Senior Times - March 2023

86-year-old retiree opens art gallery in Kennewick

By Laura Kostad for Senior Times

Joe Molvik of Kennewick is proving the old axiom you’re never too old to try something new.

At 86, he decided to open an art gallery showcasing his Norwegianinspired paintings, wood carvings and other woodwork.

The former custom metalworker hung up his trade in 2022 after over 50 years in business and turned his workshop and office into a studio and art gallery that is open by appointment.

Molvik has been painting “off and on” for over 50 years and picked up wood carving around 1993 when one of his sons bought him a basic set of carving tools and a block of wood.

The hobby stuck.

In addition to painting, Molvik enjoys figure carving, crafting picture frames and Norwegian bentwood containers called tine (pronounced like the name “Tina”) and assembling cutting boards, charcuterie boards and butcher blocks out of unexpectedly beautiful

salvaged wood.

“I have been blessed by the Lord to have a compulsion to always be in the process of designing and building something,” he said. “Ever since I was little, I always had to be creative, I always had to create something.”

Molvik immigrated with his family to the United States from Norway at the age of 16 in 1954. His father and mother originally met in the upper Midwest in evangelical circles, before returning to Norway to start their family.

This time they began afresh in Scandinavian-influenced Seattle, where Molvik attended Ballard High School.

An art teacher recognized his inherent talent for painting and encouraged him and he had the opportunity to represent Ballard at a two-week seminar held at the Seattle Art Museum.

After high school, Molvik attended the University of Washington for a year to study industrial design. During that time he met his wife, Mary Ann,

Trainer motivates seniors to keep moving to stay fit

By Robin Wojtanik for Senior Times

Personal trainer Claude Hafez believes most everyone can move and she won’t take “no” for an answer.

“Regardless of age or injuries or limitations, everyone can move. You think you don’t want to move anymore, and you feel like the chair is calling you to just sit down, but I want everyone around me to keep moving. That’s why I named my business ‘Keep Moving With Claude.’ ”

Hafez opened her business with a one-of-a-kind credential for the

Tri-Cities area as she is the only certified master trainer from the National Academy of Sports Medicine.

After more than six years at the Kennewick Gold’s Gym, Hafez went out on her own while based out of the Mission Accomplished Gym at 5601 W. Clearwater Ave. in Kennewick.

Hafez said every one of her 60 clients followed her to the new location where she trains people of any age but has a passion for working with seniors.

“I love seeing people whose balance is better; they’re losing weight and moving easier. It’s so rewarding. It’s like someone gave me a million dol-

lars,” she said.

Hafez has many success stories to tell from a variety of clients who arrived with shoulder issues, knee problems or lowered strength that often comes with age.

“Anyone who comes to me starts with simple movements and finds it makes a huge difference in their everyday lifestyle by adding daily movement,” she said.

She had a client in his late 50s with Parkinson’s who could only walk backward and had given up hope regaining the ability to walk forward.

Hafez said no one else wanted to

train him. “I said, ’OK, I’m going to train this person,’ and I jumped in. His back muscles were very, very weak and his front muscles were very strong. I did an assessment to find what kind of imbalanced muscles he had, and he worked five days a week for six months and started walking forward again. He couldn’t believe it himself. He is a different person now. He couldn’t stop crying and it’s just so rewarding.”

To become a master trainer by the NASM, Hafez had to complete multiple prior certifications in several spe-

Photo by Laura Kostad

Joe Molvik, 86, of Kennewick opened his own art gallery, Atelier JM –A Norwegian Artistic Journey, in the former office of his metalworking shop at 1218 S. Lincoln St. in Kennewick. He paints landscape and stilllife scenes, carves wooden figures and handcrafts cutting boards and Norwegian tine bentwood boxes. The shop is open by appointment.

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Senior Times, a publication of Mid-Columbia Media Inc., is published monthly. Subscriptions are $21.69 per year, prepayment required, no refunds. Contents of this publication are the sole property of Mid-Columbia Media Inc. and can not be reproduced in any form without expressed written consent. Opinions expressed by guest columnists and advertisers do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Senior Times staff, other guest columnists or other advertisers, nor do they imply endorsement by Senior Times staff, other guest columnists or advertisers. Every effort will be made to assure information published is correct; however, we are not liable for any errors or omissions made despite these efforts.

CLAUDE, From page 1

cialties, including corrective exercise, performance enhancement (intended for athletes), and weight loss.

“I didn’t want to stop learning; I keep enjoying it,” she said.

Hafez hasn’t been living and breathing fitness and nutrition her whole life.

An immigrant from Lebanon who arrived in the U.S. after witnessing decades of war, Hafez was once overweight herself.

“I was big, and I didn’t want to move. I was just eating muffins and drinking orange juice. And one day I looked in the mirror and said, ‘This is not me. I’m still young. I don’t want to end up being a couch potato.’ ”

She made a plan to hire a personal trainer but then had a restless night thinking she could do it herself. “I Googled, ‘What is the best certification to become a personal trainer?’ I found the National Academy of Sports Medicine and I registered that same day so I couldn’t change my mind tomorrow,” she said.

After she figured out how to help herself, Hafez decided to help people in the community.

“I want to show people how to be healthy, be fit and be active. It’s not about getting a six-pack; it’s about enjoying life and what they are doing every day,” she said.

That was a goal shared by Maggie Shearer, 63. “I found I was losing strength, and couldn’t do things around the house as well. Claude helped me get my strength back. She’s really familiar with older bodies. They’re not as elastic and don’t recover as quickly, but we didn’t want to give up all the good stuff,” she joked.

Shearer comes to Keep Moving once a week for an hourlong session with two friends, Loria Kirsch, 60, and Joan Young, 67. The trio focuses on exercises that keep their balance and strength through compound muscle movements.

it, that’s it.”

Kirsch and Shearer have been working with Hafez since 2016 and recently brought Young into the group training, which can make the sessions more affordable.

Hafez doesn’t operate on a contract basis, with sessions costing $65 per hour for one-on-one training or $45 per hour for a buddy workout.

She’ll also do 30-minute sessions for a single person for $45, usually for people coming back after surgery.

Group sessions are limited to three people so that no one compromises their form and risks injury.

Hafez is so confident people will find her service valuable that she has offered to refund their money if they don’t see a difference after a couple weeks.

“I just want to motivate them somehow. You know you’re not going to lose your money, right? Just lose my time. I’m happy to do this. But in a couple weeks they find they feel good after they work out and it changes the whole day,” she said.

dead lifts,” Hafez said.

“From there, we build a program just for you. I do a lot of balance, mobility and joint workouts. This way we work more muscles at the same time. When you sit down on a machine, like the chest press, you work one muscle at a time. Instead, I put clients on the ball, if they have good balance, and when they do a chest press, they are also working their core, their legs, their glutes and their hamstrings, but their main focus is the chest. But just by being on the ball, they are moving more muscles so it takes less time to feel strong.”

Without a contract, Hafez isn’t trying to lock people into a set number of visits in the way a physical therapist might have with an insurance authorization. She provides each client with a written copy of their personalized workout and encourages them to do it on their own time.

Hafez is also certified in TRX suspension trainers that use your own body weight to offer resistance and improve balance.

Young said she’s heard the success stories herself. “My friend has rheumatoid arthritis and says the resistance training has saved her life,” she said.

