Senior Times - October 2022

TUESDAY,

Senior picnic

Autumn sun shines on rescheduled All Senior Picnic

Senior Times staff

Half a dozen members of Rambling Travelers, a travel and adventure group, staked out a shady spot at the All Senior Picnic to dine on pulled pork sandwich es and potato salad skewers and to dish about their upcoming adventures.

They were among the more than 500 seniors who flocked to Howard Amon Park in Richland on Sept. 29 for the first All Seniors Picnic since the Covid-19 pandemic forced a two-year hiatus and poor air quality forced organizers to re schedule.

“It’s the first very large senior event we’ve had since 2019,” said David Ev erett, a director of the Richland Seniors Association, a group that welcomes residents from any of the surrounding cities.

Getting seniors together as a com munity is important, especially after the pandemic isolated so many of them,

said Todd Halterman, founder of Active 4 Life, one of the event’s sponsors. He emceed the Hawaiian-themed event and

encouraged seniors to have fun but also to visit with the vendors to learn about the ways they could volunteer in their

community to feel better connected to it.

The Tri-City senior population con tinues to grow so events like the picnic are key to connecting seniors, Everett said. Over the past decade, he noted the greater Tri-City 65-and-older popula tion has climbed from 10% to 14%.

“Not only is this senior community getting together in large groups, but we’re eager to encourage Pasco, Ken newick and Richland seniors as a com munity of people to realize they have the power and opportunity here – they just need the will to become a family,” Everett said.

At the All Senior Picnic, they were doing just that.

Rambling Traveler Judi Clark, a re tired bank and title company manager from Kennewick, brought her longtime friend and neighbor, Myrene Northey, a

County to complete KGH deal, lease for another facility

By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz

The dream of a Three Rivers Behav ioral Health Recovery Center is close to becoming a reality as Benton Coun ty moves to secure two sites to serve Tri-Citians facing mental health and substance abuse crises.

The county expects to complete a $1.6 million deal to buy the now closed Kennewick General Hospital from Tri os Health on Oct. 25.

It is also negotiating a separate deal for quarters, reportedly in downtown Kennewick, to house aspects of treat

ment that can’t be carried out at the old hospital under terms of the deal.

The county has already taken on some responsibility for the six-acre hospital campus, which is at 10th Av enue and Auburn Street. Crews laid out temporary drip lines to try to reverse the effects of a well failure, which left the mature landscape parched after go ing without water during the hottest summer months.

Benton County said an irrigation well at the site failed about the same time Trios relocated its birthing center from the former Kennewick General earlier this year. The property is not

served by the Kennewick Irrigation District and Trios apparently opted not to use expensive city water.

Shyanne Palmus, spokeswoman for the county, said crews put out drip lines to try to save the trees and shrubs. But it expects the grass will die.

“We’ll have to address the landscap ing and water system once we take ownership of the building,” she said.

Neighboring properties include a city park and school properties and are unaffected by the lack of water reach ing sprinklers.

In addition to the parched greenery, litter is visible on the grounds and there

is evidence of light dumping near the Auburn Street entrance, where card board boxes and a pallet were left in the bushes.

Trios officials cited the well failure for the situation and pledged to take steps to address the browning trees.

Trios, which is owned by the forprofit LifePoint Health, acquired the old hospital and the other assets of the former Kennewick Public Hospital District from RCCH Healthcare Part ners. RCCH in turn acquired the assets after the taxing district filed for bank

Tapteal Native Plants offers droughttolerant landscaping

Richland’s new bakery whips up Bundtastic cakes

Numerica Pavilion at Southridge Sports & Events

Photo by Wendy Culverwell

Lenny Ross, 73, of Richland, dances with Ciera Huie, a staff member at Kennewick’s Columbia Crossing of Grandridge, while an accordion player performed at the 2022 All Senior Picnic, held Sept. 29 at Howard Amon Park in Richland.

509-737-8778

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8524 W. Gage Blvd., #A1-300 Kennewick, WA 99336 srtimes.com

STAFF

Melanie Hoefer Hair

President / Founder

509-737-8778 ext. 5 melanie@tcjournal.biz

Kristina Lord Publisher

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Wendy Culverwell

Editor

509-737-8778 ext. 6 editor@tcjournal.biz

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Advertising Director

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retired merchandiser for JCPenney.

The women, who have been friends since their daughters grew up attending the same schools, said they were enjoy ing the sun and camaraderie.

Northey said she was temporarily sidelined from driving but looked for ward to being cleared to get back be hind the wheel in a few weeks.

The Ramblers were heading south in October for their next trip – to the Al buquerque International Balloon Fiesta.

Clark said she and her husband will celebrate their 65th wedding anniver sary in November. Her secret to a long marriage?

“He’s in his cave in the garage a lot,” she said, laughing. He sat this year’s picnic out.

Labors Local #348, the Richland la bor union, was well represented by re tired members.

Lamar Bennett of West Richland, Dan Kuykendall of Richland, and Rob ert Gerhard of Pasco joked that they spent decades on the “wrong end of a shovel.”

Before retirement, they had a hand in building some of the region’s most prominent structures, including projects on the Hanford site, college campuses, area hospitals and the Lower Monu mental and Wanapum dams.

Today, they spend their days mostly playing golf, motorcycle riding and on home repair. The best part of retire ment? Hunting and fishing on week days, when their favorite spots aren’t so crowded.

Gerhard, the youngest of six siblings, said he may be retired, but he’s still the honey-do guy for his close-knit family.

Dianne Kidd, 75, of Richland, rolled through the picnic in her motorized chair, visiting with some of the 50 busi ness and community vendors. She had never attended the picnic before.

“I think it was awesome,” she said.

ruptcy in 2018 following a financial crisis triggered by the costs associated with building the Southridge Hospital, now Trios Southridge Hospital.

The old hospital has a storied his tory.

It opened in 1952 after Kennewick voters approved a $350,000 general obligation bond. That, coupled with a lively community fundraising cam paign and a $150,000 gift from the Atomic Energy Commission paid for the community-owned facility.

The landscape reflects the age of the facility.

Trios consolidated operations at

Southridge, leaving the old hospital empty when it moved the birthing op eration to a new $20-plus million facil ity at its Southridge hospital.

Enter the Benton Franklin Recovery Coalition, an advocacy group led by Michele Gerber to push for a recovery center. The Tri-Cities is one of the few communities without such a facility.

The vacant hospital offered up the ideal location.

Benton County reached an agree ment to buy the site, but with a caveat. The purchase-sale agreement prohibits it from using the old hospital for be havioral health services. The county is negotiating to lease a facility to house that aspect of the recovery program,

Matt Rasmussen, deputy adminis trator for Benton County, said a lease for the undisclosed location could be signed by October as well.

Benton County has secured more than $9 million in state and federal funding and has committed up to $5 million of the funds it received through the American Rescue Plan Act.

