Tri-Cities Area Journal of Buisness - June 2020

June 2020 Volume 19 | Issue 6

Could Covid-19 restore air service to Portland?

By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz

Inside

Focus magazine: Agriculture and Viticulture in the Columbia Basin

Manufacturing

9 questions about cranes, Covid-19 and the economy with Lampson International Page A11

Real Estate & Construction

Upscale living for renters taking shape on Pasco waterfront Page B1

NOTEWORTHY “You’ve got to look for the opportunities to stay relevant.”

—Lisa Chapman-Rosa Total Site Services Page A32

The Covid-19 crisis blew a hole in the aviation industry, but there could be opportunity hidden in the mayhem for airports with strong underlying business models like the one in Pasco.

The Tri-Cities Airport could gain new air routes and even see airlines resume direct service to Portland International Airport. That’s the scenario laid out by Jack Penning of Volaire Aviation Consulting, which advises the Port of Pasco on the airline industry.

Penning, who is based in Portland, shared his take on Covid-19 impacts and opportunities during a May 29 “Coffee with Karl” virtual meetup with Karl Dye, president and chief executive officer of the Tri-City Development Council. The full discussion is posted on TRIDEC’s Facebook page.

As the Mid-Columbia’s economic development agency, TRIDEC works closely with the port to advocate for more and better routes in and out of Pasco.

Penning said the Tri-Cities could benefit from opportunities that weren’t available a few years ago, when regional airlines such as Alaska’s Horizon Air canceled routes as they struggled with shortages of pilots and craft. The Portland run was dropped for good in 2018.

But those shortages are no longer an issue. Instead, the pandemic is inviting airlines to rethink the map, drop questionable runs and add new ones. That could spell opportunity for Pasco.

“It’s not all doom and gloom. There are opportunities ahead,” Penning said.

First, the bad news: 2020 will go down as a terrible year for air travel statistics.

Even if air travel revives, Pasco will record half its usual business, a striking reversal for an airport that posted back-to-back record boardings in 2018 and 2019.

April, the worst month to date, saw air uAIRPORT, Page A4

Photo by Wendy Culverwell Shaun Ehlers, owner of Free Culture Clothing, is scheduling private shopping appointments at his downtown Kennewick store at 509-948-8187. He said if Benton County doesn’t move to Phase 2 soon, his business will not survive.

Face masks could be key to reopening Tri-City businesses

By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz

Shaun Ehlers ended 2019 on a contented note.

He’d opened a second edition of his small fashion boutique in Columbia Center mall in September.

By year’s end, the Free Culture Clothing stores in downtown Kennewick and at the mall were breaking even.

He knew the first few months of 2020 would be rough. January is always tough on retailers and sales don’t pick up until midFebruary, after Valentine’s Day. Everything was on schedule. Except that it wasn’t.

“Covid affected the mall by March,” he said. Stores stayed open but customers stayed

away out of fear. Anchor stores closed and so did other tenants. The mall closed.

Washington’s Stay Home, Stay Healthy order sidelined his West Kennewick Avenue location as well.

The bad news piled on. Ehlers applied for an emergency grant from the state but wasn’t successful. His home was damaged in a fire that forced him to move to an apartment.

Naturally an upbeat person, Ehlers struggled. In May, with some prompting, he reopened the downtown store to shopping by appointment, scrubbing the store between visitors and steaming any items tried on but not bought.

Business is off by about 95 percent but uPHASE 2, Page A8

Lamb Weston pulls back curtain with first-ever sustainability report

By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz

The region’s largest potato processor sheds new light on french fry-making in its first-ever corporate sustainability report.

Lamb Weston Holdings Inc. issued its 2020 Environmental, Social, and Governance Report on June 2. In it, the Eagle, Idaho-based company describes its corporate and environmental goals, the steps it is taking to meet them and the progress it has marked to date for the first time.

Lamb Weston became an independent, publicly traded company in 2016 when it spun out of ConAgra Foods.

“This report highlights work that Lamb Weston has always believed in – operating with integrity to support the long-term sus-

tainability of our business,” said Tom Werner, chief executive officer, in an introduction.

Corporate sustainability reports are issued by companies interested in telling investors and the public about their non-financial goals around governance, environmental stewardship and corporate philanthropy.

Lamb Weston joins Pacific Northwest icons such as Costco Wholesale Inc., Microsoft Corp., Amazon, Starbucks Inc., Nike Inc., Paccar Inc., Nordstrom Inc., Weyerhaeuser Co. and Precision Castparts Corp. that issue corporate sustainability reports, often called CSRs. Lamb Weston, which reported $3.8 billion in revenue in 2019, is one of the largest and most diverse companies operating in the uLAMB WESTON, Page A16

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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | JUNE 2020

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | JUNE 2020

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OUR VIEW

2020 is shaping up as an ag year like no other The Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business is proud to present its annual Focus: Agriculture + Viticulture magazine inserted in this month’s edition.

In a departure from years past, the Focus magazine stands alone for 2020. Under normal circumstances, it would be the 2020-21 edition. With the Covid-19 crisis upending the American economic landscape, there are just too many unknowns to predict 2021.

But there’s plenty to discuss now.

Our writers tackled exports and trade wars, the labor outlook and the forecast for the region’s most iconic crops – apples, asparagus, cherries, hops, potatoes and both wine and juice grapes.

And in the best can-do spirit of MidColumbia farming, a local farm bureau has launched a seven-days-a-week produce stand in Pasco to highlight Franklin County produce while fostering the farm-to-fork connection.

In Season Produce (Facebook: @ Inseasonpasco) is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily at 4921 W. Court St. As of press time, it was selling produce such as asparagus, cherries, strawberries, onions, radishes and some greens.

James Alford, president of the Franklin County Farm Bureau, reports it will add raspberries and blueberries this month, with sweet corn and melons on track to arrive in mid-July.

Our writers found plenty to keep

growers, processors, packers and distributors busy this spring. Growing conditions were favorable. But thanks to Covid-19, markets are in turmoil, the airplanes that ferry cherries, apples and other crops to Asia aren’t flying, and labor promises to be more of a challenge than ever.

Farmers and ranchers can expect some relief, courtesy of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which allocates billions to farmers and ranchers whose operations were affected by the pandemic.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has $19 billion for direct relief through the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program and other relief efforts, including a direct food buying program that sends produce to struggling families.

The USDA is accepting applications for the food relief program through Aug. 28 for producers whose losses qualify for support. Local producers can contact their Farm Service Agency offices in Prosser and Pasco for details.

Readers will learn that the difficult trade wars of 2019 turned out surprisingly well for Washington growers.

Agricultural exports came under threat in 2019 when trade wars and retaliatory tariffs raised the cost of apples, cherries and hay. Agriculture is Washington’s most exported category after airplanes.

In the end, Washington pulled ahead

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in 2019, with the value of exports slightly exceeding levels recorded in the pre-trade-war years of 2018 and 2017.

Even the state’s agriculture export director expressed surprise.

Asparagus benefited from less competition from Mexico and Peru and proved popular with people cooking at home. Alan Schreiber, president of the Washington Asparagus Commission, said prices hit a record high though farmers were waiting for temperatures to heat up to bring the crop along.

But potatoes were suffering after processors canceled contracts, leaving thousands of planted acres with no buyers, as Andrew Kirk reports.

Labor is another perennial challenge.

Kirk explores the outlook for H-2A guest workers and the impact of social distancing on farmworker housing this growing season.

Jeff Morrow examines the world of apples, the $3-plus billion MVP of Washington’s $10.6 billion agriculture sector and the potential impact of the industry’s newest star, the Cosmic Crisp variety introduced in 2019 after years of development at Washington State University.

Eric Degerman of Great Northwest Wine shares his expertise on wine grapes. He also examines the world of juice grapes.

Both types of grapes are dealing with

an oversupply. One expert proposes that Washington vineyards should be pared back to 2013 levels to bring supply in line with demand. About 30 percent of Washington’s wine grapes went unharvested last year and not just because of an early hard frost.

Vineyards and wineries have a big hole to dig out of. Wineries have about 31 million unsold cases in their inventory – two vintages worth.

Concord grape plantings have been on the decline but are getting a bounce thanks to the pandemic. Parents sheltering at home with their children reached for the peanut butter and jelly to feed their kids, driving up demand for grape jelly produced from Washington-grown Concord grapes.

The outlook for the hops grown in the Yakima Valley is cloudy.

Americans couldn’t drink beer in restaurants, bars and taprooms closed by the pandemic. Customers are consuming more at home, but not enough to offset the drop. Many are turning to lowerpriced brands made with fewer hops.

Hop growers no longer expect a modest increase in production.

Agriculture represents 12 percent of the Washington economy. The Journal of Business team hopes you enjoy learning more about the role the 1,600-plus farms of Benton and Franklin counties play in this essential industry.

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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | JUNE 2020

Airport seeks passenger input

509-737-8778 8919 W. Grandridge Blvd., Ste. A1 Kennewick, WA 99336

The Tri-Cities Airport is inviting those who traveled by air in the last 12 months to complete a survey about their future plans.

The survey asks participants to share their thoughts on what will make them feel comfortable about traveling by air again.

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Go to tcjournal.biz to subscribe for only $27.10 per year.

Go to flytricities.com/ psc-passenger-survey.

STAFF Melanie Hair CEO 509-737-8778 ext. 5 melanie@tcjournal.biz

Courtesy Tri-Cities Airport The Tri-Cities Airport in Pasco could come out ahead as the Covid-19 crisis prompts airlines to cast off old, unprofitable runs and pursue new opportunities, according to a consultant who says anything is possible, including restoring the region’s connection to Portland International Airport.

Kristina Lord Publisher 509-737-8778 ext. 3 publisher@tcjournal.biz

AIRPORT, From page A1

Wendy Culverwell Editor 509-737-8778 ext. 6 editor@tcjournal.biz Tiffany Lundstrom Advertising Director 509-737-8778 ext. 2 tiffany@tcjournal.biz Chad Utecht Advertising Account Manager 509-737-8778 ext. 1 chad@tcjournal.biz Vanessa Guzmán Graphic Designer 509-737-8778 ext. 4 ads@tcjournal.biz

UPCOMING July:

Banking & Investments • Tourism

August:

Science & Technology • Nonprofits

travel collapse. Tri-City boardings fell 95 percent from the prior year. Alaska Airlines flew 432 passengers, Allegiant Airlines 292, Delta Airlines 805 and United Airlines 227. There were no charter flights at all, the airport said in its monthly status report.

The four airlines cut flights too. In April, they collectively offered 12,428 seats on outbound flights. That’s down from more than 45,000 in April 2019.

Passengers occupied 14 percent of the outbound seats available this April.

Travelers began to return in May, but the revival is a long way off.

Buck Taft, who manages the airport for the port, said the market isn’t at the bottom, but it’s at the second rung from the bottom.

More hits coming The hits will keep coming. On Oct. 1, airlines that took federal CARES (Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security) Act funding will be free of the requirement to keep at least minimal schedules through September.

That includes the four carriers who call on Pasco.

Penning predicts airlines will drop unprofitable or borderline routes. Some smaller airports in the Northwest could

lose all commercial service when that happens.

The Tri-Cities Airport won’t lose its commercial connections.

The Mid-Columbia, with its heavy contingent of government and business travel, is generally a profitable place for airlines. Route cuts in Seattle and Portland as well as new pricing software could make flights originating in Pasco more attractive to travelers who currently drive to bigger airports for cheaper fares.

Taft said the Tri-Cities Airport has performed well in past recessions. He agrees with Penning that opportunists could take a chance on it.

“I’m bullish,” he said.

The ‘free agent’ Penning cited SkyWest Airlines as an example of how the Pasco airport could come out ahead and even reconnect to Portland, at least in theory. The socalled “free agent” airline flies regional routes for Delta, United, Alaska, American and others.

In May, SkyWest reported a firstquarter profit of $30 million profit on $710 million in earnings, compared to $88 million on $700 million a year earlier. Nevertheless, Utah-based SkyWest was the only U.S. carrier to post a profit

that quarter, Penning said.

But its partners are returning planes.

SkyWest flew 55 planes for Delta Airlines, some owned by SkyWest and others by Delta. SkyWest noted the arrangement in its quarterly earnings statement.

Penning’s analysis shows SkyWest could end up with as many as 200 airplanes “returned” by the airlines.

The company doesn’t want to park its planes or lay off pilots and other crew members. So, it is seeking opportunities to keep flying, Penning said.

It is looking for underserved markets where it knows it can make money. It has discussed partnering with Alaska, flying opportunistic routes under the Alaska name.

“If that happened, there could be an opportunity for us to get Portland service back,” Penning said.

A spokesman for SkyWest said Penning’s comments were consistent with the company’s public disclosures. SkyWest regularly discusses potential new routes with airports, but it had no announcements to make in early June.

“At this point, we’re very focused on maintaining service,” the spokesman said.

But Taft, the airport manager, said SkyWest has a history of betting on the Tri-Cities. It previously flew a route to San Francisco under its own name.

“SkyWest provides options the mainline carriers may not want to do,” he said. “They could step up for us.”

CORRECTION • Alaska, Delta and United airlines must schedule at least five flights a week from the Tri-Cities Airport in Pasco. The incorrect amount was listed on page A12 in the May issue.

The Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business, a publication of TriComp Inc., is published monthly and delivered at no charge to identifiable businesses in Pasco, Richland, West Richland, Kennewick, Prosser and Benton City.

Subscriptions are $27.10 per year, including tax, prepayment required, no refunds. Contents of this publication are the sole property of TriComp Inc. and can not be reproduced in any form without expressed written consent.

Opinions expressed in guest columns and by advertisers do not necessarily reflect the opinions of staff, other columnists or other advertisers, nor do they imply endorsement by staff, columnists or advertisers. Every effort will be made to assure information published is correct; however, we are not liable for any errors or omissions made despite these efforts.

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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | JUNE 2020 uBUSINESS BRIEFS Pandemic cost 527,000 jobs in April update

Nonfarm employment in Washington fell by 527,000 jobs in April, including 498,500 in the private sector and 28,500 in the public.

Washington Employment Security, citing federal Bureau of Labor Statistics data, said the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate rose to 15.4 percent, compared to 5.1 percent in March and 4.4 percent a year earlier.

There were 610,700 unemployed workers, out of a labor force of nearly 4 million.

BLS estimates are based on a survey of businesses. May statistics were not available by the deadline for the June edition of the Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business.

Richland superintendent search is back on

The Richland School District’s incoming superintendent has backed out.

Mark Davidson withdrew his acceptance, citing uncertainty around the Covid-19 pandemic, the district announced June 5.

Davidson leads a small school district in Alberta, Canada. Richland officials wished him well as he remains in his current job.

Richland is seeking a superintendent to succeed Rick Schulte, who is retiring.

Monthly chamber luncheons go online

The Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce will hold a series of virtual luncheons in place of its regular in-person gatherings because of the Covid-19 crisis.

The luncheon series is free but attendees must register at tricityregionalchamber.com/summerluncheonseries.

Space is limited to 500. Programs begin at noon. Here’s the schedule: • June 24: The State of Education features Chris Reykdal, Washington State Superintendent of Public Instruction.

• July 22: The State of the Cities features Kennewick Mayor Don Britain, Pasco Mayor Saul Martinez, Richland Mayor Ryan Lukson and West Richland Mayor Brent Gerry.

• Aug. 26: U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Sunnyside, offers an update from Congress.

Tri-City businesses asked to take Open and Safe pledge

The Tri-Cities Open and Safe Coalition has launched a regionwide initiative to support and recognize local businesses when Benton and Franklin counties are eligible to move to Phase 2 of the Covid-19 recovery.

The coalition compiled resources available through the Benton-Franklin Health District on a free website, tcopenandsafe.com.

Business owners will find information about keeping their establishments in compliance with reopening regulations. They also can sign the Open and Safe pledge to signal their intent to

protect workers and customers as they work to restore the economy.

The website will feature a map of the businesses that take the pledge to boost consumer confidence. The effort is sponsored by the Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce, Tri-City Development Council and Visit Tri-Cities.

TRIDEC takes on Hanford Communities

Hanford Communities, an intergovernmental organization that monitors and advocates for the Hanford cleanup, is now managed by the Tri-City Development Council as part of a leadership change.

David Reeploeg, vice president of federal programs for TRIDEC, suc-

ceeded Pam Larsen, who retired after 25 years of leading the group under the management of the city of Richland.

Hanford Communities serves as a monitor and advocate for Hanford funding on behalf of Benton and Franklin counties, the cities of Kennewick, Pasco, Richland and West Richland and the Port of Benton.

Mattis to discuss ‘crisis leadership’ via Zoom

Gen. James M. Mattis, former Secretary of Defense and Richland native, will discuss leadership in a time of crisis at the June 18 meeting of the Columbia Basin Badger Club.

The event will be held via Zoom from noon to 1 p.m.

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Attendance is free but registration is required.

Go to bit.ly/BadgerClubJamesMattis to sign up.

Tri-Citian of the Year postponed to 2021

The Tri-Citian of the Year banquet has been rescheduled for April 30, 2021, because of the Covid-19 crisis.

The award is the region’s highest civic honor and dates to 1962. It is presented jointly by local Rotary and Kiwanis clubs.

The 2021 event will name the program’s 50th winner from the nominations submitted in 2020.

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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | JUNE 2020

DATEBOOK

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

JUNE 17

• Budget Priorities Public Meeting: 3-4 p.m. Tri-Party Agreement agencies’ virtual public meeting on fiscal year 2022 Hanford Site cleanup budget priorities. Register: bit.ly/bppublic • Columbia Basin Badger Club, “Leadership in a time of Crisis” with former Gen. James Mattis: Noon-1 p.m. Free. Register: cbbc. clubexpress.com

JUNE 18

• Covid-19 Impact on Small Businesses Seminar: 9-11 a.m.

State’s Small Business Liaison team. Free. Register at http:// sbrrcv19.eventbrite.com

JUNE 19

• Inspire Washington’s Cultural Convention: 10: a.m.-noon. Tickets available at bit.ly/tcculturalevent.

JUNE 20

• The Roaring 20s, A Gatsby Gala: Go to mcaf2020.givesmart. com to register and support Mid-Columbia Mastersingers, the Mid-Columbia Symphony, MidColumbia Musical Theatre and

the Mid-Columbia Ballet. Online auction begins June 15.

• Uptown Art Walk Zoom Version: 6-9 p.m. Register: bit.ly/ uptownartwalk

JUNE 21-25

• SIGN Fracture Care International Summer Bash: To view schedule for the five-day virtual auction fundraising event, go to signfracturecare.org/events.

JUNE 22

• Mid-Columbia Libraries’ Author Event: Mike Curato: 2-3 p.m. Go to: https://us02web.zoom. us/j/85391177227

JUNE 23

• Pacific Northwest National Laboratory’s Community Science & Technology Seminar Series: “Effectiveness of Habitat Restoration in the Lower Columbia River & Estuary”: 7-8 p.m. Register: pnnl.gov/events • Port of Kennewick Commission: 2 p.m. Details at portofkennewick.org/commissionmeetings

• Benton County Commission: 9 a.m. Details at co.benton.wa.us/ agenda.aspx • Franklin County Commission: 9 a.m. Details at co.franklin.wa.us/ commissioners/meeting.php

JUNE 24

• Tri-City Regional Chamber Membership Luncheon: “State of Education with Superintendent Chris Reykdal”: Noon-1 p.m.

