 17 Evening of Excellence gala in categories ranging from Employer of the Year and Manufacturer of the Year, to Entrepreneur of the Year and Green Manufacturing.

The last few years have been exceptionally challenging for employers, but we can draw inspiration from the ways all the winners and finalists responded to challenge.

Like many employers, Richland-based Apogee Group – the 2022 Employer of the Year – shifted to remote work during the pandemic.

Owner Salina Savage continues to go out of her way to take care of employees of the program management and logistics company by paying 100% of the health insurance premiums for employees, among other benefits.

Step by Step, winner of the Washington Resiliency Award, opened Farm 12, a restaurant and event venue in Puyallup, just before the start of the pandemic.

They vowed not to lay off any employees for eight weeks. The business applied for loans, stayed on top of the ever-changing safety guidelines, offered counseling in response to rising mental health concerns, and raised money to

support staff and the community.

Eight weeks turned into twoand-a-half years, but no one lost their job and the restaurant never closed.

Supporting military veterans is another way Washington employers shine.

NineLine Veterans Services of Fife, winner of the Washington Veterans and Families Award, converted five homes into affordable shared housing for veterans in 2021, and continues to innovate new ways of providing transitional support for veterans, families and the broader community.

Senske Services of Kennewick, winner of the Excellence in Family-Owned Business Award, gives back to the communities it serves through several charitable activities. The company hosts an annual holiday light show at its headquarters on North Quay Street, near West Deschutes Avenue, that raises thousands of dollars for the local food bank.

Through its Decorated Family Program, Senske installs holiday lights for veterans and deployed military personnel.

Two of the winners have connec-

Optimism bubbles up for strong holiday shopping season

Despite higher prices, inflation and safety concerns, more Christmas shoppers are browsing online but making in-store purchases.

The National Retail Federation (NRF) reported this year an estimated 166.3 million people visited stores from Thanksgiving Day through Cyber Monday, 8 million more than last year and the highest level since NRF began tracking this data in 2017.

The good news extends to online sales.

E-commerce retail revenues this year are projected to grow to $554 billion compared to $360 billion in 2019, prior to the pandemic.

Black Friday continues to be the most popular in-store day with 114.9 million shopping followed by 63.9 million on Cyber Monday. Among those customers 67% say they expect to head to stores, up from 64% in 2021, NFR’s surveys showed.

The Seattle Times reported one major factor is shoppers’ declining fear of Co-

C. Brunell Business analyst

GUEST COLUMN

vid-19. Zachary Warring, an equity analyst at CFRA Research who focuses on consumer discretionary sales, added: “I think people will return (to physical stores) because overall people enjoy

… the atmosphere of brick-and-mortar shopping. It’s almost entertainment.”

Bloomberg reported a key reason for the sales’ uptick is retailers offered promotions earlier than normal to reduce excess inventory.

Business owners stocked up to avoid supply-chain shortages. However, fully stocked shelves and stuffed warehouses come with higher costs. The inflation rate is 7.75%, meaning an item which cost $1 a year ago is now $1.10.

That sales optimism is shared by the

Washington Retail Association.

Renée Sunde, WRA president, expects spending across our state to increase by as much as 8% this holiday season. Her optimism is tempered by increases in crime and theft.

Sunde told the Thurston County Chamber of Commerce: “Communities across the state are facing a staggering increase in theft and crime with growing concerns over safety at a time when the retail industry continues to recover from the impacts of the pandemic, the highest inflation in 40 years, retail workforce shortages, and supply chain challenges.”

Sunde noted that 25% of small businesses had to raise prices because of theft in their stores, and in some cases, because of organized retail theft that creates product shortages.

“The threat to personal safety is also impacting the mental well-being of a lot of employees. They felt threatened. What this is resulting in is employees that are afraid to come to work.”

Bloomberg’s Olivia Rockeman noted

that “early shoppers helped companies such as Macy’s avoid the worst-case scenario in the third quarter, loading up credit cards to absorb higher prices for food and household items while taking advantage of steep discounts for overstocked TVs and furniture.”

We likely will see more holiday hiring but with the trouble retailers and transportation companies are having attracting workers for normal business periods, it will be interesting to see how many workers these companies will be able to hire, Andrew Challenger, vice president of Challenger, Gray & Christmas, told RetailDive.com.

“The end of the expanded unemployment benefits may spur some workers to take these positions. However, myriad other issues could keep them from filling these roles, such as Covid concerns, vaccination statuses, childcare issues, and burnout,” Challenger said.

Bloomberg reported more than threequarters of customers expect to shop as

Kris Johnson Association of Washington Business

GUEST COLUMN

Don

Construction is limited to business hours and the property is borrowing its founder’s motto: It’ll be fun.

Still, the expansion of its dining program involves sacrifice. The decommissioned guest rooms generated about $50,000 each in annual revenue.

“We’re obviously hoping to make up that loss by increasing fee revenue, which we’re confident will happen,” he said.

The restaurant remodel began in December, when the two guest rooms were decommissioned. The upstairs kitchen will provide breakfast and limited service through the end of the month.

In January, work shifts to the main floor, where the commercial kitchen will be constructed with all-new equipment and the lobby/dining area will get a prop-

er makeover.

A temporary wall is dressed with photos supplied by Tri-City photographer Scott Butner.

Until the new kitchen is ready, The Lodge will rely on a rented food truck backed by the Water2Wine commissary kitchen to provide breakfast service to its guests as well as a limited menu. Guests will order from room service and not the food truck window, Gabbud said.

The new Drumheller’s is set to open in March with expanded seating both inside and on the patio. The new restaurant will seat 78-54 inside and 24 on the fireplace deck.

“The hospitality industry provides significant benefit to our community and it’s exciting to see continued investment into the visitor experience from our hotel

partners. The new main floor renovations will drive economic impact and support the growing tourism industry. We’re excited to experience the new amenities this spring,” said Kevin Lewis, president and CEO of Visit Tri-Cities.

Gabbud envisions all-day food service, a far cry from the limited offerings The Lodge opened with. He would like to offer brunch seven days a week, saying it is easier on staff and the kitchen to avoid the transition from a morning meal to an afternoon one by simply offering everything at once.

The longer hours will better serve guests, who typically check in between 3-4 p.m. and often want something to eat.

“We want to respond to that instead of losing them to Starbucks or whatever,” he said.

The renovations will upgrade special event offerings too, by expanding the River Room, The Lodge’s private event room on the second floor. The old kitchen is shrinking, with the space being added into the meeting room. It will expand seating by about 20% to serve up to 95 people, adding to its capacity to serve larger groups.

Chervenell Construction Co. of Kennewick is the contractor. Cole Martinez Curtis and Associates of Culver City, California, is the interior designer.

The Lodge at Columbia Point overlooks the Columbia Point Marina at 530 Columbia Point Drive in Richland. It is one of 48 Washington hotels rated four stars or above on Google and is the only one in southeastern Washington.

Go to lodgeatcolumbiapoint.com.

BRUNELL, From page A7

much as or more than in 2021. However, some consumers are relying more on credit and buy-now, pay-later options than they did a year ago. That is causing a drop-off in the savings rate.

As we face shaky economic times, that trend could be a huge problem in 2023.

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.

JOHNSON, From page A7

tions to the war in Ukraine. Safe Boats International, the 2022 Manufacturer of the Year, recently received the largest contract in company history to produce eight Mark VI patrol boats for the Ukraine Navy.

Seattle-based Brinc Drones, winner of the Manufacturing Excellence Award for Innovation, has manufactured drones that have been used to search for survivors in buildings hit by Russian missiles in Ukraine.

Washington has long been a leader on environmental issues, and that was evident in the awards. Bellevue-based QFC, winner of the Leading Environmental Practices Award, is working toward a goal of zero hunger and zero waste in the communities it serves.

In Spokane, Inland Empire Paper Company, winner of the Green Manufacturing award, has reduced its carbon footprint by 30,000 tons per year.

As we enter another period of uncertainty with concerns about a recession, continuing high inflation and a long legislative session scheduled to start in January, it’s clear that more challenges remain for employers and for the economy.

The annual award program was a great reminder that Washington’s employer community is strong, innovative and resilient.

Kris Johnson is president of the Association of Washington Business, the state’s chamber of commerce and manufacturers association.

State Supreme Court OKs capital gains tax collections, for now

By Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

A Nov. 30 order from the Washington State Supreme Court is injecting confusion into the controversy surrounding a capital gains tax approved by the 2021 Legislature.

The state’s high court said the Department of Revenue may begin collecting the tax in 2023 pending its own future ruling in a case that challenges the constitutionality of levying an excise tax on certain capital gains exceeding $250,000 or more.

And that is where the confusion comes in.

The tax takes effect Jan. 1, 2023, with the first payment due on or before April 18. The court hears the case on Jan. 26.

It is not clear if the court will rule on the constitutionality question before the April payment deadline, meaning the state could be compelled to refund payments if the tax is eventually overturned.

The Nov. 30 ruling in Chris Quinn v. State of Washington concerned whether the state could collect the tax after a Douglas County Superior Court judge said it was an unconstitutional graduated income tax and not an excise tax.

In a unanimous decision, the court said it could start collections pending an appeal by the state.

At the time, state Attorney General Bob Ferguson said there is a “great deal at stake” in the case and pledged to defend the law,

enacted by elected representatives in Olympia and signed by the governor.

“All the parties recognize this case will ultimately be decided by the state Supreme Court,” he said.

The 2021 Legislature passed ESSB 5096 creating a 7% tax on the sale or exchange of long-term capital assets such as stocks, bonds, business interests and other investments and tangible assets. It applies only to individuals after a deduction of $250,000. There are exceptions for real estate and certain other investments.

Jason Mercier, the Kennewick-based director of government reform for the Washington Policy Center, has been a dogged opponent of the tax whose research forms

the basis for the legal challenge in Douglas County.

Essentially, it argues that despite characterizing the tax as an excise tax on activities, capital gains tax is an income tax.

WPC and opponents maintain graduated income taxes run afoul of a century of Washington case law and more than 10 statewide ballot requests seeing to establish a statewide income tax, typically to tame fluctuations in state sales tax and property tax revenue.

Washington voters have rejected income taxes in any form and by wide margins every time it has gone to a ballot.

Mercier amassed testimony from other states and the Internal Revenue Service that they treat capital gains as income for tax purposes.

“Every other state with a capital gains tax clearly acknowledges that it is an income tax,” WPC argues.

Creating an excise tax on capital gains could affect Washington taxpayers’ federal income taxes.

Excise taxes are not deductible on federal returns, but income taxes are. The policy center cautions that the IRS may not allow Washington residents to deduct capital gains taxes, putting the state at a competitive disadvantage.

That is a theme taken up by U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Sunnyside, who testified in opposition to the bill in Olympia in 2021. He slammed it again after the Nov. 30 ruling allowed collections to begin.

“I am deeply disappointed in the governor’s continued destructive attempts to raise taxes on Washingtonians and take away one of our state’s best competitive advantages to attract new business,” he said in a statement.

Newhouse predicted “chaos” if the Supreme Court decides the capital gains tax is unconstitutional and the money must be refunded.

Go to bit.ly/DORCapitalGainsExplainer.

3RCF launches an online giving platform

3 Rivers Community Foundation has launched an online giving platform for holiday community giving. The grant catalog makes community giving easy for everyone and welcomes all sizes of donations.

“This is the first time we have offered a ‘crowd-funding style’ of community giving. There are 26 participating area nonprofit organizations in the catalog that will benefit greatly from online giving this holiday season. These are organizations we support and have vetted through an application process, evaluation and interviews,” said 3RCF’s Chief Executive Officer Abbey Cameron.

Each nonprofit listed is local and supports a wide variety of causes, from arts to youth programs.

The website can be found at 3rcf.org/ grantcatalog.

This month, the foundation will distribute a total of 59 grants to area nonprofits for a total of $270,000. It hopes to attach another $100,000 through this first-time online platform.

uBUSINESS BRIEF

Pasco destination boutique promises to make it a worthwhile trip

By Laura Kostad for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

Nestled between a tree-lined drive and active farmland is a greenhouse and rustic-modern home goods destination boutique.

Located at 270 Helm Drive in Pasco, Market North Co. is about a five-minute drive from the Road 68 Walmart, yet it offers visitors a rural setting away from the hustle and bustle of the busy Pasco shopping area.

On offer is a mix of trendy yet tasteful high-quality home furnishings and décor, kitchen items, baby, kids, women’s clothing, indoor and outdoor plants, candles, honey, locally-made personal care products and more, accompanied by a coffee counter selling steaming brews, tea and smoothies.

Market North celebrates two years in business this month.

“The customers have been great. Even having it this far out, it’s actually gone really good. The locals in our community are really supportive and want to see small business thrive. It’s amazing to see the support,” said owner Britany Tapani. The shop next door

The idea for the boutique evolved over time, starting out with successful annual yard sales of thrifted finds held with friends.

“We had a lot of people coming to those events and it gave us the idea to have an actual building and a store,” Ta-

pani said.

Another factor that inspired her to shift to a brick-and-mortar shop was seeing friends’ success while operating similar stores in other areas. “I realized we didn’t really have anything like this in Tri-Cities,” she said.

When her youngest started school, she also had more time on her hands to make it possible.

“I don’t like to be gone a lot, so I said if I was going to do something, it has to be at my house,” she said.

Her husband, Brad, has a background in construction and runs the other family businesses, Peak Contractors Inc. and Silverline LLC, both in Kennewick.

The couple drew on their experience to build the shop next door to their family home.

Market North started out being open one weekend per month, then ramped up to every Friday and Saturday.

Opening during the pandemic in December 2020 wasn’t bad for business either. “People were looking for something to do that felt normal,” Tapani said.

Growing the business

January 2022 saw a revamp of the space with the addition of a checkout counter and more display walls. A restroom, back room and the coffee counter also were added.

The greenhouse arrived this past summer to accommodate the seasonal sale of indoor and outdoor plants. Tapani loves to garden, cultivating her own plants in

“It’s a hobby that’s gotten a little bigger than I intended,” she said with

hobby is gardening. I’m the

a smile. “I love re-envisioning and refreshing my home with new decor and my

addition to sourcing them from Walla Walla Nursery.

biggest

Courtesy Britany Tapani Britany Tapani, right, stands with her niece, Laura Tanninen, at Market North Co., located on Tapani’s rural property at 270 Helm Drive in north Pasco. Visitors will find a greenhouse full of houseplants and herbs sourced locally, as well as a boutique featuring a curated collection of home décor, housewares, personal care items, children’s clothing, toys, accessories and more.

New program accepts students to college without applying, taking tests

By Robin Wojtanik for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

A new program could help more local students get accepted to multiple Washington state universities – without them ever applying.

The Guaranteed Admissions Program, or GAP, is now available to students in the Kennewick, Richland and Kiona-Benton City school districts.

Students must have a minimum 3.0 grade-point average and be on schedule to complete their foundational “college track” courses in high school.

The three districts are among 66 districts or schools participating on an opt-in basis by sharing data on students, unless a family opts out. This is how students could receive five letters of admission to state schools, before applying or taking the SAT or ACT.

If a student meets standard guaranteed admission requirements, they’d follow up with an application to make it official and check on scholarship eligibility.

Schools that are part of the program include nearly all of Washington’s public colleges: Central Washington University, Eastern Washington University, The Evergreen State College, Washington State University and Western Washington University. Not on the list is the University of Washington.

“Our public baccalaureate institutions are really just repackaging programs that have existed for a while in a new way to centralize and streamline that for students,” said Julie Garver of Council of Presidents.

“We need to make sure we are carrying the message that our schools want Washington students. We want to welcome them into our institutions, and students can go to college here, if there is a desire.”

The GAP is being spearheaded by the Council of Presidents, an association made up of Washington’s six public bac-

calaureate-degree granting universities. The council employs three people and describes itself as “a common voice for the public baccalaureate sector” and a “trusted resource for decision-makers on issues affecting public higher education.”

Closing the gap

It’s no coincidence the acronym for the new program spells the word “gap,” as the council is focused on closing the gap between high school graduates and the interest in four-year public higher education, as 40% of Washington high school graduates do not attend any college after high school, including both two-year and four-year institutions.

“I’ve been in Washington since ’07, and we have ranked 45% or below almost that whole entire time,” Garver said.

The pandemic, of course, did not help, as the Seattle Times reported enrollment dropped nearly 7% across all four-year institutions in Washington between fall 2019 and fall 2021, with the largest drop at Evergreen, which saw enrollment decrease by nearly 30%.

The council said Washington ranks 48th among states for participation in four-year public higher education at the undergraduate level for U.S. population ages 20-34, besting only Massachusetts and Illinois.

Finding the source of that poor ranking is the nut that hasn’t quite been cracked. Garver called the issue “complex,” with no one reason to blame.

“We don’t have great data, both qualitative and quantitative, with families in Washington to say what is it exactly. Is it a pinch point around finances? Is it a perception that a four-year degree doesn’t have value? The student debt issue? Our sector is interested in having conversations about how the public baccalaureates could do some firm data so we can understand that. There’s a lot of things that adults think that aren’t even on the radar of students or families,” she said.

Hanford High School Counselor Julianne Atencio sees a wide range of interests in post-graduation paths, including trade schools and the military. “I think that whatever we can do to have students understand there’s a path for them after school is a great option, including those kids who don’t know exactly what they want to do,” she said.

After the pandemic, the Council of Presidents learned students crave certainty, Garver said.

“There are multiple ways to go to college. Helping students have clear objectives about one way they may get in, opens up the whole conversation around admissions, and that you are college material. We want to reach the students in Washington who are capable of getting that degree, but who may, for a variety of reasons, opt themselves out of that pathway,” she said.

High interest

The GAP is building on a pilot program launched last year. The council expected to partner with about 10 districts when it first put feelers out last year.

Instead, more than 50 districts and individual schools signed up.

The association was forced to build the initiative while launching the pilot, making adjustments along the way.

“We had 200 unique applicants we would never have picked up in any of our recruitment, or any of our processes, who were picked up through the GAP last year,” Garver said.

During a fall 2022 tour of the state, the

council continued to get the word out, and by the end of September, it had data-sharing agreements and a letter of support from superintendents or principals in time to launch the program in dozens more Washington locations for the current school year, and the association is keeping a list for those to add in the future.

There’s no dollar figure connected to the program, which was created using existing resources and staff. All participating schools, except WWU, already had a framework in place for guaranteed admissions, so the process was simplified.

“Through the GAP, students recognize our commitment to them and realize our institutions want them to continue to learn and thrive in Washington. The GAP also motivates students to continue excelling and helps them discover meaningful career options that go beyond grades and GPAs,” said Jana Jaraysi, director of admissions for Eastern Washington University.

With no overhead and high interest, it begs the question: Could GAP expand to support all 295 public school districts in Washington state?

“That is our goal,” Garver said. “There are two limits to this. One, we need to be aware of staffing resources with our K-12 partners and with the processing for our institutions. I don’t think it’d be a lot of staffing to add, potentially a part-time person. The other barrier for a district is we have to have a data-sharing agreement, and that’s a very homegrown process, so that would

Kim

Register now for Tri-Cities Day in Olympia

The Tri-Cities Legislative Council holds its Capitol Day in Olympia on Jan. 26, its first since 2020.

The event offers the community an opportunity to share local priorities with key lawmakers and leaders in state government.

The registration deadline is Jan. 9. Contact the Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce for information, 509-736-0510, or info@tricityregionalchamber.com Go to bit.ly/TriCitiesDay.

Partners sought for MLK Day of Service

Tri-City businesses are encouraged to donate items for distribution during the 2023 Martin Luther King Day of Service, observed on Jan. 16.

The Tri-Cities Diversity and Inclusion Council, in partnership with Hapo Credit Union and Lutheran Community Services Northwest, will hold a drive-thru distribution event from 10 a.m.-noon at Gesa Stadium in Pasco.

Businesses are asked to sponsor the event or donate essential items to support the cause of aiding 2,000 people. Sponsors may set up information tables and encourage their teams to volunteer by signing up at bit.ly/TriCitiesMLKDay.

Fire prompts closure of Clover Island boat launch

The Clover Island boat launch is closed until further notice after a Dec. 7 fire within the Clover Island Yacht Club’s boat house moorage.

The public launch, owned by the Port of Kennewick, was closed at the direction of the state Department of Ecology.

The closure allows time for removal and

cleanup of debris from the fire.

Two of the yacht club boat houses burned and several other adjacent boat houses suffered exterior damage. Boat houses are boat storage shelters and are not residential buildings.

Responders placed floating booms within the marina to capture any materials, chemicals or spilled fuel.

Richland receives grants to improve congestion, pedestrian safety

The state Transportation Improvement Board awarded 173 street and multimodal improvement grants to local agencies totaling over $126 million at its Dec. 2 meeting.

Grants were awarded to agencies through seven programs.

Here are local projects receiving funding:

Richland received $225,324 toward its $304,493 project to improve pedestrian

safety along Jadwin Avenue from Davenport to Gillespie streets.

Richland also received $3.5 million toward its $16.8 million project to improve downtown connectivity on George Washington Way and Jadwin Avenue from Bradley Boulevard to Torbett Street. The project will reconfigure the streets into one-way couplets with George Washington having three through-lanes northbound and Jadwin three through-lane southbound.

Benton City received $401,901 toward its $423,054 project for its 2022 seal coat program at multiple locations.

Prosser received $171,000 for its $1.7 million project to improve pedestrian safety from Old Inland Empire Highway to Wine Country Road.

Kahlotus received $113,900 to fully fund its 2022 crack seal program at multiple locations.

Mesa received $30,000 to fully fund its 2022 maintenance projects at multiple locations.

be challenging to grow to 295. Not impossible but challenging.”

Garver anticipates future legislation could help streamline the program further to allow more participants. The council also is starting the conversation earlier, engaging juniors and seniors this year to familiarize them in enough time to ready them for admission by 12th grade.

“When we talk to our K-12 partners, they were very clear there’s a lot of noise in high school,” Garver said. “Senior year is extremely noisy with all kinds of things

and freshman year is really noisy with a lot of stuff coming in. So how do we do this strategically that we’re not adding to the noise, because we don’t want students to shut that out too early.”

The hope is that the light touch communication begins in 11th grade with word trickling down from older siblings and students.

Garver believes they’re also up against a perception that Washington’s higher education is elitist and not open to B- or Cgrade students, or those who took applied courses or a gap year.

“We are trying to communicate that you have six institutions, some with multiple campuses, that are really different, and they’re there to provide a variety of options for Washington students to find that right fit,” she said.

Still, Garver recognizes there are more students with housing or food insecurity or living in poverty, and thinks these issues need to be addressed globally so that students can consider college.

The council expects employers to create approximately 373,000 net new jobs in the state by 2026, with more than two-thirds of those expected to require a post-high school credential.

“What we’re really excited about is the power of a student who did not think they could go to college, walking into a counselor’s office with five admissions, saying, ‘Oh my gosh, what do I do next? I didn’t even know I could go to college,’ ” Garver said.

Combine this with the first-generation

families or those who have an outdated perception on admission, and Garver hopes the GAP is changing the overall idea on accessibility to Washington state’s public universities.

“College doesn’t look like perhaps what your parents or what you may think it looks like on TV,” she said.

The GAP might catch students who didn’t think college was an option for them, Atencio said. “They’ve already heard it from their school, ‘Yeah, you can do this,’ but maybe hearing it from the college is going to give them that extra push of, ‘Wow, they really do want me,’ ” she said.

The GAP is part of a three-year datasharing agreement, and expected to last well beyond that, so this admission offer isn’t likely to expire with current high school students.

Go to: councilofpresidents.org.

Memorial designer becomes fourth generation to serve grieving families

By Robin Wojtanik for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

Sixty-five years after her great-grandfather developed Einan’s Funeral Home, Rory Hollick is now the fourth generation to work there – and you might say she designed her own niche position.

Hollick is Sunset Garden’s first memorial designer, working with families and the engraving company to create custom markers for those who are entombed at the Richland memorial site. “Markers” make up an all-encompassing term for headstones, statues, cremation plaques and more.

She earned a degree in fine arts from Central Washington University after her first job working the grounds at Sunset Gardens, alongside her two siblings. The trio followed in the footsteps of their parents and grandparents who all worked the grounds at one point or another.

“I’ve always been around the cemetery, with my dad, working the grounds crew or every once in a while being brought out to kind of explore,” Hollick said. “So, I’ve always felt comfortable in a cemetery, and it actually surprises me when people get like, ‘Oh, a cemetery?’ It’s not creepy. It’s fine, so that has never been strange to me.”

While at least one person from every Einan’s generation has worked full time at the Richland site since its inception, Hollick might not have expected she would be the one from her generation to fill that role since she gravitated toward art.

“I was always doodling in the margins while growing up,” she said. “It helped me focus while listening to people. Then I started taking my art seriously in high school. That’s when I felt like the actual technical skill came alongside the creative, and I was like, ‘OK, I can do this now.’ ”

Her passions include painting and photography, but her role at Sunset Gardens

calls for frequent hand-drawn sketches. She serves as a go between in a couple roles. The counselors who meet with families to plan a funeral and burial now pass the final step to Hollick, who works with the clients to design a marker.

“That’s the last thing they’re going to do in the process, and it takes a little time, and some families find it’s tough making those decisions because once they’re done, they’re done, and it’s going to be there forever. So we want to get it right,” said Pat Hollick, general manager of Sunset Gardens and Rory’s father.

An artist’s eye

In the position since June, Rory has designed more than 60 markers and increased her knowledge of the mediums available, including the variety of types of granite, which is most popular, as well as bronze. She also serves as the liaison between the families and the monument company, which creates a proof to review before a mold is created or an engraving

is done.

“There can be limitations on what the company can do, and so they’ll let me know if it’s not going to work because the design is too small for the stone, and I can adapt to that,” Rory said.

Pat also shared that not all types of granite work well in the Tri-Cities’ desert climate, especially when combined with irrigation, and Einan’s want to make sure the display remains as prominent and legible as possible.

Rory finds that much of her responsibility includes art direction, where she takes the vision from the family and puts it

to paper. She’ll use her formal training to sketch out a design using her knowledge of the graphics available from the engraver. Seeing a sketch on paper tends to create a better result for all involved.

“I found early on, when you just try to type something out and be like, ‘They want this, this and this,’ and when it would come back, I’d think, ‘That’s not what I meant.’ So, I quickly moved into just drawing it out, so it translates a lot easier and I’ve been getting proofs from (the monument company) a lot faster with that method because it’s already laid out,” Rory said.

Rory has been especially proud of the custom designs she has created for some clients who gave her artistic license to go beyond the pre-designed graphics available for use.

This was the case with the headstone for Paul Hohenberg, the father of Ken Hohenberg, the retired longtime Kennewick police chief and current Port of Kennewick commissioner.

“We wanted something that would really not only memorialize his time in World War II as part of the Greatest Generation, but also honor him as an individual, and it really exceeded expectations. (Rory) should be proud of when she created, I don’t think anyone could have captured it any better,” Ken Hohenberg said.

Einan’s origins

Einan’s Funeral Home began in 1957

Photo by Robin Wojtanik

Pat, from left, Rory and Bonnie Hollick continue the family atmosphere at Sunset Gardens, decades after Rory’s great-grandparents started Einan’s Funeral Home.

with Duaine and Bobbie Einan, Pat’s wife’s grandparents, who volunteered their services to help manage Resthaven Cemetery at 700 Williams Blvd. in Richland. Eventually a community vote formed the Richland Cemetery Association with the purpose of serving the burial and memorial needs of the region.

A volunteer board still governs the organization, and it was the association that bought 70 acres off the Bypass Highway to develop the city’s second cemetery, Sunset Gardens. The funeral home and crematorium were moved to the same location in 1970.

“My wife’s dad and his partners actually sold the funeral home to the association so it’s part of the nonprofit,” Pat said. “The nonprofit can own the funeral home, but it just can’t run the day-to-day operations. It’s now the cemetery’s investment with separate boards and separate managers. The cemetery board has influence over its investment, of course, but they’re separated. I think we’re the area’s largest nonprofit cemetery.”

“By owning the funeral home, it’s protected from being purchased by a conglomerate that doesn’t care about this area, whereas we care about this funeral home,” said Bonnie Hollick, née Einan.

Bonnie is Einan’s office manager in the same way her mother and grandmother were. Bonnie sees her daughter as thriving in this new position that has benefited the whole team.

“Besides having a job format that she’s never done before, I’ve also noticed the families reacting very well to her. They’re

very open and very comfortable with her. I don’t know if knowing that she has a background in art makes them even more relaxed.”

It’s a role Rory takes seriously.

“I think growing up with a better understanding of the importance of memorializing those who have passed, and making sure there’s something there, even if it’s something minor, like their name on a wall, is still something you can come and look at. Even if years from now none of the family members are around, someone can still come and say, ‘That person was here.’ I think that’s important,” she said.

ENERGY, From page A1

“That’s the kind of thing that can happen here,” he said. He anticipates broad support for the institute in Olympia.

“I am cautiously optimistic about legislative support for this idea because it is so in keeping with the DNA of the state of Washington to recognize the power of R&D,” he said.

Haynes, who leads the WSU Tri-Cities campus, said the institute will hire eight to 10 professors to begin and will tap into the WSU system’s network of research institutes, including the bioscience facilities on her campus.

The Tri-Cities is well positioned to capitalize on its abundant energy resources – hydro, nuclear, wind, solar and biomass.

Her boss, Kirk Schultz, president of

WSU, credited her for making energy a focus of the campus, one of five in the system.

“I want us to be tackling the tough problems. I don’t want us to be working at the margins,” he said.

Boehnke, the House member who will take his seat in the state senate in January, is a longtime advocate for building on the Mid-Columbia’s energy assets, including its physical capacity to generate power as well as the technical know-how of its many engineers and scientists.

“Do we want to be known as the center of the universe for clean energy? Yes.”

Search Editor’s note: Learn more about how the Tri-Cities is embracing its role as a center for clean energy technology in the special Energy section included in this edition of the Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business.

