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

SENIOR TIMES • DECEMBER 2020

DECEMBER 2020 Volume 8 • Issue 12

Pandemic pressures force Chaplaincy Health to cut palliative care

Bird-watching brings joy

By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz

Don’t give fraudsters cause to celebrate this holiday season Page 3

Puzzle page Page 9

The year professional basketball came to the Tri-Cities Page 10

MONTHLY QUIZ How high is Johnson Butte, located about 10 miles south of Kennewick and one mile east of Interstate 82? Answer, Page 9

Chaplaincy Health Care, the Richland nonprofit that serves the terminally ill and the grieving, will close its palliative care program at the end of the year. Gary Castillo, executive director, cited fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic and an unsustainable financial model for the move. He notified staff and patients of the decision in mid-November. Chaplaincy provides hospice care to terminally ill patients and palliative care to those who are being treated for serious illnesses. It also provides grief resources and has contracts to provide chaplains to area hospitals and the Benton County Jail. Castillo, who helped established the palliative program seven years ago, called it a difficult and heartbreaking decision. While Medicare defines hospice benefits for terminal patients with six months or less to live, palliative care is less well defined and lacks a reliable revenue source, he explained. Chaplaincy offered an unusually robust palliative care program with visiting nurses, chaplains and social workers. Unlike hospice services, which are reimbursable, only the nurse visits are reimbursable in palliative care. The home visit model means nurses visit four to five patients a day rather than the 15-20 they could see in a walk-in clinic, another strain on the finances. The palliative program’s $500,000 budget relied on the nursing fees augmented by “surplus” revenue associated with hospice services and outside fundraising. But the Covid-19 pandemic put the uCHAPLAINCY, Page 7

Courtesy Diana McPherson A white-crowned sparrow perches on a seed butter feeder. Read about the benefits of backyard bird-watching from the education outreach coordinator of Tapteal Greenway on page 5.

Goodwill Industries secures future Pasco store site By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz

Goodwill Industries of the Columbia will build a store in Pasco after securing a site next to Walmart. The store will mirror the newly built Kennewick Goodwill. However, it will not take shape for several years, said Ken Gosney, executive director for the nonprofit, which serves people with disabilities.

Goodwill paid $1.17 million for a 4.54-acre undeveloped site at Wrigley Drive and North Road 76 in a deal that closed shortly before Halloween. The property borders the Pasco Walmart, 4820 N. Road 68, to the north. Gosney said Goodwill was drawn by projections that Pasco will gain 50,000 residents in coming decades. “It made sense for us to have a locauGOODWILL, Page 2

Could Tri-City Raceway be West Richland’s Carousel of Dreams? By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz

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When the city of West Richland bought the former Tri-City Raceway in 2019, it saw a spot to build its new police station and a place to steer commercial development. But a team of fans, including the raceway’s former operator, sees something different. Instead of tearing out the raceway and what is left of its grandstands and support

facilities, a new nonprofit called Friends of Red Mountain Event Center wants to preserve and restore them. The all-volunteer effort helmed by Greg Walden and Eric Van Winkle aims to lease the track portion of the property from the city and restore it as a high-end event center for private and corporate events and even the occasional car race. Walden operated the raceway for 25 years and runs a raceway in Hermiston. uRACEWAY, Page 4

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SENIOR TIMES • DECEMBER 2020 GOODWILL, From page 1

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tion in that shopping corridor,” he said. It will take several years to move forward with actual construction. The Pasco store will mirror the $3.1 million Goodwill store and warehouse that opened in Kennewick in mid-2019. The 20,000-square-foot store at 345 S. Columbia Center Blvd. is evenly split between retail and warehouse space and employs between 30 and 35 workers. The Columbia Center store replaced Kennewick and east Kennewick shops, both leased. Goodwill relies on a retail-based earned revenue strategy to support its service mission. It borrowed money to build the Kennewick store, repaying the loan with proceeds from retail sales. Gosney said it will employ a similar approach in Pasco. It has a strong preference to own rather than lease its buildings. Once the mortgages are paid off, proceeds go back into serving clients. “Long term, that’s a much better option,” he said. Gosney said it contemplated a fundraising campaign but prefers not to compete with its fellow nonprofits for capital donations. The community, he said, already supports it through donations of