Register: tricityregionalchamber. com/events • Virtual Hanford Advisory Board Meeting: 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Register: bit.ly/habjune24

JUNE 25

• Port of Pasco Commission: 10:30 a.m. Details at portofpasco. org/about-us/port-commission • Covid-19 Impact on Small Businesses Seminar: 1:30-3:30 p.m. State’s Small Business Liaison team. Free. Register at http:// sbrrcv19.eventbrite.com

JUNE 30

• Community blood drive, Benton REA, 6095 W. Van Giesen St., West Richland: 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

Register: redcrossblood.org • Benton County Commission: 9 a.m. Details at co.benton.wa.us/ agenda.aspx • Franklin County Commission: 9 a.m. Details at co.franklin.wa.us/ commissioners/meeting.php

JUNE 30

• Covid-19 Impact on Small Businesses Seminar: 9-11 a.m.

State’s Small Business Liaison team. Free. Register at http:// sbrrcv19.eventbrite.com

JULY 7

• Benton County Commission: 9 a.m. Details at co.benton.wa.us/ agenda.aspx • Franklin County Commission: 9 a.m. Details at co.franklin.wa.us/ commissioners/meeting.php

JULY 8

• Port of Benton Commission: 8:30 a.m. Go to portofbenton.com/ commissioners

JULY 9

• Port of Pasco Commission: 10:30 a.m., Details at portofpasco. org/about-us/port-commission

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | JUNE 2020 uBUSINESS BRIEFS Banks asked to step in over unemployment claims

The Washington Department of Financial Institutions has asked the state’s banks and credit unions to support customers affected by the Covid-19 pandemic whose unemployment claims have been delayed, affecting their ability to pay bills.

The department asked financial institutions to waive overdraft fees for 90 days, postpone closure of affected accounts for 90 days, not report overdrafts to credit rating agencies for 90 days, offer overdraft protection to support affected customers and to reach out to customers who may be affected by delayed unemployment benefit payments.

Businesses ignoring closure orders can be cited, fined

Washington businesses that decide to open or operate in direct violation of Gov. Inslee’s Stay Home, Stay Healthy order may be cited and fined for unsafe workplace conditions under emergency rules filed by the state Department of Labor and Industries.

The emergency rules give Labor and Industries the authority to cite businesses for being open or for operating in a way that is purposely defying the phased-in approach and, as a result, putting their workers at risk.

Labor and Industries will work with the state Emergency Operations Center to take in and respond to complaints about businesses operating illegally. If employ-

ers are found to be defying the governor’s order, they’ll be informed and directed to close or adjust operations immediately. If they do not, they’ll face a workplace safety citation that could carry a fine of nearly $10,000 or more.

Along with contacting businesses by phone and in writing, Labor and Industries will perform in-person spot checks.

An online form to report suspected violations is at bit.ly/LandIviolationreport.

Washington health insurers seek small rate cuts for 2021

Fifteen health insurers operating in Washington are seeking average rate cuts of about 1.8 percent for the 2021 individual market.

The Washington Insurance Commissioner’s office notes the 15 include two newcomers to the state — UnitedHealthcare of Oregon and Community Health Network of Washington.

All 39 counties will have at least two insurers selling plans inside the Washington Healthplanfinder exchange. Ten also will sell plans outside the exchange.

The proposed average rate decrease follows an average premium reduction of 3.25 percent for 2019 plans.

They are the first filings under Cascade Care, enacted by the Legislature in 2019 to create new coverage options that will be available through the exchange during open enrollment starting Nov. 1 for coverage effective Jan. 1, 2021.

About 282,000 people who don’t get coverage from their employer must buy their own health insurance through the individual market, with most shopping on

the exchange.

Regulators target investment scams

The Washington State Department of Financial Institutions is cracking down on investment scams capitalizing on coronavirus fears.

DFI is part of an enforcement task force organized by the North American Securities Administrators Association that will investigate fraudulent activity in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

Task force members are using online investigative techniques to identify websites and social media posts that may be offering or promoting fraudulent offerings, investment frauds, and unregistered regulated activities.

Washington residents can report suspicious activity to 877-746-4334, locally at 360-902-8730 or via email at securities@ dfi.wa.gov.

To help investors identify common telltale signs of possible investment fraud, DFI suggests three questions to ask before making a new investment: • Is the investment being offered with a guaranteed high return with little or no risk? All investments carry risk that you may potentially lose some or all of your money. Anyone who says their investment offer has no risk is lying.

• Is there a sense of urgency or limited availability of detailed information surrounding the investment? Walk away if someone offers a “can’t miss” investment opportunity and pressures for an immediate commitment.

• Is the person offering the investment,

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and the investment itself, licensed or registered? For the same reasons you wouldn’t go to an unlicensed doctor or dentist, you should not rely on unregistered investment salespeople and their products.

Ecology fines two Tri-City entities

The Washington Department of Ecology issued two fines against Tri-City entities in the first quarter of 2020.

The first is a $1 million penalty issued in January to the U.S. Department of Energy, or DOE, for restricting the state’s access to critical data. The restricted data is vital to Ecology’s regulatory and oversight role at the Hanford nuclear reservation in Eastern Washington near the Columbia River.

DOE is required to provide access data by the Tri-Party Agreement that was signed by DOE, Ecology, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 1989.

The agreement governs cleanup of the Hanford site.

DOE is required to provide Ecology access to data it compiles. Restricting access causes unnecessary delays in regulatory decisions and makes it nearly impossible to independently verify whether Energy has complied with requirements for managing its hazardous wastes, the state said.

Ecology also fined Pacific Northwest Solutions Inc. $5,000 in February for operating an unknown and unpermitted reactor to produce 585 tons of 10-34 fertilizer at Two Rivers Terminal.

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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | JUNE 2020

PHASE 2, From page A1 seeing people in his downtown store restored his hope that the fashion business he dreamed of since he was a child will survive. But he needs customers.

For that to happen, Benton County needs to move to Phase 2 under the state’s Safe Start program that’s slowly restoring business and other activities halted by the stay-home order.

“Phase 2 is a must-have. Otherwise, I don’t think we will last,” Ehlers said.

Benton and Franklin counties submitted nearly identical applications seeking state approval to move to Phase 2 the week of June 9. A decision wasn’t expected until after deadline for this publication.

There’s no guarantee the state will sign off.

Both counties have infection rates that are above the state’s goals for Phase 2.

Benton and Franklin, with above-average rates of new infections, were two of only six counties still in the most restrictive first phase.

They’re banking on the community’s willingness to wear face masks to help convince health officials to sign off on the applications.

The two counties hoped to show they have a plan in place to control the spread that includes a ready health care system, testing, contact tracing and more. But the argument hinges on Tri-Citians agreeing to wear face masks.

Amy Person, the Benton-Franklin health officer, ordered residents to wear masks when they can’t keep a six-foot distance in public and other settings. The order is not being enforced, but it is neither a request nor a recommendation.

“It is an order. We expect people to comply with it. It is not a request,” Rick Dawson, spokesman for the Benton-Franklin Health District, told business and political leaders who joined the Tri-City Development Council (TRIDEC) during a June 5 Zoom meeting to discuss winning strategies to move out of the restrictive Phase 1.

The Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce is boosting the message through its Tri-Cities Open and Safe Coalition and a donation of 10,000 masks announced June

10 by UniFirst Corp., a national uniform and workwear company. The chamber is asking area residents to donate PPE between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. June 15-16 at the chamber office, 7130 W. Grandridge Blvd. in Kennewick.

It will distribute them to small businesses during drive-thru events from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 22-23.

The PPE campaign is part of an effort encouraging local small businesses to take a pledge to follow Covid-19 measures.

Local officials are united in supporting reopening business in a safe manner.

“We realize how critical it is to get it open,” said Karl Dye, TRIDEC president.

Dye said TRIDEC supports the Phase 2 applications.

“What we’re talking about is creating more positivity around masks,” he said.

“Wearing masks is just the best procedure.”

The health district says masks curb the spread of the virus that causes Covid-19.

On June 8, Franklin County had an infection rate of 195.4 newly diagnosed cases per 100,000 residents in the prior two weeks. Benton County’s rate was 92. The state average was 45.3.

The statewide goal is fewer than 25 new infections per 100,000 residents in the prior two weeks.

In Benton County, 16 percent of Covid-19 tests came back positive. For Franklin County, it was 34 percent.

Benton and Franklin counties failed on other metrics too, such as having a disproportionate number of hospital beads occupied by patients being treated for Covid-19.

Dawson said the number of cases in the region will go higher, but the infection rates will fall as testing increases. Half of new infections involved people age 40 or younger who were apparently exposed to the virus that causes Covid-19 at work or gatherings, he said.

“The overwhelming desire to be together has led to noncompliance with the governor’s directive,” he said. Avoiding gatherings is still the safest policy, he added.

If the state rejects the Phase 2 applications, the counties have another path out of the Phase 1 restrictions under Safe Start.

They can apply for Phase 1.5, which would allow some activities to resume.

Still, they are hopeful that Phase 2 will arrive soon.

The Benton County Commission recognizes the community is suffering and will release a video touting mask use to promote the cause, said Jerrod MacPherson, Benton County administrator. It is requiring employees to wear masks if they’re not alone in an office.

Getting residents on board with Person’s order is a safe balance the county can achieve, MacPherson said.

Keith Johnson, Franklin County’s administrator, said the emphasis is on reopening businesses and other activities where it is possible to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

“We feel we ought to be able to get those places open as quickly as possible,” he said.

Johnson said Franklin County intends to ask its employees to follow the mask order as well, though he said it has not been an easy discussion. There have been “internal battles” in the courthouse about wearing masks, he said.

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | JUNE 2020

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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | JUNE 2020

uBUSINESS BRIEFS AWB launches website to help businesses

The Association of Washington Business established a website to help businesses bring back employees and customers.

The website includes PPE Connect, which links businesses to Washingtonbased companies that manufacture personal protective equipment, and Business Toolkit, which offers guidance on preparing physical spaces to meet distancing requirements.

The website is at reboundandrecovery.org.

Women-owned businesses need to act now Women-owned businesses will not be able to self-certify themselves to qualify for government contacts after Oct. 15.

Businesses are encouraged to take steps before then to ensure they are included in the U.S. Small Business Administration’s industry list.

The federal government has a goal of awarding 5 percent of contracting dollars to woman-owned small businesses each year but they must be on the list to compete.

After Oct. 15, businesses will have to pay for a third-party firm to certify their eligibility.

Go to https://bit.ly/WOSBrequirements for information.

A struggling economy is no time to raise taxes Hundreds of our fellow citizens stepped up to run for elected office during the recent candidate filing week.

From local to federal positions, this is an example of our representative democracy at its finest. It’s also a reminder that there are real problems facing us right now, and many of the people solving them will be relatively new to elected office.

The state Legislature already has a lot of new faces. This November’s election will bring even more newcomers to Olympia.

Newcomers and veterans alike will be looking at an unprecedented drop in state revenue. After years of record growth, policymakers will be looking at a $7.1 billion budget shortfall, according to unofficial figures released last month.

In fact, lawmakers might be called back to the Capitol even before the 2021 session begins in January, possibly as early as this summer. There is talk of a special session to address the budget hole after the next official budget and revenue forecast.

Whenever they come back, legislators will face hard choices.

Cutting programs is hard, so there are already calls for tax increases to help sustain state spending. That would be a mistake.

There’s a great degree of fragility in our economy and in communities across

the state. With about 1.2 million unemployment claims in Washington as of mid-May — and thousands of businesses forced to close Kris Johnson their doors, Association of some never to Washington reopen — putBusiness ting additional GUEST COLUMN burdens on our state’s employers, employees and communities would not be helpful.

Businesses pay more than half of all state and local taxes in Washington, so if they aren’t able to succeed, the state’s tax revenue will continue to fall. And those same private-sector employers pay the wages that sustain the other two major pillars of state tax revenue: sales and property taxes.

As dire as the state’s budget situation might be, our state’s small businesses and other private-sector employers are in far too fragile a position to handle a bigger tax burden.

Let’s be clear: We need to double down on our commitment to grow jobs and help restart the economy. Now is the time to give employers and employees every possible tool to recover, not to add new burdens.

Help employees and workers receive training to move into new industries.

Invest in infrastructure, including broadband. Pause new rulemaking as the state did in 2010 during the recession.

The economy is going to look different on the back end. Now is the time to come together as Washingtonians to give the economy the confidence it needs to be strong and dynamic.

You can’t tax your way out of a recession. But you can grow and build your way out.

Fortunately, that’s exactly what our state’s private-sector employers do.

They are creative, dedicated and reliable. As Washington safely gets back to work, businesses will be there to welcome back employees and customers.

As Main Street tries to recover from the pandemic, employers will need help from lawmakers and policymakers at every level. Legislators will need to do all they can to work within the tax revenues that our struggling economy can provide to shore up the budget and help rebuild the economy.

It will take creative thinking and “everything and the kitchen sink” approach.

Like everyone else, lawmakers and political candidates are just beginning to grapple with the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Businesses are starting to reopen in parts of the state, with new guidelines in place. That’s a good start.

The next step will be for lawmakers, whether they have been in office for decades or just stepped up this year, to do everything in their power to help Main Street businesses not only survive the pandemic, but also make a full recovery. Kris Johnson is president of the Association of Washington Business, the state’s chamber of commerce and manufacturers association.

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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | JUNE 2020

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MANUFACTURING 9 questions about cranes, Covid-19 and the economy with Lampson International

By Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

Lampson International is the Kennewick-based manufacturer of heavy lift cranes used all over the world. The company employs 300 people worldwide, with offices in the U.S., Canada and Australia, and it has performed work in more than 55 counties in the 74 years that it has been in business.

Kate Lampson is the director of communications for the company and also serves on the board of the Association of Washington Business, including its Rebound and Recovery Task Force and its personal protection equipment, or PPE, subcommittee to promote manufacturing of protective equipment during the Covid-19 pandemic.

She shares how her family-owned company has been affected by the global Covid-19 crisis and Washington’s Stay Home, Stay Healthy order.

Tell us about Lampson International and its history.

The company was founded in 1946 by my grandparents Neil and Billie Jane Lampson. It is third-generation familyowned and operated. My father, Bill Lampson, is the current president and chief executive officer, and my brother Peter Lampson and I work closely with him every day in management roles.

What types of projects are Lampson cranes used on? What makes your cranes unique?

Lampson cranes are deployed for refinery work within the oil and gas industry, infrastructure projects including bridge construction and new stadium construction, the building of power plants, work at various ports both domestic and international and offshore refinery work.

We typically use our proprietary product, the Lampson Transi-Lift to perform

these types of projects. What makes the Lampson Transi-Lift unique is its ability to move forward, backward and sideways in a crab-like conKate Lampson figuration while picking and carrying a load. These particular cranes range from 350 US Ton to 3000 US Ton and perform work all over the world.

How has the Covid-19 pandemic affected Lampson?

Lampson International was fortunate that due to the types of customers that we have and the industries that we service, we were deemed an essential business in the beginning of the pandemic. We have been able to remain with our doors open and business per usual.

Who are your customers and how are they reacting?

We have customers in the energy sector, health care industry, agriculture community, emergency services, transportation and logistics and the defense industry to name a few. Although some of these industries may have slowed, our customers continue to move forward with projects of various types.

Do you/they anticipate a slowdown?

With regard to heavy lift projects specifically, we have seen a few projects put on hold. However, the majority of our heavy lift projects remain unaffected.

How did the Stay Home, Stay Healthy order affect Lampson?

We have ensured that our office and shop facilities are in compliance with the governor’s Stay Home, Stay Healthy mandate and are continuing to follow

those guidelines.

Did you have to lay off or furlough employees?

No, as an essential business we did our best to keep everyone employed and busy during this difficult time.

What were your thoughts on producing personal protective equipment?

We specialize in the manufacturing of extremely large pieces of equipment and it takes large machines to make these components.

In order to pivot to making the type of PPE that is required to help fight the Courtesy Lampson International Covid-19 virus, Lampson International manufactures Transi-Lift cranes we would need which are used around the world on heavy industry much smaller and projects. much more precise machining tools to can go to reboundandrecovery.org to do this job. It did not make sense for us learn more. to pivot.

Although we did not participate as a What is the status of the huge crane company in pivoting to make PPE, we stored at the Port of Pasco? are longstanding members of the AssociThis crane is owned by Hitachi ation of Washington Business and I serve Transport Limited. They were due to take on the AWB Rebound and Recovery Task delivery of it back in 2012, but with the force as well as the PPE subcommittee. earthquake and tsunami in Japan, they It has been a great experience working asked us to keep it here in the United with other manufacturers around the States. For now, we are storing it for state to help provide businesses with the them at our test facility in Pasco. We resources they need to safely reopen and continue to exercise it on a regular basis. to reopen as soon as possible. Business Hitachi is expected to take delivery in owners who are interested in finding Japan in spring 2020 at its Oma Nuclear resources for reopening their locations Power Plant site.

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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | JUNE 2020

Manufacturing

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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | JUNE 2020

Manufacturing

Q&A

MOLLY MONSON-STUTESMAN

Vice president of sales and marketing Goose Ridge Estate Vineyards and Winery

Number of employees you oversee: 300 Tell us about Goose Ridge Estate Vineyards and GR Distillery: Goose Ridge Estate Vineyards and Winery is family owned and operated.

As a fourth-generation agribusiness, our family started herding cattle and began sowing the land in Washington’s Yakima Valley in the early 1900s. Today we have a 3,000-acre estate in Columbia Valley that in addition to growing grapes, continues to run cattle and grow commercial cherries and apples. GR Distillery is our latest venture that produces hand and surface sanitizer and will be introducing a grape-based vodka.

What do you normally produce?

Goose Ridge Vineyards produces five wine labels: Goose Ridge Estate, g3, Tall Sage, Stonecap, and a canned wine brand called Cascadian Outfitters.

How did you decide to begin producing hand and surface sanitizer?

With GR Distillery, we initially planned to introduce a grape-based vodka.

However, as the world shifted in response to the Covid-19 crisis, we were inspired to use our resources to take action and support the community with hand and surface sanitizer. Our family has a history of innovating and this is just one more example.

What did it take to pivot to a new product?

Because we had started the distillery, we were able to pivot quickly from vodka to the production of sanitizer.

Do you expect this to be profitable?

What was your motivation?

Our focus is on our community. Our top concern was preserving the jobs of our employees, followed closely by providing a much-needed product for our community. Because of the crisis, our question wasn’t will this be profitable but how can we use our resources to help?

What has surprised you? Any unexpected benefits or obstacles?

We knew the sanitizer would be helpful during this time, but our family has truly been overwhelmed by the gratitude and support from our community.

Will you keep producing sanitizer after the pandemic?

Yes, we are planning to continue producing the hand and surface sanitizer.

What advice do you have for other businesses interested in developing new products to meet new demand?

Patience is a virtue. Working in a pandemic created new problems including resource shortages. For example, uMONSON, Page A14

Molly Monson-Stutesman

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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | JUNE 2020

MONSON, From page A13

when trying to access supplies quickly, we couldn’t always get what we needed in the timeframe we wanted. In the grand scheme of things, we were able to launch our sanitizer project quickly but it didn’t feel that way in the thick of the process.

What has this meant for employment levels?

This allowed for us to keep all of our winery employees employed, as well as two of our tasting rooms, Woodinville and Leavenworth, which were open for curbside service of our hand and surface sanitizer.

What are your customers saying?

We have received a lot of great feedback from our customers explaining how

thankful they are that we pivoted our business model in such a quick way to help the frontline workers and the community during this time.

How did you come to this kind of work?

In the early 1900s, my great-grand father, M.L. Monson, brought the family to the Yakima Valley, armed with a love for the land and the dream of building a family farming business that would continue for generations. Initially, we focused on orchards and cattle. But after talking with Walter Clore, widely recognized as the visionary behind Washington’s wine industry, my father Arvid Monson built on the legacy of the land started by his father and began to establish vineyards in the arid hills and valleys around Richland.

With that, Goose Ridge Estate Vineyard &

Manufacturing Winery was born. My sisters and I grew up with the understanding you don’t farm for this generation, you farm for the next one.