Photo by Robin Wojtanik Rory Hollick custom designed the headstone for the late Paul Hohenberg, father of Port of Kennewick Commissioner Ken Hohenberg, who retired earlier this year as Kennewick’s chief of police.

By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz

A small Kennewick nonprofit is rebranding itself as demand rises for its English classes.

Family Learning Center, now B5, offers English classes and a range of other services to support clients director Theresa Roosendaal prefers to call “newcomers,” often refugees arriving from Afghanistan, Somalia, Central America and other spots.

The new name reflects the number of the Central Park Apartments unit it calls home and has been its informal name for several years.

The volunteer-led organization launched its Limited English Proficiency class early this year under a contract with the state. The contract with the state required it to find at least 10 qualified stu-

401(k), IRA limits

increase in 2023

The maximum contribution individuals can add to 401(k) retirement plans in 2023 increases to $22,500, from $20,500 in 2022.

Income ranges for determining eligibility to make deductible contributions to traditional IRAs, contribute to Roth IRAs and to claim the Saver’s Credit also increase, according to the Internal Revenue Service.

dents. By July it had 30 and by November, about 60, Roosendaal said.

Students are referred to by the state Department of Social and Health Services when language is a barrier to finding employment. Classes are taught by certified teachers and meet 12 hours a week at the Boys and Girls Club Kennewick Clubhouse, with child care available.

It is similar to the ESL classes at Columbia Basin College but tailored to a different audience.

“We are not competing with CBC,” Roosendaal said.

English classes are one of the ways B5 helps newly arrived immigrants and refugees build new lives in an unfamiliar culture where may speak no English.

It helps families with school registration and supports clients who are studying to take the test to become U.S. citizens.

The contribution limit for employees who participate in 401(k), 403(b), most 457 plans and the federal government’s Thrift Savings Plan will increase to $22,500.

The limit on annual contributions to an IRA will increase to $6,500. The IRA catch-up contribution limit for individuals age 50 and over is not subject to an annual cost-of-living adjustment and remains $1,000.

The catch-up contribution limit for employees age 50 and over who participate in 401(k), 403(b), most 457 plans and the

It relies on volunteers and goodwill to carry out its mission to create a community of open hearts, helping hands and support systems where “strangers become friends and we all thrive.”

“The key to helping people thrive in the community is having strong relationships with Americans who care about them and care about helping them integrate,” Roosendaal said.

B5 is not a job placement agency. That responsibility rests with World Relief TriCities, part of a global Christian humanitarian organization that settles refugees and immigrants in new communities.

Promoting English is a priority because it helps newcomers secure employment and financial stability.

“That’s a real pool of people for employers,” she said.

It partners with the Kennewick School District to assist students as they assimi-

federal government’s Thrift Savings Plan will increase to $7,500.

The catch-up contribution limit for employees age 50 and over who participate in SIMPLE plans will increase to $3,500, up from $3,000.

The phase-out ranges for deducting contributions to a traditional IRA will also increase. Taxpayers should review Notice 2022-55 regarding the details for their situation.

The income phase-out range for people making contributions to a Roth IRA will increase for taxpayers filing as single, head

late into school and places a high priority on helping teens secure driver’s licenses.

“Many are the primary driver for the family,” she said.

B5 is looking to move beyond the Central Park apartments it calls home. It was set up there because the complex is often a first stop for newly arrived families and it likes to be part of the community.

It intends to build its own building next to the Boys and Girls Clubhouse, which is nearby, on land that is being gifted.

In 2023, it will launch a capital campaign to raise money to construct a 4,500-square-foot building with classrooms, offices, a kitchen and other facilities.

In the interim, it relies on volunteers and charitable contributions to carry out its work.

Go to flcatb5.org.

of household and married filing jointly. Again, taxpayers should consult Notice 2022-55 for specifics about their situation.

The income limit for the Saver’s Credit for low- and moderate-income workers is $73,000 for married couples filing jointly; $54,750 for heads of household; and $36,500 for singles and married individuals filing separately.

The amount individuals can contribute to their SIMPLE retirement accounts will increase to $15,500.

Go to irs.gov.

YEAR IN REVIEW

By Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

Our online readers love their restaurant and retail news.

Four of the stories on our most-read story list from 2022 involve places to eat – new restaurants opening, owners retiring, planned expansions. Three involve retail news.

Two of our top read stories of 2022 were from 2021: Amazon confirms plans to build two Pasco distribution centers (bit.ly/Amazonwarehouses) and Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen’s menu coming to Kennewick (bit.ly/popeyes-Kenn). This makes sense since both projects moved from construction planning stages to actual buildings taking shape and generating excitement.

Here’s a look at the top news stories of 2022, according to tcjournal.biz readers:

1. Old Sears store to welcome new tenant (bit.ly/SearsNewTenant): When the Kennewick Sears store closed in 2019, everyone wondered what would happen to the empty space at Columbia Center mall. Our October story outlined Joann’s plans to move its sewing and crafts store into a portion of the building. It’s set to open in April.

2. Owners of Pasco’s oldest restaurant to retire (bit.ly/ChineseGardensRetire): Chinese Gardens at 1520 N. Fourth Ave. is Pasco’s oldest continuously operating restaurant since late founder Jack Lee opened it in 1965. Our April story reported on the popular eatery’s history and current owner Ted and Amy Wong’s plans to retire.

3. Facing eviction, Veterans Thrift offers discounts to clear out store (bit. ly/VetThrift): We posted this story about Veterans Warehouse Thrift’s plans to clear its inventory in advance of eviction on Veterans Day, Nov. 11. The store opened in 2021. Founder Thelbert M. “Thadd” Lawson Jr. said he hopes to open

a new Tri-City location soon.

4. Bookwalter launches Fable so Fiction restaurant can soar (bit.ly/BookwalterFiction): This April story reported on John Bookwalter’s plan to transform the former R.F. McDougall’s Irish Pub & Eatery into a mid-level restaurant, Fable, so his winery restaurant, Fiction, can focus on highend fare. Construction is underway at the riverside location.

5. Clover Island buyer plans micro apartments (bit.ly/CloverIslandbuyer): This January story outlined a Portlandarea developer’s plan to convert the Clo-

ver Island Inn in Kennewick into microapartments. The deal later fell apart when the Port of Kennewick, which owns the land under the hotel, declined to sell it to Fortify Holdings.

6. Prosser Memorial to break ground on $78 million hospital complex (bit.ly/ PMHcomplex): This February story high-

Swigg Coffee Bar

Prosser Memorial Hospital

Chinese Gardens

Joann’s

lighted Prosser Memorial Health plans to replace its aging hospital with a $78 million hospital complex on 33 acres north of Interstate 82.

7. Wanted: new owner for old-fashioned Kennewick store (bit.ly/BasinDeptSale): This June story shared the news about the longtime Kennewick work and safety equipment store being for sale. Stuart Logg has worked for the family business started by his father, Don, for 60 of its 69 years. He says he’s ready to enjoy a relaxed retirement. The business is for sale. For details, go to bit.ly/BasinDepartmentStore.

8. New coffee shop aims to become the Tri-City’s new favorite (bit.ly/SwiggCoffee): This October story introduced the caffeinated dream from the ownership

team of developers Lori and Jeff Wenner and coffee shop leader Jerick Guilliam. They envision Swigg Coffee Bar as the next “it” coffee chain in the Tri-Cities. Swigg serves up quality coffee along with locally-made breakfast foods from Tsp Bake Shop and El Fat Cat Grill.

9. Group to launch entertainment center with activities for all ages (bit.ly/ QuakeEpicenter): This March story was about a group of families, led by the Detricks, who want to build a 40,000-squarefoot entertainment center featuring trampolines, arcades, laser tag, maze, golf simulators and more at 106904 E. Detrick PR SE in Kennewick. An update on the project: a $5.8 million building permit was issued in October. The company’s social media channels say to expect a spring completion date.

10. Unique food park opening this fall in Kennewick (bit.ly/UniqueFoodKenn): This May story highlighted Joo Seok Baek’s unique food park, called 1derful Food Park – pronounced “wonderful,” planned at 6494 Skagit Ave., just off Canal Drive between McDonald’s and Sportsman’s Warehouse in Kennewick. The complex will have seven 400-squarefoot kitchens with outdoor seating and an

indoor court to accommodate diners during the winter season and restrooms. Baek of Richland will open Korean barbecue restaurant.

Our Building Tri-Cities section also proved popular with online readers. It’s an advertising feature showcasing new construction projects and the contractors who work on them. Check them out at: bit.ly/Buildingtc.

1derful Food Park

Number of employees you oversee: Approximately 23

Briefly describe the Tri-Cities Airport:

PSC is a small hub commercial service airport that serves Southeast Washington and Northeast Oregon. The airport served 347,438 enplaned passengers in 2021 (Federal Aviation Administration data). This is down slightly from our peak in 2019 of 438,015.

PSC is the third largest commercial service airport in the state of Washington and the 142nd largest out of 518 in the country.

How did you land your current role? How long have you worked in airports?

I was employed at the airport as the deputy director of airports since 2011 and was promoted to airport director in 2017. I have worked at four different airports over 21 years.

Why should Tri-Citians care about the airport?

The more the community supports PSC and chooses to use it, the more it makes the airlines want to add seats, add routes, or entice new airlines to

BUCK TAFT Manager Tri-Cities Airport

serve our region. The busier we are, the easier it is for me to recruit new services to the market.

The community is doing a great job of this!! Keep it up.

How did the pandemic affect airport operations? Has well has it recovered in 2022?

The pandemic crushed airport operations. The overall impact was much more significant than that of the September 2001 attacks. The airport has recovered most of our passengers, and we expect a full recovery by the end of 2024.

What would you like to see happen in 2023?

I would like to see a return of our pre-pandemic flight numbers and passenger enplanements. I would also like to see the addition of new destinations into our market.

Can you provide updates about additional flights? What destinations would you most like to add?

I am always working to add additional flights and new markets. Our current priorities are Dallas, Texas; Los Angeles, California; and Portland,

Oregon. My wish list city would be Palm Springs, California.

What is one characteristic that you believe every leader should possess?

The ability to communicate effectively throughout all levels of the organization and the community.

What is the biggest challenge facing the air transportation industry today?

The current labor shortage is impacting airports across the country.

Airlines are struggling to find pilots, and this is creating a reduction in flights. Ground handlers are struggling to hire the appropriate staff to load, deplane, park, etc., causing delays when they have a crew to fly the aircraft.

At PSC, this issue has been managed well throughout the pandemic and now during the recovery. The local managers have been good at hiring the right people and creating environments in which people want to work.

If you had a magic wand, what would you change about air travel and transportation?

I would like to make the experience enjoyable again. Everyone always seems so stressed when they come through the airport and I completely understand why. I wish traveling by air could be fun, easy and enjoyable again.

What advice would you give someone going into a leadership position for the first time?

To be as flexible as possible. As a leader you deal with so many different

Buck Taft

variables, it is important to not be rigid and to bend when you need to as well as stand firm when needed.

Who are your role models or mentors?

Eric Frankl is the current president and CEO of the Lexington Blue Grass Airport in Lexington, Kentucky. I worked with Eric at my first airport in Springfield, Illinois, and he was the first person to really help guide me in my career and has continued to be a mentor to this day.

Philip Brown was the airport director in McAllen, Texas, who gave me my first opportunity in the management side of an airport. He opened a door and

provided a mentorship that was priceless.

How do you keep your employees motivated?

Keeping employees motivated can be tough at times. I try to create an environment in which people enjoy coming to work. I understand not everyone is going to love their job every day, but if you can create a positive and safe environment, people will motivate themselves.

How did you decide to pursue this career?

I don’t know if “decide” is the proper term. After college I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do.

I was looking at flying for the Air

Force or the airlines, I also thought about working for the airlines on the management side.

I got offered a job as a custodian at the local airport and I took the opportunity while I tried to figure out what I wanted to do. Three months later, the Sept. 11 attacks occurred, and I was offered a full-time job in a newly formed Airport Operations Department.

The rest is history.

How do you measure success in your workplace?

There are so many metrics we could use to measure the success of an airport. Passenger enplanements, revenue, capital projects, grant awards, etc., but for me continuing to operate a safe and efficient operation that provides a

value to the community is how I would measure it.

What do you consider your leadership style to be?

I am a collaborative leader that is not afraid to make decisions, who places a premium on communicating.

How do you balance work and family life?

I do my best to compartmentalize and try keep work at work and home at home.

What do you like to do when you are not at work?

Currently I am a sports dad to three children. We are involved in soccer, basketball, swimming, wrestling and anything else they want to do. When it comes to what I like to do, I really enjoy shooting sports such as 5 stand, sporting clays and skeet.

What’s your best time management strategy?

I don’t know if it counts as time management, but I just try to prioritize the most important projects and focus my energy on the projects that really need it.

What’s your favorite TV show?

The only show that I DVR and try to watch daily would be “Pardon the Interruption” on ESPN.

One of my fondest childhood memories of this time of year was listening to the deep baritone of English actor Basil Rathbone as he narrated Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” on my parents’ record player. (Yes, I know that dates me.)

It made a toys-under-the-tree obsessed kid actually think about people I hadn’t seen. Kids who didn’t have toys under the tree.

As we celebrate the holidays this year, I’d like to bring a Dickensian perspective to the economy of the greater Tri-Cities. In particular, let’s look at those members of this community, now over 300,000 souls, whose lives look more like Tiny Tim than comfortable, middle-class Americans.

Over the columns of the past year, we’ve celebrated some good economic news, including the recent rise in median household and per capita incomes, seen in Benton-Franklin Trends data.

Increases in these key measures have outpaced the nation. The measures are covered by the Trends because, as middle values, they summarize lots of information in one number. But like all middle values, they don’t tell the entire story or address all our questions.

21st century America is acutely interested in the distribution of income and wealth.

Trends data includes a classic measure of income distribution, by quintiles. There’s more information to be

gleaned from this indicator that can be covered in the confines of this column. But let’s summarize the results by comparing the ratio of total income claimed by the upper 20% of households to the income claimed by the bottom 20% of households.

For 2021, the ratio was 11.9. This implies that the average household in the top 20% claimed nearly 12 times as much income as the average household in the bottom 20%.

It seems like a huge disparity. And it is compared to Canada, Germany or Japan, via a slightly different calculation from the economists at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

Set against the U.S. and even Washington, however, the two counties fare relatively well. In the U.S., the same ratio in 2021 was 17.3; for the state, 15.8. The gap between rich and poor here is large, but not as large as elsewhere in the U.S.

Significantly, the top-to-bottom quintile ratio has shrunk over the past 15 years in the greater Tri-Cities. In 2006,

it stood at 12.7 and a decade ago 13.6.

When asked to describe the status of those placing low on economic scales, most people will point to the poverty rate. Specifically, to the number and share of the population living at or below the Federal Poverty Level (FPL).

Understandably, Benton-Franklin Trends covers that data.

The measure goes back many decades to President Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society reforms and has been the subject of countless studies and much discussion about how to improve it.

The U.S. Census Bureau produces an

alternative, the Supplemental Poverty Measure, that takes account of noncash benefits as well as expenses.

Generally, the resulting rate is higher by 1-2 percentage points than the standard one. (The federal stimulus packages passed to counter pandemic financial hardship resulted in a supplemental rate that was lower than the official one for once.)

The FPL is updated annually by the census bureau.

For a family of four in 2022, the FPL

D. Patrick Jones Eastern Washington University GUEST COLUMN

Courtesy Benton-Franklin Trends

Tri-Cities’ tourism future sparkles with optimism, new leadership

2022 is the year that the Tri-Cities bounced back brighter, bigger and bolder for tourism-related businesses and renewed visitor spending in the Tri-Cities.

Visit Tri-Cities kicked off the year by producing a strategic plan for the TriCities Rivershore Enhancement Council, setting priorities and affirming overarching goals for the council to focus on. At the same time the organization launched a digital Meeting Planner’s Guide to assist professionals researching their host locations after taking a two-year hiatus from booking large groups and gatherings.

2022 was also the year to restore staffing levels, ramping up as the renewed interest in booking future events was finally re-ignited. Visit Tri-Cities gained a graphic design manager, a public relations and social media manager, and a second convention sales manager.

In the second quarter, Visit Tri-Cities collaborated with the Three Rivers Convention Center; local hotel partners; the cities of Kennewick, Pasco, and Richland; the Ports Benton, Kennewick and Pasco; and other regional sponsors to bring The North America Travel Bloggers Exchange (TBEX) to the Tri-Cities. Attendees were treated to a week of education, entertainment, and events designed to showcase the Tri-Cities’ assets.

Regional wine, food, culture, history, and outdoor recreation were on display for an international gathering of content creators. The event was a success as referenced by the increased attention online, covering a range of topics and distribution types (Instagram, personal blogs, twitter, Facebook).

The energetic promotion of the Tri-Cities continued into the late spring. In May, Visit Tri-Cities hosted the Washington Tourism Marketing Authority Board meeting. This important group directs funding and provides leadership for Washington State Tourism. It was an honor to be able to introduce and share the Tri-City assets with these tourism professionals.

Early summer found Visit Tri-Cities managing photo shoots and filming for new video assets and digital and print marketing campaigns. The marketing staff will be launching four new campaigns just after the first of the year: girlfriend get-a-ways, Tri-Cities after dark, outdoor recreation and family activities.

Visit Tri-Cities strives to add tourismfocused programs, increasing outreach to new markets, and telling the Tri-Cities’ story to a diverse audience.

Toward that end, Visit Tri-Cities recently launched Tri-IDEAs campaign, an exploration of inclusivity, diversity, equity and accessibility (IDEA) through tourism in the Tri-Cities. The program delivers weekly content to advance IDEA and increase visitation to the Tri-Cities.

To view one of the recent video segments, visit the playlist here: bit.ly/ TCIDEAs.

2022 also has been a successful year for the addition of tourism assets. Columbia Wine Gardens continues to add tenants and expand culinary and wine offerings to the public, while nearby the Public Market at Columbia River Warehouse offers a collection of eclectic products from

Kim Shugart Visit Tri-Cities GUEST COLUMN

multiple vendors.

The HUB, also in Kennewick, hosts an assorted mix of food trucks on its plaza and is flourishing near Vista Field.

Meanwhile STEM is alive and well in Richland with the grand opening of

the visitor center at the Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory, the USS Triton Sail celebration of Operation Sandblast, and Manhattan Project National

Historical Park’s prominent placement and inclusion in the 2023 National Park Passport. This month the National Parks Service also designated the Tri-Cities an American World War II Heritage City.

All these accomplishments put the TriCities on the map and create compelling reasons for people to visit from across the nation and from around the world.

In Pasco, the recent improvements at Peanuts Park create a welcoming gathering place for festivals, cultural celebrations and community pride. The addition of new facilities and a covered market area will enhance the Pasco Farmers Market, outdoor concerts, Cinco de Mayo and the Fiery Foods Festival.

And as the year ends, the Visit Tri-Cities Board of Directors recently welcomed a new president and CEO, following the mid-year departure of the previous leader.

Kevin Lewis joined Visit Tri-Cities just in time to kick off 2023 for Tri-Cities tourism.

He hails from St. George, Utah, where he was director of the Greater Zion Convention & Tourism Office. He brings 15 years of destination marketing and outdoor recreation knowledge to his new post.

So, hold on to your hats! With great momentum behind our efforts moving into 2023, the best has yet to come.



Kim Shugart is senior vice president for Visit Tri-Cities.

I had a toy as a child that seemed super-cool at the time.

It was a remote-controlled car that had the capacity to make three-point turns when it bumped into something.

I set it loose in the kitchen. It rolled along until it hit the oven, then promptly backed up at an angle and headed off again 90 degrees to the left until it hit the cabinets.

Once again, a three-point turn in the other direction until it hit the refrigerator; and so forth. Fun for a while, but the car never made it out of the kitchen.

I have observed many a team playing out the “remote-controlled car syndrome” daily at their workplace. Without a leader clearly outlining a vision – a path toward a goal – the team bumps into each other, stepping on each other’s toes, or lunging forward with false starts and quickly retracing their steps.

They may even think they are being agile, quickly pivoting when hitting an obstacle.

But they never leave the kitchen. They never get to experience the momentum of success. And, sadly, those employees who are craving clarity, get sick of hitting their heads into walls and eventually leave the team.

Those who stay, morph into a selfserving bureaucracy.

Wise Solomon declared, “Without vision, the people perish (run amok).”

I also believe that followers are desperately trying to figure out where their leaders are taking them. I’ve seen employees lean in and light up when their leader hosted an all-hands meeting and cast the exciting vision of the year ahead.

If you were to ask your team if they knew where your organization is headed, would they answer yes, and be able to pinpoint it as if one voice? Entrepreneurs, if you were to ask yourself what your one-year plan is, could you do it right now?

Research says that managers spend less than 3% of their time looking to the future. So, let’s be honest: It is difficult to get to vision-time (working on the business) when you are in the flow of your to-do list (working in the business).

Yet we know if we are crystal-clear with our vision, we are invigorated.

And, it’s been said that when employees believe in what they’re doing, they’ll walk through doors for you.

Why? Because they forget themselves and feel like they are making a difference. They know why they are working.

Author John Maxwell’s Law of the Compass: “Vision gives team members direction and confidence.”

If you are the leader, accept the role as vision-crafter.

The difference between a leader and a follower is the percentage of time spent forward-looking.

You can build your forwardlooking muscles by finding a visionary leader in the Tri-Cities or your industry and picking their brain. You can also read biographies of visionary leaders.

It starts with crafting the vision. When I speak on this topic, I pull out my binoculars and say that a leader must first see the vision clearly before casting it to the team.

Here are five tips for crafting the vision:

• Determine where you are, and why you cannot corporately stay there. “Reality without vision destroys possibility: vision without reality destroys credibility,” said author Robert Quinn. The same type of thinking that got you here will not keep you growing. You have to show why your organization can no longer stay “here,” and must pursue the journey to “there.”

• Dream about where you want to take your organization. What is the fire in your belly? Visions stick to you; you can’t shake them off. Vision is a snapshot of the future.

• Build relationships with and then listen to your constituency. Hang out with people, eat lunch with them, work alongside them in their role for a bit. Manage by wandering around, being present and being a noticer.

Find the common aspirations of your constituents. This is the pre-work to buy-in of the vision. It’s not just your vision; it will be a shared vision.

In one-on-ones, ask why people stay working for you and why people continue to purchase from you. Hold listening posts. Ask three questions: What things should we stop doing (or do less)? What things should we start doing (or do more)? What do we continue doing well?

• Conduct focus groups. Look for patterns that emerge. A great idea is nothing more than three or four good ideas put together. And you get three or four good ideas by listening. Think bigger. A vision is outside of your current comfort zone, so you have to become more comfortable with the unfamiliar/ unknown, but inside of a delusional zone.

Then, once you have the ideas of everyone:

• Draft a collective vision statement. It is putting into words (broadly) what your team/organization will look like if they are fulfilling their mission. The statement must have three components: the who, the behavior/action, the values evoked.

It has to be compelling. Don’t waste time casting visions that are insignifi-

cant. No vanilla visions!

A clear vision is:

• A destination: a place we want to go, appealing to the long-term interests of the team.

• Visual: to be able to picture it in our minds.

• Simple: very focused and compelling, inspiring enthusiasm, clear enough to provide guidance.

• Challenging, but realistic: an attainable stretch, ambitious that shoots for high standards of excellence, which raises everyone’s water level, and consistent with our organization’s collective personality.

To avoid obstacles and other bumps in the road, take time to map out a clear vision forward for your business and your team to ensure the smoothest ride into the future.

Paul D. Casey lives in the Tri-Cities and is the owner of Growing Forward Services, which aims to equip and coach leaders and teams to spark breakthrough success. Casey has authored five books and hosts Leader-Launcher.com for emerging leaders each month. Online at growingforwardservices.net.

Tri-Cities bids farewell to notable business, civic leaders in 2022

By Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

The Tri-Cities said good-bye to leaders who helped create the community we know and love this past year and in late 2021, including Dennis Poland, the builder and one time Kennewick Man of the Year; Robert L. “Bob” Ferguson, the U.S. Department of Energy’s first deputy assistant secretary of nuclear programs as well as the former head of Energy Northwest; and Mike Lawrence, the influential Hanford manager who drew back the curtain and set the stage for the massive site cleanup.

Byron Marlowe

Dec. 28, 2021

Byron Marlowe, the prominent Washington State University Tri-Cities wine professor, died unexpectedly on Dec. 28, 2021. He was 43.

WSU remembered him for his warm personality and infectious smile. He joined the WSU Tri-Cities Carson College of Business in 2015 and was named director of its wine and beverage business management program. He was awarded the Don Smith Distinguished Professor-

ship, given to scholars who are devoted to teaching.

He held several other appointments as well and traveled internationally to share his expertise in the wine and beverage industry. A scholarship was established in his memory to support students pursuing bachelor’s degrees in hospitality business management.

Jocelyn “Joce” Berriochoa

Oct. 28, 1949-Dec. 31, 2021

Jocelyn Berriochoa, the educator and longtime teachers union president, died Dec. 31, 2021, of pneumonia. She was 72.

Born in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, she spent her adult life in the Tri-Cities. She taught art at Kennewick’s Park Middle School for three decades and represented educators as president of the Kennewick Education from 1996-97. A KEA spokesperson called her a “fiery” advocate for teachers.

Vernon “Vern” L. Mindermann

Aug. 7, 1944-April 4, 2022

Vernon Mindermann, who owned the Zip’s restaurant on Lee Boulevard in Richland, died April 4 in Richland. He

was 77.

Mindermann was born in Spokane and purchased the Zip’s restaurant in 1980. Purchasing and operating the restaurant was one of his great accomplishments, along with his family, according to his obituary.

Robert “Bob” M.

Kildall

Feb. 6, 1944-April 20, 2022

Robert “Bob” M. Kildall, founder of Bob’s Burgers and Brews, which has restaurants in Kennewick and Richland, died April 20. He was 78.

Kildall grew up in Lynden and served in the Air Force during the Vietnam War, including at Paine Field. He spent decades in the restaurant industry before forming his own franchise in 1982, with locations scattered around the state, including in Kennewick and Richland.

Scott Hanchette

Sept. 8, 1961-April 25, 2022

Scott Hanchette, who established Viper Aircraft Corp., at the Richland Airport in 1995, died April 25 following a short illness. He was 60 and had lived in the Tri-Cities for 42 years.

Born in Phoenix, Arizona, he grew up with a love of airplanes that would inspire him to design the one-of-a-kind Viperjet with his brother, Dan. The small, homebuilt jet aircraft featured two seats in tandem under a bubble canopy.

Robert

“Bob”

Marple

March 11, 1929-May 18, 2022

Robert “Bob” Marple, accountant to the Tri-Cities, died May 18. He was 93.

Marple, a certified public accountant, practiced for nearly 70 years and boasted an unusually low number on his Washington State CPA certificate: 1,253.

He came to the Tri-Cities in 1952 after serving on active duty in the Army during the Korean War. He was one of the first partners with Niemi, Holland & Scott and opened Robert E. Marple CPA in 1973.

The firm became Marple & Marple CPAs in 1973 before being sold to PorterKinney in 2019.

He was a past president of the TriCities Estate Planning Council, Central Chapter of the Washington State CPA, Kennewick Kiwanis and Kennewick Toastmasters.

was $27,750. For an individual, it was $13,590. These thresholds imply that a family with incomes of $28,000 or individuals with incomes of $14,000 are

considered not to be officially in poverty. What, then, does the Trends tell us about individuals in the greater Tri-Cities with incomes below the FPL?

From the perspective of time, some progress. The census estimated the

number of in 2021 to be about 34,000. That is down considerably from the 2014 peak of slightly over 44,000. Similarly, the 2021 rate, at 11.2%, was the lowest observed in the past 15 years in the two counties.

The peak of 20% took place in 2011.

Over time, the rate here has fallen faster than the decline in the rate in the U.S. However, the rate for Washington has remained lower over all years.

Not surprisingly, the share of the total population living at or below the FPL obscures some insightful demographic differences.

One is age, in particular, youth. Census data shows it’s easy to observe that the estimated poverty rate for youth (under 18 years) in 2021 was about 15%, and for those under 5, nearly 20%.

Another variation from the overall share can be found by race and ethnicity.

The 2021 rate for the Hispanic population was estimated at 19%, not quite double the overall rate. The rate for non-Hispanic whites: 6.7%, or nearly a third of the Hispanic rate. Due to small sample size, the Census does not provide single year estimates for other races.

But a glance at the five-year average 2016-20 shows that the rates for Blacks and Native American/Alaska Natives were slightly higher than the Hispanic rate. On the other hand, the Asian rate was lower than the non-Hispanic white rate.

It’s clear that we know where the Tiny Tims of the greater Tri-Cities can be found. May they share in economic progress this coming year as much as their neighbors.

D. Patrick Jones is the executive director for Eastern Washington University’s Institute for Public Policy & Economic Analysis. Benton-Franklin Trends, the institute’s project, uses local, state and federal data to measure the local economic, educational and civic life of Benton and Franklin counties.

Robert “Bob” Gamache

Oct. 4, 1949-May 22,

2022

Robert “Bob” Gamache, the wine industry pioneer, died May 22 at Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland after a fall. He was 72.

Gamache, his brother, Roger, and their father started Gamache Vintners in 1982 on 180 acres in Basin City. The property was sold to Sagemoor Vineyards in 2015, but the Gamaches retained their Prosser tasting room until the pandemic forced a shut-down and it was sold to Wit Cellars.

Gamache grew up in the Yakima Valley and served in the Army.

Gail C. Mueller Riddell

Jan. 21, 1938-June 10, 2022

Gail Christine Mueller Riddell, who grew up in and later owned the family funeral business, died June 10 at her home in Kennewick. She was 84.

Mueller Riddell was a young girl when her family moved into the “big house” at the funeral home on First Avenue in Kennewick. She graduated from Kennewick High School in 1956, attended Whitworth College in Spokane and held several jobs, including secretary at Battelle and flight attendant, before joining Mueller Family Home.