Photo by Wendy Culverwell Goodwill Industries of the Columbia paid $1.17 million for a 4.54-acre undeveloped site at Wrigley Drive and North Road 76 in a deal that closed shortly before Halloween. The property borders the Pasco Walmart, 4820 N. Road 68, to the north. A future store is planned.

household goods and other items. Gosney conceded the nonprofit was nervous about committing so much money to the Pasco site during a pandemic that closed its stores for more than three months. He praised the seller, Kidwell Family LLC, for being patient while it worked through its due diligence and waited to see if the public would return to its stores when

they reopened. “We didn’t want to pull the trigger during the shutdown,” he said. He notes it paid employees even when they were unable to work. Fortunately, customers returned. Gosney said donations were strong. “The better we do on the retail side, the better we do on the mission side,” he said. Goodwill Industries of the Columbia reported $19.6 million in revenue and $16 million in expenses in its most recent 990 filing with the Internal Revenue Service. It employed 636 and valued net assets at $29.4 million. Its four top executives, including Gosney, earned a combined $530,000 in salary.

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SENIOR TIMES • DECEMBER 2020

Don’t give fraudsters cause to celebrate this holiday season The holidays are here, but unfortunately so are the con artists looking for opportunities to spoil your celebrations. They are more than willing to use the joyous mood to get into your wallet. With a little preparation and vigilance, you can cut down on the threat of becoming a scam victim.

Charity scams

Legitimate charities make a big push at year-end for last minute annual donations. Scammers know this and make their own end-of-year push to line their own pockets. Before donating, experts recommend using charity-rating sites such as Give.org or CharityNavigator.org to make sure the solicitation is from a legitimate organization. Washington residents can check with the Secretary of State’s Office at sos.wa.gov/givesmart or call 1-800-332-4483 to verify the charity is registered with the state.

Package delivery scams

Thieves send fake emails from delivery services about a package being held pending delivery. The email directs you to click on a link that asks for your credit card or other personal information. Closely review the email. Check the

uBRIEF There’s an easy way to discard unneeded meds

Old and unneeded medicine doesn’t have to take up space in the medicine cabinet, where it could tempt abuse. The Washington state Department of Health launched the Safe Medication Return Program, a new effort to reduce misuse, abuse and poisonings. The program accepts over-the-counter and prescription medications, controlled substance medication and household pet medi-

Jason Erskine AARP

GUEST COLUMN

sender information, look for misspellings and hover over the link with your mouse to see if it is really taking you to the delivery service’s web-

site. Also, request signatures for deliveries to stop thieves from stealing packages from doorsteps.

‘Too-good-to-be-true’ deals

Online ads, emails, social media posts and even from people you “know” offering impossibly good online deals could be scams. You might get nothing for your money or an inferior item, and your credit card number could be compromised during the transaction. A too-good-to-be-true deal should send up a red flag.

Public Wi-Fi risks

Making purchases online while on public Wi-Fi is dangerous. Only shop on public Wi-Fi if you have a “Virtual Private Network” on your device and it is turned on. If you do shop online, stick with cation. Herbal remedies, cosmetics and illegal drugs are not accepted. Washington established a new law to implement the program, which is funded by drug manufacturers. Flushing unneeded medication harms waterways, while discarding them in the garbage can damage soil. Medications can be discarded at physical drop boxes or by using free mail-back envelopes. Submit requests for mail-back envelopes to med-project.org/locations/washington/mail-back.

credit cards. You are liable for only up to $50 of fraudulent use, but your financial loss with a stolen debit card could be much higher.

Gift cards scams

Thieves can hit store gift card racks, scan the numbers off the cards, then check online or call the toll-free number to see if someone has bought and activated the cards. As soon as a card is active, the scammers drain the funds. By the time your gift recipient tries to use the card, the money is long gone. Before buying a gift card, be sure to check the back to make sure the activation code hasn’t already been revealed. Also consider skipping the large gift card racks in grocery and big box stores and buying them directly from the store clerk or buy them online.