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

Creativity and flexibility: Being able to think outside the box when the Covid crisis hit allowed us to pivot quickly from producing vodka to our hand sanitizer.

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

Lead by example. Do what you say when you say you will do it. Your team needs to trust you.

Who are your role models or mentors?

My father Arvid Monson, brother Bill Monson and sister Valerie Monson

How do you keep your employees motivated?

By providing them with autonomy, independence and trust.

How do you measure success in your workplace?

It’s important to have goals and metrics but we also measure success by meeting with our teams and managers to get their feedback, as well, as analyzing the individual value of each of our projects.

What do you consider your leadership style to be?

A coach. I try and recognize everyone’s individual strengths and skills and have them work on projects that emphasize their expertise. This has allowed us to build strong teams as well as offer employees room to grow within our company.

How do you balance work and family life?

We are a family-owned company so those two aspects often overlap. I work on a daily basis beside my brother and sister, and it is not unusual to see our children at the winery, vineyards and or orchards working alongside us.

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

During my spare time I enjoy working in my yard and spending time with my family at our cabin.

What’s your best time management strategy?

Set goals and prioritize your timing based on what you need to accomplish those goals.

Best tip to relieve stress?

Being thankful. Starting and ending my day with a positive mind frame helps to reduce my stress. I also practice yoga. The combination of exercise, breathing and mediation always helps.

What is your favorite book?

I enjoy Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum novels. They are fast paced, entertaining and the perfect way to decompress. They pair well with a glass of Goose Ridge Rosé and an afternoon on the patio.

uBUSINESS BRIEF Kennewick wine village adds three food trucks

Three food trucks are joining Swampy’s BBQ and Rollin’ Fresh Ice Cream at the Port of Kennewick’s Food Truck Plaza.

The plaza is part of the Columbia Gardens Urban Wine and Artisan Village off East Columbia Drive, west of the cable bridge.

Ninja Bistro and Don Taco have joined the lineup. Ann’s Best Creole & Soul Food will arrive by the end of June. Ninja Bistro serves up Asian fusion cuisine while Don Taco offers authentic Mexican fare.

The individual trucks set their own days and hours. Links to their sites are available through portofkennewick.org on the Columbia Gardens and Clover Island pages.

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | JUNE 2020

Manufacturing

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Tri-City manufacturing fares well in era of Covid-19 Manufacturing in the greater TriCities certainly isn’t the largest sector.

By recent (2018) average annual headcount, it ranks ninth, with about 8,200 workers.

If you’re wondering, government – at all levels – is largest.

Manufacturing also isn’t a greater provider of high wages in the local economy. In 2018, it paid an annual wage of nearly $50,000. The average annual wage for the entire economy was slightly higher, at $51,619.

Yet, on a different measure, growth, it scores high. Manufacturing has been the gangly teenager of the economy in the two counties. Of the 10 largest sectors by headcount, manufacturing has grown nearly the fastest. Between 2003-18, jobs increased cumulatively 49 percent. Only health care grew faster, doubling over the period.

Where does manufacturing reside in the two counties? Largely in agricultural processing. In Benton County food and beverage manufacturing made up nearly two-thirds of all manufacturing employment in 2018. In Franklin County the same two industries constituted 75 percent of all manufacturing employment. In Franklin County, nearly all industry jobs are found in food processing. In Benton County, however, about 45 percent of the industry jobs can be attributed to beverage production.

How has local manufacturing fared in the wake of state policies to control the Covid-19 outbreak? The emphasis on food and beverage has meant that most manufacturing jobs have not been lost over the past two months. This can be captured by two measures. The first is initial claims for unemployment ben-

efits. Through May 23, cumulative initial claims by manufacturing workers have amounted to slightly more than 2,150. As D. Patrick Jones a percentage of Eastern Washington the workforce University (measured in 2018 terms), GUEST COLUMN manufacturing has suffered a 26 percent job loss. Only two of the largest 10 sectors have experienced lower job loss rates – professional and technical services, as well as waste services.

Continuing claims for unemployment benefits gives a different measure, really a snapshot as of May 23, of the current number unemployed. At that date, the total number of workers who had received and were continuing to receive benefits was about 14,000. Typically, the numbers are much lower than the cumulative claims over this short an interval (10 weeks). For example, the cumulative initial claims count on May 23 was slightly more than 36,000.

Why the difference? People roll off the unemployment roster, a dynamic not captured by cumulative initial claims.

Local manufacturing ranked fifth for overall job losses at the end of May. Compared to the leading contributor for job losses, health care and social assistance, manufacturing was a distant fifth.

And as a share of all those employed in the industry in 2018, manufacturing showed losses of 11 percent, also fifth lowest among the five largest sectors

Courtesy Benton-Franklin Trends The graph shows the top 5 sectors for job losses in Benton and Franklin counties, as measured by continuing claims for unemployment on May 23

with losses.

Washington state’s Phase 1 rules allow all food and beverage manufacturing to continue production, and given the makeup of local manufacturing, this has largely benefited the Tri Cities. Of course, if outbreaks occur, then public health authorities will have no choice but to intervene. They might shut down a plant for a while, as they did Tyson’s Wallula plant and fruit packers in Yakima County. At the time of this writing, however, no such episode has been observed in Benton and Franklin counties.

Once the two counties are able to move to Phase 2 reopening, then all manufacturing will be allowed to restart. Whether all the jobs come back is unknown. Markets may have weakened and supply chains may have been

dented, if not broken.

While manufacturing doesn’t land in the top 5 sectors by workforce or earnings, it provides great benefits to the greater Tri-Cities, if only for one reason. Nearly all of its production is sent out of county and a significant share overseas. This flow of goods implies that manufacturing sales represent “new dollars” in the local economy. That is always something one likes to see in an assessment of the local economy. 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.

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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | JUNE 2020

LAMB WESTON, From page A1 Mid-Columbia.

It has a corporate office in Kennewick, a research and innovation center in Richland, a 20,000-plus acre farm near Paterson and production facilities in Boardman, Connell, Hermiston, Pasco, Paterson, Quincy, Richland and Warden.

It employs more than 2,500 people in the area.

The company report card notes it set a goal to cut water and power use by 10 percent and to divert all waste from landfills in 2016, the year it separated from ConAgra.

By 2019, it had reduced the amount of water and energy it takes to produce a pound of potatoes by 4.7 percent and 4.4 percent, respectively. It diverted 86 percent of its waste from landfills, in part by reinventing the bags frozen potato products ship in to be recycled with boxes and paper.

The company said it has saved 3.4 million kWh of electricity, 104.5 million gallons of water and diverted 21,496 tons of materials from landfills. It avoided 3,330 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions and realized $5.6 million in savings and avoided costs.

The report coincides with a global pandemic that has chilled demand for the company’s products. Lamb Weston informed the Washington Employment Security Department it would temporarily lay off 360 workers in Connell and 300 in Warden beginning June 15.

Cutting water, power, waste Lamb Weston’s french fry plant in

Hermiston is cited as an example of extreme water savings.

The plant reclaims wastewater from processing and puts it through anaerobic and aerobic processes, as well as reverse osmosis, filtration and sanitation. The reclaimed water meets the legal standard for use in food manufacturing.

Hermiston reuses the cleaned water.

The approach allowed Lamb Weston to add a new processing line without using any added water. The $250 million line boosted the plant’s capacity by 300 million pounds. It opened in 2019 and added 150 jobs.

Its Boardman East plant is another example.

Lamb Weston received the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) at Boardman for an aggressive energy savings program. Boardman East uses 23 percent less power than the industry benchmark for a plant its size, according to the report.

Its first LEED project is in Delhi, Louisiana, where waste from the sweet potato plant are converted to biogas in an anerobic digester. The biogas system reduces the plant’s demand for natural gas to power systems.

The closed-loop system made Delhi the first frozen food production facility to earn “platinum” certification, the highestlevel LEED. Lamb Weston said it reinvented how its ships products based on feedback from customers. It developed recyclable TitePak bags, which can be recycled with boxes and paper. Washington State Uni-

Manufacturing

Courtesy Lamb Weston Lamb Weston is known for its frozen french fry products but it also produces shredded potatoes, diced potatoes formed potatoes (hash browns and Tater Puffs), chips, mashed potatoes, appetizers and vegetables.

versity and Michigan State University, which both serve Lamb Weston products in their cafeterias, tested the new packaging on their campuses.

100 Circles Farm Lamb Weston runs the 20,000-acre 100 Circles Farm near Paterson, south of Kennewick. The farm produces about 10 percent of the potatoes Lamb Weston processes into french fries, with the balance cultivated by the 100-plus farmers who hold contracts to grow potatoes on 170,000 acres 100 Circles, led by Troy Emmerson, is far more than a potato farm. It is an experimental farm where Lamb Weston tests new technology and techniques to conserve resources while maximizing yield.

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And it gives the company insights into the challenges its farmer-partners face in their own fields.

100 Circles grows root crops, vegetables and raises dairy cows.

Byproducts from crops go into dairy feed. Manure is spread on the field crops.

The farm incorporates crop rotation, pest management, minimal tillage and other steps to meet its sustainable agriculture goals.

What’s in a potato?

Lamb Weston is known for its frozen french fry products. It also produces shredded potatoes, diced potatoes formed potatoes (hash browns and Tater Puffs), chips, mashed potatoes, appetizers and vegetables.

But the humble potato is at the heart of most of its products. The company reports it has made progress on reducing the resources it takes to grow a potato.

In 2019, it took 0.8-acre inches of water, or 21,700 gallons, to grow a ton of potatoes, 11.7 pounds of nitrogen and 3.6 pounds of active ingredient pesticide.

There are about 5,400 Russet potatoes in a ton. Russets are the most grown potato for french fries.

The 56-page report can be downloaded at bit.ly/LambWestonCorporateResponsibility.

uBUSINESS BRIEFS EPA seeks comment on temperature limits for Columbia, Snake rivers

The Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA, is accepting public comments on proposed temperature limits on the Columbia and lower Snake rivers through July 21.

The Total Maximum Daily Loads, or TMDLS, for portions of the two rivers were identified by Oregon and Washington as impaired and out of compliance with the two states’ water quality standards.

The EPA report is available at bit.ly/ ColumbiaSnakeTMDL. Comments must be sent by email to ColumbiaRiverTMDL@epa.gov by 5 p.m. July 21.

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | JUNE 2020

Manufacturing

Q&A

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ROB MERCER

President Mercer Wine Estates Mercer Ranches

Number of employees you oversee: 80 How did you come to this kind of work?

Family heritage Why did your family settle here?

Looked west for economic opportunity, originally raising sheep.

How has your approach evolved?

From the late 1800s to the late 1960s we raised sheep and then cattle. In 1968 we began irrigating on our farm in the Horse Heaven Hills. The focus shifted to irrigated crops. My father always liked to have diversity in the operation, and he was a believer in vertical integration.

We currently have a highly diversified vegetable farming operation, a wine grape vineyard operation, a winemaking business, and a wine selling business – four legs to a solid table.

Would you share more about your philosophy of stewardship?

My brother Will and I are fourthgeneration agriculturalists and the current stewards of Mercer Estates located in the Horse Heaven Hills of Washington.

The first thing I would like to point out about Mercer Estates and the Mercer family is that we take great pride in being agriculturalists. We have been stewards of the same property since 1886.

We have a tremendous sense of responsibility in regard to caring for and enhancing the environmental and social value of the land in our care. We are always striving to provide a “life more abundant” for all.

The wines that we produce at Mercer

Estates are a reflection of the sense of stewardship, care and pride in our family’s property. We believe our property and Washington state have a unique and valuable place in the great world of wines and we are constantly striving to demonstrate that terroir with a sense of balance.

We practice “agricultura in stratera,” a Latin phrase meaning“farming with balance.” Every decision we make, every day of the year, with regards to our agricultural practices, incorporates balance.

There is always the possibility of adding too much or giving too little when nurturing a plant to produce its highest quality and most abundant fruit. Balancing the care of the plant today with the care of the ecosystem that it thrives in from year to year always weighs heavily on our minds. As agriculturalists we must at once be considering how any of our management decisions factors in and impacts the long-term health of our crop and our ecosystem.

Why do I refer to our family as agriculturalists?

Because I am trying to provide a better description of what it means to be involved in agriculture and winemaking today. Being an agriculturalist is extremely complex, exciting, beautiful and even scary. As agriculturalists we have made a lot of technical advances in production, yet, we still work in the great outdoors, next to and within all of the trials, tribulations and complexities of an ever-changing climate and ecosystem. No two seasons are ever the same. We face the same challenges and continuously changing complexities of nature and climate that our ancestors have faced for

Rob Mercer

the last millennia.

There is no perfect solution to all of those challenges, there is only balance.

As with wine, balance is the goal, creating harmony within the ecosystem of our farm is the highest form of art combined with science that we as agriculturalists can accomplish.

Is the next generation taking a leadership role in the business? Where do you see them taking it?

Currently all three of my children are in college. They all have shown an interest in coming back to the farm and/or winery. They all have different skill sets so it will be fun to see if they come back and contribute to the family operation.

What industry groups are you involved in and why?

Current president and board member of the Columbia Snake River Irrigators Association. I believe it is one of the only organizations in the state that is focused on helping farmers to retain their water and water rights, fulfilling a critical place in ensuring the long-term health of farming in Washington state.

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

Humility.

What is the biggest challenge facing business owners/managers today? uMERCER, Page A18

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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | JUNE 2020

MERCER, From page A17 Tort reform. I think this country is going down the road of being run by lawyers and government bureaucrats.

Every new rule, new law and or some new edict presents some new opportunity for lawyers to sue business owners and employers. Most small farms are going out of business because they can’t afford a fulltime staff of lawyers and HR professionals. It’s scary and unfortunate.

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

Work harder but remember that sometimes leadership means getting out of the way.

Who are your role models or mentors?

Gen. George Marshall, Teddy Roosevelt, George Washington and Patrick Henry.

How do you keep your employees motivated?

Provide them with the opportunity to succeed at work.

What do you consider your leadership style to be?

Find good people and let them lead and thrive.

How do you measure success in your workplace?

The knowledge and commitment of our team. I know it’s right when there

Manufacturing is harmony within the team, and we are improving our businesses at all levels.

How do you balance work and family life?

I think it is important for the kids to see both. Farming isn’t really about working on a clock; it’s about getting the job done when the crops and job require it. When that isn’t required, it’s time to play.

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

Outdoor exercise, biking, hiking and skiing.

What’s your go-to wine?

Mercer Bros Cabernet Sauvignon.

Where do you take out-of-town guests who want a Mid-Columbia experience?

Well for a meal we like to go to LuLu’s at Columbia Point, for wine we go to our tasting room in Prosser and for an agricultural perspective we like to take them for a ride on our carrot diggers. It is always the biggest hit.

What’s your best time management strategy?

The reminder feature on Outlook Calendar.

Best tip to relieve stress?

Read a meaningful book.

What is your favorite book?

“Soldier, Statesman, Peacemaker: Leadership Lessons from George C. Marshall” by Jack Uldrich.

He was one of the greatest heroes of American history who was completely selfless and a complete professional in every sense. His leadership courage and style ensured our country’s success in World War II.

uBUSINESS BRIEF WSU shares in $4M energy manufacturing grant

Washington State University shared in a $4 million grant through the U.S. Department of Energy’s Rapid Advancement in Process Intensification Deployment (RAPID) Manufacturing Institute program.

The winning projects align with a focus on chemical and commodity processing, natural gas upgrading, renewable bioproducts, intensified process fundamentals, modeling and simulation, and module manufacturing.

WSU and partner GTI will develop liquid-phase electrochemical reforming process for the low-cost, distributed production of hydrogen from ethanol.

The other recipients: • The University of Minnesota and RTI International will develop a reactiveabsorption process for ammonia synthesis that improves safety, lowers energy intensity and enables distributed manufacturing.

• Cornell University, together with Electrochaea and other partners in the state of New York, will develop an integrated route for carbon-efficient conversion of dairy and food wastes to renewable, pipeline-quality biomethane.

• The University of Arizona, together with partners at Aquastill, Chemstations, DWP Energy Solutions and W.L. Gore, will develop a solar-driven, intensified, membrane-distillation process to efficiently manage the concentrate waste stream from reverse-osmosis plants.

• The University of Kansas, together with partners at DuPont Biomaterials and Hills Inc., will develop a furan-based polymer membrane for energy-efficient separation of hydrogen from mixed gas streams common to production of ammonia, oil and gas.

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | JUNE 2020

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Put it in writing: The insufficiency of the handshake deal Have you ever yearned for the good old days where a handshake deal was all you needed? The days where, with that handshake, you could trust that the deal would get done and get done right?

Those days of trust are not gone.

People are still generally trustworthy.

People want to fulfill their obligations.

But, those who think the good old days — where handshake deals ruled — are how things should be are perhaps romanticizing the past. A handshake deal is rarely sufficient.

It simply does not provide an opportunity to lay out and formalize all expectations. And, it’s not the lawyers who have muddied the world of contracts. Lawyers are not the people that have caused the problem.

Rather, lawyers have reacted to the problems that occur when a contract is absent. They see what happens when handshake deals go bad — even between two good, trustworthy people.

I like to think, maybe optimistically, that most contract disputes are not the result of shady actors and fraudulent intentions.

Instead, disputes often arise because of a misunderstanding between the parties. Of course, there are the occasional bad actors working intentionally to defraud others. But, those are the small minority.

More often, two parties are trying to faithfully come to an agreement and perform their individual duties.

However, we not only have faulty memories, we also have our own viewpoint, our own expectations, our own concepts of “right,” and our own pride in our ability to convey information and expectations (though we are also often critical of others’ ability to convey information).

Let’s look at a “simple” example.

Assume both parties are as honest as the day is long. You hire someone to install a fence for your backyard.

You tell the Beau Ruff contractor you Cornerstone want a 6-foot Wealth Strategies cedar fence for GUEST COLUMN $2,000. Handshake.

Should that really be enough? The “what ifs” are virtually limitless.

What if the contractor drops off the wood at the house and it is stolen that night? Who is responsible?

What if the owner misunderstood the property line and discovered the problem after installation started? What if the contractor installed western red cedar and you really wanted northern white cedar?

When is payment due? What if there is a delay in payment? What if halfway through the job (or after the job) wind blows over the fence? Does it matter what speed the wind was blowing?

What is the threshold that would shift liability from the owner to the contractor?

What if the contractor makes the fence dog-eared when the owner thought it would be a straight-top?

A contract is certainly helpful in enforcing a person’s right.

More importantly, it is vital in setting out the expectations for many variables while also covering the unexpected.

And, one can imagine if the contractor (in this hypothetical scenario, the most honest person on the planet) had different verbal agreements on all these matters with 10 different (or 100 different)

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customers, it would be really hard to keep track of all the terms if they were not in writing.

Doesn’t it make sense then to capture all the terms in a written document that each party signs to ensure they both understood and agreed to all the terms?

In many circumstances, a handshake deal would have been enough. The job gets done to your reasonable satisfaction. No contract needed. No lawyer needed.

In many cases, the unexpected never happens and the information conveyed between the parties is clear enough to get the job done to the satisfaction of both parties. But, in a surprising number

of cases, something comes up.

And, necessarily, that short handshake deal didn’t anticipate all the possible somethings that commonly come up. It is likely that no written contract will cover every conceivable eventuality, but wouldn’t it be better to have a written agreement that covered the most common issues that are likely to pop up rather than relying on the handshake? 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.

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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | JUNE 2020

uBUSINESS BRIEFS Kennewick releases online Summer Activity Guide

Volleyball, day camp and ninja training are in the lineup for summer activities in Kennewick.

The Parks and Recreation Department has posted its Summer Activity Guide online. The program lists activities scheduled through August and is available at https://bit.ly/KennGuide.