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“I really like that she works on balance a lot with us,” Kirsch said. “We’re at that age where once you start losing

Every new client starts with an assessment to get a baseline, which also accounts for any prior injuries, imbalance or deficiencies in strength. “So no one is going to be coming in here and start jumping and doing push ups and

The goal of Keep Moving With Claude is to encourage people to move 30 to 45 minutes a day to feel the impact.

“You don’t need me your whole life,” Hafez said. “Not all people can afford a personal trainer for their whole life, but since I write everything down, your workout is your workout. I don’t want people to stay with me. My goal is just to keep people moving and that way you’re going to save your bones, you’re going to save your bone density, you’re going to save your joints, and you’re going to be enjoying more things like walking, playing golf, playing pickleball, or enjoying your grandkids.”

search Keep Moving With Claude: 5601 W. Clearwater Ave., Kennewick; 503369-4745; kmwclaude.com.

Photo by Robin Wojtanik

Claude Hafez provides personal training to clients of all ages, but has a passion for working with seniors, including, from left, Joan Young, Maggie Shearer and Loria Kirsch.

Seniors have plenty of options to aid those in need

March is Red Cross month – so proclaimed by President Joe Biden and by every president before him, going back to Franklin Roosevelt in 1943.

Consider this column an invitation to seniors to partner with the Red Cross in its mission of aiding those in need.

Here are four ways you can support the American Red Cross:

• Volunteer with the Red Cross: 90% of Red Cross workers are volunteers.

• Donate blood to the Red Cross. Every two seconds someone in America needs blood and 40% of all the blood used in the U.S. is collected by the Red Cross.

• Take a Red Cross class. They are widely available, face-to-face or virtual, teaching skills as diverse as first aid, water safety, pet care and babysitting.

• Learn the lessons in disaster preparedness the Red Cross has to teach.

Volunteer opportunities

When you talk about volunteering for the Red Cross, the image that likely comes to mind is disaster workers helping at the scene of a fire or storm. As I write this, thousands of Red Cross responders from around the world are converging on the Turkey-Syria earthquake zone. In the U.S. alone, the Red Cross responds to nearly 70,000 incidents a year, from home fires to hurricanes and then some.

Obviously not every senior is fit enough for disaster response, although plenty of Red Cross responders are in their 60s and 70s. I was doing disaster response in New York City in my early 80s and was able to meet whatever physical demands the job put on me. The Red Cross is obsessive about keeping responders safe while on the job. And there are plenty of ways you

can serve the Red Cross without ever traveling to a disaster zone.

some areas local firefighters do the actual installation, leaving volunteers to do the fire safety training.

it is needed. All you need to volunteer in this capacity is free time and a driver’s license.

Take a class

Every Red Cross function has roles that can be played even by the elderly or those with disabilities. Katie Prettyman, who supervises volunteer recruitment in the Red Cross northwest region (Washington and north Idaho), says that “33% of our workforce is seniors 65 and older.”

GUEST COLUMN

Sound the Alarm events in the Northwest region will take place April 15 to May 12. The drive will focus on Yakima, but you can join in by volunteering to install alarms in your area, or asking to have an alarm installed in your home. For more information, go to: redcross. org/nwhomefire.

Blood donations

One major Red Cross function is Service to the Armed Forces (SAF), which supports members of the military, veterans and their families. Its best known function is the Hero Care Network, which helps bring military families together in times of crisis. Say, for instance, there is a death in a family with a son or daughter on overseas military duty. SAF caseworkers will arrange compassionate leave and help with transportation home for the service member.

Beyond that, SAF offers resiliency training to help service members and their families cope with the stresses of military life. Hundreds of Red Cross SAF volunteers help out at such medical facilities as Madigan Army Medical Center at Joint Base Lewis-McChord near Tacoma.

The Red Cross Home Fire campaign relies almost entirely on volunteers. It launched in 2014 to reduce home fire deaths by installing smoke alarms in dwellings that don’t have them. The sharp edge of the campaign is Sound the Alarm, an annual push to track down homes in need of alarms. Once such homes are located, teams of Red Cross volunteers install the alarms and hand out home fire safety material. In

There is a constant need for individuals to donate blood at Red Cross drives, or to assist the collection teams at such drives. These drives are held at various locations around the region. Make an appointment by phone or online, get a quick medical screening, give blood, rest for an hour or so and go on your way. Learn more at redcrossblood.org.

You must be at least 17 to donate blood (16 with parental approval). But no one is too old to give blood.

“There is no upper age for donating blood,” said Heath PalenMcBee, regional manager for Red Cross blood donor recruitment. In fact, a story appeared in this newspaper about a 95-year-old Washington resident who was still regularly donating blood.

If you can’t donate blood for health reasons, you can volunteer as a blood ambassador – greeting donors and walking them through the donation process. There is always a need for volunteers to deliver blood from Red Cross collection points to the hospitals where

The list of Red Cross classes is extensive. To see which courses are available, go to: redcross.org/take-aclass.

You might start with the “big three” of Red Cross classes: first aid, CPR and AED (automated external defibrillation).

Once you have completed these, you should be able to handle most medical emergencies you are likely to encounter.

“Emergencies happen every day,” said Michelle Roth, executive director of the Red Cross chapter headquartered in Kennewick. “Red Cross training can prepare you to act confidently during these events and save lives.”

Beyond the basic first aid course are more specialized classes, like learning how to handle heavy bleeding. Another focuses on coping with severe allergic reactions.

Roth makes a strong case for seniors bulking up on as many classes as they can.

“The number of grandparents raising grandkids is growing,” she said. There are plenty of possibilities beyond first aid and CPR. If you have teen grandchildren, you can treat them to the Red Cross course in babysitting, recommended for kids 11 and older.

Water safety training can be a life-

uRED CROSS MONTH, Page 10

Gordon Williams American Red Cross

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

MARCH 4

• “The Great Gatsby”: 3 p.m., 213 Wellsian Way, Richland. Tickets at academyofchildrenstheatre.org.

MARCH 5

• “The Great Gatsby”: 3 p.m., 213 Wellsian Way, Richland. Tickets at academyofchildrenstheatre.org.

MARCH 7

• Rascal Rodeo’s 9th annual Honky Tonk Hoedown: 5:3011:30 p.m., Benton County Fairgrounds, 1500 S. Oak St., Building 2, Kennewick. Tickets at rascalrodeo.org.

MARCH 9

• Quilting in the Library: 10 a.m.4 p.m., Richland Public Library, 955 Northgate, Richland. Join members of Project Linus to work on quilts for children in crisis or use the space to spread out and work on your own quilting project. Come all day or just for a while. Bring water and a snack.

MARCH 10-11

• Vintage at the Ridge: Saturday, March 10, noon-6 p.m.; Sunday March 11, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Numerica Pavilion at the Southridge Sports and Events Complex, 2901 Southridge Blvd., Kennewick. Antiques, holiday and home decor, gourmet foods,

unique gifts, vintage and re-purposed treasures. Cost is $5 per person at the door (good both days), kids 12 and under are free.

MARCH 11

• Mid-Columbia Arts Fundraisers Gala - Paris City of Lights: 6 p.m., Three Rivers Convention Center, 7016 W. Grandridge Blvd., Kennewick. Details and tickets available at mcaf-tc.org.

MARCH 13

• Medicare Advantage Plan Discussion with Specialist Lynda Sanders: 1 p.m., Richland Community Center, 500 Amon Park Dr., Richland. FOr more information call 509-344-1360.

