Senior Times - June 2021 by Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business/Senior Times

DELIVERING NEWS TO MID-COLUMBIA SENIORS SINCE 1982

Meals on Wheels expands services, offers farmers market vouchers

JUNE 2021

Vol. 9 | Issue 6

Community centers reopening to in-person gatherings, but slowly By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz

By Senior Times staff

Summer arrives this month which means more fresh produce begins showing up at area farmers markets. Qualifying seniors can take advantage of the seasonal offerings with free food vouchers from the Mid-Columbia Meals on Wheels program. The Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program provides eligible low-income seniors with $40 in vouchers. This year, Mid-Columbia Meals on Wheels received 300 extra vouchers through the state-sponsored program. Seniors who are unable to access the markets themselves can appoint a proxy to shop on their behalf. “Farmers market vouchers provide seniors with a wonderful opportunity to access fresh, local produce while they support our local farmers,” said Kristi Thien, nutrition services director. “We know that some of our seniors may not be able to attend the markets, but we encourage them to appoint a trusted friend or family member to use the vouchers on their behalf to enjoy the incredible, healthy bounty of our region.”

Drive-thru meal service

Seniors also now receive hot meals five days a week at the Richland Wye with the expansion of the drive-thru program. It had been offered three days a week. From 11 a.m. to noon, seniors can pick up their meals without leaving their vehicle at 1834 Fowler St. In addition, volunteer drivers continue to deliver a combination of hot meals and frozen meals each Tuesday and uMEALS ON WHEELS, Page 4

On a Tuesday in May, a merry band of Tri-Citians climbed into private vehicles and caravanned to Hermiston. Their destination: The Hermiston Botanical Garden. The outing was sponsored by the Richland Seniors Association, and it was a roaring success, said David Everett, the group’s president. “I was amazed,” he said. As Washington prepares to reopen after more than a year of Covid-19 shutdowns, the trip to Hermiston is one sign that the area’s senior and community centers are restoring in-person gatherings to their calendars. RSA is a regional organization dedicated to the betterment of seniors and the community. It calls

Courtesy David Everett of Richland Seniors Association The Richland Seniors Association organized a caravan to visit the botanical gardens in Hermiston. As community and senior centers reopen, hybrid events that allow for safe distancing are gaining popularity.

the city-owned Richland Community Center home but operates across the region. Washington restaurants and retailers can return to 100% occupancy

on June 30 if the state meets vaccination guidelines. The Centers for

Disease Control announced in May uREOPENING, Page 6

Vancouver developer raises its local profile with $50M project at Hansen Park By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz

A Vancouver developer with a history of building apartments in the TriCities is raising its profile with an ambitious project in the Columbia Center Boulevard corridor. Carmen Villarma and her husband, Dennis Pavlina, have begun work on The Resort at Hansen Park, a $50 million mixed-use development that will offer three different types of rental homes plus 21,000 square feet of of-

fice space on a nine-acre parcel at the corner of West 10th Avenue and Columbia Center in Kennewick. Pavlina is the general contractor. The couple, who have been active in the Tri-Cities for years, secured the nine-acre site in December, according to county property records, though they have been working on the development plan for longer than that. They’ve built and managed apartments, including the complex north of the Hansen Park project, and have a new office building in construction

off Clearwater Avenue. They’re wrapping up a two-story office at 30 S. Louisiana St., off West Clearwater Avenue, to house Tri-City branch offices for Villarma’s two property management businesses, The Management Group and Association Management Services. The building will debut in July. The Resort at Hansen Park is their largest project and is one of the largest private mixed-used developments uHANSEN PARK, Page 2

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Homegrown delivery service a force to be reckoned with Page 3

MONTHLY QUIZ

Mid-Columbia Libraries’ bookmobile was social media on wheels

Page 7

What is the name of the road at exit 122 off Interstate 82 south of Kennewick that extends east to Nine Canyon Road? ANSWER, PAGE 9

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SENIOR TIMES • JUNE 2021 HANSEN PARK, From page 1 509-737-8778 509-737-8448 fax Mailing address: 8524 W. Gage Blvd., #A1-300 Kennewick, WA 99336 srtimes.com

STAFF Melanie Hair CEO 509-737-8778 ext. 5 melanie@tcjournal.biz Kristina Lord Publisher 509-737-8778 ext. 3 publisher@tcjournal.biz 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

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in the Tri-Cities at the start of the 2021 construction season. The first phase began earlier this year with site work. That included leveling the property, installing utilities and fire hydrants and building roads. When the “horizontal” construction work wraps up, they’ll begin with vertical. The first buildings will begin this summer along the northern border with Hansen Park, the city-owned park that fronts Columbia Center Boulevard. Villarma and Pavlina bought the right to develop a second phase on a neighboring property. The second phase will add more residential units, a clubhouse and retail space along Columbia Center Boulevard, between West 10th Avenue and the existing Hansen Park. The site plan is under review by the city. In the current first phase, Villarma and Pavlina plan to build 225 units of rental housing in three distinct sections all clustered around a communal clubhouse and office buildings. A series of triplexes will line the outer edge, a traditional garden-style complex will occupy the center and an urban-style block apartment building will border the existing retail center at the nearby intersection. Trilogy, the triplexes, will be built first, starting at the farthest property line and working south to 10th Avenue. It will have nine three-bedroom units and 18 two-bedroom ones with rents ranging from $1,725 to $2,100 per month. The larger units are townhouses with lofts. It should be ready for renters by the end of the year, weather permitting. Park Avenue Apartments, a fivebuilding garden-style project will of-

Photo by Wendy Culverwell Carmen Villarma stands at the site she and her husband, Dennis Pavlina, are developing, The Resort at Hansen Park, a $50 million mixed-use development that will bring three types of rental homes and new commercial space to the Columbia Center Boulevard corridor. Site work began in early 2021. The first homes will be available for rent by late 2021.

fer 108 units in three-story walk-up buildings. It will be at the center of the site, near the clubhouse. The layout is traditional, but with oversized decks in a nod to the desire for more outdoor space during the Covid-19 pandemic. Club 10 is the final piece of the residential picture. The four-story building will be built around a center courtyard, with 60 units on three floors above a secured garage, all served by an elevator. The site slopes downward to the north, so the top floors promise to offer views toward the Columbia River. The couple will own the property and manage it through Villarma’s businesses. “Dennis and I never sell anything,” she said. Nevertheless, each of the projects is on a distinct plot to ease future sales if

conditions change. The last piece of The Resort puzzle is office space, currently offered for sale through SVN | Retter & Co. Real Estate. Villarma said she’s been tracking the Tri-City market since she first built apartments in the west Kennewick neighborhood in 2006. There have been economic bumps, but nothing like the wild swings that buffet western Washington and the Portland area, where she is based. The Tri-City economy tends to escape the big swings thanks to the stabilizing influence of federal spending at the Hanford site and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, as well as the expansive influence of agriculture and food processing. “It’s pretty darned stable,” she said. She’s a fan too of the favorable building climate, both municipal and physical. The city of Kennewick and neighboring jurisdictions process building requests efficiently, she said. And the long building season means construction workers can get more done in two months in the Tri-Cities than two months in wet, cold western Washington. The first phase of The Resort at Hansen Park is funded with a combination of equity and convertible construction loans. Villarma and Pavlina don’t take on outside investors, but they do turn to commercial lenders to finance construction. HAPO Credit Union is the lender for the Trilogy housing, a first for Villarma and Pavlina, who wanted a local partner on the project. Washington Federal is the lender for the Park Avenue Apartments and clubhouse. Both loans convert to traditional mortgages once the project is complete and leased to renters. Go to ResortHP.com for more information.