Romance scams

A perennial scam, the romance scam heats up around the holidays. Watch for people you meet on dating sites who quickly want to take your conversation offline, who may resist talking on the phone, who say they are abroad and can’t meet you in person, and those who eventually ask for money — to buy a plane ticket to come see you, or to help with a business venture, for example. Online dating can be fun and exciting — but beware of those who have money, and not love, on their minds. Go to aarp.org/frc for additional tips on avoiding these and other scams and fraud. Jason Erskine is communications director for Washington State AARP.

SENIOR TIMES • DECEMBER 2020 RACEWAY, From page 1 Photo by Wendy Culverwell Eric Van Winkle, a Tri-City media executive and business consultant, is leading Friends of Red Mountain Event Center, a nonprofit effort to convert the former Tri-City Raceway in West Richland into an upscale event center.

Van Winkle is a veteran radio and TV executive, business consultant and chairman of the Gesa Carousel of Dreams board in Kennewick. The Friends group would build on the mostly dormant property’s existing infrastructure, which the city estimates would cost $1 million or more to remove for more traditional development. The city council reviewed the proposal in October. Backers hope to secure a lease deal by the end of the year. The city bought the raceway property from the Port of Kennewick in late 2019 for its voter-approved police station. Final plans go to the city council in December and the police station project gets started in January. It will not encroach on the raceway portion of the site. Recycling the old raceway could give the Red Mountain plan a leg up on traditional development. Eric Mendenhall, the city’s economic development director, confirmed there is interest in a warehouse. But there is no certainty anything will come together, even if the city spends the money to clear the site. On the other hand, he said, Friends of Red Mountain is “at home plate” and ready to go — an economic development win he likened to having a “bird in hand.” “To me, it’s a long shot that we’re going to get one of those warehouses,” he said. Friends of Red Mountain wants to lease the 35 acres that include the racetrack as well as existing amenities, including a concession stand and restrooms. The total property is about 92 acres. The nonprofit recently screened “Days of Thunder” and “Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby” during well-attended drive-in movie nights in mid-October. The one-off events generated a “few thousand dollars,” which is helping it press its vision for an event center. If approved, the city would set a market rate rent level for the property. Mayor Brent Gerry wants to earmark proceeds for park maintenance, which currently has a $1 million backlog. The nonprofit will pay the difference between the lease amount and what it spends on capital improvements such as fencing, sound and light systems and rebuilding the concession, restroom

and grandstands to the city. So, if the lease rate works out to $80,000 a year, and Red Mountain spent $50,000 on capital upgrades and repairs, the city would receive $30,000. Van Winkle is hoping for a five-year lease with an option to renew for five years. Red Mountain Event Center would preserve the existing track, but motorsports are a small part of the vision of corporate, social and industry events. It would host two to four racing events a year. Noise would be limited but traffic at the entrance on Van Giesen Street could be an issue. Van Winkle called the public-private partnership that oversees the Gesa Carousel of Dreams in Kennewick a useful model that could guide West Richland’s relationship with Friends of Red Mountain. The model unites the strength of the city with the ability of nonprofits to carry out philanthropic activities, such as ticket giveaways. Cities are prohibited from making gifts of public funds. “We did that successfully at the carousel and it is a model for this,” he said. The carousel is a model in another way too. Like all event centers, the carousel has been deeply affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. It shut down in mid-March when Washington Gov. Jay Inslee issued the Stay Home, Stay Healthy order to slow the spread of the virus. Parker Hodge, executive director, said it has reopened for limited use in Phase 2 but cannot fully reopen under the Safe Start program until Benton County reaches the end of Phase 4. The carousel laid off most staff and entered the pandemic with no debt and some cash. Today, it’s operating on donations and some revenue as well as a line of credit from its namesake sponsor, Gesa Credit Union. It has pitched a reopening plan to the governor’s office but received no response as of late October. A lingering pandemic will be a death knell for event centers, but Van Winkle said Red Mountain Event Center would not be ready for events until mid-2021 at the earliest. “We’re long-term thinkers. We are rebuilding. We won’t have events for six months,” he said. The city paid about $1.8 million for the raceway with a combination of $500,000 in cash when the deal closed and a promissory note for $1.3 million, payable via the city’s portion of Rural County Capital Funds held by Benton County. The port acquired the land in 2008 but had made no move to develop it beyond developing a master plan because it is focused on its Vista Field redevelopment and Columbia Gardens Urban Wine & Artisan Village projects. Track the project at redmountaineventcenter.com.

