July 2017
Volume 5 • Issue 6
New gyms aim to offer affordable workouts BY ROBIN WOJTANIK for Senior Times
Longtime Cedars owners ready to retire
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Local fishing guides create excursions for all ages
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30-year-old shopping plaza gets updated look Page 9
save the date
Monday, July 10 6 p.m. Drums Along the Columbia Edgar Brown Memorial Stadium, Pasco
The availability of inexpensive fitness options is increasing in the Tri-Cities with the opening of COR Fit in Richland and the new Planet Fitness in Kennewick. Each gym is available to users on a month-tomonth basis, with no long-term contracts required. COR stands for “city of Richland” and is the new name of the expanded facility at the Richland Community Center. The city teamed up with the Richland Senior Association, matching the $1,600 raised for a gym expansion, to invest more than $3,200 into a remodeled space with added equipment. COR is located where the computer lab and a meeting room once were. By removing a wall, the two rooms were combined into one. While the meeting room was relocated elsewhere in the community center, the computer lab was eliminated altogether. The city felt the availability of computers at the Richland Public Library was sufficient for public use. The gym features two seated stepper machines, which are frequently in use. Cloyd Bowers, 93, said he uses the seated stepper for about 20 minutes at a time, and hopes to eventually increase his ability to use the other equipment. “I know it’s good for my legs. It gets results because it keeps ’em going,” he said. Bowers said it’s typical to see four to five people in the fitness room at one time, mostly seniors. COR Fit has about 100 members and the prices are the same for Richland residents and non-residents. Each person pays $8 a month for use of the facility for a 30-day commitment. The gym is open during the same hours as the Richland Community Center: 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday; 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday; and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday. uGYMS, Page 8
Karen Jarrett, owner of Sandy’s Fabrics and Machines, inspects the inner workings of one of the sewing machines at the downtown Kennewick shop. Sandy’s has remained relevant and successful at its location at 24 N. Benton St. by adjusting as the industry changed, Jarrett said. The store opened in 1977.
Technology stitches solid future for downtown Kennewick store BY ROBIN WOJTANIK for Senior Times
The transformation of sewing from a mother’s necessity to a high-tech hobby has kept Sandy’s Fabrics and Machines in business for 40 years. Today, most sewing projects have moved beyond garment making but Sandy’s shows no sign of slowing. The downtown Kennewick store is filled with computers that use a needle and thread. Shop owner Karen Jarrett pointed to a machine on a nearby table retailing for $15,000.
Jarrett has many customers who own more than one of these devices. It’s all part of a new breed of sewers, which include a wide range of hobbyists and entrepreneurs, children and seniors. Sandy’s has remained relevant and successful at its location at 24 N. Benton St. by adjusting as the industry changed, Jarrett said. Sandy’s Fabrics opened in 1977 and expanded to machines in 1981. Jarrett said the watershed moment happened in 1994 when machines that could embroider came on the market. uSANDY’S, Page 2
Specialty builders look to the future when designing homes BY JESSICA HOEFER for Senior Times
As nearly 77 million baby boomers settle into retirement, many are concerned with more than just their bank accounts. Almost 70 percent of homeowners nationwide have made adjustments to their homes so they can live there longer, according to an AARP study called “Fixing to Stay.” It’s one of the reasons why Jennifer Kelly, co-owner of J&J Kelly Construction of Pasco, went through the certified aging-in-place specialist, or CAPS, program five years ago. The National Association of Home Builders offers the
certification. “A lot of clients who come to me are older,” she said. “We have the baby boomer generation, and they’re going into retirement. Tens of millions of people need homes they can stay in safely.” Kelly co-owns the business with her husband, Jeff, who handles land purchases and development while she manages residential custom homes. Not including the land, the company’s homes range from $360,000 to $800,000, Kelly said. The average customer is more than 55 years old. However, she does build for people in their late 30s and 40s. uBUILDERS, Page 10
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