SENIOR TIMES • JUNE 2021

Homegrown delivery service a force to be reckoned with By Kristina Lord

publisher@tcjournal.biz

Tracy LaMarr sketched out the plan to launch a restaurant delivery service on a plane homebound from a business conference in March 2020, as restaurants and other companies were shutting down to stem coronavirus infections. The Tri-City restaurant owner knew she’d face fierce competition from bigger, well-known companies like Uber Eats, DoorDash and Grubhub, but she wasn’t daunted. She cringed each time she paid the monthly fees to the delivery services and knew to weather the pandemic she would need to reduce expenses like these. “I couldn’t survive with them taking 30% of all my sales,” she said, explaining she was paying up to $10,000 a month for their services. So she and her husband, Steve, owners of Chicken Shack restaurants in West Richland, Pasco and Kennewick, decided to start their own delivery service. After all, why not add a third business to their mix? Tracy is an entrepreneur who launched her own construction firm with partners at age 25. The couple also own StoneCrest Builders, a custom homebuilding company, which marks its 22nd year in business this year.

From Dudes to Force

The food-delivery business began as Tri-Cities Food Dudes but had to change its name when a business in the Midwest alerted the LaMarrs that the name was trademarked. “We loved the Dudes, but in hindsight it worked out better. We initially did this for the Chicken Shack but we saw how much local restaurants needed us and how much we could help. It became more like a mission. We’re fighting for our locals and hopefully we would be a force to be reckoned with,” Tracy said. And so Tri-Cities Food Force launched in March 2021, just in time to celebrate the first anniversary of the food-delivery business in April. More than 50 Tri-City restaurants have joined the Force to date. Niki Young, co-owner of Pacific Pasta & Grill in Richland, has been using the delivery service since August and she’s been impressed. “They were local. We like to support the local businesses. They charged a lower fee,” she said. “I want to see Food Force get more customers so they can grow,” she added.

Chicken Shack hatched

The LaMarrs opened the West

Richland Chicken Shack in December 2015 as a licensee. It’s not a franchise, Tracy pointed out. They have the rights to use the recipes, Fred the chicken mascot and logos. They also must agree to use fresh chicken. Other than that, they’re free to run the restaurants as they please. They opened additional restaurants at 8921 Sandifur Parkway in Pasco in January 2019 and at 3320 W. Kennewick Ave. in Kennewick in March 2021. “We have great fan base and they have continued to thrive. We pivoted really well on online stuff. We tried to make it really, really easy for people to order,” Tracy said. The West Richland Shack is popular for its live music and patio seating. Shows returned in April after a yearlong hiatus. Tracy said the shows have been selling out. “We’re getting a good 21-and-older section in Kennewick, too, and getting a good beer following there,” she said. The three restaurants employ nearly 30 people. Food Force employs three full-time food dispatchers along with about a dozen independent contracted drivers. One operational manager works across Food Force, Chicken Shack and StoneCrest. Between the three companies, they have about 45 employees on the payroll.

Using the Force

Customers ordering food can harness the Force via its app or website to see which restaurants are in their delivery area. Dispatchers help to make sure everything runs smoothly behind the scenes. Young, of Pacific Pasta & Grill, appreciates Food Force drivers being prepared with insulated food bags and dressing nicely. After all, she said, they’re representing her establishment, even though they’re not her employees. Young said she’s never had a call complaining about an incorrect delivery order from a Food Force driver either. “Whereas Uber and Grubhub I get bad calls,” she said, explaining she has had complaints about customers not receiving drinks or some of the items they ordered. “I end up having to eat that because I’m trying to make that right with customers,” she said. Force dispatchers can make realtime adjustments. If an order isn’t seen by the restaurant, they call to alert them. If a hungry customer wants extra meat, they make a note and charge the appropriate amount to cover the

cost. “We work through those problems live, which I appreciate as a restaurant owner. … It enables us to manage that experience,” Tracy said. “We take that burden off restaurants to let us handle it.” Some restaurants aren’t promoting the homegrown delivery service because they’re too busy running their own Photo by Kristina Lord kitchens. It’s getting Tracy to reBradyn Nelson holds up the Tri-Cities Food Force app in front of the Chicken Shack at 4390 W. Van think how to betGiesen Ave. in West Richland. Download the Food ter market the Force app on Google Play or the app store or order business to both online at tcfoodforce.com. restaurants and customers. she said. “Our biggest Food Force charges 12% of restaucompetition is not each other. Our biggest competition is the other third par- rants’ meal sales, versus the 30% fee ty. We have to break the habit of ev- assessed by the national third-party eryone going to them and to recognize vendors, Tracy said. There’s no fee to these restaurants need our service,” uFOOD FORCE, Page 6

SENIOR TIMES • JUNE 2021 uBRIEFS iPads help nonprofit clinics serve their patients

Courtesy Mid-Columbia Meals on Wheels Mid-Columbia Meals on Wheels now is offering hot meals five days a week at 1834 Fowler St. in Richland with the expansion of its drive-thru program. It had been offered three days a week.

MEALS ON WHEELS, From page 1

Thursday to their homebound clients. There are no financial qualifications for seniors age 60+ to receive meal service, and all senior meals are provided on a donation-only basis. Meals on Wheels also hosts frozen meal pickups at the following locations: • 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday to Friday, Meals on Wheels administration office: 1824 Fowler St in Richland. • 10 a.m. to noon Tuesdays at Kennewick, Pasco, Pasco Parkside, Richland, Benton City and Prosser sites. • 10 a.m. to noon Thursdays, Connell Community Center. “We are committed to feeding our senior community while still addressing the safety of both our seniors and our volunteers. In these times of uncertainty and worry, we want our seniors feel secure in knowing that food is available for every one of them, and we

look forward to the time when we can return to full service,” Thien said.

How to sign up

For an application to receive farmers market vouchers, call 509-735-1911 or email admin@seniorliferesources.org. Seniors age 60 and older who are interested in Meals on Wheels programs may call to sign up or for more information. Mid-Columbia Meals on Wheels is a program of Senior Life Resources Northwest, a local nonprofit committed to helping seniors retain their independence. In 2020, Mid-Columbia Meals on Wheels served over 235,000 meals to seniors in Benton and Franklin counties, adapting its services through the pandemic to provide uninterrupted service.

Grace Clinic and the Tri-City Union Gospel Mission received gifts of iPads to help the nonprofits with their mission to provide medical and social services to the community. The iPads were provided through a partnership with Washington State University Tri-Cities nursing students and the Kadlec Foundation. Grace Clinic offers free medical, dental and mental health services to people who don’t have insurance. The mission provides shelter as well as social and medical support to people who are homeless. Nursing students recognized the need for help translating medical terms for patients who don’t speak English during clinical work at Grace Clinic.

Chaplaincy discontinues behavioral health services

Chaplaincy Health Care, a Richland-based nonprofit providing hospice care, grief support and spiritual comfort, is discontinuing its behavioral health program, effective May 31. Chaplaincy Behavioral Health served the Tri-Cities community since 2013 and aimed to meet the mental health needs of the underserved Medicare and Medicaid populations. The decision to close the program is a result of the inability to build and sustain a solid counseling foundation and business model that could effectively serve the community without overburdening the financial resources of the agency. “We sincerely regret this decision but the growing needs in our hospice program require that we reprioritize and focus on hospice and hospice-related services. The impact of this decision on staff, clients and providers is very real to us

and we will do everything we can to make the transition as supportive as possible,” said Bob Rosselli, interim executive director. Clients in the behavioral health program were notified by mail the week of May 3 about the program closure. Current patients are encouraged to call Chaplaincy Health Care with any questions or concerns. It can be reached at 509783-7416, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. MondayFriday.

Tri-Cities Cancer Center plants community garden

The Tri-Cities Cancer Center is seeking donations and volunteers to tend to its community garden, part of its cancer-crushing mission to treat and feed local patients. The new garden, planted May 12, is filled with herbs, vegetables and wildflowers for patients. Volunteer by emailing aracellyg@tccancer.org. Donate at bit.ly/ TCCCGardenDonations.