Benton and Franklin counties both approved a sales and use tax to support the new recovery center. The 0.01% tax took effect in Franklin County on April 1 and in Benton County on July 1.

Benton and Franklin counties both approved the use of sales taxes to sup port the recovery centers.

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Kennewick,

Registration underway for Grandparents Day event

Tri-City grandparents and their grandchildren are invited to the Lupe Kuhn Memorial Grandparents Day celebration from 1-3 p.m. Oct. 15 at Columbia Point Marina Park in Richland.

The event is free for up to 300 grandparents and grandchildren, so early sign-up is encouraged.

This Richland Seniors Associationhosted event celebrates and honors

the memory of Kuhn, who died Jan. 11, 2021. She served as a director for the senior group. Her love of and con cern for the well-being children are the inspiration for the event.

Each registered child will receive a goody bag. The day will include inter active activities and games for grand parents and grandkids to do together.

A firetruck staffed by the Richland Fire Department will be on hand.

Activities will include a paper air plane contest; egg relay race; a wash er-in-sawdust search game; bean bag toss; and more. Prizes will be award ed.

Entertainment includes Big Top The Clown and professional face painter Rio Hayes from New Creations Face Painting LLC.

Register online at bit.lyTriCities GrandparentDay2022, or call the Richland Seniors Association at 800595-4070.

The registration deadline is 5 p.m. Oct. 8. The event is weather permit ting.

Franklin Historical Society lays cornerstone

The Franklin County Historical Society & Museum holds a corner stone ceremony to celebrate its new addition at 10 a.m. Oct. 8 at the museum, 304 N. Fourth Ave., Pasco.

The 5,180-square-foot annex allows the museum to consolidate a collection that was spread across the county, as pieces of Franklin County history are stashed in the basement of the Pasco police station, at the Kahlotus Grange Hall and at the Port of Pasco.

The museum was established in 1958 and eventually moved into the 5,000-square-foot building initially built with funds from Andrew Carnegie. The former library is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Historic victory brings drug price relief to state’s seniors

Here in Washington and across the country, millions of seniors will get relief from a new law that will help reduce drug prices.

For the first time in decades, the pharmaceutical industry’s grip on their wallets, medicine cabinets and peace of mind will begin to be pried loose.

After years of calling on Congress to make prescription drugs more affordable, AARP won the fight for Medicare to negotiate lower drug pric es and help millions of seniors save money on their medications.

That, in and of itself, is huge. But the new law, passed by Congress and signed by President Joe Biden, will help in other ways.

It will limit the cost of insulin to $35 a month for people on Medicare and put a $2,000 annual cap on what seniors in Medicare plans will have to pay out of pocket for their medica tions.

The new law makes shingles and other vaccines free, and it penalizes drug companies if they raise prices higher than the inflation rate.

It’s estimated the law will save tax payers and Medicare hundreds of bil lions of dollars over the next 10 years by lowering drug prices.

This is a historic victory, and it

Jim Ko AARP

GUEST COLUMN

couldn’t have come at a more needed time. Americans have had to pay three times more for their medications than people in other countries pay for the same drugs. And with the impact of inflation on all of us, seniors who worked hard their entire lives, raising families, building this country and giving back to their communities, shouldn’t have to choose between filling a prescription or buying gas and groceries.

For millions of seniors, this new law is genuinely life changing.

Just ask Pat J. from Seattle. She is taking six medications that cost over $5,400 a year.

“My medications are not a luxury, they’re a necessity,” Pat said. “While we’ve been able to foot the bill so far, I could easily foresee a time when that wouldn’t be the case. And we know of so many seniors who are not as fortu nate, and who are making life altering decisions each day just to be able to afford the medications they need.”

AARP led the fight to lower drug prices for America’s seniors, and we won. Our members, activists and vol unteers in Washington state and across the country stood up to the big drug companies’ army of lobbyists with their massive war chest and millions of dollars in misleading advertising, and we won.

Few people thought it would get done, but we did it.

As sweet as this victory is, though, the fight isn’t over. Drug companies are already spending millions to over turn the new law and stifle competi

tion so they can drive up their profits and keep charging Americans the highest prices in the world for the drugs they need.

AARP will keep fighting here in Washington and across the country, and we won’t back down until all Americans 50+ can afford their medi cation. It’s the right thing to do, and older Americans deserve nothing less.

For more information about how the new law affects drug prices, Medicare and more, go to aarp.org/rx.

Jim Ko is the AARP state president.

OCT. 7

• Richland Farmers Market: 9 a.m.-1 p.m., roundabout at Lee Boulevard and The Parkway in Richland.

OCT. 7-9

• Fall Home Show: HAPO Center, 6600 Burden Blvd., Pasco. 10 a.m.6 p.m. Friday and Saturday Oct. 7-8, and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 9. Admission: $8, kids under 12 are free.

OCT. 8

• RiverFest: 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Columbia Park, Kennewick. Celebrate our rivers and learn why hydropower is important. Call 509-547-9755 or go to riverfestwa.com.

• Pasco Farmers Market: 8 a.m.1 p.m., 101 S. Fourth Ave., Pasco.

OCT. 11

•Alzheimer’s Program: “When Living at Home is No Longer an Option”: 1-2:30 p.m., virtual event. Call 509-943-8455 or register online at kadlec.org/KNRC.

OCT. 12

• End of Life Planning: 1-3:30 p.m., virtual event. Call 509-943-8455 or register online at kadlec.org/KNRC.

OCT. 13

• Ballet Fantastique presents “Sleepy Hollow”: 7:30 p.m., Richland High School, 930 Long Ave., Richland. Go to CommunityConcertsTC.org or call 509-547-6243.

OCT. 14

• Richland Farmers Market: 9 a.m.-1 p.m., roundabout at Lee Boulevard and The Parkway in Richland. Call 509-539-7229 or email herbsetal@pocketinet.com.

OCT. 15

• Pasco Farmers Market: 8 a.m.1 p.m., 101 S. Fourth Ave., Pasco. Call 509-528-8131 or email omarti nez@downtownpasco.com.

• Tri-Cities Water Lantern Festival: 3:30-7:30 p.m., Columbia Park.

OCT. 17

• A Night with Pasco Aviation: 6-8 p.m., Bergstrom Aircraft, 4102 N. Stearman Ave., Pasco. Learn about the pioneers who brought airplanes to community over 100 years ago. Cost: $30. Call 650-2076493 for more information.

OCT 18

• Fall Senior Times Expo: 9 a.m.3 p.m., Numerica Pavilion at Southridge Sports & Events Complex, 2901 Southridge Blvd., Kennewick. Go to: srtimes.com. Free.

OCT. 20

• Understanding Hoarding Disorder with Travis Osborne: 6-7:30 p.m., virtual event. Call 509943-8455 or register online at kadlec. org/KNRC.