MARCH 14

• Alzheimer’s program: Living with Alzheimer Younger On-set: 1-2:30 p.m., virtual event. Call 509943-8455 or register online at kadlec. org/KNRC.

MARCH 17

• Richland Senior Association dance: 1 p.m., Riverview Room, Richland Community Center, 500 Amon Park Drive, Richland. Cost: $10. Dance to a five-piece band led by Clark Hodge.

Bring your grandchildren and families to events with a star.

MARCH 18

• Mid-Columbia Symphony Concert “Fairy Tales and Superheroes”: 7:30 p.m., Richland High School Auditorium, 930 Long Ave., Richland. Tickets: midcolumbiasymphony.org.

MARCH 19

• Mid-Columbia Symphony

Concert “Fairy Tales and Superheroes”: 3 p.m., Richland High School Auditorium, 930 Long Ave., Richland. This matinee will be an hour-long, family-friendly concert with no intermission. Tickets: midcolumbiasymphony.org.

MARCH 22

• Healthy Ages March 2023 Wellness Program - Life Center Northwest: 1-2 p.m., Central United Protestant Church, 1124 Stevens Drive, Richland. Learn more about organ and tissue donation.

MARCH 23

• Senior Prom: 4-6:30 p.m. at the Uptown Theater, 1300 Jadwin Ave., Richland. “Great Gatsby” themed event, presented by Active4Life, features live music, dancing, dinner prepared by La Bella Vita, with dessert provided by Hawthorne Court, games with prizes. Admission is $10 per person. Register by phone at 800-595-

4070 and be sure to leave your contact information. Online registration: bit.ly/A4L-SeniorProm.

MARCH 24-25

• Tri-City Quilter’s Guild Quilt Show and Merchant Mall: 10 a.m.6 p.m. Friday, March 24; 10 a.m.5 p.m. Saturday, March 25, Three Rivers Convention Center, 7016 W. Grandridge Blvd., Kennewick. Cost is $10 and is good for both days.

MARCH 25

• Camerata Musica ConcertVieness Piano Duo: 7:30 p.m., Columbia Basin College, Performing Arts Theatre, 2600 N. 20th Ave., Suite P-100, Pasco. Free admission.

APRIL 1

• Annual Three Rivers Pet Expo: 10 a.m., Three Rivers Convention Center, 7016 W. Grandridge Blvd., Kennewick. Free admission.

• City of Richland Color Walk and Egg Hunt: Columbia Point Marina Park, Riverfront Trail, Richland, 9 a.m., color walk; 9:3011 a.m., egg hunt. Register at richlandparksandrec.com. Cost is $5 per person, children under age 3 are free.

• 12th Annual Easter Festival: noon-5 p.m., 3 Chicks Gift Shop & Boutique, 21 S. Cascade St., Kennewick. Details at frcwa.org.

Triplets baseball enjoyed four-year run in the Tri-Cities

By Gale Metcalf for Senior Times

Forty years ago, the boys of summer returned to the Tri-Cities.

The Tri-Cities Triplets were born, ending an eight-year hiatus of the Tri-Cities being without professional baseball since being founded here in 1950.

The love affair between Tri-City baseball enthusiasts and their teams continues when the current version of Tri-Cities baseball, the Tri-City Dust Devils, opens its 2023 season on April 6 against the Hillsboro Hops at Gesa Stadium in Pasco.

It renews refreshing summer evenings with the munching of hotdogs, the crunching of peanuts, the popping of popcorn, the flowing of beverages, and the crackling of baseballs flying off bats.

The four-year love affair with the Triplets began with the team’s arrival into the Northwest League following the 1982 season.

A New Jersey-based organization, known as Big Six Sports, purchased the Walla Walla Padres of the Northwest League and set eyes on the Tri-Cities, which featured the promise of a larger market.

Tri-City professional baseball

originated in 1950 with the building of a sparkling new ballpark on what was then rural land off today’s Clearwater Avenue.

The Tri-City Braves became a franchise in the then International League and opened their season in Sanders Field, named for a Connell benefactor who donated the desperately needed funds to complete the ballpark. Years later it was renamed Sanders-Jacobs Field.

Home games for the Tri-Cities Triplets were played on the Richland High School baseball field adjacent to today’s Fran Rish Stadium, formerly known as the Bomber Bowl. The Triplets began the season affiliated with the Texas Rangers as its parent club.

In the short-season Northwest League of those days, the Triplets completed their inaugural season with a 33-37 record, drew nearly 49,000 in home attendance and hosted the Northwest League AllStar game.

In the Triplets’ second season, the team compiled the best record in the Northwest League at 46-28 and won the Washington Division title.

On Labor Day 1984, the team played for the Northwest League championship against Oregon

Division champion Medford A’s. An astonishing 34 hits were driven by the two teams, including 18 by the Triplets in a 17-8 win.

Home attendance for the 1984 season was more than 52,000.

New owners led by a southern California-based attorney took over the team for the 1985 season, but the Texas Rangers ceased its playerdevelopment contract and the Triplets played out the 1985 season as an independent. It suffered accordingly on the field, ending the season 33-41 and last in its division.

New owners arrived again in town for the 1986 season as the Triplets were bought out by the members of the Brett family which also owned the Spokane Indians. Among family members was George Brett, a major League Hall of Famer.

The new owners had an eye on a new or renovated stadium as a need for long-term viability but it never came to be. Again without a Major League affiliation, the Triplets declined to a 25-49 record and a second consecutive year in last place. Attendance dropped signifi-

uTRIPLETS, Page 10

Relive magic of Jazz Age at senior prom

A “Great Gatsby” themed Senior Prom, presented by Active4Life, is set for 4-6:30 p.m. March 23 at the Uptown Theater, 1300 Jadwin Ave., Richland.

Thematic dress for the inaugural event is not required but encouraged.

Live music will be provided by the Clark Hodge Group, which plays at the Richland Senior Association’s third Friday dances.

Dinner will include chicken alfredo, salad and bread prepared by La Bella Vita Kitchen in Richland, with dessert provided by Hawthorne Court.

In addition to dancing and dinner, there will be entertainment, singalongs, and trivia and casino games with prizes.

The event is limited to 150 people; the registration deadline is March 20.

Admission is $10 per person. Register by phone at 800-5954070 and be sure to leave your contact information.

Online registration is available at bit.ly/A4L-SeniorProm.

Take advantage of free tax prep with AARP

By Senior Times staff

AARP Foundation Tax-Aide sites are now open and ready to help prepare and e-file personal tax returns for the first time in three years.

The free tax service is available to all taxpayers. AARP membership is not required.

The service includes federal personal tax returns as well as the new Washington Working Family Tax Credit.

Tax-Aide is operating through April 18.

Tri-City sites require appointments:

• Mid-Columbia Libraries, Kennewick branch, 1620 S. Union St., Kennewick: noon to 4 p.m. Thursday. Appointments required: Call 509-542-7960.

• Mid-Columbia Libraries

Keewaydin Park branch, 405 S. Dayton St., Kennewick: 12:15 p.m.4 p.m. Tuesday; 12:15 p.m.4 p.m. Saturday. Appointments required: Call 509-542-7960.

• Mid-Columbia Libraries, Pasco branch, 1320 W. Hopkins St., Pasco: noon-4 p.m. Wednesday.

• Richland Community Center: 500 Amon Park Drive, Richland: 8:30 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday; 8:30 a.m.-noon Tuesday; 9:30 a.m.12:30 p.m. Saturday. Appointments required: Call 509-542-7960.