Benton PUD offers Covid-19 relief

Benton PUD is offering a onetime credit of up to $200 for residential customers whose bills are past due because of Covid-19 hardships. To qualify, customers must demonstrate a loss of income due to the pandemic or increased expenses and have a total annual income at or below 225% of the federal poverty level. The program is open to residential and non-residential customers who had past-due balances on April 30. A credit is also available for lowincome customers who had no past due balance. The program ends July 31 or when funding is depleted. Credits are calculated at up to 50% of the past-due balance. Go to BentonPUD.org.

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SENIOR TIMES • JUNE 2021

Can you opt out of state’s new Long Term Care Act and tax? Should you? Washington state has adopted a firstof-its-kind law that both provides a new long-term care benefit and pays for the new benefit with a new tax collected by employers. Its formal name is the Long-Term Services and Supports Trust Program. Many employers and employees are Matt Riesenweber scrambling to understand the implicaCornerstone Wealth tions of this new law. This column Strategies Inc. aims to summarize the new law and provide thoughts on who might want to GUEST COLUMN seek to opt-out of the law – and associated tax. Can I opt out?

What’s the tax?

Starting Jan. 1, 2022, employers will begin withholding a new payroll tax from employee paychecks as a premium payment for the new long-term care benefit. The initial premium rate is fiftyeight hundredths of 1% of the individual’s wages, or 0.58% (RCW 50B.04.070). This amounts to $580 annually for a W2 income of $100,000. But, unlike other payroll tax deductions, there is no cap on the amount of wages that are taxed. So, if you are making a W2 wage of $300,000, the payroll tax would amount to $1,740 a year.

What’s the benefit?

Under current law, the benefit is approximately $100 a day for up to 365 days, or about $36,500. This amount is based on the following findings embedded in the applicable law: The average Medicaid consumer uses 96 hours of care per month. The language is embedded in RCW 50B.04.900. Importantly, the benefit requires work minimums for vesting. In other

words, it is only available to those individuals working for wages and paying the tax for the prescribed time. The benefit is not provided if the individual beneficiary moves out of the state of Washington.

Employees who can demonstrate they already have long-term care insurance may apply to be exempted from paying the premium, under RCW 50B.04.085. The application for the exemption is only valid from Oct. 1, 2021, through Dec. 31, 2022, but an employee seeking an exemption must have alternative qualifying long-term care insurance in place before Nov. 1, 2021. Individuals interested in applying for an exemption should be prepared to act given the short window of opportunity. If you do not have long-term care insurance and choose to acquire it before the deadline, the application process and underwriting might take some time. The exact form of the application for exemption has not yet been provided by the Employment Security Department. Importantly, if an individual is granted an exemption (opts out) then that individual can never later qualify for the benefit.

Who may want to seek an exemption by acquiring an individual long-term care policy

Who may not need to worry about it (i.e., pay the tax)

10 or more years from retirement

10 years or less from retirement

Likely moving out of Washington at retirement (benefit is only good in Washington)

Likely staying in Washington

Interested in or want an individualized long-term care policy

Can self-insure; not interested in individualized long-term care policy

Income more than $150,000 (W2 income only)

Income under $150,000 (W2 income only)

For most people, we think the answer is that you should not choose to opt out. Based on the rules as we understand them, we have put together considerations to help in making your determination. The longer you plan to work and the higher your income, the more impactful the tax will be on your income. Conversely, the shorter you plan to work or the lower your income, the smaller the impact. If you already have a long-term care policy that is satisfactory to you, then you probably should opt out. For others, take a look at the following factors in the accompanying chart. If multiple factors in a column apply to you, it may help determine if purchasing long-term care insurance and

Should I opt out?

opting out is right for you. This law will impact the vast majority of employees and also the vast majority of employers. Not only should employees determine if opting out is in their best interest, but the employer also should be prepared to begin payroll deductions in accordance with the new law. Employers also should provide notification of the impacts of this law to employees as soon as possible so the employee can evaluate his or her options. 8Matt Riesenweber, a certified financial planner, works for Cornerstone Wealth Strategies Inc., a full-service independent investment management and financial planning firm in Kennewick.

Veterans Memorial Wall

This is a more difficult question and is highly individualized.

The Veterans Memorial Roll Call Wall was dedicated in 1997 and includes the names of over 3,000 veterans who are buried at Desert Lawn Memorial Park. Every year before Memorial Day we add the names of the veterans who passed away during the last year. These are the names that we added this year: Edwin J. Schubert Charles D. Benson Dean G. Jacobson Lester C. Cronk Lavon W. Seaboldt II Raymond L. Langaas E. Earl Root Claude P. Noggles Richard D. Williams Judith A. Flippo Robert E. Olson Lester M. Kienel Douglas W. Smith Donald L. Johnston Jack J. Rasmussen Richard W. Tebeck David R. Gorsuch Thomas W. Woods Robert E. L. Cauble John C. Daniels Roger C. Blair Marvin F. Kimber Cynthia M. Jones Steven S. Bailie Richard N. Rasp

Ellen M. Berg Coy E. Love Steven C. Parker Paul L. Allen Harry R. Plaza Oscar J. Elgert Ronald J. Light William H. Johnson Charles H. Goeckner Jr. John T. Bettinson Jr. Roscoe J. Wade Jr. John J. Dawson Cecil R. Johnson Joel F. Williams Sr. Maurice L. Howard Bennett H. Orren LeRoy Myers Verner M. Myers James I. Sansom Hugh E. Lucke John H. Smith Myron W. Cleavenger Jack J. Holden Elmer C. Keplinger Eliacer Z. Silva

Merton L. LaFortune Donald E. Gest Kenneth W. Vails Donald E. Dimond Robert A. Gilton Gordon H. Hasbargen Joseph B. Kuhns Donald W. Glover Diana Palmer Kessler K. Martin Kenneth Silliman Billy R. Potter Jose M. Becerra Peter D. Kerr Theodore S. Hartman Richard M. Best Lester L. Keizer Roger A. Hankel Sr. Gordon E. Moen Gail J. Sliger Glenn R. Washam Hollis R. Morris Warren A. Espe

If you’re a Veteran, ask if you qualify for a free burial rite. (509) 783-3181 • MuellersFuneralHomes.com

SENIOR TIMES • JUNE 2021 FOOD FORCE, From page 3 sign up for the service.

Turning them off

Tracy said she decided to commit to her own delivery service completely and turned off the national vendors in February. She said it took more than a month for delivery sales to build back up as customers figured out about Food Force. “I had my heart in throat for a REOPENING, From page 1

that masks are no longer necessary for individuals who have been vaccinated. Details are sketchy and calendars remain mostly bare, but the senior and community centers in Kennewick, Pasco, Richland and West Richland are preparing to welcome the public back, Covid-style. That means limited offerings, social distancing and mandatory masks inside. Prosser is dealing with a catastrophic fire at City Hall that forced the city and police department to move into the community center. Officials hope to reopen soon but have no date. For venues with plans to open and organizations running senior programs, safety measures will remain in place – including mask-wearing, vaccinations and social distancing. “We’re insistent on being Covidcompliant, especially because our membership is in the highest risk group,” Everett said. The RSA’s caravan is a telling example of what to expect – a hybrid activity that preserves safety measures while providing welcome opportunities to socialize and explore the world. Everett said traveling by private vehicles is a great way to begin because it lets people travel together while traveling in their own bubbles. On June 16, the caravan heads to the Moses Lake Museum & Art Center and Japanese Peace Garden The Richland Community Center, 500 Amon Park Drive, reopened in a limited fashion in May. The cityowned center expected to fully reopen by June 1. Hours are 8 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays and only one activity can occur at a time. Its first in-person gathering since before the pandemic was an RSAsponsored greeting card recycling gathering. Participants take used greeting cards and transform them into new works of art, which they sell to raise money. Yoga and other activities are in the works but have not been added to the calendar – yet. Pasco’s First Avenue Center, 505 N. First Ave., is targeting a June 1