She was credited with breaking the glass ceiling in the male-dominated funeral profession and was remembered for moving gracefully between bereaved clients and dealing with vendors.

Lloyd Carnahan

May 19, 1937-June 22, 2022

Lloyd Richard Carnahan, an indefatigable supporter of Benton City, died June 22 at Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland. He was 85.

He was born in Mount Pleasant, Iowa, but moved to Benton City as a child, where he graduated from Kiona-Benton City High School in 1956. He followed his father into the plumbing business, working for Apollo.

In retirement, he devoted himself to family and to his community, serving on the Benton City Council and as mayor, making economic development his top priority.

Dr. Sara Zirkle

Oct. 6, 1939-June 19, 2022

Dr. Sara Zirkle, who joined her husband Lewis in creating the global nonprofit based in Richland, SIGN Fracture Care International, died June 19 in Richland. She was 82.

She was born Sara Kay Shilling in Troy, Ohio, and earned undergraduate and medical degrees from Duke University, focusing on pediatrics.

The Zirkles made their life in Richland, where the couple practiced medicine. SIGN Fracture Care is a nonprofit manufacturer that provides equipment and training to third world surgeons to treat bone injuries that would be an inconvenience to Americans but potential death

sentences in less developed settings.

Robert L. “Bob” Ferguson

Oct. 26, 1932-Aug. 12, 2022

Robert L. “Bob” Ferguson, the U.S. Department of Energy’s first deputy assistant secretary of nuclear programs as well as the former head of Energy Northwest, died Aug. 12. He was 89.

Ferguson was born in Dover, Idaho, and studied physics at Gonzaga University before being commissioned as an officer in the army, where he worked primarily with the U.S. Army Ordinance Corps. He would spend 60 years working in nuclear energy.

He was a longtime Richland resident who helped establish the Washington State University Tri-Cities campus, which he would later support with a $500,000 gift to promote energy research. He was also an author and an avid supporter of a swift cleanup of the Hanford site so it could take on a clean energy mission.

Robert “Rob” Curet

May 18, 1970-Oct. 3, 2022

Robert “Rob” Curet, a serial entrepreneur who founder and owner of Rocco’s Pizza, died Oct. 3 following a cancer diagnosis. He was 52.

He was born in Idaho Falls, Idaho, and later lived in Richland where he enjoyed creating businesses when he wasn’t hunting and fishing. Rocco’s has locations in Kennewick and Pasco.

Neva Corkrum

Oct. 2, 1934-Oct. 17, 2022

Neva Corkrum, the lifelong Pasco resident and longtime elected official in Franklin County, died Oct. 17. She was 88.

The Pasco Hall of Famer graduated from Pasco High and served as the county auditor and later spent 20 years as a Franklin County Commission. It’s believed she was the first person to hold that role and the last Democrat. In her elected role, she contributed to the restoration of the historic county courthouse, including its glass dome.

Alexander D. Pappas

Aug. 4, 1986-Nov. 6, 2022

Alexander Pappas, a licensed geologist who worked in the engineering program at Washington River Protection Solutions on the Hanford site before joining Thermo Fisher Scientific, died Nov. 6 in a car wreck on Interstate 90 between Cle Elum and Ellensburg. He was 36.

Friends remembered him as a kind and energetic soul with a passion for all things mechanical, from helicopters and planes to motorcycles, cars and boats. He was a dedicated gamer as well.

He attended Hanford High School and Hanover College.

Travis A. Jordan

Sept. 4, 1981-Nov. 16, 2022

Travis Jordan, the former Lampson crane operator who founded Kenne-

wick’s Rockabilly Roasting in 2015, died unexpectedly Nov. 16 after feeling ill for several days. He was 41.

He was remembered as an active supporter of downtown Kennewick, where his coffee shop and roastery are on West Kennewick Avenue.

Dennis Poland

Aug. 23, 1949-Nov. 26, 2022

Dennis Poland, who was born in Pasco and raised in Kennewick, died at home following a lengthy illness on Nov. 26. He was 73.

Poland, whose father, Ray, established the Ray Poland and Sons, joined the National Guard following graduation from high school, moving to Fort Knox, Kentucky, and then Ellensburg, where he earned a degree at Central Washington University.

He took the helm at Ray Poland & Sons in 1978 after his father’s death and enlisted his children into the family business.

John Crawford

Nov. 9, 1941-Nov. 29, 2022

John Crawford, the retired Pasco teacher who reportedly did not know the meaning of the word “retirement,” died Nov. 29 in Kennewick. He was 81.

Crawford was born in Cordova, Alaska, but Pasco became his home when he accepted a teaching position at Pasco High School in 1964, after graduating from Whitworth College.

He taught math and computers for 30 years and on retiring, became the district’s

computer coordinator and instructor. He found time to teach math at Columbia Basin College. But he was best known for his inexhaustible interest in coaching.

He coached basketball for 13 years, track for 10, cross country for three and oversaw track meets for three decades, leveraging his computer knowledge to track statistics across a variety of tournaments and disciplines.

Mike Lawrence

Aug. 20, 1947-Dec. 3, 2022

Mike Lawrence, the U.S. Department of Energy manager of the Hanford nuclear reservation site who drew back the curtain and set the stage for the modern cleanup, died Dec. 3 of pancreatic cancer. He was 75.

The Tri-City Herald called him an “unsung hero” in a news obituary published in advance of a formal obituary, quoting retired publisher Jack Briggs.

He was Hanford’s top manager as it transitioned from producing plutonium for the nation’s nuclear weapons arsenal to the environmental cleanup that generates $2.5 billion in federal spending in the local economy each year.

Lawrence signed the landmark TriParty Agreement as the Department of Energy representative. The document spells out the steps required to clean up radioactive and hazardous chemical waste left at the site.

The public was given a clearer picture of the Hanford site when Lawrence volunteered in 1985 to declassify thousands of pages of documents.

Mercy’s Taco Pizza comeback story is a tasty one

By Jeff Morrow

Merced Flores-Garcia gave pizza fans an early Christmas present in October when he reopened his Mercy’s Pizza Taco restaurant in Pasco.

Facebook and Instagram responses were full of excitement.

City of Pasco employees were ecstatic they could cross the street to enjoy what has become a growing trend: Italian pizza and Mexican food combined together.

Flores-Garcia has gained a loyal following for at least 12 years, possibly more, for his food truck, El Guero Tacos Garcia, located in the Viera’s Bakery parking lot on Burden Boulevard. Drive by on your way to a Tri-City Dust Devils baseball game across the street, and there is always a line at the food truck.

Getting his start

Flores-Garcia got his start in the food industry years ago, when he was hired as a dishwasher in an Italian restaurant in North Carolina. Over time, he was promoted up the ranks until he became head chef.

He worked at that restaurant for 10 years, said his nephew, Jose Peralta.

Family would eventually bring him to the Tri-Cities around 2006.

It wasn’t long until he owned two taco trucks in Pasco – one in downtown near Lewis Street, and the other at Viera’s.

Flores-Garcia ran both trucks, but

eventually reduced it to the one on Burden, which has been there for at least 15 years.

But he still felt he needed to go back to Italian food cook ing.

“When I moved here, I wanted to combine the two cultures,” he said. “I wanted to com bine them on a pizza to see where it goes.”

To do that, he felt he needed a brick and mortar shop.

And in November 2018, he found the place at 524 N. Third Ave., across the street from City Hall.

A lot of the menu items are results of trial and error.

“Before I even opened, I was trying to get the temperature just right because the meat has to be right so it’s not overcooked,” Flores-Garcia said. “Evening out the flavors took a whole week.”

He even tried putting beans on the taco pizza.

“That was no good,” he said with a chuckle.

But the concept – and the diverse menu – immediately took off, Peralta said.

“A woman came in and dined here,” Peralta said. “She posted a photo on Facebook of her food. It blew this up. It got thousands of shares.”

Peralta – who takes care of Mercy’s

Taco Pizza’s social media accounts, helps out now and then, and works for a car dealership – said suddenly people were making their way to the Tri-Cities to try his uncle’s Italian-Mexican pizza combinations.

“Spokane, Walla Walla, Seattle, Portland, Vancouver,” Peralta said. “They were coming from everywhere.”

It was crazy at the store for a month straight.

Back then, Flores-Garcia and Peralta would come in at 5 a.m. each day to prep everything, open at 9 a.m., and serve lunch and dinner to a steady stream of customers until 9 p.m. – although some days they would stay open even later if customers were still arriving.

And then, Covid-19 hit.

“The pandemic hit us pretty hard,” said Flores-Garcia. “We could only do takeout.”

Peralta said that the fees some delivery companies charged made it too expensive.

“People quit going out. It was costing us more to stay open,” Peralta said.

So on March 17, 2020, Mercy shut down.

“We waited to open it back up,” Peralta said. “At one point it looked good. Then Covid picked up again.”

Instead of making magic happen in that kitchen, Merced Flores-Garcia moved back over to his food truck to make Mexican food, and he used the restaurant to store his supplies.

It ended up being closed for 2 1/2

years. All the while Flores-Garcia paid the rent.

Finally in late September, he felt it was time to bring back the pizzas.

And on Oct. 7, Mercy’s Pizza Taco was back open for business – much to the delight of his ever-growing fan base.

Restaurant life

Owning and running a restaurant is no easy task.

The National Restaurant Association says that one of every three restaurants fail in the first year.

Reopening a restaurant after a 2.5-year hiatus? The odds are minuscule.

And it’s even harder now.

“Costs across the board are up 30% since Covid began,” Flores-Garcia said.

Peralta uses limes as an example.

“We used to be able to buy 10 limes for a dollar at the store,” he said. “Now, it’s four limes for a dollar.”

Still, Flores-Garcia has a routine that works.

He makes everything from scratch. The dough is put together. The meats are sliced. All of the pizza ingredients are ready to be placed on the next pizza before the store is even open.

“I get here at 6 a.m. to get everything prepped,” Flores-Garcia said. “Then I end up putting in 14-hour days.”

Watching Flores-Garcia work in the

Photos by Jeff Morrow Merced Flores-Garcia prepares pizza dough at his restaurant, Mercy’s Pizza Taco, 524 N. Third Ave., across the street from City Hall. Some of the Italian-Mexican pizza combinations include al pastor, pollo, chorizo, asada, and adobada.

Tri-Cities Tackle reels in customers at new Richland store

By Jeff Morrow for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

It took Faith Akopov three attempts at starting her own business before she found the key ingredient to success: passion.

She discovered it in a business called Tri-Cities Tackle, located at 660 George Washington Way, Suite M, in Richland. It’s inside the Nutrex Building next door to the Richland Dugout.

“Learning your passion is loving what you do,” she said. “This is my third business I’ve opened and run. I also did a fitness studio and a life coaching business. This one, I’ve truly felt the passion behind it.”

Akopov, who is in her late 30s and a mother of daughters ages 7, 6 and 2, calls herself a mompreneur.

She has entrepreneurs in her family –her grandfather, her father, and her husband Michael among them.

For the past 13 years, she has refined her business chops by helping her father run his business, Master Tech Automotive in Richland.

For Akopov, Tri-Cities Tackle is the one business closest to her heart.

“I knew I wanted to do this once I saw the need in the Tri-Cities for a Ma and Pa shop, especially in Richland,” she said. “I love fishing, and I love helping people.”

The Great Outdoors

Akopov grew up in the Denver, Colorado, area, where she embraced the outdoors.

Plus, her father owned a private ranch in nearby Wyoming. A ranch with seven lakes on it.

“Since I was a little kid, my dad had us out in the great outdoors, fishing, hunting, hiking, shooting and kayaking. It’s been in my blood since day one,” Akopov said.

During her childhood, she played sports – basketball, soccer, golf.

“But my dad planted the seeds of fishing while I was young,” she said.

So three years ago, she started TriCities Tackle in her garage, with a small mini fridge with bait, and four pegboards to hang her tackle.

It just took off.

“We got the word out through Facebook, word of mouth, the fishing community, and going fishing with friends,” she said.

A brick-and-mortar shop

But soon, the garage space wasn’t enough. So she and her husband bought a small trailer, parking it by by LU LU Craft Bar + Kitchen (with the owners’ permission).

Or she’d set up shop at Maverik Adventure’s First Stop on Keene Road in Richland and sell from there.

“I made my own hours, and I did well being out for four hours at a time,” Akopov said. “The support from customers was great.”

Still, that may have not been enough. While her neighborhood homeowners association forced her to move her trailer out of her driveway, it also may

have been time to find a more permanent home for the growing business.

And that’s what she and her husband did two months ago, moving into the current location.

“The goal is to get an employee next

year, because I’m going to need the help,” she said.

The store offers tackle and bait for walleye, sockeye, salmon, sturgeon, bass and trout. Akopov also specializes in custom airbrushing, custom rigs, Legacy

Fishing Wholesale tackle, and has created her own fishing products, such as Vortex Blades and the Scent Bullet.

The Legacy products, as well as the Vortex Blades and Scent Bullets, are the result of Akopov and her husband bouncing ideas off of each other.

“My husband and I can work each other into a frenzy,” she said. “Every month one of us will have a new idea. We’ll bounce ideas off of each other.”

The latest one is the Scent Bullet, where you can put a gel into the middle of a two-piece set that screws together. The fish pick up the scent.

It should be ready to launch in the next few weeks.

Akopov sells her Vortex Blades to other businesses wholesale, and customers – besides getting them at her store –can also buy them at local Ace Hardware stores.

Sometimes, Akopov will give some of her fishing friends her new products to use, and then she wants their feedback –good or bad.

“I just want the honesty,” said Akopov, who has talked to endless fishermen these past three years to know the local fishing scene. “It’s about knowing the seasons, and what works for the area. I don’t want (inventory) just sitting here. It took me a good couple of years to learn the seasons. Fishing is a year-round sport. There is walleye season, salmon

Photo by Jeff Morrow

Faith Akopov, owner of Tri-Cities Tackle, 660 George Washington Way, Suite M, in Richland, sells tackle and bait for walleye, sockeye, salmon, sturgeon, bass and trout. Her store specializes in custom airbrushing, custom rigs, Legacy Fishing Wholesale tackle and her own line of fishing products.

kitchen is something to behold. He is an efficient, one-man machine.

He handles the dough so quickly, shaping it, tossing it, and getting the ingredients on it. During the process, he constantly steps to the oven to keep track of what’s cooking (usually four to six pizzas at a time). Then he goes into the back kitchen to prepare four plates of tacos.

“And always,” Peralta said, “there is a pot of beans going on the corner stove.”

Some of the Italian-Mexican pizza combinations include al pastor, pollo, chorizo, asada, and adobada.

The most popular pizzas?

“The asada and the adobada,” FloresGarcia said.

For those who like their pizzas just Italian, Flores-Garcia offers margherita, a meat lovers and caezers special.

He also sells a 15-inch pepperoni for $8 every day.

Peralta says part of the reason is to serve the homeless people in and around that area.

“Sometimes, they only have $10 on them. But they can come by, and for $8, three or four of them can sit down and have something to eat,” he said.

Flores-Garcia made other Italian dishes – among them alfredo, lasagna, chicken blanco – before the pandemic.

“In November, I’ve started to slowly incorporate them back into the menu for lunch and dinner,” he said.

A comeback story

Between the restaurant and the food truck, almost the entire work force is all

TRI-CITIES TACKLE, From page A35

season, sturgeon, so on. It’s endless.”

As a mother, Akopov also needs to find that work-life balance while watching her kids grow up. She and Michael share the parental duties.

“I have dinner with the family, I’ll help the girls with their homework. After the kids go to bed, I’ll get back to work, maybe working on the computer looking for inventory,” she said. “Michael also works the back end with inventory.”

A customer service focus

While a small fishing tackle business may not be able to keep pace with the bigger box store, Akopov offers something better.

“Our top priority is customer service,” she said. “If I don’t have it, I can get it for you. I spend time with my customers. I enjoy talking and giving tips and advice on how to help customers catch fish. My passion has always been to help others.”

Case in point: recently a 15-year-old boy came into her store looking at gear. He told her his old fishing rod was broken and asked what he could get for $10.

“I told him to put his money away and come back next week and I’d have something for him,” she said.

She put the word out on her Facebook page.

“Social media just blew up on that one,” she said.

Local fishermen donated 10 fishing rods to the store.

“We ended up using Rods and Reels

handled by family members.

While Merced runs the pizza store, his wife, Irma Cortes, runs the food truck. Their kids either work at the truck or the restaurant. In all, about nine people work at either the pizza store or the food truck.

It’s been a great comeback story.

“Obviously, we’re not where we were before the pandemic,” Peralta said. “But the word is spreading (that we’re back open).”

Still, Flores-Garcia estimates he makes anywhere from 400 to 500 pizzas a week.

That’s just for the walk-in customers.

Being across the street from City Hall has helped with large orders, such as police department training sessions.

The success at the restaurant has Flores-Garcia thinking bigger.

“I want to do a restaurant where we can combine pizzas, other Italian food, and Hispanic food together. Like a buffet,” he said.

Whatever the plan ends up being, as long as he’s cooking food, Flores-Garcia will be happy.

“I love the people,” he said. “I love seeing the reactions of people when they eat my food. There is a family in here right now that comes here three times a week. And I have a lot of regulars.

“I love what I do,” he said. “I love cooking.”

Search Mercy’s Pizza Taco: 524 N. Third Ave., Pasco. Contact: 509-380-5560, Facebook, Instagram. Hours are 10:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Closed Mondays.

in Need,” Akopov said. “It’s a charity based on the west side of the state to help people fish.”

When the boy returned the following week, she had a whole setup waiting for him. She said she wanted him to do two things for her: stay out of trouble and get good grades in school.

“He came in yesterday to tell me his grades are up,” Akopov said.

This business, she said, is about relationships.

“Some of my customers are now my good friends,” said Akopov.

Her biggest thrill, though? Giving someone tips before they go out fishing for the first time. Then they catch that first fish and send her a photo of it.

“To me, it’s the best feeling ever,” she said.

Akopov doesn’t get out to fish nearly as much as she would like these days, but when she does go, she absolutely loves it.

“When you’re out in nature, you don’t have to worry about anything else going on. It’s about just being,” she said. “People say the tug (on the line) is the drug. It is.”

Search Tri-Cities Tackle: 660 George Washington Way, Suite M, Richland. Contact: Tricitiestackle.com; 509-5912383; Facebook. Hours: 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Tuesdays; 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Wednesday to Friday; 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday. Closed Sunday and Monday.

type of person who has a million different hobbies and having the shop has given me the opportunity to blend my interests together and share that with others. It’s what’s made it so fun to move in this direction.”

Over time, Tapani transitioned to carrying predominately new items purchased via wholesale that she refreshes on a seasonal basis with the help of her niece, Laura Tanninen, and a couple of friends.

She said it takes a lot of research to find the type and quality of items she wants to feature.

“It’s the things that I love, that’s what I try to put in the store – things that are more tried and true,” she said.

She described it as a constant learning process. “Some stuff we order in and it does great and others not so much, so you phase it in and out. ... As much as I hate trends, it is what sells,” she said.

Local, local, local Market North also works with about 20 Tri-City vendors to offer an assortment of locally-made goods.

Some local brands include Nia and Co. body scrubs, Es Lit Candles, Morales Cruz Farm goat milk soaps and Branches of Home pottery and baby pacifier holders.

Though space is limited in the

2,200-square-foot shop, Tapani does welcome local makers to contact her about selling at Market North. She currently is seeking only smaller-size products and asks prospective sellers to consider if their product will complement Market North’s inventory before reaching out.

DeLaney Brooks of Kennewick enjoys shopping the shop’s curated selection, both for herself and when seeking

gifts for others.

“I love that I can find a variety of things from Market North. From things for my toddler to our local elderberry syrup to throw pillows and a new candle to some herbs for my garden. A go-to in town for me and my family,” she said.

Tapani also assembles gift baskets for Realtors to give their clients and others seeking a themed or handpicked gift. Customers can call to request this service and pick up the basket at their con-

venience.

Market North features four big shopping events each year when new merchandise drops. Tapani noted that the Christmas event held the first weekend of November and the spring launch are the biggest.

Search Market North Co.: 270 Helm Drive, Pasco. Contact: 509-710-2249; marketnorthpasco.com; Facebook, Instagram. Hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Courtesy Britany Tapani Market North Co. sells a selection of home and garden products as well as coffee and tea.

Photo by Laura Kostad Market North co. lies beyond the Road 68 junction with Taylor Flats Road, where it becomes Columbia River Road in Pasco. Britany Tapani’s husband, Brad, who owns Silverline LLC, an electrical, plumbing and HVAC business, spearheaded construction of the two-year-old gift shop.

Many health care insurance rates to increase in new year

By Karina Elias Spokane Journal of Business

Small employers in Washington state face double-digit increases in health-care insurance rates for 2023, in some cases.

In most instances, those small employers, which the state defines as those with 50 employees or fewer, are sustaining the largest increases in premiums in years.

Seattle-based Premera Blue Cross, which holds one of Washington state’s largest market shares, say industry experts, has the largest increase, at 11.64%.

Other rate increases in Eastern Washington include a 10.94% increase for Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Washing-

ton, 9.74% for Health Alliance Northwest Health Plan, 9.64% for Providence Health plan, 8.21% for Asuris Northwest Health, and 5.78% for Regence BlueShield, among other carriers.

Only one insurer in Eastern Washington, Aetna Life Insurance health plan, will decrease its rates.

The median increase across the 11 carriers is 5.18%.

The new insurance rates were approved by the Washington state Office of the Insurance Commissioner and published on Nov. 1, giving employers two months to shop for different plans or absorb increased costs.

Nate Edmondson, vice president for

Advanced Professional Insurance & Benefit Solutions, a wholesale industry consultant for Spokane-based Associated Industries, says it’s not a surprise for rates to increase. However, the 2023 rate increases across most markets are the highest he has seen in several years.

“We are seeing the effects of Covid hit finally. We know it has impacted people’s health,” Edmondson said. “Now, those things are coming to roost with insurance carriers’ rates trending higher.”

Amanda Lansford, Premera Blue Cross’ strategic communications manager, said the rate increase for small group plans is a reflection of the ongoing rise of health care costs.

Lansford notes that over the past year, the carrier has seen substantial increases in costs coming from people using their plan more frequently, and a rising cost of care from hospitals.

“From our side, this increase is really reflecting the increased cost and frequency use,” she said. “Hospitals are dealing with high administrative costs in particular with labor shortage, a big increase in travel nurses and labor in general.”

Lansford said many people held off seeking care during the height of the pandemic, building up demand for care and playing into the increased frequency of use in the past year. She added that the pause in care during the pandemic includes people not getting care for bigger issues such as diabetes or cancer, which if not caught early can lead to more costly care.

Edmonson said he’s been hearing the term “long Covid” being used more frequently by agents, brokers, and carriers. Long Covid, or post-Covid conditions include a range of new, returning, or ongoing health problems that people experience after being infected with the virus that causes Covid-19, states the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Edmondson says insurance carriers for small groups file a request for a rate increase or decrease in the spring of which are approved or adjusted in October.

During that time, he works with carriers, brokers and other professionals to understand the reasons for rate changes and informs customers about potential changes.

“We try to collect as much information as we can not only to inform our custom-

ers but also to understand why things are costing more,” he says. “Often, it’s a simple ratio of how much (carriers) are paying out in claims versus how much they are receiving in premiums.”

Edmonson says he acquires as much information to keep his client base up to speed so that when rates are approved, there are not many surprises.

“Good or bad, we want to prepare people for what to expect in the new year as best we can,” he says.

Edmondson says he encourages employers to benchmark their health care coverage, compare rates, and move to a different carrier if a plan is no longer something they can afford or need.

He also advises employers to make sure they are providing insurance options that meet the needs of their workforce.

“Don’t pay for more than you think you’ll use,” he says. “If you don’t use it, you don’t get it back.”

Stefanie Howe, director of marketing for Spokane-based Associated Industries, says the association currently is fielding many requests for rate quotes for the organization’s industry-specific health plan. She also says the association’s health plan landing page is seeing double the traffic compared with a year earlier.

“I think it speaks to the market demand for small employers,” she says.

Howe says that Associated Industries has 645 employer members, of which about half are currently accessing the association’s industry-specific health plan.

The specific industries that qualify for the plan include construction, manufacturing, health care, retail, and business services.

She says that the association is an employer association focused on providing resources to small and midsize businesses, but members aren’t always aware that the association sponsors a health plan.

However, she has noticed many members inquiring about accessing the association health plan, which is underwritten through Asuris Northwest Health.

“The value is really in that bundle of dental, medical, vision, disability,” she says. “It’s really to offer it to make it more accessible and comprehensive for small employers.”

However, she notes it’s important for employers to shop around as the bundle might not be right for everyone.

Workers comp rates rising for 2023

The state Department of Labor & Industries announced a 4.8% increase in the average worker’s compensation premium rate for 2023.

The rate increase, prompted by wage inflation and rising medical costs, means employers and workers will jointly pay an additional $61 a year, on average, for each full-time employee. It takes effect Jan. 1.

L&I workers’ compensation insurance covers 2.7 million workers and 198,000 employers. The proposed rate is an aver-

age, with individual employers’ actual rates varying depending on industry and history of claims.

“We’re adopting this modest increase in the workers’ compensation rate to boost the long-term health of our state workers’ comp system. This move will assure that our contingency reserves, which we’re using to buy-down the impacts of the rate increase, will continue to be healthy and viable,” said L&I Director Joel Sacks. “We want to keep rates steady and predictable. When the new rates go into effect, on average rates will be about the same per employee as they were back in 2016.

Go to Lni.wa.gov/Rates.

Learning a little Latin pays off when it comes to designating beneficiaries

Periodically checking and updating beneficiary designations on retirement accounts and life insurance is prudent.

The next time you navigate the online portal or the old school paper form to write in your updated beneficiary selection, look a little harder at some options you may have previously overlooked.

Often, the beneficiary selection is paired with a radio button (online) or a checkbox (paper) that allows you to choose if the distribution is per stirpes or pro rata. Which should you choose?

Both phrases are Latin and concern how your wishes will be carried out if you are predeceased by a beneficiary.

Per stirpes would direct that the deceased beneficiary’s designated share would pass equally to the decedent’s children (split equally). Pro rata directs that the deceased beneficiary’s share be cancelled and instead split among the remaining named beneficiaries.

Let’s use an example to highlight the different options available.

Assume a married couple (Stan and Cheryl) with two kids (Jane and Phil) who both have three children (so six total grandchildren).

Stan might then select beneficiaries on his $150,000 Individual Retirement Account (IRA) as follows: his wife (Cheryl)

Rock Wood Fired Pizza settles ADA claim

Rock Wood Fired Pizza in Kennewick will pay an $11,000 fine after refusing to serve a customer who required a service animal in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act in November 2021.

According to a settlement announced by the U.S. Attorney Vanessa Waldreff,

Beau Ruff Cornerstone Wealth Strategies GUEST COLUMN

devastating car accident.

as the primary beneficiary and his two children (Jane and Phil) as the contingent beneficiaries, each receiving half of the total.

Assume then that the family faces an unimaginable tragedy: Stan, Cheryl and Jane all die in a

Here is where the selection made on the beneficiary designation paperwork becomes vital as it determines where the $150,000 is distributed.

In the event Stan chose per stirpes, then 50% of the IRA (or $75,000) would go to the surviving child, Phil.

The remaining $75,000 would be split between Jane’s three children, or $25,000 each. If Stan selected pro rata, the amount going to Jane would be forfeited and the entire account distributed to Phil as the only surviving child.

I have had the opportunity to work with many grandparents contemplating this option.

The vast majority usually end up choos-

the owners admitted that they did not have a written policy or formal training for employees.

The Kennewick restaurant and three others operated by the same owners agreed to take remedial measures to comply with the act over the next three years, including implementing an ADA and service animal policy, training employees, providing a grievance procedure for customers and employees, posting notices that service animals are welcome and submitting regular

ing the per stirpes option since choosing pro rata would effectively disinherit the grandchildren left without a parent.

Our legal default options are often driven by cultural values and attitudes.

Those same cultural values and attitudes can change from state to state, but more significantly from country to country. One can imagine the default inheritance rules being much different in the United States than in Saudi Arabia or Senegal.

Here in Washington state, the default rule is generally per stirpes for distributions to family members for both testamentary gifts (via a will) as well as for those that pass without a will (intestacy).

However, be aware that default rules for the custodians of the asset (retirement plan or life insurance companies), with whom beneficiary designations are made, might have markedly different default rules.

Sometimes there’s good reason to choose pro rata over per stirpes. Sometimes, the grandparent doesn’t want assets going to some or all grandchildren. And that’s OK.

It’s the grandparents’ decision after all. Still, my anecdotal evidence suggests again that selecting per stirpes is much more popular for most grandparents.

As the grandparent ponders all the “what if” scenarios when deciding which

reports to the U.S. Attorney’s office, which investigated the incident after the disabled individual’s family filed a complaint.

Failure to comply could lead to a $75,000-per-violation penalty.

Pasco chamber to induct Ag Hall of Famers

The Pasco Chamber of Commerce inducts agriculture leaders into the 2023 Mid-Columbia Ag Hall of Fame on Jan. 19.

option to make, sometimes they might wonder whether a child’s spouse should inherit the assets instead of the grandchildren in the event of the child’s death.

That can certainly be the chosen option. But, as the grandparent usually has the overriding goal of providing for the beloved grandchildren, a gift instead to the surviving spouse can possibly present a challenge.

If the asset is given to a surviving spouse, that same spouse might later remarry and gain additional children through marriage or by birth resulting in the potential for different priorities for the surviving spouse and the inherited assets than the grandparent intended.

Life changes happen and beneficiary designations should be reviewed regularly. Luckily, updating beneficiary designations is easy.

As a cautionary note, one should never rely on default rules. Naming the exact beneficiary designations desired is always best as there can be specific tax benefits versus relying on default distribution rules.

Beau Ruff, a licensed attorney, is the director of planning at Cornerstone Wealth Strategies, a full-service independent investment management and financial planning firm in Kennewick.