SENIOR TIMES • DECEMBER 2020

Turn your yard into backyard bird sanctuary One of my favorite outdoor winter activities is birding. The Tri-Cities lies within the Pacific Flyway, a major migratory bird route. Hundreds of species spend time within the safety of our area’s natural open spaces. Several waterfowl species such as green-winged teals and buffleheads stop at Amon Creek Natural Preserve, while thousands of snow geese winter at McNary National Wildlife Refuge, which is also a great place to see wintering bald eagles, adults and juveniles. Being out in nature has been shown to be beneficial for our physical health and mental health. Immersing ourselves in nature reduces stress and anxiety and promotes relaxation. While current circumstances are making it difficult to get outside to many natural areas, you can find and enjoy nature at home. Have you ever noticed the birds that visit your yard? Backyard birding is a fun and easy nature activity that you can enjoy from the comfort and safety of your home. Watching birds’ activities, whether they’re flitting in and out of a tree, scratching and pecking at the grass, or flying around with each other, can

reduce your blood pressure and heart rate, decrease the stress hormone, cortisol, lower mental fatigue, and Diana McPherson boost mental Tapteal Greenway clarity In short, GUEST COLUMN they bring happiness. Every morning when I see the white-crowned sparrows and darkeyed juncos come to the feeder, I smile and feel joyful. It’s like seeing friends I haven’t seen in a while. Bird-watching opens your senses and expands your awareness of the natural wonders around you. Getting outside to refill feeders also will get you your daily dose of fresh air to clear your mind, and vitamin D to help keep your immune system strong. Attracting birds to your yard is not only good for your well-being, it’s good for your yard. After your plants have gone dormant for the winter, resist the temptation to pull or trim them back or rake all the leaves.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

from the Senior Times team – Melanie, Kristina, Wendy, Tiffany, Chad and Vanessa!

Courtesy Diana McPherson A rufous-sided towhee nibbles at a snow-covered suet cake.

The trees and shrubs provide shelter from the winter elements while the remaining flowers become a natural food source. Birds help with pollination by eating and disbursing flower seeds. The fallen leaves attract good insects which attract birds, nature’s insect controllers. I started leaving a few piles of fallen leaves near the bird feeders initially to provide them some shelter from the cold. The sparrows liked the leaves, using

them for shelter and food. The leaves also attracted a rufous-sided towhee. My family still teases me over my initial high-pitched excited squeal of “That’s a towhee! Look, we have a towhee!” And that towhee told a friend about the good eats in our backyard so now two rufous-sided towhees visit. If your yard space allows, vary the location of your feeders. Many are designed to hang from trees, fences or poles. If you have ample retaining wall space, tabletop-like trays work great. And don’t worry if you don’t have a backyard. You don’t need a large yard to attract birds. Feeding stations can be set up on a patio or balcony of an apartment or condo. If you live in a retirement community, you can set up feeding stations in the courtyard so you and your neighbors can enjoy bird-watching together. If you live in a nursing home, request a bird feeder be set up outside your window. Daily visits from your new friends can help reduce the sense of isolation and loneliness. Find a variety of feeders at bird specialty or hardware stores but if you’d like to keep costs low and get a little uBIRDING, Page 6

SENIOR TIMES • DECEMBER 2020 BIRDING, From page 5

creative, make your own feeders. A few options to start with could be hot gluing a teacup to its saucer, inverting an empty soda bottle, or using empty halved orange rinds to hold seed. There are endless possibilities, and Pinterest is a great resource for DIY feeder ideas. Don’t forget to provide water. To avoid window strikes, which can kill birds, try applying opaque adhesive decals to the windows or hanging shiny mobiles outside of them. The most common birdseed mixes consist primarily of sunflower seeds, millet and cracked corn, a good mix for a large number of wild birds. Another fun option to help birds get the extra calories they need in winter is to mix together a nut/seed butter with your birdseed. This can be squished into a seed butter feeder, onto a pinecone, or rolled into balls and hung using mesh produce bags. Some other feeder options include mealworms, peanuts (unsalted), orange halves, apples (no seeds), suet (but only in winter), grapes and raisins. Be sure to soak the raisins before serving to birds, as dried fruits will expand once ingested. Also, adding plants to your yard that bear berries is another natural food option.