The catalog covers a wide range of educational, physical and entertainment activities for people of all ages.

Programs may be modified to ensure compliance with safety measures related to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Tumbleweed Festival will be held online

The 24th Annual Tumbleweed Music Festival, scheduled for Labor Day weekend, will be held online instead of in Richland’s Howard Amon Park.

Details for TFMVirtual2020 will be posted at tumbleweedfest.com.

The planning committee concluded it would not be feasible to hold a live event because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Tri-Cities farmers markets open

The Tri-Cities farmers markets have opened for the summer with social distancing and other safety protocols in place to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

• The Downtown Kennewick Farmers

Arts & Culture Market season is from 4-7 p.m. Thursdays through Oct. 22 at Flag Plaza, 204 W. Kennewick Ave. • The Downtown Pasco Farmers Market is from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays through October at Fourth Avenue and West Columbia Street.

• The Richland Farmers Market is from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Fridays through October at The Parkway on Lee Boulevard.

Cities nix Fourth of July festivities

The cities of Kennewick, Pasco, Richland and West Richland have postponed events related to the Fourth of July because of the coronavirus crisis.

The River of Fire fireworks display is canceled for 2020 and the city of Pasco

canceled its Grand Old 4th Parade.

Pasco’s annual fireworks show at Gesa Stadium is delayed to a later date that has not been determined.

Fireworks are banned in the city of Kennewick. Some personal fireworks are permitted within the cities of Pasco, Richland and West Richland. Details are posted on the cities’ respective websites: • Kennewick: go2kennewick.com • Pasco: pasco-wa.gov • Richland: ci.richland.wa.us • West Richland: westrichland.org

Sunset at Southridge shifts to late summer

Kennewick’s popular Sunset at Southridge program will be a late summer undertaking because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The series of food truck events begins Aug. 21 and runs Friday evenings from 4-7 p.m. through Oct. 2 at the Southridge Sports and Events Complex, 2901 Southridge Blvd.

The weekly event includes food trucks, entertainment and a familyfriendly outdoor activity.

It is sponsored by Toyota of Tri-Cities and Retter & Company Sotheby’s International Realty.

No paywall at

tcjournal.biz

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ARTS & CULTURE Hike Tri-Cities is just what the nurse practitioner ordered

By Kristina Lord

publisher@tcjournal.biz

Paul Shoemaker loves the solace and beauty of the Tri-City desert landscape.

A nurse practitioner with a news background and a passion for healthy living, the West Richland man is happy to share his favorite hikes and walks with the community.

The 56-year-old’s passion for the outdoors and what the Tri-City area has to offer prompted him to post favorite hikes and walks online so others can enjoy them too.

Shoemaker launched HikeTriCities. com in 2010 with more than 30 hikes. Today it has more than 50 with more being added all the time.

“It just grew and grew. My ultimate goal is to help people enjoy the beauty around us,” he said. Eastern Washington offers its own “special desert kind of beauty” in stark contrast to the evergreen side of the state.

His list of hikes range from paved, accessible paths, like the 2.5-miler at Park of the Lakes in West Richland, to the remote White Bluffs area of Franklin County. Shoemaker ranks his hikes from easy to difficult.

White Bluffs is one of his favorites.

“Only a half hour or so drive from the Tri-Cities, the remote nature of this hike makes it quite appealing and you get a close-up view of the White Bluffs which you can see on a clear day from the top of Badger Mountain,” he wrote on his website.

Shoemaker’s website began as a blog

for family and friends. He started logging his hikes and the list grew. So, he searched for a website domain and thought HikeTriCities.com was perfect place to park his top trail picks.

“I started putting maps and mileage and features of the hikes and directions to trailheads and listing hike difficulty, all the things you see on the hikes now,” he said.

Over the years, he’s also updated the website behind the scenes so “it has a better look on smartphones and tablets to keep up with technology,” he said.

Get active outdoors Shoemaker is on a mission to encourage exercise, though he prefers calling it “physical activity” to avoid a negative connotation.

He said a sedentary lifestyle can be devastating.

And he should know.

The nurse practitioner has worked at Kadlec for more than a dozen years.

“I want to encourage people to share the website with others, so people can see it and utilize it and get off the couch and get on to the trail,” he said.

He advises his patients to swap screen time for physically activity.

If they need inspiration about where to walk, he’ll tell them about his website.

“What I tell people is I’d like to see them getting out and going for walks.

Walking in nature, it’s just bonus points as it improves your emotional health just to be in nature,” he said.

Shoemaker said being active is more important than ever to avoid Coronavirus Sedentary Syndrome, which he says is re-

Courtesy Hike Tri-Cities The White Bluffs area north of the Tri-Cities is one of Paul Shoemaker’s favorite places to hike. The West Richland man runs a website featuring a list of more than 50 local hikes.

sponsible for anxiety, stress, weight gain, back, shoulder and neck pain, and more.

Getting up and out and moving every day is a key way to fight it, he writes on his website. A strenuous hike isn’t necessary, as the benefit can come from a 30-minute

walk.

Shoemaker encourages people to be mindful about their distancing but not at the expense of being a shut-in.

“My thoughts are it’s safe to go out

uHIKE TC, Page A28

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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | JUNE 2020

Arts & Culture

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | JUNE 2020

Arts & Culture

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Together in harmony: Developing young voices How do we, as a society, know that our next generation will be capable of solving the global problems left behind for them to handle?

How do we ensure that our future leaders will be able to think independently and multidimensionally, with compassion and confidence?

How can we prepare them to face obstacles with the vision of a world better than the one they see before them?

While the answer is indeed incredibly complex, there has long been a common belief among many cultures: that in the process of learning to express ourselves artistically, we acquire skills that will serve us throughout our lives.

The case for an arts education For our children and grandchildren to find the balance they need to succeed in the world we leave for them, we must provide them with a strong education in the arts.

“The purpose of arts education is not to produce more artists, though that is a byproduct. The real purpose of arts education is to create complete human beings who are capable of leading successful and productive lives in a free society.”

These are the words of Dana Gioia, American poet and former chair of the National Endowment for the Arts.

There are few activities that offer humans the joy, compassion, cognitive training, togetherness, communication and enrichment so completely as singing in choir. Cognitive studies have shown that when people sing, they experience cranial activity in several areas simultaneously, connecting the hemispheres of the brain through neuropathways.

Singing with others creates community. It builds bridges between people from disparate cultures, generations and social statuses. Anyone who sings knows that it decreases stress, anxiety and depression — for youth, it also statistically increases SAT scores and the likelihood of graduating from high school.

That’s why Mid-Columbia Mastersingers has created a focused choral

education program for young people, the Mastersingers Youth Choir.

Affectionately nicknamed “MY Choir,” this Emily James program exists Mid-Columbia to support the Mastersingers future of music GUEST COLUMN in the Tri-Cities. Designed to work side-by-side with school choir programs, MY Choir trains young singers in an educational, creative, social and fun environment.

The first notes of this program were sung in 2014, when a single youth ensemble called the Mid-Columbia Boys’ Choir opened to young boys age 9-13 on the recommendation of local school music teachers.

Four years later, the program expanded to four choirs, serving both boys and girls and broadening the age range to 9-18 years. Young singers join these ensembles for weekly after-school rehearsals, learning songs while expanding their understanding of music theory, vocal technique, balance, artistry, professional concert etiquette and more.

These rehearsals promote education as a primary goal, building upon the curricula that singers are taught in their school choir programs. They also perform in the community, often in collaboration with other artists, and for audiences with limited access to choral programs as much as possible.

In the off-season, the youngest groups are invited to a week-long Choir Summer Camp, designed for singers to explore the joys and challenges of choral singing, and performing the national anthem at a Dust Devils baseball game at the end of the week. No auditions are required for any MY Choir session, everyone is welcome and scholarships are available for those in need.

The voices developed in this program may one day join the ranks of one of the three Mastersingers adult choirs, giving the program a lovely bonus: the cultiva-

tion of a “next generation” of choral singers in the Tri-Cities.

But this is not the primary goal of Mastersingers Youth. This after-school music program exists to give kids a place to gather with other lovers of choral singing, and have some fun making beautiful music together.

Arts for academic achievement The nonprofit advocacy group Americans for the Arts has published statistics indicating that students involved in the arts are four times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement.

Students with high arts participation and low socio-economic status have a 4 percent dropout rate — five times lower than their low socio-economic status peers.

Students who take four years of arts and music classes average 100 points higher on their SAT scores than students who take only one-half year or less.

Singing in choir has proven mental health benefits for its participants; studies show that singing in choir creates neurochemical changes in the human brain, decreasing the stress chemical cortisol thus reducing anxiety and depression, and increasing the pleasure and bonding chemical oxytocin.

Our community here in Benton and Franklin counties is rich in the arts.

Many programs exist to provide artistic outlets for our youth, both in and out of school.

How to help

Mid-Columbia Mastersingers programs, including youth choirs, are silent because of the Covid-19 crisis, which has hurt the nonprofit’s funding.

It is participating in The Roaring 20s, A Gatsby Gala, a virtual fundraiser on June 20 organized

by Mid-Columbia arts organizations.

Go to mcaf2020. givesmart.com to register and support Mid-Columbia Mastersingers, MidColumbia Symphony, MidColumbia Musical Theatre and Mid-Columbia Ballet.

The online auction begins June 15.

With these and other academic, physical and social opportunities, we will encourage our young people to grow into robust, competent and empathetic individuals ready to make this world a better place for their own children and grandchildren. Emily James is Mid-Columbia Mastersingers’ youth choir administrator.

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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | JUNE 2020

Arts & Culture uBUSINESS BRIEF Tri-City libraries offer summer reading challenge

Mid-Columbia Libraries and Richland Public Library have rolled out their summer reading programs.

Mid-Columbia Libraries’ 12 branches and Bookmobile remain closed in compliance with Gov. Jay Inslee’s stay-home order. All due dates and holds have been extended.

Though the libraries are closed, readers may register for the libraries’ summer reading program online at midcolumbialibraries.org/summer-reading-challenge.

Those 13 and older and adults can play Book Bingo. They’ll read books

in certain categories to earn a bingo by completing a horizontal, vertical or diagonal line.

Beginning July 6, finishers may turn in their completed logs to their local library and collect their prize.

Program finishers receive a book bag, while supplies last. All finishers will be entered to win grand prizes. Prizes are sponsored by Friends of Mid-Columbia Libraries.

The Richland Public Library will conduct its summer reading program via phone and tablet via the Beanstack app.

The program for students and adults continues through Aug. 31.

Register and read online at richlandlibrary.beanstack.com/reader365.

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | JUNE 2020

Arts & Culture

Artist relief fund aims to offset financial hardship

By Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

File photo

Organizers postpone 55th annual Water Follies

By Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

Organizers recently announced the postponement of the 55th annual TriCity Water Follies set for July 24-26.

“This decision was not made lightly and was reached after much discussion and consultation with local leaders. With the available Safe Start Washington information, the board members voted to postpone,” said Kathy Powell, event director, in a statement. “We have decided that due to the current Covid-19 policies it is not feasible to have an event on the last weekend of July in 2020. We are hoping to be able to hold the event later in the year, and would like to thank all of our fans, volunteers, partners, and sponsors for their support and flexibility during this difficult time.”

More than 70,000 fans attend the three-day Tri-City Water Follies annually, according to the event’s website.

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The community event features a 2.5mile course on the Columbia River for H1 Unlimited Hydroplane racing, an Over the River Air Show and lots of shoreline activities for fans and visitors.

“The HAPO Columbia Cup and Over the River Air Show is a defining event for the region, and we want to make sure we are compliant with state regulations regarding Covid-19. An event of this magnitude takes months to plan, and the uncertainty surrounding the viability of the planned dates of July 2426 has forced the Water Follies Board of Directors to postpone our event. We are hopeful we can still provide action on the water and excitement in the skies at a later date this year,” said Colin Hastings, president of Tri-City Water Follies.

The Tri-City Water Follies office said it planned to contact guests to arrange for refunds.

Four artists have received grants through the Arts Center Task Force’s Covid-19 Artist Relief Fund to provide short-term relief in the wake of the Covid-19 crisis.

In early June, $1,600 was distributed to four local artists: Kenneth Wright, Lily Le, Jaime Torres and David Vasquez.

Another round of grants is expected to be dispersed in the next 30 days.

ACTF received grant applications from 13 different artists and groups.

Davin Diaz, executive director for Arts Center Task Force, said the program will continue as long as the community is willing to donate to the fund.

The unrestricted grants go to Tri-City artists and organizations who have lost income related to the coronavirus pandemic.

The stay-home mandates have had catastrophic effects on artists and arts and culture organizations in the community, according to ACTF. To donate or apply to the artist relief fund, go to bit.ly/ArtsCenterReliefFund.

The ACTF is a community-driven nonprofit working to advance the cultural and economic vitality of the Mid-Columbia region through the construction of a performing arts center.

ArtsWA, the state’s arts commission, also offered grants up to $5,000 to nonprofit and fiscally-sponsored arts groups and organizations facing financial hardship. This funding was provided by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security, or CARES Act, via the National Endowment for the Arts. The application deadline closed May 31.

NEWS TIPS Email tips to info@tcjournal.biz

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Arts & Culture HIKE TC, From page A23

Courtesy Hike Tri-Cities Paul Shoemaker stands near a Volkswagen bug-sized boulder of banded argillite. The erratic is a non-native rock that was rafted here during the ice flows. Shoemaker’s hike at the Rattlesnake Mountain Recreational Preserve features “some great views of some remnants of the ice-age floods that helped shape the geography of the Columbia Basin.”

as long as you’re practicing physical distancing. Being cooped up in a house and sitting in front of the TV for eight hours a day is not healthy. Even if they’re walking around their block, an hour walk, or doing a hike on the website, it would be good,” he said.

He doesn’t wear a mask when he’s out hiking but he does move off the trail to create distance.

“At this point, we’ve flattened the curve and hospitals are empty. I think we can get back to life — except for those who are vulnerable. They should stay in for a while longer until we get things more settled down. People going out should practice precautions, distancing, handwashing, and if you’re sick, stay home,” he said.

Physical and social health remain important to overall health, he said.

“So many of the people I see in my medical practice are there because of their lifestyle choices. This is a big part of that — it is moving around,” he said.

Seniors can walk around their block or the perimeter of their yard.

“It’s a scary time and being in a vulnerable population, you see the numbers. But being sedentary and anxious and emotionally ill is also a very real thing as far as negative health impacts,” he said.

New hikes, trail etiquette Shoemaker doesn’t update his list of hikes as often as he used to.

He plans to add hikes near the Washington State Patrol area in south Kennewick and one near Walla Walla.

In addition to the walks, his website includes a section to help identify wildflowers and tips on hiking basics and trail etiquette.

Litter and vandalism sometimes force the closure of trails so it’s important hikers stay on them, he noted.

The shortcuts people take make “spider veins all over,” he said. “It’s important to respect the trails that are built.” He said to heed the old saying, “Take pictures, don’t take flowers,” so others also can enjoy them.

“It’s unfortunate that people don’t respect the land and then it gets closed down,” he said.

Another of his pet peeves is owners who don’t mind their dogs, particularly the stuff they leave behind.

“They leave it on the side of the trail.

Dogs should always be on a leash on these trails and people need to pick up after their dog. It’s an eyesore when you see it along trail and it’s all over Badger Mountain.

I’m fine with dogs, as long as they’re not threatening other trail users and as long as they’re cleaned up after,” he said.

Shoemaker and his wife are empty nesters with three children and four grandkids.

They moved to the Tri-Cities in 1997, so he could work as a news anchor for KEPR-TV, which he did for four years.

But he decided to get out of the “rat race” of the TV news industry and pursued a nursing career. He earned an associate degree in nursing from Columbia Basin College in 2009 and became a nurse practitioner in 2018.

His current schedule — three 12-hour shifts — means he can devote some of his days off to cycling or hiking.

A labor of love His website, which he calls a labor of love, has grown mostly from word of mouth.

In the past 10 years, it has recorded 740,000 total visits.

“Three quarter of a million visitors blows me away,” he said.

He isn’t interested in making money from the venture.

“I just haven’t pursued that. I’ve put up business cards at REI so people know how to look it up,” he said.

Does he keep any favorite places to himself? He keeps secret the location of a rare Robinson’s onion plant and visits the area when he knows it’s in bloom. “I love the wildflowers,” he said.

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In wake of George Floyd death, the U.S. ‘must do better’ Editor’s note: U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Sunnyside, released on June 4 the following response to retired Gen. James Mattis’ condemnation of President Donald Trump for divisive policies and using active duty soldiers to disperse protestors motivated by the death of George Floyd during his arrest by police in Minneapolis. Newhouse refers to his recent column calling for the U.S to “do better” on racial equality. The full column is reprinted below his response to Mattis.

I recently wrote in a column that “If we are truly to live together as ‘one nation under God,’ we must do better.” In his call for unity, Gen. James Mattis – a hometown hero and native son of our district in Central Washington – rightly notes that in order to surmount our current crisis, we must draw upon the strengths of our civil society and live up to the values enshrined in our Constitution.

As I stated in that column, our nation was founded upon the bedrock principles of free speech and the right to peacefully protest.

President Donald Trump is absolutely right that those in our poorest communities are the primary victims of the unacceptable rioting, looting, and outbreaks of violence we have witnessed in recent days. We must ensure our citizens, small businesses and communities are kept safe.

I do not believe we should utilize active-duty military to address these eruptions, but rather let local and state law enforcement officers – in some cases

with the support of the National Guard – do their job: protecting our communities and enforcing just law and order.

While I conDan Newhouse tinue to advocate Congressman for the notion of policing with GUEST COLUMN our community, I am also taking it upon myself – and I invite all central Washingtonians and all Americans to join me – to listen and to reflect on the fact that not everyone shares the same life experiences. We can all do more to empower our neighbors and build a more peaceful and just society.

In the Bible, Jesus preached to his followers and disciples, “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” This wisdom, while seemingly simple and straightforward, is the only way we will emerge as a country, stronger and more unified than before.

We must strive to create a more perfect union and, as my friend Gen. Mattis stated, “In union there is strength.”

The full text of the “Love Thy Neighbor As Thyself” is below: The First Amendment and the right to peacefully protest is a bedrock of our nation’s founding. Empowering our neighbors to speak up for what is right, take action when injustice rears its ugly head in our communities, and create a society where we can live equally and peacefully

is a goal we must all strive for.

The death of George Floyd is a tragedy.

Any unjust or inhumane action deserves a full investigation and a response.

It deserves a response by communities who recognize the inequalities facing their friends and neighbors.

It deserves a response by law enforcement agencies, whose officers have sworn an oath to serve and protect communities – the vast majority of which fulfill this oath each day. It deserves a response by our judicial system, to deliver justice to the family and loved ones of George Floyd and the many that have gone before him.

Unfortunately, these injustices that have resurfaced recently are part of a deep-rooted problem in the United States.

If we don’t cut it at the roots, it will continue to grow.

In the aftermath of this heartbreaking occurrence, we have witnessed protests, rallies and marches across the country, including here in Central Washington.

We have seen many police officers join in these protests, urging justice for black Americans like George Floyd.

We also have seen unacceptable outbreaks of violence, attacks by radical groups on both sides of the political spectrum, and bad actors who have taken advantage of what would otherwise be a peaceful stance for equality.

Allowing rioters and looters to overrun our communities, destroy local businesses, and do harm to bystanders and law enforcement is not the answer.

Continuing to turn a blind eye to bad actors within our law enforcement is not the answer. Sitting idly by and watching the events unfold while commenting on social media posts is not the answer.

The answer begins with us.

The division within our nation is more apparent than ever, and we must come together to combat it. In the United States of America, we have equal rights and a responsibility, as citizens, to support one another despite our profession, our socioeconomic status, our gender, or our race.