month, or my stomach, or however you say it. I just knew that our customers were awesome and going to support us. I hope to be an example and tell the other restaurants: I have the same amount of sales and profitability and the bottom line is bigger. “We need to get that across to the Tri-Cities. We need to use Food Force not for us, but for the restaurants. It’s going to help them greatly. But I know it’s hard to break a habit,” she said. limited opening date. It too will be limited to one activity at a time, with a cap on the number of people allowed inside. The city has tentative plans for Fourth of July fireworks and other festivities, though not a parade since there isn’t enough time to sort through the details. The city council hadn’t signed off on the fireworks display, but supplies are on preorder. Kennewick’s Keewaydin Community Center, 500 S. Auburn St., remained closed in May with the promise of reopening “soon.” Officials referred questions to the city’s Summer Activity Guide, which is posted at Kennewickrecreation. com. Call 509-585-4303 for the latest status on class offerings. Current activities include gentle yoga and power yoga at the Highland Grange Building, 1500 S. Union St. The Kennewick Activity Center at 304 W. Sixth Ave. hosts Lite Done Right, a cardio fitness program. Its traditional lineup of bunco, bridge, Chinese mahjong, woodcarving, pinochle and other programs are on hold pending detailed guidelines for in-person programs from the state Department of Health. When allowed, bunco will resume Friday mornings at the Grange building. Bridge will meet Tuesday and Thursday afternoons at Keewaydin. Art classes will be offered Tuesday mornings at Keewaydin and dominoes will meet Tuesday and Fridays, also at Keewaydin. Mahjong will meet Wednesday afternoons at Keewaydin. Pinochle will meet Monday, Wednesday and Thursday afternoons at Keewaydin. Woodcarving will meet Wednesday afternoon and Friday morning at Keewaydin. The West Richland Senior Center, 616 N. 60th Ave., restarted its Thursday morning exercise classes in mid-May and is preparing to offer bingo as well, said Marv Calkins of the West Richland Senior Club. Bunco returns in August. Masks will be required, and attendees are expected to maintain social distancing and use sanitizers. “If there’s a Covid case, we will have to close the center,” Calkins said.

SENIOR TIMES • JUNE 2021

Mid-Columbia Libraries’ bookmobile was social media on wheels By East Benton County Historical Society

The first library bookmobile serving outlying Benton and Franklin county readers arrived in the summer of 1949 and truly offered neighborly communication. It brought to countryside living rooms everything from the mysteries of the Amazon River to the storybook adventures of the Mississippi River found in the escapades of Tom Sawyer and his mischievous pal, Huckleberry Finn. On the shelves of the traveling bookmobile, contemporary writings shared space with ancient history, while children’s literature told tall tales. Through the years, the bookmobile transitioned from stops at individual homes with an inviting honk of the horn to a route-to-route schedule, but it was always there bringing the world into rural living rooms for children and adults. But that early bookmobile was more than a library on wheels as it wound through the countryside on two-lane roads connecting farms separated by miles. Not everyone had a telephone. It became part of the social fabric of that rural countryside. When one neighbor needed to pass on a message to a neighboring farmer living miles away, the bookmobile crew became not only custodians of traveling books but couriers who ferried messages down the road with them. Warm relationships formed on bookmobile routes that became and continued to be a hallmark of the MidColumbia Libraries system for the last 72 years. But the iconic service is now discontinued as of early this year with the libraries moving to a new system it believes will make “it easier than ever for rural residents” to receive library books and materials through an efficient process of pre-order with delivery by mail or through pickup at a patron’s library branch of choice. When the library system here was established in the late 1940s, organizers were intent that the bookmobile would be part of the service. They bought the first bookmobile soon after, and it hit the road for the first time on May 19, 1949. Mobile libraries had already been a source of reading in the United States, even from horse and buggy days. One of the first was a mule-drawn wagon carrying boxes of books in Chester County, South Carolina, in 1904. A librarian in Washington County, Maryland, began a “book wagon” in 1905, reaching remote areas. Some consider it the first bookmobile in the

Courtesy East Benton Historical Society When the Mid-Columbia Libraries debuted its first bookmobile in 1949, it built community among the rural residents of Benton and Franklin counties.

United States. A pioneering librarian in 1920 specifically outfitted her Model T to serve rural areas of New Jersey with library books, while a horse-drawn version operated in Minnesota at the same time. From its infancy here in 1949, the bookmobile was a work in progress, expanding in numbers, convenience, comfort and materials. Some selected books in the sweltering heat of a summer’s day when air conditioning was nonexistent. By its 50th anniversary in 1999, the bookmobile carried some 3,000 books, but in the expanding world of technology, it also offered videos, CDs and books on tape. It would travel up to 100 miles in a single day, reaching rural areas like west and south Benton County, Finley, places north of Pasco, the Mesa area and Taylor Flats, serving up to as many as 200. It might be found traveling a lonely highway between Prosser and Paterson, where at stops a mother of four might be found checking out books for herself and her children.

Another patron could be found checking out materials for a homebound elderly woman she visited, after placing an earlier call requesting a special large print. The books were bagged and ready when the bookmobile made its stop. Evaluations and recommendations were ongoing to enhance service, and communities like Connell, Kahlotus and Mesa incorporated the hospitality of the bookmobile into their communi-

ty events, whether a parade or standalone open house. The bookmobile reached out to serve Benton-Franklin Head Start programs at the Martin Luther King Jr. Center in Pasco, in Benton City and in Kennewick. Migrant families in Pasco, Whitstran and Basin City were served, as were large day cares serving children eligible for state assistance. Today’s new system offers the same wide range of materials provided by the bookmobile, ranging from fiction and nonfiction, to DVDs, CDs, magazines and more. When materials are ready, patrons are notified by phone, text or email, depending on their preference. Currently, delivery is made by the library to those living in Mesa because of its distant location. Materials are mailed to readers living in Paterson and Plymouth who use the rural system. Other members of the MidColumbia Libraries acquiring materials through the new system are informed that their materials are ready for pickup at their library branch of choice. For more detailed information on the change, call 509-737-6375 or email ruralservices@midcolumbialibraries.org.

SENIOR TIMES • JUNE 2021

Air pollution improves but region still has highest levels in state By Kristina Lord

publisher@tcjournal.biz

The Tri-Cities’ ozone levels, the highest in the state, have landed the region on national and state watch lists for the past five years. Since then, levels have improved but officials can’t pinpoint why. Concerns remain about them increasing again, which could prompt sanctions from the Environmental Protection Agency. “We’ve definitely been keeping an eye on it. It is one of the biggest areas at risk in Washington state. We do continue to monitor it. I don’t think the reasons for why ozone is there are going to go away any time soon – or ever,” said Kari Johnson, air quality outreach specialist for the state Department of Ecology. Ozone – also called smog and air pollution – is a chemical reaction that forms a toxic gas when certain conditions are right, and the Tri-Cities has them in spades, Johnson said. She ticked off the list: • It’s hot here. Ozone forms in temperatures over 88 degrees F. • The Tri-Cities has the “perfect topography” for ozone, with air flows damming up against the Horse Heaven Hills, keeping bad air hang-

ing around and allowing ozone to cook, she said. • A high amount of emissions from gas-powered engines fuels the problem. “Our studies have shown that traffic congestion in the Tri-Cities is a big contributor,” she said. High ozone levels also aren’t good for your health. “It’s like a sunburn to the lungs. It can be felt. It’s an irritant to the eyes and the nose and the throat. Even healthy people, like outdoor workers and athletes, can be affected by it, and especially those who are sensitive, like asthmatics, the elderly, or children,” Johnson said.