If you’d like to take your birdwatching to the next level, record the different birds you see in a notebook. Note their behaviors and markings to help identify the species. Make a drawing, which can help to increase your motor skills, stimulate brain activity, keep your mind sharp and improve your mood and mental health. National Geographic’s “Field Guide to Birds of North America,” which can be obtained from the library or a local book store or online, is a great resource for bird identification. If you like using apps, I recommend these free ones: Audubon Bird Guide, Smart Bird ID, or Merlin ID by Cornell University. Backyard birding is a thoroughly engaging activity you can enjoy on your own, with your neighbors and family, even if they don’t live close. Reconnecting with nature in your backyard will have many benefits for you and your yard. It’s a great way to reduce stress, increase relaxation and meet some new friends. Diana McPherson is a nature, wildlife and travel photographer based in Richland. Learn more about her and her work at DiMcpPhotography.com. She is also the education outreach coordinator with Tapteal Greenway (tapteal.org, YouTube.com/TaptealGreenway).

SENIOR TIMES • DECEMBER 2020

No shame here: UW bioethicist advocates for sex robots and seniors By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz

The term “sex robots” may raise some eyebrows, but Nancy S. Jecker, professor of bioethics and humanities at the University of Washington, is not having it. Jecker published a paper in the Journal of Medical Ethics encouraging the manufacturers developing sex robots for young, straight men to expand their market. The existing technology could be adapted to provide companionship and even sexual gratification to those 65 and over, she argues in the paper, “Nothing to be Ashamed Of: Sex Robots for Older Adults with Disabilities.” The current generation of sex robots is designed for and marketed to young, straight, white men, which is blatantly sexist, racist and ageist, Jecker said. Senior Times reached out to Jecker to learn more about her research and what drew her attention to the idea of using robots for the most intimate of experiences.

Why robots?

Jecker first started thinking about robots while researching her most recent book, “Ending Midlife Bias, New Values for Old Age” (Oxford University Press, 2020). She wrote a chapter about CHAPLAINCY, From page 1

model in a vise. A 10% drop in hospice patients, mounting regulatory costs and dwindling donations forced its decision, he said. “We simply are not able to sustain this program,” he said. The palliative program currently serves about 160 Tri-Citians who were either unwilling to contemplate hospice services or ineligible for the program because they have not been given a six-month prognosis. To some degree, it is a victim of its own success. When Chaplaincy first offered palliative care, it operated with a single nurse. Over the years, it added nurse practitioners, social workers and chaplains, a robust team that attracted more demand than it would meet. Chaplaincy routinely receives more referrals for palliative care than it could handle. Looking ahead, Castillo hopes palliative care will resume in another form. Patients need it, he said. “I think it’s going to take a broader coalition of community health provid-

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robots that support older adults with daily living tasks such as getting out of bed, eating, dressing and bathing. “CareBots” led her to robots that provide companionship, “FriendBots.” For older adults, particularly those who are isolated and lonely, FriendBots can mitigate the unhealthy aspects of isolation. That led to viewing robot technology for more intimate functions. The technology exists, she said. She cites a New Jersey company that promotes its sex robots to young, healthy customers. She blames ageism and the natural tendence of tech executives — typically male, white and middle aged — to develop products in their own image. Marketing to older customers is a natural opportunity, she said. “I’m calling on industry to market themselves to an older clientele, a clientele that has age-related impairment of sexual function,” she said.

Research rooted in ageism

Jecker’s research focuses on aging and aging populations and she has the résumé to back it up. She holds adjunct professorships in UW’s School of Law, Department of Global Health and Department of Philosophy. She is a visiting professor ers to provide this service,” he said. The pandemic has squeezed Chaplaincy’s core hospice program as well. After four years of growth, its patient base contracted about 10%, with about 170 patients in care the week of Thanksgiving. Even as patient numbers fell, increased regulation added to costs, leaving little money for other programs. As painful as it was to eliminate palliative services, the move lets Chaplaincy focus on its primary mission to serve the terminally ill. “Chaplaincy is at its core a hospice program,” Castillo said.

at the University of Johannesburg in South Africa and the Chinese University of Hong Kong Centre for Bioethics and recently served on the board of the American Society for Bioethics and Humanities. She’s published more than 200 articles and four books focuses on aging and aging populations. Ageism is at the heart of her work and her work to promote sex robots with seniors in mind. Senior sexuality is an overlooked topic. The New England Journal of Medicine published the first serious research focuses on seniors living in their own homes 2007, she noted. “There is a tendency to think of older adults as needing protection rather than having sexual needs and desires,” she said.