• Pasco City Hall Activity Center, 525 N. Third Ave., Pasco: 8:45 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Tuesday. Appointments required: Call 509542-7960.

• Burbank Library, 875 Lake Road, Burbank: 10:15 a.m.-3 p.m. Wednesday. Appointments not required.

In addition to in-person tax preparation, Tax-Aide is also providing a new option for taxpayers to prepare their own taxes. Alternative Tax Preparation is aimed at taxpayers who would prefer to prepare their taxes, using their own computers.

In addition to free online software, Tax-Aide certified counselors will be available to assist in preparing and filing tax returns electronically.

To participate in this new program, taxpayers need to be computer savvy and have an internet connection. Counselors provide assistance using online interactive software. Those interested can get more information at taxaideqa.aarp. org/hc/en-us.

In 2021, more than 820,000 taxpayers (23,000 in Washington) using AARP Foundation Tax-Aide services received more than $892 million ($28 million in Washington) in income tax refunds. The service is offered in conjunction with the IRS.

MEALS ON WHEELS MENU

Mid-Columbia Meals on Wheels senior dining sites serve hot meals from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday (Tuesday through Friday in Connell). Meals are free for seniors age 60 and older.

Seniors must make reservations 24 business hours in advance by calling 509-735-1911.

Friday, March 3: Chicken parmesan casserole, cauliflower with red peppers.

Monday, March 6: Lemon pepper cod, fluffy rice, green peas.

Tuesday, March 7: Swedish meatballs, egg noodles, mixed vegetables.

Wednesday, March 8: Barbecue chicken, roasted carrots, potato salad, cornbread.

Thursday, March 9: Roast turkey with gravy, mashed potatoes, green beans, wheat roll.

Friday, March 10: Beef stir fry, fluffy rice, Asian vegetables, tossed salad.

Monday, March 13: Herbed chicken mushroom gravy, au gratin potatoes, tossed salad, yogurt and berries.

Tuesday, March 14: Roast pork with gravy, mashed potatoes, dilled carrots.

Wednesday, March 15: Beef lasagna, Italian vegetables, tossed salad, garlic bread.

Thursday, March 16: Chicken fajitas, rice and beans, flour tortilla.

Friday, March 17: Sloppy joes, mixed vegetables, coleslaw, cake.

Monday, March 20: Salisbury steak, mashed potatoes, brown gravy, broccoli.

Tuesday, March 21: Dijon chicken,

sweet potato mash, seasoned beets.

Wednesday, March 22: Sweet and sour, pork, fluffy rice, Asian vegetables.

Thursday, March 23: Roast beef with gravy, mashed potatoes, Italian vegetables, wheat roll.

Friday, March 24: Turkey tetrazzini, vegetable medley, tossed salad.

Monday, March 27: Chicken pot pie, green peas, tossed salad.

Tuesday, March 28: Beef stroganoff, garlic noodles, green beans.

Wednesday, March 29: Breaded chicken, sandwich and fixings, corn chowder, broccoli salad.

Thursday, March 30: Scrambled eggs with peppers, sausage patty, chuck wagon potatoes, bran muffin.

Friday, March 31: Chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, country gravy, country veggie blend, three bean salad.

Dining site locations:

• Kennewick Community Center, 500 S. Auburn St.

• Pasco First Avenue Center, 505 N. First Ave.

• Pasco Ray Pfleuger Center, 253 W. Margaret St.

• Richland Community Center, 500 Amon Park Road North.

• Benton City Desert Rose Facility, 510 14th St.

• Prosser Senior Center, 1231 Dudley Ave.

• Connell Community Center, 211 E. Elm St.

• Meals on Wheels Café, 1834 Fowler St., Richland. No reservations required at this site.

Monday, Mar. 13 at 1:00 pm

Richland Community Center 500 Amon Park Dr., Richland

Tuesday, Mar. 14 at 10:15 am

Providence Southgate Medical Park 1021 S. Second Ave., Walla Walla

For more information or special needs call 509-344-1360 (TTY: 711).

Leap of faith leads store owner to new spot after 61 years

By Jeff Morrow for Senior Times

Ginny Hildreth hasn’t been afraid to make a risky leap in her life when she feels the time is right.

The owner of Discount Vac, Sew & Fabric recently took what she calls the third big leap in her life: moving the store’s location of 61 years to a new address.

The good news is the move was not that far.

Discount Vac, Sew & Fabric moved from 119 First Ave., in Kennewick to 22 W. Kennewick Ave. It’s one block north and two blocks east into what at various times was Lantor’s Men’s and Ladies’ Wear, the Purple Parasol, and the Washington State Department of Revenue office.

The bad news? There was a lot of product to move. That’s what happens when you take ownership of a longtime business.

Throw in the addition of a fabric store she bought a few years back, located in its own building next door, and there was a lot to move.

“Our lease in the current building ran out March 1. And the lease in the quilting store runs out April 1.”

Hildreth has a loyal customer base who offered to help her move

the product from the old store to the new.

For Hildreth, this business’ journey has been life changing.

Changing occupations

By Hildreth’s estimation, she’s the third owner of Discount Vac &

Sew.

The original owners were Ron and Marcia Kruger, who opened the store in 1961.

“Then a woman named Bobby Jay purchased it from the Krugers around 1992,” she said.

Hildreth had been running a statelicensed day care in the Tri-Cities for 14 years. In 2012, she helped Jay by teaching long-armed quilting for the next three years.

After three years, Jay convinced Hildreth to shut her day care down. With increasing state regulations that caused her headaches, she did it – but not without some trepidation.

“That was the first biggest leap of my life,” Hildreth said.

The next leap came almost eight years ago.

Jay had decided to either sell the business to someone or shut it down. She convinced Hildreth to buy it.

“That was the second biggest leap of my life,” she said.

Together with her husband Stuart, she became the store’s owner seven and a half years ago.

“I found I was much happier here, after years of raising other people’s kids and day cares were being regulated out of business by the state,” she said.

More space

The old Discount Vac, Sew & Fabric store was packed with an incredible array of products, ranging from Riccar and SEBO vacuum

Windsong at Southridge is a Montessori Inspired Lifestyle® Memory Care Community. We serve those who have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease and other forms of dementia.

• ENABLE: WindSong encourages residents to do for themselves as much as possible. We offer opportunity to residents to actively engage in their lives.

• ENGAGE: Our skilled staff are trained to be the link between who they would be if they did not have dementia, and who they are now.

• ELEVATE: Our mission is to change the way we think about dementia. We consider what they CAN do and work to circumvent the deficits.

Our philosophy is:

Photo by Jeff Morrow Ginny Hildreth has owned Discount Vac, Sew & Fabric in downtown Kennewick for over seven years. The shop has been in the same spot for 61 years, but it moved one block to 22 W. Kennewick Ave. this month. u

Pasco First Avenue Center

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

• Billiards: 9 a.m.-noon. Mondays; 1:30-4 p.m. Wednesdays; 9 a.m.-noon, 1:30-4 p.m. Fridays.

• Mexican train dominoes: 1:30-3:30 p.m. Mondays.

• Pinochle: 1:30-4 p.m. Tuesdays.

• China painting: 9 a.m.-noon. Wednesdays.

Keewaydin Community Center

500 S. Auburn St., Kennewick 509-585-4303 go2kennewick.com

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

• Bridge: 12:30-4 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays. Cost: $1 per day.