If we are truly to live together as “one nation under God,” we must do better.

We must look around to our families, friends and neighbors, and we must take a look in the mirror to understand that – despite the shared principles and values we honor as Americans – not everyone shares the same life experiences.

We must look to our law enforcement agencies and police officers to fulfill their oath of protecting us and upholding our nation’s laws, while promoting the practice of policing with our community as an integral part of our society.

In the Bible, Jesus preached to his followers and disciples, “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” This wisdom, while seemingly simple and straightforward, is the only way we will emerge as a country, stronger and more unified than before. U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Sunnyside, represents Washington’s 4th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | JUNE 2020

Under the age of 40?

Work or live in Benton or Franklin counties?

Excelling in your career?

Giving back to the community?

Now accepting applications 12th Annual

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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | JUNE 2020

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Visiting Angels embraces tech to keep seniors safe at home

By Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

A Kennewick in-home care company is deploying computer tablets and electronic assistants to help its elderly and disabled clients stay safe and connected during the coronavirus crisis.

Visiting Angels, led by owner and operator Christine Rose-VanWormer, equipped its caregivers with privacy-enabled tablets to take to clients’ homes to hold virtual visits with their physicians.

The tablets are programmed to follow the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPPA. Visiting Angels also is offering Constant Contact, an in-home network of professional-grade Alexa voice-activated assistants that assure clients can summon help if they fall or have another emergency that requires assistance.

Rose-VanWormer deployed the technology to boost services as vulnerable clients hunker down to avoid exposure to coronavirus, which can lead to deadly complications for the elderly, disabled and others with underlying health conditions.

But it won’t disappear when the pandemic passes.

“We’ve been testing them out in the community. We’ve been having great feedback,” Rose-VanWormer said.

The tablets help clients keep in touch

with their physicians, but the client isn’t expected to navigate on his or her own.

Visiting Angels staff bring the gear to the client’s home and help them use the tablet during appointments.

“Our staff walks the client through the whole thing. We don’t just expect them to figure it out,” she said.

The caregiver can serve as an advocate during the appointment as well.

The devices are programmed with software to prevent eavesdropping, keep information private and deter hackers from entering private conversations.

When the session ends, the device is wiped clean so it can be used in other homes.

Constant Companion is a professional version of the Alexa device. The voiceactivated devices are placed throughout the client’s home, including bathrooms where most falls occur. They’re preprogrammed with emergency information, as well as family and friends contacts.

If seniors fall, they can summon help even if they’re not wearing a traditional panic button device.

Rose-VanWormer and her family have lived in the Tri-Cities since 2005. She bought Visiting Angels after working for the prior owner when she retired.

For Rose-VanWormer, it was the perfect opportunity to allow her husband, a disabled military veteran, to stay home

Courtesy Visiting Angels Visiting Angels, a Kennewick company that provides in-home care to elderly and disabled clients, is deploying custom-programmed tablet computers so its clients can remain in contact with their physicians.

with the children.

Visiting Angels employs 120 caregivers and serves about 160 elderly, disabled and veteran clients with in-home personal care that allows them to live in their own homes rather than institutions.

Home care was considered essential, so it continued to operate under Washington’s Stay Home, Stay Health order in March, which sidelined “nonessential” operations to slow the spread of coronavirus.

“I’m grateful I still have my team employed,” she said.

Business dropped at first. Clients’ fam-

ilies canceled their caregivers to protect their loved ones from the threat. It has revived as families conclude it is safer for a home caregiver to visit their loved ones than to move them to a facility.

Family members typically hire Visiting Angels to help parents or other loved ones with daily living activities, such as bathing, dressing, housekeeping, meal preparation, transportation and taking medication.

It accepts payment through the Veterans Affairs and Community Based Services program, long-term care insurance and direct payments.

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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | JUNE 2020

Richland company rushes to roll out temperature screenings

By Jeff Morrow

for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

Richland’s Lisa Chapman-Rosa is always looking for innovative ways to help her companies thrive.

Not that she’s really needed to.

Her Tri-Cities Mobile Drug & Alcohol Testing business has had plenty of work around the Mid-Columbia.

The construction company she started in 2007, Total Site Services LLC, a woman-owned business, has earned millions of dollars in contracts for projects at military bases and the Hanford nuclear reservation, and, most recently, a $4.9 million deal to build roads and other infrastructure at the Vista Field development project in Kennewick.

Total Site Services started with a handful of staff and one project, but has grown, adding more projects, bigger projects, repeat customers and now 30-plus employees.

But Chapman-Rosa never stops thinking about ways to expand – even during a pandemic.

“You’ve got to look for the opportunities to stay relevant,” she said.

In March, she added employee temperature scanning to her companies’ menu of services.

“In early February, when I heard the (Centers for Disease Control) started talking about the possibility of employee temperature scanning as a way to ensure that employees with symptoms of the illness do not infect their coworkers, I jumped into action,” she said.

She started buying as many personal protection equipment, or PPE, products as she could.

“Because I already have the Tri Cities Mobile Drug & Alcohol Testing compa-

ny, I thought it would be a natural added service and started buying noncontact temperature scanning devices, masks, gloves, smocks, safety glasses and sanitizer to be ready,” she said.

In March, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, or EEOC, gave employers the green light to take employees’ temperatures during a pandemic, and with all the items Chapman-Rosa ordered starting to be delivered, she began marketing the new service.

Chapman-Rosa sent out emails, made phone calls and started getting responses.

“We are currently providing the service to the construction industry, Hanford, food processing plants and farms,” she said. “I have been helping companies that call figure the best path forward for them.

Everyone has a little different situation, so helping them to navigate the regulations and what works best for each company is important.”

In early June, the company had 32 noncontact temperature scanners.

“And I have nine more coming,” Chapman-Rosa said. “They are all (Food and Drug Administration)-approved, and are non-contact, so we don’t have to keep sanitizing. The costs of them are cheap, between $119 and $139, which is not bad.”

She hired 18 employees to do the scanning.

“We trained them. We bring them in,

BUSINESS PROFILE

talk about all of the different PPE,” she said.

“They are given the Photos courtesy Lisa Chapman-Rosa noncontact scanning Left: Lisa Chapman-Rosa, right, managing member device, a protection of Tri-Cities Mobile Drug & Alcohol Testing, and two smock, safety glasses, employees wear masks at the Bechtel job site in early gloves, masks. The June. Right: Lisa Chapman-Rosa demonstrates how a scanners head out to noncontact temperature scanner works. the sites. We’re very “Much like plexiglass barriers, social dismobile. People jump in the car and go tancing and frequent hand washing, emwhere they’re needed, grab their bag of ployee temperature scanning is another PPE. We provide them hard hats, or the tool to help keep our workplace and comcompany will, if needed.” munities safer.”

Chapman-Rosa said essential businessIt’s also another way to ensure that emes that remain operational during the Coployees with illness stay home, she added. vid-19 pandemic – and counties trying to “But it goes both ways. Employees at get to Phase 2 of Gov. Jay Inslee’s Washsome bars and restaurants say they feel ington State Recovery Plan – are faced encouraged to come in and work by their with the challenge of figuring out how to employers even when they’re feeling minimize the risk of spreading the virus sick,” Chapman-Rosa said. while providing their critical products and She said she’s been told by many of the services. companies that hired her that they could “Temperature scanning is another be using her services for at least the next means that allows you to buy down risk, year. better protect your workers and increase uTRI-CITIES MOBILE, Page A36 confidence on the job site,” she said.

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BUSINESS PROFILE

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Sylvan Learning pilots app to connect tutors to Tri-City students Tri-City franchise offers way to schedule virtual sessions

By Jeff Morrow

for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

The franchise owner of the Sylvan Learning Centers in Kennewick and Richland has figured out several ways to meet student needs in the Tri-City area since 2005.

There are the learning centers in Kennewick and Richland where students come for tutoring.

There are in-home visits, where Sylvan sends a tutor to the student.

And then there is online tutoring, an important outreach, especially during the coronavirus pandemic.

Randy Way, who also serves as the executive director of the centers, has another avenue with a new app coming soon.

The Kennewick-Richland area is one of eight sites in the country chosen to pilot Sylvan’s new app, which offers parents a new way to book a Sylvancertified tutor.

Tri-City parents will be able to easily schedule virtual sessions with tutors who have Sylvan’s seal of approval via their smartphones and other devices.

There are an estimated 800 Sylvan Learning Centers around the world helping students of all ages.

Sylvan’s tutors can help students in kindergarten through 12th grade in the following subjects: math, reading, writing, algebra and geometry, study skills, homework and upper level science.

Sylvan also offers college support, college testing support and payment plans.

For Way, business was thriving before the Covid-19 stay-home orders.

“We were doing really well, and of course had to figure out how to pivot when the lockdown happened,” Way said. “At the time the lockdown came, I had to figure out the PPP (Paycheck Protection Program) loan so my employees could get paid.”

He said it took him a week to get operations back up and running.

“The question was how to keep kids learning, and how to keep employees

earning,” Way said.

Online became the way.

“We’ve become Zoom experts,” said Way, who employs gig workers – independent contractors who typically work eight to 10 hours a week. Tutors can use a whiteboard during Zoom meetings to help with math problems or other topics.

Some employees are putting in more hours now, thanks to the student-to-tutor ratio dropping from 3-to-1 to 1-to-1.

“Business-wise, we’re about at 60 percent at what we normally would be,” Way said.

Behind the scenes, Way has been working to launch the new app, a project that was underway before the outbreak.

“The app is a test market,” Way said.

“Sylvan has been doing it for a year in the Baltimore-D.C. market, which is where corporate owns that market.”

It has shown success, he said.

The question, Way said, was now how do they make the app work with a franchise?

“If we make this grow, the Seattle market may want in,” Way said. “They have eight franchisees there, and they’d all have to agree to do it. It’s working those things out. And how do we effectively get tutors onto the app?”

Way said the app is already available locally.

“We just started recruiting teachers,” he said. “I have one in Prosser, and the rest are in Colorado. But we have five other (local) teachers in the pipeline right now.”

Way wants more time to really get the app up and running well.

“I have to get 10 to 12 tutors up live, then I can start marketing broadly,” he said. “We need more local tutors. I’ll be hosting training sessions, get-togethers.

It’s a great opportunity to be able for a family to shop online for a tutor.”

Way said he is one of four franchise owners in the country who can use the app right now.

“There are two reasons the Tri-Cities comes up,” he said. “First, I was the uSYLVAN, Page A36

Courtesy Sylvan Learning Centers Kennewick-Richland Randy Way, franchise owner of the Sylvan Learning Centers in Kennewick and Richland, said his centers are one of a handful in the country piloting a new tutoring app to make it easier for parents to access tutors for their children.

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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | JUNE 2020

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | JUNE 2020

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Paycheck Protection Program still has $130B to support struggling businesses During the past few weeks, I’ve been reading a lot about hope and its necessary role in healing, recovery and moving forward, not only as individuals, but as communities and a nation.

I’ve been talking to our local team about the role the U.S. Small Business Administration, or SBA, must have in providing hope to small business owners. This means being a local ally who listens, provides answers and connects small business owners with the resources they need to move their business forward.

This role also takes shape in the form of very tangible financial resources providing much-needed relief to businesses navigating unchartered waters.

Whether it’s a local manufacturer whose production and overseas trade have come to a halt; or, a local restaurant who has transitioned from a bustling lunch crowd to a delivery service; or, a small employer who is trying to balance a continuity of operations with employee safety – all of these stories and more have a direct impact on small business profits and their people.

Since the launch of the Paycheck Protection Program, or PPP, on April 3, more than 4.5 million loans worth $511 billion have been approved by the SBA. Here in Washington, more than 93,000 small businesses and nonprofits have received $12 billion in forgivable PPP loans.

And with the recent passage of the Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act of 2020, small businesses can now extend the time they spend loan proceeds from eight weeks to 24 weeks, not worry about loan forgiveness if they are unable rehire employees as that limit has been removed, and expand the percentage of PPP funds they use for nonpayroll expenses.

As the name of the legislation states, this flexibility is good news and a sigh of relief for many local business own-

uBUSINESS BRIEF Scammers target unemployment insurance accounts

Scammers are keeping up their attack on the Washington Unemployment Security Department by targeting individual online accounts.

Scammers are sending emails to holders of Secure Access Washington, or SAW, accounts. In an attempt to get people who use the SAW accounts to access unemployment and other services to reveal their log in formation, the scammers tell holders they have 24 hours to correct inaccurate information in their accounts and that it could lead to restrictions.

The state unemployment department does not send emails asking users to validate their accounts.

ers.

The real impact of the PPP has certainly preserved thousands of important jobs in our state and kept the doors Jeremy Field of tens of thouU.S. Small Business sands of small Administration businesses GUEST COLUMN open. But this financial support goes beyond jobs and businesses.

It has a positive impact on people, their families and our communities. It provides some relief and hope.

For example, Penny Antonelli-Flegel, owner of Digital Imaging Solutions in Spokane Valley, told us her PPP loan gave her nine employees peace of mind knowing they’ll continue to receive an income to support their families, sharing that “it’s a huge relief for everybody.”

The PPP also is helping local nonprofits.

For instance, Treehouse is a Seattlebased organization that supports kids in foster care. March 18 was set to be Treehouse’s largest annual fundraiser but because of the pandemic, it had to cancel the event. Plus, many donors are no longer able to contribute the same level of financial assistance.

A PPP loan allowed Treehouse to

maintain more than 100 employees and continue to serve the 8,000 youths in their programs.

Treehouse Executive Director Lisa Chin told us, “We’re able to serve because of the generosity of others. In this case, it’s been our government that’s stepped up.”

Stories like Penny’s and Lisa’s bring me hope. And as we begin the transition into recovery, we need stories of hope more than ever. It’s easy to get bogged down by the weight of the economic challenges our local communities have been facing.

But I write to you, Washingtonians, to say despite some bumps in the road, the PPP is working. It is keeping Washingtonians employed. It’s keeping Washington small businesses open. It’s bringing the hope our small business community needs.

And more good news: there is more than $130 billion in PPP funds still available for small businesses, independent contractors, nonprofits and tribal businesses.

We know there are more people who can benefit from this forgivable loan program. I urge all who are eligible to connect with a local lender to apply for a PPP loan designed to provide economic relief to local enterprises.

While programs like the PPP – or SBA Loan Debt Relief or SBA Resource Partner business recovery assistance – are in direct response to

Did you know?

Here in Washington, more than 93,000 small businesses and nonprofits have received $12 billion in forgivable the Paycheck Protection Program loans. the economic impact from Covid-19, it’s important to remember that business support doesn’t go away when the pandemic does.

The SBA and its federal and local partners support small businesses at every stage of the business lifecycle.

The highs, the lows and everything in between.

The SBA has the privilege to work for small business owners whose grit creates two out of three net new jobs in the country. This is not the first economic hurdle entrepreneurs have had to scale and it won’t be the last. And the SBA will be there to support them every step of the way. Jeremy Field is the regional administrator for the U.S. Small Business Administration Pacific Northwest Region which serves Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Alaska.

The SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small businesses with resources to start, grow, expand or recover.

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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | JUNE 2020 TRI-CITIES MOBILE, From page A33 “People start to get complacent, and we’ve got to be more diligent,” ChapmanRosa said. “Everything changes daily.

You almost have to have a full-time person staying on top of this. I do. I have a full-time safety manager.”

Chapman-Rosa is pleased she was able to put more people to work.

“I am most proud that we are in a position to put 18 people to work at a time when our community is hurting,” she said.

“Eighteen families now have an income. I will be hiring 10 to 15 more people in the next couple weeks as companies are able to open and they get their safety plans and procedures in place. Bringing these people on for me is the real blessing.”

And potentially saving a life is an added bonus.

“If taking your temperature and wearing a mask saves one life, I’d say it’s worth it,” she said.

Tri-Cities Mobile Drug & Alcohol Testing: 509 947-4554.

SYLVAN, From page A33 franchise owners’ association president a couple years ago. And second, we’re the only Sylvan in the (Designated Marketing Area) here.”

Way had previously owned another Sylvan in the Yakima region, but he closed it a few years ago.

The addition of the app is just another way his tutors can reach struggling students – even though he believes the best way to is still in person.

“My gut says that when we do open back up, we could do 65 to 70 percent of our work in the center,” he said. “A student may want an in-home reading program. To doing it online, it depends on the individual or the family. Some students are responding to online.”

But it might not work for another student, he said. A child with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder with a parent hovering in the background may not benefit from an online session.

Or a student who in an online session with a tutor who disappears to use the bathroom or get a snack, unbeknownst to the tutor, who keeps talking.

Success will always depend on the student, the student’s needs and what the student’s family wants, Way said.

“People can call us and talk to us, and we can determine which way to go,” he said.

The app provides an extra tool.

“It can take two weeks to get everyone on board (with the app),” Way said.

“My personal goal is that I want it fully up and running by the time this area hits Phase 3 (of the governor’s recovery plan), whenever that is. In Phase 2, we will open back up in the centers.”

Sylvan Learning Centers in the TriCities: 509-396-5512; sylvanlearning. com.

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | JUNE 2020 uNEW HIRES • Kennewick’s Wave Design Group has launched an affiliate company, Wave Quantum Group LLC, to provide nuclear and federal design and engineering services. Wave Quantum announced several positions for its June launch. They are: • Harvey Prickett is president. He came to the Tri-Cities in 2009 and started Wave Design Group LLC, or WDG. With his 30 years of experience, WDG quickly grew. Three years ago he decided to forge a path in the nuclear and federal services world and launched Wave Quantum.

• Milo Himes, a certified professional engineer, joined WDG in 2019. He has more than 25 years of experience specializing in the design of nuclear, industrial and commercial heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, in addition to chemical process and building service pumps and piping systems. He is the chief engineer and has a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering from Colorado State University.

• Dick Nelson, a certified professional engineer, joined WDG in 2018.

He has more than 15 years of Hanford site and other nuclear design experience in structural engineering support. He is the civil/structural group lead and has a bachelor of science in civil engineering from Portland State University.

• Mark Wasemiller, a certified civil professional engineer, joined WDG in August 2019. He brings more than 20 years of Hanford site experience.

• Jim Kienholz joined WDG in June 2019. He brings more than 12 years of Hanford site experience, with 30 years cumulative design experience, focusing on structural design. He is the lead structural designer and computer-aided design manager for Wave Quantum, • Eric Clements joined WDG in January. He brings more than 38 years of government and commercial nuclear experience in executive management, business development, engineering, design, fabrication, construction, project management, nuclear facility operations, decontamination, deconstruction, remediation, quality assurance/quality control, waste management packaging, transportation and disposal.

• Kirk Rogers joined WDG in January. He brings more than 10 years of multidisciplinary design/drafting and engineering support experience. He is pursuing his associate degree in applied science in project management.

• David B. Joyce joined WDG in April and is the lead architectural designer. He brings 37 years experience as an architectural, civil, structural and mechanical designer. His management experience includes: computer-aided design and building information modeling.

Joyce’s background includes extensive design and project management experience in the commercial and nuclear industry.

• Elizabeth Battaglia joined WDG in April. She is a senior engineering and construction technical writer and supports quality assurance. She brings

more than 10 years of Hanford site experience. She has a bachelor of science in geosciences with a minor in operational meteorology and is pursuing her master’s degree in engineering, with an emphasis in civil engineering construction management.

• Rick Sutter joined Wave Quantum in June. He brings more than 35 years of experience in the commercial and government nuclear industry including eight nuclear generating plants and various projects for the U.S. Department of Energy on the Hanford site. Sutter has a master’s in organizational management and a bachelor of science in political science/sociology.

uDONATIONS • In response to the coronavirus pandemic and its impact on the demand for food support and safety for many families and individuals, Baker Boyer has donated $42,000 to several programs in Walla Walla, Milton-Freewater, Tri-Cities and Yakima. The following nonprofits received donations: Baker Boyer’s First Responder Meal Program (Yakima, Tri-Cities, MiltonFreewater, Walla Walla), $12,000.