Dignity vs. pleasure principal

Jecker counters titters with seriousness. Sexual contact is about more than

physical gratification, she said. Adults benefit from the personal and emotional connections they make through contact. It is at the core of human identity. “Those who focus on the pleasure principal shortchange the argument and miss it,” she said. For Jecker, the key takeaway is not for physicians to begin writing prescriptions for sex robots for their older patients. Her paper on sex robots for seniors attracted attention and a few mostly serious headlines. She welcomes the idea that it could spark conversations that legitimize the need for intimacy at all ages. “We’re an aging society and ageism is a serious problem,” she said. “A great outcome would be for people’s eyes to open up and be aware.” An abstract and link to the full text of “Nothing to be Ashamed Of: Sex Robots for Older Adults with Disabilities” is posted at bit.ly/JeckerPaper.

SENIOR TIMES â&#x20AC;¢ DECEMBER 2020

SENIOR TIMES • DECEMBER 2020

Just for Fun Crossword

Across 1 In place of 4 Dashboard acronym

Solutions on page 11

27 Rock concert venues, often

4 Delaware’s region

29 Before in verse

6 Put-upon

7 Ungentlemanly sort

30 Inner city areas

10 Newsworthy N Y S E event

31 Nelson Mandela’s party 32 Silver state

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33 Anger

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34 Meadow

13 And so on

35 Tony Blair and others, briefly

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7 With it, sartorially 8 Agatha, to Bertie Wooster 15 Connection

36 Spanish literary hero

19 Property manager’s sign 22 Purloins 23 Essence 25 Native New Zealander

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1 Paddock

28 Guns 30 Country’s output, for short

3 Post-Baroque architectural style

24 Deplored

5 Italian designer Mario ---

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ANSWER

Turn Back the Clock...

1970

Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) into law.

— Source: East Benton County Historic Society and Museum

Str8ts example

SENIOR TIMES • DECEMBER 2020

The year professional basketball came to the Tri-Cities By East Benton County Historical Society

The Washington Lumberjacks, representing a first in Tri-City professional basketball, never won a Western Basketball Association championship. In all the time the league existed — a grand total of one year — the Lumberjacks reached the playoff semifinals with the league’s secondbest record, but missed the big dance. If the Western Basketball Association (WBA) had lasted longer after that one season 42 years ago in the winter of 1978-79, the Lumberjacks might have gotten that championship. The team had talent, including producing the league’s Most Valuable Player in Jeff Cook. The WBA comprised seven teams in six western states working under austere conditions. It aimed to be a western rival to the East Coast-based Continental Basketball Association (CBA). It was no doubt odd that the desert-based Tri-City team was represented by a lumberjack swinging an axe, a forest-based image if ever there was one. But the Lumberjacks played rivals

in Montana, Utah, Nevada, Arizona and California. With home games in the Pasco and Richland high school gymnasiums and a half dozen in the Spokane Coliseum, competition was zestful and entertaining to fans. Past and future NBA players graced Tri-City gyms with the talent that would take them to the highest level of professional basketball. Cazzie Russell was one of them, joining the WBA Montana Sky team near the end of his playing days. He had been an All-American with two final four appearances at Michigan and national College Player of the Year in 1966. He was an NBA All-Star and member of the 1970 world champion New York Knicks. He played in both the Pasco and the Richland high gyms against the Lumberjacks with the Montana Sky, based in Great Falls. He scored in double figures in a Richland game. The Lumberjacks themselves had former NBA players Louie Nelson and Bird Averitt. John Wetzel, who played for the Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix Suns and Atlantic Hawks, coached the Lumberjacks during that lone season.