• Mahjong: 12:30-4 p.m. Wednesdays. Cost: $1 per day.

• Dominoes: 12:30-2 p.m. Tues-

SENIOR ACTIVITIES

days and Fridays. Cost: $1 per day.

• Pinochle: 1-4:30 p.m. Wednesdays. Cost: $1 per day.

• Creative palette art: 9 a.m.noon Tuesdays.

• Sewing: 1-4 p.m. Tuesdays.

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

• Billiards: Daily. $2 per day or $20 monthly pass.

Richland Community Center

500 Amon Park Drive, Richland 509-942-7529 ci.richland.wa.us

• Fitness room: 8 a.m.-9 p.m. Mondays-Fridays; 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturdays; noon-4 p.m. Sundays. Location: Fitness room. Cost: $2 per day or $8 per month.

• Billiards: Daily. $2 per day.

• Greeting card recycling: 1-3 a.m. Tuesdays. Cost: free.

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

Cost: $1.

• Party bridge: 8:30-11:30 a.m.

Mondays and Wednesdays. Location: game room. Cost: $1.

• Senior duplicate bridge: 12:30-3:30 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays. Location: game room.

• Table tennis: 6:30-8:45 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays, 12:303:45 p.m. Sundays.

Prosser Senior Community Center

1231 Dudley Ave., Prosser 509-786-2915 cityofprosser.com

• Pool: 9 a.m.-1 p.m. MondaysFridays. Cost: free. Location: pool room, membership is required.

• Mahjong: 1-3 p.m. Tuesdays Location: living room, membership is required.

• Daytime bingo: 9 a.m. Wednesdays. Location: dining room Cost: 3 cards/$1.

• Evening bingo: First Friday of every month. 5 p.m. Cost: $10. Location: dining room.

• Foot care: Second Wednesday of each month: Appointments can be made by calling 509-790-1905.

• Pinochle: 1 p.m. Thursdays. Location: living room, membership is required.

• Crafts: 10 a.m. Tuesdays. Register by calling 509-786-2915.

• Bunco/Game Night: Fourth Friday of month, 5 p.m. Location: dining room.

• Tai chi quan: 6 p.m. Mondays. Contact Kraig Stephens at 509-4301304.

• All-you-can-eat community breakfast: Last Sunday every month, 8-11:30 a.m. Location: dining room. Cost: Suggested donation $8 per person and $5 per child, 8 and under.

West Richland Senior Center

616 N. 60th, West Richland 509-967-2847

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

Just for Fun

32 One of

Word search - Migratory birds

Tough

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 beat Str8ts –

How to beat Str8ts –

Like Sudoku, 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 straighta set of numbers with no gaps but it can be in any order, eg [7,6,9,8]. Clues in black cells remove that number as an option in that row and column, and are not part of any straight.

Like Sudoku, 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 straighta set of numbers with no gaps but it can be in any order, eg [7,6,9,8]. Clues in black cells remove that number as an option in that row and column, and are not part of any straight.

Turn Back

To complete Sudoku, fill the board by entering numbers 1 to 9 such that each row, column and 3x3 box contains every number uniquely.

To complete Sudoku, fill the board by entering numbers 1 to 9 such that each row, column and 3x3 box contains every number uniquely.

Glance at the solution to see how ‘straights’

Glance at the solution to see how ‘straights’ are formed.

March 1: The Xerox Alto, the first computer with a graphical operating system and a mouse (with three buttons), became available for sale or lease.

ANSWER

Quiz answer from Page 1

For many strategies, hints and tips, visit www.sudokuwiki.org for Sudoku and www.str8ts.com for Str8ts.

For many strategies, hints and tips, visit www.sudokuwiki.org for Sudoku and www.str8ts.com for Str8ts.

If you like Str8ts and other puzzles, check out our books, iPhone/iPad Apps and much more on our store.

March 24: The 591st and final episode of the “Lassie” TV series was aired.

If you like Str8ts and other puzzles, check out our books, iPhone/iPad Apps and much more on our store.

March 29: The last American combat troops and POWs departed from South Vietnam.

The Kennewick Lions defeated The Ellensburg Bulldogs 27-26 to win the District Championship.

— Source: East Benton County Historic Society and Museum

Find the words in the grid. When you are done, the unused letters in the grid will spell out a hidden message. Pick them out from left to right, top line to bottom line. Words can go horizontally, vertically and diagonally in all eight directions.

RED CROSS MONTH, From page 3

saver if your grandkids engage in water sports. The No. 1 cause of death in children under 4 is drowning, but even teenagers are at elevated risk.

Kids can drown in ponds and pools, but very young children can drown in bathtubs or even a bucket of water. Lessons in water safety can prevent such tragedies. There is a free general water safety available online. It should take no more than a half hour and will teach you how to remain safe in the water.

There is even a course in first aid

TRIPLETS, From page 5

cantly from its inaugural and championship seasons. The Brett group sold the Triplets, and the new owners relocated to Boise, Idaho, for the 1987 season.

At least five Triplet players made the Major Leagues, and one of its managers achieved a sterling collegiate managerial record in Division I.

John Jaha, a Triplet first baseman, played 10 years in the majors for the Milwaukee Brewers and the Oakland Athletics, including being selected to play in the 1999 Major League All-Star game.

for our furry companions. Cat and Dog First Aid offers advice on general pet care, plus advice on how to handle the most common pet health emergencies.

Megan Elliott, strategic account executive in Red Cross training services, said courses run about five hours in a classroom or three hours online. Most classes cost under $100 and many run about $30.

Get prepared

Disaster preparedness is crucial for everyone, but especially so for seniors as physical limitations can make responding to disasters

Pitcher Randy Cramer played in all or parts of four seasons between 1988-92 for the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Chicago Cubs and the Seattle Mariners, winning six games in his limited Major League career.

Outfielder Mark Leonard had a 168-game career in the Majors between 1990-95, playing for the San Francisco Giants and the Baltimore Orioles. An Oriole teammate included Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr. who lived in the TriCities as a boy when his father managed the Tri-City Atoms to a Northwest League title in 1965, a first for a Tri-City franchise.

extremely difficult.

Fires in the home can spread rapidly. Are you fit enough to awaken to a home fire and escape to safety within two minutes? Do you practice “close while you doze?” That means closing your bedroom door while you sleep to keep flames and toxic fumes out should fire break out at night.

The Red Cross publishes many preparedness guides, available free in Apple and Google app stores. Search the web for Red Cross advice of preparedness for every sort of disaster.

Finally there is one more way you

Gino Minutelli, with the Triplets for the 1985 season, pitched parts of three seasons in the Majors with the Cincinnati Reds and the San Francisco Giants.

Triplets’ pitcher Bob Sebra would win 15 Major League games in all or parts of seasons between 1985 and 1990 with the Texas Rangers, the Montreal Expos, the Philadelphia Phillies, the Cincinnati Reds, and the Milwaukee Brewers. They included 1-0 and 2-0 complete game shutouts.

Pat Murphy was the last of the Triplets’ four managers. He became an interim manager of Major

can show your support for the Red Cross during Red Cross Month or any other time. That would be by contributing money to support the Red Cross.

The organization spends around $2.7 billion each year, delivering services to the public. The biggest share of that money comes from individual donors.

For more on donating go to: redcross.org/northwest.

Gordon Williams is a volunteer with the American Red Cross’ Northwest Region Communications Team.