OCT. 21

• Richland Farmers Market: 9 a.m.-1 p.m., roundabout at Lee Boulevard and The Parkway in Richland. Call 509-539-7229 or email herbsetal@pocketinet.com.

OCT. 22

• City of Pasco Fall Festival: 4-6 p.m., Volunteer Park, 1125 N. Fourth Ave., Pasco. Games, booths, crafts and free face painting; 6-8 p.m., “Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween” family movie in the park.

• Pasco Farmers Market: 8 a.m.1 p.m., 101 S. Fourth Ave., Pasco.

OCT. 26

• CoComelon Live JJ’s Journey: 6 p.m., Toyota Center Kennewick, 7000 W. Grandridge Blvd.,

bazaar listings,

Kennewick. Tickets at yourtoyotacen ter.com.

OCT. 27

• National Day of Remembrance for Nuclear Weapons Workers: 3-7 p.m., Kagen Coffee & Crepes, 270 Williams Blvd., Richland. RSVP by calling 509-420-5372.

OCT. 28

• Richland Farmers Market: 9 a.m.-1 p.m., roundabout at Lee Boulevard and The Parkway in Richland.

OCT. 29

• Mid-Columbia Symphony Concert, “Halloween and Dia de Los Muertos”: 7:30 p.m., Richland High School Auditorium, 930 Long Ave., Richland. Go to midcolumbi asymphony.org.

• Pasco Farmers Market: 8 a.m.1 p.m., 101 S. Fourth Ave., Pasco.

• Downtown Kennewick Halloween Boo Bash: Street Festival: 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; trick or treating, 3 p.m.

Know the special senior rules for coping with a quake

The Great Washington Shakeout is Oct. 20.

This is the annual opportunity to practice earthquake survival skills and review the defenses you have built to survive a tremor. Since Washington is earthquake country, the safety rules apply to everyone.

As is true in so many cases, you need to do a little more to stay safe if you are older.

At 10:20 a.m., Great Washington Shakeout participants will practice dropping the ground, crawling under cover to protect themselves from fall ing debris and holding onto something sturdy until the shaking stops.

“Drop, cover and hold on” is good advice for everyone, young and old. If you can’t manage it on Oct. 20, do it when you can.

But “drop, cover and hold” may be beyond what some seniors can man age, said Hannah Christen, regional preparedness manager for the Red Cross Northwest region.

“Drop obviously does not apply if you are in a wheelchair,” she said. “What if you are in bed when the quake hits and you need help reaching the floor without falling? What if the quake knocks out electric power and you rely on oxygen from a power-driv en concentrator?”

In other words, everyone needs to learn the rules of earthquake survival, but if you are a senior you need to learn a few more that apply to your own situation.

Christen advised seniors to observe the big shakeout by reviewing what they need to do to survive an earth quake.

Gordon Williams American Red Cross

GUEST COLUMN

“You need to assess your own needs in case of a quake,” she said. “What can you do on your own, and how can you enlist help to do what you can’t do on your own?”

The biggest risk for seniors in a quake is being knocked off their feet, falling and being unable to regain their footing.

“When you feel shaking, find a way to get closer to the ground,” Christen said. “The more you try to stay on your feet, the greater the risk you will be knocked down and injured.”

Once down, cover yourself as best you can, even if it is only cradling your arms over your head and neck. Sitting down is better than lying down because it is easier to protect your head and neck if you’re sitting.

If you are in a wheelchair when the quake hits, Christen said to lock the chair in place, cover your head and neck with your hands and hold onto something sturdy.

If the quake catches you in bed, stay there and use your pillow to cover your head and neck.

It is a common misconception that being in a doorway during a quake is better than being out in the open.

“That used to be true, but it is not true any longer,” she said. Given mod ern-day construction methods door ways are no longer a safe place to

shelter.

Previous columns have pointed out the value of a personal support net work. Your support network would include friends, family and neighbors who would come to your aid in a disaster. You, in turn, may be part of the support network of someone older or with special needs.

Ideally, you want someone close by who could quickly check on your safe ty and well-being in a quake.

Identify where you would go if your home was wrecked before a quake strikes. That might be the home of a

friend or neighbor or a nearby hotel. Where will your town or county house people if a quake inflicts widespread damage?

Let your power company know if you rely on electricity to power medi cal devices.

What emergency assistance can your utility provide if your well-being depends on a continuous flow of cur rent?

“Consider having battery backups for your medical devices,” Christen

Mid-Columbia Meals on Wheels se nior 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, Oct. 7: Closed Monday Oct. 10: Turkey tetrazzini, seasoned beets, tossed salad.

Tuesday, Oct. 11: Beef stroganoff, garlic noodles, green beans.

Wednesday, Oct 12: Breaded chick en sandwich and fixings, corn chow der, broccoli salad.

Thursday, Oct. 13: Scrambled eggs with peppers, sausage patty, chuck wagon potatoes, bran muffin.

Friday, Oct. 14: Chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, country gravy, garden vegetables, three bean salad.

Monday, Oct. 17: Chicken and rice casserole, green beans.

Tuesday, Oct. 18: Apple pork chop, mashed sweet potatoes, green peas.

Wednesday, Oct. 19: Chili, squash medley, cornbread.

Thursday, Oct. 20: Roast beef with gravy, mashed potatoes, Italian vege tables, wheat roll, ice cream.

Friday, Oct. 21: Tuna noodle casse role, lyonnaise carrots.

Monday, Oct. 24: Swiss steak, mashed potatoes, garden vegetables.

Tuesday, Oct. 25: Cranberry chick en, confetti rice, peas and onions.

Wednesday, Oct. 26: Turkey and rice casserole, broccoli, tossed salad.

Thursday, Oct. 27: Pulled pork sandwich, baked beans, coleslaw.

Friday, Oct. 28: Chicken parmesan casserole, cauliflower with red pep pers.

Monday, Oct. 31: Lemon pepper cod, fluffy rice, green peas, oatmeal cookie.

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.

Call 911 if you can, text if you can’t

The Southeast Communications Center, or SECOMM, providing 911 services in Benton and Franklin counties, is now accepting emergency messages by text.

Texting to 911 provides a method of contact for people who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech impairments. The service launched on Sept. 11.

Texting is also an option for peo ple who need assistance but are concerned about alerting others they are calling 911, such as vic tims of a home invasion or some one near an abuser.

Calling remains the preferred method for those who can speak. For those who need to text, enter the location, keep messages brief and do not use emojis, slang or spe cial characters. Stay with the phone to follow instructions from dis patchers

Go to bces.wa.gov.

Covid-19 state of emergency ends Oct. 31

Gov. Jay Inslee will eliminate all remaining Covid-19 emergency proclamations by Halloween.