Yakima Downtown Rotary Food Bank Program (Yakima), $7,500.

Second Harvest (Tri-Cities), $5,000.

Tri-Cities Cancer Center Foundation, “DINE IN” program (Tri-Cities), $2,500.

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Meals on Wheels, Senior Center (Walla Walla), $5,000.

Home Delivered Meals Program, CAPECO (Milton-Freewater), $5,000.

Walla Walla YWCA (Walla Walla), $5,000.

• After distributing some surplus potatoes in the Tri-Cities, Lamb Weston partnered with feeding the Northwest to ship 120,000 pounds of potatoes stored in Pasco to food banks in Louisiana and Texas. The Eagle, Idaho frozen potato giant with production, research and office facilities in the Mid-Columbia, said it has more potatoes that will not be processed. The donation fills an urgent need for food and avoids waste, it said.

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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | JUNE 2020

uNEW HIRES • The Port of Benton hired Ron Branine as facilities manager. He has nearly 30 years of facilities management experience and was previously a Ron Branine facilities manager for Walla Walla County, where he was responsible for all property maintenance and developing and implementing an in-depth preventative maintenance program for most of the county’s buildings and properties including the jail, courthouse and a myriad of other multiuse buildings and grounds.

Also, he served as chief engineer/facilities manager at Xanterra Parks and Resorts of Crater Lake in Crater Lake National Park, Joseph Walker in Oregon. The port also hired Joseph Walker as an airport manager. He previously worked for the city of Vancouver, Pearson Field Airport. He holds a bachelor’s of science in aviation administration from Utah Valley University. He is a member of the American Association of Airport Executives and holds multiple certifications from the association.

• Alyssa Neil, certified physician assistant, joined Lourdes Health’s cardiology department. Neil will practice at 520 N. Fourth Ave. Alyssa Neil in Pasco with Dr. Amardeep S. Mann. Neil earned her master of physician assistant studies from Kettering College in Ohio in 2019 and her bachelor of science in biology at Walla Walla University in 2016. She has completed several clinical rotations, including in general surgery, emergency medicine, psychiatry, OB-GYN, pediatrics, internal medicine, and family practice. She is board certified

and has certifications is basic life support and advanced cardiac life support from the American Heart Association.

• Lourdes Health hired Joshua Scoville, an advanced registered nurse practitioner, for its rheumatology department. Scoville will practice at 520 N. Fourth Ave. inside Lourdes Medical Center in Pasco with Dr. Sudeep Thapa.

Scoville comes to Lourdes from Idaho Falls, Idaho, where he was a family nurse practitioner at Idaho Falls Arthritis Clinic/ Institute of Arthritis Research. He also previously worked there as an infusion nurse/study coordinator and has also worked as a cardiovascular floor nurse.

He earned his master of science in nursing at Walden University and his undergraduate nursing degree at Brigham Young University-Idaho. He is board certified as a nurse practitioner. He is a member of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners and Association of Rheumatology Professionals.

• The National Park Service has selected Linda Birkett as the new administrative officer for Nez Perce National Historical Park, located across four states, Whitman Mission National Historic Site in Walla Walla and Big Hole National Battlefield, a Nez Perce park site. Birkett comes from the Midwest regional office in Omaha, where she has been the relocation center and travel programs manager since October 2016. Her husband, Jim, retired from Mount Rainier National Park as a heavy mobile equipment mechanic.

• Yakima Chief Hops, a 100 percent grower-owned hop supplier hired a new chief financial officer, Howard Allred, shortly after the Covid-19 outbreak began.

Allred’s onboarding came at a crucial time, as breweries shut their doors and hop growers cut back acreage.

uAWARDS & HONORS • Campbell & Company, based in Pasco, recently received the Circle of Excellence award from Lennox industries, an international heating and air conditioning equipment manufacturer. The Circle of Excellence award, presented annually, recognizes Lennox dealerships for outstanding accomplishments in areas such as sales performance, company growth, successful advertising and promotional campaigns, and effective business planning.

• Sonja Yearsley of Sonja Photography in Kennewick received the Jentoft Trophy and named the 2020 Photographer of the Year durSonja Yearsley ing Professional Photographers of Washington’s 2020 photographic competition. She won several other awards including: Best of Show Trophy for image titled, “We Are Family;” C.C. Yang Trophy for Commercial Photographer of the Year; Rodger Dudley Trophy (best single entry) for “We Are Family;” Best Advertising/ Illustration for “We Are Family;” Judges Choice for “We Are Family;” and Judges Choice for image titled “Mush.”

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | JUNE 2020 uGRANTS • Benton REA received a matching grant to award $20,000 to local food banks. Benton REA received a $10,000 matching grant from the CoBank Sharing Success program. The $20,000 donation will help families through three organizations within the Benton REA member service area, based on the number of co-op members in each region: $12,000 to the Tri-City Food Bank in West Richland and Benton City, $4,000 to Jubilee Ministries Food Bank in Prosser, and $4,000 to Sunrise Outreach Food Banks in Mabton and Sunnyside.

• Tri-Cities Community Health received $50,000 in emergency grant funding from the medical aid organization Direct Relief, in partnership with

the National Association of Community Health Centers.

TCCH was among 518 federallyqualified health centers to receive funding through Direct Relief’s $25 million Covid-19 Fund for community health, which recognizes the profound effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on the finances, services, staff and patients of community health centers.

• United Way of Benton and Franklin Counties awarded $40,000 to 10 local organizations providing food, mental and behavioral health services and emergency child care in response to the Covid-19 pandemic since establishing the Covid-19 Community Response Fund in late March.

Local agencies receiving funding to date are:

50 GUNNERS is a networking group of local, trusted industry leaders who provide outstanding services and quality products.

Find out more at 50gunners.com SPOTLIGHT MEMBERS DANIEL CHAVEZ

Crystal Clear Window Cleaning LLC (509) 366-4372

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JOE KLEIN McCurley Integrity Auto Dealerships

www.billmccurley.com joe.klein@mccurley.net (509) 366-5159 Personal and fleet sale professional.

MICHAEL THORN

Cliff Thorn Construction ctcbuilds.com

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Residential, commercial renovation services and new construction.

AARON JORGENSN Northwest Injury Clinics nwspinalrehab.com (509) 735-3555

Injury and pain relief treatment.

TIFFANY LUNDSTROM

ALEX MOONEY

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

WP Visual Builder

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Business news and Senior Times publications.

wpvisualbuilder.com (509) 212-6426

Custom website design.

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ZANE LANE

Numerica Credit Union

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gosmoothmoves.com (509) 460-8158

Commercial and residential moving services.

MORE GUNNERS MEMBERS James Atwood (Churchill Mortgage) • Justin Dodd (Dayco Heating and Air) Adan Cardozo (Custom Carpeting) • Alan Keller (A&A Roofing Services) Kim Palmer (Perfection Tire) • Jose Vasquez (Swanky Lawn Care LLC) Jim Carey (Cruise Holidays) • Jeff Sperline (Sperline Raekes Law Office) Jennie Oldham (Kennewick Flower Shop) • Cindy Sams (Monteith Insurance) Joseph Coyne (Heartland Payment Systems) Shelly Barnes (The UPS Store, Pasco) • Kristi Kesler (Hot Solar Solutions) Daniel Chavez (Crystal Clear Window Cleaning LLC) Ken Hatcher (Accelerated Hypnosis) • Frank Prior (1st Priority Detail) Michael McKinney (Riverside Collision) • Tim Rosenthal (Perfection Glass) George Hefter (TCT Computer Solutions) • Tonya Callies (Windermere Group One) Kathy Thompson (All About Embroidery) • Mike Duarte (Paint Master Services) Allyson Rawlings (Rawlings Flooring America & Design) • Dawn King (Spectrum Reach) Robert Burges (Burges Carpet Cleaning) • Tom Stride (Tritan Plumbing)

ANSIL – A New Start in Life - $3,000 for food, supplies, and operations of the ANSIL Hall shelter and Service Center to serve 40 individuals.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Benton & Franklin Counties, $3,500 to provide critical care boxes to 455 families.

Catholic Charities, $3,000 to provide food and transportation support to 32 youth and young adults.

Children’s Developmental Center, $3,000 to buy food and basic supplies for 100 vulnerable families.

Columbia Industries, $5,000 for the Opportunity Kitchen to prepare 455 ready-to eat meals for people in need in our community.

Communities in Schools, $3,000 to provide 150 families of four with food and basic supplies.

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Salvation Army, $6,000 to provide food boxes for up to 320 low-income individuals.

Senior Life Resources, $5,500 for the Meals on Wheels program to deliver groceries and supplies to homebound seniors.

Tri-Cities Food Bank, $5,000 to provide food and non-perishable items to 2,000 people.

YMCA, $3,000 for early learning and school-age programs for 11 children of essential workers.

Send us your networking news info@tcjournal.biz

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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | JUNE 2020

REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION Oregon hotel builds riverfront cabins with a view

Page B3

Benton County offers $400K in grants for low-income housing

Page B9

June 2020 Volume 19 | Issue 6 | B1

Upscale living for renters taking shape on Pasco waterfront

By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz

Some of the finest homes in the TriCities line the Pasco riverfront.

Soon, renters will be able to call the Columbia River shoreline home too.

The first 60-unit phase of a 288-unit luxury complex opens to residents in September at 2120 W. A St. in Pasco.

Columbia River Walk, named for its intimate proximity to the Sacagawea Heritage Trail, will cater to “middle to high income” renters with units offering river views and upscale amenities such as a clubhouse, pool and spa, dog park, cable and internet service included and a rooftop deck. The building roof is designed to support a solar array as well.

It is the first new apartment complex in Pasco in several years and the first in the Tri-Cities to be sited immediately next to Army Corps-owned land on the river.

Columbia River Walk is being built

by Zepgon Investments, which is led by general contractor Jesus “Jesse” Zepeda.

Zepeda is partnering with Rigo Rangel of Tri-Cities Engineering for the ambitious undertaking.

Zepeda bought the property about 15 years ago with the intent to develop an

Richland schools buys 30 acres for field improvements

By Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

The Richland School District recently bought 30 acres for $2 million for improved sports fields at Hanford High School as part of a bond passed by voters in 2017.

The district finalized the land deal with Washington State University for the property west of Hanford High School, near the intersection of George Washington Way and Sprout Road, close to the WSU Tri-Cities campus.

Richland plans to add artificial turf and resurface the track as part of a project that’s expected to cost $6 million.

The fields will be used for physical education classes, marching band and athletic practices, and games.

A 2,000-seat grandstand and press box also is planned, as well as a new uSPORTS FIELDS, Page B2

Courtesy FTI Management Columbia River Walk, a $7 million, 60-unit apartment project at 2120 W. A St., is Pasco’s first new apartment project in recent years.

income-producing apartment project. The sleepy stretch of West A Street offers easy access to Highway 395 and Road 20 and the Tri-Cities Airport.

He built an office and yard for Generations Plastering, the umbrella for his general contracting business, on the site and reserved a parcel on the west side for

potential commercial business.

“I saw the vision, that it could be an investment,” he said.

Tight rental market It took time and the right combination of low vacancy rates and financing to bring it to life. The Tri-Cities’ tight housing market, fueled by more than five years

of job gains before the Covid-19 crisis hit, drove up demand for all types of housing along with rents.

The Tri-City apartment vacancy rate was 2.5 percent this spring, when the University of Washington Center for Real Estate Research conducted its biannual

uRIVER WALK, Page B5

Viking Homes plans West Richland development

By Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

A regional homebuilder will develop homes on a West Richland hillside near Twin Bridges Road.

Viking Homes, which builds mid- to upper-priced homes in the Tri-Cities, Spokane and northern Idaho, paid $1.6 million for 84 undeveloped acres following an auction conducted March 19

by Musser Bros. Auctions of Pasco.

Kam Singh of Richland paid $636,000 for a separate parcel and will use it for a personal homestead.

Viking Homes builds homes with prices starting in the high $300,000s. It has active developments in south Richland, west Pasco and in Kennewick’s Highlands and Southridge neighborhoods.

It has not detailed what the Twin Bridges neighborhood will look like or how many homes it expects to fit onto the land. The property needs to be hooked into the city’s water and sewer systems. At a density of three to four

File photo Viking Homes purchased 84 of about 124 acres on Harrington Road near Twin Bridges Road in West Richland following a March auction conducted by Musser Bros. Auctions. Viking will build a residential neighborhood there.

homes per acre, it could support between 250 and 336 new homes.

The land is inside the city of West Richland boundaries. Musser Bros. touted it as a potential bedroom community to the Hanford site, which is accessible via Twin Bridges Road and

Highway 240 to the north.

The site is accessed from Harrington Road.

The 125-acre site had a taxable value of $330,000, according to Benton uVIKING HOMES, Page B2

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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | JUNE 2020

Real Estate & Construction

$6.5M hotel opens – at last – with 94 rooms

By Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

The oft-delayed Comfort Suites Kennewick at Southridge opened June 1 after years of development.

The 94-room value-oriented property is at 3703 Plaza Way in Kennewick.

The $6.5 million hotel is owned by Kennewick Hotel Operations Inc. and managed

by Spokane-based Hospitality Associates Inc. The project launched more than a decade ago under different ownership. The city of Kennewick approved building plans in 2009 but the project failed to launch amid the fallout of the Great Recession, which began in 2008 and chilled investment in all types of real estate.

The property changed owners several times until the current owners took over in 2016 and submitted fresh plans to the city for review in 2017.

It is neighbor to Southridge High School, Trios Southridge Medical Center, the Southridge Sports & Events Complex and Canyon Lakes Golf Course, as well as a long list of retailers, including Home Depot, Walmart and Walgreens.

Tonya Dundas, vice president of operations for Hospitality Associates, is managing the hotel.

“The hotel is premiering during a time when hospitality means respecting space while providing a caring and clean hotel.

We know our guests will feel safe and comfortable while enjoying our upscaled features and Tri-Cities hospitality at its finest,” she said in a press release.

Comfort Suites, part of the Choice Ho-

VIKING HOMES, From page B1 County property records. The land is zoned for a mix of medium- and lowdensity residential development.

The seller, Matson Development LLC, initially planned to develop one-acre home sites. The land slopes to the north toward a Columbia Irrigation District canal and the Yakima River at the northern edge of West Richland.

SPORTS FIELDS, From page B1

Courtesy Comfort Suites Kennewick at Southridge The 94-room Comfort Suites Kennewick at Southridge opened June 1 at 3703 Plaza Way in Kennewick. The opening was delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic.

tels brand family, caters to value-oriented business and leisure travelers. Properties are smoke-free and offer free breakfast, fitness centers, pools and spas, in-room refrigerators, microwaves and desks.

The Choicehotels.com booking site quoted prices from $88 per night for a weekend stay.

Comfort Suites Kennewick at Southridge is one of three Tri-City newcomers whose openings coincided with the arrival of the new coronavirus and Washington’s Stay Home, Stay Healthy order that brought the hospitality industry to a near standstill. At least five local hotels closed, if only temporarily.

Comfort Suites was supposed to open April 30, but Hospitality Associates pushed it back when the pandemic hit.

Pasco’s brand-new Courtyard by Mar-

riott at the Tri-Cities Airport opened in late February, just weeks before the stay-home order took effect. Its Kennewick-based owner, A-1 Hospitality Group, timed the project to cater to the busy spring sports tournament business that didn’t materialize.

A-1 kept the hotel open during the pandemic.

The third newcomer is a 120-room extended stay WoodSpring Hotel, another Choice International Hotels brand. It is substantially complete at 1370 Tapteal Drive, Richland. It is just north of Columbia Center mall.

Bellevue-based West 77 developed the project. The opening date has not been announced, but the reservation system is accepting bookings starting in August. Prices start at $86 a night.

restroom and concession building, plus a redesigned entrance to increase accessibility.

“We are still in the design process for the project and the current timeline has it being completed in 2022,” said Ty Beaver, spokesman for Richland School District.

The $99 million bond approved by voters three years ago includes the replacement of Tapteal and Badger Mountain elementary schools, renovation of Richland High’s auditorium and a new Teaching, Learning & Administrative Center, among other projects.

Currently scheduled work financed by the bond is targeted for completion in 2022.

Real Estate & Construction

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | JUNE 2020

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Boardman hotel builds riverfront cabins with a view

By Kristina Lord

publisher@tcjournal.biz

Tri-Citians looking for change of scenery that doesn’t involve a long drive or flight can head about 50 miles south to stay in a riverside cabin with panoramic views of the Columbia River.

The River Lodge & Grill in Boardman broke ground on two cabins, which will be ready to reserve starting July 1. And more are planned.

The popularity of Airbnb and private cabins for those looking for an adventure or unique experiences prompted the lodge owners to offer this new option, said Leah Marsh, marketing manager for Portlandbased COHO Services, which manages the lodge for its owner, TG Hotel LLC, also based in the Portland area.

“This is a way to get that, where you’re not having somebody sharing a wall with anybody else. You have your own private deck. You step outside and you have the view. It’s a different experience than staying in a guest room inside the lodge,” she said.

The Boardman cabins at 6 Marine Drive NE are prefabricated tiny homes, built by Wolf Industries of Battle Ground, Washington.

Wolf Industries, which is also the project’s general contractor, lists base models ranging from $56,000 up to $80,000. The cost goes up from there, depending on the selection of options for the kitchens, appliances, bathrooms, technology and porches.

Building and fire protection permits

uBUSINESS BRIEFS Port of Pasco secures state loan to plan Reimann Industrial Center

The Port of Pasco secured a low-interest $50,000 loan from the Washington State Community Economic Revitalization Board to develop a master plan to guide development of the future Reimann Industrial Center.

The CERB funds are matched with $175,000 local funds.

for the riverfront cabin project filed with the city of Boardman in mid-April list the valuation at $306,000 and detail plans for 10 homes.

Marsh said the plan now calls for five cabins, with the next three planned by year’s end.

The first two cabins will be a studio and a two-bedroom, each with a window framing the river.

Amenities include WiFi and a kitchenette with a refrigerator, microwave, electric hot plate, cooking utensils, dishware, cups, wine glasses and Keurig coffee makers.

The 400-square-foot studio cabin offers a king bed, bathroom with a stand-up shower, two LCD TVs, dining area and small living room.

The two-bedroom offers more than 600 square feet of space, one bedroom with a king bed and a second bedroom with a queen bed. Other features include a bathroom with a stand-up shower, dining area and living room with a fireplace.

LCD TVs are in both bedrooms and in the living room.

The cabins rent for $96 a night, with a minimum two nights required for Friday through weekends.

Guests can take advantage of all the amenities available at the adjacent River Lodge & Grill, including a private beach, on-site restaurant, business center, outdoor pool and hot tub.

The cabins will line up behind a paved bike path that hugs the shoreline.

Burnt Field Brewing, located in a 1916 train depot, is a short walk away, serving The future Reimann Industrial Center will be built north of the Pasco Processing Center on 300 acres of agricultural land the port bought in 2019. The project is named to honor late port Commissioner Ron Reimann.

The state agency awarded a total of nearly $5.1 million in May to promote economic development activities in the state. The Port of Skagit Valley received loans and grants totaling $3 million to support expansion of the Mavrik Marine on Puget Sound.

up craft beers, pasta, pizza and salads. Across the street from the brewery is the dry-docked tugboat, the Capt. Al James.

“Boardman, Oregon, is an untapped attraction with its location, beauty and seclusion.

We are excited for you to discover what this town on the Columbia River has to offer,” said Brett Wilkerson, chief executive officer of COHO Services.