BFT involvement

As the state continues to monitor the region’s ozone levels, Ben Franklin Transit is winding down a twoyear $100,000 grant program aimed at reducing ozone levels. Sure, the area’s ozone levels already have been decreasing since the 2016 study landed the Tri-Cities on the hazardous air list. “It’s a little tricky because our monitors have not picked up on any exceedances in ozone for the past couple of years and that’s a good thing, but at the same time we don’t

Courtesy Ben Franklin Transit As more workers become vaccinated and return to the office, state and local rideshare proponents hope they’ll consider rideshare options, like Ben Franklin Transit’s vanpool program, to reduce ground-level ozone levels.

know why,” Johnson said. “We’d like to see those levels stay low but to promote individual actions that do keep them low.” That’s where BFT comes in. The grant funds a full-time employee within the transit agency to work on ways to reduce traffic congestion and promote ridesharing. The state Legislature approved the money for the work, earmarking $406,000 for a dozen or so air quality projects around the state, including ozone

reduction and dust mitigation in the Tri-Cities. For the 2021-23 biennium, legislators approved $2 million to expand the work statewide. BFT has agreed to keep the grant-funded position to promote ridesharing after the current grant runs out on June 30. In addition to this money, Ecology has been distributing $141 million in grants and other funding to reduce uBFT, Page 10

SENIOR TIMES • JUNE 2021

Just for Fun

Crossword

Across 1 Fortify 4 Turnpike fee 8 Entreaty 9 Creative flashes 11 Claim on a property 12 Where Muhammad went after Mecca 14 Legally bind 16 Floor covering 17 Son of Abraham 18 Verge 19 Shows approval

Solutions on page 11

30 Eerie sense of recurrence

8 Org. once led by Arafat

33 Short letter

13 Period of human life

10 Cozy

34 Dynamite inventor

15 Hoedown female

35 Yucky buildup

18 Spirit

36 Charge per unit

20 Cathedral fixture

37 Psychic “gift”

21 School leader’s degree 22 Golf tourney

Down

23 Kind of suit

1 Proof of being elsewhere

25 They’re known to noses

2 Staggers

26 Organization

3 Nuts

21 Apple pie makers

4 Item exhumed years after burial

29 “Game of Thrones” patriarch --- Stark

24 Mexican moolah

5 Lyric poem

31 Lawyers’ gp.

27 Org. with a flowery seal

6 Took control

32 Old soldier

28 IKEA’s homeland

7 Scottish landowner

Word search - Vegetables Endive

Pea

Beet

Fennel

Plantain

Caper

Garlic

Pulse

Celery

Gourd

Sage

Chard

Kale

Soy

Chili

Leek

Swede

Cole

Maize

Tomato

Corn

Okra

Yam

SUDOKU SUDOKU

6 4 4 3 3

Medium Medium

8 8 58 5 9 7 7 3

Sudoku - Tough

Str8ts - Easy

Medium Medium

Onion STR8TS STR8TS

Cress

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How to beat Str8ts: No single number, 1 to 9, can repeat in any row or column. But rows and columns are divided by black squares into compartments. Each compartment must form a straight, a set of numbers with no gaps but it can be in any order, eg: 7, 6, 8, 9. Clues in black cells remove that number as an option in that row and column, and are not part of any straight. Rules of Sudoku - To complete Sudoku, fill the board by entering numbers 1 to 9 such that each row, column and 3x3 box contains ever number uniquely. For more strategies, hints and tips, visit www.sudokuwiki.org and www.str8ts.com.

How to How beat to Str8ts beat–Str8ts – To complete Sudoku, fill the board by entering June 10: To The U.S. ended itsfilltrade embargo of the complete Sudoku, the board by entering Like Sudoku, no single 1 to 9 can repeat any row Like Sudoku, nonumber single number 1 to 9 caninrepeat in any row numbers 1 to 9 such that each row, column and 3x3 numbers 1 to 9China, such that each than row, column and 3x3 People’s Republic of more 21 years or column. But... rows and columns are or column. But... rows and columns are box contains every number uniquely. box contains every number uniquely. divided by black squares into compartments. 2 1 4 5 divided by black squares into compartments. 2 1 4after 5 China came under control of the Chinese Each compartment must form a straight For many strategies, hints and tips, Each compartment must form a straight - 6 4 5 6 3 4 2 5Communist For Party. many strategies, hints and tips, 3 2 a set of numbers with no gaps but it can be visit www.sudokuwiki.org for Sudoku a set of numbers with no gaps but it can be4 5 2 1 visit www.sudokuwiki.org for Sudoku in any order, eg [7,6,9,8]. Clues in black cells 4 5 June 2and117: www.str8ts.com for Str8ts. U.S.www.str8ts.com President Nixon began the War on in any order, eg [7,6,9,8]. Clues in black4cells and for Str8ts. 3 6 2 1 5 remove that number as an option in that row 4 3 6 2Drugs, 1 5 declaring in a nationwide address that remove that number as an option in that row and column, and are not part of any straight. If you like Str8ts and other puzzles, check out our 3 5 2 1 4 and column, and are not part of any straight. If you like Str8ts and other puzzles, check out our 3 5 2 1“America’s 4books, iPhone/iPad Glance at the solution to see how ‘straights’ and much on our store. publicApps enemy No. 1more in the United Glance at the solution to see how ‘straights’2 1 3 books, iPhone/iPad Apps and much more on our store. are formed. 2 1 3States was drug abuse.” are formed.

Turn Back the Clock...

1971

Str8ts example

June 21: Golfer Lee Trevino won the U.S. Open in an 18-hole playoff against Jack Nicklaus, after both players had identical scores of 280 the day before.

ANSWER Quiz answer from Page 1

Coffin Road, named for brothers Arthur, Lester and Stanley Coffin, who had interests in sheep, cattle and land, along with stores and warehouses, in Washington and Idaho. — Source: East Benton County Historic Society and Museum

SENIOR TIMES • JUNE 2021

BFT, From page 8

air pollution around the state to support zero emission transportation, including electric transit buses in the Tri-Cities, Johnson said. The money comes from the 2017-18 settlement with Volkswagen for violating state and federal Clean Air Acts. The success of the recent twoyear BFT grant is hard to measure since much of 2020 saw more people working from home than ever before. “It really put a big hold on Ecology’s and BFT’s launch of the project,” Johnson said. Matt Ragsdale joined BFT as a travel demand reduction specialist in July 2020 – the position funded by the grant. “I basically walked into situation where ozone wasn’t being generated at all. Everyone was working remotely, and I was working remotely,” he said. Johnson is a champion of this remote-working strategy to reduce emissions: “Telecommuting improves air quality – tell your boss.” Ragsdale’s assignment includes outreach at community events, which have been largely canceled since he started, marketing research and tracking performance metrics to ensure the grant makes a difference, Johnson said. Since the lockdowns did play a part in reducing factors contributing to ozone levels, Ragsdale said the

uBRIEFS Friends of Badger Mountain still fundraising for new trail Friends of Badger Mountain, the nonprofit that established hiking trails on Badger and Candy mountains, is $577,000 away from its $1.5 million goal to create a new trail at Little Badger Mountain. It has until Feb. 28, 2022, to close a deal to acquire the last 21 acres it needs to acquire a corridor from Queensgate Boulevard to the

goal now is to “sustain this behavior change.” “We don’t want to see ozone with increased activity,” he said. He’s trying to encourage commuters to consider other options to get to work now that more people are returning to the office. One incentive has been to offer Dutch Bros gift cards for those logging trips in BFT’s RidePro app, which manages the vanpools – groups who commute in a passenger van provided by BFT. Ragsdale also surveyed vanpoolers about how their commuting patterns had changed and if they’d return to a vanpool in the post-pandemic world. He said he was pleasantly surprised that more than half those surveyed said they would be interested in ridesharing again. “People wanted to get back into vanpooling and riding the bus,” he said. “That bodes well for us going forward.” BFT’s vanpool program took a hit when state-mandated lockdowns came in March 2020. In February 2020, BFT recorded 51,370 vanpool segments. Ragsdale defines a segment as one leg of a trip. From home to work, for example. A year later, the numbers plummeted to 11,719 segments. Ragsdale continues to promote alternative ways to get to work and school. “The need for concern for ozone in

the Tri-Cities is still a real thing. ... I anticipate in the next year we will see a real spike in ozone levels,” he said, especially after those who have been vaccinated start traveling more during ozone season, which runs from May to September. Scientists at Ecology have been studying the effects of the initial stay-at-home period on traffic emissions, primarily looking at near-road sites in Seattle and Tacoma since these were established specifically to measure traffic pollution. Ecology found significant declines in carbon monoxide and oxides of nitrogen pollution during the late spring 2020. However, that effect had virtually disappeared by October. Nationally, studies have indicated that the pandemic will have reduced greenhouse gas emissions by roughly 10% in 2020.