“Ending this order does not mean

we take it less seriously or will lose focus on how this virus has changed the way we live. We will continue our commitments to the public’s well-being, but simply through different tools that are now more appropriate for the era we’ve entered,” Inslee said.

Washington was the first state in the U.S. with a reported case of Covid-19. Inslee enacted protective measures that have since resulted in one of the lowest per capita death rates in the nation.

“I can’t express enough how grateful I am for all the health care workers, public health teams, and other frontline workers who have helped save thousands of lives dur ing the past two years and will con tinue to support our communities in staying safe and healthy,” Inslee said.

Fall Festival comes before Halloween

Pasco Parks and Recreation will combine Halloweekend Cinema and Trunk or Treat into a singular Fall Festival on Saturday, Oct. 22 at Volunteer Park.

The festival begins at 4 p.m. with games at individual booths through out the park. There will be face painting, arts and crafts and the event is free. A free movie begins at 6 p.m.

The event is free.

Register now for Lampson Cable Bridge Run

Registration is open for the 44th annual Lampson Cable Bridge Run, which will be Dec. 17 along a cor ridor extending from Kennewick across the cable bridge to Pasco.

The event features a 1-mile, 5K and 10K race. Event medals will be given out to the first 2,000 partici pants to finish the run. A virtual edition is also available.

Museum celebrates 40 years of its own history

By Gale Metcalf

Senior

Forty years ago, the materials now housed at the East Benton County Historical Society Museum at Keewaydin Park were stashed in attics, garages, closets, backyard sheds and storage units.

That changed on Oct. 16, 1982, the day local dignitaries gathered to lay the cornerstone for today’s museum at 205 Keewaydin Drive.

To honor its 40th birthday, the museum offers free admission on Saturday, Oct. 8. Hours are from noon to 4 p.m. Guest speakers are planned, light snacks and beverages will be served and special displays of histori cal items will showcase east Benton County’s history.

A new video showcasing all aspects of the museum also will be available for viewing.

The museum was the culmination of a massive community effort that began in 1978. That’s when the society incor porated as a nonprofit, tasked with pre serving the history of a region spread from Kiona-Benton City to the west to the Finley on the east, taking in Kennewick and Richland along the way. The territory extends to

Plymouth, the Washington state side of McNary Dam and the defunct towns of Hover, White Bluffs and Hanford.

In 1981, the East Benton County Historical Society set a $200,000 goal to build the museum and gather up the artifacts spread across 1,760 square miles and the homes and businesses of its 350 members.

“They (historical items) are under beds, in attics, wherever else,” said

Gene Spaulding, then president of the historical society, shortly before the cornerstone was placed.

It took only seven months to reach the goal, with 110 supporters as well as pledges from civic and fraternal clubs, the city of Kennewick and doz ens of local businesses.

Lawrence Frymier, a local architect, designed the museum, working closely with board members to plan the

6,000-square-foot museum with a basement.

B.R. Chapman and Son Contractors was the builder. The architect and con struction firm donated their services. Chapman donated materials at cost. Subcontractors did the same.

“The business community has been behind us in every respect,” said Spaulding, shortly before the 1982 program.

Spaulding’s team included first and second vice presidents, respectively, Wilbert Mills and Blanche Platt.

Pauline Durham was secretary and Pearl Bateman was treasurer.

Other board members were: Neva Bequette, Alene Clarke, George Jones, Berla Lande, Lawrence Scott, Kenneth Serier, Henry Smith, Fran Spooner and Dale Westermeyer.

The opening featured 11 exhibits focused on the early Native Americans in east Benton County, towns, the Columbia River, Hanford Nuclear Reservation, Horse Heaven Hills and its stockmen, irrigators and fruit farm ers and railroads.

In the 40 years since that ceremony, the museum has preserved the history of the area and welcomed visitors with

Courtesy East Benton County Historical Society

A crowd waits to visit the new East Benton County Historical Society Museum at Keewaydin Park in 1982. The Kennewick museum is offering free admission on Saturday, Oct. 8, in honor of its 40th anniversary.

December 17, 2022

Genealogical group seeks input on 2023 schedule

The Tri-City Genealogical Society is soliciting topics to explore in 2023.

Founded in 1961, the society formed to educate members and the public on the purposes and methods of genealogical research and to research, record and report materials of value to those researching in and around the area.

Prior topics include using DNA to solve mysteries, drawing insights from family photos, restoring cemetery headstones, using Wiki Trees’ DNA features and family history research, and an update on the 1950 Census.

Submit suggestions to Loren Schmid, schmidloren@outlook.com.

The society has two events left for its current calendar.

On Oct. 12-13, Wayne Ross, leader of the Richland Family History Center, offers tours from 6-8 p.m.

In December, it will host a showand-tell program for members to share what they’ve found out while doing research.

Defibrillator available at Howard Amon Park

The public can access emergency medical equipment to treat heart attacks at all hours of the day and

night at Richland’s Howard Amon Park.

Richland Fire & Emergency Services installed an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) in a Save Station cabinet off Lee Boulevard in the park. It is the first in the communi ty.

The AED was installed as part of the Heart Safe Richland initiative, which aims to boost the survival rate for heart attacks, which is about 10% nationwide.

RiverFest 2022 to celebrate area’s river system

RiverFest 2022 expects to welcome more than 70 exhibitors and vendors at the event highlighting the benefits of the river system and the four lower Snake River dams.

The free event is from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Oct. 8 at the Lampson Pits in Columbia Park in Kennewick.

Visitors will be able to investigate a juvenile fish transportation truck, crawl inside FIN the Migrating Salmon and learn about the hydro sys tem with hands-on activities and games for all ages.

Food vendors include the Colville Fry Bread Food Truck and Lamb Weston Fry Trailer. Musical entertain ment will be on the main stage, featur ing performances from the Colville Tribes.

Deadline to order wreaths for this year’s ceremony is November 25, 2022.

Ex-Richland mayors revive the chamber of commerce

By Wendy Culverwell

A pair of Richland business owners and former mayors is reviving the Richland Chamber of Commerce to restore the local connection between business and city hall.

The Richland and the Kennewick chambers merged in 2005 to form the Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce, a move calculated to give the Mid-Columbia’s business com munity a bigger voice at the state level.

The regional chamber fills a need, but the consolidation left a void in hyper local networking, according to David Rose and Rob Welch, the two men driving the effort.

They say they miss the opportunity to network with fellow business own ers, to know city leaders by name and to hear from city staff about what’s happening in the community. Most cities, large and small, have cham bers. Richland needs one, they say.

There are more than 200 individual chambers in Washington state.

“We want the mom-and-pop busi ness owner to know who the fire chief is,” said Welch, who owns a heating and air conditioning business.

The revived chamber relaunched with a luncheon in September. Richland police Chief Brigit Clary was the featured guest.

Rose and Welch say it will be up to the future board to set a direction, but the present plan is to meet regularly on the second Tuesday of each month.