The annual celebration opens with a reception at 5 p.m., followed by dinner and a program at 6:30 p.m., at the Red Lion Hotel & Conference Center Pasco.

The chamber and the Port of Pasco established the Ag Hall of Fame in 2000 to recognize and honor people who have made significant contributions to agriculture in Franklin County and surrounding communities. The nomination deadline passed in November.

Go to: pascochamber.org/ag-hall-offame.html.

uBUSINESS BRIEFS

The Falls to showcase mixed uses at Southridge

By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz

The Falls will marry apartments and commercial space in a single development in Kennewick’s Southridge area.

It promises to be one of the first true mixed-use project in Kennewick and to showcase the ambitions of its builder, Pasco’s Elite Construction + Development.

Mixing uses in a single development is not new, but it is relatively uncommon in the Tri-Cities.

Richland’s Park Place, a mix of apartments and retail at the entrance to Howard Amon Park, is a modern example. The Port of Kennewick’s revamp of the former Vista Field airport anticipates mixed uses, but no private development has occurred.

The Resort at Hansen Park, which includes three types of residential development will have commercial aspects in the future as well.

“The city of Kennewick has not had a mixed-use development. This is a first,” said Trini Garibay, CEO of Elite, representing the stakeholders in the project.

Elite has a long history of building single- and multifamily homes in addition to its commercial and government work, including Hanford projects. Garibay said it is drawing that history to plant a flag in the

mixed-use world, an urban concept that encourages dense, urban development that reduces the need for single occupant vehicles.

“We are trying to make that Elite Development’s niche and become the contractor of choice for mixed-use developments,” said Garibay, who co-founded Elite with David Magaña, the chief operating officer.

The Falls breaks ground this winter at 4112 W. 24th Ave., near Kennewick’s Cynergy Centre and roughly across Highway

395 from Home Depot. Trios Southridge Hospital, Canyon Lakes, a fitness gym, offices and a cluster of restaurants and new home developments are in the neighborhood.

The project, with a construction value of $19 million, will add 105 apartments and two 5,500-square-foot commercial buildings at the entrance. The split is 80% residential to 20% commercial. Elite will build both types in tandem, saying the city wants

to preserve the 80-20 balance through two phases of construction.

The residential section will be a fourover-one pedestal style building with 23 studio units, 38 one-bedroom units and 44 two-bedroom units. The commercial spaces will face the main street. There will be 172 parking spaces.

Space will be preleased further in the construction cycle. No leases have been signed.

Garibay sees The Falls as a poster child for high-impact development that efficiently uses limited land. The site is 3.5 acres.

He hopes it will help others to follow suit and serve as an example of what might happen at Vista Field.

“It will be the first of its kind,” he said.

The Falls will take about 24 months to complete. It will boast about 133,000 square feet in total.

Elite is undaunted at building residential units at a time when housing demand is slowing. New homes starts have dropped by 20% in the Tri-Cities and home sales have eased as well as the market absorbs the impact of six consecutive interest rate hikes by the Federal Reserve that have collectively pushed the cost of financing a typical Tri-City home to $2,700 a month, from

Restaurant returns to its river roots after fire

By Robin Wojtanik for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

Nine months after a fire forced Foodies from its downtown Kennewick space, the restaurant has been reborn in a new riverfront location where it can seat twice as many people.

“It wasn’t a sad thing,” said owner Joanna Wilson of the closure of the former Foodies on West Kennewick Avenue.

She’s leasing a space owned by the city of Kennewick at 2701 Paul Parish Drive, next to the city’s golf course in Columbia Park, west of the hydroplane pits. It has an unobstructed river view for events like Water Follies, the River of Fire and this month’s Lighted Boat Parade.

Since first launching Foodies in 2014 as a roving kitchen on a pontoon boat, the restaurant has anchored itself as a Tri-City favorite.

The night before the February 2022 blaze at the Cascade Building behind

Foodies, Wilson had laid out dry erase boards with the intention of brainstorming potential changes for the restaurant at 308 W. Kennewick Ave.

She felt the success of the Foodies expansion to 701 The Parkway in Richland had come on the back of the original Foodies, its first brick and mortar location.

“It was one of those things where the heart wasn’t there, and we were so focused on getting Richland up and successful, that it really took a toll, at least it did in my vision,” she said.

Wilson started contemplating capital improvements, maintenance issues and future expectations for each location.

“It literally was, ‘Where are we headed?’ It was kind of one of those heartfelt moments. And then at 6 in the morning, my mom called, and my phone started blowing up, and it was, ‘Get down there,’ ” she said.

Fire damage

Wilson could only stand by and watch

as extensive smoke and water from the fire destroyed Foodies’ interior, forcing its immediate closure.

A number of items were salvaged with the help of a restoration company. This included the tables and chairs, already in use at the new Foodies on the river, which opened in mid-October.

Wilson just needed to add a few supplemental tables and chairs to bring the restaurant to its full capacity of 100, not including covered, outdoor tables available seasonally. Some natural wood tables also mimic the feel of the Richland location.

The 15 part-time and full-time staffers at Foodies Kennewick include a few who have worked at at least one of the restaurant’s locations, whether in Richland, former Kennewick site or Foodies on the Go food truck that opened in the spring.

Employees are training to prepare for extended hours and future plans to offer breakfast on weekends in Kennewick, targeted at golfers.

No one was laid off after the February fire.

Instead, everyone was offered a position at Foodies Richland, and the eatery expanded hours to stay open seven days a week.

“It allowed us to refocus and send all of our efforts to Richland, not worry about the future; not worry about anything,” Wilson said.

A riverfront home

Wilson never expected to reopen her downtown Kennewick location.

“That died in the fire,” she said.

She had been on the hunt for a new venue, but nothing fit the intended vibe, especially the slew of strip mall spaces she was pitched weekly.

Wilson was in Hawaii in late summer when she got a call from the city that the Columbia Park lease was available. It was a bit of repeating kismet, as she was in the same spot in Hawaii back in 2017 when she learned 701 The Parkway

Richland’s new armory throws open doors to National Guard unit

Pasco greenhouse is key Montana ag tech company’s future

Courtesy Elite Construction + Development

The Falls will mix apartment living and commercial space at 4112 W. 24th Ave. in Kennewick’s Southridge area. Elite Construction and Development calls it the first true mixed-use development in the city and a sign of development to come.

was available after Paper Street Brewing departed for Pasco.

She followed through with her own due diligence as a small business owner before committing to the deal, but it’s hard to turn down a rare opportunity for riverfront property.

“Where am I going to be on the river in the Tri-Cities? It’s just not going to happen,” she said.

The restaurateur is thrilled with the public-private partnership and having Kennewick as her landlord.

The city stepped in when Foodies was stalled in receiving its liquor license from the state, as Kennewick now has a vested interest in the restaurant’s success.

“It’s just been great to be able to have that support that a typical small business doesn’t have,” she said. “(The city of Kennewick) has really just opened the doors to us and allowed us to make it ours.”

The layout of the building is the same as with the previous tenant, which includes a small space for city staffers to serve Columbia Park Golf Tri-Plex customers, ringing up sales for the par 3 golf course, disc golf or foot golf.

Foodies put its own touches on the rectangular building by warming up the interior lighting, adding slate and natural wood accents, moving in more kitchen equipment, and incorporating the former exterior marquee to hang above the fireplace.

An expanded window to the kitchen

includes food warming lights, a larger counter and bar area.

“It allowed us to be able to extend the kitchen, and that’s what I wanted with the bar we created – to have somewhere you could sit and watch. It’s kind of part of the entertainment to be involved in the kitchen. We can talk to you and chat, so it isn’t just a bar,” she said.

The freestanding building along Columbia Park Trail previously housed Bite at the Landing, which opened in fall 2019 by the Simmons family of C.G. Public House and Catering. It stopped serving in mid-September and vacated by the end of the month.

Without holding a formal grand opening, the Columbia Park reception for Foodies has been just as Wilson hoped.

“People are trickling in, and it’s been perfect. It might feel slow for my staff, but it’s been healthy,” she said.

The restaurant only takes reservations for parties of 10 or more and had received many inquiries leading up to the Lighted Boat Parade, held the first weekend in December.

The restaurant owner credits her staff for Foodies’ success.

“They take ownership. I think they see I’m passionate about what I’m doing and I care about their employment, and it’s not just a job for me, so it’s not just a job for them. When they know they have the support of the owner and I will bend over backwards to take care of them, I think there’s a different culture that our guests see and want to be a part of,” she said.

But of course, there’s also the food,

including a variety of popular favorites like burgers, hot dogs, sandwiches and salads.

The menu remains the same, but the staff is empowered to contribute to the “fresh sheet” with rotating quarterly specials.

“I want that to be very consistent, so we’re not changing our menu every month. We’re not doing crazy, wild things. We’re just creating comfortable food that people are familiar with, but has our own twist on it,” Wilson said.

The restaurant has a “rule of three” that requires every ingredient, from spices to sauces, to be used in at least three menu items before it’s kept in the inventory. This has been an important rule with supply chain issues post-pandemic.

Foodies on the Go truck

The Foodies on the Go food truck spent the summer at a Port of Benton lot near Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, filling the location once held by Kindra’s Wok ’N Roll, and using the same truck following an update and rewrapping.

Wilson may use the truck as a mobile billboard over the winter but doesn’t intend to return to the same spot next year. Foodies on the Go will be used for catering and events exclusively.

She likes the flexibility of not being

tied down to a lease with the truck, but still having that contingency plan in the event restaurants are once again limited to takeout only, with food losing its luster while being transported offsite.

“No one’s food is good to-go, right? It just isn’t. Maybe Subway,” she said. “Hot fried food just isn’t as good. That’s not what our restaurants are meant to do. Having the food truck allows me to be in that market. I’m not tied to any kind of contract. And I could go anywhere I’m licensed, so that takes me from Prosser to Othello to Walla Walla.”

Will there ever be a Foodies Pasco? Never say never, Wilson said.

“I think maybe I need to just spend some more time and go to some chamber meetings and city council meetings. I really like the downtown and I think there is some movement there.”

Foodies Kennewick is open 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Sundays, Wednesdays and Thursdays and 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

Foodies Richland is open seven days a week, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

Wilson said she expected Foodies Kennewick’s hours to match Richland’s by the end of the year, once new workers are trained.

Photo by Robin Wojtanik

The original Foodies Kennewick outdoor sign now hangs at the restaurant’s new home in Columbia Park.

By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz

The Washington Army National Guard welcomed a 150-member company of soldiers to its $14.2 million Richland Readiness Center on National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day on Dec. 7.

It took 10 years to conceive, fund and build Richland’s first armory and the first new National Guard facility in Benton County since the Prosser Armory was built in 1947.

It was a memorable undertaking both for the Washington Military Department and for Fowler General Construction, the Richland contractor that built it.

“I’ve never seen a project go as well as this,” said Adam Iwaszuk, director of the construction facilities management office for the military department, who spoke during ribbon cutting ceremonies.

It took just 14 months to build despite the Covid-19 pandemic slowdowns, supply chain issues and other obstacles. He called the process “flawless.”

In the end, the center at 2655 First St. opened on budget and on time. Iwaszuk publicly thanked the contractor.

Brooks Payne, deputy director for Fowler, was clearly moved, saying it is vanishingly rare for a contractor to be thanked for its work in such a public fashion. He said his company was determined to land the project from the moment the state issued a request for proposals.

Once it won the contract, Fowler made sure to overdeliver, he said.

“We knew we wanted to be part of it,” he said, noting Fowler worked under a fixed-price contract.

One example: The 40,000-square-foot building was designed to meet the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, “silver” criteria, which is required for all state-funded projects. Instead,

Fowler delivered a building that is eligible for the council’s higher LEED “gold” standard.

The military department confirmed the Richland building is the first in the National Guard inventory to be on track for LEED gold.

“It is one of the highest performing buildings in the Tri-Cities,” Payne said.

The center is not just efficient. It is a poster child for recruiting soldiers to serve in the Army and Army National Guard, said Brig. Gen. Daniel Dent, commanding general for the state of Washington, who spoke at the ribbon-cutting ceremonies.

The Readiness Center serves as the home base for about 150 soldiers assigned to the 1-161st Infantry Regiment, “Highlanders,” who will travel to Richland to fulfill their commitment to drill one weekend a month and two weeks a year.

The unit is part of a storied organi-

zation that traces its history to the mid1800s when a militia formed to escort Territorial Governor Isaac Stevens from Spokane through The Dalles.

It was federalized in 1898 and has sent soldiers to serve in both World Wars as well as Iraq and to assist in innumerable civil emergencies, from the landslide at Oso to forest fires.

The unit was slated to participate in the planned World War II invasion of Honshu, the main island of Japan. The invasion was called off when Japan surrendered following the bombing of Naga-

saki with atomic weaponry developed at the Hanford site in Richland as part of the Manhattan Project.

The military department identified the need for a company facility in 2011 and proposed it two years later.

The Richland Readiness Center was one of a dozen National Guard facilities selected for fiscal year 2020.

The state approved its 25% share in the 2019 capital projects budget and purchased the 40-acre site from the city of Richland ($1.7 million) at about the same time.

Funding is split between the federal and state governments, with $11.4 million in federal funds (through the U.S. Department of Defense) and $3.8 million from the state.

Fowler, the winning bidder, broke ground in 2021. Portland-based TVA Architects was the designer.

The Readiness Center could soon have a neighbor. The military department hopes to use undeveloped land on the property for a second Washington campus for the National Guard Youth Challenge Academy. The first is in Bremerton and cannot accommodate all the demand.

The free academy program serves young men and women who have dropped out of high school or who are at risk of doing so and aims to restore high school credits so they can graduate and succeed as adults. The academy includes a residential component. There are 40 such academies in the U.S.

Photo by Wendy Culverwell

Lt.

Battalion, 161st Infantry Regiment, speaks during ribbon-cutting ceremonies at the Richland Readiness Center as soldiers responsible for overseeing

stand at parade rest on Dec. 7.

Pasco breaks ground on animal shelter

The city of Pasco broke ground on its new Tri-Cities Animal Shelter on Nov. 30.

The long-planned facility at 1312 S. 18th Ave. replaces an aging and dank facility that serves as headquarters for TriCities Animal Control.

Pasco is the host and manager of the animal facility, which provides animal control and sheltering services for the cities of Kennewick, Pasco and Richland. A 2016 study identified the need to replace the old facility, with the three cities sharing in the cost.

The new shelter is a pre-engineered, single-story building with 9,651 square feet, kennels for dogs and cats and a greet-

ing area for visitors to spend time with prospective pets. It includes facilities for sick and injured animals as well as fenced play areas outside the building.

Double J Inc. of Richland submitted the winning bid of $673,000 to build the project, which was approved by the Pasco City Council in October.

Railroad certifies Pasco’s Reimann Industrial Park

BNSF Railway has designated the Reimann Industrial Center in Pasco as a “certified site,” its first in Washington.

Reimann, established by the Port of Pasco, is one of four new sites on the BNSF roster of sites that are identified as offering rail service to prospective business. The certification speeds up the development process for companies that rely on freight

service.

The others are in Dodge City, Kansas; Seward, Nebraska; and Upton, Wyoming.

The port began working with BNSF on the certification process in August 2021. The process included a site visit and an economic development analysis of the 300-acre property’s economic development potential. Half was sold to Darigold Inc. for a $600 million dairy processing plant. Construction began in September.

The port intends to build more than $25 million in infrastructure to serve the former farmland, which is across from BNSF’s existing Pasco rail yard. The port will reconstruct Railroad Avenue and install a water line. A port-owned rail line extension begins in 2023.

Franklin County, the city of Pasco, the Franklin Public Utility District and Cas-

cade Natural Gas are extending infrastructure to the site as well.

BNSF Railway operates 32,500 miles of track in 28 states and operates in three Canadian provinces.

Governor asked to fund Connell rail project

Local counties, ports, cities and other agencies have asked Gov. Jay Inslee and various lawmakers to include $15 million for a key rail interchange near Connell in the 2023-25 budget.

The request seeks $10 million appropriated by the Legislature in 2021 and an additional $5 million. Approximately $500,000 has been spent on design and engineering since 2015.

The rail interchange is promoted as a key piece of rail infrastructure in Eastern Washington. It is where the Columbia Basin Rail intersects with the BNSF Railway Lakeside Subdivision line, which links Spokane and Pasco.

The Columbia Basin line serves key agriculture communities including Moses Lake, Wheeler, Schrag, Warden, Othello, Royal City, Bruce and Connell in grant, Adams and Franklin counties.

It is one of the busiest short lines in the state and serves 60 active shippers that collectively employ 7,000. But it was built nearly a century ago and promoters of the new interchange say it is outdated and inefficient.

Tri-Cities supporters include Franklin County, the Port of Pasco, Avista Corp., Lamb Weston, McCain Foods USA Inc. and Oregon Potato.

By

Documents filed under Washington’s environmental review process reveal a list of projects in the works for the MidColumbia.

The State Environmental Review Act, or SEPA, often provides the first look at the mixed-use projects, mini storage facilities, apartments, industrial expansions, subdivisions and more that are working their way through the various planning departments of Benton, Franklin and Walla Walla counties.

Here’s a look at projects that appeared in the SEPA register in the past month.

Pasco-Burns LLC Apartments Pasco

Pasco-Burns LLC of Vancouver plans to construct a 354-unit apartment complex with 14 buildings, an office, clubhouse and swimming pool on a 14.29acre site at the northwest corner of Burns Road and Broadmoor Boulevard. The comment period deadline was Dec. 14.

Pasco-Burns LLC is associated with Husky Ventures LLC and Timberland Homes.

Construction begins on approval and will proceed in two phases.

Teton West of Washington

Kennewick

Teton West of Washington plans to construct five pre-engineered steel buildings for agricultural storage on a 640acre parcel at 132504 S. 16 PR SW, Kennewick.

Each will be about 166-by-298 feet in size.

Benton County has determined the project will not have a probable significant adverse impact on the environment.

Comprehensive Plan update

Richland

The city of Richland received four applications for map amendments as part of its 2022 Comprehensive Plan update.

The changes include the addition of recreation trail data, a change in land use designation for 10 acres at City View Drive to commercial, from high density residential, a change in land use designation and zoning for 10.43 acres at Hayden Homes LLC’s Clearwater Creek to medium-density residential and a change in land use designation/zoning for 12.9 acres at Badger Mountain South to lowdensity residential/single-family residential.

Halara Hills Richland

Pahlisch Homes is seeking approval to build an 82-lot community of singlefamily homes on a 52-acre site off Strawberry Lane, in the Country Ridge area of south Richland. It submitted its preliminary plat application in June 2020.

The Richland hearing examiner approved the preliminary plat in October and denied an appeal from Friends of Country Ridge in November. The site was previously proposed for a similar development called Ladera, which was denied.

Halara Hills must have a secondary emergency vehicle access point and the main entrance at Strawberry Lane. Water

main West Richland

The city of West Richland will connect existing water mains and install new 8-inch and 12-inch lines within a road right of way on North 62nd Avenue. Affected properties will receive new water meters.

The project will not have a probable significant adverse impact on the environment. Construction is expected to begin in June 2023 and includes replacing ramps with ones that meet the require-

ments of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

BNSF portage siding Benton County

BNSF Railway intends to extend an existing siding track along the Columbia River opposite McNary Lock and Dam by 2.05 miles, between BNSF Mile 194.6 and 196.65, east of the Interstate 82 river crossing at Umatilla, Oregon.

The project will include signals, switches, turnout pads and access road improvements at both ends and an overpass bridge at McNary Road.

The Washington Department of Ecol-

Cooper Wine Co. completes first harvest

Cooper Wine Company has completed the first harvest through its new Red Mountain winery, 35306 N. Sunset Road, Benton City.

The 11,600-square-foot winery features a production area, fermentation hall, barrel room and hospitality space as well as a 3,000-square-foot mezzanine dedicated to tastings.

The project included eight familyowned contractors.

The winery team is led by winemaker Anthony Filantres.

Cooper Red Mountain is led by Neil Cooper and his children, Mackenzie and Jack, as well as his sister, Cheri, who manages the winery’s club, tasting room and events.

THE FALLS, From page B1

$1,700 at the start of 2022.

C.J. Black, project executive, said the company knows how to navigate the rising cost of money and the supply chain disruptions that affect builders.

By adding to the apartment market, it serves the overall housing market by increasing options for people who are priced out of the market or want to wait out the “interest rate storm.”

“We provide a livable home in the meanwhile,” he said. “The timing of it is actually pretty unique for us to provide an added benefit,” he said.

The Falls’ target market is young professionals. It aims to be transit and Uber friendly and will offer courtyards and greenspace for residents and commercial tenants. It will offer a pet area and be welcoming to dogs.

Knutzen Engineering is the civil engineer. Kennewick determined it will not have a significant impact on the environment in October. The land is owned by RDG LLC, a Pasco limited liability company that acquired it by quit claim deed in November, according to county records.

SEPA, From page B5

ogy determined the plan will not have a probable adverse impact on the environment.

Vargas Dance Hall

Pasco

Jaime Vargas is seeking a special permit to site a dance hall at 801 S. Fourth Ave. near the intersection of East A Street in Pasco.

The city determined the project will not have a probable significant adverse impact on the environment.

Vasquez Event Center

Pasco

Margarito M. Vasquez Torres is seeking a special permit to create an event center at 2302 E. Lewis St. near Cedar Avenue in Pasco. The event center would accommodate community events, reunions, birthdays and garage sales.

Pasco determined the project will not likely have a significant adverse impact on the environment.

Pasco greenhouse is key Montana ag tech company’s future

By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz

Local Bounti Corp. has resumed construction of a $40 million project to establish commercial greenhouses in east Pasco following a months-long pause while it absorbed the purchase of a California rival.

Local Bounti will cultivate live lettuce, herbs and leafy greens sold through groceries. It is not a cannabis company.

The Pasco greenhouse complex is the latest major turn for Local Bounti, the Hamilton, Montana-based agriculture startup that launched in August 2018 to grow produce in controlled environments.

It paid $3.1 million for the Pasco site in

Pasco approves warehouse rezone

The Pasco City Council approved a rezone that sets the stage for a future 2.1 million-square-foot industrial park on Road 40 East, near a pair of warehouses constructed for Amazon.

The rezone changes the designation of a 71-acre parcel on the west side of Road 40 East to medium residential, from light industrial. The new zoning matches an adjoining parcel that is part of the same future development.

Pasco Road 40 LLC intends to develop the combined 111-acre property into a multi-building industrial park. The prop-

2021 and began site work. But the work halted in early 2022 when Local Bounti announced plans to acquire Hollandia Produce Group Inc., aka Pete’s, a Californiabased greenhouse operator, in a $123 million cash-and-stock deal.

It described the decision to halt work in Pasco as a “pause.”

The Pete’s deal gave it access to 10,000 retail customers, including Kroger, Walmart, Albertsons, Whole Foods and other national grocers, as well as two production facilities in California and an unfinished one in Byron, Georgia.

Before returning its attention to Pasco, it fitted Georgia with its “Stack and Flow” growing system, which combines vertical

erty was annexed into the city in 1979 and initially zoned for a mobile home park. It was converted to light industrial in 1992.

Register now for Home & Garden Show

Registration is open for the 2023 Regional Home & Garden Show, to be held Feb. 17-19 at Hapo Center in Pasco.

The Home Builders Association of TriCities organizes the event, which offers booth and other spaces to vendors.

Booths rent for $700 or $800, depending on location. Discounts are available for HBA members.

Download guidelines for exhibitors at bit.ly/HBAHomeGarden.

and hydroponic elements, and began producing July. In October, Sam’s Club, the members-only arm of Walmart Inc., signed a five-year deal to purchase everything produced at the Georgia plant.

Local Bounti said it will expand the Georgia plant, complete the one in Pasco and begin another in Mount Pleasant, Texas, to keep up with demand.

The Pasco property, 950 S. Elm Ave., near Big Pasco Industrial Center, will have three acres of greenhouse and is expected to be operational by the third quarter of 2023.

The city of Pasco issued a building permit that values the construction at $24 million, which is $2 million more than estimated in the earlier construction phase

Richland wants Little Badger Trail comments

The city of Richland will present a draft proposal to link Little Badger Mountain Trail to Badger Mountain at a series of public comment sessions.

The public can meet with staff between 4:30-6 p.m. Jan. 12 in the lobby of City Hall, 625 Swift Blvd., and from 9-10:30 a.m. Jan. 21 at the Richland Community Center, 500 Amon Park Drive.

A virtual meeting will be from noon1 p.m. Jan. 19, via Zoom.

The 5.5-mile trail system was developed by staff and its consultant, Michael Terrell Landscape Architecture LLC.

Go to ci.richland.wa.us/littlebadgertrail.

in late 2021. It also issued a permit Nov. 9 to install a $500,000 underground plumbing system.

The Texas facility will have six acres of greenhouse space and begin operating in late 2023.

In its third quarter earnings report, Local Bounti reported $6.3 million in sales and a net loss of $27.1 million compared to $159,000 and a net loss of $10.8 million for the same three-month period in 2021, reflecting the new revenue associated with Pete’s, which distributes to 35 states and Canadian provinces.

“We believe growing healthy vegetables is good business,” it said in a quarterly earnings report.

New owners for Dutch Bros-fronted strip mall

A Kennewick strip mall anchored by Planet Fitness, Mid-Columbia Wine & Spirits, Max Air Trampoline Park, Dutch Bros Coffee and Honey Baked Ham has new owners.

Seattle-based Kent Business Builders LLC paid $10 million for the 7.2-acre shopping complex at 731 N. Columbia Center Blvd.

The property includes 34,382- and 54,000-square-foot shopping centers as well as a 341-square-foot snack bar, home to Dutch Bros.

Bellevue-based Columbia Summit LLC was the seller.

uBUSINESS BRIEFS

Benton Franklin Orthopedic Associates has completed a $2.5 million project to transform the old Banner Bank building at 8200 Gage Blvd. in Kennewick into a 5,380-square-foot medical office.

The project included demolishing the interior walls, drywall and ceilings and refitting the building to accommodate 12 exam rooms and on-site X-ray capabilities. The clinic is near Olive Garden, west of Columbia Center mall, and was completed on Oct. 31.

Benton Franklin Orthopedic Associates aims to help patients return to the activities they love by helping them recover from injuries and pain. It has numerous offices in Kennewick and Pasco and operates High Desert Surgery Center at 521 Young St. in Kennewick.

W McKay Construction was the general contractor. Baker Architecture was the designer. Go to BFOAonline.com or call 509-586-2828.

Kennewick

Delicakes by Angelica to open shop in

A specialty cake bakery born in the Pasco Specialty Kitchen is opening up a shop in Kennewick.

Delicakes by Angelica will move into the Highlands Center, 151 N. Ely St., Suite D2, leasing a 1,085-square foot space.

Todd Sternfeld of NAI Tri-Cities represented the landlord and Corren Heeren, also of NAI Tri-Cities, represented the tenant.

Pilar “Angelica” Hernandez opened Delicakes three years ago at the Pasco Specialty Kitchen, a business incubator that focuses on food.

Horn Rapids Urgent Care plan dropped

An urgent care clinic and other medical services planned for Richland’s Horn Rapids residential neighborhood will not move forward.

A pair of physicians employed by Kadlec Regional Medical Center sought to privately develop the 1.5-acre property on the north side of Clubhouse Lane into a medical complex.

Drs. Luay Ailabouni, a surgeon, and Elhami N. Hannan, a nephrologist, submitted a letter of intent offering the city of Richland $300,000 for the site, signaling their plans to build an 18,860-squarefoot strip mall with an urgent care clinic and offices for additional medical professionals.

The city’s economic development committee recommended the city council authorize the manager to enter a formal purchase and sale agreement with the doctors’ business, LEMA Group LLC.

The doctors could not be reached to discuss their vision.

The city council was expected to consider the recommendation when it met Nov. 15.

However, the agenda item was removed after the city could not come to terms with the would-be buyers. The city said the project is not moving forward.

D9 breaks ground on Quake, family rec center

D 9 Contractors Inc., led by Michael Detrick, broke ground in September on a family recreation center it calls Quake, the Epicenter of Family Fun.

Quake is expected to open in spring 2023 at 106904 E. Detrick PR SE in unincorporated Kennewick, near Cottonwood Elementary and the Badger exit from Interstate 82.

Construction is valued at $5.8 million, according to Benton County permit information. The project is sited within

Benton County’s Interchange Commercial District, which allows recreational facilities with conditions.

Quake is an initiative of five families that intend to own and operate the business, leasing the space from the developer. The 40,000-square-foot facility was originally set for an October opening date but was delayed by permitting issues.

It will feature a diverse set of activities with offerings suited for everyone from toddlers to retirees. There will be party areas, an event and gathering space and trampolines, reality arcades, and a Mission Impossible-style laser maze as well as café and pizza kitchen.

Follow its progress on Facebook by searching for “Quake The EPICenter of Family Fun.”

Richland offers small business digital passport program

Richland recently launched its Small Business Passport program which offers discounts year-round.

In early December, 12 businesses were enrolled.

Shoppers, diners and consumers can pick up a passport, which includes a QR code for digital access, in the lobbies of Richland City Hall, Richland Public Library, Richland Community Center, or at any of the participating businesses.

The QR code links to richlandbusiness.com/passport where interested businesses also can register to participate.

Shoppers just need to show the web-

page at the time of purchase to receive the discount.

Participating businesses and deals offered will change often to keep it fresh.

Kozy Kup opens in Richland library

Kozy Kup Coffee Co. has opened in the Richland Public Library.

Its hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Saturday at 955 Northgate Drive.

Kozy Kup also operates a coffee shop at 2250 Keene Road in Richland.

The previous library coffee shop tenant, Novel Coffee + Teas, closed its library location during the pandemic and now brews coffees and other drinks at 710 George Washington Way, Suite B-B.

Kennewick ad agency changes ownership

By Kristina Lord publisher@tcjournal.biz

The ownership of a longtime adver tising agency has changed hands.

PS Media Inc.’s new owner and pres ident is Tony Moser, who’s been with the business for almost eight years.