Little Badger summit. The new trail will connect to the existing Badger Mountain trail network. Go to friendsofbadger.org/littlebadger-mountain.

up to 7,000. The traditional Native American gathering was canceled in 2020 as well due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Wildhorse Resort & Casino cancels annual Pow Wow

Wildhorse Resort & Casino near Pendleton, Oregon, has canceled its 2021 Pow Wow, officials announced in May. The annual event was scheduled for July 2-4 and traditionally draws a crowd of

Next review?

If the Tri-Cities’ air quality isn’t improved, stricter regulations to get into compliance likely will follow – rules that could negatively affect the economy, making it more difficult for businesses to secure permits to expand. “It could create economic hardships for the area,” Johnson said. Additional regulations also could be a deterrent for new businesses to open and could require expensive solutions to mitigate ozone problems.

Snake River listed as most endangered in nation

The Snake River has been listed as the country’s most endangered in a report from the conservation group American Rivers. The river, which joins the Columbia River at the Tri-Cities and flows through three states,

The region has to meet a certain threshold for a certain number of years to be considered out of the woods. “The Tri-Cities has not met that yet. Granted, there have been a good couple of years and that has helped,” Johnson said. The Environmental Protection Agency also looks favorably on community efforts to reduce ozone, so even if the Tri-Cities is above standards, “EPA could give us a pass if we’re working on efforts to reduce ozone,” she said. The EPA’s next review of Tri-City ozone levels is set for fall 2022.

What can I do?

Ozone is not inevitable and can be prevented, Johnson said. “Individual actions go a long way in helping that. On those days when it’s just so hot, I like to say you get a pass to relax. You can put off running those errands that require your car,” she said. Wait until it cools down to mow the yard. Walk, bike or let someone else drive, like BFT, to run your errand. “The Tri-Cities is growing and traffic could increase so all of these actions, even little ones, add up in a big way for preventing ozone,” Johnson said. To sign up for ozone air quality alerts, go to lar.wsu.edu/tricitiesozone.html. landed at No. 1 spot on American Rivers’ 2021 list of most endangered rivers in the U.S. report. The report points to salmon runs, native rights and culture, and prosperity being at risk. The report says removing four dams on the lower river in Eastern Washington is essential, along with increasing flow over downstream dams, noting that a comprehensive salmon recovery plan is needed. In February 2021, Congressman Mike Simpson, R-Idaho, proposed a $33.5 billion plan that includes river restoration measures regionwide, including the removal of the four dams. Other rivers included on the most-endangered list were the Lower Missouri River in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska; Boundary Waters in Minnesota; South River in Georgia; Pecos River in New Mexico; Tar Creek in Oklahoma; McCloud River in California; Ipswich River in Massachusetts; Raccoon River in Iowa; and Turkey Creek in Mississippi.

SENIOR TIMES • JUNE 2021

Broetje Family Trust brings a green touch to its east Pasco quarters By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz

The Broetje Family Trust is turning to solar power and water recycling to help fulfill its stewardship mission as it builds a new home for its three nonprofits in east Pasco. The $4.2 million, 30,000-squarefoot building will house the trust’s three nonprofits, including a leadership academy with room for up to 60 students when it opens this summer. The trust, established by orchardists Cheryl and Ralph Broetje to carry out the philanthropic work of their sprawling fruit empire, is building its new headquarters at 3713 E. A St. at Tierra Vida, the mixed-used community Broetje initiated in 2006 on a barren, vacant lot. Chervenell Construction of Kennewick is the general contractor for the office project, which began in 2019. Today, the Tierra Vida neighborhood is a lively mix of single- and multi-family homes with about 1,500 residents and a thriving community focus. It has become the focus of the Broetjes’ nonprofit arm since the couple sold their fruit business, one of the largest apple producers in Washington, in late 2018 to the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan. The sale included Broetje orchards and its housing and marketing arms, but not Tierra Vida or the family trust. The office will house about 32 employees of the three ministries – The Center for Sharing, Jubilee Foundation and the Vista Hermosa Foundation. The Center for Sharing hosts a daily devotional service in its chapel. Vista Hermosa Foundation runs a leadership academy serving 10 students. It will have room to expand to 60 in the coming years, thanks to the classrooms, counseling areas and other education-friendly amenities. Roger Bairstow, executive director, said the Broetje Family Trust’s longtime architect is accustomed to adapting to meet its unique needs. The headquarters project, which is called the Jubilee Foundation headquarters on official documents, is designed by DLC Architecture, based in Vancouver, Washington. The design balances the need to secure the building to protect students and staff and the trust’s mission to present a welcoming face to

the community. The green touches include a large system of solar panels that will offset 40% of its power use as well as a rainwater reclamation system and native plantings. The trust is not pursuing formal certification through the U.S. Green Building Council or other ratings program. It viewed the investment as good for business and good for its core mission. The Broetjes have long infused their faith in their business and philanthropic efforts. That includes thoughtful stewardship of people and places, Bairstow said. It is captured in the trust’s mission statement, “Bearing fruit that will last” through the three foundations. “This is very much rooted in our legacy. Ralph is a farmer. The strength of an orchard is in the soil,” Bairstow said. “We’re trying to do our best.” The stewardship ethos will inform the way the occupants use the building in the future. Bairstow said it will be deliberative about influencing the behavior of the building’s users. It is evaluating recycling and composting programs. The solar system was installed by Hot Solar Solutions, a Burbank company led by Troy Woody. It consists of 240 panels in six groupings on the building’s six angular roofs. It is the largest commercial project to date for Hot Solar Solutions and a sign of growing local interest in solar energy. “Commercial is really starting to kick in,” he said. Woody energized the system on May 3, which means solar energy will help power construction through the end of the project. The 93.6-kilowatt system can produce 110,000 kilowatt hours of electricity a year, enough to offset 40% of its power usage, equal to removing eight cars from the road, or growing 23,000 tree seedlings for a decade. The building will scrimp on water too, thanks to low-flow plumbing fixtures and by capturing rainwater in underground tanks to irrigate the water-friendly landscape, which will feature native plants accustomed to the parched desert climate. Jubilee Foundation ran a residential Leadership Academy that served 2,500 boys from 1995-2018. Jubilee established Tierra Viada in 2005, eventually expanding to include 250 single-family homes and 130 apart-

Planning a move?

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

Photo by Wendy Culverwell The Broetje Family Trust is employing solar power and water recycling to fulfill its stewardship mission as it builds a new office and school building at Tierra Vida in east Pasco. Chervenell Construction is the general contractor for the project, which opens this summer.

ments. Bairstow notes the east Pasco site was tangled and overlooked. That is why it was chosen, he said. The Center for Sharing carries out the Broetje’s faith initiatives by running what it calls a “third” space at Tierra Vida, space outside of work or home for people to gather and con-

nect. Vista Hermosa Foundation provides education and support to children in underserved communities. The original Vista Hermosa community transferred to the new owners when Broetjes sold the orchard business and the foundation moved to Pasco to carry on its mission.