The Tri-City Regional Chamber

Photo by Wendy Culverwell

Rob Welch, left, and David Rose, both ex-Richland mayors as well as business owners, restarted the Richland Chamber of Commerce. The original merged with the Kennewick Chamber of Commerce in 2005 to form the Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce.

said it has no position on the revived Richland chamber.

Rose and Welch say they’ve been heartened by the support of the area’s smaller chambers and are not in con flict with the regional group.

The Pasco and West Richland chambers of commerce did not merge into the Tri-Cities Regional Chamber and continue to operate within their respective cities. To Rose and Welch, they are models for the new Richland version.

Colin Hastings, executive director of the Pasco chamber, welcomes the revived chapter and said the Tri-City business organizations have a history of cooperating on joint ventures such

as October’s RiverFest event.

Pasco voted against joining the regional chamber to preserve its agri cultural identity. Having its own chamber preserves Pasco’s voice within the city, he added.

The West Richland Area Chamber of Commerce supports the effort and is helping with administration until it gets on its feet, said May Hays, exec utive director.

The regional chamber does an excellent job of advocating for the Tri-Cities, but she said there’s room for a business-oriented group that focuses on city-specific issues.

Rose and Welch both are longtime business owners on the cusp of retire

ment. Both recall the supportive rela tionships they developed through the original Richland chamber. Restarting it is their gift to the future and those who want Richland-focused events, from meetings to ribbon cuttings to holiday soirees.

“This is for the next generation,” said Welch, who is selling Welch Heating & Air Conditioning. He expects to keep working as a consul tant. Welch, who served on the city council in the early 2000s, including two terms as mayor, found he longed for the supportive connections the old Richland chamber fostered.

“I’ve missed that camaraderie and friendship. It’s hard running a busi ness,” he said.

Rose, owner of Northwest Rentals and a host of other businesses, is semi-retired and weary of spending weekday afternoons watching reruns of “Gunsmoke” on television. He missed being involved in the life and gossip of the community.

When Welch called to ask about restarting the chamber, it was an idea he’d been toying with. The two began meeting and recruited an accountant, who filed the paperwork to create the new entity. The new Richland cham ber does not yet have a website or an email of its own.

It does have a pair of oversized scissors ready for ceremonial ribbon cuttings.

The meetings with Welch and with neighboring chambers helped both men reconnect with the community and relearn the value of seeing lead

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.

Kennewick 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: 1-3 p.m. Wednesdays. Cost: $1 per day.

• Dominoes: 12:30-2 p.m. Tues days and Fridays. Cost: $1 per day.

• Pinochle: 12:30-4 p.m. Mondays,

SENIOR ACTIVITIES

Wednesdays and Thursdays. Cost: $1 per day.

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

• Sewing: 1-4 p.m. Tuesdays.

• Woodcarving: 1-3 p.m. Wednes days. 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 and 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: 12:303:30 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. 6 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: 10:30 a.m. Tuesdays. Register by calling 509-786-2915.

• Bunco: Third Friday of month. 6 p.m. Cost is $2 per person. 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 $7 per person and $4 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

Word search - Football terms

Medium

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.

ers face to face. Rose said he visited with business, port and city officials he hadn’t talked to since he left the city council in 2018.

They both recently toured the new Richland City Hall, built on Swift Boulevard after they left office. Their work to restart the chamber opened the door for a glimpse at the new center of municipal government, they said.

Rose said there are plenty of activ ities a small chamber can take on to

foster community pride.

In the 1980s, he managed the for mer Richland chamber’s parade float, which appeared at events around the region. The tradition disappeared and he donated it to the Pasco Chamber of Commerce.

Membership will be open to all businesses, but the focus will be on Richland and fostering conversations between business and the city.

For more information, call 509987-4003 or email Welch at RobWelch222@gmail.com.

~ Bazaar Listings ~

Here’s our annual roundup of Tri-City area bazaars:

OCT. 13

• Goose Ridge Fall Market: noon-8 p.m., 16304 N. Dallas Road, Richland.

OCT. 14-15

countless exhibits built around historic artifacts, family histories, oral remem brances and an extensive collection of photos.

Its library and archives are available to researchers.

Today’s visitors are welcomed by the celebrated petrified floor at the entry. The museum houses one of the finest collections of Native American artifacts in the Pacific Northwest.

Its Kennewick Man display tells the years of research, study and conclu sion on the most complete skeleton remains of a prehistoric man – more than 9,000 years old – ever found in North America.

Antique tools, implements and dis plays tell the hard-scrabble experienc es of early-day farmers awakening and going to bed by the light of kerosene lamps after a day toiling the fields by hand or with livestock.

A display of early-day phones shows what it was like visiting the offices of doctors and dentists in a bygone time.

The museum’s 4,000 or so vinyl records, playable by request on a turn table, offer a look of the big bands era, country legends, and rock ‘n roll stars

Veterans are honored with a section on the five branches of service. Digital technology allows visitors to find local veterans dating back to more than a century.

East Benton County schools are traced in yearbooks, photos, class pic tures, memorabilia and historical information covering generations.

A “Benton Theater” often features hits from the silent era on Saturdays, and games and features popular with children can be found for a hands-on experience.

The Smith Family Library offers archives on a multiplicity of subjects related to east Benton County, and fea tures a database of more than 4,000 photos.

Gale Metcalf, a lifelong Tri-Citian and retired Tri-City Herald employee as well as a volunteer for the East Benton County Historical Society, writes the monthly history column.

• Kennewick’s 31st annual Harvest Bazaar: noon-6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 14, and 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 15, Numerica Pavilion, 2901 Southridge Blvd., Kennewick. Cost: $5, kids 12 and under are free.

OCT. 15

• Holly Daze: 9 a.m.-3 p.m., First Methodist Church, 2 S. Dayton St., Kennewick. Bake shop, farm store, drawing, fall décor, vendors, Pepiot’s famous 11 ½ bean soup mix, baked-potato lunch, knitted, crocheted or quilted accessories and home items, wreaths, cards, wood crafts, ceramics and holiday adornments for Halloween through Christmas. Proceeds support many missions worldwide, local nonprof its and services for families.

• Pumped for Purple Artisan Market: 11 a.m., The Space, 1384 Jadwin Ave., Richland. Benefiting Domestic Violence Services of Benton and Franklin Counties. Swag bag for first 50 shoppers. Bring donation for the shelter and receive five tickets for a drawing.

OCT. 21-22

• Fall Market: noon-6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 21 and 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 22, Kennewick Valley Grange, 2611 S. Washington St., Kennewick.

• Uptown Fall Festival: noon-4 p.m., Uptown Shopping Center, 1317 George Washington Way, Richland.

NOV. 4-6

• Custer’s Christmas Art & Crafts Show: 10 a.m.-7 p.m.