League’s San Diego Padres, but his major success came at the collegiate level. For 22 consecutive seasons managing Notre Dame’s baseball team, and that of Arizona State, he would have winning seasons, including taking Arizona State to be runner-up in the nation in the 1998 college World Series.

Gale Metcalf of Kennewick is a lifelong Tri-Citian, retired Tri-City Herald employee and volunteer for the East Benton County History Museum. He writes the monthly history column.

Senior foot care appointments available in Pasco

Seniors ages 60 and over can make an appointment for free foot care in Pasco.

Care is provided by a registered nurse trained in foot care, including inspection of feet for early detection of corns, calluses, ingrown toenails and other minor foot problems.

Care includes trimming and smoothing toenails, applying lotion to relieve dryness and giving instruction for exercise and care of feet at home. Referrals made to physicians as needed.

Diabetic and high-risk clients are welcomed.

No fee is collected for these services, however, donations are accepted.

A limited number of appointments are available monthly. To make an appointment, email 509footcare@ gmail.com or call/text 509-947-5152.

The clinic is located inside the Pasco First Avenue Center, 505 N. First Ave.

Funds for this program are administered by the Southeast Washington Office of Aging and Long Term Care.

Kennewick Bed Bath & Beyond to close

Bed Bath & Beyond is closing 150 more stores, including Kennewick’s, a week after the struggling retailer announced the closure of 87 locations.

In addition to Kennewick store at 1220 N. Columbia Center Blvd., the company will close four other stores in the state: Walla Walla, Issaquah,

Bellingham and Vancouver.

The national retailer said in a Jan. 5 public filing that it faces “substantial doubt” about its ability to continue operating due to declining sales, lower customer traffic and reduced levels of inventory availability.

Dates for the closures were not announced.

AARP Washington accepting grant applications

AARP Washington invites local eligible organizations and governments across the country to apply for the 2023 AARP Community Challenge grant program, now through March 15.

Grants fund quick-action projects that help communities become more livable in the long term by improving public spaces, transportation, housing, civic engagement, diversity and inclusion, and more. Now in its seventh year, the program is part of AARP’s nationwide Livable Communities initiative, which supports the efforts of cities, towns, neighborhoods and rural areas to become great places to live for all residents, especially those age 50 and older.

The program is open to eligible nonprofits and government entities. Other types of organizations are considered on a case-by-case basis. Grants can range from several hundred dollars for small, short-term activities to tens of thousands for larger projects.

All projects must be completed by Nov. 30. To apply and see past grantees, go to: AARP.org/CommunityChallenge.

TRI-CITY BOOK CLUBS

• 1 p.m. March 15, MidColumbia Libraries, Pasco branch, 1320 W. Hopkins St., Pasco, THE GIRL WITH SEVEN NAMES by Hyeonseo Lee. EMPTY MANSIONS: THE MYSTERIOUS LIFE OF HUGUETTE CLARK AND THE SPENDING OF A GREAT AMERICAN FORTUNE by Bill Dedman is the April 19 book. The group typically meets the third Wednesday of the month. Contact Susan Koenig at 509302-9878 or SMKoenig@ymail. com.

• 1:30 p.m. March 16, Richland Public Library, 955 Northgate Drive, THE PERSONAL LIBRARIAN by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray. THE REDETZKY MARCH by Joseph Roth is the April 20 book.

The group meets the third Thursday of the month but takes summers off.

Contact: Evelyn Painter, ec_ painter@yahoo.com or 509420-4811.

• 6:30 p.m. March 20, Richland Public Library, 955 Northgate Drive, NOWHERE MAN: THE FINAL DAYS OF JOHN LENNON by Robert Rosen. MURMUR OF BEES by Sofia Segovia is the April 17 book. The group typically meets the third Monday of the month.

Contact: Sue Spencer, sue_ spencer_england@hotmail.com or 509-572-4295.

• 6 p.m. March 21, MidColumbia Libraries, West Pasco branch, 7525 Wrigley Drive, Pasco, WE BEGIN AT THE END by Chris Whitaker.

• 6 p.m. March 28 at MidColumbia Libraries Benton City branch, 810 Horne Drive, THE GUEST LIST by Lucy Foley.

• 7 p.m. the first Friday of the month, Caterpillar Café at Adventures Underground, 227 Symons St., Richland. Contact Sarah at 509-946-9893 for upcoming titles.

To add your book club to this list, email details to info@tcjournal.biz.

Hidden message: There is nothing in which the birds differ more from man than the way in which they can build and yet leave a landscape as it was before.

the daughter of Swedish immigrants, and they were married in 1959.

He took a drafting course at Broadway Technical School and moved his growing family to Tri-Cities in 1966 after responding to a newspaper ad for a metalworking job in the area.

In 1972, he bought Tri-City Fabricating, formerly located at 202132 E. 25th Ave. and Highway 397 in Kennewick.

“We were making stamped metal parts to start with and gradually we started doing more regular fabricating and after some years we got into the ornamental iron,” Molvik said.

“We went broke in 2008 during the recession. Then I gradually started a small iron shop at my home where we lived before, and then when we moved here, we took the old farm building and made a big iron shop out of it. Since 2009, I did about 1,000 jobs, all around the Tri-Cities and Walla Walla, Othello, Yakima,” he said.

During those years, he focused on ornamental iron, making mostly chairs, gates and spiral staircases. He carried his business name, Atelier JM, to his new venture.

Molvik was born in 1937 in the Arctic Circle of northern Norway to a traveling minister father. He was a boy during the Nazi occupation of Norway during World War II.

“There was not much money, not many toys, nor recreational equipment. So, from an early age, we children made our own. There was always a knife in my pocket with paper and pencil available,” he recalled.

He also fondly remembers the support of his father’s 14 brothers and sisters who helped the family through the hard times with food and other necessities.

“Up north, especially where we lived, you either made your living fishing and subsistence farming. That was common for thousands of little farms on the coast in the northern part of Norway, so that was somewhat common with my uncles and aunts,” he said.

Times have changed and the wider world has found its way even to that remote corner of the world.

“Things are different now,” he said. “A lot of that lifestyle is somewhat forgotten.

“So, I guess you might say that mostly my inspiration is that I try to do this – wood carving especially – and painting as a memorial to them.”

His pieces provide a window into that former way of life, revealing the day-to-day activities that made up the fabric of his family’s and surrounding community’s lives set on a backdrop of water: Nordland-style boats, boathouses and iconic Scandinavian homes under the midnight sun.

“There is a strong feeling of attachment to the culture of the country, appreciation of the places of my childhood and a deep love of my family with its rich history,” Molvik said.

He has returned to Norway three times and is proud to have had the opportunity to paint the Molvik family farm, which remains in the family. He said he doesn’t think he’ll get back again, unless he can travel first class and have a few more of those comforts for the long flight.

At the Atelier JM gallery, customers can find original art pieces as well as prints for sale with or without frames. Molvik also collaborates with another Norwegian-inspired artist in the area, Sara Watson, who practices traditional Norwegian painting techniques, which have decorated some of Molvik’s wood creations. The two met through the local Sons of Norway lodge.

“Once in a while, I paint something that’s local. Currently I have two of them here – from Whidbey Island and a Palouse farm,” he said.

He also does custom painting and carving on commission and hopes to have more opportunities for that in the future.