To book a stay, go to riverlodgeandgrill.com/ cabins.

Courtesy COHO Services The River Lodge & Grill is building new riverside cabins next door to its campus at 6 Marine Drive NE in Boardman, Oregon. Two are available to reserve starting July 1.

Developers finalizing design for Kennewick apartments

The Nineteen, a mixed-use apartment and office building, is now on track to break ground in late summer at 19 W. Canal Drive at South Auburn Street in downtown Kennewick.

The Nineteen, offering 28 luxury apartments as well as commercial space in a brick-faced, five-story building, is a few months behind its anticipated May construction start date. Partners Andrew Klein and Brian Griffith are developers

for the project.

The duo expects to complete design work by late June and to pursue building permits from the city of Kennewick after that.

The Nineteen will cater to young residents seeking a walkable, urban environment and residences with high-end touches. It will have 10 units each on the third and fourth floors and eight on the top. The building will offer a rooftop common area with hot tub, outdoor kitchen, fire pit and more.

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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | JUNE 2020

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Real Estate & Construction

Sandifur Crossing 7425 Sandifur Parkway, Pasco

Yakima-based Hogback Development completed construction of the fourth of five retail buildings at Sandifur Crossing Lot 5 in 2019.

The 5,200-square-foot building is home to Jamba Juice and Porter’s Real Barbecue. One space with about 2,000 square feet is available for rent.

When complete, Sandifur Crossing will feature nine single-story buildings with 150,000 square feet of retail space for about 25 tenants on about 14 acres. The complex is designed to serve both national chains and local retailers. Hogback has begun construction of the fifth building in Lot 5, which has been leased to a pharmacy.

The contractor is Stephens & Sons Construction Inc. of Yakima was the general contractor.

Poston Architects Inc. of Yakima designed the project.

Chad Carper of at Kiemle Hagood is the leasing broker.

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Real Estate & Construction RIVER WALK, From page B1 survey of property managers. The average apartment rent in the Tri-Cities was $1,022 per month.

Marcus & Millichap, a national real estate firm, estimates the Tri-Cities needs 500 new units per year just to keep up with demand. ”We just saw there was a need for these,” Rangel said.

The development began to take shape in 2018. Zepgon asked the city of Pasco to rezone the site from industrial to residential 3, allowing multifamily construction.

The city signed off. It issued permits for the initial 60-unit building, with a construction value of about $7 million, in December. The three-story building will offer six three-bedroom units, six two-bedroom units and 48 one-bedroom units.

Zepgon is seeking a higher density R4 designation for future phases.

‘Good project’ for the city Rick White, community development director for Pasco, confirmed it’s the city’s first multifamily project in recent years and a welcome addition to the waterfront that could spark more development in the neighborhood.

“We think it’s a good project,” he said.

The new complex is east of the blue bridge and perched on the popular riverfront trail used by walkers, joggers and bicyclists. It has direct access to the trail across the canal. Zepgon wants to build its own bridge over a water-filled canal behind the levee, subject to Army Corps approval.

In the interim, there is a formal access point and parking at the South 25th Avenue trailhead to the west and a casual one at 20th, on the east side of the apartment property.

The Pasco Youth Baseball Complex is east of the site, as is the Tri-Cities Ani-

mal Control Services and Shelter facility.

Despite the area’s industrial and commercial history, it was ripe for residential development. The area was annexed into the city in 1962 and zoned for industrial use. The city’s comprehensive plan encourages higher density residential development at the area.

White called the area a “sleeper” for the city. The shoreline to the west of the blue bridge is dotted with upscale homes, while the stretch to the east is home to a manufactured home park, industrial and low-density residential development.

Pretty views, pretty rents?

Zepeda and Rangel say they intend to own the property rather than sell it once it is built and occupied.

FTI Management, a third-party property management company with 1,500 units in the Tri-Cities, will manage Columbia River Walk. The company declined to disclose asking rents but notes vacancy rates at the properties it manages are consistent with the rest of the Tri-Cities – between 2-3 percent.

There is nothing directly comparable in the Tri-Cities. However, Kennewick’s Island View apartments are situated near the river, with a view across Columbia Park Trail to Bateman Island. Asking rents are $1,211 to $2,221 per month.

The Nineteen, a proposed luxury project in downtown Kennewick, offers a hint at what today’s developers think tomorrow’s higher-income renter will pay to live at prestige properties. Construction isn’t expected to begin until later this summer, but the project advertises one-bedroom units with rents starting at $2,150 per month.

Columbia River Walk is accepting inquiries for the September move-in. Contact Linda Henjum at 509-792-1150 for applications and rental information.

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | JUNE 2020

uBUSINESS BRIEFS Covid-19 forces Kennewick’s Bookworm to close

The Kennewick Bookworm store announced plans to close July 15 “due to the ever changing Covid-19 pandemic.”

The independent bookstore at 731 N. Columbia Center Blvd. made the announcement on its Facebook page May 20.

“Since January 2019, business has been booming and we had many future plans for the store. The store closing is strictly due to the fact that we had to close down and had a near complete loss of revenue,” the store posted on Facebook.

The owners are selling everything in the store, which offers used and new books and gifts, at discounted pricing, including bookcases.

Customers may shop by appointment only. The one-hour appointments may be made by calling the store at 509-735-9016.

“It has been our sincere pleasure to offer excellent customer service to our loyal customers and we hope we were successful in this endeavor. It has been our joy to serve this community for the last 46 years and our customers will be greatly missed,” the store said on Facebook.

Homebuilders open 2020 Parade to model, spec homes

The Home Builders Association of Tri-Cities is waiving its normal rules for the 2020 Parade of Homes to allow model and spec homes previously open to the public.

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The one-time change reflects the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on building, supply chains and housing inventories.

Previously open homes will have their own set of judging criteria.

The multiple weekend Parade of Homes showcases the best efforts of local homebuilders each fall. The deadline to apply is June 30.

West Richland hires contractors for police facility

The West Richland City Council has hired the construction and design team for the first phase of the city’s new police station.

Chervenell Construction of Kennewick and Design West Architects of Kennewick were awarded a progressive design-build contract June 2. The contract is not to exceed $819,672.

Design West chose TreanorHL Architects, based in Lawrence, Kansas, to assist in designing the new facility, based on its nationwide experience with police facilities.

The design phase has already begun, and the facility is scheduled for completion by Dec. 1, 2021. The location for the new facility is on Van Giesen Street just south of Keene Road.

Voters approved a $12.5 million police station bond to voters in 2019. The 22,500-square-foot station will replace a 3,500-square-foot facility on West Van Giesen Street.

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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | JUNE 2020

Real Estate & Construction

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The $4 million dealership includes office, shop and warehouse space.

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Real Estate & Construction

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | JUNE 2020

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Benton County offers $400K in grants for low-income housing

By Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

Benton County will award $400,000 in grants to support projects that provide affordable housing to low-income residents.

Applications for the 2060 Affordable Housing Program grants are due by June 27 and can be requested by email: Mari.

Clark@co.benton.wa.us.

The grant budget is supported by recording fees people pay when they file documents with the county. The money is split with the state, with the county’s share

dedicated to rehabilitating and building housing for very low-income households.

The county received about a dozen proposals in 2019, when it awarded $500,000 in grants to five projects.

An additional $190,000 is available in Franklin County. The money must be spent in the county where it originated, said Kyle Sullivan, human services manager for Benton and Franklin counties.

Past grants have supported capital improvements to properties reserved for low-income residents and paid for a roof

Apollo Inc. building second phase of Duportail Bridge

By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz

Richland is preparing to move to the next phase of its $38 million Duportail Bridge project.

The main phase — building the bridge over the Yakima River — is wrapping up.

Now, Apollo Inc. is turning its attention to the second phase, which includes reconstructing the intersection of Duportail Street and Highway 240 and upgrading the Port of Benton railroad crossing.

Kennewick-based Apollo built the first phase, breaking ground in February 2018.

Its bid for the next phase was $600,000 lower than the project estimate and was the lowest of three submitted. The Richland City Council approved the contract at a May 20 meeting.

The Duportail Bridge links central Richland and the city’s fast-growing south side, including the Queensgate district. It also brings a new, secure water line to serve the entire area.

The bridge is on track to open as scheduled this fall, said Pete Rogalsky, director of public works.

Rogalsky said the coronavirus pandemic and Gov. Jay Inslee’s Stay Home, Stay Healthy order restricting activity to reduce the spread of the deadly Covid-19 did not interfere with the schedule. Municipal projects were unaffected by the stay-home order.

Politics, not the pandemic, prompted a slight pause in the second phase.

The governor ordered a temporary halt to all state-funded transportation projects in November, after Washington voters approved Initiative 976, reducing vehicle registration fees that helped pay for transportation projects.

The order extended to projects such as the Duportail Bridge, which depends on gas taxes and not car tab fees.

The order was lifted when the 2020 Legislature approved a $10.4 billion transportation budget that relies on existing revenue.

Rogalsky said the city lost 30 to 60 days because of the order but said it did not affect the critical period when work is allowed in the river.

A King County judge removed the injunction that prevented it from taking effect in March, setting the stage for further appeal.

The Duportail Bridge budget includes $22.5 million from the 2015 Legislature’s Connecting Washington program, $9 million from the state Transportation Improvement Board, $2.7 million in federal funds and about $3.2 million in city funds. Richland’s car tab fees are supporting road maintenance and construction.

The city is installing a new water main to serve south Richland as well, retiring an aging line that sits on the bottom of the Yakima. City water customers provided about $5.3 million through utility fees and a $2 million Federal Emergency Management Agency grant covered the rest.

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for a private home run by a domestic violence operator.

Restrictive covenants ensure the projects that get public funds to provide lowincome housing keep their commitment.

The county grant funds can be paired with additional funds to support larger projects such as apartment complexes that block out some units for residents earning $39,000 or less, which is 50 percent of the area median income of $78,000.

The Kennewick Housing Authority used county funds in tandem with federal

uBUSINESS BRIEF General contractors group calls for infrastructure funds to stem losses

Nationwide construction employment rebounded by 464,000 jobs in May, but the total remained 596,000 below the latest peak in February and the industry’s 12.7 percent unemployment rate was the highest for May since 2012, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of government data released on June 5.

Association officials cautioned that the future job losses are likely as temporary federal support programs end, state and local officials deal with tighter budgets and private sector demand declines later this year.

“The huge pickup in construction employment in May is good news and probably reflects the industry’s widespread receipt of Paycheck Protection Program loans and the loosening of restrictions on business activity in some states,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist, in a news release. “Nevertheless, the industry remains far short of full employment, and more layoffs may be imminent.

Simonson noted that that nearly

Low-Income Housing Tax Credit finance to build the 28-unit second phase of Nueva Vista, a low-income apartment complex that opened on North Union Street in 2019.

The program is open to certified nonprofits as well as governmental agencies that provide affordable housing and forprofit developers.

Applications will be reviewed July 1314 and the recommended projects will be presented to the Benton County Commission for approval by early August. one-fourth of contractors nationwide reported a project that was scheduled to start in June or later had been canceled.

He added that with most states and localities starting a new fiscal year on July 1, even more public construction is likely to be canceled unless the federal government makes up for some of their lost revenue and unbudgeted expenses.

The gain of 464,000 jobs in May followed losses of 995,000 in April and 65,000 in March, for a cumulative loss over three months of 596,000. Construction employment totaled 7,043,000 in May, about where it stood in late 2017, the economist noted.

The industry’s unemployment rate in May was 12.7 percent, with about 1.2 million former construction workers idled. These figures were roughly four times as high as in May 2019 and were the highest May levels since 2012 and 2011, respectively.

Association officials said the best way to avoid the expected future construction job losses is for federal officials to boost funding for infrastructure, including highway, bridges, waterways and airports. They noted that the additional funding would help cover expected state and local budget shortfalls and would help replace expected declines in private-sector demand.

Support your community Support local business

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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | JUNE 2020

uBUSINESS BRIEFS National Realtors group takes temperature on consumer attitudes

A majority of people surveyed – 65 percent – who attended an open house within the last year would do so today without hesitation, according to survey data recently released by the National Association of Realtors.

The series of surveys, which explored how homebuyers and sellers want to handle home sales transactions during the coronavirus pandemic, were conducted by the research firm Engagious for NAR. The surveys collected information on consumer attitudes about working with real estate professionals during the coronavirus pandemic. Several survey highlights include: • About half of buyers (47 percent) and sellers (53 percent) said that during the current pandemic, relying upon a real estate professional when searching for or selling a home is much more important than before.

• A majority of buyers (54 percent) and sellers (62 percent) said that particularly during the pandemic, a real estate agent’s guidance is especially valued.

• Almost six in 10 buyers and sellers – 59 percent and 58 percent, respectively – believed that buying and selling real estate is an essential service.

• About half of buyers – 51 percent – said an agent can help buyers glean more valuable information from online

listings than buyers could uncover on their own.

• More than half of buyers – 56 percent – believed an agent can save a buyer the time and stress of weeding through online listings.

NAR represents more than 1.4 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.

New farmworker housing rules focus on Covid-19

Emergency rules adopted in May aim to help reduce the spread of coronavirus in farmworker housing by requiring space for social distancing, frequent sanitation and other measures.

The measures are a joint effort between the Washington departments of Labor and Industries and Health.

They spell out several required steps to increase physical distancing, improve cleaning and sanitizing and reduce the chance of a large outbreak or spreading of coronavirus related to temporary worker housing at farms.

Employers must provide occupants of temporary worker housing with cloth face coverings and ensure physical distancing at housing sites, including all cooking, eating, bathing, washing, recreational and sleeping facilities.

Farms are required to frequently clean and disinfect surfaces in housing and must identify and isolate workers with suspected or confirmed cases of Covid-19.

Real Estate & Construction Safety upgrades approved for 8 Walla Walla crossings

State regulators recently approved more than $36,000 in safety grants for the Columbia-Walla Walla Railroad to upgrade signals at eight public railroad crossings in Walla Walla County.

The Utilities and Transportation Commission approved the Grade Crossing Protective Fund grants to replace existing incandescent lights with LED lights on the signal equipment and gate arms to provide greater visibility of the warning devices for drivers and pedestrians.

The grants, which range between $2,600 and $6,800, will be at the following crossings: Prospect Avenue; Poplar Street; Wallula Avenue; Tietan Street; Chestnut Street; Rose Street; Last Chance Road; and Highway 124.

The upgrades must be completed

by Dec. 31, 2020. The railroad will cover any costs over the approved grant amount including labor associated with the upgrades.

The 1969 Legislature created the GCPF to provide money for safety measures to reduce accidents and fatalities at public and private crossings and along railroad tracks.

The UTC regulates railroad safety, including approving new grade crossings and closing or altering existing rail crossings, investigating train accidents, inspecting public railroad crossings, approving safety projects, and managing safety education through Operation Lifesaver.

Sabey expanding Quincy Data Center

Sabey, a Tukwila-based real estate developer with a focus on data centers, will add new backup generators to its center at 2200 M St. N.E. in Quincy.

The company intends to add 32 additional emergency generators in two new buildings to the complex, which already has 37 emergency generators, according to its air quality of notice of construction filed with the Washington Department of Ecology.

Public comments are being accepted through July 10. In addition, the state will hold a virtual public meeting to discuss the project at 6 p.m. June 24.

Go to ecology.wa.gov/SabeyComment for details.

BIAW postpones summer board meeting

The Building Industry Association of Washington has canceled its summer board meeting scheduled for June 2224 at Skamania Lodge in Stevenson.

BIAW will hold a summer board meeting. However, it likely will be an abbreviated version later in the summer, location and date to be determined.

Thank you for supporting local journalism. #ReadLocal #ShopLocal #StayConnected

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | JUNE 2020

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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 Timothy Briggs & Mary Jane FernanBriggs, 2550 Duportail St., D-121, Richland.

Joyce Byrd, 5207 W. Hildebrand Blvd., #436, Kennewick.

Andres & Jessica Gonzalez, 4809 1/2 W. Bumpaous Road, Pasco.

Sophia Billman-Matson & Andrew Matson, 31707 Hummingbird PR NE, Benton City.

Steven Swafford, 7701 W. Fourth Ave., Apt. M-201, Kennewick.

Ramon Mercado, 3014 S. Olympia St., Kennewick.

Aaron Hale, 451 Westcliffe Blvd., Apt. H-164, Richland.

Corinna Sanchez, 25 E. Fifth Ave., Kennewick.

Marc & Karen Hoffman, 5674 W. 28th St., Kennewick.

Leila Noonan, 143 Bellerive Lane, Pasco.

Jesus Gomez, 3913 Phoenix Lane, Pasco.

Danielle Pickett, 8120 W. Hood Ave., Kennewick.

Jason & Amera Whitaker, 2550 Duportail St., Apt. I-250, Richland.

Andrea Lofberg, 4103 W. Barker Court, Benton City.

Marta Rico, 7701 W. Fourth Ave., Apt. L-103, Kennewick.

Erik & Isabella Rivera, 507 N. Quebec St., Kennewick.

Jairo & Brianna Torres, 322 S. Young St., Kennewick.

Glendinning Charles & Denisse Escalera-Charles, 5708 Concord Drive, Pasco.

Kimberlee Niles, 418 S. Harrison St., Kennewick.

Silvia Cervantes, P.O. Box 117, Mesa.

Cierra Torp, 4510 Holly Way, West Richland.

Maria Alvarez, 500 N. 24th Ave., Apt. D-15, Pasco.

Devon Martin, 1312 Oxford Ave., Richland.

Phillip Bartlett, 16905 S. Haney Road, Kennewick.

David Reeser, 1489 Desert Springs Ave., Richland.

Raheem Florence, 1911 Luther Place, Richland.

Lonestar Innovations LLC, 4807 Cordova Court, Pasco.

Becky Francisco, 2738 W. 30th Place, Kennewick.

Monty Stayner, 8180 W. Fourth Ave., Apt. K-107, Kennewick.

CHAPTER 13 Crystal Reed, 300 Armistead Ave., Richland.

Robert Rife, P.O. Box 4385, West Richland.

Patricia Jaramillo, 2525 W. Fourth Ave., Kennewick.

Grace McNally. Seller: John Bojorquez.

27903 S. 816 PR SE, Kennewick, 4,000-square-foot residential home on 4.5 acres. Price: $825,000. Buyer: Derrick & Kathleen Stricker. Seller: Michael & Renee Conatore.

2510 Morris Ave., 4813 Jodie St., 2504 Brodie Lane, 2510 Brodie Lane, 2516 Brodie Lane, 2522 Brodie Lane, 2528 Brodie Lane, 4814 White Drive, 4813 White Drive, 4825 White Drive Richland, 0.15-0.18 acre home sites.

Price: $788,000. Buyer: New Tradition Homes. Seller: South Richland Communities LLC. 2831 Karlee Drive, 2,300-square-foot residential home on 0.6 acre. Price: $555,000. Buyer: Jon Byers & Lisa Muir.

Seller: Marvin & Nedra Hopkins.

1433 Chardonnay Drive, Richland, 2,900-square-foot residential home on 0.43 acre. Price: $510,000. Buyer: John & Kay Chambers. Seller: Keith Best.

90501 W. Old Inland Empire Highway, Prosser, 3,000-square-foot residential home on 35 acres. Price: $625,000.

Buyer: Guillermo & Katherine Rodriguez.

Seller: Tracy & Kim Minter.

2272 S. Belfair St., Kennewick, Singlefamily residential home on 0.48 acre.

Price: $629,000. Buyer: Jonathan & Christal Dickman. Seller: P & R Construction LLC. 110301 E. 297 PR SE, Kennewick, Homesite on 2.15 acres. Price: $650,000. Buyer: Dennis & Almarinda

Poland. Seller: Landmark Homes of Washington.