Friday, Nov. 4; 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 5; and 10 a.m.4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 6, HAPO Center, 6600 Burden Blvd., Pasco. Jewelry, hand-thrown pottery, fused glass work, wood turning, metal art, photography, soaps, candles, paint ings, wearable fiber art, mixed media, seasonal decor and special ty foods. Cost: Adults $7, kids 12 and under are free.

NOV. 5

• Southridge High School

Holiday Bazaar: 9 a.m.-4 p.m., 3520 Southridge Blvd., Kennewick. Benefits Southridge High School music program.

• Craft Bazaar: 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Meadow Springs Presbyterian Church, 325 Silver Meadows Drive, Richland. Handcrafted items, fine art and gourmet specialty food.

NOV. 12

• Miracle of Christmas Craft Bazaar: 9 a.m.- 4 p.m., Richland Nazarene Church, 2500 Jericho Road.

• Fall Harvest Bazaar: 9 a.m.3 p.m., Pasco Eagles, 2829 W. Sylvester St., Pasco.

NOV. 19

• Marcus Whitman Winter Bazaar: 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Marcus Whitman Elementary, 1704 Gray St., Richland. Over 60 local arti sans, silent auction and food avail able for purchase.

• Lincoln Holiday Bazaar: 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Lincoln Elementary, 4901 W. 20th Ave., Kennewick.

• Jason Lee Bazaar: 9 a.m.3 p.m., Jason Lee Elementary School, 1750 McMurray, Richland. Over 50 vendors, arts, crafts and food.

To be included on this list, email ads@tcjournal.biz with details about your bazaar, including time, date, place and cost.

Tapteal Native Plants offers drought-tolerant landscaping alternatives

By Laura Kostad for Senior Times

Tucked into a pocket of West Richland is a native plant haven. It’s a nursery in Ann Autrey’s backyard called Tapteal Native Plants.

Her business is a grassroots effort to raise awareness about the value of native species, as well as to supply the Columbia Basin with region-specific varieties from its unique shrub-steppe habitat.

Demand for native plants is on the rise.

“Every year, the business has tripled in growth for plant sales,” Autrey said. “Last year, we hit our highest yet, and (this year) we’re at least going to match.”

She’s seeing the growth in Tapteal’s customer base.

“We’re definitely reaching more and more people. When we had our sale in spring, it was all new faces,” she said.

Autrey and her assistant, Kelsey Kelmel, said there are several reasons people are attracted to native plants, ranging from a desire to honor the landscape, reduce maintenance, add diversity to edible landscaping, lower water bills or guard against future en vironmental conditions that may make conventional plantings less practical or even impossible.

“Having done this for a few years, I can tell you that when it comes to na tive plant people, there’s no one type of person,” Autrey said. “Our customers span the whole political spectrum … and every other category.”

“Plants don’t discriminate,” Kelmel added.

“Our customer base comes from as far as Yakima, Moses Lake, a strong contingent in Walla Walla, Pendleton, Umatilla,” Autrey said.

Shrub-steppe diversity

The area’s shrub-steppe landscape boasts an astonishing array of na tive wildflowers and other less showy plants.

“Our ecosystem is one of the most diverse in the world,” Kelmel said.

Yet, as Tri-Cities and other neighbor ing communities grow and diversify, many property owners don’t embrace the natural character of the existing environment, instead favoring green lawns and conventional landscape plantings – both which require lots of water.

To Autrey and Kelmel, native plants and other arid climate-tolerant species provide a simple yet elegant solution to the challenges presented by the shrubsteppe environment.

After all, they’ve naturally adapted to these conditions. The bonus? They require nearly no water, soil amend ment, or pesticides and herbicides.

driving between two native plant nurs eries in Spokane and Peshastin to find what she was looking for.

“It dawned on me that not everyone can take a day to go get plants and then again to replenish anything that didn’t make it,” she said, adding that the Co lumbia Basin has a slightly different climate than those two areas.

Adding to the challenge is trans plants from the wild often don’t take well due to the long roots that shrubsteppe species put down to access wa ter reserves.

“So, I focused on collecting and ger minating local seed that has the genet ics to make it here,” she said.

Photo by Laura Kostad

Tapteal Native Plants founder Ann Autrey and her assistant Kelsey Kelmel stand in the

She said members of the Heritage Garden Program helped her out, par ticularly with seed donations. She also learned about different areas around the region to harvest seeds sustainably.

house

of plant starts, most of which will be sold

sale. Autrey runs the nursery out of her multi-acre backyard, selling

their

per year to home gardeners

a touch of shrub-steppe

“Water conservation, sustainability and resilience for what’s coming for the future and pollinator health – that’s especially important here in Eastern Washington because we’re in ag coun try and we need to support all the polli

to

nators we can to ensure our ag industry continues in good health,” Autrey said.

It’s part of what led her to start Tap teal Native Plants five years ago after wanting to incorporate native plantings on her own property. She found herself

Though Autrey believes it doesn’t have to be all or nothing when it comes to incorporating native plantings, say ing “there is value in the plants them selves because all around us we’re los ing the valuable shrub-steppe habitat.

“For example, on the Hanford res ervation, there used to be sagebrush everywhere, but due to fires, it’s really decimated the population. Slow-grow

Sign up yourself, grandkids to donate blood

The Washington State Department of Health and Northwest Blood Coalition are encouraging eligible donors to schedule a donation.

The coalition is formed by four blood donation centers serving Washington state: Vitalant, Cascade Regional Blood Centers, Bloodworks NW and the American Red Cross Northwest Region.

The blood donation network encourages donors to enlist high

school and college age relatives to give. Young donors represent near ly 25% of all donations.

Every two seconds someone in the U.S. needs blood, including those undergoing surgeries, cancer treatments, blood disorder treat ments, complications from child birth, injuries and other conditions. Blood supply shortages continue to dog the nation and the state.

Tri-Citians can donate at the Red Cross Blood Donation Center, 447 Wellsian Way, Richland. Call 800-RED-CROSS for assistance or go to redcrossblood.org.

To determine if you are eligible,

go to rcblood.org/3LszH1J.

Bestselling ‘Mexican Gothic’ author to visit the Tri-Cities

Mid-Columbia Libraries, togeth er with Columbia Basin College, welcomes New York Times best selling novelist Silvia MorenoGarcia for a free talk at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 13 at Columbia Basin College’s Gjerde Center in Pasco.

The author will speak, answer audience questions and sign books. Her books will be for sale at the event.

Moreno-Garcia, who is Mexican by birth, Canadian by inclination, is the featured author of MCL’s annual Mid-Columbia Reads liter ary festival, which runs through Oct. 13.

The public is invited to stop by their local MCL branch to take home a free copy of one of several of her books, while supplies last.