Moser bought the Kennewick-based business, established in 1999, from Mark Showalter and Dave Praino. The deal was finalized Oct. 14. Terms were not disclosed.

Praino and Showalter worked together at KNDU-TV when they started dreaming of starting their own business

“As cliché as it may sound, PS Media was first envisioned on the back of a cocktail napkin. I had two small children and a stay-at-home wife, so it was pretty scary, but I’ve never looked back,” Praino said.

PS Media offers marketing services ranging from rebranding to media placement, to social media and digital marketing, and web and video production.

Praino said it’s been a good run.

By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz

The Washington Department of Financial Services has issued a fresh warning to residents to be cautious about investing in “unregulated” products in light of the failures of FTX and BlockFi, the cryptocurrency exchanges that collapsed into bankruptcy.

“Today, more than ever, it’s important for investors to be fully aware of the risks involved with their investments,” said Charlie Clark, director of the department, in a news release. “No investment is free of risk – (recent) events shine a bright light on the potential for risk within cryptocurrency investments. Understanding what you’re investing in, ensuring you are not investing more than you can afford to lose and diversifying your investments remain the top sound investment practices.”

Cryptocurrency is a virtual currency secured by encryption technology and created through complex and energyconsuming computer operations.

The latest warnings come as Washington moves to stop prominent companies from operating here. Due to the unregulated nature of virtual currency, it is unknown how much is held by Washington residents.

One bankrupt company alone held nearly $400 million from more than 12,000 state residents as recently as 2021.

In late November, the state issued cease and desist orders against Chicagobased West Real Shires Services Inc., operating as FTX US, and New Jerseybased BlockFi Lending LLC and BlockFi Trading LLC.

FTX collapsed on Nov. 10 and its founder, Sam Bankman-Fried, left in

“What I’m proudest of is the relationships we’ve built over the last 23 years. We’ve made solid friendships with customers and employees to the extent that it hasn’t ever felt like work. It’s always felt like we are all on the same team working toward the same goals,” he said.

College in 2000.

He grew up in the Tri-Cities and moved to Los Angeles to work in the movie business (He also did stand-up comedy for about 15 years.), but said he was tired of earthquakes, traffic and how expensive everything was so he returned home.

ity work to get PS Media’s name out. “If you’re making some money, you should give it back,” he said.

Tony Moser

Moser, 47, of Kennewick, was an easy pick to be the business’ successor, Praino said.

“Tony gets it. Tony knows what needs to take place for PS Media to continue to be successful. The customers love him, the vendors love him, and the staff love him. Plus, he’s the most gifted producer I’ve worked with in my more than 40-year career,” he said.

Moser, a 1993 Kamiakin High grad, earned an associate degree in film and TV from Seattle Central Community

Moser has been producing/editing videos since high school but has been at it professionally for about 23 years.

During the pandemic Moser approached PS Media’s longtime owners about selling the business to him.

“I figured it was my next step. I’ve been video producing and editing for so long. I always like to look for the next challenge. The next step is being an owner,” he said.

Moser admits he doesn’t have much experience running a business, but he is confident he can learn. He’s keeping Praino and Showalter on the payroll as consultants to help with the transition.

His goals are to double the number of employees and what the company brings in. He also wants to get more involved in the community as far as char-

He currently serves on the board for Safe Harbor Support Center, a Kennewick-based nonprofit which works to prevent child abuse and neglect by providing a safe environment for children and teens when there are no other alternatives.

He also serves on the Tri-Tech Skills Center’s digital arts and filmmaking advisory committee. He studied TV and radio there from 1992-93.

In his spare time, Tony produces music videos for local bands and earlier this year produced his own documentary on the Tri-City music scene, “All Ages Show.”

He and his wife Kim have a pit pull rescue named Jellybean, who has her own Instagram page. (@jellybeananimal).

Moser is excited about the possibilities the future will bring at PS Media.

“It’ll be a fun challenge to see where we can take things,” he said.

State regulators warn against crypto, move to halt FTX, BlockFi

disgrace. It filed for bankruptcy a day later.

BlockFi Trading and BlockFi Lending are both wholly owned subsidiaries of BlockFi Inc. It filed for bankruptcy shortly after FTX.

In 2021, Washington financial regulators accused BlockFi of violating the state Securities Act by offering and/or selling securities without being registered or seeking a waiver from the registration requirement.

BlockFi held nearly $392 million in deposits from Washington residents on Dec. 31, 2021, according to the ceaseand-desist order.

The order against FTX does not give an estimate of its financial footprint in Washington but identifies a series of “unsafe and unsound practices,” including the suspension of payments and obligations on Nov. 10, its bankruptcy filing on Nov. 11, and failure to maintain accurate records.

FTX is prohibited from accepting new assets but the order does not prevent residents from withdrawing digital assets, though that is unlikely because of the bankruptcy proceedings in Delaware.

The cease-and-desist orders against BlockFi Trading and BlockFi Lending are identical and echo the complaints in the FTX case.

DFI accuses it of unsafe and unsound practices, noting that it suspended payment of obligations on Nov. 10 comingled client assets and its surety bond would be canceled in December.

The order prohibits BlockFi from accepting new business or assets but does not prevent residents from withdrawing their digital assets, again, unlikely because of the bankruptcy proceedings.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.

previously warned that crypto investments, unlike deposits in traditional banks and credit unions, are generally not insured against loss. A fact sheet

covers what is and is not insured and is posted at bit.ly/FDICCryptoFactSheet.

DFI actions are posted at bit.ly/ DFICryptoCases.

uDONATIONS

• Gesa Credit Union’s held its first ever “Day of Service,” an employee initiative that encouraged employees to give back to local communities on Oct. 10 on Indigenous Peoples’ Day. Gesa closed its 28 branches to allow its team members to spend the day volunteering, giving back, and making a difference in their communities. In total, 53 organizations across the state benefited from Gesa’s volunteer work. Organizations helped included Grace Clinic in Kennewick, where the team assisted with yardwork, deep cleaning and painting the facility. Employees also volunteered at Second Harvest in Pasco; Columbia Basin Veterans Center; Grace Kitchen; Communities in Schools of BentonFranklin; Boys and Girls Clubs of Benton and Franklin Counites; and Tri-Cities Animal Shelter.

uBOARDS

• Gov. Jay Inslee has appointed Frederick Brink of West Richland to the Forensic Investigations Council; and Bethany Martinez of Mattawa to the Big Bend Community College Board of Trustees.

uPROMOTIONS

• The Benton-Franklin Council of Governments, as the metropolitan planning organization (MPO) for the TriCity area, has promoted Erin Braich to MPO deputy director. He will lead coor-

dinated planning activities supporting transportation and land use for the region. He joined the council of governments in 2018 as a transportation planner and was promoted to transportation program manager in 2020. Braich has nearly seven years of professional planning experience in Spokane, Honolulu and the Tri-Cities.

uELECTIONS

• Republican Rep. Dan Newhouse was reelected by the Congressional Western Caucus Executive Committee to serve a second term as chairman for the 118th Congress. The caucus serves as a unified voice for members of Congress representing western, rural and resource-based communities.

uGRANTS

• Columbia Basin College received a $473,945 career launch equipment grant. The grant from the state Board for Community and Technical Colleges will enable CBC’s agriculture program to acquire a precision needle seeder, multi-crop berry harvester and a rough terrain forklift.

• Gesa Credit Union awarded $500,000 to 43 organizations across Washington state as par of its Local He-

roes grant program. It provides grants to firefighters, law enforcement, teachers, health care workers and veterans. This year’s recipients were selected by the Gesa Community Foundation, which oversees the credit union’s grant and scholarship programs. Tri-City recipients were: Tri-Cities Diversity & Inclusion Council, $5,000; STEM Like Me!, $5,000; Columbia Basin College Foundation, $20,000; William Wiley El-

ementary, $4,000; Leona Libby Middle School, $5,750; Mid-Columbia Ballet, $5,000; Young Officers on Fire, $8,000; Richland Firefighters Community Outreach program, $5,000; KPD Metro Drug Taskforce, $5,400; Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association Chapter 116, $5,000; Friends of Disabled Veterans, $50,000; TROT Tri-Cities, $10,000; and Benton Fire District 2, $5,000.

Erin Braich

uAWARDS & HONORS

• The Association of Washington Business handed out 13 awards at the Nov. 17 Evening of Excellence gala in Tacoma. Two Tri-City businesses were among the winners. Kennewick-based Senske Services received the award of excellence in the family-owned business category. Senske was recognized for giving back to the communities it serves through several charitable activities. The company hosts an annual holiday light show at its headquarters on North Quay Street, near West Deschutes Avenue, that raises thousands of dollars for the local food bank. Through its Decorated Family Program, Senske installs holiday lights for veterans and deployed military personnel. Richland-based Apogee Group was named the 2022 Employer of the Year. It shifted to remote work during the pandemic. AWB noted that owner Salina Savage went out of her way to take care of employees of the program management and logistics company by paying 100% of the health insurance premiums for employees, among other benefits.

• Lexy Hibbs, the current Miss Rodeo Washington and former queen of Kennewick’s Horse Heaven RoundUp, was named second runnerup during the recent Miss Rodeo America pageant in Las Vegas. She also received awards for her written test, first place in the Zona Vig Scrapbook traditional category and the Wrangler Decorated Dress Award. The Richland woman spent the past year promoting rodeo and agriculture throughout the state as Miss Rodeo Washington. She served as the queen for the Benton Franklin Fair & Horse Heaven Round-Up from 202021. Hibbs is a Washington State University graduate and the viticulturist for Goose Ridge Estate Vineyard and Winery in Benton City, the second largest producer of wine grapes in the United States.

• President and CEO Carla Cicero of Numerica Credit Union has been named one of the “Most Powerful Women in Credit Unions.” American Banker hon-

ored 25 women from across the industry who work to create inclusive cultures and lead through times of rapid change.

Cicero was recognized by the magazine for excellent leadership, implementing innovative strategies, and empowering women. Beyond leading a team of more than 660 people, Cicero is one of three women on the board of directors for the World Council of Credit Unions. She is also a part of the Women’s Leadership Symposium, a group of women CEOs who support each other by sharing best practices and policies. In the past decade, Numerica has become the second-largest credit union in the greater Spokane region. Under Cicero’s leadership, the credit union has more than doubled its number of employees, and team members have volunteered over 140,000 hours in the community.

• Numerica Credit Union was the top-producing credit union in the region for U.S. Small Business Administration loans in 2022, and among the top overall. The recognition comes from 2022 fiscal year reports recently released by the U.S. small business administration. With 30 loans produced in that time span, Numerica ranked fourth among all financial institutions in the Inland Northwest and tied for ninth across the SBA’s Seattle district, which includes Washington state and north Idaho. The loan production totaled $12.5 million in support of local small businesses.

• The American College of Cardiology has recognized Lourdes Health in Pasco for its demonstrated expertise and commitment in treating patients with chest pain. Lourdes received chest pain center accreditation in November based on rigorous on-site evaluation of the staff’s ability to evaluate, diagnose and treat patients who may be experiencing a heart attack.

• The winner of the 2022 Central Washington Congressional App Challenge, an app-designing competition for middle and high school students, was Advaitha Motkuri from Richland High School. She designed the winning concept, “People’s Pupil: A Detection in In-

toxication.” Her app concept would use pupil size to detect levels of intoxication. If a person is identified as intoxicated, the app would immediately call an Uber for them.

uNEW HIRES

• The BentonFranklin Council of Governments has hired Christy Haack as the deputy director of operations. She was hired in July 2022 into this new position for the organization. Her responsibilities include facilitating operational administration, compliance, finance, and human resources activities and providing economic development program management. She brings over a decade of operations experience from her past employment at the College of Eastern Idaho, most recently as the director of operations for the Workforce Training and Continuing Education division.

• Quentin Wright joined Port of Benton on Nov. 7 as airport manager for the port’s Prosser and Richland airports. With experience in hangar lease management and property and aircraft fleet maintenance, Wright brings an expansive array of talents and skills to the port. He previously worked for Wisk Aero on a flight test team developing electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft. He also has experience as director of maintenance for a California-based flight school. Wright holds an airframe and powerplant mechanic license with inspection authorization privileges through the Federal Aviation Administration and a bachelor’s degree in aviation technology - maintenance management from Utah State University.

• Prosser Memorial Health hired Karmina Bowen to work at its dermatology center at 701 Dale Ave., Suite B, in Benton City. Bowen is an advanced

registered nurse practitioner with previous experience in dermatology. She completed her master of science in nursing degree from Maryville University in May 2021, after which she transitioned into dermatology working in Richland. Prior to her career in dermatology, she worked as a registered nurse at Kadlec Regional Medical Center’s emergency department. The Prosser native has nine years of emergency medicine experience.

• Petersen Hastings has hired Savannah Walker as a client service specialist for the firm, which has offices in Kennewick and Walla Walla. As a client service specialist, she will work with other members of the client services team to facilitate the collaborative monitoring and updating of personal and corporate investment accounts, as well as maintain complex financial reports, while prioritizing the requests and needs of our growing clientele.

• The National Park Service has selected Wendy Berhman as the new superintendent for Manhattan Project National Historical Park. She is responsible for the daily operations and staff at each of the three park sites. The park includes three sites located at Hanford, Los Alamos, New Mexico, and Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Managed in partnership with the DOE, the park preserves and interprets the nationally significant historic sites, stories and legacies associated with the top-secret race to develop an atomic weapon during World War II. Berhman has worked for the National Park Service for over 30 years, most recently as program planner for the NPS Washington Office.

• Good Shepherd Health Care System of Hermiston hired obstetrician & gynecologist Dr. Alexis Tuck. She joins Drs. Khavkin and Snider, providing OB-GYN care to women of all ages in eastern Oregon. She has been practicing in the Tri-Cities the past five years after completing her residency at the New York School of medicine Brooklyn campus in Brooklyn, New York. She is board certified by the American Board of Obstetrics & Gynecology and a fellow of American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

Lexy Hibbs

Carla Cicero

Quentin Wright

Christy Haack

Dr. Alexis Tuck

Karmina Bowen

PUBLIC RECORD

uBANKRUPTCIES

Bankruptcies are filed under the following chapter headings:

Chapter 7 — Straight Bankruptcy: debtor gives up non-exempt property and debt is discharged.

Chapter 11 — Allows companies and individuals to restructure debts to repay them.

Chapter 12 — Allows family farmers or fishermen to restructure finances to avoid liquidation for foreclosure.

Chapter 13 — Plan is devised by the individual to pay a percentage of debt based on ability to pay. All disposable income must be used to pay debts. Information provided by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Spokane.

CHAPTER 7

Edmira Cordic, 1815 Peachtree Lane, #B, Richland.

Elvira Farias, 21403 S. Haney Road, Kennewick.

Chelsie Serrano, 2331 Hood Ave., Richland.

Brandon Shane Burger, 15203 N. Albro Road, Prosser.

Jackie Jo Nix, 643 N. Neel St., Kennewick.

Laura Salas, 641 Handford St., Richland. Yasmin B. Cortes, 325 Casi Court, Prosser.

Maria Elena Valencia Avalos, 5501 W. Hildebrand Blvd., #B170, Kennewick.

Michael Vincent Cassens & Cheryl Ann Cassens, PO Box 6045, Kennewick.

Joanne C. Stone, 107 Jadwin Ave., Richland.

Joseph Micah Perkins, 2523 E. Sagemoor Road, Pasco.

Jazmine A. Ruiz, 7626 Quadra Drive, Pasco.

Bobby Hector Guzman & Balvina Guzman, 4405 Desert Place, Pasco.

CHAPTER 13

Teresa Jo Bevan-Church, 2602 W. Acord Road, Benton City.

Joseph Herbert Brown & Chelsea Rose Brown, 306 Adams St., Richland.

Kim S. Reis, 2499 Brodie Lane, Richland.

Tammy Jo McCool, 4403 Goldstream Lane, Pasco.

Jose Alfonso Uvalle Jr., 4227 Messara Lane, Pasco.

uTOP PROPERTIES

Top property values listed start at $700,000 and have been rounded to the nearest hundred figure. Property values are public record and can be found by visiting the county assessor’s office.

BENTON COUNTY

334 Columbia Point Drive, Unit 202, Richland, 3,389-square-foot home with detached garage. Price: $1.1 million.

Buyer: Gina M. Richey. Seller: Heather & Thomas Devries.

108921 E. 217 PR SE, Kennewick, 4,594-square-foot home with detached garage on 3.65 acres. Price: $1.7 million. Buyer: Ted & Jennifer Treiber. Seller: Ryan & Daphne Savage. 3622 W. 48th Ave., Kennewick, 2,966-square-foot home. Price: $1.25 million. Buyer: Thomas R. & Heather I. Devries. Seller: Kevin & Kim Keller. 2619 Falcon Lane, Richland, 2,852-square-foot home. Price: $922,000. Buyer: Derek M. & Tina L. Robinson. Seller: Dionysios Klironomos & Jacqueline C.

Boutlier. 401, 409, 417, 425, 433, 441,449,457, 465, 473, 481, 474, 466, 458, 450, 442, 434, 422 War Room Court, Richland, multiple home sites. Price: $1.8 million. Buyer: JA Torres Construction & Development LLC. Seller: Timothy T. & Kathryn L. Bush Trustees.

3160 George Washington Way, Richland, 20,353-square-foot office building. Price: $1.03 million. Buyer: IFMA LLC. Seller: Norma R. Waters Trustee. 6944 & 6928 Hardrock Court, West Richland, two 3,778-square-foot apartment buildings. Price: $1.6 million. Buyer: Summer Sunset LLC. Seller: MB Real Estate LLC.

5575 W. 41st Ave., Kennewick, 3323-square-foot home. Price: $750,000. Buyer: Mary Grace Perez Hipolito. Seller: BGRS LLC.

420 Clodfelter Road, Kennewick, 3.78 acres primary commercial/industrial land. Price: $873,000. Buyer: Ford Group LLC. Seller: Tom & Vicki L. Solbrack.

3822 Westlake Drive, West Richland, 4,549-square-foot home and pole building on 2 acres. Price: $1.2 million. Buyer: Aaron & Monica Dewitt. Seller: Owen M. & Janice A. Higgs.

10924 W. 10th Ave., Kennewick, 3.34 acres of primary commercial/industrial land. Price: $846,000. Buyer: Calvary Chapel of Tri-Cities. Seller: Crimson Hills Development Inc. 830 W. Grosscup Blvd., West Richland, RV and mobile home park, 3 mini warehouses, detached residential garage on 1.2 acres. Price: $865,000. Buyer: Twin Bridges MHP & Storage LLC. Seller: Matteo M. & Joyce M. Monopoli.

Property near Wallula Junction area, 2,174 acres of rangeland and 622 acres of dry ag land. Price: $1.2 million. Buyer: Sara & Jonathan Hellberg. Seller: Wake Family Properties LLC.

2483 Falconcrest Loop, Richland, 3,204-square-foot home. Price: $1.3 million. Buyer: Zachary Huff. Seller: Prodigy Homes LLC.

15107 S. Ridge View Lane, Kennewick, 3,704-square-foot home. Price: $1.6 million. Buyer: Christa S. & Peter M. Wilhelm. Seller: Dennis Sawby Construction LLC. 558, 574, 590, 606, 622, 638,654, 670, 686, 702, 718, 734,750, 766, 782, 798, 814, 830, 846, 862, 878, 894, 910, 926, 942, 958, 965, 949, 933, 917, 901 ,885, 869,853, 837, 821, 805, 789, 773, 757, 741, 725, 709, 693, 677, 661, 645, 629, 613, 597, 581, 565, 549, 533, 517, 501 S. Yolo Place and 9644 & 9676 W. Fifth Place, Kennewick, home sites. Price: $4 million. Buyer: Lexington Homes DRH LLC. Seller: Crimson Hills Development Inc. 1808 N. Riverside Drive, Richland, 2,285-square-foot home. Price: $710,000. Buyer: SFL LLC. Seller: Ronald F. Hinz. 8121 & 8125 W. Quinault Ave., Kennewick, 5,569- and 8,516-square-foot office buildings. Price: $2.7 million. Buyer: Sea Well Investments Group LLC. Seller: GlenPac Co. 30715 S. 887 PR SE, Kennewick, 2,186-square-foot home and pole building on 1.4 acres. Price: $980,000. Buyer: Michael G. & Karen L. Donohue. Seller: Stephenie Monson.

731 Columbia Center Blvd., Kennewick, 34,382- and 54,000 square-foot neighboruPUBLIC RECORD, Page B14

hood shopping centers, 341-square-foot snack bar on 7.2 acres. Price: $10 million. Buyer: Kent Business Builders LLC. Seller: Columbia Summit LLC.

2473 Legacy Lane, Richland, 3,376-square-foot home. Price: $980,000. Buyer: Scott A. & Beth A. Turley. Seller: Pahlisch Homes at Westcliffe Heights II LLC.

7010 W. Okanogan Place, Kennewick, 3,952-square-foot office. Price: $850,000. Buyer: Bumbershoot Holdings LLC. Seller: DPA Enterprises LLC.

Property north of West Orcutt Road, 84 acres of irrigated ag land, 82 acres of dry pasture. Price: $849,000. Buyer: Samuel Robles. Seller: Scott N. Roberts.

Property east of Keene Road, 13.2 acres of home sites. Price: $924,000. Buyer: Aho Construction Inc. Seller: Frank Tiegs LLC.

FRANKLIN COUNTY

2700 SR 261, 3,190 acres, 336-squarefoot labor dormitory, 2,048-square-foot

home, pole building, grain bins, barn. Price: $4 million. Buyer: Demeter Farms III LLC. Seller: Soaring Hawk Ranch LLC.

12816 Willettas Place, Pasco, 0.56 acres of undeveloped land. Price: $834,000. Buyer: Jeffrey & Dana Siegel. Seller: Hammerstrom Construction.

6903 Ricky Road, Pasco, 3,066-squarefoot home. Price: $845,000. Buyer: Joshua & Mindy Burns. Seller: Hammerstrom Construction.

5416 Magnolia Court, Pasco, 2,776-square-foot home. Price: $875,000. Buyer: Leslie & Jag Griffin. Seller: Russell C. Harper Jr. & Bonnie J. Harper. 2406, 2410, 2414, 2418, 2504, 2508, 2512, 2516, 2520, 2519, 2515, 2511, 2507, 2417, 2413, 2409, W. Ella St.; 2524, 2528, 2606, 2610, 2619, 2623, 2627 Ella Court, and 2609, 2605, 2529, 2525, 2521,2517, 2513, 2509, 2505, 2415, 2411, 2407, 2514, 2518 W. Jay St.; 2408, 2412, 2416, 2420, 2424, 2428, 2510, W. Jay Court; 2112 N. 24th Ave., single-family homes on 0.10-0.30acre lots. Price: $3.2 million. Buyer: Vine-

yard Apartment Homes LLC (et al.). Seller: Pasco Vineyards Associates LP. 2106 Amy Loop, Pasco, 3,095-squarefoot home. Price: $750,000. Buyer: Vasyl & Oksana Derevyanchuk. Seller: Volodymyr Symonchuk.

12804 Willettas Place, Pasco, 0.54 acres of undeveloped land. Price: $718,000. Buyer: Katherine L. & Osziel C. Garza. Seller: Hammerstrom Construction Inc.

12612 Whiskey River Road, Pasco, 0.58 acres of undeveloped land. Price: $857,000. Buyer: Brian & Nicole Crawford (et al.). Seller: Hammerstrom Construction Inc.

10403 W. Court St., Pasco, 4,503-squarefoot home. Price: $1.4 million. Buyer: Kurk Edwin & Jacqueline Cheryl Watts. Seller: Dwight D. & Janice M. Marquart. 12412 Whiskey River Road, Pasco, 2,238-square-foot home. Price: $754,000. Buyer: Stephenie Monson. Seller: Michael K. & Felicia E. Damon.

6915 Ricky Road, Pasco, 0.59 acres of undeveloped land. Price: $725,000. Buyer: Ricardo Marroquin Espino (et al.). Seller: Hammerstrom Construction Inc. 5326 Road 68, Pasco, 6,361-square-foot neighborhood shopping center on 1.3 acres. Price: $5.4 million. Buyer: Wildish Land Co. Seller: Hogback Road 68 Taco LLC.

uBUILDING PERMITS

BENTON COUNTY

AWT LLC, 53511 N. Sunset Road, Benton City, $6,000 for heat pump. Contractor: Delta Heating & Cooling.

Prosser School District, 102101 W. Foisy Road, Prosser, $28,000 for fire alarm system. Contractor: Moon Security Services Inc.

Michael Detrick, 106904 E. Detrick PR SE, Kennewick, $93,000 for fire alarm system. Contractor: Blue Mountain Fire Protection Inc.

James Hutchens, 213412 E. Highway 397, Kennewick, $50,000 for antenna/ tower. Contractor: Strata Inc.

Lamb Weston Inc., 87107 S. Watts Road, Paterson, $183,000 for commercial addition. Contractor: Viking Automatic Sprinkler Co.

AgReserves Inc., 16851 S. 812 PR SE, Plymouth, $130,000 for commercial remodel. Contractor: owner.

Prosser School District, 102101 W. Foisy Road, Prosser, $451,000 for fire alarm system. Contractor: Fire Control Sprinkler System.

Robert Stafford, 11911 W. Clearwater Drive, Kennewick, $20,000 for antenna/ tower. Contractor: Mastec Network Solutions.

FRANKLIN COUNTY

Sonland Farms LLC, 5451 W. Highway 260, Connell, $19,000 for heat pump/ HVAC. Contractor: M Campbell & Co.

Hermann Land & Hol, 1981 Warehouse Road, Connell, $19,000 for heat pump/ HVAC. Contractor: M Campbell & Co. Alford Farms Inc., 2001 W. Fir Road, Pasco, $260,000 for commercial remodel. Contractor: Pegasus Flooring.

Ergon Asphalt & Emulsions, 3152 Selph Landing Road, Pasco, $25,000 for demolition. Contractor: Apollo Sheet Metal.

Basin City Hot Spot, 7380 Route 170, Mesa, $10,000 for tenant improvements.

Contractor: HUR Contracting Inc.

Dietrick Bengen, 591 Bengen Lane, Pasco, $1.8 million for new commercial.

Contractor: Roth Ag-Construction & Equipment.

KENNEWICK

Gary D. Earp, 300 W. Kennewick Ave., $900,000 for commercial remodel, $24,000 for plumbing, $50,000 for heat pump/ HVAC. Contractor: Kustom US Inc., owner. Brett Alexander, 1321 N. Columbia Center Blvd., #821, $330,000 for commercial re-

model, $50,000 for heat pump. Contractor: WDS Construction Inc.

The Ollie Property, 1030 N. Center Parkway, $25,000 for antenna/tower. Contractor: Legacy Telecommunications.

Inland Ocean LLC, 5215 W. Clearwater Ave., #109, $40,000 for commercial remodel, $14,000 for plumbing, $15,000 for heat pump/HVAC. Contractors: Shawn Gegg, Kings Gate Plumbing.

Edwardo Morfin, 732 N. Center Parkway, $90,000 for commercial remodel, $90,000 for heat pump/HVAC Contractor: 3MX Contractors.

Cibb Properties LLC, 5453 Ridgeline Drive, #140, $25,000 for commercial remodel, $6,000 for heat pump/HVAC, $5,000 for plumbing. Contractors: Bagley Landscape Construction, owner, Columbia Basin Plumbing.

Columbia Basin Land Developers, 3900 Southridge Blvd., $120,000 for fence/retaining wall. Contractor: Rock Placing Co. JDCK LLC, 1350 N. Louisiana St., $28,000 for sign. Contractor: Baldwin Sign Co.

Bruce Mechanical Inc., 5003 W. Brinkley Road, $2.6 million for new commercial.

Contractor: Clearspan Steel LLC.

Troy Edward Hansen, 5810 W. Clearwater Ave., $5,000 for sign. Contractor: Mustang Sign Group.

Community Bible Church, 5807 W. Umatilla Ave., $16,000 for sign. Contractor: Mustang Sign Group.

Fortunato Inc., 6500 W. Clearwater Ave., $20,000 for antenna/tower. Contractor: Legacy Telecommunications.

Augusta Kittson, 201 N. Cedar St., $50,000 for commercial reroof. Contractor: Palmer Roofing Co.

Jeff Dress, 845 N. Columbia Center Blvd., $11,000 for fence/retaining wall. Contractor: owner.

Simon Property Group, 1321 N. Columbia Center Blvd., #455, $185,000 for fire alarm system. Contractor: CDI Contractors.

Neil F. Lampson, 720 E. Columbia Drive, $9,000 for plumbing. Contractor: owner.

TT Center LLC, 4827 W. Clearwater Ave., #A101, $9,000 for sign. Contractor: Cas-

cade Sign & Fabrication.

Abrams Residential, 211 S. Johnson St., $500,000 for commercial remodel, $24,000 for plumbing. Contractors: owner, Evergreen Plumbing LLC.

Village at Southridge, 6750 W. 36th Place, $535,000 for new commercial, $140,000 for commercial, $25,000 for plumbing, $140,000 for inground plumbing. Contractors: Southridge Village LLC.

PASCO

Port of Pasco, 3404 Swallow Ave., $5,000 for fire alarm system. Contractor: Moon Security Services.

Northwest QSR Real Estate, 5814 Road 68, $8,000 for fire alarm system. Contractor: Amerisafe Inc.

Franklin County, 1016 N. Fourth Ave., $240,000 for mechanical. Contractor: Bruce Mechanical Inc.

Fasteners Properties Inc., 404 N. Oregon Ave., $12,000 for sign. Contractor: Quality Signs.

CLC Propeties LLC, 4845 Broadmoor Blvd., #103, $60,000 for tenant improvements. Contractor: to be determined.

Reser’s Fine Foods, 5526 N. Capitol Ave., $415,000 for fire alarm system. Contractor: Patriot Fire Protection.

Cittagazze LLC, 1336 Dietrich Road, $20,000 for fire alarm system. Contractor: Baker Construction & Development.