2231 Morency Drive, Richland, 2,600-square-foot residential home on 0.26 acre. Price: $540,000. Buyer: Michael & Amber Adling. Seller: Kevin & Robin Walthers.

11609 N. Missimer Road, Prosser, 2,500-square-foot residential home on 4.91 acres. Price: $528,000. Buyer: Justin Bachmeier. Seller: Fred & Janae Lamb.

2748 Grayhawk Loop, Richland, 2,500-square-foot residential home on 0.2 acre. Price: $508,000. Buyer: Dennis & Rebecca Williamson. Seller: Dale & Mary Jansen.

Undetermined location, 30 acres of land. Price: $2,000,000. Buyer: Richland School District. Seller: Washington State University.

1226 Brentwood Ave., Richland, 3,400-square-foot residential home on 0.23 acre. Price: $527,000. Buyer: John & Joanna Nelson. Seller: James & Annabelle Rodriguez.

601 Riverside Drive, West Richland, 2,800-square-foot residential home on 3 acres. Price: $600,000. Buyer: Darrell Russell. Seller: John & Joanna Nelson.

2363 Harris Ave., Richland, 3,200-square-foot residential home on 0.37 acre. Price: $550,000. Buyer: Zdenek Dohnalek & Alice Dohnalkova.

Seller: Allan & Connie Heep.

uPUBLIC RECORD, Page B12

uTOP PROPERTIES BENTON COUNTY 1659 Brantingham Road, Richland, 3,000-square-foot residential home with pool. Price: $500,000. Buyer: David &

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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | JUNE 2020

728 S. Pittsburgh St., Kennewick, Residential home on 0.40 acre. Price: $590,000. Buyer: Jacob & Marissa Parsons. Seller: Don Pratt Construction Inc. FRANKLIN COUNTY 1500 W. Court St., Pasco, 2,900-square-foot medical office building and surrounding property, including parking lot. Price: $714,000. Buyer: Anides Guerena (Etux). Seller: Cook Ave Realty Investments LLC. Undisclosed location, 38 acres of farm land for cherries with manufactured home. Price: $911,000. Buyer: HC Farm LLC. Seller: Pomona Properties & Investments LLC. 6724 Eagle Crest Drive, Pasco, 3,000-square-foot residential home on 0.7 acre. Price: $799,000. Buyer: Clark &

Tracy Blankenship. Seller: Eagle Crest Development LLC. 6524 Gallatin Road, Pasco, 2,600-square-foot residential home on 0.6 acre. Price: $558,000. Buyer: Ross & Sandra Truitt. Seller: Hammerstrom Construction.

10006 W. Court St., Pasco, 2,650-square-foot residential home on 0.7 acre. Price: $975,000. Buyer: Lowell (Brad) & Debra Peck. Seller: Jeffrey & Sheila Schroeder (TR).

12413 Blackfoot Drive, Pasco, 3,300-square-foot residential home on 0.55 acre. Price: $733,000. Buyer: Newton Brown. Seller: Hammerstrom Construction.

Undisclosed location, 215 acres of farm land in two parcels. Price: $984,000. Buyer: SBK Properties LLC. Seller: BK Properties LLC. 7201 W. Richardson Road, Pasco,

2,225-square-foot residential home on 0.56 acre. Price: $502,000. Buyer: Hason & Melinda Holloway. Seller: Sandhollow Homes LLC. 1919 N. 20th Ave, Pasco, 7,000-squarefoot office building. Price: $865,000.

Buyer: Robinson Enterprises Inc. Seller: Paulmor Investments LLC.

uBUILDING PERMITS KENNEWICK Kennewick School District, 620 N. Arthur St., $7,144,000 for new commercial construction at Kamiakin High School. Contractor: Banlin Construction Co. LLC. USCOC of Richland I, 515 N. Johnson St., $15,000 for a commercial remodel.

Contractor: SAC Wireless.

Fortunato Inc., 6500 W. Clearwater Ave., $15,000 for a commercial remodel.

Contractor: SAC Wireless.

Thomas A. Berg, 114 S. Auburn St., $15,000 for a commercial remodel.

Contractor: SAC Wireless.

Brinkley Road LLC, 6120 W. Brinkley Road, $25,000 for new commercial construction. Contractor: Owner.

4304 Building LLC, 4304 W. 24th Ave., $55,000 for a commercial reroof.

Contractor: Royal Roofing.

Castorina II LLC, 3104 W. Kennewick Ave., $20,000 for a commercial remodel.

Contractor: General Dynamics Info.

PASCO Port of Pasco, Parcel 112 420 023, $483,000 for a commercial addition.

uPUBLIC RECORD, Page B13

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | JUNE 2020 Contractor: TC Architecture Planning.

Zepgon Investments, 2120 W. A St., $80,000 for a commercial addition.

Contractor: Columbia River Walk Development.

Kenyon Zero Storage, 5812 Burlington Loop, $2,650,000 for new commercial construction. Contractor: To be determined.

U.S. West Inc. (P N B), 707 W. Lewis St., $175,000 for a commercial remodel.

Contractor: To be determined.

RICHLAND 1 Baron LLC, 455 Stevens Drive, $680,000 for new commercial construction. Contractor: Blankenship Construction LLC. Richland School District, 1515 Elementary St., $20,000,000 for new commercial construction of Badger Mountain Elementary. Contractor: Richland School District.

Wildlands Properties, 1947 Saint St., $683,000 for new commercial construction. Contractor: Wildlands Inc. IMT Holdings Inc., 2141 Robertson Drive, $15,000 for a commercial addition. Contractor: Ray Poland & Sons Inc. Rosecoeboyz LLC, 2003 Logston Blvd., $130,000 for new commercial construction. Contractor: BR Building Co. Vandervert Development, 1082 George Washington Way, $45,000 for a commercial addition. Contractor: Hummel Construction & Development.

Rollarena, 849 Stevens Drive, $26,000 for a commercial reroof. Contractor: Palmer Roofing Co.

BENTON CITY Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1101 Fay Ave., $103,500 for a commercial reroof. Contractor: Palmer Roofing Co. FRANKLIN COUNTY Mesa 395 LLC, 860 Pepiot Road, Mesa, $4,530,000 for new commercial construction. Contractor: Suberizer Inc. Cameron Farms LLC, 1926 Ringold Road, Eltopia, $5,900 for a commercial addition. Contractor: Teton West of WA LLC. Basin City Blueberries, 6801 Mountain Vista Road, Othello, $30,000 for a new commercial building. Contractor: Mark Vincent Construction.

uBUSINESS LICENSES KENNEWICK Olsson Industrial Electric, Inc., 1919 Laura St., Springfield, Oregon.

Your Greatest Champion, 3108 W. 47th Ave. Hometown Values Kennewick-Pasco, 3416 S. Huntington Loop.

Leavy, Schultz & Davis, P. S., 2415 W. Falls Ave. Akridge Chiropractic and Laser Pain Relief, 8511 W. Clearwater Ave. Waste Management of Kennewick, 1611 S. Washington St. SAC Wireless LLC, 1037 Thomas Avenue SW, Renton.

A & M Alvarez Construction LLC, 25704 S. 1005 PR SE. Monica Pacheco, 15 S. Cascade St. Adam H. Berkey’s Northwest Pole Buildings, 3127 S. Caballo Road.

You worked hard on your home during the state’s Stay Home, Stay Healthy order. Now let us do your chores for you, so you can enjoy some “me time” — all while eliminating your electric bill too!

Enjoy $1,000 worth of chores paid by us! Choose services from: ✷ Landscape maintenance/lawn care by Swanky Lawn Care ✷ Pest/weed control services by Colonial Lawn & Garden ✷ House cleaning by A.M. Cleaning When you choose to GO SOLAR with Hot Solar Solutions. ✔ Maximize your solar savings in the upcoming summer months ✔ Take advantage of the 2020 federal solar incentives ✔ $0 up front and receive thousands back in tax credits ✔ 25 year warranty ✔ $1,000 in lawn care, pest control, or house cleaning!

Call (509) 591-0323 or visit hotsolarsolutions.com to claim your offer!

The $1000 credit for chores can be used in any combination of services.

Contractor’s Li c#: HOTSOSS874QD / Electrical: EC#HOTSOSS815LO

Patrick D. Mc Burney, Attorney at Law, 6855 W Clearwater Ave., Suite A-103.

Damien & Kane’s Lawn Care, 5812 Maryhill Lane.

Welsh Commissioning Group, Inc., 4508 Auburn Way N., Suite B, Auburn.

Three Rivers Appraisal LLC, 1030 N. Center Parkway.

APH Electric Inc., 106215 E. 297th PR SE. Sage Massage, 8797 W. Gage Blvd.

Vision Enterprises, 209411 E. Terril Road.

Oaklynn Construction, 353 Temple Meadow Lane, Richland.

Honest Air, 3620 W. Leola St., Pasco.

Columbia Basin Delivery, 8521 W. Entiat Place.

Tri-Cities Quality Homes Inc., 615 S. Waldemar Ave., Pasco.

Polished 3 LLC, 234 N. 172nd Place, Shoreline.

Excitant Health LLC, 8350 W. Grandridge Blvd.

Don Taco, 325 E. Columbia Gardens.

Delicious Crepes & Waffles, 6600 Burden Blvd., Pasco.

In-House Escrow Bellevue, 12737 NE Bel-Red Road, Bellevue.

Sexton Construction Services LLC, 1526 Thayer Drive Richland.

Plantisy LLC, 1311 Karen Ave., Benton City.

Creation Home Services LLC, 1716 N. 18th Drive, Pasco.

Greenacres Landscaping & Maintenance, 604 W. 11th Ave. Northwest Iron Works, 6120 W. Brinkley Road.

Crane’s Floorcovering, 407 W. 49th Ave. Helados La Michoacana, 402 N. Ely St. NW Erectors & Metal Bldgs, 28004 S.

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887 PR SE. Bullseye Painters LLC, 2011 W. 12th Ave. Lawn Enforcement Landscape Management LLC, 90 Hunters Pond Drive, Eltopia.

Eagle RV, Boat and Mini Storage LLC, 307 N. Dayton St. Invigor Medical LLC, 1030 N. Center Parkway.

Dawnis Chic Creations, 3311 W. Clearwater Ave. Agile Elder Law, 308 W. First Ave., Spokane.

Teddy Bear Daycare, 3803 W. Ninth Ave. Archibald Land Company LLC, 6902 W. Clearwater Ave. Swin Law LLC, 8350 W. Grandridge Blvd.

Feather Farm, 5627 W. Sixth Ave. Helping Relationships Thrive, 5603 W. 15th Ave. Corsi Crop Consulting, 507 S. Buchanan Place.

God Made, 1072 S. Delaware St. Center for Autism and Related Disorders LLC, 8350 W. Grandridge Blvd.

Hanesthesia LLC, 4510 S. Rainier St. Zoomiezps LLC, 4302 W. Hood Ave. Ikon Health, 2411 S. Union St. Caseyzcorner, 210 N. Perry St. Earthy Threads, 215 E. 36th Ave. Derma Care, 3324 W. 19th Ave. North Point Cleaning Services, 1114 W. Tenth Ave. Robert A. Moser, Attorney at Law, 804 S. Burress, Moses Lake.

Multiservicios Y Mas La Mexicana 2, 121 Vista Way. Yesica Rosas, 8927 W. Tucannon Ave.

uPUBLIC RECORD, Page B14

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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | JUNE 2020

Leonides, Carolina Stephens, 500 W. First Ave. Dada’s Choice, 2302 W. 50th Ave. Feight LLC, 3504 W. 42nd Ave. Vedder, Anthony, 1114 W. Tenth Ave. Interpath Laboratory, Inc., 721 S. Auburn St. Synchrony Psychological Services, 320 N. Johnson St. Interpath Laboratory, Inc., 3180 W. Clearwater Ave. Gennarelli, Michael, 2708 S. Zillah Court.

Growth Enterprises LLC, 4506 W. 20th Ave. Ezequiel Mondragon, 106 S. Waverly St. Duncan, Brett, 6816 W. 4th Ave. Taxi Cab, 822 S. Beech St. Transportal, 4214 W John Day Place.

Great Floors LLC, 7220 W. Okanogan Place.

PJSD Trucking LLC, 2709 S. Irby Court.

Northstar Construction Imports LLC, 1424 W. Fourth Ave. Hair by Kaye, 9228 W. Clearwater Drive.

Columbia Basin Services LLC, 3015 S. Dayton St. Soaring Fitness LLC, 4215 W. John Day Place.

Robin Designs Making Treasures LLC, 87728 Summit View Drive.

Northwest Golf Cars, 1701 W. Kennewick Ave. Compass Career Solutions LLC, 7401 W. Grandridge Blvd.

Poor Boy Enterprises, 5793 W. 37th Place.

Daffodeals LLC, 4547 S. Underwood Place.

Karla Marie, 9 W. Kennewick Ave. Olson, Craig Andrew, 3030 W. Fourth

Ave. LRG Homes LLC, 5703 W. Eighth Ave. Universal Investment Strategies, 6730 W. 9th Ave. Redspeck & Twilight, 424 N. Kansas St. Not Just Dust, 8779 W. Metaline Ave. C&C Learning Supports, 8631 W. 12th Ave. Jacob Chaffee, 3410 S. Johnson St. PASCO Not available at press time.

RICHLAND Not available at press time.

WEST RICHLAND Creation Home Services LLC, 1716 N. 18th Drive, Pasco.

Mattison Martinoli, Inc., 12530 227th Ave. SE, Monroe.

Pipo’s Landscaping, 46 Gallant Road, Burbank.

Axis Aviation Services, 5055 Pinehurst St. Premier Mobile Detailing, 2105 N. Steptoe St., Kennewick.

Champion Concrete Pumping, Inc., 26769 W. Highway 53, Hauser.

Brainstorm Cellars, 515 S. 41st Ave. Aho Construction I, Inc., 5512 NE 109th Court, Suite 101, Vancouver.

Perfect Touch House Cleaning, P.O. Box 6387, Kennewick.

Kilgore Architectural Products, Inc., P.O. Box 14685, Spokane Valley.

A to Z Landscaping & Maintenance, 803 E. 13th Ave., Kennewick.

New Look Flooring & More, 904 Sanford Ave., Richland.

JOJ Construction LLC, 6212 Road 68, Pasco.

Integrity Plastering & Stone, 206104 E. Finley Road, Kennewick.

Carin’s Janitorial, 29 E. Second Ave., Kennewick.

J & J Plumbing of the Tri Cities LLC, 75 S. Legacy Ridge Drive, Liberty Lake.

Elm Home Repair and Maintenance, 6114 Skeena Lane, Pasco.

C & P Construction, P.O. Box 2231, Pasco.

NC Cleaning Services LLC, 43901 N. River Road, Benton City.

Prestige Valuation Services LLC, 7812 Babine Drive, Pasco.

Tamayo S Lawn Care, 531 S. 38th Ave. Prieto Landscaping LLC, 7814 W. Court St., Pasco.

J7 General Contracting, 718 W. 25th Ave., Kennewick.

Patriot Auto Glass LLC, 6223 W. Deschutes Ave., Kennewick.

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 BentonFranklin Superior Court. The following is from the Franklin County Superior Court Clerk’s Office.

Kindra Bistro & Café LLC, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed May 4.

Jiminez Agri LLC, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed May 4.

Stratum Concrete LLC, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed May 4.

Llandro Diaz, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed May 4.

Pasco FBO Partners LLC, unpaid

Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed May 4.

JP’s Wolfpack LLC, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed May 14.

Johnny on the Spot LLC, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed May 14.

Alex B. Najera MD PS, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed May 14.

Desiderio Alvarado, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed May 14.

Great Basin Ag LLC, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed May 14.

Tomas Montiel Carera et al, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed May 14.

Ivans Construction LLC, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed May 18.

MKW Construction LLC, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed May 18.

Superior Clean Services LLC, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed May 18.

Rivera Investments LLC, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed May 18.

Ramon R. Mendoza, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed May 28.

Essential Planning Inc., unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed May 28.

Aaron G. Peters, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed May 28.

uPUBLIC RECORD, Page B15

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | JUNE 2020 uLIQUOR LICENSES BENTON COUNTY NEW APPLICATIONS The Crazy Crab Place, 131 Vista Way, Suite A, Kennewick. License type: Spirits/beer/wine restaurant service bar; Catering; Off-premises sale wine.

Application type: Added/change of class/in lieu.

Green2Go Wellness+, 419 W. Columbia Drive, Kennewick. License type: Direct shipment receiver-in Washington only, Beer/wine restaurant specialty shop; Beer/wine specialty shop growlers; Keg sales. Application type: New. Jackalope Bar & Grill, 107 Vista Way, Kennewick. License type: Spirits/beer/ wine restaurant lounge; Off-premises sale wine; Kegs to go. Application type: Added/change of class/in lieu.

Zirkle Fruit Co., 101 Benitz Road, Suite F, Prosser. License type: Domestic winery > 249,999 liters.

Application type: Assumption.

At Michele’s, 2823 Henderson Loop, Richland. License type: Direct shipment receiver – in Washington only; Spirits/ beer/wine restaurant lounge +; Offpremises sales wine. Application type: Added/change of class/in lieu.

Whitstran Brewing Co., 710 Sixth St., Prosser. License type: Microbrewery; tavern – beer/wine; farmers market beer sales; off premises. Application type: New. Chukar Cherry Co., 320 Wine Country

Road, Prosser. License type: Domestic winery < 250,000 liters. Application type: New. Ready and Out Restaurant and Catering, 1827 Wine Country Road, Prosser. License type: Beer/wine restaurant - beer/wine. Application type: New. APPROVED Coventry Vale Winery, 160602 W. Evans Road, Suite B, Grandview.

License type: 336, wine importer.

Application: New. Coventry Vale Winery, 160602 W. Evans Road, Suite B, Grandview.

License type: 322, bonded wine warehouse. Application: New. Chipotle Mexican Grill, 2673 Queensgate Drive, Richland. License type: 473, snack bar. Application type: New. Kennewick Grocery Outlet, 1325 W. Fourth Ave., Kennewick. License type: 450, grocery store - beer/wine.

Application type: Added/change of trade name.

Kagen Coffee & Crepes, 270 Williams Blvd., Richland. License type: 349, direct shipment receiver – in/out Washington. Application type: New.

DISCONTINUED JC’s Mesa Grocery and Deli, 102 First Ave., Mesa. License type: 350, direct shipment receiver – in Washington only.

Application type: Discontinued.

Flerchinger Cellars, 7215 Byers Road, Pasco. License type: 327, domestic winery < 250,000 liters. Application type: Discontinued.

LET’S BE SOCIAL!

uMARIJUANA LICENSES BENTON COUNTY NEW The Cannasseur Reserve, 15505 N. Webber Canyon Road, Suite H, Benton City. License type: Marijuana producer tier 3; marijuana processor. Application type: Assumption.

Sweet Dream Gardens LLC, 234805 E. Straightbank Road, Suite G, Kennewick. License type: Marijuana producer tier 2; marijuana processor.

Application type: Assumption.

Alki Farms, 681 Swan Road, Suite A, Sunnyside. License type: Marijuana producer tier 2; marijuana processor.

Application type: Change of location.

APPROVED

APPROVED

BLF North, 46415 E. Badger Road, Suite B, Benton City. License type: 392, marijuana producer tier 3. Application type: Added fees.

JC’s Mesa Grocery and Deli, 102 First Ave., Mesa. License type: 350, direct shipment receiver – in Washington only.

Application type: New

Noble Cause Farms, 41305 N. Griffin Road, Suite D, Grandview. License Type: 392, marijuana producer tier 3.

Application type: Added fees.

FRANKLIN COUNTY

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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | JUNE 2020