Her latest title, “The Daughter of Doctor Moreau,” was released in July 2022 and is a dreamy reimag ining of “The Island of Doctor Moreau,” set against the backdrop of 19th century Mexico.

Her 2020 novel, “Mexican

Gothic,” is a New York Times best seller and multiple award-winner.

All of her books are also avail able to borrow from the MCL col lection; there are no holds or wait list for her ebooks.

The presentation is free and open to the public; doors open at 6 p.m. American Sign Language (ASL) and Spanish interpretation will be provided.

Mario Lopez to headline Kennewick event

Mario Lopez, an actor, Emmy winning TV host and Boys & Girls Club alumnus, is the celebrity event for Dinner With Friends, the premier corporate fundraising event for Boys & Girls Clubs of Benton and Franklin Counties.

The event will be held from 6-9 p.m. Nov. 10 at the Three Rivers Convention Center in Kennewick.

Lopez, host of “Access Hollywood,” is an author and for mer member of the Chula Vista Boys & Girls Club. He serves as an alumni ambassador for the national organization.

To attend or sponsor the event, contact Meggan Tjarks via email meggan.tjarks@greatclubs.org.

TRI-CITY BOOK CLUBS

ing sagebrush doesn’t come back after a fire … it’s a keystone species. When we lose those plants, it disrupts the whole ecosystem.”

In “Singing Grass, Burning Sage” by Jack Nisbet, he wrote that of “the 10.5 million acres of shrub-steppe habitat present in Eastern Washington in the early 1800s, almost two-thirds have disappeared entirely and the rest has been irrevocably changed.”

As Autrey explained, that change is due to human influence.

“Planting natives shows an appreci ation for where we’re at,” Kelmel said. “I think that celebrating that should be a part of our daily lives and our com munity. Why not celebrate our sense of place? There are a lot of lessons that can be learned from the shrub-steppe.”

Plant sale, classes

Tapteal Native Plants is gearing up for its annual fall plant sale, which runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 28-29 and Nov. 4-5.

Sales are also held in spring with a different selection of plants.

“Our sales are focused around the life cycle of the plant,” Autrey said. “People are used to planting what they

want right now, but really, most native plant starts are best planted in fall. We want people to be successful. Their tra ditional way of gardening may not be what’s going to be successful for the plant.”

Plants and seeds can be acquired throughout the year by contacting the nursery or visiting its limited Etsy shop, which is devoted to seed sales.

Autrey offers her expertise through consultation as well. Homeowners and businesses can have their property evaluated. Then, she can create a plan, complete with plant species recom mendations.

She has designed over 200 native gardens to date.

For those looking to learn more, Tapteal Native Plants’ website offers guides, articles and resources to help people get started.

This fall, Autrey also will be host ing her first seed germination class and hopes to offer it again in the spring, as well as garden tours.

search Tapteal Native Plants: 509-5786446, taptealnativeplants.com. Open by appointment only. Follow on Face book and Instagram for fall and spring plant sale information.

• 6:30 p.m. Oct. 17, Richland Public Library, 955 Northgate Drive, THE LIONS OF FIFTH AVENUE by Fiona Davis.

THE MAGNIFICENT AMBERSONS by Booth Tarkington is the Nov. 21 book.

The group meets the third Monday of the month.

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

• 1 p.m. Oct. 19, MidColumbia Libraries, Pasco branch, 1320 W. Hopkins St., Pasco, ALL THAT SHE CARRIED by Tiya Miles.

WHERE THE FOREST MEETS THE STARS by Glendy Vanderah is the Nov. 16 book.

The group typically meets the third Wednesday of the month.

Contact Susan Koenig at 509-302-9878 or SMKoenig@ ymail.com

• 1:30 p.m. Oct. 20, Richland Public Library, 955 Northgate Drive, MISS BENSON’S BEETLE by Rachel Joyce.

DEATH AT LA FENICE by Donna Leon is the Nov. 17 book.

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

Contact: Evelyn Painter, ec_painter@yahoo.com or 509-420-4811.

• 6 p.m. Oct. 24, MidColumbia Libraries, West Pasco branch, 7525 Wrigley Drive, THE NIGHTINGALE by Kristin Hannah.

CIRCE by Madeline Miller is the Nov. 28 book.

• 6 p.m. Oct. 25, MidColumbia Libraries, Benton City branch, 810 Horne Drive, THE MYSTERIOUS AFFAIR AT STYLES by Agatha Christie.

WHERE THE CRAWDADS

SING by Delia Owens is the Nov. 22 book.

• 6:30 p.m. Oct. 25, Richland Public Library, West Pasco branch, 7525 Wrigley Drive, Read the Rainbow, a LGBTQIA+ & Allies book club. Bring a book you are reading or have read recently to dis cuss.

THE SEVEN HUSBANDS OF EVELYN HUGO by Taylor Jenkins Reid is the Nov. 29 book and the meeting will be at the Kennewick branch, 1620 S. Union St.

• 7 p.m. the first Friday of the month, Caterpillar Café at Adventures Underground, 227 Symons St., Richland. Contact Sarah at 509-9469893 for upcoming titles.

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

Photo by Kelsey Kelmel

Blanket flowers and globemallow are just a few examples of the colorful native flower varieties available through Tapteal Native Plants.

Richland’s new bakery whips up Bundtastic cakes

By Laura Kostad for Senior Times

Tri-Citians need a little more cake.

That’s what Julie Zirker believes.

She’s the co-owner of the first Noth ing Bundt Cakes franchise in the TriCities.

It opened this summer at 110 Gage Blvd., Suite 200, in Richland.

“We need a little more joy and a little more cake. They’re interchange able,” she said.

Zirker and her sister-in-law, Julie Dawes’ bakery will make nothing but Bundt cakes, pun completely intended.

It may sound like a limited business plan, but the brand’s been in business for 25 years, with more than 410 loca tions nationwide and a trademark on its frosting pattern.

“They make one thing and they make it really well,” Dawes said.

Nothing Bundt Cakes sells 10 differ ent flavors of Bundt cake baked fresh daily: strawberries and cream, snick erdoodle, red velvet, chocolate chip, white chocolate raspberry, lemon, con fetti, carrot, classic vanilla, as well as rotating featured flavors throughout the year such as key lime, which is a new flavor that will be debuting by the time the Richland location opens. A gluten-free option also is available.

Sisters-in-law Julie Dawes and Julie Zirker teamed up to open a Nothing Bundt Cakes franchise at 110 Gage Blvd., Suite 200 in Richland. The bakery makes nothing but Bundt cakes, though an array of decorations and small gifts also are available for sale.

Cakes come in four sizes: 10-inch, 8-inch, cupcake-size Bundtlets, and bite-size Bundtinis by the dozen. Cakes can also be double-tiered for weddings and other special events. Each features a thick real cream cheese frosting petal or drizzle design.