Though Molvik’s gallery is nowhere near the water, visitors will enjoy seeing his progress on yet another project underway at his studio: the restoration of a traditional Nordland boat that he and three friends from the local Sons

of Norway lodge built in 1999 for the first Nordic Fest held in the area.

Attendees had the opportunity to take a spin on the Columbia in it. It was built using traditional methods and Molvik said it can be made riverworthy once more and that he looks forward to its return voyage.

As for the gallery, Molvik has more plans.

At Christmastime he had an open house. “I want to develop that so that periodically we have an event or get together here and also I would be open for the possibility of workshops or classes,” he said.

He also wants to build a website to expand his reach, advertise more and attend more art shows.

He will be at the 2023 Vintage at the Ridge show March 10-11 at the Numerica Pavilion at the Southridge Sports and Events Complex in Kennewick.

He also plans to be at Art in the Park at Howard Amon Park in Richland again this summer.

“I guess I had better do it all before I get too old,” he said with a chuckle. “I do enjoy it, and I feel that I have to create. It’s just in me.”

search Atelier JM – A Norwegian Artistic Journey: 1218 S. Lincoln St., Kennewick. Open by appointment. Contact: 509-539-0811, Facebook.

Seeking: Former Franklin County Jr. Posse members

Former Franklin County Jr. Posse members are seeking former members of the group that existed through the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s. They’re working together to put together a posse display at the museum in Pasco and are seeking those who might be able to provide stories, photos or memorabilia.

If you are a former member, or know of someone who is, contact the Franklin County Historical Society & Museum at 509-547-3714 or by email at admin@fchsmuseum. com.

Rock out at Rock, Gem & Mineral Show in Kennewick

Lakeside Gem and Mineral Club’s 26th annual Rock, Gem and Mineral Show is April 29-30 at the Benton County Fairgrounds, Building 2, 1500 S. Oak St., Kennewick. Displays include collectors’ exhibits; gem, mineral, fossil and jewelry dealers; and demonstrations including cabochon fashioning; gemstone faceting; gem trees; sphere making; silversmithing; wire wrapping and jewelry fabrication.

There will be a silent auction, junior activities, door prizes, drawings, fluorescent displays and geode cracking.

April 29 show hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and April 30 hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Admission is $5 for adults. Kids 12 and under are free with paid adult.

For more information, follow

Lakeside Gem and Mineral Club on Facebook and Instagram, or contact Larry Hulstrom at rockhound132@ charter.net or 509-308-8312.

Who deserves the Tri-Citian of the Year Award? Nominations open

Know an exemplary Tri-Citian who practices service above self?

Consider nominating them for this year’s Tri-Citian of the Year Award.

The award exemplifies the highest standards of community service, leadership and the voluntary contribution of selfless acts to positively impact community development, economic growth and the overall well-being of mankind.

The most important criteria for this nomination should showcase the candidate’s demonstration of public or volunteer service for which no monetary compensation is received.

Last year’s winner was Mark Brault, the volunteer chief executive officer for Grace Clinic, who was honored for his decades of community service to several nonprofits in the region.

The deadline for nominations is March 10. Testimonials and supporting letters are not necessary.

The award will be announced April 27 during a dinner program at the Three Rivers Convention Center in Kennewick. Tickets to attend are $75.

The award is sponsored by the six Rotary clubs and five Kiwanis clubs in the Tri-Cities.

For more information and applications, go to: tricitianoftheyear.com/ nominations or call 509-539-3252.

Free Covid-19 telehealth appointments return

The Washington State Department of Health has relaunched its popular free telehealth program to increase access to potentially life-saving medication to treat Covid-19.

The program expands the federal government’s Test to Treat initiative and gives people at risk of severe disease another way to quickly access treatment.

DOH’s telehealth program is an easy way to see if Covid-19 oral antivirals, such as Paxlovid, are right for you.

Oral antivirals, which are Covid19 treatment pills taken by mouth, are available by prescription only and must be started within five days of the first symptoms to be effective.

Telehealth allows patients to connect with a clinician without having to go to a health care facility in person. This reduces barriers to access, especially in rural and underserved urban areas, and allows patients to stay at home for assessment and treatment, reducing the potential spread of the disease.

Go to the state’s new telehealth webpage at bit.ly/COVIDtelehealthappt to set up a telehealth appointment or call the DOH Covid-19 call center at 1-800-525-0127 with questions.

Telehealth appointments are available in 240 languages.

Online tool helps seniors manage their finances

The National Council on Aging (NCOA) has launched Budget CheckUp, a free online tool that gives older adults practical tips on how to create a monthly budget and manage their money.

“Many older adults live on a fixed income, which is challenging when the cost of living and inflation are on the rise. The Budget CheckUp can help them stretch their dollars every month,” said Josh Hodges, NCOA’s chief customer officer.

Users answer questions about their goals, such as what expenses they’d like to decrease, whether they are retired or a full-time caregiver, what benefits programs they are enrolled in, their age and household income.

Their responses generate a personalized plan of action to make the most of their budget.

NCOA does not collect any personally identifiable information, but users can create accounts to save their plans.

A grant from the Bank of America Charitable Foundation helped fund the tool’s development.

Go to: bit.ly/BudgetCheckUp4U.

cleaners, other brands of vacuum cleaner parts, to sewing machines (including high-end Baby Lock machines that can run $20,000) to fabrics, threads, and long-arm quilting machines.

Classes were held in the middle of the floor space, with customers and employees trying to squeeze by students. It’s all a mess, but Hildreth and her four employees make it work.

“We outgrew this place five years ago when we put the quilt shop in. Parking has not been fabulous,” she said. “We’ve been looking for (a new location for) three years.”

Her love of downtown Kennewick kept her looking close to home, when the new location had an opening.

“We’re getting 6,600 square feet of space,” Hildreth said. “It’s roughly the same as the old building, but it’s about 1,000 square feet more of display space. This old building is chopped up. There is more usable space at the new place.”

Hildreth says it’s a three-way split as to what sells best.

“It happens seasonally,” she said. “Sewing machines, vacuum cleaners, and quilting fabric. That’s why we want all three under one roof. We really do a lot of running back and

forth between the stores. I lost two of my quilt shop employees this past year, so we’ve had to be closed two days of the week.”

Her energy ramps up when talking about her new plans.

“I’m most excited about having the quilt shop next door be under the same roof,” Hildreth said. “It’s a blank slate. I’ve got a picture in my head, and I get to do what I want.”

Walking through the new store before she moved in, Hildreth pointed out where sewing and embroidery classes would take place – on opposite ends of the room and how a back room would be used for repairing sewing machines and vacuum cleaners. She planned to hang beautiful quilts on the walls.

The sales floor will be large, with sewing machines and vacuum cleaners intermingled together with quilting fabric.

Perhaps in a nod to the older husbands who drive their wives to class, who sit there waiting – sometimes impatiently – for class to end, Hildreth has an area just for them.

It will have a few sofas and chairs, a big screen TV and a refrigerator with non-alcoholic drinks.

Changing customer base

That older clientele is loyal, and Hildreth said, “We have a really strong repeat customer business.”

But it might surprise people to know that there are plenty of younger customers she sells to.

“There are people as young as teenagers who are sewing,” Hildreth said.

The reason is cosplay, or costume play. Young people like to dress up as characters from anime, video games, television and film.

“Cosplay is huge. So we actually cater to the younger clientele,” Hildreth said. “My daughter is into it and she got us into it.”

Over the past few years, Hildreth and her employees have attended a gaming convention or comic convention, making dice bags for their games, or doing on-the-spot repairs for their cosplay costumes.