Western Materials, 317 S. Fifth Ave., $10,000 for commercial. Contractor: Legacy Excavation LLC.

Grow Bounti North, 950 S. Elm Ave., $500,000 for plumbing. Contractor: to be determined.

Lakeshore Investment, 1131 W. Court St., $14,000 for sign. Contractor: Cascade Sign & Fabrication.

Franklin County, 6333 Homerun Road, $86,000 for commercial addition. Contractor: owner.

BoomBoom Properties, 9425 Sandifur Parkway, $37,000 for tenant improvements. Contractor: to be determined.

City of Pasco, 5520 W. Sylvester St.,

$80,000 for commercial addition. Contractor: to be determined.

USA, 1315 S. Fourth Ave., $1.4 million for boat launch. Contractor: to be determined. Simplot-RDO LLC, 1825 N. Commercial Ave., $100,000 for commercial remodel. Contractor: Tri-River Paving LLC. Jubilee Foundation, 3425 East A St., $7,000 for heat pump/HVAC. Contractor: Campbell Cool Electricity Plumbing. Landstar LLC, 6005 Burden Blvd., $7,000 for fire alarm system. Contractor: Advance Protection Systems.

Eleucodio Hernandez, $7,000 for tenant improvements. Contractor: owner. Flocchini Associates, 5710 Road 68, $12,000 for fire alarm system. Contractor: owner.

Compass Investment Fund LLC, 2201 N. Commercial Ave., $871,000 for new commercial. Contractor: Rotschy Inc. Pasco Assembly of God, 7213 W. Court St., $158,000 for pole building. Contractor: Sure Built Structures.

PROSSER

Prosser Public Hospital, 200 Prosser Health Drive, $3.2 million for new commercial. Contractor: Bouten Construction Co.

RICHLAND

Realty Income Properties, 1939 Fowler St., $380,000 for tenant improvements. Contractor: Edwards Construction Group. Nor Am Investment, 2325 Storehouse Ave, Buildings 1-10, $3.5 million. Contractor: Goodman & Mehlenbacher.

Basileia Properties, 846 Stevens Drive, $30,000 for tenant improvements. Contractor: Howards Medical.

Meadow Springs Country Club, 751 Country Club Road, $100,000 for antenna/ tower. Contractor: Pacific Northwest Tower.

Circle K Stores Inc., 1915 N. Columbia Center Blvd., $15,000 for tenant improvements. Contractor: Island Petroleum Builder.

Casa Grande Apts., 1930 George Wash-

ington Way, $10,000 for commercial reroof. Contractor: Silver Bow Roofing.

Siemens Power, 2101 Horn Rapids Road, $70,000 for new commercial. Contractor: Intermech Inc.

Energy Northwest, 345 Hills St., $152,000 for heat pump/HVAC. Contractor: Bruce Mechanical.

uBUSINESS LICENSES

KENNEWICK

Crown Utilities LLC, 3628 N. Prospect Way, Garden City, Idaho.

Lightspeed Networks Inc., 921 SW Washington St., Portland, Oregon.

Nec Cloud Communications America Inc., 3929 W. John Carpenter Freeway, Irving, Texas.

Fancy Fresh Flowers & Gifts, 213 S. Sherman Place.

Coworx Staffing Services LLC, 412 Mount Kemble Ave., Morristown, New Jersey.

Stout Building Contractors LLC, 1113 S. 500 W. Bountiful, Utah.

W D S Construction Inc., 100 Tower Drive, Beaver Dam, Wisconsin.

Andi Myricks Studio, 3311 W. Clearwater Ave., Suite G.

High Desert Maintenance Inc., 525 E. Bruneau Ave.

Marvi B, 3311 W. Clearwater Ave.

Kinter Electric Inc., 2761 E. Edison Road, Sunnyside.

Systems West LLC, 1800 Presson Place, Yakima.

Baldwin Sign Company, 6409 N. Pittsburg St., Spokane.

Deck The Halls LLC, 2411 Harris Ave., Richland.

Woodland Resource Services Inc., 1063 Emerson Road, Ellensburg.

D.M. Grant Concrete and Construction Inc., 7022 W. 13th Ave.

Gillespie Roofing Inc., 3400 E. Isaacs Ave., Walla Walla.

uPUBLIC RECORD, Page B16

American Pacific Mortgage, 101 S. Wenatchee Ave., Wenatchee.

Pacific Northwest Naginata Federation, 10700 NE Fourth St., Bellevue.

West Coast Beauty Supply, 3180 W. Clearwater Ave., Suite C.

Rich’s Concrete Plus, 1107 W. 22nd Ave.

Jkar Strategic LLC, 6407 Penrose Point Drive, Pasco.

Hanson Real Estate Group Inc., 7015 Alderman Road, Pasco.

Back Street Hair Design, 8236 W. Gage Blvd.

Kool Temp LLC, 460 Buckeye Lane, Naches.

Universal Windows Direct of Spokane, 9921 N. Nevada St., Spokane.

New Image Home Construction LLC, 224105 E. Main St.

Double A Construction LLC, 181 Travis Lane.

Ultra Construction, 2413 Famville Court, Pasco.

Rm Drywall LLC, 7731 Byers Road,

Pasco.

Columbia Plateau Inc., 2642 Main St., Union Gap.

Honest Air, 3620 W. Leola St., Pasco.

C&R Painting LLC, 109 Harrison Place, Burbank.

Prevision Plumbing LLC, 4764 Road E NE. Moses Lake.

Synergy One Lending Inc., 2510 N. Pines Road, Spokane Valley.

Manny’s Coffee House, 4827 W. Clearwater Ave.

Century Drywall LLC, 2113 Cherry St., Aberdeen.

Spydercorp, 200 Waldron St., Richland.

Bruchi’s, 2615 W. Kennewick Ave.

The Metal Surgeons LLC, 1312 Williams Blvd., Richland.

Botanas Culichi LLC, 2120 N. Fourth Ave., Pasco.

Interlock Mechanical, 19404 Fifth Ave. East, Spanaway.

Gluten Not Included LLC, 591 Stevens Drive, Richland.

Rev1 Mechanical, 910 E. Seventh St., Benton City.

Allwest, 1798 Fowler St., Richland.

Frida’s Mexican Grill, 325 E. Columbia Gardens Way.

Moz Visionary LLC, 5809 W. Clearwater Ave.

Supreme Lending, 7405 W. Grandridge Blvd.

Lexar Homes of Tri-Cities, 1212 N. Irving Place.

Hello Sunshine Cleaning, 2203 Duportail St., Richland.

AP General Contractor, 200802 E. Game Farm Road.

Takara Homes LLC, 30 S. Louisiana St.

70 Welding and Remodeling LLC, 2250 S. Zillah Place.

KPR Contracting LLC, 2213 W. Eighth Place.

Harmony Renovation LLC, 7903 W. Grand Ronde Ave.

Tri-Cities Concrete Pumping LLC, 210 E. Albany Ave.

Top Tier Excavation LLC, 3508 Serena Lane, Pasco.

Wax Bar Skin Studio, 325 W. Kennewick Ave.

JR Electric LLC, 57 N. Quebec St.

The Works General Contracting LLC, 933 S. Highland Drive.

Fisher Flooring, 830 S. Ivy St.

Lauri B’s Soul Rides, 4308 Saint Paul Lane, Pasco.

The Plant Man, 528 S. Quillan Court.

Feliz Systems LLC, 4301 Ottmar Road NE, Moses Lake.

ABM General Contractor LLC, 1402 S. Gum St.

Rank A Luxury LLC, 1321 W. Columbia Center Blvd.

Denu LLC, 101 S. Washington St.

Harmony Development LLC, 2323 Eagle Ridge Court, Richland.

Bridges Forward, 7 W. 49th Ave.

Fenrir Tactical Solutions LLC, 2424 Michael Ave., Richland.

A Frame Gift & Glass, 2410 W. Kennewick Ave.

CPH Painting LLC, 925 N. Elm Ave., Pasco.

Desertboy Logistics LLC, 301 S. Quay St.

Intentional Counseling Services, 3311 W. Clearwater Ave.

Webber-Williams Enterprises LLC, 4207 W. 20th Ave.

Rolf Structural Integration, 3311 W. Clearwater Ave.

G’s Touch, 4827 W. Clearwater Ave.

Quilting Brat Studio, 3505 S. Ledbetter St.

El Padrino Bakery #2, 615 W. Columbia Drive.

1st Choice Roofing and Siding LLC, 2111 N. 19th Drive, Pasco.

Birrieria Michoacan & Catering LLC, 3905 S. Quincy St.

Hospital Medicine Associates of Texas, P.A., dba Hospital Medicine A, 3810 Plaza Way.

Rock Lion Concrete LLC, 419 Madrona Ave., Pasco.

Bon Cafe Co LLC, 6481 W. Skagit Ave.

Harvest Labor LLC, 4500 S. Quincy Place.

Clearview Window Cleaning & Power Washing, 4704 S. Garfield St.

Nobel Massage, 8903 W. Gage Blvd.

Let’s Glo Girls TC, 5618 W. 31st Ave.

Nference Inc., 10 S. Quay St.

Peak Engineers Inc., 7105 W. Hood Place.

Sany Construction LLC, 601 S. Kent St. Enedalia Ochoa Suarez, 1019 S. Beech St.

Kristy’s Cleaning LLC, 2906 W. Seventh Ave.

Your Online Life Coach, 8350 W. Grandridge Blvd., #453.

Rivers Collision Restore, 8425 Pasco

Kahlotus Road, Pasco.

Just Need Plants, 1215 W. Kennewick Ave.

Tri-Cities Property Preservation, 114 E. Second Ave.

Jen Smoke & Gift Shop, 2404 W. Kennewick Ave.

Crucial Holdings Group LLC, 3764 S. Lincoln St.

Wudn Thngs, 203 S. Jefferson St.

Keller Apartments LLC, 953 S. Keller St.

Ellecie Designs, 2121 W. Ninth Place.

EXM Cloud, 10251 Ridgeline Drive, #Q12.

Level Apartment Management LLC, 7701 W. Fourth Ave.

Hometown Values Savings Magazine

Tri-Cities, 22 S. Rainier St.

Living Waters Kitchens & Remodel LLC, 2821 W. Pearl St., Pasco.

Enessa Esthetics LLC, 813 S. Auburn St.

Pro Mg Construction LLC, 10251 Ridgeline Drive.

Kosmo Carpentry LLC, 1212 N. Morain Loop.

All In One Mechanics LLC, 508 S. Gum St.

Hosler Home Solutions LLC, 3512 S. Johnson St.

Vue Home Care LLC, 2117 W. 23rd Ave.

Aileen’s Party Rental, 407 S. Hugo Ave., Pasco.

Tee Tee Birth Doula, 426 W. 16th Ave.

TRL Business Solutions, 7808 W. Fifth Ave.

Evelyn Moos, 2412 W. Grand Ronde Place.

Preferred Rate, 8350 W. Grandridge Blvd.

Eagles Quality Painting LLC, 1505 S. Road 40 East, Pasco.

Vern’s Fishing Experience, 3715 S. Date St.

Mayfield Piano Service LLC, 116 S. Kansas St.

JYL Consulting LLC, 2807 W. 39th Court.

Pegasus Worldwide LLC, 401 N. Quebec St.

CK Hair Design, 101 N. Union St.

Lrez Art, 3425 S. Van Buren St.

Atomic Martial Arts, 2625 W. Bruneau Place.

Teriyaki House, 7425 W. Clearwater Ave.

Austin Crawford CRE LLC, 4808 W. 21st Ave.

AC RE Holdings LLC, 4808 W. 21st Ave.

Styla Boutique, 1824 W. Fifth Ave.

Reputation Extensions Co., 4504 W. 26th Ave.

Tripps Trailers & Customs LLC, 15104 11th Ave. NE, Shoreline.

PASCO

Maria Calderon Daycare, 228 N. Elm Ave.

TJ’s General Contractor LLC, 198445 E. Bowles Road, Kennewick.

Diana Carter - Via, 161 Sell Lane, Richland.

Convoy Supply Inc., 1865 N. Commercial Ave.

Astro Miner, 1940 W. Hopkins St.

Aung Cargo Transportation Services LLC, 5824 Saddle Creek Lane.

Resendiz General Contracting & Painting LLC, 3717 Milagro Drive.

Sal’s Truck Repair LLC, 937 Madrona Ave.

Michael N Law, 1030 N. Center Parkway, Kennewick.

Botanas Culichi LLC, 2120 N. Fourth Ave.

Titanio Automotive Supplies, 812 W. Washington St.

Valencia Contracting Group LLC, 4921

W. Octave St.

Hernandesign It!, 1512 W. Ella St.

Multi-Servicios Hispanos, 1603 W. A St.

Absolute. Design LLC, 4219 Kitimat Lane.

Treadstone Logistics LLC, 3022 N. Capitol Ave.

Donitas Tacos Pasco LLC, 316 N. 20th Ave.

Alpha Asphalt Paving, 100 N. Howard St., Suite W, Spokane.

Esi General Contractor, LLC, 3317 W. Pearl St.

Analy Acevedo, 6615 Chapel Hill Blvd., Suite 3A.

Sierra Lawn Care LLC, 823 N. Wehe Ave.

S&C Plastering LLC, 214 Sun Willows Blvd.

Performance Systems Integration LLC, 19310 North Creek Parkway, Bothell.

Anayeli’s Child Care, 1015 W. Park St.

Atnip’s Construction LLC, 3817 Road M SE, Moses Lake.

L.E.H. Cleaning Services, 105 E. 19th Ave., #120, Kennewick.

H&R Taller Mecanico, 218 W. Lewis St. 1/2.

Castaneda Lawn Care, 1001 E. Fourth Ave., #D201, Kennewick.

D. Mendoza’s Cleaning Service LLC, 7919 Waxwing Drive.

Ana’s Furniture Store, 1212 N. Fourth Ave.

Ventura Masonry LLC, 1751 N. 23rd Ave.

Columbia Physical Therapy Inc., 1624 W. Court St.

Farrell Homes, 5621 Westport Lane.

Strawns Roofing LLC, 216719 E. Bryson Brown Road, Kennewick.

T&S Modular LLC, 2427 Robertson Drive, Richland.

Los Brothers Landscaping LLC, 6274

James St., West Richland.

Jackson Taylor Contractors LLC, 174

Tomlinson Drive, Zelienople, Pennsylvania.

Bella Flor Events LLC, 8005 W. Agate St.

Landscape Solutions LLC, 220 N. Eighth Ave

L&I Express LLC, 6104 Klickitat Lane.

Dinocare, 2609 W. Octave St.

Kaci K Construction LLC, 6203 Skeena

Lane.

The Polet & Co., 4605 Campolina Lane.

Al Can Sell It, 6311 Bayview Lane.

Door-2-door Flooring LLC, 803 N. 26th Ave.

Pinas Coladas Acapulco Style, 8311 Quatsino Drive.

Guzman Plastering LLC, 7807 Pender Drive.

El Asadero Restaurant, 2318 W. Court St.

Prime Builders LLC, 4618 W. Metaline Ave., Kennewick.

Tolman Media, 2230 N. University Parkway, Suite 9C, Provo, Utah.

Sanchez General Contractors LLC, 223 N. Alvina Court.

Unique Piel Imports LLC, 15232 SE 272nd St., Unit 102, Kent.

Valley Pros Construction LLC, 261 W. Highway 22, Prosser.

Effectual Construction LLC, 1234 W. Joseph Ave., Hermiston, Oregon.

Tri-Bilt LLC, 512 S. Dawes St., Kennewick. K and J Pest, 2183 Cascade Ave., Richland.

Swigg Coffee Bar, 4845 Broadmoor Blvd. Escoto Construction LLC, 1020 S. Fifth Ave.

Made By Mama LLC, 10408 Willow Way.

Boss Microgreens, 3806 Atlanta Lane.

TBE Insurance Group, 4919 Cleveland Lane.

Ollin Industries LLC, 4104 W. Nixon St.

Heritage Drywall LLC, 807 N. Beech Ave.

A-list Painting LLC, 80404 N. Hill Drive, Hermiston, Oregon.

At Home Medical Supply LLC, 5407 Mays Lane.

TC Soda LLC, 206 Sitka Court, Richland.

Diane R. Gerig, 1809 Road 57 Place.

Desert Pearl LLC, 1827 S. Palouse St., Kennewick.

Rent Me Trailers LLC, 505 S. Arthur Place, Kennewick.

Awareness Consulting and Training LLC, 1610 W. 52nd Ave., Kennewick.

El Dorado Beauty Boutique LLC, 306 W. Lewis St.

Integrity Finish Carpentry LLC, 315 N. Waldemar Ave.

Tri-Cities Professional Auto Detail, 5313 Buchanan Lane.

Clean Up Crew, 395 Wright Ave, Richland.

Serenidad Cleaning Services LLC, 417 S. 23rd Ave.

Day Wireless Systems, 2205 Frontage Road.

Mac’s Garden Center, 6711 W. Court St.

ALC Home Improvements LLC, 319 Robert Ave, Richland.

Almac Auto Sales LLC, 404 N. 20th Ave.

Young Officers on Fire LLC, 4906 Meadow View Drive.

Apollo Earthworks LLC, 2487 Robertson Drive, Richland.

Lumio HX Inc., 1550 W. Digital Drive, Suite 500, Lehi, Utah.

O’Donnell Tiling and Construction, 2108 S. Kellogg Place, Kennewick.

Painters R Us, 2658 Jason Loop, Richland.

Perez Construction, 109 N. Ione St., Kennewick.

Thomarios 1, Thomarios Road, Copley, Ohio.

Tim Todd dba Todd Jobs, 1720A W. Seventh Ave., Kennewick.

White Eagle Remodeling LLC, 510 W. 21st Ave., Kennewick.

Apelles, 4 E. Fifth Ave, Kennewick.

FKS Trucking LLC, 8310 Ashen Drive.

Love’s Travel Stop #811, 2252 E. Kartchner St.

Peaceful Sleeper Ludmila LLC, 6109 Tarsus Lane.

Diamond Services LLC, 3312 S. Gum St., Kennewick.

Central Paving LLC, 1410 W. Dolarway Road, Ellensburg.

GR Express LLC, 811 N. 26th Ave.

Tire One LLC, 120 N. Main Ave.

Stewart Far Compliance, Surveillance and Assessments LLC, 2811 Tuscanna Drive, Richland.

James Wayne Riner, J-Uber, 40 Ironwood Lane, Eltopia.

Your Local Developer, 6316 Wrigley Drive. State Wide Contracting LLC, 1111 First uPUBLIC RECORD, Page B18

St., Suite 2, Yakima.

Northwest Entertainment Group LLC, 6416 Alpine Lakes Drive.

Mid-South Roof Systems, 5020 Old Dixie Highway, Forest Park, Georgia.

Haigh Heating and Cooling LLC, 465 W. Roosevelt Ave., Stanfield, Oregon.

Miguel A. Olivares (Uber), 508 Newcomer St., Richland.

RICHLAND

The Friendship Revolution, 2100 Bellerive Drive.

Bigfoot Painting LLC, 1318 Marshall Ave. Columbia Basin Fence Company LLC, 829 SW Eighth St., Pendleton, Oregon.

Garden Center Solutions LLC, 349 Rambling Way, Springfield, Pennsylvania.

Na Chavez Remodel LLC, 1735 NE Sixth St., Hermiston, Oregon.

Crown Utilities LLC, 3628 N. Prospect Way, Garden City, Idaho.

Ultra Quiet Floors, 403 N. Main St., Newberg, Oregon.

Brian Young Do PLLC, 888 Swift Blvd.

Brothers Pipeline Corp., 615 Pacific Ave. South, Kelso.

Guardian Security Systems Inc., 1743 First Ave. South, Seattle.

IRZ Consulting LLC, 815 Saint Andrews Loop, Suite A, Pasco.

Mitch Hegerhorst, D.O., PLLC, 2549 Allison Way.

T&M Heating & Refrigeration, 2711 S. Fifth Ave., Union Gap.

Mike’s Construction, 7608 Savary Drive, Pasco.

Vision Enterprises, 209411 E. Terril Road, Kennewick.

Valvoline LLC, 25 Columbia Point Drive.

Three Rivers Sound, 1079 Chinook Drive.

TKK LLC, 1385 Admiral Place, Ferndale.

Mascott Equipment Co Inc., 2464 Robertson Drive.

Fjoel Financial Inc., 1446 Spaulding Ave.

A&R Professional Painting, 709 Hanson Loop, Burbank.

Coffeenow, 2101 Oak Ave., Yakima.

Vital Kneads Wellness & Beauty Spa,

2901 Duportail St.

Thrive Virtual Academy, 2919 Troon Court.

Halme Cascade General Contracting Company, 725 N. Stanley St., Medical Lake.

Verum Framing LLC, 3413 S. Conway Drive, Kennewick.

Sparkle Housekeeping Services, 1325 S. Date St., Kennewick.

CannaConscious Massage LLC, 612 Wright Ave.

Division 7, 1625 S. Palouse Place, Kennewick.

Tri-Cities Elite Mobile, 708 Van Giesen St.

Blackstone Roofing LLC, 3611 W. 15th Ave., Kennewick.

Atkins Energy Federal Epc Inc., 1828 Bronco Lane.

KRR Services LLC, 11720 Pheasant Run, Pasco.

Bellarose Café LLC, 720 Saint St.

Federation Roofing, 917 S. 11th Ave., Pasco.

Rattlesnake Mountain Services LLC, 1113 Cedar Ave.

Claphan Installations LLC, 2112 S. Grant St., Kennewick.

Webbauto LLC, 713 Jadwin Ave.

Under The Hill Holdings LLC, 2562 Anvil Court.

Desert Pearl LLC, 1827 S. Palouse St., Kennewick.

116 N Albert St. LLC, 723 The Parkway. 4901 115th St. LLC, 723 The Parkway.

Lakewood 16 LLC, 723 The Parkway.

Katelynn’s Skincare, 123 Gage Blvd.

Solufix Heating & Cooling LLC, 8350 W. Grandridge Blvd., Kennewick.

Cigar House, 200 Waldron St.

Jefferson Vision LLC, 803 Birch Ave.

Vetc, 719 Jadwin Ave.

Floor Doctor Building Maintenance LLC, 12506 NE 299th St., Battle Ground.

S & S Quality Concrete LLC, 5103 Marlin Lane, Pasco.

Iceman NW LLC, 4303 W. Marie Court, Pasco.

Richland Charging Station, 2700 Duportail St.

Lynn Operations LLC, 1515 Purple Sage St.

J&L Professional Landscaping LLC, 5710 Coppercap Mountain Lane, Pasco.

Atomic City Training LLC, 1917 Pine St.

Ginkgo Gold Acupuncture LLC, 1950 Keene Road.

Ascent K9, 2765 Kingsgate Way.

Daffodil Lane Craft and Crochet, 106 Oregon St.

Friendly Stitches Crochet, 2391 Copperleaf St.

Brittany Finley, 2555 Duportail St. Nebulae Communications LLC, 1207 Williams Blvd.

Tri-Cities Fast Care PLLC, 1686 Pisa Lane.

Clear Results Notary LLC, 411 Ash St.

D Squared Construction LLC, 727 S. Alder St., Kennewick.

All Grace Construction, 7807 Salmon Drive, Pasco.

Advanced Endodontic Care, 1363 Columbia Park Trail.

VC Getaways, 178 Wildwood Court.

Pro-X Services LLC, 324 Adair Drive.

Solar Power NW LLC, 3612 Verbena Court, Pasco.

Tri-City Orthodontics, 3200 Duportail St. Lupe’s Construction Landscaping LLC, 1601 Harvest Place, Sunnyside.

Tow Truck Operators of Washington, 333 Satus St.

Scott Ed Co., 170 Northview Drive, Othello.

Edward D. Jones & Co. LP, 1363 Columbia Park Trail.

Mis 4 Amores, 51 Galaxy Lane.

BIH Construction LLC, 3523 W. Hood Ave., Kennewick.

Noble HVAC Services, 920 Road 44, Pasco.

Cobblestone Havens LLC, 1105 W. 10th Ave., Kennewick.

Raphael Acuna, 2555 Bella Coola Lane.

Jason Dale Brownlee, 506 Sanford Ave.

Edamame Imports, 3962 Barbera St.

Maribel’s Shine Time Cleaning Service, 5607 Austin Drive, Pasco.

Washington River Protection Solutions

LLC, 2435 Stevens Drive.

JK Music Services, 1414 Putnam St.

April Consulting LLC, 1627 McMurray Ave.

The Elements, 3340 Stevens Drive.

C & C Adair Properties LLC, 945 Stevens Drive.

Amedia Group, 613 Catskill St.

Riverwood Design, 313 Riverwood St. 7-Eleven #26088k, 1540 Jadwin Ave.

Sylvan Learning Center, 81 Keene Road.

Jessie Quist Storyteller, 506 Cascade St.

H&H Designs, 544 Cherokee St.

Market Equipment, 1114 N. Ruby St., Spokane.

Sheila Perry, 1863 Sagewood Loop.

Ladybug Craft Studio, 174 Travis Lane, Kennewick.

Wake Up Inc., 9025 Center Parkway.

Wake Up Inc., 496 George Washington Way.

Mercer Moving Co. LLC, 490 Bradley Blvd.

My RN, 1603 Birch Ave.

Wake Up Inc., 1215 Aaron Drive.

Mobile Notary, 1787 Valmore Place.

Mayra Yesenia Aguilar, 921 N. 24th Ave., Pasco.

Cavern Games, 719 Symons St., Moonshot Brewing, 94 Lee Blvd.

Luna Fox Candles LLC, 239 Cottonwood Drive.

Full Circle Rail, 1707 Road 60, Pasco.

John Perry, 3030 W. Fourth Ave., Kennewick.

Burnz Beauty, 480 Keene Road.

Dejulia Elder Law & Estate Planning

PLLC, 8350 W. Grandridge Blvd., Kennewick.

Windy River Design and Consulting LLC, 1209 S. Garfield St., Kennewick.

Mauricio A. Valencia, 7811 Deschutes Drive, Pasco.

Franklin Andre Adams, 225 W. 52nd Ave., Kennewick.

Studio Pilar, 660 Jadwin Ave.

Total Rejuvenation Med Spa LLC, 3220 Road F NE, Moses Lake.

uPUBLIC RECORD, Page B19

Harmony Renovation LLC, 7903 W. Grand Ronde Ave., Kennewick.

High Performance Heating and Cooling LLC, 5612 Hudson Drive, Pasco.

Omel Construction, 2215 N. Houk Road, Spokane Valley.

Cleanings Delamora, 1505 S. Road 40 East, Pasco.

Amrik Singh, 413 S. Jefferson St., Kennewick.

Colts Painting and Restoration LLC, 3108 S. Lyle St., Kennewick.

Osborne’s Services, 8519 W. Entiat Ave., Kennewick.

2 Partners Cleaning LLP, 3605 Estrella Drive, Pasco.

Benton County Investigations LLC, 4135 Laurel Drive, West Richland.

Hockdo Investments, 6639 Whetstone Drive, Pasco.

Paramount Property Management, 2906 S. Olympia St., Kennewick.

In Bloom Boutique LLC, 120 Paradise Road, Connell.

Powerhaus Washing LLC, 31707 Hummingbird PR NE, Benton City.

The Plant Man, 528 S. Quillan Court, Kennewick.

WEST RICHLAND

West Coast Plumbing Inc., 7419 204th St. NE, Arlington.

Classic Tree LLC, 44510 E. Ridgecrest Loop NE, Benton City.

Deluxe Security Systems, 7611 Pender Drive, Pasco.

Tri J’s Drywall, 51 N. Edison St., #H204, Kennewick.

RNV Construction LLC, 6318 Thistledown Drive, Pasco.

Revolution Energy Systems Inc., 4425 100th St. SW, Lakewood.

Uvalle Construction LLC, 5801 W. Ruby St., Pasco.

Cervantes Cleaning LLC, 315 N. Waldemar Ave., Pasco.

Pantoja’s Construction LLC, 720 W. Henry St., Pasco.

Norco Inc., 6223 W. Deschutes Ave., Kennewick.

Enciso Construction LLC, 1805 W. Seventh Place, Kennewick.

Cleary Building Corp., 190 Paoli St., Verona.

Clearview Window Cleaning & Power Washing, 4704 S. Garfield St., Kennewick.

Arrow Roofing and Construction LLC, 1207 1/2 Meade Ave., Prosser.

Dynasty Roofing, 8316 N. Colton Place, Spokane.

Tri-Cities Concrete Pumping LLC, 210 E.

Albany Ave., Kennewick.

Growing Together Daycare, 5002 Spirea Drive.

Fat Fox, 2245 Capella Court.

EDN Agriculture, 1107 E. Hastings Road, Spokane.

Tierra Buena Apartments, 3985 W. Van Giesen St.

Origin Construction Corp., 1107 E. Hastings Road, Spokane.

Richland Youth Football Association, 6003 Velonia Drive.

B & B Land & Sea LLC, 576 N. 61st Ave.

Micals Pro Clean, 333 N. 62nd Ave.

Los Brothers Landscaping LLC, 6274 James St.

Tri-Cities Christmas Lights, 4921 Forsythia St.

Pier 77 General Construction Inc., 8 Royal Crest Loop PR.

uJUDGMENTS

The state can file lawsuits against people or businesses that do not pay taxes and then get a judgment against property that person or business owns. Judgments are filed in Benton-Franklin Superior Court. The following is from the Franklin County Superior Court Clerk’s Office.

S&K Logistics LLC, unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, filed Nov. 1.

The Yard Boss Lawncare LLC, unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, filed Nov. 1.

Fondita Ilucion LLC, unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, filed Nov. 1.

Insulation Management Services LLC, unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, filed Nov. 2.

Jesus Cortes, unpaid Department of Labor & Industries, filed Nov. 4.

Affordable Concrete LLC, unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, filed Nov. 4.

Speedy Angeles Concrete LLC, unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, filed Nov. 8.

Basin Technical LLC, unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, filed Nov. 9.