Though the cake mixes come from the corporate headquarters in Addison, Texas, Nothing Bundt Cakes prides itself on using fresh eggs and butter sourced more locally.

A wide selection of Bundts will be available in the bakery daily, no pre order required, but handcrafted cake decorations themed around holidays and celebrations throughout the year also can be specially ordered for any occasion.

On the spectrum spanning grocery store cakes and high-end customized works of art, Dawes said Nothing Bundt Cakes offers a niche in between.

“You can come in and get a (pre

made) cake ... It’s custom and it’s good quality and delicious and it’s on de mand.”

The store also sells party items such as candles, cards, balloons and more, along with small gift items – “to make us one-stop shopping,” Dawes said.

The selection is handpicked by Zirk er and Dawes.

“The bakeries have a very nostalgic feel to them; it feels like your grandma could work there,” Dawes said.

Despite being a franchise, she said each one should feel like a one-of-akind special place.

The duo foresees employing 15 to 20 and said people have already been emailing and stopping by to place or ders.

They’re also excited because their kids are in their teens so the whole family will have more of an opportuni ty to be involved and learn useful skills through everyday business operations.

“We are both lifelong Tri-Citians … and this is our way to bring joy and happiness to our Tri-City community,” Zirker said.

In the joy business

Nothing Bundt Cakes began in Las Vegas with two home bakers, Dena

Photo by Laura Kostad

Taking care

If you must keep power flowing, consider an emergency generator. But learn the rules of generator safety before putting one to use.”

The Shakeout is expected to involve at least 1 million Washington residents and 23 million more worldwide. Learn more online at shakeout.org/washing ton.

The American Red Cross – one of the sponsors of the ShakeOut – has lots of advice to offer about safety dur ing a quake:

• If you are inside, stay there until the shaking stops. Use stairs and not an elevator when you do venture out side.

• If you are outside, find a spot away from buildings and power lines and drop to the ground.

• If you are in a car, pull over, away from bridges or power lines and keep your seatbelt fastened.

• If you are near the coast, move quickly to the highest place you can find in case the quake triggers a tsuna mi. You might have only a few min utes to escape a quake-triggered tsuna mi, so look ahead of time for some place tall and sturdy nearby which could provide a refuge from the surg ing water.

• If you live near the coast, combine your Great Shakeout earthquake plan ning with planning on how to survive a tsunami.

Beyond quakeproofing yourself, you want to quake-proof your home.

All water heaters and gas appliances must be bolted to wall studs to keep them from toppling in a quake. Tall furniture such as bookcases, cabinets and dressers should be bolted to wall studs.

Make sure there are no heavy

objects such as pictures or mirrors hanging above where people sleep or sit.

Put sturdy latches on all cabinets to keep their contents from spilling out. Put heavy items on the lowest shelves so they don’t fall on anyone if they do spill out. Anchor overhead lights to ceiling joists.

Don’t leave your safe spot until all shaking has stopped. Assume that the quake will be followed by aftershocks. Drop, cover and hold on during each aftershock.

If the quake caught you away from home, the Red Cross advises staying away until authorities tell you it is safe to return.

Exercise extreme caution when you do return home, says the Red Cross. Be sure to carefully inspect walls, floors, doors, staircases and windows to check for damage.

The reality of earthquakes is that they give virtually no warning before they hit.

Still, even a few seconds warning could greatly increase your chances of escaping a quake unharmed. The U.S. Geological Survey ShakeOut Earthquake Early Warning System is available on all mobile phones in Washington.

Check out the warning system at shakealert.org.

Add the MyShake app to your phone, which is available from the Apple Store or Google Play. It may provide you with no more than a few seconds’ warning, but that could be time enough to drop, cover and hang on when the shaking starts.

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

Tripp and Debbie Shwetz, in 1997.

“I first tried (Nothing Bundt Cakes) in Spokane,” Dawes said. “And then every time we went to Spokane, we just had to get their cake and I was like, ‘Wait, why aren’t we doing this?’ ”

A former florist, Dawes quipped, “I’ve just always been in the joy busi ness.”

Zirker was a stay-at-home mom, then worked in medical billing for the past five years.

“One thing Julie and I share is that entrepreneurial spirit. Owning my own business is something I’ve always wanted to do, but I wanted the right relationship and the right franchise … the stars kind of aligned and here we are,” she said.

The pair embarked on the path to becoming business owners in spring 2020.

They said Nothing Bundt Cakes cor porate was excited to hear from some one in Tri-Cities as it had been eyeing the rapidly growing and diversifying community.

The sisters-in-law pulled back a bit though as the Covid-19 pandemic in tensified.

“Nothing Bundt Cakes ends up be ing a company that does a lot of de liveries … a lot of their bakeries never even shut down, so the next year … we felt comfortable moving forward,” she

said.

The pair said finding the right space was tricky and took a few months.

They finally found the perfect one in the 2,900-square-foot suite formerly occupied by Mezzo Thai, which re opened as Soi 705 at The Parkway in Richland in early October 2021.

Dawes and Zirker said the high vis ibility location didn’t take much to be retrofitted.

“We’re all about bringing joy and eating cake,” Dawes said. Bundt history lesson

Bundt cakes exploded into popular ity in 1966 when a Bundt cake called the “Tunnel of Fudge” took second place in the annual Pillsbury Bake-Off.

Pillsbury was subsequently over whelmed with more than 200,000 re quests for Bundt pans, according to the Minnesota Historical Society Press.

Minnesota-based Nordic Ware was poised to capitalize on the demand.

The American-made cookware company, founded in 1946 in Minne apolis, began manufacturing Scandina vian cooking tools.

In the company’s early years, friends Rose Joshua and Fannie Schanfield of the Minneapolis Jewish-American Ha dassah Society approached co-founder Dave Dalquist to see if he would recre ate a lightweight modern version of a traditional German cast iron kugelhopf cake form.

Courtesy Nothing Bundt Cakes

Nothing Bundt Cakes come in with several flavors and are made with local eggs, butter and cream cheese. They come in four sizes, including double-stacked for weddings and cupcake size. A gluten-free option also is available.

A cast aluminum version was born and trademarked as a “Bundt.” The pan’s unique shape features curves emanating from a hollow center point.

Following a small production run in 1950 and poor sales, Nordic Ware con sidered discontinuing the pan.

However, after the 1966 Pillsbury Bake-off, Nordic Ware amped up pro duction to 30,000 Bundt pans per day, according to a story by the University of Minnesota Alumni Association.

The company claims its Bundt pans

can be found in 75 million homes around the world.

Some of its originals earned spots in the Smithsonian collection.

There’s even a National Bundt Day on Nov. 15.

search Nothing Bundt Cakes: 110 Gage Blvd, Suite 200, Richland; 509-392-7196; nothingbundtcakes. com; Facebook, Instagram. Hours: 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Friday; 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday; closed Sun days.