He was head coach of the NBA Suns in 1987-88. The Lumberjacks opened the inaugural and only WBA 48-game season on Veterans Day 1978 with a 124-98 win in Montana. When playing in Pasco and Richland, the team averaged more than 1,000 fans per game, but were admittedly hurt with local high school basketball being at its zenith. Local interest turned toward a Richland Bombers team winning 26 straight games in a 26-1 season and capturing the state championship — by beating the Pasco Bulldogs, the first time Tri-City teams finished first and second in the state. Kevin Veleke, Lumberjack business manager that year, described in a 2011 interview the challenges faced by the WBA. “Marketing the club was not easy,” he explained. “We had to create interest in professional basketball in light of the fact high school basketball in the ’70s was king.” Weekends were usually lost to high school rivalries. “We could only get so-called off days for our games,” Veleke said. “Holidays, Sundays, midweek and my favorite: Super Bowl Sunday

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1979.” The WBA’s limited finances were hurt by travel. “Because the league was so spread out, teams had to travel by air,” the former marketing director said. “This was very expensive and probably was the undoing of some of the franchises.” The season’s home opener for the Lumberjacks, players trimmed in their Columbia Blue and Pine Green colors, was in the Pasco High gym. There was entertainment and the game was broadcast live on radio. One entertaining figure loped around the gym pregame wearing a scuba outfit complete with face mask with flat-footed fins slapping loudly with each step on the gym floor. He was something of an odd figure considering basketball was about to be played and not water polo. WBA rules limited team rosters to 11 players. Only nine would travel to away games. The standard salary was $10,000. In addition to the Tri-City and the Great Falls teams, other WBA members were the Tucson Gunners, Reno Bighorns, Las Vegas Dealers, Salt Lake City Prospectors and Fresno Stars. The Lumberjacks posted a 29-19 record, finishing second, just three games behind the Tucson Gunners, coached by Herb Brown, a future NBA coach. Brown earned WBA Coach of the Year honors. In addition to MVP Jeff Cook, Lumberjack teammate Walter Jordan also made the WBA’s All-Star First Team. The Lumberjack’s Louie Nelson earned third team honors The Lumberjacks entered the playoffs in a 3-game format against Montana, taking two of three at home sandwiched around a 103-102 loss in Montana. Reno, guided by future NBA coach Bill Musselman, defeated the Tri-City team in the semi-finals, with the Lumberjacks losing its final game ever 98-84. Reno lost to Tucson four games to three for the WBA championship, falling 104-90 in the seventh game. Gerald Henderson of Tucson, a future Boston Celtic, was named Most Valuable Player of the playoffs. Efforts to merge the WBA and CBA for a national United Basketball Association failed and the WBA folded after one season.

SENIOR TIMES • DECEMBER 2020 uBRIEFS Duportail Bridge opening delayed by Covid-19

The city of Richland postponed the formal opening of the Duportail Bridge over delays related to installing traffic signals at the Duportail Street and Highway 240 intersection. Construction of the $38 million Yakima River crossing proceeded on schedule, but the city reports it needed components to complete the traffic signals because production facilities were closed or behind schedule. The bridge is open to local traffic between Queensgate Drive and the new Tanglewood Drive intersection.

Alzheimer’s chapter offers online programs

The Alzheimer’s Association Washington state chapter has a list of upcoming programs for area residents. • Virtual Christmas singalong: 2 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 10. People living with dementia and their care partners are invited to join with guitarist John Logan who will lead a free singalong. Go to bit.ly/AlzSingalong. • Physical fitness at home: 3 p.m. Mondays. This webinar caters to people living with early stage memory loss and their care partners. Sessions are 30 to 45 minutes and are for all ability levels. Pre-registration is required by calling 1-855-567-0252. • The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 15. High school theater students will present a dramatic reading of a popular holiday

play. Go to bit.ly/BestPageant. More community education webinars can be found at alz.org/alzwa/ helping_you/education.

The annual Share the Love event is organized by Subaru of America to support local charities. McCurley chose the nonprofit meal service for seniors for its 2020 beneficiary. Buyers can select to Meals on Wheels to receive a $300 donation from Subaru of America and the local dealership. McCurley donated more than $30,000 to area charities in 2019. Go to facebook.com/ McCurleySubaru for details.