Puzzle answers from page 9

Crossword

Str8ts

Str8ts Solution

6 5 7 6 8 7 5

Sudo

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

Word search

Str8ts Solution

6 5 7 6 8 7 5

8 9 5 6 7

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

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

8 9 5 6 7

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

Sudoku

Sudoku Solution

8 6 7 4 1 2 5 3 9

5 9 1 7 3 8 6 2 4

4 2 3 6 9 5 8 7 1

2 3 6 8 7 9 1 4 5

9 1 4 5 6 3 7 8 2

7 8 5 2 4 1 9 6 3

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

3 4 8 1 5 7 2 9 6

1 7 9 3 2 6 4 5 8

6 5 2 9 8 4 3 1 7

8 6 7 4 1 2 5 3 9

5 9 1 7 3 8 6 2 4

SENIOR TIMES • JUNE 2021

Pasco produce store opens amid shutdown, nears first anniversary By Andrew Kirk for Senior Times

As a teenager Veronica Delgado worked in the Pasco Specialty Kitchen with a woman who made her own jams and sold them at the farmers market. After graduating, she worked in a grocery store selling produce. Later she began selling produce from her uncle’s Pasco farm off Road 100 at the Pasco Farmers Market. Delgado, 27, said she loved seeing food go from farm-to-table in the same community. Soon she began making products herself to sell at the farmers market. “We have 250 beehives… we sold honey at two to five different farmers markets before the shutdown. We had chickens. I make handmade soaps … my aunt taught me to make soap,” she said. When the state-mandated lockdowns closed farmers markets, Delgado knew people still had to eat and wanted to support local producers, so she looked around for a storefront so she could stay open as a grocery store. After examining several places, she settled on the 1,200-square-foot Clark Street storefront because it’s close to her home and the farmers market,

where she also operates a stand now that it has reopened. It was hard to get the word out about her new store at first. “We’ve been doing a lot of Facebook. The people who come spread the word. They say we have great produce, great honey and a lot of people like fresh stuff, grown local or handmade,” she said. Gustavo Gutierrez-Gomez, executive director of the Downtown Pasco Development Authority, said he loves all the different products offered there that other businesses don’t offer. “I love the honey; she has coconuts, mangos… very fresh, very unique things, some of which are culturallyspecific with tropical flavors. She has organic products, some beauty and even some health products too,” he said. In addition to keeping her family’s produce and products moving to customers, Delgado said it’s also been a blessing to sell food and other items from other local businesses. She sells ice cream made by a friend, cider pressed from local orchards, asparagus from the Mid-Columbia, jarred pickles from a local kitchen and more. “We’re helping the community,” she said.

The Downtown Pasco Development Authority’s 501(c)3 arm has been able to funnel grants, donations and government funding from the federal coronavirus relief packages, state Department of Commerce and city of Pasco to help businesses open and/or stay open during the pandemic, including Veronica’s Fresh Produce, he said. A few downCourtesy Veronica’s Fresh Produce town Pasco businesses did choose Veronica Delgado of Pasco shows off a bunch of to close during the fresh-picked organic cilantro that she sells at her storefront, 528 W. Clark St. in Pasco. She opened the 2020 shutdowns, store in July 2020. but $240,000 was available to help “That’s when I knew I liked selling startups like Delgado’s cover rent dur- products, mostly because I like talking the worst months. She received ing to people,” she said. $7,000. The Pasco High graduate started Delgado said she opened her doors the part-time honey business in 2012 in July after daily deliveries and foot as a senior in high school. traffic to her home for pickup orders She earned her associate degree got to be too much. from Columbia Basin College and She found refrigerators and pro- bachelor’s in social work from Heriduce display tables and received help tage University. from family in running the store seven Gutierrez-Gomez said it’s been days a week, including staffing the gratifying to see Veronica’s Fresh farmers market. Produce and other downtown busiDelgado is a longtime entrepreneur, nesses weather the pandemic. selling cotton candy, popcorn and waThe development authority coorditer at the Pasco Flea Market when she uPRODUCE, Page 14 was in high school.

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SENIOR TIMES • JUNE 2021

Iconic Brewery to bring beer, wine to Horn Rapids By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz

The Tri-Cities’ fledgling craft brewery community is about to gain a new member. Iconic Brewery will open in late June at Horn Rapids, bringing craft brew, wine and a family-friendly outdoor gathering spot to Richland’s Horn Rapids Industrial Park. Iconic Brewery is the brainchild of Debbie and Matt Driscoll, veteran dairy farmers and vineyard owners, and their son Todd, a brewer and winemaker. The Driscolls secured the final piece of startup funding in April when the Hanford Area Economic Investment Fund approved a $400,000 loan to buy equipment, including a 10-barrel brewing system. Iconic Brewery will serve as a craft brewery as well as tasting room for Southern Cross Wines, which the Driscolls produce through their vineyard, Sunset View Vineyards, in Pasco. Ample outdoor space will serve as a gathering space and event venue. Debbie and Matt Driscoll were longtime dairy farmers in Prosser who attempted to retire but found new careers instead. He worked as a feedlot manager for Simplot. She was a manager for Total Site Services. They started a vineyard at their Pasco home and then added the winery to process their own grapes. But establishing a family business was always in the cards, Matt said. Between their agriculture and business experience and Todd’s brewing

Photo by Wendy Culverwell Iconic Brewery will join the lineup of breweries and other dining venues at Richland’s Horn Rapids Industrial Park. Owners Matt and Debbie Driscoll secured a $400,000 equipment loan from the Hanford Area Economic Investment Fund to equip the brewery, which is being built by Total Site Services.

background, a craft brewery was the natural outlet. “We said, ‘Dammit, let’s do it,’ ” he recalled. After scouting for a relaxed setting, they bought two acres at Horn Rapids from the city of Richland in 2019. They own the property as M&D Property Holdings LLC and lease it to Iconic. They were attracted by the open atmosphere and the chance to be part of a cluster of consumer-facing businesses that includes Bombing Range Brewing Co., White Bluffs Brewing, The Dive and At Michele’s event venue. Todd studied viticulture and enol-

ogy at Washington State University and works in the wine and beer industries in Washington and Oregon. He is currently working at Chateau Ste. Michelle. His wife, Ashley Stevens Driscoll, is head winemaker for Mercer Wines Estates and will serve as assistant brewer. The family border collie, Sam, rounds out the startup crew. Opening a craft brewery fulfills Todd’s dream of working for himself. “It’s in my blood to want to do something for myself rather than be underneath somebody,” he said. “I’m ready.” Todd brings a passion for the science behind brewing to Iconic and said he particularly loves working on

barrel-aged brews. Iconic will serve a fixed menu of IPAs, pilsners, lagers and a rotating list of specialty brews such as hefeweizens. “I’m real big on yeasts and how it affects the beer,” he said. “I love talking to people about beer, what they like, what they’ve been doing.” Iconic is inviting food trucks to operate at the property and plans to serve pub-style food when the trucks are not available. Its 5,000-square-foot building includes ample brewery space, a 510-square-foot wine tasting room but no commercial kitchen to start. Iconic Brewing will sell through its Horn Rapids brewery and tap room and by self-distribution to Tri-City area restaurants. The family already distributes its wines to the four local Yoke’s Fresh Markets groceries. HAEIF, a public agency established by the state to promote economic diversification around the Hanford site, sees a potential winner in Iconic Brewery, said Skip Novakovich, a board member who serves as its spokesman. The board was impressed with the Driscolls’ significant personal investment and in the potential to expand the number of craft breweries in the community. “It’s going to be another good project for the Tri-City region,” he said. Iconic applied for a microbrewery license from the Washington Liquor and Cannabis Board last fall and will finalize the paperwork when the building is complete.

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SENIOR TIMES • JUNE 2021

PRODUCE, From page 12

nates a variety of programs to help support these entrepreneurs, he said, such as business classes offered in Spanish with the help of Wenatchee Community College. Grants from the Seattle Foundation and other groups are keeping doors open and people working, he added. Currently grant money is being used to produce a Spanish-language podcast and digital radio content to promote downtown businesses. In addition to the business classes, the

uBRIEFS Corvettes on the Columbia coming in September

The 11th annual Corvettes on the Columbia will be held Sept. 10-11 at Columbia Park. The gathering of Corvette enthusiasts includes a silent auction to support charity, a dinner and dance with Eagles tribute band Fast Lane and a daylong show in the park. Go to 3riverscorvetteclub.net.