Martin Parkhotyuk et al., unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, filed Nov. 14.

Ilya Parkhotyuk et al., unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, filed Nov. 15.

S L Trucking Inc., unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, filed Nov. 16.

Ducle A. Villanueva, unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, filed Nov. 16.

Eastern WA Construction Inc., unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, filed Nov. 23.

Pancho’s Heating & Cooling, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed Nov. 23.

Saul Portillo Andrade, unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, filed Nov. 30.

uLIQUOR LICENSES

BENTON COUNTY NEW

Just a Minute Mart, 712 Ninth St., Benton City. License type: grocery store – beer/ wine. Application type: assumption. Daisy Ranch Saloon, 1319 George Washington Way, Richland. License type: curbside/delivery endorsement; cocktails/wine to-go; growlers curbside/delivery; spirits/ beer/wine restaurant lounge. Application type: new.

Lil’ Moon Diner, 3790 W. Van Giesen St., West Richland. License type: beer/wine restaurant – beer/wine. Application type: assumption.

APPROVED

Lil’ Moon Diner, 3790 W. Van Giesen St., West Richland. License type: curbside/ delivery endorsement. Application type: assumption.

IHOP, 6511 W. Canal Drive, Kennewick. License type: beer/wine restaurant – beer/ wine. Application type: new. Jones of Washington, 2471 Robertson Drive, Richland. License type: domestic winery <250,000 liters. Application type: new location.

Los Potrillos Seafood & Bar, 2500 W. Kennewick Ave., Suite A, Kennewick. License type: spirits/beer/wine restaurant lounge+. Application type: new. Rocco’s Pizza, 7911 W. Grandridge Blvd., Kennewick. License type: beer/wine restaurant – beer/wine. Application type: assumption.

DISCONTINUED

Bite at the Landing, 2701 Columbia Park Trail, Kennewick. Application type: spirits/ beer/wine restaurant service bar. Application type: discontinued.

Lil’ Moon Diner, 3790 W. Van Giesen St., West Richland. License type: curbside/

delivery endorsement. Application type: discontinued.

FRANKLIN COUNTY

APPROVED

Pizza Station, 238 N. Columbia Drive, Connell. License type: spirits/beer/wine restaurant service bar. Application type: new. Pasco IHOP, 5015 Road 68, Pasco.

License type: beer/wine restaurant – beer/ wine. Application type: new.

DISCONTINUED

Pizza Station, 238 N. Columbia Drive, Connell. License type: spirits/beer/wine restaurant service bar. Application type: discontinued.

uBUSINESS UPDATES

OPEN

Dutch Bros Coffee has opened a new location at 490 Wellsian Way in Richland. It is open daily from 4 a.m. to 10 p.m. Contact: dutchbros.com.

MOVED

Focal Point Marketing has moved to 7535 W. Kennewick Ave., Suite D, Kennewick. Contact: focalpointmarketing.com. The downtown Kennewick Foodies restaurant has moved to 2701 Paul Parish Drive in Columbia Park in Kennewick. Hours are 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Sundays, Wednesdays and Thursdays; 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays. Contact: eatatfoodies.com.

NEW

Tri-Cities Tackle has opened at 660 George Washington Way, Suite M, in Richland. Hours are 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday-Friday; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. Closed Sunday and Monday. Contact: Tricitiestackle.com; 509-591-2383.

ENERGY

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President / Founder

509-737-8778 ext. 5 melanie@tcjournal.biz

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Our future is bright if we unite behind energy

By Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

The Tri-Cities is uniquely blessed when it comes to energy, and that makes it uniquely well positioned to become the regional, if not national, capital of clean energy development.

It will take the community working together to knit its many assets into a new engine to fuel our economy, from research at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, to the nuclear knowhow on display at Energy Northwest’s Columbia Generating Station and the Hanford site.

The work started more than a decade ago, as the Port of Benton, Washington State University Tri-Cities, Tri-City Development Council and labor and private industry came together with the mission to transform a community built by energy into one that supplies clean energy.

The effort, known today as “Washington Vertical,” paid off in November when the Association of Washington Business held its Energy Policy Summit in Kennewick, the inspiration for our Energy section in this month’s edition.

The summit was both inspiring about the possibilities of generating power without climate-altering carbon emissions, and a wake-up call to the reality that the region’s power supply is already constrained.

It’s a difficult message to those who are accustomed to thinking of the North-

west as home to abundant and low-cost energy, courtesy the network of dams and other facilities that feed energy into the Bonneville Power Administration’s vast transmission system.

That was true when BPA came into being in the 1930s. But demand within BPA’s territory has grown. The megawatts are all but spoken for. Newcomers to the system who want the cheapest Tier 1 power are capped at 10 megawatts, enough to power about 7,000 homes but not enough to serve energy-intensive industries, like hydrogen production.

Solar panels, wind farms and various battery projects are great additions, but they are intermittent and don’t replace the fossil-fuel burning plants being taken out of service. Portland General Electric stopped burning coal at its Boardman, Oregon, plant in 2020.

The 2019 Clean Energy Transformation Act, approved by the Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Jay Inslee, set the state on a path to generate power free of greenhouse gas emissions by 2045, with intermediate goals before then.

The legislation puts Washington among the leaders in embracing clean energy and for all the challenges, it puts the Tri-Cities at the heart of that mission.

The pieces are here: professional expertise, a knowledgeable workforce, educational institutions, land and, of course, abundant sun and hydropower. It’s time to seize the opportunity.

End of low-cost power is barrier to economic development

By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz

In Ferndale, near Bellingham, a battle is being waged over a shuttered aluminum plant.

Alcoa closed the plant in 2020 – and permanently idled another near Wenatchee in 2021 – but it is targeted to reopen using green energy to produce aluminum. The plan is widely supported as a major job creator, with a notable exception.

The Bonneville Power Administration won’t power it, saying it can’t assure Alcoa Intalco Works the uninterrupted power it needs.

In May, a dozen members of Washington’s congressional delegation moved to intervene, urging BPA to work with Blue Wolf Capital to find a solution and generate 700 jobs at the site.

The stakes couldn’t be higher for the Tri-Cities, or the many Northwest communities served by electric utilities that buy power from BPA.

BPA supplies power to the Benton and Franklin public utility districts, Benton Rural Electric Association and Richland Energy Services.

Effects of power cap

BPA caps new customers for its cheapest Tier 1 power at 10 megawatts. That’s about the power used by 7,000 homes and it rules out power-intensive industry, particularly those that depend on high heat such as aluminum smelting.

The rate essentially doubles when de-

mand rises above the 10-MW cap. The cap, which applies across the system, reflects a simple reality: BPA is nearing its capacity to deliver power, particularly during the so-called low-water years that affect the output of dams.

“We are probably at the capacity of the system right now,” said Bob Schuetz, CEO of Energy Northwest, during a November energy summit in Kennewick organized by the Association of Washington Business.

Energy Northwest operates the 1,200-MW nuclear plant north of Rich-

land, White Bluffs Solar Station, Packwood Lake Hydroelectric Project and the Nine Canyon Wind Project and sends power to BPA.

For the economic development community, the cap means energy intensive industry must look elsewhere or purchase expensive power on the open market.

“We have good rates as long as you don’t exceed 10 megawatts,” said Karl Dye, president of the Tri-City Development Council (TRIDEC), the region’s economic development agency.

Reaching capacity limits

Dye said TRIDEC occasionally fields inquiries from location scouts who still think the Northwest is a haven for cheap, abundant power, which it was in the decades after BPA formed in 1934, thanks to abundant hydropower.

Population and industrial growth have put the system on notice. Coupled with Washington’s ambitious manufacturing goals and a shift away from traditional power sources – think coal and possibly natural gas – BPA’s vast portfolio of generating stations and transmission lines is reaching its limits.

BPA distributes power generated by dams and other facilities to 142 utility customers, including cooperatives, municipalities, public utilities, federal agencies, investor-owned utilities and tribal utilities. Its 300,000-square-mile service area is home to 14.4 million residents and is tied together by more than 15,000 miles of transmission lines and 262 substations.

Dye, who joined TRIDEC in February 2020, said power was the first order of business when he came to the Tri-Cities. In his first week, shortly before pandemic shutdowns took effect, he met with utilities and BPA.

“How do we get more power to the Tri-Cities?” he wanted to know.

The Mid-Columbia is well-positioned to become an energy leader, thanks to local expertise in building and operating nuclear

BONNEVILLE POWER ADMINISTRATION

BPA seeks common ground as power demand soars

For more than 80 years, the Bonneville Power Administration has supported local economies and regional growth by providing affordable, clean energy to consumer-owned utilities such as Benton Public Utility District, Benton Rural Electric Association, the city of Richland, Franklin PUD and Columbia REA.

Today, BPA is taking steps to meet the Tri-Cities’ growing needs as the area expands, attracts new businesses and remains a hub for outdoor recreation.

We market power from 31 federal dams and one nuclear plant through a transmission system covering 15,000 circuit miles and extending west to east from the Pacific Ocean to the Continental Divide and north to south from Canada to just beyond the southern borders of Oregon and Idaho.

Our electric grid connects the Northwest with Canada and California, playing a critical role in an integrated energy landscape throughout the West.

Growth in the Tri-City area and climate change impacts have contributed to mounting transmission system constraints.

The heat dome event in June 2021 saw temperatures in the Tri-Cities rise above 115 degrees. The historic high tempera-

tures required BPA to take extraordinary measures to deal with transmission congestion and keep the lights on. This included partnering with a local fire department to hose down transformers, keeping them cool and in service.

mostly carbon-free power to customers that serve retail consumers in the Tri-Cities.

In addition to hydropower, we market electricity from the Columbia Generating Station in Richland, which provides more than 1,150 MW of carbon-free electricity.

area. It is also a key element in mitigating the impacts of climate change, which presents a growing threat to the region and the world.

Hairston BPA

If unaddressed, these bottlenecks could lead to blackouts.

That’s why BPA is proposing to construct or expand four transmission lines to increase BPA’s ability to deliver electricity to the area by 66%, to 1,750 megawatts.

This work will reinforce existing substations and lines, and increase the physical and cybersecurity of BPA’s operations in the area.

We are in the early stages of introducing these projects to residents and others who may be impacted. BPA is committed to working together to ensure reliable electrical service for decades to come.

BPA is proud to provide low-cost,

For the past decade, Energy Northwest, which owns and operates the nuclear plant, has helped BPA manage operations when high spring runoff and spikes in wind energy output creates too much energy – referred to as oversupply – by ramping down to its minimum generating amount.

Energy Northwest also has worked with BPA to control costs over the past several years, which has helped us keep rates flat, and in some cases, reduce power rates.

BPA continues to deliver value to the region by marketing hydropower generated by the federal dams operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Bureau of Reclamation.

Low-cost hydro power produced by federal dams serves as an economic engine of the region and has supported the growth and prosperity of the Tri-Cities

As system operations become more sophisticated and coordination across the west expands, we hope to extend and enhance the system’s value by participating in new markets.

In early 2022, BPA began participating in the Western Energy Imbalance Market, or EIM.

The EIM is a voluntary market, offering opportunities for more efficient system operations and an additional source of revenue which supports keeping power rates low. BPA also is working to shape emerging day-ahead markets that could further expand our ability to capture added value and efficiencies in supplying power to our customers.

Our goal is to actively influence market formation so the system provides value for decades to come.

Another way BPA extends the value of the power system is through energy efficiency measures that create energy savings for BPA and our customers. Here

John

Courtesy Franklin PUD

A lineman works on a transmission line above Lower Monumental Dam, which bridges Franklin and Walla Walla counties on the lower Snake River.

To lead on climate, lean on nuclear

Every day there is a new article or study proclaiming an urgent need for climate action, with myriad proposed solutions praising renewables as the cure-all.

However, the realities of decarbonizing the electric grid are often far more complicated and nuanced than portrayed.

Wind, solar and battery storage technologies are important, and deployment of these resources is underway, with Energy Northwest investing in and developing new utility-scale solar and storage projects.

However, we recognize renewables alone cannot solve the climate change problem and maintain a reliable supply of electricity, regardless of advances in energy storage technology.

Why? The answer is simple: reliability.

Wind and solar generate electricity inconsistently, yet we consume energy 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Electricity is generated, transmitted and consumed simultaneously. Supply must always equal demand.

If demand increases and supply cannot rise to meet it, then there is potential for rolling blackouts.

Conversely, if supply suddenly decreas-

es then, absent another generator idling online, a blackout could occur.

are being retired in the long run.

With no plans to replace this firm generation, the region will be unable to meet future demand.

release it when electricity is needed).

Unfortunately, we lack the capacity to build ample new hydroelectric resources in the region.

Energy Northwest

As a result, for every megawatt of wind or solar on the grid, other non-intermittent generation or energy storage must be available to cover an unplanned loss of output.

This is why utilities focus on “resource adequacy,” planning to ensure sufficient energy is available to meet future demand.

In the Northwest, we are approaching an inflection point.

The states of Washington and Oregon have adopted comprehensive clean energy policies requiring 100% carbon-free electricity in the next two to three decades. This is a worthwhile goal and with proper planning and investment we are well positioned to achieve it.

However, thousands of megawatts of coal-fired electricity will be retired over the next few years and natural gas plants

If this doesn’t sound concerning, consider the impact of weeks without electricity during summer highs and winter lows. This is not a theoretical exercise.

In recent years, there have been major energy shortfalls and electricity crises in the United Kingdom, European Union and California, to name a few.

Access to reliable electricity is the best global indicator of economic prosperity. Electricity is life!

In the U.S., our economic success is intrinsically tied to electricity being available when and where it’s needed.

Strain on our electric system will mount as our economy and population grow. Greater adoption of electric vehicles will exacerbate the problem – anything with a battery needs to be charged.

How will we keep the lights on without coal and natural gas? In the Northwest we are blessed with abundant hydropower, which integrates well with renewables (when wind and solar output increase, hydropower can back down, store water and

Fortunately, we are seeing the emergence of new nuclear energy technologies, which are designed to fill the void.

The existing fleet of U.S. nuclear power plants accounts for 20% of the nation’s electricity but more than 50% of our carbon-free power.

Our future clean energy needs will require smaller, versatile designs: small modular and advanced reactors.

These new-design reactors are stateof-the-art, flexible yet reliable, safe, cost-effective, and can provide not only abundant carbon-free electricity but also high-temperature steam for industrial applications. They truly embody American innovation.

As market penetration of wind and solar grows, advanced reactors can pair with these resources to provide balance: a reliable electric grid and dependable, predictable electricity.

Many new nuclear energy technologies are on the threshold of commercialization,

PACIFIC NORTHWEST NATIONAL LABORATORY

PNNL positioned to lead U.S. toward clean energy

Research at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory has contributed for decades to the region’s leading role in clean energy technology development and deployment. The laboratory, based in Richland, has made advancements in energy storage, energy efficiency, clean energy and chemical production and electricity grid innovation.

Today, our region has the potential to continue demonstrating leadership as private and public investments in clean, sustainable energy technologies reaches an all-time high.

At the same time, we must ensure that the energy system of the future continues to power the Northwest’s diverse economy in a way that is reliable, affordable and resilient.

This was the subject of an Energy Solutions Summit held in the Tri-Cities on Nov. 8-9, where members of Congress, energy producers and industry experts spoke about the future of energy production and distribution in the region.

PNNL, one of 17 U.S. Department of Energy national laboratories, is strategically positioned to help the nation meet its clean energy goals by applying

multi-disciplinary research that spans from advancing scientific discovery to driving innovations that enable sustainable energy.

With nearly 6,000 employees, we work with collaborating researchers, stakeholders and industry from across the region and around the world to help develop these solutions and look for opportunities to demonstrate and deploy them in the region.

PNNL researchers are making breakthroughs in energy science such as developing new catalysts and chemical processes that can create more efficient processes for turning agricultural waste and carbon dioxide into fuels and other products, creating new energy storage materials, developing new ways to make clean hydrogen and breaking down and reusing plastics.

These are all aspects of supporting the nation’s climate and clean energy

agenda. Campus adds new facilities

That research will unfold at two recent campus additions: the Energy Sciences Center and the Grid Storage Launchpad. These two facilities, adjacent to each other on the PNNL campus, provide experimental capabilities and instruments unavailable anywhere else in the country.

The Energy Sciences Center, dedicated last fall, is supporting regional research collaborations and expands the nation’s capability and visibility in energy sciences to benefit the state, nation and world. The $90 million Energy Sciences Center was funded by the Department of Energy’s Office of Science and leveraged an $8-million investment from Washington State’s Clean Energy Fund to purchase specialized equipment.

Battelle and PNNL also contributed.

Research at the 140,000-square-foot ESC is advancing fundamental chemistry

and materials research using advanced computing. The scientific discovery that takes place here will inform PNNL’s energy storage technology development.

The Grid Storage Launchpad, with construction already underway, will serve as a collaborative national center for validating and accelerating new energy storage technologies. This builds on PNNL’s expertise in exploring the scientific foundations of energy storage, advancing multiple types of energy storage technologies, integrating energy storage with the power grid and providing policy analysis and valuation expertise.

The Grid Storage Launchpad, or GSL, supports DOE’s Energy Storage Grand Challenge, an effort to create and sustain global leadership in energy storage utilization and exports, with a secure domestic manufacturing supply chain that does not depend on foreign sources of critical materials. Also, the GSL supports the Long Duration Storage Shot, DOE’s goal to drastically reduce the cost of grid-scale energy storage.

The $75 million facility, funded by DOE’s Office of Electricity, will host a

Bob Schuetz

Lou Terminello

PNNL

Jud Virden

PNNL

Richland startup aims to fuel hydrogen-powered ecosystem

By Jeff Morrow for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

Most people drive gasoline-powered vehicles. Others have moved over to electric vehicles.

But imagine a third option – driving a hydrogen-powered car or truck at a lower cost per mile.

That possibility is coming sooner than you think, thanks to a local startup company called STARS Technology Corporation.

The Richland-based company is deploying its first two prototype hydrogen generators – with the help of the Fuse Fund group in Richland, and scientists and engineers from the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, and HiLine Engineering and Fabrication, a local high tech engineering company in Richland.

It’s something Bob Wegeng, STARS Technology’s president and chief technology officer, has worked toward for over 25 years.

The commercial demonstration, led by Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas), will place two prototype STARS-165 Clean Hydrogen Generators – called Beta 1 and Beta 2 – at SunLine Transit Agency’s hydrogen-fueling station in Thousand Palms, California.

The demonstration project, called H2 SilverSTARS, will produce clean hydrogen to fuel SunLine’s 17 buses.

Eventually, a Beta 3 prototype is intended to be the mass-produceable commercial model.

LLC and the Fuse Fund group, were impressed with STARS’ new technology, and the potential opportunity being created by a worldwide transition from fossil energy to clean hydrogen.

The Fuse Fund group of investors, who have a mission to help local startup companies, made a significant investment in STARS.

“The prototype has been working since December, pumping out hydrogen,” Conger said.

The first of two generators was delivered

in September to SoCalGas,, which is the nation’s largest natural gas utility.

SoCalGas is managing the SunLine site preparation and expects to have the generator producing hydrogen in January.

Conger and Fuse aren’t the only ones impressed with the project.

STARS was honored recently at the Rice Energy Technology Venture Forum as a top-10 energy technology company out of 100 startups at the forum.

The company also received the Richland Rotary Club’s Entrepreneurial Award in November.

What is STARS?

STARS was founded in 2016 to commercialize a portfolio of chemical processes from research and development at PNNL.

The startup is helping to create a future where low-cost, renewable hydrogen powers transportation, industry and more.

STARS has an exclusive license to technology developed at PNNL.

Wegeng, who left PNNL to take on the challenge of bringing the new chemical process chip technology to industry, is leading a group of five local individuals who are commercializing the technology.

“Early experiments showed the potential to develop a new class of devices – ‘chemical process chips’ – that intensify chemical reactions,” Wegeng said. “These successes helped to raise more funding opportunities to continue the development.”

Over the years, many specific applications and new components were developed. In all, over $50 million was invested in the PNNL research.

In 2016, the U.S. Department of Energy encouraged technology developers to take their inventions to market, and STARS was formed.

Today, STARS’ assets include a local investment, a dedicated team of individuals working toward a common goal, and the exclusive right to intellectual property related to chemical process chips developed at PNNL.

Those patents provide both ongoing and

Marty Conger, managing partner of Fuse Advisors

Photo by Jeff Morrow

Bob Wegeng, left, of STARS Technology Corporation, and Marty Conger of Fuse Fund stand outside of the Fuse building in Richland.

facilities as well as dams, wind farms and solar stations. Producing hydrogen, which entails splitting water, is a potential industrial target, but would exceed the energy cap.

Manufacturing the actual equipment could be feasible.

“We are well-positioned to create clean energy here, but BPA rules are a damper,” Dye said.

Dye sees small modular nuclear reactors as the future, along with potential pol-

HAIRSTON, From page C3

are some local examples:

• BPA and Benton REA worked with JK Family Dairy, a fourth-generation family farm, to replace fixed-speed circulating fans with controlled fan motors. This reduced fan energy use by 50% while keeping cows comfortable and saving the farm more than $2,000 annually.

• BPA partnered with the city of Richland to make lighting, heating, air conditioning and window and door improvements at Legacy Jiu-Jitsu Academy, reducing energy use by 10,800 kilowatt-hours and saving its owners approximately $800 annually.

• The city of Kennewick saved 1.1 million kWh by participating with BPA

icy shifts that would prioritize economic development within BPA, as it is with its semi-sister, the Tennessee Valley Authority.

X-energy, together with Energy Northwest and Grant County Public Utility District, aims to develop a fourth-generation nuclear plant to the Energy Northwest campus, though not before 2027.

Electricity is missing piece

In the interim, Darigold Inc., the Seattle dairy cooperative, is a telling example of the type of business the region can expect to attract. It broke ground in September on

and Benton PUD in a Wastewater Energy Coaching initiative that implemented low- and no-cost improvements to plant operations.

• Franklin PUD and BPA helped a cold storage facility implement seven new construction measures, reducing first-year energy use by over 2.1 million kWh.

These are just a few highlights demonstrating how energy efficiency is a cost-effective way to stretch the value of the federal Columbia River Power System, avoiding costly investments in new energy generating resources.

BPA and its federal partners continue to work with the state of Washington, Central Washington Tribes and others to demonstrate our commitment to mitigating the impacts from the development

its $600 million butter-and-milk powder facility in Pasco.

Like all food processors, Darigold relies on heat to turn raw ingredients into consumer products. In Pasco, it will process 8 million pounds of milk, relying on clean-burning, state-of-the-art natural gas systems to do the job.

Natural gas only goes so far. Washington state aims to double manufacturing jobs by 2031 under a bill sponsored by then-Rep. Matt Boehnke, R-Kennewick, in 2021. Boehnke will be seated in the state Senate in January.

and operation of the congressionally-authorized Federal Columbia River Power System on fish and wildlife in the region.

Mitigation efforts include making fish passage improvements at the dams to increase survival, obtaining land to help wildlife that lost critical habitat to federal dam construction and inundation and working with our tribal, state and other partners in Columbia River tributaries to improve conditions for salmon, steelhead and other species across the Columbia Basin.

BPA has made tremendous progress toward extending the Columbia River Fish Accords for another three years. These agreements with tribes and states, which originated in 2008, have been incredibly effective for implementing crucial and

His bill, Building Economic Strength Through Manufacturing Act, aims to add 300,000 new jobs and double the number of small manufacturing firms. The bill was unanimously approved in the House and Senate and took effect in July.

At the time, Boehnke said the state, working with business, unions and the building trades can position Washington as a manufacturing “powerhouse.”

Dye applauds the goal, but said there is a piece missing, electricity, “We need more power to make more stuff,” he said.

complex fish and wildlife mitigation projects, while also providing a framework for the parties to improve relationships and innovate novel approaches to fish and wildlife conservation.

Amid all of this, we continue to discuss a compromise for system operations that helps salmon, steelhead, bull trout and other native species while supporting the region’s economy. Finding common ground among diverse interests is paramount, so we can honor our commitments and carve a path to the region’s clean energy future.

John Hairston is administrator and CEO for Bonneville Power Administration.

SCHUETZ, From page C4

and their deployment promises to usher in a new era of innovative, zero-carbon electricity that can form the foundation of our future clean energy economy.

As we look ahead, the challenges are evident, but so are the solutions.

We can continue operating existing nuclear and hydroelectric facilities while we grow the fleet of available renewable resources and energy storage systems.

The importance of existing nuclear power, and its value to energy security and independence, has become increasingly apparent: plants once slated for premature closure – in California, Germany, Belgium, Japan – are now being restarted or indefinitely kept online.

PNNL, From page C4

battery characterization center housing $8.3 million in state-funded, advanced imaging equipment.

Putting the principles to work at home

PNNL’s commitment to a clean energy future extends to our campus operations.

PNNL is one of four national laboratories in the DOE’s Net Zero Labs Pilot Initiative, launched in May in support of President Joe Biden’s goal to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions no later than 2050.

As part of the initiative, PNNL will demonstrate how new technologies, innovative approaches and partnering with industry and communities can lead to net-zero emissions and decarbonization of operations.

Even before the DOE announcement, PNNL had its own Net-Zero Emissions

However, more generation will be needed to anchor the grid, and small modular and advanced reactors are a viable option. Bringing carbon-free nuclear plants online – as coal and natural gas go offline – is imperative to both the transition to clean energy as well as the long-term sustainability of a clean energy system.

The good news is there is growing support for new nuclear technologies.

Many countries – from Canada, France, and the U.K. to Poland and Estonia – are investing heavily in new reactor technologies as part of their climate mitigation plans.

In the U.S., the federal government is spurring commercialization of modern

reactor designs, while many states are actively exploring policies to expedite the build out of new nuclear energy facilities. There is also increasing public support for nuclear energy.

In a recent statewide opinion poll, three-fourths of Washington residents said they favor nuclear energy as one of the ways to provide electricity, and 82% believe nuclear energy will be important for meeting our future energy needs.

Energy Northwest is partnering with several advanced nuclear companies and last year joined X-energy and Grant PUD in forming the TRi Energy Partnership. Our goal is simple: to deploy advanced nuclear technologies in central Washington and provide the Northwest with new

sources of clean, reliable energy.

Meeting future energy demand with 100% clean electricity is feasible if our efforts are directed toward the practical and the possible.

Priority must be given to maintaining existing carbon-free resources – from wind and solar to nuclear and hydropower – while we embrace innovation by pursuing new clean energy resources.

Clean and reliable electricity are not mutually exclusive, and we have the opportunity in Washington to prove it.

Bob Schuetz is CEO of Energy Northwest, which operates hydro, nuclear, wind, solar and storage facilities in Washington and Oregon.

and Resilient Operations initiative, which seeks to fully transition to a net-zero campus by 2030, while enhancing resilience to protect against power disruptions.

To achieve its emissions goals, PNNL is moving away from using energy provided by carbon-intensive sources, such as natural gas, and transitioning to electrifying its buildings, vehicles and equipment in partnership with local electric utilities, which also are committed to clean energy sources.

The laboratory also will reduce energy use and emissions through efficiency upgrades and operational changes. For example, PNNL is using waste heat captured from supercomputers to heat other buildings and is taking steps to address potential emissions of gases when research equipment is serviced.

PNNL will update building design standards to reduce emissions and maximize

efficiency in construction projects. We also will model campus building to inform and test new operating approaches to optimize performance in a way that reduces emissions and protects against disruptions in electric utility service.

Dedicated to setting the course

Building upon our chemistry, materials science and engineering expertise, PNNL will advance energy efficiency, renewable integration with the power grid, energy storage and other research areas to develop, demonstrate and deploy innovative technologies toward net-zero carbon emissions.

Clean energy is more than a hot topic or current buzzword, it’s a necessity for addressing climate change. But we need a wide array of solutions for decarbonizing our energy system – maximizing energy efficiency across all energy sectors, eliminating green-house gas emissions from

power generation, electrifying end-uses, leveraging the benefits of nuclear energy and developing net-zero carbon fuels and chemicals.

As you can see, PNNL is committed to research that provides a pathway for a more sustainable energy future and takes steps with our own campus to make that happen. A clean-energy future relies on the science of energy – society’s ability to achieve essential energy transformations and harness the power of chemistry.



Lou Terminello is associate laboratory director of the Physical and Computational Sciences Directorate at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.

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Jud Virden is associate laboratory director of the Energy and Environment Directorate at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.

Crypto mining isn’t the only challenge to power dilemma

By Laura Kostad for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

Energy faces a new frontier.

Demands on data storage and energy to fuel computing power are exponentially ramping up as technology evolves and digital industries follow.

The utilities that manage local power grids work around the clock to keep ahead of the curve and meet demand as the Tri-Cities and its surrounding communities grow at a breakneck pace.

One emergent industry of the past 12 years is cryptocurrency. New cryptocurrency is created by computers solving complex equations to verify transactions involving digital currency.

Utility rates are a big determinant of where crypto mining businesses and their data mining cousins decide to locate operations.

The main ingredient in cryptocurrency and data mining is computing power, which is in turn fueled by electricity. The more computing capacity, the more cryptocurrency or data can be mined.

As with other energy intensive sectors or large-scale operations, the hunt for low-cost energy from new industries can create a full-court-press of demand on public utility districts (PUDs) and rural electric associations (REAs) offering the lowest rates.

“One of the things we see here (in the

Columbia Basin), in comparison to U.S. energy prices, is our prices at Franklin PUD are substantially lower than the majority of the country,” said Scott Rhees, general manager and CEO of Franklin PUD.

This is due in part to the hydroelectric dams that produce power for the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), which serves the three primary local utilities:

Franklin PUD, Benton PUD and Benton REA.

However, Franklin and Benton counties can’t claim the cheapest rates in the state.

“We just can’t compete with some of the pricing of the Chelan, Grant and Douglas County PUDs (which own their own dams),” said Holly Dohrman, assistant general manager at Franklin PUD.

Prospective high-energy-need clients have headed elsewhere due to the cost of sourcing additional energy to meet their needs.