IRS recruiting volunteers to help with income taxes

The IRS is recruiting people to help low income and elderly taxpayers through its Volunteer Income Tax Assistance and Tax Counseling for the Elderly programs. Millions of volunteers aid taxpayers each year. Volunteers are trained to prepare individual returns and to help taxpayers secure the credits and deductions they are entitled to. To volunteer, go to irs.gov/volunteers and fill out the sign-up form.

How does Richland work? The city has a map for that

Map geeks rejoice! The city of Richland has launched a web page where it posts maps that detail how the community works. Curious about utility lines? There’s a map for that. What routes do snowplows use in winter? There’s a map for that. In fact, there’s a map for just about every conceivable community activity and service. Looking for information about solid waste collection, street sweeping days, traffic counts, zoning designations, annexation boundaries, bike trails, parks, crime data, critical areas or super wonky public works GIS data? Maps, maps and more maps! Go to ci.richland.wa.us/maps.

How to help crush cancer for Christmas

The Tri-Cities Cancer Foundation has a goal of raising $50,000 to brighten the holidays of people being treated for cancer this holiday season. To support the effort, go to cancercrushingchristmas.com or call 509737-3413. Each week through Jan. 1, patients being treated at the Tri-Cities Cancer Center and Kadlec Clinic Hematology and Oncology will receive a gift as well as a meal for their family.

Buy wheels and support Meals on Wheels

Mid-Columbia Meals on Wheels will benefit whenever someone buys a Subaru at McCurley Integrity Subaru through Jan. 4, 2021.

Puzzle answers from page 9

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Port of Kennewick crippled by cyberattack

A military-grade cyberattack seized the Port of Kennewick’s computer system on Nov. 16, cutting off email and other systems. The port said it will not pay the $200,000 demanded to restore access to its servers, which were encrypted by sophisticated digital “militarygrade” ransomware. The attack is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Washington State Office of Cybersecurity. A contractor is working to restore the port’s system to re-establish email and other services using digital files from offline backups. The port said personal information does not appear to be compromised, but it advised partners to disconnect from shared files through Dropbox and other services out of an abundance of caution. The port uses a professional IT firm to maintain and secure its servers. It said its systems were well maintained and that it runs regular scans to ensure it had the appropriate systems in place. The port contracts with a separate, independent consultant to advise the port on technology and IT systems.

Remembering the precious memories of our loved ones this holiday season.

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SENIOR TIMES • DECEMBER 2020

uBRIEFS Richland breaks ground on 2 fire stations

Richland formally broke ground for two fire station projects in October. The two projects include Station 75, a new facility at 460 Battelle Blvd., and the relocation of Station 73 to the Bypass Highway and Jadwin Avenue. Both will house fire and emergency personnel as well as police officers. The city awarded a contract to

build both facilities to DGR Grant Construction Inc. of Richland in March. Architects West and Perlman Design are responsible for the designs. The two-station project budget is $10.2 million, including $9 million for design and construction and $1.2 million for equipment. The city said $7 million is financed with debt that will be repaid with property taxes over 20 years.

New pathway completed between Edison, Union

The city of Kennewick recently

completed a 0.6-mile pedestrianbicycle path between Edison Street and Union Street. The city received $353,000 through the Community Development Block Grant Program to build a 12-foot wide paved pedestrian path. The project included a segment connecting Dawes Street and Edison Elementary to the path. IBEW Local Union #112 provided a 26-foot wide easement on the southernmost portion of its property, which allows public access to the pathway off Edison Street, and

donated a drinking fountain with a dog bowl attachment, a nearly $10,000 investment. The Kennewick Irrigation District allowed access to its lowlift canal right of way from Edison Street to Union Street. The Kennewick School District granted a 20-foot access easement along the western-most property boundary of Edison Elementary. Central Washington Asphalt of Moses Lake was the contractor for the project.

Who is that masked man at the mall? Santa!

Santa isn’t skipping Christmas because of the pandemic, but he is making a few concessions as he prepares for his annual appearance at Kennewick’s Columbia Center mall. Santa is available for photos from 1-7 p.m. Monday to Saturday and 1-5 p.m. Sunday through Christmas Eve. New for 2020: Reservations are required, social distancing will be in effect and Santa and his helpers will wear masks to reduce the spread of the virus that causes Covid-19. Go to simonsanta.com to make Santa photo reservations.