“You go where the future is,” Hildreth said. “We really try to get out there for the younger community.”

Hildreth hopes the move to a new location will improve business even more.

She’d like to see her staff back to nine employees, where it was before the pandemic happened and she was forced to close for six weeks. And like other businesses, it hurt Discount in other ways.

“We still have supply chain issues of certain parts that we can’t get,” she said. “And we lost a lot of business to the internet. Covid taught

people how to shop online.”

But the pandemic taught her something too.

“Covid taught me that my husband and I have to take trips,” she said. “This summer, for the first time in seven years, my husband and I are going on a vacation. I have a fantastic staff. So for the first time in seven years, I can step away.”

It’s all made her appreciate everything: her staff, her business and her customers.

“If you asked me (what I love about this) early when I first owned the place, I have a creative personality. So I love the creativity, and I love creative people,” she said. “Now? At the end of the day, I love the people who come into the store. They love the color, the fabric.”

They are a different breed.

“Sewers don’t sew for themselves,” Hildreth said. “Most of the things we make, we give them away. Those things are our creation. We’re giving of ourselves. So we’re likeminded. People who sew and create tend to be generous and kind-hearted.

“You have to have a passion to do what you do.”

search Discount, Vac, Sew & Fabric: 22 W. Kennewick Ave., Kennewick; 509-586-1680; discountvacandsewwa.com.

Richland braces for Bateman causeway removal

By Wendy Culverwell news@tcjournal.biz

Richland is bracing for the impact of what removing the Bateman Island causeway will have on the Yakima River Delta and on the Columbia Park Marina and public boat launch.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is finalizing a $13.9 million plan to fully remove the illegally-built land bridge, which is blamed for the warm, brackish conditions that threaten endangered salmon, steelhead and other species at the confluence of the Columbia and Yakima rivers.

Once the causeway is removed, water will flow at a rate as high as three feet per second around the south end of Bateman Island in the spring, according to the city of Richland. That is too strong for the private marina and public boat launch, which are currently shielded by the dirt structure.

The corps cites a far lower figure for the remaining 90% of the time, saying the water flow will be marginal and will have little impact on the marina.

The corps released a draft Finding of No Significant Impact for the plan on Jan. 26 and is accepting public comment through March 10.

Removing the causeway will support salmon habitat. Leaving it will undermine hundreds of millions of dollars being invested to establish fish passage in Cle Elum, remove a dam in Yakima and other projects along the length of the Yakima River, the Army corps said.

Richland, which has monitored plans to remove the causeway for more than five years, is preparing to hire experts in marine law and engineering to represent its interests. That includes protecting the privatelyowned Columbia Park Marina and the city-owned public boat launch, heavily used by fishers, kayakers, standup paddleboarders and other boaters.

Joe Schiessl, deputy city manager and longtime point person on the causeway issue, said Richland embraces the goal of clean water at the delta, but must consider what will happen once the causeway is gone, and water again flows around both

sides of Bateman Island.

The marina was not designed for swift currents. Boaters would avoid trying to maneuver around docks in such conditions.

Schiessl briefed the city council about the plan in January, shortly before the corps advertised it to the public.

“These docks are not engineered or built to operate in a river environment,” he said. “If the United States is proposing a project that renders a marina inoperable, that’s an impact, a negative downstream impact, that shall be mitigated.”

The causeway was constructed ap-

Public comments and open house

Written comments may be emailed to: NEPANWW@ usace.army.mil with “Yakima River Delta” in the subject line.

The 30-day comment period ends March 10.

parently without permission in the mid-1940s by a farmer on Bateman Island. The 500-foot structure rests on 37,000 cubic yards of dirt and rocks.

Today, it is considered an illegal encroachment on the riverbed, which is owned by the state of Washington.

The causeway, which has no culverts, partly dams the Yakima River, forcing water to flow upstream and around Bateman to the north before it merges with the waters of the Columbia. The Delta is brown, brackish and silty. The Columbia is a ribbon of deep blue.

The causeway exists in a legal gray area. Hikers and birdwatchers use it to visit Bateman. So do fire trucks. Richland, which controls the island under a 50-year recreation lease with the corps, dispatches wildland fire crews to battle fires that break out roughly once every five years.

Schiessl said a dispute over firefighting strategies between the city and the Department of Natural Re-

uBATEMAN ISLAND, Page 16

Photo by Wendy Culverwell

The Columbia Park Marina, operated by Amy and Greg Ford, near the confluence of the Yakima and Columbia rivers, would be threatened by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ plan to remove the Bateman Island causeway (visible in the background) to improve salmon habitat.

sources once delayed trucks by two to three minutes. Schiessl said the city prevailed when it pointed out people camped on the island, putting lives at stake.

At the time, aerial tankers assigned to Eastern Washington were out of service for maintenance. Pasco’s fire boat has a 100- to 150-foot limit, giving it the ability to sprinkle the island’s edges.

The lost minutes counted, he said.

There is no plan to replace the causeway with a bridge, a major sticking point for island users and the city.

But in the long term, Bateman Island may not remain in public ownership. The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation or the Yakama Tribe could pursue ownership if – or when– Congress considers transferring portions of the Tri-City waterfront back to local control.

But removing the causeway will allow water to flow around both sides of the island. It will flush out algae, sediment and restore water temperatures that sustain cold-water species that must migrate through the Delta as juvenile smolts and as adults. The warm water is a haven for nonnative species such as small mouth bass and channel catfish, which feed voraciously on young salmon.

Smolts that reach the delta are highly vulnerable and are “essentially waiting to be eaten or to die of (high) temperatures,” one corps official said.

The restored conditions will be good for native fish, but not the marina and public boat launch.

Schiessl said if the government takes steps to harm a city facility, it has a responsibility to mitigate it.

The situation raises a tantalizing prospect: Developing a protected marina on the south side of the delta that replicates the Columbia Park Marina, which is on the north. Under the right conditions, Columbia Park Marina could be moved to a niche further downstream.

That is not as far-fetched as it sounds.

The “niche” marina was proposed in a 1970s plan, before Richland annexed the Wye and Benton County was responsible for the area. Schiessl said several complicated and expensive steps would have to occur for a “second Columbia Point Marina,” but it is possible.

He added that the odds of success would be very low.

The marina is operated by longtime Tri-Citians Amy and Greg Ford under a month-to-month lease. It offers 104 slips as well as guest dock privileges. Its lease expired in 2017 and the corps refused to renew it, according to corps documents.

The causeway predates construction of McNary Dam and 17 miles of federal levees along the Tri-City waterfront in the 1950s. Together, they delivered a devastating blow to migrating salmon, both adult and juvenile.

According to the corps, 82% of riparian and shallow water habitat supporting salmon, birds, wildlife and other threatened aquatic species was destroyed. Lake Wallula, the pool formed behind McNary Dam, inundated the lower two miles of the Yakima River.

The corps estimates salmon runs once saw half a million fish pass through the Yakima River Delta. In the modern era of dams and agriculture, that has dwindled to about 10,000.

The Yakima Delta water project is a Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife initiative with the corps.

“These effects from the removal of the causeway will significantly increase the success of migrating salmon species,” the corps said.

The Yakama Tribe supports removing the causeway and relocating the marina.

Learn more about the corps’ plan and submit comments at bit.ly/YakimaRiverDelta.

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BATEMAN ISLAND, From page 15