As a result, each utility reported having less than a dozen cryptocurrency or data mining-type operations in their respective customer bases. None are largescale operations.

Because the utilities source the bulk of their energy from BPA, they are subject to the federal power marketing agency’s policies and procedures.

“If the load goes above 10 megawatts, there’s a provision where it’s called a ‘new large single load’ that cannot be served by any reference power,” said Jon Meyer, senior director of finance and customer service at Benton PUD.

To exceed this cap, customers must obtain a contract for additional energy either from BPA or from another provider.

If buying from BPA, Meyer said, “It’s more than double – maybe triple – what the BPA Tier 1 rate is.”

“For a customer to go out on the open market, the cost has increased dramatically,” Rhees said. “It’s what makes it difficult for people to come in. We have seen price escalation in the past two years.”

In addition, each utility has its own rate schedules in place for different levels of energy users and types of customers, which serve to shield other customers

BENTON PUBLIC UTILITY DISTRICT

Clean energy policies hamper industrial development

When it comes to heavy industry and manufacturing, low-cost electricity and the power sector are foundational to producing competitively priced goods and products.

The Tri-City area is increasingly on the radar of companies looking for communities to bring new industries and jobs, the kind of jobs that include good wages and benefits and that offer stable, multi-generational employment opportunities.

There are a lot of reasons to love the Tri-Cities, but heavy industry and manufacturing are attracted by the Northwest’s reputation for abundant and inexpensive hydropower.

Low-cost electricity has been the economic engine of the Northwest for decades. But times are changing, and not for the better when it comes to the possibility of industrial development in many Washington communities.

Speaking from experience, I can tell you industrial processes with big job opportunities are often electricity intensive, requiring not only affordable electricity, but large amounts of electricity available 24 hours a day, every day.

Around-the-clock operations put these customers into what is referred to as the “baseload” of an electric utility. While

electricity demand can vary over a wide range from day-to-day and month-to-month driven mostly by weather, baseload is the minimum power that must be available on a constant basis.

When electricity is a primary input to a business process, it is nonnegotiable that it must be available and affordable.

Therein lies the rub between economic development opportunities involving electricity intensive industry and Washington State’s Clean Energy Transformation Act, or CETA. CETA is driving development of variable and intermittent wind and solar farms.

While CETA’s 100% non-emitting electricity generation requirement by 2045 may seem like a far-off date, the effects of its post-2025 prohibition on coal-fired baseload generation and punitive financial penalties for using natural gas generation beginning in 2030 are impacting electric utilities like Benton PUD today.

Here’s why. Benton PUD and all electric utilities serving Tri-City area customers of the Bonneville Power Administration, or BPA. BPA is the federal agency responsible for wholesale marketing of the electricity generated by the Federal Columbia River Power System, or FCRPS.

The FCRPS includes 31 hydroelectric dams and the Columbia Generating Station nuclear plant.

The hydro and nuclear plants in its portfolio do not emit carbon, which puts BPA’s utility customers in the driver’s seat when it comes to compliance with CETA’s clean electricity mandates. But BPA has no more “firm energy” available to meet growing electricity demand.

In utility vernacular, “firm energy” is the electricity that can be guaranteed to be delivered.

And while it is not widely understood by the public, the 2023 forecast of total utility customer annual demand eligible to be served by BPA is already 470 average megawatts (aMW) above the 6,736 aMW firm energy capability of the FCRPS, which is limited by low water or drought years.

Hydropower is a flexible, low cost and clean generating technology. It is also

highly variable from year-to-year.

So, BPA can only commit to providing firm energy based on the worst water years and then sells surplus hydropower generated during better water years in short-term wholesale electricity markets.

Revenue derived from surplus sales is used to buy down the rates BPA charges for its coveted “Tier 1” product, currently about 3.5 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) wholesale. For Benton PUD that translates to a small industrial effective retail rate of 5-6 cents per kWh.

Additionally, while BPA is considering augmenting its Tier 1 portfolio with new generating resources in the next round of contracts beginning in 2028, its utility customers are currently restricted from serving new individual retail customer electricity needs greater than 10 aMW annually with Tier 1 energy.

This restriction, which is referred to as the New Large Single Load (NLSL) policy, was put in place decades ago to keep low-cost hydropower from attracting too much of the nation’s heavy industry to Northwest states.

To put this in context, Benton PUD

Rick Dunn Benton PUD

Courtesy Franklin PUD

Three linemen work on a power pole in Franklin County.

Professionals, not politicians, need to drive energy planning

The decarbonization of the electric grid seems to be the topic of news stories across the country.

The call for replacement of the fossil-fuel infrastructure, that was built over centuries, with clean-energy alternatives is the mantra of this generation.

This decarbonization effort will require an unprecedented amount of investment, planning and skill if it is to be achieved without pitfalls. If carbon-based fuels are removed to quickly without replacement of similar baseload resources (generation that is available on demand 24/7, 365 days a year) the electrical system will become unstable.

Electricity is consumed as it is generated, which means consumer demand must always be in balance with the energy generated.

Intermittent resources such as wind and solar must be accompanied with baseload backup to be fully integrated into the electrical system.

Baseload resources such as hydro, small modular nuclear or carbon-based generation produce energy on demand and fill the gaps created by intermittent generation.

Baseload resources must have the ability to ramp up quickly to fill the voids

Scott Rhees Franklin PUD

when the sun isn’t shining and there is no wind. Without baseload generation, the result is an electrical system that fails to maintain that balance between customer demand and electrical generation.

The western transmission grid ties states together.

The transmission grid, which is made up of high voltage electric lines, allows for the efficient movement of electricity throughout the western United States.

While individual utilities can operate lower voltage distribution systems independently and within boundaries, the transmission grid ties each utility together. This interconnectivity between electric utilities also ties state policymakers together as well.

Poor energy policy in one state can impact beyond a state line.

As California politicians have pushed ahead with the decommissioning of carbon and nuclear baseload generation, the result

has become a heavy reliance on intermittent generation.

This dependency on wind and solar power has complicated its energy operations and placed a dependence on hydropower from the Northwest and coal generation that is still operational from the Intermountain States.

As coal fired baseload generation continues to be decommissioned over the next few years there will be an even greater dependency on Pacific Northwest hydropower to fill intermittent energy voids and to meet peak demands during extreme weather events.

On Sept. 6, 2022, forecasters projected the highest system demand California had ever seen.

As energy consumption increased, energy providers and California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued alerts asking residents to reduce use.

Electric vehicle owners were told not to charge vehicles during this high heat event. As energy needs increased California began importing baseload hydropower from the Pacific Northwest to both meet demand and stabilize the electrical system – 6,500 megawatts average of Northwest hydropower energy exports helped keep

the lights on for California during its energy emergency.

This transfer of energy does not come without a cost to the Pacific Northwest. When California competes with its neighbors for electricity on the open energy market, prices skyrocket.

As electric demand increased as predicted on Sept. 6, prices throughout the west also increased, peaking at $2,000 per megawatt-hour compared to normal pricing of less than $70.

Without the existing hydro system, Energy Northwest’s nuclear generation, and carbon fuel generation, the Sept. 6 heat event would have looked much different. Baseload generation is still the workhorse that ensures electrical system reliability.

As carbon fuel plants continue to be decommissioned, policymakers need to consider the ramifications of a high reliance on solar and wind.

If we fail to plan and not allow time for baseload replacement generation, we will have weather events that will not only stress the transmission grid beyond its capability but will have shortages of generation when it is needed most.

Baseload resources are resources that

BENTON RURAL ELECTRIC ASSOCIATION

Reliable electricity depends on our ability to work together

When I’m home, like everyone else, I flip on the light switch and expect my lights to come on without giving a thought about if there’s enough electricity available.

That’s the way it should be. People are busy and shouldn’t be concerned about there being enough electricity to keep the lights on, the refrigerator cool and the heating and cooling systems working.

Unfortunately, as a manager at Benton REA, I’m worried about our ability to have electricity available for our members at the flip of a switch.

I’m not alone. Utility managers across the Northwest are expressing serious concerns about not having enough electric generating resources to meet the demands of our consumers in the not-too-distant future.

There are several reasons. In simple terms, the demand for electricity is increasing while reliable forms of electric generation are being reduced.

I could spend the rest of this column explaining the details about the challenges utilities face to meet demand and would barely scratch the surface. Instead, I’m go-

state.

ing to focus on the rising number of electric vehicles to highlight the need for utilities and consumers to work together.

Vehicle emissions are the largest source of carbon emissions in Washington

Our state is focused on reducing carbon emissions and has aggressive goals to electrify our transportation. A 2022 bill requires all passenger and light duty vehicles with a model year of 2030 and beyond to be electric.

Projections for the sales of electric cars are increasing, with some indicating 50% of new cars sold by 2025 to be electric.

What does that mean for electric utilities? It could result in a huge increase in the peak demand for electricity.

In simple terms, we need more electricity in the evening, when customers are already using the most electricity.

Utilities often calculate peak demand in kilowatts (kW). The average house served by Benton REA has a peak demand of almost 10 kW of electricity and typically reaches that peak when people get home from work, cook, adjust their thermostats, wash dishes, wash clothes and so on.

An electric vehicle is typically charged by a 240-volt charger with a demand for electricity between 7-15 kW. If people have an electric vehicle, the natural thing to do is to plug it in when they get home. With just one electric vehicle, the house potentially goes from 10 kW to 17-25 kW of peak demand.

If the number of people owning electric vehicles is even close to the projections, utilities could see a huge increase in peak demand on our systems.

Utilities are concerned we won’t have reliable electric generation to meet that growing demand.

Utilities also may have to make significant and costly upgrades to our electric transmission and distribution systems for the power lines and transformers to have the capacity to meet the growing peak demand.

Worst case scenario: higher rates for consumers and less reliable electricity.

That is simply unacceptable!

There is a path forward that allows us to electrify transportation, reduce carbon emissions, keep rates low and keep the reliable electric system that our members want and need.

That path is utilities like Benton REA, partnering with our members and working together. Electric cooperatives like Benton REA are owned by our members, so working hand in hand with them comes naturally.

The average commute requires an electric vehicle to only plug in for a few hours to restore the battery to full charge.

Waiting until later at night to start charging reduces the peak demand of the house. The vehicle is still ready to go in the morning.

Combine that with reducing the rate at which the vehicle charges and charging midday while at work when the demand is also lower, and we are on a path to success.

By working together, we can incor-

Troy Berglund Benton REA

Longtime Benton REA manager retires

Benton REA’s longtime manager has retired.

Mike Bradshaw worked at Benton Rural Electric Association for 33 years and spent 41 years in the electric utility industry.

Troy Berglund, vice president of member services, is serving as interim general manager.

The Benton REA Board of Trustees is working with a consulting firm to conduct a national search for a successor to Bradshaw, who retired in October.

A new general manager is expected in May 2023.

Bill expands industry assessments, training

The U.S. Department of Energy will invest up to $72 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill to expand a program helps industry save energy and train workers.

The investment creates new Industrial Assessment Centers at trade schools, community colleges and union training programs and will go toward building new centers to support developing workers to support energy efficiency and emissions reductions in commercial and institutional buildings.

The program provides free, hands-on assessments to small- and medium-sized manufacturing facilities to help save energy, increase productivity and operations. It has conducted more than 2,000

assessments with typical savings of about $130,000 per client.

Cascade Natural Gas ranks tops for customer satisfaction

Cascade Natural Gas Co., the Kennewick-based utility that provides gas service to 310,000 customers in the Tri-Cities and other rural communities in Washington and Oregon, was the top-ranked gas utility in its category in J.D. Power’s 2022 Gas Utility Residential Customer Satisfaction Study.

The study considers safety and reliability, billing, corporate citizenship, price, communications and customer service.

J.D. Power said overall satisfaction dipped to its lowest point since 2016 on the increasing price of natural gas.

Cascade Natural Gas was the highest ranked utility among midsized utilities in the West. Long Beach Gas & Oil was second, followed by Intermountain Gas Co. and Avista.

Portland-based NW Natural and Seattle-based Puget Sound Energy were second and fourth among large utilities in the West.

State inks deal with carbon emissions auction platform

The state Department of Ecology has joined the Western Climate Initiative Inc. to use the nonprofit’s secure online auction platform for Washington’s new carbon emissions allowance market.

Auctions are expected to raise hundreds of millions of dollars that will be invested in reducing emissions and improving the

state’s climate resiliency.

WCI Inc., formed by jurisdictions with cap and trade emissions programs, already provides such a platform for California and Quebec’s combined emissions market, as well as for Nova Scotia’s independent market.

Under the Climate Commitment Act passed earlier this year, Ecology must set up a cap-and-invest program by 2023. That program will set a statewide cap on greenhouse gas emissions, and then gradually reduce the cap to match the emission limits set in state law.

By 2050, greenhouse gas emissions are required to fall by 95%, and for the remaining 5% of emissions to be offset.

The law requires businesses and organizations that produce more than 25,000 tons of greenhouse gases a year to obtain emissions allowances for their total emissions.

State to require heat pumps in new homes

New homes and apartment buildings built in Washington state must be equipped with electric heat pumps beginning in July.

The state Building Code Council recently voted in favor of the requirement. The switch aims to reduce carbon emissions and reliance on nonrenewable heat sources. Natural gas is pollutive, contributing to health issues in gas-burning homes and creating greenhouse gases that accelerate global warming, according to a press release from the governor’s office.

The Building Industry Association of Washington expressed frustration at the mandate, saying the council ignored industry concerns that it will further aggravate

the state’s housing crisis.

“Washington has both a housing shortage and a housing affordability crisis. At a time when only roughly 15% of households in Washington can afford to purchase a median-priced home, this additional tax on energy only makes things worse,” said Greg Lane, BIAW’s executive vice president.

The association said the new requirement removes the incentive for natural gas companies to run natural gas into new homes, essentially eliminating the ability for homeowners to have natural gas ranges and fireplaces.

BPA plans to hold power, transmission rates

The Bonneville Power Administration will hold its power and transmission rates flat in 2024-25 as a buffer against market volatility.

The federal power marketing agency, based in Portland, said its strong 2022 financial performance allowed it to hold rates flat. If approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the rates will be in effect Oct. 1, 2023-Sept. 30, 2025.

BPA provides power generated by 31 federal dams and the Columbia Generating Station nuclear plant in Richland to 142 Northwest utilities, including those serving the Tri-Cities.

BPA said it was able to include $129 million to protect against the risk of rate fluctuations, which should protect rates during the 2024-25 rate period.

BPA is legally required to cover its costs and adjust rates accordingly. It establishes rates for two-year periods.

Freddie Mac:

Emissions

averted thanks to ‘green’ mortgages

Freddie Mac reports a mortgage program focused on green energy helped avoid greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to taking 2,433 cars off the road in 2021.

Freddie Mac, established by Congress to provide capital to mortgage lenders, said its Green Mortgage Backed Securities program issued $617 million in bonds backed by 2,454 Freddie Mac GreenCHOICE Mortgage refinance loans.

To qualify for the program, the property had to have a renewable energy source installed. In some cases, refinanced mortgages paid off debt associated with installing solar panels.

According to Freddie Mac, the 2021 Single-Family Green MBS program netted enough energy to power 1,877 homes and saved homeowners an average of $1,027 in annual utility bills.

Go to FreddieMac.com.

Hydrogen group advances bid for DOE hydrogen hubs

The Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Association (PNWH2) – a public-private partnership of tribal, labor, government, environmental and private sector hydrogen

company leaders – recently submitted its 20-page concept paper to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), outlining the significant breadth and depth of possibilities for a hydrogen hub in the Pacific Northwest.

PNWH2 is leading a regional effort to land one of very few shares of the DOE’s $8 billion investment in a nationwide network of clean hydrogen hubs under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

With the states of Washington and Oregon collaborating in this effort, the PNWH2’s final proposal aims to demonstrate the region’s assets for supporting a hydrogen hub, including natural renewable hydropower and a rich history of innovation in the agriculture, transportation, manufacturing, high tech, maritime and clean tech sectors.

$13 billion earmarked to modernize U.S. electric grid

The Biden-Harris Administration, through the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), recently announced $13 billion in new financing opportunities for the expansion and modernization of the nation’s electric grid.

The Grid Resilience Innovative Partnership, or GRIP, program and the Transmission Facilitation Program together represent the largest single direct federal investment in critical transmission and

distribution infrastructure and one of the first down payments on an over $20 billion investment under the administration’s Building a Better Grid Initiative.

The federal investments will unlock billions of dollars of state and private sector capital to build projects that increase the reliability of the power grid and modernize it so that more communities and businesses have access to affordable, reliable, clean electricity – helping deliver on the President’s goal of 100% clean electricity by 2035.

Independent estimates indicate that the U.S. needs to expand electricity transmission systems by 60% by 2030 and may need to triple current capacity by 2050 to accommodate the country’s rapidly increasing supply of cheaper, cleaner energy and meet increasing power demand for electric vehicles and electric home heating as well as reduce power outages from severe weather.

Plan to cut statewide fuel emissions 20% starts Jan. 1

Washington’s new Clean Fuel Standard will begin cutting greenhouse gas emissions from transportation – the state’s largest source of carbon pollution – on Jan. 1.

Over the next 12 years, the new standard is forecast to reduce annual transportation emissions statewide by 20%, or about 4.3 million metric tons of carbon

dioxide equivalent. That’s comparable to taking more than 900,000 cars permanently off the road.

The state Legislature passed the Clean Fuel Standard in 2021 and directed the state Department of Ecology to implement the program beginning in 2023.

The new program uses a market approach to incentivize fuel producers to reduce the “carbon intensity” of their products by 20% by 2034 – four years faster than first proposed. The accelerated timeline comes in response to strong public feedback and an independent economic analysis and fuel supply forecast that show 2034 is an achievable target.

California, Oregon, and British Columbia have adopted similar programs for transitioning to low-carbon fuels. Even before Washington’s program formally begins, fuel producers and energy suppliers have moved to increase clean fuels production. Most notably, BP America committed last year to invest $269 million to double the production capacity of renewable diesel at its Cherry Point refinery, near Ferndale.

The program also includes incentives for building charging infrastructure for electric and hydrogen-fuel vehicles and includes provisions to ensure overburdened communities see increased access to clean transportation.

from shouldering the burden of heavy users.

Though utilities are obligated to serve customers within their jurisdiction, customers are directly responsible for paying the cost of necessary upgrades to infrastructure to accommodate their load demand. This is not limited to just transformers, but entire substations as well.

“Something of a really large magnitude, like Darigold or Amazon, they require substations … and those take time to build. It might take three years to build a substation. Sometimes it’s just a matter of timing,” said Troy Berglund, interim general manager and vice president of member services, Benton REA.

“We encourage prospective customers to contact us to make sure that their service is sized appropriately,” Meyer said. “If they damage infrastructure, they take responsibility for that too.”

“You don’t get a lot of mystery loads that are large loads,” Rhees said. “Ultimately, that transformer is going to be undersized. Worst case, they are going to burn up the transformer or will blow a fuse.”

He explained that though residential customers do set mining operations up

in a spare room or garage to make extra income, they would be hard-pressed to cram enough servers into a house to cause significant impact.

At capacity

The Northwest power grid is essentially at capacity, which compounds the situation and leads to increases in the market prices for energy.

Energy production is not a limitless supply even when renewable energy such as hydropower is involved. Existing facilities are only capable of generating so much energy.

“Our total load is above that firm allocation of BPA Tier 1 energy. Anything else above that we supply with market wholesale,” Meyer said. “Firm allocation” refers to the amount of power BPA can reliably deliver in a low-water year when dams aren’t producing at capacity. If demand exceeds that level, the system buys power on the open market, which is typically expensive.

“Right now, we’re in an area where we’re worried about if there’s enough total generation to meet our member needs moving forward,” Berglund said.

He said this is due to the double-edged situation faced by utilities. Coal plants, long a reliable energy source but a significant source of carbon emissions, are

being shut down in the Pacific Northwest and around the country at the same time new technologies are coming online that place new demand on the grid.

“Even in counties that own dams … even they’re meeting their limits. Utilities are looking a lot closer at what loads they’re bringing on and if they can meet that demand,” Berglund said.

“All the utilities have a really good relationship with TRIDEC and other economic development organizations in the surrounding communities. (TRIDEC) is involved directly with meetings with BPA and Energy Northwest; they know how important power is to bringing in these businesses and the energy to support them,” Berglund said.

Both Meyer and Berglund said data and crypto mining operations are not permanent investments in communities.

“It’s not like a manufacturing plant that gets built that someone has invested billions of dollars in that you can’t move. These are operations that can be moved in a weekend. They’re just not compatible with long-term energy planning,” Meyer said.

“These mining operations represent a lot of load growth but not a lot of job growth, so are not a great fit for us,” Berglund added.

Sustainability challenges

Berglund pointed out that crypto and data mining are not the only sources of demand affecting utilities.

Rising demand from electric vehicles (EVs) poses a serious demand for additional power to keep them charged.

“The general population thinks about how far an EV can go on a charge, but we’re looking at it from the standpoint of: if we see EV adoption as projections are showing, then we will have a whole myriad of issues to confront.”

He said that with multiple houses powered by a single transformer, energy demand to charge EVs and installation of at-home fast charging stations will significantly strain residential infrastructure as more people opt for EVs.

As carbon-emitting sources of energy production are retired and environmental groups push to remove dams, local utilities and BPA are being pushed to explore new energy options such as nuclear, solar, wind and more.

As Berglund summed it up, “There are a tremendous amount of challenges utilities face moving forward. It’s not the first time and it creates opportunities to get innovative.”

future opportunities to develop chemical process chips for new applications beyond hydrogen generation.

“There are many more applications for our technology, Wegeng said. “Chemical reactors can be developed to produce ammonia, methanol, and other chemical products using the chemical processing chips.”

Christina Lomasney, director of commercialization at PNNL, is impressed with STARS’ work.

“We applaud the work by Bob Wegeng and his team at STARS in translating cutting-edge, taxpayer-funded, PNNL research into economic impact,” Lomasney said in a press release. “The STARS team (members) are pioneers in the realization of a viable clean hydrogen economy. It is gratifying to see the local venture ecosystem – led by Fuse Fund – bringing support to our homegrown entrepreneurs and their visions for a better future.”

Wegeng credits the support of PNNL; HiLine Engineering and Fabrication, and company owner Troy Stokes and his team of engineers; Concept Systems Engineering of Kennewick; California’s Barr Engineering; Oregon State University; SoCalGas; and SunLine.

The coming age of hydrogen

According to STARS, hydrogen has been recognized by many as the most viable solution to large-scale decarbonization of the heavy-lift transportation industry.

Wegeng believes this is the hydrogen decade, as the transition from fossil energy to clean hydrogen energy begins.

“The market for hydrogen is expected to grow exponentially over the next few de-

cades, driven by the wide adoption of fuel cells in a new class of zero-emission vehicles, or ZEVs,” according to the company.

It took Wegeng’s group years to get to this point.

“Finding the right solution sometimes involves finding what doesn’t work,” Wegeng said. “There have been many pivots to get to where we are today.”

But it’s led the company to where Wegeng feels STARS is introducing the right technology at the right time. He said the momentum is growing for developing the clean hydrogen infrastructure that will support fuel cell deployment.

The federal government recently passed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill which included $8 billion for regional hydrogen hubs (“We’re involved with helping develop the proposal to create a regional hub in the Pacific Northwest,” said Wegeng), and the Inflation Reduction Act, which carried about $370 billion in subsidies and credits for clean energy investment in the United States.

In California, what STARS is doing will meet the new Federal Clean Hydrogen Standard for fueling SunLine’s fuel cell buses.

Here’s how it works

Fuel cells produce electricity by a chemical reaction that converts hydrogen and oxygen (from air) to water.

The lower weight of fuel cells and compressed hydrogen make fuel cells an ideal alternative to batteries, where the weight and recharging time of batteries can be problematic.

Fuel cells with compressed hydrogen weigh a fraction of a battery pack with the same energy storage capacity, and they can

be refueled in minutes (comparable to gasoline-powered vehicles).

What Wegeng and his staff believe is that “as the nation transitions to electric propulsion, it’s expected that at least 30% of the transportation sector will utilize fuel cells for electricity.”

That 30% could include cars that routinely drive long distances, delivery vehicles, long-haul trucking, mass transit, and even ships and aircraft.

The STARS hydrogen generator units that turn methane and water into hydrogen is done in a process called steam-methane reforming.

Heat for the reaction is maintained using electrical induction heaters.

When the renewable natural gas is used, the hydrogen produced has a negative carbon intensity.

The additively-manufactured chemical process chips are made from highly efficient microchannel devices.

With mass production, the compact and modular units can be placed on the existing natural gas grid to produce onsite, affordable hydrogen at filling stations or industrial locations that will compete with gasoline.

Fuse Fund steps in

Fuse’s mission is to help grow the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the Tri-Cities, providing resources to support the success of local entrepreneurs and startups.

In late August, Fuse Fund, made up of local community-minded investors based in the Tri-Cities, announced a financing round for the project of $150,000.

Fuse worked with other local investors to raise another $350,000 for a total of $500,000.

“It’s a community story,” Wegeng said. “The investment helps us get across the finish line for the H2 SilverSTARS demonstration project.”

The Fuse Fund group had been working with STARS managers for the last two years to get the company investment ready.

“Bob pitched to us that he needed $300,000,” Conger said. “I said, ‘Let’s make it $500,000 because you’re always going to have surprises.’ The STARS technology reduces production costs and uses only 20% of the power required by electrolyzes to make its hydrogen. Bob’s story resonated with our investors. One individual wanted in for $100,000.”

STARS is just one of many investments by Fuse.

In September, Fuse announced that its local investors had achieved total funding commitments to local companies totaling $2.025 million.

Fuse Funds, as of September, has $800,000 either invested or pending in five startups that did make it through the group’s evaluation and funding process.

“The important point is that these investments are being made to benefit startups operating in and around the Tri-Cities,” Conger said. “Nobody in Fuse Funds is paid a salary. They’re volunteering their time for the Tri-Cities.”

And everyone is excited to see the STARS commercial demonstration get started, especially Wegeng.

“I am impatient,” he said. “I’ve been waiting 25 years for this.”

search Stars Technology Corporation: starsh2.com.

search Fuse Fund: https://fuse.fund.

energy” required by industry.

acquires about 210 aMW of wholesale electricity annually for delivery to more than 57,000 customer meters. So, while 10 aMW is a large number for any one customer, it is common for heavy industry or manufacturing facilities to require many multiples of that.

The bottom line is low-cost BPA hydropower is already spoken for and while wind and solar farms can produce large quantities of intermittent energy on an annual basis, they cannot produce the “firm

can be counted on nearly 100% of the time. While the world is calling for more renewable generation, politics should not be the driver for change.

The recent California energy dilemma and other events like the February 2021 cold spell that happened in Texas show how devastating the loss of power can be.

The call for decarbonization is ongoing. However, the lack of technological solutions needs to be recognized.

, From page C8

porate electric vehicles onto our system, reduce carbon emissions, reduce the costly upgrades to our infrastructure, lessen the amount of the new electric generation that will be required, maintain a reliable system and keep our rates low for members.

This same philosophy of working together applies to other issues facing the

While it is popular with politicians and media to suggest energy storage is ready for prime time, the capital cost of grid scale batteries needed to firm large amounts of wind and solar are far too high to be affordable for many electricity intensive industries which need costs to be in the ballpark of 5 cents per kWh or less.

I wish I had better news when it comes to attracting industry with big job prospects to Benton County, but I just don’t see how it can be done now that CETA

Over time we might find the necessary solutions but today we are not there.

While wind and solar have a place in an electric utility’s energy portfolio, the challenge is that their reliability is intermittent. You get power when it’s windy or sunny and when it’s not, you don’t.

It is that simple. That intermittent generation wouldn’t be a problem if we had a cost-effective, reliable way to store power – but we don’t. At least not yet.

The good news is that this energy transition is possible, but it must be with

electric utility industry in the efforts to reduce carbon.

Legislators and utilities need to work together to ensure laws don’t establish goals that eliminate necessary and reliable resources before the technology is available to replace them.

We need to work together to improve salmon runs while keeping the lower Snake River dams, which produce in-

mandates have taken new baseload capable and 50% cleaner-burning natural gas generation off the table.

Benton PUD continues to advocate for a more rational coal-to-natural gas-to-nuclear clean energy policy, but I don’t see natural gas getting a reprieve anytime soon.

On a positive note, Benton PUD supports the development of advanced nuclear technologies, including the small modular reactors, or SMR, being considered for Grant and Benton counties.

reasonable reforms and realistic expectations but most importantly, with the right people making the decisions.

Allowing the experts in the energy industry to use their knowledge and lead the charge towards integrating intermittent resources in a more sustainable and reliable manner.

At Franklin PUD we are actively preparing for a clean energy future and fully support clean energy policy.

We recently increased the amount of baseload hydropower in our energy

credibly valuable and reliable carbon-free electricity and allows for barging, which avoids hundreds of semitrucks or train rail cars and the increased emissions that would result.

Benton REA is committed to working with our members, our legislators, and all interested parties to find common ground and common-sense solutions.

The challenges we face are difficult. But

Unlike wind and solar power, SMR technology offers the promise of always on non-emitting electricity on a small footprint, and the opportunity to add modules when big industry knocks on the door of Tri-Cities’ economic development interests.

It will take time and some federal assistance to be cost-competitive, and we need to start now.

Rick Dunn is general manager of Benton PUD.

portfolio, which will result in a 96% clean, dependable energy portfolio.

As we move forward, where appropriate and in the right amounts we will add additional wind and solar to our mix. As we do so we will reach the goal of a 100% clean portfolio.

We support wise energy policy and will continue to do our part to ensure an affordable, clean, stable electrical system.

Scott Rhees is general manager of Franklin PUD.

I have faith in the cooperative spirit that I know still exists. I am hopeful that we can come together in a respectful manner to find the solutions that our members and our communities deserve.

Troy Berglund is interim general manager and vice president of member services at Benton Rural Electric Association.

BERGLUND