FEMA helps with funeral costs for Covid-19 deaths

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is providing up to $9,000 in funeral assistance for families of individuals who die due

development authority also is helping with Spanish-language online marketing. Delgado says she’s lived in Pasco 15 years and enjoys seeing the local support for her store and knowing she’s supporting others: “We help a lot of local farmers and local businesses.” Veronica’s Fresh Produce: 528 W. Clark St., Pasco; 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday-Saturday; 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday; Facebook; 509-851-2739. to Covid-19. The Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021 and the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 authorized FEMA to provide funeral assistance for expenses incurred after Jan. 20, 2020. To qualify, families must submit receipts as well as an official death certificate that confirms the death occurred in the U.S. and likely was due to Covid-19. FEMA notes that the funeral assistance program is being exploited by scammers who reach out to victims offering to register them for the service. FEMA does not contact people before they register for assistance. Go to fema.gov/disasters/coronavirus/economic/funeral-assistance.

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File photo In a December 2020 survey of RV renters by Thor Industries, 46% said they hadn’t rented RVs prior to the pandemic. And in a sign of demand to come, three quarters of the renters who completed the survey said they are considering buying an RV.

RV demand surges and Covid is only part of the reason By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz

In the topsy-turvy pandemic economy, RV demand is at a record high, with manufacturers set to ship upwards of 543,000 units in 2021, easily besting the previous record of 504,600 units shipped to dealers in 2017. For dealers and customers alike, record demand means waiting lists for the most popular models. “The pandemic is part of the story, but it’s not the whole story,” said Monika Geraci, spokeswoman for the Recreational Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA). The Reston, Virginia, association represents nearly all manufacturers and suppliers of RVs in the U.S. Manufacturers were coming off a five-year growth streak when the pandemic hit, fueled by population growth, low interest rates and the fact that the U.S. tax code treats RVs as second homes, meaning owners can deduct the interest on purchase loans. “We were looking for a great 2020. And then of course, the pandemic hit and we didn’t know what to expect,” she said. Customers cite a love of road trips, the comfort of having their own space and controlling their own environment as reasons to buy. Demographics factor in too with more retirees.

“It’s the same reasons people always bought RVs, but there’s a greater awareness that it’s not your grandparents’ RV,” she said. Covid-19 has played a role by offering families a self-contained way to travel that skirts engaging with restaurants and hotels face-to-face. RV rentals soared. In a December 2020 survey of RV renters by Thor Industries, 46% said they hadn’t rented RVs prior to the pandemic. And in a sign of demand to come, three quarters of the renters who completed the survey said they are considering buying an RV. That gives manufactures confidence to expand their ability to build RVs, which is chiefly centered in the Midwest, said Geraci. “We don’t see this as a short-term pandemic-only influx,” she said. For prospective buyers hoping that the uptick in demand will lead to a downturn and discounts, Geraci said it’s unlikely. “That’s not what we’re seeing,” she said. A recent study looked at the demographics of RV buyers and it is skewing young. About one in five owners are under age 35, with 84% saying they plant to buy new in the next five years. “That alone speaks to the future of the industry when you have that many younger owners as buyers,” she said.

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SENIOR TIMES • JUNE 2021

New owners reboot longtime downtown Kennewick shoe store By Robin Wojtanik for Senior Times

A fashion enthusiast followed her dream of owning not just one – but two – businesses, now located under one roof in downtown Kennewick. Jamie and Loren Wikstrand bought the 68-year-old David’s Shoes store earlier this year. The longtime business is located in a historic brick corner building outfitted with green awnings at 201 W. Kennewick Ave. Jamie, who launched an onlineonly clothing shop, White Bluffs Boutique, last fall, moved her products inside the 68-year-old store – a happy mashup of longtime business meets e-commerce. “We weren’t looking to purchase a shoe store,” Jamie said, but the former owner reached out to her husband over social media after seeing the launch of White Bluffs Boutique and thought the couple might be interested. The Wikstrands became the third owners of the shoe store, which first opened in 1953. David’s Shoes once had additional locations in Richland and Pasco but those are long closed and only the Kennewick store remains, at the corner of West Kennewick and North Benton avenues. “A lot of the people who have come in have been coming here for 50 years,” Jamie said. “Their parents first brought them in, and they’re still regulars today.” Jamie said the store is named for its original owner, and the second owner used to be one of David’s employees, operating it once he retired

Photo by Robin Wojtanik Jamie and Loren Wikstrand stand behind a newly remodeled checkout counter inside David’s Shoes, 201 W. Kennewick Ave., the store they recently bought and updated with a modern look with new shoe lines and clothes from White Bluffs Boutique, an online-only clothing store.

in the 1990s. Since taking over, the Wikstrands started remodeling the interior and bringing in new offerings, including shoes at a lower price point to serve all budgets. David’s Shoes carries mostly women’s shoes focused on fashion and comfort, with an average price of $50, but the Wikstrands are expanding their men’s lines and have a small selection of kids’ shoes. Popular brands include Birkenstocks, OTBT, Naked Feet, Spring Step, Rieker and Corkys. David’s Shoes expects to also start

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carrying Californians, a higher end line of sandals and flip-flops. A new shipment of Birkenstocks is what brought Dawn Shepherd in on a busy weekend before the popular sandals flew out the door. “I was born and raised here and had never been in, and then I started seeing all the cute stuff on Facebook,” Shepherd said. “So I came in and they said they were new owners, and I was like, ‘Oh I haven’t been missing out this whole time!’” Jamie is excited to put her stamp on the decades-old shop. “I have always had a passion for

clothes and shoes, and I tend to shop at boutiques versus big box stores,” she said. “I had been doing a lot of online shopping during the pandemic. And Loren said, ‘If you don’t ever take a risk in life, you will never be successful.’ ” So Jamie debuted the online boutique featuring contemporary and trendy items, “putting the ‘fun’ in functional,” often with a western flair. “My customers can be 18-25 years old, but my 71-year-old mother also shops from here,” Jamie said. All her tees are American made, with clothing ranging from $25-$55. Quite a few of the pieces available are displayed at David’s Shoes, taking advantage of the chance to show customers the clothes in person. Shepherd also bought her second shirt while selecting shoes. Online sales are still available from White Bluffs Boutique, and clothes may be delivered or shipped. Working full time with the two shops every day for the last few months, Jamie has grown the business enough to warrant the need for a part-time sales associate. David’s Shoes & White Bluffs Boutique: 201 W. Kennewick Ave., Kennewick. Hours: 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. White Bluffs Boutique is always open for online sales at whitebluffsboutique. com. Both shops are on Facebook @davids-shoes-kennewick and @ whitebluffsboutique.

SENIOR TIMES • JUNE 2021

Courtesy Kathy Peoples Kathy Peoples opened Peoples Fitness Journey at 1221 Columbia Park Trail in Richland, fulfilling her dream of opening a gym when she retired from UPS Inc.

Retired UPS exec opens small gym at Richland Wye By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz

Kathy Peoples has opened Peoples Fitness Journey at the Richland Wye, fulfilling a dream of opening a healthrelated business when she retired. Peoples Fitness opened in a 2,500-square-foot space at 1221 Columbia Park Trail, near Fowler Street, in a spot formerly occupied by a rental business. Peoples graduated from Pasco High School but spent most of her career living and working elsewhere. She spent a decade in the military, then joined the Boeing Company and ultimately landed at UPS Inc., where she rose through the management ranks. When she retired in 2019 after a 30-year career, she made a beeline home from Ontario, California. “I moved back because my family is here,” she said. Throughout her career, she said she always knew she wanted to open

a gym and help people meet their fitness goals. She collected equipment and developed her own format rather than joining an existing franchise. She holds certificates in bodybuilding, training and sports nutrition. “It’s always been a lifelong interest,” she said. “I just think fitness is very important. It’s a perpetual journey.” She spent her first year building her retirement home in the walkout basement of her sister’s house. She began working on the gym in August, at the height of the pandemic. “Now I finally get to open,” she said. Peoples provides personal training for men and women. She is working by herself to start but hopes to add trainers as the business develops. She caters to 18-and-over clients. Hours are 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. Contact Peoples at training@pfitnessjourney. com for information.